[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you learn the 1000 most used words in Spanish, you can have basic conversations and generally get by pretty easily in Spanish-speaking countries<\/a>. Using a language corpus, which is a record of how the language is actually used by native speakers, gives you a pretty accurate idea of which words to focus on first.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the Corpus del Espa\u00f1ol<\/a>, these are the 25 most used words, so they’re a great place to start:<\/p>\n 1. el<\/em> (the) With just these 25 words and a few extra proper nouns, you can say things like:<\/p>\n Just think of what you could say with 1000 words!<\/p>\n There are over 20,000 cognates between Spanish and English. In case you’ve forgotten what a cognate is, it’s a word that takes a very similar form in both languages.<\/p>\n Examples are:<\/p>\n Now, imagine if you learned just 10% of the 20,000 cognates. This would be another 2000 words in your Spanish vocabulary.<\/p>\n Put pronunciation right up front in terms of your list of Spanish learning priorities. One method I particularly like is watching authentic Spanish language videos.<\/p>\n A program I love for this is FluentU<\/a>, which takes video clips from authentic Spanish media and turns them into personalized language lessons.<\/p>\n Every video comes with a downloadable transcript, interactive subtitles, a personalized vocabulary quiz and other useful learning tools so you can build your language skills as you watch.\u00a0<\/p>\n The vocabulary words used in the video clips come with example sentences, and you can listen to the audio pronunciation of both the word and the sentences at normal and slow speeds to perfect your pronunciation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Set phrases are phrases that you can use a lot. If you have a fair amount of these in your arsenal, you’ll be able to negotiate pretty much all of your daily interactions. Sure, you can’t discuss philosophy with these, but you can easily order a meal, pick up your laundry and crack a joke with the local fruit seller.<\/p>\n Here’s a list of some handy set phrases to start with:<\/p>\n You don’t need to learn the advanced verb tenses to get by perfectly fine in Spanish. If you’re going for speed, I suggest skipping them altogether. You can always pick them up later once you’re basically fluent.<\/p>\n So stick to the present tense if at all possible. Instead of using the future tense, use simple constructions like voy a comprar comida ma\u00f1ana<\/em> (I am going shopping for food tomorrow).<\/p>\n And talk to kids, too, if you can. When I spent a summer volunteer teaching in Costa Rica, I came home with more Spanish than I’d ever had before from spending so much time with kids. They don’t judge and their level is much lower, so you can have actual conversations almost right away.<\/p>\n Spanish, being a Romance language, is full of regular patterns, which should use to your advantage when you’re on your path to learning Spanish fast.<\/p>\n For example, –ar\u00a0<\/em>verbs almost always are conjugated the same way. So don’t fret about exceptions, just use the\u00a0-ar\u00a0<\/em>verb endings and hope for the best. Most of the time, you’ll be right.<\/p>\n Even though experts recommend finding and sticking to patterns, there are a few major verbs that just have to be memorized because they’re irregular.<\/p>\n If you get these down quickly, you’ll have access to a lot more highly useful verbs. That’s because the top five most common irregular verbs in Spanish are also five of the most used verbs.<\/p>\n The most common irregular verbs in Spanish are:<\/p>\n The Arguelles’ Scriptorium Technique, which involves writing and speaking, involves three basic exercises:<\/p>\n 1. Read a sentence out loud.<\/p>\n 2. Say each word aloud again as you write it yourself.<\/p>\n 3. Read the sentence aloud as you have written in.<\/p>\n That’s it! But it works, according to research. It’s also a great way to memorize texts and new vocabulary.<\/p>\n Beyond roommates and apps, you can incorporate Spanish practice into your daily life in other ways to help you achieve fluency faster.<\/p>\n Fast learning doesn\u2019t have to be dull if you focus on some of the fun parts of Spanish vocabulary<\/strong>. Aren\u2019t we all more enthusiastic about grabbing the interesting parts of speech than we are about pulling \u201cbasic vocabulary\u201d into our skill set?<\/p>\n The necessary foundational vocabulary and grammar will follow in time. I speak from experience here. Fun signals adventure, and adventure draws us in every single time, so think outside the box and let yourself have some fun!<\/p>\n Learn slang and use it as quickly as possible. If you want to learn from Spanish slang from around the world, check out this post:<\/p>\n Common Spanish Slang from Around the World (Audio Included)<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n1. Learn the 1000 Most Used Spanish Words First<\/h2>\n
\n2. de<\/em> (of)
\n3. que<\/em> (that)
\n4. y<\/em> (and)
\n5. a<\/em> (to)
\n6. en<\/em> (in, on)
\n7. un<\/em> (a, an)
\n8. ser<\/em> (to be)
\n9. se<\/em> (reflexive pronoun)
\n10. no<\/em> (no)
\n11. haber<\/em> (to have)
\n12. por<\/em> (for, by)
\n13. con<\/em> (with)
\n14. su<\/em> (his, her, its, their)
\n15. para<\/em> (for, to)
\n16. como<\/em> (like, as)
\n17. estar<\/em> (to be)
\n18. tener<\/em> (to have)
\n19. le<\/em> (indirect object pronoun)
\n20.\u00a0t\u00f9<\/em> (you)
\n21.\u00a0yo<\/em> (I)
\n22. todo<\/em> (all, every)
\n23. pero<\/em> (but)
\n24. m\u00e1s<\/em> (more)
\n25. hacer<\/em> (to do, make)<\/p>\n\n
2. Focus on Cognates<\/h2>\n
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3. Start with Spanish Pronunciation<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n4. Commit to Memory Set Spanish Phrases<\/h2>\n
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5. Start Out Talking Like a Kid<\/h2>\n
6. Find the Regular Patterns<\/h2>\n
7. Learn the Irregular Verbs<\/h2>\n
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8. Try the Scriptorium Technique<\/h2>\n
9. Use Spanish in Your Daily Life<\/h2>\n
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10. Learn Idioms and Slang<\/h2>\n