How to Ask for Local Recommendations in Spanish: "¿Qué me recomienda ver?"
Learn to ask Spanish speakers what they recommend seeing and understand their suggestions, using polite Latin American Spanish phrases for real conversations.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you want ideas about what to see, eat, or visit, you need a different set of Spanish phrases than when you ask for directions. Asking for directions gets you from point A to point B; asking for recommendations invites an opinion. In this lesson you will learn the core question "¿Qué me recomienda ver?" (What do you recommend I see?), how to adjust it for different people and places, and how to understand the answers you receive. All examples use broadly useful Latin American Spanish, with regional notes where usage changes.
By the end, you can…
- ask a Spanish speaker what they recommend seeing, eating, or visiting.
- understand common recommendation answers such as "Te recomiendo..." and "No te pierdas...".
- respond politely to a suggestion and ask a simple follow-up question.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Qué me recomienda ver?
What do you recommend I see?
keh meh reh-koh-MYEN-dah behr
Polite and formal, using usted. Use it with strangers, hotel staff, or people older than you. In Spain you would normally say "¿Qué me recomienda usted ver?" or simply "¿Qué me recomienda ver?" with the same meaning.
¿Qué me recomiendas?
What do you recommend?
keh meh reh-koh-MYEN-dahs
Informal, using tú. Use it with friends, young people, or people who have already used tú with you. It can refer to anything: food, places, activities.
¿Qué lugares me recomienda?
What places do you recommend?
keh loo-GAH-rehs meh reh-koh-MYEN-dah
Adds "lugares" (places) to make the question more specific. Useful when you want locations rather than general advice.
Te recomiendo el centro histórico.
I recommend the historic center.
teh reh-koh-MYEN-doh el SEN-troh ees-TOH-ree-koh
A typical answer. "Te recomiendo" is informal. If someone uses usted with you, they may answer "Le recomiendo el centro histórico."
No te pierdas el mercado.
Don't miss the market.
noh teh PYEHR-dahs el mer-KAH-doh
A friendly, common way to give a strong suggestion. It literally means "don't lose yourself," but it works like "don't miss it." In formal speech you may hear "No se pierda el mercado." Note that "perderse" here means "to miss out on" something, not to get physically lost.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is "¿Qué me recomienda...?" plus an infinitive or a noun. With an infinitive, you ask about an action: "¿Qué me recomienda ver?" (What do you recommend I see?), "¿Qué me recomienda comer?" (What do you recommend I eat?), "¿Qué me recomienda visitar?" (What do you recommend I visit?). With a noun, you ask about a thing: "¿Qué lugares me recomienda?" or "¿Qué restaurantes me recomienda?" Notice that the verb "recomendar" changes its stem in the present tense: recomiendo, recomiendas, recomienda, recomendamos, recomiendan. The pronoun "me" stays before the verb.
When to use it
Use the usted form "¿Qué me recomienda?" with people you do not know, service workers, and anyone you want to treat politely. Use the tú form "¿Qué me recomiendas?" with friends, peers, and people who speak informally to you. If you are not sure, start with usted; the other person may invite you to use tú. For a group, say "¿Qué me recomiendan?" (What do you all recommend?). To ask about a specific category, add a noun or a prepositional phrase: "¿Qué me recomienda para cenar?" (What do you recommend for dinner?).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenas tardes. ¿Qué me recomienda ver en la ciudad?
Good afternoon. What do you recommend I see in the city?BWEH-nahs TAHR-dehs. keh meh reh-koh-MYEN-dah behr en lah see-oo-DAHDLe recomiendo el centro histórico y el mercado central.
I recommend the historic center and the central market.leh reh-koh-MYEN-doh el SEN-troh ees-TOH-ree-koh ee el mer-KAH-doh sen-TRAHLGracias. ¿Y qué me recomienda para comer?
Thank you. And what do you recommend for eating?GRAH-see-ahs. ee keh meh reh-koh-MYEN-dah PAH-rah koh-MEHRNo se pierda los tamales del mercado. Son muy típicos.
Don't miss the tamales at the market. They are very typical.noh seh PYEHR-dah lohs tah-MAH-lehs del mer-KAH-doh. sohn mwee TEE-pee-kohsA little context goes a long way
In much of Latin America, asking for recommendations is a normal, friendly way to start a conversation, and people often answer with personal favorites rather than official tourist lists. Politeness matters: use usted with strangers and tú with friends. In many regions, especially Mexico and Central America, "¿Qué me recomienda?" is common with taxi drivers, hotel staff, and market vendors. In Argentina and Uruguay, you may hear "¿Qué me recomendás?" using vos instead of tú. In Spain, "¿Qué me recomienda usted?" is standard and very polite.
One thing to watch for
Using "¿Qué me recomiendas?" with a stranger or someone older, because it sounds friendly.
Try this instead: Use the usted form with strangers and people older than you: "¿Qué me recomienda ver?" If you want to be informal, wait until the other person uses tú or vos with you. For example, a hotel receptionist may say "¿En qué le puedo ayudar?" using usted, so answer with "¿Qué me recomienda?" not "¿Qué me recomiendas?"
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are talking to a hotel receptionist you just met. Ask what they recommend you see.
Show a sample answer
¿Qué me recomienda ver?
This uses the polite usted form and the infinitive "ver." It is appropriate for a stranger. A valid alternative is "¿Qué lugares me recomienda?" if you want places rather than actions.
2A friend asks "¿Qué me recomiendas?" and you want to suggest the historic center. Answer in Spanish.
Show a sample answer
Te recomiendo el centro histórico.
"Te recomiendo" matches the informal tú form your friend used. You could also say "No te pierdas el centro histórico" for a stronger suggestion.
3What does "No te pierdas el mercado" mean, and when would you say it?
Show a sample answer
It means "Don't miss the market." You say it to give a strong, friendly recommendation, usually with tú.
The phrase literally says "don't lose yourself," but it functions as "don't miss it." With usted, the correct form is "No se pierda el mercado."
To ask for recommendations in Spanish, use "¿Qué me recomienda...?" with strangers and "¿Qué me recomiendas?" with friends, then add an infinitive like ver, comer, or visitar. Listen for answers with "Le/Te recomiendo..." and "No te pierdas..." to understand what people suggest.
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