Learning a language, whether in the classroom or on your own, is a rewarding and fun experience. It allows you to watch movies and understand lyrics in another language, and it can even help you make new friends. When you reach an advanced level, however, a world of opportunities opens.

If you’re dreaming of an academic or professional career in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country, you’re already aware that it can be the pathway to a brilliant future. More than 500 million people around the planet speak the language—just imagine the possibilities! 

Need a little help getting there? Here are some advanced Spanish phrases that can put you on track. Also, stick around for some bonus everyday Spanish idioms that will make you sound like a native. Enjoy!

Here’s to a brilliant career doing business in Spanish!

Table of Contents

1. Useful Phrases for Academic Writing
2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter
3. Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings
4. Bonus: Advanced Idioms, Sayings, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage
5. Final Thoughts

1. Useful Phrases for Academic Writing

Academic writing is one of the most formal ways to express yourself. Once you’ve reached an advanced level in Spanish, you’ll be able to produce fluid and coherent texts for the academic sphere. Here are some advanced Spanish phrases for essays that will make your work look great:

En este ensayo… / En esta redacción… “In this essay…”

In Spanish, “essay” can be translated as either ensayo or redacción, the latter being less formal and more commonly used in school. Ensayo, then, is often used in higher education and research. En este ensayo, voy a demostrar la existencia de sirenas en el mar Mediterráneo.  “In this essay, I’m going to prove the existence of mermaids in the Mediterranean Sea.”

En referencia a… / En cuanto a…  “In reference to…”

En cuanto a las teorías de Isaac Newton, la manzana es una fruta importante en la ciencia. “In reference to Isaac Newton’s theories, the apple is an important fruit in science.”

De acuerdo con… / Según…  “According to…”

You can use either of these two expressions when citing other authors in your work. Según Miguel de Cervantes, el Quijote se volvió loco porque leía muchas novelas.  “According to Miguel de Cervantes, Quixote went mad because he read too many novels.”

En mi opinión… / Según mi punto de vista… / A mi parecer…  “In my opinion…”

Great academic writing does not prohibit you from expressing your mind on the matter. However, don’t forget to make it clear when a statement is your own opinion by including these useful expressions. A mi parecer, España tiene una buena calidad de vida.  “In my opinion, Spain has a good quality of life.”

Por una parte… “On the one hand…”

Por una parte, la tortilla española es un plato típico.  “On the one hand, the Spanish omelet is a typical dish.”

Por otra parte…  “On the other hand…”

Por otra parte, la tortilla también es muy nutritiva.  “On the other hand, the omelet is also very nutritious.”

Por el contrario…  “On the contrary…”

Por el contrario, las patatas fritas no son muy sanas.  “On the contrary, fries are not very healthy.”

Tal y como está indicado…  “As stated…”

To better structure your essay, it’s important to use expressions that point out the data or argument you think is most relevant. You can use variations of the expression above, such as: Tal y como demuestran los datos… (“As the data show…”)  Tal y como ha sido previamente mencionado… (“As it has been previously mentioned…”) Tal y como está indicado en el gráfico 1, las ganas de celebrar la Navidad crecen cada año. “As stated in Chart 1, the desire to celebrate Christmas grows every year.”

Cabe destacar que…  “It should be noted that…”

Cabe destacar que el Papa Francisco es originario de Argentina.  “It should be noted that Pope Francis is from Argentina.”

En resumen…  “To sum up…”

En resumen, todas las canciones de Shakira hablan de amor.  “To sum up, all of Shakira’s songs talk about love.”

En conclusión…  “In conclusion…”

En conclusión, hacer yoga por la mañana es mejor que por la noche.  “In conclusion, doing yoga in the morning is better than at night.”

➜ Would you like additional words and phrases to use in your essays and in the classroom? Then check out the lesson Academia on SpanishPod101.com!

Ace your essay in Spanish!

2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter

In Spain, a cover letter goes a long way when applying for a job. Now that so many people have a good education and are well-experienced, showing who you really are in a few paragraphs can turn the tables in your favor. However, try to maintain a formal structure and use sophisticated vocabulary with these advanced Spanish phrases:

Entre mis competencias, cabe destacar…  “Among my competencies, it should be noted…”

Cuento con una dilatada experiencia en…  “I have extensive experience in…”

Uno de mis puntos fuertes es… “One of my main strong points is…”

A very common question in Spanish job interviews is: ¿Cuáles son tus puntos fuertes y cuáles son tus puntos débiles? (“Which are your strong points and weak points?”) Be prepared to give a good answer!

Trabajo bien bajo presión.  “I work well under pressure.”

Trabajo bien… (“I work well…”) is a handy expression for any type of situation in the workplace. Trabajo bien en equipo. → “I work well in a team.” / “I’m a team ”Trabajo bien en grupos reducidos. → “I work well with small teams.”

Me especializo en el campo de…  “I specialize in the field of…”

Estoy realmente interesado en esta oportunidad.  “I’m really interested in this opportunity.”

Admiro la cultura de trabajo de su empresa.  “I admire your company’s culture.”

There are different things you might admire about a company that you can pinpoint in an interview or in your cover letter: Admiro la trayectoria de su empresa. → “I admire your company’s trajectory.” Admiro los logros de su empresa. → “I admire your company’s achievements.” Admiro el impacto de su empresa en el sector. → “I admire your company’s impact on the sector.”

Espero que les interese mi perfil.  “I hope you’re interested in my profile.”

Estoy disponible para aclarar cualquier duda.  “I’m available to clarify any doubts.”

Showing interest in continuing the conversation with your potential interviewer is always a good idea.  An alternative phrase would be: No duden en contactarme para cualquier cuestión. (“Don’t hesitate contacting me for any inquiries.”)

Espero aprender más sobre su proyecto.  “Looking forward to learning more about your project.”

➜ Are you looking for a job in Spain? Don’t miss this blog post from SpanishPod101, where we give you the best advice, insight, and tips.

A good cover letter can get you your dream interview.

3. Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings

The business world has its own expressions and slang. Learning how to properly communicate in the workplace can make all the difference when trying to succeed in business. With these advanced Spanish phrases, you’ll learn how to express yourself in a meeting and also how to address others in a professional manner.

Gracias por asistir a esta reunión.  “Thank you for coming to this meeting.”

After the greetings, it’s polite to thank your coworkers, superiors, or clients for making time for the meeting.

En mi presentación, hablaré de…  “In my presentation, I will talk about…”

➜ Check out SpanishPod101’s guide to giving business presentations for more useful expressions and ideas!

Me gustaría añadir que…  “I’d like to add that…”

Cumpliremos todos los términos del acuerdo.  “We’ll fulfill all the agreement’s terms.”

Nos estamos retrasando con este tema.  “We’re lagging behind with this issue.”

Tenemos que cerrar este proyecto.  “We have to come to a close with this project.”

In order to succeed with your business endeavors, it’s important to be assertive so that everyone is on the same page when talking about work.

Tu aportación es muy interesante.  “Your insight is very interesting.”

Es una idea brillante.  “It’s a brilliant idea.”

Encouraging words always go a long way, even in the business world. Another way to celebrate someone’s good ideas is by saying: ¡Qué buena idea! (“What a good idea!”) Further, you can congratulate them for a job well done with: ¡Buen trabajo!

¿Podrías resumir tu argumento?  “Could you sum up your point?”

Gracias por su tiempo.  “Thank you for your time.”

Te contestaré lo antes posible.  “I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

➜ Do you want to learn some more advanced phrases in Spanish for the workplace? Then visit the lesson Spanish Business Phrases on SpanishPod101.com!

Thank your coworkers for coming to your meeting!

4. Bonus: Advanced Idioms, Sayings, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage

Spanish idioms are very present in everyday conversations. Do you want to know what your teacher means when (s)he tells you to “put on the batteries”? Or maybe what the young people mean when they say “molar”?

Fear not! We’re here to help you master advanced Spanish phrases, idioms, and slang expressions.

Ponerse las pilas  “To get your act together” Literally: “To put on the batteries”

Si quiere aprobar el curso, tiene que ponerse las pilas. “If he wants to pass his classes, he has to get his act together.”

¡Es la caña! “He / She / It rocks!” Literally: “It’s the cane!”

Marta me cae muy bien, ¡es la caña! “I like Marta a lot. She rocks!”

Estar en las nubes  “To be in the clouds”

Estás en las nubes, no has escuchado nada de lo que he dicho. “You’re in the clouds; you haven’t listened to anything I’ve said.”

Hablar por los codos  “To talk up a storm” Literally: “To talk through the elbows”

Mi abuela nunca se calla, habla por los codos. “My grandma never shuts up; she talks up a storm.”

Tirar la toalla  “To throw in the towel”

Cuando vio que se complicaba el camino, tiró la toalla y se fue. “When he saw that the path got complicated, he threw in the towel and left.”

Echar una mano  “To give a hand”

Miguel me echó una mano para estudiar el temario. “Miguel gave me a hand studying the syllabus.”

No me importa ni un pimiento  “I don’t care at all” Literally: “I care less than a pepper”

No me importan ni un pimiento sus excusas. “I don’t care at all about her excuses.”

Dejar plantado  “To stand (someone) up”

Su pareja le dejó plantado. “His partner stood him up.”

En un abrir y cerrar de ojos  “In a split second” Literally: “In an opening and closing eyes time”

Me comí el pastel en un abrir y cerrar de ojos. “I ate the cake in a split second.”

Otro gallo cantaría  “Things would be different” Literally: “Another rooster would sing”

Si hubieras estudiado, otro gallo cantaría. “If you had studied, things would be different.”

Tener mala leche  “To be nasty” Literally: “To have bad milk”

Antonia me da miedo, tiene muy mala leche. “Antonia frightens me; she’s very nasty.”

Molar mucho  “To be cool”

¡Esta fiesta mola mucho! “This party is very cool!”

➜ Spanish is a rich language, and idioms play an important role in how we communicate each day. Don’t miss the lesson Spanish Idioms on SpanishPod101.com to learn more.

Otro gallo cantaría… (“Things would be very different…”)

5. Final Thoughts

In this guide to advanced Spanish phrases, you learned a variety of expressions that will help you improve your speaking and writing for the academic and business worlds. You even picked up several Spanish idioms! 

Studying and working in a Spanish-speaking country is possible for an advanced student such as yourself. However, it’s best to keep on learning and to memorize even more advanced phrases in Spanish. You can continue your studies with the variety of advanced Spanish lessons available on SpanishPod101.com, each one designed with both progress and fun in mind! In fact, we have advanced pathways for different varieties of Spanish: 

• Level 5 Mexican Spanish
• Level 5 European Spanish
• Level 5 Peruvian Spanish

And don’t forget to check out the free vocabulary lists and other useful tools on SpanishPod101.com. They will make your path to mastery both fun and convenient. Create your free lifetime account to get started! 

¡Que te diviertas! (Have fun!)