How To Say Appointments In Spanish

Use cita for most appointments in Spanish, but switch to hora in Spain for hairdressers and turno in Argentina for all service bookings.

You walk into a Madrid salon and ask for una cita. The receptionist looks confused, then smiles: ¿Quiere pedir hora? The word you thought was universal just failed you. That’s the trick with appointment—it has regional costumes.

This article breaks down the main Spanish words for “appointment,” where each one fits, and the phrases you need to book, schedule, or confirm. You’ll learn when cita, hora, and turno are normal and when they sound foreign.

The Core Word: Cita for Most Situations

Spanish speakers across the world understand cita (feminine noun) as “appointment” for medical visits, business meetings, and social engagements. If you memorize one word, this is it. “I have an appointment” becomes Tengo una cita. “I have a doctor’s appointment” is Tengo una cita con el médico.

Cita also covers romantic dates—context tells you which kind. “To make an appointment” is hacer una cita or pedir una cita. The verb concertar adds formality: Quisiera concertar una cita (“I would like to arrange an appointment”). In Mexico, people often say agendar una cita (to schedule).

Stick with cita and you’ll be understood from Mexico City to Bogotá to Madrid—though in Spain, you’ll hear a different word for certain services.

Why Regional Variations Matter

Language learners often assume one translation fits all. For “appointment,” choosing the wrong word can mark you as a beginner or cause a momentary disconnect. Knowing the local preferences shows you understand how Spanish works in the real world.

• Hora in Spain for services: At hairdressers, dentists, and other service providers, Spaniards say pedir hora (literally “ask for hour”) instead of pedir cita. The phrase Tengo hora a las cinco means “I have an appointment at five.”
• Turno in Argentina for everything: In Argentina, turno (masculine noun) replaces cita for most appointments. You’ll hear Sacar un turno for “to get an appointment” at a doctor, mechanic, or government office.
• Cita dominates Latin America: Outside Argentina and Spain’s service context, cita works for nearly every appointment type. Colombians, Mexicans, and Peruvians will use cita for doctors, lawyers, and hairdressers alike.
• Mixed usage in Spain: Spaniards use cita for medical appointments and formal meetings, but hora for hairdressers and some personal services. The line is blurry—some dentists also accept hora.

The key takeaway: if you’re speaking to someone from Argentina, use turno. If you’re in Spain and booking a haircut, use hora. Everywhere else, cita is your safest bet.

Beyond Scheduled Meetings: Nombramiento and Other Meanings

English “appointment” also refers to the act of appointing someone to a position. The Spanish word for that is nombramiento (masculine noun). It appears in political announcements (el nombramiento del nuevo ministro) and corporate letters. Use the Spanishdict entry for appointment in Spanish to see the full range of meanings.

There’s a third, less common sense: “appointments” as in fixtures or furniture. That translates to el mobiliario, unrelated to meetings. The table below summarizes all three meanings.

Notice that cita is the only word that works for both casual and formal meetings. If you only need one, make it cita and learn the regional alternatives as you go.

Key Phrases for Making Appointments

Knowing the noun is only half the battle. You also need the right verb combinations to ask, schedule, or confirm. Here are the most useful phrases organized by formality and region.

1. Hacer una cita (to make an appointment): The all-purpose phrase. Use it with doctors, lawyers, or business contacts anywhere. Example: Necesito hacer una cita con el dentista (“I need to make a dentist appointment”).
2. Pedir hora (to ask for an appointment): Spain-specific. Use this at hairdressers and some clinics. Quería pedir hora para el viernes (“I’d like to book an appointment for Friday”).
3. Sacar turno (to get an appointment): Argentina’s standard. Saqué turno para mañana a las diez (“I got an appointment for tomorrow at ten”).
4. Programar una cita or agendar una cita (to schedule): Programar is used across the Spanish-speaking world; agendar is especially common in Mexico. Both are formal options for office or online booking.
5. Quisiera concertar una cita (formal request): The most polite option. Reserved for formal letters or phone calls with professionals. Concertar implies arranging details.

For a simple, polite request that works everywhere, use Quisiera hacer una cita. Your listener will understand regardless of region.

Practical Examples for Different Situations

Memorize these short dialogues to handle real scenarios. Each example includes the region where the phrasing is most natural. For the job-related meaning of nombramiento, check the Cambridge Nombramiento Meaning entry for official contexts.

If you’re learning Spanish for travel to multiple countries, default to cita for health and business, and use tener hora only if you’re in Spain and talking about personal services. Locals will appreciate the effort.

The Bottom Line

Spanish has three big words for “appointment”: cita (universal), hora (Spain services), and turno (Argentina). The safest approach is to learn cita first, then pick up the regional variant when you know your destination. Pair it with verbs like hacer, pedir, or sacarse depending on context.

A DELE-certified tutor can help you practice the correct phrasing for your target region—whether you’re booking a haircut in Seville or a doctor’s visit in Buenos Aires—and fine-tune your accent so you sound natural on the phone or at the reception desk.