Are you struggling with Spanish despite studying diligently? You're not alone. Common Spanish mistakes plague learners at all levels, from beginners to nearly-fluent speakers. In this comprehensive guide, we'll examine 13 of the most frequent errors English speakers make when learning Spanish, with clear examples of incorrect and correct usage. By understanding these common Spanish mistakes, you'll avoid embarrassing situations and sound more like a native speaker.
One of the most frequent Spanish grammar mistakes is directly translating "I am 30 years old" to Spanish. While in English we use the verb "to be" to express age, in Spanish we use the verb tener (to have).
❌ Incorrect: Yo soy 30 años. ["I am 30 years old." (literally: "I am 30 years.")]
✅ Correct: Yo tengo 30 años. ["I am 30 years old." (literally: "I have 30 years.")]
This mistake happens because in English we say "I am [age]," but in Spanish, you literally say "I have [age] years."
Hola, yo me llamo Miguel. Tengo veinte años y estudio composición.
Hi, my name is Miguel. I'm twenty years old and I study composition.
Captions 5-6, Amigos D.F. Consejos para la calle
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✏️ Related lesson: "Todo sobre los cumpleaños (All About Birthdays) in Spanish"
English speakers often use the present continuous tense to describe ongoing situations that started in the past. This is one of the common Spanish mistakes with tenses.
❌ Incorrect: Estoy viviendo aquí por 3 años. ["I am living here for 3 years."]
✅ Correct: He vivido aquí por 3 años. / Vivo aquí desde hace 3 años. ["I have lived here for 3 years." / "I have been living here for 3 years."]
When referring to an action that began in the past and continues into the present, Spanish prefers the present perfect ("he vivido") or a present tense construction with "desde hace."
Soy mariachi, soy papá, soy músico y vivo aquí desde hace veinte años en Alemania,
I'm a mariachi musician, I'm a dad, I'm a musician, and I've lived here in Germany for twenty years,
Captions 3-4, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Fernando y el mariachi
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✏️ Related lesson: "The Present Perfect In Spanish"
Collective nouns like gente (people) are singular in Spanish, even though they refer to multiple individuals.
❌ Incorrect: La gente son amables. ["The people are nice." (incorrectly using plural verb with singular collective noun)]
✅ Correct: La gente es amable. ["The people are nice." (literally: "The people is nice.")]
Remember that agreement must be maintained both with the verb and any adjectives that follow.
la gente es superhospitalaria,
the people are super hospitable,
Caption 72, Adriana y Laura Mijas
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✏️ Related lesson: "Grammatical Agreement in Spanish"
This is a frequent error made by English speakers because of the way we think about remembering in English.
❌ Incorrect: Me recuerdo de mi infancia. ["I remember myself of my childhood." (incorrect reflexive usage)]
✅ Correct: Me acuerdo de mi infancia. / Recuerdo mi infancia. ["I remember my childhood." (two correct ways to express remembering)]
The confusion stems from the fact that in English, we say "I remember," which might lead learners to translate it directly as me recuerdo. However, in Spanish, there are two distinct verbs: acordarse (reflexive, requiring "me acuerdo de") and recordar (non-reflexive, simply recuerdo). The incorrect form "me recuerdo" combines elements of both verbs incorrectly.
Pero ya no recuerdo cuándo fue la última vez que estuvimos juntos viendo un partido.
But now I don't remember when the last time was that we were together watching a game.
Captions 6-7, Fermín y Manuel El pasado - Part 1
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✏️ Related lesson: "35 Spanish Phrasal Verbs"
Many Spanish learners struggle with irregular past participles, often applying regular verb patterns to irregular verbs.
❌ Incorrect: He ponido mis llaves en la mesa. ["I have putted my keys on the table." (incorrect participle)]
✅ Correct: He puesto mis llaves en la mesa. ["I have put my keys on the table." (correct participle)]
Spanish has many irregular past participles that don't follow the standard -ado/-ido pattern. Common mistakes include saying ponido instead of puesto (to put), hacido instead of hecho (to do/make), abrido instead of abierto (to open), and escribido instead of escrito (to write).
Entonces, a las chicas les hemos puesto una flor,
So, we've put a flower on the girls,
Caption 98, Amaya Evento
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✏️ Related lesson: "The Different Uses of the Word Hecho in Spanish"
Prepositions rarely translate directly between languages, creating common Spanish mistakes for English speakers.
❌ Incorrect: Voy en España. ["I'm going in Spain." (incorrect preposition)]
✅ Correct: Voy a España. ["I'm going to Spain."]
In Spanish, en indicates location (being in a place), while a indicates movement or direction (going to a place).
Pues, me voy a Barcelona.
Well, I'm going to Barcelona.
Caption 7, El Aula Azul Conversación: Planes de fin de semana
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✏️ Related lesson: "The Preposition a in Spanish"
This is perhaps one of the most notorious common Spanish mistakes that English speakers make. Both por and para can be translated as "for" in English, but they have different uses in Spanish.
❌ Incorrect: Gracias para la cena. (When thanking someone) ["Thanks by the dinner." (incorrect preposition)]
✅ Correct: Gracias por la cena. ["Thanks for the dinner."]
The correct preposition to use when expressing gratitude in Spanish is por, not para. This is because por is used to indicate reason or cause - you're thanking someone because of the dinner they provided. Por expresses the reason behind your gratitude, while para would incorrectly suggest purpose or destination. In Spanish, we always say "gracias por..." when expressing thanks for something someone has done or given.
Gracias por la toalla.
Thank you for the towel.
Caption 12, Mónica El baño
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✏️ Related lesson: "Por vs. Para: How and When to Use These Spanish Prepositions"
Another common preposition mistake involves thinking "about" something.
❌ Incorrect: Estoy pensando sobre mi futuro. ["I am thinking on/about my future." (incorrect preposition)]
✅ Correct: Estoy pensando en mi futuro. ["I am thinking about my future."]
While sobre does mean about in some contexts, with verbs like pensar, the correct preposition is en.
Yo "estaba en las nubes", pensando en la tortilla que me iba a comer después.
I "was in the clouds" thinking about the tortilla that I was going to eat later.
Captions 48-49, Beatriz Expresiones relacionadas con el clima
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✏️ Related lesson: "The Preposition en in Spanish"
False friends (or falsos amigos) are words that look similar in both languages but have different meanings, causing frequent Spanish language errors.
❌ Incorrect: Estoy embarazada por tu pregunta. ["I am pregnant because of your question." (false friend mix-up)]
✅ Correct: Estoy avergonzada por tu pregunta. ["I am embarrassed by your question."]
Embarazada means "pregnant," not "embarrassed"! The correct word for feeling embarrassed is avergonzado/a.
✏️ Related lesson: "Top 10 False Cognates in Spanish"
This is a classic false cognate trap that English speakers often fall into when speaking Spanish.
❌ Incorrect: Realizé mi error. ["I carried out/fulfilled my error." (false cognate mistake)]
✅ Correct: Me di cuenta de mi error. ["I realized my error." (correct expression for becoming aware)]
The Spanish verb realizar means "to carry out," "to fulfill," or "to make real," not "to realize" in the sense of becoming aware of something. When you want to express that you've realized or become aware of something, use "darse cuenta de" instead.
Mire, yo me di cuenta de algo muy importante,
Look, I realized something very important,
Caption 13, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 5 - Part 11
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✏️ Related lesson: "Darse Cuenta: The Real "Realize""
English speakers often mix up these two words for expressing "very" and "much" in Spanish, creating common Spanish grammar mistakes.
❌ Incorrect: Tengo muy calor. / Estoy mucho cansado. ["I have very heat." (incorrect intensifier) / "I am much tired." (incorrect intensifier)]
✅ Correct: Tengo mucho calor. / Estoy muy cansado. ["I'm very hot" / "I am very tired"]
Remember that muy modifies adjectives and adverbs (muy cansado), while mucho can be an adjective itself (mucho calor) or can modify verbs (estudia mucho).
"Llevo un mes durmiendo fatal y estoy muy cansado".
"I've been sleeping horribly for a month, and I'm very tired."
Caption 47, Fermín y Manuel El verbo "llevar" - Part 2
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✏️ Related lesson: "Muy vs. Mucho in Spanish"
Some basic expressions in Spanish are constructed completely differently than in English.
❌ Incorrect: Estoy caliente. ["I am hot." (but with sexual connotations)]
✅ Correct: Tengo calor. ["I have heat." (meaning "I am hot" temperature-wise)]
In Spanish, you "have" sensations rather than "being" them. "Estoy caliente" would be understood as "I'm aroused," not "I'm hot temperature-wise."
Tenemos mucho calor.
We are very hot.
Caption 26, El Aula Azul Estados de ánimo
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✏️ Related lesson: "Idiomatic Expressions with The Verb Tener"
The distinction between ser and estar remains one of the most challenging aspects of Spanish, even for advanced learners.
❌ Incorrect: Soy aburrido. ["I am boring." (permanent characteristic)]
✅ Correct: Estoy aburrido. ["I am bored." (temporary state)]
Ser refers to permanent characteristics, while estar refers to temporary states or conditions.
Yo estoy aburrido y usted es... como tener una carga encima.
I'm tired of you, and you are... like having a weight on my shoulders.
Captions 66-67, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 7
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✏️ Related lesson: "Ser vs. Estar: An Easy Trick for Using These Verbs"
Being aware of these common Spanish mistakes will help you sound more natural and fluent in Spanish. Remember that making errors is a natural part of the language learning process – even native speakers sometimes make these mistakes! The key is to recognize them and gradually incorporate the correct forms into your speech and writing.
Practice identifying these errors in your own Spanish, and don't be afraid to ask native speakers for feedback. With time and attention, you'll avoid these common Spanish mistakes and develop more authentic, confident Spanish communication skills.
Which common mistake are you making when speaking in Spanish? Please, send us your comments and suggestions!
The letter H in Spanish presents a unique characteristic that sets it apart from many other letters in the alphabet: it's silent! That's right - in Spanish, the letter H is not pronounced at all. However, there are many important Spanish words that begin with this letter. Let's explore some interesting facts about the Spanish letter H and learn some common words that start with it.
The name of this letter in Spanish is hache (pronounced "AH-cheh" in English, where the 'ch' sounds like in "church"). Let's hear how to pronounce the name of this letter:
La letra hache es una letra muy fácil de pronunciar porque es una letra muda.
The letter h is a very easy letter to pronounce because it's a silent letter.
Captions 18-19, Fundamentos del Español 10 - La Pronunciación
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While the H is silent in Spanish words like hola or hacer, it does produce a sound when combined with C to form the digraph "ch," as we can hear in these examples:
"Mucho gusto".
"Mucho gusto" [literally "A lot of pleasure"].
Caption 48, Carlos explica Los cinco sentidos - Part 4
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El chachachá, la milonga o el fado
Cha-cha, milonga, or fado
Caption 28, Luis Guitarra No hay más cera que la que arde
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Laura, gracias por haber compartido tu historia con nosotros y con todos nuestros oyentes.
Laura, thank you for having shared your story with us and with all our listeners.
Caption 10, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 19
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Qué pena interrumpirlo en su hora laboral, pero necesito hablar con usted.
What a shame to interrupt you during your work hours, but I need to talk to you.
Captions 20-21, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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¡Porque el que muestra el hambre no come!
Because he who shows hunger doesn't eat!
Caption 20, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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Tiene mucha hambre.
She's really hungry.
Caption 59, El Aula Azul Conversaciones sobre fotos - Part 2
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Pues, puedes hacer muchísimas cosas.
Well, you can do very many things.
Caption 7, Clara y Cristina Hablan de actividades
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Las croquetas es una masa de harina con leche
Croquettes are a dough made of flour with milk
Caption 17, Con Marta por Madrid El tapeo - Part 1
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que esta audiencia debe ser suspendida hasta que existan garantías para mis clientes.
that this hearing must be suspended until there are guarantees for my clients.
Captions 65-66, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 4
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Mmm... Pero yo sí sé que a ti te encanta comer helado.
Mmm... But I do know that you love eating ice cream.
Caption 12, Cleer Una noticia triste
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Seguramente muchos de ustedes ya han usado algún tipo de herramienta
Surely, many of you have already used some type of tool
Caption 9, Aprendiendo con Carlos Inteligencia artificial - Part 1
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"Romper el hielo": superar la vergüenza al conocer a alguien.
"To break the ice": to overcome embarrassment when meeting someone.
Caption 54, Beatriz Expresiones relacionadas con el clima
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Eh, ahí vamos. Mire, este es mi hijo Kevin.
Um, we're hanging in there. Look, this is my son Kevin.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 3
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Pero bueno, ha sido una historia de superación absoluta,
But well, it has been a story of absolute overcoming,
Caption 63, Amaya El burrito Valiente
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Hola, amigos de Yabla. Yo soy Adriana.
Hello, friends of Yabla. I'm Adriana.
Captions 1-2, Adriana y Laura Emprendimiento - Part 1
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una hoja de laurel,
a bay leaf,
Caption 26, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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el hombre más honrado y generoso que he conocido en la vida.
the most honorable and generous man I've met in my life.
Caption 53, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 13
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En español, normalmente no se dice la hora así, exactamente, sino que se tiende a redondear.
In Spanish, typically, the time is not said like that, exactly, but rather people tend to round off.
Captions 8-10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 2
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Here are a few more frequently used Spanish words that begin with H:
[el] huevo (egg)
[el] hueso (bone)
[el] humo (smoke)
[el] horno (oven)
[el] hospital (hospital)
[el] hotel (hotel)
[el] hombro (shoulder)
[la] habitación (room)
[el] horizonte (horizon)
hermoso/hermosa (beautiful)
Remember that although these words begin with H, this letter is always silent in Spanish unless it appears in the combination "ch." The H in Spanish is like a silent guardian - it's there in writing but doesn't make itself heard!
That's all for today's lesson on Spanish words that begin with H. Can you think of any other common Spanish words that start with this silent letter? Don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments!
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