¡Felicidades! 🥳

You have reached the final unit of El Curso 1. In the previous units, you learned to talk about yourself, your hobbies, shopping, travel, holidays, and much more.

In this unit, you will bring everything together in a final project. You will also learn what comes next in your Spanish journey and how to keep growing.

1. Final Project – Introducing Myself and My Life

For your final project, you will write and record a short presentation about yourself and your life. Use everything you have learned in this course.

Your project should include:

A. Introduction (Unit 2)

• Your name, where you are from, where you live now

B. Your hobbies and free time (Unit 10)

• What you like to do

• What you love, like, or don’t like

C. Your shopping habits (Unit 11)

• What you buy, where you go shopping

D. A trip or vacation (Unit 12 & 13)

• How you travel (transportation)

• A place you visited or want to visit

• What you did there

E. Your daily life or home (Units 9)

• What you do during the week or on weekends

Useful verbs to review:

• ser (to be – description)

• estar (to be – location, physical/emotional state)

• tener (to have)

• gustar (to like)

• preferir (to prefer)

• querer (to want)

• poder (can)

• ir (to go)

• hacer (to do)

• vivir (to live)

• trabajar (to work)

• estudiar (to study)

Example final project:

Hola, me llamo Carlos. Soy de España, pero ahora vivo en México. Soy profesor de español.

En mi tiempo libre, me gusta leer y escuchar música. Me encanta viajar. Prefiero la playa porque puedo nadar y descansar. No me gusta el frío.

Normalmente, compro la comida en el mercado cerca de mi casa. Necesito fruta, pan y queso cada semana.

El año pasado, viajé a Colombia. Fue un viaje increíble. Tomé el avión a Bogotá y luego visité el museo de oro. También probé la comida local. Me gustó mucho la bandeja paisa.

Durante la semana, trabajo de lunes a viernes. Los fines de semana salgo con amigos o voy a la playa. Puedo nadar muy bien.

Este es mi proyecto final del Curso 1. ¡Gracias por acompañarme!

2. What Comes Next? – How to Keep Growing in Spanish

You have completed the first course. But your Spanish journey is just beginning. Here is my advice for what to do next.

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In the previous unit, we learned how to travel and ask for directions. In this unit, we will learn how to talk about our vacations, describe places we visited, and share past experiences using simple structures.

What you will learn

• I can describe places and tourist experiences.

• I can understand basic Spanish stress rules (accentuation).

• I can talk about past vacation experiences using simple structures.

1. Vocabulary – Vacations and Tourism

Types of Vacations

las vacaciones – holidays / vacation
el viaje – trip
el destino – destination
la playa – beach
la montaña – mountain
el campo – countryside
la ciudad – city
el pueblo – town / village

Tourist Activities

visitar – to visit
viajar – to travel
explorar – to explore
tomar fotos – to take photos
comprar recuerdos – to buy souvenirs
probar la comida local – to try local food
nadar – to swim
caminar – to walk
descansar – to rest
disfrutar – to enjoy

Places to Visit

el museo – museum
la catedral – cathedral
el parque – park
el monumento – monument
la plaza – square
el restaurante – restaurant
el mercado – market
la playa – beach
la montaña – mountain
el lago – lake

Adjectives for Describing Places

bonito / bonita – pretty
feo / fea – ugly
grande1 – big
pequeño / pequeña – small
interesante – interesting
aburrido / aburrida – boring
tranquilo / tranquila – quiet
ruidoso / ruidosa – noisy
caro / cara – expensive
barato / barata – cheap
limpio / limpia – clean
sucio / sucia – dirty
moderno / moderna – modern
antiguo / antigua – old / ancient

Time Expressions for Vacations

el año pasado – last year
el verano pasado – last summer
hace un año – one year ago
la semana pasada – last week
el mes pasado – last month
en diciembre2 – in December
durante las vacaciones – during the vacations

Below, you'll have the chance to learn the past tense in Spanish so you can use these phrases with the correct verb tense.

2. Spanish Stress Rules (Accentuation)

In Spanish, every word has one syllable that is pronounced more strongly. This is called the stressed syllable.

A) If there is an accent mark (´), it shows the stress

If a word has a written accent, that syllable is stressed.

Examples:

• café → stress on fé

• médico → stress on mé

• árbol → stress on ár

Rule: The accent mark tells you exactly where to put the stress.

Read more

In the previous unit, we learned how to go shopping and ask for what we need in a store. In this unit, we will learn how to travel, take public transportation, ask for directions, and communicate at the airport.

What you will learn

• I can name types of transportation.

• I can take the bus, subway, or taxi.

• I can ask for and understand directions.

• I can communicate at the airport.

1. Vocabulary – Transportation and Travel

Types of Transportation

el transporte – transportation
el medio de transporte – means of transport

el coche / el carro1 – car
el autobús – bus
el metro – subway / metro
el tren – train
el tranvía – tram
el taxi – taxi
la bicicleta – bicycle
el avión – airplane
el barco – boat / ship
a pie – on foot

At the Airport

el aeropuerto – airport
el vuelo – flight
la puerta de embarque – boarding gate
la tarjeta de embarque – boarding pass
el pasaporte – passport
el equipaje – luggage
la maleta – suitcase
facturar – to check in (luggage)
embarcar – to board
el mostrador – counter
despegar – to take off
aterrizar – to land

At the Station / Stop

la estación – station
la parada – stop
el billete / el boleto – ticket
el andén – platform
el horario – schedule
la ventanilla – ticket window
la máquina de billetes – ticket machine
de ida – one-way
de ida y vuelta – round-trip

Verbs for Traveling

viajar – to travel
llegar – to arrive
salir – to leave / depart
esperar – to wait
subir – to get on / go up
bajar – to get off / go down
coger / tomar2 – to take (transportation)
preguntar – to ask

2. Taking Transportation

When we talk about how we get from one place to another, we use the verb ir (to go) plus the mode of transport.

A. How to Say “By” (Mode of Transport)

In Spanish, we use the preposition en to say “by”:

• en coche – by car

• en autobús – by bus

• en metro – by subway

• en tren – by train

• en taxi – by taxi

• en avión – by plane

• en bicicleta – by bike

A pie is the exception: we say a pie (on foot), not “en pie”.

Examples:

• Voy al trabajo en metro. – I go to work by subway.

• Prefiero viajar en tren. – I prefer to travel by train.

• ¿Cómo vas al aeropuerto? – Voy en taxi. – How are you going to the airport? – I’m going by taxi.

B. Using “Tomar” (to take)

We can also use the verb tomar (or coger in Spain) to talk about taking a specific form of transport:

• Tomo el autobús todos los días. – I take the bus every day.

• ¿Qué tren tomas? – Which train do you take?

• Tomamos un taxi al hotel. – We take a taxi to the hotel.

C. Buying Tickets

To buy a ticket, we use the verb comprar (to buy) or querer (to want):

• Quiero un billete de ida y vuelta. – I want a round-trip ticket.

• ¿Dónde compro los billetes? – Where do I buy tickets?

• Un billete para Madrid, por favor. – One ticket to Madrid, please.

D. Asking About Departures and Arrivals

• ¿A qué hora sale el tren? – What time does the train leave?

• ¿A qué hora llega? – What time does it arrive?

• ¿De qué andén sale? – Which platform does it leave from?

Read more

What you will learn

• I can name common food and drink items.

• I can talk about supermarket products.

• I can ask for what I need in a store.

• I can understand and use basic prepositions in context.

1. Vocabulary – Food and Shopping

Common Food Items

la comida – food
la bebida – drink

Frutas y verduras:
la manzana – apple
la naranja – orange
el plátano – banana
las uvas – grapes
la fresa – strawberry
la zanahoria – carrot
el tomate – tomato
la lechuga – lettuce
la cebolla – onion

Proteínas:
el pollo – chicken
la carne – meat
el pescado – fish
los huevos – eggs

Lácteos:
la leche – milk
el queso – cheese
el yogur – yogurt

Otros productos:
el pan – bread
el arroz – rice
los frijoles – beans
el aceite – oil
la sal – salt
el azúcar – sugar
el agua – water
el café – coffee
el té – tea
el zumo / jugo1 – juice

Shopping Vocabulary

ir de compras – to go shopping
hacer la compra – go grocery shopping comprar – to buy
pagar – to pay
costar – to cost
el precio – the price
la lista de la compra – shopping list
la cesta – basket
el carrito – shopping cart
la caja – checkout
la bolsa – bag
el dinero – money
la tarjeta – card
efectivo – cash el cajero / la cajera – cashier

Places in a Store/Supermarket

el supermercado – supermarket
la tienda – store
el mercado – market
la panadería – bakery
la frutería – fruit shop
la carnicería – butcher shop

2. Asking for What You Need

When we go shopping, we need to ask for things. Here are some useful phrases:

A. Using “Querer” (to want)

yo quiero – I want
tú quieres – you want
él/ella/usted quiere – he/she/you wants
nosotros queremos – we want
vosotros queréis – you guys want (informal in Spain)
ellos/ellas/ustedes quieren – they/you want

Examples:

• Quiero comprar fruta. – I want to buy fruit.

• Queremos pagar en efectivo. – We want to pay in cash.

• ¿Quieres algo de la panadería? – Do you want something from the bakery?

B. Using “Necesitar” (to need)

The verb “necesitar” is regular in the present tense:

yo necesito – I need
tú necesitas – you need
él/ella/usted necesita – he/she/you needs
nosotros necesitamos – we need
vosotros necesitáis – you guys need
ellos/ellas/ustedes necesitan – they/you need

Examples:

• Necesito una bolsa, por favor. – I need a bag, please.

• ¿Necesitas ayuda? – Do you need help?

• Necesitamos comprar leche y huevos. – We need to buy milk and eggs.

C. Asking for Things Politely

In Spanish, we can ask for things directly or more politely:

• Quiero un kilo de manzanas. – I want a kilo of apples. (direct)

• Me da un kilo de manzanas, por favor. – Can you give me a kilo of apples, please? (common in stores)

• ¿Tiene leche sin lactosa? – Do you have lactose-free milk?

• ¿Puede ayudarme? – Can you help me?

D. Question Words for Shopping

• ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost? (singular)

• ¿Cuánto cuestan? – How much do they cost? (plural)

• ¿Cuánto es? – How much is it? (total)

• ¿Algo más? – Anything else?

Do you need to review verb conjugations in the present tense? You can do so here:

Read more

What you will learn

• I can talk about hobbies and interests.

• I can say what I like and dislike.

• I can express preferences.

• I can use irregular verbs in the present.

1. Vocabulary – Hobbies and Interests

Talking About Free Time

• el tiempo libre – free time

• los fines de semana – weekends

• durante la semana – during the week

• después del trabajo – after work

• siempre – always

• normalmente – normally

• a veces – sometimes

• casi siempre – almost always

• nunca – never

Sports & Physical Activities

• hacer deporte – to do sports

• hacer ejercicio – to workout

• correr – to run

• nadar – to swim

• ir al gimnasio – to go to the gym

• jugar al fútbol – to play football/soccer

• jugar al tenis – to play tennis

• practicar yoga – to practice yoga

• montar bicicleta – to ride a bike

Creative Activities

• pintar – to paint

• dibujar – to draw

• escribir – to write

• tocar la guitarra – to play the guitar

• cantar – to sing

• bailar – to dance

Leisure Activities

• leer – to read

• ver series – to watch series

• ver películas – to watch movies

• escuchar música – to listen to music

• viajar – to travel

• cocinar – to cook

• salir con amigos – to go out with friends

2. Talking About Likes and Dislikes

To talk about what we like and dislike, we use the verb gustar. This verb is covered extensively in the following post, which I invite you to study before continuing:

Below is a brief summary of how to use the verb gustar:

• me gusta + singular / infinitive

  • Examples:

    • Me gusta leer. – I like reading.

    • Me gusta el té. – I like tea.

• me gustan + plural

  • Example:

    • Me gustan los deportes. – I like sports.

• no me gusta / no me gustan

  • Example:

    • No me gusta cocinar. – I don’t like cooking.

As you can see, unlike other verbs, the verb "gustar" changes from singular to plural depending not on the number of people who like something, but on the number of things that are liked. If it is an activity or one thing, we use the verb in the singular ("gusta"), if it is more than one thing, we use the verb in the plural ("gustan").

Emotional Intensity Scale

Let's learn how we can show different levels in our likes:

• me gusta – I like

• me gusta mucho – I like a lot

• me encanta – I love

• odio – I hate

As you can see, if you want to show that you like something more than usual, you can add the word "mucho." If you are really fascinated by something, you can use another verb, the verb "encantar." This verb uses the same structure as gustar, that is, it changes from singular to plural depending on the thing we like and not on the person who likes it. On the other hand, if we dislike something, we can use the verb "odiar." I will give more details about this verb later on.

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What you will learn

• Tell the time.

• Talk about days, months, and seasons.

• Arrange plans and meet friends.

• Talk about the weather.

1. Vocabulary

Time

• la hora – the time

• el reloj – clock / watch

• la mañana – morning

• la tarde – afternoon

• la noche – night

• temprano – early

• tarde – late

• mañana – tomorrow

Examples

• ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?

• Son las tres. – It’s three o’clock.

• Es la una y media. – It’s half past one.

• Son las tres y cuarto – It’s quarter past three.

• Son las diez menos cinco1 – It’s five minutes to ten.

• Son las seis y treinta y cinco de la tarde – It is 6:35 p.m.

Days of the week – Días de la semana

• el lunes – Monday

• el martes – Tuesday

• el miércoles – Wednesday

• el jueves – Thursday

• el viernes – Friday

• el sábado – Saturday

• el domingo – Sunday

• el día – the day

• los días de semana - weekdays

• el fin de semana - weekend

• de lunes a viernes - Monday through Friday

Example

• El lunes trabajo. – On Monday I work.

• ¿Qué día es hoy? – What day is it today?

• Hoy es miércoles – Today is Wednesday.

Months and seasons – Meses y estaciones

Months - Meses2

• enero – January

• febrero – February

• marzo – March

• abril – April

• mayo – May

• junio – June

• julio – July

• agosto – August

• septiembre – September

• octubre – October

• noviembre – November

• diciembre – December

Seasons - Estaciones

• la primavera – spring

• el verano – summer

• el otoño – autumn / fall

• el invierno – winter

Examples

• En verano hace calor. – In summer it’s hot.

• ¿En qué mes estamos? – What month is it?

• Estamos en febrero – It’s February.

Weather - El clima

• hace sol / hay sol – it’s sunny

• hace frío – it’s cold

• hace calor – it’s hot

• llueve – it’s raining

• nieva – it’s snowing

• está nublado – it’s cloudy

• hace viento / hay viento – it’s windy

Examples

• ¿Qué tiempo hace? – What’s the weather like?

• Hace buen tiempo. – The weather is nice.

• Hace mal tiempo. – The weather is bad.

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What you will learn

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Name common professions.

• Describe your job.

• Use irregular verbs in the present tense.

1. Vocabulario: Common Professions

• profesor/a (teacher) = persona que enseña a los estudiantes = person who teaches students

• estudiante (student) = persona que estudia = person who studies

• doctor/a (doctor) = persona que trabaja en un hospital y ayuda a las personas enfermas = person who works in a hospital and helps sick people

• enfermero/a (nurse) = persona que ayuda a los doctores y pacientes = person who helps doctors and patients

• ingeniero/a (engineer) = persona que diseña o construye cosas = person who designs or builds things

• programador/a (programmer) = persona que escribe código de computadora = person who writes computer code

• diseñador/a (designer) = persona que crea ideas o productos visuales = person who creates visual ideas or products

• jefe/a - manager (manager) = persona que organiza y dirige un equipo = person who organizes and leads a team

• camarero/a - mesero/a1 (waiter / waitress) = persona que sirve comida en un restaurante = person who serves food in a restaurant

• chef - cocinero/a profesional (chef) = persona que cocina profesionalmente = person who cooks professionally

• conductor/a (driver) = persona que conduce por trabajo = person who drives for work

• empleado/a de oficina (office worker) = persona que trabaja en una oficina = person who works in an office

• dueño/a de negocio - empresario/a (business owner) = persona que tiene un negocio = person who owns a business

• freelancer - trabajador/a autónomo/independiente (freelancer) = persona que trabaja de manera independiente = person who works independently

• empleado/a (employee) = persona que trabaja para una empresa = person who works for a company

• desempleado/a (unemployed) = persona sin trabajo = person without a job

Diving in: Gender and Professions

In Spanish, many professions change depending on the gender of the person.

Masculine and feminine forms

Many professions use -o for masculine and -a for feminine:

• profesor / profesora

• doctor / doctora

• enfermero / enfermera

• ingeniero / ingeniera

• programador / programadora

• diseñador / diseñadora

• camarero / camarera

• conductor / conductora

• empleado / empleada

• desempleado / desempleada

Ejemplos:

• Soy profesor. (man) → I am a teacher.

• Soy profesora. (woman) → I am a teacher.

One form for men and women

Some professions do not change their form. The gender is shown with el / la (the article):

• el estudiante / la estudiante

• el chef / la chef

• el freelancer / la freelancer

• el manager / la manager

👉 Examples:

• Él es estudiante. → He is a student.

• Ella es estudiante. → She is a student.

Key Language

• Soy … = I am a / an …

• Trabajo como … = I work as a …

• No trabajo. = I don’t work.

• Estoy desempleado/a. = I’m unemployed.

• Soy estudiante. = I’m a student.

Ejemplos

• Soy profesor/a.2 = I am a teacher.

• Trabajo como programador/a. = I work as a programmer.

• Ella es médica / doctora. = She is a doctor.

• Él es freelancer / trabajador autónomo/independiente. = He is a freelancer.

2. Comunicación: Describing Your Job

Now let’s learn how to describe your job using simple sentences.

Useful Verbs

• trabajar = to work

• ayudar = to help

• enseñar = to teach

• estudiar = to study

• diseñar = to design

• gestionar / dirigir = to manage

• cocinar = to cook

• conducir = to drive

Sentence Structures

• Trabajo en + lugar = I work in + place

• Trabajo como + profesión = I work as a + job

• Trabajo con + personas / cosas = I work with + people / things

• Ayudo a + personas = I help + people

Ejemplos

• Trabajo en una oficina. = I work in an office.

• Trabajo como diseñador/a. = I work as a designer.

• Trabajo con ordenadores/computadoras.3 = I work with computers.

• Ayudo a estudiantes. = I help students.

3. Gramática: Irregular verbs in the present tense

In the previous unit, when we talked about our daily routine, we had the opportunity to study regular verbs in the present tense.

As you know, the present tense is the basic tense in any language. It is used to talk about routines, habits, and even things we will do in the future.

In this unit, we are going to take a step further and study irregular verbs in the present tense.

To do this, I invite you to access the following lesson:

How to study it:

• Read the explanation and do the exercises.

• When you finish, come back here.

Read more

What you will learn

• Vocabulary related to daily activities

• Common reflexive verbs for routines

• How to talk about your day using the present tense

• Basic time expressions (morning, afternoon, night)

• How to describe a typical day in simple Spanish

1. Vocabulary: Daily Routine

• despertarse = to wake up

• levantarse = to get up

• ducharse = to take a shower

• vestirse = to get dressed

• desayunar = to have breakfast

• trabajar = to work

• estudiar = to study

• comer = to eat / to have lunch1

• volver a casa = to go back home

• descansar = to rest

• cenar = to have dinner

• acostarse = to go to bed

• dormir = to sleep

2. Grammar: Reflexive Verbs

I hope the name of this section doesn't scare you. Reflexive verbs are a little different from normal verbs, but their logic is clear. Everything related to reflexive verbs is covered in the following lesson:

How to study it:

• Read the explanation and do the exercises.

• When you finish, come back here.

3. Grammar: Present Tense for Routines

We use the present tense to talk about:

• habits

• routines

• things we do every day

Examples

• Trabajo de lunes a viernes. (I work Monday through Friday.)

• Estudio español todos los días. (I study Spanish every day.)

• Ceno a las ocho. (I have dinner at eight.)

For this reason, it is essential to study the present. I invite you to proceed to the next lesson:

How to study it:

• Read the explanation and do the exercises.

• When you finish, come back here.

4. Vocabulary: Time Expressions

• por la mañana / en la mañana = in the morning

• por la tarde / en la tarde = in the afternoon

• por la noche / en la noche2 = at night

• temprano = early

• tarde = late

• todos los días = every day

• de lunes a viernes = from Monday to Friday

• el fin de semana = the weekend

Examples

• Trabajo por la mañana. (I work in the morning.)

• Estudio por la tarde. (I study in the afternoon.)

• Me acuesto tarde. (I go to bed late.)

Read more

What you will learn

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Name family members in Spanish.

• Use the verb tener (to have) in the present tense.

• Describe your family using simple sentences.

• Describe basic physical characteristics.

1. Vocabulary: Family Members

Immediate Family

• madre – mother

• padre – father

• mamá / papá – mom / dad

• padres – parents

• hijo – son

• hija – daughter

• hijos – children

• hermano – brother

• hermana – sister

• hermanos – siblings

Extended Family

• abuelo – grandfather

• abuela – grandmother

• abuelos – grandparents

• tío – uncle

• tía – aunt

• tíos – aunt and uncle / uncles and aunts

• primo – cousin (male)

• prima – cousin (female)

• primos – cousins

Important Notes

• In Spanish, the masculine plural is used for mixed groups.

  • hermanos = brothers or brothers and sisters

  • primos = male cousins or male and female cousins

2. Grammar: The Verb Tener (to have)

Present Tense Conjugation

• yo tengo – I have

• tú tienes – you have

• él / ella / usted tiene – he/she/you (formal) have

• nosotros / nosotras tenemos – we have

• vosotros / vosotras tenéis – you all have (Spain)

• ellos / ellas / ustedes tienen – they/you all have

Important

• Tener is an irregular verb.

• Notice the changes: tengo, tienes, tiene.

Examples

• Tengo dos hermanos. (I have two brothers.)

• Mi madre tiene 50 años. (My mother is 50 years old.)

• Tenemos una familia grande. (We have a large family.)

• ¿Tienes hermanos? (Do you have any siblings?)

3. Talking About Your Family

Basic Sentence Models

• Tengo una hermana. (I have a sister.)

• Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana. (I have two brothers and a sister.)

• No tengo hermanos. (I don’t have any siblings.)

• Mi familia es pequeña / grande. (My family is small/large.)

Asking About Family

• ¿Tienes hermanos? (Do you have any siblings?)

• ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? (How many siblings do you have?)

• ¿Tienes hijos? (Do you have any children?)

4. Vocabulary: Physical Characteristics

Hair

• pelo – hair

• pelo corto – short hair

• pelo largo – long hair

• pelo rubio – blond hair

• pelo moreno – dark hair

• pelo castaño – brown hair

Eyes

• ojos – eyes

• ojos azules – blue eyes

• ojos verdes – green eyes

• ojos marrones – brown eyes

Height and Build

• alto / alta – tall

• bajo / baja – short

• delgado / delgada – thin

• fuerte – strong

Examples

• Mi padre es alto. (My father is tall.)

• Mi madre tiene el pelo corto. (My mother has short hair.)

• Mi hermana tiene los ojos verdes. (My sister has green eyes.)

5. Historia – Ángela y Juan hablan sobre su familia

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What you will learn

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Name common food and drinks.

• Use gender and number correctly.

• Order politely at a bar or café.

• Speak formally or informally when needed.

1. Vocabulary: Food and Drinks

Drinks

• agua (water)

• agua con gas (sparkling water)

• café (coffee)

• café con leche (coffee with milk)

• té (tea)

• cerveza (beer)

• vino tinto (red wine)

• vino blanco (white wine)

• zumo (Spain) (juice) / jugo (Latin America)

• refresco (soft drink)

Food

• pan (bread)

• bocadillo (sandwich)

• tostada (toast)

• tortilla (omelette)

• cruasán (croissant)

• ensalada (salad)

• sopa (soup)

• pastel (cake / pastry)

• tarta (cake)

• desayuno (breakfast)

Useful words

• el menú (menu)

• la carta (menu / list of dishes)

• la cuenta (bill / check)

• el mesero / la mesera (Latin America) | el camarero / la camarera (Spain) (waiter / waitress)

• la mesa (table)

2. Grammar: Gender and Number

Why do nouns have gender in Spanish?

In Spanish, all nouns have gender (masculine or feminine). This comes from Latin, the origin of Spanish, where nouns were classified into grammatical categories. Gender in Spanish is grammatical, not biological. This means:

• Gender does not usually describe real gender.

• Objects and ideas also have gender.

• Gender helps speakers identify relationships between words (articles, adjectives, nouns).

Example:

• el café negro (black coffee)

• la cerveza fría (cold beer)

As you can see in these examples, articles agree in gender with adjectives.

Masculine, feminine and exceptions

• Masculine nouns usually end in -o: el café, el vino

• Feminine nouns usually end in -a: la cerveza, la sopa

• Some exceptions exist: el día, la mano

Since there are exceptions regarding gender, the sure-fire way to know whether a word is masculine or feminine is to consult a dictionary. I recommend the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE). When you look up a word, it will have an “m.” next to it if the gender of the word is masculine and an “f.” if the gender is feminine.

Another helpful strategy is that when you learn a word, you can learn it with its corresponding article. Below you can see the articles.

Articles

• Masculine singular: el

• Feminine singular: la

• Masculine plural: los

• Feminine plural: las

Examples:

• el café / los cafés

• la tostada / las tostadas

Very common exceptions regarding gender

Masculine nouns ending in -a

• el día (day)

• el mapa (map)

• el problema (map)

• el sistema (system)

• el tema (topic)

• el idioma (language)

• el programa (programme)

Feminine nouns ending in -o

• la mano (hand)

• la foto (fotografía) (picture)

• la moto (motocicleta) (motorcycle)

Nouns ending in -ción / -sión / -dad / -tad (usually feminine)

• la información (information)

• la conversación (conversation)

• la ciudad (city)

• la libertad (freedom)

Nouns ending in -e (can be masculine or feminine)

• el café (coffee)

• el carro (Latin America) / el coche (Spain) (car)

• la leche (milk)

• la noche (night)

Plural vs Singular in Spanish

All nouns in Spanish have singular (one) and plural (more than one) forms. The plural is formed by adding -s or -es depending on the ending of the word.

Rules

1. Nouns ending in a vowel: add -s

   • el café → los cafés

   • la cerveza → las cervezas

2. Nouns ending in a consonant: add -es

   • el pan → los panes

   • la ciudad → las ciudades

3. Nouns ending in z: change z → c and add -es

   • el lápiz → los lápices

4. Articles and adjectives also change to match

   • el café negro → los cafés negros

   • la cerveza fría → las cervezas frías

Tip: Always check that adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun.

3. Spanish Forms of Address: Tú, Usted, Vosotros & Ustedes

Spanish changes depending on how formal you want to be and where you are.

Tú vs Usted (singular)

Both mean “you”, but they are used in different contexts. When learning Spanish, it’s important to understand that formality is not only about politeness, but also about culture. The use of tú and usted changes depending on the country.

In Colombia, for example, “usted” is commonly used even in relaxed and friendly situations. People may use usted with friends, classmates, or colleagues without sounding distant or cold. In this context, usted can express respect, closeness, or good manners, not formality.

In the Dominican Republic, “tú” is preferred in relaxed and social situations.
People usually use tú with friends, classmates and coworkers.

However, “usted” is still used with older people or when showing special respect.

In Spain, “tú” is used in almost all everyday situations. It is normal to use tú with waiters, shop assistants, coworkers, and even people you just met.

“Usted” is reserved for very formal situations, such as:

• speaking to elderly people

• formal professional contexts

• official or institutional situations

Therefore, there is no single rule that works for all Spanish-speaking countries.

A safe strategy is:

• Use “usted” if you are unsure.

• Listen to how people speak to you.

• If someone uses “tú” with you, you can usually use “tú” back.

Understanding these cultural differences will help you sound more natural and more polite, wherever you travel.

I’ll show you the standard contexts in which I’ll use “tú” or “usted”.

Tú (informal)

• With friends

• With family

• With people your age

• With classmates

• In informal social situations

Usted (formal)

• With strangers

• With waiters, hotel staff, shop assistants

• With teachers, doctors, professionals

• In formal or professional contexts

Vosotros vs Ustedes (plural)

Both mean “you all”.

Spain

In Spain, and only in Spain, an informal version of the second-person plural pronoun "ustedes" is used. That pronoun is "vosotros". In formal situations in Spain, we use “ustedes”.

This means that in all Latin American countries, we only use “ustedes”. For this reason, if you are interested in traveling or living in Latin America, you do not need to learn the pronoun "vosotros" or the conjugations of verbs that use this pronoun.

Quick summary

• Tú = informal (singular)

• Usted = formal (singular)

• Vosotros = informal plural (Spain only)

• Ustedes = formal plural (Spain) / all plural situations (Latin America)

4. Ordering at a Bar or Café

Read more

Below, you can see what we will learn today.

What you will learn in this unit

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Talk about your country and nationality.

• Use estar to say where you are.

• Use basic prepositions of place (in, on, next to, behind…).

• Describe where you live in simple terms.

1. Vocabulario: Países, nacionalidades y lugares (Vocabulary: Countries, Nationalities & Places)

Algunos países y nacionalidades (Some countries & nationalities)

• España (Spain) – Español / Española (Spaniard)

• México (Mexico) – Mexicano / Mexicana (Mexican)1

• Argentina (Argentina) – Argentino / Argentina (Argentine)

• Estados Unidos (United States) – Estadounidense2 (American)

• Canadá (Canada) – Canadiense (Canadian)

• Inglaterra (England) – Inglés / Inglesa (English)

• Francia (France) – Francés / Francesa (French)

• Alemania (Germany) – Alemán / Alemana (German)

• Italia (Italy) – Italiano / Italiana (Italian)

Examples

• Soy de España. Soy español / española. (I am from Spain. I am Spanish.)

• Es de México. Es mexicana. (She is from Mexico. She is Mexican.)

Lugares (places)

• ciudad (city)

• país (country)

• barrio (neighborhood)

• casa (house)

• apartamento (apartment)

• edificio (building)

• calle (street)

• hotel (hotel)

• café (café)

• restaurante (restaurant)

• parque (park)

• supermercado (supermarket)

• escuela (school)

• trabajo (workplace)

• oficina (office)

Examples

• Vivo en una ciudad. (I live in a city.)

• Mi apartamento está en un edificio. (My apartment is in a building.)

• El café está en la calle principal. (The café is on the main street.)

2. Grammar: Using estar to Say Where You Are

Unlike English, Spanish divides the verb “to be” into two different worlds.

One world is the world of characteristics and definitions—things that are inherent to what we describe. For this world, Spanish uses the verb ser.

The other world is the world of position, location, and state. For this world, Spanish uses the verb estar.

That is why, when we talk about where someone or something is, we do not use ser, but estar.

You may have heard that ser is for “permanent” things and estar is for “temporary” things. This explanation is incomplete, and for that reason I recommend that you do not rely on it.

Here is an example:

Paris is the capital of France.
If you ask me, “Where is Paris?”, I will answer:
Está en Francia (“It’s in France”).

If we followed the “permanent vs. temporary” idea, this sentence would not make much sense, because we would be saying that Paris is only temporarily the capital of France—which is not what Spanish means.

What Spanish is really doing here is something different:
the fact that Paris is the capital of France belongs to the world of description (ser), but the fact that Paris is located in France belongs to the world of location (estar).

Conjugation of Estar – Present tense

Yo estoy

Tú estás

Él/Ella/Usted está

Nosotros estamos

Vosotros estáis

Ellos/ellas/Ustedes están

Examples

• Estoy en casa. → I am at home.

• Está en Madrid. → She is in Madrid.

• Está sentado. → He is sitting.

3. Prepositions of Place

Prepositions are small words that help us understand the relationship between things.

Prepositions of place tell us where someone or something is in relation to another object or place.

In Spanish, these prepositions are very important because they are used together with estar to talk about location.

Prepositions of place

• en (in / at / on)

• al lado de (next to)

• cerca de (near)

• lejos de (far from)

• delante de (in front of)

• detrás de (behind)

• encima de (on top of)

• debajo de (under)

• dentro de (inside)

• fuera de (outside)

• entre (between)

Examples

• Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)

• El banco está al lado del hotel. (The bank is next to the hotel.)

• El parque está cerca de mi casa. (The park is near my house.)

• El restaurante está detrás de la escuela. (The restaurant is behind the school.)

• La gata está entre el carro y la casa. (The cat is between the car and the house.)

4. Communication: Where Are You?

To ask “Where are you?”, we say:

• ¿Dónde estás?

When we want to ask where someone lives, we use a different verb:

• ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)

Answering

To answer these questions, Spanish uses estar for location and vivir to talk about where you live.

• Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)

• Vivo en España. (I live in Spain.)

• Vivo en Madrid, en un apartamento. (I live in Madrid, in an apartment.)

• If you want to emphasize that at the moment you are speaking you are located in Spain, you can say:

  Estoy en España. (“I am in Spain.”)

You can even create a contrast between the place where you live and the place where you are right now by saying:

• Vivo en Estados Unidos, pero ahora estoy en México.
  (“I live in the United States, but now I am in Mexico.”)

The use of ahora (“now”) is not essential, but it helps add context and makes the contrast clearer.

5. Historia – En el café

Listen to this story without looking at the text. The second time you listen to it, you can listen and read the text at the same time. To help you understand, the English translation is provided below. Once you know all the words in the story, I recommend listening to it again without looking at the text. This will help you consolidate your understanding.

Ángela es de Estados Unidos. Es estadounidense, pero vive en Barcelona.

Juan es de España. Es español. Vive en Barcelona. Está en un café.

El café está al lado de un hotel y delante de un parque.

Ángela está en casa. Su apartamento está en una calle tranquila. El edificio está cerca de un supermercado.

Hablan por teléfono.

—¿Dónde estás, Juan? —pregunta Ángela.

—Estoy en el café, al lado del hotel —dice Juan.

Story – At the cafe

Ángela is from the United States. She is American, but she lives in Barcelona.

Juan is from Spain. He is Spanish. He lives in Barcelona. He is at a café.

The café is next to a hotel and in front of a park.

Ángela is at home. Her apartment is on a quiet street. The building is near a supermarket.

They talk on the phone.

“Where are you, Juan?” asks Ángela.

“I’m at the café, next to the hotel,” says Juan.

Actividades

Read more

• Understanding how Spanish sounds work

• Using numbers with confidence in real life

Although the alphabet and numbers are basic elements of Spanish, you will find that many advanced students struggle to pronounce certain sounds, as well as numbers. That is why it is important to take it slowly here, with the aim of creating a foundation for the future. This lesson is built around two carefully selected core lessons that you’ll study with a clear purpose and specific goals.

What you will be able to do after Unit 3

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Say the Spanish alphabet confidently

• Spell your name and other basic words out loud

• Recognize and pronounce Spanish sounds correctly

• Count from 0 to 100 without hesitation

• Understand numbers when you hear them in context

Read more

If you haven’t completed Unit 1 yet, I strongly recommend going back and doing it first. A solid foundation in pronunciation and basic structures will make everything in this unit much easier and more natural. You can access Unit 1 at any time here:

In Unit 2, you’ll start doing something essential and motivating: interacting with people in Spanish. You’ll learn how to greet others, introduce yourself, ask how someone is doing, and understand one of the most important distinctions in Spanish: ser vs. estar.

By the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Say hello and goodbye in different situations

• Introduce yourself and ask for basic personal information

• Ask and answer “How are you?” naturally

• Use ser and estar in basic, high-frequency contexts

This is real Spanish you can start using immediately.

Subscribe now

1. Saying Hello and Goodbye in Spanish

Spanish greetings change depending on the time of day and the level of formality.

Saying Hello

• Hola1 – Hello (neutral, works in almost all situations)

• Buenos días – Good morning (until early afternoon)

• Buenas tardes – Good afternoon / Good evening

• Buenas noches – Good evening / Good night

Tip: In Spanish, greetings are often combined with a question, not just a greeting.

Examples:

• Hola, ¿qué tal? (Hi, how’s it going?)

• Buenos días, ¿cómo estás? (Good morning, how are you?)

Saying Goodbye

• Adiós – Goodbye

• Hasta luego – See you later

• Hasta pronto – See you soon

• Nos vemos – See you

• Buenas noches – Good night (when leaving at night)

Spanish speakers often soften goodbyes with expressions like:

• Que tengas un buen día (Have a nice day)

• Que te vaya bien (Hope things go well for you)

2. Introducing Yourself

One of the first things you’ll want to do in Spanish is say who you are.

Saying Your Name

• Me llamo… – My name is…

• Soy… – I am…

Examples:

• Me llamo Anna. (My name is Anna.)

• Soy Mark. (I’m Mark.)

Both are very common and completely natural.

Asking Someone’s Name

• ¿Cómo te llamas? – What’s your name? (informal)

• ¿Cómo se llama usted? – What’s your name? (formal)

3. Asking and Answering “How Are You?”

This is one of the most frequent exchanges in Spanish.

Asking

• ¿Cómo estás? – How are you? (informal)

• ¿Cómo está usted? – How are you? (formal)

• ¿Qué tal? – How’s it going?

Answering

Common answers include:

• Bien – Well / Fine

• Muy bien – Very well

• Más o menos – More or less / So-so

• Mal – Bad

You can also add extra information:

• Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (Fine, thanks. And you?)

• Muy bien, ¿y usted? (Very well, and you?)

4. Ser and Estar: The Basics

One of the most important concepts in Spanish is knowing when to use ser and estar. Both mean “to be”, but they are used differently.

For now, we’ll focus on basic and very common uses.

I know that a very common way to explain the difference between ser and estar is to say: “Ser is permanent” and “estar is temporary.”

At first glance, this sounds logical but in reality, it’s incomplete and often wrong.

Let’s look at some examples that clearly break this rule:

• El café está frío.
  Coldness is temporary, but we use estar.

• Soy estudiante.
  Being a student is temporary in life, yet we use ser, not estar.

So what’s really going on here? The key is not time. The real question is not: “Is it permanent or temporary?” But rather: “Is it a characteristic or a state?”

A better way to understand ser and estar

To truly learn the difference between ser and estar, it’s much more effective to learn their most common uses.

At first, they may seem like many rules, but you’ll quickly get used to them. More importantly, this approach helps you see things from a Spanish speaker’s perspective, instead of translating directly from English.

Uses of ser

Ser is used to describe characteristics — how we define or identify someone or something.

We use ser for:

• Identity
  Soy Luis. (I’m Luis.)

• Names
  Es María. (She is María.)

• Origin
  Soy de España. (I’m from Spain.)

• Profession
  Soy profesor. (I’m a teacher.)

In all of these cases, we are not describing a condition or a moment in time, but who someone is.

Read more

Bienvenido (welcome) to the first unit of El Curso 1! This course will take you from zero to being able to have fluent conversations in Spanish about everyday life. I’m Leo and I’m very happy that you decided to take this step. With this, you have already come a long way. You have overcome the fear that keeps us in the “maybe I’ll do it” to “I’m going to do it” stage, and that takes a lot of courage. ¡Felicidades! (Congratulations!)

First, let’s look at the objectives for our first lesson and some principles that I will keep during the course.

Objetivos

By the end of this unit, you will be able to say:

• I understand how to learn Spanish effectively.

• I understand what really matters at the beginning and what doesn’t.

• I recognize the basic sounds of Spanish.

• I can use simple survival phrases to communicate immediately.

• I feel more confident and curious about continuing.

Course principles

• Progressive immersion.
  Just as we don’t start running as babies — first we crawl, then we walk, and only later do we learn to run — we will move toward fluency step by step. That’s why you’ll see me introducing Spanish words and phrases here and there, so you can gradually get used to the language.

• Practical focus.
  The theory I teach will be connected to everyday life, not just to increasing your knowledge of Spanish grammar.

• Less is more.
  Fewer words, but more effective ones. You don’t need to know all the different ways to say “hello” in Spanish. One is enough, the one you hear most where you live, or the one that all Spanish speakers understand.

Let’s see now how to learn Spanish efficiently.

How to Learn Spanish

Many people start learning Spanish by asking:

Where should I begin? Grammar? Vocabulary? Verbs?

A better question is:

How does learning a language actually work?

Here are a few important ideas that will guide this course.

Learning is not linear

You will not understand everything immediately, and that is normal.
Language learning happens in waves:

• You understand a little

• Then you feel confused

• Then suddenly things start to make sense again

Confusion is not failure. Confusion is part of progress.

The memory curve

It is much better to study Spanish a little, often than a lot, once in a while.

• 10–15 minutes regularly is enough

• Short reviews are powerful

• Studying for pleasure also counts

Sometimes, “study marathons” can be useful, but consistency matters more.

You are the manager of your learning

This course gives you structure, but you are in control.

I strongly recommend having:

• A notebook or digital document

• A place to write:

  • New words

  • Useful phrases

  • Questions

  • Things you notice about Spanish

You don’t need to write everything. Write what feels useful or interesting to you.

Personalize Your Learning

• Use Spanish as much as possible in your daily life. If you are in a situation where you can use Spanish — for example, living in a Spanish-speaking country — actively try to learn the vocabulary you might need in your everyday life.

• The main idea is: think about your own situation and personalize your learning as much as possible.

Read more

People came to Spanish with motivation and curiosity.
They read posts. They watched videos. They tried apps.

But after a while, many of them told me the same thing:

“I don’t know what to do next.”
“I feel like I’m studying, but not really moving forward.”
“I want to take Spanish seriously, but I don’t have a clear plan.”

At the same time, I saw the opposite happen with students who did have structure, guidance, and small weekly goals.

They didn’t rush.
They didn’t try to learn everything at once.
They followed a path.

And slowly, something changed.

They started feeling more confident.
More independent.
More capable of actually using Spanish — in real life, not just in lessons.

That contrast is what pushed me to create El Curso 1.

Not another collection of explanations, but a clear, guided path for beginners who want Spanish to become part of their lives, not something they keep postponing.

What Is El Curso 1?

El Curso 1 is a complete, structured, and progressive Spanish course for beginners and early learners.

It’s not a random collection of lessons. It’s a clear roadmap — from zero to real, usable Spanish.

This course is not for everyone. It’s only for people who are ready to commit to steady progress.

That’s why it’s available exclusively to paid subscribers of Spanish Makes Sense.

General Objectives of the Course

By following this path, you will:

• build a strong foundation in Spanish

• understand how the language really works

• gain confidence using Spanish in real-life situations

• stop guessing and start speaking with intention

• feel capable of traveling, living, and interacting in Spanish

The goal is simple:

To help you reach the point where you can honestly say: “I can speak. I can understand. I can live in Spanish.”

What You’ll Get Inside the Course

When you become a paid subscriber, you get:

• Full access to all units of El Curso 1 from day one — progress at your own pace

• Exercises with every unit so you can practice immediately

• A private course chat to ask questions and get guidance

• A learning community moving in the same direction

• Visible, measurable progress, step by step

Each unit is designed to fit into real life. No overwhelm. No endless theory. Just progress you can feel.

A Course With a Clear Path

One of the biggest frustrations when learning Spanish is not knowing what comes next.

El Curso 1 solves that.

From day one, you get access to a complete, structured path you can follow step by step. Each lesson has a clear goal, so you always know exactly what to focus on next—without confusion or overwhelm.

At the end of every unit — after doing the exercises — you’ll be able to say:

“Now I can do this in Spanish.”

And more importantly: You’ll be able to go outside and use it immediately.

This course is focused on the real world:

• Spanish you hear in the street

• Spanish you need when traveling

• Spanish you use in daily life

Your Path to Fluency — The Itinerary

The course follows a carefully designed itinerary where each unit builds on the previous one.

You’re not jumping randomly between topics. You’re moving forward on a path.

Each unit corresponds to one or two Substack posts, designed to be:

• clear

• focused

• immediately useful

You can view the full itinerary here:

Methodology

If you’ve been reading Spanish Makes Sense, you already know how I teach:

1. I give you a simple, clear explanation

2. I condense years of teaching into what you actually need

3. We practice immediately with targeted exercises

What students inside El Curso 1 are saying

There’s no better way to understand what this course is like than hearing from the people who are already inside. Below you’ll find real messages from Spanish Makes Sense subscribers, sharing their experience in their own words.

FAQ

Who is this course for?

El Curso 1 is designed for:

• complete beginners

• people who studied Spanish before but feel stuck

• learners who know a little but need to fix gaps and reinforce the basics

Who is this course NOT for?

• learners who don’t want to commit to weekly progress

• intermediate or advanced learners

If you can easily talk about the last movie you watched in Spanish, this course won’t help you much. But if everyday Spanish still feels hard, this path is for you.

If you’re ready for Spanish to stop being something you study… and start being something you live…

This is your path.

The button to join is right below.

Subscribe now

With every step, you’ll gain a practical skill you can use immediately in real life, and by the end of each unit you’ll be able to say with confidence: “Now I can do this in Spanish.”

As the units become available, they will appear linked here, so I recommend saving this page for easy access.

Unit 1 – I Can Understand How Spanish Works

• I can understand how to learn Spanish effectively.

• I can recognize the basic sounds and rhythm of Spanish.

• I can use survival phrases to communicate immediately.

Unit 2 – I Can Greet People and Share Basic Personal Information

• I can say hello and goodbye.

• I can introduce myself.

• I can ask and answer “How are you?”

• I can use ser and estar in basic contexts.

Unit 3 – I Can Spell My Name and Use Numbers

• I can say the Spanish alphabet.

• I can spell my name and other basic words.

• I can count from 0 to 100.

Unit 4 – I Can Say Where I Live and Where I Am

• I can talk about my country and nationality.

• I can use estar to say where I am.

• I can use prepositions of place (in, on, next to, behind…).

• I can describe where I live in simple terms.

Unit 5 – I Can Order at a Bar or Café

• I can name food and drinks.

• I can use gender and number correctly.

• I can order politely at a bar or café.

• I can speak formally or informally when needed.

Unit 6 – I Can Talk About My Family

• I can name family members.

• I can use the verb tener (to have).

• I can describe my family in simple sentences.

• I can describe basic physical characteristics.

Unit 7 – I Can Describe My Daily Routine

• I can talk about daily activities.

• I can use reflexive verbs.

• I can say how often I do things.

• I can use the preposition de correctly.

Unit 8 – I Can Talk About My Work

• I can name common professions.

• I can describe my job.

• I can use irregular verbs in the present tense.

Unit 9 – I Can Plan My Week

• I can tell the time.

• I can talk about days, months, and seasons.

• I can arrange plans and meet friends.

• I can talk about the weather.

Unit 10 – I Can Talk About What I Like and Don’t Like

• I can talk about hobbies and interests.

• I can say what I like and dislike.

• I can express preferences.

• I can use more irregular verbs in the present.

Unit 11 – I Can Go Shopping

• I can name common food and drink items.

• I can talk about supermarket products.

• I can ask for what I need.

• I can understand and use basic prepositions in context.

Unit 12 – I Can Travel in Spanish

• I can name types of transportation.

• I can take the bus, subway, or taxi.

• I can ask for and understand directions.

• I can communicate at the airport.

Unit 13 – I Can Talk About My Vacations

• I can describe places and tourist experiences.

• I can understand basic Spanish stress rules (accentuation).

• I can talk about past vacation experiences using simple structures.

Unit 14 – Final Project – I Can Use Everything I’ve Learned

• I can complete a final project integrating everything I’ve learned.

• I understand what comes next in my Spanish journey.