How to Talk About Learning a Language in Spanish
Being able to talk about learning a language in Spanish gives you yet another way to practice your Spanish speaking skills.
If you’re a Spanish learner and you want to discuss your linguistic experience of Spanish in Spanish, this blog post is ideal for you!
Today, we’ll talk about how you can express yourself when trying to explain to someone the process of learning a language in Spanish. Let’s start!
How to Say “Language” in Spanish
When talking about the process of learning a language in Spanish, the first thing you need to know is how to say the word “language.”
El lenguaje (Language)
Language in Spanish (or any tongue) gives us the ability to communicate and understand each other. You can use lenguaje when referring not only to humans, but also to other animal species and types of communication. For example:
El lenguaje de señas – Sign language
Lenguaje no verbal – Nonverbal language
El lenguaje de las abejas – The language of bees
Lenguaje cinematográfico – Cinematographic language
La lengua (Language)
Although this term also translates to “language” in English, in Spanish it’s somewhat more limited. It refers to the cultural system of expression of a particular community.
La lengua española – Spanish language
La lengua francesa – French language
Las lenguas romances – Romance languages
Las lenguas mayas – Mayan languages
El idioma (Language)
Idioma is used to refer to a language (lengua) that people speak in a state or nation, or that is common to several of those states or nations. So, in a certain sense, you can use it as a synonym for lengua.
It’s the word you use when you want to talk about what’s the language that people speak in a country or area. For example:
Idioma catalán – Catalan language
El idioma inglés – English language
Idioma mandarín – Mandarin language
El idioma sueco – Swedish language
El habla (Speech, language)
El habla refers to language used personally or in a small community. Although people don’t use it much to refer to language in Spanish, it can be useful for describing how people speak in a certain region.
El habla de Madrid – The language of Madrid
Lectores de habla hispana – Spanish-language readers
Defecto en el habla – Speech defect
Other Words
Here are some additional word combinations to incorporate into your vocabulary around learning a language in Spanish.
| English | Spanish |
| official language | idioma oficial |
| language barrier | barrera del idioma |
| foreign language | idioma extranjero, lengua extranjera |
| native language | idioma nativo |
| body language | lenguaje corporal |
| mother tongue | lengua materna |
Vocabulary for “How Long?”
Now that you know the many different ways of saying ”language” in Spanish, let’s go over 4 ways to describe how long you’ve been learning, studying, or using the language.
1. Llevar
This verb usually means either “to take” or “to wear.” However, in this case it functions as “to have been” because we’re talking about an amount of time.
To refer to a certain amount of time, you’d pair llevar with the verb that describes what you’ve been doing. For example:
Llevo hablando español por cinco años.
Llevo cinco años hablando español.
I’ve been speaking Spanish for five years.
Llevo estudiando alemán desde que tengo catorce años.
I’ve been studying German since I was 14.
Llevo aprendiendo italiano desde sexto grado.
I’ve been learning Italian since sixth grade.
2. Hace
When you use hace to express how long ago you started doing something, it’s important to include the specific amount of time.
Empecé a aprender español hace tres años.
I started learning Spanish three years ago.
Hace un tiempo decidí empezar a estudiar francés.
Some time ago I decided to start studying French.
Hace dos meses empecé a hablar mandarín sin pedirle ayuda a nadie.
Two months ago I started speaking Mandarin without asking anyone for help.
3. Desde hace
This phrase means “for” or “ago,” just like hace. You can use it to explain how long you’ve been learning or speaking Spanish. Here, you should also try to specify the time. For example:
Llevo aprendiendo este idioma desde hace nueve años.
I’ve been learning this language for nine years.
Desde hace dos meses empecé a aprender alemán.
Two months ago I started to learn German.
4. Desde el
Use this when referring to a year or date. This time, use it just as you’d use the word “since”.
Llevo aprendiendo español desde el 2015.
I’ve been learning Spanish since 2015.
Empecé a estudiar este idioma desde marzo del año pasado.
I started studying this language in March of last year.
Language in Spanish: Adjectives
What is language without descriptions and details? Here are several adjectives related to language-learning to use in your conversations in Spanish, as well as some example sentences.
| English | Spanish |
| beginner | principiante |
| newbie/rookie | novato |
| first-timer | primerizo |
| inexperienced | inexperto |
| debutante | debutante |
| intermediate | intermedio |
| advanced | avanzado |
| expert | experto |
| master | maestro |
| professional | profesional |
| amateur | aficionado |
Note that some of these adjectives can also function as nouns.
Examples
Apenas estoy empezando a aprender este idioma, todavía soy principiante.
I’m just starting to learn this language, I’m still a beginner.
Soy un novato cuando se trata de idiomas, apenas estoy aprendiendo uno nuevo.
I am a newbie when it comes to languages, I am just learning a new one.
Llevo estudiando alemán por dos meses, pero todavía soy inexperto.
I’ve been studying German for two months, but I am still inexperienced.
Considero que estoy en un nivel intermedio al hablar español, he aprendido mucho en estos últimos meses.
Considering that I’m at an intermediate level when speaking Spanish, I have learned a lot in recent months.
¡Tu español es genial, eres todo un maestro!
Your Spanish is great, you’re such a master!
Describing Your Talents and Faults
Although we might be really good at some things, we aren’t perfect. In this section, you’ll find a list of examples that will help you discuss both your talents and faults when it comes to language in Spanish.
Soy muy bueno en la gramática pero malo en describir cosas.
I’m really good at grammar but bad at describing things.
Entender a mi maestro es muy fácil para mí, pero cuando tengo que escuchar a otras personas no las puedo seguir.
Understanding my teacher is really easy for me, but when I have to listen to other people I can’t follow.
Soy excelente leyendo en español, pero me cuesta entenderlo cuando la gente lo habla.
I’m great at reading Spanish, but it’s hard for me to understand it when people speak it.
Es fácil para mí entender el español mientras lo escucho, pero me es muy difícil hablarlo.
It’s easy for me to understand Spanish while listening to it, but it’s very difficult for me to speak it.
Soy excelente para escuchar a la gente hablar español, pero cuando se trata de escribir no puedo entenderlo.
I’m great at listening to people speak Spanish, but when it comes to writing I can’t figure it out.
Si la gente habla lento, puedo entenderlos totalmente, pero si hablan con fluidez, me pierdo.
If people speak slowly I can totally understand them, but if they speak fluently I get lost.
He aprendido muchos sustantivos en español, pero necesito estudiar más los verbos.
I’ve learned a lot of Spanish nouns, but I need to study more verbs.
Become a Master at Languages in Spanish!
Practicing how to talk about learning a language in Spanish can help you develop not only language skills (like listening and reading), but also soft skills like public speaking and assertive communication.
If you want to go deeper into the world of Spanish with our amazing, certified, native Spanish-speaking teachers, go ahead and sign up for a free class and start talking to them today about your progress in learning Spanish!
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