Learning Spanish starts with the small steps — the everyday words and phrases you’ll actually use. These helps you introduce yourself, order food on your next trip, or simply feel more connected when you hear Spanish around you. Starting with essential words gives you the confidence to keep going, because you’ll quickly see how useful they are in real life.
Think of it as laying the foundation for a new skill: once you know the most common Spanish words, whole sentences and conversations begin to make sense. Whether your goal is travel, study, or just personal growth, a solid vocabulary is the first step toward real communication. Below you’ll find a starter list of Spanish words along with links to complete courses — the perfect way to grow your skills step by step.
List of spanish words and phrases for beginners
Here are some of the first Spanish words and phrases every beginner should know. Simple greetings and polite expressions like Hello or Thank you are the building blocks of real conversations. By starting with these, practicing Spanish feel natural and rewarding.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Hello | ¡Hola! |
| How are you? | ¿Qué tal? |
| Very well, and you? | Muy bien, y tu? |
| I am Gloria | Yo soy Gloria |
| Thank you | Gracias |
| Please | Por favor |
| Yes | Sí |
| No | No |
| Good | Bien |
| Of course | Claro |
| Adiós | Goodbye |
| A boy | Un niño |
| A girl | Una niña |
| A family | Una familia |
For more basic words and phrases like these, check our beginner Spanish vocabulary course.
Once you’ve learned basic spanish words like how to greet and introduce yourself, the next step is keeping the conversation going. These common spanish questions and answers will help you chat naturally, whether you’re meeting someone new or just practicing small talk in spanish.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? (informal) |
| ¿Qué tal? | How are you? / What’s up? |
| ¿Cómo te va? | How’s it going? |
| ¿Qué pasa? | What’s happening? |
| Bien, gracias | Good, thank you |
| Muy bien | Very well |
| Así, así | So, so |
| ¿Y tú? | And you? |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
| Hasta luego | See you later |
You’ve just taken another step into the Spanish-speaking world! With these Spanish words and phrases, you’re ready to greet people, start conversations, and feel more confident in real situations.
To go further, explore our complete Spanish courses with flashcards and a smart spaced repetition system (SRS). Learning stays simple, fun, and effective — so you can keep practicing, grow your vocabulary, and make Spanish part of your daily life.
The 5 Most Common Spanish Words for Beginners
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| yo | I |
| Yo soy estudiante. | I am a student. |
| tú | you (informal) |
| Tú eres mi amigo. | You are my friend. |
| sí | yes |
| Sí, claro. | Yes, of course. |
| no | no |
| No entiendo. | I don’t understand. |
| gracias | thank you |
| Gracias por tu ayuda. | Thank you for your help. |
The 5 Most Common Spanish Verbs
With just a few verbs you can already say who you are, what you have, what you do, and where you go — making them some of the most powerful tools for beginners.
Learning these five common verbs gives you the freedom to build real sentences and start communicating naturally in Spanish.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ser | to be |
| Yo soy feliz. | I am happy. |
| estar | to be (temporary) |
| Estoy cansado. | I am tired. |
| tener | to have |
| Tengo un coche. | I have a car. |
| hacer | to do / to make |
| Hago mi tarea. | I do my homework. |
| ir | to go |
| Voy a la escuela. | I go to school. |
Positive Spanish Words and Everyday Phrases
Spanish is also about warmth and connection, and these common positive phrases make conversations feel friendly and fun. From toasting with “cheers” to wishing someone “good luck,” these expressions are short, memorable, and instantly make you sound more natural.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Salud | Cheers! |
| Felicidades | Congratulations |
| Encantado / Encantada | Nice to meet you |
| Buen trabajo | Good job |
| Qué bonito | How beautiful |
| Me gusta | I like it |
| Bienvenido / Bienvenida | Welcome |
| Que tengas un buen día | Have a nice day |
| Buena suerte | Good luck |
| Cuídate | Take care |
| Nos vemos pronto | See you soon |
For more materials, you should definitely visit our library of spanish words and phrases, where you can cherry-pick only the words you want to practise and extend your vocabulary.
Don’t Forget to Practice Your Fluency
By learning just a few words, verbs, and phrases, you’ve already built the foundation for real conversations.
The next step is to keep practicing and expanding with structured courses, spaced repetition and talking with others or with AI — so Spanish becomes a natural part of your daily life.
Language learning is a journey — celebrate every small win! Even five minutes a day makes a difference. Stay curious, explore new topics in Spanish, and soon you’ll find yourself thinking, joking, and dreaming in the language naturally.
Jana is in charge of Customer Support at DuoCards, so she’s usually the one you’ll be in touch with. She holds a Master’s degree in Czech language and literature, which gave her a solid foundation in linguistics and language learning. Over the course of her career, she gained experience in coding websites and managing social media.
When she’s not helping you solve an issue in the app, you can find her hanging upside down on an aerial hammock or with her hands in the soil, taking care of her collection of around 80 houseplants.
