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Spanish Conversational Vocabulary

Jul 22, 2025

Overview

This lecture introduces essential Spanish conversational vocabulary, focusing on location, counting, questions, and basic expressions for daily communication.

Conversational Vocabulary and Location Words

  • Familiar conversations require basic words like "this," "that," and "those" for clarity.
  • "Este" (masc.), "esta" (fem.), and "esto" (neutral) mean "this" for nearby objects.
  • "Ese" (masc.), "esa" (fem.), and "eso" (neutral) mean "that" for slightly farther objects.
  • "Aquel" (masc.), "aquella" (fem.), and "aquello" (neutral) mean "that (over there)" for distant objects.
  • These words can refer to both location and time (e.g., "that day").
  • "AquĂ­" means "here"; "allĂ­" means "over there"; "el restaurante" = the restaurant.

Counting and Order

  • Cardinal numbers (uno, dos, tres) are for counting: one, two, three.
  • Ordinal numbers (primero, segundo, tercero) are for ranking or listing: first, second, third.
  • Ordinals can also name places or floors (e.g., first floor).
  • "Todo" means "everything"; "nada" means "nothing".

Asking and Answering Questions

  • "Pregunta" means "question"; "respuesta" means "answer".
  • Common question words are vital and have accent rules (covered in another lesson).
  • "Por quĂ©" means "because" (cause or consequence).
  • "TambiĂ©n" means "also".

Giving Examples and Indicating Order

  • "Por ejemplo" means "for example".
  • "DespuĂ©s" means "after"; "antes" means "before".
  • "Mientras" means "while".

Useful Extra Expressions

  • "DifĂ­cil" means "hard" or "difficult".
  • "O" means "or" (but changes to "u" before words starting with "o").
  • "Y" means "and".
  • "Perdone" (formal) and "perdona" (informal) both mean "excuse me".
  • "Hola" means "hi" or "hello".
  • "Gracias" means "thank you".
  • "Algo" means "something".
  • "Amo a todos" means "I love everyone".

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Cardinal Numbers — numbers used for counting (one, two, three).
  • Ordinal Numbers — numbers indicating order or rank (first, second, third).
  • Pregunta — question.
  • Respuesta — answer.
  • Por quĂ© — because.
  • Todo — everything.
  • Nada — nothing.
  • Perdone/Perdona — excuse me (formal/informal).
  • Por ejemplo — for example.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review and practice these vocabulary words in conversations.
  • Watch next week's video for an in-depth explanation of Spanish question words.

Full transcript