Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, and it is the official language of twenty countries, so it is no wonder that so many people want to learn it.
Whether you are planning a trip to a Spanish-speaking country or you want to be able to communicate with your Hispanic neighbors, learning some basic Spanish words and phrases is a great place to start.
In this lesson, we will learn essential Spanish words and phrases you can use daily. We will also look at sight words crucial to reading and understanding the language.
Most Common Words
After analyzing more than 160 million word forms from the Corpus de Referencia del Español Actual, the Real Academia Española (RAE) compiled a list of 100 most common words.
The 100 most frequent Spanish words are:
- of – de
- the – la, el, lo, le, los, las
- that/which – que
- in, on – en
- and – y, e
- to, at – a
- self, oneself – se
- from the – del
- a, an – un
- by, for, through – por
- with – con
- no, not – con
- a, an, one – una
- his, hers, your, its – su, sus
- for, to, in order to – para
- is – es, está
- to the – al
- like, as – como
- more – más
- or – o
- but – pero
- she/he/it has [done something] – ha [verb]
- me – me
- whether, if – si
- without – sin
- on top of, over, about – sobre
- this – este / esta
- already, still – ya
- between – entre
- when – cuando
- all, every – todo, todos
- to be – ser
- they are – son
- two – dos
- too, also – también
- was – fue, era
- I/he/she/it/there was (or used to be) – había
- very – muy
- years – años
- until – hasta
- from – desde
- my – mi
- because – porque
- what? which? how adjective – qué
- only, solely – sólo
- they/you (pl.) have [done something] – han
- I – yo
- there is/ there are – hay
- time, instance – vez
- can – puede
- like that – así
- us – nos
- neither, nor, no even – ni
- part, message – parte
- has – tiene
- he, it – él
- one – uno
- where – donde
- fine, well – bien
- time, weather – tiempo
- same – mismo
- that – ese, esa, eso
- now – ahora
- each, every – cada
- life – vida
- other(s), another – otro(s), otra(s)
- after – después
- to you, for you, yourself – te
- though, although, even though – aunque
- he/she/it does/makes – hace
- government – gobierno
- so – tan
- during – durante
- always – siempre
- day – día
- so much – tanto
- she, her, it – ella
- three – tres
- yes – sí
- said, told – dijo
- been – sido
- large, great, big – gran
- country – país
- as, according to – según
- less, fewer – menos
Greetings
- Hello/Hi – Hola
- Goodbye – Adiós / Chao / Hasta luego
- Please – Por favor
- Thank you – Gracias / Gracias a ti
- You’re welcome – De nada
Basic Spanish Words
- Yes – Sí
- No – No
- Maybe – Quizás
Common Phrases
- I don’t understand. – Yo no entiendo.
- I don’t speak Spanish. – Yo no hablo español.
- Do you speak English? – ¿Hablas inglés?
- What is this? – ¿Qué es esto?
- What does this mean? – ¿Qué significa esto?
- I’m sorry. – Lo siento./ Disculpa
Questions
- What is your name? – ¿Cómo te llamas?
- How are you? – ¿Cómo estás?/ qué tal?
- I’m fine, thank you. – Estoy bien, gracias.
- And you? – ¿Y tú?
Pronouns
- I – Yo
- You – Tú
- You (formal) – Usted
- He/She – Él/Ella
- We – Nosotros/as
- You (plural) – Vosotros/as
- You (plural, formal) – Ustedes
- They – Ellos/Ellas
Possessives
- My – Mi/ Mis
- Your – Tu/ Tus
- Your (formal) – Su/ Sus
- His/Her – Su/Sus
- Our – Nuestro(s)/a(s)
- Your (plural) – Vuestro(s) / a(s)
- Your (formal) – Su/ Sus
- Their – Su/ Sus
Basic Verbs
- To be – Ser
- To have – Tener
- To do – Hacer
- To go – Ir
- To come – Venir
- To see – Ver
- To want – Querer
Common Adjectives
- Good – Bueno
- Bad – Malo
- Big – Grande
- Small – Pequeño
- Pretty/Handsome – Guapo/Guapa
Days of the Week
- Monday – Lunes
- Tuesday– Martes
- Wednesday– Miércoles
- Thursday– Jueves
- Friday– Viernes
- Saturday– Sábado
- Sunday– Domingo
Months of the Year
- January – Enero
- February – Febrero
- March – Marzo
- April – Abril
- May – Mayo
- June – Junio
- July – Julio
- August– Agosto
- September– Septiembre
- October– Octubre
- November– Noviembre
- December– Diciembre
Numbers
- One – Uno
- Two – Dos
- Three – Tres
- Four – Cuatro
- Five – Cinco
- Six– Seis
- Seven– Siete
- Eight– Ocho
- Nine– Nueve
- Ten– Diez
Common Animals
- Cat – Gato
- Dog – Perro
- Bird – Pájaro
- Horse – Caballo
Family Members
- Mom – Mamá /Madre
- Dad – Papá /Padre
- Brother – Hermano
- Sister – Hermana
- Son – Hijo
- Daughter – Hija
Meals
- Breakfast – Desayuno
- Lunch – Almuerzo
- Dinner – Cena
- Snack– Merienda
Common Foods
- Apple – Manzana
- Banana – Banana
- Bread – Pan
- Egg– Huevo
- Rice– Arroz
- Meat– Carne
- Fruit– Fruta
- Vegetable– Verdura /Vegetales
- Grains– Granos
Drinks
- Milk – Leche
- Water – Agua
- Coffee – Café
- Tea – Té
School things
- Pencil – Lápiz
- Paper– Papel
- Book– Libro
- Desk– Mesa
Outdoors
- Sun – Sol
- Moon – Luna
- Star – Estrella
- Sky – Cielo
People
- Man – Hombre
- Woman – Mujer
- Child – Niño/Niña
- Friend – Amigo/Amiga
Clothing
- Shirt– Camisa
- Pants– Pantalones
- Dress– Vestido
- Socks– Calcetines
Describe Someone
- Tall – Alto/a
- Short – Bajo/a
- Fat – Gordo/a
- Skinny – Delgado/a
Weather
- Hot – Caliente
- Cold – Frío
- Rainy– Lluvioso
- Snowy– Nevado
Hobbies
- To read – Leer
- To write– Escribir
- To sing– Cantar
- To dance– Bailar
Color
- Red– Rojo
- Orange– Naranja
- Yellow– Amarillo
- Green– Verde
- Blue– Azul
- Purple– Morado
Sports
- To play basketball – Jugar al baloncesto
- To play soccer – Jugar al fútbol
- To play baseball – Jugar al béisbol
- Go for a walk – Dar un paseo / Ir a caminar
In the City
- Bank – Banco
- Park– Parque
- City– Ciudad
- Museum– Museo
Expressing likes/dislikes
- I like it – Me gusta
- I don’t like it – No me gusta
- I want it – Lo quiero
- I don’t want it – No lo quiero
At the restaurant
- Are you ready to order? – ¿Está listo para pedir?
- I’m not ready yet – Todavía no estoy listo
- A table for two, please – Una mesa para dos, por favor
- I’ll have the chicken, please – Quiero el pollo, por favor
- The bill, please – La cuenta, por favor
At the store
- I’m looking for… – Estoy buscando…
- How much is this? – ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
- Small, medium, or large? – ¿Pequeño, mediano, o grande?
- I’ll take it – Lo tomaré
- Credit card or cash? – ¿Tarjeta de crédito o efectivo?
- Bag – Bolsa
- Receipt – Recibo
Countries
- United States – Estados Unidos
- China – China
- Spain – España
- Mexico – México
- Argentina – Argentina
- France – Francia
- Germany – Alemania
- Italy– Italia
- Japan– Japón
Languages
- Mandarin– Chino
- Spanish– Español
- English– Inglés
- French– Francés
- Japanese– Japonés
- German– Alemán
- Italian– Italiano
Transportation
- Car – Coche / Carro
- Bus – Autobús
- Train – Tren
- taxi– Taxi
- Plane – Avión
Directions
- Left – Izquierda
- Right – Derecha
- Straight – Recto/Derecho
In an Emergency
- Help! – ¡Socorro! /¡Ayuda!
- Call the police! – ¡Llame a la policía!
- Fire! – ¡Fuego!
Sight Words
Sight words, known as ‘high-frequency words, are words that often occur in the text.
The following is a list of the most common sight words according to the Dolche word list. There are 220 words in total. The original list is frequently used to understand English words, but I translated them to Spanish for this lesson.
Pre-primer: (40 words)
- a – un/una
- and – y
- away – lejos
- big – grande
- blue – azul
- can – poder
- come – venir
- down – abajo
- find – encontrar
- for – para
- funny – divertido
- go – ir
- help – ayuda
- here – aquí
- I – yo
- in – en
- is – eso
- it – lo/ esto
- jump – saltar
- little – pequeño / chiquito
- look – mirar
- make – hacer
- me – yo
- my – mi
- not – no
- one – uno/una
- play – jugar
- red – rojo
- run – correr
- said – dijo
- see – ver
- the – el/la
- three – tres
- to – a/ para
- two – dos
- up – subir
- we – nosotros
- where – donde
- yellow – amarillo
- you – usted/ustedes
Primer (52 words)
- All – todos
- am – soy/estoy
- are – son/están
- at – en/a
- ate – comí
- be – ser/estar
- black – negro
- brown – marrón/café
- but – sino
- came – vinieron
- did – hicieron
- do – hazlo
- eat – comer
- four – cuatro
- get – obtener
- good – bueno/a
- have – tener
- he – él
- into – dentro
- like – gustar
- must – debo
- new – nuevo
- no – no
- now – ahora
- on – encendido/a
- our – nuestro
- out – salir
- please – por favor
- pretty – bonito/a /lindo/a
- ran – corrió
- ride – montar
- saw – vio
- say – decir
- she – ella
- so – así / entonces
- soon – pronto
- that – eso
- there – allí /allá
- they – ellos
- this – esto
- too – también
- under – debajo
- want – querer
- was – era
- well – bien / bueno
- went – fue
- what – qué
- white – blanco
- who – quién
- will – va a/será
- with – con
- yes – sí
1st Grade: (41 words)
- after – después
- again – otra vez/de nuevo
- an – un/una
- any – algún/alguna
- as – como
- ask – preguntar
- by – pasar
- could – podría
- every – todo / cada
- fly – volar
- from – de
- give – dar
- going – yendo/ir
- had – tuvo/había
- has – tiene
- her – su/la / a ella
- him – a él /su
- his – su/los
- how – cómo/cuál
- just – sólo
- know – saber /conocer
- let – permitir/dejar
- live – vivir
- may – poder
- of – de / en
- old – viejo/a
- once – una vez
- open – abrir
- over – sobre
- put – poner/colocar
- round – redondo/a /ronda
- some – algunos/algún
- stop – parar/detenerse
- take – tomar/llevar
- thank – agradecer / gracias
- them – ellos/ellas
- then – entonces
- think – pensar
- walk – caminar
- were – eran
- when – cuándo/mientras
2nd Grade: (46 words)
- always – siempre
- around – alrededor
- because – debido a/porque
- been – sido/estado
- before – antes
- best – mejor
- both – ambos/los dos
- buy – comprar
- call – llamar/llamada
- cold – frío
- does – hacer
- don’t – no hacer / no lo hago
- fast – rápido/a
- first – primer/a
- five – cinco
- found – encontrar
- gave – dio
- goes – ir
- green – verde
- its – su/eso
- made – hecho/a
- many – muchos/as
- off – fuera
- or – o
- pull – tirar/jalar
- read – leer
- right – correcto/a/derecha
- sing – cantar
- sit – sentar
- sleep – dormir
- tell – contar/decir
- their – su/ellos
- these – estos
- those – esos
- upon – sobre
- us – nosotros/nosotras
- use – uso/utilizar
- very – muy
- wash – lavar
- which – cual/que
- why – por qué
- wish – desear / deseo
- work – trabajo/funcionar
- would – sería/debería
- write – escribir
- your – tu/su
3rd Grade: (41 words)
- about – sobre
- better – mejor
- bring – traer
- carry – llevar
- clean – limpiar
- cut – cortar
- done – hecho
- draw – dibujar
- drink – beber
- eight – ocho
- fall – otoño/ caída
- far – lejos
- full – lleno/a
- got – conseguir
- grow – crecer
- hold – sostener
- hot – caliente
- hurt – herido/a
- if – si / y si
- keep – mantener/guardar
- kind – amable
- laugh – reír
- light – ligero/a
- long – largo/a
- much – mucho/a
- myself – yo mismo/a
- never – nunca
- only – sólo
- own – propio/a
- pick – recoger
- seven – siete
- shall – debería/va a
- show – enseñar
- six – seis
- small – pequeño/a / chiquito
- start – comenzar
- ten – diez
- today – hoy
- together – juntos/as
- try – intentar
- warm – tibio/a/cálido/a
Nouns List (95 words)
- apple – manzana
- baby – bebé/niño/a
- back – atrás
- ball – pelota
- bear – oso
- bed – cama
- bell – campana
- bird – pájaro
- birthday – cumpleaños
- boat – barco/bote
- box – caja/cajón
- boy – chico/niño
- bread – pan
- brother – hermano
- cake – pastel
- car – coche/auto
- cat – gato
- chair – silla
- chicken – pollo
- children – niños/as
- Christmas – Navidad
- coat – abrigo/capa
- corn – maíz
- cow – vaca
- day – día
- dog – perro
- doll – muñeca
- door – puerta
- duck – pato
- egg – huevo
- eye – ojo
- farm – granja
- farmer – agricultor
- father – padre/papá
- feet – pies/patas
- fire – fuego/fogón
- fish – pez
- floor – piso/suelo
- flower – flor
- game – juego
- garden – jardín/huerto
- girl – chica/niña
- good-bye – adiós/hasta luego/chao
- grass – hierba/ césped
- ground – suelo/tierra
- hand – mano
- head – cabeza
- hill – colina
- home – hogar
- horse – caballo
- house – casa
- kitty – gato
- leg – pierna/patas
- letter – carta/letra
- man – hombre
- men – los hombres
- milk – leche
- money – dinero
- morning – mañana
- mother – madre/mamá
- name – nombre
- nest – nido
- night – noche
- paper – papel
- party – fiesta/partido
- picture – cuadro/foto
- pig – cerdo/chancho
- rabbit – conejo
- rain – lluvia/gota
- ring – anillo
- robin – petirrojo
- Santa Claus – Papá Noel
- school – escuela / colegio
- seed – semilla/grano
- sheep – oveja
- shoe – zapato/calzado
- sister – hermana
- snow – nieve
- song – canción/canto
- squirrel – ardilla
- stick – palo/varilla
- street – calle/camino
- sun – sol
- table – mesa/tabla
- thing – cosa/asunto
- time – tiempo/vez
- top – tapa
- toy – juguete
- tree – árbol
- watch – reloj
- water – agua
- way – camino/modo
- wind – viento
- window – ventana
- wood – madera/leña
In Conclusion
Learning some basic Spanish words and phrases will help you communicate with Spanish speakers more easily. These words and phrases can be used in everyday situations, such as when introducing yourself or ordering food. By learning some simple vocabulary, you’ll be able to have basic conversations with Spanish speakers and understand what they’re saying to you.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.