SpanishPod101.com Blog

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

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

If you’re here, it’s because you succeeded in mastering Spanish at the beginner level. Enhorabuena! (“Congratulations!”) Now it’s time to take it a step further by picking up some intermediate Spanish words.  Jumping from beginner to intermediate level can be a scary move. It means that you have to get out there and try out your newly acquired skills…and actually speak Spanish to people!! But that’s why we’re here, right? Intermediate Spanish lessons are very exciting because they allow you to start expressing yourself more freely and having more fluent conversations. At this stage, you can master everyday vocabulary and actually start making friends within the native Spanish-speaking community. This intermediate Spanish wordlist... Show more

Learning animal names is a basic step in mastering everyday vocabulary in any language. From pets (our dearest companions) to wild animals (which may represent some danger), it's important to know the names of animals in Spanish. If you need some encouragement to face this task, here’s some:  Many farm animals in Spanish are common words in the cooking niche, so if you’ve ever ordered a pollo dish, you already know how to say “chicken.” Also, the names of wild animals in Spanish are pretty easy to learn, as many of their names are similar to their English translations (for instance, elefante and hipopótamo). You already have one foot in the door! In this guide, you’ll find a list of animals in Spanish with their English... Show more

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

Have you decided to learn Spanish? Congratulations! It will be a very exciting and rewarding journey. However, as you set out to learn this new language, you might not know where to begin. The sheer number of Spanish vocabulary words you have to learn can be overwhelming! Keep in mind that you don’t need to rush into lessons that are above your level. It’s better to start from the basics and build a foundation that will help you reach your desired level of proficiency in Spanish! To give you a boost, SpanishPod101 has compiled this guide to basic Spanish words for beginners. We’ve listed over 200 common Spanish words in different categories, providing additional information where necessary.  Have fun! You’re one step... Show more

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

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

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

Learning a foreign language can be an amazing adventure to embark on. There are many benefits to learning a language, including personal and professional growth. It’s definitely an exciting and rewarding challenge. Today, it’s easier than ever to start learning a foreign language as there are so many resources available. At SpanishPod101, for example, you can find everything you need to start learning Spanish: short audio and video lessons, all kinds of study tools, and our Premium PLUS members even get personalized guidance from a private tutor. Enough about us, though.  The real question is: Why learn Spanish at all?  In this article, we’ll give you 10 compelling reasons to learn Spanish and outline a good number of benefits... Show more