Daily Routine Verbs in Spanish: A1 Vocabulary Guide
◄ Back to A1 Vocabulary Hub | Practice with Our Daily Routine Quiz ►
Key Takeaways
- Learn essential Spanish verbs for describing your daily activities
- Master reflexive verbs for personal care routines
- Understand how to sequence your day using time expressions
- Practice describing your complete daily schedule in Spanish
Describe Your Day in Spanish
Now that you can shop and navigate the city, let’s learn how to talk about your daily life! Daily routine vocabulary is essential for basic conversations and helps you build fundamental verb skills that you’ll use in every aspect of Spanish.
Morning Routine Verbs (Verbos de la Rutina Matutina)
Essential verbs for starting your day.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| To wake up | despertarse* | Me despierto a las siete. (I wake up at seven.) |
| To get up | levantarse* | Me levanto de la cama. (I get up from bed.) |
| To shower | ducharse* | Me ducho por la mañana. (I shower in the morning.) |
| To get dressed | vestirse* | Me visto para el trabajo. (I get dressed for work.) |
| To eat breakfast | desayunar | Desayuno café y pan. (I eat breakfast coffee and bread.) |
| To brush teeth | cepillarse los dientes* | Me cepillo los dientes después de comer. (I brush my teeth after eating.) |
🔄 Reflexive Verb Note: Verbs with * are reflexive – they use pronouns like me, te, se. These are essential for personal care routines!
Use our conjugation tool: When in doubt about any verb form, check our Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool for instant help.
📚 Need help with reflexive verbs? Check out our complete guide: Reflexive Verbs in Spanish – A1 Grammar Guide
Daytime Activities (Actividades del Día)
Verbs for work, school, and daily responsibilities.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| To work | trabajar | Trabajo en una oficina. (I work in an office.) |
| To study | estudiar | Estudio español cada día. (I study Spanish every day.) |
| To go | ir | Voy al trabajo en autobús. (I go to work by bus.) |
| To return | volver / regresar | Vuelvo a casa a las seis. (I return home at six.) |
| To eat lunch | almorzar | Almuerzo con mis compañeros. (I eat lunch with my colleagues.) |
| To have a break | tomar un descanso | Tomo un descanso a mediodía. (I take a break at noon.) |
⏰ Using the verb IR? Master this essential verb with our: IR Conjugation – To Go in Spanish
🔄 Need to check any verb conjugation? Use our handy tool: Spanish Verb Conjugation Tool
Evening and Night Routine (Rutina de Tarde y Noche)
Verbs for ending your day.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| To eat dinner | cenar | Cenamos a las nueve. (We eat dinner at nine.) |
| To watch TV | ver la televisión | Veo la televisión después de cenar. (I watch TV after dinner.) |
| To read | leer | Leo un libro antes de dormir. (I read a book before sleeping.) |
| To go to bed | acostarse* | Me acuesto a las once. (I go to bed at eleven.) |
| To sleep | dormir | Duermo ocho horas cada noche. (I sleep eight hours every night.) |
| To rest | descansar | Descanso los fines de semana. (I rest on weekends.) |
Household Chores (Tareas del Hogar)
Verbs for daily household tasks.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| To cook | cocinar | Cocino la cena para mi familia. (I cook dinner for my family.) |
| To clean | limpiar | Limpio la casa los sábados. (I clean the house on Saturdays.) |
| To wash | lavar | Lavo la ropa los domingos. (I wash clothes on Sundays.) |
| To make the bed | hacer la cama | Hago la cama por la mañana. (I make the bed in the morning.) |
| To shop | hacer la compra | Hago la compra el viernes. (I do the shopping on Friday.) |
Time Expressions for Routines
Essential time words for sequencing your day.
| English | Spanish | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| In the morning | por la mañana | Estudio por la mañana. (I study in the morning.) |
| In the afternoon | por la tarde | Trabajo por la tarde. (I work in the afternoon.) |
| In the evening/night | por la noche | Leo por la noche. (I read at night.) |
| First | primero | Primero me despierto, luego me levanto. (First I wake up, then I get up.) |
| Then | luego / después | Después de ducharme, me visto. (After showering, I get dressed.) |
| Finally | finalmente | Finalmente, me acuesto. (Finally, I go to bed.) |
🕒 Need help with time expressions? Master telling time and daily schedules: Spanish Time Expressions – A1 Guide
Useful Sentence Structures
How to build complete sentences about your routine.
Basic Routine Sentences:
- “Sujeto + verbo + tiempo” – “Yo trabajo por la tarde.”
- “Sujeto + verbo + lugar” – “Ella estudia en la biblioteca.”
- “Sujeto + verbo + con personas” – “Nosotros almorzamos con amigos.”
Using Sequence Words:
- “Primero… luego…” (First… then…)
- “Antes de + infinitivo” (Before + verb) – “Antes de trabajar, desayuno.”
- “Después de + infinitivo” (After + verb) – “Después de estudiar, descanso.”
Frequency Words:
- siempre (always)
- normalmente (normally)
- a veces (sometimes)
- nunca (never)
📝 Building sentences? Learn proper Spanish sentence structure: Spanish Sentence Structure – A1 Guide
Putting It All Together: Daily Routine Description
Mi Rutina Diaria:
“Normalmente, me despierto a las siete de la mañana. Primero, me levanto de la cama y luego me ducho. Después de ducharme, me visto y desayuno café con pan.
Por la mañana, voy al trabajo en autobús. Trabajo desde las nueve hasta las dos. Almuerzo con mis compañeros en un restaurante cerca de la oficina.
Por la tarde, vuelvo a casa a las seis. Primero, descanso un poco y luego ceno con mi familia. Después de cenar, veo la televisión o leo un libro. Finalmente, me acuesto a las once de la noche.”
Translation:
“My Daily Routine:
Normally, I wake up at seven in the morning. First, I get up from bed and then I shower. After showering, I get dressed and eat breakfast coffee with bread.
In the morning, I go to work by bus. I work from nine until two. I eat lunch with my colleagues in a restaurant near the office.
In the afternoon, I return home at six. First, I rest a little and then I eat dinner with my family. After dinner, I watch TV or read a book. Finally, I go to bed at eleven at night.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting reflexive pronouns: “Levanto” means “I lift,” “me levanto” means “I get up”
- Confusing “volver” and “regresar” – both mean “to return” and are interchangeable
- Using wrong prepositions: “Por la mañana” not “en la mañana”
- Gender agreement in reflexive verbs: “Me levanto” (male/female same), but “estoy cansado/cansada”
- Word order: Time expressions usually come at the beginning or end of sentences
Quick Reference Chart
| Time of Day | Common Activities |
|---|---|
| Morning | despertarse, levantarse, ducharse, vestirse, desayunar |
| Daytime | ir al trabajo/escuela, trabajar, estudiar, almorzar |
| Evening | volver a casa, cenar, descansar, ver televisión |
| Night | leer, acostarse, dormir |
| Household | cocinar, limpiar, lavar, hacer la cama |
Practice Exercise: Describe Your Ideal Day
Try writing about your perfect daily routine in Spanish:
- 3 morning activities
- 3 daytime activities
- 3 evening activities
- Use sequence words: primero, luego, después, finalmente
Example: “En mi día ideal, primero me despierto tarde. Luego desayuno tranquilamente. Después, voy al parque. Por la tarde, leo y escucho música. Finalmente, ceno con amigos y veo una película.”
Ready to Practice?
Think you can describe your daily life in Spanish? Test your routine vocabulary!
Take our Daily Routine Quiz ► to make these essential verbs stick.
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