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Don't memorize the language — learn to build it. Construct real sentences yourself, then say them out loud.

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Travel phrasebooks

The phrases you actually need — greetings, taxis, restaurants, emergencies — for the city you're visiting.

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The game

Path — speak your way home

A new eastbound line each run. Construct a sentence at every city. The clock only bites when you miss. Paris · Belgrade · Moscow · Tashkent · Dhaka.

🔥 Good evening — your Spanish path

0/31 lessons built

A ~5-minute daily loop that keeps Spanish alive. Start anywhere.

Languages map

Click a country. Start the language.

A world map of courses we actually teach — not a booking map, and not Path.

🎯 Build Challenge

Build a sentence you've never seen

You already know two Spanish words. Can you construct a brand-new sentence from them?

I wantquiero

coffeecafé

So how would you say “I want coffee.”?

That's LanguagePath.

The LanguagePath Method™

Reason it out — don't cram it in

You won't memorize phrases. You'll construct real sentences, then listen and rebuild them. Every step reuses what you already built — so the language compounds.

1 · UNDERSTANDGet one piece of the language.

2 · CONSTRUCTBuild a sentence you've never seen.

3 · SAYSay it out loud before you reveal.

4 · HEARListen and compare with the target.

5 · REBUILDReuse those pieces in the next sentence.

Language Bridges™

You're not always starting from zero

Every language you already know hands you free bridges to a new one. Words stick on first contact when you spot the connection.

English — information
French — informations
Spanish — información
Portuguese — informação

Add the languages you already speak in the 🌐 Hub → Settings — then tap ✨ Bridge on any phrase to surface the real cognates and shared roots that make new words click.

🇬🇧 You already know thousands of Spanish words via Latin: información, importante, posible, restaurante, animal, hospital, doctor, familia… Endings map: -tion↔-ción (nation≈nación), -ty↔-dad (city≈ciudad), -ous↔-oso. Say them the Spanish way and you're understood.

Real sentences you'll learn to build in Spanish

31 interactive lessons and 3 real conversations, built to be said out loud Tap any phrase to hear it — then you'll build them yourself.

Explore the Learning Library

Short, interactive pages on specific skills and situations — each one teaches you something real, then hands you straight into a course.

Learn practical Arabic for life in the UAEHow to say greetings in SpanishSpanish numbers 1–20Introduce yourself in SpanishSer vs Estar — the two Spanish 'to be' verbsArabic greetings (MSA)

Explore all learning topics →

Frequently asked questions

Is LanguagePath free?

Yes, every lesson, course and tool is free to use, with no account or sign-up. Two things are optional and paid: LanguagePath Pro ($4.99 a month or $29 a year), which removes ads and adds extra AI practice, and printable Travel Phrase Pack PDFs ($9 per city, or $19 for all 8). Advertising only loads after you consent — the site stays fully usable if you reject it.

Do I need an account?

No. Your progress is saved in your own browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

How is LanguagePath different?

You don't memorize phrases — you reason them out. The teacher gives you a piece, you build real sentences yourself, say them aloud, then reveal and check. Every step reuses what you already built.

Which languages can I learn?

Nine flagship courses (Mandarin, Arabic, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish, Telugu, Farsi) plus dozens more in the picker. Each Path rolls a new eastbound line of cities from languages you can practise here.

What is Path?

Path is LanguagePath’s race: construct a sentence at each city. Misses cost days; a clean build costs nothing. The eighty-day clock is the rule, not the title. Explore → Path, or tap Play Path above.

🧠 How this works

Spanish — Spanish is built the reason-it-out way: you learn the pieces, then construct real sentences yourself. It starts with Greetings, I want / I'd like, Numbers, Food. That's 31 short interactive lessons and 3 real conversations — free, no account.

The 3 rules of the method

🗣️ Say everything out loud. Silent reading doesn't build speech. Speak before you reveal.

⏸️ Always pause and try first. When you hit a challenge, actually work it out — getting it slightly wrong is how it sticks. Then tap Reveal.

🔁 Don't fear forgetting. Everything comes back through use in later steps. Keep moving; understanding beats memorizing.

Your course (≈10 min each)

Do roughly one a day. They build in order — each lesson reuses the last.

Lessons 1–10 0/10

Lessons 11–20 0/10

Lessons 21–30 0/10

Lessons 31–31 0/1

Planning a trip to Madrid?

Spanish phrases for Madrid →

You've practised the airport, taxi and hotel talks for Madrid. Sort the rest of the trip: flights, a place to stay, things to do, mobile data for when you land, and cover in case plans change.

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Flight delayed or cancelled? Check compensation with AirHelp → · or Compensair →

Partner links: LanguagePath may earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you. How this works.

📄 Printable phrase packs for Madrid and Barcelona: $9 each, all 8 cities $19. Get the PDF →

🎧 Lessons

Tap to begin. Speak each answer aloud before revealing.

🔁 Spaced recall

Your daily warm-up. Sentences you've built come back at growing gaps — but don't recall them from memory. Rebuild each one from its pieces, every time; that's what makes them permanent. Read the English, work it out aloud, then reveal.

🧩 Build

The real test of the method: brand-new sentences you've never seen, made only from words and structures you've already learned. You can't recall these — you have to construct them. That's fluency in miniature.

👂 Listening drills

Real conversations hit your ear with no subtitles. Here you only hear the language — work out the meaning, then reveal. This trains the skill you'll actually use in real conversations.

🗣️ Shadowing

A powerful way to develop more natural rhythm and pronunciation: hear a line and repeat it immediately, copying the rhythm and melody — not translating. 10–15 focused minutes beats an hour of tired mimicry.

✚ Chunk builder

Heard a useful phrase out in the world? Capture it here. Every chunk you save joins your Recall, Listen, Shadow and Quiz automatically — so it actually sticks.

📺 Resources & daily plan

Free listening you can understand and enjoy — the comprehensible-input piece. Mix these with your lessons.

💬 Real conversations

Full exchanges you'll actually have, start to finish. Tap 🔊 on any line, or play the whole conversation. Try covering the English and reading the other language aloud.

🎯 Quiz

Test yourself across everything you've learned. Multiple-choice both ways, plus a typing challenge. You need 80% to call a set solid.

🤖 Conversation partner

The practice no drill gives you: a real back-and-forth. Chat with an AI partner that stays at a beginner level and gently corrects you — a powerful way to turn what you've learned into speech.

🌍 Culture & etiquette

Speaking well is half of it — these unwritten rules will make locals warm to you instantly.

🗂️ Pocket phrases

Grab-and-go reference for real situations — greetings, numbers, emergencies that you just need ready. Search or filter, tap 🔊.

🔊 Sounds

Quick grammar

🌐 Hub

Your command centre — progress across every language, one daily plan, a single review that spans them all, and a phrase explorer that shows how your languages connect.

Learning Spanish: a practical guide

This is a written companion to the free Spanish course on LanguagePath: what the language is like, how it sounds, the phrases you will use first, how the course is structured, and what to watch out for. Everything here comes from the same lessons you can practise interactively above.

What Spanish is like

Spanish is a Romance language descended from Latin and is beautifully phonetic — once you learn the sounds, you can read almost anything aloud correctly. Nouns are masculine or feminine: el/la mean "the" and un/una mean "a" (el libro, la mesa). Articles and adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number (un coche rojo, una casa roja). Verbs conjugate to match who is doing the action, so the ending changes (hablo = I speak, habla = he/she speaks). For travel you'll go far with "Quiero…" (I want) and the politer "Me gustaría…" (I'd like), plus "¿Hay…?" (Is there…?) and "¿Tiene…?" (Do you have…?). Best of all, English and Spanish share a huge vocabulary through Latin — thousands of words are nearly identical. One quirk: questions and exclamations open with an inverted ¿ and ¡ (¿Cómo estás? ¡Hola!).

Words you may already know

Pronunciation notes

Spanish is highly phonetic — five pure vowels, a rolled r, and ñ. Copy the audio and you'll read almost anything aloud.

ñ — like 'ny' in canyon, as in mañana (tomorrow).
rr — a strongly rolled/trilled r, as in perro (dog).
j — a throaty h, from the back of the throat, as in jamón (ham).
g (before e, i) — same throaty h sound as j, as in gente (people).
ll / y — like the 'y' in yes, as in llave (key).
a e i o u — pure, short vowels: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo — always the same, as in mesa (table).
h — always silent, as in hola (hello).
z / c (before e, i) — like 's' in Latin America ('th' in much of Spain), as in gracias (thank you).

First phrases

The pocket phrases below are the ones learners reach for most often. Say each one out loud a few times before moving on.

Spanish	Pronunciation	Meaning
¿Dónde está el baño?	DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl BAH-nyoh	where is the bathroom?
Ayuda	ah-YOO-dah	help

How the Spanish course is structured

The course has 31 short lessons that build on each other. Each one introduces a few new pieces and then asks you to construct sentences you have never seen, before revealing the answer:

Greetings — Hola · Gracias · Por favor
I want / I'd like — Quiero… · Me gustaría… · la cuenta
Numbers — uno–diez · veinte · cien · ¿Cuánto cuesta?
Food — el menú · no como carne · está rico · la cuenta
Getting around — ¿Dónde está…? · izquierda/derecha · el baño
I have / there is — tengo · hay · ¿tiene…? · no tengo
Talking about the past — comí · fui · vi
Mine & yours — mi/mis · su · es mío
Time & when — hoy · ahora · ¿qué hora es? · mañana · ayer
Question words — quién · dónde · qué · por qué · cuándo · cómo
Can / want / must — puedo · quiero · tengo que · necesito
Joining ideas & getting by — y · pero · también · porque · muy · No entiendo
Shopping & bargaining — ¿Cuánto vale? · barato · caro · me lo llevo
Family & people — la familia · madre/padre · hermano · mayor/menor
Colours & describing — rojo/azul/verde · grande/pequeño · agreement -o/-a
At the restaurant — reservar · una mesa para dos · de primero · para llevar
Days, dates & months — días de la semana · meses · ¿qué día es? · el fin de semana
Weather & small talk — hace calor/frío · llueve · ¿qué tiempo hace? · ¿cómo estás?
Transport & tickets — el autobús · el tren · un billete · ¿a qué hora sale?
Money & prices — cien→mil · el efectivo · la tarjeta · el cambio
Hotel & booking — una habitación · para dos noches · la llave · ¿está incluido?
Phone, internet & staying in touch — el móvil · el wifi · la contraseña · llamar · un mensaje
Ser vs Estar — the two 'to be' — ser (permanent: soy, es) vs estar (state/location: estoy, está)
The near future — voy a — voy a / vas a / va a + infinitive · mañana voy a…
Gustar & feelings — me gusta / me gustan · me encanta · tener hambre/sed
Everyday verbs & routines — me levanto · me ducho · desayuno · trabajo · todos los días
Feeling ill / at the doctor — me duele · estoy enfermo · necesito un médico · la farmacia
Countries, nationalities & languages — soy de… · ¿de dónde eres? · español/española · hablo…
Making plans & suggestions — ¿Quieres…? · ¿Vamos a…? · ¿Te apetece…? · quedar · vale
Politeness & survival — por favor · perdone · ¿podría…? · lo siento · ¿me puede ayudar?
Final scene — put it all together — a capstone scene: no new words, just everything you've built

Inside the lessons

Here is how a few of the lessons explain the language, with worked examples and the word-by-word breakdown the course uses.

I want / I'd like

Key pieces: Quiero… · Me gustaría… · la cuenta

Two phrases unlock ordering anything: Quiero (I want) and the politer Me gustaría (I'd like). Add a noun and you're in business.

quiero (kee-EH-roh) — I want
me gustaría (meh goos-tah-REE-ah) — I would like
un café (oon kah-FEH) — a coffee Memory hook: ≈ café.
agua (AH-gwah) — water
un vaso de agua (oon BAH-soh deh AH-gwah) — a glass of water
la cuenta (lah KWEN-tah) — the bill Memory hook: ≈ 'account'.

Notice un (masculine) vs una (feminine) for 'a'. Café is masculine, so un café. For water, just say agua — or un vaso de agua for a glass. Skip the English calque un agua.

To say “I want a coffee” in Spanish: Quiero un café (kee-EH-roh oon kah-FEH). Built from quiero = I want; un café = a coffee.

To say “I'd like a coffee, please” in Spanish: Me gustaría un café, por favor (meh goos-tah-REE-ah oon kah-FEH, por fah-VOR). Built from me gustaría = I'd like; un café = a coffee; por favor = please.

To say “I want water” in Spanish: Quiero agua (kee-EH-roh AH-gwah). Built from quiero = I want; agua = water.

To say “I want a glass of water” in Spanish: Quiero un vaso de agua (kee-EH-roh oon BAH-soh deh AH-gwah). Built from quiero = I want; un vaso = a glass; de agua = of water.

Food

Key pieces: el menú · no como carne · está rico · la cuenta

Eating well is half of travel. These words handle menus, preferences, and compliments to the chef.

el menú (ehl meh-NOO) — the menu Memory hook: ≈ menu.
como (KOH-moh) — I eat
carne (KAR-neh) — meat Memory hook: ≈ 'carnivore'.
está rico (ehs-TAH REE-koh) — it's tasty
está delicioso (ehs-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-soh) — it's delicious Memory hook: ≈ delicious.
la cuenta (lah KWEN-tah) — the bill

To say you don't eat something, put no before the verb: no como carne = I don't eat meat.

To say “The menu, please” in Spanish: El menú, por favor (ehl meh-NOO, por fah-VOR). Built from el menú = the menu; por favor = please.

To say “I don't eat meat” in Spanish: No como carne (noh KOH-moh KAR-neh). Built from no = not; como = I eat; carne = meat.

To say “It's delicious” in Spanish: Está delicioso (ehs-TAH deh-lee-see-OH-soh). Built from está = it is; delicioso = delicious.

To say “The bill, please” in Spanish: La cuenta, por favor (lah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR). Built from la cuenta = the bill; por favor = please.

I have / there is

Key pieces: tengo · hay · ¿tiene…? · no tengo

Two power verbs: tengo (I have) and hay (there is / there are). And to ask a shop, ¿tiene…? (do you have…?).

tengo (TEN-goh) — I have
no tengo (noh TEN-goh) — I don't have
hay (eye) — there is / there are
¿tiene? (tee-EH-neh) — do you have?
una reserva (OO-nah reh-SER-vah) — a reservation Memory hook: ≈ reservation.

To say “I have a reservation” in Spanish: Tengo una reserva (TEN-goh OO-nah reh-SER-vah). Built from tengo = I have; una reserva = a reservation.

To say “Is there a bathroom?” in Spanish: ¿Hay un baño? (eye oon BAH-nyoh). Built from hay = is there; un baño = a bathroom.

To say “Do you have coffee?” in Spanish: ¿Tiene café? (tee-EH-neh kah-FEH). Built from tiene = do you have; café = coffee.

To say “I don't have the bill” in Spanish: No tengo la cuenta (noh TEN-goh lah KWEN-tah). Built from no tengo = I don't have; la cuenta = the bill.

Talking about the past

Key pieces: comí · fui · vi

A light touch of the past tense (the pretérito) lets you tell what you did. Notice the stressed final vowel.

comí (koh-MEE) — I ate
fui (fwee) — I went / I was
vi (vee) — I saw
ayer (ah-YER) — yesterday
un restaurante (oon rehs-tow-RAHN-teh) — a restaurant Memory hook: ≈ restaurant.

Fui does double duty: 'I went' and 'I was' — context tells which.

To say “I ate at a restaurant” in Spanish: Comí en un restaurante (koh-MEE en oon rehs-tow-RAHN-teh). Built from comí = I ate; en = at/in; un restaurante = a restaurant.

To say “Yesterday I went to the airport” in Spanish: Ayer fui al aeropuerto (ah-YER fwee ahl ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh). Built from ayer = yesterday; fui = I went; al aeropuerto = to the airport.

To say “I saw the menu” in Spanish: Vi el menú (vee ehl meh-NOO). Built from vi = I saw; el menú = the menu.

To say “I ate meat yesterday” in Spanish: Comí carne ayer (koh-MEE KAR-neh ah-YER). Built from comí = I ate; carne = meat; ayer = yesterday.

Mine & yours

Key pieces: mi/mis · su · es mío

Possessives are small and mighty. Mi = my (one thing), mis = my (more than one), su = your/his/her.

mi (mee) — my (one thing)
mis (mees) — my (several)
su (soo) — your / his / her
es mío (ehs MEE-oh) — it's mine
la maleta (lah mah-LEH-tah) — the suitcase

To say “My coffee” in Spanish: Mi café (mee kah-FEH). Built from mi = my; café = coffee.

To say “It's mine” in Spanish: Es mío (ehs MEE-oh). Built from es = it is; mío = mine.

To say “Where is my suitcase?” in Spanish: ¿Dónde está mi maleta? (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH mee mah-LEH-tah). Built from dónde está = where is; mi maleta = my suitcase.

To say “Is it your suitcase?” in Spanish: ¿Es su maleta? (ehs soo mah-LEH-tah). Built from es = is it; su = your; maleta = suitcase.

Time & when

Key pieces: hoy · ahora · ¿qué hora es? · mañana · ayer

Anchor yourself in time. These words tell when things happen — now, today, tomorrow, yesterday.

hoy (oy) — today
ahora (ah-OH-rah) — now
mañana (mah-NYAH-nah) — tomorrow / morning
ayer (ah-YER) — yesterday
¿qué hora es? (keh OH-rah ehs) — what time is it?

Mañana means both 'tomorrow' and 'morning' — por la mañana is 'in the morning'.

To say “What time is it?” in Spanish: ¿Qué hora es? (keh OH-rah ehs). Built from qué = what; hora = hour; es = is it.

To say “I want it now” in Spanish: Lo quiero ahora (loh kee-EH-roh ah-OH-rah). Built from lo = it; quiero = I want; ahora = now.

To say “Tomorrow I go to the airport” in Spanish: Mañana voy al aeropuerto (mah-NYAH-nah voy ahl ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh). Built from mañana = tomorrow; voy = I go; al aeropuerto = to the airport.

To say “Today, please” in Spanish: Hoy, por favor (oy, por fah-VOR). Built from hoy = today; por favor = please.

Question words

Key pieces: quién · dónde · qué · por qué · cuándo · cómo

Master the question words and you can ask about anything. Each carries a written accent.

quién (kee-EN) — who
dónde (DOHN-deh) — where
qué (keh) — what
por qué (por KEH) — why
cuándo (KWAHN-doh) — when
cómo (KOH-moh) — how

Note: por qué (two words) = why; porque (one word) = because.

To say “Where is the taxi?” in Spanish: ¿Dónde está el taxi? (DOHN-deh ehs-TAH ehl TAHK-see). Built from dónde está = where is; el taxi = the taxi.

To say “How are you?” in Spanish: ¿Cómo estás? (KOH-moh ehs-TAHS). Built from cómo = how; estás = are you.

To say “When?” in Spanish: ¿Cuándo? (KWAHN-doh). Built from cuándo = when.

To say “What is it?” in Spanish: ¿Qué es? (keh ehs). Built from qué = what; es = is it.

Can / want / must

Key pieces: puedo · quiero · tengo que · necesito

These four verbs express ability, desire, and obligation. Follow each with another verb in its base form.

puedo (PWEH-doh) — I can
quiero (kee-EH-roh) — I want
tengo que (TEN-goh keh) — I have to
necesito (neh-seh-SEE-toh) — I need Memory hook: ≈ 'necessity'.
pagar (pah-GAR) — to pay
ir (eer) — to go

To say “I can pay” in Spanish: Puedo pagar (PWEH-doh pah-GAR). Built from puedo = I can; pagar = to pay.

To say “I have to go” in Spanish: Tengo que ir (TEN-goh keh eer). Built from tengo que = I have to; ir = to go.

To say “I need a taxi” in Spanish: Necesito un taxi (neh-seh-SEE-toh oon TAHK-see). Built from necesito = I need; un taxi = a taxi.

To say “I want to pay now” in Spanish: Quiero pagar ahora (kee-EH-roh pah-GAR ah-OH-rah). Built from quiero = I want; pagar = to pay; ahora = now.

Joining ideas & getting by

Key pieces: y · pero · también · porque · muy · No entiendo

Connectors turn words into real sentences, and a few survival phrases keep any conversation going.

y (ee) — and
pero (PEH-roh) — but
también (tahm-bee-EN) — also / too
porque (POR-keh) — because
muy (mwee) — very
no entiendo (noh en-tee-EN-doh) — I don't understand
¿habla inglés? (AH-blah een-GLEHS) — do you speak English?

To say “I don't understand” in Spanish: No entiendo (noh en-tee-EN-doh). Built from no = not; entiendo = I understand.

To say “Do you speak English?” in Spanish: ¿Habla inglés? (AH-blah een-GLEHS). Built from habla = do you speak; inglés = English.

To say “A coffee and a water” in Spanish: Un café y un vaso de agua (oon kah-FEH ee oon BAH-soh deh AH-gwah). Built from un café = a coffee; y = and; un vaso de agua = a glass of water.

To say “It's very delicious” in Spanish: Está muy delicioso (ehs-TAH mwee deh-lee-see-OH-soh). Built from está = it is; muy = very; delicioso = delicious.

Shopping & bargaining

Key pieces: ¿Cuánto vale? · barato · caro · me lo llevo

Two ways to ask a price: ¿Cuánto vale? and ¿Cuánto cuesta? Both mean 'how much is it?'

barato (bah-RAH-toh) — cheap
caro (KAH-roh) — expensive Memory hook: like Italian 'caro' / 'dear' = expensive.
la talla (lah TAH-yah) — the size (clothes)
probarse (proh-BAR-seh) — to try on Memory hook: 'probe' = to test.

To say “How much is it?” in Spanish: ¿Cuánto vale? (KWAN-toh VAH-leh). Built from cuánto = how much; vale = it's worth.

To say “How much does it cost?” in Spanish: ¿Cuánto cuesta? (KWAN-toh KWESS-tah). Built from cuánto = how much; cuesta = it costs; 'cost' hides inside cuesta.

To say “It's very expensive.” in Spanish: Es muy caro. (ess mwee KAH-roh). Built from es = it is; muy = very; caro = expensive.

To say “Is there anything cheaper?” in Spanish: ¿Hay algo más barato? (eye AHL-goh mahss bah-RAH-toh). Built from hay = is there; algo = something; más = more; barato = cheap → más barato = cheaper.

Colours & describing

Key pieces: rojo/azul/verde · grande/pequeño · agreement -o/-a

Adjectives agree with the noun: rojo → roja for feminine, rojos/rojas for plural.

rojo (ROH-hoh) — red
azul (ah-SOOL) — blue Memory hook: 'azure'.
verde (BAIR-deh) — green Memory hook: 'verdant'.
blanco / negro (BLAHN-koh / NEH-groh) — white / black Memory hook: 'blank' / 'negro'.
grande (GRAHN-deh) — big Memory hook: 'grand'.
pequeño (peh-KEH-nyoh) — small Memory hook: 'petite'.

To say “The red car.” in Spanish: El coche rojo. (el KOH-cheh ROH-hoh). Built from el = the; coche = car; rojo = red (male noun → rojo).

To say “The red house.” in Spanish: La casa roja. (lah KAH-sah ROH-hah). Built from la casa = the house (female); roja = red with -a to agree.

To say “A big blue house.” in Spanish: Una casa azul grande. (OO-nah KAH-sah ah-SOOL GRAHN-deh). Built from una casa = a house; azul = blue; grande = big (no gender change).

To say “The green shoes.” in Spanish: Los zapatos verdes. (lohss sah-PAH-tohss BAIR-dess). Built from los zapatos = the shoes (plural); verdes = green + s for plural.

To compare: más grande que = bigger than, el más grande = the biggest.

más grande que (mahs GRAHN-deh keh) — bigger than
el más grande (el mahs GRAHN-deh) — the biggest

Days, dates & months

Key pieces: días de la semana · meses · ¿qué día es? · el fin de semana

Days and months are not capitalised in Spanish: lunes, enero.

lunes, martes, miércoles (LOO-ness, MAR-tess, MYAIR-koh-less) — Mon, Tue, Wed
jueves, viernes (HWEH-bess, BYAIR-ness) — Thu, Fri
sábado, domingo (SAH-bah-doh, doh-MEEN-goh) — Sat, Sun
el mes / enero (el mess / eh-NEH-roh) — month / January Memory hook: 'January'.
el fin de semana (el feen deh seh-MAH-nah) — the weekend Memory hook: fin = end, semana = week.

To say “What day is it today?” in Spanish: ¿Qué día es hoy? (keh DEE-ah ess oy). Built from qué = what; día = day; es = is; hoy = today.

To say “Today is Monday.” in Spanish: Hoy es lunes. (oy ess LOO-ness). Built from hoy = today; es = is; lunes = Monday.

To say “On Friday I'm going to the restaurant.” in Spanish: El viernes voy al restaurante. (el BYAIR-ness boy ahl ress-tow-RAHN-teh). Built from el viernes = on Friday; voy = I go; al = to the; restaurante = restaurant.

To say “The weekend.” in Spanish: El fin de semana. (el feen deh seh-MAH-nah). Built from el fin = the end; de semana = of week.

Weather & small talk

Key pieces: hace calor/frío · llueve · ¿qué tiempo hace? · ¿cómo estás?

Weather uses hace (it makes): hace calor = it's hot. Rain is its own verb: llueve.

hace calor / frío (AH-seh kah-LOR / FREE-oh) — it's hot / cold Memory hook: calor ≈ 'calorie', frío ≈ 'frigid'.
hace sol (AH-seh sohl) — it's sunny Memory hook: sol = 'solar'.
llueve (YWEH-veh) — it's raining Memory hook: 'pluvial' = rainy.
el tiempo (el TYEM-poh) — the weather / time
bien, gracias (byen GRAH-syahss) — well, thanks

To say “What's the weather like?” in Spanish: ¿Qué tiempo hace? (keh TYEM-poh AH-seh). Built from qué = what; tiempo = weather; hace = it makes.

To say “It's very hot today.” in Spanish: Hoy hace mucho calor. (oy AH-seh MOO-choh kah-LOR). Built from hoy = today; hace = it makes; mucho = a lot of; calor = heat.

To say “It's raining.” in Spanish: Llueve. (YWEH-veh). Built from llueve = it rains (single word).

To say “How are you?” in Spanish: ¿Cómo estás? (KOH-moh ess-TAHSS). Built from cómo = how; estás = you are (state).

Phone, internet & staying in touch

Key pieces: el móvil · el wifi · la contraseña · llamar · un mensaje

'Phone' is el móvil in Spain (el celular in Latin America). Password is la contraseña.

el móvil (el MOH-beel) — mobile phone Memory hook: 'mobile'.
el wifi (el WEE-fee) — the wifi
la contraseña (lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah) — the password
llamar (yah-MAR) — to call Memory hook: 'clamor' = to call out.
un mensaje (oon men-SAH-heh) — a message Memory hook: = message.

To say “What's the wifi password?” in Spanish: ¿Cuál es la contraseña del wifi? (kwahl ess lah kohn-trah-SEH-nyah del WEE-fee). Built from cuál es = what is; la contraseña = the password; del wifi = of the wifi.

To say “I need to call my family.” in Spanish: Necesito llamar a mi familia. (neh-seh-SEE-toh yah-MAR ah mee fah-MEE-lyah). Built from necesito = I need; llamar = to call; a mi familia = my family.

To say “I'm going to send a message.” in Spanish: Voy a enviar un mensaje. (boy ah en-BYAR oon men-SAH-heh). Built from voy a = I'm going to; enviar = to send; un mensaje = a message.

To say “What's your number?” in Spanish: ¿Cuál es tu número? (kwahl ess too NOO-meh-roh). Built from cuál es = what is; tu = your; número = number.

Ser vs Estar — the two 'to be'

Key pieces: ser (permanent: soy, es) vs estar (state/location: estoy, está)

Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. Ser = permanent identity (who/what you are). Estar = temporary state or location (how/where you are).

Reason it out: I am a doctor = identity → soy. I am tired = passing state → estoy. The bank is here = location → está.

soy / eres / es (soy / EH-ress / ess) — I am / you are / it is (ser)
estoy / estás / está (ess-TOY / ess-TAHSS / ess-TAH) — I am / you are / it is (estar)

To say “I am a doctor. (identity → ser)” in Spanish: Soy médico. (soy MEH-dee-koh). Built from identity, permanent → ser; soy = I am; médico = doctor. job = who you are → ser.

To say “I am tired. (state → estar)” in Spanish: Estoy cansado. (ess-TOY kahn-SAH-doh). Built from a passing state → estar; estoy = I am; cansado = tired. you won't be tired forever → estar.

To say “Where is the bathroom? (location → estar)” in Spanish: ¿Dónde está el baño? (DOHN-deh ess-TAH el BAH-nyoh). Built from location → estar; dónde = where; está = is; el baño = the bathroom.

To say “She is Spanish. (identity → ser)” in Spanish: Es española. (ess ess-pah-NYOH-lah). Built from nationality is identity → ser; es = she is; española = Spanish (female).

The near future — voy a

Key pieces: voy a / vas a / va a + infinitive · mañana voy a…

To talk about the future, use ir a + an infinitive: literally 'I go to do'. Just like English 'I'm going to…'.

voy a (boy ah) — I'm going to
vas a (bahss ah) — you're going to
va a (bah ah) — he/she is going to
comer / dormir / viajar (koh-MAIR / dor-MEER / byah-HAR) — to eat / sleep / travel Memory hook: 'dormant' / 'voyage'.

To say “I'm going to eat.” in Spanish: Voy a comer. (boy ah koh-MAIR). Built from voy a = I'm going to; comer = to eat.

To say “Tomorrow I'm going to travel.” in Spanish: Mañana voy a viajar. (mah-NYAH-nah boy ah byah-HAR). Built from mañana = tomorrow; voy a = I'm going to; viajar = to travel.

To say “Are you going to eat?” in Spanish: ¿Vas a comer? (bahss ah koh-MAIR). Built from vas a = are you going to; comer = to eat.

To say “She's going to sleep.” in Spanish: Va a dormir. (bah ah dor-MEER). Built from va a = he/she is going to; dormir = to sleep.

Gustar & feelings

Key pieces: me gusta / me gustan · me encanta · tener hambre/sed

Gustar doesn't mean 'to like' directly — it means 'to be pleasing'. So me gusta = 'it is pleasing to me'. That's why the ending changes with the thing, not you.

One thing → me gusta. Many things → me gustan. Reason it out: the verb agrees with what pleases you.

me gusta / me gustan (meh GOOSS-tah / meh GOOSS-tahn) — I like (one / many) Memory hook: 'gusto' = taste.
me encanta (meh en-KAHN-tah) — I love it Memory hook: 'enchant'.
tener hambre / sed (teh-NAIR AHM-breh / sed) — to be hungry / thirsty
tener sueño / miedo (teh-NAIR SWEH-nyoh / MYEH-doh) — to be sleepy / afraid

To say “I like the food. (one thing → gusta)” in Spanish: Me gusta la comida. (meh GOOSS-tah lah koh-MEE-dah). Built from me = to me; gusta = it is pleasing (singular); la comida = the food.

To say “I like tacos. (many → gustan)” in Spanish: Me gustan los tacos. (meh GOOSS-tahn lohss TAH-kohss). Built from plural things → gustan; los tacos = the tacos. tacos are plural → gustan.

To say “I love Spain.” in Spanish: Me encanta España. (meh en-KAHN-tah ess-PAH-nyah). Built from me encanta = I love; España = Spain.

Quick note: Spanish has two words for "you" — usted (formal — strangers, staff, anyone you'd address politely) and tú (informal — friends, family, people your own age). Everything so far has used usted, the safe default — the next line switches to tú/te for a casual, chatting-with-a-friend scene. Use usted until it's clearly a casual setting, or when in doubt.

To say “Do you like coffee?” in Spanish: ¿Te gusta el café? (teh GOOSS-tah el kah-FEH). Built from te = to you (informal); gusta = is pleasing; el café = the coffee.

Common mistakes and things to watch out for

hola (OH-lah): the h is silent.
el baño (ehl BAH-nyoh): ñ = ny.
mi (mee): one thing.
mis (mees): several.
la talla (lah TAH-yah): clothes.
me gusta / me gustan (meh GOOSS-tah / meh GOOSS-tahn): one / many.
perdone / disculpe (pair-DOH-neh / deess-KOOL-peh): to get attention.
con permiso (kohn pair-MEE-soh): to pass.

Written by the LanguagePath editorial team from our own course material. Pronunciation guides are approximate English respellings; tap any phrase in the app above to hear it. Native-speaker review of every course is ongoing — tell us if you spot an error.