Core Vocabulary in Spanish #
What are the most basic concepts that virtually all languages express? I’ve done my best to answer this question with a list of 200 core vocabulary items, and this is the Spanish version. To learn how I settled on these particular concepts and see what other languages have been added so far, check out “Core Vocabulary Across Languages.”
Abbreviations #
m = masculine gender (“el”)
f = feminine gender (“la”)
Nouns #
- name = nombre (m)
- water = agua (f)
- blood = sangre (f)
- fire = fuego (m)
- stone/rock = piedra (f), roca (f)
- dog = perro (m)
- fish = pescado (m), pez (m)
- louse/flea = piojo (m), pulga (f)
- hand/arm = mano (f), brazo (m)
- eye = ojo (m)
- ear = oreja (f), oído (m)
- nose = nariz (f)
- tongue = lengua (f)
- tooth = diente (m)
- bone = hueso (m)
- horn = cuerno (m)
- tail = cola (f)
- egg = huevo (m)
- leaf = hoja (f)
- night/evening = noche (f)
- star = estrella (f)
- sun = sol (m)
- moon = luna (f)
- earth/soil = tierra (f), suelo (m)
- salt = sal (f)
- mountain = montaña (f)
- tree = árbol (m)
- rain = lluvia (f)
- wind = viento (m)
- bird = pájaro (m)
- flesh/meat = carne (f)
- liver = higado (m)
- skin/hide = piel (f)
- knee = rodilla (m)
- breast/chest = pecho (m)
- person/human = persona (f), humano (m)
- man = hombre (m)
- woman = mujer (f)
- child = niño/niña
- hair/fur = cabello (m), pelo (m)
- mouth = boca (f)
- neck = cuello (m)
- foot/leg = pie (m), pierna (f)
- feather = pluma (f)
- grease/fat = grasa (f)
- smoke = humo (m)
- ash/soot = ceniza (f), hollín (m)
- sand = arena (f)
- wood = madera (f), leña (f)
- root = raíz (f)
- rope/cord = cuerda (f)
- path/road = camino (m)
- year = año (m)
Verbs #
- die = morir
- see/look/watch = ver, mirar
- hear/listen = oír, escuchar
- know = saber, conocer
- drink = beber
- give = dar
- come = venir
- stand = levantar
- sit/set = sentar
- lie/lay = acostar, sentar
- fly = volar
- eat = comer
- bite = morder
- burn = quemar
- kill = matar
- say/tell/speak/talk = decir, hablar
- laugh = reír
Adjectives #
- new = nuevo/nueva
- full = lleno/llena
- good = bueno/buen/buena
- long = largo/larga
- red = rojo/roja
- black = negro/negra
- white = blanco/blanca
- green = verde
- yellow = amarillo/amarilla
- small/little = pequeño/pequeña, chico/chica
- big/large = grande/gran
- wide/broad = ancho/ancha
- heavy = pesado/pesada
- old = viejo/vieja
- dry = seco/seca
Other #
- I/me = yo/me
- you = tú/te, usted/le, ustedes/les, vosotros/os
- what/which = qué, cuál/cuáles
- who/whom = quién/quiénes
- one/a/an = uno, un/una
- two = dos
- not/no = no
- this/these = este/esta/estes/estas, éste/ésta/esto/éstes/éstas/estos
- we/us = nosotros/nos
- all/everything/everyone = todo/toda/todos/todas
Nouns, Secondary #
- time/instance/occurrence = tiempo (m), hora (f), vez (f)
- shade/shadow = sombra (f)
- house/home = casa (f)
- head = cabeza (f)
- belly/abdomen = vientre (m), barriga (f)
- navel/belly-button = ombligo (m)
- heart/core = corazón (m)
- back = espalda (f), lomo (m), dorso (m)
- thigh = muslo (m)
- wing = ala (f)
- nail/claw = uña (f), garra (f)
- animal/beast = animal (m), bestia (f)
- ant = hormiga (f)
- cat = gato (m)
- pig = cerdo (m), puerco (m)
- snake = serpiente (f), culebra (f)
- worm = gusano (m), lombriz (f)
- parent/father/mother = padre (m), madre (f)
- sibling/brother/sister = hermano (m), hermana (f)
- spouse/husband/wife = esposo (m), esposa (f), marido (m), mujer (f)
- day = día (m)
- cloud = nube (f)
- snow = nieve (f)
- ice = hielo (m)
- river/stream = río (m), arroyo (m)
- sea/ocean = mar (s), océano (m)
- seed = semilla (f), pepita (f)
- grass/lawn = hierba (f), césped (m)
- flower/blossom = flor (f)
- bark/husk = corteza (f), cáscara (f)
Verbs, Secondary #
- do/make = hacer
- be = ser, estar
- become/get = hacerse
- have = tener, haber
- want = querer
- can/be-able-to = poder
- think/consider = pensar, considerar
- go = ir
- walk/run = caminar, andar, correr
- take = tomar
- carry/wear = llevar
- tie/bind = atar, unir
- hide = esconder, ocultar
- fall = caer
- cry/weep = llorar
- blow = soplar
- suck = chupar, succionar
- hit/beat = golpear
- crush/grind = aplastar, moler
- live = vivir
- sleep = dormir
- work = trabajar
- play = jugar
- swim = nadar
- hunt = cazar
- dance = bailar
- sing = cantar
- count = contar
- vomit = vomitar
Adjectives, Secondary #
- right/correct/proper = correcto/correcta, apropiado/apropiada
- bad/wrong = malo/mal/mala, incorrecto/incorrecta
- far/distant = lejos, lejano/lejana, distante
- hard (not soft) = duro/dura
- thick = grueso/gruesa, espeso/espesa
- thin = delgado/delgada, fino/fina
- narrow = estrecho/estrecha
- sweet = dulce
- bitter = amargo/amarga
- hot = caliente, caluroso/calurosa
- warm = caliente, templado/templada, cálido/cálida
- cold = frío/fría
- wet = mojado/mojada
- smooth = liso/lisa, suave
- sharp = afilado/afilada
- dull (not sharp) = romo/roma
- dirty = sucio/sucia
- short = corto/corta, bajo/baja
- round = redondo/redonda
Other, Secondary #
- it/he/him/she/her/they/them/the = él/ella, ellos/ellas, el/la/los/las
- itself/oneself/himself/herself/themself/-self = se, mismo
- that/those = ese/esa/eso/ése/ésa/esos/esas/ésas, aquel/aquella/aquello/aquél/aquélla/aquellos/aquellas/aquéllos/aquéllas
- other/another/others = otro/otra, otros/otras
- no/none/no-one = no, nada, ninguno/ninguna
- and = y/e
- or = o/u
- but/yet/except = pero, aunque, excepto
- at/in/on = en
- to/toward = a, hacia
- of/from/’s (possessive) = de
- by/through/per/for/because = por, porque
- with = con
- over/above/on = sobre, encima de, en
- for/in-order-to = para
- so/then (effect) = así, entonces
- then/right-away (sequence) = luego, pronto
- now/still/doing (ongoing) = ahora, todavía, aún, -ando/-iendo (progressive aspect)
- did/done (past) = -ó/ió (past tense), -ado/-ido (perfect aspect)
- will/be-going-to (future) = ir a, -ará/-erá (future tense)
- much/many = mucho/mucha, muchos/muchas
- very/really = muy, de verdad
- where = dónde, donde
- when = cuándo, cuando
- how/like/as = cómo, como
- if/whether = si
- yesterday = ayer