If you are in Gran Canaria and you want to communicate like a real local, this mini-dictionary will come in very handy! 😎🏝️
In addition to the classic words, here you will also find typical canary phrases, because Canarian Spanish has a soul of its own! 🔥
☕️ GREETINGS & BASIC EXPRESSIONS
| 🇬🇧 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇪🇸🇮🇨 Canary Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Hello / Hi | Ciao | ¡Hola! / ¡Buenas! 👋 |
| Good morning | Buongiorno | Buenos días! |
| Good afternoon | Buon pomeriggio | Buenas tardes! |
| Good evening | Buonasera | Buenas noches! 🌙 |
| Please | Per favore | Por favor |
| Thank you | Grazie | ¡Gracias, mi niño/a!* 😍 |
| You're welcome | Prego | De nada! |
| Excuse me | Scusa / Mi scusi | Perdón / Disculpa |
| How are you? | Come stai? | ¿Qué tal ? / ¿Cómo estás ? |
| I'm fine, thanks | Sto bene, grazie | Bien, gracias |
| See you later! | Sto bene, grazie | ¡Hasta luego! / ¡Nos vemos! |
| Bye! | Ciao! | ¡Chaooo!* (with many 'o's' 😆) |
💡 Tip Canario:
- "Mi niño!" o "Mi niña!" is an affectionate way of saying 'Darling' or 'Dear' (they ALWAYS use it!).
- "¡Nos vemos!" is much more used than 'Adiós', which sounds too definitive!
🍽️ AT THE RESTAURANT & BAR
| 🇬🇧 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇪🇸🇮🇨 Canary Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| A table for two, please | Un tavolo per due, per favore | Una mesa para dos, por favor |
| The menu, please | Il menù, per favore | La carta, por favor |
| I would like... | Vorrei… | Quisiera... / Me pones...* |
| Water | Acqua | Agua |
| Beer | Birra | Cerveza 🍻 |
| Pint | Birra Media | Jarra 🍻 |
| Samll Beer | Birra Piccola | Caña 🍻 |
| Wine | Vino | Wine 🍷 |
| Cheers! | Salute! | Chin chin! |
| The bill, please | Il conto, per favore | La cuenta, por favor |
| This is delicious! | È delizioso! | ¡Está riquísimo!* 😋 |
| Can I have a coffee? | Posso avere un caffè? | Me pones un café ? ☕️ |
💡 Tip Canario:
- "Me pones..." is ALWAYS used to order, much more natural than 'Quisiera'!
- "¡Está riquísimo!" is better than 'Está bueno' to say that something is really good!
🚍 TRANSPORT & ROADS
| 🇬🇧 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇪🇸🇮🇨 Canary Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the bus stop? | Dov’è la fermata dell’autobus? | ¿Dónde está la parada de la guagua ?* 🚌 |
| How much is the ticket? | Quanto costa il biglietto? | ¿Cuánto cuesta el billete ? |
| One ticket to Las Palmas, please | Un biglietto per Las Palmas, per favore | Un billete para Las Palmas, por favor |
| Where is the taxi stand? | Where is the taxi rank? | ¿Dónde está la parada de taxis ? |
| I need a taxi | Ho bisogno di un taxi | Necesito un taxi 🚖 |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con la carta? | ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? |
| How do I get to the beach? | Come arrivo alla spiaggia? | ¿Cómo llego a la playa ? |
| Left / Right | Sinistra / Destra | Izquierda / Derecha |
| Straight ahead | Dritto | Todo recto |
💡 Tip Canario:
- 'Guagua' is the local name for the bus! If you say 'Autobús' you can tell, but no real Canarian uses it! 😆
- If you have to take a taxi, better to go to the 'paradas' (official taxi stops) rather than stopping one in the street.
🏖️ AT THE BEACH & SHOPPING
| 🇬🇧 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇪🇸🇮🇨 Canary Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the beach? | Dov’è la spiaggia? | ¿Dónde está la playa? 🏖️ |
| I want to go to Maspalomas | Voglio andare a Maspalomas | Quiero ir a Maspalomas |
| How much is this? | Quanto costa? | ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? 💶 |
| Too expensive! | Troppo caro! | ¡Está carísimo! |
| Do you have another size? | Avete un’altra taglia? | ¿Tienes otra talla ? |
| I like it! | Mi piace! | ¡Me gusta! |
| I'll take it | Lo prendo | Me llevo |
💡 Tip Canario:
- "¡Está carísimo!" is perfect for negotiating in markets! 😆
- In shops, the Canaries use a lot "¿Tienes... ?" instead of '¿Tiene usted...?' which sounds too formal!
⛑️ EMERGENCIES
| 🇬🇧 English | 🇮🇹 Italian | 🇪🇸🇮🇨 Canary Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | Aiuto! | ¡Ayuda! 🚨 |
| Call an ambulance! | Chiama un’ambulanza! | ¡Llama a una ambulancia! 🚑 |
| I don't feel well | Non mi sento bene | No me encuentro bien 🤕 |
| I need a doctor | Ho bisogno di un dottore | Necesito un médico |
| My wallet was stolen | Mi hanno rubato il portafoglio | Me han robado la cartera! |
| Where is the pharmacy? | Dov’è la farmacia? | ¿Dónde está la farmacia ? 💊 |
💡 Tip Canario:
- In an emergency, call 112They also speak English!
- On-duty pharmacies are signposted with signs outside closed pharmacies.
🔥 Canary Expressions from Vero Local! 😎🌴
If you want to talk like a true canariohere are some typical phrases you will hear everywhere on the island! 🚀
🗣️ "¡Échale mojo!" → Step on it! / Step on the gas!
📌 Used to encourage someone, both literally and figuratively.
🛋️ 'Estoy aplatanao' → I am devastated / super relaxed
📌 Comes from 'plátano' (banana), because Canarians are famous for their relaxation. 😂
🥇 'Más canario que el gofio' → More canary than gofio!
📌 If someone is super local, it is said to be more canary than gofiothe island's typical cereal flour!
🌬️ "Hace un pelete" → It's chilly!
📌 Although Gran Canaria is hot, when the sun goes down and the wind blows, the Canarians always complain with this phrase. 😆
🌊 "¡Chacho/a!" → Hey man! / Come on!
📌 Expression ultracanariaused to call someone or express surprise.
🐢 "Pío, pío" → Go Gran Canaria!
📌 It is the motto of the football team UD Las Palmasbut the Canaries also use it for show pride in their island! 🏝️
Now you are ready to launch into a conversation as a true Canarian! 🔥😎
EN 
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