Sometimes an e-mail or letter just isn't quick enough or personal enough to handle a situation. Sometimes you have to make a call. Certain elements of phone conversation are as formulaic as written communication: greetings, asking who is calling, asking what the call is regarding, and asking about leaving a message, for example. Take a minute to think about how you phrase these things in English, and then take a look at how it's done in Spanish.

Business phone etiquette usually stipulates that phones are answered with the name of the company, the identity of the speaker, and a general greeting ranging from “good morning” or something similar to any number of formulaic phone greetings. When you answer your phone at home, however, you probably only say “hello.” Phone greetings vary from country to country, and include expressions like bueno, sí, aló, and diga or dígame. It is not especially common to answer the phone in Spanish with hola, though it would be an acceptable informal greeting. The next step when you call is to ask for the person you wish to speak to. The most common way to do so in Spanish is with a question like ¿Está la señora Alba, por favor? (Is Mrs. Alba there, please?) If you are calling for Mrs. Alba at a place of business, it is likely that you will be asked ¿De parte de quién? (Who is calling?), to which you would respond with your name and, if appropriate, your company affiliation. Review the following phrases and then practice making a phone call in Spanish.

Greetings