AdultLingoSpanish course › Section 1 › Unit 1
😍 Flirting & First Impressions in Spanish
Break the ice with charisma and physical compliments. Descriptors for eyes, smile, beauty; opening lines; expressing immediate attraction.
“Hey, you made it aboard! Grab a deck chair. By the time we dock in Málaga you'll be saying hello like you mean it.” — Jack, your host for this unit
Practise this unit free ➔Key Spanish words and phrases
| Spanish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| llamarse | to be called (name) |
| ¿cómo te llamas? | what's your name? (tú) |
| me llamo… | my name is… |
| poder | can, to be able to |
| sentarse | to sit down |
| contigo | with you (tú) |
| conmigo | with me |
| ¿de dónde eres? | where are you from? |
| encantado | nice to meet you (lit. delighted) |
| primero | first |
| el crucero | cruise (ship) |
| el ojo | eye |
| precioso | gorgeous, beautiful |
| encantar | to love, delight (works like gustar) |
| la sonrisa | smile |
| guapo | good-looking, attractive |
| esta noche | tonight |
| la mirada | gaze, the way someone looks at you |
| el pelo | hair |
| nada mal | not bad at all |
| tampoco | neither, not… either |
| gustar | to like (lit. to please) |
| me gustas | I like you (I'm attracted to you) |
| dejar de… | to stop (doing something) |
| mirar | to look at |
| tener | to have |
| la pareja | partner (boyfriend / girlfriend) |
| ¿tienes pareja? | are you seeing someone? |
| tú también | you too |
| atraer | to attract |
| me encantas | I'm really into you |
| me atraes | I'm attracted to you |
| me pareces interesante | I find you interesting |
| apetecer | to feel like, appeal to (works like gustar) |
| ¿te apetece…? | do you feel like…? (low-pressure invitation) |
| mañana | tomorrow |
| quedar | to meet up, arrange to meet |
| el puerto | port |
| el número | number |
| ¿me das…? | can I have…? (lit. will you give me…?) |
| no pasa nada | no worries, it's fine |
| juntos | together |
| la playa | beach |
Example sentences
Can I sit with you?
Is this your first cruise?
I love your smile.
You don't look bad yourself
I can't stop looking at you.
It's complicated, but I like you too.
Can I have your number?
Yes, let's go to the beach together.
A conversation from this unit
The ship has docked in Málaga. Jack finds Rose at breakfast on deck.
Jack: Buenos días, Rose. ¿Te apetece ir a la playa conmigo?Good morning, Rose. Do you feel like going to the beach with me?
Rose: Me encantaría, pero ahora no puedo.I'd love to, but I can't right now.
Jack: Vale, no pasa nada. ¿Y esta tarde?OK, no worries. And this afternoon?
Jack: ¿Quedamos en el puerto a las cinco?Shall we meet at the port at five?
Rose: Mejor en la playa. En el puerto hay mucha gente.Let's make it the beach. There are lots of people at the port.
Culture notes
On the quay in Málaga, Rose introduces Jack to her Spanish friend Lucía. What does Lucía most likely do?
Give Jack two kisses, one on each cheek.
In Spain, friends of friends usually greet with dos besos: two light cheek-to-cheek kisses, starting on your left, her right. Men often shake hands with each other, but between a man and a woman, or two women, it's two kisses, even on a first meeting.
Say it like a local: ¡Encantado, Lucía! — Nice to meet you, Lucía!
Jack asks Rose out to dinner in town, at seven. How does a 7 pm dinner sound in Spain?
Very early: dinner is usually around 9 or 10 pm.
Spaniards eat late: lunch around 2–3 pm, dinner around 9–10 pm, even later in summer. At 7 pm many restaurants aren't serving dinner yet. An evening date often starts with drinks first.
Say it like a local: ¿Quedamos esta noche a las diez? — Shall we meet tonight at ten?
Rose said "quedamos a las cinco". It's ten past five at the port, and she isn't there yet. What's going on?
Nothing unusual: arriving 10–15 minutes late is common among friends.
Among friends, a little lateness is normal in Spain, and ten minutes doesn't need an apology. Work and formal appointments are different: be on time for those.
Say it like a local: No pasa nada, te espero. — No worries, I'll wait for you.
Walking through Málaga, a man shouts a compliment at Rose from across the street. How is that seen in Spain today?
As unwelcome: shouting compliments at strangers (piropos) is widely seen as harassment.
Street piropos used to be tolerated, but today most people see them as harassment. A compliment lands when you're already talking and the other person is enjoying the conversation, never shouted at a stranger.
Say it like a local: Tienes una sonrisa preciosa. — You have a gorgeous smile.
First drinks with Rose at a bar by the port. The bill arrives. What usually happens in Spain?
One person pays this round, and the other gets the next one.
Spaniards rarely split a bill to the cent. One person pays a round (invito yo, "it's on me") and the other gets the next one, whoever they are. A little friendly fighting over the bill is part of the ritual.
Say it like a local: Esta noche invito yo. — Tonight it's on me.
Learn it properly
In the app, Jack takes you through this unit in short lessons: multiple choice, matching and building sentences from tiles, with audio, plus listening scenes, chats that react to your replies, read-the-room choices, culture cards and a drama episode. Words you learn come back in review right before you'd forget them. It's free and there's no account: progress stays in your browser.
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