50 Spanish words and phrases to start learning Spanish

Have you always wanted to learn Spanish but didn’t know where to start? Well, lucky for you we’ve compiled a list of 50 Spanish words that you should start with. These are the most basic words you will need to know to begin learning Spanish.

Like any other language, the foundation of Spanish is based around a small number of words and phrases. Knowing these will allow you to build confidence and start to put together more complex sentences and ideas.

To make it even easier, we’ve broken this list into categories so you can get started learning and practicing specific skills.

Basic Spanish Words

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

1. Hola (Hello)
2. Adios (Goodbye)
3. Gracias (Thank you)
4. Por favor (Please)
5. Si (Yes)
6. Claro (Of course)
7. No (No)
8. Amor (Love)
9. Todo (All)

Basic Spanish Questions

The ability to ask basic questions is a key part to being conversational in Spanish. With these basic questions, you will have the ability to initiate conversations. Not only will you be able to start conversations, but you will be able to keep them going to engage with people.

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?)

Basic Spanish Greetings

It is hard to learn Spanish without learning how to greet people. More so than questions and basic words, the ability to correctly greet someone in Spanish will allow you to start conversations. This basic skill is vital for practicing as you continue to learn.

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

While learning Spanish vocabulary is obviously important, without basic Spanish verbs, you’ll never be able to actually speak Spanish. With these basic verbs, you’ll be able to take basic Spanish vocabulary and start putting full sentences and ideas together.

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)

Basic Spanish People

It will certainly be hard to speak Spanish without knowing words for people. Just think about a conversation in English and how often your reference people? It may seem simple but mastering the different words for people in Spanish will definitely give you confidence and the skills to begin actively speaking Spanish.

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

Weather is one of the most common topics of conversation. It is also one of the best ways to start a conversation, especially with someone you don’t know. Yet, most people learning Spanish fail to learn some of the basic words for Spanish. 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)

No matter what your reason for wanting to learn Spanish, these words and phrases will help you get started and build confidence. Once you’ve mastered these words, you will have a foundation to build upon with an online Spanish course to really start speaking.