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252 Spanish words of level A1

Below is a complete, categorized list of Spanish vocabulary at the A1 level. Learn common verbs, nouns, and adjectives with transcription, articles, and English translations.

All levels

What is A1? Beginner

A1 is the first step. You learn the most frequent words and set phrases for everyday situations — greetings, numbers, family, food and simple questions.

What you can do at A1

  • Introduce yourself and ask people basic questions about themselves
  • Understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases
  • Handle simple, routine situations like shopping or ordering food
  • Understand basic numbers, times, and dates in simple announcements
  • Fill in simple forms with personal details like name, nationality, and address
📖 Read the full A1 guide

Nouns

en#5

/en/

in, on, at

se#9

/se/

himself, herself, itself, themselves, oneself (reflexive pronoun)

no#14

/no/

no, not

al#19

/al/

to the (contraction of a + el)

le#25

/le/

him, her, it, you (indirect object pronoun)

lo#26

/lo/

it / him / that

me#27

/me/

me / myself

sobre#30

/ˈso.βɾe/

on / about / over

él#42

/el/

he / him

ella#43

/ˈe.ɟ͡ʝa/

she / her

nos#44

/nos/

us / ourselves

ellos#45

/ˈe.ɟ͡ʝos/

they / them (masculine)

usted#46

/usˈteð/

you (formal)

el año#94

/ˈa.ɲo/

year

el día#95

/ˈdi.a/

day

el tiempo#96

/ˈtjem.po/

time, weather

la persona#97

/peɾˈso.na/

person

la parte#98

/ˈpaɾ.te/

part

la vida#99

/ˈβi.ða/

life

el mundo#100

/ˈmun.do/

world

el gobierno#157

/ɡoˈβjeɾ.no/

government

la empresa#158

/emˈpɾe.sa/

company

el país#159

/paˈis/

country

la ciudad#160

/θjuˈðað/

city

el trabajo#161

/tɾaˈβa.xo/

work

el caso#162

/ˈka.so/

case

el problema#163

/pɾoˈβle.ma/

problem

el momento#164

/moˈmen.to/

moment

la mano#165

/ˈma.no/

hand

la forma#167

/ˈfoɾ.ma/

form/way

el grupo#168

/ˈɡɾu.po/

group

el sistema#169

/sisˈte.ma/

system

el número#170

/ˈnu.me.ɾo/

number

la información#171

/in.foɾ.maˈθjon/

information

la historia#172

/isˈto.ɾja/

history/story

la mujer#173

/muˈxeɾ/

woman

el hombre#174

/ˈom.bɾe/

man

el niño#175

/ˈni.ɲo/

child/boy

la familia#176

/faˈmi.lja/

family

el amigo#177

/aˈmi.ɡo/

friend

el/la estudiante#178

/es.tuˈðjan.te/

student

el/la profesor#179

/pɾo.feˈsoɾ/

teacher

la escuela#180

/esˈkwe.la/

school

la universidad#181

/u.ni.βeɾ.siˈðað/

university

el libro#182

/ˈli.βɾo/

book

la palabra#183

/paˈla.βɾa/

word

la pregunta#184

/pɾeˈɣun.ta/

question

la respuesta#185

/resˈpwes.ta/

answer

la idea#186

/iˈðe.a/

idea

la razón#187

/raˈθon/

reason

el sentido#188

/senˈti.ðo/

sense

el punto#189

/ˈpun.to/

point

el hecho#190

/ˈe.tʃo/

fact

el ejemplo#191

/eˈxem.plo/

example

el derecho#192

/deˈɾe.tʃo/

law/right

la ley#193

/ˈlej/

law

la política#194

/poˈli.ti.ka/

politics

la economía#195

/e.ko.noˈmi.a/

economy

la sociedad#196

/so.θjeˈðað/

society

la cultura#197

/kulˈtu.ɾa/

culture

el arte#198

/ˈaɾ.te/

art

la música#199

/ˈmu.si.ka/

music

la película#200

/peˈli.ku.la/

movie

la noche#202

/ˈno.t͡ʃe/

night

el padre#207

/ˈpa.ðɾe/

father

la madre#208

/ˈma.ðɾe/

mother

el hijo#209

/ˈi.xo/

son

la hija#210

/ˈi.xa/

daughter

el tipo#216

/ˈti.po/

type

la verdad#218

/beɾˈðað/

truth

la manera#220

/maˈne.ɾa/

way / manner

la semana#222

/seˈma.na/

week

el mes#223

/mes/

month

el lado#1005

/ˈlado/

side

el lugar#1007

/ˈluɣaɾ/

place

la letra#1012

/ˈletra/

letter

el nombre#1014

/ˈnom.bɾe/

name

la lámpara#1022

/ˈlampara/

lamp

el cuaderno#1025

/kwaˈðeɾno/

notebook

la pluma#1026

/ˈpluma/

pen

el ratón#1030

/raˈton/

mouse

el autobús#1062

/aʊtoˈβus/

bus

el taxi#1063

/ˈtaxi/

taxi

el mapa#1070

/ma.pa/

map

la moneda#1073

/moˈneða/

currency

la cantidad#1079

/kanˈtjaða/

quantity

la talla#1081

/ˈtaʎa/

size

el calcetín#1085

/kalθetiŋ/

sneaker

la cerveza#1095

/θeɾˈβeθa/

beer

la mantequilla#1097

/man.te.ˈki.ʝa/

butter

la patata#1104

/paˈtata/

potato

la cabeza#1111

/kab.eθa/

head

la oveja#1144

/oˈβexa/

sheep

el título#1167

/tiˈtulo/

title

la pelota#1170

/peˈlo.ta/

ball

Verbs

es#18

/es/

is (from ser)

como#20

/ˈko.mo/

like, as, how

más#21

/mas/

more

sin#29

/sin/

without

también#33

/tamˈbjen/

also / too

ya#35

/ɟ͡ʝa/

already / now / anymore

muy#36

/mwi/

very

bien#37

/bjen/

well / fine

hay#38

/ai/

there is / there are

cuando#39

/ˈkwan.do/

when

donde#40

/ˈdon.de/

where

ser#47

/seɾ/

to be (essential/permanent)

estar#48

/esˈtaɾ/

to be (location/state)

tener#49

/teˈneɾ/

to have

hacer#50

/aˈθeɾ/

to do / to make

poder#51

/poˈðeɾ/

to be able to, can

decir#52

/deˈθiɾ/

to say, to tell

ir#53

/iɾ/

to go

ver#54

/beɾ/

to see, to watch

dar#55

/daɾ/

to give

saber#56

/saˈβeɾ/

to know (info, how to)

querer#57

/keˈɾeɾ/

to want, to love

llegar#58

/llegar/

to arrive, to reach

pasar#59

/paˈsaɾ/

to pass, to spend (time), to happen

deber#60

/deˈβeɾ/

must, should, to owe

poner#61

/poˈneɾ/

to put, to place

parecer#62

/paɾeˈθeɾ/

to seem, to look like

quedar#63

/keˈðaɾ/

to stay, to remain, to meet

creer#64

/kɾeˈeɾ/

to believe, to think

hablar#65

/aˈβlaɾ/

to speak, to talk

llevar#66

/ʝeˈβaɾ/

to carry, to take, to wear

dejar#67

/deˈxaɾ/

to leave, to let, to allow

seguir#68

/seˈɣiɾ/

to follow, to continue

encontrar#69

/eŋkonˈtɾaɾ/

to find, to meet

llamar#70

/ʝaˈmaɾ/

to call, to name

venir#71

/beˈniɾ/

to come

pensar#72

/penˈsaɾ/

to think

tomar#73

/toˈmaɾ/

to take, to drink

conocer#74

/konoˈθeɾ/

to know (people, places)

vivir#75

/biˈβiɾ/

to live

sentir#76

/senˈtiɾ/

to feel, to regret

trabajar#77

/tɾa.βaˈxaɾ/

to work

empezar#78

/em.peˈθaɾ/

to start, to begin

volver#79

/bolˈβeɾ/

to return, to go back

servir#80

/seɾˈβiɾ/

to serve, to be useful

pedir#81

/peˈðiɾ/

to ask for, to order

entender#82

/en.tenˈdeɾ/

to understand

recordar#83

/re.koɾˈðaɾ/

to remember, to remind

abrir#84

/aˈβɾiɾ/

to open

terminar#85

/teɾ.miˈnaɾ/

to finish, to end

gustar#86

/ɡusˈtaɾ/

to like, to please

necesitar#87

/ne.θe.siˈtaɾ/

to need

significar#88

/siɣ.ni.fiˈkaɾ/

to mean, to signify

esperar#89

/es.peˈɾaɾ/

to wait, to hope

buscar#90

/busˈkaɾ/

to look for, to search

entrar#91

/enˈtɾaɾ/

to enter, to go in

salir#92

/saˈliɾ/

to leave, to go out

cambiar#93

/kamˈbjaɾ/

to change

tratar#130

/tɾa.ˈtaɾ/

to treat / to deal with

mirar#131

/mi.ˈɾaɾ/

to look

contar#132

/kon.ˈtaɾ/

to count / to tell

existir#136

/ek.sis.ˈtiɾ/

to exist

escribir#139

/es.kɾi.ˈβiɾ/

to write

perder#140

/peɾ.ˈðeɾ/

to lose

producir#141

/pɾo.ðu.ˈθiɾ/

to produce

ocurrir#142

/o.ku.ˈriɾ/

to happen / to occur

recibir#145

/re.θi.ˈβiɾ/

to receive

permitir#148

/peɾ.mi.ˈtiɾ/

to allow / to permit

aparecer#149

/a.pa.ɾe.ˈθeɾ/

to appear

conseguir#150

/kon.se.ˈɣiɾ/

to get / to achieve

nunca#240

/ˈnun.ka/

never

quizás#241

/kiˈθas/

maybe

ayer#242

/aˈʝer/

yesterday

mañana#243

/maˈɲa.na/

tomorrow

allí#244

/aˈʝi/

there

cerca#245

/ˈθeɾ.ka/

near

lejos#246

/ˈle.xos/

far

dentro#247

/ˈden.tɾo/

inside

fuera#248

/ˈfwe.ɾa/

outside

arriba#249

/aˈri.βa/

up

abajo#250

/aˈβa.xo/

down

adelante#251

/a.ðeˈlan.te/

forward

atrás#252

/aˈtɾas/

back

casi#253

/ˈka.si/

almost

incluso#254

/inˈklu.so/

even

además#255

/a.ðeˈmas/

besides

morir#270

/mo.ˈɾiɾ/

to die

explicar#279

/eks.pli.ˈkaɾ/

to explain

preguntar#280

/pɾe.ɣun.ˈtaɾ/

to ask

responder#281

/res.pon.ˈdeɾ/

to answer, to respond

ayudar#282

/a.ʝu.ˈðaɾ/

to help

mostrar#284

/mos.ˈtɾaɾ/

to show

jugar#286

/xu.ˈɣaɾ/

to play (game/sport)

ganar#287

/ɡa.ˈnaɾ/

to win, to earn

cerrar#289

/θe.ˈraɾ/

to close

leer#291

/le.ˈeɾ/

to read

estudiar#292

/es.tu.ˈðjaɾ/

to study

aprender#293

/a.pɾen.ˈdeɾ/

to learn

enseñar#294

/en.se.ˈɲaɾ/

to teach, to show

levantar#295

/le.βan.ˈtaɾ/

to raise, to lift

sentar#296

/sen.ˈtaɾ/

to seat, to sit (reflexive)

sacar#297

/sa.ˈkaɾ/

to take out, to pull out

meter#298

/me.ˈteɾ/

to put in, to insert

subir#299

/su.ˈβiɾ/

to go up, to climb, to upload

bajar#300

/ba.ˈxaɾ/

to go down, to lower, to download

vestido#1084

/bejˈstiðo/

clothes

oír#1176

/oir/

to hear

tocar#1177

/to.kar/

to touch

caminar#1187

/kaminaɾ/

to walk

nadar#1189

/naðar/

to swim

volar#1190

/boˈlar/

to fly

ola#1377

/o.la/

hello

How to learn A1 vocabulary

  • 1.Start with the highest-frequency words — the first few hundred cover most everyday speech.
  • 2.Learn nouns together with their article and a short example sentence.
  • 3.Review daily in short sessions; spaced repetition beats long cramming.
  • 4.Listen to slow, clear recordings and repeat phrases out loud to practice pronunciation.

Frequently asked questions

How many words do I need at A1?+

Around 500–600 core words are enough to handle basic everyday situations at A1.

How long does it take to reach A1?+

With regular study most learners reach A1 in about 60–100 hours.

What comes after A1?+

A2, where you expand everyday vocabulary and start linking simple sentences.

Should I focus on grammar or vocabulary at A1?+

Focus primarily on vocabulary and simple phrase structures. Basic grammar is helpful, but communicating meaning is more important at the start.

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