Make plans in Spanish
Learn to invite someone in Latin American Spanish, suggest a time, accept or politely decline, and agree on a plan with clear examples and a dialogue.
By PookieFriends & plans · Yapr Learn
In this lesson, you will learn how to invite someone to do something in broadly useful Latin American Spanish, suggest a specific time, accept or politely decline, and then confirm the final plan. You will practice key phrases such as ¿Te gustaría...?, ¿Qué tal si...?, Me encantaría, and Lo siento, no puedo. The focus is on polite, natural conversation for everyday situations like coffee, dinner, or a movie. By the end, you will be able to handle a complete invitation exchange from start to finish.
By the end, you can…
- invite someone to an activity using ¿Te gustaría...? or ¿Quieres...?
- suggest a specific time using ¿Qué tal si...? or ¿A las...?
- accept an invitation politely with Me encantaría or Sí, me gustaría.
- politely decline and offer an alternative using Lo siento, no puedo and ¿Qué tal...?
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Te gustaría...?
Would you like...?
teh goos-tah-REE-ah
Polite way to invite someone. Use with a verb in the infinitive: ¿Te gustaría ir? (Would you like to go?)
¿Qué tal si...?
How about if...? / What if...?
keh tahl see
Used to suggest a plan or time. Follow with a verb in the present tense: ¿Qué tal si vamos? (How about we go?)
Me encantaría.
I would love to.
meh ehn-kahn-tah-REE-ah
Warm, enthusiastic acceptance. Common in Latin America and Spain.
Lo siento, no puedo.
I'm sorry, I can't.
loh SYEHN-toh noh PWEH-doh
Polite decline. Add a reason or alternative to soften it: Lo siento, no puedo, tengo trabajo.
¿A qué hora?
At what time?
ah keh OH-rah
Ask for a specific time after accepting or when you need details.
Nos vemos a las...
See you at...
nohs VEH-mohs ah lahs
Confirm the final plan. Use with a time: Nos vemos a las siete. (See you at seven.)
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To invite someone, use ¿Te gustaría + infinitive? or ¿Quieres + infinitive? For example: ¿Te gustaría tomar un café? (Would you like to have a coffee?) and ¿Quieres ir al cine? (Do you want to go to the movies?). To suggest a time, use ¿Qué tal si + present tense? For example: ¿Qué tal si nos vemos a las seis? (How about we meet at six?). To accept, say Me encantaría or Sí, me gustaría. To decline politely, say Lo siento, no puedo and then offer an alternative: ¿Qué tal si vamos otro día? (How about we go another day?).
When to use it
Use these phrases in everyday social situations: inviting a friend to dinner, suggesting a movie time, or making plans with a coworker. In Latin America, ¿Te gustaría...? is polite and common. ¿Quieres...? is a bit more direct but still friendly. When declining, always soften with Lo siento and, if possible, suggest another time. For example: Lo siento, no puedo el viernes. ¿Qué tal el sábado? (I'm sorry, I can't on Friday. How about Saturday?). This keeps the conversation positive and shows you still want to meet.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Te gustaría ir a tomar un café conmigo?
Would you like to go have a coffee with me?teh goos-tah-REE-ah eer ah toh-MAR oon kah-FEH kohn-MEE-gohMe encantaría. ¿A qué hora?
I would love to. At what time?meh ehn-kahn-tah-REE-ah ah keh OH-rah¿Qué tal si nos vemos a las cinco?
How about we meet at five?keh tahl see nohs VEH-mohs ah lahs SEEN-kohLo siento, no puedo a las cinco. Tengo una reunión.
I'm sorry, I can't at five. I have a meeting.loh SYEHN-toh noh PWEH-doh ah lahs SEEN-koh TEHN-goh OO-nah reh-oo-NYOHNNo hay problema. ¿Qué tal a las seis y media?
No problem. How about at six thirty?noh eye proh-BLEH-mah keh tahl ah lahs SAYS ee MEH-dee-ahPerfecto. Nos vemos a las seis y media.
Perfect. See you at six thirty.pehr-FEHK-toh nohs VEH-mohs ah lahs SAYS ee MEH-dee-ahA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American countries, social invitations are often more relaxed about time. Arriving 10–15 minutes late to a casual gathering is common, but for business meetings, punctuality is expected. Also, '¿Te gustaría...?' is a safe, polite choice with acquaintances; with close friends, '¿Quieres...?' is perfectly fine. Regional note: In Argentina and Uruguay, '¿Te gustaría...?' is common, but you may also hear '¿Tenés ganas de...?' (Do you feel like...?) using 'vos' instead of 'tú'.
One thing to watch for
Using '¿Quieres...?' with a stranger or in a very formal situation, which can sound too direct.
Try this instead: Use '¿Te gustaría...?' for a softer, more polite invitation. For example, say '¿Te gustaría tomar algo?' instead of '¿Quieres tomar algo?' when you don't know the person well.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you politely invite a new coworker to have lunch?
Show a sample answer
¿Te gustaría almorzar conmigo?
This uses the polite '¿Te gustaría...?' plus the infinitive 'almorzar'. You could also say '¿Le gustaría almorzar?' if using 'usted' for extra formality.
2You want to suggest meeting at 7 PM. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
¿Qué tal si nos vemos a las siete?
This uses '¿Qué tal si...?' with the present tense 'nos vemos'. You can also say '¿A las siete?' as a shorter alternative.
3You can't make it on Friday. How do you politely decline and suggest Saturday?
Show a sample answer
Lo siento, no puedo el viernes. ¿Qué tal el sábado?
This softens the refusal with 'Lo siento' and immediately offers an alternative. Another valid option: 'Lo siento, no puedo el viernes. ¿Te gustaría el sábado?'
To make plans in Spanish, remember the flow: invite with ¿Te gustaría...?, suggest a time with ¿Qué tal si...?, accept with Me encantaría or decline with Lo siento, no puedo, then confirm with Nos vemos a las... Practice this sequence and you'll handle invitations naturally.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Spanish into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr