Let’s be honest—sounding fluent in Spanish feels great. It’s like pulling off a convincing salsa dance at a wedding without anyone realising you actually learned the steps from a YouTube short. But the truth is, you don’t need to be fluent to sound fluent. You just need a few tricks up your sleeve.
Here are five phrases (plus a cheeky intonation tip or two) that’ll help you fake it ‘til you make it. Ready? ¡Vamos!
1. ¿Sabes qué? – You know what?
This little phrase is the Spanish equivalent of “You know what?” and it makes your speech sound way more natural. It’s a great way to start a thought or shift a conversation, even if you’re stalling for time while your brain catches up.
Use it like this:
👉 ¿Sabes qué? Me encanta esta canción.
(You know what? I love this song.)
Confidence bonus: Pair it with a knowing nod. Works every time.
2. O sea… – I mean / Like…
This is the Spanish version of a verbal cushion. It gives your brain time to load the next sentence while making you sound very in-the-know.
👉 O sea, no es tan difícil, ¿no?
(I mean, it’s not that hard, right?)
Use it sparingly, though—you don’t want to sound like a teenage TikToker in Madrid.
3. ¡Qué fuerte! – No way! / Wow!
This one is gold for reacting to stories. It’s the perfect “wow” moment—think raised eyebrows, dramatic gasp, clutching imaginary pearls.
👉 ¿En serio te dijo eso? ¡Qué fuerte!
(Seriously, he said that to you? No way!)
It’s expressive, dramatic, and just a little bit extra.
4. Bueno… – Well…
This tiny word does a lot of heavy lifting. You can use it to start a sentence, change the subject, or soften bad news.
👉 Bueno… no tengo mucho dinero, pero podemos compartir una tapa.
(Well… I don’t have much money, but we can share a tapa.)
Top tip: Pause slightly after bueno for extra Spanish flair.
5. The Secret Sauce: Intonation
Even if your vocab’s a bit shaky, sounding confident is half the battle. Spanish speakers often go up at the end of questions and exaggerate certain words for emphasis.
Try saying:
👉 ¡Qué bonito! with a rising, sing-song tone.
Now try it flat. See? Total difference.
So next time you’re chatting in Spanish and your brain is buffering, just throw in a bueno or o sea, raise your eyebrows, and channel your inner telenovela star. You’ll be sounding fluent (and fabulous) in no time.
¿Sabes qué? You’ve got this. 😉 Scroll down to watch a mini lesson about this that will help with your pronunciation.
