What is the difference between ser and estar?

Both mean "to be". Use ser for identity, origin, profession and lasting qualities: soy española, es profesor, el hielo es frío. Use estar for states, moods and location: estoy cansada, el café está frío, ¿dónde está la estación? Quick test: if it could be different tomorrow, it is usually estar.

Why does "me gusta" mean "I like"?

Gustar literally means "to be pleasing", so the thing you like is the subject. "Me gusta el café" is "coffee is pleasing to me". If the thing is plural, the verb changes: me gustan los perros. To like doing something, use the infinitive: me gusta viajar. Encantar, doler and faltar work the same way.

Should I learn tú or usted first?

Learn tú first: it is what you will hear with friends, classmates, colleagues your age and in most casual situations in Spain. Keep usted for older strangers, officials and service situations, especially in Mexico, Colombia and Central America, where it is much more frequent. In Argentina and Uruguay the everyday informal "you" is vos, with its own forms (vos tenés, vos hablás).

Is it coche or carro?

Both are correct Spanish. "Coche" is standard in Spain, "carro" in Mexico, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean, and "auto" in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Everyone understands all three. This deck flags other split words too: beber vs tomar for drinking, aquí vs acá for here, and bonito vs lindo for pretty.

100 Basic Spanish Words for Beginners (A1)

🇪🇸 Spanish · 100 cards · A1 · by Lucía Herrera

This is the list I hand every new student in their first weeks: greetings, the pronouns, the two dozen verbs you will use every single day, the question words, the everyday nouns, and the small connectors — y, pero, porque, muy — that hold a sentence together.

The traps are marked on the cards: ser vs estar, saber vs conocer, gustar working backwards, and the accents that change the meaning (tú/tu, él/el, sí/si, por qué/porque). I also flag where Spain and Latin America split: coche/carro, beber/tomar, aquí/acá, bonito/lindo.

Read every example out loud. Learning a word inside a sentence is what makes it come out of your mouth later.

1 / 100

How to use this deck

Flip through the cards, then switch to Quiz. Tap the play button on any row to hear it. The full table below is there to read, print or copy into your own flashcard app.

The Reji iPhone app is being rebuilt and returns to the App Store soon.

All 100 cards

#	Spanish	English	Example
1	hola Neutral — fine at any time of day and with strangers.	hello, hi	Hola, ¿qué tal? Hi, how's it going?
2	adiós "Hasta luego" and "chao" are more casual and far more frequent in speech.	goodbye	Adiós, nos vemos mañana. Bye, see you tomorrow.
3	sí Keep the accent: "si" without it means "if".	yes	Sí, claro que puedes. Yes, of course you can.
4	no Also the negative before a verb: no quiero.	no, not	No, gracias, ya he comido. No, thanks, I've already eaten.
5	gracias Always plural. Reply: de nada.	thank you	Muchas gracias por tu ayuda. Thanks a lot for your help.
6	por favor Usually goes at the end of the request.	please	Un café, por favor. A coffee, please.
7	perdón Use it both to apologise and to get someone's attention.	sorry, excuse me	Perdón, ¿me dejas pasar? Sorry, could you let me through?
8	buenos días Plural in Spanish. Used until lunchtime, then "buenas tardes".	good morning	Buenos días, ¿cómo estás? Good morning, how are you?
9	buenas noches Both a greeting after dark and a farewell at bedtime.	good night, good evening	Buenas noches, que duermas bien. Good night, sleep well.
10	yo Usually left out; add it for emphasis or contrast.	I	Yo no sé nada de esto. I don't know anything about this.
11	tú With the accent. "Tu" without it means "your".	you (informal)	¿Tú vienes a la fiesta? Are you coming to the party?
12	usted Takes third-person verb forms. Very common in Mexico and Colombia, rarer in Spain.	you (formal)	¿Usted trabaja aquí? Do you work here?
13	nosotros All-female group: nosotras.	we	Nosotros pagamos la cena hoy. We're paying for dinner today.
14	él With the accent. "El" without it is the article "the".	he, him	Él llega siempre tarde. He always arrives late.
15	ella Same form after a preposition: es para ella.	she, her	Ella vive en el centro. She lives downtown.
16	ser Identity, origin, profession, lasting traits: soy, eres, es.	to be (identity, permanent)	Mi hermana quiere ser médica. My sister wants to be a doctor.
17	estar States, moods, where things are: estoy, estás, está.	to be (state, location)	Mi hermana está en Madrid esta semana. My sister is in Madrid this week.
18	tener Also for age and sensations: tengo veinte años, tengo frío.	to have	Tengo dos hermanos mayores. I have two older brothers.
19	hay One form for singular and plural. It comes from the verb haber.	there is, there are	Hay mucha gente en la calle. There are a lot of people in the street.
20	hacer Also used for weather: hace frío, hace sol.	to do, to make	¿Qué haces este fin de semana? What are you doing this weekend?
21	ir Very irregular: voy, vas, va. "Ir a + infinitive" is the easy future.	to go	Voy al mercado un momento. I'm going to the market for a minute.
22	venir Irregular: vengo, vienes, viene.	to come	¿Vienes conmigo al cine? Are you coming to the cinema with me?
23	querer With people it means "to love": te quiero.	to want	Quiero un vaso de agua. I want a glass of water.
24	poder Followed by an infinitive: puedo ayudar.	can, to be able to	No puedo abrir esta botella. I can't open this bottle.
25	saber Information and skills. For people and places use conocer.	to know (facts, how to)	No sé dónde están mis llaves. I don't know where my keys are.
26	conocer Also "to meet for the first time": encantada de conocerte.	to know (people, places), to meet	Conozco un restaurante barato cerca de aquí. I know a cheap restaurant near here.
27	decir Irregular: digo, dices, dice.	to say, to tell	Siempre dice la verdad. He always tells the truth.
28	hablar Model regular -ar verb.	to speak, to talk	Hablo un poco de español. I speak a little Spanish.
29	comer In Spain and Mexico it often means specifically "to have lunch".	to eat	¿A qué hora comemos? What time are we eating?
30	beber In most of Latin America "tomar" is the everyday word for drinking.	to drink	Bebo mucha agua en verano. I drink a lot of water in summer.
31	vivir Model regular -ir verb.	to live	Vivo cerca de la playa. I live near the beach.
32	trabajar "Trabajar de" + job: trabaja de camarero.	to work	Trabaja en una tienda de ropa. She works in a clothes shop.
33	estudiar "Estudiar para" an exam: estudio para el examen.	to study	Estudio español por las tardes. I study Spanish in the afternoons.
34	ver Also for screens: ver la tele, ver una serie.	to see, to watch	¿Ves esa casa azul? Do you see that blue house?
35	dar Irregular: doy, das, da.	to give	Dame tu número, por favor. Give me your number, please.
36	necesitar Takes a noun or an infinitive: necesito dormir.	to need	Necesito ayuda con esta maleta. I need help with this suitcase.
37	gustar Works backwards: the thing liked is the subject. Plural things take "gustan".	to like (to be pleasing)	Me gusta mucho este barrio. I really like this neighbourhood.
38	pensar Stem change e→ie: pienso, piensas.	to think	Pienso que tienes razón. I think you're right.
39	comprar Regular -ar verb.	to buy	Quiero comprar un regalo para mi madre. I want to buy a present for my mother.
40	dormir Stem change o→ue: duermo, duermes.	to sleep	Los niños duermen ocho horas. The children sleep eight hours.
41	qué Question words carry a written accent.	what	¿Qué es esto? What is this?
42	quién Plural: quiénes.	who	¿Quién es esa chica? Who is that girl?
43	dónde "Adónde" when there is movement: ¿adónde vas?	where	¿Dónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom?
44	cuándo "Cuando" without an accent joins clauses: cuando llegues, llámame.	when	¿Cuándo llega tu tren? When does your train arrive?
45	cómo "¿Cómo?" alone means "Sorry, what?"	how	¿Cómo se dice esto en español? How do you say this in Spanish?
46	por qué Two words with an accent for the question; "porque" joined means "because".	why	¿Por qué no me lo dijiste? Why didn't you tell me?
47	cuánto Agrees with the noun: cuánta agua, cuántos años.	how much, how many	¿Cuánto cuesta la entrada? How much is the ticket?
48	cuál Used when choosing between known options; before a noun use "qué": ¿qué color?	which, which one	¿Cuál prefieres, el rojo o el verde? Which do you prefer, the red one or the green one?
49	agua Feminine, but takes "el" in the singular: el agua fría, las aguas.	water	El agua del grifo está buena. The tap water is good.
50	comida Feminine. In Spain and Mexico also the midday meal.	food, meal	La comida de tu madre está riquísima. Your mother's cooking is delicious.
51	casa Feminine. "En casa" (at home) takes no article.	house, home	Mi casa está detrás de la iglesia. My house is behind the church.
52	coche Masculine. Spain; most of Latin America says "carro" or "auto".	car	Vamos en coche, es más rápido. Let's go by car, it's faster.
53	trabajo Masculine noun from the verb trabajar.	work, job	Salgo del trabajo a las seis. I finish work at six.
54	día Masculine despite the -a ending: el día.	day	Hoy es un día precioso. Today is a beautiful day.
55	noche Feminine: la noche.	night	Por la noche hace más frío. At night it gets colder.
56	año Masculine. Watch the ñ: "ano" means anus.	year	El año pasado viajé a Perú. Last year I travelled to Peru.
57	hombre Masculine. "¡Hombre!" is also a very common exclamation, like "come on!"	man	Ese hombre es mi vecino. That man is my neighbour.
58	mujer Feminine. "Mi mujer" means "my wife", very common in Spain.	woman	Una mujer preguntó por ti. A woman asked about you.
59	niño Masculine; niña for a girl, los niños = the children.	child, boy	El niño juega en el parque. The boy is playing in the park.
60	amigo Masculine; amiga for a female friend.	friend	Es un amigo del colegio. He's a friend from school.
61	familia Feminine and singular, so it takes a singular verb.	family	Toda mi familia vive lejos. My whole family lives far away.
62	madre Feminine. "Mamá" is the everyday, affectionate word.	mother	Mi madre cocina muy bien. My mother cooks very well.
63	padre Masculine. "Papá" in daily speech; "mis padres" = my parents.	father	Su padre es profesor. His father is a teacher.
64	dinero Masculine and uncountable: no plural in normal use.	money	No llevo dinero en efectivo. I don't have any cash on me.
65	tiempo Masculine. Also the weather: ¿qué tiempo hace? For a clock time use "hora".	time, weather	No tengo tiempo esta semana. I don't have time this week.
66	ciudad Feminine: la ciudad.	city	Es una ciudad tranquila y barata. It's a quiet, cheap city.
67	calle Feminine: la calle.	street	La calle está cerrada por obras. The street is closed for roadworks.
68	libro Masculine: el libro.	book	Estoy leyendo un libro muy bueno. I'm reading a really good book.
69	teléfono Masculine. For a mobile: "móvil" in Spain, "celular" in Latin America.	telephone, phone	Te llamo por teléfono luego. I'll phone you later.
70	bien Adverb. The adjective is "bueno": es bueno / está bien.	well, fine	Todo salió bien al final. Everything turned out fine in the end.
71	bueno Shortens to "buen" before a masculine noun: un buen día.	good	Este queso es muy bueno. This cheese is very good.
72	malo Shortens to "mal" before a masculine noun: un mal día.	bad	Fumar es malo para la salud. Smoking is bad for your health.
73	grande Before a singular noun it becomes "gran" and means "great": un gran día.	big, large	Necesitamos una mesa más grande. We need a bigger table.
74	pequeño Feminine: pequeña.	small, little	Mi cuarto es pequeño pero cómodo. My room is small but comfortable.
75	nuevo Agrees: nueva, nuevos. "De nuevo" means "again".	new	¿Es nuevo ese abrigo? Is that coat new?
76	viejo For people, "mayor" sounds much politer than "viejo".	old	Este ordenador ya está viejo. This computer is old now.
77	mucho Agrees with the noun: mucha gente, muchos libros.	a lot, much, many	Hoy tengo mucho trabajo. I have a lot of work today.
78	poco "Un poco" = a little bit; agrees with nouns: pocas veces.	little, few, not much	Duerme poco y trabaja mucho. He sleeps little and works a lot.
79	bonito In much of Latin America "lindo" is preferred.	pretty, nice	¡Qué bonito es este pueblo! What a pretty village this is!
80	fácil Same form for masculine and feminine; plural: fáciles.	easy	El examen fue bastante fácil. The exam was pretty easy.
81	difícil Same form for masculine and feminine; plural: difíciles.	difficult, hard	Es difícil encontrar piso aquí. It's hard to find a flat here.
82	caro Agrees: cara, caros. Opposite: barato.	expensive	Ese hotel es demasiado caro. That hotel is too expensive.
83	feliz Same form for both genders; plural: felices. "Contento" is more common for a passing mood.	happy	Estoy feliz con el resultado. I'm happy with the result.
84	cansado Agrees with the speaker: cansado (m.), cansada (f.). Used with estar.	tired	Estoy cansada, me voy a dormir. I'm tired, I'm going to bed.
85	y Becomes "e" before an i- or hi- sound: padre e hijo.	and	Compré fruta y verdura. I bought fruit and vegetables.
86	o Becomes "u" before an o- or ho- sound: siete u ocho.	or	¿Té o café? Tea or coffee?
87	pero After a negative, Spanish often prefers "sino": no es rojo, sino azul.	but	Me gusta, pero no lo necesito. I like it, but I don't need it.
88	porque One word, no accent. The question is "¿por qué?"	because	Llegué tarde porque perdí el autobús. I was late because I missed the bus.
89	también In negative sentences use "tampoco": yo tampoco.	also, too	Yo también quiero ir. I want to go too.
90	muy Goes with adjectives and adverbs; with verbs and nouns use "mucho".	very	Está muy lejos de aquí. It's very far from here.
91	más Comparisons: más grande que. "Mas" without an accent is literary "but".	more, most	¿Puedes hablar más despacio? Can you speak more slowly?
92	ahora "Ahora mismo" = right this second.	now	Ahora no puedo, estoy ocupado. I can't right now, I'm busy.
93	hoy Pair it with ayer (yesterday) and mañana (tomorrow).	today	Hoy no hay clase. There's no class today.
94	mañana "La mañana" as a noun is the morning: por la mañana.	tomorrow, morning	Mañana empiezo el curso. I start the course tomorrow.
95	siempre "Para siempre" = forever.	always	Siempre desayuno en casa. I always have breakfast at home.
96	nunca Both orders work: nunca he ido / no he ido nunca — the double negative is correct.	never	Nunca he probado el sushi. I've never tried sushi.
97	aquí "Acá" is very common in Latin America; "allí/allá" = there.	here	Ven aquí un segundo. Come here for a second.
98	con Fuses with pronouns: conmigo, contigo.	with	Hablé con el jefe esta mañana. I spoke with the boss this morning.
99	en Covers "in" and "on", and transport: en tren, en avión.	in, on, at	Las llaves están en la mesa. The keys are on the table.
100	de Shows possession and origin. de + el = del.	of, from	Este es el coche de mi padre. This is my father's car.

Lucía Herrera

Native Spanish · Speaks English, Portuguese

Native Spanish speaker from Valencia, now in Mexico City. I tutor Spanish online and keep a notebook of the words my students trip over. Every deck here comes from that notebook.

Published 17 Sept 2026

Questions about this deck

What is the difference between ser and estar?: Both mean "to be". Use ser for identity, origin, profession and lasting qualities: soy española, es profesor, el hielo es frío. Use estar for states, moods and location: estoy cansada, el café está frío, ¿dónde está la estación? Quick test: if it could be different tomorrow, it is usually estar.
Why does "me gusta" mean "I like"?: Gustar literally means "to be pleasing", so the thing you like is the subject. "Me gusta el café" is "coffee is pleasing to me". If the thing is plural, the verb changes: me gustan los perros. To like doing something, use the infinitive: me gusta viajar. Encantar, doler and faltar work the same way.
Should I learn tú or usted first?: Learn tú first: it is what you will hear with friends, classmates, colleagues your age and in most casual situations in Spain. Keep usted for older strangers, officials and service situations, especially in Mexico, Colombia and Central America, where it is much more frequent. In Argentina and Uruguay the everyday informal "you" is vos, with its own forms (vos tenés, vos hablás).
Is it coche or carro?: Both are correct Spanish. "Coche" is standard in Spain, "carro" in Mexico, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean, and "auto" in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. Everyone understands all three. This deck flags other split words too: beber vs tomar for drinking, aquí vs acá for here, and bonito vs lindo for pretty.

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