In a sentence, prepositions are the glue that connects pronouns, nouns, and other words to convey the most accurate meaning and reveal the relationship between them. Spanish prepositions are no different than prepositions in other languages.
If you asked any educated Spaniard about Spanish prepositions, they would tell you that they still remember the list of prepositions in alphabetical order they had to learn in school. This list has changed slightly over the years. A couple of them have been deleted, and a few more have been added.
The current official list is: a, ante, bajo, cabe, con, contra, de, desde, durante, en, entre, hacia, hasta, mediante, para, por, según, sin, so, sobre, tras, versus, vía.
Some of us learned a similar list, but durante and mediante were at the end because they were the newest additions. Now there are even more, though there are some prepositions in the list that aren’t used anymore—if you asked a Spanish speaker, they might not even know what they mean.
This is not the way we’re going to learn in this Spanish prepositions guide today. There’s no point in just learning a long list of prepositions in alphabetical order, so we’re going to list the most common Spanish prepositions with examples, and explain how you can use each of them. We’re also going to organize them in a way that will actually help you learn them and understand their functions.
With SpanishPod101, understanding Spanish prepositions is simple!
Prepositions are words that can go in front of a noun phrase, such as a noun (that might also carry an article or an adjective with it) or a pronoun.
Prepositions can have different functions. For example, Spanish prepositions for location help express where something happens, while Spanish prepositions of time mark when that thing happens.
The best thing about Spanish prepositions—something you’ll most likely appreciate—is that in Spanish, there’s no possible confusion with certain prepositions such as “in,” “on,” and “at” in English. Instead, if we’re in/at/on a place, we only use en. We do have a preposition that translates to “on,” but it’s only used when something is on top of something else.
2. 23 Most Common Prepositions
We’re going to start with a list of the twenty-three most common prepositions in Spanish. We’ve omitted a few that aren’t used or that you’ll never need, but we have included compound prepositions—also known as Spanish prepositional phrases—that are often not considered prepositions. You might not have found these words in a different list even though they’re used very often. We’ll provide an example for each different use a given preposition has.
Here’s our list of Spanish prepositions and when to use them:
1- A
Motion (“to” )
Example: Después del trabajo me voy a la playa.
Translation: “After work, I’m going to the beach.”
Time (“at” )
Example: Te veo a las dos en punto.
Translation: “I’ll see you at two o’clock.”
Indirect object (“to”/”for” )
Example: Le he hecho una tartaa mi abuela.
Translation: “I have made a cake for my grandma.”
2- Bajo
Location (“under” )
Example: Los peces viven bajo el mar.
Translation: “Fish live under the sea.”
3- Con
Relation (“with” )
Example: Estoy cenando con Carlos.
Translation: “I’m eating dinner with Carlos.”
4- Contra
Relation (“against” )
Example: No tengo nada contra tu mujer.
Translation: “I have nothing against your wife.”
5- De
Relation (“of”/possessive “’s” )
Example: Esta chaqueta es de Sara.
Translation: “This jacket is Sara’s.”
Location (“from” )
Example: Soy de Barcelona.
Translation: “I’m from Barcelona.
6- Delante de
Location (“in front of” )
Example: Estoy delante de tu casa.
Translation: “I’m in front of your house.”
7- Desde
Time (“since” )
Example: Conozco a Pablo desde que teníamos cuatro años.
Translation: “I’ve known Pablo since we were four years old.”
Location (“from” )
Example: Ayer corrimos desde el parque hasta la playa.
Translation: “Yesterday we ran from the park to the beach.”
8- Detrás de
Location (“behind” )
Example: ¡Vigila! ¡Detrás de ti!
Translation: “Watch out! Behind you!”
9- Durante
Time (“during” )
Example: No te puedes levantar durante la ceremonia.
Translation: “You can’t stand up during the ceremony.”
10- En
Location (“in”/”at”/”on” )
Example: Estoy en casa.
Translation: “I’m at home.”
11- Encima de
Location (“on top of” )
Example: Hay un lápiz roto encima de la libreta.
Translation: “There is a broken pencil on top of the notebook.”
12- Enfrente de
Location (“in front of” )
Example: Van a abrir una biblioteca enfrente de tu casa.
Translation: “They’re opening a library in front of your house.”
13- Entre
Location (“between” )
Example: Mi casa está entre dos árboles.
Translation: “My house is between two trees.”
Time (“between” )
Example: Cenamos entre las ocho y las nueve.
Translation: “We eat dinner between eight and nine.”
Relation (“among” )
Example: Entre otras cosas, me gusta leer.
Translation: “Among other things, I like reading.”
14- Hacia
Location (“toward” )
Example: Voy hacia el mercado.
Translation: “I’m heading toward the market.”
Time (“around” )
Example: Nos vemos hacia las dos.
Translation: “I’ll see you around two.”
15- Hasta
Time (“until” )
Example: Mi hermano vivió con nosotros hasta que se casó.
Translation: “My brother lived with us until he got married.”
Location (“until” )
Example: ¿Nadamos hasta el final de la piscina?
Translation: “Should we swim until the end of the swimming pool?”
16- Para
Relation (“for” )
Example: Esta tarta es para el cumpleaños de mi madre.
Translation: “This cake is for my mom’s birthday.”
Purpose (“to” )
Example: Estoy estudiando para ser arquitecto.
Translation: “I am studying to be an architect.”
17- Por
Relation (“for” )
Example: Lo hice por ti.
Translation: “I did it for you.”
Relation (“by” )
Example: Escrito porAna María Matute.
Translation: “Written by Ana María Matute.”
18- Según
Relation (“according to” )
Example: Según nos ha dicho Juana, no te encontrabas bien.
Translation: “According to what Juana told us, you weren’t feeling well.”
19- Sin
Relation (“without” )
Example: No sé qué haría sin ti.
Translation: “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
20- Sobre
Location (“on” )
Example: Siempre dejamos las llaves sobre la mesa.
Translation: “We always leave the keys on the table.”
Relation (“about” )
Example: ¿Te puedo hacer una pregunta sobre Carla?
Translation: “Can I ask you something about Carla?”
21- Tras
Time (“after” )
Example: No fue la misma tras la muerte de su marido.
Translation: “She wasn’t the same after her husband’s death.”
Location (“behind” )
Example: Escóndete tras la puerta.
Translation: “Hide behind the door.”
Example: Te contactaré vía correo electrónico o teléfono.
Translation: “I will contact you through email or phone.”
3. So… When Do We Use Them?
To sum it up, we’ve decided to organize the previous list in a few very basic groups. Keep in mind that some prepositions might be included in more than one list. And don’t worry, we’ll remind you of their meanings.
Here’s a rundown of Spanish prepositions usage based on category:
1- Prepositions of Location
First of all, here’s the group that has the most prepositions. These are the Spanish prepositions of location:
Bajo (“under” )
De (“from” )
Delante de (“in front of” )
Desde (“from” )
Detrás de (“behind” )
En (“in”/”at”/”on” )
Encima de (“on top of” )
Enfrente de (“in front of” )
Entre (“between” )
Hacia (“toward” )
Hasta (“until” )
Sobre (“on” )
Tras (“behind” )
2- Prepositions of Relation
This second group of prepositions isn’t as crowded as the last one, but the words still have very varied meanings:
Con (“with” )
Contra (“against” )
De (“of”/possessive “’s” )
Entre (“among” )
Para (“for” )
Por (“for” or “by” )
Según (“according to” )
Sin (“without” )
Sobre (“about” )
Versus (“versus” )
Vía (“through” )
3- Prepositions of Time
The third group of prepositions, the ones that refer to time, is another very important one:
A (“at” )
Desde (“since” )
Durante (“during” )
Entre (“between” )
Hacia (“around” )
Hasta (“until” )
Tras (“after” )
4- Other Prepositions
This last group is only formed, in our opinion, by the next two prepositions. It’s true we could have made them fit into the other groups, but we didn’t think they were completely appropriate there.
For example, one of the meanings of the preposition a is “motion,” which is related to location, but isn’t quite the same. The other meaning of a that’s included here (as well as the preposition para) could have been included in the group of prepositions of relation, but once again, we decided they were a bit different.
A (“to” or “for” )
Para (“to” )
4. Change of Forms
Something else you should know is that there are a couple of prepositions that, when followed by a definite article, join the article and become only one word. These are de + el (del) and a + el (al). Contracting these words isn’t optional, so you must remember them!
Here are a couple of examples:
Este es el coche del padre de María. → “This is María’s father’s car.”
Mamá, ¡me voy allago! → “Mom, I’m going to the lake!”
In some regions of Spain, it’s also common to pronounce para + el together, as in pal. However, this contraction is very informal, so we don’t suggest you use it unless you’re talking to your close friends, or to people from one of these regions.
5. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn More Spanish
Alright, we know prepositions aren’t the funnest thing to learn in a language, but we’re actually quite sure that Spanish prepositions are way easier than English ones.
However, if you thought this wasn’t enough, or if you still need some Spanish prepositions help, there’s much more you can learn at SpanishPod101.com! You’ll find articles of all sorts on our blog, from basic articles such as the classic How to Say “Hello” in Spanish to vocabulary on the Tomatina festivities! You don’t know what they are? Make sure you check out our article! And stay tuned for more articles in the future, designed to help you master the Spanish language with ease.
Before you go, let us know in the comments how you feel about Spanish prepositions now, and if there’s anything you’re still uncertain about. We look forward to hearing from you!
We love sharing life event messages on our social media and through instant messages, right? Life events are very significant moments, and many of them are like rituals to us. Take birthdays, weddings, and funerals for example.
If you’re learning Spanish and want to say happy birthday in Spanish to your loved ones, or perhaps share your best wishes for the holidays in Spanish with your friends, it’s important to know what to say, when to say it, and how to say it.
These types of Spanish greetings and well-wishes for important occasions are normally language-specific words which shouldn’t be literally translated. So when you’re trying to say Merry Christmas in Spanish and Happy New Year in Spanish, instead of translating them, you should learn the proper way to do so. This will ensure that you say the right thing at the right time, and avoid confusion.
Let’s learn the best Spanish congratulations and best wishes for any life event, and how to use them.
We all want to celebrate, congratulate, and be congratulated on our special day. Celebrations are a big part of any Spanish-speaking country. We celebrate everything, yes everything! That’s why we have so many bank holidays, even for saint days.
Send the perfect message on your friend’s birthday and make them feel special!
Feliz cumpleaños, which means Happy Birthday in Spanish, is the most common way to congratulate them right and simple. In Spain, we give two kisses (one on each cheek) or a hug, but in some Latin American countries, one kiss is enough.
If you don’t get to see them, text them! A quick message on their social media will make their day. Let’s answer the question “How do you say Happy Birthday in Spanish?” with some examples you can use:
¡Que todos tus deseos se hagan realidad!
“May all your wishes come true!”
¡Felicidades!
“Congratulations!”
¡Que cumplas muchos años más!
“I hope you enjoy many more years!”
¡Que tengas un maravilloso día!
“Have a wonderful day!”
¡Mis mejores deseos en este día tan especial para ti!
“I wish you all the best on your special day!”
¡Enhorabuena!
“Congratulations!”
And there are some special phrases, such as:
Si es tu cumpleaños, ¿por qué el regalo lo tengo yo? Gracias por regalarme otro año de vida a tu lado.
“If it is your birthday, why do I have your present? Thanks for giving me another year next to you.”
Que el nuevo año que empiezas esté tan lleno de alegría y felicidad como te deseo. ¡Que cumplas muchos más!
“I hope this new year can be as full of joy and happiness as I wish you. I hope you have much more!”
2. Best Wishes & Greetings in Spanish for the Holidays
The holiday season is the most exciting time for Spanish people. Why? Because it’s when we all get to share quality time with our families. Although there may be many ways to say Merry Christmas in English, there’s one phrase in Spanish that encapsulates the meaning.
¡Felices fiestas! literally means “Happy holidays” in Spanish, and is the most common way to give best wishes for the holidays in Spanish.
As you may know by now, Spanish-speaking countries are all about parties, which explains the phrase Felices Fiestas.
Feliz Navidad is another way to say “Merry Christmas,” and may be the best translation of it.
You should reply: Igualmente, which means “You too.”
If you want to add more love and affection to your Merry Christmas in Spanish, you should say con mucho cariño, meaning “with all my love.”
You can send your best wishes for the holidays in Spanish for the new year by saying something like: Que tengas un próspero año nuevo, or “I hope you have a prosperous new year.”
This message is the best choice if you want to wish a Happy New Year in Spanish on a Christmas card, send a text message, or email it to someone special.
Feliz próspero año nuevo.
“Happy prosperous new year.”
Que el próximo año esté lleno de bendiciones.
“May next year be full of blessings.”
Año nuevo, vida nueva.
“New year, new life.”
Other important days in Spanish-speaking countries are Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. We all want to tell our parents how important they are and how much they mean to us, making it important to know how to wish them a happy Mother’s Day in Spanish (or Father’s Day).
If you have a Spanish partner, it’s possible that you have a mother-in-law or father-in-law who cares about you a lot. This is the perfect chance to show them your love and wish them a Happy Mother’s Day in Spanish.
¡Feliz día de la madre!
“Happy Mother’s Day!”
¡Feliz día del padre!
“Happy Father’s Day”
Gracias por todo lo que has hecho.
“Thanks for all you’ve done for me.”
Estoy agradecido/agradecida por todo tu trabajo.
“I’m thankful for all your work.”
Eres la mejor mamá del mundo.
“You’re the best mom in the world.”
Eres el mejor padre del mundo.
“You’re the best dad in the world.”
Mamá, te amo or Te quiero mamá.
“I love you, mom.”
These are some messages you can send to wish a Happy Mother’s Day in Spanish on their social media, in a postcard, or in person.
A wedding is a special day that most people want to share with their family and friends with a big party. Perhaps this year you’re lucky enough to be invited to one in a Spanish-speaking country!
Perfect! Learn how to express all your best wishes in Spanish here.
What do you write in a Spanish wedding card? How can you express your happiness for the couple? Whether you want to congratulate the married couple, have received an invitation to a wedding, want to add a message to your gift card, or just want to leave your best wishes in Spanish on their wedding book, these are useful phrases you can use.
If you’re lucky, you may get to give a public speech on this special day. Surprise your audience with your Spanish skills. Here’s how:
Espero que seáis muy felices.
“I wish you both happiness.”
¡Felicidades por esta nueva etapa!
“Congratulations on your new life together!”
¡Felicidades a los futuros esposos!
“Congratulations to the future spouses!”
¡Felicidades a los novios!
“Congratulations to the bride and the groom!”
Felicidades por sus bodas de oro.
“Congratulations on your golden wedding anniversary.”
Felicidades por sus bodas de diamante.
“Congratulations on your diamond wedding anniversary.”
4. Spanish Congratulations: Pregnancy, Baby Shower, and New Baby
New life! A new member of the family has arrived, and you want to take the time to congratulate the new parents. Here are some Spanish greetings and well-wishes for important occasions like these.
¡Felicidades por el nuevo integrante de la familia!
“Congratulations on the new arrival in your family.”
¡Felicidades por el nacimiento de su niño/niña!
“Congratulations on the arrival of your boy/girl.”
Nos alegra mucho saber que ya ha nacido.
“We are so happy to hear he/she has already been born.”
We all want to share with others what we accomplish in life. Tell the new graduates how happy you are for their academic accomplishment in Spanish. And why not surprise them with your Spanish skills while you’re at it!
¡Felicidades por tu graduación!
“Congratulations on your graduation.”
¡Buen trabajo!
“Well done.” or “Good job.”
¡Felicidades por tus buenas calificaciones!
“Congratulations on your good grades.”
¡Felicidades por tu master!
“Congratulations on getting your Master’s degree.”
¡Felicidades por entrar en la universidad!
“Well done on getting into the university.”
¡Felicidades por pasar el examen!
“Congratulations on passing your exam.”
6. Spanish Congratulations Phrases for Promotions & New Jobs
Did someone just share their success? A new job, moving to a new country, or something else? Celebrate with them by saying something in Spanish. Here’s how:
¡Felicidades! or Enhorabuena.
“Congratulations.”
¡Bien hecho!
“Well done!”
Sabíamos que lo lograrías.
“We knew you would get it.”
Estamos orgullosos de ti.
“We are so proud of you.”
¡Felicidades por tu nuevo empleo!
“Congratulations on your new job!”
¡Felicidades por tu ascenso!
“Congratulations on the promotion!”
¡Mucha suerte en tu nueva etapa!
“Best of luck on your next step.”
¡Suerte en tu primer día de trabajo!
“Good luck on your first day of work!”
7. Spanish Congratulations Messages for Retirement
Now the fun begins: Your father-in-law or mother-in-law has retired, and you want to share your best wishes in Spanish. They may come to your place more often now, so keep your Spanish skills sharp with these Spanish greetings and well-wishes for important occasions such as this one.
Enhorabuena, ahora empieza la diversión.
“Congratulations, now the fun begins.”
Mis mejores deseos en la nueva etapa de tu vida.
“Best wishes on your new chapter in life.”
Deseándote a ti y a tu familia lo mejor en la nueva etapa de vida. Que disfrutes del tiempo extra que pasarás con ellos.
“Wishing you and your family the best on your new chapter in your life. I hope you enjoy spending more time with them.”
8. Condolences in Spanish: Death & Funerals
We all want to express our sympathy when someone has lost a loved one. Sometimes it’s hard to express, especially if it’s not in your native language.
Here are some Spanish phrases of condolences to help you:
Lo siento mucho.
“I am sorry to hear that.”
Estamos con ustedes.
“We are with you.”
Mis condolencias para la familia.
“I offer my condolences to your family.”
Mi más sentido pésame.
“My deepest condolences.”
Que descanse en paz or Descanse en paz.
“Rest in peace.”
9. What to Say About Bad News
What should you say when you receive bad news? We all have difficult moments in life, and words may not always bring a solution. But when we share them with meaning and from the heart, they can go a long ways toward comforting someone.
Here are some phrases that you can use to express your feelings in Spanish when someone is having a bad day!
Lo siento mucho.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Estoy contigo.
“I’m here for you.”
Te envío un beso y un abrazo.
“Sending you all my love.”
Cuenta conmigo.
“You can lean on me.”
Cuidate mucho.
“Take care of yourself.”
10. What to Say When Someone’s Injured or Sick
What if you have a Spanish-speaking friend or colleague who’s sick, and you want to cheer them up?
Wish them a quick recovery, and ask them to get well soon in Spanish:
Recupérate pronto.
“Wishing you a speedy recovery.”
¡Que te mejores!
“Get well!”
Alíviate pronto.
“I hope you get well soon.”
Espero que te sientas mejor.
“I hope you feel better soon.”
11. Conclusion
Apart from receiving compliments for those significant life events, we should all learn how to thank them for their kind words in Spanish. We can help you learn more Spanish at SpanishPod101.
Gracias.
“Thank you.”
Se agradece.
“It’s appreciated.”
Mil gracias.
“Many thanks.”
No sé cómo podría agradecértelo.
“I don’t know how to thank you.”
Estamos muy agradecidos.
“We are very grateful.”
Qué amable de su parte.
“Very kind of you.”
Gracias desde el fondo de mi corazón.
“Thanks from the bottom of my heart.”
“How do you say happy birthday in Spanish?” Well, with this simple list, now you know! Learn more about life event messages in Spanish and much more at SpanishPod101.
Before you go, let us know in the comments if there are any Spanish life events and life event messages you want to know about! We look forward to hearing from you, and will help out the best we can!
We’ve all encountered this typical situation: You’re getting back home after a long day. You’re tired and are finally inside the elevator, going up to your place. You’re going to the top floor, the elevator stops, and then someone quickly walks inside and the door closes.
Oh no!
“Hi!” you say.
“Hello” says your neighbour back to you.
You both look at each other, he smiles…Oh, no! Uncomfortable situation! Eight floors away from your house and it’s like forever.
Suddenly he says “It’s very cloudy out there. It says that tomorrow it may rain.”
Aha! Weather! It’s always the perfect subject to bring up inside the elevator.
If you find yourself in that situation in Spain, you have to be prepared to break the ice by learning about the Spanish weather phrases, vocabulary, and more. Learn weather expressions in Spanish in this article, and then check out our article about the many ways to say Hello in Spanish.
1. The Most Common Vocabulary for Talking about Climate in Spanish
Nouns
Spanish weather terms for talking about the weather can be masculine or feminine. Spanish is a gendered language, and you can tell if a noun is masculine or feminine based on the article preceding it: -el [m.] or -la [f.].
To learn more about how to use feminine and maculine nouns, you should make sure to learn the Spanish articles that go with them. You can get a head start by checking out our list of the fifty most common Spanish nouns.
Esta mañana salió el sol a las 7 a.m.
“This morning, the sun rose at seven a.m.”
La nieve — “The snow”
Ten cuidado, que la nieve está resbaladiza.
“Be careful, the snow is slippery.”
La brisa — “The breeze”
Dicen que la brisa del mar es buenísima para la piel.
“It’s been said that the sea breeze is very good for your skin.”
Las nubes — “The clouds”
Hay demasiadas nubes para ir a la playa.
“There are too many clouds to go to the beach.”
La lluvia — “The rain”
La lluvia es imprescindible para la agricultura.
“Rain is indispensable for agriculture.”
La tormenta — “The storm”
La tormenta del jueves se llevó algunas casas del río.
“The storm on Thursday took away some houses in the river.”
El viento — “The wind”
El viento es suave en la costa.
“The wind is soft around the coast.”
El frío — “The cold”
El frío es más seco en el interior que en la costa.
“The cold is drier in the inland than at the coast.”
El calor — “The heat”
Prefiero el calor al frío.
“I prefer the heat to the cold.”
El granizo — “The hail”
El granizo de anoche rompió el cristal de mi coche.
“The hail last night broke my car’s glass.”
La humedad — “The humidity”
Hay mucha humedad en Málaga hoy.
“There’s a lot of humidity in Malaga today.”
El trueno — “The thunder”
Los truenos asustan a mi gato.
“Thunders scare my cat.”
El relámpago — “The lightning strike”
Los relámpagos son preciosos para fotografiar.
“The lightning strike is beautiful to photograph.”
El rayo — “The lightning bolt”
Casi me cae un rayo.
“I almost got hit by a lightning bolt.”
Adjectives
If you’re learning Spanish, you should try to learn plenty of Spanish adjectives because they provide more information about the different types of weather in Spanish, whether you’re in the north where it’s cold or in the south where it’s hot.
Here are some examples of adjectives about the weather in Spanish and English.
Caluroso — “Hot”
Hace un día caluroso.
“It is a hot day.”
Soleado — “Sunny”
Prefiero los días soleados en la costa.
“I prefer sunny days by the cost.”
Despejado — “Clear skies”
El cielo está despejado.
“The skies are clear.”
Húmedo — “Humid”
El día está muy húmedo hoy.
“Today is a very humid day.”
Lluvioso — “Rainy”
Me encanta leer en los días lluviosos.
“I love to read during rainy days.”
Frío — “Cold”
Mi hermano prefiere ciudades frías para vivir.
“My brother prefers cold cities to live.”
Fresco — “Cool”
En verano salgo a la calle cuando está fresco.
“In summer I go out when it’s cool.”
Helado — “Freezing”
En Inglaterra el invierno es helado.
“In England, winter is freezing.”
Nublado — “Cloudy”
En Inglaterra siempre está el día nublado.
“In England, the days are always cloudy.”
Gris — “Gray”
A mi hermana le gustan los días grises para salir a correr.
“My sister likes gray days to go running.”
Ventoso — “Windy”
A mi perro no le gustan los días ventosos.
“My dog does not like windy days.”
Now, let’s look at some Spanish verbs about the weather to complete the sentence. These Spanish verbs for talking about weather and climate in Spanish are always used in the third person. Let’s look at some examples.
Verbs
Llover — “To rain”
Esta primavera está lloviendo mucho en Galicia.
“This spring it’s raining a lot in Galicia.”
Nevar — “To snow”
Va a nevar este invierno en Barcelona.
“It is going to snow this winter in Barcelona.”
Chispear — “To drizzle”
Está chispeando hoy.
“It is drizzling today.”
Granizar — “To hail”
No llueve granizo en el sur de España.
“It does not hail in the south of Spain.”
2. Spanish Weather Terms and Phrases
Knowing about the weather in Spain before traveling is essential because your experience can change depending on the seasons in Spain. From a rainy day to a very hot one—or even worse, a humid day—the weather can impact so many aspects of your visit. So if you have a Spanish friend, ask him/her before booking your flight.
Here are the basics for asking about weather in Spanish:
¿Qué tiempo hace?
“What is the weather like?”
You may also ask:
¿Cómo está el tiempo?
“How is the weather?”
Here are a couple more ways you can ask about the weather in Spanish:
¿Cómo está el clima?
“How’s the weather/climate?”
¿Qué tiempo hace fuera?
“What’s it like outside?”
The first two questions are more common, but you can use the last ones as well, especially in writing.
To reply, you can always decide to use one of the two main Spanish verbs: Estar or Hacer.
Let’s see how.
Estar — “To be”
¿Cómo está el tiempo?
“How is the weather?”
Está nublado.
“It is cloudy.”
Hacer — “Make” or “Do”
Although its literal translation in English is “to make” or “to do,” in Spanish you can still use this verb to mean “to be.”
Let’s see some examples.
¿Qué tiempo hace en Madrid?
“What is the weather like in Madrid?”
Hace mucho frío.
“It is very cold.”
The Spanish weather term tiempo means different things depending on the context. We use tiempo to talk about time as well as to talk about the weather.
Time
No me da tiempo llegar a casa para comer.
“I don’t have time to get home for lunch.”
Weather
¿Cómo está el tiempo en Sevilla, España?
“How is the weather in Seville, Spain?”
3. Spain Weather
Spain is well-known for its weather, and Spain’s climate plays an important role in its culture and economy. This is because, generally, the south is the home of eternal sunshine, hot summers, and chilly winters; the north is known for its cold, windy, and wet summers.
The weather in Barcelona is the perfect combination. The Catalan capital has a fresh climate all year long. The hottest month is August at about 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and the coldest month is January at around 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
Madrid is what we call interior, inland, or central Spain. Due to its altitude where the seaside is miles away, the capital of Spain has chilly winters and scorching summers with intense heat. Does it snow in Spain? Yes, winter in Madrid may come with some snow.
If you want to enjoy the capital of Spain, you should visit between those cold winters and the summer heat.
The south of Spain, the area of Andalusia, is considered one of Europe’s hottest destinations all year round. However, the weather in Seville can be extremely hot during the summertime. It doesn’t snow in Seville, as the weather of southern Spain is perfect all year long.
Seville, Cordoba, and Málaga are very famous cities in the south due to their weather.
4. Saying the Temperature in Spanish
When talking about the weather in Spanish, you may be asked about the temperature. The weather is a very important part of Spanish culture, which is why you should also know that Spanish speakers use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit.
The weather in Seville is about 30 degrees, which is quite hot, though the temperature can get as low as 10 degrees during the winter.
The weather in Madrid, on the other hand, can get as low as 2 degrees.
Wherever you are, to talk about the weather in Spanish you should use the verb estar, meaning “to be,” and the verb hacer, meaning “to make” or “to do.”
The Most Common Sentence Patterns for Talking about Weather in Spanish
To talk about the weather in Spanish, sometimes you have to use the verb haber, which translates to “there is” and “there are.” For example, Hay niebla means “It’s foggy,” though it literally means “There is fog.”
Sometimes you have to use the verb estar, which in English is the verb “to be.” Although in English, you would always use the verb “to be” for talking about the weather, in Spanish you have to know when to use estar or haber.
Let’s see some examples.
Estar — “To be” + [adjective]
¡Hace calor hoy!
“It’s hot today!”
To answer, the formula is:
Hacer — “To do” + [number of degrees]
Sí, hace 30 grados hoy.
“Yes, it is 30 degrees today.”
Or
Hace mucha humedad hoy.
“It is very humid today.”
What if it’s cold outside?
¡Qué frío! Estamos a 2 grados hoy.
Or
¡Qué frío! Hace 2 grados hoy.
These translate to: “It’s so cold! It’s 2 degrees today.”
5. The Most Common Ways to Comment on the Weather in Spanish
So let’s go back to the ice breaker conversation in the elevator. When discussing weather in Spanish, this is how it may sound:
A:¡Hola! A: “Hello!”
B:Hace mucho calor hoy, ¿no? B: “It’s very hot today, isn’t it?”
A:Sí, estamos a 25 grados. A: “Yes, it is 25 degrees.”
B:Pero bajará la temperatura este otoño. B: “But the temperature will go down in the fall.”
A:No sé, el pronóstico dice que seguirán los días soleados hasta invierno. A: “I don’t know, the forecast just said that we may continue to have sunny days until winter.”
B:Sí, pero hay muchas nubes grises, quizá llueva mañana. B: “Yes, but we have gray clouds, it may rain tomorrow.”
A:Sí, debería llover, hace mucho calor aún. A: “Yes, it should rain, because it is still very hot.”
B:Sí, y mucha humedad. B: “Yes, and it is very humid.”
A:Bueno, puede que llueva. A: “Well, it may rain.”
6. Conclusion
Knowing some Spanish weather expressions, phrases, and vocabulary may help you loads. This is because no matter the language you’re learning, the weather will always be a great conversation starter.
It’s very important that you know the main vocabulary so you can practice. For that, SpanishPod101 has many great learning tools so you can start speaking today and improve your Spanish skills over time. In Learn Spanish, we have all the tools you need, regardless of your current level, so you can bring your skills and fluency to one-hundred percent! Have you already tried?
What’s the weather like where you are? Write us a comment in Spanish to let us know; we look forward to hearing from you!
Semana Santa, or Holy Week in Spain, is a Christian holiday season widely celebrated throughout the country. This holiday has a long history in Spain, and traditions today are a mix of the old and new.
In this article, you’ll learn what the most important holy days of this week represent, how the Spanish celebrate Holy Week as a whole, and more facts about Spanish Holy Week.
Let’s get started!
1. What is Holy Week?
In Spain, Holy Week is a major celebration period that starts on Palm Sunday and ends the day before Easter. Thus, this week is composed of six very important days for Christian Catholics in the country. However, four of these days tend to be more fervently celebrated than the others:
Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos). This holy day is observed in celebration of Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem a week before his Resurrection from the dead (Easter).
Holy Wednesday (Miercoles Santo). People observe this holy day in commemoration of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
Good Friday (Viernes Santo). On this holy day, people in Spain commemorate the passion and death of Jesus.
The start and end dates for Holy Week vary from year to year. For your convenience, here’s a table of this holiday’s start and end dates for the next ten years.
Start Date
End Date
2020
April 5
April 11
2021
March 28
April 3
2022
April 10
April 16
2023
April 2
April 8
2024
March 24
March 30
2025
April 13
April 19
2026
March 29
April 4
2027
March 21
March 27
2028
April 9
April 15
2029
March 25
March 31
3. How is Holy Week Celebrated in Spain?
The Four Most Important Days and Traditions
As mentioned earlier, there are four days during the week which are considered the most important. Thus, most of the major celebrations take place on these days.
On Palm Sunday, people bring palm or olive branches to the church to be blessed in commemoration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Because Holy Wednesday commemorates Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, citizens in some parts of Spain wear black robes and hoods, carrying percussion instruments to fill the day and night with the sound of drums. On Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ passion and death, people put on representations of the Vía Crucis, or “Stations of the Cross.” Further, meat consumption is forbidden on this day.
The most important of these holy days is that of Easter, or Pascua. In some regions of Spain, people paint colorful eggs, while others perform more traditional rituals such as burning straw dolls.
Food and Cuisine for Holy Week
For Holy Week in Spain, traditions often involve food. The traditional Holy Week cuisine is known for its austerity, though there are a few common dishes such as garlic soup or salted cod. Cod is used to make croquettes, doughnuts, and fritters; another popular dessert is the Easter cake.
→ Getting hungry already? Study up on 10 Spanish Foods you’ll love!
Holy Week Parades and Processions
Perhaps the most spectacular celebrations for Holy Week take place in southern Spain. This is where massive, well-funded parades are put on by the brotherhoods for all to see. If you happen to watch one of these parades, the big conical-shaped hats may get your attention right away. These are called capirotes, and they originated in the Inquisition. The Catholic Church used to put a similar type of hat on the condemned during the Middle Ages, except it had paintings on it that denoted a person’s crime or punishment.
Another thing you can expect to see is a Spanish Holy Week procession. During such a procession, Nazarenes, bearers, and penitents go forth. The Nazarenes are believers who wear robes that denote the color of their brotherhood, the bearers are those who carry the heavy figures on their shoulders and neck, and the penitents are believers who mortify themselves in some way in order to remove themselves from guilt or to ask favor.
4. Good Luck
For Holy Week, Spain has a fascinating trick for getting good luck. Do you know what it is?
Wear something new! This is a very well-known custom, and there’s even a proverb that says: “On Palm Sunday, he who does not wear something new, does not have hands.”
It doesn’t matter so much what type of clothing you wear, as long as it’s new.
Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important Spanish words and phrases for Holy Week!
Viernes Santo — “Good Friday”
Pascua — “Easter”
Semana Santa — “Holy Week”
Procesión — “Procession”
Vía Crucis — “Stations of the Cross”
Resurrección — “Resurrection”
Domingo de Ramos — “Palm Sunday”
Jueves Santo — “Holy Thursday”
Sábado Santo — “Holy Saturday”
Domingo de Pascua — “Easter Sunday”
Crucifixión — “Crucifixion”
Palmón — “Palm”
To hear the pronunciation of each word, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Spanish Holy Week vocabulary list!
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed learning about Spain’s Holy Week with us, and that you took away some valuable cultural information.
Do you celebrate Holy Week in your country? If so, are celebrations similar or quite different from those in Spain? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
If you’re fascinated with Spanish culture and just can’t get enough, we recommend that you check out the following pages on SpanishPod101.com:
That should be enough to quench your thirst for cultural knowledge for a little while, but for even more great learning resources, create your free lifetime account today. SpanishPod101.com has tons of fun and effective lessons for learners at every level, so there’s something for everyone.
Is it possible to speak a language without using any adjectives? Well, it is, but if you did, you would lose so much meaning. It would be like eating a flavorless meal; sure, you ingest food and all of its nutrients, but do you actually enjoy it? Not much, surely. Adjectives might not be essential for all kinds of communication, but they’re still very important and bring more meaning to your words.
In this article, you’ll find 100 of the most-used Spanish adjectives, as well as how to use them. Rest assured this will help you spice up your Spanish!
Before we continue on with our top 100 list, it’s prudent that we go over the basic Spanish adjectives rules. Understanding Spanish adjectives is far more important than knowing them only by rote!
Spanish Adjectives Placement
In Spanish, we generally find adjectives after a noun, the opposite of where you find them in English. For example, un coche verde means “a green car,” but if we translated it literally, it would be “a car green,” which sounds really weird in English.
However, there are exceptions, for various reasons. For example, it’s common in literature to find the adjective before the noun, and you can also do this yourself when you want to emphasize the noun: una bonita flor is “a beautiful flower.”
Another common way of using an adjective works the same way as in English, and that is when it follows this structure: noun + “to be” verb + adjective. For example: El coche es verde means “The car is green.” Nevertheless, as you might already know, Spanish has two different verbs that can translate to the English verb “to be,” which are ser and estar. A true nightmare for a Spanish learner, as some might say.
We’re going to make it simple here, though. If the adjective you’re using is something perceived as permanent, use the verb ser. If it’s something temporary, use the verb estar.
Let’s see some examples:
When you tell a girl she’s pretty, you’re not thinking of it as a temporary state, but as a permanent thing. This means you’ll tell her something like Eres muy guapa, or “You’re very pretty.”
However, if what you want to tell her is that she looks good in that moment, perhaps because she’s wearing a nice dress, you might say: ¡Qué guapa estás!, which would translate to “You look so pretty!” Of course, there are exceptions, but don’t worry about that for now. We’ll see them shortly.
Spanish Adjectives Agreement
There’s something else you need to keep in mind: While adjectives in English only have one form and never change, in Spanish, they can change in a few ways. The most important variation is related to the fact that nouns can be either feminine or masculine. Because an adjective accompanies a noun, it also has a gender, and most of the important Spanish adjectives change a little bit according to its gender.
As you’ll see in the examples below, all the adjectives that end in -o in their masculine form, will end in -a in their feminine form. However, there are many that end in -e (and a few others that end in different letters) that have the same form whether they’re masculine or feminine. In this Spanish adjectives review, we’ve marked all the adjectives that do change, but you can also check this brief article on Invariable Adjectives in Spanish.
Spanish adjectives can also be singular or plural, depending on the noun they accompany, so one adjective might have up to four different forms. For example, guapo, or “handsome,” has the following forms: guapo, guapa, guapos, guapas.
There’s another variation that most adjectives can have, and this is something that doesn’t exist in English, or at least not in the same way. When you want to emphasize an adjective, instead of saying muy (“very” ) in front of it, you can add -ísimo or -ísima at the end. If you see a very tall building, you can say it’s altísimo, instead of just alto, or muy alto. If you’re very very happy, you might want to say that you’re contentísimo, instead of contento.
Now that you’ve refreshed your knowledge, it’s time for our Spanish adjectives list! But if you do still need some Spanish adjectives help, why not give our MyTeacher program a try or drop us a comment below?
2. Common Spanish Adjectives for Dimensions, Sizes, Distance, etc.
Let’s start with some basic adjectives, such as those to describe sizes, among others.
1- grande
Meaning: “big” Example:Esta camiseta me va grande. Translation: “This shirt is too big for me.” Note: This adjective also has the form gran, which is only found in front of the noun and changes its meaning to “great.” It’s not the same to say una mujer grande (“a big woman” ) as it is to say una gran mujer (“a great woman” ). There are also some nouns that can only have this adjective in front of it. For example, “a great idea” is una gran idea.
2- pequeño
Meaning: “small” Example:Mi hermana tiene los pies pequeños. Translation: “My sister has small feet.”
3- ancho/a
Meaning: “wide” Example:Es una habitación muy ancha. Translation: “It’s quite a wide room.”
4- estrecho/a
Meaning: “narrow” Example:Hemos pasado por una calle muy estrecha. Translation: “We passed through a very narrow street.”
5- alto/a
Meaning: “tall” Example:¡Qué alto eres! Translation: “You’re so tall!”
6- bajo/a
Meaning: “short” Example:El techo es muy bajo. Translation: “The ceiling is very low.”
7- pesado/a
Meaning: “heavy” Example:Esta caja es demasiado pesada para mí. Translation: “This box is too heavy for me.”
8- ligero/a
Meaning: “light” Example:Coge este libro, es más ligero de lo que parece. Translation: “Grab this book, it’s lighter than it looks.”
9- lejano/a
Meaning: “far” Example:Ese bar es muy lejano. ¿Podemos ir a otro? Translation: “That bar is too far. Can we go to a different one?”
10- cercano/a
Meaning: “close” Example:Nací en un pueblo cercano. Translation: “I was born in a close town.”
11- lleno/a
Meaning: “full” Example:El vaso está lleno. Translation: “The glass is full.”
12- vacío/a/
Meaning: “empty” Example:Tengo el monedero vacío. Translation: “My wallet is empty.”
3. Essential Spanish Adjectives for Describing Value
We tend to say that things are good or bad, but sometimes they might be better or worse. They could be amazing, they could be wonderful, or they could be awful… Let’s learn some of these adjectives!
13- bueno/a
Meaning: “good” Example:Mi primo es una buena persona. Translation: “My cousin is a good person.”
Meaning: “wonderful” Example:Tu abuela es maravillosa. Translation: “Your grandmother is wonderful.”
16- increíble
Meaning: “incredible” Example:Me ha regalado un videojuego increíble. Translation: “He gave me an incredible video game.”
17- malo/a
Meaning: “bad” Example:Esta película es muy mala. Translation: “This movie is really bad.”
18- malísimo/a
Meaning: “awful” Example:Ese actor es malísimo. Translation: “That’s an awful actor.” Note: Okay, we realize that here we only added the -ísimo ending to malo, but it’s just to show you that there’s nothing worse than this. However, when something really sucks, we don’t use an adjective; we say it’s una mierda, which means “a sh*t.” We might also add some swear words to that, but this isn’t the right time for that.
4. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Feeling & Sense
You might also want to know how to describe how it feels to touch something. Whether it’s smooth or rough, hot or cold… These adjectives always come in handy.
19- frío/a
Meaning: “cold” Example:La sopa se ha quedado fría. Translation: “The soup went cold.”
20- helado/a
Meaning: “ice cold” Example:Siempre se me quedan las manos heladas. Translation: “My hands always get ice cold.” Note:helado also means “ice cream.”
21- caliente
Meaning: “hot” Example:Cuidado, el café está muy caliente. Translation: “Be careful, the coffee is really hot.”
Meaning: “smooth” Example:Siempre he tenido la piel suave. Translation: “I’ve always had smooth skin.”
24- áspero
Meaning: “rough” Example:Tienes las manos ásperas. Translation: “Your hands are rough.”
25- rugoso
Meaning: “rugged” Example:Esta pared es muy rugosa. Translation: “This wall is very rugged.”
26- blando
Meaning: “soft” Example:Esta almohada es muy blanda. Translation: “This pillow is very soft.”
27- duro
Meaning: “hard” Example:Esta tarta no se puede comer, está durísima. Translation: “I can’t eat this cake, it’s really hard.”
5. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Personalities and Behaviors
We couldn’t write an article about adjectives without talking about how to describe someone’s personality. In this section, we’ve decided it would be a good idea to classify these words between positive and negative words. Some of these words aren’t that easy to classify, so we realize that not all of these words are entirely negative, but we hope that’s okay with you! Here are the top Spanish adjectives for personality.
Positive words
28- agradable
Meaning: “nice” and “friendly” Example:He pasado una tarde muy agradable. Translation: “I’ve had a very nice afternoon.”
29- amable
Meaning: “kind” Example:Gracias, eres muy amable. Translation: “Thank you, you’re very kind.”
6. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Speed, Difficulty, Importance, etc.
50- rápido/a
Meaning: “fast” Example:Eres demasiado rápido para mí. Translation: “You’re too fast for me.”
51- lento/a
Meaning: “slow” Example:Qué lento es este coche. Translation: “This car is so slow.”
52- fácil
Meaning: “easy” Example:El examen me ha parecido fácil. Translation: “I found the test easy.”
53- difícil
Meaning: “difficult” Example:Es una pregunta difícil. Translation: “That’s a difficult question.”
54- importante
Meaning: “important” Example:Sé que este collar es importante para ti. Translation: “I know this necklace is important to you.”
55- simple
Meaning: “simple” Example:No es tan simple. Translation: “It’s not so simple.”
56- complicado
Meaning: “complicated” Example:Me gustaría que la vida no fuese tan complicada. Translation: “I wish life wasn’t so complicated.”
7. Describing Colors in Spanish
No list of adjectives would be complete without a list of colors. Here we have selected some of the most basic Spanish colors as adjectives:
57- amarillo/a
Meaning: “yellow” Example:Tengo un coche amarillo. Translation: “I have a yellow car.”
58- azul
Meaning: “blue” Example:Mi lámpara es azul. Translation: “My lamp is blue.”
59- blanco/a
Meaning: “white” Example:Me he comprado un vestido blanco. Translation: “I bought a white dress.”
60- marrón
Meaning: “brown” Example:No me había fijado en que tenías los ojos marrones. Translation: “I didn’t notice you had brown eyes.”
61- negro/a
Meaning: “black” Example:Mi primer perro era de color negro. Translation: “My first dog was black.”
62- rojo/a
Meaning: “red” Example:¿Te gusta mi nuevo pintalabios rojo? Translation: “Do you like my new red lipstick?”
63- verde
Meaning: “green” Example:Me encantan los árboles, son tan verdes. Translation: “I love trees, they’re so green.”
64- claro/a
Meaning: “light” Example:Tengo la piel muy clara. Translation: “I have really light skin.”
65- oscuro/a
Meaning: “dark” Example:¿Puedes encender la luz? Está muy oscuro. Translation: “Can you turn on the lights? It’s really dark.”
8. Describing Weather
In general, there aren’t very many Spanish weather adjectives. As we saw before, we do say something is hot or cold, but not when we’re talking about us feeling hot. Instead, what we say is Tengo calor (literally, “I have heat” ) or Tengo frío (“I have cold” ). If you said Estoy caliente (“I’m hot” ) you would actually be saying that you’re horny, so that could be quite confusing to the person you’re talking to.
On a similar note, when you want to say that the weather is hot, you won’t use an adjective. You’ll have to say Hace calor, which literally translates to something like “It makes heat,” and you’ll say Hace frío when it’s cold.
Even if it’s not that common, we do use some adjectives. For example, if it’s a cloudy day, we can say Está nublado.
For more weather words in Spanish, check out our Spanish weather article.
9. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Taste
We now know how to describe the feeling of touching something, so now it’s time to see how to describe taste. When you eat Spanish food, we’re sure you’ll want to tell your host how delicious you think it is!
66- dulce
Meaning: “sweet” Example:Estas galletas son muy dulces. Translation: “These cookies are very sweet.”
67- salado/a
Meaning: “salty” Example:La tortilla está demasiado salada. Translation: “The omelette is too salty.”
68- agrio/a
Meaning: “sour” Example:Creo que la leche tiene un sabor agrio. Translation: “I think this milk has a sour flavor.”
69- picante
Meaning: “spicy” Example:¿Este plato es picante? Translation: “Is this dish spicy?”
70- asqueroso/a
Meaning: “disgusting” Example:Esta fruta tiene un sabor asqueroso. Translation: “This fruit has a disgusting taste.”
71- delicioso/a
Meaning: “delicious” Example:Las fresas son deliciosas. Translation: “Strawberries are delicious.”
72- amargo/a
Meaning: “bitter” Example:El café es demasiado amargo para mí. Translation: “Coffee is too bitter for me.”
Meaning: “safe” Example:Esta casa es completamente segura. Translation: “This house is completely safe.”
75- divertido/a
Meaning: “fun” or “funny” Example:Esta película es tan divertida. Translation: “This movie is so funny.”
76- aburrido/a
Meaning: “boring” Example:Esta clase es aburridísima. Translation: “This lesson is so boring.”
77- imposible
Meaning: “impossible” Example:Este examen es imposible. Translation: “This exam is impossible.”
78- posible
Meaning: “possible” Example:Esa chica es una posible asesina. Translation: “That girl is a possible killer.”
11. Describing Physical Traits or Physical Condition
79- viejo/a
Meaning: “old” Example:Es solo un reloj viejo. Translation: “It’s just an old watch.”
80- joven
Meaning: “young” Example:Eres demasiado joven para entenderlo. Translation: “You’re too young to understand it.” Note: Even though being young isn’t permanent and it’s only temporary, we wouldn’t use the verb estar here: we use ser.
81- fuerte
Meaning: “strong” Example:Tienes los brazos muy fuertes. Translation: “You have really strong arms.”
82- débil
Meaning: “weak” Example:Juan no es tan débil como parece. Translation: “Juan isn’t as weak as he looks.”
83- enfermo/a
Meaning: “sick” Example:Mi abuelo está enfermo. Translation: “My grandfather is sick.”
84- nuevo/a
Meaning: “new” Example:Me he comprado un anillo nuevo. Translation: “I bought myself a new ring.”
12. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Appearance & Condition
And finally, another very common group of adjectives. These are the top Spanish adjectives to describe people’s appearance.
85- atractivo/a
Meaning: “attractive” Example:Mi madre de joven era muy atractiva. Translation: “When my mom was young, she was very attractive.”
86- bonito/a
Meaning: “beautiful” Example:Me parece un cuadro muy bonito. Translation: “I think it’s a very beautiful painting.” Note: We can say a girl is bonita, or a thing, or a landscape, but we don’t use it to describe a boy. If we want to say a boy is good-looking, we’ll use the following adjective, guapo.
87- guapo/a
Meaning: “handsome” or “pretty” Example:Mi novio es guapísimo. Translation: “My boyfriend is so handsome.”
88- feo/a
Meaning: “ugly” Example:Qué paisaje tan feo. Translation: “It’s such an ugly landscape.”
89- calvo/a
Meaning: “bald” Example:Mi padre ha sido calvo desde que nací. Translation: “My father has been bald since I was born.”
90- peludo/a
Meaning: “hairy” Example:No me gusta tener las piernas tan peludas. Translation: “I don’t like having such hairy legs.”
91- rubio/a
Meaning: “blond” Example:De pequeña tenía el pelo rubio. Translation: “When I was little, I had blond hair.”
92- moreno/a
Meaning: “tanned” or “brown-haired” Example:¿Has visto qué morena me he puesto? Translation: “Did you see how tan I got?”
93- pelirrojo/a
Meaning: “red-haired” Example:Me gustan mucho las chicas pelirrojas. Translation: “I really like red-haired girls.”
94- delgado/a
Meaning: “thin” Example:Te has puesto muy delgada, ¿no? Translation: “You got really thin, didn’t you?”
95- gordo/a
Meaning: “fat” Example:Marta está un poco gorda. Translation: “Marta is a little fat.”
96- obeso/a
Meaning: “obese” Example:Si no te pones a dieta ahora, te vas a poner obesa. Translation: “If you don’t go on a diet now, you’re going to become obese.”
97- mono/a
Meaning: “cute” Example:Qué mona eres. Translation: “You’re so cute.”
98- pobre
Meaning: “poor” Example:Soy pobre, pero tengo orgullo. Translation: “I’m poor, but I have pride.”
99- rico/a
Meaning: “rich” Example:A veces pienso que me tendría que buscar un novio rico. Translation: “Sometimes I think I should get a rich boyfriend.”
100- tatuado/a
Meaning: “tattooed” Example:Mi hermano está todo tatuado. Translation: “My brother is all tattooed.”
13. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn More Spanish
Do you feel more confident now using Spanish adjectives? Are there any Spanish adjectives you still want to know? Let us know in the comments! We always enjoy hearing from you!
We’re sure that these 100 Spanish adjectives will help you improve your level of conversation in Spanish. But let’s not stop there! There’s so much more to learn, so many new words to explore, so many friends to make! At SpanishPod101.com, you can learn so much more and really become fluent in Spanish.
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When watching Spanish TV shows on Netflix, you can learn Spanish-language expressions and jokes without even realizing that you’re improving your understanding of the language. How will you know? If you laugh at the joke, you got it!
Watching the best Spanish movies on Netflix is one of the best ways of learning Spanish because you not only have access to all the Spanish and Latin American shows, but you can also choose from any Spanish accent!
If you’ve just started Spanish lessons, Netflix Spanish subtitles are recommended when watching Netflix Spanish language content. Or if you’re confident enough, you can choose Spanish audio as well. This way, you set your brain to the Spanish sounds you find easy and enjoy the most.
If you’re a complete beginner, watch a show that you’ve already seen, but this time choose Netflix Spanish subtitles. However, if you would rather watch something new, start with sound in Spanish and watch Spanish Netflix shows with English subtitles (or subtitles in your native language). This way, your brain will associate the Spanish words in your own language.
If you’re an advanced level language-learner, the next step is to set up subtitles in Spanish as well. As you progress, you can choose to watch good Spanish movies on Netflix without Spanish subtitles.
Netflix offers you the chance to see the TV shows’ location. Choose the one you prefer, adjust your ears to the accent, and prepare to learn and enjoy. If you watch, for example, many of the Colombian Telenovelas (soap operas), Netflix will display all the TV series from the same country and the same genre. These are very useful tips for new Spanish learners who prefer to learn a specific Spanish accent.
Ready to learn Spanish using Netflix, but wondering what to watch to learn? Enjoy our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish-language learners! We’ve included Spanish Netflix shows for beginners, as well as shows that more advanced learners are likely to enjoy and benefit from. Let’s get started!
This Spanish series on Netflix is set around 1920 in Madrid, a time when women were starting to fight for equality in Spain. This Spanish Netflix show is about four women who work in the first national telephone company, hence the name Cable Girls. The storyline revolves around what they have in common: their families, their husbands, and their memories.
This series features some famous Spanish actors such as Blanca Suarez, who also appears in the movies Perdiendo el Norte and El bar. Nadia de Santiago and Yon Gonzalez are in this as well. Fun fact: This is also one of the first Spanish Netflix shows.
Although it’s based in 1928, this show is one of our picks because its language is fresh and pure colloquial feminism. What kinds of situations did our grandmothers live through? How did they fight during a dictatorship, where men were at the top of everything: in the home, at work, and in political environments?
Watching this show, you’ll be able to learn a European Spanish accent. Assuming you’re an intermediate-level language-learner, you should know all the expressions used. If this isn’t the case, you should still be able to enjoy the subject matter, so we recommend using subtitles in your mother tongue if you’re just starting with Spanish. Later, you can switch the audio to Spanish to start getting used to it.
Some famous sentences of the show include:
¿Pensar o dejarse llevar? Ese siempre es el dilema. El corazón nos hace soñar, pero es la cabeza la que convierte los sueños en realidad.
“Think or let it be? This is always a dilemma. The heart makes us dream, but it is our heads that make our dreams come true.”
Hacen falta muchos golpes para que los ojos dejen de mirar a través del corazón.
“It takes a lot of blows for the eyes to stop looking through the heart.”
La confianza se gana día a día, pero se pierde en un instante, como un vaso de agua que se derrama en el suelo.
“Trust is gained day by day, but it is lost in an instant, like a glass of water spilling on the ground.”
Uno no elige de quien se enamora… pero elige con quién se queda.
“You do not choose who you fall in love with…but you choose who you stay with.”
Diez años no son suficientes para olvidarte.
“Ten years is not enough to forget about you.”
One of the most-watched Spanish shows on Netflix, this show is about a robbery. A group of highly experienced criminals, eight thieves to be exact, take people hostage and lock themselves in the Royal Mint of Spain. The leader of this heist is the mysterious “Professor” who manipulates the national police to carry out this plan. The show has plenty of head-spinning twists and turns, psychological games, hostage situations, and political messages throughout.
Úrsula Corberó stars in this series, a well-known actress from the Spanish show Física o Química. Alba Flores takes part in the cast as well. She’s known for her role as Saray in the popular Vis a Vis series which Spanish Netflix no longer offers.
This show has a lot of hidden swearing. So, subtitles are highly recommended. It doesn’t matter if you have a high level of Spanish, because you don’t only need the translation, you also need the context to get these expressions. Through watching this Spanish Netflix thriller, you’ll be able to learn some Spanish slang. Here are some examples:
Soy la puta ama.
“I’m f*cking God.”
Me has cortado el rollo.
“You cut my mood.”
Me he sobao.
“I fell asleep.”
Qué pachorra
“Such laziness.”
Me he pasado la vida siendo un poco hijo de puta, pero hoy creo que me apetece morir con dignidad.
“I’ve spent my whole life being a son of a b*tch, but today I think I prefer to die with dignity.”
Solo vemos las consecuencias cuando están delante de nuestras narices.
“We only see the consequences when they are in front of us.”
Las cosas se van a poner muy feas y no soy de quedarme quieta, soy más de ponerme a disparar.
“Things are going to get worse and I can’t be still, I’m the one who starts shooting.”
Paquita Salas is one of the best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish language learners. Why? Because you will not only learn, but laugh as well. This show is about her life as an artist manager in the 90s, more particularly about her misfortune. Watch how her career falls apart while she refuses to let it go.
This series was created, written, and directed by a young and well-known gay couple in Spain: Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi. Javier Calvo’s first hit was on Física y Química. Then, together they participated in Operación Triunfo, the singer’s reality show where both are interpretation teachers. If you want to know more about these two artists, they also appear in some of the best Spanish movies on Netflix, such as La Llamada, a great comedy musical.
Produced by Apache Films, this show has three seasons. It’s full of actors who are pretty well-known, starring Brays Efe and Belén Cuesta. Other appearances include Yolanda Ramos, Anna Castillo, and Lidia San José.
You should watch this Spanish Netflix series from Spain because you can learn easy, common Spanish language with a European accent, as well as a lot of Spanish idioms based on the entertainment business in Spain. If you find yourself laughing at these Spanish idioms, you can be sure that you’re improving your Spanish skills. You can use the subtitles to internalize these advanced idioms even further.
Que ella es actriz, que se ha hecho cursos.
“She’s an actress, she has taken courses.”
El teatro lo tienes que ver de lejos, como si fuera un primer plano. Si eres buen actor es un primer plano de lejos.
“You have to see the theatre from far away like it was a close-up. If you’re a good actor, it is a close-up from a distance.”
Una gorda vale para cualquier época si lo hace bien. Véndelo.
“A fat woman is worth any season if she does it right. Sell it.”
Buscamos a la actriz 360.
“We are looking for actress 360.”
La carrera no se la sacó, pero las prácticas se las hizo todas.
“She did not finish her college degree, but she did all her placements.”
This show is another easy pick. It follows the life of a teenager named Yeimy, who loves music. She falls in love with a musician who steals her music and puts her in jail. You should watch this Colombian TV series if you’re a fan of soap operas. Why? Because it has all the drama of a South American Telenovela, and is one of the best telenovelas to learn Spanish on Netflix. This show is recommended for beginners, especially if you’re interested in learning a more Latino accent.
In this show, you’ll learn other ways to say hello: ¿Qué hubo pues? and ¿Qué más pues? The pues is a pet word used excessively by paisas, but this is because of the city where this show is set: Medellin.
Some new Spanish learners find it easy to listen to South American accents because of the pronunciation, but you have to take into account that the words and meanings are different than those in other Spanish-speaking countries. However, if you’re an advanced learner, you’ll find this type of show very useful for improving your understanding.
Watch the trailer and see if the accent helps you learn faster!
Another pick for one of the best telenovelas to learn Spanish on Netflix is La Casa de las Flores. This show is a dark comedy, which means you’ll laugh till you pee yourself. Why? Well, you’ll find out by watching this dysfunctional Mexican family Los Mora.
A mother tries to keep her family together after her husband’s affair was discovered while she takes refuge in weed. To further complicate things, her daughter has a crush on her new sister’s brother, and her son has an identity crisis.
If you’re a beginner Spanish learner, this show is perfect for you. Unlike the slang language in other Mexican TV shows on Netflix, this type of Spanish Mexican accent is a little posh. The famous actress Cecilia Suarez speaks so slowly, which is great for Spanish learners (but be patient, and you’ll find out why she speaks like that by episode ten). If you like Mexican Spanish accents, you should also watch one of the best Spanish movies on Netflix, Roma.
6. La Niña: The Girl
This show, one of the best shows on Netflix to learn Spanish, follows the life of a former guerrilla fighter who faces challenges as she tries to reintegrate into society and overcome her traumatic past memories.
The Spanish language used in this TV show is mostly slang, but it’s very useful for intermediate learners because of the Colombian accent. Some Spanish learners may find this accent very understandable and clear.
In this series, you’ll learn to say “friend,” “mate,” or “buddy” the Colombian way: mijo and mano. These are basically the union of mi hijo (mijo) meaning “my son,” and a shortened version of hermano (mano), meaning “brother,” respectively. These two ways of saying “my friend” are very common in the region where this series is set: The Colombian jungle.
If you’re still interested in shows that follow subjects like Narcos and Breaking Bad, this show is for you. But, be careful; you’ll find yourself watching one episode after another, since this Colombian telenovela is meant for that. In other words, a great excuse to stay home all day on Sunday.
Elite is the last international push that Netflix in Spain made of a non-English language show. This show is a teen drama based in an exclusive school in Spain, Las Encinas, where three working-class students are awarded scholarships to study.
Elite makes our list of best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish language learners because of its drama, which is being compared to shows such as Gossip Girl or 13 Reasons Why. You’ll get hooked on this teenage drama and the great mystery of a murder! You’ll want to know who died and who did it while you improve your Spanish.
This TV show makes our list of great Netflix shows to learn Spanish. It uses teen language that’s all about drugs, immigration, and discrimination in Spain.
You’ll get hooked with their flashbacks, and at the same time learn with a very neutral European accent from the start. Famous Spanish actors take part in this show such as Maria Pedraza, Itzan Escamilla, and Miguel Bernardeau. One of the best students, Lucrecia, is a Mexican actress and singer; her accent and idioms will enrich the language that appears on the show. Can you spot the difference between accents?
Some famous sentences from the show:
Bájate de ahí de una vez, porque necesito abrazarte.
“Get out of there, because I need to hug you.”
Nosotros siempre nos hemos apoyado, en las buenas y en las malas.
“We’ve always leaned on each other, in good and bad times.”
Me gusta mucho pero no voy a poder estar con él nunca.
“I like him a lot but I can never be with him.”
If you watched Narcos, you’ll probably enjoy watching Pablo Escobar, the Boss of Evil. It may feel like too much at first, I understand, since this type of series has become very popular on Netflix. Oh, there are too many to choose from.
Unlike the famous Narcos, this Pablo Escobar series is based on the real life of the drug dealer, and is produced in his homeland: Medellin, Colombia. What’s more, all the actors, including Andres Parra and Angie Cepeda, are Colombians, so you’ll get your Latino accent right.
You should watch this Spanish Netflix TV series if you want to improve your understanding of the language and set your ears to it. The main Colombian expression of this series is: Plata o plomo, meaning “Money or death.” Although it uses a lot of Latino slang, this show is very useful for beginners because the Colombian accent is neutral and the actors articulate very well.
You should watch the trailer to get a real sense of Colombian drug culture during Pablo Escobar’s life.
This TV series follows the life of a social leader in a conflicting neighborhood. The main character, played by Julio Chavez, will try everything to have more power and negotiate the needs of his people.
You should watch this show on Netflix if you want to take your Spanish to the next level: an advanced level. Why? This Argentinian TV show has so much slang.
You may have learned all the Mexican and Colombian slang from Narcos., In this show, you’ll learn Argentinian slang which is influenced by Italian. Can you spot the difference between Spanish accents yet?
In this show, you can learn the Argentinian use of vos instead of tu (both meaning “you”).
Spanish Netflix offers two seasons of this stand-up comedy show, ten episodes which are about seventy-five minutes long. It includes all of the best comedians from all around Spain. This Netflix series contains European Spanish from many places. Dani Rovira from Malaga, Eva Hace from Central Spain, Dani Mateo from Catalunia, and Ernesto Sevilla from Albacete.
With these stand-ups, you’ll learn (as Ernesto Sevilla usually says): A partirnos el culo. This expression means that you’ll laugh till you pee yourself.
This Spanish comedy program is the type of show that will speed up your learning. You may find it hard at the beginning, but once your ears get used to it, you’ll find yourself laughing.
This type of TV show will definitely improve your level of understanding. Once you understand a joke, you come to realize how much you understand the language and the culture where the language is spoken.
This is certainly one of our Netflix shows to learn Spanish that we highly recommend for all our advanced learners.
11. Final Thoughts
In this article, we’ve introduced you to the concept of how to learn Spanish with Netflix, and provided you with a Netflix Spanish TV shows list. We firmly believe that watching any of these good Spanish series can significantly improve your language skills and enhance your cultural knowledge!
If you liked this top ten, then feel free to find more resources, lessons, and videos from our website SpanishPod101. There are more than 2,000 lessons made for you to learn and improve your Spanish.
Let us know which of these Netflix shows you plan on watching first and why! On SpanishPod101, we have a lively community forum that can help you with your Spanish needs in a fun and easy manner! We’d love to hear from you.
Know that your hard work will pay off, and you’ll soon be speaking like a native!
On Mexican Flag Day (Dia de la Bandera), the people of Mexico celebrate their country’s flag and the aspects of independence it depicts. This is a significant holiday in Mexico, and one draped in colorful symbolism.
In this article, you’ll learn about National Flag Day, Mexico’s gradual victory toward independence from Spain, and more fun facts about the Flag of Mexico. Let’s get started!
1. What is National Flag’s Day in Mexico?
In Mexico, National Flag Day is a day set aside to honor the Mexican Flag. This holiday has its origins in 1935, when a Bank of Mexico employee (Benito Ramírez) set up a special honor guard to celebrate the Flag of Mexico. Five years later, in 1940, National Flag’s Day became an official holiday at the bidding of then-President Lázaro Cárdenas.
In addition to the Flag of Mexico itself, people commemorate the events leading up to Mexico’s independence from Spain and the Plan of Three Guarantees that came along with this independence. The Mexican Flag is central to these themes, with each of its three colors representing one of the guarantees and other aspects of Mexico’s freedom. (We’ll go more into detail about Mexico’s flag later!)
2. Mexican Flag Day’s Date
Each year, Mexicans honor their country’s flag on February 24, which is the date in 1821 that the Iguala Plan came into effect and the end of the War of Independence was signed.
3. The Mexican Flag Day Celebration
In Mexico, Flag Day celebrations aren’t very elaborate, and because this is not a public holiday, many people still need to go to work and school on this day. While there aren’t many Mexican Flag Day activities, some people are still able to enjoy watching the military raise a giant Mexican Flag in celebration.
If you happen to be in the country on February 24, Mexican Flag Day, expect to see the streets and buildings decorated with a sea of Mexican Flag colors.
→ Interested in learning more about celebrations and festivities in Spanish-speaking countries? Check out this lesson by SpanishPod101!
4. The Mexican Flag – Colors and Symbolism
As you probably know, the Mexican Flag colors are green, white, and red. Do you know what they stand for, though?
Well, when the flag was first created, the meanings were a little bit different than they are today.
1821
Today
Green (Verde)
Independence from Spain
Hope (Esperanza)
White (Blanco)
Catholicism
Purity (Pureza)
Red (Rojo)
Unity and Equality
Blood (Sangre)
The first set of color meanings directly relates to the Three Guarantees mentioned earlier. These guarantees were that Mexico would: be independent of Spain, claim Catholicism as its religion, and live in unity and equality with each other (and with the Spaniards in Mexico).
Curious about the design? The Mexican Flag’s design features an eagle standing on top of a cactus while eating a snake. It might sound pretty weird, but it’s based on a story about Aztecs who stumbled upon a similar scene and, believing it to be a sign from the gods, decided to build their empire in that very spot.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Dia de la Bandera with us, and that you learned something new today. What does Flag Day look like in your country? What does your country’s flag mean? Tell us about it in the comments!
Mexican culture is colorful and unique. If you’re interested in learning even more about it, check out the following pages on SpanishPod101.com:
Whatever your reasons for developing an interest in Mexican culture or the Spanish language, know that SpanishPod101.com is the best way to expand your knowledge and improve your skills. With tons of fun lessons for beginners, intermediate learners, and more advanced students, there’s something for everyone!
A recent study has indicated that Spanish speaking countries are rising in popularity as study abroad destinations for international students. From Spain to Mexico to Costa Rica if you’re looking to study abroad, Spanish speaking countries are proving to be the ultimate destinations.
Second only to Mandarin Chinese, Spanish has one of the largest numbers of native speakers in the world. Native Spanish speakers span countries and continents, and learning Spanish will give you linguistic access to a huge portion of the world’s population, as well as a window into a diverse medley of cultures across the Americas and Europe.
As globalization continues to bring the world closer together, it’s clear that students are recognizing the importance of learning new languages by studying abroad. In a recent survey from educations.com, of the 33,000 students surveyed a whopping 31% revealed that language learning was a top priority when they considered their destination options for studying abroad. Of those most concerned with language learning, nearly one-fifth were going abroad specifically to learn a new language.
Being so widespread, learning Spanish by studying in a Spanish-speaking country is an effective way not only to gain invaluable cultural understanding of your destination country, but also to make your resume stand out for potential future employers. A study by Korn/Ferry indicated that 79% of North American recruiters listed Spanish as the most-valued additional language by employers. Furthermore, Spanish is considered one of the six best languages for the workplace as we settle into the new decade.
Given the ubiquity of Spanish as a global language, how is it impacting where students are choosing to study abroad? The proof is in the pudding, as Spanish-speaking countries ranked in both the list of the 2019 Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations in Europe, and around the world! Spain alone was ranked as #1 in Europe and #2 in the world ,while Mexico and Costa Rica were ranked as #5 and #6 respectively on the list of 2019 Top 10 Global Study Abroad Destinations.
With such impressive rankings across the board, we decided to explore the common denominator behind these study abroad destinations – the Spanish language – and find out why students from around the world are seeing the value of learning a new language through studying abroad, and the particular value of choosing to learn Spanish.
But Why Spanish?
English forms a part of many students’ everyday life, from popular culture, interacting with tourists, or you may even be from an English-speaking country! No matter the circumstances, it’s hard to deny the linguistic monolith that English has become.
Despite the undeniable presence of English around the world, other languages like Spanish have actually been growing both in terms of native speakers and second-language learners. To understand the popularity of learning Spanish through studying abroad, however, we should take a closer look at the language itself.
A member of the romance language family, Spanish is a close cousin to Italian, Portuguese, French, and Romanian. That’s not to say that all these languages are mutually intelligible, but they all have roots in Vulgar Latin and share some common characteristics both in terms of vocabulary and grammatical structure. With these close connections, if you already have some basic competency in a romance language the structure of Spanish will feel a lot more familiar.
On the flipside, once you have a romance language like Spanish in your back pocket you’ll have a significant advantage if you decide to learn another language in the same family. Furthermore, Spanish is one of the easiest languages for individuals already proficient in English to pick up. It’s not hard to see why studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country is one of the best ways to get on the road to fluency.
An important thing to remember, however, is that given the numerous benefits of learning a new language, there’s no time like the present to start your language learning journey! Spanish’s linguistic ubiquity means that there are a massive variety of language-learning resources to take advantage of before you set off on your study abroad adventure. By at least beginning to learn Spanish before heading to Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica or any of the other Spanish-speaking study abroad destinations, you’ll be well-equipped to ease into life as an international student from the moment you land. By being able to make yourself understood, communicate with locals, and have an immediate relative understanding of the culture, the transition to study abroad life will be significantly smoother.
Now that we have a better understanding of why Spanish is such a popular language to learn by studying abroad, let’s explore the top-ranked destinations for learning Spanish abroad.
Study Abroad in Spain
Ranked number one amongst the Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations in Europe and ranked second in the world, low cost-of-living, mild climate, top rated education and Mediterranean culture all combine to make Spain an irresistible study abroad destination. Learning Spanish by studying abroad in Spain will give you access to some of Southern Europe’s most exciting cities, world-renowned cuisine and thriving nightlife. Ranked first in Europe for adventure and third for culture, studying abroad in Spain is an immersive experience you’ll be unlikely to forget. Like with any language, the variety of Spanish spoken in Spain differs significantly from the Spanish you’ll find spoken across the Americas, but adjusting to the difference in dialects is as simple as gaining exposure, and putting your skills and knowledge into practice.
Study Abroad In Mexico
Mexico’s impressive fifth-best worldwide study abroad destination shouldn’t be outflanked by its number one ranking for making friends, and number three ranking for adventure. Learning Spanish by studying in Mexico is sure to be a sociable adventure! With a rich Mayan and Aztec history, temperate climate and whopping 35 UNESCO world heritage sites, anything and everything is up for exploration in Mexico. The variety of Spanish spoken in Mexico is largely defined on a regional level, and outside the classroom you should expect to get comfortable with a significant amount of slang specific to Mexico. Language is a window into local culture, and getting a hang of Mexican Spanish is a natural progression towards understanding Mexican culture.
Study Abroad In Costa Rica
Taking a strong #6 spot amongst the world’s best study abroad destinations, Costa Rica is an oft unexplored study abroad option for international students hoping to learn Spanish. A small country in the heart of Central America, Costa Rica also ranks number one in the world on the Happy Planet Index, which measures life expectancy, well-being, ecological footprint, and inequality. Choosing Costa Rica to study abroad will offer you the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience pura vida first-hand, the incredible Costa Rican Jungle, and staggering biodiversity considering Costa Rica’s small geographic area. Like all varieties of Spanish, Tiquismos (Costa Rican Spanish) has a multitude of particularities, like it’s use of vos and usted as opposed to tú.
When learning about etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries, keep in mind that every culture is different, and even neighboring countries might have very different customs from one another. Sometimes, what might seem normal or even polite to you could be interpreted as weird or rude in another country. In the same way, something you find rude might seem common to someone else. Don’t worry, though. We’re here to help you not make the same mistakes other people have made!
Maybe one of the first things you need to know here is that “etiquette” in Spanish is called protocolo or etiqueta. Even though protocolo is a bit more common, etiqueta is equally valid, so you can stick to whichever word you prefer!
Another thing you might want to do when trying to find out about Spanish etiquette is to do some online research on it, which is completely understandable. However, we did some reading too, and we want to warn you that if you do so, you might find Spanish “rules” of etiquette that are very outdated and not appropriate anymore.
For example, we read that women aren’t allowed to cross their legs or wear shorts, which is completely false nowadays. Trust us, you definitely can. Maybe not for formal occasions, but if you want to survive a Spanish summer, you might want to wear shorts when you go out with friends or family.
Here’s our practical, relevant guide on etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries. Read up and wow your hosts with your Spanish social etiquette!
Eating is an important part of any culture, but dining etiquette can be really different from one country to another. This makes knowing the most basic Spanish meal time etiquette essential. Here are the most basic Spanish dining etiquette rules to keep in mind.
No sorbas (Don’t slurp): While in other countries such as Japan, this is considered polite, it’s rude to slurp in Spain.
No eructes (Don’t burp): Just like slurping your food, burping is considered rude in Spain. Some people definitely burp in public, but trust us, no one likes those people.
No pongas los codos encima de la mesa (Don’t rest your elbows on the table): It’s allowed for your arms to be on the table, as long as your elbows aren’t touching it.
No insultes la comida española (Don’t insult Spanish cuisine): While this might sound obvious, there are ways of insulting Spanish cuisine that you might not realize are offensive to Spaniards. Take this example: In 2016, Jamie Oliver made the mistake of adding chorizo to a paella and posting it online. To save you from reading the entire article, we all went mad! In case you’re wondering, chorizo doesn’t go in paella. To this day, we still haven’t forgiven him. We could give you more examples, but they’re all quite similar: someone decides to cook a Spanish recipe, but gets a little too creative and makes the entire country of Spain go berserk. Just stick to our recipes; they’re already amazing and don’t need changes!
Deberías esperar hasta que todos estén sentados y con comida en sus platos (You should wait until everyone is seated and has food on their plates): It’s considered rude to start eating if there are people at the table who haven’t been served their food. Or, in the case of dining in someone’s house, wait until everyone, including the guest, is sitting down.
Siempre deberías tener las manos visibles (Your hands should always be visible): While your elbows shouldn’t be on the table, as we mentioned before, hands should be.
When you’re dining at a restaurant, there are some other specific Spanish restaurant etiquette rules you need to know. For instance, is tipping expected in Spain?
Dejar propina es opcional (Tipping is optional): Spain isn’t like other countries such as the USA, where tipping is compulsory even if your server didn’t do a good job—and not only that, but you actually need to know math to know how much you need to tip! Tipping in Spain is seen as a nice gesture, but people usually only do it when they feel like they need to reward their server for a good job. And when you do so, you don’t need to think of what percentage is appropriate. Rather, it’s more about just giving them a couple of coins, whatever you have in your wallet, as you see fit.
If you’re dining in someone’s house, however, this is what you should keep in mind:
Deberías esperar a que alguien te muestre tu asiento o a que el resto de gente empiece a sentarse (You should wait until someone shows you to your seat or until people start to sit down): The host will often let you know where you can sit.
Deberías ofrecer tu ayuda al anfitrión (You should offer to help the host): This is considered polite, even though most of the time they’ll tell you not to worry and ask you to take a seat.
2. Do’s and Don’ts for Sightseeing
We don’t think we need to teach you basic Spanish protocol and etiquette when it comes to sightseeing, such as not cutting in line and respecting other people’s cultures, but some things might not be exactly the same everywhere.
For example, here’s something you should always keep in mind when you’re on an escalator. They normally have signs that explain what is prohibited, such as wearing flip-flops, but there’s one unspoken rule that’s never included on the signs but that everyone knows:
Siempre deberías quedarte en el lado derecho (You should always stand on the right side): Unless you’re walking, you should always stay on your right whenever you’re on an escalator. It doesn’t matter if you’re going up or down: the left side is only for walking. Don’t use an escalator like the man in the picture, he’s doing it wrong!
Another matter that can be a little bit complicated if you’re not familiar with it is visiting a church. Here are a few Spanish culture and etiquette tips you should know if you want to visit a church or cathedral in Spain:
No lleves pantalones cortos ni sandalias (Don’t wear shorts or sandals): This is common in most places of worship, but it’s good to remember.
Deberías apagar o poner en silencio el móvil (You should turn off or silence your phone): Again, this is quite normal and shouldn’t surprise you.
Deberías prestar atención a los carteles (You should pay attention to the posters): Churches usually have posters with signs that you should follow. For example, sometimes they’ll ask you not to take photos, or if you do, to always take them without flash.
3. Do’s and Don’ts for Greetings
What is Spanish greeting etiquette? We already taught you pretty much everything you need to know about greeting someone in Spanish in different situations in our article titled How to Say “Hello” in Spanish. But we thought we should remind you of a few non-verbal gestures you should or shouldn’t do when greeting someone. (If you’re wondering about Spanish phone etiquette, though, you’ll also find this in the above-mentioned article.)
Deberías hacer contacto visual (You should make eye contact): Unlike in some other cultures, in Spain, eye contact is seen as a symbol of confidence. However, keep in mind that while we advise you to make eye contact, you shouldn’t make it extreme. Remember to blink and don’t have your eyes wide open like a crazy person. You want to look confident, not creepy!
Si no estás seguro de qué deberías hacer, espera unos segundos (If you’re unsure what you should do, wait a few seconds): We don’t want this greeting to become an awkward encounter, but waiting a few seconds until the other person starts the greeting won’t hurt anyone.
4. Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting a House
Etiquette when visiting a house also tends to change from country to country. Here are a few Spanish etiquette tips that you’ll find helpful when you’re invited to someone’s house:
No te quites los zapatos a menos que te digan lo contrario (Don’t take your shoes off unless told otherwise): In many cultures, it’s common to take off your shoes when you enter a house, and sometimes even other kinds of buildings. In Spain, this isn’t very common, but it still might be preferred in certain households. So what we recommend is that you don’t take them off unless they specifically ask you to do so. If you’re unsure, you can always ask them, just in case!
Deberías llevar un detalle (You should bring a small present): It’s common to bring something, such as a bottle of wine or some sort of sweets, especially if you’ve been invited for a meal. The word we used in Spanish is detalle, which literally means “detail,” and refers to something small yet thoughtful.
Deberías hacer un cumplido a su hogar (You should compliment their home): The classic “You have a lovely home” should do the trick. To say this in Spanish, you could go for Tienes (if you’re visiting someone who lives alone) or Tenéis (if you’re visiting someone who lives with other people) una casa preciosa.
5. Do’s and Don’ts When Riding Public Means of Transportation
We think there are not that many rules when it comes to public transportation that differ from other countries, but we’ll remind you of a few of them. Here’s some practical information on Spanish taxi etiquette and how to act when on other means of transportation.
Deberías saludar al conductor (You should greet the driver): Either on a bus or on a taxi, it’s considered polite to greet the driver when you get in—and of course, in the case of a taxi, also when you get out. In most public buses in Spain, the exit is only through the back, so you don’t see the driver again and therefore you don’t necessarily need to say goodbye. Of course, if you’re taking the train or the metro, you won’t see the driver, so you don’t have to greet anyone.
Deberías ofrecer tu asiento a alguien que lo necesite más que tú (You should offer your seat to someone who needs it more than you): If you’re sitting down and someone enters who might need to sit down more than you do, you should offer them your seat. We’re referring, for example, to old people, handicapped people, pregnant women, among others. Out of politeness, they might refuse it sometimes, but it’s common and considered polite to insist a little bit more.
Debes comprar un billete (You must buy a ticket): We don’t think we need to say this, but just in case, don’t forget to pay for your ticket! Or the ride, if you’re taking a taxi.
6. Do’s and Don’ts for Business
If you work in Spain or travel there for work, you might need a couple of tips, even though Spanish business etiquette is quite international.
Deberías dar la mano (You should shake their hand): This is the basic rule for greeting someone in a business environment, but there is an exception. As we explained in our article about greetings, it’s common in Spain to kiss someone twice when greeting them. While in this context a handshake would be the usual greeting, if you’re greeting a woman who’s offering you her cheek, you should kiss her on her cheeks; if you’re a woman and you’re greeting a man who looks like he’s about to kiss you, don’t shy out and offer him your cheek. If you ignore this greeting, it might look like you want to avoid them, and we’re sure you don’t want to do that.
No lleves ropa informal a menos que te digan lo contrario (Don’t wear casual clothes unless told otherwise): More often than not, you should wear formal yet simple clothes.
7. Do’s and Don’ts for Celebrations
Often, celebrations have more rules than we wish they had. We’ll show you a few basic Spanish etiquette and customs for celebrations, but sometimes these rules depend on the specific event, so you might have to ask whoever invited you to the event. For example, whether you should wear formal or casual clothes, or whether you can bring your kids or not.
Something that’s applicable to different kinds of celebrations is the act of making a toast. In Spanish, this is called brindar, and there are a couple of ways of saying “Cheers.” One of them is ¡Salud! and another one, which people tend to find interesting, is ¡Chinchín! Many people think this is an onomatopoeia that resembles the clashing of glasses, but as it turns out, it actually isn’t; it comes from Chinese. In some families, it’s considered bad luck for people to drink water in these cases, but it’s nothing you need to worry about if you don’t feel like drinking alcohol.
Spanish Wedding Etiquette
Deberías comprar un regalo (You should buy a present): It’s common to get presents for the bride and groom, but remember that you’re not meant to bring it to the wedding. Sometimes, instead of getting them a present, you can transfer some money to a bank account that they will provide.
No vayas de blanco (Don’t wear white): The only person who’s allowed to wear white is the bride.
Spanish Etiquette for Birthdays
If it’s your birthday:
Invita a tus amigos a una comida (Invite your friends for a meal): Either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or something in between, it’s common to invite your friends (and/or family) to have a meal, and to pay for all of them. This can be at a restaurant or at your place, and it doesn’t need to be fancy or a big celebration. We’ll leave this up to you.
If it’s someone else’s birthday:
Deberías llevar un regalo (You should bring a present): We guess this is common in most cultures, but it’s customary to bring a present for the person who’s celebrating their birthday.
Etiquette for Births
Deberías llevar un regalo (You should bring a present): It’s common to bring a present for the new parents, either to the hospital if they’re family or close friends, or whenever you see them. The present is normally something for the newborn, but it can be something for the parents as well.
Spanish Funeral Etiquette
Deberías dar el pésame (You should give your condolences): It’s common to say Lo siento (I’m sorry), but if you knew this person really well, their family might appreciate it if you said something slightly more personal, yet brief. Let them know you cared about them.
Deberías presentarte (You should introduce yourself): If the family of the deceased person never met you before, you should introduce yourself to them and let them know how you knew him or her.
No es necesario vestir de negro (It’s not necessary to wear black): Even though it’s still rather common, it’s not compulsory to wear black clothes anymore.
Something else you should know is that it’s common to bring flowers, and sometimes even flower crowns, as a group present.
8. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn Spanish
Keep in mind that no one will judge you if you don’t remember all of these rules we just listed. If you’re ever unsure what you can and can’t do, don’t hesitate to ask someone. They will perfectly understand that you’re foreign and not completely familiar with our traditions and customs yet. This is especially true in very specific celebrations, such as weddings, that don’t happen everyday.
Are any of the customs we went over similar to those in your country? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments!
At SpanishPod101.com, you can learn everything you need to know about Spain, its culture, and its language. From vocabulary lists to lessons, we have anything you might need. Join us and learn Spanish like never before!
Epiphany Day in Spain is one of the most popular Christian holidays in the country. Each year, it’s met with an abundance of enthusiasm and many colorful traditions. In this article, you’ll learn about the Epiphany celebration in Spain as well as the stories behind the holiday.
At SpanishPod101.com, it’s our goal to ensure that every aspect of your language-learning journey is both fun and informative—starting with this article!
Ready? Let’s dive in.
1. What is Epiphany in Spain?
On Epiphany Day, Spain celebrates the visit of the Reyes Magos, or “Biblical Magi,” from the Orient to the newborn Baby Jesus. They brought him gold, incense, and myrrh as gifts.
Some people also celebrate Epiphany as the day on which Jesus was baptized, thus “revealing” the Holy Trinity. Hence the name “Epiphany.”
Both of these events are essential aspects of the Christian faith and gospel, making Epiphany a major religious holiday around the world. However, the Epiphany holiday in Spain does tend to focus more on the wise men.
2. Epiphany Date
Each year, the Feast of Epiphany in Spain is celebrated on January 6. The night before is called Epiphany Eve, the night when children in Spain have difficulty sleeping due to their excitement over the presents they’ll soon open!
3. How Do They Celebrate Epiphany in Spain?
During the late evening, in many towns and cities, the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, or “Magic Kings Parade,” makes its way through the streets. These are made up of carriages where both children and adults in costumes participate. The most important carriages are always the ones in which we see the three wise men. Candy and even some small toys are thrown from all the carriages. Children and others who are not so young try to grab as much as they can.
Once the desfile, or “parade,” is over, the children return home. On that night, children go to bed early because if the three wise men see that the child is awake, they won’t leave any gifts. Before going to sleep, it’s important to prepare something to drink and some pastry or candy for the three wise men, who arrive tired after the long trip. It’s also good to leave some water for the camellos, or “camels.” And after a night where many children can barely get any sleep because of the anticipation…it’s time to open the regalos, or “presents!”
The parade of the three wise men in Granada is the oldest Epiphany parade in Spain. The tradition dates back 100 years, and a total of ten tons of candy are given out during the parade.
4. They Know if You’ve Been Bad or Good…
Do you know what children who behaved badly during the year normally get on Epiphany Eve?
It seems that Santa Claus and the three wise men agreed on this because they also give coal to children who misbehave. But receiving it doesn’t seem to bother the children. Most of the time, it tastes like candy. 🙂
5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Epiphany in Spain
Ready to review some of the vocabulary words we saw in this article? Here’s the essential Spanish vocabulary for Epiphany!
Regalo — “Present”
Familia — “Family”
Epifanía — “Epiphany”
Camello — “Camel”
Desfile — “Parade”
Paje — “Page boy”
Melchor — “Melchor”
Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos — “Magic Kings parade”
Tarta de Reyes — “King cake”
Gaspar — “Gaspar”
Carbón — “Carbon”
Baltasar — “Baltasar”
Reyes Magos — “Biblical Magi”
To hear each of these words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Spanish Epiphany vocabulary list!
Final Thoughts
We hope you enjoyed learning about Epiphany in Spain with us!
Do you celebrate Epiphany in your country? If so, are celebrations similar or very different from those in Spain? Let us know in the comments!
If you’re interested in learning more about the culture in Spanish-speaking countries, or if you want to learn some wintery words to get you through the next couple of months, you may find the following pages useful:
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