What is the word in spanish for language

[ view all sentence pairs ]

Though el idioma, la lengua, el lenguaje, and el habla can all mean language, they’re not always used interchangeably.

Idioma and Lengua

The words idioma and lengua are more commonly used to describe language in the sense of a system of communication, such as English or Spanish.

Lenguaje

Though it can be used in the same sense as idioma and lengua, the word lenguaje is also commonly used to describe language in the sense of a particular way of speaking used by a certain group or in the sense of non-verbal communication.

Habla

The word habla is often used to describe the physical capacity for speech and the way a certain person or group uses language. It’s also used in combination with the name of a language in an adjectival sense, as shown in the first example below.

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!

Join 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for a free trial Spanish class today! ➡️

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…

Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these…

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?

Want to study Spanish on your own? Check out Lingvist.

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!

Join the 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial class with us at Homeschool Spanish Academy ➡️

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!

When Spanish Words Become Our Own

Adopted and Borrowed Words Enrich English

Rodeo, pronto, taco, enchilada — English or Spanish?

The answer, of course, is both. For English, like most languages, has expanded over the years through assimilation of words from other tongues. As people of different languages intermingle, inevitably some of the words of one language become words of the other.

It doesn’t take someone who studies etymology to look at a Spanish-language website (or the websites in nearly any other language) to see how English vocabulary, particularly as it relates to technical subjects, is spreading. And while English now may be giving more words to other languages than it is absorbing, that wasn’t always true. For the English vocabulary today is as rich as it is largely because it accepted words from Latin (mostly by way of French). But there’s also a small share of the English language that is derived from Spanish.

Words From Various Origins

Many Spanish words have come to us from three primary sources. As you can hypothesize from the list below, many of them entered American English in the days of Mexican and Spanish cowboys working in what is now the U.S. Southwest. Words of Caribbean origin entered English by way of trade. The third major source is food vocabulary, especially for foods whose names have no English equivalent, as the intermingling of cultures has expanded our diets as well as our vocabulary. As you can see, many of the words changed meaning upon entering English, often by adopting a narrower meaning than in the original language.

Spanish Words Assimilated Into English

Following is a list, by no means complete, of Spanish loanwords that have become assimilated into the English vocabulary. As noted, some of them were adopted into the Spanish language from elsewhere before they were passed on to English. Although most of them retain the spelling and even (more or less) the pronunciation of Spanish, they are all recognized as English words by at least one reference source.

A–B: Adios to Burro

• adios (from adiós)
• adobe (originally Coptic tobe, «brick»)
• aficionado
• albino
• alcove (from Spanish alcoba, originally Arabic al-qubba)
• alfalfa (originally Arabic al-fasfasah. Many other English words beginning with «al» were originally Arabic, and many may have had a Spanish-language connection in becoming English.)
• alligator (from el lagarto, «the lizard»)
• alpaca (animal similar to a llama, from Aymara allpaca)
• armada
• armadillo (literally, «the little armed one»)
• arroyo (English regionalism for «stream»)
• avocado (originally a Nahuatl word, ahuacatl)
• bajada (a geological term referring to a type of alluvial slope at the base of a mountain, from bajada, meaning «slope»)
• banana (word, originally of African origin, entered English via either Spanish or Portuguese)
• bandoleer (type of belt, from bandolera)
• barbecue (from barbacoa, a word of Caribbean origin)
• barracuda
• bizarre (some sources, not all, say this word came from the Spanish bizarro)
• bonanza (although the Spanish bonanza can be used synonymously with the English cognate, it more often means «calm seas» or «fair weather»)
• booby (from bobo, meaning «silly» or «selfish»)
• bravo (from either Italian or Old Spanish)
• bronco (means «wild» or «rough» in Spanish)
• buckaroo (possibly from vaquero, «cowboy»)
• bunco (probably from banco, «bank»)
• burrito (literally «little donkey»)
• burro

C: Cafeteria to Criollo

• cafeteria (from cafetería)
• caldera (geological term)
• canary (Old Spanish canario entered English by way of French canarie)
• canasta (the Spanish word means «basket»)
• cannibal (originally of Caribbean origin)
• canoe (the word was originally Caribbean)
• canyon (from cañón)
• cargo (from cargar, «to load»)
• castanet (from castañeta)
• chaparral (from chaparro, an evergreen oak)
• chaps (from Mexican Spanish chaparreras)
• chihuahua (dog breed named after Mexican city and state)
• chile relleno (Mexican food)
• chili (from chile, derived from Nahuatl chilli)
• chili con carne (con carne means «with meat»)
• chocolate (originally xocolatl, from Nahuatl, an indigenous Mexican language)
• churro (Mexican food)
• cigar, cigarette (from cigarro)
• cilantro
• cinch (from cincho, «belt»)
• cocaine (from coca, from Quechua kúka)
• cockroach (Two English words, «cock» and «roach,» were combined to form «cockroach.» It is believed, but isn’t certain, that the words were chosen because of their similarity to the Spanish cucaracha.)
• coco (type of tree, from icaco, originally Arawak ikaku from the Caribbean)
• comrade (from camarada, «roommate»)
• condor (originally from Quechua, an indigenous South American language)
• conquistador
• corral
• coyote (from the Nahuatl coyotl)
• creole (from criollo)
• criollo (English term refers to someone indigenous to South America; Spanish term originally referred to anyone from a particular locality)

D–G: Dago to Guerrilla

• dago (offensive ethnic term comes from Diego)
• dengue (Spanish imported the word from Swahili)
• desperado
• dorado (type of fish)
• El Niño (weather pattern, means «The Child» due to its appearance around Christmas)
• embargo (from embargar, to bar)
• enchilada (participle of enchilar, «to season with chili»)
• fajita (diminutive of faja, a belt or sash, probably so named due to strips of meat)
• fiesta (in Spanish, it can mean a party, a celebration, a feast — or a fiesta)
• filibuster (from filibustero, derived from Dutch vrijbuiter, «pirate»)
• flan (a type of custard)
• flauta (a fried, rolled tortilla)
• flotilla
• frijol (English regionalism for a bean)
• galleon (from Spanish galeón)
• garbanzo (type of bean)
• guacamole (originally from Nahuatl ahuacam, «avocado,» and molli, «sauce»)
• guerrilla (In Spanish, the word refers to a small fighting force. A guerrilla fighter is a guerrillero.)

H–L: Habanero to Llama

• habanero (a type of pepper; in Spanish, the word refers to something from Havana)
• hacienda (in Spanish, the initial h is silent)
• hammock (from jamaca, a Caribbean Spanish word)
• hoosegow (slang term for a jail comes from Spanish juzgado, participle of juzgar, «to judge»)
• huarache (type of sandal)
• hurricane (from huracán, originally an indigenous Caribbean word)
• iguana (originally from Arawak and Carib iwana)
• incomunicado
• jaguar (from Spanish and Portuguese, originally from Guarani yaguar)
• jalapeño
• jerky (the word for dried meat comes from charqui, which in turn came from the Quechua ch’arki)
• jicama (originally from Nahuatl)
• key (the word for a small island comes from the Spanish cayo, possibly of Caribbean origin)
• lariat (from la reata, «the lasso»)
• lasso (from lazo)
• llama (originally from Quechua)

M–N: Machete to Nopal

• machete
• machismo
• macho (macho usually means simply «male» in Spanish)
• maize (from maíz, originally from Arawak mahíz)
• manatee (from manatí, originally from Carib)
• mano a mano (literally, «hand to hand»)
• margarita (a woman’s name meaning «daisy»)
• mariachi (a type of traditional Mexican music, or a musician)
• marijuana (usually mariguana or marihuana in Spanish)
• matador (literally, «killer»)
• menudo (Mexican food)
• mesa (In Spanish it means «table,» but it also can mean «tableland,» the English meaning.)
• mesquite (tree name originally from Nahuatl mizquitl)
• mestizo (a type of mixed ancestry)
• mole (The name for this delightful chocolate-chili dish is sometimes misspelled as «molé» in English in an attempt to prevent mispronunciation.)
• mosquito
• mulatto (from mulato)
• mustang (from mestengo, «stray»)
• nacho
• nada (nothing)
• negro (comes from either the Spanish or Portuguese word for the color black)
• nopal (type of cactus, from Nahuatl nohpalli)

O–P: Ocelot to Punctilio

• ocelot (originally Nahuatl oceletl; the word was adopted into Spanish and then French before becoming an English word)
• olé (in Spanish, the exclamation can be used in places other than bullfights)
• oregano (from orégano)
• paella (a savory Spanish rice dish)
• palomino (originally meant a white dove in Spanish)
• papaya (originally Arawak)
• patio (In Spanish, the word most often refers to a courtyard.)
• peccadillo (from pecadillo, diminutive of pecado, «sin»)
• peso (Although in Spanish a peso is also a monetary unit, it more generally means a weight.)
• peyote (originally Nahuatl peyotl)
• picaresque (from picaresco)
• pickaninny (offensive term, from pequeño, «small»)
• pimento (Spanish pimiento)
• pinole (a meal made of grain and beans; originally Nahuatl pinolli)
• pinta (tropical skin disease)
• pinto (Spanish for «spotted» or «painted»)
• piñata
• piña colada (literally meaning «strained pineapple»)
• piñon (type of pine tree, sometimes spelled «pinyon»)
• plantain (from plátano or plántano)
• plaza
• poncho (Spanish adopted the word from Araucanian, an indigenous South American language)
• potato (from batata, a word of Caribbean origin)
• pronto (from an adjective or adverb meaning «quick» or «quickly»)
• pueblo (in Spanish, the word can mean simply «people»)
• puma (originally from Quechua)
• punctilio (from puntillo, «little point,» or possibly from Italian puntiglio)

Q–S: Quadroon to Stockade

• quadroon (from cuaterón)
• quesadilla
• quirt (type of riding whip, comes from Spanish cuarta)
• ranch (Rancho often means «ranch» in Mexican Spanish, but it can also mean a settlement, camp or meal rations.)
• reefer (drug slang, possibly from Mexican Spanish grifa, «marijuana»)
• remuda (regionalism for a relay of horses)
• renegade (from renegado)
• rodeo
• rumba (from rumbo, originally referring to the course of a ship and, by extension, the revelry aboard)
• salsa (In Spanish, almost any kind of a sauce or gravy can be referred to as salsa.)
• sarsaparilla (from zarza, «bramble,» and parrilla, «small vine»)
• sassafras (from sasafrás)
• savanna (from obsolete Spanish çavana, originally Taino zabana, «grassland»)
• savvy (from sabe, a form of the verb saber, «to know»)
• serape (Mexican blanket)
• serrano (type of pepper)
• shack (possibly from Mexican Spanish jacal, from the Nahuatl xcalli, «adobe hut»)
• siesta
• silo
• sombrero (In Spanish, the word, which is derived from sombra, «shade,» can mean almost any kind of hat, not just the traditional broad-rimmed Mexican hat.)
• spaniel (ultimately from hispania, the same root that gave us the words «Spain» and español)
• stampede (from estampida)
• stevedore (from estibador, one who stows or packs things)
• stockade (from a French derivation of the Spanish estacada, «fence» or «stockade»)

T–Z: Taco to Zapateado

• taco (In Spanish, a taco can refer to a stopper, plug or wad. In other words, a taco originally meant a wad of food. Indeed, in Mexico, the variety of tacos is almost endless, far more varied than the beef, lettuce and cheese combination of U.S.-style fast food.)
• tamale (The Spanish singular for this Mexican dish is tamal. The English comes from an erroneous backformation of the Spanish plural, tamales.)
• tamarillo (type of tree, derived from tomatillo, a small tomato)
• tango
• tejano (type of music)
• tequila (named after a Mexican town of the same name)
• tobacco (from tabaco, a word possibly of Caribbean origin)
• tomatillo
• tomato (from tomate, derived from Nahuatl tomatl)
• toreador
• tornado (from tronada, thunderstorm)
• tortilla (in Spanish, an omelet often is a tortilla)
• tuna (from atún)
• vamoose (from vamos, a form of «to go»)
• vanilla (from vainilla)
• vaquero (English regionalism for a cowboy)
• vicuña (animal similar to a llama, from Quechua wikuña)
• vigilante (from adjective for «vigilant»)
• vinegarroon (from vinagrón)
• wrangler (some sources say word is derived from Mexican Spanish caballerango, one who grooms horses, while other sources say the word comes from German)
• yucca (from yuca, originally a Caribbean word)
• zapateado (a type of dance emphasizing movement of the heels)