100 Common Spanish Words for Beginners

May 4th, 2023 - Vera

Learning a new language can be a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out. But fear not! Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and is a great language to learn. In this article, we’ll go over 100 common words for Spanish beginners that will help you start building your vocabulary.

  1. Hola - Hello The most basic greeting in Spanish, “Hola” is an essential word to know for anyone learning the language.

  2. Adiós - Goodbye Just like “Hola,” “Adiós” is a crucial word for greetings and farewells.

  3. Sí - Yes The word for “yes” in Spanish is “Sí.” This is an easy one to remember and use in conversation.

  4. No - No The word for “no” in Spanish is “No.” Again, another simple word to remember and use.

  5. Gracias - Thank you “Gracias” means “Thank you” in Spanish. This is another essential phrase to know in Spanish.

  6. Por favor - Please “Por favor” means “Please” in Spanish. This word is used to ask for something politely.

  7. De nada - You’re welcome After someone says “Gracias,” you can reply with “De nada,” which means “You’re welcome” in Spanish.

  8. ¿Cómo estás? - How are you? “¿Cómo estás?” is a common greeting in Spanish that means “How are you?” This is a great way to start a conversation with someone.

  9. Bien - Good When someone asks how you are, you can reply with “Bien,” which means “Good” in Spanish.

  10. Mal - Bad If you’re not feeling well, you can reply with “Mal,” which means “Bad” in Spanish.

  11. Mucho gusto - Nice to meet you When you meet someone for the first time, you can say “Mucho gusto,” which means “Nice to meet you” in Spanish.

  12. Lo siento - I’m sorry If you need to apologize for something, you can say “Lo siento,” which means “I’m sorry” in Spanish.

  13. ¿Cómo te llamas? - What’s your name? If you’re meeting someone for the first time, you can ask “¿Cómo te llamas?” which means “What’s your name?” in Spanish.

  14. Me llamo… - My name is… To introduce yourself, you can say “Me llamo…” followed by your name.

  15. ¿Dónde estás? - Where are you? If you’re trying to find someone or asking where someone is, you can say “¿Dónde estás?” which means “Where are you?” in Spanish.

  16. Aquí - Here If you want to indicate that you’re in a certain location, you can say “Aquí,” which means “Here” in Spanish.

  17. Allí - There If you want to indicate that something is in a different location, you can say “Allí,” which means “There” in Spanish.

  18. Ahora - Now If you need to express that something is happening at this moment, you can say “Ahora,” which means “Now” in Spanish.

  19. Mañana - Tomorrow If you need to talk about something that’s happening the next day, you can say “Mañana,” which means “Tomorrow” in Spanish.

  20. Ayer - Yesterday If you need to talk about something that happened the previous day, you can say “Ayer,” which means “Yesterday” in Spanish.

  21. Hoy - Today If you need to talk about something that’s happening today, youcan say “Hoy,” which means “Today” in Spanish.

  22. Bueno - Good (in the sense of “well”) If someone asks how you’re feeling, you can say “Bueno” to mean “I’m feeling well.”

  23. Malo - Bad (in the sense of “unwell”) If someone asks how you’re feeling and you’re not feeling well, you can say “Malo.”

  24. Mucho - Much, a lot “Mucho” means “much” or “a lot” in Spanish. For example, you might say “Me gusta mucho” to mean “I like it a lot.”

  25. Poco - Little, a little “Poco” means “little” or “a little” in Spanish. For example, you might say “Hablo un poco de español” to mean “I speak a little bit of Spanish.”

  26. Bienvenido/a - Welcome To welcome someone to a place or an event, you can say “Bienvenido” (if the person is male) or “Bienvenida” (if the person is female).

  27. Hasta luego - See you later If you’re saying goodbye to someone and you expect to see them again soon, you can say “Hasta luego,” which means “See you later” in Spanish.

  28. Hasta pronto - See you soon If you’re saying goodbye to someone and you expect to see them again soon, you can say “Hasta pronto,” which means “See you soon” in Spanish.

  29. Hasta mañana - See you tomorrow If you’re saying goodbye to someone and you expect to see them the next day, you can say “Hasta mañana,” which means “See you tomorrow” in Spanish.

  30. Hablo español - I speak Spanish If you’re able to speak Spanish, you can say “Hablo español” to indicate that you speak the language.

  31. No hablo español - I don’t speak Spanish If you’re not able to speak Spanish, you can say “No hablo español” to indicate that you don’t speak the language.

  32. Entiendo - I understand If you’re able to understand what someone is saying in Spanish, you can say “Entiendo” to indicate that you understand.

  33. No entiendo - I don’t understand If you’re not able to understand what someone is saying in Spanish, you can say “No entiendo” to indicate that you don’t understand.

  34. ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it? If you need to know what time it is, you can ask “¿Qué hora es?” which means “What time is it?” in Spanish.

  35. Son las… - It’s (followed by the hour) To indicate what time it is, you can say “Son las…” followed by the hour. For example, “Son las cuatro” means “It’s four o’clock.”

  36. ¿Cuánto cuesta? - How much does it cost? If you need to know how much something costs, you can ask “¿Cuánto cuesta?” which means “How much does it cost?” in Spanish.

  37. Me gusta - I like it If you want to express that you like something, you can say “Me gusta” followed by the thing you like. For example, “Me gusta el café” means “I like coffee.”

  38. No me gusta - I don’t like it If you want to express that you don’t like something, you can say “No me gusta” followed by the thing you don’t like. For example, “No me gusta el té” means “I don’t like tea.”

  39. Tengo hambre - I’m hungry If you’re feeling hungry, you can say “Tengo hambre” to indicate that you’re hungry.

  40. Tengo sed - I’m thirsty If you’re feeling thirsty, you can say “Tengo sed” to indicate that you’re thirsty.

  41. Quiero - I want If you want something, you can say “Quiero” followed by the thing you want. For example, “Quiero un café” means “I want a coffee.”

  42. Necesito - I need If you need something, you can say “Necesito” followed by the thing you need. For example, “Necesito agua” means “I need water.”

  43. Perdón - Excuse me If you need to get someone’s attention or ask for something politely, you can say “Perdón” which means “Excuse me” in Spanish.

  44. Por favor - Please If you want to ask for something politely, you can say “Por favor” which means “Please” in Spanish.

  45. Gracias - Thank you If someone does something for you or gives you something, you can say “Gracias” which means “Thank you” in Spanish.

  46. De nada - You’re welcome If someone says “Gracias” to you, you can say “De nada” which means “You’re welcome” in Spanish.

  47. Lo siento - I’m sorry If you’ve done something wrong or caused inconvenience to someone, you can say “Lo siento” which means “I’m sorry” in Spanish.

  48. Salud - Bless you If someone sneezes, you can say “Salud” which means “Bless you” in Spanish.

  49. ¡Qué bueno! - How nice! If someone tells you good news, you can say “¡Qué bueno!” to express excitement or happiness. It means “How nice!” in Spanish.

  50. ¡Qué lástima! - What a shame! If someone tells you bad news, you can say “¡Qué lástima!” to express sympathy. It means “What a shame!” in Spanish.

  51. Disculpe - Excuse me (formal) If you need to get someone’s attention or ask for something politely in a formal setting, you can say “Disculpe” which means “Excuse me” in a more formal way than “Perdón.”

  52. Señor - Mr. (used to address a man) If you need to address a man in a formal or respectful way, you can use “Señor” which means “Mr.” in Spanish.

  53. Señora - Mrs. (used to address a married woman) If you need to address a married woman in a formal or respectful way, you can use “Señora” which means “Mrs.” in Spanish.

  54. Señorita - Miss (used to address an unmarried woman) If you need to address an unmarried woman in a formal or respectful way, you can use “Señorita” which means “Miss” in Spanish.

  55. Tú - You (informal) If you’re talking to someone you know well or someone who’s younger than you, you can use “Tú” which means “You” in an informal way.

  56. Usted - You (formal) If you’re talking to someone you don’t know well or someone who’s older than you or in a position of authority, you can use “Usted” which means “You” in a formal way.

  57. El - He, it (used to refer to a masculine noun) If you want to refer to amasculine noun, you can use “El” which means “He” or “It” in Spanish.

  58. La - She, it (used to refer to a feminine noun) If you want to refer to a feminine noun, you can use “La” which means “She” or “It” in Spanish.

  59. Los - They (used to refer to masculine plural nouns) If you want to refer to a group of masculine nouns, you can use “Los” which means “They” in Spanish.

  60. Las - They (used to refer to feminine plural nouns) If you want to refer to a group of feminine nouns, you can use “Las” which means “They” in Spanish.

  61. Aquí - Here If you want to indicate that something is here, you can use “Aquí” which means “Here” in Spanish.

  62. Allí - There If you want to indicate that something is there, you can use “Allí” which means “There” in Spanish.

  63. Ahora - Now If you want to indicate that something is happening now, you can use “Ahora” which means “Now” in Spanish.

  64. Después - After, later If you want to indicate that something will happen after a certain amount of time, you can use “Después” which means “After” or “Later” in Spanish.

  65. Siempre - Always If you want to indicate that something always happens, you can use “Siempre” which means “Always” in Spanish.

  66. Nunca - Never If you want to indicate that something never happens, you can use “Nunca” which means “Never” in Spanish.

  67. A veces - Sometimes If you want to indicate that something happens occasionally, you can use “A veces” which means “Sometimes” in Spanish.

  68. Mucho - A lot If you want to indicate that something happens frequently or in a large amount, you can use “Mucho” which means “A lot” in Spanish.

  69. Poco - A little If you want to indicate that something happens infrequently or in a small amount, you can use “Poco” which means “A little” in Spanish.

  70. Cómo estás? - How are you? If you want to ask someone how they’re doing, you can say “Cómo estás?” which means “How are you?” in Spanish.

  71. Estoy bien - I’m good If you’re feeling good, you can say “Estoy bien” which means “I’m good” in Spanish.

  72. Estoy mal - I’m bad If you’re feeling bad, you can say “Estoy mal” which means “I’m bad” in Spanish.

  73. Más o menos - So-so If you’re feeling neither good nor bad, you can say “Más o menos” which means “So-so” in Spanish.

  74. Adiós - Goodbye If you want to say goodbye to someone, you can use “Adiós” which means “Goodbye” in Spanish.

  75. Hasta luego - See you later If you want to say “See you later” to someone, you can use “Hasta luego” which means the same thing in Spanish.

  76. Hasta mañana - See you tomorrow If you want to say “See you tomorrow” to someone, you can use “Hasta mañana” which means the same thing in Spanish.

  77. Hasta pronto - See you soon If you want to say “See you soon” to someone, you can use “Hasta pronto” which means the same thing in Spanish.

  78. Bienvenido/a- Welcome If you want to welcome someone, you can say “Bienvenido/a” which means “Welcome” in Spanish.

  79. Gracias - Thank you If you want to express gratitude, you can say “Gracias” which means “Thank you” in Spanish.

  80. De nada - You’re welcome If someone thanks you, you can say “De nada” which means “You’re welcome” in Spanish.

  81. Por favor - Please If you want to make a polite request, you can say “Por favor” which means “Please” in Spanish.

  82. Perdón - Excuse me, sorry If you want to apologize or get someone’s attention, you can say “Perdón” which means “Excuse me” or “Sorry” in Spanish.

  83. Lo siento - I’m sorry If you want to apologize for something you did wrong, you can say “Lo siento” which means “I’m sorry” in Spanish.

  84. Salud - Bless you If someone sneezes, you can say “Salud” which means “Bless you” in Spanish.

  85. Buen provecho - Enjoy your meal If you want to wish someone a good meal, you can say “Buen provecho” which means “Enjoy your meal” in Spanish.

  86. Feliz cumpleaños - Happy birthday If you want to wish someone a happy birthday, you can say “Feliz cumpleaños” which means “Happy birthday” in Spanish.

  87. Feliz navidad - Merry Christmas If you want to wish someone a merry Christmas, you can say “Feliz navidad” which means “Merry Christmas” in Spanish.

  88. Feliz año nuevo - Happy new year If you want to wish someone a happy new year, you can say “Feliz año nuevo” which means “Happy new year” in Spanish.

  89. Tengo hambre - I’m hungry If you’re feeling hungry, you can say “Tengo hambre” which means “I’m hungry” in Spanish.

  90. Tengo sed - I’m thirsty If you’re feeling thirsty, you can say “Tengo sed” which means “I’m thirsty” in Spanish.

  91. Me gusta - I like If you want to express that you like something, you can say “Me gusta” which means “I like” in Spanish.

  92. No me gusta - I don’t like If you want to express that you don’t like something, you can say “No me gusta” which means “I don’t like” in Spanish.

  93. Hablo un poco de español - I speak a little bit of Spanish If you want to express that you speak some Spanish, you can say “Hablo un poco de español” which means “I speak a little bit of Spanish” in Spanish.

  94. No entiendo - I don’t understand If you don’t understand something, you can say “No entiendo” which means “I don’t understand” in Spanish.

  95. Puedes repetir, por favor? - Can you repeat, please? If you want someone to repeat something, you can say “Puedes repetir, por favor?” which means “Can you repeat, please?” in Spanish.

  96. Cómo se dice… en español? - How do you say… in Spanish? If you want to ask how to say something in Spanish, you can say “Cómo se dice… en español?” which means “How do you say… in Spanish?” in Spanish.

  97. Qué hora es? - What time is it? If you want to ask for the time, you can say “Qué hora es98. Cuánto cuesta? - How much does it cost? If you want to ask for the price of something, you can say “Cuánto cuesta?” which means “How much does it cost?” in Spanish.

  98. Dónde está el baño? - Where is the bathroom? If you need to find the bathroom, you can ask “Dónde está el baño?” which means “Where is the bathroom?” in Spanish.

  99. Adiós - Goodbye If you want to say goodbye to someone, you can say “Adiós” which means “Goodbye” in Spanish.

In conclusion, learning a new language can be challenging, but it is also a rewarding experience. Spanish is a widely spoken language, and it is an excellent choice for beginners who want to learn a new language. Knowing some common words and phrases is a great way to start learning Spanish. It can help you to communicate with native Spanish speakers and make your travels more enjoyable. The 100 words and phrases that we have discussed in this article are just a starting point, and there are many more to learn. However, mastering these basic words and phrases will give you a strong foundation to build upon as you continue to learn Spanish. Good luck on your Spanish language learning journey!

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