Spanish is a highly “oral” language, meaning conversation and verbal exchange play an important role in daily and social life. When learning Spanish as a beginner, you should therefore put great emphasis on learning to speak and understand basic Spanish. A lot of simple communication in Spanish happens with short phrases and replies of often just a few words. Fortunately, you can acquire basic language skills by learning a few key phrases, expressions and words. We’ll give you an overview of useful Spanish phrases as well as essential vocabulary.
The Royal Spanish Academy, or Real Academia Española, has analyzed millions of word forms as used in written and spoken Spanish to compile a list of the most frequent words. Jump-start your Spanish vocabulary learning with these fifty most commonly used Spanish words.
ENGLISH
SPANISH
TYPE
of; from
de
preposition
the (third person feminine singular pronoun)
la
article, pronoun
that, which
que
conjunction
the
el
article
in, on
en
preposition
and
y
conjunction
to, at
a
preposition
the (third person masculine direct object)
los
article, pronoun
-self, oneself (reflexive)
se
pronoun
from the
del
preposition
The (third person feminine direct object)
las
article, pronoun
a, an
un
article
by, for, through
por
preposition
with
con
preposition
no, not
no
adverb
a, an, one
una
article
his / her / its / your
su
possessive
for, to, in order to
para
preposition
is
es
verb
to the
al
preposition
the (third person masculine direct object)
lo
article, pronoun
like, as
como
conjunction
more
más
adjective
or
o
conjunction
but
pero
conjunction
your
sus
possessive
third person indirect object
le
pronoun
he / she / it has (done something)
ha
verb
me
me
pronoun
if, whether
si
conjunction
without
sin
preposition
on top of, over, about
sobre
preposition
this
este
adjective
already, still
ya
adverb
between
entre
preposition
when
cuando
conjunction
all, every
todo
adjective
this
esta
adjective
to be
ser
verb
they are, you are (pl.)
son
verb
two
dos
number
too, also, as well
también
adverb
was
fue
verb
I / he / she / it / there was
había
verb
was
era
verb
very
muy
adverb
years
años
noun(masculine)
until
hasta
preposition
from, since
desde
preposition
is
está
verb
¡Suerte!
Learning a new language can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. We’ve highlighted some of the most useful phrases and expressions in Spanish for beginners. From basic greetings to essential vocabulary, these phrases are the building blocks of any conversation in Spanish. By mastering these phrases, you’ll be able to communicate more effectively with native Spanish speakers and immerse yourself in the language and culture. Whether you’re planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country or simply want to expand your language skills, these phrases are a great place to start. ¡Suerte!
Jakob is a freelance writer in Barcelona, Spain, and his favorite books have pages all empty. As an expert storyteller, he publishes creative fiction in English and German and helps other authors shape their manuscripts into compelling stories. Thanks to an expertise in a wide range of topics such as writing, literature and productivity to marketing, travel, and technology, he produces engaging content for his clients. Apart from the escape that books offer, Jakob enjoys traveling digital nomad style and stays active with climbing and hiking. Find out more about him on his website or on Goodreads.
