If you're looking to conduct business in Spanish-speaking countries or with Spanish-speaking clients, learning key business transaction vocabulary is crucial. Whether you're buying, selling, negotiating, or closing deals, these essential Spanish terms will help you navigate the world of business transactions with confidence. Let's dive into some of the most important business vocabulary you'll need!
One of the first things you'll need to know when conducting business in Spanish are the basic words for buying and selling.
Tenemos que ir a comprar algo de comer.
We have to go buy something to eat.
Caption 40, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam - Part 4
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vamos a vender productos
we're going to sell products
Caption 12, Santuario para burros Tienda solidaria
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Vas a tener que pagar más dinero.
You're going to have to pay more money.
Caption 9, Fermín Frases y expresiones - Part 2
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These three verbs form the foundation of any business transaction. You might hear them in various contexts, from small retail purchases to large corporate deals.
When discussing business transactions, you'll need vocabulary to describe what you're buying or selling.
¿Ustedes vienen a hacer un negocio y no tienen plata para la mercancía?
You guys come to do business, and you don't have money for the merchandise?
Caption 44, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 6
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estamos ofreciendo productos de calidad,
are offering quality products,
Caption 10, Otavalo Taller Milmarte
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El comercio internacional se refiere a la compra y venta de bienes y servicios entre países.
International trade refers to the buying and selling of goods and services between countries.
Captions 7-8, Vocabulario de noticias Economía - Part 2
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La producción interna de suministros ha disminuido
The internal production of supplies has decreased
Caption 45, Zulbany y Micheel La situación en Venezuela
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Once you've established what you're buying or selling, you'll likely need to negotiate the terms.
que era trabajar con vino y hacer un negocio.
which was to work with wine and create a business.
Caption 15, Montserrat Cata de vinos - Part 1
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nosotros vamos a cotizar más bajo,
we are going to quote lower
Caption 64, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 4
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yo voy a hablar con el señor Martínez, a hacerle una oferta también.
I'm going to talk to Mister Martínez, to make him an offer too.
Caption 17, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 5
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Además, me han regalado un veinticinco por ciento de descuento
In addition, they gave me a twenty-five percent discount
Caption 19, Fermín y Manuel El pasado - Part 2
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Por cierto, el precio se puede negociar; a eso lo llamamos en español "regatear".
By the way, the price can be negotiated; in Spanish we call that "regatear" [to bargain].
Caption 35, Fuengirola Mercado
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These terms are essential when discussing prices and trying to reach an agreement that benefits both parties.
After negotiations, it's time to finalize the deal using these important terms.
que realizan transacciones de productos financieros.
that carry out financial product transactions.
Caption 10, Vocabulario de noticias Finanzas - Part 3
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La última noticia es que habíamos conseguido un contrato de larga duración.
The latest news is that we had gotten a long-term contract.
Caption 14, Negocios Problemas laborales - Part 3
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Cuando llegamos a enero y tenemos estas facturas y estas cuentas,
When we get to January and we have these invoices and these bills,
Caption 14, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 1
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se me lleva el recibo.
it takes the receipt from me.
Caption 31, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 14
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Building strong relationships is crucial in the business world, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries where personal connections often matter greatly.
Ah, y más que nada, que nos gusta mucho atender al cliente,
Oh, and more than anything, we really like to take care of the customer,
Caption 23, Yabla en Yucatán Jorge
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y el proveedor no ha retirado.
and the supplier has not removed.
Caption 23, Los Reporteros Sembrar, comer, tirar - Part 3
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Él es Rafael, es mi socio.
He's Rafael, he's my partner.
Caption 85, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 18
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These terms define the various relationships you'll establish while conducting business in Spanish.
Finally, here are some useful phrases that will help you sound more natural in business conversations:
Fue un placer hacer negocios con usted, ¿eh?
It was a pleasure doing business with you, huh?
Caption 43, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 7
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queremos montar un negocio
we want to start a business,
Caption 50, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 14
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y tiene el sentido de llegar a un acuerdo,
and has the sense of reaching an agreement,
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 1
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Y, no, lo que pasa es que aparte le hice firmar un contrato.
And, no, the thing is that on top of that I made her sign a contract.
Caption 7, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 10
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Let's practice what we've just learned with the following brief conversation between a supplier and a business owner:
Ana: Buenos días, señor García. Soy Ana Rodríguez, representante de Suministros Globales. | Good morning, Mr. García. I'm Ana Rodríguez, representative of Global Supplies.
Sr. García: Estoy interesado en comprar nueva mercancía para mi tienda. | I'm interested in buying new merchandise for my store.
Ana: Podemos cotizarle precios competitivos si busca hacer un negocio a largo plazo. | We can quote you competitive prices if you're looking to make a long-term business deal.
Sr. García: Actualmente trabajo con otro proveedor, pero ¿ofrecen algún descuento? | I currently work with another supplier, but do you offer any discounts?
Ana: Para clientes nuevos, ofrecemos 15% en su primera transacción. | For new clients, we offer 15% off on their first transaction.
Sr. García: Suena bien, aunque tendré que regatear. ¿Podríamos llegar a un acuerdo de 20%? | Sounds good, though I'll have to bargain. Could we reach an agreement of 20%?
Ana: Podemos ofrecer 18%. Si le parece bien, podemos firmar un contrato hoy. | We can offer 18%. If that works for you, we can sign a contract today.
Sr. García: Me parece justo. Estoy pensando en montar un negocio adicional el próximo año. | That seems fair. I'm thinking about setting up a business next year.
Ana: Excelente. Prepararé la factura y le entregaremos su recibo cuando pague. | Excellent. I'll prepare the invoice and we'll give you your receipt when you pay.
If you're enjoying learning business vocabulary in Spanish, don't miss our "Vocabulario de noticias" series! This collection of 10 videos is perfect for beginners and intermediate learners who want to understand Spanish news related to finances, the economy, international politics, and the environment.
Carlos guides you through essential vocabulary that will help you follow business and economic news in Spanish-speaking media. Take your business Spanish to the next level by learning how these terms are used in real-world contexts!
Having these essential business transaction terms in your Spanish vocabulary is a great starting point for conducting business in Spanish-speaking environments. The more you practice using these terms in real-life situations, the more comfortable you'll become navigating business transactions in Spanish.
Remember that business practices may vary between different Spanish-speaking countries, so it's always good to research specific cultural business norms for the region you're working with.
Don't forget to send us your questions and comments about business vocabulary in Spanish. ¡Buena suerte con tus negocios!
Are you familiar with the Spanish preposition hacia? While its most common translation is "toward(s)," whether referring to direction or one's attitude, it can mean different things in different contexts, such as "approximately" or "about" when referring to time. Let's explore these meanings further with a multitude of examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.
When referring to movement with a particular direction or destination, the Spanish preposition hacia can function as the equivalent of not only the English "toward(s)" but also additional prepositions like "for" or "to." Let's take a look at several examples.
Fue una mañana que yo iba caminando hacia la facultad
It was one morning when I was walking toward my college department [building],
Caption 5, Soledad Raspi
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para animarles y desearles suerte antes de su salida hacia el campo.
to encourage them and wish them luck before their departure for the field.
Caption 82, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey
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Hoy fue extraditado hacia los Estados Unidos, otro miembro del cartel de Medellín,
Today, another member of the Medellin cartel was extradited to the United States,
Caption 6, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 13
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When used with direction words like abajo (down), adelante, (forward), arriba (up) or atrás (back), or directions like norte (north), sur (south), etc., hacia can be thought of like the English suffix "ward(s)." Let's take a look:
siempre tiene que ir hacia arriba, y cuando haces un trazo grueso, siempre tiene que ir hacia abajo.
it always has to go upward, and when you do a thick stroke, it always has to go downward.
Captions 34-36, Adriana Lettering - Part 2
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Y vamos a fondear toda la isla por la costa... yendo hacia el norte.
And we're going to drop anchor all around the island along the coast... going northwards.
Caption 11, El Trip Ibiza
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It should be noted that the translations for Spanish sentences like these could also be expressed in English without "ward(s)," for example, one could simply say "it has to go up" or "down" or "going north."
In the absence of movement, the Spanish preposition hacia is frequently used to mean "in the direction of" when indicating orientation or location. Let's take a look:
de manera que hacia la cama también tenemos otra puerta corredera,
so that towards the bed, we also have another sliding door,
Caption 51, Viajando con Fermín Caravaning - Part 3
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Un momento después, Pigueldito miró hacia el cielo.
A moment later, Piggeldy looked toward the sky.
Caption 14, Pigueldito y Federico Refranes
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Mirar hacia el futuro sin dar la espalda al medio ambiente:
Looking toward the future without turning one's back to the environment:
Caption 91, Tecnópolis El Coronil
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With varying translations like "toward(s)" "to," "for" and more, the Spanish preposition hacia can additionally express one's point of view with regards to someone or something.
y sobre todo mucha gratitud hacia todos los que elegimos visitar este hermoso rincón de Andalucía.
and, above all, a lot of gratitude for all of us who choose to visit this beautiful corner of Andalusia.
Captions 47-48, Viajando con Fermín El Día del Turista de Mijas
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que encuentras un público muy abierto hacia ti,
when you encounter an audience that's very open to you,
Caption 37, Circo Berlín Lucas - Part 2
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yo sentí cierto rechazo hacia ella,
I felt a kind of rejection towards her
Caption 33, Soledad Los prejuicios
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When used to talk about time, the Spanish preposition hacia means "around," "approximately" or "about."
Iré hacia las cinco.
I'll go around five.
Actualmente se celebran manifestaciones del orgullo anualmente por todo el mundo, hacia finales de junio,
Currently, pride demonstrations take place annually throughout the world, towards the end of June,
Captions 55-56, Maoli La revuelta de Stonewall
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To conclude today's lesson, we'll mention that you shouldn't confuse the Spanish preposition hacia with hacía (with an accent), the extremely frequently-employed imperfect tense of the verb hacer, which means "to make" or "do." Let's see it in a couple of captions:
¿Usted qué hacía en el salón de ese profesor? ¿Ah?
What were you doing in that teacher's classroom? Huh?
Caption 19, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 6
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porque mi abuela hacía muchas croquetas.
because my grandma used to make a lot of croquettes.
Caption 37, Con Marta por Madrid El tapeo - Part 1
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We hope that this lesson has shed some light on several of the many contexts in which the Spanish preposition hacia can be used as well as many of its translations. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
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