Beginner Words - Palabras básicas

Beginner Spanish · Everyday words and phrases

Everyday Spanish Words and Phrases

You do not need hundreds of words before Spanish becomes useful. Start with a small group you can use at home, with friends, or when ordering something, then let the vocabulary grow around those phrases.

Your next small win: say where you are, ask for something you need, find an everyday object, and use a few common words inside complete Spanish sentences.

Start with something you can say

Four Useful Everyday Phrases

Learn the whole phrase first. You will meet the individual words again later, but now they already have a job.

Estoy en casa. I'm at home. Useful when someone asks where you are.
Necesito agua. I need water. A short way to say what you need.
Me gusta el café. I like coffee. A simple phrase for talking about something you like.
¿Dónde está mi teléfono? Where is my phone? Use this pattern when looking for a specific object.

Ask for something you need

You are thirsty. Say “I need water” in Spanish.

Learn chunks, not just labels: knowing agua is useful. Knowing Necesito agua gives you something you can say immediately.

Build the vocabulary around the phrases

People, Places, and Things

These are everyday nouns you are likely to meet again in many other lessons.

amigo / amiga Friend
familia Family
casa House / home
ciudad City
agua Water
café Coffee
libro Book
teléfono Phone
More everyday nouns
hombreMan
mujerWoman
panBread
comidaFood

Find your phone

You cannot find your phone. Ask where it is.

Words that make things happen

Everyday Action Words

These infinitives name common actions. You will see their forms change as you learn more Spanish, so for now focus on recognizing the basic verb.

comer To eat
beber To drink
ir To go
vivir To live
hablar To speak
ver To see
See the verbs inside complete sentences
Mi familia vive en una ciudad grande. My family lives in a big city. Look for the verb related to vivir.
Estoy feliz de ver a mis amigos. I'm happy to see my friends. Here you can hear the infinitive ver.
Bebo café por la mañana. I drink coffee in the morning. Bebo comes from beber.

Add a little description

Useful Describing Words

A few adjectives let you say much more with vocabulary you already know.

bueno / buena Good
malo / mala Bad
grande Big
pequeño / pequeña Small
feliz Happy
cansado / cansada Tired

Some forms change: a speaker may say Estoy cansado or Estoy cansada. The adjective changes to match the person being described.

Estoy cansado. I'm tired. Masculine form.
Estoy cansada. I'm tired. Feminine form.

Say how you feel

Choose the form of cansado / cansada that fits you and say the complete sentence aloud.

Put the everyday words together

Short Everyday Conversations

You do not need a long conversation to practice useful Spanish. A question and a short answer are enough.

Meeting a friend

A
Hola, ¿cómo estás? Hi, how are you?
B
Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? Very well, thanks. And you?

At a café

A
¿Qué desea? What would you like?
B
Un café y agua, por favor. A coffee and water, please.

Looking for a book

A
¿Dónde está el libro? Where is the book?
B
Está en la mesa. It's on the table.
More everyday sentences
Mi familia vive en una ciudad grande. My family lives in a big city.
Estoy leyendo un libro muy bueno. I'm reading a very good book.
Quiero comprar pan para la casa. I want to buy bread for the house.
Mi teléfono está en la mesa. My phone is on the table.
Estoy feliz de ver a mis amigos. I'm happy to see my friends.
Bebo café por la mañana. I drink coffee in the morning.

Your turn · 8 quick questions

Practice: Everyday Spanish

Choose the phrase that fits each situation. The quiz focuses on the useful sentences and vocabulary from the main lesson.

Audio uses your device's Spanish text-to-speech voice. Listen to the word or phrase, then try saying it yourself.