🇪🇸 Getting Started with Spanish
🎉 Introduction
Welcome to your very first Spanish lesson! In this unit, you will discover the basics of the Spanish language: the alphabet, greetings, self-introductions, numbers, and days of the week. By the end, you’ll be able to have a very short conversation in Spanish.
Spanish Alphabet & Sounds
The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters. It includes all the same letters as English plus the special ñ. Some consonants and vowels are pronounced differently from English. Below is a guide with common examples to help you pronounce them correctly.
The 27 Letters of the Spanish Alphabet
| Letter | Name in Spanish | Pronunciation (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | like a in "father" |
| B | be | like English "b" |
| C | ce | "k" before a, o, u / "s" or "th" before e, i |
| D | de | like English "d" |
| E | e | like e in "red" |
| F | efe | like English "f" |
| G | ge | "g" before a, o, u / harsh "h" before e, i |
| H | hache | silent |
| I | i | like ee in "see" |
| J | jota | like harsh "h" in "house" |
| K | ka | like English "k" (rare, borrowed words) |
| L | ele | like English "l" |
| LL | elle | like "y" in "yes" (varies by region) |
| M | eme | like English "m" |
| N | ene | like English "n" |
| Ñ | eñe | like "ny" in "canyon" |
| O | o | like "o" in "more" |
| P | pe | like English "p" |
| Q | cu | "k" sound, always followed by u |
| R | ere | single r = soft (like Italian r) |
| RR | erre | rolled/trilled r |
| S | ese | like English "s" |
| T | te | like English "t", softer |
| U | u | like "oo" in "boot" |
| V | uve | very similar to "b" in Spanish |
| W | uve doble | like English "w" (borrowed words) |
| X | equis | like English "ks" / sometimes "h" |
| Y | i griega | like "y" in "yes" / sometimes vowel "ee" |
| Z | zeta | "th" in Spain / "s" in Latin America |
👉 After knowing the whole alphabet, pay special attention to the vowels and key consonants below.
Spanish Vowels
Spanish vowels are short, clear, and always pronounced the same way.
| Letter | Sound (English equivalent) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A a | like a in "father" | amigo (friend) |
| E e | like e in "red" | mesa (table) |
| I i | like ee in "see" | vino (wine) |
| O o | like o in "more" | sol (sun) |
| U u | like oo in "boot" | luna (moon) |
Key Spanish Consonants
Some consonants have special sounds in Spanish:
| Letter | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ñ ñ | like "ny" in "canyon" | niño (child) |
| J j | like a strong h in "house" | jugo (juice) |
| LL ll | like "y" in "yes" (in many regions) | llama (flame / also the animal llama) |
| RR rr | rolled r sound | perro (dog) |
| C c | Before e, i: like "th" in Spain / like "s" in Latin America. Before other vowels: like "k". | cielo (sky) |
| G g | Before e, i: like Spanish J. Before other vowels: like English "g". | gente (people) |
Ñ / ñ
Sound: like ny in canyon.
Example: niño (child).
J / j
Sound: like a strong h in English (similar to the Scottish loch).
Example: jamón (ham).
LL / ll
Sound: varies by region. Commonly like English y in yes, but sometimes like zh in measure.
Example: lluvia (rain).
RR / rr
Sound: rolled or trilled r, strong vibration at the front of the mouth.
Example: perro (dog).
📝 Quick Practice – Spanish Alphabet
Which letter has a sound like ny in "canyon"?
Which letter is rolled or trilled?
Spanish Vowels (Always the Same Sound)
| Letter | Pronunciation (English approximation) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| A | like a in "father" | casa (house) |
| E | like e in "met" | mesa (table) |
| I | like ee in "see" | vino (wine) |
| O | like o in "for" | sol (sun) |
| U | like oo in "food" | luna (moon) |
Quick Practice: Pick the Right Vowel
Which vowel is missing in: c_s_ ?
Score: 0
👋 Essential Greetings
Greetings are one of the most important parts of learning Spanish 🌎. They help you connect with people and show respect. Here’s a list of the most common greetings and polite expressions you’ll use every day:
| Spanish | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello / Hi | Universal greeting, used anytime of the day. |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Used until around noon ☀️. |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon | From noon until around 7-8pm 🌇. |
| Buenas noches | Good evening / Good night | Used both for greeting in the evening and saying goodbye at night 🌙. |
| ¿Cómo estás? | How are you? | Informal. Use with friends, peers, or family. |
| ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? | Formal. Use with strangers, elders, or professionals 👔. |
| Adiós | Goodbye | Standard farewell. |
| Hasta luego | See you later | Casual, implies you’ll see the person again soon. |
| Nos vemos | See you | Very informal, often among friends 👭. |
| Gracias | Thank you | Can be emphasized with muchas gracias (thank you very much). |
| De nada | You’re welcome | Polite response to gracias. |
| Por favor | Please | Use often! It makes you instantly polite 🙏. |
💡 Cultural Tip
In Spanish-speaking countries, greetings are more than words—they often include a handshake, a kiss on the cheek, or even a hug depending on the context. Always greet before starting a conversation (even in shops or public places).
📝 Quick Practice: Match the Greeting
Click the correct Spanish translation for the English phrase.
🧑 Introducing Yourself
Here are some key phrases to introduce yourself in Spanish:
- 👋 Me llamo… — My name is…
- 🌍 Soy de… — I’m from…
- 🎂 Tengo … años — I’m … years old
- 💼 Soy estudiante / profesor / ingeniero — I’m a student / teacher / engineer
In Spanish, Me llamo literally means “I call myself,” but it’s the most natural way to say “My name is.” You can also use Soy + name (“I am …”) in informal contexts.
👤 Introducing Yourself
Here are the most common phrases to introduce yourself in Spanish:
- Hola – Hello
- Me llamo [nombre] – My name is [name]
- Soy [nombre] – I am [name]
- Encantado/Encantada – Nice to meet you
- ¿Cómo te llamas? – What’s your name?
- ¿De dónde eres? – Where are you from?
- Soy de [país] – I’m from [country]
📝 Quick Practice
How do you say “I’m from Canada” in Spanish?
🚍 Getting Around
Traveling in Spain or Latin America? These expressions will help you ask for directions, use public transport, and move around easily.
🧭 Asking for Directions
- ¿Dónde está…? – Where is…?
- ¿Cómo llego a…? – How do I get to…?
- ¿Está cerca o lejos? – Is it near or far?
- A la derecha – To the right
- A la izquierda – To the left
- Todo recto – Straight ahead
🚌 Public Transport
- La estación de tren – Train station
- La estación de autobuses – Bus station
- El metro – Subway
- Un billete, por favor – One ticket, please
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?
- ¿A qué hora sale? – What time does it leave?
🚖 Taxis & Ride Services
- ¿Cuánto cuesta ir a…? – How much to go to…?
- Lléveme a esta dirección, por favor – Take me to this address, please
- ¿Puede esperar aquí? – Can you wait here?
💡 Tip: Use ¿Dónde está…? for asking about places (static), and ¿Cómo llego a…? for asking about the route (how to get there).
📝 Quick Practice – Getting Around
How do you say “Where is the bus station?” in Spanish?
🏨 Accommodation & 🚑 Health Emergencies
When traveling, you will often need to check into a hotel, rent an apartment, or ask for help in case of a medical emergency. These expressions will help you communicate effectively.
🏨 At the Hotel / Accommodation
- Tengo una reserva – I have a reservation
- Quiero reservar una habitación – I want to book a room
- ¿Cuánto cuesta por noche? – How much is it per night?
- ¿Está incluido el desayuno? – Is breakfast included?
- Necesito una llave, por favor – I need a key, please
- Quiero pagar ahora – I want to pay now
🚑 Health Emergencies
- Necesito un médico – I need a doctor
- Es una emergencia – It’s an emergency
- Llame a una ambulancia – Call an ambulance
- Me siento mal – I feel sick
- Tengo dolor de cabeza – I have a headache
- Soy alérgico(a) a… – I’m allergic to…
💡 Tip: In emergencies, remember to clearly state Es una emergencia so people act quickly.
💼 Work & 🎉 Leisure
Daily conversations often include talking about your job or what you like to do in your free time. These expressions will help you share more about yourself.
💼 Talking About Work
- ¿En qué trabajas? – What do you do for work?
- Trabajo en una oficina – I work in an office
- Soy profesor(a) – I am a teacher
- Soy estudiante – I am a student
- Estoy buscando trabajo – I am looking for a job
- Trabajo desde casa – I work from home
🎉 Talking About Leisure
- ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? – What do you do in your free time?
- Me gusta leer – I like to read
- Me gusta viajar – I like to travel
- Me gusta escuchar música – I like to listen to music
- Juego al fútbol – I play soccer
- Salgo con mis amigos – I go out with my friends
💡 Tip: In Spanish, saying Me gusta… (I like…) is the most common way to talk about hobbies and interests.
🍽️ Food, Drinks & 🛍️ Shopping
These are everyday situations: ordering food, asking for drinks, and buying things in stores or markets. Let’s cover the most common phrases.
🍽️ Ordering Food
- Quisiera una ensalada – I would like a salad
- Me gusta el pollo – I like chicken
- ¿Cuál es la especialidad? – What is the specialty?
- Sin picante, por favor – Without spice, please
- La cuenta, por favor – The check, please
🥤 Ordering Drinks
- Un café, por favor – A coffee, please
- Agua sin gas – Still water
- Agua con gas – Sparkling water
- Un jugo de naranja – An orange juice
- Una cerveza – A beer
🛍️ Shopping Essentials
- ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?
- ¿Tiene otra talla? – Do you have another size?
- Es demasiado caro – It’s too expensive
- ¿Acepta tarjeta? – Do you accept card?
- Sólo estoy mirando – I’m just looking
- Quiero comprar esto – I want to buy this
💡 Tip: In Spanish shops and restaurants, it’s common to say por favor and gracias very often — politeness is important!
🔢 Numbers in Spanish (1–1000+)
Learning numbers is essential for everyday communication: giving your phone number, shopping, telling the time, or talking about prices. Spanish numbers follow regular patterns, with some small exceptions.
1–20
- 1 – uno (OO-no)
- 2 – dos (dohs)
- 3 – tres (trehs)
- 4 – cuatro (KWA-tro)
- 5 – cinco (SEEN-ko)
- 6 – seis (says)
- 7 – siete (SYE-teh)
- 8 – ocho (OH-cho)
- 9 – nueve (NWAY-veh)
- 10 – diez (dyehs)
- 11 – once (ON-seh)
- 12 – doce (DOH-seh)
- 13 – trece (TREH-seh)
- 14 – catorce (kah-TOR-seh)
- 15 – quince (KEEN-seh)
- 16 – dieciséis (dyeh-see-SAYS)
- 17 – diecisiete (dyeh-see-SYE-teh)
- 18 – dieciocho (dyeh-see-OH-cho)
- 19 – diecinueve (dyeh-see-NWAY-veh)
- 20 – veinte (BAYN-teh)
Note: Numbers 16–19 and 21–29 are usually written as one word (e.g., dieciséis, veintidós).
Beyond 20
- 30 – treinta (TRAIN-ta)
- 40 – cuarenta (kwa-REN-ta)
- 50 – cincuenta (seen-KWEN-ta)
- 60 – sesenta (seh-SEN-ta)
- 70 – setenta (seh-TEN-ta)
- 80 – ochenta (oh-CHEN-ta)
- 90 – noventa (no-VEN-ta)
- 100 – cien (syen)
Bigger Numbers
- 200 – doscientos (dohs-SYEN-tos)
- 500 – quinientos (kee-NYEN-tos)
- 1000 – mil (meel)
- 1500 – mil quinientos (meel kee-NYEN-tos)
- 1,000,000 – un millón (oon mee-YON)
- 1,000,000,000 – mil millones (meel mee-YO-nes) (Note: In Latin America, sometimes “un billón” is used for one billion.)
Spanish numbers follow clear patterns. Once you know the basics (1–29, tens, hundreds, thousands, millions), you can build any number you need.
21–29
Numbers from 21 to 29 are written as one word starting with veinti-.
- 21 – veintiuno (BAYN-tee-OO-no)
- 22 – veintidós (BAYN-tee-DOHS)
- 23 – veintitrés (BAYN-tee-TRES)
- 24 – veinticuatro (BAYN-tee-KWA-tro)
- 25 – veinticinco (BAYN-tee-SEEN-ko)
- 28 – veintiocho (BAYN-tee-OH-cho)
- 29 – veintinueve (BAYN-tee-NWAY-veh)
30 and Beyond
From 30 onward, numbers are written with y ("and"). Example: treinta y uno (31).
- 31 – treinta y uno
- 42 – cuarenta y dos
- 57 – cincuenta y siete
- 99 – noventa y nueve
- 105 – ciento cinco
Hundreds
For hundreds, use the pattern [number] + cientos. Exceptions: 500 = quinientos, 700 = setecientos, 900 = novecientos.
- 200 – doscientos
- 300 – trescientos
- 500 – quinientos
- 700 – setecientos
- 900 – novecientos
- 230 – doscientos treinta
Thousands
Use mil for "thousand". Note: mil does not take an "s" in plural when expressing numbers.
- 1000 – mil
- 1500 – mil quinientos
- 1520 – mil quinientos veinte
- 2000 – dos mil
- 10,000 – diez mil
Millions & Beyond
For "million" use millón (plural: millones). For "billion" use mil millones in most Spanish-speaking countries.
- 1,000,000 – un millón
- 2,000,000 – dos millones
- 1,024,052 – un millón veinticuatro mil cincuenta y dos
- 1,120,534,284 – mil ciento veinte millones quinientos treinta y cuatro mil doscientos ochenta y cuatro
Key tip: Build numbers step by step by combining units, tens, hundreds, thousands, and millions. With practice, you’ll be able to form any number!
📅 Days of the Week
In Spanish, the days of the week are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence. Unlike in English, the week in Spanish usually starts on Monday (lunes).
- Lunes → Monday
- Martes → Tuesday
- Miércoles → Wednesday
- Jueves → Thursday
- Viernes → Friday
- Sábado → Saturday
- Domingo → Sunday
✨ Notes
- 📌 Days are masculine nouns in Spanish: el lunes, el martes…
- 📌 For repeating events, use plural: los lunes = on Mondays.
- 📌 Stress marks matter: miércoles and sábado carry accents.
🗣️ Example Sentences
- Hoy es lunes. → Today is Monday.
- Mañana será martes. → Tomorrow will be Tuesday.
- Trabajo los viernes. → I work on Fridays.
- El domingo descanso. → I rest on Sunday.
📅 Days of the Week
The days of the week in Spanish are not capitalized (unless at the beginning of a sentence). Let’s go through them:
- Lunes → Monday
- Martes → Tuesday
- Miércoles → Wednesday
- Jueves → Thursday
- Viernes → Friday
- Sábado → Saturday
- Domingo → Sunday
📝 Usage Example
El lunes tengo una reunión. → On Monday, I have a meeting.
El sábado vamos a la playa. → On Saturday, we’re going to the beach.
📆 Years (Años)
In Spanish, years are usually pronounced by grouping the numbers into hundreds or thousands. Here are some examples:
- 2023 → dos mil veintitrés
- 1999 → mil novecientos noventa y nueve
- 2000 → dos mil
- 2010 → dos mil diez
- 1985 → mil novecientos ochenta y cinco
💬 Mini Dialogue
Now let’s practice a short and simple Spanish conversation. Read it carefully and compare it with the English translation 👇
— Hola, ¿cómo te llamas?
— Hi, what’s your name?
— Me llamo John. ¿Y tú?
— My name is John. And you?
— Me llamo María. Mucho gusto.
— My name is María. Nice to meet you.
— Mucho gusto.
— Nice to meet you too.
📝 Notes
- ¿Cómo te llamas? → Literally “How do you call yourself?”, but it means “What’s your name?”.
- Me llamo… → “My name is…”.
- Mucho gusto → A polite way to say “Nice to meet you”.
🏋️ Practice & Exercises
Time to practice what you’ve learned so far! Here are some simple exercises to check your understanding 👇
1️⃣ Fill in the blanks
- Hola, ¿_____ te llamas?
- Me _____ John.
- Buenos _____ (Good morning)
- Hoy es _____ (Monday)
- Tengo _____ años. (I am 20 years old)
2️⃣ Translate into Spanish
- Hello, my name is Anna.
- I am from Canada.
- Good night, see you tomorrow!
- Today is Friday.
- Thank you very much.
3️⃣ Match the pairs
Connect the English words with their Spanish equivalent:
- Monday → _____
- Goodbye → _____
- Please → _____
- Ten → _____
- My name is… → _____
👉 You’ll find interactive quizzes and corrections in the Final Global Exercises at the end of the Beginner level.
📚 Lesson Summary & Next Steps
🔑 Key Takeaways
- You learned the Spanish alphabet and how to pronounce tricky letters (ñ, ll, rr, j).
- You practiced essential greetings like Hola, Buenos días, Adiós, Gracias.
- You introduced yourself in Spanish using Me llamo…, Soy de…, Tengo … años.
- You counted from 1 to 100+ and learned how to form bigger numbers (thousands, millions).
- You discovered the days of the week and how to use them in sentences.
- You read a mini dialogue and practiced everyday conversations.
- You tried practice activities to reinforce all these skills.
🚀 Next Steps
Congratulations! 🎉 You’ve completed the Beginner Level (A1). You are now ready to move to the Intermediate Level, where you’ll learn to communicate more fluently in real-life situations.