Fundamentals of Spanish (pt. 3/10) – Lesson 22

Spanish fundamentals part 3

Time for part 3 of the green fundamentals lessons: words and phrases you’ll hear and use all the time. Don’t skip this one! Today we learn about 13 words and phrases, including a few survival phrases that will save you in real conversations.

Missed the earlier parts? Check out part 1 and part 2.

Que: that

In the previous lesson we learned that qué with an accent means “what”. Without the accent, que means “that”.

Lo: it

Lo is one of the most fascinating little words in Spanish, because it can mean so many things. For now, just remember it as “it”. You’ve already seen it in no lo sé (I don’t know it) in part 1.

Together with que, you get lo que, which means “what” (as in “the thing that”):

Con and sin: with and without

Pan con tomate is a classic Spanish breakfast, by the way!

Después: after

Notice the de in there? Literally, it’s “after of the classes”. In Spanish you need that de to make the sentence correct. This is something you’ll see more often: Spanish and English don’t always translate word for word.

Otro and otra: other, another

Use otro for masculine nouns and otra for feminine ones, just like we learned in lesson 6.

Here’s the interesting part: in English, “another” is “an” + “other”. But in Spanish, otro already means “another” on its own. So you say otro café, never un otro café. That’s a very common mistake for English speakers!

Bueno: good, well

We saw bueno in part 2 too. It’s also a great reaction word. When someone tells you something, you can say “ah, bueno”: “oh, alright”, “okay, well”.

Ahora and más tarde: now and later

The h in ahora is silent, as always: “a-OH-ra”. Más tarde is literally “more late”. Watch the accent on más.

Survival phrases: do you understand?

Now the really useful part! These phrases help when you’re talking to someone and you’re not sure if they understand you, or if you understand them.

Entiendes comes from the verb entender (to understand), in the tú form. Add me in front, and it becomes “do you understand me?”

Comprender also means “to understand”. There are small differences in how people use entender and comprender, but for now, just know you can use both.

Survival phrases: can you repeat that?

Trust me, you’ll need these! Spanish speakers talk fast, so it’s totally okay to ask them to slow down. Despacio means slowly.

¿Puede…? is the polite usted form. With friends, say ¿Puedes repetirlo? And look: repetirlo, there’s our word lo (it) again, stuck to the end of the verb.

Survival phrases: how do you say…?

This is one of the most powerful phrases for a beginner. Don’t know a word? Just ask! Point at your phone and say: ¿Cómo se dice “phone” en español? They’ll probably answer el móvil (Spain) or el celular (Latin America). New word learned!

Recap: Spanish fundamentals part 3

Spanish	English
que	that
lo	it
con	with
sin	without
después	after
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■

+ 10 more words & phrases

Get all 15 words & phrases on one printable page, with examples and my tips. Free, straight to your inbox.

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Practice: what would you say?

Say it out loud first, then click to check.

1. Someone talks too fast. Ask them politely to repeat it more slowly.

¿Puede repetirlo más despacio?

2. Ask how you say “phone” in Spanish.

¿Cómo se dice “phone” en español?

3. Ask a friend: “Do you understand me?”

¿Me entiendes? (or ¿Me comprendes?)

4. Order another coffee: “I need another coffee.”

Necesito otro café. Not un otro café!

5. bread with tomato

pan con tomate

6. without salt

sin sal

7. after the classes

después de las clases

8. Not now, later!

¡Ahora no, más tarde!

Quiz: Spanish fundamentals part 3

10 questions. ¿Me entiendes? ¡Vamos!

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between entender and comprender?

In daily conversation they’re mostly interchangeable. Entender is a bit more common for “understand what someone says”, and comprender can feel slightly deeper, like “really grasp”. Use whichever you like.

How do I say “I don’t understand”?

No entiendo. You already learned it in lesson 1: lo siento, no entiendo. Combine it with today’s phrases: No entiendo. ¿Puede repetirlo más despacio?

Before you go to the next lesson

These little words and survival phrases might not look exciting, but you’ll use them constantly. Learn them by heart, and next time you speak Spanish, try at least one survival phrase! Grab the free reference sheet below. ¡Hasta la próxima!