300 Spanish Words for Beginners
A curated starting point. Common verbs, everyday nouns, useful adjectives, and the connecting words that make sentences flow.
This guide covers 300 essential words organized into six categories:
Learning vocabulary can feel overwhelming. There are tens of thousands of words in Spanish, and every list seems to prioritize different things. Where do you actually start? If you just want the words without the explanations, skip straight to the word list.
This list takes a frequency-first approach. These 300 words were selected based on how often they appear in everyday Spanish — conversations, books, TV shows, news. Research suggests that the most common 300 words account for roughly 65% of everyday speech.
That's the power of high-frequency vocabulary: a relatively small set of words does most of the work.
How to use this guide
Don't try to memorize everything at once. Bookmark this page and come back to it. Focus on one section at a time. When you encounter a word in the wild — in a show, a song, a conversation — return here to see it in context.
Verbs — The Engine of Every Sentence
If you only learn one category well, make it verbs. They're the backbone of communication — telling you who's doing what, when it happened, and how the speaker feels about it.
Spanish verbs conjugate more than English ones (changing their endings based on who's speaking and when), but don't let that intimidate you. Start with the infinitive forms and present tense, then expand from there.
A note on counting: Verbs have many conjugated forms (yo hablo, tú hablas, él habla...), but we count each verb as one word. Learning the infinitive (hablar) unlocks all its forms. So while verbs are the most complex category, they're also the highest-leverage — one verb = dozens of usable forms.
The Essential 10
These are the verbs you'll use in almost every conversation. Swipe through to explore each one.
← Swipe to explore all 10 essential verbs →
30 More Everyday Verbs
Beyond the essential 10, here are 30 more verbs organized by category. You don't need to memorize these all at once — just know they exist.
🚶 Movement
💬 Communication
☀️ Daily Life
Nouns — Naming the World
Nouns are the things, people, places, and concepts you'll talk about. They're what you point to, ask for, and describe.
Spanish nouns have gender (masculine or feminine), which affects the articles and adjectives around them. Don't stress about memorizing gender rules — you'll pick them up naturally. For now, just notice that el/un goes with masculine nouns and la/una goes with feminine ones.
People & Relationships
Family words are among the first you'll use. Notice how many end in -o for masculine and -a for feminine: hermano/hermana, hijo/hija, amigo/amiga. This pattern repeats throughout Spanish.
Time & Place
Time and place words form the backbone of daily conversation. You'll use these constantly — talking about when things happen, where you're going, and how long things take. Pay special attention to mañana, which means both "morning" and "tomorrow" depending on context.
This tiny word appears in so many common phrases:
Abstract nouns like cosa (thing) and manera (way) are lifesavers when you're learning. They're vague enough to substitute when you can't remember the specific word you need.
Everyday Objects & Concepts
💡 Cosa is your best friend when you forget a word. "Esa cosa" (that thing) will get you through many conversations.
Adjectives — Adding Color
Adjectives let you describe the world around you. In Spanish, they usually come after the noun (unlike English), and they change endings to match gender and number.
Opposites — Learn in Pairs
Quantity & Comparison
📍 Position can change meaning
un hombre grande = a big man (physically)
un gran hombre = a great man (important)
Connectors — The Glue
These small words connect ideas, show relationships, and make speech flow naturally.
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Pronouns & Question Words
Pronouns let you refer to people and things without repeating names. Question words let you ask about everything.
Subject Pronouns
I
you (informal)
he / she
we
they
you (formal)
💡 Spanish often drops subject pronouns because the verb ending already tells you who's acting.
Question Words
Starter Sentences
Words are building blocks, but sentences are what you actually say. Here's how the vocabulary from this guide combines into real, useful Spanish.
Introducing Yourself
Hola, me llamo Ana. Soy de México.
Hi, my name is Ana. I'm from Mexico.
Tengo veinticinco años y vivo en Madrid.
I'm 25 years old and I live in Madrid.
Making Plans
¿Qué vas a hacer mañana?
What are you going to do tomorrow?
Quiero ir al cine esta noche.
I want to go to the movies tonight.
No puedo hoy, pero tal vez mañana.
I can't today, but maybe tomorrow.
Everyday Phrases
¿Puedes ayudarme?
Can you help me?
No entiendo. ¿Puedes repetir?
I don't understand. Can you repeat?
Muchas gracias. Nos vemos pronto.
Thank you very much. See you soon.
What's Next?
These 300 words are a foundation, not a finish line. With this vocabulary, you can already understand a surprising amount of everyday Spanish and start having real conversations.
- Pick 10-15 words per week. Don't try to learn everything at once.
- Use them in sentences. Practice with the patterns above.
- Notice them in the wild. When you hear them in shows or songs, it reinforces memory.
- Review regularly. Spaced repetition works.
Ready to start practicing? Check out the complete 300-word list to study with flashcards and spaced repetition.
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