Spanish Language Tips for Your Trip to Mexico

March 16, 2014
Michael Ryan

If you are a little stressed about how you will manage without speaking Spanish on your trip to Mexico, you may want to consider a few pointers from the team coordinating your Mexican insurance coverage. While your Mexican insurance coverage documents are provided in English, you will find that beyond the border, most advertising and information will be provided in Spanish. This doesn’t mean that you have to be out of the loop as you travel. Follow our tips for better conversational ability and understanding.

  1. Carry a dictionary – a pocket dictionary is a cheap tool that can help when you are at a loss for words. While an electronic option or a smartphone app may help, have a backup for times when your batteries fail or your signal is dropped.
  2. Learn some basics – directions, road signs and basic needs while you are in the country should be in your limited Spanish vocabulary. Make a cheat sheet of terms that you expect to encounter.
  3. The cognate is your friend – a cognate is a word in Spanish that closely resembles the English word with the same meaning. For example, electricity and electricidad are nearly identical. You may be surprised at how many words are so easy to interpret.
  4. Endings are helpful – suffixes in Spanish are clues to word meanings, especially with endings like -dad. Spanish words ending with -dad are equivalent to English words ending with -ity. On the road, velocidad means velocity or speed. Your Spanish vocabulary is already more extensive than you realize because of such phrases.
  5. Cómo se dice? – The question means how do you say, and it’s a great way to get help as you point and ask.
  6. Dónde está? – This question means where is, and it’s helpful if you need directions.
  7. Se habla inglés? – If all else fails, ask for someone who knows English!

Don’t Forget Your Mexican Auto Insurance

While you focus on your language prep for your trip, remember that it is illegal to travel in Mexico without a proper Mexican insurance policy. Your team at MexInsuranceStore.com. can provide you with excellent value and low, fixed-rate deductibles as you select the policy that best suits your travel plans.

Mexican Insurance Coverage by MexInsuranceStore.com comes with Roadside Assistance throughout all of Mexico at no additional charge.