- Suggest plans using ¿Quedamos? ¿Te apetece? ¿Qué tal si...?
- Accept invitations enthusiastically with ¡Vale! ¡Genial! Me encantaría
- Decline politely using Lo siento, no puedo, Es que...
- Arrange time and place for meeting up
- Confirm and follow up on plans
- Cancel plans gracefully and reschedule
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ArticlesElementary
Making Plans in Spanish (Hacer Planes)
¿Quedamos? Master suggesting, accepting, declining, and arranging social plans in Spanish
What You'll Learn
Overview
Making plans is one of the first real social skills you need in Spanish. Whether you are inviting a friend for coffee, organising a group dinner, or responding to an invitation, you need the right phrases to sound natural and polite.
The Three Steps of Making Plans
1. Suggest
¿Te apetece ir al cine el sábado?
Do you fancy going to the cinema on Saturday?
2. Respond
¡Me encantaría! ¿A qué hora?
I'd love to! What time?
3. Confirm
Quedamos a las ocho en la plaza
Let's meet at eight in the square
The verb quedar is central to making plans in Spanish. It means "to arrange to meet" and is used constantly in everyday conversation. ¿Quedamos? (Shall we meet up?) is one of the most useful phrases you can learn.
Structure & Formation
1. Suggesting Plans - Proponer Planes
There are many ways to suggest doing something together. The level of formality and enthusiasm varies.
| Spanish | English | Register |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Quedamos? | Shall we meet up? | Casual, very common |
| ¿Te apetece + infinitive? | Do you fancy...? | Casual, Spain |
| ¿Quieres + infinitive? | Do you want to...? | Direct, informal |
| ¿Qué tal si + present? | What if we...? / How about we...? (e.g. ¿Qué tal si vamos? = What if we go?) | Casual suggestion - subject comes from the verb ending |
| ¿Por qué no + present? | Why don't we...? (e.g. ¿Por qué no vamos? = Why don't we go?) | Casual suggestion - subject comes from the verb ending |
| ¿Te gustaría + infinitive? | Would you like to...? | Polite |
| ¿Le gustaría + infinitive? | Would you like to...? | Formal (usted) |
| Te invito a + infinitive | I'm treating you to... (it's on me) | Warm invitation - implies YOU are paying |
| ¿Tienes planes para...? | Do you have plans for...? | Testing the waters |
Regional note: ¿Te apetece? is mainly used in Spain. In Latin America, you would more commonly hear ¿Quieres? or ¿Te gustaría? Similarly, quedar for arranging to meet is very Spanish - in Latin America, ¿Nos vemos? or ¿Nos juntamos? are more common.
2. Accepting - Aceptar
Show enthusiasm when accepting! Spanish speakers tend to be expressive, so a simple "sí" can sound a bit flat. Here are better options, from casual to enthusiastic.
Casual
¡Vale!OK! / Sure!
¡Claro!Of course!
¡Venga!Alright! / OK, go on then! (Spain)
¡Dale!Let's go! (Latin America)
¡Sí, porfa!Yes, please!
Enthusiastic
¡Genial!Great!
¡Perfecto!Perfect!
¡Me encantaría!I'd love to!
¡Qué buena idea!What a great idea!
¡Cuenta conmigo!Count me in!
Polite / Formal
Con mucho gustoWith great pleasure
Sería un placerIt would be a pleasure
Encantado/aDelighted
Por supuestoOf course
Me parece estupendoThat sounds wonderful
3. Declining Politely - Rechazar con Educación
Saying no in Spanish requires softening. The magic word is es que... (the thing is...) - it introduces your excuse and sounds much more polite than a flat refusal.
| Spanish | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Lo siento, no puedo | I'm sorry, I can't | Simple refusal |
| Me encantaría, pero no puedo | I'd love to, but I can't | Warm refusal |
| Es que tengo planes | The thing is, I have plans | Soft excuse |
| Es que tengo que trabajar | The thing is, I have to work | Work excuse |
| ¡Qué pena! Pero ese día no puedo | What a shame, but I can't that day | Expressing regret |
| ¿Podemos dejarlo para otro día? | Can we leave it for another day? | Suggesting alternative |
| Otro día con mucho gusto | Another day with pleasure | Rain check |
| No me viene bien ese día | That day doesn't work for me | Scheduling issue |
| A ver si puede ser otro día | Let's see if it can be another day | Vague alternative |
The "es que" formula: Es que is the most natural way to give an excuse in Spanish. It softens whatever comes next: Es que estoy cansado, es que ya tengo planes, es que no me encuentro bien. Without it, excuses can sound abrupt.
4. Arranging Time and Place - Quedar en un Sitio y Hora
Once someone says yes, you need to agree on when and where. The verb quedar is key here.
Asking When
¿Cuándo quedamos?When shall we meet?
¿A qué hora?At what time?
¿Qué día te viene bien?What day works for you?
¿Te va bien el sábado?Does Saturday work for you?
¿Por la mañana o por la tarde?Morning or afternoon?
Asking Where
¿Dónde quedamos?Where shall we meet?
¿En qué sitio?At what place?
¿Nos vemos en...?Shall we meet at...?
¿Quedamos en la puerta?Shall we meet at the entrance?
¿Te paso a buscar?Shall I pick you up? (Latin America - in Spain: ¿Te recojo?)
Quedamos a las ocho en el restaurante
Let's meet at eight at the restaurant
Nos vemos a las siete en mi casa
See you at seven at my place
Te recojo a las seis
I'll pick you up at six
Quedamos en la esquina de la calle Mayor
Let's meet at the corner of Calle Mayor
5. Confirming Plans - Confirmar
It is common in Spanish to confirm plans, especially closer to the date. Here are phrases for checking in and confirming.
Entonces quedamos el sábado a las ocho
So we're meeting Saturday at eight
¿Sigue en pie lo del sábado?
Is Saturday still on?
Solo quería confirmar lo de mañana
I just wanted to confirm about tomorrow
¡Perfecto! Nos vemos allí
Perfect! See you there
Te mando un mensaje cuando esté llegando
I'll text you when I'm arriving
¿Quedamos donde siempre?
Shall we meet at the usual place?
6. Cancelling and Rescheduling - Cancelar y Reprogramar
Sometimes plans change. Here is how to cancel gracefully and suggest a new time.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Lo siento mucho, pero no voy a poder ir | I'm very sorry, but I won't be able to go |
| Me ha surgido algo | Something has come up |
| ¿Podemos quedar otro día? | Can we meet another day? |
| ¿Lo dejamos para la semana que viene? | Shall we leave it for next week? |
| Perdona por cancelar tan tarde | Sorry for cancelling so late |
| Te lo compenso, te invito yo la próxima vez | I'll make it up to you, my treat next time |
| ¿Qué te parece el miércoles en vez del martes? | How about Wednesday instead of Tuesday? |
| Voy a llegar un poco tarde | I'm going to be a bit late |
7. Social Events - Eventos Sociales
Different social situations call for different vocabulary. Here are common events and how to talk about them.
Events
una fiestaa party
una cenaa dinner
una quedadaa get-together
una barbacoaa barbecue
una excursióna day trip
una bodaa wedding
Activities
tomar algoto have a drink
ir de tapasto go for tapas
salir a cenarto go out for dinner
ir de comprasto go shopping
dar un paseoto go for a walk
ir al cineto go to the cinema
Examples
Casual with Friends
Suggesting
¿Quedamos para tomar algo después del trabajo?
Shall we meet for a drink after work?
Accepting
¡Venga, vale! ¿Dónde?
Come on, OK! Where?
Arranging
En el bar de siempre, ¿a las siete?
At the usual bar, at seven?
Confirming
¡Perfecto! Nos vemos allí
Perfect! See you there
Polite Decline
Invitation
¿Te apetece venir a cenar el viernes?
Do you fancy coming to dinner on Friday?
Declining
Me encantaría, pero es que no puedo
I'd love to, but the thing is I can't
Counter-offer
¡Qué pena! ¿Y el sábado?
What a shame! And Saturday?
Accepting alternative
El sábado sí que puedo. ¡Genial!
Saturday I can. Great!
Group Planning
Proposing
¿Qué tal si hacemos una barbacoa este domingo?
How about we have a barbecue this Sunday?
Organising
¡Buena idea! ¿Quién trae qué?
Good idea! Who brings what?
Dividing tasks
Yo llevo la bebida y Carlos trae la carne
I'll bring the drinks and Carlos brings the meat
Finalising
Quedamos a las dos en casa de María
We'll meet at two at María's house
Text Message Style
Quick invite
Ey, ¿quedamos hoy?
Hey, shall we meet today?
Quick accept
¡Sí! ¿A qué hora?
Yes! What time?
Loose timing
Sobre las 8 en la plaza
Around 8 at the square
On the way
Voy para allá, llego en 10
I'm on my way, there in 10
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes When Making Plans
Wrong: Quiero quedar contigo
Correct: Quiero quedar contigo / Quiero verte
While not wrong, 'quedar' is usually used in questions or with a time/place. To say you want to see someone, 'quiero verte' is more natural.
Wrong: No, no quiero
Correct: Lo siento, no puedo / Es que no puedo
A flat 'no quiero' (I don't want to) sounds rude. Soften it with 'lo siento' or 'es que'.
Wrong: Quedamos en las ocho
Correct: Quedamos a las ocho
Use 'a las' (not 'en las') for times. 'Quedamos a las ocho' - we'll meet at eight.
Wrong: Te apetece ir?
Correct: ¿Te apetece ir?
Remember the opening question mark (¿) in written Spanish. Both marks are needed: ¿...?
Wrong: Puedo no ir
Correct: No puedo ir
In Spanish, 'no' goes before the conjugated verb: 'No puedo ir' (I can't go).
"Quedar" vs "Quedarse" - Two Different Verbs
These look similar but mean very different things:
Quedar (to arrange to meet):
Quedamos a las ocho
We'll meet at eight
Quedarse (to stay):
Me quedo en casa
I'm staying at home
Cultural Note - Spanish Time
In Spain, social plans often happen later than you might expect. Dinner at 9 or 10 PM is normal. "Sobre las ocho" (around eight) means approximately - don't be surprised if people arrive 10-15 minutes late for casual plans. In Latin America, timing varies by country, but flexibility is generally appreciated.
Also, when a Spanish person says "ya quedamos" or "ya te digo algo" (I'll let you know), it can sometimes be a polite way of not committing. Follow up closer to the date!
Quick Test
Test your ability to make plans, accept invitations, and decline politely in Spanish!
1. How do you casually suggest meeting up in Spanish (Spain)?
2. Which is the most enthusiastic way to accept an invitation?
3. What does 'Es que tengo planes' mean?
4. How do you say 'Let's meet at eight at the restaurant'?
5. Someone invites you but you can't go. Which is the politest refusal?
6. What does '¿Sigue en pie lo del sábado?' mean?
7. What is the difference between 'quedar' and 'quedarse'?
8. How would you suggest going to the cinema in a polite way?
9. How do you say 'Something has come up' when cancelling?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...