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Basic words in Spanish

305 words in Spanish on the topic “basic words”: sí — yes, no — no, bien — well, mal — badly. 305 words can be played from recordings.

Updated September 1, 2026 · Lingofly

305 words on the topic

  • sí
    yes
    Sí with the accent mark means 'yes'; si without it means 'if'. Only the written stress separates them
  • no
    no
    One word serves as both 'no' and as the verb negator: no entiendo means 'I don't understand'
  • bien
    well
    An adverb — it answers 'how?'. The adjective 'good' is a different word, bueno
  • mal
    badly
    The partner of bien, also an adverb. 'Bad' as in a bad thing or person is a different word, malo
  • muy bien
    very well
    Muy means 'very' and always stands right before the word it strengthens
  • más o menos
    so-so
    Literally 'more or less'. The same phrase also means 'about': más o menos veinte — about twenty
  • la mitad
    half
    Half of some whole. Half a kilo is said differently: medio kilo
  • otro más
    one more
    Literally another more. About a feminine thing: otra más
  • suficiente
    enough
    It doesn't change for gender. In conversation people cut it shorter: ya está or basta
  • en total
    in total
    The till total: son doce euros en total. Merely, just only — that's a different word, solo
  • más
    more
    More and again. In comparisons it asks for que: más grande que — bigger than
  • menos
    less
    The pair of más. Menos mal is a set phrase for thank goodness
  • pesado
    heavy
    From pesar, to weigh. About a person pesado means a bore, a pain
  • ligero
    light (not heavy)
    Light in weight. Light as in easy is fácil
  • nuevo
    new
    Sounded NWEH-voh — a cousin of English new. De nuevo means again
  • viejo
    old
    The j is a throaty h: VYEH-hoh
  • roto
    broken
    The participle of romper, to break, and it's irregular. Está roto — it's broken
  • todo en orden
    all in order
    The answer to the repairman or a neighbor: everything as it should be. Todo bien is about how you feel and how things go
  • todo bien
    everything's fine
    The short answer to ¿qué tal? and to worried bystanders
  • once
    eleven
    Eleven and twelve are their own words in Spanish, not 'ten and one': once, doce. Careful: this once has nothing to do with English once
  • doce
    twelve
    A dozen is una docena — the same root: una docena de huevos, a dozen eggs
  • trece
    thirteen
    The unlucky date in Spain is not Friday the thirteenth but Tuesday: martes trece
  • catorce
    fourteen
    You can hear cuatro inside it, though it's spelled ca-, with no u
  • quince
    fifteen
    the qu is just a hard k: KEEN-seh
  • dieciséis
    sixteen
    From sixteen on, Spanish adds: diez y seis fused into one word. The accent on é is a leftover from the stress in seis
  • diecisiete
    seventeen
    Diez plus siete in one word, and no accent mark needed — the stress already falls where the rules want it
  • dieciocho
    eighteen
    The age of majority in Spain: at a los dieciocho you get a driver's license and the vote
  • diecinueve
    nineteen
    The last of the dieci- numbers. Twenty-one to twenty-nine are also written as one word — veintiuno — but thirty-one is already three words: treinta y uno
  • veinte
    twenty
    From twenty-one through twenty-nine the numbers are written as one word: veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés — and only there
  • treinta
    thirty
    From thirty on, tens join units with y: treinta y uno, treinta y dos — three words each
  • cuarenta
    forty
    From cuatro, with the u kept and the o lost. La cuarentena — quarantine — is a forty-day isolation
  • cincuenta
    fifty
    c before i is the soft th of Spain (plain s in Latin America): seen-KWEN-tah
  • sesenta
    sixty
    From seis, but the i vanished: sesenta, not seisenta. Setenta does the same to siete
  • setenta
    seventy
    From siete, which lost its i. Don't mix it up with sesenta — one letter separates them
  • ochenta
    eighty
    From ocho. Los ochenta is the eighties, the decade
  • noventa
    ninety
    From nueve, with the root regularized: nov-, as in noviembre
  • cien
    one hundred
    Exactly one hundred is cien; with anything added it becomes ciento: ciento uno, ciento veinte. From two hundred up the hundreds agree in gender: doscientas casas
  • mil
    one thousand
    No article and no un: a thousand euros is mil euros. In the plural, miles de personas — thousands of people
  • un millón
    one million
    Unlike mil, it needs un and the preposition de before the thing counted: un millón de euros. The plural is dos millones
  • cero
    zero
    The number and the score in a game: dos a cero. Bajo cero is below zero
  • primero
    first
    Before a masculine noun it drops the o: el primer día, but la primera vez. The same word already means 'first, at first' elsewhere
  • segundo
    second
    The same word is 'a second' of time: espera un segundo. This ordinal never shortens: el segundo día
  • tercero
    third
    Like primero, it drops the o before a masculine noun: el tercer piso, but la tercera puerta
  • último
    last
    stress on the first syllable: OOL-tee-moh
  • cuánto
    how much
    In a question it carries the accent: ¿cuánto cuesta? Before a noun it agrees: ¿cuántos años?, ¿cuántas veces?
  • el par
    pair
    A pair as in two of something: un par de zapatos, un par de días. A couple of people is another word, la pareja
  • la unidad
    item (per piece)
    On a price tag, dos euros la unidad is two euros apiece. In speech it's simpler: ¿cuántos quieres?
  • el porcentaje
    percentage
    The number itself is said differently: el veinte por ciento is twenty percent. El porcentaje is the share as a concept
  • cada
    each
    Invariable for both gender and number: cada día, cada casa. Cada uno is 'each one' of a group of people
  • quién
    who
    The qu is just a k, the u stays silent: KYEN
  • por qué
    why
    Two words and an accent make the question. The merged porque means because
  • para qué
    what for
    Por qué asks about the cause, para qué about the purpose. The merged para que means so that
  • cuál
    which
    One syllable: kwahl — the ua glides together
  • de quién
    whose
    There is no standalone whose in Spanish: you ask whose is this — de quién es? Many owners: de quiénes son?
  • nadie
    no one
    After the verb it demands a second negative: no viene nadie. Before the verb it manages without: nadie viene
  • algo
    something
    About a thing, not a person: something is algo, someone is alguien. The negative is nada
  • ambos
    both
    For the feminine there is ambas. In conversation people usually just say los dos, las dos
  • no sé
    I don't know
    From saber, to know. The accent separates sé (I know) from the unstressed se. No lo sé sounds a shade softer
  • ver
    to see
    To see with your eyes; to look on purpose is mirar. Irregular in the present: yo veo. Nos vemos — see you
  • oír
    to hear
    Two syllables, oh-EER: the accent splits the oi
  • dormir
    to sleep
    The stem's o turns to ue: duermo, duermes. Dormirse is to fall asleep
  • llevar
    to carry
    The ll sounds like y in yes: yeh-VAR
  • poner
    to put
    Put, place, set — one verb for all of it. Irregular: yo pongo. Poner la mesa already means to set the table
  • romper
    to break
    Its participle is the irregular roto, meaning broken. Romperse — to break on its own
  • construir
    to build
    kohn-stroo-EER — stress at the end
  • mucho
    a lot
    Before a noun it agrees: muchos años, muchas veces. After a verb it stays put: trabaja mucho
  • poco
    little (few)
    Careful: poco is little, but un poco is a little. One word of difference, the opposite mood
  • blando
    soft
    Soft to the press of a finger: a pillow, bread, cheese. Soft and smooth to the stroke is suave
  • duro
    hard
    The pair of blando. About life and work the same word means tough: un día duro
  • mojado
    wet
    The j is a throaty h: moh-HAH-doh
  • seco
    dry
    The pair of mojado. The same word about wine and climate: vino seco, clima seco
  • fino
    thin
    A thin layer, fabric, slice. A thin person is delgado — different words
  • profundo
    deep
    About water, holes and sleep. About the sea in conversation people often say hondo
  • redondo
    round
    Round like a circle and like a ball. The circle itself is el círculo, the ball la bola
  • adónde
    where to
    ah-DON-deh — stress where the accent mark sits
  • en todas partes
    everywhere
    Literally in all the places: there is no single word for it. Latin America says por todos lados
  • en ninguna parte
    nowhere
    Demands a second negative with the verb: no está en ninguna parte. Without the no the sentence collapses
  • el riesgo
    risk
    Correr un riesgo is to run a risk — literally. The verb arriesgar and its reflexive arriesgarse say the same. On a policy, a todo riesgo means fully comprehensive
  • el plan B
    the backup plan
    A living conversational formula: siempre hay que tener un plan B. More bookish is un plan alternativo, but hardly anyone says it
  • el contratiempo
    setback
    A small hitch that derails the plans — not a disaster and not grief: hemos tenido un contratiempo. A real misfortune is una desgracia, and a problem in general is un problema
  • la causa
    cause
    Spanish splits this idea three ways. La causa is the objective cause, from a report: la causa del incendio. El motivo is what moved a person: el motivo del viaje. La razón is an argument in a dispute — and also being right: tienes razón
  • el resultado
    result
    Works in two frames: el resultado de algo and como resultado — as a result. Also a match score and a test result: los resultados del análisis
  • por eso
    that's why
    Opens the second half of the sentence, after a comma: Llovía, por eso no salimos. It links consequence, not cause: the cause stays on the left, the consequence follows on the right
  • porque
    as
    Written as one word and usually comes after the main clause. When the reason goes first, como is the usual choice: Como llovía, no salí. An answer to a question starts with it freely: Porque sí.
  • debido a eso
    because of that
    A bookish and neutral consequence link, fine for a letter or a complaint. When someone is to blame, they say por culpa de eso; when the cause is pleasant — gracias a eso
  • depender de
    to depend on
    The preposition de is obligatory: depende del tiempo, depende de ti. A bare depende is a full answer on its own — exactly like 'it depends'
  • explicar el motivo
    to explain the reason
    To explain to someone is explicarle a alguien: the pronoun glues onto the infinitive. Explícame el motivo — explain the reason to me
  • el objetivo
    objective
    A goal as a task: nuestro objetivo es… La meta is the finish line, the end of the road; el fin is the high purpose behind it all (el fin justifica los medios). Objetivo is also a camera lens
  • el sentido
    meaning
    Lives in three expressions worth learning whole: no tiene sentido — it makes no sense, en cierto sentido — in a sense, el sentido del humor — a sense of humor. The same word also means direction: sentido único
  • la conclusión
    conclusion
    To draw a conclusion is llegar a una conclusión — literally to arrive at it; there is no verb 'to make' here. En conclusión at the start of a sentence is 'in sum'
  • la oportunidad
    opportunity
    A chance that comes and goes: tener la oportunidad de hacer algo, aprovechar la oportunidad, perder la oportunidad. Possibility as a scenario is a different word, la posibilidad: hay pocas posibilidades
  • tal vez
    possibly
    Opens the sentence and pulls subjuntivo when the doubt is real: tal vez venga mañana. With the indicative, tal vez viene, it sounds more confident. Its synonym quizás behaves the same
  • imposible
    impossible
    Works through es: es imposible llegar a tiempo — with the infinitive when it is about life in general; es imposible que llegues a tiempo — with subjuntivo about a specific person. Es posible and es necesario behave the same
  • la necesidad
    necessity
    Most often heard in the negative: no hay necesidad de gritar — there is no need to shout. It also means hardship, want: pasar necesidad
  • sin falta
    without fail
    A promise, not a rule: te llamo mañana sin falta. It goes at the end of the sentence. Obligation as a rule is expressed by an adjective: el casco es obligatorio
  • tendré que
    I will have to
    It is the future of tener que: tendré que madrugar. In speech people more often say voy a tener que. The past 'had to' is tuve que
  • permitido
    allowed
    A participle of permitir that works without ser on signs: permitido el paso. In speech people prefer se puede: ¿aquí se puede fumar? — livelier than ¿está permitido fumar?
  • prohibido
    forbidden
    The most frequent word on Spanish signs, always without a verb: prohibido fumar, prohibido el paso. The verb is prohibir, and after it comes subjuntivo: me prohibieron que entrara
  • la elección
    choice
    Singular la elección is a choice, plural las elecciones is a national election: one word, two different things. No me queda otra elección — I have no other choice
  • la opción
    option
    An option to choose from: hay dos opciones. La variante exists in Spanish but means a variant of a language or a virus — asked what the options are, a Spaniard says ¿qué opciones hay?
  • la duda
    doubt
    In class and at a desk una duda is also a question: tengo una duda means 'I have a question', not 'I doubt it'. Sin duda — no doubt; no cabe duda — there is no doubt
  • dudar
    to doubt
    To doubt something is dudar de algo; to doubt that… is dudar que plus the obligatory subjuntivo: dudo que venga. A short lo dudo is a polite 'hardly'
  • seguro
    sure
    With estar it is about a person: estoy seguro de que sí — and the de is obligatory. With ser it is about a thing: es seguro — it is safe. And el seguro with an article is altogether a noun, insurance
  • no creo que
    I doubt it
    The main way to say 'hardly', and it always drags subjuntivo: no creo que venga. Affirmative creo que is the other way round, with a plain verb: creo que viene. Negation switches the mood — that is the B1 rule
  • a lo mejor
    probably
    A colloquial 'probably, might well be' — and, unlike tal vez, always with a plain verb form: a lo mejor viene, not venga. It opens the sentence
  • sin duda
    definitely
    A confident 'definitely, no doubt', usually at the end of a sentence or as a reply of its own. 'Exactly', in the sense of precisely, is another word, exactamente; 'just the same' is igual
  • me parece que
    it seems to me
    A soft opinion: me parece que es caro. The verb agrees with the thing, not with you: me parecen caros. In the negative subjuntivo switches on: no me parece que sea caro
  • en realidad
    actually
    Introduces a correction to what was said: parece caro, pero en realidad no lo es. It goes at the start or after pero, set off by commas. Realmente is closer to 'really' and strengthens rather than corrects
  • suponer
    to suppose
    Supongo que sí — 'I suppose so', the most common way to agree without confidence. Supongamos que… — let us suppose that…. It also means to amount to: eso supone más gastos — that means extra costs
  • no estoy seguro
    I am not sure
    A ready-made formula for polite disagreement and excuses. It continues with de: no estoy seguro de eso, no estoy seguro de que sea buena idea — and after de que comes subjuntivo
  • la experiencia
    experience
    Experience as a track record — tengo experiencia en ventas — and experience as something lived through — fue una experiencia horrible. A scientific experiment is un experimento
  • el caso
    case
    Travels in set phrases: en ese caso — in that case, en cualquier caso — in any case, por si acaso — just in case. And hacer caso a alguien is to listen to someone
  • el ejemplo
    example
    To give an example is poner un ejemplo — literally to put one forward; the verb dar does not fit. Dar ejemplo exists but means setting an example yourself
  • por ejemplo
    for example
    Stands before the example, set off by commas on both sides: Muchas ciudades, por ejemplo Sevilla, tienen…. In writing it is shortened to p. ej.
  • la diferencia
    difference
    The difference between two things is la diferencia entre A y B. Also the frame a diferencia de — unlike: a diferencia de ti, yo madrugo. It is also the extra payment: pagar la diferencia
  • la comparación
    comparison
    The frame en comparación con — compared with: en comparación con el año pasado. On its own the word is rare: Spanish prefers the verb comparar
  • diferenciarse de
    to differ
    To differ from something is se diferencia de los demás en el precio: de brings what from, en brings what in. In speech people more often say es distinto de or no se parece a
  • parecido
    similar
    Similar to someone is parecido a: es muy parecido a su padre. About people the verb is more common: se parece a su padre. It agrees in gender and number: una casa parecida
  • el parecido
    resemblance
    The same word with an article becomes a noun: hay un parecido entre los dos — there is a resemblance between them. The bookish synonym is la semejanza; el parecido is more about looks
  • el cambio
    a change
    One word for three ideas: a change, an exchange, and change at the shop — ¿tiene cambio? The frame en cambio means 'on the other hand': yo salgo pronto; en cambio, él trabaja hasta tarde
  • en primer lugar
    first of all
    Opens a list and stands at the very start of the sentence, followed by a comma: En primer lugar, no tenemos dinero. The colloquial version is just primero. It does not touch the mood: the verb stays plain
  • en segundo lugar
    secondly
    The second step of the same list, also at the start of the sentence with a comma. Next come en tercer lugar and por último — finally, last of all
  • ante todo
    above all
    Not 'point one of the list' but 'the main thing': Ante todo, tranquilidad. It opens the sentence and takes a comma. The synonym sobre todo carries a shade of 'especially'
  • además
    besides
    Adds another argument in the same direction and opens the sentence with a comma: Además, es más barato. With the preposition de it becomes 'in addition to': además del precio — besides the price
  • por cierto
    by the way
    Introduces a digression, opens the sentence or follows oye, always between commas: Por cierto, ¿has llamado al banco? Do not confuse with a propósito, which also means 'on purpose'
  • en general
    on the whole
    Generalizes: en general, la gente aquí es amable. It stands at the start or the end. If you want 'to sum it up', that is en resumen; 'actually, in fact' is en el fondo
  • en resumen
    in short
    Wraps up what was said and opens the last sentence: En resumen, no nos conviene. More colloquial — total or resumiendo: total, que no fuimos
  • en otras palabras
    in other words
    Rephrases what was just said, opens the sentence with a comma. Shorter and three times more frequent is es decir: es decir, que no viene
  • lo principal
    the main thing
    The article lo turns an adjective into an abstract noun: lo principal, lo importante, lo malo. It continues with es que: lo principal es que estás bien
  • al fin y al cabo
    after all
    Not about time but about the closing argument: al fin y al cabo, es su dinero — after all, it is his money. It opens the sentence. The temporal 'finally' is por fin
  • aunque
    although
    Stands before its half of the sentence — at the start or in the middle. The mood decides the meaning: with the indicative it is a recognized fact (aunque llueve, salimos — it is raining, but we go out); with subjuntivo it is a concession (aunque llueva, salimos — even if it rains). One letter changes everything
  • eso sí
    but then
    Introduces a counterpoint that balances what was said, and stands after a full stop or a semicolon, always between commas: Es pequeño; eso sí, está en el centro. The nearest bookish replacement is en cambio
  • al contrario
    on the contrary
    Answers someone's statement as a whole: — ¿Te molesta? — Al contrario, me alegra. It stands as a reply of its own or opens the sentence. Al revés is also 'the other way round', but about order and sides: te has puesto el jersey al revés
  • a pesar de
    in spite of
    Followed by a noun or an infinitive: a pesar del frío, a pesar de saberlo. If a full clause with a subject comes next, you need que: a pesar de que llovía. It stands at the start or in the middle
  • sin embargo
    however
    Not a conjunction but a sentence adverb: it starts a new sentence after a full stop and always takes a comma — Sin embargo, no funcionó. Within one sentence the contrast is pero, and then sin embargo is not needed
  • por un lado
    on the one hand
    Opens a pair and almost always demands its partner por otro lado. It stands at the start of the sentence with a comma: Por un lado, es cómodo…
  • por otro lado
    on the other hand
    The second half of the pair; often shortened to por otro. It works without the first half too — then it simply introduces another argument: Por otro lado, hay que pensar en los niños
  • no obstante
    nevertheless
    The bookish twin of sin embargo: the same place at the start of the sentence and the same comma, but it sounds official — at home in letters and documents, not in conversation
  • en vez de eso
    instead
    En vez de on its own stands before a noun or an infinitive: en vez de discutir. With eso it becomes a link between two sentences. A full synonym is en lugar de
  • de todas formas
    anyway
    'Anyway' in the sense of 'one way or another, no matter what': de todas formas voy a ir. It opens the sentence or stands before the verb. 'I don't care' is quite different: me da igual
  • por casualidad
    by chance
    By coincidence: nos encontramos por casualidad. In a polite question it softens the request: ¿tienes por casualidad un boli? 'By accident', meaning unintentionally, is sin querer
  • a propósito
    on purpose
    Deliberately, with intent: lo ha roto a propósito. The same as adrede. Careful: at the start of a sentence a propósito means 'by the way', like por cierto — position decides the job
  • el fracaso
    failure
    A strong word: a failure, not a slip. A slip is un fallo, bad luck la mala suerte. The verb is fracasar
  • paso a paso
    step by step
    El paso is a step, as in el paso de peatones. Neighbors in meaning: poco a poco, little by little; uno a uno, one by one
  • el orden de los pasos
    order of steps
    El orden, masculine, is sequence; la orden, feminine, is a command, as in todo en orden
  • con detalle
    in detail
    Built with a preposition; detalladamente exists but is clunky in speech. Entrar en detalles is to go into detail
  • con mis palabras
    in my own words
    Literally 'with my words'; it changes with the person: con tus palabras, con sus palabras. En otras palabras is about retelling someone else, a different phrase
  • dicho de forma sencilla
    simply put
    Neighboring phrases: dicho de otra forma — put differently; en resumen — in short. Sencillo is uncomplicated; simple can be an insult
  • pon un ejemplo
    give an example
    The command of poner is irregular: pon, not pone. Formal: ponga un ejemplo
  • enséñame cómo se hace
    show me how it's done
    The impersonal se hace — 'it is done' — is how Spanish writes any instruction. The pronoun in enséñame hangs off the end, hence the accent
  • ¿se entiende?
    is that clear?
    Literally 'is it understood?' — a question about the explanation, not pressure on the listener. ¿Me explico? says the same; ¿entiendes? sounds more demanding
  • ahora lo entiendo
    now I get it
    The lo is compulsory: Spanish refuses to leave this verb without an object. Shorter: ah, vale or ya está
  • me he liado
    I got confused
    Liarse is to get tangled — and to get roped in: me he liado a limpiar, I got stuck cleaning. The more neutral version: me he perdido, I lost the thread
  • acordarse
    to recall
    Always with de: me acuerdo de ti. Without se, acordar means to agree — a different beast. The synonym recordar takes no preposition: recuerdo tu cara
  • olvidar
    to forget
    Three ways to say it: he olvidado las llaves, neutral; me he olvidado de las llaves, with de; se me han olvidado — they forgot themselves, no one's fault. Spain mostly uses the third
  • la intención
    intention
    Tener la intención de — to mean to. Con buena intención — with the best of intentions; con segundas — with an ulterior motive
  • cambiar de idea
    to change your mind
    Cambiar de plus a noun without an article — swap one for another of the same kind: cambiar de idea, de casa, de tema. Without de you change the thing itself
  • todo según lo previsto
    everything is going as planned
    Lo previsto is what was foreseen; según — according to. More conversational: todo va bien or va todo como estaba pensado
  • si puede ser
    if it works out
    Literally 'if it can be'. Siblings: si se puede, si sale bien. And remember: si without an accent is 'if', sí with it is 'yes'
  • todavía no lo he decidido
    I haven't decided yet
    Todavía no is not yet; ya no is no longer — one word apart, opposite meanings. The lo is compulsory: the verb refuses to go without an object
  • todo ha cambiado
    everything has changed
    Cambiar without se means to change and to be changed; here it is the second. Todo cambió is a finished story; ha cambiado leaves a mark on the present
  • para bien
    for the better
    Ha cambiado para bien — changed for the better; the variant is a mejor. Para bien o para mal — either way, one way or the other
  • para mal
    for the worse
    The partner of para bien, built the same way. The variant: a peor — la cosa va a peor, things keep getting worse
  • pertenecer
    to belong
    An a follows: pertenecer a alguien. In everyday speech people simply say es de mi hermano. The yo form grows a z: pertenezco
  • ajeno
    someone else's
    Lo ajeno is what isn't yours. A stranger is un desconocido, something from abroad is extranjero — each its own word
  • común
    common
    stress at the end: ko-MUN
  • empujar
    to push
    Spanish doors carry two words: empujar — push, tirar — pull
  • tirar de
    to pull
    Bare tirar is usually 'to throw'; pulling on something is tirar de: tirar de la cuerda. Door signs, though, say just Tirar or Tire, 'pull', paired with Empujar, 'push'
  • golpear
    to hit
    El golpe is a blow. In a fight people say pegar; one knock is dar un golpe
  • el metro
    meter (unit)
    There's a homonym meaning the underground: the subway was named after ferrocarril metropolitano, an unrelated word that just happens to look the same. In writing the unit is shortened to m, no period
  • el centímetro
    centimeter
    the mark over the i marks the stress too: sen-TEE-me-tro
  • el kilómetro
    kilometer
    stress on the o: ki-LO-me-tro
  • el litro
    liter
    Half a liter is medio litro; the big water bottle in the shop is una botella de litro y medio
  • el gramo
    gram
    Shops rarely say grams: you ask for un cuarto — 250 g — or medio kilo. Ni un gramo — not a gram
  • el peso
    weight
    The weight of a thing and your own: he cogido peso — I've put on weight. The same word is the name of a Latin American currency
  • la longitud
    length
    A word for figures and drawings. In daily life length is said differently: dos metros de largo — two meters long
  • la anchura
    width
    Pairs with la longitud. In speech: de ancho — un metro de ancho. There's also el ancho, the same thing masculine
  • la altura
    height
    The height of a wall and the height above the sea. A person's height is la estatura, or simply mide uno ochenta
  • la profundidad
    depth
    From profundo. Suits a lake and a conversation: hablar con profundidad — to speak in depth
  • aproximadamente
    approximately
    a long one, stress on the second-to-last syllable: a-prok-see-ma-da-MEN-te
  • casi
    almost
    Stands right before what it modifies: casi todo, casi nunca. Casi me caigo — I nearly fell: the fresh past told in the present tense
  • exactamente
    exactly
    Exactly that amount: exactamente cien euros. But 'at three o'clock sharp' is a different phrase: a las tres en punto
  • de media
    on average
    Spain says de media, official prose — por término medio, Latin America — en promedio. The average itself is la media
  • el doble
    twice as much
    El doble de caro — twice as expensive; el doble que antes — double what it was. Three times is el triple
  • la cifra
    figure
    A digit from nought to nine and a number in a report: las cifras de este año. El número is a number and a number-as-in-phone
  • la cuarta parte
    quarter
    Literally 'the fourth part'. A quarter of an hour is un cuarto de hora; un cuarto at the shop is 250 grams
  • pesar
    to weigh
    The same verb means to have weight: ¿cuánto pesas? — how much do you weigh. Weighing yourself is pesarse
  • sobrante
    leftover
    From sobrar — to be left over. In live speech people more often say de más: una silla de más — one chair too many
  • vacío
    empty
    a stressed i and three syllables: ba-SEE-o
  • evitar
    to avoid
    Evitar el sol — to stay out of the sun. Evitar que plus subjuntivo — to keep something from happening
  • el hecho
    fact
    Literally 'a done thing', the participle of hacer. De hecho — in fact; el hecho es que — the fact is
  • la pregunta
    question
    A question is 'made' — hacer una pregunta — not placed. A question as a debate topic is la cuestión
  • importante
    important
    One form for both genders: un tema importante, una fecha importante. Lo importante es… — what matters is…
  • positivo
    positive
    For people and for test results alike: he dado positivo — the test came back positive
  • negativo
    negative
    The partner of positivo. En negativo — in the negative, about grammar
  • en comparación con
    compared to
    The shorter everyday option is comparado con: comparado con el año pasado. The verb itself is comparar
  • igual que
    the same as
    Igual que — the same as; lo mismo que — the very same thing as. Me da igual is 'I don't care', a different beast
  • la ventaja
    an advantage
    Both an advantage and a head start: llevar ventaja — to be ahead
  • el inconveniente
    a drawback
    The partner of la ventaja: ventajas e inconvenientes — pros and cons. El defecto is a flaw in a thing or in a character
  • las consecuencias
    consequences
    Usually plural. A consecuencia de — as a consequence of
  • tener en cuenta
    to keep in mind
    Literally 'to hold in the count'. Ten en cuenta que… — bear in mind that…
  • lo más probable
    most likely
    The full form is lo más probable es que plus subjuntivo: lo más probable es que llueva. The short version: seguramente
  • seguro que
    for sure
    After seguro que the verb stays in an ordinary tense, no subjuntivo: seguro que viene. The bookish option: sin duda
  • la probabilidad
    probability
    Hay pocas probabilidades — the odds are low. La posibilidad is an opportunity, a different word
  • la suposición
    an assumption
    From suponer — to suppose: supongo que sí — I suppose so. Es solo una suposición — it's just a guess
  • parece que
    it looks like
    Parece que va a llover. After a negative it demands subjuntivo: no parece que sea grave
  • debe de
    must be
    Debe de estar en casa — he must be home: that's a guess. Without de, debe estar means he is obliged to be. The Academy keeps the distinction; speech often mixes them
  • no puede ser
    it can't be
    Both astonishment and refusal to believe: ¡no puede ser! What follows is que plus subjuntivo
  • por lo menos
    at least
    For quantities (por lo menos veinte) and for consolation (por lo menos no llovió). The bookish twin: al menos
  • en cualquier caso
    in any case
    In speech you'll more often hear de todas formas or de todos modos — same thing
  • por si acaso
    just in case
    Can shrink to por si: coge el paraguas por si llueve
  • si
    if only
    The bare si means 'if'; the hypothetical lives in the verb form: si tuviera tiempo, iría. A real condition takes ordinary tenses: si tengo tiempo, voy
  • siempre que
    as long as
    With subjuntivo it's a condition: te lo dejo siempre que lo devuelvas. With ordinary tenses the same words mean 'every time'
  • incluso si
    even if
    Spaniards more often reach for aunque, meaning 'although': with subjuntivo, aunque llueva already means 'even if it rains'
  • en ese caso
    in that case
    En ese caso — so that's how it is. En tal caso is the same in writing
  • de lo contrario
    otherwise
    The word of notices and letters. In speech: si no — date prisa, si no llegamos tarde
  • entonces
    at that moment
    Both 'at that moment' (desde entonces — since then) and 'in that case' (entonces no vengas)
  • para que
    so that
    After para que always subjuntivo and always a different person: te lo digo para que lo sepas. Same person: just para plus the infinitive
  • como si
    as if
    After como si only the imperfecto de subjuntivo: como si fuera fácil, como si no lo supiera
  • en vez de
    instead of
    An infinitive follows: en vez de quejarte, ayuda. En lugar de is the same thing
  • principalmente
    mainly
    An adverb in Spanish too: principalmente por el precio. In speech they say sobre todo
  • por lo general
    as a rule
    Next door lives the verb soler: suelo cenar tarde — I usually have dinner late. One word doing the same job
  • casi todos
    almost everyone
    It agrees with what is being counted: casi todas las tiendas. Casi nadie — almost nobody
  • la excepción
    an exception
    Con la excepción de — with the exception of. Spanish runs the same proverb as English: la excepción confirma la regla
  • etcétera
    and so on
    the stress lands on cé: et-SEH-teh-rah
  • a diferencia de
    unlike
    A diferencia de su hermano… The difference itself is la diferencia
  • excepto
    except
    Excepto, menos and salvo are the same word in three coats: todos menos yo. Además de is 'except' as in 'on top of' — a different thing
  • no del todo
    not quite
    Del todo — wholly, entirely; with no in front it means not fully. No exactamente is 'not exactly', a different shade
  • más o menos
    more or less
    The same phrase already means 'so-so': ¿qué tal? — más o menos. Next to a number it means 'about': más o menos veinte
  • a duras penas
    barely
    La pena is a burden; literally 'by hard toils'. On paper the same idea is con dificultad
  • vale la pena probar
    it's worth a try
    Valer la pena — to be worth it. Merece la pena is exactly the same, and in Spain you hear it even more
  • hacía falta
    was needed
    the h is silent and the í is stressed: ah-SEE-ah FAL-tah
  • lo mejor es
    the best thing
    The neuter lo: lo mejor es llamar mañana. If a different person follows, subjuntivo steps in: lo mejor es que vengas
  • lo peor es
    the worst thing
    The partner of lo mejor es. Lo peor de todo — the worst of all is that…
  • lo antes posible
    as soon as possible
    Literally 'the earliest possible'. The same trick in lo más barato posible — as cheap as possible
  • en vano
    in vain
    A bookish word. In speech: para nada or en balde — he venido para nada, I came for nothing
  • arreglárselas
    to cope
    the stress falls on the á: ah-rreh-GLAR-seh-lahs
  • el intento
    an attempt
    Al primer intento — on the first attempt. The verb is intentar, to try
  • es decir
    that is
    Literally 'it is to say'. In speech o sea does the same job, and you hear it every other sentence
  • resultó que
    it turned out
    the stress sits on the end: reh-sool-TOH
  • como resultado
    as a result
    A phrase for writing and reports. In speech: al final or total, que…
  • lleva a
    leads to
    Llevar a — to lead to a consequence: esto lleva a otro problema. Roads talk the same way: esta calle lleva a la plaza
  • gracias a
    thanks to
    Only for the good: gracias a ti. For the bad they say por culpa de: por culpa de la lluvia
  • a la primera
    on the first try
    Literally 'on the first one' — the attempt is implied. A la segunda — on the second try
  • doscientos
    two hundred
    From two hundred up, hundreds agree in gender: doscientos euros, but doscientas casas
  • trescientos
    three hundred
    From tres and cientos: hundreds are written as one word with no space — trescientos, not tres cientos
  • cuatrocientos
    four hundred
    The root stays intact: cuatro plus cientos. Four syllables: cua-tro-cien-tos
  • quinientos
    five hundred
    Not cincocientos: it has its own root, the one you see in the ordinal quinto. One of three irregular hundreds
  • seiscientos
    six hundred
    From seis, unchanged. Sei- stays one syllable: say-SYEN-tohs
  • setecientos
    seven hundred
    Not sietecientos: siete loses its i. The second irregular hundred, after quinientos
  • ochocientos
    eight hundred
    From ocho, just as it is. The ch sounds like the ch in 'church': oh-choh-SYEN-tohs
  • novecientos
    nine hundred
    Not nuevecientos: nueve drops its e. The third and last irregular hundred
  • cuarto
    fourth
    The same word also means 'room' and 'quarter': el cuarto de baño is the bathroom, un cuarto de hora is a quarter of an hour
  • quinto
    fifth
    Only the meaning of cinco survives: the root is the one in quinientos
  • sexto
    sixth
    the x reads as ks: SEKS-toh
  • séptimo
    seventh
    The accent marks stress on the third syllable from the end — a spot where Spanish wouldn't put it on its own
  • octavo
    eighth
    The root of the musical octave — the eighth step
  • noveno
    ninth
    From nueve, minus the diphthong: no-, not nue-. The same flattening as in novecientos
  • décimo
    tenth
    Also a noun: un décimo is a tenth part — including a ticket share in the Christmas lottery
  • centésimo
    hundredth
    Bookish: in speech you'd hear el número cien. But una centésima is a hundredth of a second on a stopwatch
  • o
    or
    Before a word starting with o- or ho- it changes to u: siete u ocho, mujer u hombre
  • también
    also
    Only agrees with a positive statement. With a negative Spanish switches to tampoco: yo tampoco — 'me neither'
  • solo
    only
    The same word as solo, 'alone'. The written accent kept the two apart until 2010 and is now allowed only when a sentence could be misread
  • ya
    already
    In a negation it flips the meaning completely: ya no is not 'not yet' but 'no longer'
  • todavía
    still
    In the sense of 'still, up to now'. 'One more' is a different word entirely, otro
  • demasiado
    too
    Unchanged before an adjective, but it agrees with a noun: demasiada sal — too much salt
  • juntos
    together
    It agrees with the people involved: two women are juntas, a mixed group is juntos
  • no se puede
    not allowed
    Literally 'one cannot' — a prohibition that names no one. Signs make it shorter: prohibido
  • hay que
    one must
    Impersonal: it's about what must be done, full stop. For a specific person it's tengo que, tienes que
  • vida
    life
    Mi vida — 'my life' — is an everyday term of endearment; on the street you hear it that way more often than literally
  • querer
    to want
    Also 'to love' about a person: te quiero — 'I love you'. The stem breaks: quiero, quieres
  • poder
    can / may
    Breaks twice: puedo in the present, pude in the past. Polite requests are built on it: ¿puede...?
  • palabra
    word
    Palabra is a word in live speech; vocablo is the dictionary-unit word you only meet in textbooks
  • asunto
    matter
    A matter as something to deal with. Cosa is a thing, negocio is business, asunto is the thing that needs settling
  • manera
    way
    De esta manera — this way, like this. The twin modo shows up more in writing than in talk
  • fácilmente
    easily
    The tail -mente attaches to the feminine form of the adjective, and the adjective's own stress stays
  • con dificultad
    with difficulty
    The adverb difícilmente is almost never said: people say es difícil or con dificultad
  • para que
    in order that
    Used when the two clauses have different subjects, and the verb after it always goes into subjuntivo. Same subject? Just para with the infinitive
  • si
    if
    No accent means 'if'; the accented sí means 'yes'. After si, the future is spoken in the present: si puedo, te llamo — never si podré
  • mientras
    while
    This while is about two things happening at once. 'Bye!' as a farewell is a different word: ¡hasta luego!
  • ya que
    since
    For a reason both sides already know: ya que estás aquí — 'since you're here'. New reasons get porque, and the two don't swap
  • con tal de que
    provided that
    The condition you'll trade anything for — and the verb after it must be subjuntivo: con tal de que llegues
  • así que
    so
    Draws the conclusion from what's already been said. Así alone means 'this way'; without que the connector falls apart
  • entre
    between
    One word for both 'between two' and 'among many'. Quirk alert: after entre it's tú and yo, not ti and mí — entre tú y yo
  • cerca de
    near
    The de is obligatory: without it cerca is the plain adverb 'close by'. For 'about ten' of something it's unos diez
  • en lugar de
    in place of
    Followed by a noun or an infinitive: en lugar de azúcar, en lugar de discutir. Its twin en vez de means exactly the same
  • contra
    against
    Both against a person and pressed against a thing: apoyado contra la pared. Taking sides in an argument is estar en contra
  • sin
    without
    The noun after it drops the article — café sin azúcar — or it takes an infinitive: se fue sin decir nada
  • para
    for
    Half of Spanish's great preposition pair: para is for whom and for what purpose, por is why and in exchange for what. Un regalo para ti, but gracias por el regalo
  • sobre
    about
    'About' something: un libro sobre España. The same preposition also means 'on': sobre la mesa. As a noun, el sobre is an envelope
  • después de
    after (preposition)
    With de before the next word: después de comer. Without de it's the plain adverb 'later': después te llamo
  • durante
    during
    Covers both 'during' and 'for' a span of time: durante la película, durante dos horas. No second preposition follows it
  • a causa de
    because of
    A bit bookish; in speech a plain por is enough: por la lluvia. When someone is to blame, they say por culpa de
  • alrededor de
    around
    The de is obligatory: alrededor de la mesa. With a number the same phrase means 'about': alrededor de veinte
  • dentro de
    in (time)
    For a span of time: dentro de una hora — 'in an hour'. Through a bridge or window is por: por la ventana. Without de the same word means 'inside'
  • desde dentro
    from inside
    Desde fixes the point something comes from. But a door locked from the inside is cerrada por dentro — there it's por, and the two don't swap
  • por aquí cerca
    around here
    Learn the whole phrase as it stands — no need to take it apart. Lone cerca just means 'close by'
  • la respuesta
    answer
    From the verb responder, 'to answer', with its o-to-ue stem change. An answer to a letter and an answer in a math book are the same word
  • el problema
    problem
    Masculine despite the -a ending: un problema grave. The same word also covers a school math problem — context tells which
  • muy
    very
    Goes before an adjective or adverb: muy bueno, muy bien. It never attaches to a verb — that job is mucho's: me gusta mucho
  • la ayuda
    help
    The noun from ayudar, 'to help'. ¡Ayuda! on its own is a cry for help
  • y
    and
    Before a word starting with the 'ee' sound it becomes e: padre e hijo. Before hielo it stays y — the h there starts with 'ye', not 'ee'
  • pero
    but
    Adds a qualification. It cannot correct a negation — that job is sino's: no es rojo, sino azul
  • tampoco
    me neither
    The negative twin of también: también joins a yes, tampoco joins a no. Yo tampoco — I won't either
  • estar
    to be (place and state)
    The second 'to be'. ser is what you always are — soy inglés; estar is where you are and how you are right now: estoy en casa, estoy cansado

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How it sounds in a sentence

A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.

What is worth knowing about these words

sí — yes. Sí with the accent mark means 'yes'; si without it means 'if'. Only the written stress separates them.

no — no. One word serves as both 'no' and as the verb negator: no entiendo means 'I don't understand'.

bien — well. An adverb — it answers 'how?'. The adjective 'good' is a different word, bueno.

mal — badly. The partner of bien, also an adverb. 'Bad' as in a bad thing or person is a different word, malo.

Test yourself

First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.

  1. What is this word?

  2. What is this word?

  3. What is this word?

  4. What is this word?

  5. What is this word?

Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.

  1. How do you say “yes” in Spanish?

  2. How do you say “one more” in Spanish?

  3. How do you say “new” in Spanish?

  4. How do you say “thirteen” in Spanish?

  5. How do you say “twenty” in Spanish?

How to learn the set instead of just reading it

Yes, no, good, bad, very. The small change of a language — and no sentence assembles without it.

A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.

Frequently asked

How do you say “yes” in Spanish?

«sí». Sí with the accent mark means 'yes'; si without it means 'if'. Only the written stress separates them. It is one of 305 words in the set “basic words” — the rest are in the table above.

How many basic words do you need to start?

The whole set on this page is 305 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.

Is there audio?

Yes, 305 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.

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