What is the word for you in spanish

How do you say «you» in Spanish? The answer isn’t as simple as it may appear: That’s because Spanish has 13 pronouns you can use to address other people, all of which can be translated by «you.»

Distinguishing Between Types of ‘You’

First and most obviously, there are singular and plural forms, which aren’t distinguished in the English word except through context. (In other words, you can use «you» when talking to one person or to more than one.) Learning these should be straightforward for most English speakers, since we’re already used to singular and plural forms for other pronouns.

But Spanish also has formal and informal (also called «familiar») ways of saying «you,» the usage depending on the person you’re talking to and/or the circumstances. Again, the difference doesn’t come across in translating to English, but if you use the informal «you» where the formal is required, you run the risk of sounding presumptuous or even arrogant.

Also, the English «you» can be used not only the subject of a sentence, but also as a object of a verb or preposition. In Spanish, the corresponding word used can vary among those functions as shown in this chart:

Formal or Informal ‘You’?

An easy-to-understand way of looking at formal-vs.-informal forms—although keep in mind that there are exceptions—is that when speaking with one person you can use the informal forms under roughly the same circumstances where you can use a person’s first name in English. Of course, when that is can vary with age, social status, and the country or culture you are in.

More specifically, the singular informal tú (as the subject of a sentence) is used when speaking with family members, children, pets, friends, or close acquaintances, while usted is used when speaking with others. In Christianity, tú also is used when addressing God in prayer. When speaking to anyone else, use usted.

Tú can also be used contemptuously when speaking to a stranger; for example, a criminal may use the informal in addressing a victim as a way of belittling. An authority figure might also use tú as a way of reinforcing the idea of who is in charge.

Obviously, the common uses of tú suggest a certain amount of intimacy. But the degree of intimacy varies with region. In some places, people of similar social status will start using tú upon meeting, while in other areas doing so might seem presumptuous. If you’re uncertain which to use, it is usually better to use usted unless or until the person starts speaking to you using tú, in which case it is usually OK to reciprocate. Spanish even has a verb, tutear, meaning to address someone using tú. The verb for speaking to someone formally is ustedear.

The plural forms (for sentence subjects) are the informal vosotros and the formal ustedes. Generally, in most of Spain the difference between formal and informal when speaking to more than one person is the same as specified above. However, in most of Latin America, the formal ustedes is used regardless of the persons you’re speaking to. In other words, vosotros is seldom used in everyday life for most Latin Americans.

Here are simple examples of how these pronouns might be used:

• Katrina, ¿quieres tú comer? (Katrina, do you want to eat?)
• Señora Miller, ¿quiere usted comer? (Mrs. Miller, do you want to eat?)
• Spain: Katrina y Pablo, ¿queréis vosotros comer? (Katrina and Pablo, do you want to eat?)
• Latin America: Katrina y Pablo, ¿quieren ustedes comer? (Katrina and Pablo, do you want to eat?)
• Señora Miller y señor Delgado, ¿quieren ustedes comer? (Mrs. Miller and Mr. Delgado, do you want to eat?)

In the above sentences, the pronouns have been included for clarity. In real life, the pronouns are often omitted because the context would make clear who the subject of each sentence is.

Translating ‘You’ As an Object

As shown in the chart above usted, vosotros, and ustedes are used as objects of prepositions as well as subjects. In the singular familiar form, however, ti (not tú) is used. Note that there is no accent mark on ti.

• Voy a andar desde aquí hasta usted. (I’m going to walk from here toward you. «You» is singular and formal.)
• Voy a votar por ti. (I’m going to vote for you, singular informal.)
• El libro está ante ustedes. (The book is in front of you, plural formal.)
• Este es para vosotros. (This is for you, plural informal.)

Direct objects meaning «you» are differentiated by gender when «you» is formal but not when informal:

• Lo veo. (I see you, singular masculine formal.)
• La encontré. (I found you, singular feminine formal.)
• Te quiero. (I love you, singular informal.)
• Los veo. (I see you, plural masculine formal.)
• Las encontré. (I found you, plural feminine formal.)
• Os quiero. (I love you, plural informal.)

The informal indirect objects are the same as the informal indirect objects. Le and les are used for the formal indirect objects.

• Te compré un regalo. (I bought you a gift, singular informal.)
• Le hice una galleta. (I made you a cookie, singular formal.)
• Les compró dos boletos. (I bought you two tickets, plural formal.)
• Os doy un coche. (I am giving you a car, plural informal.)

Using Vos

In some parts of Latin America, particularly Argentina and parts of Central America, the pronoun vos replaces or partly replaces tú. In some areas, vos implies greater intimacy than tú does, and in some areas it has its own verb forms. As a foreigner, however, you’ll be understood using tú even where vos is common.

Key Takeaways

• Spanish has formal and informal equivalents of «you,» the choice varying with the nature of the relationship with the person or persons being spoken to.
• Spanish distinguishes between singular and plural forms of «you.»
• In the plural form, Latin Americans normally use the formal ustedes where Spaniards would use the informal vosotros.

In English you can say you to practically any person or group of people, whether you know them or not.

In Spanish, however, there are many ways to say you, and they vary depending on the formality of the relationship between the speaker(s) and listener(s), how many people are being spoken to, and even what country the people are in or are from. The table below presents the five ways you can say you in Spanish, along with important information to help you choose which one you should use in different situations.

More detailed explanations of each of the five ways to say you are given below.

Singular Direct Address

Tú

You should only use tú when talking to people you know well, especially those that are the same age as you or younger. Tú can be used to speak directly to children, close relatives, friends, peers, or pets. It is also used in many online conversations to keep the tone informal.

Vos

Vos is mainly used in a region of South America called the Southern Cone , which is made up of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Chile. It is also commonly used in Nicaragua and may also be heard in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica. Many people use vos in place of both tú and usted.

Usted

Usted (often abbreviated Ud.) is used when addressing someone older, a person you do not know, a superior, or someone to whom you would like to show a lot of respect. It is often a good idea to address a new acquaintance as usted as a sign of respect until they tell you otherwise or request that you tutearthem.

Plural Direct Address

Vosotros

Vosotrosis primarily used in Spain to address a group of people with whom you are familiar. It is essentially the plural form of tú.

Ustedes

Ustedes (often abbreviated Uds.) is used to address two or more people and can be formal or informal. Since most Latin American countries do not use vosotros, ustedes is used for all forms of plural address in this region.

First, the original two that come from Latin:

1 Tú

2 Vos

Vos was originally plural, but it started to be used as a singular when talking to the emperor and then to other people as a way to show respect. Still used in many places, and even in Spain it survives in the local language of Extremadura (not Castillian).

Since Vos had become singular, «otros» (others) was added to create a new plural:

3 Vosotros, literally «you and others». Femenine form is vosotras.

4 Vuestra merced (Your Mercy), comes from Latin Vostra and Merces. Plural vuestras mercedes.

5 Su merced follows a similar construction. The plural form, sus mercedes, is used by Lamparillo in the Spanish zarzuela «El barberillo de lavapiés».

6 Su señoría is something like your honor/ your lordship / your ladyship. I’m going to skip the plural for this one because it’s obvious how to construct it.

7 Vuestra señoría follows a similar construction. Again, I’m going to omit the plural.

8 Vueseñoría is a shortening of vuestra señoría.

9 Useñoría is a shortening of vueseñoría.

10 Usiría is a shortening of useñoría.

11 Usía is a shortening of usiría. In El barberillo de lavapiés, Paloma uses this treatment with a lady who works for the Spanish royalty. To this day it is used when speaking to a judge.

12 Vusted is a shortening of VUeSTra mercED. Plural vustedes. Still used in parts of Colombia.

EDIT: Vuesa merced is also an intermediate form between Vuestra merced and Vusted.

13 Sumercé is a shortening of Su merced. Still used in parts of Colombia.

14 Usted comes from Vusted. Plural ustedes.

15 Vo is a shortening of Vos. Used today in the informal register in Chile.

If I’m missing any, please add them in the comments!

Edit: Thanks for the comments! I know it might seem crazy that some of these (vuestra merced, su señoría) are actually equivalent to «you», but try this: Replace «usted» in any sentence with them, and it totally works. Especially if you’re familiar with Cervantes’ Novelas ejemplares, where pretty much everyone uses «vuestra merced» when talking to important people.

As pointed out in the comments, the only ones a learner needs to know are:

Singular: Tú, vos (sometimes pronounced as vo), usted.

Plural: Ustedes, vosotros, vosotras.

If you’re interested in Colombia, add two: Vusted and sumercé/su merced. This article by the BBC about how Colombians use sumercé/su merced with their SO might be of interest to you: https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-46962762

If you learn anything from this post, let it be this: Our language is alive and constantly changing. Many things that were originally «lazy mispronunciations» are now the standard.

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!