Learning to ask simple questions in Spanish can be a lot of fun!

To get started, you'll need to know some basic grammar, words, and language skills. This guide is here to help you learn these things so you can easily chat in Spanish.

Grammar Tips

1. Present Tense for Regular Verbs:

   • -ar verbs (like hablar):

     • Yo hablo (I speak)
     • Tú hablas (You speak)
     • Él/Ella habla (He/She speaks)
     • Nosotros/as hablamos (We speak)
     • Vosotros/as habláis (You all speak)
     • Ellos/as hablan (They speak)

   • -er verbs (like comer):

     • Yo como (I eat)
     • Tú comes (You eat)
     • Él/Ella come (He/She eats)
     • Nosotros/as comemos (We eat)
     • Vosotros/as coméis (You all eat)
     • Ellos/as comen (They eat)

   • -ir verbs (like vivir):

     • Yo vivo (I live)
     • Tú vives (You live)
     • Él/Ella vive (He/She lives)
     • Nosotros/as vivimos (We live)
     • Vosotros/as vivís (You all live)
     • Ellos/as viven (They live)

2. Using Ser vs. Estar:

   • Ser is used for saying who someone is:
     • ¿Quién eres? (Who are you?)
     • Yo soy estudiante. (I am a student.)
   • Estar is for saying where someone is:
     • ¿Dónde estás? (Where are you?)
     • Estoy en casa. (I am at home.)

3. Making Simple Questions:

   • Questions usually start with a question word, then the subject, and finally the verb. Here are some examples:
     • ¿Cómo te llamas? (What is your name?)
     • ¿Qué haces? (What are you doing?)
     • ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)

4. Important Subject Pronouns:

   • Here are the main pronouns:
     • yo (I),
     • tú (you, informal),
     • él/ella (he/she),
     • nosotros/as (we),
     • vosotros/as (you all, informal in Spain),
     • ellos/as (they).

5. Matching Adjectives:

   • Adjectives need to match the nouns they describe in gender (male or female) and number (singular or plural). Here are two examples:
     • La casa blanca (The white house) – feminine singular
     • Los gatos negros (The black cats) – masculine plural

Vocabulary Themes

• Greetings and Goodbyes:

  • Hola (Hello)
  • Adiós (Goodbye)
  • Buenos días (Good morning)

• Common Questions:

  • ¿Qué tal? (How are you?)
  • ¿Dónde vives? (Where do you live?)

• Family Members:

  • Madre (mother)
  • Padre (father)
  • Hermano (brother)
  • Hermana (sister)

• Food and Drinks:

  • Agua (water)
  • Pan (bread)
  • Manzana (apple)

• Daily Activities:

  • Comer (to eat)
  • Estudiar (to study)
  • Trabajar (to work)

Key Language Skills

• Pronunciation: Focus on Spanish vowel sounds – a, e, i, o, u – because they sound the same every time.

• Listening Skills: Get better at understanding by listening to conversations or using language apps.

• Introducing Yourself: Try this example:

  • Hola, me llamo Juan. Tengo veinte años. (Hello, my name is Juan. I am twenty years old.)

• Talking with Others: Practice by asking and answering simple questions with a friend.

• Reading Short Texts: Start with short stories or conversations that use the vocabulary and grammar you’ve learned.

By practicing these tips, you'll get better at making simple questions and having basic conversations in Spanish. Over time, you'll really improve your skills in the language!