Do you know what a phrasal verb is? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, it is "an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element, typically either an adverb... a preposition... or a combination..." Some common examples of the countless English phrasal verbs are "break down," "break up, "put in," "put on," and so forth, and while there are far less phrasal verbs in Spanish, there are many common ones it would behoove you to know. For this purpose, we have comprised a list of 35 with examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.

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Spanish vs. English Phrasal Verbs

While some Spanish phrasal verbs can be translated literally into English, others employ a different preposition than their English counterparts or have totally different literal translations. With this in mind, let's look at the list.

1. Acabar de (to have just done something)

The verb acabar (to finish) plus the preposition de (from/of) plus an infinitive Spanish verb (the "to" or -ing form) means that one "has just" completed some action. Let's take a look:

Acabamos de disfrutar de Jarabe de Palo.

We just enjoyed Jarabe de Palo.

Caption 25, Tu Música Rock en español

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2. Acordarse de (to remember, remember to)

The reflexive verb acordarse de is a synonym for recordar (to remember) in Spanish. Both are used to talk about what one "remembers" or "remembers to" do:

Me acuerdo de estar aquí con mi perro,

I remember being here with my dog

Caption 53, Amaya Recordando - Part 1

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3. Acostumbrarse a (to get used to, accustomed to)

The reflexive verb acostumbrarse plus the preposition a means "to get used to" or "accustomed to" something:

y nos acostumbramos a ir a playas,

and we got used to going to beaches,

Caption 40, El coronavirus La cuarentena en Coro, Venezuela - Part 1

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4. Alegrarse de (to be glad, happy or pleased about)

Yet another reflexive verb, alegrarse de, is used to talk about one being happy or pleased about something. You will often see it alongside the conjunction que plus a verb in the subjunctive mood, as we see below:

Me alegro de que le guste.

I'm glad you like it.

Caption 15, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2

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5. Caer(le) bien (a alguien) (to please someone)

Although caer bien literally means "to fall well," like the verb gustar, it is used to describe the idea of "liking."  Like gustar and other verbs like gustar, it is usually employed with an indirect object pronoun in sentences where, grammatically speaking, it is the object of the sentence (what is liked) that performs the action. Let's see an example:

Creo que a Lola no le cae bien.

I think Lola doesn't like her.

Caption 60, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 6

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6. Caer(le) mal (a alguien) (to displease)

You might have guessed that caer mal (literally "to fall badly") means the opposite of caer bien and functions similarly to convey the idea that one does not like someone or something:

Creo que le caigo mal a mi jefe.

I think that my boss doesn't like me.

Caption 21, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional

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7. Casarse con (to marry, get married to)

Interestingly, while we get married "to" someone in English, the Spanish verb for "to marry" contains the preposition con, making its translation "'to marry with":

El príncipe se casó con ella

The prince married her

Caption 61, Cleer La princesa y el guisante

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8. Contar con (to count on)

Whereas the Spanish verb contar by itself can have such diverse meanings as "to tell" and "to count," with the preposition con, it means "to count on" (not with!).

Sabes que puedes contar con todas en cualquier momento, en cualquier necesidad que tengamos.

You know that you can count on all of them at any time, for any need that we might have.

Captions 28-29, Mari Carmen La amistad

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9. Dar con (to find)

As you can see, the phrasal verb dar con does not mean "to give with"! Let's see its correct translation in an example sentence:

Ayer di con mis zapatos.

Yesterday I found my shoes.

Caption 26, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar

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10. Dar por (to presume, consider)

As our friend Carolina explains in her video on the verb dar, which means "to give" on its own, the phrasal verb dar por can mean different things when used with an adjective vs. a participle. Let's see an example of each:

A su marido lo dieron por muerto en la guerra.

Her husband was presumed dead in the war.

Caption 32, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar

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Doy la fiesta por terminada.

I consider the party finished.

Caption 30, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar

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11. Darse prisa (to hurry, hurry up)

In this case, the reflexive form of the verb dar is employed along with the noun prisa (hurry/rush) to mean "to hurry" or "hurry up":

Pues, dese prisa, se lo está llevando la grúa.

Well, hurry up, the tow truck is taking it.

Caption 38, Los casos de Yabla El perrito malcriado - Part 2

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12. Dejar de (to quit or stop)

The Spanish verb dejar plus de plus an infinitive verb means "to stop" or "quit" doing something:

"Mi marido dejó de fumar hace ya cuatro años".

"My husband quit smoking four years ago now."

Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 2

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We should mention that the negative version of this phrasal verb, no dejar de, can be utilized to express the idea of "always," as we see here:

no deja de haber muchísima gente.

there are always a ton of people.

Caption 18, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 1

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13. Depender de (to depend on)

The Spanish version of "to depend on" would be "to depend of" if translated literally:

depende de la porción que vayan a hacer;

it depends on the portion you're going to make;

Caption 27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y el pozole - Part 2

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14. Enamorarse de (to fall in love with)

Similarly, one falls in love "of" someone instead of "with" them in Spanish:

Me enamoré de un chico, que es el padre de mis hijos,

I fell in love with a guy, who is the father of my children,

Caption 11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 1

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15. Encontrarse con (to meet up with, get together with)

While encontrarse con sounds like it would mean "to find oneself with," its actual meaning is "to get together" or "meet up with" (which is not too far off!):

Y "anteayer" me encontré con unas amigas,

And "the day before yesterday," I met up with some friends,

Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 3

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16. Echar a (to start, to do suddenly) 

The Spanish verb echar can have different meanings from "to throw" to "to fire." In conjunction with the preposition a and a verb in the infinitive, however, it means "to start to" do something, usually in a sudden fashion. Let's see two examples: 

Se asustó, echó a correr y no hubo manera de cogerlo.

It got scared, it took off running, and there was no way to get it.

Caption 62, Soledad Positivo y negativo

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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.

The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.

Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama

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17. Echar de menos (to miss)

We bet you wouldn't guess that something that seems to mean "to throw of less" is a synonym for extrañar (to miss) in Spanish:

Ay, yo os he echado de menos.

Oh, I've missed you.

Caption 4, Con Marta por Madrid El Palacio Real y Doña Manolita - Part 1

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18. Estar para (to be up for, in the mood for)

Estar para literally means "to be for," which is pretty close to its English equivalents "to be up for" or "in the mood" for something: 

Es que ya no estoy para tantas vueltas y me siento cansado.

It's just that I am not up for so many rounds and I feel tired.

Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El parque de diversiones - Part 1

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19. Estar por (to be about to)

Estar por, in contrast, typically means "to be in" or "around" some area or, when accompanied by an infinitive, becomes a phrasal verb that means "to be about to" do something. Let's see an example of each of these uses:

Yo estaba por ahí, todavía estaba caminando, ¿no? 

I was around there, still walking, right?

Caption 21, Federico Kauffman Doig Arqueólogo - Part 3

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que todo está por... por... por empezar,

when everything is about to... to... to start,

Caption 65, Amaya Recordando - Part 3

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20. Hablar de (to talk about)

While hablar alone means "to speak" or "to talk," if you want to express the idea of "talking about" something, use the Spanish phrasal verb hablar de:

Mi amiga Amaya os habló de este lugar maravilloso

My friend Amaya talked to you about this wonderful place,

Caption 7, Montserrat El burrito Luz

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21. Llevar a cabo (to carry out)

Since the Spanish phrasal verb llevar a cabo can be literally translated as "to take to the ending," it makes sense that its various English equivalents include "to carry out," "do," "perform" and "accomplish":

Para llevar a cabo estas funciones se necesitan tres figuras claves en el proceso terapéutico:

To carry out these roles, three key figures are needed in the therapeutic process:

Captions 35-36, Isabel Lavesa Terapia asistida con animales

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22. Olvidarse de (to forget)

Although the idea of "forgetting" in Spanish is often expressed as a no fault construction (something more like "it slipped my mind"), the more straightforward way to say that one forgot something in Spanish is with the Spanish phrasal verb olvidarse de:

¡Ah! Me olvidé de estos dos elementos.

Oh! I forgot these two items.

Caption 63, Dayana Rutina de belleza y aseo

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23. Pensar de (think of, think about)

Like the English "think of" or "about," the Spanish phrasal verb pensar de is used to talk about the belief or opinion one has of something or someone. 

¿Qué piensas de tu nuevo jefe?

What do you think of your new boss?

Caption 77, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Conjugación

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24. Pensar en (to think about)

Pensar en, on the other hand (literally "to think on") is used to talk about one's process of thinking "about" something:

25. Ponerse a (to start)

Similar to echar a, ponerse a plus an infinitive verb refers to "starting" an action. 

y al verlas como antes se puso a bailar."

and when she saw them like before, she started to dance."

Caption 60, Cleer Rafael Pombo y "Pastorcita"

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26. Preocuparse por (to worry about, be concerned about)

If you wish to talk about what you "worry about," use the Spanish phrasal verb preocuparse por:

que sepan que hay personas que se preocupan por ellas.

so that they know that there are people who are concerned about them.

Caption 8, Transformación Estética

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27. Quedarse con (to keep, end up with)

In her video series on the verb quedar, Silvia mentions the phrasal verb quedarse con, which can have several different meanings including "to keep," "end up with" or "be left." Let's take a look at two captions that include it:

"Tras el divorcio, ella se quedó con el chalé

"After the divorce, she kept the chalet,

Caption 56, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 3

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Toda la familia "se quedó con la boca abierta".

The whole family "was left open-mouthed."

Caption 8, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 7

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28. Quedarse sin (to be left without, to end up without, to run out of)

As you might imagine, quedarse sin often means the opposite of quedarse con ("to be left" or "end up without"), but it can also mean "to run out of" something:

Nos quedamos sin guitarrista, sin banda y sin concurso; ¡no!

We are left without a guitarist, without a band and without a contest; no!

Caption 16, X6 1 - La banda - Part 6

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No, se quedó sin nafta. -¿Qué?

No, it ran out of gas. -What?

Caption 4, Yago 7 Encuentros - Part 11

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29. Reírse de (to laugh at)

To talk about something or someone you "laughed at," use the Spanish phrasal verb reírse de:

Nos reímos de la muerte.

We laugh at death.

Caption 28, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 3

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30. Salir de (to leave, leave from)

As you probably know, salir by itself means "to leave." That said, when referring to leaving a particular place, salir de is the correct Spanish phrasal verb to choose. 

Y cuando salimos de la iglesia me dice mi padre:

And when we left the church my father says to me:

Caption 52, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 1

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31. Soñar con (to dream about)

While it might seem strange to English speakers, the literal translation for this Spanish phrasal verb is "to dream with" (rather than "about"):

y muchas veces incluso sueño con aquellos tiempos.

and very often I even dream about those times.

Caption 49, Clara y Cristina Saludar

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32. Tener que (to have to)

Rather than meaning "to have that," the Spanish phrasal verb tener que plus an infinitive means "to have to" do something:

Todos tenemos que superarlo y tenemos que empeñarnos en ello.

We all have to overcome it, and we have to be set on doing it.

Captions 74-75, Soledad Compartir tus problemas

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33. Tratar de (to try to)

When you want to describe something that you're "trying to" do, use the infinitive following the Spanish phrasal verb tratar de:

trato de alimentarme bien, de tomar agua,

I try to eat well, to drink water,

Caption 26, Otavalo Ejercicios

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34. Venir a (to come to)

When talking about "coming to" a place, use the phrasal verb venir a, which translates very literally to English. 

¿qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?

what advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?

Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona

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35. Volver a (to do again)

And finally, when used with an infinitive, volver a (literally "to return to") means to perform some action again. Let's see two examples:

volvimos a revalidar el título

we locked in the title again

Caption 90, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey

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y mi mamá no se volvió a casar,

and my mother didn't remarry,

Caption 55, La Sub30 Familias - Part 2

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Spanish/English Phrasal Verb Study List

After perusing our list of 35 Spanish Phrasal Verbs, we have compiled a list of all of them along with their English translations so that you may study or review them at your leisure:

1. Acabar de: to have just (done something)

 

2. Acordarse de: to remember/remember to

 

3. Acostumbrarse a: to get used to/accustomed to

 

4. Alegrarse de: to be glad/happy/pleased about

 

5. Caer(le) bien (a alguien): to please (equivalent of "to like")

 

6. Caer(le) mal (a alguien): to displease (equivalent of "to not like") 

 

7. Casarse con: to marry/get married to

 

8. Contar con: to count on

 

9. Dar con: to find

 

10. Dar por: to presume/consider

 

11. Darse prisa: to hurry/hurry up

 

12. Dejar de: to quit or stop (doing something)

 

13. Depender de: to depend on

 

14. Enamorarse de: to fall in love with

 

15. Encontrarse con: to meet up/get together with

 

16. Echar a: to suddenly start to (do something)

 

17. Echar de menos: to miss

 

18. Estar para: to be up for/in the mood for

 

19. Estar por: to be about to (do something)

 

20. Hablar de: to talk about

 

21. Llevar a cabo: to do/carry out/perform/accomplish

 

 

22. Olvidarse de: to forget

 

 

23. Pensar de: to think of/about (hold a belief)

 

24. Pensar en: to think about (the thought process)

 

25. Ponerse a: to start to (do something)

 

26. Preocuparse por: to worry/be concerned about

 

27. Quedarse con: to keep/end up with/be left with

 

28. Quedarse sin: to be left without/end up without/run out of

 

29. Reírse de: to laugh at 

 

30. Salir de: to leave/leave from (a place)

 

31. Soñar con: to dream about

 

32. Tener que: to have to (do something)

 

33. Tratar de: to try to (do something)

 

34. Venir a: to come to (a place)

 

35. Volver a: to do (something) again

That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to better navigate many of the most common phrasal verbs in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.

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Today's lesson will examine Yabla's "Top 12" picks for the most useful verbs for having a conversation in Spanish. This time, we'll focus on the meanings of those verbs as well as giving you a lot of simple, conversational examples from Yabla's Spanish video library. Additionally, we'll provide you with conjugation tables for the "Top 3" most useful Spanish tenses: the simple present, the imperfect (which describes ongoing or continuous past actions), and the preterite (which describes completed past actions).

In addition to the aforementioned links, you can consult this lesson entitled Spanish Verb Tenses Explained if you need to brush up on those tenses and more! Although memorizing all of these conjugations might seem a bit intimidating, it could really help your ability to converse in Spanish.

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1. Ser (to be) 

The fact that there are two verbs that mean "to be" in Spanish, ser and estar, can feel quite confusing for non-native speakers. Generally speaking, the verb ser is employed to describe more permanent characteristics. The acronym DOCTOR (description, occupation, condition, time, origin, relationship) is very useful for helping us to remember some of the many situations in which this verb is used. Let's take a look at how this verb is conjugated as well as some examples: 

Soy profesor de fotografía.

I'm a photography teacher.

Caption 13, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 5

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Sus cuadros eran muy extraños.

His paintings were very strange.

Caption 25, El Aula Azul - Adivina personajes históricos

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También fuimos parte de todas estas, eh... mega empresas, pero...

We were also part of all these, um... mega companies, but...

Caption 22, Doctor Krápula - Entrevista

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Notably, although ser usually denotes permanence, while the preterite tense denotes that something had a definite ending point, the verb ser is used in the preterite to describe something that "was" in the past, but did come to a conclusive end. 

2. Estar (to be)

The verb estar also means "to be" for traits that are variable/less permanent. The acronym PLACE (position, location, action, condition, emotion) might help you to remember some contexts in which the verb estar should be chosen. Let's take a look: 

Sí... Vale, entonces, estamos aquí.

Yes... OK, then, we're here.

Caption 6, Curso de español - Disculpe, ¿hay un cine por aquí?

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Un poquito y ajá, y estaba triste porque

A little bit, and uh-huh, and I was sad because

dejaba mi familia y eso y ya.

I was leaving my family and all that and that's it.

Caption 70, Cleer - Entrevista a Lila

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Los árabes estuvieron en España más de seiscientos años.

The Arabs were in Spain for more than six hundred years.

Caption 23, Rosa - Antequera, Málaga

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Be sure to check out this lesson if you want to learn more about the difference between ser and estar. 

3. Tener (to have)

The verb tener means "to have" in Spanish. Let's take a closer look: 

¿Tienes plumones y tijeras?

You have markers and scissors?

Sí, tengo plumones y tijeras,

Yes, I have markers and scissors,

pero no tengo mi teléfono.

but I don't have my phone.

Captions 20-22, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 1: No tengo mi teléfono.

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Tenían mi mochila en la Oficina de Objetos Perdidos.

They had my backpack in the Lost and Found.

Caption 44, Raquel - Oficina de objetos perdidos

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La noche anterior a la rumba, tuve otro sueño.

The night before going out on the town, I had another dream.

Caption 1, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7

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Additionally, we invite you to explore some of the many idiomatic expressions with the verb tener. 

And, we'll just take a second to mention that if you throw in the word que after the verb tener plus a verb's infinitive ("to" form), you'll have the very useful Spanish construction tener que that means, "to have to" (do something):

Hoy tengo que trabajar.

Today I have to work.

Caption 74, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14

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Tuvimos que trasladarnos a esta nueva ciudad.

We had to move to this new city.

Caption 39, Ciudad de Panamá - Denisse introduce la ciudad

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4. Hacer (to make/to do)

The Spanish verb hacer can mean either "to make" or "to do." But, not to fear— typically, the context will let you know quite clearly which meaning is intended.

Y ¿tú qué haces?

And what are you doing?

Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario - Un pez mágico

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Y yo no hacía esto. Yo hago otro acto, que es con las motos.

And I didn't do this. I do another act, which is with motorcycles.

Caption 35, Rueda de la muerte - Parte 1

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También hizo alguna película.

He also made a movie.

Caption 28, El Aula Azul - Adivina personajes históricos

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5. Ir (to go)

The Spanish verb ir means "to go." Let's check out some of its conjugations and uses:

Voy a la piscina los lunes y los miércoles.

I go to the pool on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Caption 7, Ariana - Mi Semana

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Iba mucho con mi padre al campo.

I used to go with my father to the countryside a lot.

Caption 56, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 10

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¿Por qué fuiste al cine?

Why did you go to the movies?

Caption 48, Carlos explica - Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para'

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You might have noticed that the preterite form of the verb ir is conjugated in the exact same way as the verb ser. However, in most cases, context should help you to easily identify which verb is in use. 

Another great "trick" to be aware of is that adding an a plus a verb's infinitive to the verb ir is a very simple way of expressing what we are "going to" do and is, thus, an alternative to the future tense. Let's take a look: 

Vamos a hablar de mi familia, ¿sí?

We are going to talk about my family, OK?

Caption 2, Curso de español - Vamos a hablar de la familia

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Porque las chicas iban a salir, para no dejarte sola.

Because the girls were going to go out, so you wouldn't be alone.

Caption 11, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta

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6. Venir (to come)

If we're going to talk about ir (to go), we'd better mention venir (to come)! Let's look:

Yo vengo del sur de España

I come from the South of Spain

Caption 10, Carolina - Acentos

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¿Qué venía después?

What came next?

Caption 23, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 8

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Los otros cisnes vinieron hacia él.

The other swans came toward him.

Caption 50, Cleer - El patito feo

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7. Decir (to say)

The Spanish verb decir means "to say" or "to tell."

Yo digo que Playa Balandra es el paraíso oficial.

I say that Balandra Beach is the official paradise.

Caption 67, Alan x el mundo - Mi playa favorita de México!

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Pero siempre me decía: ¡Mira! Mira eso allá.

But he always used to tell me: Look! Look at that over there.

Caption 42, Federico Kauffman Doig - Arqueólogo

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Y la señorita me dijo algo completamente diferente.

And the lady told me something totally different.

Caption 45, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 5

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Since we often say or tell things "to" others, you will notice that the verb decir is quite typically accompanied by indirect object pronouns like me (to me), te (to you), etc. to indicate the person to whom something is said or told. You can learn more about this and other aspects of this verb in our lesson entitled The Spanish Verb Decir.

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8. Poder (to be able)

The verb poder means "to be able." It can be used alone to say simply "I can," "you could," etc. but is often used in conjunction with an infinitive verb to express what it is one "is able" to do. Let see it in action:

¿Puedo ver el menú por favor?

Can I see the menu please?

Caption 12, Cata y Cleer - En el restaurante

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¿Por qué las cosas no podían ser sencillas?

Why couldn't things be easy?

Caption 31, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 10

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Gracias a su cola, pudieron volar.

Thanks to its tail, you were able to fly.

Caption 49, Guillermina y Candelario - Una aventura extrema

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To learn more about the verb poder and how it is used, we recommend the following lesson: The Verb Poder - Common Expressions.

9. Saber (to know)

This word means "to know," but, in its preterite form, can mean "to find out." 

Pero no sé dónde!

But I don't know where!

Caption 28, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso

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No sabía qué decirle.

I didn't know what to say to her.

Caption 12, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 1

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Nunca supe la verdad

I never found out the truth

Caption 2, Aleks Syntek - Intocable

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10.  Querer (to want)

If we're going to converse in Spanish, we had better be able to say what we "want"! The verb querer can stand alone to express our desire for a particular thing or be used with an infinitive verb to say what we "want to do." Let's take a look:

Porque realmente quiero mi propio baño.

Because I really want my own bathroom.

Caption 37, Cleer y Lida - Reservando una habitación

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Y algunos querían volver a su casa.

And some wanted to go back to their home.

Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario - El mundo de los juguetes perdidos

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No me quiso decir su nombre.

She wouldn't tell me her name.

Caption 8, Yago - 14 La peruana

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Keep in mind that when the verb querer is used with no in the preterite, it can convey the idea that someone "wouldn't" do something or "refused to." 

One more important aspect of the Spanish verb querer is that, when speaking about actions that we "want" others to do or that we "want" to happen, the subjunctive form of the verb that follows is required (vuelvas instead of vuelves in the following example):

Quiero que... que vuelvas a New York.

I want for... for you to come back to New York.

Caption 23, Yago - 11 Prisión

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11. Dar (to give)

The Spanish verb dar means "to give." Let's look at some of its forms and examples:

Yo doy agua a mi gato.

I give water to my cat.

Caption 14, Lecciones con Carolina - Verbo - dar

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Adriana Espinel siempre daba unas respuestas tan profundas.

Adriana Espinel always gave such deep answers.

Caption 72, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4

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Eh... Mi asistente me dio sus datos.

Um... My assistant gave me your information.

Caption 39, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 1

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Like the verb decir, the verb dar is often accompanied by indirect object pronouns to highlight the person to whom something is given. 

12. Ver (to see)

And, to conclude our list of the Top 12 Spanish verbs for carrying on a conversation, we thought it would be a good idea to give you a verb to describe the things you observe! 

Eh... ¿Cómo veo la vida?

Um... How do I see life?

Caption 79, Adícora, Venezuela - El tatuaje de Rosana

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¡Pero veíamos serpientes por todos lados!

But we saw snakes everywhere!

Caption 41, Guillermina y Candelario - La Isla de las Serpientes

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Vimos una película.

We saw a movie.

Caption 14, Zulbani - Trip to Merida

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Although it was certainly tough to narrow down the top 12 useful verbs in Spanish for carrying on a conversation, we hope you've enjoyed this lesson and that it helps you to hold a lot of stimulating conversations! Let us know with your suggestions and comments if there are any other verbs or topics you'd like to learn more about. 

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Spanish may seem quite different from English and that could be very intimidating for people learning the language of Cervantes. However, if you are an English speaker, there are many words in Spanish that you already know! In this lesson, we will discover 100 words that are identical in Spanish and English.

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Words ending in ‘or’

In English, many words ending in ‘or’ are exactly the same in Spanish. Let’s start with the first one:

Con el actor Fred Savage.

With the actor Fred Savage.

Caption 8, Carlos comenta - Los Años Maravillosos - La década de los 80 y música

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In the example above, the spelling of the word “actor” is the same in English and Spanish. While the pronunciation is different, it is worth noting that the stress of the Spanish word goes on the last syllable while its English equivalent has the stress on the second-to-last syllable. Let’s see some words that follow the same pattern:

2. Color

3. Director

4. Editor

5. Error

6. Exterior

7. Favor

Para mí como un honor y también un... un reto poder hacer...

For me, like an honor and also a... a challenge to be able to make...

Caption 55, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori - Una vida como pintor

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9. Horror

10. Humor

11. Inferior

12. Instructor

Y ¿prefieren habitación exterior o interior?

And do you prefer an interior room or an exterior room?

Caption 15, Raquel - Reservación de Hotel

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14. Motor

15. Rumor

16. Sector

17. Superior

18. Tenor

19. Tractor

20. Tumor

21. Tutor

We know that some words like color and favor are spelled differently in some English speaking countries (colour, favour) but if you remove the ‘u’ you will find the same words in Spanish.

Words ending in ‘al’

Now, let’s see some words that end in ‘al,’ which share the same spelling in both English and Spanish:

El estanque artificial es la primera imagen.

The artificial pond is the first image.

Caption 46, Marisa en Madrid - Parque de El Retiro

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23. Animal

24. Brutal

25. Capital

26. Central

27. Cereal

Esta ciudad se caracteriza por su arquitectura colonial.

This city is characterized by its colonial architecture.

Caption 7, Mérida y sus alrededores - Ciudad de Mérida

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29. Continental

30. Criminal

Luego tenemos proyectos de cooperación cultural.

Then we have cultural cooperation projects.

Caption 54, En el hub - Madrid

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32. Decimal

33. Dental

34. Editorial

35. Electoral

36. Elemental

37. Experimental

Y una crema hidratante facial es netamente para tu rostro.

And a moisturizing facial lotion is purely for your face.

Caption 34, Los médicos explican - Consejos para la piel

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39. Fatal

40. Federal

41. Festival

42. Final

43. Formal

44. Fundamental

45. Funeral

46. General

47. Gradual

48. Horizontal

El hospital da hacia el mar.

The hospital faces the sea.

Caption 20, Lecciones con Carolina - Verbo - dar

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50. Ideal

51. Imperial

52. Industrial

53. Informal

54. Instrumental

55. Legal

56. Liberal

57. Literal

58. Local

59. Manual

Todo este material servirá para decorar los puestos y las calles de Olivares.

All this material will serve to decorate the stands and streets of Olivares.

Caption 72, Europa Abierta - Taller de escenografía en Olivares

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61. Mental

62. Metal

63. Monumental

64. Moral

65. Mortal

66. Musical

67. Natural

68. Neutral

Yo tengo una familia que es una familia normal.

I have a family that is a normal family.

Caption 1, El Aula Azul - Mi familia

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70. Oral

71. Original

72. Personal

73. Plural

74. Radical

75. Regional

76. Rival

77. Rural

78. Social

79. Superficial

Llegaréis a la terminal nueva.

You will arrive at the new terminal.

Caption 23, Blanca - Cómo moverse en Barcelona

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81. Total

82. Tropical

83. Universal

84. Vertical

85. Visual

86. Viral

87. Vital

Words ending in ‘ble’

Finally, there are many English words that end in ‘ble’ that are identical in Spanish. Let’s see some of them:

88. Adorable

89. Deplorable

90. Flexible

91. Honorable

92. Invisible

93. Irresistible

94. Miserable

Porque él también es muy sociable, le encanta estar con la gente...

Because he also is very sociable, he loves to be with people...

Caption 11, El Aula Azul - Mis Amigos

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96. Tangible

97. Terrible

98. Variable

99. Visible

100. Vulnerable

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In English, most of these words are stressed on the third-to-last syllable. On the contrary, in Spanish these words are stressed on the second-to-last syllable.

That's it for this lesson. Isn’t it nice to see that you already know so many Spanish words without even trying? In fact, there are many more words ending in ‘or,’ ‘al’ and ‘ble’ that have the same meaning and spelling in English and Spanish. Can you find more words to add to these 100? Give it a try and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.