30 Frequently Used Spanish Words for Beginners
A small group of frequent words appears throughout written Spanish. Lucía introduces 30 common words that can make reading feel more familiar.
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Pick ten words from the lesson and find them in a short Spanish text. Read the sentences aloud and see how each word works in context.
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Edited lesson transcript and vocabulary
Read the complete substantive lesson in its original order. The English explanation is edited from the published manual captions and compared with the original automatic Spanish track. Every original Spanish word, example and inflected form included from the video was checked against its graphics. Punctuation and caption errors are repaired for reading; contextual translations and labelled learner notes are additions. The original vocabulary selection and order are retained. This is an edited caption-based transcript, not a pronunciation assessment. Music and the brand bumper are omitted.
The timestamp chapters link to the original video. Their start times are approximate.
- 0:00 — The lesson’s vocabulary selection
- 0:09 — Meet Lucía
- 0:21 — Words 1–9: articles, links and short answers
- 1:30 — Words 10–18: relations, pronouns and connectors
- 2:38 — Words 19–23: quantity and reference
- 3:09 — 24. Hacer: the present tense
- 3:24 — 25. Estar: the present tense
- 3:40 — 26. Ser: the present tense
- 3:53 — 27. Tener: the present tense
- 4:04 — 28. Decir: the present tense
- 4:16 — 29. Poder: the present tense
- 4:29 — 30. Ir: the present tense
- 4:40 — Keep practising
0:00 — The lesson’s vocabulary selection
Learn 30% of written Spanish in just five minutes. These are the thirty most used Spanish words.
Learner note — What the percentage means: The video does not identify a text collection or calculation for its 30% claim, so that exact figure has not been verified. Treat this as a useful beginner selection rather than a guaranteed percentage of every text or of reading comprehension. The numbered list groups el/la together and includes seven verb infinitives; it is not presented with reproducible frequency counts. This qualification keeps the recommendation to learn common words.
0:09 — Meet Lucía
¡Hola! ¿Qué tal?
Example translation: Hello! How are you?
This is Lucía, from My Daily Spanish. Today I’m going to show you the thirty most used Spanish words that you will find in every text. Are you ready? Let’s go.
Learner note — A frequent word is not in every text: These words are useful and common, but no individual word is guaranteed to occur in every short text. The lesson is a starter list, not an exhaustive dictionary.
0:21 — Words 1–9: articles, links and short answers
1. 0:21 — el / la
Meaning in this lesson: the
It’s the article in Spanish. El is masculine and la is feminine.
Learner note — El before a feminine noun: El usually accompanies masculine nouns, but it also appears directly before certain feminine nouns beginning with stressed a, such as el agua. Agua remains feminine. The lesson’s basic el/la contrast is a starting point. Source: RAE: agua.
2. 0:31 — de
Meaning in this lesson: of / from
de España
Example translation: from Spain
3. 0:38 — y
Meaning in this lesson: and
María y Paula
Example translation: María and Paula
4. 0:46 — que
Meaning in this lesson: that / which
El bolso que te regalé.
Example translation: The handbag that I gave you.
With an accent, qué, it means “what.”
qué
Example translation: what
5. 0:58 — a
Meaning in this lesson: to / at
Voy a mi casa.
Example translation: I go to my house.
6. 1:05 — en
Meaning in this lesson: in / on
en Barcelona
Example translation: in Barcelona
en la mesa
Example translation: on the table
7. 1:15 — un
Meaning in this lesson: a / an
un amigo
Example translation: a friend
8. 1:22 — no
Meaning in this lesson: no
9. 1:26 — sí
Meaning in this lesson: yes
1:30 — Words 10–18: relations, pronouns and connectors
10. 1:30 — por
Meaning in this lesson: because of / through / by, in the examples below
por ella
Example translation: because of her
por el bosque
Example translation: through the woods
hecho por mí
Example translation: made by me
11. 1:43 — para
Meaning in this lesson: for / in order to
para ti
Example translation: for you
12. 1:49 — como
Meaning in this lesson: like / as
como tú
Example translation: like you
13. 1:55 — se
Meaning in this lesson: reflexive marker, in this example
Ella se mira.
Example translation: She looks at herself.
Learner note — Se in context: The example introduces a reflexive use: she looks at herself. Se also has other grammatical uses, so “reflexive marker” is the meaning being introduced here, not a complete definition of every se you will read. Source: RAE: se.
14. 2:02 — su
Meaning in this lesson: his / her / their / your, with usted or ustedes
su casa
Example translation: his, her, their or your house (usted/ustedes)
15. 2:10 — lo
Meaning in this lesson: it, a third-person object in the example
Lo quiero.
Example translation: I want it.
16. 2:17 — todo
Meaning in this lesson: all / everything
Lo quiero todo.
Example translation: I want it all.
17. 2:23 — pero
Meaning in this lesson: but
Estoy bien, pero me duele.
Example translation: I’m fine, but it hurts.
18. 2:32 — o
Meaning in this lesson: or
María o Paula
Example translation: María or Paula
2:38 — Words 19–23: quantity and reference
19. 2:38 — más
Meaning in this lesson: more
Quiero más.
Example translation: I want more.
20. 2:45 — me
Meaning in this lesson: me / to me
Me quiero.
Example translation: I love myself.
21. 2:51 — él
Meaning in this lesson: he
Él tiene dinero.
Example translation: He has money.
22. 2:57 — otro / otra
Meaning in this lesson: other / another; otra is the feminine form
23. 3:02 — esto
Meaning in this lesson: this
Quiero esto.
Example translation: I want this.
3:09 — 24. Hacer: the present tense
24. 3:09 — hacer
Meaning in this lesson: to do
This would be its conjugation in the present tense.
Yo hago. / Tú haces. / Él, ella hace. / Nosotros, nosotras hacemos. / Vosotros, vosotras hacéis. / Ellos, ellas hacen.
Example translation: I do. / You do. / He or she does. / We do. / You all do (vosotros). / They do.
3:24 — 25. Estar: the present tense
25. 3:24 — estar
Meaning in this lesson: to be
This “to be” is used for temporary states or referring to location.
Learner note — A shortcut for ser and estar: Temporary versus permanent is a starting mnemonic, not a rule about actual duration. Estar can present a state or result that lasts, and ser can describe something that changes. The intended meaning and construction matter. Source: RAE: estar and ser.
Yo estoy. / Tú estás. / Él, ella está. / Nosotros, nosotras estamos. / Vosotros, vosotras estáis. / Ellos, ellas están.
Example translation: I am. / You are. / He or she is. / We are. / You all are (vosotros). / They are.
3:40 — 26. Ser: the present tense
26. 3:40 — ser
Meaning in this lesson: to be
This “to be” is for permanent states.
Learner note — Read permanent as the lesson’s shorthand: Use the qualification in the previous chapter: ser often classifies or describes a characteristic, rather than asserting that it can never change.
Yo soy. / Tú eres. / Él, ella es. / Nosotros, nosotras somos. / Vosotros, vosotras sois. / Ellos, ellas son.
Example translation: I am. / You are. / He or she is. / We are. / You all are (vosotros). / They are.
3:53 — 27. Tener: the present tense
27. 3:53 — tener
Meaning in this lesson: to have
Yo tengo. / Tú tienes. / Él, ella tiene. / Nosotros, nosotras tenemos. / Vosotros, vosotras tenéis. / Ellos, ellas tienen.
Example translation: I have. / You have. / He or she has. / We have. / You all have (vosotros). / They have.
4:04 — 28. Decir: the present tense
28. 4:04 — decir
Meaning in this lesson: to say
Yo digo. / Tú dices. / Él, ella dice. / Nosotros, nosotras decimos. / Vosotros, vosotras decís. / Ellos, ellas dicen.
Example translation: I say. / You say. / He or she says. / We say. / You all say (vosotros). / They say.
4:16 — 29. Poder: the present tense
29. 4:16 — poder
Meaning in this lesson: to be able to
Yo puedo. / Tú puedes. / Él, ella puede. / Nosotros, nosotras podemos. / Vosotros, vosotras podéis. / Ellos, ellas pueden.
Example translation: I can. / You can. / He or she can. / We can. / You all can (vosotros). / They can.
4:29 — 30. Ir: the present tense
30. 4:29 — ir
Meaning in this lesson: to go
Yo voy. / Tú vas. / Él, ella va. / Nosotros, nosotras vamos. / Vosotros, vosotras vais. / Ellos, ellas van.
Example translation: I go. / You go. / He or she goes. / We go. / You all go (vosotros). / They go.
4:40 — Keep practising
These were the most common words in Spanish. I hope it was very useful for you. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below. Like the video and subscribe for more.
¡Hasta pronto!
Example translation: See you soon!
