Spanish · Restaurante / menú del día
They bring you a different dish from the one you ordered: what to say in Spanish
The wrong dish arrives, not what you ordered.
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How it's done. If the wrong dish arrives say politely: Perdone, esto no es lo que he pedido; the waiter replaces it; do not be shy, it's normal.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
YOU START
Perdone, esto no es lo que he pedido. Yo pedí pollo.
Pehr-DOH-neh, ES-toh noh es loh keh eh peh-DEE-doh. Yoh peh-DEE POY-oh.
Sorry, this is not what I ordered. I ordered chicken.
THEY SAY
Disculpe, se ha confundido el camarero. Se lo cambio enseguida.Dees-KOOL-peh, seh uh kohn-foon-DEE-doh el kuh-muh-REH-roh. Seh loh KAHM-byoh ayn-seh-GEE-duh.
Sorry, the waiter got confused. I'll change it right away.
They might also say:
Perdone, ha sido un error. Ahora mismo se lo cambio.
Pehr-DOH-neh, uh SEE-doh oon ehr-ROR. Uh-OH-ruh MEEZ-moh seh loh KAHM-byoh.
Sorry, it was a mistake. I'll change it right now.
2
YOU FINISH
Muchas gracias.
MOO-chuhs GRAH-syuhs.
Thank you very much.
THEY SAY
A usted. Que aproveche.Uh oos-TED. Keh uh-proh-BEH-cheh.
You're welcome. Enjoy your meal.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “Spanish for life in Spain”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Perdone
Pehr-DOH-neh
verb
excuse me, sorry
no
noh
adverb
no
es
es
verb
is
he
eh
verb
I have (auxiliary)
pedido
peh-DEE-doh
noun
order
pedí
peh-DEE
verb
I ordered
18 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
¿Puede repetirlo, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh reh-peh-TEER-loh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you repeat that, please?
¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor?
Poo-EH-deh uh-BLAHR mahs des-PAH-syoh, por fuh-BOR?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
¿Qué significa esto?
Keh seeg-nee-FEE-kuh ES-toh?
What does this mean?
Similar situations
You ask to add or change something in a dishRestaurante / menú del día · A2 in the app
→You book a table at a restaurantRestaurante / menú del día · A2 in the app
→You walk into a restaurant and ask for a tableRestaurante / menú del día · A1 in the app
→You ask for the menu and drinksRestaurante / menú del día · A2 in the app
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