Want to sound helpful (and get help!) in Spanish? Today you’ll learn how to ask for and give advice in everyday situations. We’ll cover key phrases like ¿Qué me recomiendas?, Deberías…, and softer options like ¿Qué tal si…? Practice with short exercises so you can use these right away.

Asking for advice: ¿Qué me aconsejas?

When you need guidance, these Spanish questions are natural and friendly. Learn them with their meanings so you can use them in daily life:

• ¿Qué me aconsejas? — What do you advise me?
• ¿Qué me recomiendas? — What do you recommend?
• ¿Qué debería hacer? — What should I do?
• ¿Qué puedo hacer? — What can I do?
• ¿Algún consejo? — Any advice?

Use them when you talk to a friend, coworker, or even a doctor or teacher. Keep the tone polite: “Por favor” and “gracias” go a long way.

Giving advice: Deberías + infinitivo

When you give advice in Spanish, a very common and friendly pattern is:

• Deberías + infinitivo — You should + base verb

It’s strong but polite. Use it with friends, family, or coworkers when you want to help directly.

Si estás muy cansado, dormir más pronto.

Recomendar/aconsejar + que + subjuntivo (common advice pattern)

Spanish often uses verbs like recomendar, aconsejar, and sugerir followed by “que” and the subjunctive. At A2, you can start recognizing these forms.

• Te recomiendo que vayas al médico. — I recommend that you go to the doctor.
• Te aconsejo que descanses. — I advise that you rest.
• Te sugiero que llames a tu hermano. — I suggest that you call your brother.

Don’t worry: you’ll hear these a lot. Just remember the pattern: [recommend/advise/suggest] + que + [subjunctive].

Te recomiendo que vas temprano. → Te recomiendo que vayas temprano. After “recomiendo que…”, use the subjunctive (vayas), not the present indicative (vas).

Softer advice: Podrías…, ¿Qué tal si…?, Lo mejor es…

Sometimes you want to be gentle and polite. These are great:

• Podrías + infinitivo — You could + verb (soft suggestion)
• ¿Qué tal si + presente? — How about if… (friendly idea)
• Lo mejor es + infinitivo — The best thing is to + verb
• Yo que tú, + condicional — If I were you, I would…

Use them to avoid sounding too direct.

Si no tienes dinero, buscar opciones más baratas.

Mini conversation: put it in order

Practice a real-life exchange. Arrange the lines to form a natural conversation where someone asks for advice and receives gentle suggestions.

Cultural note: sounding polite in Spanish

In many Spanish-speaking cultures, being too direct can feel strong. To soften advice:

• Use “podrías…” instead of “deberías…” when you don’t want pressure.
• Offer options: “¿Qué tal si…?” sounds collaborative.
• Add cushioning phrases: “Tal vez…” (maybe), “A lo mejor…” (perhaps), “Creo que…” (I think…)

Example: Tal vez podrías tomar un descanso. — Maybe you could take a break.

Also, it’s common to thank someone for advice: “Gracias, me ayuda mucho.” — Thanks, that helps me a lot.

Deberías de estudiar más. → Deberías estudiar más. Use “deberías” (without “de”) for advice. “Deber de” expresses probability, not recommendation.

Quick review

• To ask for advice: ¿Qué me recomiendas? / ¿Qué me aconsejas? / ¿Qué debería hacer?
• Strong advice: Deberías + infinitivo
• Softer advice: Podrías + infinitivo; ¿Qué tal si…?; Lo mejor es + infinitivo; Yo que tú, + condicional
• Recommendation pattern: Te recomiendo que + subjuntivo (vayas, hagas, llames)

Keep it polite: add “por favor”, “tal vez”, “creo que…”, and say “gracias” after receiving advice.

Final practice: try it yourself

Imagine your friend says: “No duermo bien.” Give two types of advice:

• Strong: Deberías ir a la cama a la misma hora cada día.
• Soft: Podrías apagar el teléfono una hora antes.

Now ask for advice yourself: “Estoy nervioso por una entrevista. ¿Qué me recomiendas?”

You’ve got this — ¡Tú puedes! Keep listening for these patterns in conversations, shows, and podcasts, and use them the next time someone needs a little help.