A1 Beginner · level 3 of 80

Level 3: Core verbs

26 Spanish words and 3 grammar points, in the order Huerta teaches them. Each word has an example sentence and a memory hook.

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Grammar in this level

The present tense: hablo, hablas, habla

Spanish verbs change their ending to show who is doing the action, so the person is often left out. For -ar verbs like hablar: hablo (I speak), hablas (you speak), habla (he or she speaks, or you formally), hablamos (we speak), habláis (you all speak, used in Spain), hablan (they speak). Verbs ending in -er and -ir work the same way with e or i: tener gives tengo, tienes, tiene. Many common verbs also change their stem, as in quiero and puedo; you will meet those one at a time.

Tienen una casa.They have a house.
Puedo hablar.I can speak.

Soy or estoy? Two ways to say "I am"

Spanish has two verbs for 'to be'. Use ser for what something is: Soy tu amigo (I am your friend). Use estar for where something is: Estoy en casa (I am at home). Es and está are the forms for he, she or it.

Estoy en casa.I am at home.
Soy tu amigo.I am your friend.

Quiero and tengo: what I want, what I have

Quiero means 'I want' and tengo means 'I have'. You can drop yo, because the verb ending already says who: Quiero agua (I want water), Tengo un libro (I have a book).

Quiero agua.I want water.
Tengo un amigo.I have a friend.

Words in this level

serto be

Soy estudiante.I am a student.

Ser is 'serious and permanent': who you are, what things are.
conjugation →
estarto be (location, state), to be

Estoy en casa.I am at home.

Estar = state and location: where you 'stay'.
conjugation →
tenerto have

Tengo dos hermanos.I have two siblings.

Tener ≈ tenure: to hold something.
conjugation →
hacerto do, to make

¿Qué haces?What are you doing?

Facer → factory: where things are made and done.
conjugation →
irto go

Voy al mercado.I'm going to the market.

Imagine saying 'ear' while leaving: ir, off I go. Irregular: voy, vas, va.
conjugation →
quererto want, to love

Quiero aprender español.I want to learn Spanish.

A query is what you ask for: you want it.
conjugation →
poderto be able to, can, to be able

¿Puedes ayudarme?Can you help me?

Poder = power. Having the power to do it.
conjugation →
hablarto speak, to talk

Hablo un poco de español.I speak a little Spanish.

Hablar ≈ fable: you speak a fable aloud.
conjugation →
deof, from

Soy de Madrid.I'm from Madrid.

De is 'of' and 'from', like de-parting from somewhere.
conwith

Café con leche, por favor.Coffee with milk, please.

Con as in 'connect': together with something.
parafor, in order to

Es para ti.It's for you.

Para, like a parachute: something made for a purpose.
aquíhere

Estoy aquí.I'm here.

Aquí sounds like 'a key': the key is here.

ahoranow

Ahora no puedo.I can't right now.

Hora is "hour", so a-hora is "at this hour": now.
igualsame, equal

Los dos son iguales.The two are the same.

Igual: equal, the same. Me da igual: I don’t mind.
juntotogether

Vivimos juntos.We live together.

Junto: joined, together. Like a junction, where roads meet. Two or more of you: juntos.
segurosure, safe, certain

Estoy seguro de que viene.I'm sure he's coming.

Seguro, like secure: safe, and sure.
posiblepossible

Todo es posible.Everything is possible.

Posible, like possible.
el favorfavor, favour

Te pido un favor.I'm asking you a favour.

Favor, like favour. You already know por favor.
sobreabout, on

Hablamos sobre el tema.We talk about the topic.

Sobre: over, on top of, and about. Think of a talk that goes over a topic.
casialmost

Son casi las ocho.It's almost eight o'clock.

Casi: almost. Picture something casually almost done.
tanso, as

¡Es tan bonito!It's so pretty!

Tan: so (tan bonito, so pretty), and as (tan alto como, as tall as).
bastantequite, enough, fairly

Es bastante caro.It's quite expensive.

Bastante: quite, enough. ¡Basta! is Enough!
la partepart

Es la mejor parte.It's the best part.

Parte, like part.
la maneraway, manner

Es una manera fácil.It's an easy way.

Manera: a way, a manner.
la formaform, shape, way

Tiene una forma rara.It has a strange shape.

Forma: a shape, a form, a way of doing something.
el restorest (what is left), remainder

El resto está en la mesa.The rest is on the table.

Resto: the rest, what remains.