Recursio
Spanish Guides
Short guides to Spanish grammar for beginners — clear rules, everyday examples, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quick exercise.
Beta: these guides are new and are still being reviewed by our editors.
Grammar
- A1
A, De and En in Spanish: Where to, Where from, Where
Spanish a, de and en: where to, where from and where, plus al and del. Voy al mercado, soy de México, vivo en Madrid.
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Estar + Gerund in Spanish: Estoy leyendo, estoy comiendo
How to say what is happening right now in Spanish: estar + -ando/-iendo (estoy leyendo, durmiendo), when to use it, and where pronouns go.
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Este, Ese, Aquel: Spanish Words for “This” and “That”
Este, ese or aquel? Spanish has three distances for “this” and “that.” Learn the forms, esto and eso, and the mistakes beginners make.
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Gender and Articles in Spanish: el, la, un, una
Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine, and the article must match. Learn el, la, un, una, the endings that help, and the common exceptions.
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Gustar and Similar Verbs: me gusta or me gustan?
How gustar works: the thing you like is the subject, so it's me gusta el café but me gustan los perros. Plus encantar, interesar, doler and apetecer.
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Hay vs Estar: Saying “There Is” and “Where It Is” in Spanish
Hay or estar? Hay says that something exists; estar says where a known thing is. Learn the patterns, the questions and common beginner mistakes.
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Ir a + Infinitive: Talking About Plans in Spanish
Voy a llamar mañana: use ir a + infinitive for plans in Spanish — the six forms of ir, going to a place vs going to do something, and common mistakes.
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Negation in Spanish: No, Nada, Nadie and Nunca
How to say no in Spanish: no goes before the verb, and double negatives like no tengo nada are correct. Plus nadie, nunca and short answers.
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Por vs Para in Spanish: The Uses Beginners Need
Por or para? Para points to a purpose, recipient or deadline; por to a cause, route or exchange. Everyday uses, clear examples and common mistakes.
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Ser vs Estar: The Two Spanish Verbs for “To Be”
Ser or estar? Ser says what something is; estar says how or where it is. Learn the forms, the key uses and the mistakes beginners make.
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Spanish Adjective Agreement: Una casa pequeña, dos coches pequeños
Spanish adjectives agree with the noun in gender and number: pequeño, pequeña, pequeños, pequeñas — and two-form adjectives like grande and fácil.
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Spanish Irregular Verbs in the Present Tense: Tengo, Hago, Voy
Tengo, hago, voy: the present tense of tener, hacer, ir, venir, decir, saber, poner and salir, grouped into three patterns, plus common beginner mistakes.
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Spanish Plural Nouns: -s, -es and -ces
Spanish plural nouns: common -s and -es endings, -z to -ces, written accents, and unchanged words such as el lunes → los lunes.
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Spanish Possessives: Mi casa, tus llaves, nuestra familia
Spanish possessives mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro agree with the thing owned, not the owner — plus how to say whose with de + person when su is unclear.
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Spanish Present Tense: Regular -ar, -er and -ir Verbs
How to form the Spanish present tense of regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs, when to drop yo and tú, and vosotros vs ustedes in Spain and Latin America.
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Spanish Question Words: Qué, Quién, Dónde, Cuándo and More
Spanish question words — qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, cómo, cuánto, cuál, por qué — plus ¿…?, the accent, yes/no questions and common beginner mistakes.
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Spanish Reflexive Verbs for Your Daily Routine: me, te, se
Spanish reflexive verbs for daily routines: me, te, se, nos, os, se, where the pronoun goes, and lavar vs lavarse, with examples and common mistakes.
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Spanish Stem-Changing Verbs: Quiero, Puedo, Pido
Quiero, puedo, pido: how Spanish stem-changing verbs work in the present tense (e→ie, o→ue, e→i), why nosotros and vosotros stay regular, and common mistakes.
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Spanish Subject Pronouns: Yo, Tú, Él, Usted and When to Drop Them
Spanish subject pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella, nosotros, vosotros, ellos. When to leave them out, and how to choose tú or usted, vosotros or ustedes.
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También and Tampoco in Spanish: Yo también, yo tampoco, yo sí, yo no
También agrees with a positive sentence, tampoco with a negative one — yo también, yo tampoco. Yo sí / yo no to disagree, and a mí también with gustar.
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Tener que and Hay que: Obligation in Spanish
Tener que is personal (tengo que ir). Hay que is general (hay que reservar). Forms, negatives, and the infinitive that follows que.
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Vocabulary
- A1
Spanish Numbers 0–999: Uno, Veintiuno and the Hundreds
Count in Spanish from 0 to 999: one-word numbers up to 29, y from 31, un vs una vs uno, cien vs ciento, and hundreds that agree with the noun.
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Telling Time and Dates in Spanish: ¿Qué hora es?
Tell the time in Spanish — es la una, son las dos, y cuarto, menos cuarto — and say days, months, dates like el 5 de mayo and years.
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