Dígame
Answer, leave a message, survive a bad line, and hang up politely — out loud.
Phone Spanish is formal by default — start in usted and stay there for the whole call. How you answer depends on where you are: ¿Bueno? in Mexico and Central America, Aló in the Caribbean and Andes, ¿Diga? in Spain, a plain Hola in Argentina. When someone asks ¿de parte de quién?, the answer is your name — de parte de Andrés — the moment that freezes most learners. And with no faces or gestures to lean on, your safety net matters more than ever: disculpe, no lo escucho bien and ¿puede hablar un poco más despacio, por favor?
Below: the phrases that carry a call from dígame to a polite goodbye, what locals actually say, the slips that derail calls — and a way to rehearse a real phone call out loud before you dial one for real.
The warm-up pack
The phrases that carry a phone call with no face to read — from dígame to the goodbye.
01 · How you answer
Buenos días, dígame.
Good morning, go ahead. — Regional: ¿Bueno? in Mexico, Aló in the Caribbean and Andes, ¿Diga? in Spain, a plain Hola in Argentina.
Dígame sounds brisk to English ears but it's completely standard and polite — it just means 'go ahead, I'm listening'.
02 · Say who you are
Hola, soy Andrés.
Hi, this is Andrés.
Simple and direct. On the phone nobody can see you, so naming yourself early avoids a confused first exchange.
03 · What they'll ask you
¿De parte de quién?
Who's calling?
This is the freeze moment — an unfamiliar formula that makes learners answer '¿qué?' instead of just giving their name.
04 · What you say back
De parte de Andrés.
It's Andrés calling.
Not a question you need to think about — just your name after de parte de. That's the whole answer.
05 · Ask for someone
Quisiera hablar con la señora Isabella.
I'd like to speak with Mrs. Isabella.
Quisiera, not quiero — phone Spanish defaults to formal, even for something this simple.
06 · If they're not in
Lo siento, en este momento no está.
I'm sorry, he's not here right now.
What you'll hear back if the person's out. It's your cue to leave a message rather than call again right away.
07 · Leave a message
¿Le puedo dejar un mensaje? Dígale que llamó Andrés, por favor.
Can I leave him a message? Tell him Andrés called, please.
Two short lines cover it — ask permission, then give the exact message you want passed on.
08 · Make sure they got it right
¿Podría repetirme el número, por favor?
Could you repeat the number for me, please?
Numbers get dictated in blocks of two or three digits and are easy to mishear — asking for a repeat is completely normal.
09 · Set up the callback
Lo llamo mañana por la tarde, ¿le parece?
I'll call him tomorrow afternoon, does that work?
Proposing a specific time, then checking it works for them, is how you close a call without leaving it vague.
10 · When you can't hear
Disculpe, no lo escucho bien, hay mucha interferencia. ¿Puede hablar un poco más despacio, por favor?
Sorry, I can't hear you well, there's a lot of interference. Could you speak a little slower, please?
Asking for repetition beats guessing, every time — a bad line is expected, not something to apologize your way through.
11 · Sign off
Muchas gracias por su tiempo, que tenga buen día.
Thank you for your time, have a good day.
Formal, warm, and complete — the phone version of a good goodbye. Say this and hang up with confidence.
FLUENT
Finally, someone to talk to in Spanish.
Ten-minute spoken lessons. A teacher who answers back — and gently fixes what you got wrong.
First 10 lessons freeandbefluent.com/spanish/digameRegional Spanish
Textbooks teach one word. Locals use several — pick your region's and stay consistent.
| English | Mexico | Argentina |
|---|---|---|
| Hello? (answering) | ¿Bueno? | Hola / ¿Sí? |
| Have him call me back | Me marca cuando pueda | Que me llame cuando pueda |
| Who's calling? | ¿De parte de quién, por favor? | ¿De parte de quién sos? |
Watch out
The part no phrase list can do
Isabella
Your conversation teacher for this pack
In the Dígame pack, the final lesson is a real phone call — and Isabella plays the receptionist at Dr. Ramírez's office: calm, efficient, juggling other lines, strictly usted, and she reads every appointment back twice to confirm. You're calling mid-morning to reschedule your appointment — and the line has interference, so you'll have to ask her to repeat and slow down. If the doctor isn't in, you leave a voicemail with your name and number. Out loud, with no visual cues. And she talks back:
Blank mid-sentence and nothing bad happens — she waits. That's the practice, without unnecessary judgement.
Finish the 5 lessons and Dígame is yours — earned, not given.
First 10 lessons free · 10-minute spoken lessons · your AI coaching team remembers you
Quick answers
It depends on the country: ¿Bueno? in Mexico and Central America, Aló in the Caribbean and Andes, ¿Diga? or ¿Sí, dígame? in Spain, and a plain Hola or ¿Sí? in Argentina and Uruguay.
Literally "tell me" — it's a standard, polite way to answer or to invite the caller to state their business: Buenos días, dígame. It sounds brisk to English ears but it's perfectly courteous.
They're asking who's calling — answer with your name: de parte de Andrés. It's the classic freeze moment; learners hear an unfamiliar formula and answer ¿qué? Just give the name.
¿Le puedo dejar un mensaje?, then the essentials: dígale que llamó Andrés, por favor and your number — dictate it in blocks of two or three digits, and check it landed: ¿podría repetirme el número, por favor?
Disculpe, no lo escucho bien, hay mucha interferencia — or ¿puede hablar un poco más despacio, por favor? If the line is failing: se está cortando la llamada, ¿me oye? For a bad signal, no le oigo bien is the natural verb — oír, not escuchar.
