Classroom Spanish and workplace Spanish are not the same register, and Spanish at work varies noticeably by country, region and company rather than following one uniform business culture. In many offices in Spain, colleagues and even managers use tú from the first day; in much of Latin America, usted stays common in professional settings for longer, and in Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America you will also hear vos. The working day can differ too: in Spain lunch is often later than you may be used to, and some companies work a split day (jornada partida) with a long midday break while others run a continuous day (jornada intensiva), especially in summer. In many workplaces a few minutes of personal conversation before getting down to business is normal, not wasted time. Asagno covers this as its own strand alongside grammar: meeting phrases, how to write a professional email, how to update a team on progress, and culture notes that tell you when the general rule has local exceptions.
What you'll learn
- Meeting phrases: raising a point, giving a status update, disagreeing politely ("Entiendo lo que dices, pero...")
- Writing a professional email: subject line, the right greeting for the relationship, a clear request, closing
- Tú, usted and vos at work: reading the situation instead of applying one rule everywhere
- Workplace and administrative vocabulary: el contrato, el horario, las vacaciones, and in Spain la nómina (payslip) and la baja médica (sick leave)
- Culture notes throughout: the shape of the working day, small talk before business, and how both vary by country
Polite, direct work requests
"¿Podríamos comentarlo un momento?" — "Could we talk this over for a moment?" Polite, direct and completely normal in any Spanish-speaking workplace — the conditional (podríamos) does the softening, so there is no need to add a long apology first.
"Te escribo para confirmar la reunión del jueves a las diez." — "I am writing to confirm Thursday's meeting at ten." Te escribo (tú) to a colleague you already use tú with; Le escribo (usted) to a client, or to someone senior you have not yet spoken to informally.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use tú or usted with colleagues?
It depends on the country and the company. A useful rule of thumb: start with usted with clients, senior people and anyone outside your team, and switch when they do or invite you to. In many Spanish offices tú is the norm from day one; in many Latin American workplaces usted lasts much longer.
Is the working day really different in Spain?
Often, though it depends on the sector and the company. A later lunch and a split day are common in some workplaces, others work a continuous day, and schedules in Latin America follow their own local patterns. Ask about the horario early rather than assuming.
Does this replace learning grammar?
No — workplace vocabulary and culture notes sit alongside the regular grammar path, not instead of it; you need both to actually communicate at work.