Cultural diplomacy in Madrid: why institutional Spanish opens doors

You have just arrived in Madrid with a full diary. Many of your meetings will be in English, and they will work. But the bilateral relationship is also built elsewhere. A lunch with a director general. The opening of an exhibition. The conversation on your feet as an event comes to an end. There, the language in the room is Spanish. And speaking it is not enough: you have to speak it in the tone of an institution.

What institutional nuance means

Institutional Spanish is not difficult Spanish. It is Spanish that pays attention to three things: forms of address, the way you make requests and written formulas.

When speaking to a senior official, you use the title of their post: “Señora ministra” (Minister), “Señor embajador” (Ambassador). With everyone else, “señor” or “señora” followed by the first surname, until someone suggests switching to tú.

When making a request, formal Spanish softens the verb. “Quería pedirle una reunión” (I wanted to ask you for a meeting) is not about the past: it is the polite way to ask today. “¿Sería posible adelantar la cita?” (Would it be possible to bring the appointment forward?) and “Le agradecería que nos confirmara la fecha” (I would be grateful if you could confirm the date) work in the same way. A direct “quiero” (I want) is correct, but in a minister’s office it can sound abrupt.

In official correspondence, the surprise is usually a pleasant one. The Spanish and Arabic notes verbales are very similar. Both are written in the third person and both invoke honour:

• “La Embajada de… saluda atentamente al Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y tiene el honor de…” (The Embassy of… presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honour to…)
• “تهدي سفارة… أطيب تحياتها إلى وزارة الخارجية، وتتشرف بأن…”

If you have mastered one formula, you are already halfway to the other.

A heritage you hear every day

Madrid has Andalusi origins. In the 9th century, the Cordoban emir Muhammad I had a fortress built beside the Manzanares. It was meant to protect the northern frontier of al-Andalus. It was called Mayrit (مجريط). Today you can see remains of its wall on the Cuesta de la Vega, next to the Parque del Emir Mohamed I.

The language holds the same memory. Philologists count several thousand Spanish words of Arabic origin, if derivatives are included. Many are in everyday use:

• aceite (oil), from الزيت;
• almohada (pillow), from المخدة;
• hasta (until), from حتى;
• azulejo (glazed tile), from a Hispano-Arabic word;
• alcalde (mayor), from القاضي, which in Arabic means ‘the judge’;
• ojalá (hopefully), from a Hispano-Arabic formula that names the will of God.

For an Arab diplomat, this heritage is not a museum curiosity. It is material for cultural diplomacy and a good topic for lunch: the Mayor of Madrid holds an office whose very name is an Arabic word.

What a bilingual teacher brings

The Institute’s teachers are bilingual native Spaniards, born in Spain into families of Arab origin. They are philologists who specialise in teaching Spanish to foreigners. Having both languages means they can explain Spanish from what you already know.

The subjunctive

In Arabic, after the particle أنْ, the verb changes form: أريد أن تأتي. Something similar happens in Spanish after que: “Quiero que vengas” (I want you to come). It is not a new idea, but a familiar structure under another name. With one nuance: if the subject is the same, Spanish uses the infinitive (“Quiero venir”, I want to come). Ojalá follows the same logic and takes the subjunctive: “Ojalá podamos firmarlo este año” (Hopefully we can sign it this year).

Ser and estar

Arabic needs no verb in the present tense: أنا مهندس, الباب مفتوح. Spanish makes you choose: “Soy ingeniero” (I am an engineer), “La puerta está abierta” (The door is open). A bilingual teacher starts from that nominal sentence. And teaches you when Spanish sees an identity (ser) and when it sees a state or a result (estar).

The formal register

In Arabic, respect is marked above all with titles and formulas such as سعادة السفير or حضرتك. In Spanish, the verb marks it too. Usted comes from vuestra merced (your grace), a formula that referred to the person addressed in the third person. That is why you say “¿Cómo está usted?” and not “¿Cómo estás usted?”. Understanding that origin helps you avoid mixing tú and usted in the same sentence.

The Institute’s tip. In your requests, swap “quiero” for “quería” or “querría”. “Quería pedirle diez minutos al final del acto” (I wanted to ask you for ten minutes at the end of the event) is correct, polite and makes no one uncomfortable. And if the person you are talking to says “Tutéame, por favor” (Please call me tú), accept. In Madrid, sticking to usted after that invitation signals distance, not respect.

The programme for diplomats

The Spanish programme for diplomats combines 20 hours of one-to-one lessons with two conversation lunches or dinners with your teacher. The meals take place in Madrid restaurants. The price is €2,350. Sessions are held at Gran Vía 40 or at the embassy. Confidentiality is set out in writing. You start with a free 30-minute level test, with no enrolment fee.

See the programme for diplomats · How we teach Arabic speakers