13 common mistakes in Spanish (and how to fix them)

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.

common spanish mistakes errors

Common Spanish Mistakes with Verbs

Mistake #1: Using Ser Instead of Tener for Age

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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Mistake #2: Using "Estar + Gerund" Instead of "Haber + Participle" for Ongoing Actions That Started in the Past

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"

Mistake #3: Using Plural Verb Son Instead of Singular Es with Collective Nouns

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"

Mistake #4: Using Me Recuerdo Instead of Me Acuerdo or Recuerdo

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"

Mistake #5: Using Incorrect Past Participles

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"

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Preposition Errors English Speakers Make in Spanish

Mistake #6: Using En Instead of A for Movement

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"

Mistake #7: Using Por Instead of Para (and Vice Versa)

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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Mistake #8: Using Sobre Instead of En After Pensar (to Think)

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"

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False Friends That Lead to Common Spanish Mistakes

Mistake #9: Using Embarazada Instead of Avergonzada for "Embarrassed"

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"

Mistake #10: Using Realizar Instead of "Darse Cuenta De" for "To Realize"

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""

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Other Common Spanish Mistakes To Avoid

Mistake #11: Using Muy Instead of Mucho (and Vice Versa)

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"

Mistake #12: Using "Estar + Adjective" Instead of "Tener + Noun" for Sensations

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"

Mistake #13: Using Ser Instead of Estar for Temporary States

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"

How to Avoid Making Common Spanish Mistakes

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!

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Mónica - El baño

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Intermediate

Spanish Lessons

Topics

13 common mistakes in Spanish (and how to fix them)

Common Spanish Mistakes with Verbs

Mistake #1: Using Ser Instead of Tener for Age

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Mistake #2: Using "Estar + Gerund" Instead of "Haber + Participle" for Ongoing Actions That Started in the Past

Mistake #3: Using Plural Verb Son Instead of Singular Es with Collective Nouns

Mistake #4: Using Me Recuerdo Instead of Me Acuerdo or Recuerdo

Mistake #5: Using Incorrect Past Participles

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Preposition Errors English Speakers Make in Spanish

Mistake #6: Using En Instead of A for Movement

Mistake #7: Using Por Instead of Para (and Vice Versa)

Mistake #8: Using Sobre Instead of En After Pensar (to Think)

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False Friends That Lead to Common Spanish Mistakes

Mistake #9: Using Embarazada Instead of Avergonzada for "Embarrassed"

Mistake #10: Using Realizar Instead of "Darse Cuenta De" for "To Realize"

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Other Common Spanish Mistakes To Avoid

Mistake #11: Using Muy Instead of Mucho (and Vice Versa)

Mistake #12: Using "Estar + Adjective" Instead of "Tener + Noun" for Sensations

Mistake #13: Using Ser Instead of Estar for Temporary States

How to Avoid Making Common Spanish Mistakes

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Expressing New Year's Resolutions in Spanish: Grammar Guide & Essential Phrases

New Year's Resolutions in Spanish: The Basics

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Essential Vocabulary for Resolutions

Common Expressions for Making Resolutions

Useful Phrases for Discussing Resolutions

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Key Grammar Structures for Expressing Resolutions

1. Future Actions with "Ir a + Infinitive"

2. Direct Intentions with Present Tense

3. Future Tense for Long-term Goals

4. Using Infinitives After Resolution Verbs

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5. Reflexive Verbs in Resolutions

6. Using "Para" to Express Purpose

7. Using "Dejar de" for Breaking Habits

🎯 Explore our lesson: Las 10 resoluciones de Año Nuevo más comunes (Top 10 New Year's Resolutions)

Making Resolutions Any Time of Year

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