Most Essential Vocabulary #1

I decided to compile a list of some of the most basic and essential vocab for Spanish since I couldn’t totally find a lot.

These are going to be the words that you’re going to be using and seeing the most for Spanish, so it will come across as very basic for some

I decided to do this in multiple parts because there are lots of topics - so if you have suggestions on certain topics, please let me know! There probably will be words repeated for different “categories”

Pronouns

yo = I
tú = you [informal]
usted = you [formal]
nosotros = we [m+m, m+f] nosotras = we [f+f]
ustedes = you all [for Spain it’s formal, for Latin America it’s formal and informal]
vosotros = you all [m+m, m+f; informal, Spain] vosotras = you all [f+f; informal, Spain]
él = he
ella = her

elle = they [no specified gender; this is not considered “proper” Spanish, but it is used in many queer communities for someone non-binary; “proper” Spanish only really has “he” or “she” or refers to someone of unknown or unspecified gender in vague terms like alguien “someone” or una persona “a person” and conjugates them with 3rd person singular]

Question Words

qué = what que = that [connecting clauses] lo que = what, “the thing that”, that which [a stand in for a noun]
por qué = why el por qué = “the reason why”, “the motive” porque = because [connecting clauses]
cuál, cuáles = which, which ones
dónde = where donde = where [connecting clauses]
cuándo = when cuando = when [connecting clauses]
cómo = how como = as, like [connecting clauses]
cuánto/a = how much/many cuanto = so much [or en cuanto “insomuch” or “as far as”]

cuánto/a is used with countable objects

For using “how + adj/adv” you have to use a separate expression; in more literary Spanish this is cuán which is not used very much now except in some lyrics and poetry. For everyday Spanish there’s a separate word/phrase:

qué tan = how + adj/adv [Latin America] ¿Qué tan rápido es? = How fast is it? ¿Qué tan larga es la historia? = How long is the story? ¿Qué tan profundo es el océano? = How deep is the ocean?
cómo de = how + adj/adv [Spain] ¿Cómo de grande es? = How big is it? ¿Cómo de alta es la montaña? = How high is the mountain? ¿Cómo de ancho es el río? = How wide is the river?

Prepositions

Please be aware certain prepositions are used differently than others. The main ones to be very aware of are: a, de, en, por, para, and con

…By far, a is the most versatile and has the most uses, followed by de

Primarily this is just a list of things to know, but some of them require proper context to fully understand in my opinion

a = to
de = of / from
en = on / in
por = for / by, via
para = for / up to / in order to
con = with
sin = without
sobre = on, upon / about, pertaining to acerca de = about, pertaining to
hacia = toward, towards
bajo = under debajo (de) = under, underneath
encima (de) = on top of
desde = from, since
hasta = until, up to
según = according to
antes = before
después = after
tras = following, after
entre = between
enfrente (de) = in front of, facing
junto/a = together junto a = next to, beside
al lado de = next to
durante = for (a period of time) / during
mientras = while
a través de = through a lo largo de = throughout
alrededor de = around, surrounding
mediante = through, via, by means of por medio de = through, via, by means of
vía = via
versus = versus [exactly like English… because it’s Latin; the pronunciation is different obviously]
contra = against, versus/vs / against, up against [e.g. contra la pared “(up) against the wall”]

Standard Spanish 101 Vocab

algo = something
nada = nothing la nada = nothingness
alguien = someone
nadie = no one
el hombre = man el caballero = gentleman / man [lit. “knight” or “horseman”] el señor = sir, gentleman / lord / Mr.
la mujer = woman [potentially “wife”] la dama = lady / woman la señora = lady / madame, Mrs. la señorita = miss, (young/unmarried) lady
alto/a = tall, high
bajo/a = short, low
gordo/a = fat
flaco/a = skinny, thin delgado/a = skinny, thin
grande = big
pequeño/a = small
inteligente = intelligent
(ser) listo/a = (to be) smart (estar) listo/a = (to be) ready
rico/a = rich
pobre = poor
guapo/a = good-looking
lindo/a = cute, good-looking bonito/a = cute, good-looking
feo/a = ugly
joven = young
viejo/a = old
menor = younger / minor
mayor = older, elder / major
justo/a = fair, just
injusto/a = unjust, unfair
fácil = easy
difícil = hard, difficult
apenas = hardly, barely a duras penas = just barely
fuerte = strong
débil = weak
veloz = quick rápido/a = fast [adj] rápido = quickly, fast [adv]
lento/a = slow [adj] lento / lentamente = slow, slowly [adv]
trabajador(a) = hard-working
perezoso/a = lazy
tonto/a = stupid, silly
ingenioso/a = ingenious, clever
bueno/a = good
bien = good, well [adv]
malo/a = bad
mal = badly, wrong [adv]
equivocado/a = wrong, incorrect
genial = wonderful, amazing
maravilloso/a = wonderful / wondrous, marvelous
pésimo/a = really bad, awful
alegre = happy
feliz = happy
triste = sad
enojado/a = angry
preocupado/a = worried
asustado/a = surprised / scared
enfermo/a = sick
mejor = better el/la mejor = the best
peor = worse el/la peor = the worst
largo/a = long
corto/a = short
vivo/a = alive, living
muerto/a = dead
presente = present, here
ausente = absent

Time - Days

Note: All days of the week and all months are masculine

lunes = Monday
martes = Tuesday
miércoles = Wednesday
jueves = Thursday
viernes = Friday
sábado = Saturday
domingo = Sunday
la semana = week
el fin de semana = weekend el finde = weekend [regional slang]
el calendario = calendar
el horario = schedule, timeframe
el día [m] = day
la fecha = date (calendar)
la cita = appointment / date (romantic)
hoy = today
ayer = yesterday anteayer = the day before yesterday
esta noche = tonight
anoche = last night
mañana = tomorrow pasado mañana = the day after tomorrow
la tarde = afternoon / evening el atardecer = evening, dusk
la mañana = morning el amanecer = morning, daybreak, sunrise
el mediodía = noon
la medianoche = midnight
la madrugada = the early morning, “wee hours of the morning” [when it’s morning but still dark]
el alba [f] = dawn la salida del sol = daybreak, sunrise
la puesta del sol = sunset ponerse el sol = for the sun to set
el crepúsculo = twilight / dusk
diario/a = daily [adj] a diario = daily, happening every day [adv] cotidiano/a = daily, everyday
temprano/a = early temprano = soon [adv]
tarde = late [adj / adv]
próximo/a = next
siguiente = following al día siguiente = the next day, the following day
anterior = previous
primer, primera / primero = first
segundo/a = second
la mitad = half [n]
medio/a = half [adj]
tercer, tercera / tercero = third el/un tercio = a third / one-third, 1/3
cuarto/a = fourth
quinto/a = fifth
sexto/a = sixth
séptimo/a = seventh
octavo/a = eighth (or “octave”)
noveno/a = ninth
décimo/a = tenth el décimo = decimal
último/a = last, latest

Time - Months

enero = January
febrero = February
marzo = March
abril = April
mayo = May
junio = June
julio = July
agosto = August
septiembre = September
octubre = October
noviembre = November
diciembre = December
el mes = month
mensual = monthly
la quincena = fortnight, two weeks
nuevo/a = new la luna nueva = new moon
lleno/a = full la luna llena = full moon
la medialuna = half moon / crescent
creciente = growing la luna creciente = crescent moon
la primavera = spring
el verano = summer
el otoño = autumn, fall
el invierno = winter
la estación = season
la fiesta = holiday [or “party”]
la Navidad = Christmas
la Nochebuena = Christmas Eve
el Año Nuevo = New Year’s
la Nochevieja = New Year’s Eve
la víspera = eve / evening [with holidays it’s used as “the day before”, or sometimes “vigil”; so la Nochevieja is also sometimes la víspera del Año Nuevo]
Día de los Reyes Magos = Three Kings Day / The Epiphany
San Valentín / el Día de San Valentín = Valentine’s Day
la Cuaresma = Lent
Miércoles de Ceniza = Ash Wednesday
el Carnaval = Carnival / Mardi Gras
la Semana Santa = Holy Week
la Pascua = Easter
el Día de (los) Muertos = Day of the Dead (el) Halloween = Halloween
el Día de Acción de Gracias = Thanksgiving [North America; sometimes just called Thanksgiving or Sangiving]
el Día de Todos (los) Santos = All Saints Day
Día de (la) Independencia = Independence Day

Other countries have their own holidays like Día de la Constitución “Constitution Day” or Día de la Revolución “Revolution Day”, or something more regional like la Tomatina in Spain, or Día de los Santos Inocentes which is “the Day of Holy Innocents” but sometimes translated as “April Fool’s Day”

This is also not counting certain religious holidays or folk holidays, which can vary from country to country

For dates in Spanish, you typically use the number + the month: el diecisiete de marzo for example reads as “the 17th of March” or “March 17th”

The ONLY exception is the 1st of every month is el primero instead of saying el uno. As an example: el primero de enero is “January 1st” or “the 1st of January”; this is done because it would be awkward to say “the one of January”

For days of the week you will see something like Viernes 13 [trece] “Friday the 13th” or Martes 13 “Tuesday the 13th” (which is the day of bad luck in Spanish)

Nature / The World

el sol = sun
la luna = moon
la estrella = star
el planeta [m] = planet
el mundo = world
el árbol = tree
la flor = flower
la hoja = leaf
la semilla = seed
el jardín = garden
el bosque = woods, forest
la selva = forest
el océano = ocean
el mar = ocean [sometimes feminine]
el río = river
el arroyo = stream
el lago = lake
el estanque = pond
la orrilla = shore
la isla = island
la ola = wave (water)
el volcán = volcano
la montaña = mountain
la sierra = mountain range [or “saw” in tools]
la piedra = stone la roca = rock
el tiempo = time / weather [or “grammatical tense”]
la hora = hour
la lluvia = rain
la nieve = snow
el granizo = hail / hailstone
el hielo = ice
el viento = wind
la ventisca = blizzard
la tormenta = storm
la nube = cloud
la niebla = fog, mist la neblina = mist, haze
el relámpago = lightning [commonly refers to “the flash of lightning” specifically]
el rayo = lightning, bolt (of lightning) [commonly “lightning” or “lightning strike”]
el trueno = thunder [refers to “the sound” specifically]
la arena = sand
el desierto = desert
el cañón = canyon
el risco = cliff
el monte = wilderness / mountain, mount
la hierba = grass / herb las malas hierbas = weeds [lit. “bad grasses”]
alto/a = tall, high la altura = height
profundo/a = deep poco profundo/a = shallow la profundidad = depth

The Human Body - Basics

el cuerpo = body
el peso = weight
la altura = height la estatura = height, stature
el hueso = bone
el órgano = organ
la sangre = blood
la vena = vein
el sudor = sweat
la cabeza = head
la cara = face
el cerebro = brain
el ojo = eye
la nariz = nose
la oreja = ear [outer]
el oído = ear [inner]
la ceja = eyebrow
la frente = forehead
el cuello = neck
la garganta = throat
la espalda = back
la columna (vertebral) = spine / spinal column el espinazo = backbone, spine
el hombro = shoulder
el brazo = arm
la mano = hand
la muñeca = wrist
el dedo = finger el pulgar = thumb el índice = index finger, pointer finger el dedo medio = middle finger el dedo anular = ring finger el meñique = pinky
el puño = fist
el nudillo = knuckle
el tronco = torso [or “trunk” for trees]
el pecho = chest
el seno = breast / bosom [in everyday speech - and vulgar speech - this is la teta “boob” or “tit”]
el estómago = stomach
la barriga = belly / gut la panza = belly
los intestinos = intestines, bowels la tripa, las tripas = “stomach” / innards, entrails
las entrañas = innards, entrails, “one’s insides”
la cintura = waist
la cadera = hip
la pierna = leg
la rodilla = knee
el tobillo = ankle
el pie = foot
el dedo de pie = toe el dedo gordo = big toe el meñique (de pie) = pinky toe [the other toes are known as el segundo dedo “second toe”, el tercer dedo “third toe”, and el cuarto dedo “fourth toe”]
el corazón = heart
el pulmón = lung
el hígado = liver
el músculo = muscle
el tejido = tissue (medical)
la uña = nail (finger/toe)
el pelo = hair (any kind)
el cabello = hair (specifically on the head)
los sentidos = the senses
la vista = eyesight, sight
el oído = hearing, sense of hearing
el olfato = smell, sense of smell
el gusto = taste, sense of taste
el tacto = touch, sense of touch

Around the House

la casa = house
el hogar = home / hearth
el apartamento = apartment
el piso = floor [el piso in Spain is typically “apartment”, most commonly translated as “flat” for British English]
el techo = ceiling / roof
el tejado = roof
la mesa = table
la silla = chair el sillón = large chair / armchair
la cama = bed
la almohada = pillow
el sofá [m] = sofa, couch
los muebles = furniture [el mueble is one piece]
el espejo = mirror
el reloj = clock / watch, stopwatch
el estante, los estantes = shelf, shelves / shelving
el gabinete = cabinet
el refrigerador / la refrigeradora = refrigerator la nevera = refrigerator
el congelador = freezer
la tarea = task, chore [commonly meaning “homework”] los deberes = chores / duties los quehaceres = chores
la puerta = door
la ventana = window
la sala = room el salón = room / large room
el cuarto = room
la habitación = bedroom el dormitorio = bedroom [lit. “dormitory” or “sleep-room”] el cuarto = bedroom, personal room
la sala de estar = living room el salón = living room [again, just “big room”] la sala = living room [again, just “room” but it’s any kind of room you might invite someone into] [some places have other words for it]
la cocina = kitchen [also “cuisine” or “cooking”]
el comedor = dining room [or “mess hall”; but any room for “eating”]
la lavandería = laundry room / laundromat
el vestíbulo = foyer, vestibule
la escalera = staircase / stairwell las escaleras = steps, stairs
el baño = bathroom [lit. “bath”] el cuarto de baño = bathroom
el inodoro = toilet bowl [sometimes el váter]
el clóset / el armario = closet / armoire, wardrobe
el garaje = garage
el sótano = basement
el ático = attic el desván = attic
el pasillo = hallway
el estudio = study
el gimnasio = gym
la biblioteca = library
la despensa = pantry / cupboard
el almacén = storeroom, storage closet [you might see this as “warehouse” for buildings; it means a “storage area” literally]
la oficina = office
la lámpara = lamp
la luz = light las luces = light
encender = to turn on (electronics) [otherwise it’s “to kindle” or “to set on fire”]
apagar = to turn off (electronics) [others it’s “to extinguish” or “snuff out (fire/candles)]
la televisión / la tele = television / TV
el teléfono = telephone, phone
el celular = cellphone [more Latin America] el móvil = mobile, cellphone [more Spain]
el tenedor = fork
el cuchillo = knife
la cuchara = spoon
el plato = plate
el tazón = bowl el bol = bowl el cuenco = bowl
el horno = oven
la estufa = stove, stovetop
el vaso = glass [for water]
la taza = cup / mug [for tea/coffee]
la copa = glass [for wine]
la vela = candle
los trastes = “the dishes” [regional, I think]
la plancha = iron (for clothes) [lit. la plancha is a metal thing you use to “press” on either food or clothes; not to be confused with el hierro “iron” the metal in English]

Basics of Clothing

la ropa = clothes, clothing
la prenda = garment, item of clothing
la ropa interior = underwear el calzón / los calzoncillos = underwear las bragas = panties, female underwear
el sostén, el sujetador = bra
los calcetines = socks
las medias = socks [las medias can also mean “stockings” or “tights”]
la camisa = shirt
la camiseta = t-shirt
los pantalones = pants, trousers
los zapatos = shoes los tacones = heels las botas = boots
el vestido = dress
la blusa = blouse
la falda = skirt
la chaqueta = jacket
el abrigo = coat, overcoat [usually a “warm coat” or sometimes “winter coat”; a coat specifically to keep you warm outside]
el cinturón = belt
la bufanda = scarf
el guante, los guantes = glove, gloves
la cartera / el monedero = wallet
las gafas / los lentes = glasses las gafas de sol = sunglasses [the older word for “glasses” is los anteojos - it comes across like “spectacles” and shows up in some textbook, but las gafas is the most common one today]
el bolso = purse [some people will use la bolsa - typically though, la bolsa is “bag” like a shopping bag or trash bag]
el bolsillo = pocket
el botón = button
el broche = clasp, fastener, button
la joyería = jewelry
el collar = necklace
el anillo = ring
el pendiente, los pendientes = earrings [regional] el aro / el arete = earring [regional]
el brazalete = bracelet [often on the arm] la pulsera = bracelet [often at the wrist where one’s “pulse” is]
el pijama / los pijamas = pajamas, PJs
el paraguas = umbrella la sombrilla = umbrella [regional]
el impermeable = raincoat [regional]
la gorra = cap [small hat]
el sombrero = hat [with a wide brim, usually all the way around]
el suéter = sweater
la sudadera = sweatshirt
los jeans = jeans los bluyines = jeans [lit. “blue jeans” but could be any color in Spanish] los vaqueros = jeans [Spain; lit. “cowboy (pants)”] [there are LOTS of regionalisms for jeans]
la seda = silk
la piel = leather / skin el cuero = leather
el algodón = cotton
la lana = wool
el terciopelo = velvet
el encaje = lace
la tela = fabric
el mezclillo = denim

Basics of Colors

Note: Some names of colors do not change for gender as they are derived from nouns - to distinguish them, I’m not including the definite articles to identify them as adjectives.

As an example, rosa “pink” comes from “rose”, so la camisa rosa “pink shirt” or el abrigo rosa “pink coat”

Note 2: When talking about colors as “the color” itself, it is always masculine; el rojo is “the color red”. This is important for distinguishing certain nouns - el naranja is “the color orange” vs. la naranja “orange (fruit)”, or el rosa “the color pink” vs. la rosa “rose (flower)”, or el turquesa “the color turquoise” vs. la turquesa “turquoise (gem)”

rojo/a = red
naranja = orange anaranjado/a = orange, orangey
amarillo/a = yellow
verde = green
azul = blue azul claro = light blue azul celeste = light blue / sky blue azul oscuro = dark blue azul marino = navy blue
añil = indigo
turquesa = turquoise
lila = light purple / lilac, lavender (color)
morado/a = dark purple
púrpura = purple
rosa = pink rosado/a = pink, rosy
marrón = brown (color) café = brown
negro/a = black
blanco/a = white
gris = gray
oro = gold dorado/a = gold, golden
plata = silver plateado/a = silvery
bronce = bronze bronceado/a = bronzed, tanned
arcoíris, arco iris = rainbow
oscuro/a = dark
claro/a = light (color)
castaño = brown (hair/eyes) [lit. “chestnut”]
caoba = mahogany, auburn (hair/eyes) [lit. “mahogany”]

#spanish #spanish vocabulary #langblr #reference #language learning