Spanish Filler Words (How to Sound More Natural)

In this episode, you'll learn about 15 important Spanish filler words that will help to make your Spanish sound more natural.
When we speak any language, there are words, phrases and sounds we can use to fill the silence or buy time while we are thinking. And, when you are studying a foreign language, it's important to learn how the filler words work so you avoid bringing filler words or sounds from your first language or avoid awkward silences and pauses.
In this video, you'll learn:
- 15 common filler words in Spanish
- A few tricky examples of filler words and their translation
- How and when you can incorporate these words into your Spanish
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Пікірлер: 106

  • @realfastspanish
    @realfastspanish Жыл бұрын

    Can you think of any other Spanish filler words that I missed?

  • @micahrose1675

    @micahrose1675

    Жыл бұрын

    “Tipo” and “en plan”

  • @FeliceChiapperini

    @FeliceChiapperini

    Жыл бұрын

    Not sure if anyone has already mentioned this , but in Southern Californian Spanish, the filler word I hear most is "este".

  • @OceanLaboratory

    @OceanLaboratory

    Жыл бұрын

    Slight offshoot from one of your examples, but I hear my fiancé say "quiero ver" a lot

  • @BailBonds510bailbond

    @BailBonds510bailbond

    Жыл бұрын

    mejor dicho

  • @veganxo

    @veganxo

    Ай бұрын

    @@FeliceChiapperini Yes, I asked my Spanish teacher in Costa Rica what he uses if he's stalling while thinking and he said he uses "este..." and my teacher here in Guanajuato uses "mmm..." similar to "em" but more like mm mm good.

  • @jamesmills6379
    @jamesmills6379 Жыл бұрын

    A super common one that I recently learned (at least for Mexico) that is used ALL. THE. TIME. Is “verdad”. Specifically, when answering a question they will say something like, “bueno, la verdad es que ….”, which means “well, the truth is that …” This is basically always used when giving ones opinion in Mexico they’ll say verdad, so much so that most don’t even realize they are saying it haha

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Nice example James!! Thanks for sharing! 👍

  • @robwebb3882

    @robwebb3882

    Жыл бұрын

    I came to say this one ‘de verdad’ and ‘en serio’ is one I hear a bit too

  • @bry6080
    @bry6080 Жыл бұрын

    I love listening to you. An Aussie accent speaking Spanish; yes, please! 😎

  • @kaumingo
    @kaumingo2 ай бұрын

    Yo diría que ESTE es el filler número uno!

  • @johnwoodham3263
    @johnwoodham3263 Жыл бұрын

    In Mexico, "este" is the filler word for uh and um, but the end is drawn out - like "esteeeeh".

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    Soy mexicano, y confirmo que tienes toda la razón :)

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing John!! 😃

  • @geethaparasuram6338
    @geethaparasuram6338 Жыл бұрын

    This video was just delightful. I have been binge watching a few of your videos since I discovered it yesterday. You think outside the box and your presentations are original, unique and a pleasure to watch and learn

  • @andreatilsley1946

    @andreatilsley1946

    Жыл бұрын

    TOTALLY agree

  • @coyoacan73
    @coyoacan73 Жыл бұрын

    Cracking lesson. Can't stress enough just how important these phrases are. Thank you.

  • @rebeccasosa1595
    @rebeccasosa15959 ай бұрын

    This is a GREAT video! I really wanted to learn some of these filler words. 👏🙏🏻

  • @retrocholo
    @retrocholo Жыл бұрын

    Hola, veo tus videos para practicar listening de inglés. Muy buenos los ejemplos, saludos!

  • @karinampadron3014
    @karinampadron30143 ай бұрын

    You are awesome. My parents are both Cuban and I’ve never been fluent and I get frustrated when they can’t explain why anything is the way it is, but your careful explanation of why asking “why?” All the time isn’t helpful, and your grasp of the mindset of English as a first language is such a great bridge to understanding Spanish more fully

  • @jdozier3459
    @jdozier3459 Жыл бұрын

    Absolutely great lesson!! Love it!!

  • @paulheath4199
    @paulheath4199 Жыл бұрын

    Gracias otra vez Andrew. Siempre sus vídeos son muy útiles. Saludos, Paul

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    ¡Me alegro! Gracias Paul 🙏

  • @CleonaPattersoneFluentEnglish
    @CleonaPattersoneFluentEnglish Жыл бұрын

    Em... casi siempre necesita tiempo para construir una oración en español. Eh ... todavía me falta fluidez.😀 ¡Bueno, con mucha práctica la lograré! Gracias Andrew por ayudarme a mejorar mi nivel.👍 '¡Ya es mala suerte, eh?!' Esta me parece una frase muy útil. Frecuentemente la gente de mi pueblo dice: ES QUE ... PUES ...

  • @kaypackard9487
    @kaypackard9487 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the lesson. You're fun to listen to, too!

  • @celesterosales8976
    @celesterosales8976 Жыл бұрын

    Very useful, thanks!

  • @KettleCamping
    @KettleCamping Жыл бұрын

    Great video as always! Very useful! Thanks! 👍

  • @jamesfreese4700
    @jamesfreese47008 ай бұрын

    Good video!!!gracias

  • @debbiegehl1562
    @debbiegehl1562 Жыл бұрын

    Muchas gracias Andrew por los videos divertidos y útiles,

  • @KayleeSandvil
    @KayleeSandvil Жыл бұрын

    This is great!

  • @cb7963
    @cb7963 Жыл бұрын

    Great stuff

  • @believeinpeace
    @believeinpeace11 ай бұрын

    ¡Excelente! Muchas Gracias Muy interesante

  • @N.TaraQueen
    @N.TaraQueen Жыл бұрын

    This was such a necessary video because I often come across this issue when conversing with natives, which is why I always ensure to speak about topics I'm familiar with so I don't lose my train of thought. The key is honestly just leading with confidence. I use my native accent to my advantage so that they can see that my pronunciation is authentic. I also hear "lo que" and "como" used a lot as well. For example, in the song "El Amor" by Tito Bambino, he says, amor is "como" un sueno and "como"una luz, so in that context, he used it as like, which is a really popular filler word.

  • @skindiver2
    @skindiver2 Жыл бұрын

    Hey dude fantastic lesson Em muchas gracias de Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 Dave

  • @charmantcoeur
    @charmantcoeur Жыл бұрын

    This video immediately helped my fluency and confidence.

  • @unknownquantity4440
    @unknownquantity4440 Жыл бұрын

    So useful! Been learning the language for last couple of years, and I can say your channel, hands down, is the best, even for learning LATAM Spanish, despite a seeming bent towards peninsular Spanish. Keep up the great work.

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    I would say that we are more leaning towards Mexican Spanish than the Spanish of Spain. But check out our video on this topic for details.

  • @unknownquantity4440

    @unknownquantity4440

    Жыл бұрын

    @@realfastspanish Well, there ya go. Great to know that. Maybe it was the Spanish flag in your thumbnails that made me think that. But come to think of it, you really don't dwell on the vos/os. Thanks for clarifying.

  • @RebeccaBly
    @RebeccaBly Жыл бұрын

    This is my favorite video so far 🤣 Lately, I’ve been noticing my esposo say “…pero nada…” especially when he’s leaving a lengthy WhatsApp voice message for a friend.

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    I'm glad you enjoyed it Rebecca!! 😊

  • @denisek7
    @denisek7 Жыл бұрын

    Very useful, thank you! 🙏

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Denise for the feedback! 😊

  • @user-ft4gd6ex3z
    @user-ft4gd6ex3z10 ай бұрын

    Great explanations! I’ve been trying to use filler words to make my conversation more authentic but have struggled to understand the difference between different filler words. Feels much clearer now. Gracias!

  • @ozlemaykac1135
    @ozlemaykac1135 Жыл бұрын

    Perfecto.👍👍👍👍👍

  • @washbrook87
    @washbrook87 Жыл бұрын

    Excellente video mi amigo. Estoy aprendiendo mucho contigo. Gracias

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    ¡Me alegro! 😊

  • @thomasbayer2832
    @thomasbayer28324 ай бұрын

    Actually learning filler words 🤪 Next video: How to avoid filler words.

  • @maneelapuri9780
    @maneelapuri9780 Жыл бұрын

    You explain so well… ya….😽 Adding intensity to what I am complimenting 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻u r the best🙌

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the kind words Maneela! 😊

  • @seren48725
    @seren48725 Жыл бұрын

    Besides Spanish, you could teach us the Aussie accent. XD A new subscriber here! Uso "pues" en muchas ocasiones xD

  • @cas8898
    @cas8898 Жыл бұрын

    Hi Andrew, I've been learning a lot from your videos and I just wanted to thank you for all your content. Will you be explaining the subjunctive in a video too? I've got some troubles with it and I'm sure that I'm not the only one ;)

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Hi Flash, maybe. I might cover the subjunctive in a future video but we have two courses that have about 18 weeks of curriculum that cover the subjunctive which is difficult to squeeze into a KZread video or a series of videos.

  • @lukas_wp
    @lukas_wp Жыл бұрын

    Learning here in Chile, and a Chilean phrase similar to "sabes" is "cachai?"... used as something between "you know?" and "you feel me?" in english. I think also a sure way to identify a chilean abroad...

  • @gingeworkshop
    @gingeworkshop Жыл бұрын

    I'm not to this level quite yet, but I'll keep this in mind :)

  • @StanislawSliwka
    @StanislawSliwka Жыл бұрын

    Pues...Andrew, es que las cosas son como son...o sea... las muletillas son guay....Saludos, ¡Venga! Stanis. 😎

  • @zeppelinmexicano
    @zeppelinmexicano Жыл бұрын

    Eeemmm, bien hecho, hombre.

  • @ioannastekiapantou
    @ioannastekiapantou Жыл бұрын

    If i have a shop on ss and i want to close the shop can i have an xml with my products?

  • @oliaguilar1
    @oliaguilar1 Жыл бұрын

    I think your explanations are great! I'm a Spanish tutor here in the UK, and this helps a lot, thank you! Just one tiny comment. When you used 'de joven se pierde mucho 'del' tiempo, we just say: de joven se pierde mucho el tiempo. And in the other example of 'Ya': "Ya, es mala suerte", they're actually saying:: "that's right (I agree) es mala suerte. But you're completely right, the uses of 'ya' are almost infinite. Just yesterday when I was leaving one of my pupil's house, I said "ya me voy", he looked at me and I explained: it's like saying, I'm going already... hope I did it right. Cheers to you for being a great teacher!!

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for sharing 😊

  • @samu272

    @samu272

    Жыл бұрын

    Actually, both meanings of "ya es mala suerte" are possible options, depends on the context. But I'm a native speaker and the meaning is more likely to be as the video's guy said because of the speed with which the man is saying it.

  • @ellenrosen1
    @ellenrosen1 Жыл бұрын

    Another one I hear a lot in Mexico ... "este ...

  • @matthmattical
    @matthmattical9 ай бұрын

    I wish the cut scenes had the title of the show so I can start watching 😋

  • @kengillett8892
    @kengillett8892 Жыл бұрын

    A common filler word in Montevideo is "Ta." I hear it in conversation, often repeated, "Ta, ta." There is chain of retail outlets offering groceries and household goods named "Ta-Ta." My amateur translation is "Okay."

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    Hello, I'm from Mexico and I had a Uruguayan friend who kept saying that "ta" all the time during conversations, and although I never asked her what she meant, I noticed that she said it in a situation where you (English speakers) would say "whatever", meaning that you don't care much about something.However, your translation, or interpretation may not be wrong, since this kind of "filler words" have different shades of meaning very often.For us, Spanish speakers, it's not hard to undersatand or at least to have an idea of phrases other Spanish speakers from other countries say, maybe because we quickly spot a pattern in the context where they say them. Sorry, I didn't find the best way to translate my idea from Spanish to English in a clearer way.I'm in that stage where it's easier for me to understand spoken and written English than to write or pronounce it haha.

  • @strangestofplaces

    @strangestofplaces

    Жыл бұрын

    @@gerlautamr.656 Usted explanacion es muy bien! Perdon, no se como escribir los acentos en la computadora.

  • @jeffsartadventure3634
    @jeffsartadventure3634 Жыл бұрын

    Just got back from another diving trip to Mexico, la Isla de Cozumel to be precise. One night I went out drinking with my cab driver buddies,which was absolutely hilarious! We went to a locals cantina deep in the neighborhood, ate fresh Mahi ceviche,and drank a truckload of chelas. A word they use constantly is "verga!",a diverse and ubiquitous word you wouldn't say around your grandparents 😆😇. For example: "Verga,wey!Aun tengo que trabajar mañana, vergaaaaa...." 😂👍

  • @davidcattin7006
    @davidcattin70062 ай бұрын

    Muletillas! :o)

  • @unknownquantity4440
    @unknownquantity4440 Жыл бұрын

    Other filler words? Not so much at the beginning of a thought, but how about canned responses to acknowledgement what someone else just said or is thinking, beyond the simple 'sí'? For example, 'claro', 'eso', 'en serio', 'verdad', etc.

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Great examples, thanks for sharing! 😊

  • @ellenrosen1
    @ellenrosen1 Жыл бұрын

    Hola Andrew. In Mexico I hear a lot of "bueno pues ... " Very useful video!

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    Así es, en México usamos esa frase con bastante frecuencia.

  • @marioenriquehernandezrodri7731
    @marioenriquehernandezrodri7731 Жыл бұрын

    Hello there! Are you Australian? I speak Spanish and I want to learn English.

  • @VeggieTart
    @VeggieTart Жыл бұрын

    Years ago, when I was a kid, my sister and I had an Argentine friend. And sometimes she would talk to her mom on the phone in Spanish while at her place. I remember one conversation where she's trying to get off the phone, and she keeps saying, "Ciao...ciao....ciao..." I know, not Spanish but maybe it's a loan word from Italian that some Hispanic cultures use?

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    Argentinians and Uruguayans use that word quite often.A large percentage of the population of these two countries has Italian ancestry, so that might be the reason.However, that word is also used (less frequently) in other parts of Latin America.Even in Mexico (my country), it's not rare to hear it, mainly from young people though.

  • @VeggieTart

    @VeggieTart

    Жыл бұрын

    @@gerlautamr.656 Thanks. I'm pretty sure this was at least 35, 40 years ago, so she's no longer young.

  • @pdouglas3866

    @pdouglas3866

    Жыл бұрын

    @@gerlautamr.656 Ciao was widely used among young people in Peru and Bolivia when I was there 45 years ago.

  • @macalloway1
    @macalloway1 Жыл бұрын

    Somebody please correct me because I do a lot of schedule when speaking spanish and my understanding is that "estar" is meant for places,locations/ qualities of a temporal nature and "por" is the equivalent of "by/for"things related to time . The speaker in the video says " Va a SER imposible terminar PARA el viernes " but should he say "va a ESTAR imposible terminar POR viernes." I not trying to be a "no it all". I just want to know it all.

  • @TheMaru666

    @TheMaru666

    Жыл бұрын

    I can' t tell you why , but when something is not possible at all we use " es imposible " , when something is very hard , difficult or bothersome but it might or might not change ,we might use " está imposible " being the last more of an idiom : If I have 10 € and it is the 10th of the month " Es imposible llegar a fin de mes " = It is not possible to make ends meet If I am on a tight budget and I have a lot of expenses and inflation goes wild and it is hard to make ends meet :" Está imposible llegar a fin de mes " = " It is very hard and I struggle to meet ends meet because everything is expesive "

  • @CASPTHEGHOST
    @CASPTHEGHOST Жыл бұрын

    Errr let me think.

  • @rogerwallach214
    @rogerwallach2142 ай бұрын

    How about "ete."?

  • @hannofranz7973
    @hannofranz7973 Жыл бұрын

    Las palabras de relleno me convencen más que el em. Creo que es mejor que un em, eh, äh, um te salga de modo natural en lugar de esforzadamente traducido. Dilo como en tu idioma y lo hace más natural. En total, nadie te pide transformarte en un español. Soy muy partidario del uso de palabras de relleno, siempre que no se convierten en un automatismo por su uso excesivo. Las palabras de relleno son un poco como la sal en la sopa. Hay de tomarla con precaución.

  • @samu272

    @samu272

    Жыл бұрын

    Sí, la verdad que tienes razón. A pesar de eso, uno siempre quiere sonar lo más parecido posible a la persona nativa del idioma que estás aprendiendo... e inevitablemente hay momentos entre frases que uno ocupa el "em" y que no es para dar espacio para pensar, uno lo ocupa solo para rellenar la frase o para que no suene tan fría. De todos modos, si yo escucho a un spanish learner decir "em" en lugar de "um" me quedaré con la imagen de que tiene un mejor español. Aunque en verdad los nativos también decimos "um" a veces, el hecho de que alguien que está aprendiendo el idioma diga "em" demuestra un mayor dominio del idioma.

  • @spicegoblin_
    @spicegoblin_ Жыл бұрын

    At my job, for leaving or saying good buy They’d say “tiene venga bien día” Venga i see it as simialr fine and well So if anyone want to formally have a nice day they could say “venga bien”

  • @unknownquantity4440

    @unknownquantity4440

    Жыл бұрын

    Interesting. Where's that (country/city/area)? And it's 'bien día', not "buen día'?

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Nice, thanks for sharing 🙏

  • @spicegoblin_

    @spicegoblin_

    Жыл бұрын

    both are correct, the area I live in is a very Cuban/PR-influenced type of Spanish. When I think about it, "Bein dia" and "Bon Dia" are similar. " Bon dia" is what Catalan speakers say, Catalan is a language spoken on the east side of Spain are called Catalunya. There might be no correlation but nice to think about.

  • @spicegoblin_

    @spicegoblin_

    Жыл бұрын

    Alright correction, I did grow up around Spanish speakers at home and at my job but I confused some of the words , they say “tenga bein día” As in Tenga as a mood conjugation of Tener, it is said as a polite command Like “I kindly order you to have a nice day”

  • @xdman2956
    @xdman2956 Жыл бұрын

    list for future me emmm... eeeh... pues, tienes razon bueno, suena bien o sea es decir a ver entonces asi que (bueno,) es que sabes? ya es mala suerte, eh? mira! oye! venge vale vale vale venga. venga venga. vale xd

  • @steinbrugge
    @steinbrugge Жыл бұрын

    Debe decir: " de joven, se pierde mucho el tiempo". DEL tiempo no es correcto. It means that when you are young, you waste your time.

  • @user-pn3fb9eo5i
    @user-pn3fb9eo5i Жыл бұрын

    Pueees... , or if you are in Andalucía, pueeeee....

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    😂 Yes, very true!

  • @HoustonCanuck
    @HoustonCanuck Жыл бұрын

    My mexican wife uses "este..." quite a bit as a filler word. Kind of like "Um..."

  • @allenellsworth5799
    @allenellsworth5799 Жыл бұрын

    Might just be some people I know but I hear "este" a lot

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    "Este..." is sooo common in Mexico, my country :)

  • @JustMe-to8te
    @JustMe-to8te Жыл бұрын

    I’m a Spanish native speaker and I’ve never heard the expression: Ya es mala suerte. The word a is unnecessary. Keep things simple.

  • @FlowingYouTubeJuices
    @FlowingYouTubeJuices Жыл бұрын

    fun fact: mierda is not an appropriate filler word...ooops who knew?

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    😂

  • @bry6080
    @bry6080 Жыл бұрын

    I've never understood the Spanish "one must" thing. Do Australians say one must? Americans don't say this. We don't say one must, one should, etc.

  • @JohnOnChans
    @JohnOnChans Жыл бұрын

    Isn't Asi so?

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Hola John, yes, "así" can mean "so", it can also mean "like this" or "like that" or "that way". Think about the example that I used in this video: "I mean, Chris is crazy and I love him that way and that's it" - "O sea, Chris está loco y así lo amo y ya." Here "así" translates to "that way" (Así lo amo -> I love him that way).

  • @JohnOnChans

    @JohnOnChans

    Жыл бұрын

    @@realfastspanish Muchas Gracias

  • @mmmmkay4773
    @mmmmkay4773 Жыл бұрын

    It irks me when people use "uhm" in English and Spanish lol

  • @victorianichols2
    @victorianichols2 Жыл бұрын

    Real Spanish?

  • @antoinedoge8025
    @antoinedoge8025 Жыл бұрын

    Your knowledge of Spanish is very high, but I feel like your English accent is very strong. Are you trying to get rid of it? I'm not a native Spanish speaker and I can see immediately that you are not a native Spanish speaker either.

  • @gerlautamr.656

    @gerlautamr.656

    Жыл бұрын

    The same thing happens to me.I'm a native Spanish speaker who can understand almost an entire conversation in English (I'd say about 90-95 %), and I also know the English grammar a lot, however, I need to work so much more on improving my accent when speaking English.

  • @realfastspanish

    @realfastspanish

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the feedback Antoine. I'll assume that you are referring to my accent when I'm speaking Spanish? In general, my pronunciation of Spanish words is quite good. But, if I've made a mistake with Spanish pronunciation somewhere, please let me know, I would be happy to work on it!