Basic Greetings and Farewells
One of the first things you’ll need to learn in any language is how to greet people and say goodbye. Here are some fundamental Spanish words and phrases for greetings and farewells:
– Hola – Hello
– Buenos días – Good morning
– Buenas tardes – Good afternoon
– Buenas noches – Good evening/night
– Adiós – Goodbye
– Hasta luego – See you later
– Hasta mañana – See you tomorrow
– Nos vemos – See you (informal)
– ¿Cómo estás? – How are you? (informal)
– ¿Cómo está usted? – How are you? (formal)
Introducing Yourself and Others
Introducing yourself and asking about others is crucial for making new friends and acquaintances. Here are some useful phrases for introductions:
– Me llamo… – My name is…
– ¿Cómo te llamas? – What is your name? (informal)
– ¿Cómo se llama usted? – What is your name? (formal)
– Encantado/a – Pleased to meet you
– Mucho gusto – Nice to meet you
– Soy de… – I am from…
– ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from? (informal)
– ¿De dónde es usted? – Where are you from? (formal)
– Este es… / Esta es… – This is… (introducing a male/female)
Numbers and Counting
Being able to count and understand numbers is essential, whether you’re shopping, telling time, or making plans. Here are the numbers from 1 to 20 in Spanish:
1. Uno
2. Dos
3. Tres
4. Cuatro
5. Cinco
6. Seis
7. Siete
8. Ocho
9. Nueve
10. Diez
11. Once
12. Doce
13. Trece
14. Catorce
15. Quince
16. Dieciséis
17. Diecisiete
18. Dieciocho
19. Diecinueve
20. Veinte
For tens, it’s useful to know:
– Treinta – Thirty
– Cuarenta – Forty
– Cincuenta – Fifty
– Sesenta – Sixty
– Setenta – Seventy
– Ochenta – Eighty
– Noventa – Ninety
– Cien – One hundred
Days of the Week and Months
Knowing the days of the week and months of the year is essential for making plans and understanding dates. Here are the days and months in Spanish:
Days of the Week:
– Lunes – Monday
– Martes – Tuesday
– Miércoles – Wednesday
– Jueves – Thursday
– Viernes – Friday
– Sábado – Saturday
– Domingo – Sunday
Months of the Year:
– Enero – January
– Febrero – February
– Marzo – March
– Abril – April
– Mayo – May
– Junio – June
– Julio – July
– Agosto – August
– Septiembre – September
– Octubre – October
– Noviembre – November
– Diciembre – December
Basic Questions
Asking questions is fundamental to learning and interacting in any language. Here are some basic questions you should know:
– ¿Qué? – What?
– ¿Quién? – Who?
– ¿Dónde? – Where?
– ¿Cuándo? – When?
– ¿Por qué? – Why?
– ¿Cómo? – How?
– ¿Cuál? – Which?
– ¿Cuánto/a? – How much? (singular)
– ¿Cuántos/as? – How many? (plural)
Common Verbs
Verbs are the action words in a sentence, and knowing the most common ones will help you build basic sentences. Here are some essential verbs for beginners:
– Ser – To be (permanent state)
– Estar – To be (temporary state)
– Tener – To have
– Hacer – To do/make
– Ir – To go
– Venir – To come
– Decir – To say/tell
– Poder – To be able to/can
– Querer – To want/love
– Necesitar – To need
– Hablar – To speak/talk
– Comer – To eat
– Beber – To drink
– Leer – To read
– Escribir – To write
Conjugations of “Ser” and “Estar”
Understanding how to conjugate the verbs “ser” and “estar” is vital, as they are used frequently. Here are their present tense conjugations:
Ser:
– Yo soy – I am
– Tú eres – You are (informal)
– Él/Ella/Usted es – He/She/You (formal) is/are
– Nosotros/as somos – We are
– Vosotros/as sois – You all are (informal)
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes son – They/You all are
Estar:
– Yo estoy – I am
– Tú estás – You are (informal)
– Él/Ella/Usted está – He/She/You (formal) is/are
– Nosotros/as estamos – We are
– Vosotros/as estáis – You all are (informal)
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes están – They/You all are
Common Nouns
Nouns are the building blocks of sentences, representing people, places, things, or ideas. Here are some common nouns that you’ll encounter frequently:
– Casa – House
– Escuela – School
– Trabajo – Work
– Amigo/a – Friend (male/female)
– Familia – Family
– Coche – Car
– Libro – Book
– Mesa – Table
– Silla – Chair
– Teléfono – Telephone
– Ordenador/Computadora – Computer
– Perro – Dog
– Gato – Cat
Basic Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns, and knowing some basic adjectives will help you add detail to your sentences. Here are some you should know:
– Bueno/a – Good
– Malo/a – Bad
– Grande – Big
– Pequeño/a – Small
– Bonito/a – Pretty
– Feo/a – Ugly
– Nuevo/a – New
– Viejo/a – Old
– Alto/a – Tall
– Bajo/a – Short (height)
– Corto/a – Short (length)
– Largo/a – Long
– Fácil – Easy
– Difícil – Difficult
Everyday Phrases
Being able to use common phrases in everyday situations will make your Spanish more natural and fluent. Here are some phrases you’ll find useful:
– Por favor – Please
– Gracias – Thank you
– De nada – You’re welcome
– Lo siento – I’m sorry
– Perdón – Excuse me/Sorry
– Sí – Yes
– No – No
– Tal vez – Maybe
– No sé – I don’t know
– Tengo hambre – I’m hungry
– Tengo sed – I’m thirsty
– Tengo frío – I’m cold
– Tengo calor – I’m hot
Basic Directions
Understanding and giving directions is a practical skill when navigating a new environment. Here are some basic directional words and phrases:
– Izquierda – Left
– Derecha – Right
– Recto – Straight
– Cerca – Near
– Lejos – Far
– Aquí – Here
– Allí – There
– ¿Dónde está…? – Where is…?
– ¿Cómo llego a…? – How do I get to…?
Shopping and Money
If you’re shopping or dealing with money, these words and phrases will come in handy:
– ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?
– Precio – Price
– Dinero – Money
– Barato/a – Cheap
– Caro/a – Expensive
– La cuenta, por favor – The bill, please
– ¿Aceptan tarjetas? – Do you accept cards?
– Efectivo – Cash
Food and Drink
When dining out or grocery shopping, you’ll need to know some basic food and drink vocabulary:
– Pan – Bread
– Agua – Water
– Café – Coffee
– Té – Tea
– Leche – Milk
– Fruta – Fruit
– Verduras – Vegetables
– Carne – Meat
– Pescado – Fish
– Pollo – Chicken
– Arroz – Rice
– Pasta – Pasta
Time
Understanding and telling time is essential for managing your daily schedule. Here are some key phrases:
– ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?
– Es la una – It’s one o’clock
– Son las dos/tres/cuatro… – It’s two/three/four o’clock…
– Media – Half past
– Cuarto – Quarter past/to
– En punto – On the dot
Weather
Talking about the weather is a common conversation starter. Here are some useful phrases:
– Hace calor – It’s hot
– Hace frío – It’s cold
– Hace sol – It’s sunny
– Hace viento – It’s windy
– Está nublado – It’s cloudy
– Está lloviendo – It’s raining
– Está nevando – It’s snowing
Health
Knowing some basic health-related vocabulary can be very useful, especially in emergencies:
– Doctor/a – Doctor (male/female)
– Enfermero/a – Nurse (male/female)
– Hospital – Hospital
– Farmacia – Pharmacy
– Medicina – Medicine
– Dolor – Pain
– Enfermedad – Illness
– ¿Dónde está el hospital? – Where is the hospital?
Transportation
Getting around a new city or country requires some basic transportation vocabulary:
– Autobús – Bus
– Tren – Train
– Taxi – Taxi
– Aeropuerto – Airport
– Estación – Station
– Parada – Stop
– Boleto/Billete – Ticket
– Conductor/a – Driver (male/female)
– ¿Dónde está la parada de autobús? – Where is the bus stop?
Conclusion
Reaching the A1 level in Spanish involves mastering a wide range of basic vocabulary and phrases that will help you navigate everyday situations. From greetings and numbers to common verbs and adjectives, having a solid foundation will make your language learning journey smoother and more enjoyable. Practice these words regularly, and don’t be afraid to use them in real-life conversations. With time and effort, you’ll find yourself becoming more comfortable and confident in your Spanish-speaking abilities. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)
