4 Conversation Topics Spanish Natives Love to Talk About (With Examples)

You’re about to discover the 4 Best Conversation Topics Spanish Natives love to talk about!

So, if you want to practice your Spanish with native speakers, but you’re not sure about what it takes to keep your Latino/a conversation partner interested, just pick a topic from this list, and I, teacher Juan from Spring Spanish, promise you’ll get all the Spanish conversation practice you need! 

I’ll also reveal some topics you should avoid unless you’re very close to your conversation partner, so you don’t end up on a tight spot. Want to know what these topics are? then:

¡Acompáñenme!

1. El clima (The Weather)

Great topic both for beginners and to start a casual conversation. Actually, this is a really practical conversation topic for you because you probably want to ask a few questions about what sort of weather you can expect for the day in your new Latin American location! That will help you know if you need to use protector solar o un paraguas (sunscreen or an umbrella).

Questions to talk about the weather

PERSON 1
¿Cómo está el clima hoy?
(How’s the weather today?)

PERSON 2
Hace mucho calor.
(It’s very hot.)

PERSON 1
Entonces, ¿debería salir con un abrigo, paraguas y una gorra hoy?
(Should I go out with a coat, umbrella and hat today?)

PERSON 2
Sí, me parece buena idea.
(Yes, that’s a good idea.) 

2. Deportes (Sports)

Latinos love to talk about sports. For most of Latin America, this means knowing your facts about soccer, but there are some Caribbean countries, like República Dominicana or Venezuela, where béisbol (baseball) is more popular. 

Be aware that this can be a very important topic for some of us, sometimes even more than politics or religion. So, be careful and try to read the room unless you want to end up con un pelotazo en la cabeza (with a ball hit in the head).

PERSON 1
¿Qué te pareció el partido de hoy?
(What did you think about today’s match?)

PERSON 2
¡Muy bien! ¡Mi equipo jugó como nunca!
(Very good! My team played very well!)

PERSON 1
¿Cuál es tu equipo favorito?
(What’s your favorite team?)

PERSON 2
¡Mi equipo favorito es La Vinotinto!
(My favorite team is La Vinotinto!)

PERSON 1
¿Cómo le va a tu equipo esta temporada?
(How’s your team doing this season?)

PERSON 2
¡Ah, sí! ¡Qué bueno que preguntas! A la vinotinto le va muy bien, En el medio, Junior Moreno es el 5 posicional y Yangel Herrera y Tomás Rincón actúan como interiores. Adelante, dos extremos que en esta Copa han alternado entre varios jugadores se perfilan Murillo y Machís como titulares y Salomón Rondón, el referente, bien de punta. El equipo modifica su esquema a la hora de defender y se convierte en un 4-1-4-1, dejando a Rondón adelantado y con el retroceso de los extremos para armar una línea de cuatro con los interiores…

3. Lugares para visitar (Places to visit)

This topic is a great way to learn about the local environment, interesting locations, and nice tips from the locals on things to do or places to go to while practicing your conversational skills.¡Dos pájaros de un tiro! (Two birds with one stone!) 

Let’s see some questions you can ask:

PERSON 1
¿Qué lugares interesantes hay cerca para visitar?
(What interesting places are around to visit?)

PERSON 2
Por acá cerca puedes tomar un bondi y llegar a los Bosques de Palermo.
(Nearby you can catch a bus and go to the Palermo Forests.)

PERSON 1
¿Cuáles son las partes más lindas de esta ciudad?
(What are the nicest parts of this city?)

PERSON 2
Hay varios lugares: el Congreso, La Casa Rosada y la Costanera. Vale la pena visitarlos. (There are several places. The Congress, The Pink House and La Costanera are worth the visit.)

PERSON 1
¿Qué me recomiendas visitar mientras estoy aquí?
(What do you suggest I visit while I’m here?)

PERSON 2
Te recomiendo visitar el Barrio Chino: hay tiendas muy exóticas y muy buenos restaurantes.
(I suggest visiting the China Town: there are some exotic stores and very good restaurants.) 

4. Planes para el fin de semana (Weekend plans)

So, the week is over, you checked out of your office ¡y se viene el finde, papá! (and the weekend is coming, dude!) This means fun, relaxing or resting plans, so it’s a topic you can always talk about or even propose a plan and get to practice some of the following chunks: 

PERSON 1
¿Tienes planes para el fin de semana?
(Do you have plans for the weekend?)

PERSON 2
Este finde quiero ir a la playa.
(This weekend I want to go to the beach.)

PERSON 1
¿Te gustaría salir en bici conmigo este finde?
(Would you like to go biking with me this weekend?)

PERSON 2
¡Me encantaría!
(I would love to!)

Bonus tip: Conversation Topics Spanish natives avoid

As in other languages and cultures, there are some topics you’re better avoiding until you really know about them and your Spanish is good enough that there’s no room for misunderstanding because panita, los latinos podemos ser bien complicados (pal, we Latinos can be very complicated) when it comes to arguments or heated discussions.

So, you’ll thank me the most for this one: 

• ¿Podríamos cambiar el tema, por favor? (Could we change the subject, please?)

Even though Latinos are mostly friendly and open, since Christopher Columbus arrived, we’ve had our share of tragedy, loss, failed revolutions and international conflicts here in Latin America. So, in general, we’re easily offended by some political, cultural and religious takes or opinions from foreigners. 

Here are some life-saving chunks you can use to get out of such a conversation if things go south:

• No me gusta hablar de política (I don’t like to talk about politics)
• No sé mucho de religión, así que no podría opinar (I don’t know much about religion, so I couldn’t say)

Respeto tu postura, pero no quiero hablar del tema (I respect your stand, but I don’t want to talk about the topic)