Making friends in Spain when your Spanish is still basic

Key rules

• Regular attendance: Going every week to one activity builds friendships faster than trying many things once.
• Spanish first: Open in Spanish and ask people to keep to it, even if they switch to English.
• Language exchanges: Exchanges work best when you meet the same people repeatedly and then do something together outside the exchange.
• English-only living: English-only socialising works in expat hubs but makes local friendships harder.

You can start now

Don't wait until your Spanish improves. At beginner level, the best friendships come from doing something together, again and again. The activity carries the conversation, and your Spanish grows as you go.

Pick a setting where the activity does the talking

Choose something with repeated meetings, shared tasks and simple, predictable vocabulary. Good options:

• Team and club sports: padel, football, running clubs.
• Dance classes: salsa, bachata, sevillanas.
• Hiking groups (grupos de senderismo).
• Choirs and music groups.
• Cooking and craft workshops.
• Yoga or climbing gyms.
• Volunteering.

Going every week matters more than which activity you choose. For a cheap way in, ask about activities run by a local asociación, a municipal civic centre or a cultural centre.

Try a language exchange

An intercambio de idiomas pairs people who want to practise each other's language. A group usually meets in a bar or café, often weekly, and splits the time between Spanish and English. Some have tables or flags for each language. Many cost nothing beyond your drinks.

You can also find one-to-one partners through language apps, meetup sites and online groups. Some universities and language schools run exchanges too. They are most common in university towns and large cities.

Exchanges can lead to friendships, but many stay one-off or purely transactional. Friendships form when you meet the same person repeatedly and then move to something outside the exchange, such as a coffee, a walk or a match. The main risk is drifting into English, so keep strict time splits.

Habits that speed things up

• Open in Spanish, even if the other person switches to English. Say you are learning and ask them to keep to Spanish.
• Ask for corrections. Write down new phrases after each meeting and reuse them soon.
• Prepare a few stock questions for first conversations.
• Speak a little every day with shopkeepers, neighbours and bar staff.
• Send short voice messages on WhatsApp. They are good practice and show effort.
• Accept invitations, even when your Spanish feels weak.
• Follow up quickly after a first meeting. A second meeting is what turns an acquaintance into a routine. The message templates below can help.

What about English only?

In expat hubs you can live socially in English. That works on the Costa del Sol, Costa Blanca, the Balearics, the Canaries, and in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia. It works less well in smaller towns, inland Spain and among older people. It also makes friendships with Spaniards harder, because most prefer to speak Spanish.

Younger, university-educated Spaniards in cities are the most likely to befriend you in English. Around half of Spaniards say they can hold a conversation in English, and the share is higher among under-35s, in big cities and in tourist areas. Use English as a bridge, but don't rely on it.

Messages for inviting a new acquaintance to meet up

Copy a message, change the details in brackets, and send it on WhatsApp. Use "tú", the informal "you". Spaniards use it with almost everyone your age, including people you have just met. Keep messages short and warm.

Send your first message within one to three days of swapping numbers. Mention where you met and suggest a specific day and place. "A ver si quedamos" ("let's meet up sometime") is often just polite and rarely turns into a plan.

Start the chat

¡Hola, [nombre]! ¿Qué tal? Soy [tu nombre], de la clase de [yoga / español / baile]. 😊

Then add one of the invitations below.

Suggest a coffee

¿Te apetece tomar un café después de la clase del [jueves]?

¿Qué tal si quedamos mañana a las seis para tomar un café?

Suggest a drink or tapas

¿Quedamos para tomar algo el [viernes]? 🍻

¿Nos tomamos una caña el [jueves] después del trabajo?

Vamos a tomar unas tapas el [sábado], ¿te animas?

Suggest a group plan

Unos amigos y yo vamos a [tomar algo / ir al mercadillo / dar un paseo] el [sábado]. ¿Te vienes?

¿Te apuntas a [tomar unas tapas] el [viernes]?

To invite two or more people, use "os":

¿Os apetece cenar el [viernes]?

Ask what they are doing

¿Qué haces el [sábado]? ¿Quedamos?

Reply to their answer

When they say yes:

¡Vale, genial! Entonces nos vemos el [jueves] a las [seis] en [lugar]. 😊

¡Perfecto! Me apunto.

When they cannot make it:

¡No pasa nada! ¿Lo dejamos para la semana que viene?

When they answer vaguely ("a ver si quedamos"), reply with a specific day:

¡Vale! ¿Qué tal el [jueves] a las [seis]?

If they do not reply

Wait about a week and send one friendly nudge:

¡Hola, [nombre]! ¿Qué tal la semana? Si te apetece, nos tomamos algo un día. 😊

If there is still no answer, drop it. Keep seeing them at the class or group where you met.

Make it sound natural

• Short sentences, exclamation marks and emojis are normal.
• Common casual words: "vale" (okay), "genial" and "guay" (great), "perfecto".
• Common abbreviations: "q" for "que", "xq" for "porque", "tb" for "también", "finde" for "fin de semana".
• Use "usted" only with much older people or in formal situations.
• Plans are often loose until the day itself, so a quick "¿Seguimos con lo de hoy?" that morning is fine.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make friends in Spain using only English?

Yes, you can in expat hubs like the Costa del Sol, the Balearics, Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia, but it makes friendships with Spaniards hard. In smaller towns and inland areas it works much less well.

How many Spaniards speak English?

Around half of Spaniards, roughly 50-55%, say they can hold a conversation in English. That is well below the Netherlands, Sweden or Denmark, where it is about 90% or more. English is more common among under-35s, in big cities and in tourist areas, and less common among older people and in rural areas.

Do language exchanges (intercambios de idiomas) lead to real friendships?

Yes, they can lead to friendships, especially when you meet the same person repeatedly and move on to activities outside the exchange. Many stay one-off, though. Agree a strict time split between Spanish and English so the session does not drift into English.

Where do I find a language exchange?

Look for a weekly group in a bar or café, usually free apart from your drinks. Language exchange apps and meetup sites arrange one-to-one pairs.

What if the other person keeps switching to English?

Keep opening in Spanish anyway, and say you are learning and would like them to stay in Spanish. Ask them to correct you. Note new phrases after each meeting and reuse them next time.