Lenguia | A1 Spanish Grammar: 78 Topics & Examples

Spanish verbs change their ending to show who is doing the action. Regular verbs follow one of three patterns, depending on how the infinitive ends: -ar (hablar), -er (comer) or -ir (vivir). Drop that ending and add the one for the person (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas/ustedes): hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan; como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen; vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven. For example: 'Yo hablo español.' 'Nosotros vivimos en Madrid.'

Key rule

Drop -ar, -er or -ir and add the ending for the person (yo, tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas/ustedes): -ar → -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an; -er → -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en; -ir → like -er, but -imos and -ís.

Examples

Yo hablo español.
Yo hablar español.
The main verb must be conjugated. 'Hablo' is the yo form of 'hablar'; the infinitive can't stand alone after a subject.
¿Tú comes pizza?
¿Tú come pizza?
The tú form of -er verbs ends in -es: 'comes'. 'Come' is the él/ella form.
Ella vive en Madrid.
Ella vivo en Madrid.
The él/ella form of -ir verbs ends in -e: 'vive'. The -o ending is only for yo.

Common mistakes

Using infinitive instead of conjugated form
Yo hablar español
Yo hablo español
English 'I speak' uses the plain verb, but Spanish always conjugates the main verb for the person: hablar → hablo.
Confusing -er and -ir endings for nosotros
Nosotros vivemos aquí
Nosotros vivimos aquí
For -ir verbs, the nosotros ending is -imos. The -emos ending belongs to -er verbs (comemos).

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Ser and Estar

Presente de indicativo - Ser y Estar

Spanish has two verbs for 'to be': ser and estar. Use ser to say what someone or something is and what they are like: identity, job, nationality, origin, personality, appearance, the time and where an event takes place ('Soy Ana.' 'Soy de México.' 'Es alta.' 'Son las tres.' 'La fiesta es en mi casa.'). Use estar to say where people and things are and how they are right now: location, feelings and states ('Estoy en casa.' 'Estoy cansado.'). Both are irregular: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son; estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están.

Key rule

Use ser for what someone or something is (identity, job, origin, characteristics, time, where an event happens); use estar for where people and things are and how they are right now (states and feelings).

Examples

Yo soy español.
Yo estoy español.
Nationality says who you are, so it takes ser.
Ella está cansada.
Ella es cansada. (intended: She is tired.)
Being tired is a state she is in right now, so it takes estar. 'Ella es cansada' would describe what she is like (a tiring, tiresome person), not how she feels now.
El libro está en la mesa.
El libro es en la mesa.
The location of a person or thing takes estar. (Only events use ser for place: 'La fiesta es en mi casa.')

Common mistakes

Using estar for nationality or profession
Estoy médico
Soy médico
A profession says what you are, so it takes ser, with no article: 'Soy médico.'
Using ser for location
El banco es en la esquina
El banco está en la esquina
The location of people and things takes estar, even for things that never move, like buildings or cities.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Tener and Haber

Presente de indicativo - Tener y Haber

Tener means 'to have': 'Tengo dos hermanos.' Its forms are irregular: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen. Spanish also uses tener + a noun where English uses 'to be': age ('Tengo veinte años'), hunger, thirst, cold and heat ('Tengo hambre'), fear ('Tengo miedo'). Because these are nouns, 'very' is mucho/mucha, not muy: 'Tengo mucha hambre.' 'Tener que' + infinitive means 'to have to': 'Tengo que estudiar.' Hay (from haber) means 'there is' and 'there are', and it is the same for singular and plural: 'Hay un libro.' 'Hay tres libros.' Use hay to say that something exists somewhere; to say where a specific, known thing is, use estar: 'Hay un banco en esta calle', but 'El banco está en la esquina.'

Key rule

Use tener for possession, for age and states like hunger or cold (tener + noun), and tener que + infinitive for obligation; hay (from haber) means 'there is/are' and is the same for singular and plural.

Examples

Yo tengo dos hermanos.
Yo tiene dos hermanos.
The yo form of tener is 'tengo'. 'Tiene' is the él/ella/usted form.
Ella tiene hambre.
Ella es hambrienta.
Spanish expresses hunger with tener + the noun 'hambre' (literally 'to have hunger'), not with ser + an adjective.
Hay un gato en el jardín.
Es un gato en el jardín. (intended: There is a cat in the garden.)
'There is' is 'hay'. 'Es un gato en el jardín' means 'It's a cat in the garden', for example as the answer to '¿Qué es eso?'.

Common mistakes

Using ser/estar for age
Yo soy 25 años
Yo tengo 25 años
Spanish expresses age with tener + number + años, not with ser.
Using estar for hunger, thirst, cold or heat
Estoy hambre
Tengo hambre
Hunger, thirst, cold and heat are nouns in these expressions, so Spanish uses tener + noun: tengo hambre, sed, frío, calor.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Ir and Venir

Presente de indicativo - Ir y Venir

Ir (to go) and venir (to come) are both irregular. Ir: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van. Venir: vengo, vienes, viene, venimos, venís, vienen. Use venir for movement toward the place where the speaker is, or will be when the other person arrives ('¿Vienes a mi casa?' when I'm at home; '¿Vienes a mi fiesta?'). For your own movement toward the person you are talking to, use ir, not venir: '¡Ya voy!' (I'm coming!), 'Mañana voy a tu casa' (I'll come to your house tomorrow). For movement to other places, the usual verb is ir, and a destination after it takes 'a' (a + el contracts to 'al'): 'Voy a la playa.' 'Voy al cine.' Venir takes 'de' for where someone comes from (de + el contracts to 'del'): 'Vengo del trabajo.'

Key rule

Venir = movement toward where the speaker is (or will be); ir (+ a + destination) = movement to other places, including your own movement toward the listener ('¡Ya voy!').

Examples

Yo voy al supermercado.
Yo vo al supermercado.
The yo form of ir is 'voy', not 'vo'.
Ella viene a mi casa.
Ella va a mi casa. (intended: She's coming to my house, where I am now.)
You are at home and she is moving toward you, so use venir. 'Va a mi casa' would mean you are somewhere else.
Vamos a la playa mañana.
Estamos yendo a la playa mañana.
For a plan, Spanish uses the simple present of ir ('vamos'), not the continuous. 'Estamos yendo' describes something in progress now, such as being on the way, not a future plan.

Common mistakes

Forgetting 'a' after ir
Voy el parque
Voy al parque
A destination after ir needs 'a', and a + el contracts to 'al'.
Using ir when venir is needed
¿A qué hora vas a casa? Te espero aquí.
¿A qué hora vienes a casa? Te espero aquí.
The speaker is at home waiting ('te espero aquí'), so the listener is moving toward the speaker: use venir.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (e→ie)

Presente de indicativo - Verbos con cambio de raíz (e→ie)

In some verbs, the e in the stem becomes ie when it is stressed: querer → quiero, pensar → piensas, cerrar → cierra. The endings stay regular. The change happens in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms, but not in nosotros and vosotros, where the stress moves to the ending: queremos, queréis. For example: 'Quiero un café.' but 'Queremos un café.'

Key rule

In e→ie verbs, the stressed stem e becomes ie in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms (quiero, quieres, quiere, quieren); nosotros and vosotros keep e (queremos, queréis).

Examples

Yo quiero un café.
Yo quero un café.
In 'quiero' the stem is stressed, so its e becomes ie.
Ella piensa mucho.
Ella pensa mucho.
Pensar is an e→ie verb, and the él/ella form has a stressed stem: piensa.
Nosotros preferimos té.
Nosotros prefierimos té.
In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending (-imos), so the stem keeps e: preferimos.

Common mistakes

Applying stem change to nosotros/vosotros
Nosotros quieremos salir
Nosotros queremos salir
In the nosotros and vosotros forms the stress falls on the ending, so the stem keeps e.
Forgetting stem change in singular forms
Yo penso en ti
Yo pienso en ti
The yo form has a stressed stem, so e changes to ie: pienso.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (o→ue)

Presente de indicativo - Verbos con cambio de raíz (o→ue)

In some verbs, the o in the stem becomes ue when it is stressed: poder → puedo, dormir → duerme, volver → vuelves. It follows the same pattern as the e→ie verbs: the change happens in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms, but not in nosotros and vosotros (podemos, podéis). Jugar is special: its u becomes ue (juego, juegas). For example: 'Puedo ayudarte.' but 'Podemos ayudarte.'

Key rule

In o→ue verbs, the stressed stem o becomes ue in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms (puedo, puedes, puede, pueden); nosotros and vosotros keep o (podemos, podéis). Jugar changes u→ue (juego).

Examples

Yo puedo ayudarte.
Yo podo ayudarte.
In the yo form the stem is stressed, so poder changes o→ue: puedo.
Ella duerme ocho horas.
Ella dorme ocho horas.
Dormir changes o→ue in the él/ella form: duerme.
Nosotros volvemos a las cinco.
Nosotros vuelvemos a las cinco.
In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending (-emos), so the stem keeps o: volvemos.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the o→ue change
Yo podo hacerlo
Yo puedo hacerlo
Poder changes o→ue in the stressed forms: puedo.
Applying change to nosotros/vosotros
Nosotros puedemos ir
Nosotros podemos ir
In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending, so the stem keeps o: podemos.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (e→i)

Presente de indicativo - Verbos con cambio de raíz (e→i)

A third group of stem-changing verbs changes the stressed e of the stem to i. This happens only in -ir verbs, such as pedir (to ask for, to order), servir (to serve) and repetir (to repeat): pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden. As with the other stem-changing verbs, nosotros and vosotros keep the e, because their stress falls on the ending. Seguir and conseguir drop the u before o: sigo, consigo. For example: 'Pido la cuenta.' but 'Pedimos la cuenta.'

Key rule

In some -ir verbs, the stressed stem e becomes i in the yo, tú, él/ella/usted and ellos/ellas/ustedes forms (pido, pides, pide, piden); nosotros and vosotros keep e (pedimos, pedís).

Examples

Yo pido la cuenta.
Yo pedo la cuenta.
Pedir changes e→i in the stressed yo form: pido.
El camarero sirve la comida.
El camarero serve la comida.
Servir changes e→i in the él/ella form: sirve.
Nosotros pedimos una pizza.
Nosotros pidimos una pizza.
In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending (-imos), so the stem keeps e: pedimos.

Common mistakes

Forgetting e→i change
Yo pedo una cerveza
Yo pido una cerveza
Pedir changes e→i in the stressed forms: pido.
Applying change to nosotros
Nosotros pidimos paella
Nosotros pedimos paella
In the nosotros form the stress falls on the ending, so the stem keeps e: pedimos.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Irregular Yo Forms

Presente de indicativo - Formas irregulares de yo

Some very common verbs are irregular only in the yo form; all the other forms are regular. Many have a yo form ending in -go: hacer → hago, poner → pongo, salir → salgo, traer → traigo. Most verbs ending in a vowel + -cer or -cir change c to zc: conocer → conozco, traducir → traduzco. Saber and ver have their own yo forms: sé and veo. For example: 'Hago la cena.' but 'Él hace la cena.'

Key rule

Some common verbs are irregular only in the yo form (hago, pongo, salgo, traigo, conozco, traduzco, sé, veo); all other persons are regular (haces, hace, hacemos...).

Examples

Yo hago la tarea.
Yo haco la tarea.
Hacer has a -go yo form: hago.
Yo pongo los libros aquí.
Yo pono los libros aquí.
Poner has a -go yo form: pongo.
Yo salgo a las ocho.
Yo salo a las ocho.
Salir has a -go yo form: salgo.

Common mistakes

Applying irregular form to other persons
Ella hago la comida
Ella hace la comida
Only the yo form is irregular. The él/ella form is regular: hace.
Using regular yo form
Yo haco ejercicio
Yo hago ejercicio
Hacer has an irregular yo form: hago.

A1Verb tenses

Present Tense - Highly Irregular Verbs

Presente de indicativo - Verbos muy irregulares

A few verbs don't fit any single pattern, so learn all their forms. Decir (to say): digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. Oír (to hear): oigo, oyes, oye, oímos, oís, oyen. Dar (to give): doy, das, da, damos, dais, dan. Caber (to fit): quepo, cabes, cabe, cabemos, cabéis, caben. Watch three details: decir keeps e in decimos and decís; oír adds a y in oyes, oye and oyen; and da and dais have one syllable, so they take no written accent. For example: 'Digo la verdad.' '¿Oyes eso?'

Key rule

Decir (digo, dices), oír (oigo, oyes), dar (doy, da) and caber (quepo, cabes) each combine several irregularities or a unique form, so learn each full set.

Examples

Yo digo la verdad.
Yo deco la verdad.
The yo form of decir is 'digo': it ends in -go and has i in the stem.
¿Qué dices?
¿Qué deces?
The tú form of decir has the e→i change: dices.
Yo oigo música.
Yo oyo música.
The yo form of oír adds -ig-: oigo.

Common mistakes

Using regular forms for decir
Yo deco mentiras
Yo digo mentiras
Decir has an irregular yo form (digo) and the e→i change in the other stressed forms (dices, dice, dicen).
Missing 'y' in oír forms
Tú oes bien
Tú oyes bien
Oír adds a y in the tú, él/ella and ellos/ellas forms: oyes, oye, oyen.

A1Verb tenses

Present Continuous (estar + gerund)

Presente continuo (estar + gerundio)

Use estar + gerund to say that something is in progress right now ('Estoy comiendo', I'm eating) or is going on for a while around now ('Este año estoy aprendiendo alemán'). Conjugate estar for the person (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) and add the gerund: -ando for -ar verbs (hablando), -iendo for -er and -ir verbs (comiendo, viviendo). When the stem ends in a vowel, -iendo becomes -yendo (leer → leyendo, oír → oyendo), and stem-changing -ir verbs change e→i or o→u (pedir → pidiendo, dormir → durmiendo). Three special forms: ir → yendo, poder → pudiendo, reír → riendo. Unlike English, you don't use this form for future plans: 'I'm going to Madrid tomorrow' is 'Mañana voy a Madrid'.

Key rule

estar (conjugated) + gerund (-ando / -iendo) describes an action in progress now or around now; unlike English, it is not used for future plans.

Examples

Estoy comiendo una manzana.
Soy comiendo una manzana.
The present continuous is built with estar, never ser.
¿Qué estás haciendo?
¿Qué estás haces?
After estar, use the gerund (haciendo), not a conjugated verb.
Ella está leyendo un libro.
Ella está leiendo un libro.
The stem of leer ends in a vowel, so -iendo becomes -yendo: leyendo.

Common mistakes

Using ser instead of estar
Yo soy trabajando
Yo estoy trabajando
The present continuous always uses estar, never ser.
Using for future plans (English interference)
Mañana estoy visitando a mi abuela
Mañana voy a visitar a mi abuela / Mañana visito a mi abuela
Spanish doesn't use the present continuous for the future. Use ir a + infinitive or the simple present with a time word.

A1Verb tenses

Gerund Formation

Formación del gerundio

The gerund (gerundio) is the Spanish form that matches English '-ing' in 'I am speaking'. For -ar verbs, replace -ar with -ando: hablar → hablando. For -er and -ir verbs, replace the ending with -iendo: comer → comiendo, vivir → viviendo. When an -er or -ir stem ends in a vowel, -iendo becomes -yendo: leer → leyendo, oír → oyendo. Stem-changing -ir verbs change e to i or o to u: pedir → pidiendo, dormir → durmiendo. Learn three special forms: ir → yendo, poder → pudiendo, reír → riendo. The gerund never changes for the person: 'Estoy hablando.' 'Están hablando.'

Key rule

-ar → -ando; -er/-ir → -iendo (-yendo after a vowel: leyendo); -ir stem-changers change e→i or o→u (pidiendo, durmiendo); special forms: yendo (ir), pudiendo (poder), riendo (reír). The gerund never changes for person, gender or number.

Examples

hablar → hablando
hablar → habliendo
-ar verbs take the -ando ending: hablando. The -iendo ending is only for -er and -ir verbs.
comer → comiendo
comer → comando
-er verbs take the -iendo ending: comiendo.
vivir → viviendo
vivir → vivando
-ir verbs take the -iendo ending: viviendo.

Common mistakes

Using -iendo for -ar verbs
habliendo
hablando
-ar verbs always use -ando, never -iendo.
Using -ando for -er/-ir verbs
comando, vivando
comiendo, viviendo
-er and -ir verbs take -iendo, never -ando (-yendo after a vowel: leyendo).

A1Verb tenses

Immediate Future (ir a + infinitive)

Futuro próximo (ir a + infinitivo)

To talk about plans and about what is going to happen, use ir + a + infinitive, just like English 'going to'. Conjugate ir for the person (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), add 'a', and keep the second verb in the infinitive: 'Voy a comer.' (I'm going to eat.) 'Va a llover.' (It's going to rain.) It is the most common way to talk about plans in everyday Spanish. Don't use estar + gerund for plans: 'Mañana voy a viajar', not 'Mañana estoy viajando'. Pronouns go before ir or on the end of the infinitive: 'Lo voy a hacer' or 'Voy a hacerlo'.

Key rule

ir (conjugated) + a + infinitive expresses plans, intentions and predictions (Voy a estudiar. Va a llover.); only ir changes, and pronouns go before ir or on the end of the infinitive.

Examples

Voy a estudiar esta noche.
Voy estudiar esta noche.
The 'a' between ir and the infinitive is required: voy a estudiar.
Ella va a cocinar paella.
Ella va a cocina paella.
After 'va a', the second verb stays in the infinitive: va a cocinar.
¿Vas a venir a la fiesta el sábado?
¿Estás viniendo a la fiesta el sábado?
For a future plan, use ir a + infinitive (or the simple present: '¿Vienes a la fiesta el sábado?'), not the present continuous. '¿Estás viniendo?' asks about something in progress now, such as being on the way, not about a plan.

Common mistakes

Omitting 'a' between ir and infinitive
Voy comer
Voy a comer
The preposition 'a' is required: ir + a + infinitive.
Conjugating the main verb
Vamos a comemos
Vamos a comer
Only ir is conjugated; the second verb stays in the infinitive.

A1Verb usage

Reflexive Verbs - Basic

Verbos reflexivos - Básico

A reflexive verb describes an action the subject does to itself, like 'I wash myself' or 'she gets up'. In the dictionary these verbs end in -se: lavarse, levantarse, llamarse. When you conjugate them, 'se' becomes a pronoun that matches the subject and goes before the conjugated verb: me lavo, te lavas, se lava, nos lavamos, os laváis, se lavan. Example: 'Me levanto a las siete' (I get up at seven). With an infinitive, you can also attach the pronoun to its end, and it still matches the subject: 'Voy a ducharme' (I'm going to shower). With body parts, use the article, not a possessive: 'Me lavo las manos' (not 'mis manos').

Key rule

A reflexive verb needs a pronoun that matches the subject (me, te, se, nos, os, se). It goes before a conjugated verb (me lavo) or attaches to an infinitive (voy a lavarme).

Examples

Me lavo las manos.
Lavo las manos.
'Me' shows that the hands are your own and that you wash them yourself. Without it, the sentence doesn't say whose hands you are washing.
Él se afeita todos los días.
Él afeita todos los días. (intended: He shaves every day.)
'Afeitarse' (to shave) needs 'se' when he shaves himself. Without 'se', 'afeita' means he shaves other people, as a barber does.
Nos levantamos temprano.
Levantamos temprano.
'Levantarse' (to get up) needs 'nos' for 'we'. 'Levantar' without the pronoun means to lift something.

Common mistakes

Omitting the reflexive pronoun
Levanto a las siete.
Me levanto a las siete.
'Levantar' alone means to lift something. To say that you get up, you need 'levantarse': me levanto.
Wrong pronoun-subject agreement
Nosotros se levantamos.
Nosotros nos levantamos.
The pronoun must match the subject: nosotros takes 'nos', not 'se'.

A1Verb usage

Reflexive Verbs - Daily Routine

Verbos reflexivos - Rutina diaria

Many daily-routine verbs in Spanish are reflexive: despertarse (to wake up), levantarse (to get up), ducharse (to shower), vestirse (to get dressed), acostarse (to go to bed). Each one needs the pronoun that matches the subject, before the conjugated verb: me levanto, te levantas, se levanta. Several also change their stem, except in the nosotros and vosotros forms: me despierto, me acuesto, me visto (but nos despertamos). With body parts and clothes, use the article, not a possessive like 'mi': 'Me lavo la cara', 'Me pongo el abrigo'.

Key rule

Routine verbs like levantarse, ducharse and acostarse need the matching reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb (me levanto, nos acostamos). Watch the stem changes (me despierto, me acuesto, me visto) and use the article with body parts (me lavo las manos).

Examples

Mi hermano se despierta a las seis.
Mi hermano se desperta a las seis.
'Despertarse' changes e→ie when the stem is stressed: me despierto, te despiertas, se despierta (but nos despertamos).
Ella se cepilla los dientes.
Ella se cepilla sus dientes.
The pronoun 'se' already shows that the teeth are hers, so Spanish uses the article 'los', not the possessive 'sus'.
Nos acostamos a las diez.
Acostamos a las diez.
'Acostarse' (to go to bed) needs 'nos' for 'we'. 'Acostar' without the pronoun means to put someone else to bed. The nosotros form keeps 'o': acostamos.

Common mistakes

Using possessives instead of articles with body parts
Me lavo mis manos.
Me lavo las manos.
The reflexive pronoun 'me' already shows whose hands they are, so use the definite article: las manos.
Forgetting stem changes
Mi padre se acosta tarde.
Mi padre se acuesta tarde.
'Acostarse' changes o→ue when the stem is stressed: me acuesto, te acuestas, se acuesta, se acuestan (but nos acostamos, os acostáis).

A1Verb usage

Gustar-type Verb Structure

Estructura de verbos tipo gustar

Spanish builds 'I like' the other way round: the thing you like is the subject, and the person who likes it is shown with me, te, le (for him, her or usted), nos, os or les (for them or ustedes). 'Me gusta el café' literally means 'Coffee pleases me'. The verb agrees with the thing liked: 'gusta' with one thing or with infinitives ('Me gusta bailar'), 'gustan' with a plural noun ('Me gustan los perros'). A noun you like in general takes the definite article: 'Me gusta la música', not 'Me gusta música'. To name the person, add 'a' and keep the pronoun: 'A mi madre le gusta cocinar'. Encantar, interesar, molestar and doler work the same way.

Key rule

With gustar-type verbs, the thing liked is the subject and decides the verb form: 'gusta' with a singular noun or with infinitives, 'gustan' with a plural noun. The person is shown by an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les), which stays even when you add 'a' + the person: 'A mi hermano le gusta el fútbol'.

Examples

Me gusta el chocolate.
Yo gusto el chocolate.
'El chocolate' is the subject: it is what pleases. 'Me' shows who it pleases. 'Yo gusto' would make you the one who pleases.
Me gustan los perros.
Me gusta los perros.
'Los perros' is plural, so the verb is 'gustan'. The verb agrees with what is liked, not with who likes it.
A ella le gusta bailar.
Ella gusta bailar.
She is not the subject, so she is shown with 'le' (and 'a ella' for clarity). An infinitive like 'bailar' takes singular 'gusta'.

Common mistakes

Using subject pronouns instead of indirect objects
Yo gusto la música.
Me gusta la música.
With gustar, the music is the subject that pleases you. The person is shown with 'me', not 'yo'.
Wrong verb agreement
Me gusta las películas.
Me gustan las películas.
The verb agrees with what is liked. 'Las películas' is plural, so use 'gustan'.

A1Verb usage

Hay for Existence

Hay para expresar existencia

'Hay' means both 'there is' and 'there are'. It stays the same for one thing or many: 'Hay un gato' (There is a cat), 'Hay tres gatos' (There are three cats). Use it to say that something exists somewhere, with un/una, a number, a quantity word like 'mucho', or no article before a plural or uncountable noun: 'Hay un banco en esta calle', 'Hay árboles', 'Hay leche'. Don't use it with el/la: to say where a specific, known thing is, use 'estar': '¿Dónde está el banco?' For the negative, put 'no' before it: 'No hay leche' (There's no milk).

Key rule

'Hay' means both 'there is' and 'there are' and does not change for plural nouns. Use it with an indefinite article, a number, a quantity word, or a plural or uncountable noun with no article (hay árboles, hay leche) to say that something exists; use 'estar' to say where a specific, known thing is.

Examples

Hay un libro en la mesa.
Es un libro en la mesa.
'Hay' says that something exists in a place. 'Es' (is) doesn't say that something is there.
Hay muchos estudiantes.
Han muchos estudiantes.
'Hay' doesn't change for plural nouns. 'Han' is the form of 'haber' that builds compound tenses (han comido), not a way to say 'there are'.
¿Hay leche en la nevera?
¿Está leche en la nevera?
Use 'hay' to ask whether there is any milk. 'Está' needs a specific, known thing: ¿Dónde está la leche?

Common mistakes

Using estar instead of hay
Está un banco en la esquina.
Hay un banco en la esquina.
Use 'hay' to say that something exists or to introduce it. 'Está' is for locating things already known.
Making hay agree with plural nouns
Han muchas personas.
Hay muchas personas.
'Hay' doesn't change with plural nouns: hay una persona, hay muchas personas.

A1Verb usage

Ser vs Estar - Basic Distinction

Ser y estar - Distinción básica

Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. Use 'ser' to say what someone or something is: identity, origin, job, what they are like, time and dates ('Soy Ana', 'Soy de Chile', 'Es médico', 'Es alta', 'Son las tres'). Use 'estar' to say where someone or something is and how they are at the moment ('Estoy en casa', 'Estoy cansado', 'La puerta está abierta'). Events are the exception: to say where or when an event takes place, use 'ser' ('La fiesta es en mi casa', 'La fiesta es el sábado'). A few adjectives change meaning with the verb: 'Es lista' (she is clever) but 'Está lista' (she is ready). In the same way, '¿Cómo eres?' asks what someone is like, and '¿Cómo estás?' asks how they are.

Key rule

Use 'ser' for what someone or something is: identity, origin, profession, description, time, and when or where an event takes place (La fiesta es en mi casa). Use 'estar' for where something is and how it is at the moment: location, feelings, conditions. It is not simply permanent vs temporary: 'Madrid está en España'.

Examples

Soy de México.
Estoy de México.
Where you come from is part of who you are, so origin takes 'ser': soy de...
Estoy en la oficina.
Soy en la oficina.
Location takes 'estar': it says where you are, not what you are.
Esta es mi hermana Ana.
Esta está mi hermana Ana.
To say who someone is (identity), use 'ser'. Any 'to be' + noun takes 'ser'.

Common mistakes

Using ser for location
Mi casa es en Madrid.
Mi casa está en Madrid.
The location of people, places and things takes 'estar', even when it never changes. Events are different: where an event takes place uses 'ser' (La fiesta es en mi casa).
Using estar for professions
Ella está profesora.
Ella es profesora.
A profession says what someone is, so use 'ser'.

A1Verb usage

Ser for Descriptions and Characteristics

Ser para descripciones y características

Use 'ser' to say what someone or something is and what they are normally like: appearance ('Es alta'), personality ('Es simpático'), nationality and origin ('Es español', 'Es de Lima'), job ('Es profesora'), material ('Es de madera') and color ('Mi coche es rojo'). 'To be' + a noun takes 'ser': 'Madrid es una ciudad bonita'. 'Ser' also says when or where an event takes place ('La reunión es a las tres') and is used in evaluations like 'Es importante estudiar'. The forms are irregular: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. Example: 'Mi padre es alto y moreno' (My father is tall and dark-haired).

Key rule

Use 'ser' to say who or what someone or something is and what they are normally like: appearance, personality, nationality, origin, profession, material and possession. It also gives the time and says when or where an event takes place (La reunión es a las tres), and any 'to be' + noun takes 'ser' (Madrid es una ciudad bonita).

Examples

Mi padre es alto y moreno.
Mi padre está alto y moreno. (intended: My father is a tall, dark-haired man.)
To describe what someone normally looks like, use 'ser'. 'Está alto y moreno' would mean he has grown taller and got a tan.
Mis vecinos son italianos.
Mis vecinos están italianos.
Nationality describes who someone is, so it always takes 'ser'.
El anillo es de oro.
El anillo está de oro.
To say what something is made of, use 'ser de' + the material: es de oro.

Common mistakes

Using estar to describe someone with a noun
Ella está una chica muy alta.
Ella es una chica muy alta.
When 'to be' links the subject to a noun (una chica muy alta), Spanish uses 'ser'. Without the noun, too, what someone normally looks like takes 'ser': es alta.
Using estar for personality
Mi hermano está muy generoso. (intended: My brother is a very generous person.)
Mi hermano es muy generoso.
Personality traits that describe what someone is like take 'ser'. 'Está muy generoso' would mean he is being unusually generous at the moment.

A1Verb usage

Estar for Location and States

Estar para ubicación y estados

Use 'estar' for two things: where someone or something is, and how they are at the moment. Location: 'El libro está en la mesa', 'Madrid está en España'. Current state: 'Estoy cansado', 'La tienda está cerrada'. Events are the exception: to say where an event such as a party or a wedding takes place, use 'ser' ('La fiesta es en mi casa'). 'Estar' also appears in set phrases like 'estar de acuerdo' (to agree) and 'estar de vacaciones' (to be on vacation). The forms are estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están. Note the written accents: 'está' (is) is different from 'esta' (this).

Key rule

Use 'estar' for where someone or something is, even permanently (Madrid está en España), and for states at a given moment: feelings, health and the results of a change (Estoy cansado, La puerta está abierta). Events are the exception: La fiesta es en mi casa.

Examples

Mi hermano está en Francia.
Mi hermano es en Francia.
Where a person is takes 'estar', whether the stay is short or long.
Estoy muy nervioso por el examen.
Soy muy nervioso por el examen.
You are nervous now because of the exam, a state, so use 'estar'. 'Soy nervioso' describes a nervous person.
La ventana está cerrada.
La ventana es cerrada.
A closed window is the result of closing it, a condition, so use 'estar'.

Common mistakes

Using ser for location
El banco es en la plaza.
El banco está en la plaza.
The location of places and things takes 'estar', even for buildings that never move.
Using ser for emotions
Soy triste hoy.
Estoy triste hoy.
How you feel today is a state, so use 'estar'. 'Ser triste' describes a sad person or thing.

A1Verb usage

Tener Expressions

Expresiones con tener

Many sensations and feelings that English expresses with 'to be' use 'tener' (to have) in Spanish, because the Spanish word is a noun: 'Tengo hambre' (I am hungry, literally 'I have hunger'). The most useful ones: tener hambre (hungry), tener sed (thirsty), tener frío (cold), tener calor (hot), tener sueño (sleepy), tener miedo (afraid), tener razón (right), tener prisa (in a hurry), and tener ... años for age ('Tengo veinte años'). To say 'very', use 'mucho' or 'mucha' to match the noun, not 'muy': 'Tengo mucho frío', 'Tengo mucha sed'. 'Hambre' is feminine, so it is 'mucha hambre'. Two related patterns add an infinitive: 'tener ganas de' (to feel like: 'Tengo ganas de bailar') and 'tener que' (to have to: 'Tengo que trabajar').

Key rule

Use 'tener' + noun where English uses 'to be' + adjective for sensations, feelings and age (tengo hambre, tienes razón, tiene veinte años). Say 'very' with 'mucho' or 'mucha' to match the noun, not 'muy': tengo mucho frío, tengo mucha sed, tengo mucha hambre.

Examples

Mi hijo siempre tiene hambre.
Mi hijo siempre está hambre.
'Hambre' is a noun (hunger), not an adjective, so Spanish says you 'have' it: tener hambre.
¿Tienes frío?
¿Estás frío? (intended: Do you feel cold?)
Feeling cold is 'tener frío'. '¿Estás frío?' asks whether your body is cold to the touch.
Ella tiene veinte años.
Ella es veinte años.
Age uses 'tener': literally, she 'has' twenty years.

Common mistakes

Using estar instead of tener
Estoy hambre.
Tengo hambre.
'Hambre' is a noun (hunger), so you 'have' it with 'tener'.
Using muy instead of mucho/mucha
Tengo muy sed.
Tengo mucha sed.
'Muy' goes with adjectives; 'mucho/mucha' goes with nouns. 'Sed' is a feminine noun.

A1Verb usage

Hacer for Weather

Hacer para el tiempo meteorológico

To describe the weather, Spanish often uses 'hace' + a noun: 'Hace calor' (It's hot), 'Hace frío' (It's cold), 'Hace sol' (It's sunny), 'Hace viento' (It's windy), 'Hace buen tiempo' (The weather is nice). Because calor, frío, sol and viento are nouns, 'very' is 'mucho': 'Hace mucho frío'. With buen tiempo it is 'muy': 'Hace muy buen tiempo'. Rain and snow have their own verbs: 'Llueve' (It's raining), 'Nieva' (It's snowing). The sky takes 'estar' + adjective ('Está nublado', It's cloudy), and fog takes 'hay' ('Hay niebla', It's foggy). To ask about the weather, say '¿Qué tiempo hace?'. For how you feel, use 'tener': 'Tengo calor' (I feel hot).

Key rule

Use 'hace' + noun for temperature, sun, wind and the weather in general (hace frío, hace sol, hace buen tiempo); 'very' is 'mucho' before the noun (hace mucho frío) but 'muy' before buen/mal (hace muy buen tiempo). Use llueve and nieva for rain and snow, 'está' + adjective for the sky (está nublado) and 'hay' for fog and storms.

Examples

Hace mucho calor en verano.
Hace muy calor en verano.
'Calor' is a noun (heat), so 'very' is 'mucho', not 'muy'.
¿Qué tiempo hace hoy?
¿Qué tiempo es hoy?
The standard weather question uses 'hacer': ¿Qué tiempo hace?
Hace viento y está nublado.
Hace viento y hace nublado.
'Viento' is a noun, so it goes with 'hace'. 'Nublado' (cloudy) is an adjective, so it goes with 'está'.

Common mistakes

Using ser/estar instead of hacer
Es calor hoy.
Hace calor hoy.
'Calor' is a noun, and weather nouns like calor and frío go with 'hace', not with 'ser': hace calor, hace frío.
Using muy instead of mucho
Hace muy frío.
Hace mucho frío.
'Frío' is a noun here, so 'very' is 'mucho', not 'muy'.

A1Orthography

Written Accents - Basic Rules

Acentuación - Reglas básicas

Spanish puts a written accent (tilde) on some vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú. At A1 it has three jobs. 1) It marks stress that breaks the default pattern. Words of two or more syllables that end in a vowel, -n or -s are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable (CA-sa, LU-nes); those ending in any other consonant, on the last (ha-BLAR). When the stress falls on any other syllable, that vowel carries an accent: ca-FÉ, es-TÁ, FÁ-cil, SÁ-ba-do. A stressed i or u next to a, e or o also carries one: día, país. Words of one syllable take no accent for stress: fue, dio, ti, tres. 2) It tells apart pairs of words that sound the same: él 'he' / el 'the', tú 'you' / tu 'your', sí 'yes' / si 'if', más 'more' / mas (a rare word for 'but'). 3) It marks question and exclamation words, even inside a longer sentence: ¿Qué?, ¿Cómo?, ¿Dónde?, ¡Qué bonito!, No sé dónde vive (I don't know where she lives). A missing accent is a spelling mistake and can change the meaning.

Key rule

In words of two or more syllables, those ending in a vowel, -n or -s are normally stressed on the second-to-last syllable and the rest on the last; a written accent marks any stress that breaks this (café, fácil, sábado) and a stressed i or u next to a, e or o (día, país). It also tells look-alike words apart (él/el, tú/tu, sí/si) and marks question and exclamation words, even inside a sentence (¿qué?, ¡qué bonito!, No sé dónde vive); other one-syllable words take none (fue, dio).

Examples

Él es mi amigo.
El es mi amigo.
'Él' with accent means 'he'; 'el' without accent means 'the'.
Tú eres estudiante.
Tu eres estudiante.
'Tú' with accent means 'you'; 'tu' without accent means 'your'.
Sí, me gusta.
Si, me gusta.
'Sí' with accent means 'yes'; 'si' without accent means 'if'.

Common mistakes

Omitting accents on question words
¿Donde vives?
¿Dónde vives?
Question words (qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo, etc.) always need accents when asking questions.
Confusing 'el' and 'él'
El tiene un perro.
Él tiene un perro.
'Él' (he) needs an accent to distinguish it from 'el' (the).

A1Orthography

Basic Punctuation

Puntuación básica

Spanish punctuation is close to English, with a few key differences. Questions and exclamations open with an upside-down mark and close with the normal one: ¿Cómo estás?, ¡Qué bonito! Statements end with a period. In a list, put commas between the items but no comma before 'y': pan, leche y huevos. A greeting or the name of the person you are talking to is set off with a comma: 'Hola, Ana'. A colon introduces a list that the sentence announces: 'Necesito tres cosas: pan, leche y huevos'. Quotations take « » (or double quotes), and the final period goes after the closing mark: María dijo: «Hola».

Key rule

Open every question with ¿ and every exclamation with ¡ where it begins, and close it with ? or !. Put commas between list items (none before 'y'), and use a comma to set off a greeting or the name of the person you are talking to: 'Hola, Ana'.

Examples

¿Cómo estás?
Cómo estás?
Questions need ¿ at the beginning and ? at the end.
¡Qué bonito!
Qué bonito!
Exclamations need ¡ at the beginning and ! at the end.
Me llamo Juan.
Me llamo Juan
Statements end with a period.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the inverted question mark
Dónde vives?
¿Dónde vives?
Spanish questions always begin with ¿ to signal a question is starting.
Forgetting the inverted exclamation mark
Qué sorpresa!
¡Qué sorpresa!
Spanish exclamations always begin with ¡ to signal an exclamation is starting.

A1Orthography

Inverted Question/Exclamation Marks

Signos de interrogación/exclamación invertidos

Spanish opens every question with an upside-down question mark (¿) and every exclamation with an upside-down exclamation mark (¡), and closes them with the usual ? and !: ¿Hablas español?, ¡Qué alegría! The opening mark goes where the question or exclamation begins, even in the middle of a sentence: 'Pedro, ¿dónde estás?', 'Vienes mañana, ¿verdad?'. Each question or exclamation gets its own pair of matching marks, with no space between a mark and its word: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?

Key rule

Open every question with ¿ and every exclamation with ¡ exactly where it begins, even in the middle of a sentence, and close it with the matching ? or !.

Examples

¿Hablas español?
Hablas español?
Every question needs ¿ at the beginning.
¡Qué alegría!
Qué alegría!
Every exclamation needs ¡ at the beginning.
Pedro, ¿dónde estás?
¿Pedro, dónde estás?
A name at the start stays outside the question, so ¿ goes right before 'dónde'. (At the end, the name goes inside: ¿Dónde estás, Pedro?)

Common mistakes

Completely omitting inverted marks
Cómo te llamas?
¿Cómo te llamas?
Spanish always requires ¿ to open a question.
Placing ¿ at wrong position
¿Oye, qué hora es?
Oye, ¿qué hora es?
'Oye' only calls for attention and is not part of the question, so it stays outside, followed by a comma.

A1Register

Tú vs Usted Selection

Selección tú/usted

Spanish has two ways to say 'you' to one person. Use 'tú' with friends, family, children and people your age in relaxed settings: '¿Cómo estás?'. Use 'usted' with strangers, older people, and in formal or professional situations: '¿Cómo está usted?'. Usted takes the same verb form as él/ella: tú hablas, usted habla. The words that go with 'you' change too: 'te' becomes 'le', 'lo', 'la' or 'se' ('¿Cómo te llamas?' → '¿Cómo se llama?'), 'tu' becomes 'su', and 'oye' and 'perdona' become 'oiga' and 'perdone'. Choose one form for each person and don't mix the two.

Key rule

Use tú (tú hablas) with friends, family, children and peers; use usted (usted habla) with strangers, older people and in formal or professional situations. Keep the same form with the same person.

Examples

Perdone, profesor, ¿puede repetir la pregunta?
Perdone, profesor, ¿puedes repetir la pregunta?
'Perdone' already treats the teacher as usted, so the verb must match: 'puede', not the tú form 'puedes'.
Oye, mamá, ¿puedes ayudarme?
Oye, mamá, ¿puede ayudarme? (intended: Hey, Mom, can you help me?)
Most families use tú with parents. 'Oye' is a tú form, so the verb must be the tú form 'puedes' too. 'Puede' is the usted form, and without context '¿Puede ayudarme?' could also mean 'Can he/she help me?'.
Disculpe, señora, ¿tiene hora?
Disculpe, señora, ¿tienes hora?
With an older stranger ('señora'), use usted. 'Disculpe' is already an usted form, so the verb is 'tiene'.

Common mistakes

Using tú with strangers
Señor, ¿cómo estás?
Señor, ¿cómo está usted?
Use 'usted' when addressing strangers, especially with titles like 'señor'.
Using usted with a friend
Oye, Juan, ¿cómo está? (intended: Hey, Juan, how are you?)
Oye, Juan, ¿cómo estás?
With friends, use tú. 'Oye' already shows you are speaking as tú, so the verb is 'estás'. 'Está' is the usted form, and '¿Cómo está?' could also mean 'How is he/she?'.

A1Register

Formal Greetings and Closings

Saludos y despedidas formales

In formal situations (with strangers, older people, at work or in official emails), Spanish greets by the time of day with 'Buenos días', 'Buenas tardes' or 'Buenas noches' (only 'días' takes 'buenos'), uses usted, and addresses people as señor/señora + surname: 'Buenos días, señora López. ¿Cómo está usted?'. On meeting someone, say 'Mucho gusto' or 'Encantado de conocerlo' (a woman says 'encantada'; to a woman, 'conocerla'). Formal emails open with 'Estimado/a …:' and close with 'Atentamente' or 'Un cordial saludo', not 'Besos'.

Key rule

In formal situations, greet by the time of day (buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches), address people as señor/señora + surname, and use usted throughout. In writing, open with 'Estimado/a …:' and close with 'Atentamente' or 'Un cordial saludo'.

Examples

Buenos días, señor Rodríguez. ¿Cómo está usted?
Buenos días, señor Rodríguez. ¿Cómo estás?
'Señor' + surname marks a formal relationship, so the greeting continues with usted: 'está', not the tú form 'estás'.
Buenas tardes, señora.
Buenos tardes, señora.
'Tardes' is feminine, so it takes 'buenas'. Only 'días' takes 'buenos': buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches.
Encantado de conocerlo, señor Ruiz.
Encantado de conocerte, señor Ruiz.
With 'señor Ruiz' you use usted, so the object pronoun is 'lo' (or 'le' in Spain), not the tú form 'te'.

Common mistakes

Using informal closings in professional emails
Le envío la factura. Besos, Juan García.
Le envío la factura. Atentamente, Juan García.
This is a formal business email (usted: 'le envío'), so 'Besos' is out of place. Close with 'Atentamente' or 'Un cordial saludo'.
Wrong time-of-day greeting
Son las diez de la noche. Buenos días, señora.
Son las diez de la noche. Buenas noches, señora.
'Buenos días' is for the morning. After dark, greet with 'buenas noches'.

A1Register

Informal Greetings and Closings

Saludos y despedidas informales

With friends, family and people your age, Spanish uses relaxed greetings and goodbyes: '¡Hola!', '¿Qué tal?', '¿Cómo estás?', '¿Cómo te va?', '¡Chao!', '¡Hasta luego!', '¡Nos vemos!'. Everything stays in the tú form: '¿Cómo estás?', not '¿Cómo está?'. The usual answer is 'Bien, ¿y tú?' (not '¿y ti?'). Messages to friends often end with 'Un abrazo' or 'Besos'.

Key rule

With friends and family, greet with '¡Hola!', '¿Qué tal?' or '¿Cómo estás?' and say goodbye with '¡Chao!', '¡Hasta luego!' or '¡Nos vemos!'. Keep everything in the tú form.

Examples

¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal estás?
¡Hola, Marta! ¿Qué tal eres?
As a greeting, '¿Qué tal?' asks how someone is right now, so it goes with 'estar': '¿Qué tal estás?' (or just '¿Qué tal?'), not 'eres'. ('¿Qué tal es...?' asks what someone or something is like: '¿Qué tal es tu profesor?')
¡Hola, Luis! ¿Cómo te va?
¡Hola, Luis! ¿Cómo te vas? (intended: How's it going?)
The greeting is '¿Cómo te va?' (literally 'how does it go for you?'). '¿Cómo te vas?' asks how someone is leaving or travelling.
¡Hola, Pablo! ¿Cómo estás? ¿Vienes esta tarde?
¡Hola, Pablo! ¿Cómo está? ¿Vienes esta tarde? (intended: Hi, Pablo! How are you? Are you coming this afternoon?)
You speak to Pablo as tú ('vienes'), so the greeting must be tú too: '¿Cómo estás?'. 'Está' is the usted form.

Common mistakes

Being too formal with friends
Buenos días, María. ¿Cómo está usted? ¿Quieres un café?
Buenos días, María. ¿Cómo estás? ¿Quieres un café?
You already speak to your friend María as tú ('quieres'), so the greeting must be tú too: '¿Cómo estás?'. 'Buenos días' is fine with friends; it is usted that sounds distant.
Overly formal written closings to friends
Atentamente, tu amigo Pablo
Un abrazo, tu amigo Pablo
'Atentamente' is for formal letters. To a friend, close with 'Un abrazo' or 'Besos'.

A1Vocabulary usage

Recognizing Cognates

Reconocimiento de cognados

Cognates (cognados) are words that look alike and mean the same in Spanish and English because they share an origin, usually Latin: hotel, música, teléfono, familia, universidad. Many follow patterns: -tion → -ción (nación), -ty → -dad or -tad (ciudad, libertad), ph → f (foto), th → t (teatro), and a word that starts with s + consonant adds e- (estudiante). Nouns in -ción and -dad are feminine: la nación, la ciudad. Watch out for false friends, which look alike but mean something else: 'embarazada' means pregnant (embarrassed is 'avergonzado/a'), 'éxito' means success (an exit is 'la salida'), and 'librería' is a bookshop (a library is 'la biblioteca').

Key rule

Many Spanish words are cognates of English words and follow regular patterns: -tion → -ción (nación), -ty → -dad or -tad (ciudad, libertad), ph → f (foto), and an extra e- before s + consonant at the start of a word (estudiante). False friends only look alike: 'embarazada' = pregnant, 'éxito' = success, 'librería' = bookshop.

Examples

Esta noche vamos al teatro.
Esta noche vamos al theatro.
Spanish has no 'th' spelling: theater → teatro.
Estoy avergonzada.
Estoy embarazada. (intended: I'm embarrassed.)
False friend: 'embarazada' means pregnant. To say you are embarrassed, use 'avergonzado/a'.
La universidad está cerca.
El universidad está cerca.
'Universidad' is a cognate of 'university' (-ty → -dad), and all nouns in -dad are feminine: la universidad, la ciudad.

Common mistakes

Using 'embarazada' for embarrassed
Estoy muy embarazada. (intended: I'm very embarrassed.)
Estoy muy avergonzada.
'Embarazada' means pregnant. 'Embarrassed' is 'avergonzado/a'.
Using 'éxito' for exit
¿Dónde está el éxito? (intended: Where is the exit?)
¿Dónde está la salida?
'Éxito' means success. 'Exit' is 'salida'.

A1Numbers dates time

Cardinal Numbers 1-30

Números cardinales 1-30

Numbers 1-15 are single words to learn by heart: uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once, doce, trece, catorce, quince. From 16 to 29 they are one word built on 'dieci-' or 'veinti-': dieciséis, diecisiete, veintiuno, veintidós. Dieciséis, veintidós, veintitrés and veintiséis carry a written accent. 20 is 'veinte' and 30 is 'treinta'. Before a masculine noun, 'uno' shortens to 'un' and 'veintiuno' to 'veintiún' (un libro, veintiún años); before a feminine noun they become 'una' and 'veintiuna' (una casa, veintiuna personas).

Key rule

1-15 each have their own word, to learn by heart; 16-19 are one word with dieci- and 21-29 one word with veinti- (dieciséis, veintidós). 'Uno' and 'veintiuno' become 'un' and 'veintiún' before masculine nouns (un libro, veintiún años) and 'una' and 'veintiuna' before feminine ones (una casa, veintiuna personas).

Examples

Tengo veintitrés años.
Tengo veinte y tres años.
21-29 are written as one word: veintitrés, not 'veinte y tres'.
Hay dieciséis estudiantes.
Hay diez y seis estudiantes.
16-19 are written as one word: dieciséis.
Necesito un libro.
Necesito uno libro.
'Uno' shortens to 'un' before masculine nouns.

Common mistakes

Writing 16-19 as separate words
diez y seis
dieciséis
16-19 are single words in modern Spanish.
Writing 21-29 as separate words
veinte y uno
veintiuno
21-29 are single words in modern Spanish.

A1Numbers dates time

Days of the Week

Días de la semana

The days of the week are lunes (Monday), martes (Tuesday), miércoles (Wednesday), jueves (Thursday), viernes (Friday), sábado (Saturday) and domingo (Sunday). They are written in lowercase and are masculine. To say 'on Monday', use the article and no preposition: 'el lunes' (one particular Monday), 'los lunes' (every Monday). To say what day it is, use 'ser' with no article: 'Hoy es lunes'. In the plural, lunes to viernes don't change (los lunes), while sábado and domingo add -s (los sábados, los domingos).

Key rule

Days are lowercase and masculine. Say 'el lunes' for one Monday and 'los lunes' for every Monday, with no 'en'. Only sábado and domingo add -s in the plural.

Examples

El lunes tengo examen.
El Lunes tengo examen.
Days of the week are not capitalized in Spanish.
Los viernes salgo con amigos.
En los viernes salgo con amigos.
'Los viernes' alone means 'on Fridays' (every Friday), so don't add 'en'.
Hoy es miércoles.
Hoy es miercoles.
'Miércoles' is stressed on the third-to-last syllable (MIÉR-co-les), and every word stressed there carries a written accent.

Common mistakes

Capitalizing days
Hoy es Lunes.
Hoy es lunes.
Unlike English, Spanish doesn't capitalize days of the week.
Adding 'en' before the day
Trabajo en el lunes.
Trabajo el lunes.
'El lunes' already means 'on Monday'; don't add 'en'.

A1Numbers dates time

Months of the Year

Meses del año

The months are enero, febrero, marzo, abril, mayo, junio, julio, agosto, septiembre, octubre, noviembre and diciembre. They are written in lowercase and normally take no article: 'Febrero tiene 28 días'. To say 'in May', use 'en': 'en mayo'. Dates put the day first and link the parts with 'de': 'el 5 de mayo de 2024'. For 'on' + a date, use just 'el', with no 'en': 'La fiesta es el 5 de mayo'.

Key rule

Months are lowercase and normally take no article. Dates go day first and use 'de': 'el 15 de marzo de 2024'. Use 'en' for 'in [month]'.

Examples

Mi cumpleaños es en marzo.
Mi cumpleaños es en Marzo.
Months are not capitalized in Spanish.
Hoy es el 15 de septiembre.
Hoy es septiembre 15.
Spanish puts the day first: 'el 15 de septiembre'. 'Septiembre 15' copies the English order.
El primero de enero es Año Nuevo.
For the 1st of the month, both 'el primero de enero' and 'el uno de enero' are correct. 'Primero' is the usual choice in Latin America; Spain uses both.

Common mistakes

Capitalizing months
en Enero
en enero
Spanish doesn't capitalize months.
Putting the month before the day
Hoy es mayo 20.
Hoy es el 20 de mayo.
Spanish says the day first, then 'de' + month.

A1Numbers dates time

Telling Time (Hours)

La hora (horas)

To ask the time, say '¿Qué hora es?'. When the hour you say is one, use the singular: 'Es la una', 'Es la una y media'. With every other hour, use the plural: 'Son las dos', 'Son las diez'. Add minutes after the hour with 'y' (Son las tres y diez) and minutes before the hour with 'menos' (Son las cuatro menos diez). 'Y cuarto' is quarter past and 'y media' is half past. After a clock time, 'de la mañana', 'de la tarde' and 'de la noche' give the part of the day: 'Son las ocho de la mañana'. To say at what time something happens, use 'a': 'a la una', 'a las nueve'.

Key rule

Use 'Es la una' whenever the hour you name is una (Es la una y media) and 'Son las' with every other hour (Son las dos). Add minutes after the hour with 'y' (las tres y diez = 3:10), take them away from the next hour with 'menos' (las cuatro menos diez = 3:50), and use 'a' for 'at' a time: 'a la una', 'a las nueve'.

Examples

Es la una de la tarde.
Son la una de la tarde.
Use 'Es' (singular) with 'la una' because one is singular.
Son las tres y media.
Es las tres y media.
Use 'Son' (plural) with all hours except one.
Son las diez menos cuarto.
Son las diez menos quarto.
'Cuarto' (quarter) is spelled with 'c', not 'qu'.

Common mistakes

Using 'Son' with una
Son la una.
Es la una.
'Una' is singular, so use 'Es la una'.
Using 'Es' with other hours
Es las tres.
Son las tres.
All hours except one are plural, so use 'Son las'.

A1Numbers dates time

Expressing Age with Tener

Expresar la edad con tener

Spanish gives age with 'tener' (to have), not 'ser' (to be): 'Tengo veinte años' (literally 'I have twenty years'). The pattern is tener + number + años: '¿Cuántos años tienes?' 'Tengo treinta años.' A baby's age in months works the same way: 'El bebé tiene seis meses'. Don't add a word for 'old': 'años' is enough. To say you turn an age, use 'cumplir': 'Mañana cumplo treinta años'.

Key rule

Give age with tener + number + años: 'Tengo veinte años', '¿Cuántos años tienes?'. Don't use ser or estar to give an age in years, and don't add a word for 'old'.

Examples

Tengo veinte años.
Soy veinte años.
Use 'tener', not 'ser', to express age in Spanish.
¿Cuántos años tienes?
¿Cuántos años eres?
The question also uses 'tener': '¿Cuántos años tienes?'
Mi abuelo tiene ochenta años.
Mi abuelo es ochenta años.
All ages use 'tener', regardless of the person.

Common mistakes

Using 'ser' instead of 'tener'
Soy veinticinco años.
Tengo veinticinco años.
Spanish uses 'tener' (to have) for age, not 'ser' (to be).
Using 'ser' in questions
¿Cuántos años eres?
¿Cuántos años tienes?
Questions about age also use 'tener'.

A1Numbers dates time

Basic Time Expressions

Expresiones de tiempo básicas

Key time words: 'hoy' (today), 'mañana' (tomorrow), 'ayer' (yesterday), 'ahora' (now) and 'anoche' (last night). They take no article: 'Mañana trabajo', not 'El mañana trabajo'. For a part of the day, say 'por la mañana' (in the morning), 'por la tarde' (in the afternoon or early evening) and 'por la noche' (at night); after a clock time, use 'de' instead: 'a las ocho de la mañana'. 'Tomorrow morning' is 'mañana por la mañana', and 'this morning' and 'tonight' are 'esta mañana' and 'esta noche', with feminine 'esta'. 'Every day' is 'todos los días' or 'cada día'.

Key rule

Use 'por la mañana / tarde / noche' for a part of the day and 'de la mañana / tarde / noche' after a clock time. 'Mañana' on its own means tomorrow; with 'la' or 'esta' ('la mañana', 'esta mañana') it means the morning.

Examples

Mañana voy al médico.
El mañana voy al médico.
'Mañana' meaning tomorrow takes no article. With 'la', it means the morning: 'por la mañana'.
Estudio por la mañana.
Estudio de la mañana.
Without a clock time, say 'por la mañana' ('en la mañana' is also common in Latin America). 'De la mañana' only follows a clock time: 'a las ocho de la mañana'.
Mañana por la mañana tengo clase.
Mañana mañana tengo clase.
'Tomorrow morning' is 'mañana por la mañana': the first 'mañana' means tomorrow, and 'por la mañana' means in the morning.

Common mistakes

Using 'de' without a clock time
Hago deporte de la tarde.
Hago deporte por la tarde.
Without a clock time, use 'por la tarde' ('en la tarde' is also common in Latin America). 'De la tarde' only follows a time: 'a las cinco de la tarde'.
Wrong gender with 'noche'
este noche
esta noche
'Noche' is feminine, so use 'esta', not 'este'.

A1Agreement

Noun-Adjective Agreement - Basic

Concordancia nombre-adjetivo - Básica

A Spanish adjective changes its ending to match its noun: masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Adjectives ending in -o have four forms: 'el gato negro', 'la gata negra', 'los gatos negros', 'las gatas negras'. Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant usually have one form for both genders and only change in the plural: 'un chico inteligente', 'una chica inteligente'; 'la camisa azul', 'las camisas azules'. The main exceptions are nationalities ending in a consonant and most adjectives in -or, which add -a: 'un chico español', 'una chica española'; 'un hombre trabajador', 'una mujer trabajadora'. The rule also applies after 'ser' and 'estar': 'La casa es blanca'. When one adjective describes a group that mixes masculine and feminine nouns, it takes the masculine plural: 'Juan y María son altos'.

Key rule

An adjective takes the gender and number of its noun. Adjectives in -o have four forms ('alto, alta, altos, altas'); most adjectives in -e or a consonant only add -s or -es for the plural ('grande, grandes'; 'azul, azules').

Examples

La casa blanca
La casa blanco
'Casa' is feminine, so the adjective 'blanco' must change to 'blanca' to match.
Los libros interesantes
Los libros interesante
'Libros' is plural, so 'interesante' needs the plural -s ending: 'interesantes'.
Las flores rojas
Las flores rojos
'Flores' is feminine plural, so use 'rojas' (feminine plural), not 'rojos'.

Common mistakes

Not changing -o to -a for feminine nouns
La mesa redondo
La mesa redonda
Feminine nouns require feminine adjectives: 'redondo' becomes 'redonda' with 'mesa'.
Forgetting plural agreement
Las casas grande
Las casas grandes
Plural nouns need plural adjectives. Add -s to 'grande' for plural.

A1Agreement

Adjective Position

Posición del adjetivo

Most Spanish adjectives go after the noun, the opposite of English: 'un coche rojo' (a red car), 'una película española' (a Spanish film). A few very common ones often go before the noun, such as 'bueno', 'malo', 'primero' and 'grande'. Before a masculine singular noun, 'bueno', 'malo', 'primero' and 'tercero' lose their final -o: 'un buen libro', 'un mal día', 'el primer día', 'el tercer piso'. 'Grande' becomes 'gran' before any singular noun and then usually means 'great': 'un gran artista', 'una gran ciudad'. In all other cases the full form stays: 'una buena idea', 'los buenos amigos'.

Key rule

Most adjectives follow the noun ('un coche rojo'). Before a masculine singular noun, 'bueno', 'malo', 'primero' and 'tercero' shorten ('un buen libro', 'el primer día'), and 'grande' shortens to 'gran' before any singular noun ('una gran ciudad').

Examples

Un coche rojo
Un rojo coche
Most adjectives follow the noun. 'Red car' = 'coche rojo', not 'rojo coche'.
Una buena idea
Una buen idea
'Buena' often goes before the noun ('una idea buena' is also correct). It never shortens before a feminine noun, so 'buen idea' is wrong.
Un buen libro
Un bueno libro
'Bueno' shortens to 'buen' before masculine singular nouns.

Common mistakes

Placing all adjectives before the noun (English pattern)
Un italiano restaurante
Un restaurante italiano
Most adjectives follow the noun in Spanish. Adjectives of nationality always do: 'un restaurante italiano'.
Not shortening bueno/malo before masculine nouns
Un bueno amigo
Un buen amigo
'Bueno' becomes 'buen' before masculine singular nouns.

A1Agreement

Grammatical Gender - Basic

Género gramatical - Básico

Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine, even words for things like tables and books. The ending is a good clue: nouns in -o are usually masculine and take 'el' and 'un' ('el libro', 'un libro'); nouns in -a are usually feminine and take 'la' and 'una' ('la mesa', 'una mesa'); nouns in -ción, -sión and -dad are always feminine ('la canción', 'la televisión', 'la ciudad'). Other nouns ending in -e or a consonant can be either ('el coche', 'la noche'; 'el papel', 'la flor'), and a few common words break the pattern ('el día', 'la mano'). So always learn a new noun together with its article.

Key rule

Every noun is masculine or feminine: nouns in -o are usually masculine ('el libro'), nouns in -a usually feminine ('la mesa'), and nouns in -ción, -sión and -dad always feminine ('la canción', 'la televisión', 'la ciudad'). For many other nouns in -e or a consonant there is no safe rule, so learn every noun with its article.

Examples

El libro es nuevo.
La libro es nueva.
'Libro' ends in -o and is masculine. Use 'el' and masculine adjective 'nuevo'.
La mesa es grande.
El mesa es grande.
'Mesa' ends in -a and is feminine. Use 'la'.
El problema es difícil.
La problema es difícil.
'Problema' ends in -a but is masculine (Greek origin). Use 'el'.

Common mistakes

Assuming -a endings are always feminine
La problema
El problema
Some -a words (from Greek) are masculine: el problema, el tema, el sistema, el clima.
Assuming -o endings are always masculine
El mano
La mano
'Mano' is a common exception - it's feminine despite ending in -o.

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A1Agreement

Gender Exceptions

Excepciones de género

A few very common nouns break the -o = masculine, -a = feminine pattern, so you need to memorize them. Some words ending in -a are masculine: 'el día', 'el mapa', 'el problema', 'el tema'. Some ending in -o are feminine: 'la mano', 'la foto', 'la moto'. And feminine nouns that start with a stressed 'a-' or 'ha-' take 'el' (and usually 'un') directly before them in the singular, but they are still feminine: 'el agua fría', 'esta agua', 'el aula pequeña'. In the plural they use 'las': 'las aguas'.

Key rule

Learn the common exceptions: some -a nouns are masculine ('el día', 'el mapa', 'el problema'), some -o nouns are feminine ('la mano', 'la foto', 'la moto'), and feminine nouns starting with a stressed 'a-' or 'ha-' take 'el' directly before them in the singular but stay feminine ('el agua fría', 'esta agua', 'las aguas').

Examples

El problema es difícil.
La problema es difícil.
'Problema' ends in -a but is masculine (it comes from Greek), so use 'el'. 'Difícil' is the same for both genders.
La mano derecha
El mano derecho
'Mano' is feminine despite -o ending. Use 'la' and 'derecha'.
El agua está fría.
La agua está fría.
'Agua' is feminine but takes 'el' because it starts with a stressed 'a-'. The adjective stays feminine: 'fría'.

Common mistakes

Treating problema as feminine
Tengo una problema grande.
Tengo un problema grande.
'Problema' is masculine. Most -ema words from Greek are masculine: el tema, el sistema, el esquema.
Treating mano as masculine
Dame el mano.
Dame la mano.
'Mano' is the most common exception - feminine despite -o ending.

A1Agreement

Plural Formation - Basic

Formación del plural - Básica

To make a noun plural, add -s if it ends in a vowel ('libro', 'libros'; 'casa', 'casas') and -es if it ends in a consonant ('ciudad', 'ciudades'; 'papel', 'papeles'). A final -z changes to c before -es: 'lápiz', 'lápices'. Words ending in -s that are not stressed on the last syllable, like 'lunes', don't change: 'el lunes', 'los lunes'. Adding -es can make a written accent appear or disappear: 'joven', 'jóvenes'; 'canción', 'canciones'. The article and any adjective become plural too: 'el libro nuevo', 'los libros nuevos'; 'una casa bonita', 'unas casas bonitas'.

Key rule

Add -s after a vowel ('libros') and -es after a consonant ('ciudades'); a final -z becomes -ces ('luces'), and words in -s not stressed on the last syllable don't change ('los lunes'). The article and adjectives become plural with the noun: 'los libros nuevos'.

Examples

Los libros nuevos
Los libro nuevo
Both noun and adjective must be plural: 'libros' and 'nuevos'.
Las ciudades grandes
Las ciudads grandes
Consonant endings add -es, not just -s: 'ciudades'.
Los lápices rojos
Los lápizes rojos
Words ending in -z change to -ces: 'lápiz' becomes 'lápices'.

Common mistakes

Adding only -s to consonant endings
Las ciudads
Las ciudades
Most nouns ending in a consonant add -es, not just -s: 'ciudad', 'ciudades'.
Forgetting z > c change
Los lápizes
Los lápices
Before adding -es, change z to c: lápiz > lápices.

A1Agreement

Article-Noun Agreement

Concordancia artículo-nombre

The article must match its noun in gender and number. 'The' has four forms: 'el libro', 'la casa', 'los libros', 'las casas'. 'A' and 'some' also have four: 'un libro', 'una casa', 'unos libros', 'unas casas'. For a group of mixed gender, use the masculine plural: 'los estudiantes'. Feminine nouns that start with a stressed 'a-' take 'el' directly before them in the singular but stay feminine: 'el agua fría', 'las aguas'. Two words combine with 'el': 'a' + 'el' becomes 'al' ('Voy al cine') and 'de' + 'el' becomes 'del' ('el libro del profesor').

Key rule

The article matches the noun's gender and number: 'el/un' (masculine singular), 'la/una' (feminine singular), 'los/unos' (masculine plural), 'las/unas' (feminine plural), but a feminine noun that starts with a stressed 'a-' takes 'el' in the singular ('el agua fría'). 'A' + 'el' contracts to 'al' and 'de' + 'el' to 'del'.

Examples

El coche nuevo
La coche nuevo
'Coche' is masculine, so use 'el' (not 'la').
La mesa grande
El mesa grande
'Mesa' is feminine, so use 'la' (not 'el').
Los estudiantes inteligentes
Las estudiantes inteligentes (intended: a mixed group of students)
Use 'los' for a group of male students or a mixed group. 'Las estudiantes inteligentes' is correct Spanish too, but it means that all the students are female.

Common mistakes

Wrong gender article
El casa es grande.
La casa es grande.
'Casa' is feminine, so it requires 'la', not 'el'.
Singular article with plural noun
La libros son interesantes.
Los libros son interesantes.
Plural nouns need plural articles: 'los libros', not 'la libros'.

A1Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Concordancia sujeto-verbo

A Spanish verb changes its ending to show who does the action. In the present tense, 'hablar' (to speak) goes: 'yo hablo', 'tú hablas', 'él/ella/usted habla', 'nosotros hablamos', 'vosotros habláis', 'ellos/ellas/ustedes hablan'. 'Usted' (formal 'you') takes the él/ella form and 'ustedes' (plural 'you') the ellos/ellas form. A noun subject takes the él/ella or ellos/ellas form ('Mi hermana trabaja', 'Mis amigos trabajan'), and 'María y yo' takes the nosotros form. Because the ending already shows the person, the subject pronoun is often left out: 'Hablo español' means 'I speak Spanish'.

Key rule

The verb ending must match the subject ('hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan'). 'Usted' takes the él/ella form and 'ustedes' the ellos/ellas form, and the subject pronoun is often left out.

Examples

Yo hablo español.
Yo habla español.
With 'yo', use the -o ending: 'hablo', not 'habla'.
Ella come pizza.
Ella como pizza.
With 'ella', -er verbs like 'comer' end in -e in the present: 'come', not 'como' (which is for 'yo').
Nosotros vivimos aquí.
Nosotros vive aquí.
With 'nosotros', -ir verbs like 'vivir' end in -imos in the present: 'vivimos', not 'vive'.

Common mistakes

Using infinitive instead of conjugated form
Yo hablar español.
Yo hablo español.
Use the conjugated form 'hablo', not the infinitive 'hablar'.
Wrong person ending
¿Tú come mucho?
¿Tú comes mucho?
With 'tú', -er verbs like 'comer' end in -es in the present: 'comes'. 'Come' is the él/ella/usted form.

A1Determiners

Definite Articles

Artículos definidos

Spanish has four words for 'the': 'el' (masculine singular), 'la' (feminine singular), 'los' (masculine plural) and 'las' (feminine plural): 'el libro', 'la casa', 'los libros', 'las casas'. Spanish uses them more than English does: for things in general as the subject ('Me gusta el café', 'El español es fácil'), with days ('el lunes' = on Monday, 'los lunes' = on Mondays), with titles when you talk about someone ('el señor García'), and with body parts when a pronoun like 'me' already shows whose they are ('Me duele la cabeza', 'Me lavo las manos'). There is no article when you mean 'some' or 'any' ('Bebo café'), with a language after 'hablar' or 'en' ('Hablo español', 'en español'), or when you say what day it is ('Hoy es lunes'). 'A' + 'el' becomes 'al' and 'de' + 'el' becomes 'del', and a feminine noun that starts with a stressed 'a-' takes 'el' directly before it: 'el agua fría'.

Key rule

'El', 'la', 'los' and 'las' agree with the noun, but a feminine noun that starts with a stressed 'a-' takes 'el' in the singular ('el agua fría'). Spanish uses 'the' more than English: with things in general as the subject ('Me gusta el café', 'El español es fácil'), with days of the week ('el lunes' = on Monday, but 'Hoy es lunes'), with titles when talking about someone ('el señor García') and with body parts when a pronoun like 'me' shows whose they are ('Me duele la cabeza').

Examples

Me gusta el chocolate.
Me gusta chocolate.
'El chocolate' is the subject of 'gusta' and means chocolate in general, so it needs the article.
El lunes tengo clase.
Lunes tengo clase.
To say on which day something happens, use the article: 'el lunes' (this Monday) or 'los lunes' (every Monday).
Me lavo las manos.
Me lavo mis manos.
With body parts and reflexive verbs, use articles, not possessives.

Common mistakes

Omitting articles with general concepts
Me gusta música.
Me gusta la música.
'La música' is the subject of 'gusta' and means music in general, so it takes the article.
Using possessives with body parts
Me duele mi cabeza.
Me duele la cabeza.
'Me' already shows whose head it is, so use the definite article, not a possessive.

A1Determiners

Indefinite Articles

Artículos indefinidos

'Un' and 'una' mean 'a' or 'an', and 'unos' and 'unas' mean 'some': 'un libro', 'una casa', 'unos libros', 'unas casas'. They agree with the noun in gender and number. Before a number, 'unos' and 'unas' mean 'about': 'unas treinta personas'. Spanish leaves them out in some places where English uses 'a': after 'ser' with a bare profession, nationality or religion ('Soy profesor', I'm a teacher), before 'otro' and 'otra' ('otro café', another coffee), before 'cien' and 'mil' ('mil euros', a thousand euros) and after 'qué' in exclamations ('¡Qué día!', What a day!). A feminine noun that starts with a stressed 'a-' usually takes 'un' but stays feminine: 'un aula pequeña'.

Key rule

Use 'un', 'una', 'unos', 'unas' to match the noun ('un libro', 'unas casas'). Leave the article out after 'ser' with a bare profession ('Soy profesor'), before 'otro/otra', 'cien' and 'mil' ('otro café', 'mil euros') and after exclamative 'qué' ('¡Qué día!').

Examples

Soy profesor.
Soy un profesor.
Omit the article after 'ser' for unmodified professions.
Soy un profesor muy paciente.
Soy profesor muy paciente.
With a describing adjective after the profession, include the article: 'un profesor muy paciente'.
Vivo en una casa pequeña.
Vivo en casa pequeña.
Use 'un/una' to introduce a singular countable noun: 'una casa pequeña'.

Common mistakes

Using article with professions after ser
Ella es una doctora.
Ella es doctora.
Omit articles after 'ser' for unmodified professions.
Using article before otro/otra
Quiero una otra oportunidad.
Quiero otra oportunidad.
Never use 'un/una' directly before 'otro/otra'.

A1Determiners

Demonstrative Determiners

Determinantes demostrativos

Demonstratives point at things, and Spanish has three distances: 'este' (this, near me), 'ese' (that, near you or not far) and 'aquel' (that over there, far from both of us). Each one agrees with its noun: 'este libro', 'esta mesa', 'estos libros', 'estas mesas'; the same goes for 'ese, esa, esos, esas' and 'aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas'. The masculine singular has no -o: 'este libro', not 'esto libro'. 'Esto', 'eso' and 'aquello' never go before a noun: '¿Qué es esto?'

Key rule

'Este' (this, near me), 'ese' (that, near you) and 'aquel' (that over there) agree with the noun: 'este, esta, estos, estas'; 'ese, esa, esos, esas'; 'aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas'. The neuter 'esto', 'eso' and 'aquello' never go before a noun.

Examples

Este libro es interesante.
Esta libro es interesante.
'Libro' is masculine, so use 'este', not 'esta'.
Esa casa es grande.
Eso casa es grande.
'Casa' is feminine, so use 'esa'. 'Eso' is neuter (for ideas/unknown things).
Aquellas montañas son hermosas.
Aquellos montañas son hermosas.
'Montañas' is feminine plural, so use 'aquellas'.

Common mistakes

Wrong gender agreement
Esta coche es rápido.
Este coche es rápido.
'Coche' is masculine, so use 'este', not 'esta'.
Using neuter with nouns
Eso libro es bueno.
Ese libro es bueno.
'Eso' is neuter for ideas/unknowns. Use 'ese' with masculine nouns.

A1Determiners

Possessive Determiners

Determinantes posesivos

Possessive determiners go before the noun and say whose it is: 'mi' (my), 'tu' (your, informal), 'su' (his, her, its, their, and formal 'your'), 'nuestro' (our), 'vuestro' (your, plural, used in Spain). They agree with the thing owned, not with the owner: 'mi libro', 'mis libros'. 'Nuestro' and 'vuestro' also change for gender: 'nuestro padre', 'nuestra madre', 'nuestros amigos', 'nuestras amigas'. With body parts, use the article when a pronoun like 'me' already shows whose they are: 'Me lavo las manos', not 'Me lavo mis manos'. 'Tu' (your) has no written accent; 'tú' with an accent means 'you'.

Key rule

Possessives agree with the thing owned, not the owner: 'mi/mis', 'tu/tus' and 'su/sus' change only for number, while 'nuestro' and 'vuestro' change for gender and number. 'Su' can mean his, her, its, their or formal 'your'.

Examples

Mis libros están aquí.
Mi libros están aquí.
'Libros' is plural, so use 'mis', not 'mi'.
Nuestra casa es grande.
Nuestro casa es grande.
'Casa' is feminine, so use 'nuestra', not 'nuestro'.
¿Dónde están tus llaves?
¿Dónde están tu llaves?
'Llaves' is plural, so use 'tus', not 'tu'.

Common mistakes

Not matching number with possessed item
Mi amigos son divertidos.
Mis amigos son divertidos.
'Amigos' is plural, so use 'mis'.
Not matching gender with nuestro/vuestro
Nuestro madre es profesora.
Nuestra madre es profesora.
'Madre' is feminine, so use 'nuestra'.

A1Determiners

Basic Quantifiers

Cuantificadores básicos

Quantifiers say how much or how many: 'mucho' (a lot of, many), 'poco' (little, few), 'demasiado' (too much, too many), 'bastante' (quite a lot of, enough), 'todo' (all, every), 'alguno' (some, any), 'ninguno' (no, not any) and 'otro' (other, another). They agree with the noun: 'mucho dinero', 'mucha agua', 'muchos libros', 'muchas personas'; 'bastante' changes only for number ('bastantes amigos'). 'Alguno' and 'ninguno' shorten to 'algún' and 'ningún' before a masculine singular noun: '¿Tienes algún problema?', 'No tengo ningún libro'. 'Otro' never takes 'un': 'otro café', not 'un otro café'. 'Todo' is usually followed by an article or another determiner: 'todo el día' (all day), 'todos los días' (every day), 'todos mis amigos'.

Key rule

Quantifiers agree with the noun ('mucho tiempo', 'muchas personas'). 'Alguno' and 'ninguno' become 'algún' and 'ningún' before a masculine singular noun, 'todo' usually takes an article or another determiner ('todos los días', 'todos mis amigos'), and 'otro' never takes 'un'.

Examples

Tengo mucho trabajo.
Tengo muchos trabajo.
'Trabajo' is singular, so use 'mucho', not 'muchos'.
Hay muchas personas aquí.
Hay mucho personas aquí.
'Personas' is feminine plural, so use 'muchas'.
Todos los días estudio.
Todo los días estudio.
'Todo' agrees with 'días', which is masculine plural: 'todos los días' (every day).

Common mistakes

Wrong gender agreement with mucho
Tengo mucho hambre.
Tengo mucha hambre.
'Hambre' takes 'el' but is feminine, so use 'mucha'.
Not shortening alguno/ninguno
¿Hay alguno restaurante cerca?
¿Hay algún restaurante cerca?
Before masculine singular nouns, use 'algún' not 'alguno'.

A1Determiners

Cardinal Numbers

Números cardinales

Numbers up to 30 are single words: 'uno', 'dos', 'tres'... 'dieciséis', 'veintidós', 'treinta'. From 31 to 99, join the tens and the units with 'y': 'treinta y uno', 'cuarenta y cinco'. Before a noun, 'uno' becomes 'un' or 'una': 'un libro', 'una casa', 'veintiún años'. 100 is 'cien' ('cien euros', 'cien mil'), but 101 to 199 use 'ciento' ('ciento uno', 'ciento veinte'). From 200 to 900, the hundreds agree with the noun: 'doscientos libros', 'doscientas páginas'. Three are irregular: 'quinientos' (500), 'setecientos' (700) and 'novecientos' (900). As a number, 'mil' never changes and takes no 'un' ('mil euros', 'dos mil euros'), but 'millón' has a plural and takes 'de' before a noun: 'un millón de personas', 'dos millones de euros'.

Key rule

Before a noun, 'uno' becomes 'un' or 'una' ('veintiún años', 'veintiuna páginas'), and 200-900 agree in gender ('doscientas personas'). Say 'cien' for 100 on its own, before a noun or before 'mil' ('cien euros', 'cien mil'), and 'ciento' in 101-199 ('ciento veinte'); 'y' only joins tens and units ('treinta y cinco').

Examples

Tengo un libro.
Tengo uno libro.
'Uno' shortens to 'un' before masculine nouns.
Hay veintiuna sillas.
Hay veintiuno sillas.
'Uno' in 21 becomes 'una' before feminine nouns: 'veintiuna'.
Cuesta treinta y cinco euros.
Cuesta treinta cinco euros.
From 31 to 99, the tens and the units are joined by 'y': 'treinta y cinco'.

Common mistakes

Not shortening uno before nouns
Hay uno coche.
Hay un coche.
'Uno' becomes 'un' before masculine nouns.
Wrong gender in compound numbers
Veintiuno páginas
Veintiuna páginas
'Uno' in compound numbers also changes: 'veintiuna' for feminine.

A1Pronouns

Subject Pronouns

Pronombres de sujeto - Básicos

Subject pronouns say who does the action or who is being described: 'yo' (I), 'tú' (you, informal), 'usted' (you, formal), 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), 'nosotros/nosotras' (we), 'vosotros/vosotras' (you all, informal), 'ustedes' (you all) and 'ellos/ellas' (they). For one person, use 'tú' with friends, family and children, and 'usted' with strangers, older people and in formal situations. For several people, Spain uses 'vosotros' (informal) and 'ustedes' (formal), while Latin America uses 'ustedes' for both. 'Usted' and 'ustedes' take the same verb forms as 'él' and 'ellos': 'Usted es muy amable'. 'Nosotras', 'vosotras' and 'ellas' are for all-female groups; 'nosotros', 'vosotros' and 'ellos' are for male or mixed groups. Watch the written accent (tilde): 'tú' (you) and 'él' (he) have one, but 'tu' (your) and 'el' (the) don't.

Key rule

To say 'you', use 'tú' (informal) or 'usted' (formal) to one person; to several people, Spain uses 'vosotros' (informal) or 'ustedes' (formal), and Latin America uses 'ustedes'. 'Usted' and 'ustedes' take third-person verb forms ('usted es', 'ustedes son'), and 'nosotras', 'vosotras' and 'ellas' are only for all-female groups.

Examples

Yo soy estudiante.
Mi soy estudiante.
'Yo' is the pronoun for 'I'. 'Mi' means 'my' and can never be the subject.
Tú eres mi amigo.
Tu eres mi amigo.
The subject pronoun 'tú' (you) has a written accent (tilde). Without it, 'tu' means 'your'.
Él trabaja en un banco.
El trabaja en un banco.
'Él' (he) needs a written accent (tilde). Without it, 'el' is the article 'the'.

Common mistakes

Writing 'el' (the) for 'él' (he)
El es mi padre.
Él es mi padre.
The pronoun 'él' (he) has a written accent (tilde). Without it, 'el' is the article 'the'. ('Ella' has no accent.)
Writing 'tu' (your) for 'tú' (you)
Tu hablas español.
Tú hablas español.
'Tú' with a written accent is the subject pronoun 'you'; 'tu' without it is the possessive 'your'.

A1Pronouns

Subject Pronoun Omission

Omisión del pronombre sujeto

Spanish verb endings already show who is doing the action, so the subject pronoun is usually left out: 'Hablo español' (I speak Spanish), '¿Tienes hambre?' (Are you hungry?). Saying 'yo' is not wrong, but using it in every sentence sounds heavy. Use the pronoun to contrast people ('Yo trabajo y él estudia'), for emphasis ('¡Yo no fui!'), or to make clear who you mean, because 'él', 'ella' and 'usted' share one verb form. When there is no verb, or when the pronoun is part of a longer subject, it must be said, in its subject form: 'Yo también' (me too), '¿Y tú?' (and you?), 'más alto que yo' (taller than me), 'mi hermano y yo'. With 'gustar', 'I' is not the subject, so 'me too' is 'A mí también'. Spanish also has no word for the empty English 'it': 'Es importante' (It's important). 'It's me' is 'Soy yo'.

Key rule

Leave the subject pronoun out by default, because the verb ending shows the subject; say it for contrast, emphasis or clarity, and always when there is no verb to carry it ('Yo también', '¿Y tú?', 'más alto que yo').

Examples

Hablo español.
The ending '-o' already means 'I', so this is the normal way to say it. 'Yo hablo español' is also correct, but it puts weight on 'I', for example in contrast with someone else.
Es importante dormir bien.
Él es importante dormir bien.
Spanish has no word for the empty 'it' of 'it's important'. The verb 'es' stands alone. 'Él' means 'he'.
Mi hermano es más alto que yo.
Mi hermano es más alto que mí.
After 'que' in a comparison there is no verb for 'I', so the pronoun must be said, in its subject form 'yo'. English says 'than me', but Spanish does not use 'mí' here.

Common mistakes

Adding a pronoun for English 'it'
Él es tarde. Me voy a casa.
Es tarde. Me voy a casa.
Spanish has no subject pronoun for the empty 'it' of 'it's late', 'it's raining' or 'it's one o'clock': 'Es tarde', 'Llueve', 'Es la una'. 'Él' means 'he'.
Leaving out the pronoun when it's unclear who you mean
Pedro y Laura son mis vecinos. Es de Perú. (intended: She is from Peru.)
Pedro y Laura son mis vecinos. Ella es de Perú.
'Es' fits Pedro, Laura or 'usted'. After two people have been mentioned, add 'él' or 'ella' to show who you mean.

A1Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Pronombres de objeto directo

Direct object pronouns replace the person or thing that receives the action, so you don't have to repeat the noun: 'Compro el pan' becomes 'Lo compro' (I buy it). The forms are 'me' (me), 'te' (you), 'lo' (him, it, you formal), 'la' (her, it, you formal), 'nos' (us), 'os' (you all, Spain) and 'los/las' (them, you all). 'Lo', 'la', 'los' and 'las' match the gender and number of the noun they replace: 'la mesa' → 'la', 'los libros' → 'los'. With a conjugated verb, the pronoun goes right before it: 'La veo' (I see her), 'No lo tengo' (I don't have it). Spanish keeps the pronoun even in a short answer about a specific thing ('¿Tienes el pasaporte?' 'Sí, lo tengo', not 'Sí, tengo'), and also when 'a ella' or 'a usted' is added for emphasis or clarity ('La veo a ella').

Key rule

Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace the noun that receives the action; 'lo', 'la', 'los' and 'las' match that noun's gender and number, and the pronoun goes right before a conjugated verb.

Examples

Veo a María. → La veo.
Veo a María. → Veo la.
The pronoun 'la' must go BEFORE the conjugated verb 'veo'.
Compro el libro. → Lo compro.
Compro el libro. → La compro.
'Libro' is masculine, so use 'lo' not 'la'.
¿Tienes las llaves? → ¿Las tienes?
¿Tienes las llaves? → ¿Los tienes?
'Llaves' is feminine plural, so use 'las' not 'los'.

Common mistakes

Placing pronoun after conjugated verb
Veo la todos los días.
La veo todos los días.
Direct object pronouns must be placed immediately before conjugated verbs in Spanish.
Using the wrong gender
—¿Dónde está la revista? —No lo encuentro.
—¿Dónde está la revista? —No la encuentro.
'Revista' is feminine, so the pronoun is 'la'. 'Lo' is for masculine nouns, or for a whole idea as in 'No lo sé'.

A1Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

Pronombres de objeto indirecto

Indirect object pronouns say to whom or for whom something is done: 'Te escribo' (I write to you), 'Le doy el libro' (I give him/her the book). The forms are 'me' (to me), 'te' (to you), 'le' (to him, to her, to you formal), 'nos' (to us), 'os' (to you all, Spain) and 'les' (to them, to you all). 'Le' and 'les' are the same for men and women. Like other object pronouns, they go right before a conjugated verb. Spanish often uses the pronoun even when the person is named: 'Le doy el libro a María'. This doubling is normal, not a mistake, and it is required when the person comes before the verb: 'A mis padres les escribo'. Forms like 'a mí', 'a ti' or 'a ella' add emphasis, and with 'le' or 'les' they also make clear who is meant ('Le escribo a ella'). They never replace the short pronoun: 'Te escribo a ti', not 'Escribo a ti'.

Key rule

Indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) say to whom or for whom something is done and go right before a conjugated verb; 'le' and 'les' are the same for both genders. They often go together with the named person ('Le doy el libro a Juan'), they are required when the person comes first ('A Juan le doy el libro'), and 'a mí', 'a ti' or 'a ella' can never replace them ('Te escribo a ti', not 'Escribo a ti').

Examples

Le doy el libro a ella, no a él.
Doy el libro a ella, no a él.
'A ella' (to her) uses a stressed pronoun, so 'le' is required before the verb as well. With a noun, doubling is usual but optional: 'Le doy el libro a Juan' and 'Doy el libro a Juan' are both correct.
Te escribo una carta.
Escribo una carta a ti.
Use the short pronoun 'te' before the verb. 'A ti' can't be used on its own; it is added next to 'te' for emphasis or contrast: 'Te escribo a ti'.
¿Me puedes decir la hora?
¿Puedes decir a mí la hora?
'Me' (to me) goes before 'puedes' or is attached to the infinitive: '¿Puedes decirme la hora?'. 'A mí' can't replace 'me'.

Common mistakes

Using 'la' for 'to her'
La doy el libro a María.
Le doy el libro a María.
The indirect object pronouns for the third person are 'le' and 'les' for men and women alike, not 'lo' or 'la'.
Leaving out the pronoun when the person comes first
A mis padres siempre digo la verdad.
A mis padres siempre les digo la verdad.
When the person comes before the verb ('A mis padres...'), the pronoun 'les' is required. After the verb, doubling is usual but optional: 'Les digo la verdad a mis padres' or 'Digo la verdad a mis padres'.

A1Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Pronombres reflexivos

Reflexive pronouns show that the subject does the action to itself: 'Me lavo' (I wash myself). The forms are 'me' (myself), 'te' (yourself), 'se' (himself, herself, yourself formal), 'nos' (ourselves), 'os' (yourselves, Spain) and 'se' (themselves, yourselves). The pronoun always matches the subject: 'yo me levanto', 'nosotros nos levantamos', 'ellos se levantan'. Many everyday verbs are reflexive in Spanish but not in English, especially daily routines: 'Me levanto' (I get up), 'Me ducho' (I have a shower), 'Me llamo Ana' (My name is Ana). In the dictionary these verbs end in '-se': levantarse, ducharse, llamarse. The pronoun goes right before a conjugated verb.

Key rule

Reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) show that the subject does the action to itself; they must match the subject ('yo me', 'nosotros nos', 'ellos se') and go right before a conjugated verb.

Examples

Me ducho antes de desayunar.
Ducho antes de desayunar.
'Ducharse' (to have a shower) needs 'me' for 'yo'. 'Duchar' without the pronoun means to shower someone else and needs an object.
Ella se ducha por la mañana.
Ella la ducha por la mañana. (intended: She showers in the morning.)
Use reflexive 'se' (herself). 'Ella la ducha' means she showers another person, such as a child.
Nos acostamos temprano.
Se acostamos temprano.
The reflexive pronoun must match the subject: 'nosotros' → 'nos', not 'se'.

Common mistakes

Omitting the reflexive pronoun
Levanto a las ocho.
Me levanto a las ocho.
'Levantarse' (to get up) needs the reflexive pronoun. Without it, 'levantar' means 'to lift' and needs an object: 'Levanto la caja'.
Using wrong reflexive pronoun for the subject
Nosotros se duchamos.
Nosotros nos duchamos.
The reflexive pronoun must match the subject: nosotros → nos, not se.

A1Pronouns

Pronoun Placement - Conjugated Verbs

Colocación de pronombres con verbos conjugados

With a conjugated verb (a form that shows the person, like 'veo', 'compras' or 'dice'), object pronouns go directly before the verb: 'La veo' (I see her), 'Te llamo mañana' (I'll call you tomorrow). English puts the pronoun after the verb; Spanish puts it before. 'No' comes before the pronoun, and so can adverbs like 'siempre'; nothing goes between the pronoun and the verb: 'No lo sé', 'Siempre me ayuda'. Questions keep the same order: '¿Lo tienes?'. Two pronouns stay together, with the 'to whom' pronoun first: 'Me lo da' (He gives it to me). 'Le' and 'les' change to 'se' before 'lo', 'la', 'los' and 'las': 'Se lo doy' (I give it to him), not 'Le lo doy'. Affirmative commands are different: the pronoun is attached to the end ('Cómpralo'). With verbs like 'querer', 'poder', 'ir a' or 'tener que' + infinitive, the pronoun can go before the conjugated verb or be attached to the infinitive: 'Lo quiero ver' or 'Quiero verlo'.

Key rule

With a conjugated verb, object pronouns go immediately before it: 'no' goes before the pronoun, and nothing except another pronoun can come between the pronoun and the verb. Affirmative commands attach the pronoun to the end ('Cómpralo'), and with verbs like 'querer' or 'ir a' + infinitive it can also be attached to the infinitive ('Quiero verlo').

Examples

Lo compro mañana.
Compro lo mañana.
The pronoun 'lo' must come before the conjugated verb 'compro'.
¿Me entiendes?
¿Entiendes me?
Even in questions, 'me' goes before 'entiendes'.
No te veo.
No veo te.
'No' comes first, then 'te', then the verb 'veo'.

Common mistakes

Placing pronoun after conjugated verb (English word order)
Veo la todos los días.
La veo todos los días.
Spanish requires object pronouns before conjugated verbs, unlike English 'I see her'.
Putting adverbs between pronoun and verb
Lo siempre hago.
Siempre lo hago.
Adverbs cannot separate the pronoun from the verb. Put them before the pronoun ('Siempre lo hago') or after the verb ('Lo hago siempre').

A1Pronouns

Possessive Adjectives

Adjetivos posesivos

Possessive adjectives (also called possessive determiners) go before a noun and show whose it is: 'mi' (my), 'tu' (your, informal), 'su' (his, her, its, their, and 'your' with 'usted' or 'ustedes'), 'nuestro' (our), 'vuestro' (your, informal plural, Spain). They take the place of the article: 'mi libro', not 'el mi libro'. They agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. 'Mi', 'tu' and 'su' only add -s before a plural noun: 'mi libro', 'mis libros'. 'Nuestro' and 'vuestro' also change for gender: 'nuestra casa', 'nuestros amigos'. So 'his books' and 'her books' are both 'sus libros', because 'libros' is plural. If 'su' is unclear, say 'el libro de él' (his book) or 'el libro de ella' (her book). Note that 'tu' (your) has no written accent; 'tú' with an accent means 'you'.

Key rule

Possessive adjectives agree with the thing owned, not the owner: 'mi', 'tu' and 'su' only add -s in the plural, while 'nuestro' and 'vuestro' also change for gender; they replace the article ('mi libro', not 'el mi libro').

Examples

Mi casa es grande.
Mío casa es grande.
Before a noun, use the short form 'mi'. The long form 'mío' goes after the noun or after 'ser', and it agrees in gender: 'Esta casa es mía'.
Mis libros están aquí.
Mi libros están aquí.
'Libros' is plural, so use 'mis' not 'mi'.
¿Dónde está tu hermana?
¿Dónde está tú hermana?
The possessive 'tu' (your) has no written accent; 'tú' with an accent is the subject pronoun 'you'.

Common mistakes

Not matching number with possessed noun
Mi hermanos son altos.
Mis hermanos son altos.
'Hermanos' is plural, so the possessive must be 'mis' not 'mi'.
Confusing 'tu' (your) and 'tú' (you)
Tú libro es interesante.
Tu libro es interesante.
'Tu' without a written accent is the possessive 'your'; 'tú' with an accent is the subject pronoun 'you'.

A1Pronouns

Demonstrative Adjectives

Adjetivos demostrativos

Demonstrative adjectives (also called demonstrative determiners) point to a thing and show how far away it is. Use 'este/esta' (this) for things near you, 'ese/esa' (that) for things near the person you are talking to, and 'aquel/aquella' (that over there) for things far from both of you. The plurals are 'estos/estas', 'esos/esas' and 'aquellos/aquellas'. They go before the noun and match it in gender and number: 'este libro' (this book), 'esas casas' (those houses). The neuter forms 'esto', 'eso' and 'aquello' never go before a noun: say 'este coche', not 'esto coche'.

Key rule

Use 'este' (this, near the speaker), 'ese' (that, near the listener) and 'aquel' (that, far from both), and make them agree with the noun: este/esta/estos/estas, ese/esa/esos/esas, aquel/aquella/aquellos/aquellas. They go before the noun; 'esto', 'eso' and 'aquello' never do.

Examples

Este libro es interesante.
Esta libro es interesante.
'Libro' is masculine, so use masculine 'este', not feminine 'esta'.
Esa casa es bonita.
Ese casa es bonita.
'Casa' is feminine, so use feminine 'esa', not masculine 'ese'.
Aquellas montañas son altas.
Aquellos montañas son altas.
'Montañas' is feminine plural, so the demonstrative is 'aquellas', not 'aquellos'.

Common mistakes

Using the wrong gender
Esta libro
Este libro
'Libro' is masculine, so the demonstrative must be masculine: 'este'.
Using esto/eso/aquello before a noun
Esto coche es rápido.
Este coche es rápido.
'Esto', 'eso' and 'aquello' are neuter pronouns that stand alone ('¿Qué es esto?'). Before a noun, use 'este', 'ese' or 'aquel'.

A1Pronouns

Interrogative Pronouns

Pronombres interrogativos

Question words ask for information: '¿Qué?' (what), '¿Quién?' (who), '¿Cuál?' (which, what), '¿Cuánto?' (how much, how many), '¿Dónde?' (where), '¿Cuándo?' (when), '¿Cómo?' (how) and '¿Por qué?' (why, two words; 'porque', because, is one word without an accent). When they ask, they always carry a written accent (tilde), even inside a longer sentence: 'No sé dónde vive' (I don't know where he lives). '¿Quién?' and '¿cuál?' add -es when you ask about several ('¿quiénes?', '¿cuáles?'), and '¿cuánto?' agrees with its noun: '¿Cuántas hermanas tienes?'. With 'ser', '¿Qué es...?' asks what something is, but a name, number or address takes '¿Cuál es...?': '¿Cuál es tu nombre?'. A noun subject normally goes after the verb: '¿Dónde vive tu hermano?'. Written questions open with '¿' and close with '?'.

Key rule

Question words (qué, quién, cuál, cuánto, dónde, cuándo, cómo, por qué) carry a written accent whenever they ask or exclaim, also in indirect questions: 'No sé dónde vive'. Use 'qué' for 'what' in general and before a noun, 'cuál/cuáles' with 'ser' to ask for a name, number or other specific information ('¿Cuál es tu número?'), and 'quién/quiénes' for people.

Examples

¿Qué quieres comer?
¿Que quieres comer? (intended: What do you want to eat?)
Question words carry a written accent: '¿Qué...?'. Without the accent, 'que' is the word 'that'.
¿Quiénes son tus amigos?
¿Quién son tus amigos?
The verb 'son' and 'amigos' are plural, so the question word must be plural too: '¿Quiénes?'.
¿Cuántos años tienes?
¿Cuánto años tienes?
'Años' is masculine plural, so use '¿Cuántos?' to match.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent on question words
¿Que hora es?
¿Qué hora es?
When a question word asks something, it carries a written accent, in direct and indirect questions: '¿Qué hora es?', 'No sé qué hora es'.
Confusing por qué and porque
¿Porque no vienes? (intended: Why aren't you coming?)
¿Por qué no vienes?
'¿Por qué?' (why) is two words with an accent and asks the question. 'Porque' (because) is one word and gives the reason.

A1Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns Algo/Alguien

Pronombres indefinidos Algo/Alguien

'Algo' means 'something' (a thing) and 'alguien' means 'someone' (a person). Neither word ever changes form: 'Quiero algo' (I want something), '¿Hay alguien en casa?' (Is anyone home?). In questions they also mean 'anything' and 'anyone', but 'not ... anything' and 'not ... anyone' are 'no ... nada' and 'no ... nadie': 'No quiero nada' (I don't want anything). Three details: an adjective after 'algo' stays masculine singular ('algo nuevo', something new); 'algo de' + a noun like 'agua' or 'dinero' means 'some' ('algo de agua', some water), and 'algo de comer' means 'something to eat'; and 'alguien' as a direct object takes 'a': 'Busco a alguien' (I'm looking for someone).

Key rule

Use 'algo' for an unspecified thing (something) and 'alguien' for an unspecified person (someone); neither changes form. An adjective after 'algo' is masculine singular ('algo nuevo'), 'alguien' as a direct object takes 'a' ('Busco a alguien'), and 'not ... anything / anyone' is 'no ... nada / nadie' ('No quiero nada').

Examples

¿Quieres algo de comer?
¿Quieres algo a comer?
'Something to eat' is 'algo de comer', a fixed phrase. English 'to' is not translated as 'a' here.
Alguien llama a la puerta.
Algo llama a la puerta. (intended: Someone is knocking at the door.)
People knock at doors, so use 'alguien' (someone). 'Algo' is for things.
Busco a alguien.
Busco alguien.
When 'alguien' is the direct object, it takes the personal 'a': 'Busco a alguien'.

Common mistakes

Confusing algo and alguien
Algo me llamó por teléfono.
Alguien me llamó por teléfono.
Only a person can phone you, so use 'alguien' (someone). 'Algo' is for things.
Forgetting the personal 'a' with alguien
Veo alguien en el parque.
Veo a alguien en el parque.
When 'alguien' is the direct object, it takes the personal 'a': 'a alguien'.

A1Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns Nada/Nadie

Pronombres indefinidos Nada/Nadie

'Nada' means 'nothing' (things) and 'nadie' means 'nobody, no one' (people). They are the negative partners of 'algo' and 'alguien'. After the verb, they need 'no' or another negative word in front of the verb: 'No tengo nada' (I have nothing, I don't have anything). This double negative is correct and required in Spanish. Before the verb, they stand alone without 'no': 'Nadie vino' (Nobody came). One negative word before the verb is enough, so when 'nadie' or 'nunca' comes first, 'nada' follows without 'no': 'Nadie dijo nada' (Nobody said anything), 'Nunca dice nada' (He never says anything). As a direct object, 'nadie' takes the personal 'a': 'No vi a nadie' (I didn't see anyone). An adjective after 'nada' is masculine singular: 'nada nuevo' (nothing new).

Key rule

'Nada' means nothing (things) and 'nadie' means nobody (people). After the verb they need 'no' or another negative word before the verb ('No veo a nadie', 'Nadie dijo nada'); before the verb they replace 'no' ('Nadie vino'). 'Nadie' as a direct object takes the personal 'a'.

Examples

No sé nada.
No sé algo.
In a negative sentence, 'anything' is 'nada', not 'algo'.
Nadie vino a la fiesta.
No nadie vino a la fiesta.
When 'nadie' comes before the verb, it already makes the sentence negative, so leave out 'no'.
No vi a nadie.
No vi nadie.
'Nadie' is the direct object here, so it needs the personal 'a': 'a nadie'.

Common mistakes

Using 'no' when nada/nadie comes first
No nada funciona.
Nada funciona.
When 'nada' or 'nadie' comes before the verb, it already makes the sentence negative, so leave out 'no'. 'No funciona nada' is also correct.
Forgetting 'no' when nada/nadie comes after the verb
Quiero nada.
No quiero nada.
When 'nada' or 'nadie' comes after the verb, the verb needs 'no' (or another negative word, as in 'Nadie dijo nada') before it. This double negative is required in Spanish.

A1Pronouns

Tú vs Usted vs Vos

Tú, usted y vos

Spanish has two ways to say 'you' to one person. 'Tú' is informal: use it with friends, family, children and people your age. 'Usted' is formal: use it with strangers, older people, customers and in official situations. 'Usted' takes the same forms as 'él/ella', for the verb and for the words around it: 'tú tienes', 'te escribo', '¿Cómo te llamas?', 'tu casa', but 'usted tiene', 'le escribo', '¿Cómo se llama?', 'su casa'. Don't mix 'tú' and 'usted' forms when you talk to the same person. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and much of Central America, people say 'vos' instead of 'tú', with its own verb forms: 'vos tenés', 'vos sos'. With a stranger, 'usted' is the safe, polite choice.

Key rule

Use 'tú' with friends, family and children, and 'usted' with strangers, older people and in formal settings; 'usted' takes the third-person verb, pronouns and possessive ('usted tiene', 'le escribo', '¿Cómo se llama?', 'su casa'). In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and much of Central America, 'vos' replaces 'tú', with its own forms ('vos tenés', 'vos sos').

Examples

¿Cómo estás tú?
¿Cómo está tú?
'Tú' takes the second-person form 'estás'. 'Está' is the form for 'usted' and 'él/ella'.
¿Cómo está usted?
¿Cómo estás usted?
'Usted' takes the third-person form 'está', not the 'tú' form 'estás'.
¿Vos tenés tiempo?
¿Vos tienes tiempo?
In Argentina and Uruguay, 'vos' has its own forms, stressed on the ending: 'vos tenés', not the 'tú' form 'tienes'.

Common mistakes

Mixing tú with the usted verb form
¿Tú tiene hambre?
¿Tú tienes hambre?
'Tú' needs the second-person form 'tienes'. 'Tiene' goes with 'usted': '¿Usted tiene hambre?'.
Using tú in a formal situation
Estimado señor Pérez: Te escribo para pedir información.
Estimado señor Pérez: Le escribo para pedir información.
A formal letter that opens with 'Estimado señor' uses 'usted' throughout, so the pronoun is 'le', not 'te'.

A1Pronouns

Vosotros vs Ustedes

Vosotros y ustedes

Spanish has two words for plural 'you' (you all). In Spain, 'vosotros' ('vosotras' for a group of only women) is informal: friends, family, children. 'Ustedes' is formal: strangers, customers, officials. In Latin America, 'ustedes' is used for all plural 'you', formal or informal. The verb forms differ: 'vosotros tenéis', 'vosotros sois', but 'ustedes tienen', 'ustedes son', the same forms as for 'ellos'. With 'vosotros', stem-changing verbs keep the stem of the infinitive: 'podéis', 'queréis' (not 'puedéis'). The small words differ too: 'os' and 'vuestro/vuestra' (your) go with 'vosotros', while 'ustedes' takes third-person forms such as 'se' and 'su': '¿Cómo os llamáis?', but '¿Cómo se llaman ustedes?'.

Key rule

In Spain, 'vosotros/vosotras' is the informal plural 'you' and 'ustedes' the formal one; in Latin America, 'ustedes' covers both. 'Vosotros' has its own verb forms ('habláis', 'tenéis', 'sois') and 'ustedes' takes the 'ellos' forms ('hablan', 'tienen', 'son'), so do not mix them ('ustedes tenéis' is wrong).

Examples

¿Vosotros queréis café?
¿Vosotros quieren café?
'Vosotros' needs its own form, 'queréis'. 'Quieren' goes with 'ustedes' or 'ellos'. (Informal use in Spain.)
¿Ustedes quieren café?
¿Ustedes queréis café?
'Ustedes' takes the third-person plural: 'quieren', not the vosotros form 'queréis'. (Formal in Spain; formal or informal in Latin America.)
Ana, Marta, vosotras sois muy amables.
Ana, Marta, vosotros sois muy amables.
You are speaking to two women, so use the feminine 'vosotras'.

Common mistakes

Using the vosotros verb form with ustedes
Ustedes tenéis razón.
Ustedes tienen razón.
'Ustedes' takes the third-person plural form: 'tienen'.
Using the ustedes verb form with vosotros
Vosotros tienen que venir.
Vosotros tenéis que venir.
'Vosotros' needs its own form: 'tenéis'.

A1Prepositions

Preposition A - Basic Uses

Preposición a - Usos básicos

'A' usually means 'to' or 'at'. Use it for the place you are going to ('Voy a la playa', I'm going to the beach) and for clock times ('a las tres', at three o'clock; 'a la una', at one o'clock). For being in a place, use 'en' instead: 'Estoy en la playa' (I'm at the beach). Spanish also puts 'a' before a specific person who receives the action: 'Veo a Ana' (I see Ana). This is the personal 'a', and English has nothing like it. Some verbs also join an infinitive with 'a': 'Empiezo a estudiar' (I start studying). 'A' + 'el' becomes 'al': 'Voy al cine'.

Key rule

Use 'a' for the place you go to (voy a casa), for clock times (a las ocho, a la una), before a specific person as direct object (veo a Ana) and between verbs like 'empezar' and an infinitive (empiezo a estudiar). 'A' + 'el' = 'al', and being in a place takes 'en' (estoy en casa).

Examples

Voy a la escuela.
Voy en la escuela.
After 'ir', the place you go to takes 'a'. 'En' is for being in a place, not for moving to it.
El concierto es a las ocho.
El concierto es en las ocho.
Clock times take 'a' (at): a las ocho. 'En' does not work with clock times.
Veo a mi madre.
Veo mi madre.
'Mi madre' is a specific person and the direct object of 'veo', so she needs the personal 'a'.

Common mistakes

Omitting the personal 'a'
Llamo mi amigo.
Llamo a mi amigo.
When the direct object is a specific person, you must use the personal 'a' before them.
Not contracting 'a' + 'el'
Voy a el parque.
Voy al parque.
'A' + the article 'el' contracts to 'al'. 'A la', 'a los' and 'a las' stay as they are.

A1Prepositions

Preposition De - Basic Uses

Preposición de - Usos básicos

'De' usually means 'of' or 'from'. Use it for where someone is from ('Soy de México', I'm from Mexico) and for the place you leave or come from ('Salgo de casa', I leave home). It also says who owns something ('el libro de María', María's book), what something is made of ('una mesa de madera', a wooden table), what a container holds ('una taza de café', a cup of coffee) and what type of thing it is ('una clase de español', a Spanish class). In questions, 'de' comes first: '¿De dónde eres?' (Where are you from?). 'De' + 'el' becomes 'del': 'Vengo del trabajo'.

Key rule

Use 'de' for origin (soy de...), the place you come from, possession (el libro de Ana), material, contents and type (una clase de español). 'De' + 'el' = 'del'.

Examples

Soy de España.
Soy desde España.
Origin with 'ser' takes 'de'. 'Desde' marks a starting point in time or space, not where someone is from.
Es el carro de mi padre.
Es el carro mi padre.
Spanish has no 's. The owner comes after the thing and is joined with 'de': el carro de mi padre (my father's car).
Una camisa de algodón.
Una camisa algodón.
The material follows the noun and needs 'de': una camisa de algodón (a cotton shirt). Unlike English, Spanish can't just put the material noun next to the other noun.

Common mistakes

Not contracting 'de' + 'el'
Salgo de el banco.
Salgo del banco.
'De' + the article 'el' contracts to 'del'. The pronoun 'él' (with a tilde) does not contract: 'Es de él' (It's his).
Using 'desde' for origin
Soy desde Argentina.
Soy de Argentina.
'Desde' marks a starting point in time or space (desde las ocho, desde aquí). For nationality and origin, use 'de'.

A1Prepositions

Preposition En - Basic Uses

Preposición en - Usos básicos

'En' tells you where something is. It covers English 'in', 'on' and 'at': 'Estoy en casa' (I'm at home), 'Vivo en Madrid' (I live in Madrid), 'El libro está en la mesa' (The book is on the table). Use it for transport too ('en autobús', by bus), for months, years and seasons ('en julio', 'en 2024', 'en verano') and in 'pensar en' (to think about): 'Pienso en ti'. Days of the week take only the article ('el lunes', on Monday), and clock times take 'a' ('a las tres'). For movement to a place, use 'a', not 'en': 'Voy a Madrid'.

Key rule

Use 'en' for where something is (in, on, at), for transport (en tren) and for months, years and seasons (en julio). For going to a place, use 'a'.

Examples

Estoy en la biblioteca.
Estoy a la biblioteca.
'Estar' says where you are, so the place takes 'en'. 'A' is for moving toward a place.
Vivo en Barcelona.
Vivo a Barcelona.
'Vivir' tells where you live, which is a location, so it takes 'en', also with cities.
Voy al trabajo en autobús.
Voy al trabajo por autobús.
Transport takes 'en': en autobús (by bus). Don't translate English 'by' as 'por' here.

Common mistakes

Using 'a' for location instead of 'en'
Estoy a la escuela.
Estoy en la escuela.
'A' is for moving toward a place; 'en' is for being in it.
Using 'por' for transportation
Voy a la universidad por coche.
Voy a la universidad en coche.
Transport takes 'en': en coche, en tren, en avión. The main exceptions use 'a': 'a pie' (on foot) and 'a caballo' (on horseback).

A1Prepositions

Prepositions Con and Sin

Preposiciones con y sin

'Con' means 'with' and 'sin' means 'without': 'café con leche' (coffee with milk), 'café sin azúcar' (coffee without sugar), 'Voy con mi hermana' (I'm going with my sister). After 'con' and 'sin', 'yo' and 'tú' change to 'mí' and 'ti'. 'Con' joins with them into one word, 'conmigo' (with me) and 'contigo' (with you), but 'sin' does not: 'sin mí', 'sin ti'. After 'sin', use a noun or an infinitive, never an -ing form: 'sin dinero' (without money), 'sin comer' (without eating). In questions, the preposition comes first: '¿Con quién vives?' (Who do you live with?). Some verbs take 'con': 'hablar con' (to talk to), 'soñar con' (to dream about).

Key rule

'Con' = with, 'sin' = without. Con + mí = conmigo, con + ti = contigo, but 'sin' stays separate (sin mí, sin ti). After 'sin', use a noun (usually with no article) or an infinitive, never an -ing form.

Examples

¿Con quién vives?
¿Quién vives con?
Spanish can't end a question with a preposition. 'Con' goes at the start, before 'quién': ¿Con quién...?
No puedo vivir sin ti.
No puedo vivir sin tú.
After 'sin', use 'mí' and 'ti', not 'yo' and 'tú': sin ti (without you). Only 'con' has special forms (conmigo, contigo).
Prefiero el té sin azúcar.
Prefiero el té no azúcar.
'Sin' means 'without'. 'No' can't do this job before a noun.

Common mistakes

Using 'con mí' instead of 'conmigo'
¿Quieres venir con mí?
¿Quieres venir conmigo?
'Con' + 'mí' always contracts to 'conmigo'.
Using 'con ti' instead of 'contigo'
Quiero ir con ti.
Quiero ir contigo.
'Con' + 'ti' always contracts to 'contigo'.

A1Prepositions

Preposition Para - Basic Uses

Preposición para - Usos básicos

'Para' points to a goal. Use it for who something is for ('un regalo para ti', a present for you), for purpose, often with an infinitive ('Estudio para aprender', I study in order to learn), for deadlines ('para el lunes', by Monday), for where you are heading ('Salgo para Madrid', I'm leaving for Madrid), for your employer ('Trabajo para una empresa', I work for a company) and for your opinion ('Para mí, es fácil', In my opinion, it's easy). '¿Para qué?' asks what something is for; '¿Por qué?' asks why. English 'for' is sometimes 'para' and sometimes 'por', so decide by the meaning.

Key rule

Use 'para' for the recipient (para ti), purpose (para + infinitive), deadlines (para el lunes), destination (salgo para...), your employer and your opinion (para mí).

Examples

Este regalo es para ti.
Este regalo es por ti. (intended: This present is for you.)
The person who receives something takes 'para'. 'Por ti' would mean 'because of you' or 'for your sake'.
Necesito gafas para leer.
Necesito gafas por leer. (intended: I need glasses for reading.)
'Para' + infinitive gives the purpose: glasses for reading. 'Por leer' would give a cause (because of reading).
La tarea es para el viernes.
La tarea es por el viernes.
'Para' + a day or date marks a deadline: the homework is due by Friday.

Common mistakes

Confusing 'para qué' and 'por qué'
¿Por qué sirve este botón? (intended: What is this button for?)
¿Para qué sirve este botón?
'Para qué' asks about purpose or function; 'por qué' asks about a reason or cause, so '¿Por qué sirve este botón?' asks why the button works.
Using 'por' for recipients
Estas flores son por mi madre. (intended: These flowers are a present for my mother.)
Estas flores son para mi madre.
The person who receives something takes 'para'. 'Por mi madre' would mean 'because of my mother' or 'for her sake', not that she gets the flowers.

A1Prepositions

Preposition Por - Basic Uses

Preposición por - Usos básicos

'Por' often looks back to a cause: 'Gracias por tu ayuda' (Thanks for your help), 'No salgo por la lluvia' (I'm not going out because of the rain). For 'because of' + a noun, use 'por'; 'porque' (because) introduces a clause with its own verb: 'porque llueve'. To ask why, say '¿Por qué?': two words, with a written accent (tilde) on 'qué'. '¿Para qué?' asks what something is for. 'Por' also marks movement through a place ('Camino por el parque', I walk through the park), a price ('Pago diez euros por el libro'), how you communicate ('por teléfono', on the phone), parts of the day on their own ('por la mañana', in the morning; after a clock time, use 'de': 'a las siete de la mañana') and set phrases like 'por favor' and 'por ejemplo'.

Key rule

Use 'por' for cause (gracias por, por la lluvia), movement through a place, price, means of communication (por teléfono) and parts of the day on their own (por la mañana); after a clock time, use 'de' (a las siete de la mañana).

Examples

Gracias por el regalo.
Gracias para el regalo.
'Gracias por' + the thing you're thankful for. 'Por' gives the reason for the thanks.
Estudio por la mañana.
On their own, parts of the day take 'por': por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche. After a clock time they take 'de' instead: a las ocho de la mañana. In much of Latin America, 'en la mañana' is also standard.
Camino por el parque.
Camino para el parque. (intended: I walk through the park.)
'Por el parque' means through or around the park. 'Para el parque' would mean toward the park.

Common mistakes

Using 'para' with 'gracias'
Gracias para tu ayuda.
Gracias por tu ayuda.
To thank someone for something, use 'gracias por'. ('Gracias a' means 'thanks to': gracias a tu ayuda.)
Using 'porque' before a noun
Llego tarde porque el tráfico.
Llego tarde por el tráfico.
'Porque' (because) introduces a clause with its own verb: porque hay mucho tráfico. For 'because of' + a noun, use 'por': por el tráfico.

A1Prepositions

Location Prepositions

Preposiciones de lugar

These words say where something is. 'En' is the general one (in, on, at): 'El libro está en la mesa'. For more detail, use 'cerca de' (near), 'lejos de' (far from), 'delante de' (in front of), 'detrás de' (behind), 'encima de' (on top of), 'debajo de' (under) and 'al lado de' (next to). Keep the 'de' before a noun, a pronoun or a word like 'aquí': 'cerca de la estación', 'detrás de mí' (not 'detrás de yo'), 'lejos de aquí'. 'De' + 'el' becomes 'del': 'detrás del sofá'. With nothing after them, drop the 'de': 'Vivo cerca'. 'Entre' (between) and 'sobre' (on) take no 'de': 'entre el banco y la farmacia', 'sobre la mesa'.

Key rule

Before a noun, most place expressions need 'de': cerca de, lejos de, delante de, detrás de, encima de, debajo de, al lado de (de + el = del). 'En', 'entre' and 'sobre' take no 'de'.

Examples

El gato está debajo de la mesa.
El gato está debajo la mesa.
'Debajo' needs 'de' before a noun: debajo de la mesa.
Vivo cerca de la estación.
Vivo cerca la estación.
'Cerca de' means near. Before a noun, the 'de' can't be dropped.
El cine está delante del banco.
El cine está delante de el banco.
'De' + 'el' contracts to 'del' after these expressions too: delante del banco.

Common mistakes

Omitting 'de' in compound prepositions
El parque está cerca mi casa.
El parque está cerca de mi casa.
Before a noun, most place expressions need 'de': cerca de, detrás de, debajo de.
Adding 'de' with 'entre'
Está entre de las dos tiendas.
Está entre las dos tiendas.
'Entre' is followed directly by the nouns, without 'de'.

A1Prepositions

Time Prepositions

Preposiciones de tiempo

Spanish uses different small words for different kinds of time. To say at what time something happens, use 'a': 'a las tres' (at three o'clock), 'a la una' (at one o'clock). Months, years and seasons take 'en': 'en julio', 'en 2020', 'en verano'. Parts of the day on their own take 'por': 'por la mañana' (in the morning), but after a clock time they take 'de': 'a las siete de la mañana'. For 'on' + a day or a date, use only the article: 'el lunes' (on Monday), 'el 5 de mayo' (on 5 May). For a range, use 'de... a...': 'de nueve a cinco' (from nine to five). Before a noun or an infinitive, 'before' is 'antes de' and 'after' is 'después de': 'antes de cenar' (before dinner), 'después de la clase' (after class). 'During' + a noun is 'durante' ('durante la película'); 'mientras' (while) needs a verb ('mientras como').

Key rule

Clock times take 'a' (a las tres), parts of the day on their own take 'por' (por la mañana) but 'de' after a clock time (a las siete de la mañana), and months, years and seasons take 'en' (en julio). 'On' + a day is just the article (el lunes). Before a noun or an infinitive, 'before' is 'antes de' and 'after' is 'después de' (antes de cenar).

Examples

La clase empieza a las nueve.
La clase empieza en las nueve.
Clock times take 'a': a las nueve, a la una. 'En' is not used with clock times.
Tengo clase de inglés el lunes.
Tengo clase de inglés en el lunes.
To say 'on Monday', Spanish uses only the article: el lunes. Don't copy English 'on' with 'en'.
Mi cumpleaños es en agosto.
Mi cumpleaños es a agosto.
Months take 'en': en agosto.

Common mistakes

Using 'en' for clock times
Llego en las tres.
Llego a las tres.
Clock times take 'a': a las tres, a la una.
Using 'en' with days of the week
Tengo un examen en el viernes.
Tengo un examen el viernes.
To say 'on' + a day, use only the article: el viernes (on Friday), los viernes (on Fridays).

A1Prepositions

De for Possession and Material

De - Posesión y material

Spanish has no 's. To say 'Juan's book', say 'el libro de Juan' (literally 'the book of Juan'): the thing first, then 'de' + the owner. The same pattern links a part to its whole: 'la puerta de la cocina' (the kitchen door). Only 'de' + the article 'el' contracts, to 'del': 'la casa del profesor'. 'De la', 'de los' and 'de las' stay as they are: 'los juguetes de los niños'. 'De' also says what something is made of, normally with no article: 'una mesa de madera' (a wooden table). To ask 'whose?', say '¿De quién es?'.

Key rule

Possession: thing + de + owner (el libro de Juan). Material: thing + de + material, with no article (una mesa de madera). De + el contracts to del (la casa del profesor); de la, de los and de las stay as they are.

Examples

El carro de María.
El carro María.
Spanish has no 's, and the owner can't simply follow the noun. 'De' links them: el carro de María (María's car).
La casa del profesor.
La casa de el profesor.
'De' + 'el' must contract to 'del'.
Los juguetes de los niños.
Los juguetes del niños.
Only 'de' + 'el' contracts. With 'los' there is no contraction: de los niños.

Common mistakes

Using English 's word order
Mi hermana coche es rojo.
El coche de mi hermana es rojo.
Spanish has no 's. Put the thing first, then 'de' + the owner: el coche de mi hermana.
Contracting 'de' + 'los'
Los libros del estudiantes.
Los libros de los estudiantes.
Only 'de' + 'el' becomes 'del'. 'De los', 'de la' and 'de las' stay as they are.

A1Syntax

Basic Word Order (SVO)

Orden básico de palabras

A neutral Spanish statement uses the same order as English: subject + verb + object. 'María come una manzana' (María eats an apple). A noun object goes after the verb, not before it: 'María una manzana come' is wrong. Object pronouns such as 'lo' are the exception: they go before a conjugated verb, as in 'Lo leo' (I read it). Inside a noun phrase, the order often differs from English: color and nationality adjectives follow the noun ('un coche rojo', 'una amiga italiana'), and a describing noun follows with 'de' ('una clase de historia'). Time words like 'hoy' or 'mañana' can go at the start or at the end.

Key rule

In a neutral statement use subject + verb + object ('Ana lee un libro'); a noun object does not go before the verb, but an object pronoun goes before a conjugated verb ('Lo leo'). Inside the noun phrase, describing words usually follow the noun: 'un coche rojo', 'una clase de historia'.

Examples

María come una manzana.
María una manzana come.
Subject (María) + verb (come) + object (una manzana). A noun object follows the verb; putting it between the subject and the verb, as in 'María una manzana come', is wrong.
Tengo un coche rojo.
Tengo un rojo coche.
Colors come after the noun: 'un coche rojo' (a red car), not the English order.
Tengo una amiga italiana.
Tengo una italiana amiga.
Adjectives of nationality always follow the noun: 'una amiga italiana' (an Italian friend).

Common mistakes

Putting the object before the verb (verb at the end)
María pan come.
María come pan.
In a neutral statement a noun object follows the verb: 'María come pan'. Object pronouns are different: they go before a conjugated verb ('María lo come').
Placing adjectives before nouns (English influence)
Tengo un rojo coche.
Tengo un coche rojo.
Most adjectives follow the noun, and in everyday Spanish colors always do: 'un coche rojo', 'una casa blanca'.

A1Syntax

Question Formation

Formación de preguntas

Spanish questions need no helper word like English 'do' or 'does': the verb itself asks the question. In writing, a question opens with ¿ and closes with ?. For a yes/no question you can keep the statement order and let your voice rise at the end ('¿Ana tiene coche?'), or put the verb first ('¿Tiene Ana coche?'). For an information question, start with the question word, then the verb, then the subject: '¿Dónde vive tu hermano?' A noun that belongs to the question word comes right after it ('¿Cuántos años tienes?'), and a preposition goes in front of it, never at the end: '¿De dónde eres?' (Where are you from?). Question words always carry a written accent (tilde): qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, cómo, cuál, cuánto, por qué. 'Cuánto' agrees with its noun ('cuántas hermanas'), and 'por qué' (why) is two words, unlike 'porque' (because). To ask for a specific piece of information, such as a name or a number, use '¿Cuál es...?' ('¿Cuál es tu número?'), not '¿Qué es...?', which asks what something is ('¿Qué es esto?').

Key rule

No helper verb: write ¿...? and, in yes/no questions, keep statement order or put the verb first. In information questions put the accented question word first (with any preposition before it and its noun, if any, after it), then the verb, then the subject: '¿De dónde es tu profesora?', '¿Cuántos hijos tiene Ana?'

Examples

¿Hablas español?
Hablas español?
No helper verb like 'do' is needed: 'hablas' asks the question by itself. In writing, the question needs ¿ at the start as well as ? at the end.
¿Dónde vive tu hermano?
¿Dónde tu hermano vive?
After a question word the verb comes next, and the subject 'tu hermano' follows it.
¿Qué comes?
¿Que comes? (intended: What do you eat?)
Question words carry a written accent (tilde): 'qué'. Without it, 'que' is a different word ('that').

Common mistakes

Forgetting the inverted question mark
Cómo estás?
¿Cómo estás?
Spanish marks a written question at both ends: ¿ at the start and ? at the end.
Missing accents on interrogative words
¿Donde vives?
¿Dónde vives?
Question words carry a written accent (tilde): qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, cómo, cuál, cuánto.

A1Syntax

Basic Negation

Negación básica

To make a sentence negative, put 'no' before the verb: 'Hablo español' becomes 'No hablo español' (I don't speak Spanish). Spanish has no helper word like 'don't' or 'doesn't'. A subject placed before the verb goes before 'no' ('Ana no come carne'), and small words like 'lo', 'me' or 'te' go between 'no' and the verb ('No lo sé'). With two verbs, 'no' goes before the first, conjugated one: 'No puedo ir'. A 'no' before the infinitive negates only that verb: 'Prefiero no ir' (I prefer not to go). English 'no' + noun also becomes 'no' before the verb: 'No hay leche' (There's no milk). To answer a question with 'no', you often say it twice: '¿Hablas francés?' 'No, no hablo francés.' The first 'no' answers the question and the second makes the verb negative.

Key rule

Put 'no' before the conjugated verb, with only pronouns like 'lo', 'me' or 'se' in between ('No lo sé'); a subject placed before the verb goes before 'no'. A full negative answer often repeats 'no': 'No, no hablo francés.'

Examples

No hablo alemán.
Hablo no alemán.
'No' goes before the verb 'hablo', not after it.
María no come carne.
María come no carne.
The subject comes first, then 'no', then the verb: María + no + come.
Yo no tengo hambre.
No yo tengo hambre.
'No' goes before the verb, not before the subject. A subject like 'yo' comes before 'no', or is simply left out: 'No tengo hambre'.

Common mistakes

Placing 'no' after the verb
Entiendo no.
No entiendo.
To negate a verb, put 'no' before it: 'No entiendo'.
Dropping the second 'no' in a negative answer
—¿Comes carne? —No, como carne. (intended: No, I don't eat meat.)
—¿Comes carne? —No, no como carne.
The first 'no' answers the question and the second negates the verb. With only one 'no', the answer means 'No, I eat meat'.

A1Syntax

Null Subject Properties

Sujeto nulo

In Spanish the verb ending already shows who does the action, so subject pronouns (yo, tú, él...) are usually left out: 'Hablo español' means 'I speak Spanish'. Saying 'Yo hablo español' is not wrong; it just puts weight on 'I'. Use a pronoun to stress or contrast people ('Yo cocino y tú limpias'), to make clear whether 'habla' means él, ella or usted, and in short phrases with no verb ('Yo también'). English 'it' in 'it's raining' or 'it's late' has no Spanish word: 'Llueve', 'Es tarde'. 'It's me' is 'Soy yo', with the verb agreeing with 'yo'. 'They' meaning people in general is just the verb: 'Dicen que va a llover' (They say it's going to rain).

Key rule

Leave out subject pronouns when the verb ending and context show who you mean; add them for emphasis, contrast, clarity (él / ella / usted) and in phrases with no verb ('Yo también'). English subject 'it' has no Spanish pronoun ('Llueve', 'Es tarde'), and 'It's me' is 'Soy yo'.

Examples

Hablo español.
The ending -o already means 'I', so 'yo' is usually left out. 'Yo hablo español' is also correct; it simply stresses 'I'.
Tengo un hermano. Se llama Juan y vive en Madrid.
Once Juan is mentioned, 'se llama' and 'vive' clearly refer to him. Repeating 'él' in every sentence is grammatical but sounds heavy.
Llueve mucho en abril.
Él llueve mucho en abril.
Weather verbs have no subject. The English 'it' in 'it rains' is not translated.

Common mistakes

Adding a pronoun for English 'it'
Lo es importante estudiar.
Es importante estudiar.
Spanish has no word for this 'it'. Sentences like 'Es importante', 'Es tarde' or 'Es fácil' start directly with the verb, and 'lo' can never be the subject.
Using 'ellos' for 'they' meaning people in general
Ellos dicen que el examen es difícil. (intended: People say the exam is hard.)
Dicen que el examen es difícil.
For people in general, Spanish uses the ellos verb form with no pronoun. 'Ellos dicen' means that specific people already mentioned say it.

A1Syntax

Coordination (y, o, pero, sino)

Coordinación

Coordinating conjunctions join words or sentences of the same kind: 'y' (and), 'o' (or), 'pero' (but) and 'sino' (but rather). In a list, only the last item gets 'y', with no comma before it: 'pan, leche y huevos'. Two sound rules apply. 'Y' becomes 'e' before a word that starts with the sound /i/, spelled i- or hi-: 'español e inglés', 'padre e hijo'. Before hie-, which sounds like 'ye', it stays 'y': 'agua y hielo'. 'O' becomes 'u' before the sound /o/, spelled o- or ho-: 'siete u ocho'. Use 'sino' only after a negative, to say what is true instead: 'No es rojo, sino azul.' Before a conjugated verb, use 'sino que': 'No canta, sino que baila.' When both parts are true, 'but' is 'pero': 'Es caro, pero bonito.'

Key rule

Use 'y' (and), 'o' (or), 'pero' (but) and, only after a negative, 'sino' (but rather) to replace what was denied ('sino que' before a conjugated verb). 'Y' becomes 'e' before the /i/ sound (e inglés, e hijo), and 'o' becomes 'u' before the /o/ sound (u ocho, u hombre).

Examples

Hablo español e inglés.
Hablo español y inglés.
'Inglés' starts with the /i/ sound, so 'y' becomes 'e'.
Padre e hijo
Padre y hijo
The h in 'hijo' is silent, so the word starts with the /i/ sound and 'y' becomes 'e'.
Siete u ocho
Siete o ocho
'Ocho' starts with the /o/ sound, so 'o' becomes 'u'.

Common mistakes

Not changing 'y' to 'e' before i-/hi-
Fernando y Isabel
Fernando e Isabel
'Y' becomes 'e' before a word starting with the /i/ sound, so the two vowel sounds don't merge.
Not changing 'o' to 'u' before o-/ho-
Mujer o hombre
Mujer u hombre
'O' becomes 'u' before a word starting with the /o/ sound; the h in 'hombre' is silent.

A1Connectors

Addition Connectors (y, también)

Conectores de adición

To add information, use 'y' (and), 'también' (also, too) and 'además' (besides, what's more). 'Y' joins words or sentences: 'Hablo inglés y francés.' In a list, only the last item gets 'y', with no comma before it: 'café, té y zumo'. 'También' goes before the verb or at the end: 'También hablo alemán' or 'Hablo alemán también'. If a pronoun such as 'me' comes before the verb, 'también' goes before the pronoun: 'También me gusta', not 'Me también gusta'. 'Me too' is 'Yo también'. After a negative, use 'tampoco' (not either) instead: 'No bebo café.' 'Yo tampoco.' After 'me gusta' or 'no me gusta', answer with 'a mí': 'A mí también', 'A mí tampoco'. Before the verb, 'tampoco' replaces 'no': 'Tampoco bebo café.' 'Además' adds an extra point, usually at the start of the sentence: 'Es barato. Además, es bonito.' Before a noun or an infinitive, use 'además de': 'Además de inglés, hablo alemán.'

Key rule

Add with 'y' (and), 'también' (also: before the verb and any pronoun in front of it, or at the end) and 'además' (what's more; 'además de' + noun or infinitive). After a negative, use 'tampoco', never 'también no'; before the verb, 'tampoco' replaces 'no': 'Yo tampoco', 'Tampoco bebo café'.

Examples

Ana habla inglés y yo también.
Ana habla inglés y yo tampoco.
After a positive statement, agree with 'también'. 'Tampoco' only follows a negative: 'Ana no habla inglés y yo tampoco'.
Me gusta el cine. También me gusta el teatro.
Me gusta el cine. Me también gusta el teatro.
'También' can't go between 'me' and 'gusta'. Put it before the pronoun ('También me gusta') or at the end ('Me gusta también').
—Quiero ir al concierto. —Yo también.
—Quiero ir al concierto. —Mí también.
'Me too' is 'yo también', with the subject pronoun 'yo'. 'Mí' is only used after a preposition, as in 'A mí también' with 'gustar'.

Common mistakes

Using 'también no' instead of 'tampoco'
—No me gusta el fútbol. —A mí también no.
—No me gusta el fútbol. —A mí tampoco.
Spanish uses 'tampoco' for negative agreement, never 'también no'.
Putting 'también' between a pronoun and its verb
Me también llamo Ana.
Yo también me llamo Ana.
'También' can't separate 'me' from its verb. Put it before the pronoun: 'Yo también me llamo Ana' or 'También me llamo Ana'.

A1Connectors

Time Sequence (primero, luego, después)

Secuencia temporal

To tell events in order, use sequence words: 'primero' (first), 'luego' or 'después' (then, afterwards), 'más tarde' (later) and 'finalmente', 'al final' or 'por último' (finally, lastly). They usually start the sentence: 'Primero desayuno. Luego voy al trabajo. Por último, vuelvo a casa.' As a sequence word, 'primero' keeps its -o ('Primero me levanto'); the short form 'primer' only goes before a masculine singular noun ('el primer día'). For 'before' and 'after' + something, use 'antes de' and 'después de' + a noun or an infinitive: 'después de la clase', 'antes de salir'. Don't use a conjugated verb or an -ando/-iendo form there: 'después de comer', not 'después de como'.

Key rule

Order events with primero → luego / después → más tarde → finalmente / al final / por último. 'Before' and 'after' + something are 'antes de' / 'después de' + a noun or an infinitive: 'después de comer', never 'después comer' or 'después de comiendo'.

Examples

Primero me levanto. Luego desayuno.
Primer me levanto. Luego desayuno.
As a sequence word, 'primero' keeps its -o. 'Primer' is only used before a masculine singular noun: 'el primer día'.
Después de comer, tomo café.
Después comer, tomo café.
'Después' needs 'de' before an infinitive: 'después de comer'.
Antes de salir, cierro las ventanas.
Antes de saliendo, cierro las ventanas.
After 'antes de' and 'después de', use the infinitive ('salir'), never the -ando/-iendo form, even though English says 'before leaving'.

Common mistakes

Forgetting 'de' after 'antes' and 'después'
Antes comer, trabajo.
Antes de comer, trabajo.
'Antes' and 'después' need 'de' before an infinitive: 'antes de comer', 'después de comer'.
Using the -ing form after 'antes de' or 'después de'
Después de terminando la clase, voy a casa.
Después de terminar la clase, voy a casa.
After 'antes de' and 'después de', Spanish uses the infinitive, not the gerund (-ando / -iendo), even where English uses '-ing'.

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A1 Spanish Grammar — 78 Topics & Common Mistakes

Present Tense - Regular Verbs

Present Tense - Ser and Estar

Present Tense - Tener and Haber

Present Tense - Ir and Venir

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (e→ie)

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (o→ue)

Present Tense - Stem-Changing Verbs (e→i)

Present Tense - Irregular Yo Forms

Present Tense - Highly Irregular Verbs

Present Continuous (estar + gerund)

Gerund Formation

Immediate Future (ir a + infinitive)

Reflexive Verbs - Basic

Reflexive Verbs - Daily Routine

Gustar-type Verb Structure

Hay for Existence

Ser vs Estar - Basic Distinction

Ser for Descriptions and Characteristics

Estar for Location and States

Tener Expressions

Hacer for Weather

Modal Verb - Poder

Modal Verbs - Querer/Desear

Written Accents - Basic Rules

Basic Punctuation

Inverted Question/Exclamation Marks

Tú vs Usted Selection

Formal Greetings and Closings

Informal Greetings and Closings

Recognizing Cognates

Cardinal Numbers 1-30

Days of the Week

Months of the Year

Telling Time (Hours)

Expressing Age with Tener

Basic Time Expressions

Noun-Adjective Agreement - Basic

Adjective Position

Grammatical Gender - Basic

Gender Exceptions

Plural Formation - Basic

Article-Noun Agreement

Subject-Verb Agreement

Definite Articles

Indefinite Articles

Demonstrative Determiners

Possessive Determiners

Basic Quantifiers

Cardinal Numbers

Subject Pronouns

Subject Pronoun Omission

Direct Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Pronoun Placement - Conjugated Verbs

Possessive Adjectives

Demonstrative Adjectives

Interrogative Pronouns

Indefinite Pronouns Algo/Alguien

Indefinite Pronouns Nada/Nadie

Tú vs Usted vs Vos

Vosotros vs Ustedes

Preposition A - Basic Uses

Preposition De - Basic Uses

Preposition En - Basic Uses

Prepositions Con and Sin

Preposition Para - Basic Uses

Preposition Por - Basic Uses

Location Prepositions

Time Prepositions

De for Possession and Material

Basic Word Order (SVO)

Question Formation

Basic Negation

Null Subject Properties

Coordination (y, o, pero, sino)

Addition Connectors (y, también)

Time Sequence (primero, luego, después)