At a house party in Spanish: what to bring, when to arrive, how to greet everyone and how to leave in Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina
Someone invites you to their flat on Saturday. It is harder Spanish than a restaurant, where you can read half of what to say off the menu. You walk into a room of people who already know each other, and you have to greet every one of them. Below are the invitation, what to bring, when to actually turn up, the greeting, the small talk, the dancing where it happens, the long goodbye, and the message you send the next day, with the differences between Mexico, Spain, Colombia and Argentina.
The invitation
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What they call it | una reunión, una fiesta, una carne asada | una fiesta, una cena, una quedada | una rumba, un parche, una fiesta | una juntada, un asado, una previa |
| The invitation | ¿Vienes a la reunión del sábado? | ¿Te apuntas el sábado? | ¿Nos parchamos el sábado? or Hay rumba el sábado, ¿va? | ¿Te prendés a una juntada el sábado? |
| Yes | Va, ahí caigo. | Me apunto. | Listo, allá nos vemos. | Dale, ahí voy. |
| I can’t | No voy a poder, gracias. | No puedo, otra vez será. | No voy a poder, qué pena. | No llego, otro día. |
A few of these are worth explaining. Una previa in Argentina is the gathering at somebody’s flat before going out, and it can last longer than the night out. Un parche in Colombia is a plan or a hangout, and parchar is the verb. Una carne asada in Mexico is a barbecue and a social occasion in one word, as un asado is in Argentina. Quedada in Spain is a meet-up rather than a party.
Qué pena in Colombia means both “how embarrassing” and “how sorry I am”, and it is the standard way to decline anything without offence.
What to bring
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Shall I bring something? | ¿Llevo algo? | The question everyone asks. Llevar is to take there, traer is to bring here, and the host says trae while you say llevo |
| What shall I bring? | ¿Qué llevo? | |
| I’ll bring a bottle | Llevo una botella. | Wine, unless told otherwise |
| I’ll bring dessert | Llevo el postre. | |
| I’ll bring beers | Llevo unas cervezas. / Llevo unas chelas. (Mexico) / Llevo unas birras. (Argentina, Spain) | |
| I’ll bring something to nibble | Llevo algo de picar. (Spain) / Llevo una botana. (Mexico) / Llevo unos pasabocas. (Colombia) / Llevo una picada. (Argentina) | |
| Do you need anything? | ¿Necesitas algo? / ¿Necesitás algo? (Argentina) | |
| I’m bringing a friend | ¿Puedo llevar a un amigo? | Ask; do not assume |
| Nothing, just come | No traigas nada, solo vení. (Argentina) / No traigas nada, nada más ven. (Mexico) | What the host will say back |
| Bring what you’ll drink | Trae lo que vayas a tomar. (Mexico, Colombia) / Traé lo que quieras tomar. (Argentina) | Common and not stingy; it means bring your own drink |
You can bring a bottle of wine in all four countries. A dessert is better if you were invited to eat. At an Argentine asado the host is cooking the meat and will not want yours, so bring wine, fizzy drinks or something sweet. If you are told no traigas nada, bring something small anyway.
When to arrive
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Told 9, arrive | 9.30 to 10 | 9.30 to 10 | 9.30 to 10 | 10 to 10.30 |
| Dinner at a home | Eating around 9 or 10 | Eating around 10 | Eating around 8 or 9 | Eating around 10 or later |
| An asado or barbecue | Lunch that lasts all afternoon | Lunch at 3 or later | Lunch at 1 or 2 | Meat on the fire at 1, eating at 3 |
Arriving at the stated hour at a house party in any of the four is early. Half an hour after is the safe window, and an hour after is normal in Argentina and in Spain on a Saturday night. A restaurant booking, a work lunch, a doctor or a class is the opposite, and you arrive on time.
A Mexican or Colombian friend who says ahorita voy does not mean now. With ya salgo and ya voy saliendo they mean they are thinking about leaving the house.
Walking in and greeting everyone
You greet every person in the room, individually, on arrival. A wave from the door is not enough, and visitors who do only that are noticed in all four countries.
| Mexico | Spain | Colombia | Argentina | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisses | One, on the cheek | Two, one on each cheek | One, on the cheek; a handshake is common at a first introduction | One, on the cheek |
| Between men | Handshake, or a hug between friends | Handshake, or a hug and a back slap | Handshake, or a hug | A kiss on the cheek, including between men who have just met |
| With someone older | Mucho gusto, señora. and the same kiss | Encantado. and two kisses | Mucho gusto, señora. and usted | Mucho gusto. and a kiss |
Visitors are most surprised by the Argentine kiss between men. It is a single kiss on the cheek, between fathers and sons, friends, colleagues and men being introduced for the first time. If you refuse it, people take it as cold.
In Spain the two kisses are a light touch of cheeks with the sound made in the air. Nobody actually kisses.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hi, nice to meet you | Hola, mucho gusto. | The everywhere phrase |
| Delighted | Encantado. / Encantada. | Spain, mostly. Ending matches the speaker |
| A pleasure | Un placer. | |
| And you | El gusto es mío. / Igualmente. | The reply |
| I’m Sarah, a friend of Ana’s | Soy Sarah, amiga de Ana. | Say how you know the host |
| I don’t know anyone here | No conozco a nadie, ¿me presentas? | |
| This is my partner | Te presento a mi pareja. | Pareja covers any partner and any gender |
| Sorry, what was your name? | Perdón, ¿cómo era tu nombre? |
Once you are in
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Where shall I put this? | ¿Dónde dejo esto? | |
| Shall I help you? | ¿Te ayudo? | |
| Can I give you a hand? | ¿Te doy una mano? (Argentina, Colombia) / ¿Te echo la mano? (Mexico) / ¿Te echo una mano? (Spain) | |
| Where’s the bathroom? | ¿Dónde está el baño? | |
| Can I have a glass of water? | ¿Me das un vaso de agua? | |
| What is there to drink? | ¿Qué hay para tomar? | Tomar is to drink in all four; Spain also says beber |
| Just a little | Poquito, por favor. | |
| I’m driving | Estoy manejando. (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina) / Estoy conduciendo. (Spain) | |
| I’m not drinking tonight | Hoy no tomo. | No explanation needed |
| Cheers | ¡Salud! | Everywhere |
| This is delicious | Está riquísimo. | |
| Who made this? | ¿Quién lo hizo? | |
| Can I have the recipe? | ¿Me pasas la receta? | |
| I’m stuffed | Estoy lleno. / Estoy llena. / Ya no puedo más. |
If you are pouring from a shared bottle, fill other people’s glasses before your own.
Music and dancing
In Colombia a house party usually has dancing, and somebody will pull you up. Salsa, vallenato and merengue at a family gathering, reggaetón later. ¿Bailas? or ¿Bailamos? is a normal thing to be asked by anyone, including your friend’s aunt. If you say no sé bailar, someone says yo te enseño and you are dancing anyway. Refusing twice is fine and nobody minds.
Elsewhere it depends entirely on the party. At Mexican gatherings people often start dancing once the music is loud enough. An Argentine asado is mostly eating and talking around the table for hours, and a previa is drinking and talking before going out. A Spanish flat party is usually talking, with music underneath it, and the dancing happens later at a bar.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I can’t dance | No sé bailar. | |
| Teach me | Enséñame. / Enseñame. (Argentina) | |
| I’m terrible at this | Soy malísimo para esto. | |
| Can you turn it up? | ¿Le subes al volumen? (Mexico) / ¿Subes la música? | |
| What song is this? | ¿Qué canción es esta? | |
| I love this one | Esta me encanta. |
What you will hear
| You will hear | It means |
|---|---|
| Pasa, pasa. | Come in, come in |
| Ponte cómodo. / Ponete cómodo. | Make yourself comfortable |
| Estás en tu casa. | You’re at home here. Said in all four |
| ¿Qué te sirvo? | What can I get you? |
| Sírvete lo que quieras. | Help yourself to whatever you want |
| ¿Ya comiste? | Have you eaten? The question that precedes a plate of food |
| Come más, hay mucho. | Eat more, there’s plenty |
| No te quedes con hambre. | Don’t leave hungry |
| ¿Y vos de dónde sos? | And where are you from? (Argentina) |
| ¿Y qué te trae por acá? | What brings you here? |
| ¡Qué bien hablas español! | Your Spanish is great. Said to anyone who manages a sentence |
| Hablas mejor que yo. | A joke, and a compliment to accept |
| No te apenes. | Don’t be shy (Mexico, Colombia) |
| ¿Ya te vas? ¡Tan temprano! | You’re leaving? So early! |
| Quédate un ratito más. | Stay a little longer |
| La del estribo. | One for the road (Spain, Argentina) |
Leaving
The goodbye is long in all four countries and longest in Spain and Argentina. You announce it, keep talking for a while, say goodbye to every person individually with the same kiss you arrived with, and then talk some more at the door.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Right, I should get going | Bueno, ya me voy yendo. | The announcement, not the departure |
| We’re heading off | Nos vamos yendo. | |
| It’s late, I have work tomorrow | Se me hizo tarde, mañana trabajo. | The reason everyone accepts |
| One more and I’ll go | Una más y me voy. | |
| Thanks for everything | Gracias por todo. | |
| I had a great time | La pasé muy bien. (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina) / Me lo he pasado genial. (Spain) | Spain uses pasárselo bien, Latin America uses pasarla bien |
| Everything was delicious | Todo estaba riquísimo. | |
| Let’s do it again | A ver cuándo repetimos. | |
| Text me when you get home | Avísame cuando llegues. | Expected, and you should actually do it |
| Bye, see you | Chao, nos vemos. (Mexico, Colombia, Spain) / Chau, nos vemos. (Argentina) |
Leaving without saying goodbye has a name in Spain, despedirse a la francesa, and it is mildly rude. In Argentina and Mexico people will notice and ask about it later.
The next day
A short message the next day is standard in all four countries and takes ten seconds.
| You want to say | Spanish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thanks for last night | Gracias por lo de anoche. | |
| We had a great time | La pasamos buenísimo. (Argentina) / La pasamos muy bien. (Mexico, Colombia) / Nos lo pasamos genial. (Spain) | |
| Your place is lovely | Me encantó tu casa. | |
| Sorry I left so late | Perdón por quedarme hasta tan tarde. | Half a joke |
| Next time at mine | La próxima en mi casa. | |
| I left my jumper there | Me dejé el suéter ahí. / Me dejé el jersey ahí. (Spain) / Me olvidé la campera. (Argentina) | Campera is a jacket |
Ten sentences you can say tomorrow
- ¿Llevo algo? ¿El postre? Shall I bring something? Dessert?
- Hola, mucho gusto, soy Sarah, amiga de Ana. Hi, nice to meet you, I’m Sarah, a friend of Ana’s.
- ¿Dónde dejo esto? ¿Te ayudo con algo? Where shall I put this? Can I help with anything?
- Hoy no tomo, estoy manejando. I’m not drinking tonight, I’m driving. (Mexico, Colombia, Argentina)
- Está riquísimo, ¿quién lo hizo? This is delicious, who made it?
- No sé bailar, pero bueno, dale. I can’t dance, but fine, let’s go. (Argentina)
- Perdón, ¿cómo era tu nombre? Sorry, what was your name again?
- Bueno, ya me voy yendo, mañana trabajo. Right, I’m going to head off, I’ve got work tomorrow.
- Gracias por todo, la pasé muy bien. Thanks for everything, I had a great time.
- Gracias por lo de anoche, la próxima en mi casa. Thanks for last night, next time at mine.
Questions people ask
Do I really have to kiss everyone? Yes, on arrival and on leaving, in all four countries. One kiss on the cheek in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, two in Spain. In Argentina men kiss men as well. If you are ill, say te saludo de lejos que estoy resfriado and everyone understands.
Llevar or traer? From where you are, you llevas something to the party. The host, at the party, tells you to traer. Same object, different point of view.
How late is too late? An hour after the stated time is fine at a house party in all four. Two hours without a message is late anywhere.
What if I am told not to bring anything? Bring something small anyway, a bottle or a bag of ice or something sweet. It is never the wrong move.
What do I say when I don’t understand? Perdón, ¿me lo repites más despacio? People at a party will slow down. You get further by asking than by nodding.
Is it rude to leave early? No. Say it in advance, te aviso que me voy a eso de las doce, just so you know, I’m off around twelve. You will still be told tan temprano.
What is a previa? In Argentina, drinks at somebody’s flat before going out. Uruguayans use the same word. In Mexico and Spain people would say antes de salir, and in Spain there is also el botellón, which is drinking outdoors in a square or park.
Should I offer to wash up? Offer once, ¿te ayudo a recoger? in Spain, ¿te ayudo a levantar la mesa? in Mexico and Argentina. You will probably be refused, and offering counts.
Practise these words
fiesta, invitar, llevar, traer, saludar, presentar, ayudar, servir, tomar, bailar, despedirse, tarde, anfitrión. Vozelu is a free website for practising Spanish, and it has each of these. You see a sentence with one word missing, you type the word, and a native voice reads the sentence back. Practise the words on this page.