100 Spanish words that you need to know.

Question

Obviously, you're not going to be able to say everything you want to say with only 100 Spanish words — although you could do surprisingly well with fewer than 1,000. But if you can learn these 100 words and understand how they're used, you'll be a long way toward being able to communicate freely in Spanish.

1. gracias (thanks)
2. ser (to be)
3. a (to)
4. ir (to go)
5. estar (to be)
6. bueno (good)
7. de (of, from)
8. su (your, her, his, their)
9. hacer (to do, to make)
10. amigo (friend)
11. por favor (please)
12. no (no)
13. en (on, in)
14. haber ("to have" as an auxiliary verb)
15. tener (to have, to possess)
16. un, uno, una (a, one)
17. ahora (now)
18. y (and)
19. que, qué (that, what)
20. por (for, by)
21. amar (to love)

22. quién (who)

23. para (for, to)

24. por (for, to)

25. venir (to come)

26. porque (because)
27. el, la, los, las (the)
28. antes (before)
29. más (more)
30. bien ("well" as an adverb)
31. aquí, allí (here, there)
32. querer (to want, to love)
33. hola (hello)
34. tú (you)
35. poder (to be able)
36. gustar (to be pleasing)
37. poner (to put)
38. casi (almost)
39. saber (to know)
40. como (like, as)
41. donde (where)
42. dar (to give)
43. pero (but)
44. se (itself, herself, himself, themselves)
45. mucho (much)
46. nuevo (new)
47. cuando (when)
48. chico, chica (boy, girl)
49. entender (to understand)
50. si (if)
51. o (or)
52. feliz (happy)
53. todo (all, every)
54. mismo (same)
55. muy (very)
56. nunca (never)
57. yo, me (I, me)
58. sí (yes)
59. grande (big, great)
60. deber (to owe, should)
61. usted (you)
62. bajo (low, under)
63. otro (other)
64. salir (to leave)
65. hora (hour;
66. desde (from)
67. ver (to see)
68. malo, mal (bad)
69. pensar (to think)
70. hasta (until)
71. tanto, tan (used in making comparisons)
72. entre (between, among)
73. durante (during)
74. llevar (to wear, to carry)
75. siempre (always)
76. empezar (to begin)
77. él, ella, ellos, ellas (he, she, they)
78. leer (to read)
79. cosa (thing)
80. sacar (to take out, to remove)
81. conocer (to know)
82. primero (first)
83. andar (to walk)
84. sobre (over, about)
85. echar (to throw)
86. sin (without)
87. decir (to say)
88. trabajar (to work)
89. nosotros (we, us)
90. también (also)
91. adiós (goodbye)
92. comer (to eat)
93. triste (sad)
94. país (country)
95. escuchar (to listen, to listen to)
96. hombre (man)
97. mujer (woman)
98. le (indirect-object pronoun)
99. creer (to believe, to think)
100. encontrar (to find)

101. beber (to drink)

     --

I am reliably informed that i missed three important words ,-

• 192 Cerveza. ( Beer )

• 103 Vino ( Wine )

  • 104 Tomar ( to take )

Spanish 101...jeje Good post Raymon. - rac1, Dec 11, 2014

Thanks, Ramón! - sanlee, Dec 11, 2014

Good post. But please Non-native speakers: Don´t use often the word amigo in the second person. All my foreign friends greet me saying "Hola amigo" and that sounds strange... XDDD - txustaboy, Dec 11, 2014

Then what should we use to be respectful and friendly mate , please tell us we do not want to sound like bogans.. - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

Hmm I can think of at least 5 ways to greet a friend-Amigo being one of them - pacofinkler, Dec 11, 2014

Chico! Ray, just say chico. - annierats, Dec 11, 2014

What to a gorgeous bonita amiga ? - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

No one ever told me it was wrong in Bolivia. :) - ian-hill, Dec 11, 2014

I wonder why no one ever said anything about this before? - rac1, Dec 11, 2014

Answer 1

Brilliant, but I think you missed two of the most important: vino and cerveza...

Well mate i can fix that for you easily , thanks for the correction I appreciate that . - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

And botella! - annierats, Dec 11, 2014

and "cajuama!" - pacofinkler, Dec 11, 2014

Carumba - sanlee, Dec 13, 2014

Answer 2

Good Post Ray, helpful to all of us learners. looks like you hit (almost) all the essentials

Thanks mate it does leave it open for questions and answers , hopefully . - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

Like " beber" I noticed in Spain it is rarely used for coffee or alcohol , and for the latter I usually just crawled up to the bar and waved a mottled hand above it , they always knew my poison. - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

I think they use tomar, right? - sanlee, Dec 11, 2014

In Spain the verb "tomar" comes with the drink. Vamos a tomar una cerveza. But in Latin America they use "tomar" as drink alcohol (or I have understood it). - txustaboy, Dec 11, 2014

Yes you are both correct ,' tomar' is the word of choice in Spain for alcohol and coffee. , at least that is what I noticed in the area that i was living. - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

there are way to many ways to ask for this im Mexico :-) - pacofinkler, Dec 11, 2014

Oh,really Paco? Please tell us how? - sanlee, Dec 13, 2014

Answer 3

Ray, put in uno, dos, tres..

Una botella de agua

dos copas de vino,

tres cafés con leche

y la cuenta , por favor ( unfortunately you must be able to say la cuenta..)

Well, knowing you, you hope somebody else will ask for la cuenta.. - annierats, Dec 11, 2014

That was unkind ! - ray76, Dec 11, 2014

and uncalled for - you called for another copa rojo :) - ian-hill, Dec 11, 2014

I am in a thorougly bad mood, vino tinto, Ian, not rojo. - annierats, Dec 12, 2014

One for me, too. - sanlee, Dec 13, 2014

Answer 4

Will definitely be bookmarking this, thanks for sharing!