Spanish · Baja / vacaciones / nómina
You phone to say you are ill and will not come in: what to say in Spanish
You phone to say you are ill and won't come.
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How it's done. You tell the employer about illness as early as possible, usually in the morning; later give the sick note (parte de baja) from the health centre; do not come in ill.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
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Hostelería Los Pinos, dígame.Os-teh-leh-REE-uh Los PEE-nos, DEE-guh-meh.
Los Pinos restaurant, go ahead.
YOU REPLY
Buenos días, soy Olena. Hoy no puedo ir a trabajar porque estoy enfermo.
Boo-EH-nos DEE-uhs, soy Oh-LEH-nuh. Oy noh poo-EH-doh eer uh truh-buh-KHAHR POR-keh es-TOY ayn-FEHR-moh.
Good morning, it's Olena. I can't come to work today because I'm ill.
THEY SAY
Vaya, lo siento. ¿Qué tiene?BAH-ah, loh SYAYN-toh. Keh TYEH-neh?
Oh dear, I'm sorry. What's wrong?
They might also say:
Qué pena. ¿Qué le pasa?
Keh PEH-nuh. Keh leh PAH-suh?
What a pity. What's the matter?
2
YOU REPLY
Tengo fiebre. Voy al médico.
TAYN-goh FYEH-breh. Boy ahl MEH-dee-koh.
I have a fever. I'm going to the doctor.
THEY SAY
Que se mejore. Avíseme cuando sepa algo.Keh seh meh-KHOH-reh. Uh-BEE-seh-meh koo-AHN-doh SEH-puh AHL-goh.
Get well. Let me know when you know something.
3
YOU FINISH
Gracias. Le aviso esta tarde.
GRAH-syuhs. Leh uh-BEE-soh ES-tuh TAHR-deh.
Thanks. I'll let you know this afternoon.
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
Hostelería
Os-teh-leh-REE-uh
noun
hospitality industry
Pinos
PEE-nos
noun
pines
dígame
DEE-guh-meh
verb
tell me
Buenos
Boo-EH-nos
adjective
good (masc. plural)
días
DEE-uhs
noun
days
soy
soy
verb
I am
32 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?
Todavía no hablo bien español.
Toh-duh-BEE-uh noh AH-bloh byayn es-puh-NYOL.
I don't speak Spanish well yet.
Similar situations
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