Fundamentals of Spanish (pt. 2/10) – Lesson 15

More Spanish fundamentals

In part 1 of the fundamentals, we learned helpful words like sí, no, por favor and de nada. Today we add 13 more words and phrases that you’ll hear and use all the time.

Some of these don’t follow a clear structure, and that’s fine: just learn them by heart. Especially the phrases for when your Spanish isn’t perfect yet. They’ll save you in real conversations!

O and y: or and and

Two tiny words, but you’ll use them in almost every sentence:

Little bonus rule: before a word that starts with an i sound, y becomes e (español e inglés). And before an o sound, o becomes u (siete u ocho). That way the words don’t blend together.

Phrases for when you’re still learning

Estoy aprendiendo español is super useful: when people know you’re learning, they’ll usually speak a bit slower and be patient with you.

Notice that español is written without a capital letter. In Spanish, languages (and nationalities) are written in lowercase: español, inglés, francés.

And mi español es un poco malo is perfect for covering up your mistakes. Say it with a smile, laugh about it a bit, and keep going. Once you’ve said it, making mistakes doesn’t feel so bad anymore. Add muy (very) and lo siento (I’m sorry), and you can say:

How people will answer: it’s okay!

When you say something like that, people will usually reply with one of these:

Tranquilo is one of my favorite Spanish words. It literally means “calm”, and people use it like “relax, don’t worry”. Use tranquilo for a man and tranquila for a woman.

Vale and bueno: okay and well

Vale is a word you’ll hear everywhere in Spain. The v sounds like a b: “BAH-leh”. It means okay, sure, alright. In Latin America, people say it less: you’ll hear bueno, dale or just ok instead.

Bueno means “good”, but people also use it like “well…” at the start of a sentence: Bueno, ¿vamos? (Well, shall we go?). Buena is the feminine form.

Amigo and amiga: friend

Remember from lesson 6: a group of male and female friends is amigos. Only all women: amigas.

Recap: Spanish fundamentals part 2

Spanish	English
o	or
y	and
Estoy aprendiendo español.	I’m learning Spanish.
Mi español es (un poco) malo.	My Spanish is (a bit) bad.
muy	very
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■
■■■■■■■■	■■■■■■■■

+ 8 more words & phrases

Get all 13 words & phrases on one printable page, with examples and my tips. Free, straight to your inbox.

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Practice: how do you say it in Spanish?

Say it out loud first, then click to check.

1. I’m learning Spanish.

Estoy aprendiendo español.

2. I’m sorry, my Spanish is a bit bad.

Lo siento, mi español es un poco malo.

3. Someone apologizes to you. Tell them “relax, it’s alright!”

¡Tranquilo, no pasa nada! (or tranquila for a woman)

4. Okay! (in Spain)

¡Vale!

5. Coffee or tea?

¿Café o té?

6. very good

muy bueno

7. friends (a group of men and women)

amigos: a mixed group uses the masculine form.

8. it’s okay

está bien

Quiz: Spanish fundamentals part 2

10 quick questions. ¡Vamos!

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between lo siento and perdón?

Perdón (from part 1) is a quick “sorry” or “excuse me”, like when you bump into someone. Lo siento is a bit more of a real apology, “I’m sorry”. You’ll hear both a lot.

Is “vale” used in Latin America?

It’s understood everywhere, but it’s typical of Spain. In Latin America people more often say bueno, dale (especially in Argentina and Colombia), listo or simply ok.

Before you go to the next lesson

These words and phrases might not follow a clear pattern, but you’ll use them constantly. Learn them by heart, and try using vale, tranquilo and no pasa nada next time you speak Spanish. Grab the free reference sheet below. ¡Nos vemos!