Learning a language, whether in the classroom or on your own, is a rewarding and fun experience. It allows you to watch movies and understand lyrics in another language, and it can even help you make new friends. When you reach an advanced level, however, a world of opportunities opens. If you’re dreaming of an academic or professional career in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country, you’re already aware that it can be the pathway to a brilliant future. More than 500 million people around the planet speak the language—just imagine the possibilities!  Need a little help getting there? Here are some advanced Spanish phrases that can put you on track. Also, stick around for some bonus everyday Spanish idioms that will make... Show more

Once you’ve mastered the basics of a language, you’re ready to move on to the next level and start handling more complex interactions. Learning intermediate Spanish phrases will allow you to have everyday conversations, get around with confidence in a Spanish-speaking environment, and make new friends! However, even if you’ve studied the grammar and memorized long vocabulary lists, sometimes it’s difficult to actually put your skills to the test. Have you ever found yourself having a conversation in Spanish and going completely blank, forgetting every lesson you’ve learned? If the answer is yes, don’t worry. SpanishPod101 is here to help. In this guide, you’ll find a list of intermediate Spanish phrases for everyday conversations.... Show more

When you first start learning any language, the first few lessons can feel overwhelming. If Spanish grammar seems too challenging or vocabulary lists just aren’t for you, why don’t you start by picking up some simple Spanish phrases for beginners? Fortunately, you’ll be able to handle the most basic interactions by learning just a few of these ready-to-go expressions and sentence patterns. Saying hello and goodbye, making small talk, ordering in a restaurant…it’s really not so complicated. You’ll see! In this guide from SpanishPod101, you’ll find more than 50 easy Spanish phrases for beginners that’ll help you navigate a variety of situations using this beautiful language.  If you want to meet Spanish people, you’ll need to... Show more

Speaking Spanish in casual conversations is a rewarding experience. Sure, native Spanish speakers converse at a really fast pace. But, if you ask them to slow down, they will—and they will probably try to help you understand and be part of the conversation. At the end of the day, there’s a reason why Spanish-speaking countries are said to have some of the friendliest people! But what happens when, instead of an informal chat over some wine and tapas, you have to face a doctor’s appointment or a super important business meeting? Formal situations will call for advanced Spanish words, which might be scary for those who are still learning. Namely, you’ll have to step up your game in order to succeed in conversations related to higher... Show more

Many Spanish learners have a hard time expressing themselves or understanding others over the phone. Connection problems aside, you can encounter situations where you struggle to keep up because the person on the other end is speaking too quickly. This can make you anxious, or even afraid, to speak during a phone call.  Non-verbal communication and body language are important components of conversation. Whenever we speak to someone on the phone, we miss out on these subtle clues since we cannot see their face or posture. But there’s good news. Learning Spanish phone conversation phrases will help you become more confident and prepared for calls! In this guide from SpanishPod101, you’ll learn the most common Spanish phone phrases.... Show more

Even if you’ve mastered Spanish grammar, you might notice that during conversations with native speakers, some words frequently come up that don’t quite fit with everything you’ve learned about the language. This might be frustrating and cause you to get lost in conversations, but there’s no need to panic. What you’re hearing are Spanish filler words.  Filler words are an important part of every spoken language. They’re short words or phrases that are commonly used to indicate pauses, to fill gaps in speech, or to start conversations. While they don’t necessarily follow any grammar rules, they’re a unique part of speech that help make up the particularities of a language.  Learning a few basic Spanish filler words will not only... Show more

Spanish can be used to express love with a lot of passion, probably because Spaniards are very affectionate themselves. But, sometimes, all this enthusiasm can be confusing.  Do they love me? Do they just like me as a friend? If you were wondering how to say "I love you," in Spanish or understand if someone actually loves you back, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide from SpanishPod101, you’ll learn the top phrases and expressions you’ll need to pursue your love interest. We’ll cover everything from asking your crush out on a date to actually proposing to him/her. Of course, if you're getting to know a native Spanish speaker, there’s no better way to woo them than by using romantic phrases in their mother tongue. And if... Show more

Saying no in Spanish might sound quite easy, especially considering that the word "no" is used in both Spanish and English. However, there are some tricks and rules you’ll need to learn in order to master this important aspect of day-to-day conversations. The good news is that once you have these rules down, you’ll be able to make negative commands in Spanish, politely decline something, or answer a question in the negative.  You should know that there are some grammar rules in English that don’t quite apply in Spanish. For starters, the use of double negatives—which is a grammatical error in English—is considered correct in Spanish and is very common. The usage of plural nouns is different as well, and of course, exact phrases and... Show more

At some point, every Spanish learner has asked the question: How long does it take to learn Spanish? And there’s no easy answer! It depends on many factors, such as your commitment and available resources. The total amount of time it takes you to reach a certain level of fluency may vary significantly from that of another learner.  But don’t get discouraged! Beginning your Spanish language learning journey now will be well worth it. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world (second only to Mandarin), and is growing in use every day. In addition to reaping the benefits of knowing such a widely spoken language, this journey will help you get closer to the wonderful Spanish culture and give you the confidence needed to travel... Show more

Proverbs are an essential part of popular and oral culture. Often transmitted to children by the elder generations, they are language’s time capsules that carry a lot of history—and unique cultural perspective—with them. Because proverbs from around the world have very different origins and have evolved from their original meanings over time, they can be difficult to understand without context or a good guide in hand. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered! SpanishPod101 brings you the top thirty Spanish proverbs and sayings that will help you speak like a local (or at least understand why Spaniards say that the world is a handkerchief).  Ready? Then let’s get started. From that stick, that chip or like mother, like daughter! ... Show more