Español (Spanish)

Spanish is the world's fourth most spoken language, with over 500 million native and fluent speakers. It's the official language of 21 countries, spanning Spain, most of Central and South America, and parts of the Caribbean. In the United States, Spanish is the second most spoken language, with over 40 million native speakers.

Why learn Spanish?

Spanish opens doors across two continents. It's the language of Gabriel García Márquez, Pablo Neruda, and Jorge Luis Borges; of Cervantes's Don Quixote, one of the first modern novels. Today, Spanish-speaking markets represent some of the world's fastest-growing economies.

What makes Spanish distinctive?

• Phonetic spelling — Spanish is written almost exactly as it sounds
• Two verbs "to be" — Ser for permanent states, estar for temporary ones
• Grammatical gender — Nouns are masculine or feminine (no neuter)
• Subject pronouns optional — The verb ending tells you who's acting
• Upside-down punctuation — Questions and exclamations open with ¿ and ¡
• The subjunctive mood — Used far more than in English for doubt, emotion, and wishes

How difficult is Spanish?

For English speakers, Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn. The US Foreign Service Institute rates it as a Category I language, requiring approximately 600 hours for professional proficiency. English and Spanish share thousands of cognates (similar words), and Spanish pronunciation is straightforward.

This guide

This guide takes you from zero to a solid foundation in Spanish. You'll learn:

1. The sounds of Spanish — Pronunciation and the alphabet
2. Your first words — Essential vocabulary to start speaking
3. Nouns and gender — Understanding el and la
4. Verbs: present tense — Regular and irregular conjugations
5. Ser vs estar — The two verbs "to be"
6. Sentence structure — Building correct Spanish sentences
7. Questions — How to ask and answer
8. Numbers and time — Counting, dates, and telling time
9. Past tenses — Preterite and imperfect
10. Everyday conversations — Practical dialogue patterns
11. Common mistakes — Pitfalls to avoid
12. Culture and context — Understanding Spanish-speaking societies
13. Regional differences — Spain vs Latin America
14. Next steps — Resources for continued learning

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Ready to begin? Start with Spanish sounds →