How to Say “Let’s” in Spanish: The Complete Guide

In this guide, we’ll break down how to translate “let’s” into Spanish, step-by-step. By the end, you’ll not only understand the rules, you’ll also feel confident using phrases like “let’s do it!” and “let’s talk about it” with the Spanish speakers in your life.

Let’s dive in!

‍

What Does “Let’s” Really Mean?

Before we jump into Spanish, let’s look at what we’re saying in English.

Phrases like “let’s go” or “let’s do the work” are considered imperatives, or commands. However, they’re a special type of imperative: You use these words when you’re including yourself in the action. So in technical terms, these are called first-person plural imperatives. 

For example:

• “Let’s go over there!”
• “Let’s do the work!”
• “Let’s talk about it!”

So let’s learn how to create first-person plural imperatives in Spanish.

‍

How to Form “Let’s” in Spanish

The general rule is simple: To say “let’s [verb],” you’ll conjugate the verb in the nosotros subjunctive form. Let’s walk through a few examples to see this in action.

Example 1. “Let’s do the work.”

Verb: The verb for “do” is Hacer
Nosotros subjunctive: hagamos
So the translation is: “Hagamos el trabajo.”
‍

Example 2. “Let’s talk about this.”

Verb: The verb for “talk” is Hablar
Nosotros subjunctive: hablemos
So the translation is: “Hablemos de esto.”
‍

Example 3. Let’s say something about this.

Verb: The verb for “say” is Decir
Nosotros subjunctive: digamos
So the translation is: “Digamos algo acerca de esto.”
‍

Example 4. Let’s be friends. 

Verb: The verb for “be” in this case is Ser
Nosotros subjunctive: seamos
So the translation is: “Seamos amigos.”
‍

Example 5. Let’s see the movie

Verb: The verb for “see” is Ver
Nosotros subjunctive: veamos
So the translation is: “Veamos la película.”

‍

Exceptions to the Rule

Watch out: There are a couple of verbs whose first-person plural imperative is actually NOT the nosotros subjunctive form. We’ll get to those in a moment.

First, let’s take another look the verb Ver, which is *almost* an exception to the rule as well.

Exception 1: “Let’s See” - A ver  

In example 5 above, we saw that "Let’s see the movie" translates to "Veamos la película." While this is correct when referring to literally watching or seeing something, "let’s see" can also have a more abstract meaning in other contexts.

For example, imagine you and a friend want to go to the beach tomorrow, but it might rain. So, you might say, “Let’s see if it rains tomorrow.” Here, “let’s see” is less literal, and more figurative. It’s like saying, “let’s wait and find out” or “let’s give this some more consideration”. In these cases, instead of the literal "veamos," you would use "a ver."

Let’s see if it rains tomorrow = A ver si llueve mañana. 

Here are some more examples:

Example: Let’s see if we can do it.
Translation: A ver si podemos hacerlo.

Example: Let’s see if we get lucky.
Translation: A ver si tenemos suerte.

Example: Hmm, let’s see.. Maybe your phone is under the bed.
Translation: Hmm, a ver, quizás tu teléfono está debajo de la cama.

Exception 2. Let’s Go & Let’s Leave

Next, we have two verbs—ir (to go) and irse (to leave)—that also break the pattern. The good news is that these exceptions are pretty easy to learn!

Let’s Go:

According to the rule, the nosotros subjunctive form of ir is vayamos. However, in everyday Spanish imperatives, we use vamos instead.

Example: Let’s go to the party!

Translation: ¡Vamos a la fiesta!

Why? Because “let’s go” is such a common phrase that native speakers opted for a shorter, simpler form over time.

Let’s Leave:

The verb Irse follows a similar pattern. Technically, the nosotros imperative would be vayámosnos, but that is quite a mouthful! So this gets shortened to vámonos for ease of use.

Example: Let’s leave!

Translation: ¡Vámonos!

‍

Drill Your Skills with Free Flashcards

Now that you know the rules (and the exceptions), it’s time to practice! To help you, we’ve created a set of 30 flashcards with Spanish phrases and their English translations. Each example features a “let’s” phrase, so you can see all the concepts from this article in action, and you can practice and drill it all to perfection.

Here are a few examples from the deck:

• Let’s do that before tomorrow. Hagamos eso antes de mañana. 
• Let’s leave the house! ¡Vámonos de la casa! 
• Let’s talk about this. Hablemos de esto. 
• Let’s see if we can have peace. A ver si podemos tener paz.

To get the full set, download the flashcards here and start mastering these phrases today.