Free Resources
Free Spanish Resources
Start learning Spanish right here, for free. Survival phrases for Barcelona, pronunciation, the seven verbs you'll use every day, numbers, tapas and the Catalan words you'll see around the city, all with audio so you can hear every word.
No sign-up, no downloads. Just scroll, learn and practise, then put it all to use on your trip to Barcelona.
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Everything on this page is free.
- Speak buttons
- Hear every word
- Survival phrases
- 48
- Essential verbs
- 7, fully conjugated
- Catalan words
- 12 you'll see in the city
- Tapas words
- 10 dishes
- Self-check quiz
- 10 questions
Survival Spanish for Barcelona
The phrases you'll use most on your first days in the city, sorted by situation.
Greetings and basics
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola | Hello |
| Buenos días | Good morning |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon / evening |
| ¿Qué tal? | How are you? |
| Mucho gusto | Nice to meet you |
| Por favor | Please |
| Gracias | Thank you |
| De nada | You're welcome |
| Perdón | Sorry / Excuse me |
| No entiendo | I don't understand |
| ¿Puede hablar más despacio? | Can you speak more slowly? |
At the café and tapas bar
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Un café con leche, por favor | A coffee with milk, please |
| Una caña, por favor | A small draught beer, please |
| ¿Qué me recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| Para compartir | To share |
| Agua del grifo | Tap water |
| Soy vegetariano / vegetariana | I'm vegetarian |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? |
Getting around
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está el metro? | Where is the metro? |
| ¿Cómo llego a la Sagrada Família? | How do I get to the Sagrada Família? |
| Un billete, por favor | A ticket, please |
| ¿Cuál es la próxima parada? | What's the next stop? |
| A la derecha | On the right |
| A la izquierda | On the left |
| Todo recto | Straight ahead |
| Está cerca | It's close |
| Está lejos | It's far |
Shopping and the market
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? |
| Solo estoy mirando | I'm just looking |
| ¿Tiene otra talla? | Do you have another size? |
| Me lo llevo | I'll take it |
| Medio kilo de tomates, por favor | Half a kilo of tomatoes, please |
| ¿Algo más? | Anything else? |
| Nada más, gracias | Nothing else, thanks |
Making friends
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cómo te llamas? | What's your name? |
| Me llamo… | My name is… |
| ¿De dónde eres? | Where are you from? |
| Soy de… | I'm from… |
| Estoy aprendiendo español | I'm learning Spanish |
| ¿Quedamos mañana? | Shall we meet tomorrow? |
| ¡Qué guay! | How cool! (informal, Spain) |
If you need help
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Ayuda! | Help! |
| Necesito un médico | I need a doctor |
| ¿Hay una farmacia cerca? | Is there a pharmacy nearby? |
| He perdido mi pasaporte | I've lost my passport |
| Llame al 112, por favor | Call 112, please (emergency number) |
| Me duele aquí | It hurts here |
Tip: Spaniards often say ¿Me pone…? (Can you give me…?) when ordering, for example ¿Me pone un café con leche? It sounds natural and friendly.
Spanish Pronunciation Made Easy
Spanish is spelled the way it sounds, so once you know these few rules you can read almost any word. Tap the speaker to hear each example.
ñ
Like the "ny" in "canyon".
Españamañana
ll
Like the "y" in "yes".
callepaella
j
A throaty sound, like the "ch" in Scottish "loch". G sounds the same before e and i.
jamóngente
h
Always silent.
holahelado
rr
A strong rolled r. A single r at the start of a word is rolled too.
perrorojo
z / ce / ci
In most of Spain, like the "th" in "think".
cervezagracias
b / v
Sound the same, like a soft English b.
vinobueno
a e i o u
Vowels are short, clear and always pronounced the same way.
Barcelonamuseo
Stress tip: words ending in a vowel, n or s are stressed on the second to last syllable (ca-SA, HA-blan). Other words are stressed on the last syllable (ha-BLAR). An accent mark shows any exception (ca-FÉ).
The 7 Verbs You'll Use Every Day
Master these seven verbs in the present tense and you can already say a huge amount. Tap a verb to see its conjugation.
ser
to be (identity, origin)
Irregular
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | soy |
| tú | eres |
| él / ella / usted | es |
| nosotros / nosotras | somos |
| vosotros / vosotras | sois |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | son |
Soy de Londres.I'm from London.
estar
to be (location, mood)
Irregular
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | estoy |
| tú | estás |
| él / ella / usted | está |
| nosotros / nosotras | estamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | estáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | están |
Estamos en la Barceloneta.We're in Barceloneta.
tener
to have
Irregular
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | tengo |
| tú | tienes |
| él / ella / usted | tiene |
| nosotros / nosotras | tenemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tenéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tienen |
Tengo veinte años.I'm twenty years old.
ir
to go
Irregular
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | voy |
| tú | vas |
| él / ella / usted | va |
| nosotros / nosotras | vamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | vais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | van |
Vamos al mercado de la Boqueria.We're going to the Boqueria market.
hablar
to speak
Regular -ar
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | hablo |
| tú | hablas |
| él / ella / usted | habla |
| nosotros / nosotras | hablamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | habláis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | hablan |
Hablo un poco de español.I speak a little Spanish.
comer
to eat
Regular -er
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | como |
| tú | comes |
| él / ella / usted | come |
| nosotros / nosotras | comemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | coméis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | comen |
Comemos tapas en el Born.We eat tapas in El Born.
vivir
to live
Regular -ir
| Pronoun | Present tense |
|---|---|
| yo | vivo |
| tú | vives |
| él / ella / usted | vive |
| nosotros / nosotras | vivimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | vivís |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | viven |
Vivo cerca de la Sagrada Família.I live near the Sagrada Família.
Ser or estar?
Both mean "to be". Use ser for who or what something is: identity, origin, profession and descriptions. Use estar for where something is and how someone feels right now.
- Soy profesora. I'm a teacher.
- Estoy cansada. I'm tired.
- Barcelona es preciosa. Barcelona is beautiful.
- El museo está en Montjuïc. The museum is on Montjuïc.
Easy future
Talk about plans with ir a + infinitive
Once you know ir, you can talk about the future straight away: use the present of ir, then a, then any verb in the infinitive.
- Voy a visitar la Sagrada Família. I'm going to visit the Sagrada Família.
- Vamos a comer paella. We're going to eat paella.
- ¿Vas a ir a la playa? Are you going to go to the beach?
Numbers, Days and Time
Essential for prices, opening hours and making plans.
Numbers
Prices: ¿Cuánto es? How much is it? · Son doce euros. It's twelve euros.
Days of the week
- lunesMonday
- martesTuesday
- miércolesWednesday
- juevesThursday
- viernesFriday
- sábadoSaturday
- domingoSunday
Days and months are written with a small letter in Spanish.
Time words
- hoytoday
- mañanatomorrow (la mañana: the morning)
- ayeryesterday
- ahoranow
- por la mañanain the morning
- por la tardein the afternoon / evening
- por la nocheat night
- ¿Qué hora es?What time is it?
- Son las tresIt's three o'clock
Tapas Vocabulary for Barcelona
Order like a local. The dishes you'll find on almost every menu in the city.
pan con tomate
Bread rubbed with tomato, olive oil and salt. In Catalan: pa amb tomàquet.
patatas bravas
Fried potatoes with a spicy sauce, often with alioli.
croquetas
Creamy croquettes, usually with ham or chicken.
tortilla de patatas
The classic Spanish omelette with potato and often onion.
jamón ibérico
Cured Iberian ham, sliced very thin.
pimientos de Padrón
Small fried green peppers. Most are mild, but some are hot!
gambas al ajillo
Prawns sizzling in olive oil and garlic.
calamares a la romana
Battered and fried squid rings.
bomba
A Barceloneta speciality: a potato ball filled with meat, with spicy sauce.
crema catalana
A Catalan custard dessert with a crunchy caramelised top.
Spanish and Catalan Words You'll See in Barcelona
Barcelona is bilingual. Signs, menus and announcements are often in Catalan, so it helps to recognise these everyday words.
Spanish Levels Explained (A1 to C2)
Spanish schools use the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Here's what each level means in real life.
A1
Beginner
You can introduce yourself, ask simple questions and understand everyday phrases when people speak slowly.
Good next step: Intensive courses
A2
Elementary
You can order food, shop, ask for directions and talk about your routine and family in simple sentences.
Good next step: Evening classes
B1
Intermediate
You can handle most travel situations, describe experiences and plans, and follow clear conversations on familiar topics.
Good next step: Immersion programs
B2
Upper intermediate
You can chat with native speakers with some fluency, follow the main ideas of complex texts and give your opinion.
Good next step: Business Spanish
C1
Advanced
You can express yourself fluently and naturally, and use Spanish flexibly for social, academic and work purposes.
Good next step: Immersion programs
C2
Proficient
You can understand almost everything you hear or read and express yourself precisely, even in complex situations.
Good next step: Immersion programs
Quick Spanish Quiz
10 questions to check what you've learned on this page. Pick an answer to see if you're right.
6 Tips to Learn Spanish Faster
01
Practise a little every day
Fifteen minutes daily beats two hours once a week. Read our guide on how to learn Spanish fast.
02
Learn phrases, not just words
Whole phrases like ¿Me pone un café? are easier to remember and use than single words.
03
Listen to real Spanish
Series, films and podcasts train your ear. Try our tips on learning Spanish by watching TV.
04
Speak from day one
Mistakes are part of learning. Find a conversation partner or read how to learn conversational Spanish.
05
Read for pleasure
Graded readers and novels grow your vocabulary naturally. See learning Spanish by reading novels.
Keep Learning for Free
More free guides from our blog, plus courses in Barcelona when you're ready for real practice.