Intro Spanish: For beginners

Learn Spanish: A Friendly Beginner’s Guide to Speaking Confidently

Intro Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and a practical, beautiful language to learn. This post gives you a clear, step-by-step plan to get started, real-life phrases to use right away, basic grammar explained simply, and methods to build steady progress. Whether you want travel-ready skills or a path to fluency, follow these steps and practice consistently.

Set a clear, motivating goal

Short-term: “Order food, ask directions, and introduce myself in two weeks.”

Medium-term: “Have a 10–15 minute conversation in three months.”

Long-term: “Reach B2 (independent user) in a year with steady daily practice.” Why it matters: Goals focus study choices and keep you motivated.

Core building blocks: vocabulary, phrases, pronunciation, grammar

Vocabulary: Start with 300–500 high-frequency words (numbers, days, food, family, common verbs).

Phrases: Learn practical chunks: greetings, ordering, asking for help, small talk.

Pronunciation: Spanish is mostly phonetic—letters usually have consistent sounds. Focus on:

Vowels: a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo).

Consonants: “r” (tap or roll), “ñ” (ny as in canyon), “ll” (varies by region: y or j-sound).

Grammar basics: nouns/gender, present tense of regular verbs, common irregular verbs, simple sentence structure (Subject + Verb + Object).

Beginner lesson plan (first 4 weeks) Week 1 — Foundations

Learn greetings and introductions: Hola, ¿cómo estás?, Me llamo…, Mucho gusto.

Numbers 1–20, days of the week, basic question words (qué, quién, cuándo, dónde, por qué, cómo).

Practice: 10–15 minutes pronunciation drills and 10–20 new words per day.

Week 2 — Essential verbs and present tense

Regular verbs: -ar (hablar), -er (comer), -ir (vivir). Conjugate in present: yo hablo, tú hablas, él/ella habla...

Common irregulars: ser, estar, tener, ir, hacer.

Useful phrases: Tengo hambre, Estoy perdido/a, Voy al mercado.

Week 3 — Travel and survival phrases

Ordering food: Quisiera…, ¿Me trae…?, La cuenta, por favor.

Directions and shopping: ¿Dónde está…?, ¿Cuánto cuesta?

Practice short roleplays (ordering, asking directions).

Week 4 — Expand conversations

Talk about the present: Me gusta…, No me gusta…, Vivo en…, Trabajo como…

Simple past (preterite) introduction for telling short stories: Ayer fui, Comí, Hablé.

Start brief language exchanges with native speakers or learners.

Key grammar explained simply

Gender and articles: nouns are masculine (el) or feminine (la). Examples: el libro, la mesa. Plural: los/las + add -s/-es.

Adjectives follow nouns and agree in gender/number: casa blanca, coches grandes.

Present tense basics: Conjugate verbs by changing endings to match the subject (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros, vosotros*, ellos). (*vosotros used in Spain; Latin America uses ustedes.)

Ser vs. Estar: both mean “to be.” Use ser for permanent traits, origin, time (Soy doctora, Es de México). Use estar for location, temporary states (Estoy cansado, Estamos en casa).

Two important past tenses: preterite (completed actions: Ayer comí pizza) vs. imperfect (ongoing/past habits: Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbol).

Practical phrases you can start using today

Greetings: Hola — Buenos días — Buenas tardes — Buenas noches

Introductions: Me llamo Ana. ¿Cómo te llamas? Mucho gusto.

Asking: ¿Dónde está el baño? — ¿Cuánto cuesta? — ¿Hablas inglés?

Everyday: Por favor — Gracias — Perdón — No entiendo — ¿Puedes repetir?

Active practice strategies

Daily micro-practice: 15–30 minutes every day beats infrequent long sessions.

Spaced repetition: Use Anki, Memrise, or any SRS app for vocabulary retention.

Shadowing: Listen to a short phrase and speak at the same time to improve pronunciation and rhythm.

Language exchange: 1:1 practice with native speakers (apps: Tandem, HelloTalk) — start with 10–20 minute exchanges.

Immersion: Change phone/laptop language, listen to Spanish music/podcasts (Coffee Break Spanish, Notes in Spanish), watch shows with subtitles.

Write daily: Short journal entries (3–5 sentences) about your day; get corrections on language exchange platforms or HiNative.

Resources (free & paid)

Free: Duolingo, SpanishDict (conjugations/definitions), BBC Languages, YouTube channels (Butterfly Spanish, Dreaming Spanish).

Paid (optional): iTalki (professional tutors and community tutors), Lingoda, Baselang (unlimited lessons), structured courses like SpanishPod101.

Grammar/reference: Practice Makes Perfect series, A New Reference Grammar of Modern Spanish (for advanced learners).

Cultural tips

Spanish varies by region—vocabulary and pronunciation differ across Spain, Mexico, Argentina, etc. Learn regional variants depending on where you’ll use the language.

Formal vs. informal: use tú with friends/family; usted for formal situations or elders (regional differences apply).

Mistakes to avoid

Over focusing on translation: Think in Spanish early—form simple thoughts directly.

Avoid perfectionism: Speak early, make mistakes, and correct them.

Neglecting listening: Passive vocabulary won’t turn into conversation skills without listening practice.

A simple 5-minute practice routine (daily)

1 minute: Warm-up pronunciation (vowel sounds, 5 words)

2 minutes: Review flashcards (10 new + 20 old)

1 minute: Listen and repeat a short dialogue or sentence

1 minute: Speak/write one sentence about your day

Conclusion and next steps;

Start small, be consistent, and use the language in real situations quickly