Spanish Grammar and Vocabulary FAQ

Both mean "to be," but 'ser' describes permanent characteristics (identity, origin, time) while 'estar' describes temporary states (location, condition, emotions). For example, "soy profesor" (I am a teacher - permanent) vs "estoy cansado" (I am tired - temporary).
→ Master Ser vs Estar with our complete guide and quiz

Use preterite for completed actions with a specific endpoint ("I ate at 8:00"), and imperfect for ongoing past actions without a clear endpoint ("I used to eat early") or for descriptions in the past.
→ Master preterite vs imperfect with our guide and  interactive exercises

The subjunctive expresses doubt, emotion, desire, or uncertainty. Use it after phrases like "espero que" (I hope that), "es posible que" (it's possible that), or when giving advice with "es mejor que."
→ Learn all subjunctive triggers and conjugations

The most essential irregular verbs include ser, estar, ir, tener, hacer, poner, saber, and decir. These verbs don't follow standard conjugation patterns and must be memorized individually.
See the complete irregular verbs list with conjugations

Use 'saber' for knowing facts or information ("sé la respuesta") and for knowing how to do something ("sé cocinar"). Use 'conocer' for being familiar with people, places, or things ("conozco Madrid"). → Understand Saber vs Conocer with examples

Reflexive verbs are conjugated with reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) that match the subject. These pronouns indicate the action reflects back on the subject. For example, "lavarse" (to wash oneself): "yo me lavo" (I wash myself), "tú te lavas" (you wash yourself). The reflexive pronoun comes before the conjugated verb in most cases, but attaches to infinitives and gerunds: "Voy a lavarme" (I'm going to wash myself).
→ Master reflexive verbs with conjugation charts and examples

While both can translate to "have," they serve different functions. 'Tener' expresses possession or obligation ("tengo un libro" - I have a book, "tengo que estudiar" - I have to study). 'Haber' is primarily used as an auxiliary verb for compound tenses ("he comido" - I have eaten) or to express existence ("hay un problema" - there is a problem). Remember: tener = to possess, haber = to have done/to exist.
→ Learn Haber vs Tener with complete usage guide

The conditional tense (would + verb) is formed by adding -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive. It expresses hypothetical situations, polite requests, or future-in-the-past. Examples: "Me gustaría viajar" (I would like to travel), "¿Podrías ayudarme?" (Could you help me?), "Dijo que vendría" (He said he would come). It's also used for probability in the past: "Serían las ocho" (It was probably eight o'clock).
→ Practice conditional tense with real-life scenarios

The conditional tense (would + verb) is formed by adding -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive. It expresses hypothetical situations, polite requests, or future-in-the-past. Examples: "Me gustaría viajar" (I would like to travel), "¿Podrías ayudarme?" (Could you help me?), "Dijo que vendría" (He said he would come). It's also used for probability in the past: "Serían las ocho" (It was probably eight o'clock).
→ Practice conditional tense with real-life scenarios

Stem-changing verbs (or "boot verbs") change their vowel in the stem when conjugated, except in nosotros/vosotros forms. There are three types: e→ie (pensar → pienso), o→ue (poder → puedo), and e→i (pedir → pido). The change occurs in all present tense forms except nosotros/vosotros, creating a "boot" shape in conjugation charts. These changes are predictable once you learn the patterns.
→ See complete list of stem-changing verbs with conjugations

The imperative mood has different forms for affirmative/negative and tú/usted/ustedes/vosotros. Affirmative tú commands use the third-person singular ("habla" - speak), while negative tú commands use the subjunctive ("no hables"). Usted commands always use subjunctive ("hable"). Vosotros commands replace -r with -d ("hablad"). Remember: affirmative=informal, negative=subjunctive, formal=always subjunctive.
→ Master Spanish commands with practice exercises

The three main patterns are -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. -AR verbs use endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. -ER verbs: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. -IR verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. While -er and -ir share similarities, -ir verbs have different nosotros/vosotros forms. Mastering these patterns helps you conjugate thousands of regular verbs.
→ Download our verb conjugation cheat sheet

'Por' typically indicates cause, motive, or duration ("lo hice por ti"), while 'para' indicates purpose, destination, or deadlines ("es para mañana"). Remember: por = reason, para = goal.
→ Master Por vs Para with our usage guide

Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace the direct object, while indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, os, les) indicate to/for whom the action is done. They usually come before the conjugated verb.
→ Learn and Practice object pronouns in Spanish with exercises

Use 'qué' when asking for definitions or explanations ("¿Qué es esto?" - What is this?), and 'cuál' when choosing among options or asking for specific information ("¿Cuál prefieres?" - Which do you prefer?).
→ Learn Qué vs Cuál with examples!

Use the personal 'a' before specific, known people or pets when they function as direct objects. For example, "Veo a María" (I see María) but "Veo la televisión" (I see the television).
→ Understand the personal A with more examples

'Muy' means "very" and is used before adjectives and adverbs ("muy alto"). 'Mucho' means "much/many/a lot" and is used before nouns ("mucho tiempo") or as a pronoun ("mucho").
→ Learn and Master Muy vs Mucho with practice quiz

These demonstratives indicate proximity. 'Este' (this) refers to something near the speaker, 'ese' (that) near the listener, and 'aquel' (that over there) far from both. They must agree in gender/number: este libro (this book), estas casas (these houses), esa mesa (that table), aquellos días (those days over there). Think of it as: este=here, ese=there, aquel=way over there.
→ Practice demonstratives with interactive exercises

'Alguno' (some/any) is used in affirmative contexts, while 'ninguno' (none/not any) is used in negative contexts. Both have shortened forms before masculine singular nouns: 'algún' and 'ningún'. Examples: "Tengo algunos libros" (I have some books), "No tengo ningún libro" (I don't have any books). 'Ninguno' requires 'no' before the verb in negative sentences. → Master Spanish indefinite pronouns

Detailed Answer: 'Todo' means "all/every" and refers to the entire group collectively ("todos los días" - every day). 'Cada' means "each" and emphasizes individual members of a group ("cada día" - each day). 'Todo' agrees in gender/number ("todos los estudiantes," "todas las casas"), while 'cada' is invariable. Use 'todo' for the whole, 'cada' for individual units.
→ Learn quantifiers and their usage

'Mismo' can mean "same" ("el mismo libro" - the same book), "self" ("yo mismo" - myself), or emphasize identity ("ahora mismo" - right now). It agrees in gender/number: mismo, misma, mismos, mismas. When used for emphasis, it typically follows the pronoun or noun. Unlike English, it doesn't create reflexive verbs - that's what reflexive pronouns are for.
→ Understand Mismo with detailed examples

'Poco' refers to quantity or degree ("poco tiempo" - little time, "poco interesante" - not very interesting), while 'pequeño' refers to physical size or age ("una casa pequeña" - a small house, "un niño pequeño" - a small child). 'Poco' can also function as an adverb ("habla poco" - he speaks little), while 'pequeño' is always an adjective describing size.
→ Master common adjective confusions

Use 'saber' + infinitive to mean "to know how to do something": "sé nadar" (I know how to swim). 'Conocer' is only for being familiar with people, places, or things: "conozco Madrid" (I know Madrid). Remember: saber + infinitive = skill knowledge, conocer + noun = familiarity knowledge.
→ Practice Saber and Conocer in context

Generally, nouns ending in -o are masculine (el libro) and nouns ending in -a are feminine (la casa). However, there are many exceptions like 'el día' (masculine) and 'la mano' (feminine).
→ See complete gender rules and exceptions

For nouns ending in a vowel, add -s (libro → libros). For nouns ending in a consonant, add -es (ciudad → ciudades). Nouns ending in -z change to -ces (lápiz → lápices).
→ Master and Practice plural formation in Spanish with examples!

'Agua' is feminine but uses 'el' instead of 'la' to avoid the awkward sound of two 'a's together. However, it remains feminine, so you say "el agua fría" (the cold water) with a feminine adjective.
→ Learn more about feminine nouns with masculine articles in Spanish!

Use 'uno' before masculine nouns ("uno libro") and 'una' before feminine nouns ("una casa"). 'Uno' shortens to 'un' before masculine singular nouns ("un libro").
Link: → Practice indefinite articles in spanish with exercises!

Use 'el' for masculine singular, 'la' for feminine singular, 'los' for masculine plural, and 'las' for feminine plural. Spanish uses definite articles more frequently than English, often with abstract nouns and general concepts.
→ Master Spanish articles with our guide!

Profession nouns typically have masculine and feminine forms: -o/-a (médico/médica), -or/-ora (profesor/profesora), -és/-esa (japonés/japonesa). However, some remain invariable (el/la estudiante) or use "mujer" or "hombre" for clarification ("una mujer policía"). The trend is toward gender-specific forms, though some traditionally masculine forms are used for mixed groups.
→ Learn profession nouns with gender rules

Compound nouns often combine verb + noun ("abrelatas" - can opener, literally "open-cans") or noun + adjective ("pelirrojo" - redhead). They're typically masculine and invariable in plural ("los abrelatas"). The first element usually modifies the second, and they often describe objects or characteristics. Understanding these patterns helps decode unfamiliar vocabulary.
→ Explore Spanish compound nouns and their meanings

Words ending in -ista (artista, turista), -ante (estudiante, cantante), and -ente (paciente, cliente) are typically gender-neutral and use articles to indicate gender: "el/la artista," "un/una estudiante." The same form works for both genders, though some have feminine -a forms in certain contexts ("la presidenta").
→ Master gender-neutral nouns in Spanish

Use definite articles with days of the week to mean "on" that day recurringly: "los lunes" (on Mondays), "el martes" (on Tuesday). Without articles, they refer to specific dates: "Lunes es el primer día" (Monday is the first day). For "this Monday," use "este lunes." Articles make days plural for regular occurrences.
→ Practice days and dates in Spanish

Use definite articles with languages after verbs like "hablar," "estudiar," "aprender" when not directly following the verb: "Hablo español" but "El español es fácil." After prepositions, always use the article: "libros en español." For "to speak [language]," the article is usually omitted unless modified: "Hablo bien el español."
→ Learn article usage with languages and subjects

Diminutives (-ito/-ita) and augmentatives (-ón/-ona) change endings but maintain the original noun's gender concept: "casa" (f) → "casita" (f), "problema" (m) → "problemita" (m). However, augmentatives can change meaning and gender: "mujer" (f) → "mujerona" (f, large woman) but also "mujerón" (m, very masculine woman). Context determines usage.
→ Understand Spanish suffixes and their meanings

While Spanish is generally Subject-Verb-Object like English, it's more flexible. Adjectives typically come after nouns ("casa blanca"), and object pronouns usually come before conjugated verbs ("lo veo").
Learn Spanish sentence structure patterns

You can form questions by raising your voice at the end of a statement, or by placing the verb before the subject. Written questions always use opening and closing question marks ("¿Hablas español?").
→ Practice forming questions in Spanish

The main differences include pronunciation (Spain uses "th" for 'c/z'), vocabulary (car: coche vs carro), and the use of 'vosotros' in Spain vs 'ustedes' in Latin America for informal plural "you."
→ Explore Spanish dialect differences

Most adjectives come after the noun they describe and must match in gender and number. However, some descriptive adjectives like "bueno," "malo," and "grande" often come before the noun and may shorten.
Master adjective placement and agreement

To make a sentence negative, place "no" before the verb. For double negatives, use "nada" (nothing), "nadie" (nobody), or "nunca" (never) after the verb with "no" before it ("No veo a nadie" - I don't see anybody).  → Practice negative sentences in Spanish

Most adjectives follow nouns, but some change meaning based on position. Pre-nominal adjectives are often subjective or inherent: "un viejo amigo" (a long-time friend). Post-nominal adjectives are descriptive: "un amigo viejo" (an elderly friend). Others like "grande," "pobre," and "único" have different meanings before/after nouns.
→ Master adjective placement with examples

When using both direct and indirect object pronouns, the order is: indirect + direct + verb. If both pronouns begin with 'l', change the indirect to 'se': "le lo doy" becomes "se lo doy." Examples: "Me lo das" (You give it to me), "Te la envío" (I send it to you). This "l→se" rule prevents the awkward "le lo" sound.
→ Practice pronoun order with exercises

Spanish prefers "se" constructions over true passive voice. Use "se" + third-person verb: "Se habla español" (Spanish is spoken). For true passive, use "ser" + past participle: "El libro fue escrito" (The book was written). "Se" constructions are more common for general statements, while true passive emphasizes the action's recipient.
→ Learn passive voice and impersonal se

'Que' is the most common relative pronoun ("el libro que leí"), 'quien' refers to people and requires antecedents ("la mujer con quien hablé"), and 'cual' is more formal and often used with articles ("el modo en el cual"). 'Que' is versatile, 'quien' is person-specific, and 'cual' is formal with prepositions.
→ Master relative pronouns in Spanish

Many Spanish verbs require specific prepositions: "soñar con" (to dream of), "casarse con" (to marry), "depender de" (to depend on). Unlike English, these combinations are often fixed. Common patterns include: con (with), de (of/from), en (in/on), a (to). Memorizing verb+preposition pairs is essential for natural Spanish. → Learn verb-preposition combinations