Most small jobs in Spain are settled on one phone call. The call lasts a minute and usually turns on the same ten questions. Each one is below in Spanish, with what it means, a short reply, and how to say it. At the end there is one sentence to use when you cannot follow — that sentence is what saves the call.
¿Hablas español?
Do you speak Spanish?
AH-blas es-pan-YOL?
You say:
Un poco. Despacio, por favor.
A little. Slowly, please.
oon POH-koh. des-PAH-thyoh, por fah-BOR.
¿Tienes papeles?
Do you have papers?
TYEH-ness pah-PEH-less?
You say:
Todavía no. ¿Podemos hablar por WhatsApp?
Not yet. Can we talk on WhatsApp?
toh-dah-BEE-ah noh. poh-DEH-moss ah-BLAR por WhatsApp?
¿Tienes experiencia?
Do you have experience?
TYEH-ness eks-peh-RYEN-thyah?
You say:
Sí, tres años. Puedo mandar mi currículum.
Yes, three years. I can send my CV.
see, tress AH-nyos. PWEH-doh man-DAR mee koo-REE-koo-loom.
¿Dónde vives?
Where do you live?
DON-deh BEE-bess?
You say:
Vivo en {ciudad}. Puedo ir en metro.
I live in {city}. I can come by metro.
BEE-boh en … PWEH-doh eer en MEH-troh.
¿Cuándo puedes empezar?
When can you start?
KWAN-doh PWEH-dess em-peh-THAR?
You say:
Mañana mismo, si quiere.
Tomorrow, if you like.
man-YAH-nah MEES-moh, see KYEH-reh.
¿Tienes coche o moto?
Do you have a car or a motorbike?
TYEH-ness KOH-cheh oh MOH-toh?
You say:
No, pero puedo ir en transporte público.
No, but I can come by public transport.
noh, PEH-roh PWEH-doh eer en trans-POR-teh POO-blee-koh.
Es media jornada. / Es jornada completa.
It is part time. / It is full time.
ess MEH-dyah hor-NAH-dah / ess hor-NAH-dah kom-PLEH-tah
You say:
Vale. ¿Cuántas horas por semana?
All right. How many hours a week?
BAH-leh. KWAN-tass OH-rass por seh-MAH-nah?
¿Puedes venir mañana a las nueve?
Can you come tomorrow at nine?
PWEH-dess beh-NEER man-YAH-nah ah lass NWEH-beh?
You say:
Sí. ¿Me manda la dirección por WhatsApp?
Yes. Will you send me the address on WhatsApp?
see. meh MAN-dah lah dee-rek-THYON por WhatsApp?
Manda tu currículum por WhatsApp.
Send your CV on WhatsApp.
MAN-dah too koo-REE-koo-loom por WhatsApp
You say:
Ahora mismo se lo mando. Gracias.
I will send it right now. Thank you.
ah-OH-rah MEES-moh seh loh MAN-doh. GRAH-thyass.
Te llamo luego.
I will call you later.
teh YAH-moh LWEH-goh
You say:
Gracias. Quedo atento.
Thank you. I will be waiting.
GRAH-thyass. KEH-doh ah-TEN-toh.
When you cannot follow
Perdone, mi español es básico. ¿Puede escribirme por WhatsApp, por favor?
Sorry, my Spanish is basic. Could you write to me on WhatsApp, please?
per-DOH-neh, mee es-pan-YOL ess BAH-see-koh. PWEH-deh es-kree-BEER-meh por WhatsApp, por fah-BOR?
Learn this one sentence. Say it the moment the call gets away from you. In writing you can use a translator, and you get time to think.
Common mistakes
- Claiming papers you do not have. It comes out on the first day and costs you the job and your name with that employer.
- Saying “sí, sí” when you have not understood. The employer takes it as agreement, and the misunderstanding lands on you later.
- Agreeing without asking the pay and the hours. Both are ordinary questions to ask on a first call.
- Taking the call somewhere noisy. If you can, ask to call back: “¿Le puedo llamar en cinco minutos?”
Next step
After the call you will be asked for a CV. Our free CV builder writes one in Spanish, with the form in your own language.
Free CV BuilderSources
Everything on this page is written from what we could confirm. Where a phrase is a suggestion rather than a rule, it says so.
Last verified: 2026-09-04
