Spanish for Beginners
A structured course for English speakers — from your first "Hola" to full command of the Spanish present tense. Real phrases, audio and clear explanations.
Pronunciation, the alphabet & first greetings
Welcome to your first lesson. Here is the best news in the whole course: Spanish is read almost exactly as it is written. There are no silent, mysterious letters and no hundred exceptions. Once you know the handful of rules below, you can read any Spanish word aloud — even one you have never seen before.
Las vocales The five vowels
This is the heart of Spanish pronunciation. There are only five vowel sounds, and each one always sounds the same — short, clean and clear:
| Letter | Sounds like | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a | a in "father" | casa |
| e | e in "bet" | mesa |
| i | ee in "see" | sí |
| o | o in "note" | no |
| u | oo in "food" | tú |
💡 The single most useful rule: Spanish vowels are never swallowed or reduced. Even a long word is just a chain of these clean, pure sounds.
Las consonantes The consonants that surprise you
Most consonants sound just like English. These are the ones to watch:
| Letter | The rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| h | Always silent — never pronounced. | hola |
| j | A raspy h, like the ch in Scottish "loch". | jamón |
| ñ | Like the ny in "canyon". | niño |
| ll | Like the y in "yes". | calle |
| v | Sounds the same as b. | vino |
| qu | Like k — the u is silent. | queso |
| r | A single quick tap of the tongue. | pero |
| rr | A long, rolled r — it changes the meaning! | perro |
| z · ce · ci | Like s in Latin America (like th in Spain). | zapato |
Two "shape-shifting" letters — c and g
The letters c and g change sound depending on the vowel that follows:
- c before a, o, u = k: casa (KA-sa).
- c before e, i = s: cinco (SEEN-ko).
- g before a, o, u = hard g: gato (GA-to).
- g before e, i = raspy h (like j): gente (HEN-te).
Regional note: In Latin America, c (before e/i) and z sound like s; in much of Spain they sound like the th in "think". This course teaches the Latin American pronunciation, which is more widely spoken. Both are correct and understood everywhere.
El acento Where the stress falls
Every word of two or more syllables has one stressed (stronger) syllable. In Spanish there are just two rules and one sign:
- Word ends in a vowel, or in n / s → stress the second-to-last syllable: casa (CA-sa), hablan (HA-blan).
- Word ends in any other consonant → stress the last syllable: español (es-pa-ÑOL).
- Is there a written accent (´)? It always wins — stress exactly that syllable: teléfono (te-LÉ-fo-no).
Vocabulario Your first phrases
Now put those sounds to work. These are the expressions you will use in your very first conversation:
| Hola | Hello |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / night |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? |
| Bien, gracias | Fine, thank you |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| Por favor | Please |
| Perdón | Sorry / Excuse me |
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| Hasta luego | See you later |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. How is it pronounced — and why?
- How do you say hola? → "OH-la" — the h is silent.
- How does jamón sound? → "ha-MON" with a raspy h — the j is like the ch in "loch".
- Why does gente sound like "HEN-te"? → Because g before e sounds like a raspy h.
- What is the difference between pero and perro? → perro has a long rolled rr (and means "dog"); pero has a single tap (and means "but").
- Which syllable is stressed in español? → The last one (es-pa-ÑOL) because the word ends in the consonant l.
Instant vocabulary: cognates & false friends
Learning a language is much easier when you discover words that look and mean the same in both languages — these are called cognates. Spanish gives you thousands for free. But beware of false friends: words that look familiar yet mean something completely different.
Cognados Free words — they mean what they look like
| actor | actor |
| animal | animal |
| chocolate | chocolate |
| doctor | doctor |
| hospital | hospital |
| idea | idea |
| natural | natural |
| radio | radio |
| televisión | television |
Falsos amigos False friends — do not be fooled
| fábrica | factory (not "fabric") |
| embarazada | pregnant (not "embarrassed") |
| sopa | soup (not "soap") |
| éxito | success (not "exit") |
| ropa | clothes (not "rope") |
| actualmente | currently (not "actually") |
| asistir | to attend (not "to assist") |
| librería | bookstore (not "library") |
| sensible | sensitive (not "sensible") |
💡 Tip: Cognates boost your vocabulary fast, but always double-check the meaning of anything that looks "too familiar" — a false friend can lead to some funny misunderstandings.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- doctor → doctor
- factory → fábrica
- success → éxito
- currently → actualmente
2. What does it really mean?
- ropa → clothes (not rope)
- asistir → to attend (not to assist)
- sensible → sensitive (not sensible)
Introducing yourself: name, origin, "how are you"
In this lesson you learn to introduce yourself: to say your name, where you are from, to ask how someone is, and to respond. This is where a real conversation begins.
Presentarse The building blocks
| Me llamo… literally: "I call myself…" | My name is… |
| Soy de… literally: "I am from…" | I'm from… |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? literally: "How do you call yourself?" | What's your name? |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? |
| Estoy bien | I'm fine |
| Mucho gusto literally: "much pleasure" | Nice to meet you |
| Encantado de conocerte | Pleased to meet you |
Gramática A first look at "to be": ser
Me llamo literally means "I call myself." To say "I am X", use soy (from the verb ser): soy David, soy de Israel. Use ser for who you are and where you are from — your permanent identity, not passing moods. You will meet its partner verb estar soon.
Diálogo Two people meet
JuanHola, me llamo Juan. ¿Cómo te llamas? Hello, my name is Juan. What's your name?
AnaMe llamo Ana. Mucho gusto. My name is Ana. Nice to meet you.
JuanSoy de Colombia. ¿De dónde eres? I'm from Colombia. Where are you from?
AnaEstoy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? I'm fine, thank you. And you?
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- What's your name? → ¿Cómo te llamas?
- My name is Ana. → Me llamo Ana.
- Where are you from? → ¿De dónde eres?
- I'm from Colombia. → Soy de Colombia.
Numbers 1–100 and age
Today you learn to count from 0 to 100, to say your age, and to use numbers in everyday situations — prices, phone numbers and more. A great chance to practise the clean vowels from Lesson 1.
0–15 The numbers you must memorise
| # | Spanish | # | Spanish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | cero | 8 | ocho |
| 1 | uno | 9 | nueve |
| 2 | dos | 10 | diez |
| 3 | tres | 11 | once |
| 4 | cuatro | 12 | doce |
| 5 | cinco | 13 | trece |
| 6 | seis | 14 | catorce |
| 7 | siete | 15 | quince |
Las decenas Tens up to 100
| veinte | twenty |
| treinta | thirty |
| cuarenta | forty |
| cincuenta | fifty |
| sesenta | sixty |
| setenta | seventy |
| ochenta | eighty |
| noventa | ninety |
| cien | one hundred |
How the numbers are built: 16–29 are written as one word — dieciséis, veintiuno. From 31 up they are three words joined by y ("and"): treinta y uno, cuarenta y cinco.
La edad Talking about age
Age uses the verb tener ("to have"), not "to be": tengo veinte años literally means "I have 20 years."
| ¿Cuántos años tienes? | How old are you? |
| Tengo veinticinco años. | I am twenty-five years old. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? | How much does this cost? |
| Cuesta veinte pesos. | It costs twenty pesos. |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- one → uno
- fifty → cincuenta
- eighty → ochenta
- How old are you? → ¿Cuántos años tienes?
- I am thirty years old. → Tengo treinta años.
People, family & grammatical gender
In this lesson you learn the family members and how to describe people simply — and, crucially, the idea of grammatical gender, which shapes every noun and article in Spanish.
La familia Family members
| padre | father |
| madre | mother |
| hermano | brother |
| hermana | sister |
| hijo | son |
| hija | daughter |
| abuelo | grandfather |
| abuela | grandmother |
El género Gender and articles — the core idea
Every Spanish noun has a gender: masculine or feminine. This decides which word for "the" you use:
| Gender | "the" | "a / an" | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | el | un | el hermano · un hijo |
| feminine | la | una | la hermana · una hija |
- Most nouns ending in -o are masculine; most ending in -a are feminine. Notice the pairs above: hermano / hermana.
- The plural adds -s (or -es after a consonant), and "the" becomes los / las .
- Simple possession uses mi (my), tu (your), su (his/her): mi padre, tu hermana.
💡 Tip: Learn every noun together with its article — say "la casa", not just "casa". That way the gender sticks automatically.
Frases Describing your family
| Este es mi padre. | This is my father. |
| Esta es mi madre. | This is my mother. |
| Mi hermano es alto. | My brother is tall. |
| Mi hermana es simpática. | My sister is nice. |
| ¿Quién es él? | Who is he? |
| Él es mi abuelo. | He is my grandfather. |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. el or la?
- ___ hermano → el hermano
- ___ hija → la hija
- ___ madre → la madre
- ___ abuelo → el abuelo
2. Translate into Spanish:
- This is my mother. → Esta es mi madre.
- Who is he? → ¿Quién es él?
Verbs in the present tense
This is the grammar lesson that unlocks the language. Until now you memorised phrases; from here you can build new sentences yourself. The key is conjugation — and Spanish has clear, regular patterns.
Los pronombres The subject pronouns
| Spanish | English | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | I | nosotros | we |
| tú | you (informal) | vosotros | you all (Spain) |
| él / ella | he / she | ellos | they |
| usted | you (formal) | ustedes | you all |
Formal vs informal: Spanish has two words for "you" — tú with friends and family, and usted with strangers, elders or in respectful settings. In Latin America, ustedes is the only "you all"; vosotros is mainly used in Spain.
Conjugar Three families: -ar, -er, -ir
Spanish verbs come in three groups by their ending. Drop the ending, then add the personal endings shown in red. Learn one verb in each family and you can conjugate hundreds.
hablar — to speak
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | I speak |
| tú | hablas | you speak |
| él / ella / usted | habla | he / she speaks |
| nosotros | hablamos | we speak |
| vosotros | habláis | you all speak |
| ellos / ustedes | hablan | they speak |
comer — to eat · vivir — to live
| Person | -er: comer | -ir: vivir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | como | vivo |
| tú | comes | vives |
| él / ella / usted | come | vive |
| nosotros | comemos | vivimos |
| vosotros | coméis | vivís |
| ellos / ustedes | comen | viven |
💡 The pronoun secret: the ending already tells you who the subject is, so Spanish speakers usually drop the pronoun: hablo español, not yo hablo español. Both are correct — but dropping it sounds more natural.
En acción Putting verbs to work
| Yo soy estudiante. | I am a student. |
| Ella es profesora. | She is a teacher. |
| Yo tengo un libro. | I have a book. |
| Él tiene un perro. | He has a dog. |
| Yo quiero café. | I want coffee. |
| Yo voy al parque. | I go to the park. |
| ¿Tú quieres ir al cine? | Do you want to go to the cinema? |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Conjugate:
- hablar — "I" form → hablo
- comer — "we" form → comemos
- vivir — "you (tú)" form → vives
2. Why can you say "hablo español" without "yo"?
- → Because the ending -o already means "I", so the pronoun is unnecessary.
ser vs estar — the two ways to say "to be"
English has one verb "to be". Spanish has two, and choosing the right one is the single most important grammar point for a beginner. The good news: the rule is intuitive once you see it.
La idea Identity vs. state
Both mean "to be", but they answer different questions:
- ser → who or what something essentially is: identity, origin, profession, nationality, permanent traits. What you ARE.
- estar → a state, mood, or location: how or where something is right now. How you ARE, where you ARE.
Compare: Soy feliz = "I am a happy person" (my nature) · Estoy feliz = "I am happy right now" (my mood today).
ser — permanent identity
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | soy | I am |
| tú | eres | you are |
| él / ella / usted | es | he / she is |
| nosotros | somos | we are |
| vosotros | sois | you all are |
| ellos / ustedes | son | they are |
estar — state & location
| Person | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| yo | estoy | I am |
| tú | estás | you are |
| él / ella / usted | está | he / she is |
| nosotros | estamos | we are |
| vosotros | estáis | you all are |
| ellos / ustedes | están | they are |
Comparar The same words, two meanings
| ser (identity) | estar (state / place) |
|---|---|
| Yo soy estudiante. I am a student. | Estoy bien. I am well. |
| Él es médico. He is a doctor. | La estación está cerca. The station is nearby. |
| Ella es profesora. She is a teacher. | ¿Dónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom? |
💡 Memory hook: use estar for location and feelings — the things that can change. Use ser for identity — who you fundamentally are. "How are you?" is ¿Cómo estás? (estar), because your mood can change.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. ser or estar?
- ___ estudiante. (I am a student) → Soy estudiante.
- ¿Dónde ___ el baño? (Where is the bathroom?) → está
- ___ bien, gracias. (I'm fine) → Estoy bien.
- Ella ___ profesora. (She is a teacher) → es
- La estación ___ cerca. (The station is nearby) → está
Asking questions
To have a real conversation, you need to ask. Here we gather all the question words — several you already know — and meet Spanish's special upside-down punctuation.
Palabras interrogativas The question words
| ¿qué? | what? |
| ¿quién? | who? |
| ¿dónde? | where? |
| ¿cuándo? | when? |
| ¿cómo? | how? |
| ¿por qué? | why? |
| ¿cuánto? | how much? |
| ¿cuál? | which? / what? |
Note the accents: every question word carries a written accent — qué, cómo, dónde. That accent is what separates them from look-alikes: ¿por qué? ("why?", a question) vs porque ("because", an answer).
¿ ¡ The upside-down marks
This is unique to Spanish: a question opens with ¿ and closes with a normal ?. An exclamation opens with ¡ and closes with !. The opening mark warns the reader in advance: "a question is coming". Word order does not change — only your intonation rises.
Ejemplos Useful questions
| ¿Qué es esto? | What is this? |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? |
| ¿Quién es él? | Who is he? |
| ¿Por qué estudias español? | Why do you study Spanish? |
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What is your name? |
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| ¿Dónde vives? | Where do you live? |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- What is this? → ¿Qué es esto?
- Where is the bathroom? → ¿Dónde está el baño?
- What is your name? → ¿Cómo te llamas?
2. What is the difference between por qué and porque?
- → ¿por qué? = "why?" (a question, two words, with an accent); porque = "because" (an answer, one word).
Food: ordering and asking
Time to use your Spanish in the real world. Here you learn to order food, ask for the bill, and say how much you enjoyed the meal — plus a very useful little verb, gustar.
Frases útiles Ordering and asking
| Quisiera ordenar, por favor. | I would like to order, please. |
| Me gustaría una ensalada. | I would like a salad. |
| ¿Qué recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| ¿Tiene algo vegetariano? | Do you have something vegetarian? |
| Está delicioso. | It's delicious. |
| La cuenta, por favor. | The bill, please. |
| ¿Aceptan tarjetas de crédito? | Do you accept credit cards? |
Gramática The gustar puzzle
Quisiera… ("I would like") is the polite way to order. And "I like it" works backwards in Spanish: me gusta literally means "it pleases me". For plural things it becomes me gustan: me gustan los tacos = "tacos please me" = "I like tacos".
Diálogo At the table
ClienteHola, ¿me puede traer el menú, por favor? Hello, can you bring me the menu, please?
CamareroClaro, aquí tiene. ¿Qué desea? Of course, here it is. What would you like?
ClienteMe gustaría probar el postre. I would like to try the dessert.
ClienteLa cuenta, por favor. The bill, please.
CamareroAquí está. ¿Todo estuvo bien? Here it is. Was everything okay?
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- The bill, please. → La cuenta, por favor.
- It's delicious. → Está delicioso.
- What do you recommend? → ¿Qué recomienda?
Getting around town
In this lesson you learn to ask for directions, use public transport and buy tickets — everything you need to navigate a Spanish-speaking city with confidence.
Direcciones Directions & transport
| ¿Dónde está la estación de tren? | Where is the train station? |
| Gire a la derecha. | Turn right. |
| Siga recto. | Go straight. |
| ¿Cómo llego al centro? | How do I get to the center? |
| Tome el autobús número 5. | Take bus number 5. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta un boleto? | How much is a ticket? |
| ¿Está lejos el museo? | Is the museum far? |
Gramática "Where is it?" — estar and hay
Location uses estar: ¿Dónde está el museo? To say "there is / there are", use the single word hay: hay un banco cerca ("there is a bank nearby"). Handy direction words: a la derecha (right), a la izquierda (left), todo recto (straight ahead).
Diálogo Asking for help
TuristaDisculpe, ¿puede ayudarme? Excuse me, can you help me?
LocalClaro, ¿qué necesita? Sure, what do you need?
TuristaEstoy buscando el banco. I'm looking for the bank.
LocalEstá al lado del parque. It's next to the park.
TuristaGracias por su ayuda. Thank you for your help.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- Where is the train station? → ¿Dónde está la estación de tren?
- Go straight. → Siga recto.
- Excuse me, can you help me? → Disculpe, ¿puede ayudarme?
Time: hours, days and plans
Here you learn to tell the time, name the days of the week, and make plans — an essential step toward real, everyday communication.
¿Qué hora es? Telling the time
| ¿Qué hora es? | What time is it? |
| Es la una. | It's one o'clock. |
| Son las dos. | It's two o'clock. |
| Son las tres y media. | It's half past three. |
| Son las cuatro y cuarto. | It's a quarter past four. |
| Son las cinco menos cuarto. | It's a quarter to five. |
Es la vs Son las: use es la una for one o'clock only; from two onward it becomes plural — son las dos, son las diez.
Los días Days of the week
| lunes | Monday |
| martes | Tuesday |
| miércoles | Wednesday |
| jueves | Thursday |
| viernes | Friday |
| sábado | Saturday |
| domingo | Sunday |
💡 Tip: Days are not capitalised in Spanish, and "on Monday" is simply el lunes — no preposition needed. La fiesta es el sábado = "The party is on Saturday."
Planes Making plans
| ¿Cuándo es la fiesta? | When is the party? |
| La reunión es a las tres. | The meeting is at three. |
| ¿Puedes venir el viernes a las seis? | Can you come on Friday at six? |
| Sí, puedo. Nos vemos el viernes. | Yes, I can. See you on Friday. |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- What time is it? → ¿Qué hora es?
- It's half past three. → Son las tres y media.
- The party is on Saturday. → La fiesta es el sábado.
Shopping and money
In this lesson you learn to shop and bargain: to ask how much something costs, to say it's too expensive, to ask for a size and to pay. You will shop confidently anywhere in the Spanish-speaking world.
En la tienda In the shop
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? |
| Es muy caro. | It's too expensive. |
| ¿Tiene algo más barato? | Do you have something cheaper? |
| ¿Qué talla es? | What size is it? |
| Solo efectivo. | Cash only. |
| ¿Dónde está la caja? | Where is the cashier? |
| Quisiera comprar esto. | I would like to buy this. |
Pointing at things: use este / esta for "this" (near you) and ese / esa for "that". And remember: muy before adjectives (muy caro = very expensive), mucho before nouns (mucho dinero = a lot of money).
Diálogo Haggling at the market
Cliente¿Cuánto cuesta esta camisa? How much does this shirt cost?
VendedorCuesta veinte dólares. It costs twenty dollars.
Cliente¿Puede hacerme un descuento? Can you give me a discount?
VendedorLo siento, no puedo. Sorry, I can't.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- How much does it cost? → ¿Cuánto cuesta?
- It's too expensive. → Es muy caro.
- Cash only. → Solo efectivo.
Recent past, simple future & your first conversation
In your final beginner lesson you get a first taste of the past and the future, then bring everything together in a real conversation. This is the bridge to the intermediate course.
Ayer y mañana A first past and an easy future
An instant past: hablé (I spoke), comí (I ate), fui (I went). For the future there is a great shortcut — ir a + infinitive: voy a comer = "I am going to eat".
| Ayer comí pizza. | Yesterday I ate pizza. |
| Mañana comeré pasta. | Tomorrow I will eat pasta. |
| Ayer fui al cine. | Yesterday I went to the cinema. |
| Mañana iré a la playa. | Tomorrow I will go to the beach. |
| ¿Qué hiciste ayer? | What did you do yesterday? |
| ¿Qué harás mañana? | What will you do tomorrow? |
La conversación Now you talk
Time to combine everything: a greeting, an introduction, a question, an answer and a goodbye.
AHola, ¿cómo estás? Hello, how are you?
BEstoy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? I'm fine, thank you. And you?
A¿De dónde eres? Where are you from?
BSoy de México. ¿Te gusta la música? I'm from Mexico. Do you like music?
ASí, me encanta. ¡Nos vemos! Yes, I love it. See you!
💡 Last tip: with strangers use usted (the third-person verb form); with friends use tú. When you get stuck, a smile and ¿Puede repetir? ("Can you repeat?") work wonders.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish:
- Yesterday I ate pizza. → Ayer comí pizza.
- Tomorrow I will go to the beach. → Mañana iré a la playa.
- I'm fine, thank you. And you? → Estoy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú?
¡Muy bien! You finished the beginner course. You can now greet, introduce yourself, count, order food, ask questions, get around town and hold a simple conversation. The natural next step is the intermediate course: all the past tenses, the future, commands and the subjunctive. ‹ Back to the course overview