Essential Vocabulary for Spanish Learners

Spanish Vocabulary

Common Words and Phrases

Shopping & Commerce

  • advertising campaign – campaña publicitaria
  • afford – permitirse
  • at a glance – a simple vista
  • at the same time – a la vez
  • be short of money – andar apurado
  • billboard – valla publicitaria
  • brand – marca
  • good value – buen precio
  • budget – presupuesto
  • by mistake – por error
  • chain store – tienda de una cadena
  • count on – contar con
  • credit card – tarjeta de crédito
  • deliver – repartir
  • high end – gama alta
  • display – expositor
  • homemade – casero
  • entire – completo
  • in advance – con antelación
  • exchange – cambiar
  • in case – por si acaso
  • fitting room – probador
  • in the sales – rebajas
  • for a change – para variar
  • in time – a tiempo
  • free delivery – envío gratis
  • label – etiqueta
  • on condition – a condición de
  • online tracking – seguimiento en línea
  • out of date – desfasado
  • out of the question – imposible
  • outfit – conjunto
  • showroom – sala de venta
  • owe – deber
  • shipping cost – gastos de envío
  • prevent – evitar
  • social status – estatus social
  • preventative – preventivo
  • sum – cantidad
  • prevention – prevención
  • valuable – valioso
  • price tag – etiquetar
  • value – valorar
  • purchase – comprar
  • valued – valorado
  • refund – reembolso/devolver
  • refundable – reembolsable
  • regret – arrepentirse
  • reject – rechazar
  • second-hand – de segunda mano
  • self-made – hecho a sí mismo
  • sell out – agotarse
  • well-known – conocido
  • without doubt – sin duda

Entertainment

  • appeal to – atraer
  • audience – público
  • ban on – prohibición de
  • be worth seeing – merece la pena verlo
  • break from – descanso
  • break-up – separación
  • broadcast – emitir
  • catch – captura
  • catchy – con gancho
  • cause of – causa de
  • come out – estrenarse
  • composed – sereno
  • compose – componer
  • composition – composición
  • cut off – cortar
  • demand for – demanda de
  • drag – arrastrar
  • float – flotar
  • hit the big time – triunfar
  • impact on – impacto en/sobre
  • interest in – interés en
  • let-down – decepción
  • live performance – directo
  • long-running – que lleva mucho tiempo en antena
  • megabyte – megabyte
  • megacity – megaciudad
  • megastar – gran estrella
  • misbehave – portarse mal
  • misunderstand – malinterpretar
  • misunderstanding – malentendido
  • misunderstood – incomprendido
  • need to – necesidad de
  • on location – en exteriores
  • outrageous – extravagante
  • outstanding – excepcional
  • overcrowded – lleno
  • overestimate – sobrestimar
  • overrated – sobrevalorado
  • perform – representar
  • performer – intérprete
  • protective – protector
  • reaction to – reacción a
  • rebuild – rehacer
  • recording – grabación
  • relate to – identificarse con
  • related – relacionado
  • relocate – mudarse
  • remake – nueva versión
  • rethink – reconsiderar
  • revolution in – revolución en
  • solution to – solución a/para
  • star in – protagonizar
  • stunning – increíble
  • subject of – tema de
  • turn up – subir
  • use of – uso de
  • venue – recinto

Grammar

Modals

  • Ability: can, to be able to, (when: could), I am not able to: I can’t
  • Obligation: must, to have to, need to, are obliged to
  • Prohibition: mustn’t, not allowed to, not permitted to, mandatory
  • Advice: should, ought to, shouldn’t
  • Probability: must, can, could, may, might
  • Permission: Can, could, may… I/We?
  • Absence of obligation: Don’t have to, needn’t, be not obliged to

Pronouns

  • who – personas
  • which – animales, cosas
  • that – personas, animales, cosas
  • whose – posesión
  • where – lugar
  • when – tiempo

Modal Verb Examples

  1. You mustn’t drive without a licence.
  2. Sarah may lend Simon some money.
  3. It can be very hot here in the summer.
  4. Shall we bring you some magazines?
  5. You needn’t be over 18 to get married.
  6. I must pass the exam.
  7. You won’t have to come tomorrow.
  8. Perhaps, it may rain tonight.
  9. You mustn’t drive without a seat belt.