Fundamentals of Spanish (pt. 4/10) – Lesson 32

Spanish fundamentals: part 4

Welcome to part 4 of the fundamentals! As you know by now, these green lessons are all about words and phrases you’ll hear all the time in Spanish. So unlike the blue vocabulary lessons, I really recommend learning all of these by heart. Use whatever works for you: for me, that’s flashcards.

¿Qué significa…? What does … mean?

This is one of the most useful phrases when you start talking with people. You understand some words, but not all of them? Just ask: ¿Qué significa…?

And here’s why it matters to ask in Spanish: if you ask “what does globo mean?” in English, people will answer in English. Ask ¿qué significa globo? and they’ll most likely explain it in Spanish. It’s so easy to switch to English because it’s comfortable, but try to stay in Spanish, no matter how hard it feels. That’s how you improve.

Por and para: two words for “for”

Spanish has two words for “for”, and they’re used in different situations. Here’s a quick first look:

• Por is used for a reason or motive, among other things. You already know it from por favor (please, literally “for favor”).
• Para is used for a deadline, a destination, the person who receives something, or a purpose.

Don’t worry if this feels like a lot: there’s a full lesson about por vs para later in the course. For now, just know there are two ways to say “for”.

Mismo / misma: same

Mismo changes with the noun: el mismo, la misma. And lo mismo means “the same thing”, like in Quiero lo mismo (I want the same). You’ll come across this word very often.

People: boy, girl, man, woman

Remember: the h in hombre is silent (“OM-bre”). And the j in mujer is that strong, throaty h sound: “moo-HER”. Chico and chica are also used for young adults, a bit like “guy” and “girl”.

Señor and señora: Mr. and Mrs.

Don’t forget the ñ: it’s “se-NYOR“, not “se-nor”. For a young or unmarried woman, you might also hear señorita (Miss).

¿Qué haces? and ¿Qué quieres?

The si here has no tilde, so it means “if”, not “yes”: remember lesson 27? And notice that Spanish doesn’t need the word “do”: ¿Qué quieres? is literally “what you want?”

Of course: ¡Claro!

Claro looks like the English word “clear”: when something is clear, it makes sense. That’s exactly the feeling: “of course, makes sense!” You’ll hear claro all day long in every Spanish-speaking country. ¡Por supuesto! means the same, and sounds a bit more formal.

Me gusta and me encanta: I like it, I love it

Put no in front to say you don’t like something. And me encanta is for when you don’t just like it, you love it. (For loving a person, it’s te quiero, not me encantas… well, unless you’re flirting.)

¡Vamos! Let’s go!

A super common word. You’ll hear it to get people moving, to cheer on a sports team, or just as “come on!”

Recap: Spanish fundamentals (part 4)

Spanish	English
¿Qué significa…?	What does … mean?
por / para	for
mismo / misma	same
lo mismo	the same (thing)
el chico / la chica	the boy / the girl
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■

+ 8 more words & phrases

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Practice: fundamentals

Say it out loud first, then click to check.

1. Someone uses the word “globo” and you don’t know it. Ask what it means.

¿Qué significa «globo»?

2. Your friend asks if you want to come. Say “Of course!”

¡Claro! or ¡Claro que sí! or ¡Por supuesto!

3. Say “I like the jacket”.

Me gusta la chaqueta.

4. Say “I love the jacket!”

¡Me encanta la chaqueta!

5. Your friend orders a coffee. Say “I want the same”.

Quiero lo mismo.

6. Say “Let’s go to the beach!”

¡Vamos a la playa!

Quiz: Spanish fundamentals (part 4)

10 questions. ¡Vamos!

Frequently asked questions

Is “señorita” still used?

Yes, but less than before. Señora is the safe choice for a woman you don’t know, especially an adult. In some countries, like Mexico, señorita is still very common for younger women.

When do I use por and when para?

That’s one of the trickier parts of Spanish, so it gets its own lesson later on. For now: por favor (please) and para mañana (for tomorrow) are two great examples to remember.

Before you go to the next lesson

These are all words and phrases you’ll use every day, so take the time to learn them by heart. Grab the free reference sheet below. Next up is lesson 33: another yellow verb lesson. ¡Vamos!