Spanish - Hesitation Phrases

Lesson 91 of 159

Goal: Soft fillers and quick self-corrections

Free Spanish lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Welcome! This lesson focuses on small phrases that make spoken Spanish sound natural. Use them to buy time, soften ideas, or correct yourself quickly.

Level A2: In this short lesson you'll practice four everyday hesitation phrases — how to start a thought gently (Sabes, ___.), how to approximate (Es más bien ___.), how to add uncertainty (O algo así.), and how to self-correct (Espera, digo ___.). CEFR-aligned and ready for real conversations.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Recognize and use four common hesitation phrases in everyday talk.
  • Practice when to soften a statement, approximate an idea, add uncertainty, and self-correct.
  • Build fluency for small spoken repairs and polite pauses (Level A2).
Two friends practicing soft fillers and self-corrections in Spanish during a casual conversation; good for language learning.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Sabes, ___.

You know, ___.

Meaning: You know, ___.

When to use: Start a thought gently or buy a moment to think; often used in informal speech with someone you know.

Tip: Don't overuse it in formal writing; it's mainly a spoken, casual opener.

Sabes, creo que podríamos tomar otra ruta.
You know, I think we could take a different route.
Sabes, no estoy muy seguro de la fecha.
You know, I'm not very sure about the date.

Es más bien ___.

It's more like ___.

Meaning: It’s more like ___.

When to use: Use to correct or narrow down an idea when the exact word isn't perfect.

No es un problema técnico; es más bien un malentendido.
It's not a technical problem; it's more like a misunderstanding.
No es un entrenamiento, es más bien una práctica ligera.
It's not a workout, it's more like a light practice.

O algo así.

Or something like that.

Meaning: Or something like that.

When to use: Add this after an approximate statement to show uncertainty.

Llegaré a las seis, o algo así.
I'll arrive at six, or something like that.
Es una comedia romántica, o algo así.
It's a romantic comedy, or something like that.

Espera, digo ___.

Wait, I mean ___.

Meaning: Wait, I mean ___.

When to use: Use it to pause and correct yourself quickly in speech.

Tip: Beginners sometimes use it too often; try to correct only when necessary so speech stays clear.

Espera, digo, nos vemos el jueves, no el miércoles.
Wait, I mean, see you Thursday, not Wednesday.
La película era larga... espera, digo, tenía partes lentas.
The movie was long... wait, I mean, it had slow parts.

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Anna is thinking about changing jobs and talks it through with David.

Anna and David using hesitation phrases in Spanish while discussing a job change, helpful for Spanish learners.

What is Anna considering?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Sabes, estoy pensando en cambiar de trabajo.

You know, I'm thinking about changing jobs.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

¿Es un cambio grande?

Is it a big change?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Es más bien un cambio de sector, o algo así.

It's more like a change of industry, or something like that.

Portrait of David in a Spanish lesson dialogue

David

¿Ya hablaste con alguien?

Have you talked to anyone yet?

Portrait of Anna in a Spanish lesson dialogue

Anna

Espera, digo, hablé con Carla, pero nada seguro.

Wait, I mean, I talked to Carla, but nothing definite.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which phrase is best to start a sentence when you want a moment to organize your thoughts?

Which phrase would you use to correct what you just said?

If you want to say something is not exactly X but similar, which phrase fits best?

Which phrase can you add at the end of a sentence to show you're not exact?

It's not a serious problem; it's more like a misunderstanding.

No es un problema grave; ___ un malentendido.

I'll arrive around seven, or something like that.

Llegaré alrededor de las siete, ___.

I thought it was Thursday... wait, I mean, it will be Friday.

Pensaba que era jueves... ___, será viernes.

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Sabes, ___.

You know, ___

Say this phrase out loud:

Es más bien ___.

It's more like ___

Say this phrase out loud:

O algo así.

Or something like that

Say this phrase out loud:

Espera, digo ___.

Wait, I mean ___