Useful Phrases to Help You Speak Spanish at Work
Where Is…?
You need to be able to send or take customers to the right place if they are unfamiliar with the location. They will probably need to know, for example:
Where is (the)…? - ¿Dondé está…?
building - el edificio
department - el departamento
facility - la instalación
property - la propiedad
warehouse - el almacén
You can be specific and say:
They’re in the ….room - Están en el cuarto de…
conference - conferencias
copying - copias
mail - correo
storage - depósito
training - entrenamiento
Directions to Departments
You may want to direct your customer or client to a certain department. You can say:
Go to the department - Vaya al departamento de….
administration - administración
billing - contabilidad
customer service - servicio para clients
human resources - recursos humanos
personnel - personal
sales - ventas
Some more departments:
advertising - la publicidad
credit - el crédito
maintenance - el mantenimiento
marketing - el mercadeo
operations - las operaciones
shipping - el transporte
General directions
You will also need to give directions, for example:
It is next to (the)…. - Esta la lado de….
elevator - el ascensor
entrance - la entrada
escalator - la escalera mecánica
exit - la salida
hallway - el corredor
lobby - el vestíbulo
reception desk - la recepción
restroom - el baño
Or you may want to say:
It is near the… - Está cerca de
cash register - la registradora
double doors… - las puertas dobles
front desk - la mesa de recepción
vending machine - la máquina vendedora
water fountain - la fuente de agua
Useful Command Forms
Your Spanish-speaking job can extend over a wide variety of positions. Eventually you will learn the specific vocabulary in relation to your job. It is important, however, to learn certain action words, since in most work settings, commands and instructions are very prominent in job activities. Following are the command forms of some verbs, which it would be wise for you to commit to memory:
Carry - Lleve
Empty - Vacié
Move - Mueva
Pick up - Recoja
Plug in - Enchufe
Pull - Jale
Push - Empuje
Put away - Guarde
Throw away - Tire
Turn - Voltee
Turn on - Prenda
Turn off - Apague
Unplug - Desenchufe
Become more familiar with the company’s organization and products and continue to learn more Spanish. You will be well on your way to progressing in your position and to securing more jobs in Spanish as you become more fluent in the language.