- Guest Contributor
- March 8, 2023
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
- Terminology for construction jobsites and warehouses
- 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.
