Ever freeze when you answer a call in Spanish? Today you’ll learn the most common phone phrases so you can greet, ask for someone, leave a message, and end politely. We’ll keep things practical and friendly, with short Spanish lines and clear English translations.

Saludos y abrir la llamada (Opening the call)

Different Spanish-speaking countries use different “hello” words on the phone. You’ll hear:

• ¿Diga? / ¿Sí? (Spain) — “Hello?”
• ¿Bueno? (Mexico) — “Hello?”
• ¿Aló? (Chile, Colombia, Peru) — “Hello?”

Start politely with a greeting and your request.

Buenos días, ¿ hablar con la señora López?

Identifying yourself

Quickly say who you are and, if relevant, where you’re calling from.

Me llamo Ana (on the phone opening). → Soy Ana / Habla Ana. “Me llamo…” is fine in general, but phone openings more often use "Soy…" or "Habla…".

Pedir por alguien (Asking for someone)

Use these patterns to reach a person:

• ¿Está Marta? — Is Marta there?
• ¿Se encuentra el señor García? — Is Mr. García available?
• ¿Podría hablar con Elena, por favor? — Could I speak with Elena, please?
• ¿De parte de quién? — Who’s calling?

¿Se Carlos?

When the person isn’t available

If the person can’t come to the phone, you can leave a message or ask for a call back.

Le dejo un , gracias.

Verb power: llamar (to call)

You’ll use “llamar” a lot. Here are the present tense forms you’ll need on the phone.

Llamo Juan mañana. → Llamo a Juan mañana. Add the personal "a" before a person.

Problemas de conexión (Connection issues)

Keep it simple: ask them to repeat or say you can’t hear well.

Cerrar la llamada (Closing the call)

End politely and confirm any next steps.

Mini cultural note: country variations

Answering the phone varies:

• Spain: "¿Diga?", "¿Sí?"
• Mexico: "¿Bueno?"
• Chile/Colombia/Peru: "¿Aló?" All are fine; use what locals use. In business, add a polite intro: "Buenos días, [empresa], ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?" (Good morning, [company], how can I help you?).

Quick practice: reorder a short call

Put this mini-conversation in order (it’s a receptionist and a caller).

Short quiz: choose the best phrase

Test your phone-call instincts.

Extra vocabulary you’ll hear

Here are a few more useful words for calls.

Un , por favor.

Wrap-up

You now have the building blocks to handle a Spanish phone call: greet (¿Diga?/¿Bueno?/¿Aló?), identify yourself (Soy Ana / Le habla Andrés), ask for someone (¿Se encuentra…? / ¿Podría hablar con…?), leave a message (Le dejo un mensaje), handle issues (¿Puede repetir, por favor?), and close politely (Muchas gracias. Hasta luego.).

Practice these lines out loud; phone Spanish is all about calm, polite tone. ¡Tú puedes! (You can do it!)