Basic Spanish Words

With these basic words, you will be able to begin to form sentences and provide answers to simple questions. They’ll also aid in connecting sentences and ideas as you begin to learn more Spanish words.

Hola (Hello)

Adiós (Goodbye)

Gracias (Thank you)

Por favor (Please)

Sí (Yes)

Claro (Of course)

No (No)

Amor (Love)

Todo (All)

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Basic Spanish Questions

The ability to ask basic questions is a key part of learning Spanish. With these basic questions, you’ll not only have the ability to initiate conversations fluently, but to keep them going.

  1. ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)
  2. ¿Qué hora tienes? (What time is it?)
  3. ¿De dónde viene? (Where are you from?)
  4. ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)
  5. ¿Puede ayudarme? (Can you help me?)
  6. ¿Podría ayudarle? (Can I help you?)
  7. ¿Cuánto cuesta eso? (How much does it cost?)
  8. ¿Entiende? (Do you understand?)

💡 Pro Tip: Mastering these starter questions is only the beginning. Gain real fluency with the most flexible, efficient way to learn a language—Berlitz Flex! With speech recognition, interactive activities, and 1:1 real-time lessons with a live instructor, it turns your vocabulary into actual conversation skills.


Basic Spanish Greetings

Learning Spanish isn’t just about memorizing words; it’s about connecting with people. One of the easiest ways to start a conversation is by greeting someone correctly. Starting with simple Spanish greetings gives you confidence and is an important first step as you continue building your Spanish language skills.

  1. Buenos días (Good morning)
  2. Buenas tardes (Good afternoon)
  3. Buenas noches (Good evening / Good night)
  4. ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?)
  5. ¿Qué tal? (What’s up?)
  6. ¿Cómo te va? (How’s it going?)
  7. ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
  8. ¿Qué pasa? (What’s happening?)

Basic Spanish Verbs

Verbs are essential to speaking Spanish. Knowing these basic verbs lets you take the words you’ve already learned and start forming full sentences, expressing ideas, and having real conversations.

  1. Abrir (To open)
  2. Ayudar (To help)
  3. Estar (To be)
  4. Gustar (To like)
  5. Jugar (To play)
  6. Llamar (To call)
  7. Querer (To want)
  8. Tener (To have)
  9. Ser (To be)
  10. Saber (To know)

💡 Pro Tip: Learning irregular verbs is a plus when learning Spanish as a beginner. Check out our guide to irregular Spanish verbs to see some examples.


Basic Spanish People

Knowing words for people and how to refer to them is a huge part of learning Spanish as a beginner. Just think about a conversation in English and how often you reference people? It may seem simple, but learning these words for people in Spanish will definitely aid in your learning journey.

  1. Familia (Family)
  2. Hijo (Son)
  3. Hija (Daughter)
  4. Amigo (Friend)
  5. Niña (Girl)
  6. Niño (Boy)
  7. Hombre (Man)
  8. Mujer (Woman)

Basic Spanish Weather Words

The weather is one of the best ways to start a conversation, especially with someone you don’t know, even more so in a new language. With these weather words in Spanish, you’ll have the tools to start speaking to anyone.

  1. Caliente (Hot)
  2. Frío/Fría (Cold)
  3. Lluvia (Rain)
  4. Sol (Sun)
  5. Luna (Moon)
  6. Nieve (Snow)
  7. Viento (Wind)

Spanish vs. Other Languages

Spanish shares roots with Italian, Portuguese, and French, which can make it easier for speakers of those languages. Compared to English, Spanish has more predictable pronunciation but more verb conjugations. Understanding these comparisons helps learners accelerate fluency.

Learn Further

Learning Spanish can be a very exciting and rewarding journey, especially when you have easy-to-understand resources at your disposal. Bookmark these 50 essential Spanish words and phrases to help you practice consistently.

To really build your skills, check out our customizable Spanish courses at Berlitz. We offer flexibility with online or in-person courses, all instructor-led, to help you gain fluency. Whatever your reason for learning is, Berlitz makes it easy to practice real conversations—anytime, anywhere.