Here’s the good news: You don’t have to be fluent to start speaking Spanish in real-world situations.

Learning simple, essential phrases can help you build confidence and create natural conversations from day one. Think of these phrases like the building blocks of a conversation; once you have them, you can mix and match to express yourself clearly.

Today, we’ll dive into 25 essential Spanish phrases every beginner should know, complete with pronunciation guides and real-life examples. Let’s get you ready to have those everyday conversations, and no memorization of complicated grammar rules is required.

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What Are “Essential Phrases” and Why Are They Important?

Essential phrases are common word combinations that people use in daily interactions. Instead of focusing on single words, you’re learning how people actually speak, and it saves you from having to translate in your head every time you talk.

Think about it this way: when you learned to drive, you didn’t memorize car parts first, you practiced driving. Phrases are like the “practice” of language learning.

Using ready-to-go phrases helps you:

• Sound more natural
• Respond faster
• Avoid awkward pauses

And because Spanish is consistent in pronunciation, once you learn a phrase, you can say it with confidence!

25 Essential Spanish Phrases (With Pronunciation & Examples)

Basic Rules for Using These Phrases

• Politeness counts: Adding por favor (please) and gracias (thank you) goes a long way.
• Match the situation: Use tú forms for friends and casual settings. Use usted for formal situations.
• Watch your pronunciation: Spanish vowels are short and crisp, with no gliding sounds like in English.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Mistake: Translating literally from English.
  • Fix: Focus on the entire phrase, not individual words.
• Mistake: Forgetting gender (e.g., perdido vs. perdida).
  • Fix: Use -o if you’re male, -a if you’re female.
• Mistake: Mixing up formal and informal speech.
  • Fix: Remember usted for formal conversations, tú for informal ones.

Tip: Practice saying the phrases out loud, muscle memory helps with pronunciation and confidence!

Mini Practice Section

Fill in the blanks:

1. ¡_____ días!
2. Me _____ Ana.
3. ¿_____ cuesta esta camisa?
4. No _____, ¿puede repetirlo?
5. ¡Hasta _____!

Answer Key:

1. Buenos
2. llamo
3. Cuánto
4. entiendo
5. luego

Exceptions and Edge Cases

• Regional Variations: In some countries, you’ll hear “¡Buenas!” instead of “¡Buenos días!” It’s a casual greeting.
• Salúd: Depending on context, “salúd” can mean “cheers,” “health,” or “bless you” after a sneeze.

Pay attention to how locals use these phrases; it’s the best way to learn!

Conclusion

Mastering these 25 phrases gives you a solid foundation for real-world conversations in Spanish. They’re your ticket to getting comfortable speaking without overthinking.

Language learning is a marathon, not a sprint, but every step you take gets you closer to your goal. Why not practice these phrases with a native speaker in a real conversation?

At Homeschool Spanish Academy, you can try a free class with a friendly, certified teacher. We’re 100% online, offer flexible scheduling, and specialize in one-on-one lessons for adults.

Ready to make Spanish a part of your everyday life? Click here to book your free trial class!

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

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

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“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”

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Want more Spanish Resources for Kids? Check these out!

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• 7 Online Spanish Classes for Kids Offering Free Trials
• 5 Fun and Engaging Ways to Introduce Spanish to Your Preschooler
• Your Child’s First Spanish Conversation: How to Prep, Practice, and Cheer Them On
• 10 Ways Learning Spanish Can Improve Your Child’s Behavior
• 7 Spanish Reading Games for Kids: Boosting Literacy Skills
• 10 Funny Spanish Memes You Can Share With Your Child

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It seems like a small and pretty insignificant word, right? 

Well, you’ll be amazed to discover how many different ways you can use it and how its meaning changes depending on how you use it.

“What?!” you may say. 

Yes. Just look back at the title. 

So, keep reading to learn about the extraordinary que, the different ways you can use it, and how a little accent mark on it can change the meaning of a sentence.

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Say What?

The little word que is one of those ubiquitous pieces of language that seem to hold everything together. 

You can find que everywhere, from questions to conjunctions and interjections. It’s just a fundamental piece of the Spanish language. 

Therefore, you must learn how to use its different meanings properly. 

The best you can do is expose yourself to the language and speak it regularly. You can do that with one of our certified Spanish teachers. We’re sure they’ll be happy to help you master que.

Or you can try to learn the tidbits of grammar here first and apply the theory in your everyday Spanish conversations.

Que and Qué

When looking for the meaning of que, you have to consider if the word has an accent or not.

The word is the same but can be used differently, and the accent plays a critical role.

In a minute, we’ll explore the different meanings of que, but now you must understand that when que has an accent, as in qué, it is because it’s part of a question, an exclamation, or an interjection. 

Look for question or exclamation marks in a sentence; if they are there, it’s likely that the que has a written accent. Spanish speakers call this accent a tilde. 

However, it’s important to mention that the accent means that the word plays a different role in the sentence. 

Let’s dig deeper. You’ll see what I’m talking about. 

What Does “Que” Mean in Spanish?

As explained before, que in Spanish has different meanings. Let’s explore ten of them.

1. What

This might be the definition that people use the most. However, just as in English, you can use “what” in different ways. 

In Spanish, you can also use this version of que in different situations. 

Most times, when que means “what,” it’s part of a question or exclamation and, as such, should be written with an accent.

¿Qué me compraste?

What did you buy me?

¿Qué le pasó a María?

What happened to Maria?

¡Qué gran película!

What a great movie!

¡Qué decepción!

What a disappointment!

Sometimes, qué with an accent and question mark can mean “which,” and qué with an accent and an exclamation mark may mean “how.” 

Those are the next two meanings of que that we’ll focus on. 

2. Which

Although most of the time questions starting with ¿Qué…? translate as “what,” sometimes the proper translation is “which.” 

Take a look at the following examples: 

¿Qué color prefieres, el rojo o el azul?

Which color do you prefer, red or blue?

¿Qué auto es?

Which car is it?

The key to identifying if ¿Qué…? means “what” or “which” is in the Spanish word cuál. 

If you can change qué for cuál in the question, then it definitely means “which.”

¿Cuál color prefieres, el rojo o el azul?

Which color do you prefer, red or blue?

¿Cuál coche es?

Which car is it?

3. How

When you use qué with an accent, it usually means that your sentence is an exclamation or an interjection. 

In the cases mentioned above, ¡Qué…! usually translates as “What…!”. But there are some cases when “How…!” is the best translation. 

Look at these examples: 

¡Qué hermoso!

How beautiful! 

¡Qué maravilloso!

How wonderful!

The actual meaning of que here depends on the adjective used in the sentence. 

So, if you translate a sentence and use “what,” but it sounds off, try “how” to see how that works. 

4. That

One of the most common ways to translate que (without an accent) is as “that.” In this case, the role of que is that of a pronoun used to define a subject or object. 

Esta es la casa que quiero para nosotros. 

This is the house that I want for us. 

La ciudad que más me gustó fue Londres. 

London was the city that I liked the most. 

In some cases, you can also use que in a subjunctive phrase to express a desire or suggestion, and it also translates as “that.”

Te sugiero que te quedes donde estás. 

I suggest that you stay where you are. 

Desearía que nunca te hubieras ido. 

I wish that you’d never left. 

5. Than

When used in a comparison, que in Spanish can also mean “than.”

Su casa es más vieja que la mía. 

His house is older than mine. 

El Real Madrid ha ganado más campeonatos que el Barcelona. 

Real Madrid has won more championships than Barcelona. 

6. To

Another translation for que in Spanish is “to,” and you use it when you compare two different things or more. 

Prefiero Buenos Aires que Montevideo. 

I prefer Buenos Aires to Montevideo. 

Prefiero tacos que hamburguesas. 

I prefer tacos to burgers. 

In some situations, you use que to express a need or requirement. In these cases, que comes after the verb tener or “to have,” which translates as “to.”

Tengo que ir a casa por mi hermana. 

I have to go home to pick up my sister. 

Erika tiene que repetir el año escolar.

Erika has to repeat the school year. 

7. Who, Whom

Other times, que may also mean “who” or “whom” when used to define the subject. 

Este es el hombre que me salvó la vida. 

This is the man who saved my life. 

Hoy vi a una chica con la que solía trabajar. 

I saw a girl today with whom I used to work. 

8. May

In some subjunctive phrases that express wish or desire, you can use que, which translates as “may.” Are there any Star Wars fans out there?

Que la Fuerza te acompañe. 

May the Force be with you. 

Que Dios te bendiga. 

May God bless you. 

9. So

You can use que to talk about cause, finality, or consequence. In this case, it would work as a conjunction that connects two phrases, and it translates as “so.”

Canta un poco, que te escuchen.

Sing a little bit, so they hear you. 

Quería pasar por mi temprano, que mejor madrugué.

He wanted to pick me up early, so I woke up early.

10. Let

Finally, you can also use que to give an order or express a command. 

Que empiecen los juegos.

Let the games begin. 

¡Que lo dejes terminar!

Let him finish!

Some Grammar Structures That Use Que in Spanish

As you can see, there are many ways to use que, and its meaning vary accordingly. 

You can also find que in some compound grammar structures and phrases. This means even more ways to use this word. 

Let’s learn some of them and their meanings in English: 

These are just some of the ways to use que.

¿Qué te parece?

This means, “What do you think?” It isn’t that hard, right? 

We know. Sometimes you may confuse one use with another, but you’ll get them all right with time and practice. 

Remember that the important thing is to practice. The best way to learn is through experience. 

So, we invite you to sign up for a free trial class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala and start using que in all its different ways from day one.

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
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• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

In every language, transition words are beautiful tools that help us to connect our ideas and give a natural flow to the rhythm of our speech—and they’re vital to learn to improve your Spanish fluency. 

Keep reading to learn all there is to know about transition words in Spanish, what types of transition words exist, and how to use them.  

What Are Transition Words?

Transition words are all those words and phrases that you use to connect ideas between sentences. These words allow you to “transition” from one sentence to other in a smooth way. They provide a sense of normalcy to the language, since without them, our ideas would instead be separated by harsh breaks and a robotic-kind of speech. 

Every language has its own share of transition words, and Spanish is not the exception. Learning these words and phrases will help you to sound more natural in your speaking or in your writing. 

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Watch our video on 50 Transition Words in Spanish!

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Types of Transition Words in Spanish

In Spanish, you can use transition words for different purposes. Depending on your purpose you get a different type of transition word: 

• For time
• For place
• To emphasize
• To explain an idea
• To add an idea
• To show a result
• To contrast and compare
• To summarize

Let’s see each one of them in detail, to learn how you can easily introduce them in your Spanish speaking and improve your writing too.

Transition Words in Spanish

If your goal is to be fluent in Spanish, transition words are a crucial area of study. For that reason, it might be a good idea to keep the following list at hand, as you will always need a good transition word to make your speech sound more natural. 

For Time 

These words let you connect ideas regarding the moment in time when they occurred. 

primero, segundo – first, secondly

Used often in recipes, processes or algorithms, these words are a good way to keep the chronological order in mind.

Primero, unta la mayonesa en el pan. Segundo, agrega el jamón. 
First, spread the mayonnaise onto the bread. Secondly, add ham. 

en primer lugar, en segundo lugar – In the first place, secondly

Similar to the previous one, but more common in formal speeches or everyday conversations. 

En primer lugar, eso no es cierto. En segundo lugar, yo ni siquiera estaba aquí. 
In the first place, that’s not true. Secondly, I wasn’t even here. 

después (de) – after, afterward

Carlos hizo la tarea después del partido de fútbol. 
Carlos did his homework after the football game. 

ya – already

Ya is useful to express that something has already happened. 

Terminé el trabajo y ya lo mandé por correo electrónico.
I finished my work and I already sent it by email. 

todavía – still

To express that something is still happening at the moment, you use todavía. 

Cuando se despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba ahí.
When he woke up, the dinosaur was still there. 

todavía no – not yet

However, to say that something has not happened yet, you have to use todavía no. 

¿Ya empezó el partido? Todavía no. 
Has the game started already? Not yet. 

Other useful transition words for time:  

Mientras
While

Por fin
at last

Al final 
At the end

Finalmente  
Lastly

Al mismo tiempo 
At the same time

Para continuar
Next, further

Por último
Lastly

En conclusión
In conclusion

For Place

These transition words allow you to connect ideas regarding their position in space.

aquí, acá – here

Ven a casa, aquí te espero. 
Come home, I’ll wait for you here. 

ahí, allí – there

Ya casi llegamos, ahí está mi casa.
We’re almost there, that’s my house.

al lado de – next to

Mi casa está al lado del parque. 
My house is next to the park.

afuera – outside

Estoy afuera de la escuela. 
My house is next to the park.

Other Useful Transition Words for Place:  

Allá 
Over there

Más allá
Beyond, further

De
Of, from

Desde
From, since

To Add an Idea

Use the following transition words when you want to add a new idea to what you were just saying.

además – moreover, additionally

Estudiar español es muy interesante y, además, te abre muchas puertas. 
Learning Spanish is very interesting and, additionally, it opens a lot of doors. 

aparte – besides, apart from

Eso no es cierto, aparte de que ni siquiera es lo que yo dije.
That’s not true, besides that’s not even what I said.

asimismo – also, likewise

Asimismo is a perfect way to start a new paragraph building up on what you just said on the previous one. You can also use de igual manera or de la misma manera, to express the same idea.

Asimismo, las ideas de la Ilustración condujeron a la Revolución Industrial. 
Likewise, the ideas of the Enlightenment sparked the Industrial Revolution. 

también – also, too

Me gusta el fútbol y también el básquetbol. 
I like football and basketball too. 

más aún – moreover

No debiste mentirme, más aún cuando quieres que te ayude. 
You shouldn’t have lied to me, moreover when you want my help.

Other Useful Transition Words to Add an Idea:

De todas formas (maneras, modos) 
In any case, anyhow

De cualquier manera
In any case, anyhow

Sobre todo
Above all, especially

Y
And

To Explain an Idea

Sometimes you don’t want to add a new idea, but explain better the one you were just talking about. These transition words will help you with that:

es decir – that is, I mean

La comida mexicana es muy interesante. Es decir, me encanta como mezcla diferentes sabores.
Mexican food is very interesting. I mean, I love how it mixes different flavors.  

por ejemplo – for example, for instance

Me gusta mucho tu estilo, por ejemplo esos zapatos están increíbles. 
I like your style a lot, for example those shoes are amazing!

en otras palabras – in other words

En otras palabras, hiciste un gran trabajo. 
In other words, you did a great job. 

así – thus, thereby

Trabajé de mesero y así pude pagar mi universidad. 
I worked as a waiter and thus I could pay my tuition fees. 

To Contrast and Compare

When you want to contrast or compare to different ideas, you can use one of these transition words in Spanish: 

aunque – although, even though

Me gusta mucho el básquetbol, aunque el fútbol es mi deporte favorito. 
I like basketball a lot, although football is my favorite sport. 

pero – but

Sí quiero ir al cine, pero tengo mucha tarea. 
I do want to go to the movies, but I have a lot of homework. 

sin embargo – however, nevertheless

Me gustaría aprender francés, sin embargo prefiero el español.
I’d like to learn French, however I prefer Spanish. 

a pesar de – despite, in spite of

Ganamos el partido, a pesar de que éramos menos jugadores.
We won the game, in spite of having less players. 

Other Useful Transition Words to Contrast and Compare:  

Al contrario
On the contrary

Aun así
Even so

Sino 
But

En cambio
On the other hand, instead

To Summarize

These transition words are useful to conclude your idea. 

En resumen – to sum up

En resumen, se trata de uno de tus mejores trabajos. 
To sum up, this is one of your best works. 

Para terminar – lastly, finally

Para terminar, debo aceptar que fue una gran experiencia. 
Finally, I have to accept that it was a great experience. 

En conclusión – in conclusion, in a nutshell

En conclusión, es la mejor decisión que he tomado. 
In a nutshell, it’s the best decision that I’ve ever taken. 

Other Useful Transition Words to Summarize:

En síntesis
In short

En otras palabras
In other words

Al fin y al cabo
All in all

Después de todo
After all  

En Conclusión

Now that you know how useful transition words in Spanish can be, start using them in real life conversations and see how much your speaking in Spanish improves. Sign up today for a free trial class with one of our certified teachers from Guatemala, and impress them with the natural flow of your speech thanks to the smart use of transition words!

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• Can Middle Schoolers Really Learn Spanish Without Flashcards?
• Your Child Knows Spanish Words, Now What? How to Turn Vocabulary into Real Conversations
• From Snacks to Dinners: Spanish Vocabulary for Food That Teens Actually Talk About
• Why 2-on-1 Spanish Classes Work Better for Beginners (Especially Middle Schoolers)
• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• How to Build a Spanish Practice Routine That Sticks (And Doesn’t Spark Eye Rolls)
• Why Learning Spanish Feels Harder as an Adult, And What You Can Do About It

The post 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

First, I’ll remind you what an adverb and clause is, and will explain what adverbial clauses are. Second, you’ll learn different types of adverbial clauses in Spanish. Last, but definitely not least, you’ll learn when to use the indicative or the subjunctive mood in the adverbial clauses.

¡Empecemos!

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What Are Adverbs, Clauses, and Adverbial Clauses?

Before getting into detail about adverbial clauses in Spanish, let’s have a quick refresher about adverbs. What are they?

You might remember that an adverb is one of the eight parts of speech, and it modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs help us determine where, when, how, how long, and how often things happen. If you want to learn more, you can have a look at 50 common Spanish adverbs to use them in your daily conversations. 

Next, what is a clause? 

A clause is a group of words that include at least a subject and a verb, and it depends on or is included in a bigger sentence. 

And now, our main question. 

What is an adverbial clause? 

As you can see, it’s a clause, so it’s always a group of two or more words that functions as an adverb. This group of words works as a single unit and indicates when, why, or in what way an action happens.

For example:

Voy a visitar a mi amiga cuando ya viva aquí.
I’m going to visit my friend once she lives here.

Cuando ya viva aquí is an adverbial clause that modifies the verb visitar and tells us when I’m going to visit my friend. 

Easy, isn’t it? Let’s have a look at the most frequent types of adverbial clauses.

Adverbial Clauses of Time

These clauses tell us when the action happened or will happen. The most used ones are introduced by the following words. 

cuando – when

antes de (que) – before

después de (que) – after

hasta que – until

en cuanto – as soon as

mientras – while

siempre que – whenever, every time that

For example:

Te llamaré cuando termine.
I will call you when I finish.

Como dulces siempre que puedo.
I eat sweets whenever I can.

Have you noticed that there is the subjunctive mood used in the first sentence but not in the other one. I’ll explain to you later why it’s so.

Adverbial Clauses of Manner

These clauses express how the action of the main sentence is done. If you can substitute the clause with an expression así (like this) or de esta manera (in this way), then you’re dealing with an adverbial clause of manner.

For example: 

Yo manejo como me enseñó mi papá. – Yo manejo de esta manera.
I drive the way my dad taught me. – I drive this way.

The connectors that introduce the adverbial clauses of manner in Spanish are:

como – how

tal y como – just like

así como – as well as

de acuerdo con lo que – according to what

del mismo modo que – in the same way that

tal cual – just as it is

según – according to

Adverbial Clauses of Condition

These clauses indicate that something will happen depending on some condition and they are introduced by the following words:

a condición de que – on condition that

a menos que / a no ser que – unless

con tal de que – provided that

The greatest part is that all of them require the subjunctive, so you don’t need to wonder what to add afterward.

No lo podrás comprar a menos que tengas mucho dinero.
You won’t be able to buy it unless you have a lot of money.

You can substitute a menos que with any of the expressions we mentioned earlier.

Adverbial Clauses of Concession

They show a contrast with the other part of the sentence. It means that something happened or will happen in spite of something else.

The conjunction that will introduce this type of adverbial clauses in Spanish are:

aunque – although, even if

a pesar de que – in spite of, despite

pese a que – in spite of, despite

Nunca lo lograrás aunque te esfuerces mucho.
You will never achieve it even if you try a lot.

Lo hizo, aunque no le dejaban.
He did it, although they didn’t let him.

The same as with the adverbial clauses of time, the concessive adverbial clauses can use either indicative or subjunctive. Keep reading to know when to use one or the other.

Adverbial Clauses of Purpose

These clauses indicate for what objective an action happened or will happen and they are introduced by the following words:

para – for

para que – so that

de manera que – so, so that

Para will be followed by an infinitive and the other two will always use the subjunctive.

Trabajo para comprarme un coche.
I work to buy a car.

Lo dibujé para que sonrieras.
I drew it to make you smile.

Indicative or Subjunctive? How to use the adverbial clauses in Spanish.

As we mentioned earlier, the adverbial clauses can be followed by the indicative or subjunctive mood depending on various factors. Let’s divide them into three groups to simplify things:

1. Adverbial clauses that require the subjunctive mood.
2. Adverbial clauses that require the indicative mood.
3. Adverbial clauses that can use either the subjunctive or the indicative mood.

1. Adverbial Clauses in Spanish Using Always the Subjunctive 

The following conjunctions will always introduce an adverbial clause in the subjunctive mood:

en caso de que – in order that, so that

sin que – without

con tal de que – as long as

a menos que – unless

para que – so that

antes de que – before

mientras – as long as

a fin de que – in order that, so that

siempre y cuando – as long as, provided that

For example:

En caso de que tengas dudas, llámame.
In case you have questions, call me.

Hazlo antes de que salgas.
Do it before you go out.

Lo puedes comprar, siempre y cuando lo compartas con tu hermana.
You can buy it, as long as you share it with your sister.

2. Adverbial Clauses in Spanish Using Always the Indicative

There are some adverbial conjunctions that always use the indicative because they talk about something that is seen as habitual, completed, or sure.

The adverbial clauses with the indicative mood no matter what will be introduced by:

porque – because

ya que – considering that, since

puesto que – since

For example:

Voy a estudiar las cláusulas adverbiales ya que no las entiendo.
I’m going to study adverbial clauses since I don’t understand them.

Mi mejor amiga va a vivir en México puesto que tiene un novio de ahí.
My best friend is going to live in Mexico since she has a boyfriend from there.

Los estudiantes trabajan mucho porque quieren saber más.
Students work hard because they want to know more.

3. Adverbial Clauses in Spanish Using Subjunctive or Indicative

This is probably the most difficult part for Spanish students and it takes some time to learn the difference. There are some adverbial clauses that can be followed either by indicative or subjunctive, depending on what you want to express. The general rule is that the subjunctive mood is used when there is no certainty or the action has not happened yet.

For example:

Te veo cuando puedo. 
I see you every time I can.

Te veré cuando pueda. 
I will see you when I can.

In the second case, the action has not happened yet and there is no absolute certainty it will, that’s why you have to use the subjunctive. 

Adverbial conjunctions that will result in adverbial clauses either in indicative or subjunctive mood are:

como – as, how, however

(a) donde  – where, wherever

tan pronto como – as soon as

hasta que – until

en cuanto – as soon as

aunque – although, even though

después de que – after

cuando – when

You see, it wasn’t that difficult! You are now an expert on adverbial clauses in Spanish. You just need to remember to use the indicative when an action is complete, habitual, or factual and the subjunctive mood when it’s hypothetical or has not yet occurred.

Practice Time!

Now, that you know all the rules and different types of adverbial clauses, the best way to learn them is to practice. Are you ready to talk to a native Spanish speaker and show off your skills? I invite you to sign up for a free class and perfect the adverbial clauses in Spanish with one of our friendly native, certified Spanish teachers from Guatemala.

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

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”

– Karie Ann, Parent of 3

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• Can Middle Schoolers Really Learn Spanish Without Flashcards?
• Your Child Knows Spanish Words, Now What? How to Turn Vocabulary into Real Conversations
• From Snacks to Dinners: Spanish Vocabulary for Food That Teens Actually Talk About
• Why 2-on-1 Spanish Classes Work Better for Beginners (Especially Middle Schoolers)
• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• How to Build a Spanish Practice Routine That Sticks (And Doesn’t Spark Eye Rolls)
• Why Learning Spanish Feels Harder as an Adult, And What You Can Do About It

The post All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

Many students of Spanish struggle with the distinction, and even native Spanish speakers make mistakes with the use of these conjunctions. 

However, it’s easy to learn when you should use pero in Spanish and when to use sino in Spanish.

Don’t believe me? Keep reading, and I promise that at the end, you’ll be able to take a multiple choice quiz on the difference between pero and sino and get all the answers right.

Join more than 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial Spanish class today.

Sentence Conjunctions and Connection Words

Before we go into the details of pero and sino, let’s review some grammar rules to make sure we’re on the same page.

Like in English, Spanish uses linking or connective words. There are two types of them:

1. Conjunctions – connect ideas within clauses and sentences

2. Transition words – connect sentences and paragraphs

Pero and sino are both conjunctions, meaning you should use them to link ideas within the same sentence. To be more precise, they belong to a specific group of coordinating conjunctions that you use to express contrast.

To learn more about other conjunctions and transition words, check out The Essential Guide to Spanish Linking Words. 

Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’

Before we focus on the difference between pero and sino, let’s take a look at their similarities. (These are the reason for all the confusion!)

First, they both translate to “but” in English. Then, you use both of them as a coordinating conjunction to express contrasting ideas. 

However, they’re not synonyms.  

You’ll use pero in Spanish to add information to the statement before it. Possible translations: but, however, and nevertheless.

Sino in Spanish contradicts or corrects the statement before it. It translates into: but, but rather, and but instead. 

Let’s see each one of them with example sentences and detailed instructions on how to use them.

How To Use ‘Pero’ in Spanish

As I mentioned, pero adds information that contrasts with the idea in the first sentence. Let’s take a look at some example sentences with pero in Spanish.

Me gustan las manzanas pero también me gustan las peras.
I like apples, but I also like pears. 

Me gustan las bananas, pero no las piñas. 
I like bananas, but I don’t like pineapples.

No me gustan las fresas pero sí me gustan los arándanos. 
I don’t like strawberries, but I do like blueberries.

No me regalaste nada para mi cumpleaños pero me llamaste. 
You didn’t give me anything for my birthday, but you called me. 

In the above sentences you could substitute “but” with “however” or “nevertheless.” 

The formula for using pero in Spanish is simple: statement 1 + pero + statement 2.

The statements can be positive or negative. The second statement introduces a contrasting idea that adds information to the information in statement 1. And of course, you can use this conjunction in any tense or mood combination.

No quiero ir al cine pero quiero ir al concierto.
I don’t want to go to the movies, but I want to go to the concert.

Quiero comer rico pero no quiero comer aquí.
I want to eat well, but I don’t want to eat here.

No quise salir pero tampoco quise quedarme en casa.
I didn’t want to go out, but I didn’t want to stay home either.

Quiero leer un libro pero que sea bueno. 
I want to read a book, but I want it to be a good one.

How To Use ‘Sino’ in Spanish

Like pero, sino introduces a contrasting idea. In this case, however, the second information negates or contradicts the idea in statement 1. Sino only appears after a negative statement. 

Be careful. Sino is a single word. “Si no” exists in Spanish but means “if not.”

No voy a salir si no vamos en coche.
I’m not going out if we’re not going by car. 

The formula for sino in Spanish is slightly different from the formula for pero. There are even three possible formulas: Negative statement + sino + noun.

You’ll use this formula if the verb in the first statement also applies to the second sentence.

Let’s see sino in Spanish in sentences: 

No me gustan las manzanas sino las bananas. 
I don’t like apples, but I like bananas.

Do you remember a similar sentence from above?

No me gustan las fresas pero sí me gustan los arándanos. 
I don’t like strawberries but I do like blueberries.

In the sentence with pero, you’re adding an idea that contrasts with the first negative statement.

In the sentence with sino, you give a substitute for the first negative idea instead of adding new information. 

In the sentence “No me gustan las manzanas sino (me gustan) las bananas,” we don’t need to repeat the verb, as it is the same as in the first sentence. 

What happens if we want to use a different verb in the second statement? The formula changes to: negative statement 1 + sino que + statement 2.

No hice mi tarea sino que pasé la tarde leyendo un libro nuevo.
I didn’t do my homework, but rather spent the afternoon reading a new book.

No sólo… sino (que) también

Sino is also often used with an expression no sólo that appears in the first statement. In this case you need to use sino también or sino que también in the second statement. Sino que también appears when the verb in the second sentence is different from the verb in the fist statement.

In this case sino (que) también adds information and does not negate the idea from the first statement. The use of pero in such a construction is incorrect, although you will hear even  native Spanish speakers use it.

Mi madre no sólo sabe cocinar sino también sabe hacer pasteles. 
My mother not only knows how to cook, but also how to bake.

Andrés no sólo no es amable sino que también pelea con todos.
Andres is not only unkind, but also fights with everyone.

‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish – Multiple-Choice Quiz

Now that you know the difference between pero and sino, let’s see how well you do on this quiz. Remember, there’s only one possible correct answer .

Practice Spanish in Conversation

It’s easy to see the difference between pero and sino in Spanish if you spend some time understanding how they function in a sentence.

Now that you know all the theories, it’s time to focus on production. Remember, you want to use Spanish in conversation, understand and talk to other people. (Did you know that there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the U.S. alone?)

Sign up for a free trial class at Homeschool Spanish Academy and start using pero and sino in Spanish in real conversations! Practice Spanish in a 1-to-1 class with one of our friendly and professional teachers from Guatemala. Check out our affordable pricing and flexible programs!

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

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”

– Karie Ann, Parent of 3

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
• Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post The Ultimate Guide to the Differences Between ‘Pero’ and ‘Sino’ in Spanish appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

The Spanish verb ver means “to see,” “to view,” and “to watch.” 

Ver conjugation is mostly regular, although the pattern varies in the past participle, visto (“seen”), and the first-person singular present, veo (“I see”). 

Verbs derived from ver include prever (“to preview” or “to foresee”) and entrever (“to glimpse” or “to suspect”) and follow the same conjugation pattern. Mirar (“to look”) is similar in meaning but not interchangeable with ver.

Today, we’ll learn ver conjugation in three moods:

• indicative mood (present, past, conditional, and future)
• subjunctive mood (present and past)
• and the imperative mood. 

Let’s see just how this Spanish verb works and what forms it takes.

¡Vamos a ver qué pasa!
Let’s see what happens!

Join more than 559 million people on the planet who speak Spanish!
Sign up for your free trial Spanish class today.

The Ultimate Guide to Ver Conjugation

Since this is a complete overview of the ver conjugation, there may be tenses and forms that you are not yet familiar with. I suggest that you go through the lesson in bite-sized chunks. You can practice your newfound ver conjugation skills using some exercises later in this blog post!

Ver Conjugation: Verbals

For these ver conjugations, there are two forms of ver that you need to learn.

1. Conjugation of haber + past participle of ver
2. Conjugation of estar + gerund form of ver

The infinitive form of the verb is ver.
The past participle of ver is visto.
The gerund form of ver is viendo.

These compound tenses involve using the helping verbs haber and estar. The conjugation changes in these tenses happen within the helping verbs, while the form of ver stays the same. 

Let’s see them in action…

Mi amigo me quiere ver.
My friend wants to see me.

Juanita está viendo una película.
Juanita is watching a movie.

Yo nunca había visto algo así en toda mi vida. 
I had never seen something like that in my whole life.

Ver Conjugation: Indicative Mood

Ver is a common Spanish verb, and the indicative mood is the one most commonly used in Spanish. 

Present simple

Veo que ella me quiere ayudar.
I see that she wants to help me.

¿Ves el atardacer?
Do you see the sunset?

Nos vemos todos los días.
We see each other every day.

Past Simple

Vi que él estaba en la oficina.
I saw that he was at the office.

Maria vio que no iba a poder hacer que Pedro cambiara su mentalidad.
Maria saw that she wouldn’t be able to make Pedro change his mind.

¿Ustedes vieron las pinturas de Dalí?
Did you all see Dalí’s paintings?

Past Imperfect

Ellos veían la serie.
They used to watch the series.

Francisco veía los negocios como si fueran un juego. 
Francisco saw business as if it were a game.

Cuando éramos jóvenes nos veían como inocentes. 
When we were young, we were seen as innocent.

Conditional

Si yo pudiera, vería a mi mejor amiga todos los días.
If I could, I would see my best friend every day.

Si Olga supiera lo que he hecho, seguro que me vería diferente. 
If Olga knew what I have done, surely she would see me differently.

No sabía que veríamos a la familia allá. 
I didn’t know that we would see the family there.

Future Simple

Voy a ganar, ya verás.
I’m going to win, you’ll see.

Ella pronto verá la verdad.
She will soon see the truth.

Cuando lleguemos, veremos el paisaje.
When we arrive, we will see the scenery.

Ver Conjugation: Subjunctive Mood

We use the subjunctive mood to talk about hypotheses, hopes, wishes, or uncertainty.

Present Subjunctive

Yo quiero que tú veas lo que hiciste. 
I want you to see what you did.

Lo creeré cuando lo vea.
I will believe it when I see it.

Pinté el cuadro así para que se vean bien los colores.
I painted the picture like this so that you can see the colors well.

Past Subjunctive

Si tú vieras lo que yo vi, también estarías feliz.
If you saw what I saw, you’d be happy, too.

El profesor quería que nosotros viéramos su presentación.
The teacher wanted us to see his presentation.

Me gustó que ustedes vieran a mi mamá.  
I liked that you all saw my mom.

Two other subjunctive tenses exist: future and past perfect. The future subjunctive is rarely used, and the past subjunctive tense in the table above is the more common of the two. 

Ver Conjugation: Imperative Mood

The imperative mood is used to give commands. These tenses don’t include most of the subject pronouns since you can’t give commands in the first person singular (yo) or plural (nosotros) or the third person (él, ella, ellos, ellas). 

No veas la pantalla tanto.
Don’t watch the screen so much.

Veamos un episodio o dos.
Let’s watch an episode or two.

¡Véala en internet ahora mismo!
See it online now!

Let’s practice!

Ver Conjugation Exercises

Check your understanding of ver conjugation with the following exercises! Be sure to check each answer with the answer key below. ¡Buena suerte!

Exercise 1

Identify the tense (and pronoun, if applicable) of each ver conjugation.

1. Vi

2. Verán

3. Ves

4. Visto

5. Veríamos

Exercise 2

Conjugate ver in the tense given.

1. Usted – future

2. Ellas – past simple

3. Tú – imperative, negative

4. Nosotros – present simple

5. Yo – conditional

Exercise 3

Fill in the blank with the correct form of ver.

1. Nosotros _____________ la obra de teatro. (present simple)

2. Ella ha _____________ a la misma doctora por dos años. (past participle)

3. Quiero que nosotros _____________ el documental. (present subjunctive)

4. Tú _____________ qué fantástica soy. (future)

5. Él _____________ la lluvia. (imperfect)

Exercise 4

Translate the following sentences to English.

1. Viste a mi mamá. 

2. Mañana veremos la siguiente parte.

3. Nosotros estamos viendo el espectáculo. 

4. ¿Verás a nuestro nuevo maestro?

5. ¿Verías el documento hoy?

Click to check your answers.

See Yourself Speaking Spanish!

Congratulations! You’ve learned about ver conjugation in Spanish and uses of the verb ver. If you would like to continue practicing, our live, native Spanish-speaking teachers are here to help you. Ask them about when to use each ver conjugation, how to memorize them, and how to best learn Spanish. Boost your Spanish fluency by engaging you in real-life conversation. Sign up today for a free class! 

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

“It’s great being able to interact with native speaking people and having a conversation with them not just doing all the work on paper. It’s also an amazing opportunity to speak with native Spanish-speaking people without having to travel to a native Spanish-speaking country.”

– Melanie

“Getting to know wonderful teachers who care about me and my growth in language and education. Evelyn Gomez and Erick Cacao are two of the most extraordinary people I have ever met, and talking with them in Spanish at the beginning of classes is always so fulfilling and greatly contributes to my happiness, joy, and wellbeing.”

– Abby

“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”

– Karie Ann, Parent of 3

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• Can Middle Schoolers Really Learn Spanish Without Flashcards?
• Your Child Knows Spanish Words, Now What? How to Turn Vocabulary into Real Conversations
• From Snacks to Dinners: Spanish Vocabulary for Food That Teens Actually Talk About
• Why 2-on-1 Spanish Classes Work Better for Beginners (Especially Middle Schoolers)
• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• How to Build a Spanish Practice Routine That Sticks (And Doesn’t Spark Eye Rolls)
• Why Learning Spanish Feels Harder as an Adult, And What You Can Do About It

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1: yo – past simple, 2: ellos/ustedes – future, 3: tú – present simple, 4: past participle, 5: nosotros – conditional

Exercise 2

1: verá, 2: vieron, 3: no veas, 4: vemos, 5: vería

Exercise 3

1: vemos, 2: visto, 3: veamos, 4: verás, 5: veía

Exercise 4 

1: You saw my mom, 2: Tomorrow we will see the next part, 3: We are watching the show, d: Will you see our new teacher? 5: Would you view the document today?

The post Ver Conjugation: Free Spanish Lesson, Exercises, and PDF appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

If you’re starting to learn Spanish, you’re probably already familiar with its grammar and how complicated it can be.

But don’t worry. Learning to use each Spanish structure, such as the “imperfect conjugation,” will help you build a strong foundation in Spanish verb conjugation.

So, keep reading this comprehensive guide to understanding and using the imperfect tense in Spanish.

What’s the Imperfect Tense in Spanish?

In a few words, the imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe the past but is different from the past tense.

With this tense, you can talk about a past action that was done in a continuous state, a past action that was being done before it was interrupted by a different action, or describe age, feelings, time, and dates in the past.

You can also use it to describe the appearance of a person or thing in the past, habits or routines in the past, contrast between the past and now, and periods of time in the past. 

It’s one of the easiest Spanish tenses to use, as it has few irregularities. 

It’s so trouble-free that students overuse it, as they find other Spanish past tenses more challenging to conjugate.

Read also: Preterite vs Imperfect: A Beginner’s Guide to the Past Tense in Spanish

Regular Verbs in the Spanish Imperfect Tense

Let’s start this guide with the regular verb conjugation patterns in the imperfect tense.

Spanish verbs come in three categories: –ar, –er, and –ir. These verbs change according to who performed it and when the action occurs.

There is one conjugation for the –ar verbs and another for the –er and –ir verbs.

In this chart, we give you a basic guide to the endings of verbs according to their category so you can use it to learn the structure.

-Ar Verbs

To conjugate -ar verbs in the Spanish imperfect tense, simply remove the infinitive ending –ar and add –aba to the imperfect ending. Easy, right? 

When you conjugate, you will realize that first-person and third-person singular words are identical.

Be careful to place the accent on the conjugation of the first-person plural, nosotros.

This is an example with the verb soñar, (to dream).

Nosotros soñábamos con viajar a Perú y finalmente lo logramos.
We dreamed of traveling to Peru, and we finally achieved it.

Cuando era pequeña, soñaba constantemente con monstruos de humo.
When I was little, I constantly dreamed about monsters made of smoke.

Practice conjugating –ar regular verbs in Spanish with the imperfect tense in the following chart:

-Er and -Ir Verbs

To conjugate –er and –ir verbs in the imperfect tense, you only need to remove the infinitive ending –er or –ir and add the imperfect –ía ending.

Here, the first-person and third-person singular are also identical.

Let’s see an example with the verb leer (to read).

Tú leías mucho más cuando eras pequeña.
You read a lot more when you were little.

Ellos leían mientras sus papás preparaban el almuerzo.
They read while their parents prepared lunch.

Practice on your own the rest of the –er and –ir verbs that we share with you in the following chart:

We recommend: Preterite and Imperfect: Reading and Practice in Story Form 

Irregular Verbs in the Spanish Imperfect Tense

The main and most significant difference between regular and irregular verbs is that there’s only three of them: ir (to go), ser (to be), and ver (to see).

Another difference between irregular verbs is that when they’re conjugated, they change or alter their composition, just as their name suggests. 

Let’s see how the three irregular verbs are conjugated in the Spanish imperfect tense.

Imperfect Conjugation for Ir (To Go)

Ellos iban a jugar al parque todos los fines de semana.
They went to play in the park every weekend.

Imperfect Conjugation for Ser (To Be)

Nosotros éramos los que apoyábamos a los guardabosques todos los fines de semana.
We were the ones who supported the Rangers every weekend.

Imperfect Conjugation for Ver (To See)

En la época de guerra veíamos cómo las enfermeras luchaban para curar soldados.
During wartime, we saw how nurses fought to cure soldiers.

Let’s practice these verbs!

Complete the following sentences with the correct irregular verb in imperfect tense:

Antes de casarme, yo ______ todas las mañanas al gimnasio.
Before I got married, I went to the gym every morning.

Mi hermano era adorable cuando ______ 5 años.
My brother used to be adorable when he was 5 years old.

Antes de conocerte, ______ mi futuro de una manera diferente.
Before I met you, I used to see my future differently.

When to Use the Spanish Imperfect Tense

As we mentioned at the beginning, the imperfect tense Spanish is one of the easiest to conjugate.

If you want to know which one to use, ask yourself whether the action in the sentence has a definitive completion time. If you don’t have it, then use the imperfect tense.

But that’s not enough. There are also other uses for the imperfect ending.

Here, we share some of them, plus some tips to use them correctly.

1.   To Talk About Past Habitual and Repeated Actions

If you did something repeatedly in the past, you should use this tense. In this case, you will mostly translate the sentence with “used to” or “would.”

Cuando era niña jugaba deportes todos los días de la semana.
When I was a child, I used to play sports every day of the week.

2.   To Talk About Past Actions in Progress

You use the imperfect tense to say something that was happening when the action was interrupted.

Iba al trabajo cuando me chocaron.
I was going to work when I was hit.

3.   To Give Past Dates and Times

If you want to tell a past date or time.

Eran las 2 de la madrugada cuando los vecinos empezaron a hacer ruido.
It was 2 in the morning when the neighbors started making noise.

4.   To Talk About Someone’s Age in the Past

Use the imperfect tense when you wish to mention somebody’s age in the past.

Mi papá tenía 28 años cuando compró nuestra casa.
My dad was 28 years old when he bought our house.

5.   To Talk About Characteristics, Conditions, and Feelings in the Past

If you want to write a story that happened in the past, all the imagery and descriptive detail will go in the imperfect tense.

El mar era una calma absoluta.
The sea was absolutely calm.

El tío de Pedro era alto y muy flaco.
Pedro’s uncle was tall and very skinny.

Cuando veía a mi hija graduarse, me sentía la mamá más orgullosa del mundo.
When I saw my daughter graduate, I felt like the proudest mom in the world.

6.   To Express the Contrast Between Present and Past States

If you want to compare what the situation was like in the past versus the present, this is the tense for you. 

Antes comía muchos dulces y pasteles, ahora no lo hago.
I used to eat a lot of sweets and cakes, but now I don’t.

7.   To Describe Two Actions Happening at the Same Time in the Past

To use the imperfect Spanish tense when talking about two simultaneous actions in the past, in Spanish, we use the word mientras, which means “while.”

Los estudiantes tomaban el examen mientras la maestra observaba los movimientos atentamente.
The students took the test while the teacher closely observed their movements.

Editor’s pick: 50 Irregular Preterite Spanish Verbs You Want to Use Often

Common Phrases and Expressions of Spanish Imperfect Tense

To help you a little more, we will give you a list of trigger words that indicate that you should use the imperfect tense in the Spanish conjugation.

These are common signal phrases and time expressions that often accompany the imperfect tense.

Casi siempre comía una manzana en el desayuno.
I almost always ate an apple for breakfast.

Casi nunca me levantaba a las 6:00 de la mañana.
I almost never got up at 6:00 in the morning.

Siempre escogía el helado de vainilla.
I always chose vanilla ice cream.

Todas las semanas visitábamos un nuevo restaurante.
Every week we visited a new restaurant.

En la escuela con frecuencia jugábamos basketball.
At school, we frequently played basketball.

Yo nunca usaba protector solar en la piscina.
I never wore sunscreen in the pool.

A menudo veía telenovelas con mi mamá.
I often watched soap operas with my mother.

Cuando era adolescente, a veces me escapaba de la escuela para jugar boliche.
When I was a teenager, I would sometimes sneak out of school to go bowling.

Normalmente prefería quedarme en casa para las vacaciones de verano.
I usually prefer to stay home for summer vacations.

Tips and Strategies for Mastering Imperfect Conjugation

Although imperfect tense may be tricky to master, there are some strategies you should take into account to learn all about it, and how to use it in conversations. 

When you have doubts about whether or not you should use it in your sentence, ask these three practical questions:

1. Do I know when exactly the action started or finished?

2. Is there a clear beginning or end?

3. Did it happen only once at a specific moment in time?

If the answer to all of these questions is no, then you should definitely use the imperfect in your communication.

It may also help you to know that, sometimes, people call it a “historic” tense, as the actions described in the imperfect tense have no connections to the present.

You’ll see later that you can translate the imperfect tense in Spanish in different ways into English. 

So, don’t get confused!

Remember that the past tense refers to a one-time, isolated event of the past. The imperfect tense describes past events that occurred in a customary manner. 

As the past tense, imperfect tense also breaks down verbs into five different ending variants, you have probably realized how it works.

Imperfect Tense Is Crucial to Learn Spanish!

Now you see how easy and quick it is to learn the imperfect tense in Spanish!

To use it fluently in your conversations, essays, and interactions with Spanish speakers, you must constantly practice the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs.

It’s okay to make mistakes. It’s thanks to them that we can continue to learn, and we can also know what area we need to reinforce. 

If you need to study with more examples or focus your classes on what serves you best, at Homeschool Spanish Academy, we are ready to help you!

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
• Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post A Complete Guide to Imperfect Conjugation for Beginners appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

No small talk is complete without an introduction about the weather! In this post, I teach you how to discuss the temperature in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. I also explain each verb option and how to use them with lots of examples. Finally, I share some essential temperature vocabulary terms and practice conversations.

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How To Say Temperature in Spanish

The first word you need to learn in Spanish is temperature, or temperatura. Thankfully, it sounds very similar to its English translation. This word will play a key part in crafting your temperature sentences later on!

What’s the Temperature in Spanish

The next most important thing to learn is how to ask for the temperature. This way, you’ll never be caught off guard by the weather! Take a look at the most common ways to ask this essential question in Spanish. 

¿Qué temperatura have?
What temperature is it?

¿Cuál es la temperatura?
What is the temperature?

¿Qué temperatura es?
What is the temperature?

Check Temperature in Spanish

If you are feeling ill, you might need to ask someone to take your temperature in Spanish. Likewise, if someone you know looks a little under the weather, you might want to tell them to check and see if they have a fever. 

Tómate la temperatura.
Take your temperature. 

¿Me tomas la temperatura?
Will you take my temperature?

Temperature Verbs

In order to talk about the temperature in Spanish, there are a few key verbs you must master. Haber, ser and estar are the most common verbs you will encounter when talking about the weather. Tener is another useful verb that can help you talk about body temperature. 

Estar (To Be)

Use the verb estar to describe non-permanent weather conditions.

El día está soleado.
The day is sunny.

La mañana estaba nublada.
The morning was cloudy.

El clima está caluroso.
The weather is hot.

Ser (To Be)

Use the verb ser to describe how the weather feels like to you or to talk about the normal weather during a specific time of the year. 

El clima es agradable.
The weather is nice.

El invierno es muy frío.
Winter is very cold.

Durante el otoño, el clima es ventoso.
During the fall, the weather is windy.

Hacer (To Make/Do)

Another verb you can use when talking about the weather is hacer. You can use this verb to describe what the weather “does”.

Hace mucho calor.
It is very hot.

En las noches, hace frío.
At night, it is cold.

Haber (There is)

Haber is another verb you can use to talk about the weather. Use this one in the third-person singular form. 

No hay muchas nubes.
There aren’t many clouds.

Ayer hubo mucha lluvia.
Yesterday there was a lot of rain.

Tener (To Have)

You don’t only talk about the weather with temperatures. They also play an important role in discussing your body temperature, how you are feeling, or your health. This is where the verb tener comes in!

Tengo fiebre.
I have a fever.

Él tiene la temperatura alta.
He has a high temperature.

Ella tiene calor.
She’s hot.

Ellos tienen frío. 
They’re cold.

The Metric System

If you’re from the U.S., then you’re probably used to using Fahrenheit when talking about the temperature. However, almost everyone else across the globe is using Celsius! It’s important to nail down this second system so that you can properly plan your outfits when traveling abroad. 20 degrees Celsius is a lot different than 20 degrees Fahrenheit! 

Celsius vs Fahrenheit

The US, the Bahamas, and Belize are nearly the only ones using Fahrenheit! If you want to talk about the temperature in Spanish with everyone, then it will be necessary for you to understand the metric system in Celsius degrees. Luckily, most thermometers have both the metric (Celsius) and imperial (Fahrenheit) systems, allowing you to easily see the difference between them. 

Luckily, there is no complicated Fahrenheit in Spanish translation or Fahrenheit in Spanish pronunciation. The word is spelt exactly the same! Additionally, Celsius in Spanish means the same thing as it does in English. You can also say centígrados, but either will do!

El agua hirviendo mide 100° Celsius, pero 212° Fahrenheit.
Boiling water measures 100° in Celsius, but 212° in Fahrenheit.

El agua se congela a 0° Celsius, pero a 32° Fahrenheit.
Water freezes at 0° Celsius, but at 32° Fahrenheit.

Ser vs Estar

In relation to the temperature in degrees, you can use both ser and estar, depending on the structure of your sentence. 

Using Ser

Use the verb ser when the temperature is the subject.

La temperatura es de 30 grados.
The temperature is 30 degrees.

Using Estar

Meanwhile, you can use the verb estar when “we” is the subject. It’s sort of like saying “we’re at a certain temperature” or “it is a certain temperature” in English.

Estamos a 27 grados en la ciudad.
It is 27 degrees in the city.

Below Freezing Temperatures

To discuss a temperature in Spanish that is below zero, you can use ser or estar. 

Just use these handy formulas!

estar a + degree + bajo cero. 

Estamos a 10 grados bajo cero.
It is -10 degrees.

ser + menos + degree 

La temperatura es de menos 2 grados. 
The temperature is -2 degrees.

Spanish Temperature and Weather Vocabulary

Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to add some adjectives into the mix! These descriptive words will help you talk about any type of weather or temperature in Spanish. For even more practice, check out this amazing post on weather expressions. 

Hot Temperature Vocabulary

Whether you need to talk about a hot temperature in Spanish or a room temperature in Spanish, this list provides you with every temperature necessary to describe your ideal cup of tea. 

Cold Temperature Vocabulary

Sky Vocabulary

Precipitation Vocabulary

How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish

Great job mastering the temperature in Spanish! Now, let’s put it all together and create some practice sentences and conversations. 

Below you’ll see a list of phrases, questions, and answers for you to review and use the next time you’re having a conversation about the temperature in Spanish.

Conversation Examples

Sunny Days

¿Cómo está el clima hoy? 
How is the weather today?

El clima está soleado. 
The weather is sunny.

Rainy Days

Hoy está lloviendo. 
It is raining today.

Ayer estuvo nublado. 
Yesterday it was cloudy.

Creo que mañana va a haber lluvia de nuevo.
I think tomorrow there will be rain again.

Weather Predictions

¿Cuál es el pronóstico del clima? 
What is the weather forecast?

Hoy habrá lluvia toda la tarde. 
Today there will be rain in the afternoon.

¿Cuál es el pronóstico del clima para mañana? 
What is the weather forecast for tomorrow?

Mañana estará caluroso. 
Tomorrow it will be hot.

Feeling Cold

¿Tienes frío? 
Are you cold?

Puedes usar mi suéter. 
You can use my sweater.

No, yo no tengo frío. 
No, I’m not cold.

Warm Up Your Spanish With a Free Class

Did you know that practicing Spanish can warm up your brain too? Learning a second language actually improves your cognition and decision-making abilities. Practicing your Spanish regularly is a great way to keep your brain working better for longer. 

Homeschool Spanish Academy provides certified teachers from Guatemala who can help you take your Spanish to the next level. Our flexible scheduling, personalized lesson plans, and immersive strategies create an optimal environment for learning. Try it out for yourself with a free trial class and you will be amazed by how much you learn after just one session!

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
• Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

How about learning to deal with regular and irregular verbs in the preterite tense? 

Well, today is your lucky day!

In this lesson, you’ll learn all about the preterite Spanish tense, how to conjugate it in regular and irregular verbs, and even some of the most common mistakes to avoid when using it. 

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What Is the Spanish Preterite?

The preterite Spanish is simply what you call the past simple tense in English. In Spanish, the preterite tense is also called pasado, meaning “past.” 

This same tense is also referred to as pretérito indefinido, which means “undefined preterite.”

Use this tense when you want to talk about things that took place in the past and precisely as they happened. You can also use it with actions that started and ended in the past and are completed. 

Understanding the Preterite Conjugation of Regular Verbs

While in the English simple past, all you have to do is add the “-ed” ending to regular verbs, the preterite ending in Spanish is slightly more complex. 

To better understand the preterite conjugation of Spanish regular verbs, follow this simple step-by-step guide. 

Step-by-step Guide to Conjugate Regular Spanish Verbs in the Preterite Tense

In Spanish, there are three types of regular verbs: those ending in -ar, -er, and -ir. The first thing you need to do in your preterite conjugations in Spanish is to remove those two-letter endings of the verbs.

The next step is to simply replace those two letters with the specific ending adequate to the type of verb (-ar, -er, -ir), the person doing the action, and if that person is singular or plural. 

This means that all you need to do is replace the -ar, -er, -ir endings with the correct endings according to the following charts: 

-ar Verbs

Examples: 

Verb cantar (to sing) 

Yo canté ayer en el festival. 
I sang yesterday at the festival. 

Mis hermanas cantaron esa canción el año pasado. 
My sisters sang that song last year. 

Verb hablar (to talk, to speak) 

Miguel habló con tu padre la semana pasada. 
Miguel spoke with your father last week. 

Nosotros hablamos ayer con el director. 
We talked with the director yesterday. 

-er Verbs

Examples: 

Verb comer (to eat) 

Ayer comimos pizza Claudia y yo. 
Yesterday, Claudia and I ate pizza.  

¿Qué comiste el martes pasado?
What did you eat last Tuesday?

Verb leer (to read) 

Ayer leí un libro excelente. 
Yesterday, I read an excellent book. 

Mis padres leyeron Don Quijote de la Mancha en la secundaria. 
My parents read Don Quijote de la Mancha in high school. 

-ir Verbs

As you can see, the -er and -ir preterite conjugations are precisely the same, making it easier for new language learners to master them. 

Examples: 

Verb dormir (to sleep) 

Anoche dormí solo un par de horas.
Last night, I slept only a couple of hours.

En Año Nuevo no dormimos casi nada. 
On New Year’s Eve, we didn’t sleep much at all. 

Verb escribir (to write) 

Mi hermana escribió un libro para niños cuando estaba en la universidad.
My sister wrote a children’s book when she was in college.

Ayer me escribiste un mensaje y por eso estoy aquí. 
You wrote me a message yesterday, and that’s why I’m here. 

Understanding the Preterite Conjugation in Irregular Verbs

As in English, Spanish has some irregular verbs that follow different conjugation patterns than most. These are called irregular verbs. 

The good news is that, for the preterite tense, most irregular verbs follow one main set of endings. 

The bad news is that those endings only apply to stem-changing verbs, and you need to know the irregular stems to use that easy set of endings. 

The solution is to learn the stems of some of the most common irregular verbs.

Examples: 

Anoche estuve en casa de mis padres.
Last night I was at my parents’ house. 

Ayer tuvimos un problema con el carro. 
Yesterday, we had a problem with the car.

La semana pasada viniste a mi casa. 
Last week you came to my house.

El año pasado compusimos esta canción. 
Last year, we wrote this song. 

Preterite Conjugation for Highly Irregular Verbs 

Finally, a few highly irregular verbs follow unique preterite conjugation patterns, which are quite important in Spanish. Let’s analyze them: 

Ser (to be) and ir (to go)

These two verbs are essential, and their use is quite common, so learning their preterite conjugation is crucial. 

In a weird fact of the Spanish language, both verbs have the same preterite conjugation pattern, as you can see below: 

Examples: 

Verb ser (to be) 

Yo no fui quien pintó ese cuadro. 
It wasn’t me who painted that artwork. 

¿Tu fuiste maestro alguna vez?
Were you a teacher once? 

Verb ir (to go) 

Anoche fuimos a la fiesta de Juan. 
Yesterday we went to Juan’s party. 

Mis hermanos fueron al estadio. 
My brothers went to the stadium. 

Hacer (to do, to make) 

Examples: 

Verb hacer (to do, to make) 

No hice mi tarea. 
I didn’t do my homework.

Martha hizo un buen trabajo el año pasado.
Martha did a good job last year. 

Ver (to see, to watch)

Examples: 

Verb ver (to see) 

¿Viste el mensaje de Mamá?
Did you see Mom’s message?

Ayer vimos la nueva película de Disney.
Yesterday we watched Disney’s new film. 

Common Time Expressions in the Preterite Tense

Let’s now complement this lesson with some useful Spanish time expressions in the preterite tense. 

Examples: 

Llegué hace una hora.
I arrived an hour ago. 

Fui maestro una vez. 
I was a teacher once. 

Common Mistakes When Using the Preterite Tense Spanish

One of the most common mistakes new language learners make when using the preterite tense is to confuse it with the imperfect. 

The imperfect is another Spanish tense that deals with the past but in a different way than the preterite. 

So, how do you know which one to use? 

The first thing you need to know is that the preterite deals with past events from a specific timeframe. The imperfect tells when an action took place but without a definite ending. 

Anyway, I recommend you to read this Beginner’s Guide to the Past Tense in Spanish, where my colleague Michelle provides a thorough explanation of the differences between the preterite and the imperfect. 

Another common mistake when using the preterite tense in Spanish is trying to change stems in verbs that do that in the present tense. 

However, this is incorrect for -ar and -er verbs. The rule is that if –ar and -er verbs change stems in the present tense, they don’t change stems in the preterite tense. 

Let’s see a couple of examples of this: 

Practice the Preterite Conjugation and Master this Useful Tense

In this lesson, you have learned what the preterite tense is, how to conjugate it with regular and irregular verbs, and how to avoid some of the most common mistakes when using it. 

However, one thing is to understand a concept; a very different one is to master it. 

To master the preterite conjugation in Spanish, you need to practice it. 

Sign up now for a free trial class with one of our certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala and start speaking in Spanish from the very first class. 

We offer student-tailored Spanish programs and flexible scheduling!

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
• Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post A Complete Guide to Preterite Conjugation for Beginners appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.

It’s a somewhat complicated question since languages are constantly evolving since they’re one of the most important forms of human communication.

To keep a specific count of how many words the Spanish language has is a complex endeavor. Spanish is one of the most spoken in the world and one of the richest and most alive.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about the intricacies of this language and the linguistics that characterizes it, keep reading!

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Is It Easy to Know the Number of Spanish Words?

In a language so globally widespread like Spanish, it’s natural to see many variants and dialects.

For example, we have Mexican Spanish, Colombian Spanish, Chilean Spanish, Spanish Spanish, and so on. In other words, each Spanish-speaking country has its own dialect. 

As we indicated previously, Spanish is a living language spoken in more than 20 countries, and according to the Cervantes Institute, almost 591 million people speak Spanish worldwide.

And the numbers continue to increase! 

This language is not close to becoming a dead language. That is why we say that it’s a living language; therefore, the vocabulary evolves continuously every day.

It has many words used in several Spanish-speaking countries, which are understood and, therefore, accepted within the language itself.

Answering the big question is complex, and it’s almost impossible to indicate how many words make up the Spanish language.

Many variables must be considered: idioms, dialects, regional vocabularies, new words, and words Spanish speakers borrow from other languages.

Read also: Microlearning Languages: Can It Help Improve Your Spanish?

What Constitutes a Word in Any Language?

Let’s start by defining what is considered a “word” within a language, whatever it may be.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a word means a speech sound or series of speech sounds that symbolize and communicate a meaning. But what makes a word to be a real one?

Dictionary.com says that a word does not become real when added to a dictionary. On the contrary, terms already used in everyday speech are real and living words, making them a candidate to be added to a dictionary.

Languages are generally highly stable and, at the same time, prone to constant change, so linguistic variability is due to internal or cognitive changes and external or social changes.

This is where contact between several languages can contribute to variability in a language and, therefore, change the structure or vocabulary of them.

This contact with other languages can lead to a cross-linguistic influence in spoken and written communication and at lexical, semantic, phonetic, phonological, prosodic, graphemic, morphological, syntactic, and pragmatic levels.

That’s how easily a language can change over time!

Efforts to Document and Update the Spanish Language

Each language has an entity in charge of adding these words to the official dictionaries so that their existence and meanings are recorded.

In Italy, for example, the Accademia della Crusca studies and researches the Italian language instead of regulating it.

For French, there is the Académie Française, which regulates and perfects the vocabulary and grammatical rules.

In the case of the Spanish language, we have the RAE, Real Academia Española, or Royal Spanish Academy, who have taken on the task of ensuring the correctness of this language, along with 21 other academies from the Americas and the Philippines.

Yeah! The Filipinos also speak Spanish because they were a Spanish colony.

Javier Bezos, a spelling specialist at the Urgent Spanish Foundation (Fundéu), explains that “we create words spontaneously, simply because we need to express a concept. And if we don’t have the word, we try to explain it or invent it.”

The Royal Spanish Academy has adapted over the years to maintain the Spanish language and not break unity in the Hispanic sphere.

To develop all the projects, updates, and writing of dictionaries and linguistic books, the RAE employs 46 academics from different branches. Among them are historians, writers, philologists, and researchers.

In addition, the RAE has created the Association of Academies of the Spanish Language, where different representatives review the various publications and analyze and research new Spanish words that should be added to their dictionaries.

Another dictionary responsible for collecting terms and words is the Historical Dictionary of the Spanish Language, which has approximately 350 million words in use and disuse. Yes, 350 million! 

That’s the beautiful thing about languages: anyone can create a word. Even you!

We recommend: Fact or Fiction: Can You Really Learn Spanish in 3 Months?

Variants That Affect the Spanish Word Count

Although all languages have their own words created dozens of years ago, new ones are added every year that are not 100% typical of the native language.

This is where variants can influence the addition of new terms to Spanish that are not necessarily derived from it.

One of these phenomena is word borrowing, which is when two languages come into contact and “borrow” words from one another. This is one of the most commonly attested language contact phenomena.

Word borrowing or “loanwords” is not only recognized as the most common phenomenon in language contact. But it also occupies an important place in linguistics due to what it contributes to the grammar of a language.

One of the most obvious reasons foreignism or loanwords exist is because of the need to refer to an object, animal, or person and that there is no word in Spanish.

For example, the word “tomate” came from Nahuatl and was introduced into Spanish to be later borrowed or used in the rest of the European languages.

There are also foreignisms. This is when people use a foreign word with a different phonetic or pronunciation, such as “túnel” in Spanish, which in English is “tunnel.”

Another form of loanwords is when the word is broken down and translated separately. An example is the English word interview, which in Spanish is “entrevista,” which means entre: inter and vista: view.

Editor’s pick: Spanish Dialects: Which One is the Easiest to Master?

So, How Many Words Are There in the Spanish Language?

As we mentioned before, knowing the exact number of Spanish words is challenging.

But we can get an approximate amount considering the reference of terms compiled by the Royal Spanish Academy.

However, it’s important to emphasize that in these sources of information, adding new words is rigorous and can sometimes take up to 10 years to be accepted and added to the dictionary.

Even some words stop being used in that period of analysis!

The RAE indicates that Spanish has more than 93,000 words, and about 19,000 of those words are Americanisms.

Considering that the RAE adds approximately 200 new words to the dictionary every year and that new words are constantly being created in more than 20 Spanish-speaking countries, it will likely reach 100,000 Spanish words very soon. 

Learn Spanish and Add New Words to Your Vocabulary

The richness of languages is that they’re constantly evolving, and with globalization, word borrowing intensifies, so languages continue to intertwine and increase new terms to communicate.

To better understand Spanish, you don’t need to learn the 93,000 words the RAE has collected. But knowing at least 5,000 will help you communicate easily.

Start by learning the most basic words and practicing the most common and everyday phrases to converse fluently with a Spanish-speaking person.

Contact language professionals to increase your Spanish knowledge and manage your conversations.

Homeschool Spanish Academy offers native, authentic Spanish instruction with teachers from Guatemala.

Our flexible scheduling and student-tailored programs will help you achieve your learner-specific language goals.

Our online Spanish school excels in real human connection; that’s why parents voted us the “Best Overall Online Spanish Classes for Kids.”

Sign up here for your free trial class and click here to check our prices and programs available for all ages.

Learning a new language is an exciting process.

We can’t wait for you to join us!

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

“This is the best way for your kid to learn Spanish. It’s one-on-one, taught by native Spanish speakers, and uses a curriculum.”

– Sharon K, Parent of 3

“It’s a great way to learn Spanish, from native Spanish speakers in a 1-on-1 environment. It’s been fairly easy to schedule classes around my daughter’s other classes. The best value for us has been ordering multiple classes at a time. All the instructors have been great!”

– Cindy D, Parent of 3

“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”

– Erica P. Parent of 1

Ready to learn more Spanish grammar and vocabulary? Check these out!

• 25 Essential Spanish Phrases for Everyday Conversations
• Avoiding Embarrassing Mistakes: Common False Friends in Spanish
• Llegar vs Llevar in Spanish: What’s the Difference?
• 10 Essential Ways to Use “Que” in Spanish
• Spanish Preterite vs Imperfect: 25 Online Exercises to Practice Your Skills
• 50 Useful Spanish Transition Words for Everyday Speech and Writing
• Master the 18 Spanish Tenses (and Take Our Cheat Sheet With You)
• All About Adverbial Clauses in Spanish

The post How Many Words Are in the Spanish Language? Really? appeared first on Homeschool Spanish Academy.