Jobsite Spanish: 100+ Phrases & Terms for Construction Sites & Warehouses

Want to learn construction Spanish or Spanish for warehouse workers? You’re in the right place!

Welcome—or should I say, “Bienvenido!”—to this jobsite Spanish guide! Communication is key in any work environment, but language barriers often get in the way. Luckily, learning basic jobsite Spanish isn’t as hard as it might seem.

Of course, you won’t be able to speak fluently with a construction Spanish cheat sheet. You’ll still have to translate some things, and maybe have separate English and Spanish safety meetings for construction jobs. But what you can do is give simple instructions, exchange job-related information, and navigate the ins and outs of the workday—all while strengthening your relationships with the Spanish-speaking members of your team.

Let’s go! (Vamos!)

Table of Contents

• Useful phrases for jobsite work
  • Starting the job
  • Safety
  • Doing the work
  • Breaks
  • Ending the day
• Terminology for construction jobsites and warehouses
  • Construction job titles in Spanish
  • Construction tools in Spanish
  • Warehouse job titles in Spanish
• Spanish pronunciation tips
• Shortcuts for speaking Spanish

Want a printable PDF version of the construction Spanish cheat sheet/warehouse Spanish cheat sheet instead? Download it below.

Useful phrases for jobsite work

If you studied Spanish in school, you probably learned phrases like “¿Dónde está la biblioteca?” (Where is the library?) And that’s great—but it’s not too helpful on the jobsite. 

What you need is vocabulary that can actually help you communicate with your Spanish-speaking employees or workmates. Here are some of the terms that can get you through a standard shift. 

Starting the job

The day’s just begun, which means it’s time to say hello—and then explain the task at hand. Here’s some basic Spanish vocabulary to get your construction or warehouse shift (and workday) off to a good start.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Hello.	Hola.	Oh-la
Good morning.	Buenos días.	BWE-nos DI-as
Good afternoon.	Buenas tardes.	BWE-nas TAR-dehs
Good evening.	Buenas noches.	BWE-nas NOCH-ehs
Yes.	Sí.	See
No.	No.	No
You’re hired.	Usted está contratado.	us-TED es-TA con-tra-TA-doh
Thank you.	Gracias.	GRAH-see-ahs
Yes, please.	Sí, por favor.	see, pour fa-VOR
Do this.	Haga esto.	HA-ga ES-toh
Come with me.	Venga conmigo.	VENG-ga con-ME-go
I’ll show you.	Se lo muestro.	say lo MWES-troh
Are you ready?	¿Está listo?	Es-TAH LEES-toh
What is your area of expertise?	¿Cuál es su especialidad?	Qual es sue es-pes-ial-ee-DAHD

Safety

On a construction jobsite or in a warehouse setting, a simple misunderstanding can lead to a dangerous situation. These basic Spanish safety terms can help you and your crew understand how to keep themselves and each other safe—and resolve problems quickly.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Safety meeting	Reunión de seguridad	ray-un-ee-ON day se-ger-i-DAHD
Are you injured?	¿Está lesionado?	es-TAH less-eon-AH-do
Are you ok?	¿Está bien?	esTAH bee-EN
Do you need help?	¿Necesita ayuda?	ness-eh-SEE-ta ay-U-dah
Let me help.	Déjeme ayudar.	DAY-hay-may ay-u-DAR

Doing the work

Organizing a team doesn’t require a super-wide vocabulary. In fact, you can successfully coordinate workers with just a few gestures and a handful of key phrases. 

Here are some warehouse and construction terms you can fall back on.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
The warehouse	El almacén	el all-mah-SEN
The construction site	El sitio de construcción.	el SEE-teo day con-strook-she-ON
Come to the back of the warehouse.	Venga a la parte trasera del almacén.	VENG-gah ah la PAR-tay tra-SAYR-ah del all-mah-SEN
This is your workspace.	Este es su espacio de trabajo.	ES-tay es sue es-PAS-eo day tra-BA-ho
Show me.	Muéstreme.	MWES-tray-may
Come here.	Venga aquí.	VENG-ga ah-KEY
Like this.	Así.	ah-SEE
Not like that.	Así no.	ah-SEE no
Can you do it?	¿Lo puede hacer?	lo PWAY-day ah-SAYR
Perfect.	Perfecto.	pear-FECK-toh
Excellent.	Excelente.	Ex-sell-ENT-eh
Here.	Aquí.	ah-KEY
Over there.	Allí.	ay-YEE
Go over there.	Vaya allí.	VAY-ya ay-YEE
Faster.	Más rápido.	mas RAP-ee-doh
Slower.	Más despacio.	mas des-PASS-eo
Carefully!	¡Con cuidado!	con quee-DAHD-oh
Dangerous	Peligroso.	pell-ee-GROSS-oh
Lift it.	Levántelo.	lay-VAHN-tah-lo
Put it down.	Bájelo.	BA-hay-lo
Put it there.	Póngalo allí.	PONG-gah-lo ay-YEE
Height	La altura	la all-TOUR-ah
Length	El largo	el LAR-go
Width	El ancho	el ANCH-o
Inches	Pulgadas	pool-GAHD-ahs
Feet	Pies	Pee-ES
Yards	Yardas	YAR-das
Weight	El peso	el PAY-so
Ounces	Onzas	OHN-sas
Pounds	Libras	LEE-bras
Tons	Toneladas	ton-eh-LAH-das

Breaks

Stopping and starting is a lot simpler when you can communicate exactly what is going on. These simple words can help you clarify when it’s break time—and when it’s time to continue working.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Lunch.	El almuerzo.	el all-MWER-so
​​Lunch break.	La pausa para almorzar.	la PAW-sa PAH-ra all-more-SAR
Stop, that’s good enough.	Pare, ya está.	PAH-ray, ya es-TAH
Let’s take a break.	Vamos a descansar.	VAM-os ah dess-cahn-SAR
There’s food in here.	Hay comida aquí.	Aye co-MEED-ah ah-KEY
Here is the bathroom.	Aquí está el baño.	ah-KEY es-TA el BON-yo
Be back in half an hour.	Vuelva en media hora.	VWEL-va en MAY-dea OR-ah
Be back in an hour.	Vuelva en una hora.	VWEL-va en OO-na OR-ah
Five minutes	Cinco minutos	SEEN-co min-OO-toes
Let’s get back to work.	Volvamos al trabajo.	vol-VAHM-os ah trab-ah-HAR

Ending the day

When the day is done, you want to thank your Spanish-speaking crew and (hopefully) encourage them to come back. Use these terms to show your appreciation and finish the shift on a friendly note.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Thank you.	Gracias.	GRAHS-eas
You’re welcome.	De nada.	Day NAH-dah
Thanks for all your hard work.	Gracias por todo su trabajo.	GRAHS-eas pour TOH-doh sue tra-BAH-ho
We’d love to have you work for us again.	Nos encantaría que vuelva a trabajar para nosotros.	nos en-cahn-tah-REE-ah kay VWEL-vah ah tra-bah-HAR PAH-ra no-SOT-roes
You’ll get a notification on your Jobble app.	Recibirá una notificación en su aplicación de Jobble.	ray-seeb-eer-AH OO-nah no-tee-fee-kah-see-ON en sue app-lee-cass-ee-ON day Jobble
Take care.	Cuídese mucho.	QUEE-day-say MOO-cho
We’ll see you again.	Nos veremos de nuevo.	nos vare-EH-mos day NWE-vo
See you.	Nos vemos.	nos VAY-mos
Have a great evening.	Que tenga una buena noche.	kay TENG-ga OO-nah BWE-na NO-chay
See you soon.	Hasta pronto.	AH-stah PRAWN-toh
See you tomorrow.	Hasta mañana.	AH-stah man-YAN-ah

Terminology for construction jobsites and warehouses

You don’t need a comprehensive Spanish course to successfully collaborate on the jobsite—or at least, it’s probably not your top priority. What you do need is Spanish for construction workers and warehouse managers. I understand that—and so I’ve compiled some key phrases to get you started. 

If you’re looking for construction terms in Spanish, here you go!

Construction job titles in Spanish

People work better together when titles and roles are clear. Here are the phrases that can help you.

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Jobsite manager	Gerente de obra	hair-ENT-eh day OH-brah
Foreman	El capataz / La capataz	el cah-pah-TAHZ / la cah-pah-TAHZ
Builder	El constructor / La constructora	el con-strook-TOR / la con-strook-TOR-ah
Roofer	El techador / La techadora	el tay-cha-DOR / la tay-cha-DOR-ah
Framer	El enmarcador / La enmarcadora	el en-mark-ah-DOR / la en-mark-ah-DOR-ah
Construction framer	El enmarcador / La enmarcadora de la construcción	el en-mark-ah-DOR / la en-mark-ah-DOR-ah day la con-strook-she-ON
Architect	El arquitecto / La arquitecta	el are-key-TECK-toh / la are-key-TECH-tah
Bricklayer/Mason	El albañil / La albañil	el all-ban-YEEL / la all-ban-YEEL
Surveyor	El inspector / La inspectora	el in-speck-TOR / la in-speck-TOR-ah
Electrician	El electricista / La electricista	el eh-leck-tree-SEES-tah / la eh-leck-tree-SEES-tah
Carpenter	El carpintero / La carpintera	el car-peen-TER-oh / la car-peen-TER-AH
Contractor	El contratista / La contratista	el con-tra-TEE-stah / la con-tra-TEE-stah
Worker	El obrero / La obrera	el obe-RARE-oh / la obe-RARE-ah

*Note: Spanish nouns are often gendered, especially when they refer to people. “El” means “the”—but for masculine nouns. “La” means “the” for feminine nouns. The endings “-o” and “-a” also relate to gender: “-o” is used for masculine nouns, and “-a” is used for feminine nouns.

So if the roofer is a man, he’s “el techador.” If she’s a woman, she’s “la techadora.”

There are some exceptions, though, as you’ll see in the table above. Electricians and contractors both keep the “-a” ending, regardless of the gender of the worker.

Construction tools in Spanish

You don’t need a full understanding of Spanish grammar just to get your point across. Sometimes, just a single word is enough—which is why it’s important to know some basic nouns. 

So here are some of the most common construction tools in Spanish. Next time you give that construction safety toolbox talk in English and Spanish, you’ll be glad to have this vocabulary. 

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Tools	Las herramientas	las air-ah-me-ENT-as
Toolbox	La caja de herramientas	la CA-ha day air-ah-me-ENT-as
Toolbelt	El cinturón de herramientas	el seen-tour-ON day air-ah-me-ENT-as
Hammer	El martillo	el mar-TEE-yo
Nail	El clavo	el CLAH-vo
Nut	La tuerca	la TWER-kah
Screw	El tornillo	el tor-NEE-yo
Screwdriver	El desarmador	el des-arm-ah-DOR
Saw	La sierra	la see-AIR-ah
Mask	La máscara	la MAHS-kah-rah
Axe	El hacha	el AH-cha
Pliers	Los alicates	los all-ee-KAHT-ehs
Ladder	La escalera	la es-cahl-AIR-ah
Wrench	La llave inglesa	la YA-vay een-GLASE-ah
Level	El nivel	el nee-VELL
Cement	El cemento	el sem-ENT-oh
Concrete	El concreto	el con-crate-OH
Wire	El alambre	el all-AHM-bray
Bricks	Los ladrillos	los lad-REE-yos
Glass	El vidrio	el VEED-reo
Metal	El metal	el MET-all
Sand	La arena	la ah-RAIN-ah
Stone	La piedra	la pee-ED-rah
Wood	La madera	la mahd-AIR-ah
Plastic	El plástico	el PLASS-tee-ko

*** Quick tip: Use the phrase “Paseme el/la _______” to ask for a particular tool or item. For example, you can say “Pásame el martillo” if you want someone to pass you the hammer. 

Warehouse job titles in Spanish

The warehouse is a unique workplace—with a unique set of positions. Here are some Spanish job titles you can use so everyone understands their roles. 

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Picker/packer	El recogedor de almacén / la recogedora de almacén	el ray-co-hay-DOR day all-mah-SEN / la ray-co-hay-DOR-ah day all-mah-SEN
Loader	El cargador / la cargadora	el car-gah-DOR / la car-ga-DOR-ah
Clerk/secretary	El secretario / La secretaria	el seck-ra-TAR-eo / la seck-ra-TAR-ea
Forklift operator	El operador de carretilla elevadora / la operadora de carretilla elevadora	el op-air-ah-DOR day car-ray-TEE-ya el-eh-vah-DOR-ah / la op-air-ah-DOR-ah day car-ray-TEE-ya el-eh-vah-DOR-ah
Manager	El gerente / La gerente	el hair-ENT-eh / la hair-ENT-eh
Stocker	Almacenista	all-mah-sen-EE-stah
Delivery driver	El conductor de entrega / La conductora de entrega	el con-dook-TOR de en-TRAY-gah / la con-dook-TOR-ah de en-TRAY-gah

Spanish pronunciation tips

You won’t pronounce every word perfectly just by reading them off this guide—and that’s okay! You’re not trying to pass an exam here. All you need is to be understood.

That said, there are some tricks you can use to improve your pronunciation. Here are some strategies to keep in mind:

• If the word has an accent mark, then put the emphasis on the syllable with the accent. For example, the word “Almacén” is pronounced al-ma-CEN.
• The double-L in Spanish makes a “Y” sound. That means the word “tornillo” is pronounced tor-NEE-yo. 
• The J in Spanish is pronounced like the English H. The word “trabajo,” for example, is pronounced tra-BA-ho.

Shortcuts for speaking Spanish

Speaking another language is difficult—but there are shortcuts you can use to make yourself understood in Spanish. 

If you’re truly feeling stuck, here are some Spanish “hacks” to keep in mind:

• Spanish “Twins.” Some words are practically identical—or even exactly identical—in Spanish and English. If you’re completely stuck with a word, try just saying it in English but with a bit of a “Spanish” flair. There’s no guarantee it will work—but it’s worth a try! 
• Adding -o or -a to an English word. Lots of English words become Spanish words if you add a single vowel to the end. Car? Carro. Guitar? Guitarra. Cup…Cup-o? No, that last one doesn’t work! This isn’t a magic solution—but again, it can be worth trying.
• English -tion = Spanish -ción. This one works almost every time. Got an English word that ends in -tion? Change that -tion to -ción. Construction becomes construcción. Nation turns into nación. Not bad, eh?

Conclusion

Work is a lot easier—and a lot more fun—when everyone on the team can effectively communicate. Speaking Spanish on the job isn’t easy, but it can really help. Not only will the work go more smoothly, but you’re bound to earn the respect of your Spanish-speaking colleagues.

In the early days of learning a new language, it’s all about confidence. Don’t worry too much about pronunciation. Don’t worry about messing up. Just get out there and try out some new phrases. You’ll get the basic lingo down in no time, you can build on your vocabulary from there.

Good luck—or ¡Buena suerte!

Ready to become a staffing expert?

About the Author: Ben Clabault is a freelance writer from Sandwich, Massachusetts. He has spent much of his adult life traveling through Latin America. He currently lives with his fiance in Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala. His areas of expertise include travel, marketing, SaaS, and global cultures. You can find his work on Copyfolio and reach out to him on LinkedIn.