Starting the year with many resolutions is nothing new, more and more people propose to learn Spanish as a new language, to do more sports, to have a balanced diet, to travel more... Although most of these resolutions are forgotten halfway through the year.

That is why, from Don Quijote Spanish language school, we want to help you with one of these resolutions: to learn Spanish in Spain and, in this article, we will teach you the basic Spanish vocabulary you need to start mastering this language. Don't miss it and keep reading!

You can also read this same article in Spanish, French, Italian and Dutch.

Simple Spanish words

Spanish is a simple language, but it has several more complicated structures or forms when you start studying it. However, with a little practice, perseverance and interest you will be able to master Spanish in no time.

Below you will find the 100 basic Spanish words you need to learn to start mastering Spanish, divided into categories.

Personal pronouns

• Yo - I
• Tú - You
• Él - He
• Ella - She
• Nosotros - We
• Vosotros - You
• Ellos - They

Basic verbs

• Ser - To be
• Estar - To be
• Tener - To have
• Hacer - To do
• Ir – Go
• Venir – Come
• Decir – Say
• Hablar – Speak
• Comer – Eat
• Beber – Drink
• Quere – Want
• Poder – Can
• Saber - Know
• Ver - See
• Escuchar - Listen
• Leer - Read
• Escribir – Write

Common nouns

• Agua - Water
• Comida - Food
• Casa - House
• Escuela - School
• Trabajo - Work
• Amigo/a - Friend
• Familia - Family
• Tiempo - Time
• Niño/a - Child
• Mamá - Mom
• Papá - Dad
• Gente - People
• Perro - Dog
• Gato - Cat
• Libro - Book

Basic adjectives

• Bueno - Good
• Malo - Bad
• Grande - Big
• Pequeño - Small
• Feliz - Happy
• Triste - Sad
• Nuevo - New
• Viejo - Old
• Guapo/a – Handsome / Beautiful
• Feo – Ugly

Adverbs and connectors

• Aquí - Here
• Allí - There
• Ahora - Now
• Luego - Then
• Antes - Before
• Después - After
• Siempre - Always
• Nunca - Never
• También - Also
• Pero – But

Days and numbers

• Lunes - Monday
• Martes - Tuesday
• Miércoles - Wednesday
• Jueves - Thursday
• Viernes - Friday
• Sábado - Saturday
• Domingo - Sunday
• Uno - One
• Dos - Two
• Tres - Three
• Cuatro - Four
• Cinco - Five
• Seis - Six
• Siete - Seven
• Ocho - Eight
• Nueve - Nine
• Diez - Ten

Interrogative words

• Qué - What
• Quién - Who
• Cómo - How
• Dónde - Where
• Cuándo - When
• Por qué - Why

Simple words in Spanish

• Hola - Hello
• Adiós - Goodbye
• Gracias - Thank you
• Por favor - Please
• Perdón - Sorry
• Lo siento - I am sorry
• Si - Yes
• No - No
• Salud – Bless you
• Disculpa - Sorry
• Bien – Good
• Mal - Wrong
• Más - More
• Menos - Less
• Mucho - A lot
• Poco - A little
• Lejos - Far
• Cerca – Near

These are just the 100 basic Spanish words you will learn today, once you control this vocabulary, don't hesitate to keep learning. Spanish must be worked on day by day, so if you need to know more about how to learn Spanish from scratch, you can look at our blog, you will find thousands of posts that will help you to reinforce your learning.

Remember to continue learning Spanish vocabulary and expressions to understand Spanish with the native speakers or you can opt for an intensive Spanish course with DonQuijote and come and discover one of the 11 cities where we have schools.

Are you just starting to learn Spanish and don't know which are the basic Spanish grammar rules you need to master? At donQuijote Spanish school we can help you with that.

Spanish is a rich and structured language and has clear grammar rules that can help you build correct and understandable sentences. That's why, below, we explain 10 essential Spanish grammar rules that every beginner should know before signing up for an intensive Spanish course.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

1. Spanish nouns have gender and number

In Spanish, nouns are classified into several categories, but if there is something to keep in mind about them, it is their gender and number. Each noun has its gender, masculine or feminine, and its number, that is, they can be singular or plural.

For example:

• El árbol / Los árboles (The tree / The trees)
• La casa / Las casas (The house / The houses)
• El perro / Los perros (The dog / The dogs)
• La silla / Las sillas (The chair / The chairs)

However, there are some nouns that are genderless, that is, they are used for both masculine and feminine. For example: el/la artista (the artist), el/la estudiante (the student), la/el paciente (the patient), la/el testigo (the witness) or la/el modelo (the model).

Also, you must keep in mind that, if the noun is accompanied by an adjective or article, these must agree with the gender and number of the noun they accompany. For example:

• El perro marrón / Los perros marrones (The brown dog / The brown dogs)
• La casa bonita / Las casas bonitas (The beautiful house / The beautiful houses)
• El libro antiguo / Los libros antiguos (The old book / The old books)
• La silla azul / Las sillas azules (The blue chair / The blue chairs)

2. Basic sentence structure in Spanish

The basic sentence structure in Spanish is subject + verb + object/complement. With this simple structure you can build clear and understandable sentences. For example:

• “María come una manzana” (Maria eats an apple). The subject is “Maria”, the verb is “come” (eat) and the object is “una manzana”.
• “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista” (They have an appointment at the dentist). The subject is “ellos”; the verb is “tienen” and the complement is “cita en el dentista”.

Although, sometimes, the subject can be omitted and need not be included in the sentence. In the example above, “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista”, the subject can be omitted, and the sentence would have the same sense and meaning: “Tienen cita en el dentista”.

If you want to learn more about it, you can visit our post Spanish sentence structure.

3. Questions in Spanish always have the same structure

As with sentences, questions in Spanish also have a clear order. Most questions usually start with interrogative words such as: qué (what), quién (who), cómo (how) or dónde (where). Also, note that interrogative particles always have accent.

However, in Spanish you can ask questions without the interrogative particle, simply add the question marks “¿?” and pronounce the phrase with the intonation of a question.

For example:

• ¿Quién es el vecino que toca la guitarra? (Who is the neighbor who plays the guitar?)
• ¿Me puedes decir qué hora es? (Can you tell me what time it is?)
• ¿Cómo puedo llegar al metro desde el teatro? (How can I get to the subway from the theater?)
• ¿Hablas español? (Do you speak Spanish?)
• ¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo? (Can I borrow your pen?)

4. Negative sentences in Spanish are easy and simple

In Spanish, to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one, you simply need to add the word no to it. You can add this particle before the verb or, if it is a question, add it at the beginning of the question.

Some examples:

• Juan estudia español -> Juan no estudia español -> (Juan studies Spanish/Juan doesn’t study Spanish)
• ¿Sabes cómo llegar al metro? -> No sé cómo llegar al metro (Do you know how to get to the subway? / No, I don't know how to get to the subway)
• Mi tía sabe hablar tres idiomas -> Mi tía no sabe hablar tres idiomas (My aunt can speak three languages / My aunt can't speak three languages)
• ¿Quieres pescado para cenar? -> No quiero pescado para cenar (Do you want fish for dinner? / I don't want fish for dinner)

5. Verbs are conjugated according to person, tense and mood

A peculiarity of Spanish and one of the most complex aspects is the conjugation of verbs. Because in Spanish verbs change form according to the person performing the action, the time in which it occurs (present, past, future) and the mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative).

 Examples of various verb tenses in Spanish:

• “Presente” indicative: Yo hablo. Tú hablas. Él/Ella habla. Nosotros/as hablamos. Vosotros/as habláis. Ellos/as hablan.
• “Pretérito pluscuamperfecto” indicative: Yo había cantado. Tú habías cantado. Él/Ella había cantado. Nosotros habíamos cantado. Vosotros habíais cantado. Ellos habían cantado.
• “Presente” subjunctive: Yo coma. Tú comas. Él/Ella coma. Nosotros comamos. Vosotros comáis. Ellos coman.
• “Futuro simple” subjunctive: Yo saliere. Tú salieres. Él/Ella saliere. Nosotros saliéremos. Vosotros saliereis. Ellos salieren.

6. Personal pronouns are optional

Personal pronouns (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros/as, vosotros/as and ellos/as) are often optional in Spanish. This is because the conjugation of the verb already indicates the person.

For example:

• Yo estudio español -> Estudio español (I study Spanish)
• Nosotros comemos paella los domingos -> Comemos paella los domingos (We eat paella on Sundays)
• Ellos salen de fiesta el viernes -> Salen de fiesta el viernes (They go out to party on Friday)

In the examples above, both forms are correct, with or without personal pronouns and the meaning is the same, it does not vary. Depending on the context and the conversation, personal pronouns can be omitted.

7. Adjectives go after the noun

In Spanish, adjectives are generally placed after the noun they describe. This order is different in other languages such as English. For example:

• Un coche rojo (A red car)
• Una camisa amarilla (A yellow shirt)
• La taza rosa (The pink mug)
• El libro viejo (The old book)

But there is an exception in some adjectives, such as “bueno” or “grande”, which can come before in certain contexts. For example: “Un buen día” (a good day) or “Un gran tamaño” (a great size).

8. Pronouns precede the verb (almost always)

There are several types of pronouns in Spanish (personal, reflexive, direct and indirect) that are placed before the verb. For example:

• Me dio el libro (She gave me the book)
• Se levanta tarde (He gets up late)
• Le gusta la pasta (He likes pasta)

In addition, in compound verb forms or with infinitives, pronouns can be attached to the verb. For example:

• Voy a dártelo (I'm going to give it to you)
• Siéntate, por favor (Please sit down)
• ¿Puedes coserme el pantalón? (Can you sew my pants?)

9. Adverbs are very flexible

The placement of adverbs is very versatile, and they can be used in different positions within the same sentence. Some Spanish adverbs are: cerca (near), aquí (here), allí (there), rápidamente (quickly), etc.

For example:

• María come rápidamente una manzana
• Rápidamente, María come una manzana
• María come una manzana rápidamente

All these forms are correct and convey the same idea, regardless of where the adverb is placed.

10. Words with accent have specific rules

The Spanish accent or tilde is used to indicate the tonic syllable in a word or to differentiate words that are spelled the same way. Thus, we distinguish two methods to put a tilde on Spanish words:

In Spanish, the accent serves to mark emphasis. For example: lámpara (lamp), rápido (fast), canción (song), camión (truck).

While the diacritical tilde is used to differentiate words that are spelled the same:

• tú (pronoun) and tu (possessive)
• sí (affirmation) and si (conditional)
• él (pronoun) and el (article)
• más (adverb/adjective) and mas (conjunction)

With these 10 Spanish grammar rules, the language becomes more accessible to students, especially if you are a beginner. So don't forget to practice the simplest structures and concepts that are key to rapid improvement in Spanish language.

Have you ever wondered what the words that join sentences in Spanish are called? In this donQuijote article we bring you the answer: conjunctions. These words are essential to improve your level and sound like a native speaker.

So, if you are already living your adventure of learning Spanish in Spain and you want to give a more natural touch to your communication with the locals, conjunctions will be your best ally. Find out everything you need to know about conjunctions with us.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch. 

What is a Spanish conjunction?

Conjunctions in Spanish are invariable words that serve to link phrases, words or groups of words within the same sentence. Thus, they establish grammatical and meaningful relationships between them.

The main function of a conjunction in Spanish is to connect the elements in a coherent and fluid way, so they are essential for the structure of the language and the clarity of the message.

Types of conjunctions

Below, you will find the different types of conjunctions in Spanish and several practical examples so that you can understand how they work and be able to use them in your daily life.

Coordinating conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions (conjunciones coordinantes) join elements that have the same grammatical function within a sentence. They do not establish a relationship of dependency, but of equality. Within coordinating conjunctions there are several subtypes:

1. Copulativas (copulative): they indicate addition between the joined elements. The main ones are: y, e, ni.

Examples:

• Pedro y Ana fueron al parque (Pedro and Ana went to the park)
• No estudió ni trabajó ese día (He did not study or work that day)
• María e Isabel son amigas (Maria and Isabel are friends)
• Juan y María prepararon la cena juntos (Juan and María prepared dinner together)

2. Disyuntivas (disjunctive): they express alternatives or options between the elements. They are: o, u.

Examples:

• ¿Prefieres té o café? (Do you prefer tea or coffee?)
• Debemos ir rápido o perderemos el tren (We must go fast, or we will miss the train)
• ¿Quieres estudiar español u otro idioma? (Do you want to study Spanish or another language?)
• ¿Estudias o trabajas? (Do you study or work?)

3. Adversativas (adversatives): they indicate opposition or contrast between elements. You’ll find in this category: pero, mas, sino, sin embargo, no obstante.

Examples:

• Quiero ayudarte, pero no tengo tiempo (I want to help you, but I don't have time)
• No lo hizo él, sino su hermano (He didn't do it, but his brother did)
• Mejoró mucho, mas sigue débil (He improved a lot, but is still weak)
• Estamos compenetrados, sin embargo, no siempre acertamos (We understand each other; however, we don't always get it right)
• Quiero salir, pero está lloviendo (I want to go out, but it's raining)

4. Distributivas (distributive): they express an alternation between actions or concepts. The main ones: ya... ya, bien... bien... bien, unos…otros.

Examples:

• Ya ríes, ya lloras con esa película (You already laugh and cry with this movie)
• Puedes elegir bien el lunes o bien el viernes (You can choose either Monday or Friday)
• Unos prefieren la playa, otros la montaña (Some prefer the beach, others the mountains)

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions (conjunciones subordinadas) join two parts of a sentence, establishing a dependency relationship. We differentiate the following types:

1. Casuales (causal): they indicate the cause or reason for what is expressed in the main sentence. They are: porque, pues, pues que, puesto que.

Examples:

• No salí porque estaba lloviendo (I did not go out because it was raining)
• Debes descansar, ya que mañana será un día largo (You should rest, because tomorrow will be a long day)
• Pon la mesa porque ya vienen tus tíos (Set the table because your aunt and uncle are coming)
• No pude asistir a la cena puesto que tenía otro compromiso (I could not attend the dinner since I had another commitment)

2. Consecutivas (consecutives): they express the consequence of what was mentioned in the main sentence. The main ones: por lo tanto, por consiguiente, así que.

Examples:

• Estudió mucho, por lo tanto, aprobó el examen (She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam)
• Hace frío, así que ponte un abrigo (It is cold, so put on a coat)
• El proyecto fue un éxito, por consiguiente, recibimos muchas felicitaciones (The project was a success; consequently, we received many congratulations)

3. Condicionales (conditionals): they introduce a condition necessary for what is said in the main sentence to be fulfilled. They are: si, a menos que, con tal que, siempre que.

Examples:

• Iremos al parque si deja de llover (We will go to the park if it stops raining)
• No te ayudaré a menos que me hagas caso (I won't help you unless you listen to me)
• Te prestaré mi coche con tal que lo devuelvas como estaba (I will lend you my car as long as you return it as it was)

4. Finales (endings): indicate the purpose or aim of what is expressed in the main sentence. The main ones are: para que, a fin de que, con el objetivo de que.

Examples:

• Trabajo para que tú puedas estudiar (I work so that you can study)
• Lo explicó con el objetivo de que todos lo entendieran (He explained it so that everyone would understand)

5. Temporales (temporal): they point out a temporal relationship between sentences. Main: cuando, mientras, antes de que, después de que.

Examples:

• Llegaré cuando termine de trabajar (I will arrive when I finish work)
• Antes de que se vaya, hablaremos con ella (Before she leaves, we will talk to her)

6. Concesivas (concessives): express an objection or difficulty that does not prevent the realization of what is said in the main sentence. Principals: aunque, a pesar de que, por más que.

Examples:

• Aunque estaba cansado, siguió trabajando (Although he was tired, he continued working)
• Por más que insistas, no cambiaré de opinión (No matter how much you insist, I will not change my mind)

7. Comparativas (comparatives): establish a comparison between two ideas. They are: como, igual que, más que, menos que.

Examples:

• Es tan fuerte como un roble (She is as strong as an oak tree)
• Ella corre más rápido que su hermano (She runs faster than her brother)

These are some of the most common conjunctions in Spanish used in everyday life. Do you still have doubts? It's very simple! Sign up for an intensive Spanish course and our teachers will explain and solve all your doubts about Spanish conjunctions or grammar.

Spanish reflexive verbs are an essential part of Spanish and help to express concrete actions. Therefore, understanding their use is fundamental to be able to express everyday situations in a correct and natural way; and to continue your adventure of learning Spanish in Spain. Do you dare to try?

In this don Quijote article you will learn what they are, when they are used and how to conjugate reflexive verbs in Spanish. In addition, you will find some practical examples so that you can integrate them into your Spanish conversations.

You can also read this article in other languages by clicking on Spanish, Italian or Dutch.

What are Spanish reflexive verbs?

Reflexive verbs in Spanish are common and simpler than they seem. A reflexive verb is when the subject and the object of a sentence are the same, that is, the action is on the person who performs it.

The subject is the protagonist of the sentence, whether it is a person, animal or thing. The object or complement is the person, place, animal or thing that receives the action performed by the subject.

Some reflexive verbs in Spanish are: “caerse”, “peinarse”, “lavarse”, “levantarse” or “ducharse”, although there are many more that you will find below. In English, for example, reflexive verbs use pronouns (myself, yourself or herself).

Therefore, in English the reflection of the sentence is shown with the pronouns themself or himself. But, in Spanish, the reflexive verbs are already inside the verb itself: acordarse or mirarse. Reflexive verbs in Spanish are characterized, then, by having the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb and in the infinitive at the end (-se).

The reflexive pronouns in Spanish are:

• Me (me)
• Te (you)
• Se (he or she)
• Nos (we)
• Os (you)
• Se (they)

When to use reflexive verbs in Spanish?

Spanish reflexive verbs are used in several specific situations:

• To describe personal or self-care actions. They are used when we talk about actions that someone does about themselves, such as hygiene, dressing or self-care activities. Examples: bañarse, peinarse or lavarse.
• To express changes of state or emotions. Many reflexive verbs in Spanish reflect a transition of state or emotion. Examples: enfadarse, alegrarse or aburrirse.
• To express reciprocal actions. Used when the action is performed mutually by two or more people. Example: abrazarse or besarse.
• To change the meaning of some verbs. Some Spanish non-reflexive verbs can have a different meaning when used as reflexives. For example: quedar (to go on a date) vs. quedarse (to stay in a place).

Conjugate reflexive verbs in Spanish

To conjugate a reflexive verb in Spanish, you must conjugate the verb in the tense you want and add the corresponding pronoun. An example of a reflexive verb is peinarse and conjugated with the reflexive pronouns it would look like this:

• Me peino (me)
• Te peinas (you)
• Se peina (he or she)
• Nos peinamos (we)
• Os peináis (you)
• Se peinan (they)

Examples of reflexive verbs in Spanish

To understand how reflexive verbs work in sentences, here are several examples in different contexts to understand it better:

• María se peina cada mañana antes de ir a trabajar (Maria combs her hair every morning before going to work).
• Me cepillo los dientes después de cada comida (I brush my teeth after every meal).
• Se enfadó con Juan por no respetar su trabajo (He got angry with Juan for not respecting her work).
• Nos alegramos mucho cuando te vimos ayer (We were very happy when we saw you yesterday).
• Se ayudan cuando hay problemas, por eso hacen tan buen equipo (You help each other when there are problems, that's why you make such a good team)
• Nos escribimos todos los días después de clase (We write to each other every day after school).

You should not forget that certain Spanish verbs can be reflexive and non-reflexive. The differences between them are in the context. For example, the verb llamar, when the context is to call someone, is non-reflexive. E.g. “El director llamó al grupo de Juan para presentar el proyector” (The director called Juan's group to present the projector). However, the verb llamarse is reflexive, since it refers to saying one's own name. E.g. “Me llamo Raquel ¿y tú?” (My name is Raquel, and you?).

Other examples with reflexive and non-reflexive verbs in Spanish are:

• Quedar: when you have an appointment or event. g. “Mañana quedo con Ana para estudiar” (Tomorrow I will meet Ana to study).
• Quedarse: when it means to stay in a place. g. “Ana se queda en casa cuando llueve” (Ana stays at home when it rains).
• Callar: when someone makes another person keep silent. E.g. “El maestro mandó callar a los estudiantes porque hacían mucho ruido” (The teacher told the students to be quiet because they were making too much noise).
• Callarse: when a person decides or is forced to remain silent. E.g. “Nos callamos cuando entró el director al salón” (We kept quiet when the principal came into the classroom).

List of Spanish reflexive verbs

Once you have understood how Spanish reflexive verbs work, you can practice using them in your conversations. But if you still don't know what these verbs are, we leave you a list of the most used reflexive verbs in Spanish and sentences in which they are used:

• Levantarse (Get up) – Me levanto a las 7:00 a.m. (I get up at 7:00 a.m.)
• Ducharse (Shower) – Se ducha cada mañana (She showers every morning)
• Bañarse (Bathe) – Me baño después de hacer ejercicio (I bathe after exercise)
• Cepillarse los dientes (Brush your teeth) – Nos cepillamos los dientes después de cada comida (We brush our teeth after every meal)
• Lavarse las manos, la cara, el pelo… (Wash your hands, face, hair…) – Se lava las manos antes de comer (You wash your hands before you eat)
• Peinarse (Comb) – Te peinas antes de salir de casa (You comb your hair before you leave the house)
• Vestirse (Dress) – Me visto rápido cuando tengo prisa (I dress quickly when I am in a hurry)
• Ponerse (Put on) – Se pone el abrigo porque tiene frío (You put on your coat because you are cold)
• Quitarse (Take off) – Se quita los zapatos al entrar (You take off your shoes when you come in)
• Afeitarse (shave) – Me afeito cada dos días (I shave every other day)
• Maquillarse (Make up) – Se maquilla para la fiesta (She puts on makeup for the party)
• Acostarse (Go to bed) – Me acuesto a las 10:30h (I go to bed at 10:30 p.m.)
• Despertarse (Wake up) – Nos despertamos temprano los fines de semana (We wake up early on weekends)
• Secarse (Dry off) – Me seco el pelo después de bañarme (I dry my hair after I take a bath)
• Enfadarse (Get angry) – Se enfadó porque llegó tarde (He got angry because he was late)
• Alegrarse (Be happy) – Me alegro de verte (I'm glad to see you)
• Entristecerse (Get sad) – Nos entristecemos cuando termina el verano (We get sad when summer ends)
• Preocuparse (Worry) – Se preocupan por sus hijos (They worry about their children)
• Calmarse (Calm down) – Se calma después de un rato (He calms down after a while)
• Aburrirse (Get bored) – Me aburro cuando no hay nada que hacer (I get bored when there is nothing to do)

• Sorprenderse (Be surprised) – Nos sorprendimos con la noticia (We were surprised by the news)
• Asustarse (Get scared) – Te asustas con facilidad (You get scared easily)
• Sentirse (Feel) – Me siento muy bien hoy (I feel very good today)
• Cansarse (Get tired) – Nos cansamos tras una hora corriendo en círculos (We got tired after an hour of running in circles)
• Quedarse (Stay) – Me quedo en casa los domingos (I stay home on Sundays)
• Irse (Leaving) – Nos vamos en diez minutos (We're leaving in ten minutes)
• Llamarse (Be named) – Me llamo María (My name is Maria)
• Divertirse (Have fun) – Nos divertimos mucho en la fiesta (We have a lot of fun at the party)
• Quejarse (Complain) – Siempre se quejan del tráfico (They always complain about the traffic)
• Reírse (Laugh) – Me río mucho con tus bromas (I laugh a lot at your jokes)
• Acercarse (Approach) – Te acercas a la puerta cuando oyes un ruido (You approach the door when you hear a noise)
• Darse cuenta (Realize) – Me di cuenta de que olvidé mi teléfono en el restaurante (I realized I forgot my phone at the restaurant)
• Imaginarse (Imagine) – Me imagino que estará lloviendo (I imagine it's raining)
• Equivocarse (Get wrong) – Nos equivocamos en la dirección (We got the wrong address)
• Atreverse (Dare) – ¿Te atreves a saltar? (Do you dare to jump?)
• Esforzarse (Make an effort/Try) – Me esfuerzo por aprender español (I'm making an effort to learn Spanish)
• Arrepentirse (Regret) – Me arrepiento de no haber estudiado más (I regret not having studied more)
• Olvidarse (Forget) – Me olvidé de traer el paraguas (I forgot to bring my umbrella)
• Concentrarse (Cocentrate) – Me concentro mejor por las mañanas (I concentrate better in the morning)

Integrating reflexive verbs into your daily conversations will allow you to describe your routines, emotions and actions fluently. But if you still have doubts, an intensive Spanish course is what you need. Travel to Spain with don Quijote and keep practicing, surrounded by Spanish 24 hours a day, and with classmates with the same goal as you. Learn Spanish with us!

As you may already know if you are studying Spanish as a second language, the conjugation of verb tenses is quite complex. Each tense has its ending, which varies depending on the person and the number. However, one of the simplest ways to conjugate is imperative.

If you found our guide on how to conjugate Spanish verb tenses useful, this article will help you to complement your knowledge of the language with Spanish commands and to want to learn Spanish in Spain with professionals like don Quijote Spanish schools.

You can also read this same article in Spanish, French or Italian.

What are Spanish commands?

Spanish commands or imperative mood is used to give orders, advice, make requests or give instructions. The peculiarity of this mood, as opposed to the indicative and subjunctive moods, is that only the second person singular and plural is conjugated. That is to say, the pronouns “tú”, “vosotros” and “usted” are the only ones that are conjugated in the Spanish command.

However, in the Spanish imperative form, the subject is usually omitted since it is only used to give orders and, in most cases, it is not necessary to add it.

When forming the imperative, several factors must be considered:

• Affirmative or negative
• Formal (usted) or informal (tú or vosotros)
• Singular or plural

Spanish informal commands: affirmative and negative

Generally, the informal form of the Spanish command is usually used by close people, such as friends, family, co-workers, etc.

Affirmative Spanish commands

The affirmative form of the imperative is easy to learn, as it is almost identical to the third person singular of the present tense in Spanish. Basically, you just remove the “r” from the end of the verb and ¡listo! You have the Spanish command done with the second person singular pronoun: “tú”. On the other hand, with the plural, you must replace the “r” with a “d” at the end and you've got it!

The only exception is with verbs ending in “-ir” in the second person singular, in which case you only must change the “I” for an “e”. Here are some examples, depending on the ending of the verb.

Verbs ending in -ar:

• Habla (tú). Example: Habla más despacio (Speak more slowly)
• Hablad (vosotros). E.g. Hablad entre vosotros primero (Talk to each other first)
• Canta (tú). g. Canta tu canción favorita (Sing your favorite song)
• Cantad (vosotros). E.g. Cantad el villancico en Navidad (Sing the carol at Christmas)

Verbs ending in -er:

• Come (tú). E.g. Come más verduras (Eat more vegetables)
• Comed (vosotros). g. Comed en silencio (Eat in silence)
• Bebe (tú) E.g. Bebe más agua (Drink more water)
• Bebed (vosotros) E.g. Bebed antes de salir a correr (Drink before going for a run)

Verbs ending in -ir:

• Escribe (tú) E.g. Escribe la redacción (Write the essay)
• Escribid (vosotros) E.g. Escribid el trabajo en grupo (Write the group work)
• Conduce (tú) E.g. Conduce más despacio (Drive slower)
• Conducid (vosotros) E.g. Conducid siguiendo la línea blanca (Drive following the white line)

Most regular verbs follow this rule, but what about the imperative mood in irregular verbs? Each irregular verb follows its own form of the second person singular, here are some of the most common ones:

• Ser: Sé (tú) E.g. Sé amable con tu primo (Be nice to your cousin)
• Hacer: Haz (tú) E.g. Haz caso a la profesora (Listen to the teacher)
• Ir: Ve (tú) E.g. Ve tú solo a hacer la compra (Go by yourself to do the shopping)
• Decir: Di (tú) E.g. Di qué hiciste ayer (Say what you did yesterday)
• Salir: Sal (tú) E.g. Sal de casa con la mochila (Go out of the house with your backpack)
• Tener: Ten (tú) E.g. Ten paciencia (Be patient)
• Venir: Ven (tú) g. Ven a casa esta tarde (Come home this afternoon)
• Poner: Pon (tú) E.g. Pon la mesa (Set the table)

Negative Spanish commands

As for the negative form of the imperative, once you have learned the affirmative, it is very simple. To the affirmative form you must add the particle “no” in front of it and use the present subjunctive of the verb.

Here are some examples:

• No hables (tú) E.g. No hables tan alto (Don't talk so loud)
• No habléis (vosotros) E.g. No habléis en el teatro (Don't talk at the theater)
• No cantes (tú) E.g. No cantes por la mañana (n't sing in the morning)
• No cantéis (vosotros) E.g. No cantéis durante la visita al museo (Don't sing during a visit to the museum)
• No comas (tú) E.g. No comas a deshoras (Don't eat at the wrong time)
• No comáis (vosotros) E.g. No comáis nada antes de cenar (Don't eat anything before dinner)
• No bebas (tú) E.g. No bebas alcohol entre semana (Don't drink alcohol during the week)
• No bebáis (vosotros) E.g. No bebáis refrescos todos los días (Don't drink soft drinks every day)
• No escribas (tú) E.g. No escribas con el boli rojo (Don't write with a red pen)
• No escribáis (vosotros) E.g. No escribáis en las paredes (Don't write on the walls)

Spanish formal commands: affirmative and negative

On the other hand, the Spanish formal command is the one used to speak in a more polite way with people you don't know or respect. For this form, the third person of the present subjunctive is used for both the affirmative and negative forms with the pronoun “usted”.

Here are examples with the verbs above:

• Hable (usted) E.g. Hable más alto (Speak up)
• Cante (usted) E.g. Cante por la mañana (Sing in the morning)
• Coma (usted) E.g. Coma esta manzana (Eat this apple)
• Beba (usted) E.g. Beba agua en verano (Drink water in the summer)
• Escriba (usted) E.g. Escriba al presidente (Write to the president)
• No sea (usted) E.g. No sea tan duro consigo mismo (Don't be so hard on yourself)
• No haga (usted) E.g. No haga cometarios inapropiados (Don't make inappropriate comments)

These are just a few conjugations with common Spanish verbs, but there are many more, regular and irregular, that you can start using the Spanish commands. Do you have any doubts? Sign up for an intensive Spanish course with don Quijote and get the most out of the language.

The way you structure a sentence in Spanish is essential to understanding Spanish speakers and one of the main Spanish lessons you need to understand. Therefore, learning the Spanish sentence’s structure is one of the most important keys to mastering the language.

Spanish syntax can vary slightly between languages, which can be confusing for Spanish learners. So, in this donQuijote article you will find a short guide on how to construct correct and natural sentences in Spanish, as well as practical examples.

You can change the language in this post from here to Spanish, Italian, French or Dutch.

What is Spanish syntax?

Spanish syntax is the way we organize words to form sentences in Spanish. This structure has several forms, and, in this guide, you will find an explanation of each one and several examples.

However, before you start building Spanish sentences, you need to know the verb tenses, since the verb is a fundamental part of every sentence. The Spanish verb not only indicates the action, but also informs about the time (past, present or future), the mood (indicative, subjunctive or imperative) and the number (singular or plural).

Spanish verbs are classified into three endings: -ar, -er and -ir. Depending on the infinitive of the verb, it will be conjugated in one way or another. You have all the information in this post about verb tenses in Spanish.

It is essential to conjugate verbs perfectly, so that the sentence makes sense. In these examples, you can see how the action changes and who performs it:

• Yo como una manzana (I eat an apple) (Present tense)
• Ellos comieron una manzana (They ate an apple) (Past tense)
• Nosotros comeremos una manzana (We will eat an apple) (Future)

Spanish sentence construction

Here is the easiest way to structure sentences in Spanish:

Basic structure: subject + verb + predicate

The simplest Spanish sentence structure is subject, verb and predicate. This means that, first you must identify who is doing the action (sujeto), what the subject does (verbo); and everything that is said about the subject in the sentence (predicado). This is the most basic outline of a sentence in Spanish.

In a common sentence, the predicate includes the action of the verb and additional information related to it. Therefore, the predicate always contains the verb and the different complements.

For example:

• Juan come una manzana (Juan eats an apple): “Juan” is the subject; “come” the verb; and “come una manzana”, the predicate.
• María lee un libro (Maria reads a book): “Maria” is the subject; “lee” is the verb; and “lee un libro”, the predicate.

Although within the predicate you can find more specific terms such as the complement. Thus, the complement is any word or group of words that completes or adds information to the verb.

Complements are part of the predicate and say more about the verb or action. Thus, the sentences above could be broken down into:

“Juan come una manzana”:

• Subject: who is doing the action -> Juan
• Verb: what he is doing -> come
• Complement: about what or to whom the action is being performed -> una manzana

“María lee un libro”:

• Subject -> María
• Verb -> lee
• Complement -> un libro

The subject can be omitted in Spanish

In Spanish it is not always necessary to mention the subject in the sentence. This is because verbs are conjugated in such a way that the subject can be inferred. The omission of the subject is different from languages such as English, where it must always be mentioned.

For example: “Yo leo todos los días” → “Leo todos los días” (I read every day)

Both sentences are correct, but in the second one we do not need to say “yo” because the verb “leer” already indicates that it is the first-person singular (“leo”). The subject can be omitted in Spanish when it is clear who performs the action.

The order of the sentences is flexible

As you have seen, Spanish is a relatively flexible language in terms of word order compared to other languages. Therefore, the order of the subject, verb or complement can often vary, but the sentence has the same meaning.

However, although you can vary the order, it is important not to alter the structure too much when you are beginning to learn Spanish as changing the order can change the meaning or make the sentence difficult to understand.

Example:

• “Los invitados entraron en el salón”
• “Entraron los invitados en el salón”
• “En el salón entraron los invitados”

The three options in the previous sentence (The guests entered the salon) have the same meaning. However, depending on the order, the emphasis falls on “los invitados” (the guests), on the action of the verb “entrar” (entered) or “en el salón” (the salon).

Affirmations, negations and questions in Spanish

As in any language, in Spanish you will also find a sentence structure for negation or questions. Affirmative sentences have the above-mentioned structure (subject, verb and predicate). While in negative sentences you only must add “no” before the verb.

Examples:

• “Me gusta comer manzanas” (I like to eat apples)
• “No me gusta comer manzanas” (I don't like to eat apples)

It is also necessary to mention that, in Spanish, there is a double negation in the same sentence. This means that, in the same sentence, two negative words can be added. Example: “No como ninguna manzana” (I don't eat any apples) or “No leo libros en ninguna occasion” (I don't read books on any occasion).

As for questions, in Spanish they can be formed in several ways. The simplest is to add question marks (¿?) to the affirmative phrase. Example: “¿Te gusta comer manzanas?” (Do you like to eat apples?)

Another option is to put the verb in front: “¿Comes manzanas normalmente?” (Do you usually eat apples?) And the last way is to add a word that assures that you are asking a question such as “no”, “verdad” or “si”. For example: “Te gusta leer por las noches, ¿verdad?” (You like to read at night, don't you?).

In this quick guide you have been able to see how sentences are structured in Spanish, but you need to keep practicing, reading and writing in Spanish to better understand sentence formation.

Constant exposure to sentence structure will help you assimilate Spanish syntax naturally, so taking a Spanish course in Spain is an ideal way to internalize it all. Don't hesitate any longer and start your Spanish adventure with donQuijote in any of our schools, we are waiting for you!

Spanish is a relatively complex language, especially if your native language is English. Spanish verb tenses are complicated, and the gender of words is something that brings many students upside down.

Learning to differentiate the feminine and masculine in Spanish can be one of the most confusing and difficult tasks for some. So, in this guide you’ll be able to understand the gender in Spanish. Continue reading this article or switch to its Spanish or Italian version here.

Feminine and masculine words in Spanish

The 'normal' when you are starting to learn Spanish is to think that all masculine words end in -o and feminine words end in -a. Well, this rule may be valid for some words like perro/perra (dog), humano/humana (human) or hermano/hermana (brother/sister). But what about others like inteligente (smart), bola (ball) or (caballo) horse?

Here are some examples of Spanish words that do not follow the general rule of masculine -o and feminine -a.

The place where you walk is the suelo (floor), but suela (sole) is the lowest part of the shoe, the one that touches the ground. Therefore, the word suelo is masculine and has no feminine equivalent.

The velo (veil) is the cloth that covers the head, generally, of brides at weddings. Well, vela is not the feminine equivalent of this word. In fact, it has no feminine equivalent, although the word vela does exist and is a polysemous word, that is, it has several meanings. The vela can be a piece of wax with a wick used for lighting (candle) or the cloth that helps to push boats in the wind (sail).

Surely you know what a caballo (horse) is, but what is the feminine of this animal in Spanish? The female of the horse is the yegua (mare). And you should not confuse it with caballa, which is a word that does exist in Spanish, but has a different meaning. Caballa (mackerel) is a very popular type of fish in Spain.

The part of the body in Spanish that ends in the hand is called the brazo (arm). But braza has nothing to do with the human body. Braza (fathom) is equivalent to almost two meters (about 6 feet) and is used to delimit marine measures of length.

Summer in Spain is very hot, so it is good to have a granizado, which is a drink made with ice chips. Oppositely, if a granizada (hailstorm) comes, it is better to take shelter, since it is a meteorological phenomenon in which pieces of ice fall mixed with rain.

The last example is the word bolso (handbag or purse). Bolso is an object made of cloth or other material that is slung over the shoulder and is used to carry objects. But if you carry a bolsa (bag), what you have is a small cloth or plastic sack that you hold by the handle with your hand and use for shopping.

Special rules for feminine and masculine in Spanish

The general rule says that in Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine (el dinero, el libro, el bolígrafo, etc.), while nouns ending in -a (la casa, la mesa, la rosa, etc.) are feminine. However, there are some exceptions that contradict this rule.

There are words that, despite ending in -a, are masculine. Examples: día (day), mapa (map), planeta (planet), programa (program) or sofa (sofa). And several words ending in -ema, esquema, poema, problema, sistema or tema, which are also masculine. Similarly, there are nouns ending in -o that are feminine: radio, mano, foto or moto.

Besides the ending in -o and -a, there are other endings that you should also be aware of because they have a specific gender:

• Nouns ending in -aje and -or are almost always masculine: el paisaje, el viaje, el color, el amor..., but there are exceptions: las flores is a feminine term.
• Alternatively, nouns are feminine if they end in -ción, -sión, -dad and -tad. For example: la canción (song), la relación (relationship), la excepción (expression), la mansión (mansion), la ciudad (city), la verdad (truth), la libertad (freedom), la amistad (friendship), etc.
• On the other hand, there are other nouns, regardless of the gender of the person, that have only one form. These nouns end in -ista and -ante: el/la artista, el/la dentista, el/la estudiante, el/la cantante, etc. Therefore, there are no Spanish forms such as la estudianta or el artisto.

In addition, there are Spanish nouns that can be used for both feminine and masculine. Generally, they end in -ente: inteligente, obediente or paciente. But there are also other nouns such as: intérprete (interpreter), atleta (athlete), policía (police), piloto (pilot) or estudiante (student). These names are used for both genders: el atleta/la atleta; el piloto/la piloto; el intérprete/la intérprete.

Finally, as you have seen before, there are nouns that have different forms according to gender:

• el hombre (man) -> la mujer (woman)
• el padre (father) -> la madre (mother)
• el actor -> la actriz (actress)
• el emperador (emperor) -> la emperatriz (empress)
• el alcalde (mayor) -> la alcaldesa (mayoress)
• el caballo (horse) -> la yegua (mare)
• el toro (bull) -> la vaca (cow)
• el gallo (rooster) -> la gallina (hen)

After reading this guide, you can say that there are nouns in Spanish that have no equivalent in feminine and masculine, others that do exist, but with a different meaning if you change the final letter and some that use a completely different word to designate their opposite in gender.

The feminine and masculine in Spanish is very curious and varied: it has words of all kinds, changes that you don't expect and rules that are broken. So, if you want to keep improving, don't hesitate to take Spanish courses in Spain to have the best teachers to guide you during your adventure in the language.

When we speak, we don't notice the words we use to connect sentences, but these particles are there, and they are important in grammar. These words are prepositions, something like the glue that holds words together and, with them, you can express the relationship between two ideas.

In Spanish there are a total of 23 prepositions, plus compound prepositions or prepositional locutions. So, if you want to know the list of prepositions in Spanish while you improve your knowledge of the language and prepare for your Spanish course in Spain, this is your article. You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What are Spanish prepositions?

Prepositions in Spanish, as in any other language, are words that establish a relationship between words in the same sentence. Their function is to connect nouns, pronouns or groups of words with other words to indicate a relationship of time, place, direction, cause or purpose in the same sentence.

On the other hand, there are Spanish prepositional locutions, a set of two or more words that function as a preposition. Although they are compound, they behave as a single preposition and have the same function as individual prepositions.

List of Spanish prepositions

Below you will find the list of Spanish prepositions:

• A (to/At)
• Ante (Before/In the presence of)
• Bajo (Under/Below)
• Cabe (Next to/Beside)
• Con (With)
• Contra (Against)
• De (Of/From)
• Desde (From/Since)
• Durante (During)
• En (In/On/Into/Upon/At/To)
• Entre (Among/Between)
• Hacia (Towards)
• Hasta (As far as/Until/Up to)
• Mediante (Through/By means of)
• Para (For/In order to)
• Por (For/Through/By)
• Según (According to)
• Sin (Without)
• So (Under)
• Sobre (On/Upon/About)
• Tras (After)
• Vía (Via/By way of)
• Versus (Versus/Against)

Although these are all the Spanish prepositions, some such as ‘cabe’ and ‘so’ are not used in spoken Spanish today; they appear sporadically in literary texts. Also, if you need a guide on how to use the prepositions por and para or the correct way to use contractions in Spanish, don't hesitate to visit our blog.

Spanish prepositional locutions

Regarding prepositional locutions, they are usually formed by 'preposition + noun + preposition'; but they can also be composed of 'adverb + preposition'. These are the most frequent Spanish prepositional locutions:

• A cargo de (In charge of)
• A causa de (On account of)
• A costa de (At the expense of)
• A falta de (For lack of)
• A fin de (At the end of)
• A fuerza de (On account of)
• A pesar de (In spite of/Despite)
• A propósito de (In spite of/Despite)
• A través de (Through)
• Al lado de (Next to)
• Alrededor de (Around)
• Antes de (Before)
• Cerca de (About)
• Con respecto a (With respect to)
• Con excepción de (Except for)
• De cara a (Facing)
• De conformidad con (In accordance with)
• De parte de (Of part of)
• Debajo de (Under)
• Delante de (In front of)
• Dentro de (Within)
• Después de (After)
• Detrás de (Behind)
• Encima de (Above)
• En bien de (Instead of)
• En lugar de (Instead of)
• En cuanto a (As for)
• En frente de (In front of)
• En medio de (In the middle of)
• En torno a (Around)
• Frente a (In front of)
• Junto a (Next to)
• Lejos de (Away from)
• Por causa de (Because of)
• Por culpa de (Because of)

Examples of Spanish prepositions

Once you have learned the complete list of prepositions in Spanish, you must put your knowledge into practice. To do so, here are some examples of Spanish prepositions in sentences for you to understand their use:

• El gato está sobre la mesa (The cat is on the table)
• Voy a la tienda (I'm going to the store)
• El regalo es para ti (The gift is for you)
• Vivo en una ciudad pequeña al lado del río (I live in a small town by the river)
• Salimos con nuestros amigos el sábado (We go out with our friends on Saturday)
• El tren pasa por el túnel (The train goes through the tunnel)
• El libro es de mi hermana (The book is my sister's)
• Llegamos a pesar de la lluvia (We arrived despite the rain)
• El banco está junto a la panadería (The bank is next to the bakery)
• Por culpa del tráfico llegué tarde a la estación (Because of the traffic I was late at the station)
• Hablamos durante el camino a casa sobre los planes del fin de semana (We talked on the way home about the weekend plans)
• La casa está cerca de la playa (The house is near the beach)
• Estoy en contra de esa decisión (I am against that decision)
• El perro duerme debajo de la cama (The dog sleeps under the bed)
• Los niños corren alrededor de la fuente (The children run around the fountain)
• Nos encontramos en medio de una tormenta (We are in the middle of a storm)
• Desde mi trabajo se puede llegar al centro en media hora (From my job you can get to downtown in half an hour)

An important fact to note about prepositions in Spanish is that, unlike colors or articles, they have neither gender nor number. For example, in the sentence above: “El gato está sobre la mesa” (The cat is on the table), the preposition is “sobre” (on), which indicates the spatial relationship between the cat and the table.

Thus, prepositions in Spanish are a fundamental part of grammar and have a fundamental role in oral communication. Keep learning Spanish with donQuijote and don't hesitate to keep practicing your knowledge to become a fluent Spanish speaker.

Do you need to expand your vocabulary because you always use the same Spanish connectors? In essays, homeworks or talking to friends, if you always use the same connector to link all your sentences, in this donQuijote article you will find a complete list of Spanish connectors, so you'll have a choice and don't repeat the same one all the time.

Whether you must write a letter, a class assignment or when talking to your friends, find the Spanish connector that best suits each situation in this list. Expanding your vocabulary will improve the way you communicate, both written and spoken, and make you sound like a native Spanish speaker.

You can continue reading in English or read this article in Spanish while improve and learn Spanish with donQuijote.

What is a Spanish connector?

Connectors in Spanish, or in any other language, are words that have the function of joining sentences or paragraphs in a text to give it coherence and cohesion. In this way, connectors help to organize ideas and facilitate their comprehension.

There are different types of connectors, depending on the relationship they establish with the ideas in the speech or text. The most used connectors in Spanish are: ‘y’, ‘porque’, ‘pero’, ‘para’, ‘o’, ‘también’, ‘sí’, ‘además’.

Although these are the most common connectors, each one belongs to a different type, among them you can find: addition connectors, contrast connectors, cause and effect connectors, sequence connectors, comparison connectors, purpose connectors and summary connectors.

Below, you are going to learn the different types of connectors in Spanish that exist and some examples that will help you understand how to use them. Keep reading so you don't miss anything!

Addition connectors

Addition connectors add information to the above; they connect ideas or elements and add information.

• Además (In addition/Plus) - Tengo que ir a la compra, además me gustaría acercarme al gimnasio (I must go shopping, plus I would like to go to the gym).
• También (Also) - Estudia francés y también alemán (He studies French and also German).
• Incluso (Even) - Todos vinieron, incluso los que no confirmaron asistencia a la fiesta (Everyone came, even those who did not RSVP to the party).
• Asimismo (Also) - El proyecto es viable, asimismo, hay que planteárselo bien a tu jefe (The project is feasible, also, you have to raise it well with your boss).
• Y (And) - Compré pan y leche en el supermercado (I bought bread and milk at the supermarket).
• Más (More) - Necesito comprar más frutas y verduras para esta semana (I need to buy more fruits and vegetables for this week).
• Del mismo modo (Likewise) - Los resultados fueron positivos, del mismo modo, los participantes opinaron favorablemente (The results were positive, likewise, the participants were positive).

Contrast and opposition connectors

These Spanish connectors indicate opposition or contrast between ideas in the same sentence. Here are some examples:

• Sin embargo (However) - Estudió mucho, sin embargo, no aprobó el examen teórico (He studied hard; however, he did not pass the theory exam).
• No obstante (Nevertheless) - Es un bolso caro, no obstante, vale la pena (It's an expensive bag, nevertheless, it's worth it).
• Aunque (Although) - Iré al parque esta tarde, aunque llueva (I will go to the park this afternoon, even if it rains).
• Pero (But) - Es inteligente, pero no se esfuerza todo lo que podría (He's smart, but he doesn't try as hard as he could).
• A pesar de (Despite) - A pesar del mal tiempo, salimos a correr al parque (Despite the bad weather, we go for a run in the park).
• En cambio (On the other hand) - Ella es callada, en cambio, él es muy hablador (She is quiet, on the other hand, he is very talkative).
• Por el contrario (On the contrary) - No quería subir al noveno piso, por el contrario, fue muy fácil hacerlo en ascensor (I didn't want to go up to the ninth floor, on the contrary, it was very easy to do it by elevator).
• Mientras que (Whereas) - Yo prefiero el mar, mientras que mi primo prefiere la montaña (I prefer the sea, while my cousin prefers the mountain).
• Por un lado/Por otro lado (On the one hand/On the other hand) - Por un lado, el viaje a Roma fue maravilloso. Por otro lado, fueron unos días agotadores (On the one hand, the trip to Rome was wonderful. On the other hand, it was an exhausting few days).

Cause and consequence connectors

Cause and consequence connectors in Spanish establish a relationship between two ideas or actions of cause or consequence, hence their name. Examples:

• Porque (Because) - No fui a trabajar porque estaba enfermo (I didn't go to work because I was sick).
• Entonces (Then) - No había asientos suficientes, entonces tuvieron que quedarse de pie (There weren't enough seats, so they had to stand).
• Por lo tanto (Therefore) - La carretera está cortada, por lo tanto, hay que buscar otra forma de llegar a la ciudad (The road is cut off; therefore, you have to find another way to get to the city).
• Debido a (Because of) – Debido a la lluvia, se canceló el concierto (Because of the rain, the concert was cancelled).
• Ya que (Since) - No vino ya que estaba ocupado (He did not come as he was busy).
• Por eso (Therefore) - Llegó tarde a la estación, por eso perdió el tren (He was late to the station, therefore he missed the train).
• Así que (So) - Se rompió un vaso de cristal, así que tuve que recogerlo con cuidado (A crystal glass broke, so I had to pick it up carefully).
• En consecuencia (Consequently) – El proyecto fue un éxito, en consecuencia, recibimos más financiación (The project was a success, consequently, we received more funding).

Sequence connectors

Sequence connectors indicate the order of ideas or actions in a sentence:

• Primero (First) - Primero, desayunamos antes de empezar el viaje (First, we had breakfast before starting the trip).
• Luego (Then) - Terminé de leer el libro, luego lo devolví a la biblioteca (I finished reading the book, then I returned it to the library).
• Después (After) - Fui a comer al restaurante, después me fui al cine con mis amigas (I went to eat at the restaurant, then I went to the movies with my friends).
• A continuación (Next) - A continuación, os enseñaré a cocinar una tortilla de patatas (Next, I will teach you how to cook a potato omelet).
• Finalmente (Finally) - Finalmente, regresamos a casa tras un largo fin de semana (Finally, we came home after a long weekend).
• En primer lugar/En segundo lugar (Firstly/Secondly) - En primer lugar, quiero agradecerles su apoyo. En segundo lugar, discutiremos el presupuesto (First of all, I want to thank you for your support. Secondly, we will discuss the budget).

Comparative connectors

These connectors in Spanish oversee establishing comparisons between ideas:

• Como (As) - Es tan brillante como su hermana (She is as bright as her sister).
• Igual que (Just like)- Baila igual que un profesional (He dances just like a professional).
• Más que/Menos que (More than/Less than) - Es más alto que su hermano, pero su carácter es menos difícil que el de su hermana (He is taller than his brother, but his character is less difficult than his sister's).
• Similar a (Similar to) - Su estilo musical es similar al mío (His musical style is similar to mine).

Connectors of purpose

Purpose connectors indicate the purpose or intention of an action. There are some, in this type of Spanish connectors, that can easily be substituted for others since they have the same meaning. For example: ‘con la intención de’, ‘con el objetivo de’, ‘con el propósito de’ o ‘a fin de’. 

• Para - Estudia para ser médico (He studies to become a doctor)
• A fin de - Hace ejercicio a fin de mejorar su salud (He exercises in order to improve his health).
• Con la intención de - Viajó con la intención de aprender inglés (He traveled with the intention of learning English).
• A fin de que - A fin de que entendieras, te lo expliqué (In order for you to understand, I explained it to you).
• Para que (So that) - Lo hice para que no te preocupes (I did it so that you wouldn't worry).

Connectors to close a speech

These Spanish connectors serve to synthesize or conclude ideas in speeches, papers or in a conversation:

• En resumen (In summary) - En resumen, fue una gran experiencia (In summary, it was a great experience).
• En conclusión (In conclusion) - En conclusión, debemos seguir trabajando en el proyecto (In conclusion, we should continue working on the project).
• En pocas palabras (In a nutshell) - En pocas palabras, nos aprobaron el proyecto (In a nutshell, we got the project approved).
• Resumiendo (In summary) - Resumiendo, toda la convención fue un éxito (In summary, the whole convention was a success).
• En definitiva (Bottom line) - En definitiva, necesitamos más recursos (Bottom line, we need more resources).

Are you learning Spanish and need to differentiate prefixes and suffixes? DonQuijote Spanish school gives you the keys you need to learn Spanish prefixes and suffixes with several examples.

Read this article in Spanish here.

What are Spanish prefixes and suffixes?

Spanish prefixes and suffixes are affix elements that lack autonomy and need a lexical base to which they contribute a new meaning. These elements give rise to new words, so the Spanish prefixes and suffixes are not words as such.

The process of word formation that suffixes and prefixes create in Spanish is called derivación (stemming). Spanish suffixes are added behind the word, while Spanish prefixes are added in front.

Neither Spanish prefixes nor suffixes can be used by themselves because their meaning depends on the word they modify. Therefore, these morphemes are autonomous and have no meaning.

In addition, suffixes and prefixes are widely used in many languages, not only in Spanish since they make it possible to create new words by adding a morpheme before or after the root.

Spanish prefixes

Spanish prefixes are added before the word they are going to modify. In addition, prefixation changes the meaning of the words, but does not modify the grammatical category. 

These are some of the most common Spanish prefixes and their meanings:

• A-: means negation or lack of something. Example: apolítico (apolitical), amorfo (amorphous).
• Anti-: indicates opposition or contradiction. Example: antinatural (unnatural), antibiótico (antibiotic).
• Auto-: refers to something of one's own, to oneself or by oneself. Example: automóvil (automobile), autodidacta (self-taught), automata (automaton).
• Bi-: means double or two. Example: bilateral, bidireccional, bisexual, bipolar.
• Co-: shows union or participation. Example: cooperar (cooperate), cofundador (co-founder).
• De-, des-, di-, dis-: means negation, excess, out of, opposition or difficulty. Example: despeinar (unkempt), discordia (discord), desordenar (disorder), discapacidad (disability), deshacer (undo).
• Extra-: means from outside or too much. Example: extraterrestre (extraterrestrial), extraofficial (unofficial).
• Geo-: pertaining or relating to the earth. Example: geografía (geography), geolocalizar (geolocate).
• Hemi-: means half. Example: hemisferio (hemisphere), hemiciclo (hemicycle).
• Hipo-: below the expected or meager. Example: hipotermia (hypothermia), hipócrita (hypocrite).
• I, in-, im-: signals negation or inversion of what the root word expresses. Example: impostor, imposible, indecisión, inmoral, ilegible (unreadable), insoportable (unbearable).

• Infra-: means below or inferior to. Example: infraestructura (infrastructure), infravalorado (undervalued), inframundo (underworld).
• Intra-: points inward or inside something. Example: Intramuros, intranet, intramuscular.
• Kilo-: means a thousand times. Example: kilogramo (kilogram), kilómetro (kilometer), kilovatio (kilowatt).
• Mega-: means very large, amplified or a million times. Examples: megáfono (megaphone), megavoltio (megavolt).
• Micro-: points to something very small or small. Example: microrrelato (microstory), microscópico (microscopic).
• Mini-: means small. Example: minifalda (miniskirt), minimalista (minimalist), minibús.
• Multi-: means many or multiple. Example: multicolor, multimillonario, multicultural.
• Post-, pos-: means behind or after. Examples: posdata (PS), posguerra (post-war), postoperatorio (post-surgery).
• Pre-: means before. Example: prehistoria (prehistory), predisponer (predispose), prejuicio (prejudice).
• Pro-: signals negation, continuity or before. Example: prólogo (prologue), proseguir (to continue), procrastinar (procrastinate).
• Re-: signals repetition or intensification. Examples: revisar (revise), renombrar (rename), rehacer (redo), recargar (reload).
• Semi-: signals half of something. Example: semicírculo (semicircle), semiabierto (semi-open), semiautomático (semiautomatic).
• Sin-: means lack or deprivation of something; similarity or union. Example: sinónimo (synonym), sinrazón (unreasonable), sinsabor (tasteless).
• Sobre-: signifies superimposition, addition, intensification, or repetition. Example: sobrepasar (surpass), sobrevalorado (overvalue), sobreentender (overunderstand).
• Super-: points to excellence or above something. Example: superdotado (gifted), supermercado (supermarket), superpoderes (superpowers).
• Ultra-: points beyond or extremely. Example: ultratumba (beyond the grave), ultrasonido (ultrasound), ultraprocesado (ultra-processed).

Spanish suffixes

Suffixes in Spanish are added after the word they are going to modify. Also, suffixation adds nuances of meaning and sometimes changes the class to which the original word belongs.

Here are some examples and their meanings of Spanish suffixes:

• -áceo: forms adjectives that indicate similarity or belonging. Example: grisácea (greyish), opiáceo (opiate), rosáceo (rose-colored).
• -al: forms nouns meaning abundance and, when forming adjectives, they indicate relationship or belonging. Example: cultural, frutal (fruity), arenal (sandy), otoñal (autumnal).
• -ante, -ente: form adjectives from verbs. Example: agobiante (overwhelming), dependiente (dependent), crujiente (crunchy).
• -azo: signals augmentative value and expresses affection or a blow given. Example: mazazo, codazo (elbow), portazo.
• -bilidad, -dad, -edad, -idad: all these Spanish suffixes form abstract nouns that derive from adjectives. Examples: estabilidad (stability), soledad (loneliness), maldad (evil), sociedad (society).
• -ción: points to the action of. Example: importación (import), certificación (certification), donación (donation).
• -dor: indicates agent, attribute, office, or instrument. Examples: aterrador (terrifying), entrenador (trainer), calculador (calculating).
• -eda: forms collective nouns and indicates abundance. Examples: arboleda (grove), viñedo (vineyard), alameda (poplar grove), rosaleda (rose garden).
• -filia, -filo: means liking, tendency or sympathy for something or someone. Example: bibliofilia (bibliophilic), cinéfilo (cinephile).
• -isimo: indicates superlative degree. Example: buenísimo, tardísimo, hermosísimo.
• -ismo: alludes to a political doctrine, religion, movement or current; although it can also mean attitude, tendency, or sports activities. Example: atletismo (athletics), socialismo (socialism), alpinismo (mountaineering), comunismo (communism).

• -itis: indicates inflammation. Examples: gastritis, otitis, faringitis (pharyngitis).
• -ito, -ita: functions as a diminutive. Example: calentito, fresquito, suavecito, amiguita, botellita.
• -logía: means treatise, study, or science. Example: simbología (symbology), geología (geology), psicología (psychology), sociología (sociology).
• -miento: form nouns from verbs and mean action and effect. Example: recibimiento (reception), conocimiento (knowledge), entretenimiento (entertainment).
• -ón: indicates augmentative, intense, or derogatory value; it also designates action or effect of something sudden. Examples: juguetón, comilón, almohadón, caserón.
• -oso, -osa: indicates abundance of what it expresses. Example: generoso (generous), perezoso (lazy), golosa (sweet-toothed), miedosa (fearful), revoltoso (unruly), estudiosa (studious).
• -torio: means place and detonates relation with what the root expresses. Example: escritorio (desk), consultorio (office), laboratorio (lab), reivindicatorio (vindicatory).
• -triz: means agent and forms words in feminine genre. Examples: emperatriz (empress), actriz (actress), matriz (womb), institutriz (governess).

It must be considered that, in Spanish, especially in the suffixes, the gender can vary, in masculine and feminine. For example, -isimo can result in guapísimo or guapísima. It is the same suffix, but with a different gender; and the same happens with -on or -dor.

There are many more prefixes and suffixes in Spanish, but the above list includes some of the most common and used ones. Did you know any of them? Which one surprised you the most?

Get into the language and keep learning to become a fluent Spanish speaker. If you still have doubts and don’t know yet how to improve your level, check donQuijote's Spanish courses in Spain, we will help you reach your goals in a short time and in an effective way.