Category: A1

Reflecting on Reflexive Verbs

At the very beginning of your Spanish classes, you probably learned “Me llamo…” to say “My name is…” but did you know it literally translates to “I call myself”? In fact, this introductory phrase is part of a category of verbs called reflexive verbs. There are lots of reflexive verbs in Spanish that have special […]

Lower Your Stress with These Interpretive Listening Strategies

In class, you probably talk to a lot of non-native Spanish speakers, or your teachers might slow down and enunciate more. A lot of programs and audio samples that are made for Spanish learners tend to speak slower than normal conversations. The first time you talk to a native speaker or watch a TV show […]

Master Gustar and Similar Verbs

“Me gusta” is one of the very first phrases students learn to say “I like.” However, did you know that it literally translates to “to me, it pleases”? Gustar conjugates a bit differently than other verbs, which is why we’ve dedicated this article to gustar and similar verbs. You’ll master them in no time! How […]

Things to Label at Home in Spanish

There’s a reason that teachers have been labeling items in their classrooms for years. The best way to learn new vocabulary isn’t by translating in your head, but rather associating images and symbols with the word in the target language. For example, you want to practice looking at a tree and thinking “árbol“, not thinking […]

The Supermarket Challenge: Foods in Spanish

The last time you went to the supermarket, what did you get? Did you pick up some arroz and pollo, or maybe some manzanas and zanahorias? A great way to practice Spanish in your daily life is to see what words you know in Spanish as you go about your daily life. Fortunately, many stores […]

Most Common Verbs in Spanish

Did you know that in Spanish, there are over 11,000 verbs? Don’t worry, you definitely don’t need to rush to memorize all of them today. In fact, to be conversational, you only need to be able to use a small fraction of them. Here, we’ll give you a crash course of the most common verbs […]

Common Spanish Mistakes for English Speakers

Languages don’t ever translate exactly, which can make it difficult to understand or get your point across when you’re first learning. There are some Spanish mistakes that are extremely common for English speakers, and we’ll show you just a few of them today. 1. Different ways to say ”you” In English, we have one standard […]

Tongue Twister Day!

Did you know that November 10 is #TongueTwisterDay? No? Can’t blame you. But, since you are here, let me explain why tongue twisters are interesting for language learners. Tongue twisters, as the very words may imply, are sentences designed to be recited at a fast pace causing one to get tongue-tied. This happens because all […]

How to Stress the Right Way: Spanish Word Stress

Do you ever struggle with Spanish pronunciation? Have you often heard teachers go on and on about the importance of pronunciation? As if it’s our one mission in life? Pronunciation is important, of course, but it’s not our top priority. Communication is. If you’re on a journey to learn Spanish, we hope you’re not feeling […]

Sounds Familiar? Speaking About Family Members in Spanish

When we first start learning Spanish, most people prefer to aim for easy conversational skills instead of heavy grammar. This way we get a sense of achievable fluency from the very beginning. In other words, it’s good to have some vocabulary ready to go. That’s why in this entry we will tackle an all-time favourite: family […]