11 Things You Should NOT Do in Spain!

What NOT to do in Spain! I’ve lived here for 8 years with Yoly my Spanish wife, and I’ve learned a lot of the do’s and don’ts of this culture. These rules will really help you get in sync with the locals and not make any major mistakes! Venga, let's go! 🥝

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Spain is a complex country! It’s also a pretty easy going one. But there are certain things that you just don’t want to get wrong. And here they are!

11. Don’t go OTT on please and thank you.
In Spanish we just don’t use the words as much. We are more likely to work ‘please’ and ’thank you’ into the tone of how we speak, or by tweaking the words (such as adding “ito” to the end of a word).

10. Don’t put bread on your plate.
In Spain, you always leave your bread beside your plate on the table. It sites beside your cutlery, because it kind of is a piece of cutlery.

9. Don’t eat with your hand under the table.
I grew up with no elbows on the table. But here in Spain we also have the rule that you should have your hands above the table at all times. Because you might have a knife??

8. Don’t offer guests a beer at 5pm
Because we eat lunch and dinner later, beer o’clock is usually about 8pm… not 5pm.

7. Don’t help with the dishes after parties.
It’s just not something that’s done here. At the end of a party or dinner party, you might help tidy up slightly, but you don’t help do the dishes.

6. Don’t be a ‘pesado’ in social situations.
Chill out! Don’t ask people what their job is straight away when you meet them in a social setting and don’t expect people to cut to the chase when telling a story - we take our time here!

5. Don’t misinterpret loud conversations.
When Yoly speaks with her mother on the phone, it can get heated. But they’re not arguing - it’s just that conversations here often sound more intense.

4. Don’t generalise about Spain.
This is a highly regional country. So don’t assume that every region of Spain has the same language, customs or food.

3. Don’t call Catalan a dialect of Spanish.
Catalan is its own language - and don’t get that wrong (especially when speaking to a Catalan)

2. Don’t used ‘usted’ willy nilly.
Here in Spain we’re pretty informal and so don’t use “usted” unless we’re speaking with older people or in very formal situations.

1. Don’t mention the civil war casually.
The Spanish civil war and the dictatorship is a really complex topic, and still an open wound in Spain. So wait until you know someone pretty well before diving into the topic.

==== WHO ARE WE? ====
Hola, Spain lovers! We're James and Yoly. James is a New Zealander, and Yoly is from Spain. And we both live in Madrid. This channel is all about giving you a local insight into life in Spain, and helping you experience this country like a local when you come to live (or visit!).

If that sounds like your kind of thing, bienvenid@!I

*This description contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you use them 🙏🏻

[victormontesa]

You don't expect your guests to help out cleaning because you don't invite people over to make them work, but to make them enjoy

[JackusGomux]

Okay, I’m Spanish and I say please and thank you all the time, it really depends on your education and the area you’re visiting. Better to be over polite than rude!

[binmadrid]

Totally agree with all of these, as Brit married to a Spaniard and living in Madrid for 26 years. Can I add one? Don't back off when Spaniards stand close to you when talking. They're not invading your personal space, they just have a smaller one!

[JamesPaddick]

As a recent British expat living in Malaga, I found this really interesting! Personally, I HATE it when, in a social situation, the first question is 'what do you do?'. To me, it comes across as a test to see if they are 'better' than you and to try and assert dominance in the conversation (although I do find this is more commonly asked by fellow expats and not Spanish people) One other thing I may add to this list is 'Don't complain when it rains'. Rain here is blessing for crops and farmers and us Brits are used to grumbling about bad weather. I've learnt very quickly to say 'Yes it's raining today but we really NEED it'.

[emhu]

As an american i hate when people want to constantly talk about about work...i dont hate my job, but honestly 40 hours a week at work is enough.

[TheJamonLance]

i will help you with one: why dont we talk about our work with people to break ice? 2 main reason:
1) we work to live, not live to work.
2) many people (many, 15-20% of adults, or 60% of youngsters) are jobless, and much more are ashamed of their jobs or in a very precarius situation.
So work is not a topic to meet people.

[cristinaalcayne]

I am a spanish nurse and I have asked older patients about their experience in the war and the post-war, and I have learned incredible stories and how they survived hunger and calamities, some orphans who went to Russia, others with their father in prison and working. at ten years old... also among my friends we have told each other about the little battles of our grandparents, each one on a side and how they went through it and that manages to generate an idea of ​​what it really was like. It is a fascinating topic if you talk about it sensitively.

[abigailh]

I was stationed in Spain as US Navy, I loved my time in Spain and learned new things every day. I’m thinking of moving to Spain permanently because I like their culture and customs and saw how people were with their family and helped me stay closer in contact with my family and friends. I was very happy there and would like to go back. I also like the healthcare, so much better than what I grew up with in America. I also really loved the socializing and traveling. During my time in Spain, it brought me out of my shell and I felt right at home ❤️

[calcagnolibero]

I live in Italy and the same rules apply here:
- hands under the table are considered very rude
-we aren't expected to help to do the dishes
-we don't ask about one's job as a first question
-we speak loud too, louder in the south then in the north
- depending on the region and the province people and habits vary a lot
-we use tu and usted equivalents in the same way as the Spaniards
I'm Italian, have many friends in Castilla, Catalunya, Asturias and Galicia and I know the difference between the many comunidades . Spain is the only country I feel at home as in Italy.

[stacattos]

Convendría incluir no saltar entre balcones, en España no es costumbre local y puede ser considerado de mala educación xDDDD

[MannyRomerosydney]

My Please & Thank You eduction story!

Ive grown up in Australia with Spanish parents. I will never forget when I first travelled to Spain as a young backpacker and stayed with many of my extended family. I was so appreciative of their hospitality and generosity, so was always saying please and thank you.
Eventually my Aunty had had enough and totally snapped ….” I can’t do justice the way she expressed herself in that classic Spanish way … “enough already with the pleases and thank you, … who do you think you/we are?”
She was offended by good manners. I came to learn that my politeness perhaps came across as insincere due to its repetition. From her perspective No thanks needed for what is essentially expected as family.
Was a great lesson!

[englishwithmsjulia]

I find that when I tell people in Spain that I speak a little Spanish and ask them to please speak slowly, they speak LOUDER!😂

[Arkew_]

Si alguien te ve poner ketchup o tomate en la paella mueres instantáneamente

[xalau]

In Spain job is not our life, we work to live, we do not live to work. That´s why asking "what do you do" is not the best starter for a conversation

[encarnatudela]

Soy valenciana y mi lengua materna es el valenciano, así como mis costumbres y mi forma de ser. No es cuestión de regionalismo solamente, entiendo que nuestro país en sí, es como un pequeño continente, con diferentes lenguas, diferentes costumbres, diferentes climas y formas de expresarnos. Aún cuando hay muchos parecidos, somos estupendamente diferentes

[radhakmartin]

I asked my abuela about the civil war and she told me some really interesting things about our family and how we had some family members on both sides and how it ripped the family apart, there was betrayal, etc. it’s heavy stuff and I could tell with my limited Spanish, that it wasn’t super fun for her to talk about. It’s just that I wanted to write these things down for future generations of our family while I can still get the stories from my elders. I also wrote down as much of the family tree as she could remember. I am looking forward to building on that genealogical knowledge. I know that my abuela was originally from Cubillos which is in León, in the north of Spain. They moved to Barcelona when my mom was a little girl.

[blaisha]

them: here in spain we don't say gracias and por favor constantly
yo, española cada dos por tres: gracias, por favor
them: if someone comes to your house don't offer them a drink
my parents, if anyone comes over no matter the time: quieres una cervecita??

creo que vivo en una españa diferente

[danishih]

When (not if) an old lady jumps the queue in the supermarket, DO NOT call her out on it. Trust me, it's not worth the hassle.

[radhakmartin]

This is so funny as an American with a Spanish mother. A lot of this is really relatable to me even though I grew up in Hawaii, USA. I love Spain and Barcelona so much. When I started spending more time there, I had epiphanies that were very comforting. Like the bit about the supposed arguing. 😂 Back home in the US, some people think I come off strong or like I’m angry, when it’s not the case at all. When I observe the women in my Spanish family interacting, I remember where I come from and how it’s not aggressive at all. It’s just how we talk. We are passionate and warm. 😄 I’m actually moving to Barcelona next month to live with my yaya. I’m sad to leave home, but very excited for a new start.

[alyndaponder]

I’m from the USA and have always thought it rude when people immediately ask what I do for a living. People here use it to determine income and judge people.

I love how Yoly uses the word “reckon”. It’s such a great and underutilized word.