July 28, 2023 by J.A. García Spanish Vocabulary 0 comments

Spanish for Construction Workers: Conversation Practice

Learning Spanish for construction workers is one of the best decisions you can make for your business.

Being able to start a conversation in Spanish with your clients, workers, builders, and other professionals will give your day-to-day an important boost.

There are words related to construction that are easy to identify in English, but if you know them in Spanish, they can help you interact with your colleagues.

Stay with us and learn construction terminology!

Join 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial Spanish class today. ➡️

Importance of Spanish Language in the Construction Industry

We know that learning a second language brings many benefits to our lives.

But in this case, knowing Spanish can give you an essential advantage in the construction industry since it increases your value as an entrepreneur.

A study by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages shows that language skills are highly required in the industry and will increase over the years.

The survey found that the construction industry has the most significant gap in foreign language skills among its workers.

According to the study, this language gap can prevent owners or employers from growing their business or even losing it entirely.

Another important point to highlight is that Spanish is the language most sought after by employers when hiring new staff.

This also makes finding Spanish-speaking workers difficult since the demand throughout the United States is 85% of companies in the search.

It’s crucial to consider that Spanish-speaking people have played an important role in the growth of the United States during the last decade.

According to the Pew Research Center, the population of the United States grew by 23 million between 2010 and 2021. Hispanics accounted for 52% of that increase, far more than any other ethnic group.

In 2021, the Hispanic population reached approximately 62 million people, which means that more and more workers who speak Spanish are available.

Appreciating the culture of Latin American countries and Spain will make your Spanish-speaking colleagues and clients want to do business organically by feeling accepted.

You will create more lasting relationships with your buyers, suppliers, and even partners who speak Spanish or come from a Latino background.

And finally, speaking Spanish in the construction industry can increase your business’s sales because there are more and more Hispanic-owned businesses.

The Joint Economic Committee Hispanic Entrepreneurship and Business Brief indicates that more than 300,000 Hispanic-owned employer businesses locate across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

These businesses contribute to the United States more than $800 billion annually to the country’s economy.

Essential Construction Vocabulary in Spanish

This article aims to provide you with lots of possible words, sentences, phrases, and examples in Spanish for you to learn and use in your work.

Do you know what paneles de yeso means? It’s drywall in Spanish.

Get ready to learn how to say construction in Spanish, building in Spanish, and many others!

Let’s start with a basic vocabulary of construction terms, such as tools, materials, equipment, etc.

Spanish	English
La broca	Drill bit
Las llaves	Wrenches
Las llaves exagonales	Hex keys
El escariador	Reamer
La tenaza	Plier
El cincél	Chisel
El cortador de baldosas de cerámica	Ceramic tile cutter
La lijadora de banda	Belt sander
La sierra fría	Cold saw
El disco de diamante	Diamond blade
La lijadora de disco	Disc sander
El taladro	Drill
La herramienta múltiple	Multi-tool
La sierra de calar	Scrollsaw
La sierra de mesa	Table saw
El martillo	Hammer
Las limas	Files
El destornillador	Screwdriver
La prensa	Vice
La abrazadera	Clamp
El alicate	Pliers
La sierra/El serrucho	Handsaw
El taladro manual	Hand Drill
El metro	Tape measure
La regla	Ruler
Los clavos	Nails
Los tornillos	Screws
Los caminoes	Trucks
El mezclador de cemento	Cement mixer
El martillo hidráulico	Jackhammer
El harnés	Harness
Las herramientas de aire	Air tools
El compresor de aire	Air compressors
La paleta de yeso	Plastering trowel
La caja de herramientas	Toolbox
El rodillo	Paint roller
El desarmador eléctrico	Electric screwdriver

Here are also some building material terms commonly used on construction sites.

Spanish	English
La construcción	Construction
El alambre	Binding wire
El asfalto	Bitumen
El edificio	Building
El agregado de construcción	Aggregate
Los blocks	Blocks
Los ladrillos	Bricks
La arcilla	Clay
El cemento	Cement
El concreto	Concrete
La fibra de vidrio	Fiberglass
La espuma de construcción	Foam
El vidrio	Glass
La mampostería	Masonry
El metal	Metal
El plástico	Plastic
El acero de refuerzo	Reinforcement steel
La arena	Sand
La piedra	Stone
El acero estructural	Structural steel
La madera	Timber

We recommend: The Most Comprehensive List of Tools in Spanish

Spanish Expressions and Phrases to Use on Construction Site

We have compiled a series of phrases or expressions that can be useful when working on construction, remodeling, landscaping, making furniture, etc.

We have separated them into three large groups so that you can learn little by little and thus be able to communicate better with your Spanish-speaking workers.

Let us begin!

Basic Greetings and Introductions

Hola, mi nombre es Phillipe Adams.

Hello, my name is Phillipe Adams.

Buenos días/Buenas tardes, soy Phillipe, gerente de Bricks Company.

Good morning/Good afternoon; I’m Phillipe, the manager at Bricks Company.

Buenos días/Buenas tardes, Carlos, quiero que conozca a Mr. Trevor, al director de obra.

Good morning/Good afternoon, Carlos, I want you to meet Mr. Trevor, the construction manager.

¡Bienvenidos a Bricks Company! Mi nombre es Valeria y soy la ingeniera estructural de esta construcción.

Welcome to Bricks Company! My name is Valeria and I am the structural engineer in charge of this construction.

Hola Carlos, creo que no nos hemos conocido. Soy Noah, el supervisor mecánico de maquinaria pesada. Cualquier solicitud que tengas no dudes en consultarme.

Hi Carlos, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Noah, the heavy machinery mechanical supervisor. Any request you have do not hesitate to contact me.

Safety-Related Phrases and Instructions

Ten cuidado con el serrucho, por favor.

Be careful with the handsaw, please.

¡Atención! Riesgo de explosión por choque, fricción, fuego u otras fuentes de ignición.

Attention! Risk of explosion by shock, friction, fire, or other ignition sources.

Puede provocar un incendio.

It may cause a fire.

Cuando use esta maquinaria, no fume, coma ni beba.

When using this machinery, do not smoke, eat or drink.

Utilice indumentaria adecuada, guantes y protección para los ojos y cara.

Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves, and eye/face protection

En caso de accidente o si no se siente bien, busque atención médica de inmediato.

In case of an accident or if you feel unwell, seek medical advice immediately

Recuerde usar su equipo de protección personal en todo momento.

Remember to wear your personal protective equipment at all times.

No comience su trabajo sin una inducción. Pídale al administrador de su sitio que le explique todos los detalles.

Do not start your work before an introduction. Ask your site manager to explain all the details.

Los sitios de construcción son lugares peligrosos para trabajar. Esté atento a cada movimiento que realice en las instalaciones.

Construction sites are dangerous. Please stay aware of every movement you make on the premises.

Dialogue Examples and Role-Playing Scenarios

Conversation #1

Buenos días Carlos, ¿está listo para iniciar la construcción de la casa?

Good morning Carlos. Are you ready to start building the house?

Sí ingeniero, pero primero debemos conseguir las herramientas necesarias para iniciar la construcción.

Yes, sir, but first, we must get the necessary tools to start the construction.

Hablaré con Naomi, nuestra Jefa de Costos para que nos diga qué presupuesto tenemos disponible.

I’ll talk to Naomi, our Cost Manager, to tell us what budget we have available.

Conversation #2

Buenos días a todos. Les daré instrucciones para el trabajo de hoy.

Hello, everyone. I will give you instructions for today’s work.

Todos los soldadores estarán en el edificio D terminando de unir las vigas pendientes.

All welders will be in the D building finishing welding the last beams.

Los carpinteros se encargarán de tomar las medidas de los muebles de la cocina para entregarlas en dos meses.

The carpenters will take the measurements of the kitchen furniture to deliver them in two months.

Los albañiles seguirán con la construcción de paredes internas del edificio A.

And all the construction workers will continue with the construction of the internal walls of building A.

Conversation #3

Hola Pedro, veo que estás utilizando el destornillador manual para quitar los tornillos del mueble.

Hello Pedro, I see that you’re using the manual screwdriver to remove the screws from the furniture.

Sí señor, es lo que encontré en la caja de herramientas.

Yes, sir, it’s the one I found in the toolbox.

Está bien, pero usar el desatornillador electrónico facilitará tu trabajo y lo harás más rápido. Le diré a Roberto que te enseñe cómo usarlo.

It’s okay, but using the electronic screwdriver will make your job easier, and you’ll get it done faster. I’ll tell Roberto to show you how to use it.

Conversation #4

Buenos días, soy Christian Mullins, ¿cómo puedo ayudarlo?

Good morning, I’m Christian Mullins. How can I help you?

Hola Chris, soy Mario Sánchez, y deseo construir una casa para mi familia.

Hi Chris, I’m Mario Sánchez, and I want to build a house for my family.

Perfecto Mario, ¿tiene los planos de la casa para trabajar en un presupuesto?

Perfect, Mario. Do you have the house plans to work on a budget?

Sí, acá los tiene. Deseo que sea construida con ladrillos para que tenga un toque sencillo.

Yes, here they are. I want it to be built with bricks to have a simple touch.

Muy bien. Por favor anote sus datos en este formulario y uno de nuestros asesores se comunicará para darle seguimiento a su solicitud.

Very good. Please write down your information on this form, and one of our advisors will contact you to follow up on your request.

You should read: 18 Meanings of ‘Cuenta’ in Common Spanish Idioms

Improve Pronunciation and Fluency Outside of Work Hours

Once you can handle the vocabulary and recurring phrases used on the construction site, it’s time to improve your pronunciation and fluency.

Because it’s a new vocabulary that you may not use much despite being your daily job, it’s vital that you practice your Spanish language skills as much as possible.

One way to do it is by looking for friends who speak Spanish to go out to the movies, a concert, or to eat at a new restaurant at night.

These people will be able to help you correct your pronunciation and take you to places where more people speak Spanish so that you have more contact with the language.

At work, we suggest you start practicing with your closest colleagues, the rest of the workers, and when you have more confidence, with your clients.

Then encourage everyone in the company to learn Spanish to break the language gap as soon as possible.

International Labour Organization | © Flickr

Learn Spanish and Communicate With Your Construction Workers

The more you speak Spanish, the easier it will be for you to handle it like a pro!

It’s crucial that you practice this vocabulary that we have taught you today constantly and keep researching to find new words to add.

It’s important to be persistent and work on your Spanish, and not give up if, at first, your colleagues do not understand you.

Contact language professionals to increase your Spanish knowledge and manage your conversations at work.

Homeschool Spanish Academy offers native, authentic Spanish instruction with teachers from Guatemala.

Our flexible scheduling and student-tailored programs will help you achieve your learner-specific language goals.

Our online Spanish school excels in real human connection. That’s why parents voted us the “Best Overall Online Spanish Classes for Kids.”

We know how to make our students happy!

Learning a new language is an exciting process. Enjoy it!

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies? Check these out!

Author
Recent Posts

J.A. García

Freelance Writer at Homeschool Spanish Academy

I am a Guatemalan bilingual fiction writer, translator, and journalist. In my spare time I like to read, play video games, and do sports. I’m a fan of historical fiction, family sagas, and graphic novels. I’m left-handed, a failed drummer, an amateur goalkeeper, and I drive a 1988 Subaru J10.