Basic Spanish Words: 100 Essential Words With Pronunciation
More than 100 basic Spanish words sorted by topic, each with a plain pronunciation guide and its meaning: greetings, yes and no, question words, pronouns, people, time, food, places, verbs, adjectives and the little words that glue sentences together. Plus the rules that make them sound right.
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What's in this guide
- Read this first: how Spanish sounds
- Greetings and politeness
- Yes, no and survival words
- Question words
- Pronouns: tú vs usted
- People and family
- Time and days
- Food and drink
- Places and things
- Verbs
- Adjectives
- Little words that hold sentences together
- Putting them into sentences
- Spain vs Latin America
- Mistakes learners make
- How to remember them
- Also useful
Read this first: how Spanish sounds
Spanish spelling is almost perfectly phonetic, so once you know a few rules you can pronounce any word on this page without a guide. The pronunciation column is there for reassurance, not because you will need it forever.
- Five vowels, always the same: a as in "father", e as in "bet", i as in "machine", o as in "or" (short), u as in "rule".
- h is silent: hola is "OH-la".
- j is a throaty h: trabajo is "tra-BAH-ho".
- ll and y are "y": calle is "KAH-yeh". (In Argentina and Uruguay they sound like "sh".)
- ñ is "ny": mañana is "ma-NYAH-na".
- b and v are the same sound: vivir is "bee-BEER".
- c before e or i, and z: "s" in Latin America, "th" in most of Spain. Gracias is "GRAH-syas" or "GRAH-thyas".
- Stress: if a word ends in a vowel, n or s, stress the second-to-last syllable (ca-SA, ha-BLAN). Otherwise stress the last (ha-BLAR, ciu-DAD). A written accent overrides both (a-DIÓS, per-DÓN).
Greetings and politeness
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hola | OH-la | hello (any time, any person) |
| buenos días | BWEH-nos DEE-as | good morning |
| buenas tardes | BWEH-nas TAR-des | good afternoon (until dark) |
| buenas noches | BWEH-nas NO-ches | good evening and good night |
| ¿qué tal? | keh TAL | how's it going? (casual, universal) |
| ¿cómo estás? | KOH-mo es-TAS | how are you? (informal) |
| ¿cómo está? | KOH-mo es-TAH | how are you? (formal) |
| bien | byen | well, fine |
| mucho gusto | MOO-cho GOOS-to | nice to meet you |
| por favor | por fa-BOR | please |
| gracias | GRAH-syas | thank you |
| de nada | deh NAH-da | you're welcome |
| perdón | per-DON | sorry, excuse me (bumping into someone) |
| disculpe | dees-KOOL-peh | excuse me (to get attention) |
| lo siento | lo SYEN-to | I'm sorry (sympathy or apology) |
| adiós | a-DYOS | goodbye |
| hasta luego | AS-ta LWEH-go | see you later (the everyday goodbye) |
| hasta mañana | AS-ta ma-NYAH-na | see you tomorrow |
Yes, no and survival words
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| sí | see | yes |
| no | no | no, not |
| vale / okay | BAH-leh | okay (vale in Spain, okay or bueno in Latin America) |
| claro | KLAH-ro | of course |
| no entiendo | no en-TYEN-do | I don't understand |
| no sé | no SEH | I don't know |
| más despacio | mas des-PAH-syo | more slowly |
| ¿habla inglés? | AH-bla een-GLES | do you speak English? |
| ayuda | a-YOO-da | help |
| el baño | el BAH-nyo | the bathroom |
| la cuenta | la KWEN-ta | the bill |
| ¿cuánto cuesta? | KWAN-to KWES-ta | how much does it cost? |
Question words
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ¿qué? | keh | what? |
| ¿quién? | kyen | who? |
| ¿dónde? | DON-deh | where? |
| ¿cuándo? | KWAN-do | when? |
| ¿por qué? | por KEH | why? |
| ¿cómo? | KOH-mo | how? (also "pardon?") |
| ¿cuánto? | KWAN-to | how much? |
| ¿cuál? | kwal | which? |
Question words carry a written accent and Spanish opens a question with an upside-down mark: ¿Dónde está el baño? Both are part of correct spelling, not decoration.
Pronouns: tú vs usted
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yo | yo | I |
| tú | too | you (informal: friends, family, children, peers) |
| usted | oos-TED | you (formal: strangers, elders, officials, customers) |
| él / ella | el / EH-ya | he / she |
| nosotros | no-SO-tros | we |
| ustedes | oos-TEH-des | you (plural; also formal plural in Spain) |
| vosotros | bo-SO-tros | you (informal plural, Spain only) |
| ellos / ellas | EH-yos / EH-yas | they |
| mi | mee | my |
| tu / su | too / soo | your (informal) / your (formal), his, her, their |
Spanish usually drops the subject pronoun because the verb ending already shows who is acting: hablo means "I speak" on its own. Use yo, tú and the rest for emphasis or contrast. The tú/usted choice matters more: when in doubt with an adult you do not know, start with usted and switch when they do.
People and family
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| la madre / mamá | MAH-dreh / ma-MAH | mother / mum |
| el padre / papá | PAH-dreh / pa-PAH | father / dad |
| el hermano / la hermana | er-MAH-no / er-MAH-na | brother / sister |
| el hijo / la hija | EE-ho / EE-ha | son / daughter |
| el amigo / la amiga | a-MEE-go / a-MEE-ga | friend |
| el hombre / la mujer | OM-breh / moo-HER | man / woman |
| el niño / la niña | NEE-nyo / NEE-nya | boy / girl (child) |
| la familia | fa-MEE-lya | family |
| la gente | HEN-teh | people |
| el señor / la señora | seh-NYOR / seh-NYO-ra | Mr, sir / Mrs, madam |
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Time and days
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hoy | oy | today |
| mañana | ma-NYAH-na | tomorrow (and "morning") |
| ayer | a-YER | yesterday |
| ahora | a-OH-ra | now |
| después | des-PWES | later, afterwards |
| siempre / nunca | SYEM-preh / NOON-ka | always / never |
| el día / la noche | DEE-a / NO-cheh | day / night |
| la semana | seh-MAH-na | week |
| el lunes | LOO-nes | Monday |
| el martes | MAR-tes | Tuesday |
| el miércoles | MYER-ko-les | Wednesday |
| el jueves | HWEH-bes | Thursday |
| el viernes | BYER-nes | Friday |
| el sábado | SAH-ba-do | Saturday |
| el domingo | do-MEEN-go | Sunday |
| la hora | OH-ra | hour, time (¿qué hora es? what time is it?) |
Food and drink
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| el agua | AH-gwa | water (feminine, but takes el in the singular) |
| el café | ka-FEH | coffee |
| la cerveza | ser-BEH-sa | beer |
| el vino | BEE-no | wine |
| el pan | pan | bread |
| la comida | ko-MEE-da | food, and lunch in many countries |
| el desayuno / la cena | deh-sa-YOO-no / SEH-na | breakfast / dinner |
| el pollo | PO-yo | chicken |
| la carne | KAR-neh | meat |
| el pescado | pes-KAH-do | fish (on a plate; pez is the live animal) |
| la fruta | FROO-ta | fruit |
| el restaurante | res-tow-RAN-teh | restaurant |
Places and things
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| la casa | KAH-sa | house, home |
| la calle | KAH-yeh | street |
| la ciudad | syoo-DAD | city |
| la tienda | TYEN-da | shop |
| el trabajo | tra-BAH-ho | work, job |
| la escuela | es-KWEH-la | school |
| el hotel | o-TEL | hotel |
| el aeropuerto | a-eh-ro-PWER-to | airport |
| el dinero | dee-NEH-ro | money |
| el coche / el carro | KO-cheh / KA-rro | car (coche in Spain, carro or auto in Latin America) |
| el teléfono | teh-LEH-fo-no | telephone |
| la cosa | KO-sa | thing |
Verbs
Spanish verbs are listed in the infinitive (ending in -ar, -er or -ir). Two verbs both mean "to be": ser for what something is (identity, origin, profession, permanent traits) and estar for how or where it is (location, feelings, temporary states).
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ser | ser | to be (soy, I am) |
| estar | es-TAR | to be (estoy, I am: location and states) |
| tener | teh-NER | to have (tengo, I have) |
| hacer | a-SER | to do, to make |
| ir | eer | to go (voy, I go) |
| venir | beh-NEER | to come |
| querer | keh-RER | to want, to love (quiero, I want) |
| poder | po-DER | to be able, can (puedo, I can) |
| hablar | a-BLAR | to speak |
| comer | ko-MER | to eat |
| beber / tomar | beh-BER / to-MAR | to drink (tomar is more common in Latin America) |
| ver | ber | to see |
| saber | sa-BER | to know (facts) |
| necesitar | neh-seh-see-TAR | to need |
| gustar | goos-TAR | to be pleasing (me gusta, I like it) |
| vivir | bee-BEER | to live |
Adjectives
Adjectives come after the noun and agree with it: un coche pequeño, una casa pequeña, dos casas pequeñas. Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant do not change for gender (grande, fácil).
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| bueno / malo | BWEH-no / MAH-lo | good / bad |
| grande / pequeño | GRAN-deh / peh-KEH-nyo | big / small |
| nuevo / viejo | NWEH-bo / BYEH-ho | new / old |
| caliente / frío | ka-LYEN-teh / FREE-o | hot / cold |
| caro / barato | KAH-ro / ba-RAH-to | expensive / cheap |
| fácil / difícil | FAH-seel / dee-FEE-seel | easy / difficult |
| bonito / feo | bo-NEE-to / FEH-o | pretty / ugly |
| feliz / triste | feh-LEES / TREES-teh | happy / sad |
| cansado | kan-SAH-do | tired |
| mucho / poco | MOO-cho / PO-ko | a lot / a little |
Little words that hold sentences together
| Spanish | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| y | ee | and |
| o | o | or |
| pero | PEH-ro | but |
| porque | POR-keh | because (one word, no accent; ¿por qué? is "why?") |
| con / sin | kon / seen | with / without |
| de | deh | of, from |
| a | a | to, at |
| en | en | in, on, at |
| para | PAH-ra | for, in order to |
| muy | mwee | very |
| también | tam-BYEN | also |
| aquí / allí | a-KEE / a-YEE | here / there |
| algo / nada | AL-go / NAH-da | something / nothing |
Putting them into sentences
Every sentence below is built only from words on this page. Say them out loud; the point of a word list is to leave it.
- Hola, ¿qué tal? Bien, gracias. Hi, how's it going? Fine, thanks.
- Quiero un café con leche, por favor. I want a coffee with milk, please.
- ¿Dónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom?
- No entiendo. ¿Habla inglés? I don't understand. Do you speak English?
- Tengo una hermana y dos hermanos. I have one sister and two brothers.
- La comida es muy buena pero cara. The food is very good but expensive.
- Vivo en una ciudad grande. I live in a big city.
- Hoy estoy cansado. Mañana trabajo. Today I'm tired. Tomorrow I work.
- Me gusta el vino. No me gusta la cerveza. I like wine. I don't like beer.
- La cuenta, por favor. ¿Cuánto es? The bill, please. How much is it?
Spain vs Latin America
Everything on this page is understood everywhere Spanish is spoken. A few everyday words do differ, and it helps to know both:
| English | Spain | Latin America |
|---|---|---|
| car | coche | carro (Mexico, Caribbean, Colombia), auto (Argentina, Chile) |
| computer | ordenador | computadora |
| juice | zumo | jugo |
| okay | vale | okay, bueno, dale (Argentina), órale (Mexico) |
| to drive | conducir | manejar |
| you (plural, informal) | vosotros | ustedes |
| popcorn | palomitas | palomitas (Mexico), pochoclo (Argentina), cabritas (Chile), crispetas (Colombia) |
Grammar differences are small. Spain uses vosotros for "you all" with friends; Latin America uses ustedes for everyone. Argentina, Uruguay and much of Central America use vos instead of tú (vos tenés instead of tú tienes). None of this will stop you being understood.
Mistakes learners make
- Embarazada does not mean embarrassed. It means pregnant. Embarrassed is avergonzado (or "me da vergüenza").
- "Estoy caliente" does not mean "I'm hot" (temperature). It means aroused. Say tengo calor.
- "Soy veinte años." Age uses tener: tengo veinte años.
- Ser vs estar. Soy cansado is wrong (tiredness is a state): estoy cansado. Es aquí is wrong (location): está aquí.
- Pronouncing the h. Hola, hotel, hablar, hoy: the h is always silent.
- Buenas noches too early. Buenas tardes lasts until it gets dark, whatever the clock says.
- Using tú with everyone. With an older stranger, a police officer or a shopkeeper in a formal setting, usted is the safe choice.
- Gender by ending alone. Most -o words are masculine and most -a words feminine, but el día, el problema, el mapa and la mano break the rule. Learn each noun with its article.
How to remember them
English has thousands of Latin-derived words, and most of the Spanish words above have an English cousin: familia/family, ciudad/city, escuela/school, dinero has the same root as "denarius", comer is in "comestible", ver is in "video", fácil in "facile", nuevo in "novel", noche in "nocturnal". When there is no cognate, learn the word inside one of the sentences above rather than alone; "quiero un café" sticks far better than "querer: to want". Then say every sentence out loud at least ten times. Recognising a word on a page is not the same as having it available when someone asks you a question.
Also useful
- Spanish numbers 1 to 10: with the uno/un/una rule and numbers to 100.
- Spanish greetings: every way to say hello and when each fits.
- Common Spanish phrases: full sentences for travel and daily life.
- Spanish slang words: how people really talk in Madrid, Mexico City and Buenos Aires.
Turn what you just read into real reps
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most basic Spanish words to learn first?
Start with hola (hello), gracias (thank you), por favor (please), sí and no, adiós (goodbye), perdón (sorry), the question words qué, dónde, cuánto and cómo, and the verbs ser and estar (to be), tener (to have), querer (to want) and ir (to go). With those and the numbers you can handle greetings, shopping and asking for directions.
How many Spanish words do I need for a basic conversation?
Frequency studies of spoken Spanish show that the most common 100 words cover roughly half of everyday speech, and around 1,000 words cover most ordinary conversations. The 100 words on this page are chosen from that high-frequency core, so they give you the most conversation per word learned.
What is the difference between tú and usted?
Both mean "you". Tú is informal, for friends, family, children and people your own age. Usted is formal, for strangers, older people, officials and customers, and it takes the same verb form as él and ella (usted habla, not usted hablas). When unsure with an adult you do not know, start with usted.
How do you say you're welcome in Spanish?
De nada (literally "of nothing") is the standard reply to gracias everywhere. You will also hear no hay de qué, con gusto (Central America and Colombia) and, in Spain, nada or de nada, hombre.
Is Spanish pronunciation hard for English speakers?
No, it is one of the easiest. Spanish has five vowel sounds that never change, spelling is almost perfectly phonetic, and stress follows two simple rules. The only sounds that take practice are the tapped r, the rolled rr and the throaty j. The b/v merger and the silent h are things to remember rather than sounds to learn.
Should I learn Spain Spanish or Latin American Spanish?
Learn the one you will use. The two are the same language and every word on this page works in both. The visible differences are the "th" sound for c and z in Spain, vosotros versus ustedes, and a handful of everyday nouns like coche/carro and zumo/jugo. If you have no particular destination, Latin American pronunciation is the one more learners choose, simply because more speakers use it.