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• Spanish sentences using dar
• Spanish sentences using escribir
• Spanish sentences using estar
• Spanish sentences using gustar
• Spanish sentences using haber
• Spanish sentences using hablar
• Spanish sentences using hacer
• Spanish sentences using ir
• Spanish sentences using necesitar
• Spanish sentences using poder
• Spanish sentences using poner
• Spanish sentences using querer
• Spanish sentences using salir
• Spanish sentences using ser
• Spanish sentences using tener
• Spanish sentences using venir
• Spanish sentences using ver

Table of Contents

1. Overview of Word Order in Spanish
2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object
3. Word Order in Negative Sentences
4. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases
5. Word Order with Modifiers
6. Changing a Sentence into a Yes-or-No Question
7. Translation Exercises
8. How to Master Spanish with SpanishPod101.com

1. Overview of Word Order in Spanish

Basic Spanish language word order refers to the usual order in which words are found in a sentence. Even though the sentences that we use day-to-day may have other elements in them, to learn this basic order, there are three basic elements that we use as a reference. These three elements are the subject, verb, and object.

Despite Spanish being more flexible than English in this sense, our basic word order is the same: 

subject + verb + object (SVO)

Yo + me comí + la tarta

I + ate + the cake

Sometimes, we might want to emphasize one element or another in a sentence. This leads us to moving these around the sentence, but they will keep the same (or very similar) meaning. In English, because the ability to move words in a sentence is quite limited, emphasizing an element is accomplished by intonation. 

Let’s look at two sentences. The first one has basic word order, and the other one has a different order. In the second sentence, the emphasized word is marked in bold:

Example: Yo me comí la tarta. 

Translation: “I ate the cake.”

Example: Me la comí yo, la tarta.

Translation: “I ate the cake.”

There’s a way of modifying the English sentence to emphasize this element even more: “It is I that ate the cake.” However, this wouldn’t be an accurate translation of our example in Spanish, because in English, we’re not just moving an element around: we’re changing the whole structure. 

Did you notice that we actually added an extra word in our second Spanish sentence? If you did, we just want to say: Nice job! The word that we added was a pronoun, and don’t worry, we’ll explain it a little bit later.

We could still modify our sample sentence a bit more:

Example: La tarta me la comí yo.

Translation: “The cake, I ate.”

In this case, we can translate this new structure pretty much literally, but in English, we feel like this sounds quite unnatural. In Spanish, this is completely normal.

2. Basic Word Order with Subject, Verb, and Object

Now, let’s go more into detail about the most basic Spanish word order rules.

1 – Subject

Subject is the person or thing performing the action of the verb. It’s usually a noun phrase, such as a noun or a pronoun: Juan come espaguetis. (“Juan eats spaghetti.”) / Él come espaguetis. (“He eats spaghetti.”). 

Sometimes, the subject might be a verb: Cantar es divertido. (“Singing is fun.”). However, as we’ve explained in previous articles, in Spanish, a subject isn’t always necessary and we often drop pronouns when we already know who the subject is: Como espaguetis. (“I eat spaghetti.”). 

As we saw in our previous article about verb conjugation in Spanish, the verb como is conjugated, and considering the verb is conjugated in the first person singular, we know it means “I eat,” so there’s no possible confusion.

2 – Verb

The second element in Spanish word order is verbs. You know what verbs are, don’t you? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a verb is “a word or phrase that describes an action, condition, or experience.” 

To give you a few examples: cantar (“to sing”), comer (“to eat”), and hablar (“to talk”) are all verbs. Without them, language wouldn’t make much sense.

3 – Object

The third and last element in basic word order is something we call an object. It isn’t an indispensable element in a sentence, as some verbs don’t require objects, but it’s undoubtedly common and helps us define sentence structure. 

Cambridge defines an object as “a noun or noun phrase that is affected by the action of a verb or that follows a preposition.” In the sentence Juan come espaguetis. (“Juan eats spaghetti.”), spaghetti is the thing that is being eaten by Juan.

3. Word Order in Negative Sentences 

In some languages, negative sentences can completely change an affirmative sentence. Lucky for you, in this sense, Spanish happens to be quite simple. So, what is the Spanish word order for these negative sentences?

To form a regular negative sentence, all we need to do is add the word no, which in this context is equivalent to “not,” to an affirmative sentence. No is always found before the verb. To illustrate this, let’s use the same example we did before: Juan no come espaguetis. (“Juan does not eat spaghetti.”).

As you know, there are other ways of making a negative sentence. One example would be to add nunca (“never”): Juan nunca come espaguetis. (“Juan never eats spaghetti.”). As you can see, it follows exactly the same structure as the previous example. Simple, right? 

Well, there are many other negative words: nada (“nothing”), nadie (“nobody”), ninguno (“none”)… When we use these words, the structure is a bit different, because they can be used in different ways. They can act as subjects or as objects. 

For example: Nadie ha comido espaguetis. (“Nobody has eaten spaghetti.”). Here we find the word nadie before the verb, just as we saw in the previous negative sentences. However, that makes sense, because it acts as a subject. 

Since we’re mentioning this, we should explain that sometimes these words might be found after the verb, even if they’re a subject. Here are a few examples:

• No hay nadie. → “There isn’t anyone.”
• No hay nada. → “There isn’t anything.”
• No queda ninguno. → “There is none left.”

The negative word in bold in each of these examples is the subject of the sentence, even though it might not be as obvious as in the other examples we’ve seen. We could say that the word in bold is “the thing that isn’t.” 

As you might have noticed, the adverb no does appear at the beginning of the sentence, something that happens similarly in the English translation. As you’ll find out in our lesson “How to Be Negative?” in Spanish, it’s quite common to have more than one negative word in one sentence.

4. Word Order with Prepositional Phrases

Another element that needs to be taken into account when talking about word order is prepositional phrases. A prepositional phrase is a type of phrase that always begins with a preposition, such as en (“in,” “on,” “at”) or con (“with”). If you would like to find out more about prepositions, we have an article just for you! Check out our article about Spanish prepositions.

Prepositional phrases are usually found at the end of a sentence, but some of them can be placed at the beginning if you want to emphasize said phrase. Let’s look at some examples of Spanish word order that show this: 

Estudio español en casa. → “I study Spanish at home.”

But what if someone asked us: 

¿Dónde estudias español? → “Where do you study Spanish?”

In this case, a possible answer we could give them would be:

En casa, estudio español. → “At home, I learn Spanish.”

There are many other prepositional phrases we could add to the same sentence, even together, such as: 

Estudio español en casa con SpanishPod101.com. → “I study Spanish at home with SpanishPod101.com.”

5. Word Order with Modifiers

We’ve already seen a type of modifier, which were the ones that turned affirmative sentences into negative sentences. However, there are many more elements in sentences that we call modifiers. These include words such as articles, adjectives, and pronouns.

Determiners are easy, because they always go in front of a noun, just like in English. These are, among others, articles, numerals, and possessives. Let’s look at examples for these types of modifiers:

Articles: El hombre come espaguetis. → “The man eats spaghetti.”

Numerals: Dos hombres comen espaguetis. → “Two men eat spaghetti.”

Possessives: Mi padre come espaguetis. → “My father eats spaghetti.”

However, in Spanish word order, adjectives normally go after the noun, but there are exceptions. For example, in literature, especially poetry, it’s common to write the adjective before the noun. Check out our article on adjectives for more information!

El coche blanco es de mi padre. → “The white car is my dad’s.”

La hermosa princesa abrió los ojos. → “The beautiful princess opened her eyes.”

Pronouns can go either before or after the verb, depending on the kind of pronoun they are, or sometimes depending on what you feel like saying. As we learned in our previous article about pronouns, there are different kinds of pronouns in Spanish. Even though we also talked about the order they follow in that article, we’ll look at them again, one by one:

1 – Personal Pronouns

If you read the article we just mentioned, you might remember that there are many kinds of personal pronouns. 

a) Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns, which are the ones we use for the subject of a sentence, are always found before the verb. This is because, as we saw, in Spanish, the subject is always the first element in a sentence. 

Ellos quieren una casa nueva. → “They want a new house.”

b) Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns and Reflexive Pronouns

You probably remember that basic word order in Spanish is subject + verb + object, don’t you? Well, when a direct or indirect object is substituted by a pronoun, the pronoun is actually found before the verb. We’ll illustrate this with a few examples:

Direct object: 

Quieren una casa nueva. → La quieren.

“They want a new house.” → “They want it.”

Both direct and indirect objects: 

Traigo un regalo para mi madre. → Le traigo un regalo. → Se lo traigo.

“I bring a present for my mom.” → “I bring her a present.” → “I bring it to her.”

Reflexive pronouns work in a very similar way and they’re always found before the verb:

Mis padres se van de vacaciones. → “My parents are going on vacation.”  

c) Prepositional Pronouns

Prepositional pronouns follow the same rules that prepositional phrases do, so they can be in different locations inside a sentence depending on what you would like to emphasize.

Sin ti todo es diferente. → “Without you, everything is different.”

Todo es diferente sin ti. → “Everything is different without you.”

d) Possessive Pronouns

A possessive pronoun can be a subject or an object, so its order will depend on the function it does in the sentence:

El nuestro es ese. → “Ours is that one.”

La casa es nuestra. → “The house is ours.” 

2 – Demonstrative Pronouns

Just like what happened with possessive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns can be in different places in the same sentence, depending on their function.

Este es mi hermano. → “This is my brother.”

Nunca he estado ahí. → “I have never been there.”

3 – Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are pronouns that help us ask questions, and they’re always the first word in a question:

¿Qué quieres? → “What do you want?”

4 – Indefinite Pronouns

Once again, indefinite pronouns don’t have a specific position in a sentence, because that depends on their function.

Todos quieren dinero. → “Everyone wants money.”

Puedes preguntárselo a cualquiera. → “You can ask anyone.”

5 – Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns are never found in simple sentences. Rather, we find them in complex sentences. These pronouns always start the second part of the sentence, so they’ll always be in the middle. This might sound odd if you’re not sure what a relative pronoun is, but you’ll understand once you look at an example:

Esta es mi prima que vive en la ciudad. → “This is my cousin who lives in the city.”

6. Changing a Sentence into a Yes-or-No Question

In many languages, to transform a normal sentence into a yes-or-no question you must change it a fair bit, or change the order. In Spanish, this is way simpler. So, what is the Spanish word order in questions? Look at these examples:

Estudias español todos los días. → “You study Spanish every day.” 

¿Estudias español todos los días? → “Do you study Spanish every day?” 

As you probably noticed, it’s exactly the same structure. This doesn’t only happen with specific structures: it happens every time you turn a sentence, either affirmative or negative, into a yes-or-no question. 

We’re sure you enjoyed learning this, but you probably know that there are other kinds of questions. If you feel a bit lost when it comes to this topic, you might enjoy our lesson on 15 Questions You Should Know. 

7. Translation Exercises

We thought it would be useful to you to see how we transform a simple sentence into more complex sentences, and translate them to English. Below, you can see exactly what changes we make.

1. Bebiste agua. → “You drank water.”

2. Bebiste agua hace cinco minutos. → “You drank water five minutes ago.”

In this second sentence, the only thing we added was the time the action happened, hace cinco minutos, which means “five minutes ago.”

3. Bebiste dos botellas de agua hace cinco minutos. → “You drank two bottles of water five minutes ago.” 

In this third sentence, we made a bigger change. This time, what we’re drinking isn’t just water, but something slightly more specific: two bottles of water. The new object is dos botellas de agua instead of just agua.

4. ¿Bebiste dos botellas de agua hace cinco minutos? → “Did you drink two bottles of water five minutes ago?”

To end these examples, we thought it would be a good idea to show you once again how to turn an affirmative sentence into a question, to convince you that we don’t have to make any changes to it, just in case you didn’t believe us before!

8. How to Master Spanish with SpanishPod101.com

As we mentioned previously, Spanish word order is more flexible than English word order, so in some cases, if you don’t use our basic order, it might just seem as if you’re trying to emphasize some word or phrase in particular. The way we see it, it means you would have to try pretty hard to get it wrong! When learning a foreign language, this is exactly the kind of motivation you need.

For more information on Spanish word order, SpanishPod101.com has another short lesson on this as well! If you want to get a better understanding of Spanish grammar in general, also check out our relevant page.

No matter what your level is, give us a try and learn Spanish! From beginner to advanced, here you’ll find everything you need.

Before you go, let us know in the comments if there’s anything that’s still not clear about Spanish word order. We’ll do our best to help you out!

Definition of Spanish

related to the people, culture, or language of Spain

Examples of Spanish in a sentence

Baroque is a type of Spanish architecture developed in Madrid during the 16th century.

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As the Spanish approached the territory with their red and yellow flag, they prepared to claim the city and everything surrounding it for Spain.

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Spanish is a romance language spoken by over 400 million people, and not just in Spain but around the world.

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Because of the midday break in Spain, many Spanish workers do not officially leave the office until 8 p.m.

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A type of Spanish Music, Flamenco is the traditional folkloric sound of southern Spain.

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Other words in the Nationalities category:

Most Searched Words (with Video)

Put on your learning cap, grab a cup of coffee, and get comfy because we’re about to cover the 1,000 most common Spanish words for beginners! There are nearly a million words in the Spanish language, but luckily you don’t need to memorize them all to speak Spanish.

We’ve picked out the 1,000 most common Spanish words and created this categorized vocabulary guide so that you can effectively communicate in Spanish—even as a beginner!

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The Essentials

For any Spanish beginner, it’s always important to know the essentials. These are must-know words and phrases if you’ve just started learning. Take a look at these first words in our guide of the 1,000 most common Spanish words. 

• sí — yes
• no — no 
• ¿entiende(s)? — do you understand?
• no entiendo — i don’t understand
• no (lo) sé — i don’t know
• no tengo ni idea — i have no idea
• no hablo español — i don’t speak spanish
• estoy perdido(a) — i’m lost

Introduce Yourself

Introducing yourself is always one of the best ways to start speaking Spanish! That’s why we included these essential conversation starters into our list of the 1,000 most common Spanish words. 

• me llamo — my name is
• mi nombre es — my name is 
• soy…  — i’m…
• ¿cómo te llamas? — what is your name?
• (yo) soy de… — i am from…

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What’s Up

• ¿cómo está usted? — how are you? (formal)
• ¿cómo estás? — how are you? (informal)
• ¿qué tal? — how are you? (informal) / what’s up?
• ¿cómo te va? — how ‘s it going?
• ¿qué haces? — what are you doing?
• ¿qué pasa? — what ‘s happening?

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Responses

These common Spanish words and versatile replies make for an easy response to dozens of questions!

• ¿y tú? — and you?
• muy bien — very well
• así, así — so, so
• mal — bad
• como siempre — as always

Etiquette Words

• ¡de nada! — you’re welcome! / no problem!
• por favor — please
• ¡perdon! — excuse me!
• ¡disculpe! — excuse me!
• ¡lo siento! — sorry! 
• gracias  — thank you
• salud — bless you

Question Words

• ¿qué…? — what?
• ¿quién…? — who?
• ¿cuándo…? — when?
• ¿dónde…? — where?
• ¿por qué…? — why?
• ¿cuál? — which?
• ¿cómo…? — how?

Spanish Pronouns

• Yo — I
• tú (informal) — you
• usted (formal) — you
• él — he
• ella — she
• nosotros/nosotras — we
• ustedes — you all
• ellos — they
• ellas(females) — they 

Greetings

• hola — hello
• buenos días — good morning
• buenas tardes — good afternoon
• buenas noches — good evening / good night

Talking About Age

• (yo) tengo … años — i am … years old.
• old — viejo/a
• young — joven
• middle-aged — de mediana edad
• youthful — juvenil
• nuevo/a – new  

Celebrate!

• ¡feliz cumpleaños! — happy birthday!
• ¡felicitaciones! — congratulations!
• ¡diviértete! — have fun!
• ¡buen provecho! — bon appetit!
• ¡bienvenidos! / ¡bienvenidas! — welcome!
• salud! — cheers!

Say Good-Bye

• adiós — goodbye
• chao — goodbye
• hasta luego — see you later (most likely today)
• hasta mañana — see you tomorrow
• nos vemos — see you (informal)
• ¡cuídate mucho! — take care!
• ¡tenga un buen día! — have a nice day!
• ¡hasta luego! — see you soon!
• ¡buen viaje! — have a good trip!

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Time Words

No list of the 1,000 most common Spanish words would be complete without time words. 

Days of the Week

• Domingo — Sunday
• Lunes — Monday
• Martes — Tuesday
• Miércoles — Wednesday
• Jueves — Thursday
• Viernes — Friday
• Sabado — Saturday

Months of the Year

• Enero — January
• Febrero — February
• Marzo — March
• Abril — April
• Mayo — May
• Junio — June
• Julio — July
• Agosto — August
• Septiembre — September
• Octubre — October
• Noviembre — November
• Diciembre — December

Other Time Words

• anteayer — day before yesterday
• ayer — yesterday
• el año — year
• el día — day
• el mes — month
• el siglo — century
• la hora — hour
• hoy — today
• la semana — week
• madrugada — dawn, very early in the morning
• mañana — tomorrow
• mañana — morning
• medianoche — midnight
• mediodia — noon
• el minuto — minute
• la noche — night
• el pasado mañana — day after tomorrow
• los segundos — seconds
• la tarde — afternoon

Family Words

This Spanish vocab helps you talk about your relatives.

Nuclear Family

• el padre — father
• el papá —  dad
• la madre  — mother
• la mamá — mom
• el hermano —  brother
• la hermana — sister
• el hijo  — son
• la hija  — daughter
• la familia cercana —  close family

Extended Family

• el abuelo  — grandfather
• la abuela  — grandmother
• el bisabuelo — great-grandfather
• la bisabuela — great-grandmother
• la nieta — granddaughter
• el nieto — grandson
• el tío — uncle
• la tía — aunt
• el tío abuelo — great-uncle
• la tía abuela — great-aunt
• el primo — cousin (male)
• la prima — cousin (female)
• mis parientes — my relatives

Family Verbs

• abrazar — to hug
• amar — to love
• reír — to laugh
• perdonar — to forgive

Action Verbs

• empezar —  to start
• seguir — to follow
• abrir —  to open
• buscar — to search
• cantar — to sing
• cerrar — to close
• destruir — to destroy
• dormir — to sleep
• encontrar — to find
• esconder — to hide
• esperar — to wait
• faltar — to miss
• hacer — to do 
• intentar — to try
• llamar — to call
• llevar — to take
• llorar — to cry
• luchar — to fight
• mentir — to lie
• odiar — to hate
• recibir — to receive
• reconocer — to recognize
• robar — to steal
• salvar — to save
• sonreír — to smile
• soñar — to dream
• tomar — to take
• Vivir — to live

The Five Senses

Spice up your Spanish with these common words for your senses. 

Sound

• tranquilo/a – quiet
• ruidoso/a – loud
• gritar — to shout
• escuchar — to hear
• silencio — silence
• alto — loud
• bajo — soft
• ensordecedor — deafening
• agudo — sharp, high-pitched
• grave — low-pitched
• melodioso — melodious
• armónico — harmonic
• zumbido — buzz
• sordo — deaf
• duro de oíd — hard of hearing
• oído fino — acute hearing
• problemas de audición — hearing-impaired
• fuera de alcance —  out of earshot

Sight

• ver — to see
• mirar — to look
• de colores— colorful
• blanco y negro — black and white
• brillante — bright
• apagado — dim
• claro — light
• oscuro — dark
• ciego — blind
• mirar fijamente — to stare
• echar un vistazo — to glance
• bizquear — to squint
• guiñar — to wink
• parpadear — to blink

Touch

• tocar — to touch
• agarrar — to grab
• suave — soft
• áspero(a) — rough
• liso(a) — smooth
• rugoso(a) — wrinkled
• pegajoso(a) — sticky
• punzante — sharp
• sedoso(a) — silky
• esponjoso(a) — spongy
• mullido(a) — fluffy
• hormigueo — tingle
• entumecido(a) — numb
• rozar — to touch gently
• acariciar — to caress
• agarrar — to grab

Smell

• olor — smell
• el perfume — scent
• la fragancia — fragrance
• el hedor — stench
• apestoso(a) — smelly
• fresco(a)  — fresh
• acre — pungent
• húmedo(a) — musty
• podrido(a) — rotten
• ahumado(a) — smoky
• apestar — to stink

Taste

• gusto —- taste
• sabor — flavor
• probar — try
• sabroso  — está sabrosa
• delicioso —  delicious 
• perfecto  —  perfect
• apetitoso  — appetizing
• dulce  — sweet
• dulzón —  sugary 
• soso  — bland

Describing Words

Distance

• abierto/a – open 
• ancho/a – wide
• estrecho/a – narrow
• lejano/a – far
• cercano/a – close

Personality and Emotions

• alegre – joyful
• gracioso/a – funny, amusing
• serio/a – serious
• tímido/a – shy
• valiente – brave
• loco/a – crazy
• contento(a) — content
• feliz — happy
• preocupado(a) — worried
• nervioso(a) — nervous
• tranquilo(a) — tranquil
• calmado(a) — calm
• emocionado(a) — excited

Physical Adjectives

Hair

• largo/a — long
• corto/a — short
• liso/a — straight
• rizado/a — curly
• ondulado/a — wavy
• castaño/a — brown
• rubio/a — blonde
• pelirrojo/a — red
• negro/a — black
• canoso/a — grey
• abundante — thick
• fino/a — thin
• escalado/a — layered
• teñido/a — dyed
•  saludable — healthy
• claro/a — light
• encrespado/a — frizzy
• brillante — shiny
• calvo/a — bald

Size

• grande – big
• pequeño/a – small  
• enorme – huge 
• delgado/a — lean
• esbelto/a — slender
• flaco/a — skinny
• menudo/a — petite
• alto/a — tall
• bajo/a — short

Looks

• hermoso/a — beautiful 
• guapo/a — handsome 
• feo/a — ugly  
• adorable — cute  
• bonita — pretty  
• impresionante — stunning
• poco atractivo/a — plain  
• promedio/a — average  
• atractivo/a — attractive  

Colors

• negro —  black
• marrón / café —  brown
• gris — grey
• blanco — white
• amarillo —  yellow
• anaranjado — orange
• rojo — red
• rosado —  pink
• morado / púrpura — purple
• azul —  blue
• verde — green

Arts and Crafts

• colorear — to color
• construir — to construct
• cortar — to cut
• coser — to sew
• dibujar — to draw
• pintar — to paint

Numbers

• cero — zero
• uno — one
• dos — two
• tres — three
• cuatro — four
• cinco —  five
• seis — six
• siete — seven
• ocho —  eight
• nueve — nine
• diez — ten

Animals

This animal vocab will help you talk about animals both on land and in the ocean!

Farm Animals

• el gato — cat
• el perro — dog
• el conejo — rabbit
• el pollo — chicken
• la gallina — hen
• el gallo —  rooster
• la vaca —  cow
• el toro —  bull
• la oveja —  sheep
• el caballo — horse
• el cerdo — pig
• la cabra —  goat
• el burro —  donkey
• el ratón —  mouse

Forest Animals

• el ciervo —  deer
• el mapache —  raccoon
• la ardilla -— squirrel
• el búho —  owl
• el zorro —  fox
• el lobo —  wolf
• el oso —  bear

Ocean Animals

• el cangrejo — crab
• la medusa — jellyfish
• el delfín —  dolphin
• la ballena —  whale
• el tiburón —  shark
• la foca —  seal
• el lobo marino —  sea lion
• la morsa —  walrus
• el pingüino — penguin

Travel

• el viaje — trip
• el equipaje  — bags
• la salida — exit
• la llegada — arrival
• los documentos de identidad — id papers
• el billete de avión — boarding pass
• el hotel — hotel
• el permiso de conducir — driver’s license
• echar gasolina — to get gas
• viajar — to travel
• volver — to return
• ir — to go
• salir — to leave
• parar — to stop
• partir — to depart
• porter(a) — doorman
• hostia — hostess
• botones — bellhop
• anfitriona— airline hostess

Transportation

• el avión —  airplane
• el coche —  car
• la bicicleta — bicycle
• la motocicleta — motorcycle
• el tren —  train
• el metro/subte —  subway
• el autobús — bus
• el barco — ship
• taxista — taxi driver
• revisor(a) — train conductor
• dependiente de gas — gas station attendant
• conductor(a) — driver, chauffeur 
• camionero(a) — truck driver

Weather

• el sol —  the sun
• las nubes —  the clouds
• la niebla — the fog
• la neblina — the mist
• la lluvia —  the rain
• la llovizna — the drizzle
• la tormenta —  the storm
• el tornado —  the tornado
• el trueno — the thunder
• el relámpago — the lightning strike
• el rayo — the lightning bolt
• el viento — the wind
• la brisa — the breeze
• el granizo — the hail
• el hielo — the ice
• la nieve —  the snow
• el calor —  the heat
• el frío —  the cold
• la humedad — the humidity
• la temperatura — the temperature
• el pronóstico — the forecast

Weather Verbs

• llover  —  to rain
• lloviznar  —  to drizzle
• diluviar  — to pour down
• granizar  — to hail
• nevar  —  to snow

Seasons

• el invierno  —  winter
• la primavera  —  spring
• el verano —  summer
• el otoño  —  fall

Business

• carta de motivación  — cover letter
• el cv  — resume
• la firma  — firm
• el negocio  — business
• la compañía  — company
• el jefe  — boss
• el empleado  — employee
• trabajar  — to work
• negociar — to negotiate
• consultor(a) —  consultant
• dueño(a) — owner

Careers

• abogado(a) — lawyer
• arquitecto(a) — architect
• bombero(a) — fireman
• campesino(a) — farm worker
• carpintero(a) — carpenter
• cartero(a) — postal worker
• casero(a) — landlord
• científico(a) — scientist
• cocinero(a) — cook, chef
• consejero (a) — counselor  
• constructor (a) — construction worker
• contador(a) — accountant/bookkeeper 
• doméstico(a) —  maid
• detective — detective
• director, revisor, redactor(a) — editor
• electricista — electrician
• escritor / autor(a) — writer / author
• vaquero, tropero(a) — cowboy
• manejador(a) — manager
• granjero(a) — farmer
• ingeniero(a) — engineer
• jardinero(a) — gardener
• jefe — boss
• juez — judge
• lavandero(a) — laundry person
• marinero(a) —  merchant marine
• mecánico (a) — mechanic
• camarero(a) — waiter
• padre — priest
• panadero(a) — baker
• pastor(a) — pastor/minister
• periodista — reporter/journalist
• pescador(a) — fisherman
• pintor(a) — painter
• plomero(a) — plumber
• Policía — policeman
• programador(a) — computer programmer 
• dueño(a) — owner
• químico(a) — chemist
• ranchero(a) — rancher
• rebuscador(a) — researcher
• reparador(a) — repairman
• técnico(a) de laboratorio — lab technician
• trabajador(a) de fábrica — factory worker
• veterinario(a) — veterinarian

Sports

• ir al gimnasio — go to the gym
• ir de caminata — go hiking
• levantar pesas — lift weight
• mantenerse en forma — to stay in shape
• practicar — to practice
• nadar — to swim
• el yoga — yoga
• el fútbol — soccer
• el fútbol americano — football
• el béisbol — baseball
• el baloncesto — basketball
• el golf — golf
• el hockey — hockey
• el tenis — tennis
• el voleibol — volleyball
• luchar — to wrestle/to fight
• correr — to run
• esquiar — to ski
• el partido — game/match
• la carrera — race
• el torneo — tournament

Sports Verbs

• patear — to kick
• saltar — to jump
• parar — to stop/to block
• balancear — to swing
• servir — to serve
• rematar — to spike
• pegar — to hit
• driblar — to dribble
• tirar — to throw
• agarrar — to catch
• ganar — to win
• perder — to lose
• empatar — to tie
• caminar — to walk
• bailar — to dance
• jugar — to play
• competir — to compete

Time to Eat!

These common Spanish words for food will leave you hungry for more Spanish!

Food and Drink

• la comida — food 
• las bebidas — drinks
• las verduras — vegetables
• las frutas — fruits
• cocinar — to cook
• tengo hambre — i’m hungry
• tengo sed — i’m thirsty

Meats

• la res —  beef
• el pollo — chicken
• la gallina — chicken 
• el cordero —  lamb
• la barbacoa —  grilled
• el cerdo — pork
• el perrito caliente — hot dog
• el jamón — ham
• la hamburguesa — hamburger
• el tocino —  bacon
• el pescado — fish

Vegetables

• la zanahoria —  carrot
• la lechuga —  lettuce
• el tomate — tomato
• la maíz — corn
• la papa — potato
• la patata  — potato
• las papas —  french fries
• las patatas fritas —  french fries
• el brocoli —  broccoli
• la espinaca —  spinach
• la cebolla —  onion
• la col —  cabbage
• la ensalada — salad
• la aceituna —  olive
• las calabacitas —  squash
• el hongo —  mushroom
• el pepino —  cucumber

Fruits

• la manzana —  apple
• la pera —  pear
• la fresa —  strawberry
• la frambuesa —  raspberry
• la zarzamora — blackberry
• el arándano —  blueberry
• el arándano rojo — cranberry
• la naranja —  orange
• la mandarina —  tangerine
• la toronja —  grapefruit
• el limón —  lemon
• la lima —  lime
• el plátano —  banana
• la piña —  pineapple
• el coco —  coconut
• el mango —  mango
•  la papaya — papaya

Drinks

• la cerveza —  beer
• el refresco —  pop, soft drink
• el té —  tea
• el té helado —  iced tea
• el café —  coffee
• la leche —  milk
• el agua —  water
• el jugo — juice
• el batido —  milkshake

Desserts

• el chocolate —  chocolate
• los dulces —  candy
• el pastel —  cake
• las galletas —  cookies
• el helado —  ice cream
• el churros con chocolate —  chocolate churros
• el basque cheesecake —  cheesecake

Utensils

• el plato —  plate
• el plato hondo —  bowl
• el vaso —  glass
• la copa —  cup
• el tenedor —  fork
• la cuchara —  spoon
• el cuchillo —  knife
• la servilleta —  napkin

Taste

• dulce — sweet
• salado(a) — savory
• rico(a) — delicious

Meals

• el desayuno — breakfast
• el almuerzo — lunch
• la cena — dinner
• el tentempié — snack

Clothing

• la prenda, la ropa — clothes
• los zapatos — shoes
• el pantalón — pants
• la camiseta / la camisa — shirt
• la chaqueta — jacket
• la falda — skirt
• el suéter — sweater
• el vestido — dress

Holidays and Parties

• la navidad — christmas
• el año nuevo— new year
• la pascua —  easter
• el día de san valentín — valentine’s day
• el día de la madre — mother’s day
• el día del padre — father’s day
• el día de la independencia — independence day
• el día de acción de gracias — thanksgiving
• el cumpleaños — birthday
• la fiesta — the party
• la boda — the wedding

Parts of the Body

• el cuerpo humano — the human body
• la cabeza — head
• el pecho — chest
• el oído / la oreja — ear
• el ojo — eye
• la cara — face
• la mano — hand
• la boca — mouth
• el pie —  foot
• la espalda —  back
• el pelo  —  hair
• el codo — elbow
• el dedo — finger
• la pantorrilla — calf
• la pierna — leg
• la muñeca — wrist
• el talón — heel
• el brazo — arm
• el cuello — neck
• el tobillo — ankle
• la frente — forehead
• el muslo — thigh
• la barba — beard
• el bigote — mustache
• la lengua — tongue
• el dedo del pie — toe
• la cintura — waist
• la cadera — hip
• las nalgas — buttocks
• el pulgar — thumb
• la rodilla — knee
• la nariz — nose
• la mejilla, el cachete — cheek
• los labios — lips
• el hombro — shoulder
• la barbilla, el mentón — chin
• las cejas — eyebrows
• las pestañas — eyelashes
• el ombligo  — belly button
• la piel  — skin
• el vientre — stomach
• la garganta — throat
• los dientes/las muelas — teeth

Transition Words

Connect your Spanish ideas with these transition words and your sentences will begin to flow with ease!

Time and Place

• al principio — at the beginning
• en primer lugar — firstly
• para comenzar — to start
• antes — before
• después — after
• a continuación  — in continuation
• mientras tanto — meanwhile
• al final — at the end

Add an Idea

• además — additionally
• aparte de — apart from
• asimismo — at the same time
• también — also
• de igual manera  — in the same way

Compare contrast

• pero  — but
• sin embargo  — however
• no obstante  — nevertheless
• por otro lado  — on the other hand
• aunque  — even though
• a pesar de  — despite

Location Words

Wherever you are, you’ll want to be able to talk about your location in Spanish. 

Prepositions

• dentro de — inside of
• encima de/sobre — on top of
• debajo de — underneath of
• delante de — in front of
• detrás de — behind
• entre — between
• en — in/on/at
• dentro de — inside of
• fuera de — outside of
• arriba de — above
• en medio de — in the middle of
• cerca de — close to
• lejos de — far from
• al lado de — next to
• alrededor de — around
• a la izquierda de — to the left of
• a la derecha de — to the right of

Location Verbs

• estar — to be
• colocar — to place
• ubicar — to position
• poner — to put
• situar — to place

Here and There

• aquí, acá — here
• ahí — there
• allí — there
• allá — over there

Directions

• el este — east
• el norte — north
• el oeste — west
• el sur — south

School

Classroom Objects

Check out this classroom vocabulary for some of the 1,000 most common Spanish words.

• la clase — classroom
• el aula — classroom
• la pizarra — blackboard
• el pizarrón — whiteboard
• la tiza — chalk
• el marcador — marker
• el borrador — eraser 
• el escritorio — desk
• el pupitre — desk
• la silla — chair
• la mochila —  backpack
• el libro — book
• el cuaderno — notebook
• el papel — paper
• el lápiz — pencil
• los lápices de colores — coloring pencils
• el sacapuntas — pencil sharpener
• el bolígrafo — pen
• la goma — eraser 
• las tijeras — scissors
• la cola/el pegamento — glue
• la regla — ruler
• la grapadora — stapler
• el estuche — pencil case

Classroom Activities

• estudiar — to study
• repasar — to revise
• aprender —  to learn
• saber — to know
• hacer los deberes — to do homework
• hacer la tarea  — to do homework
• leer — to read
• escribir — to write
• hablar — to speak
• decir — to say
• preguntar — to ask
• charlar — to chat
• dictar — to dictate
• deletrear —  to spell
• contar — to count
• faltar — to miss school
• aprobar —  to pass a subject/a test
• reprobar— to fail a subject/a test
• prestar —  to lend
• tomar prestado — to borrow
• traer — to bring
• enseñar — to teach
• mostrar — to show
• nombrar — to name
• ayudar — to help

Places in a School

• la escuela — school
• el colegio — school
• el gimnasio — gym
• el patio — playground
• el baño — restroom
• el pasillo — hallway
• la biblioteca — library
• la oficina  —  office
• la sala de profesores — staff room
• el comedor — cafeteria
• la cocina — kitchen
• la enfermería — infirmary
• el laboratorio — lab

People in a School

• maestro/a — teacher (primary school)
• profesor/a — teacher (secondary school)
• entrenador/a — coach
• enfermero/a — nurse
• director/a —  principal
• alumno/a — student
• estudiante —  student

More School Words

• el almuerzo —  lunch
• el recreo —  recess
• las vacaciones —  vacations
• la comida —  food
• el casillero —  locker
• la materia —  subject
• la matemática —  math
• la biología —  biology
• la química —  chemistry
• la física —  physics
• la educación física —  physical education
• la historia —  history
• la literatura —  literature
• la prueba — test
• el examen —  exam
• la nota — grade
• la calificación — grade

Technology

• un ordenador (Spain)  — a computer
• una computadora (Latin America) —  a computer
• una tableta  —  a tablet
• una impresora  —   a printer
•  el ratón  —   the mouse
• apagar  —   to turn on
• encender  —   to turn off
• el disco duro   —  the hard drive
• el teclado   —  the keyboard
• la tecla  —   the key
• los auriculares   —  headphones
• el micrófono  —   the mic
•  la pantalla  —   the screen
•  la cámara  —   the camera
• los altavoces  —  the speakers
• una aplicación  —   an app
•  base de datos  —   database
• las redes sociales  —   social networks
• el enlace   —  the link
• subir  —   to upload
• guardar  —   to save
• borrar  —   to delete
• hacer click  —   to click
• bajar/descargar   —  to download
• buscar en Google   —  search on Google
• pirata informático —   hacker
• contraseña   —  password

Home Sweet Home!

Household vocabulary is an important part of the 1,000 most common Spanish words so that you can talk about the place where you spend most of your time.

• la casa — house, home
• el hogar — home
• la habitación  — bedroom
• el cuarto  — bedroom
• el dormitorio  — bedroom
• la sala  — living room 
• el comedor  — dining room
• la cocina  — kitchen
• el baño  — bathroom
• el pasillo  — hallway 
• el jardín  — yard, garden
• el garaje  — garage
• cómodo/a  — comfortable  
• acogedor  — cozy
• desordenado/a  — messy
• limpio/a  — clean 

Bathroom 

• la pasta de dientes — toothpaste
• el cepillo de dientes — toothbrush
• el jabón — soap
• el secador de pelo — hair dryer
• el champú — shampoo
• el cepillo — brush
• el papel higiénico — toilet paper
• la toalla — towel
• el agua jabonosa — soapy water
• la bolsa de basura — trash bag
• el cubo de basura — trash can
• el cesto de la ropa sucia — laundry basket
• la navaja de afeitar — razor
• la maquinilla de afeitar eléctrica — electric razor
• la crema de afeitar — shaving cream
• el enjuague bucal — mouthwash
• el cepillo de pelo — hair brush
• el peine — comb
• el limpiador facial — facial cleanser
• la balanza— scale
• el pañuelo de papel — tissue
• los juguetes de baño — bath toys
• la alfombra de baño — bath mat
• la ducha — shower
• la bañera — bathtub
• el fregadero — sink
• el inodoro — toilet
• el grifo — faucet
• el espejo — mirror
• peinar — to comb

Kitchen Verbs

• cocinar —  to cook
• comer — to eat
• adobar —  to marinate
• sazonar —  to season
• lavar — to wash
• cortar —  to cut
• pelar —  to peel
• picar —  to chop
• moler —  to grind
• incorporar — to add
• mezclar — to mix
• catir —  to whisk
• licuar —  to blend
• combinar —  to combine
• freír — to fry
• hervir —  to boil  
• colar — to strain
• cocer — to cook
• hornear — to bake 
• asar —  to grill / roast
• saltear — to saute
• preparar — to prepare
• descongelar — to defrost
• quemar —  to burn
• tostar —  to toast
• derretir — to melt
• rodajear —  to slice
• calentar —  to warm up / heat
• rellenar —  to fill / stuff
• lavar —  to wash
• limpiar —  to clean
• desayunar — to have breakfast
• cenar — to have dinner

Bedroom 

• la puerta —  the door
• el armario — the wardrobe
• la estantería — the shelf
• la ventana — the window
• las cortinas —  the curtains
• el escritorio —  the desk
• el ordenador —  the computer
• la cama — the bed
• el cojín — the pillow
• el edredón — the quilt
• las sábanas — the bedding
• la almohada — the pillowcase
• la lámpara — the lamp
• la mesilla de noche — the night table or nightstand
• el espejo — the mirror
• el cuadro — the painting

Living Room

• la puerta — the door
• el armario —  the wardrobe
• la estantería —  the shelf
• la ventana —  the window
• las cortinas — the curtains
• la mesa —  the table
• la silla — the chair
• el sillón — armchair
• la alfombra — the carpet or rug
• la lámpara — the lamp
• la planta — the plant
• las flores — the flowers
• la chimenea — the chimney
• el suelo — the ground
• el techo — the ceiling

Shopping

• dependiente/a — shop assistant
• caja — checkout
• rebajas — sales
• ocasión — bargain
• recibo — receipt
• probadores — dressing room
• tamaño — size
• tienda de ropa — clothing store
• zapatería — shoe store
• librería — bookstore
• almacén — department store
• supermercado — supermarket
• joyería — jeweler
• juguetería —  toy store
• almacenero(a) — grocer
• comerciante (a) — merchant
• tendero(a) — shopkeeper
• dependiente — clerk
• cajero(a) — cashier

Talk About Your Health in Spanish

If you ever get sick abroad or have an emergency in a Spanish-speaking country, these health words will come in handy! Health vocabulary is an essential part of the 1,000 most common Spanish words.

Healthcare Professionals

• los cuidados de la salud — healthcare
• el dentista — dentist
• el doctor/a — doctor
• el enfermero/a — nurse
• el médico general — general practitioner
• el médico de cabecera — general practitioner
• el médico especialista — specialist
• el/la nutricionista — nutritionist
• el/la paciente — patient
• el/la paramédico — paramedic
• quiropráctico(a) — chiropractor 
• el/la pediatra — pediatrician 
• el psicólogo/a — psychologist
• los primeros auxilios — first aid
• la salud — health

Healthcare Services

• la ambulancia — ambulance
• la aseguradora — insurance carrier
• el centro de salud — clinic
• la clínica — clinic
• la farmacia — drug store
• droguería — drug store
• el hospital — hospital
• el pabellón — ward
• la sala de espera — waiting room
• la sala de operaciones — operating room
• el sanatorio — sanatorium

Illnesses and Injuries

• la alergía — allergy
• la  asfixia — suffocation
• el asma — asthma
• el ataque al corazón/paro cardiaco — heart attack
• el calambre — muscle cramp
• el cancer — cancer
• el chinchón— head bump
• el corte — cut
• la deshidratación — dehydration
• la diabetes — diabetes 
• la diarrea — diarrhea
• el dolor — ache/pain
• el dolor de cabeza — headache
• el dolor de garganta — sore throat 
• el dolor de estómago — stomach ache
• el dolor de diente — toothache
• la enfermedad — disease
• la enfermedad cardiaca — heart disease 
• la enfermedad infecciosa — infectious disease
• los escalofríos— shaking chills
• la fractura — fracture
• la fiebre — fever
• la gripe — flu
• la herida — wound
• la hipotermia — hypothermia
• la infección — infection
• el malestar — discomfort
• el morete/moretón — bruise
• la náusea — nausea
• el raspón — graze
• el resfriado — cold
• el sangrado — bleeding
• la tos — cough
• el virus — virus
• el vomito — vomit

Start Today!

You now have the 1,000 most common Spanish words in your language toolbox! Start practicing these new words with a professional teacher today. Sign up for a free trial class and find out for yourself just how easy it is to learn Spanish. Our friendly, native-speaking teachers are experienced at working with beginners and will have you speaking Spanish in no time! 

Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!