When go is part of a set combination such as go cheap, go far, go down the tube, look up the other word.
intransitive verb
1 (move, travel) ir
she was going too fast iba demasiado rápido
to go and do sth ir a hacer algo
I’ll go and see voy a ver; I’ll go and fetch it for you te lo voy a buscar; he went and shut the door cerró la puerta; now you’ve gone and done it! ¡ahora sí que la has hecho buena!
to go and see sb go to see sb ir a ver a algn
to go along a corridor ir por un pasillo
as we were going along the corridor, we saw …
we can talk as we go podemos hablar por el camino
add the sugar, stirring as you go añada el azúcar, removiendo al mismo tiempo; añada el azúcar, sin dejar de remover
to go at 30 mph ir a 30 millas por hora
to go by car/bicycle ir en coche/bicicleta
the train goes from London to Glasgow el tren va de Londres a Glasgow
to go home irse a casa
to go on a journey ir de viaje
there he goes! ¡ahí va!
to go to a party ir a una fiesta
to go [to] London
to go to the doctor(‘s) ir al médico; she’s gone to the optician(‘s) for a sight test ha ido al oculista a graduarse la vista; she went to the headmaster fue a ver al director; the child went to his mother el niño fue a or hacia su madre; to go to sb for advice consultar a algn
where do we go from here? ¿qué hacemos ahora?
halt, who goes there? alto, ¿quién va or vive?
2 (depart) [+person] irse; marcharse; [+train, coach] salir
I’m going now me voy ya; me marcho ya; «where’s Judy?» — «she’s gone» —¿dónde está Judy? —se ha ido or se ha marchado; «food to go» (US) «comida para llevar»
3 (die) irse
after I’ve gone cuando yo me haya ido
he’s gone to a better place
4 (disappear) [+object] desaparecer; [+money] gastarse; [+time] pasar
my hat has gone (missing)
the cake is all gone se ha acabado todo el pastel
gone are the days when … ya pasaron los días cuando …
that sideboard will have to go tendremos que deshacernos de ese aparador
military service must go! ¡fuera con el servicio militar!
there goes my chance of promotion! ¡adiós a mi ascenso!
only two days to go solo faltan dos días
eight down and two to go ocho hechos y dos por hacer
5 (be sold) venderse;for por, en
it went for £100 se vendió por or en 100 libras; it’s going cheap se vende barato; going, going, gone! (at auction) ¡a la una, a las dos, a las tres!
6 (extend) extenderse; llegar
the garden goes down to the lake el jardín se extiende or llega hasta el lago
a huge sweater that goes down to my knees un jersey enorme que me llega hasta las rodillas
money doesn’t go far nowadays hoy día el dinero apenas da para nada
the garden goes back to the river
he went up to £1,000 (at auction) llegó a las 1.000 libras
7 (function) [+machine] funcionar
it’s a magnificent car but it doesn’t go es un coche magnífico, pero no funciona; I couldn’t get the car to go at all no podía arrancar el coche
the car’s 50 years old but it still goes well
the washing machine was going so I didn’t hear the phone la lavadora estaba en marcha, así es que no oí el teléfono
to make sth go to get sth going poner algo en marcha
8 (endure) aguantar
I don’t know how much longer we can go without food no sé cuánto tiempo más podremos aguantar sin comida; to go hungry/thirsty pasar hambre/sed
9 (with activities, hobbies)
to go fishing/riding/swimming ir a pescar/montar a caballo/nadar
to go for a walk dar un paseo
to go for a swim ir a nadar or a bañarse
10 (progress) ir
the meeting went well la reunión fue bien
I hope all will go well
how did the exam go? ¿cómo te fue en el examen?
how’s it going? how goes it?
what goes? (US) ¿qué tal? (informal); ¿qué tal va? (informal); ¡qué hubo! (informal); (Méx) (Chile)
we’ll see how things go veremos cómo van las cosas
to make a party go (with a swing) dar ambiente a una fiesta
the day went slowly el día pasó lentamente
all went well for him until … todo le fue bien hasta que …
11 (match, combine with) [+colours, clothes] hacer juego; pegar (informal);with con
the curtains don’t go with the carpet
mustard and lamb don’t go mustard doesn’t go with lamb la mostaza no va bien con el cordero; la mostaza no pega con el cordero (informal)
white wine doesn’t go with beef
cava goes well with anything el cava va bien or combina con todo
12 (become)
For phrases with [go] and an adjective, such as [to go bad], [go soft], [go pale], you should look under the adjective.
it’s just gone seven acaban de dar las siete; to go red/green ponerse rojo/verde; you’re not going to go all sentimental/shy/religious on me! ¡no te me pongas sentimental/tímido/religioso! (informal); ¡no te hagas el sentimental/tímido/religioso conmigo!
to go [bad]
to go communist [+constituency, person] volverse comunista
to go mad volverse loco
to go [pale]
to go to sleep dormirse
to go [soft] the biscuits have gone soft don’t go soft on me now!
13 (fit) caber
it won’t go in the case no cabe en la maleta; 4 into 3 won’t go 3 entre 4 no cabe
2 won’t go exactly into 11
4 into 12 goes 3 times 12 entre cuatro son tres; 12 dividido entre cuatro son tres
14 (be accepted) valer
anything goes (informal) todo vale
that goes for me too (applies to me) eso va también por mí; (I agree) yo también estoy de acuerdo
15 (fail) [+material] desgastarse; [+chair, branch] romperse; [+elastic] ceder; [+fuse, light bulb] fundirse; [+sight, strength] fallar
this jumper has gone at the elbows este jersey se ha desgastado por los codos
the lining’s going jeans tend to go at the knees the fanbelt’s gone on the car a pair of old boxer shorts with the elastic gone
his health is going su salud se está resintiendo
his hearing/mind is going está perdiendo el oído/la cabeza
his nerve was beginning to go estaba empezando a perder la sangre fría
her sight is going le está empezando a fallar la vista
my voice has gone me he quedado afónico
16 (be kept) ir
where does this book go? ¿dónde va este libro?
17 (be available)
there are several jobs going se ofrecen varios puestos; there’s a flat going here aquí hay un piso libre; is there any tea going? (is there any left?) ¿queda té?; (will you get me one?) ¿me haces un té?; I’ll take whatever is going acepto lo que sea
18 (get underway)
whose turn is it to go? (in game) ¿a quién le toca?; ¿quién va ahora?; go! (Dep) ¡ya!
all systems go (Space) also todo listo
from the word go desde el principio
there you go again! ¡otra vez con lo mismo! (informal)
19 (be destined) [+inheritance] pasar; [+fund] destinarse
all his money goes on drink se le va todo el dinero en alcohol
the inheritance went to his nephew la herencia pasó a su sobrino
the money goes to charity el dinero se destina a obras benéficas; the prize went to Fiona Lilly el premio fue para Fiona Lilly
the Oscar went to ‘Titanic’
the qualities which go to make him a great writer las cualidades que le hacen un gran escritor
the money will go towards the holiday el dinero será para las vacaciones
20 (sound) [+doorbell, phone] sonar
21 (run)
how does that song go? [+tune] ¿cómo va esa canción?; [+words] ¿cómo es la letra de esa canción?; the tune goes like this la melodía va así; the story goes that … según dicen …
22 (do) hacer
the car went «bang!»
go like that (with your right hand) haz así (con la mano derecha)
23 (go to the toilet) ir al baño
I need to go tengo que ir al baño
do you need to go?
24 (in set expressions)
it’s a fairly good garage as garages go es un garaje bastante bueno, para como son normalmente los garajes
he’s not bad, as estate agents go no es un mal agente inmobiliario, dentro de lo que cabe
it’s good as [far] as it goes this explanation is fine, as far as it goes, but …
let’s get going! (be on our way) ¡vamos!; ¡vámonos!; ¡ándale!; (Méx) (start sth) ¡manos a la obra!; ¡adelante!
to get going on or with sth ponerse con algo; I’ve got to get going on or with my tax tengo que ponerme con los impuestos; once he gets going … una vez que se pone …; una vez que empieza …
to keep going (moving forward) seguir; (enduring) resistir; aguantar; (functioning) seguir funcionando
to keep sb going: this medicine kept him going esta medicina le daba fuerzas para seguir; a cup of coffee is enough to keep him going all morning una taza de café le basta para funcionar toda la mañana; enough money to keep them going for a week or two suficiente dinero para que pudiesen tirar (informal) or funcionar una o dos semanas
to keep sth going
the workers are trying to keep the factory going los trabajadores están intentando mantener la fábrica en funcionamiento or en marcha
to let sb go (release) soltar a algn; (make redundant) despedir a algn
they have let their garden go
let (me) go! ¡suéltame!; we’ll let it go at that por esta vez pase; you’re wrong, but we’ll let it go no llevas razón, pero vamos a dejarlo así; to let o.s. go (physically) dejarse; descuidarse; (have fun) soltarse el pelo (informal)
her photo shows what can happen if you let yourself go I thought it was important to keep clean and not let myself go, though it would have been very easy A woman who has let herself go is derided; an overweight man is just accepted as middle-aged Stop worrying about what you’re feeling. Let yourself go Come on, Chris. Let yourself go, Baby
to let go of sth/sb soltar algo/a algn
transitive verb
1 (travel) [+route] hacer
which route does the number 29 go? ¿qué itinerario hace el 29?
which route do you plan to go?
which way are you going? ¿por dónde vais a ir?; ¿qué camino vais a tomar?; he went his way siguió su camino
we went 6 km
we had only gone a few kilometres when … solo llevábamos unos kilómetros cuando …
to go it
the car was really going it el coche iba a una buena marcha (informal)
2 (make) hacer
the car went «bang!» el coche hizo «bang»
go like that (with your right hand)
3 (say) soltar (informal)
«shut up!» he goes —¡cállate! —suelta; he goes to me, «what do you want?» va y me dice or me suelta: —¿qué quieres? (informal)
she went «psst!»
4 (Gambling) (bet) apostar
he went £50 on the red apostó 50 libras al rojo; I can only go £15 solo puedo llegar a 15 libras
he went three spades
5
to go one better ganar el remate
to go it alone obrar por su cuenta
modal verb
ir
I’m going/I was going to do it voy/iba a hacerlo; it’s going to rain va a llover; there’s going to be trouble se va a armar un lío (informal); va a haber follón (informal)
to go doing sth
don’t go getting upset (informal) venga, no te enfades; to go looking for sth/sb ir a buscar algo/a algn
noun
1 (turn)
whose go is it? ¿a quién le toca?; it’s your go te toca a ti
can I have a go?
2 (attempt) intento (m)
to have a go (at doing sth) probar (a hacer algo)
shall I have a go? ¿pruebo yo?; ¿lo intento yo?
He had a go at making a cake
to have another go probar otra vez; intentarlo otra vez
let’s have another go
at or in one go de un (solo) golpe
3 (bout)
he’s had a bad go of flu ha pasado una gripe muy mala; they’ve had a rough go of it lo han pasado mal; han pasado una mala racha
4 (energy) empuje (m); energía (f)
to be full of go estar lleno de empuje or energía
there’s no go about him no tiene empuje or energía
5 (success)
to make a go of sth tener éxito en algo
Please tell Mrs Klein I tried to stop him, but it was no go I’ve seen the local police, but no go we’ve been trying to nail him for years. But no go
6
it’s all go aquí no se para nunca
it’s all the go hace furor
Eastern religions and mysticism were all the go
to have a go at sb (physically) atacar a algn; (verbally) tomarla con algn (informal)
the public have been warned not to have a go
it’s no go es inútil
on the go
he’s always on the go nunca para; to keep sb on the go tener a algn siempre en danza
she keeps me on the go from morning to night with requests for aspirins, cold drinks, hot water bottles, something to read he doesn’t like us to have time on our hands so he keeps us on the go relentlessly
I’ve got two projects on the go tengo dos proyectos en marcha
adjective
(Space)
you are go for moon-landing estás listo para alunizar; all systems are go todo listo
note See culture box in entry come.
Go n
go on [sth] vi + prep
go
also UK: go round vi phrasal
also UK: go round vi phrasal
also UK: go round,
go about vi phrasal
also UK: go round,
go about vi phrasal
also UK: go round,
go about vi phrasal
also UK: go round vi phrasal
go
go biking vi
go biking vi
go birding vi
go boating vi
go bowling vi
go caving vi
go crabbing vi
do a number one,
do number ones,
go number one,
go number ones v expr
do a number two,
do number twos,
go number two,
go number twos v expr
easy go expr
easy go expr
go frogging vi
from the word go expr
go anywhere v expr
go nowhere v expr
go nowhere fast v expr
go stale vi + adj
get-up-and-go n
give the go-ahead to [sb] v expr
go a long way to do [sth] expr
also UK: go round [sth] vi + prep
also UK: go round [sth] vi + prep
| andar | |
| 1. v. to walk, to go | |
| 2. v. to amble, to travel | |
| 3. v. to ride | |
| Ando en bicicleta. — I ride a bicycle. | |
| 4. v. to function, to work, to go | |
| 5. v. to pass, to go by, to elapse | |
| 6. v. to go about; to busy oneself with | |
| ¿Cómo andarse en las redes sociales?. | |
| How to go about social networks?. | |
| Andaba en mis asuntos, cuando repentinamente se cortó la electricidad. | |
| I was going about my business, when suddenly the power went out. | |
| 7. v. to be, to feel | |
| ¿Cómo andas? | |
| How do you feel? | |
| 8. v. to go around, to move or spread from person to person | |
| Anda el rumor de que don Fulano y doña Zutana están teniendo un amorío. | |
| The rumor is going around that Mr. X and Ms. Y are having an affair. | |
| Anda una tos que hay. | |
| There’s a cough that’s going around. | |
| 9. v. to have been feeling; to feel emotions over a period of time | |
| Ando solitario últimamente. | |
| I have been feeling lonely lately. | |
| 10. v. (with (m, es, con)) to go out with, to date | |
| ¿Quieres andar conmigo? | |
| Do you want to be my boyfriend/girlfriend? | |
| Juan anda con María. | |
| Juan and María are dating. | |
| 11. v. (reflexive) to go away, to leave | |
| 12. v. (reflexive, imperative) to take out, to remove oneself | |
| ¡Ándate de mi presencia!. | |
| Remove yourself from my presence!. | |
| 13. n-m. walk, pace, gait | |
| 14. n-m. behavior, manner |
Have you decided to learn Spanish? Congratulations! It will be a very exciting and rewarding journey.
However, as you set out to learn this new language, you might not know where to begin. The sheer number of Spanish vocabulary words you have to learn can be overwhelming!
Keep in mind that you don’t need to rush into lessons that are above your level. It’s better to start from the basics and build a foundation that will help you reach your desired level of proficiency in Spanish!
To give you a boost, SpanishPod101 has compiled this guide to basic Spanish words for beginners. We’ve listed over 200 common Spanish words in different categories, providing additional information where necessary.
Have fun!
You’re one step closer to your first conversation in Spanish!
Table of Contents
- Pronouns
- Articles
- Numbers
- Nouns
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Conjunctions
- Prepositions
- Final Thoughts
1. Pronouns
Pronouns are some of the most important basic Spanish words for beginners. You’ll use them often in regular conversations!
However, when you start learning Spanish, you might be overwhelmed by how complex the pronoun system is. Don’t worry! We’ll start with the basics.
1 – Personal Subject Pronouns
Personal subject pronouns replace the subject of a sentence. You can use them to talk about a previously mentioned noun, whether it’s a person, an animal, or an object. In addition, you can use them to talk about yourself or to address other people.
- Yo hablo español. → “I speak Spanish.”
- Vosotros habláis inglés. → “You speak English.”
| Person | Spanish | English |
| 1st person sg. | yo | I |
| 2nd person sg. | tú | you |
| 3rd person sg. | él, ella | he, she |
| 1st person pl. | nosotros | we |
| 2nd person pl. | vosotros | you |
| 3rd person pl. | ellos, ellas | they |
You might be surprised to learn that most native speakers won’t use personal subject pronouns to begin a sentence. The subject is often omitted unless it’s not obvious who or what we’re talking about.
- Hablo español. → “(I) speak Spanish.”
- Habláis inglés. → “(You) speak English.”
Apart from subject pronouns, other personal pronouns include direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, and prepositional pronouns. In Spanish, personal pronouns change form depending on their function and position in the sentence. Want to learn more? Check out SpanishPod101’s lesson on personal pronouns.
2 – Demonstrative Pronouns
Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish (such as ese, este, and aquel) are quite easy for English speakers to grasp, as they work similarly to their English equivalents. You can use them to identify a person, an animal, or a thing, as well as its distance from you. These are some of the basic beginner Spanish words you need to learn early on!
In English, there are only four demonstrative pronouns: this and that and their plural forms these and those. However, in Spanish, there are fifteen! Why is that?
First of all, Spanish demonstrative pronouns correspond to the three different adverbs used to express distance: aquí (“here”), allá (“there”), and ahí (expresses something between here and there).
- Este de aquí es mi perro. → “This is my dog.”
- Esos de ahí son mis amigos. → “Those are my friends.”
- Aquel de allá es mi coche. → “That is my school.”
The other main difference between Spanish and English demonstrative pronouns is the gender distinction, which applies to both singular and plural pronouns. Spanish has different forms for masculine, feminine, and neuter gender.
| Person | Spanish | English | |||||
| aquí | ahí | allí | here | – | there | ||
| masculine | sg. | este | ese | aquel | this | – | that |
| pl. | estos | esos | aquellos | these | – | those | |
| feminine | sg. | esta | esa | aquella | this | – | that |
| pl. | estas | esas | aquellas | these | – | those | |
| neuter | esto | eso | aquello | this | – | that |
3 – Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are crucial in any language, making them some of the most important Spanish words for beginners to learn. Asking is the best way to learn, after all!
And here’s some good news: They’re very easy for English speakers to learn, as they work just like their English equivalents!
- Qué → “What”
¿Qué quieres comer? → “What do you want to eat?”
- Cuál → “Which”
¿Cuál de ellos es tu hijo? → “Which one is your son?”
- Por qué → “Why”
¿Por qué dejaste tu trabajo? → “Why did you quit your job?”
- Quién → “Who”
¿Quién vas a invitar a tu cumpleaños? → “Who will you invite to your birthday?”
- Dónde → “Where”
¿Dónde vas a ir de vacaciones? → “Where will you go on your vacation?”
- Cuánto → “How much”
¿Cuánto pagaste por esta chaqueta? → “How much did you pay for this jacket?”
- Cuántos / Cuántas → “How many”
¿Cuántos días te vas a quedar? → “How many days will you stay?”
¿Cuántas manzanas quieres comprar? → “How many apples do you want to buy?”
- Cuándo → “When”
¿Cuándo vas a tener el bebé? → “When will you have the baby?”
Of course, it will be helpful to learn a few full questions by heart if you’re planning to visit Spain or have a conversation with a Spanish speaker. Fortunately, SpanishPod101 always has your back! Check out the Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations.
¿Cuándo vas a tener el bebé? (“When will you have the baby?”)
2. Articles
One of the most characteristic aspects of the Spanish language is its articles. Studying these basic Spanish words for beginners is key to starting your learning journey off on the right foot.
Articles accompany nouns and can be definite (like the English word “the”) or indefinite (like the English words “a” and “an”).
- El vaso → “The glass”
- Un vaso → “A glass”
In Spanish, however, they also indicate gender and number. This is why there are more articles to learn than there are in English.
| Person | Definite article | Indefinite article | |
| masculine | sg. | el | un |
| pl. | los | unos | |
| feminine | sg. | la | una |
| pl. | los | unas |
- → Struggling with the Spanish gender rules? Thanks to our lesson Using the Right Gender and Number of Spanish Nouns, understanding the basics has never been easier!
There is also the neuter article lo, which goes before adjectives, participles, and ordinal numbers that are not followed by a noun.
- Lo mejor → “The best”
- Lo hablado → “What was said”
- Lo primero → “The first”
3. Numbers
When you start learning a language, you definitely have to learn how to count in it!
Let’s see the cardinal Spanish numbers from one to ten:
- Uno → “One”
- Dos → “Two”
- Tres → “Three”
- Cuatro → “Four”
- Cinco → “Five”
- Seis → “Six”
- Siete → “Seven”
- Ocho → “Eight”
- Nueve → “Nine”
- Diez → “Ten”
And here are the ordinal Spanish numbers from one to ten:
- Primero → “First”
- Segundo → “Second”
- Tercero → “Third”
- Cuarto → “Fourth”
- Quinto → “Fifth”
- Sexto → “Sixth”
- Séptimo → “Seventh”
- Octavo → “Eighth”
- Noveno → “Ninth”
- Décimo → “Tenth”
Once you’ve mastered counting from one to ten, check out SpanishPod101’s lessons on numbers to learn how to count to infinity!
4. Nouns
Nouns identify a person, animal, place, thing, or idea. Spanish nouns can be singular or plural, and each one has a grammatical gender.
Below is a list of nouns you can use in your daily life, whether your back hurts, you’re looking for the post office, or you’re preparing a tasty meal. These basic beginner Spanish words can help you communicate general ideas even before you learn how to form sentences, so remember as many as you can!
- → Don’t forget to check out our article The 100 Most Common Spanish Nouns, where you’ll learn how to use singular, plural, and different-gendered nouns!
1 – Body Parts
| cuerpo | body |
| cabeza | head |
| cara | face |
| ojos | eyes |
| nariz | nose |
| boca | mouth |
| orejas | ears |
| pelo | hair |
| mejillas | cheeks |
| cuello | neck |
| nuca | back of the neck |
| hombros | shoulders |
| brazos | arms |
| manos | hands |
| Dedos | fingers |
| uñas | nails |
| pecho / pechos | chest / breasts |
| These are some tricky words! Pechos is plural for pecho (“chest”), but it actually refers to “breasts.” |
| barriga | belly |
| espalda | back |
| cadera | hip |
| muslos | thigh |
| piernas | legs |
| pies | feet |
2 – Family
| familia | family |
| madre (Mamá) | mother (Mom) |
| padre (Papá) | father (Dad) |
| hijo / hija | son / daughter |
| hermano / hermana | brother / sister |
| abuelo / abuela | grandfather / grandmother |
| tío / tía | uncle / aunt |
| sobrino / sobrina | nephew / niece |
| primo / prima | cousin |
¡Una familia unida! (“A united family!”)
3 – Occupations
| maestro / maestra | teacher |
| profesor / profesora | professor |
| policía | policeman / policewoman |
| médico / doctor / doctora | doctor |
In Spanish, médico and doctor are used often equally. However, the phrase “to go to the doctor” is often said as “ir al médico” and, when you address the doctor directly you’ll refer to him or her as “doctor” or “doctora“, sometimes followed by his or her surname.
|
| enfermero / enfermera | nurse |
| abogado / abogada | lawyer |
| cocinero / cocinera | cook |
| camarero / camarera | waiter / waitress |
| empresario / empresaria | businessman / businesswoman |
| oficinista | office worker |
4 – Places Around Town
| hospital | hospital |
| mercado / supermercado | market / supermarket |
| escuela | school |
| museo | museum |
| oficina de correos | post office |
| universidad | university |
| comisaría | police station |
| estación de tren | train station |
| aeropuerto | airport |
| centro (de la ciudad) | city center / downtown |
In Spanish cities and towns, it’s common to refer to the old and central areas as el centro. It’s usually where there are the most tourist attractions and where rent is most expensive.
|
| afueras (de la ciudad) | outskirts |
Contrary to the concept of el centro, there is the concept of las afueras, which refers to the areas of a town or city that are farther away from the urban core.
|
5 – School and Office Essentials
| lápiz | pencil |
| rotulador | marker |
| bolígrafo | pen |
| You’ll rarely hear a student say the word bolígrafo. The diminutive boli is much more commonly used. |
| ordenador | computer |
| (ordenador) portátil | laptop |
To say “the laptop,” most Spanish speakers will say el portátil, but some may say ordenador too. Nowadays, laptops are more popular than traditional computers, so some people specify ordenador de sobremesa (literally, “on-desk computer”).
|
| libreta | notebook |
| folio | piece of paper |
| carpeta | folder |
| goma de borrar | eraser |
| marcador | highlighter |
| clip | paperclip |
| pizarra | blackboard / whiteboard / chalkboard / greenboard |
| pupitre | desk |
| This word is used to talk specifically about school desks. |
| mochila | backpack |
Lista para la escuela (“Ready for school”)
6 – Food
| verduras | vegetables |
| tomate | tomato |
| lechuga | lettuce |
| pimiento | pepper |
| berenjena | eggplant |
| patata | potato |
| alcachofa | artichoke |
| fruta | fruit |
| manzana | apple |
| pera | pear |
| plátano | banana |
| cerezas | cherries |
| sandía | watermelon |
| melón | melon |
| carne | meat |
| pescado | fish |
| leche | milk |
| queso | cheese |
| huevos | eggs |
| harina | flour |
| sal | salt |
| azúcar | sugar |
| aceite | oil |
| mantequilla | butter |
- → If you want to expand your vocabulary with even more essential nouns, you can start by reading SpanishPod101’s article on untranslatable Spanish words!
5. Verbs
Verbs are some of the most common and basic beginner Spanish words. Why is that? Because verbs are used to describe every action in our lives!
Here’s a list with over 50 verbs that will prove useful when you’re starting to speak Spanish. Did you know that in Spanish there are four different verbs that mean “to eat”? Keep reading!
- → At SpanishPod101.com, you can find free vocabulary lists to keep on learning!
1 – Basic Auxiliary Verbs
| haber | to have |
| ser | to be |
| estar | to be |
The verbs ser and estar both translate to the English verb “to be,” but they serve different functions.
Ser is used for permanent or lasting attributes, occupations, characteristics, origins, and relationships. It’s also used to give the time.
- Marta es una buena persona. → “Marta is a good person.”
- Son las dos de la tarde. → “It is two in the afternoon.”
On the other hand, estar is used for positions, locations, actions, conditions, and emotions:
- La ciudad de Moscú está en Rusia. → “The city of Moscow is in Russia.”
- Estoy haciendo la compra. → “I’m doing the grocery shopping.”
These auxiliary verbs are some of the most important Spanish words for beginners to learn. They’re used with main verbs to express the tense or to explain the way in which the verb is understood.
- He fregado los platos. → “I’m doing the dishes.”
- Estoy haciendo la compra. → “I’m doing the shopping.”
- La presidenta fue elegida por sus conciudadanos. → “The president was chosen by her fellow citizens.”
2 – Most Common Verbs
| tener | to have |
| Don’t mix up tener with haber!
Tener means “to have” in the sense of “to possess.” |
| hacer | to do / to make |
| poder | can |
| decir | to say |
| ir | to go |
3 – The Five Senses
| ver / mirar | to see / to watch |
| escuchar / oir | to hear / to listen |
| oler | to smell |
| degustar | to taste |
| tocar | to touch |
¿Qué ven esos ojos? (“What do those eyes see?”)
4 – Basic Actions
| caminar | to walk |
| correr | to run |
| hablar | to talk |
| decir | to say |
| contar | to tell |
| llamar | to call |
| escribir | to write |
| leer | to read |
| dar | to give |
| venir | to come |
| llegar | to arrive |
| marcharse | to leave |
| poner | to put |
| dejar | to leave / to put |
| Dejar is used in the sense of “leaving something” in a specific place. |
| quitar | to remove |
5 – Thoughts and Feelings
| saber | to know |
| conocer | to know |
| Both conocer and saber translate to the English verb “to know.” However, they’re used in very different situations.
Saber is used when the speaker knows a fact, piece of information, or how to do something. Conocer, on the other hand, is used when the speaker knows a person, place, or thing.
|
| sentir | to feel |
| querer / amar | to love |
| recordar | to remember |
| añorar | to miss |
| necesitar | to need |
| soñar | to dream |
| sufrir | to suffer |
| llorar | to cry |
| reir | to laugh |
6 – Daily Routine
| despertarse | to wake up |
| levantarse | to get up |
| ducharse | to shower |
| desayunar | to eat breakfast |
| almorzar | to eat lunch or second breakfast |
| comer | to eat (lunch) |
| cenar | to eat dinner |
| Spanish speakers use different verbs meaning “to eat,” depending on the meal they’re having.
The first meal of the day is desayuno, so the verb is always desayunar. Almorzar means “to eat lunch,” but most people nowadays use it to talk about a second meal you have between breakfast and lunch (could be the Spanish equivalent to “brunch”). Comer is the generic word for eating whatever and whenever, but if you say voy a comer you mean “I’m going to have lunch.” Lastly, the final meal of the day is la cena; when you eat dinner, you’ll say cenar. |
| beber | to drink |
| trabajar | to work |
| estudiar | to study |
| conducir | to drive |
| dormir | to sleep |
7 – Life and Death
| nacer | to be born |
| vivir | to live |
| respirar | to breathe |
| crecer | to grow (up) |
| morir | to die |
- → Learning the Spanish verb tenses can be overwhelming. But don’t worry, SpanishPod101 will help you master this subject in our Spanish Verb Conjugation Series.
¡Vivir es nacer a cada instante! -Erich Fromm (“To live is to be born every second!” -Erich Fromm)
6. Adjectives
Our next set of Spanish beginner words are adjectives. These colorful words can help you describe the world around you and strengthen the impact of your speaking or writing.
Spanish adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. In this table, you’ll find both genders in the format [ Masculine / Feminine ]. If you see only one, it means the masculine and feminine forms are identical.
Plurals, on the other hand, are rather predictable and follow the general rules of Spanish plural formation.
- → You might want to check out a more detailed article on Spanish adjectives for more grammar information and examples.
1 – Describing Objects
The following adjectives can be used to describe the physical attributes or aspects of objects, and are sometimes used to describe people and animals too.
| grande | big |
| pequeño / pequeña | small / little |
| largo / larga | long |
| pesado / pesada | heavy |
| Beware! Most of the time, when people use pesado or pesada to describe a person, they’re using it as an insult to call them “tiresome” or “annoying.” |
| ligero / ligera | light |
2 – Describing People
These adjectives, on the other hand, are mostly used to describe people. They can also describe animals where applicable.
| guapo / guapa | beautiful / pretty / handsome |
| atractivo / atractiva | attractive |
| alto / alta | tall |
| bajo / baja | short |
| delgado / delgada | thin |
| gordo / gorda | fat |
| joven | young |
| viejo / vieja | old |
| rubio / rubia | blond |
| moreno / morena | dark (skinned or haired) |
| pelirrojo / pelirroja | red-haired |
3 – Describing Emotions
| contento / contenta | happy / pleased |
| feliz | happy |
| emocionado / emocionada | excited / emotional |
| ilusionado / ilusionada | hopeful / excited |
| triste | sad |
| desanimado / desanimada | disheartened |
| deprimido / deprimida | depressed |
| ansioso / ansiosa | anxious / eager |
| aburrido / aburrida | bored |
| avergonzado / avergonzada | embarrassed / ashamed |
4 – Describing Weather
| lluvioso | rainy |
| nublado | cloudy |
| ventoso | windy |
| soleado | sunny |
7. Conjunctions
You can use conjunctions to connect words, clauses, and sentences.
- y → “and”
El perro y el gato → “The dog and the cat”
- ni → “nor”
Ni el perro ni el gato → “Not the dog nor the cat”
- pero → “but”
Quiero ir pero tengo que estudiar. → “I want to go but I have to study.”
- porque → “because”
Me marcho porque estoy cansado. → “I’m leaving because I’m tired.”Many people, even native Spanish speakers, mix up porque and por qué when they write, but they mean very different things! While porque means “because,” por qué means “why.”
- como → “like” / “as”
Pelean como el perro y el gato. → “They fight like dogs and cats.”
- ya que → “because” / “since”
Dejó los estudios ya que encontró un trabajo. → “She quit her degree because she got a job.”
- que → “that” / “who”
Mi madre es la persona que más me quiere. → “My mother is the person who loves me the most.”
Check out SpanishPod101’s lesson Spanish Conjunctions: But You Won’t Have Time! to learn about different types of conjunctions.
El perro y el gato (“The dog and the cat”)
8. Prepositions
- a → “to”
Me voy a dormir. → “I’m going to sleep.”
- de → “from” / “of”
Recibí una carta de mi abuelo. → “I received a letter from my grandad.”
- en → “in”
Pon la ropa en la lavadora. → “Put the clothes in the washing machine.”
- con → “with”
Han venido con sus amigos. → “They have come with their friends.”
- por → “by” / “for”
Este pastel está hecho por él mismo. → “This cake was made by himself.”
- sin → “without”
He venido sin abrigo. → “I came without a coat.”
- para → “for”
Mi sobrina dibujó esto para mí. → “My niece drew this for me.”
Mi sobrina dibujó esto para mí. (“My niece drew this for me.”)
9. Final Thoughts
In this guide to basic Spanish words for beginners, you’ve learned more than 200 of the most common Spanish words. These will prove useful as you get ready to handle your first conversations in Spanish!
How many of these words did you know already? Were any of them new to you? We look forward to hearing your thoughts!
If you want to take your Spanish learning journey further, don’t forget to check out SpanishPod101. We have plenty of free vocabulary lists to help you expand your Spanish vocabulary, as well as useful lessons ranging from Beginner Level to Advanced.
Enjoy the ride!