Spanish alphabet (alfabeto español)

A a	B b	C c	Ch ch	D d	E e	F f	G g	H h	I i
a	be	ce	che	de	e	efe	ge	hache	i
J j	K k	L l	Ll ll	M m	N n	Ñ ñ	O o	P p	Q q
jota	ka	ele	elle	eme	ene	eñe	o	pe	cu
R r	S s	T t	U u	V v	W w	X x	Y y	Z z
erre	ese	te	u	uve	uve doble doble u doble ve	equis	i griega ye	zeta

Spanish words & phrases - Basics

English	Spanish	Pronunciation
Yes/no.	Sí/No.	see/noh
Yes, please/No, thank you.	Sí, por favor/No, gracias.	see por fah-bor/noh grah-thyas
Please.	Por favor.	por fah-bor
Thank you.	Gracias.	grah-thyas
You're welcome.	De nada.	deh nah-dah
Here is/are...	Aquí está/están...	ah-kee es-tah/es-tan
Hello/Good morning.	Hola/Buenos días.	oh-lah/bweh-nos dee-as
Good afternoon/Good evening.	Buenas tardes.	bweh-nas tar-des
Goodbye.	Adiós.	ah-dyos
Good night.	Buenas noches.	bweh-nas noh-ches
How are you?	¿Cómo está?	koh-moh es-tah
Very well, thanks.	Muy bien gracias.	mwee byen grah-thyas
Excuse me.	Disculpe.	dees-kool-peh
Do you speak English?	¿Habla usted inglés?	ah-blah oo-steth een-gles
Can you help me?	¿Me puede ayudar?	meh poo-eh-deh ah-yoo-dar
I don't understand.	No entiendo.	noh en-tyehn-doh
I don't know.	No lo sé.	noh loh seh
Leave me alone.	Déjeme en paz.	deh-heh-meh en path
Please write it down.	Por favor, escríbalo.	por fah-bor es-kree-bah-loh
Sorry.	Perdón.	pair-don
Where?	¿Dónde?	don-deh
When?	¿Cuándo?	kwan-doh
Why?	¿Por qué?	por keh
Who?	¿Quién?	kyen
Which?	¿Cuál?	kwal
Where is...?	¿Dónde está...?	don-deh es-tah
How much is it?	¿Cuánto cuesta?	kwan-toh kwes-tah
How many?	¿Cuántos?	kwan-tos
What's that?	¿Qué es eso?	keh es eh-soh
I'd like.	Me gustaría.	meh goo-stah-ree-ah
I want.	Quiero.	kyair-oh
I'd like it.	Me gusta.	me goo-stah
I don't like it.	No me gusta.	noh meh goo-stah
OK/Agreed.	OK/De acuerdo.	oh-keh/deh ah-kwair-doh
That's fine.	Está bien.	es-tah byen

Useful everyday words and phrases in spanish

Yes	Sí. (SEE)
No	No. (NOH)
Please	Por favor. (POHR fah-BOHR)
Thank you	Gracias. (GRAH-SYAHSS)
I'm sorry	Lo siento. (loh SYEHN-toh)
You're welcome	De nada. (day NAH-dah)
Excuse me. (getting attention)	Disculpe. (dees-KOOL-pay)
Excuse me. (begging pardon)	Perdón. (pair-DOHN)
I don't understand	No entiendo. (noh ehn-TYEHN-doh)
Where's the toilet	¿Dónde está el baño? (DOHN-day ehss-TAH ehl BAHN-yoh?)
Do you speak English?	¿Hablas inglés? (AH-blahss een-GLAYSS?) (informal); ¿Habla usted inglés? (AH-blah oos-TAID een-GLAYSS?)
I can't speak Spanish [well].	No hablo español [bien]. (noh AH-blow EHS-pahn-YOL [BYEHN])
Does anyone here speak English?	¿Hay alguien que hable inglés? (eye ahl-GYEN kay AH-blay een-GLAYSS?)
Help!	Ayuda! (ah-YOU-dah!) or  Socorro! (soh-COH-row!)

 

learning spanish lesson 2 step 7

One of the most frequently used verbs you'll come across in language is the verb that represents 'to be'. Situations like I am, she is, he was, they are, he will, etc. For the moment, we will concentrate only on the present tense of this verb.

In Spanish, there are two verbs for "be". One represents a temporary condition ("today I feel fine, but tomorrow I might not"), and the other represents a permanent condition ("Today I am an American, always have always will be"). There are some other general rules that distinguish the use of one verb over another; learning these will be important, in addition to the different conjugation forms of the two verbs.

learning spanish lesson 2 step 6

we travel, one of the most popular things to do is to try the local food and drink. Whether you're touring Spain, or the many countries that make up South America, be sure to try the local cuisine. To do so, you'll need to know some common words.

We use the verb comer to indicate we wish to eat something, and beber for drinking. To ask for something, we use the verb poder and tener. But what to eat and drink with?

Cutlery
glass	el vaso
pitcher	la jarra
table	la mesa
fork	el tenedor
knife	el cuchillo
spoon	la cuchara
salt shaker	el salero
pepper shaker	el pimentero
napkin	la servilleta

Let's take a look at a few examples now.

Spanish	English
Puedo tener un jarra de cervesa por favor	Can I have a pitcher of beer please
¿Dónde me sentaré?	Where will I sit?
Quiero un vaso de agua	I'd like a drink of water
Puedo tener un cuchullo nuevo por favor	Can I please have a new knife?
Pase el salero por favor	Pass the salt shaker

Here are a list of common foods and drinks you may like to memorize.

Drinks
milk	leche
juice	jugo
water	agua
coffee	café
tea	té
cool drink	bebida fría
warm drink	bebida caliente

Foods
meat	carne
chicken	pollo
fish	pescados
salad	ensalada
bread	pan
fruit	fruta
yoghurt	yogur
ice-cream	helado

learning spanish lesson 2 step 5

¿Qué hora es?

To ask the time in Spanish, we use the phrase '¿Qué hora es?', which translated literally asks what hour is it.

To say that it is one o'clock, use the reply

Es la una.

We use the singular form of 'is', because we are saying it is the first hour. For subsequent hours (2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, etc. ) we use the plural form - son.

To say that it is two o'clock, use the reply

Son las dos.

To say that it is three o'clock, use the reply

Son las tres.

and so on for every hour, using the numbers one to twelve that we learnt earlier.

If you'd like to be more specific, and say that a time is in the morning, or that it is in the afternoon/evening, you can add the following expressions:-

	de la mañana (in the morning)
	de la madrugada (in the wee hours of the morning)
	de la tarde (in the afternoon)
	de la noche (in the evening)

For example, to say seven in the morning, use

Son las siete de la mañana.

learning spanish lesson 2 step 4

Numbers 11 - 30

As in the previous lesson, you'll learn best by speaking the numbers out aloud. Read through them several times, until you feel confident enough to write them down without looking. The numbers 11-20 require memorization, but you'll notice a pattern forming with the numbers 21-29. 

The pattern is that the numbers 20 start with veinti, followed by the number 1-9.  For example, twenty five is veinticinco.

When you think you've learnt them, write the numbers 11-30 down on a piece of paper, and compare results. Remember too the accents on ventidós and veintitrés.

11	once	21	veintiuno
12	doce	22	veintidós
13	trece	23	veintitrés
14	catorce	24	veinticuatro
15	quince	25	veinticinco
16	dieciséis	26	veintiséis
17	diecisiete	27	veintisiete
18	dieciocho	28	veintiocho
19	diecinueve	29	veintinueve
20	veinte	30	treinta

Okay. Let's repeat the numbers 10-20. Say it aloud.

diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince, dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve, veinte 

Now, count backwards with me.

vente, diecinueve, dieciocho, dicisiete, dieciséis, quince, catorce, trece, doce, once, diez

Numbers 30-100

Once you're sure about the numbers 1-30, the rest becomes easy. You only need to remember the numbers 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100, and combine it with the numbers 1-9. We say forty-five in English, and cuarenta y cinco in Spanish. Pretty simple isn't it!

30	treinta	70	setenta
40	cuarenta	80	ochenta
50	cincuenta	90	noventa
60	sesenta	100	cien

So, the number sesenta y nueve is 60 + 9=69. This is very straightforward, so you don't need to memorize every digit from 1-100.

learning spanish lesson 2 step 3

Numbers 11 - 30

As in the previous lesson, you'll learn best by speaking the numbers out aloud. Read through them several times, until you feel confident enough to write them down without looking. The numbers 11-20 require memorization, but you'll notice a pattern forming with the numbers 21-29. 

The pattern is that the numbers 20 start with veinti, followed by the number 1-9.  For example, twenty five is veinticinco.

When you think you've learnt them, write the numbers 11-30 down on a piece of paper, and compare results. Remember too the accents on ventidós and veintitrés.

11	once	21	veintiuno
12	doce	22	veintidós
13	trece	23	veintitrés
14	catorce	24	veinticuatro
15	quince	25	veinticinco
16	dieciséis	26	veintiséis
17	diecisiete	27	veintisiete
18	dieciocho	28	veintiocho
19	diecinueve	29	veintinueve
20	veinte	30	treinta

Okay. Let's repeat the numbers 10-20. Say it aloud.

diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince, dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve, veinte 

Now, count backwards with me.

vente, diecinueve, dieciocho, dicisiete, dieciséis, quince, catorce, trece, doce, once, diez

Numbers 30-100

Once you're sure about the numbers 1-30, the rest becomes easy. You only need to remember the numbers 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100, and combine it with the numbers 1-9. We say forty-five in English, and cuarenta y cinco in Spanish. Pretty simple isn't it!

30	treinta	70	setenta
40	cuarenta	80	ochenta
50	cincuenta	90	noventa
60	sesenta	100	cien

So, the number sesenta y nueve is 60 + 9=69. This is very straightforward, so you don't need to memorize every digit from 1-100.

learning spanish lesson 2 step 2

Numbers 1 - 10

Let's get started. Remember to speak the numbers aloud as you read them. Read through them several times, until you feel confident enough to write them. Don't cheat by looking though - write them down and then compare it with the original list.

1. uno
2. dos
3. tres
4. cuatro
5. cinco
6. seis
7. siete
8. ocho
9. nueve
10. diez

Okay. Let's repeat the numbers again. Say it aloud.

uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez

Now, count backwards with me.

diez, nueve, ocho, siete, seis, cinco, cuatro, tres, dos, uno

learning spanish lesson 2 step 1

Verbs are an important part of any language - every full sentence has one. If its been a little while since you've studied English at school, here's a simple description of a verb. A verb is a "doing word". Run, walk, play, eat, smile, cry, look, sneeze and sleep are all verbs. These verbs are in the infinitive form. Notice the difference between "run" and "he ran". Even though they represent the same action (to run), there are different ways of expressing it ("she ran", "they're running"). When we take a verb in its infinitive form, and then covert it to a more definitive form (he speaks, I speak), we are said to have conjugated it. Now that we understand how verbs work in English, let's look at Spanish verbs.

In Spanish, almost all verbs in their infinitive form end in the following :-

	-ar
	-er
	-ir

This makes it easy to identify a verb. While there are some exceptions, most Spanish verbs follow a set pattern when we conjugate them. We'll learn some very simple rules, and once you understand the basics, you'll be able to speak whole sentances in Spanish!

Personal Pronouns

Before we can begin to conjugate verbs, we first need to learn Spanish personal pronouns. You use pronouns every day, probably without even realising it. I do this, he did that, they went there. Do you understand?

yo	I	nosotros (m) nosotras (f)	we
tú	You (informal)	vosotros (m) vosotras (f)	you all
él	He	ellos	he  (plural)
ella	She	ellas	she (plural)
Usted	You (formal)	Ustedes	they (formal)

Note - (m) indicates masculine form, (f) feminine

Present tense

To keep things simple, we're only going to start with the present tense. We'll look first at -ar verbs, and then move on to -er and -ir verbs.

learning spanish lesson 1 step 4

There are many ways to say goodbye in Spanish, just as there are many ways to greet someone. The following is a list of simple phrases, that mean goodbye or see you.

¡Adiós!		Bye!
Hasta luego		See you later
Hasta mañana		See you in the morning
Vaya con dios		Farewell - (Literally) Go with God

learning spanish lesson 1 step 3

Asking someone their name is extremely easy in Spanish. Remember however that there is a formal and an informal way of asking things - so if you don't know someone's name its unlikely that you'll be informal.

The simplest way is to ask either of the following

¿Como se llama?		What is your name?
¿Cual es su nombre?		What is your name?

Why are there two ways of asking this? In most languages, there are different ways of asking the same question - use which ever you're most comfortable with, but make sure you can understand both questions. Literally, the first is asking "how are you called", but we understand this to mean what is your name.

To reply, we could answer in either of the following ways

Me llamo José		(literally) I am called José
Mi nombre es José		My name es José

learning spanish lesson 1 step 2

When people who are familiar with each other use a greeting, they'll also often ask how are things. There are two common phrases used to ask how someone is

¡Hola! ¿Que tal?		Hi. How are things?
¿Cómo está / estás?		How are you?

In the Spanish language, we differentiate between informal and formal language. To show respect, to one's collegues or to someone you don't know, one uses formal language (¿Cómo está?). For friends and family, you can use informal language (¿Cómo estás?).
Replying to greetings is easy. You can return the greeting, and ask how someone is doing. If someone has already asked you a question, you can reply and then ask the same of them.

¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?		Hi. How are you?
Estoy bien. ¿Y tú?		I am well. And you?

In this example, we have been asked how we are. After answering the question, we ask the same. This example uses informal speech, so let's see what formal speech would be like.

¡Hola! ¿Cómo está?		Hi. How are you?
Estoy bien. ¿Y usted?		I am well. And you?

In this case, the dialogue isn't very different. You should notice, however, that we used the word usted rather than tú. Both word mean you, but usted is the more formal form. This fits with the formal form of the question (está not estás).

learning spanish lesson 1 step 1

 GREETINGS

Here are some basic Spanish greetings. Like English speakers, we can use a variety of phrases to convey basically the same meaning.

¡Hola!		Hello
Buenos días		Good morning
Buenas tardes		Good afternoon
Buenas noches		Good evening

You should notice the difference between Good morning, afternoon, and evening. We use buenos dias, and buenas tardes/noches. We'll cover the reasons why later, but for those who are curious it is because of the difference in gender between dias and tardes/noches.