First 99 Spanish Words to Teach Your Child
Are you looking for basic Spanish words to teach your child? This challenge may feel overwhelming.
Where to start?
This list is all you need!
The following words and phrases relate to where your children live and study and to what they see, use, and experience on a daily basis—making it easy to integrate them into daily life.
This lesson on first words for beginners does not include a long block of alphabetized words, but rather small digestible chunks divided into thematic categories.
Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents:
Spanish Words To Teach Your Child
These basic Spanish words to teach your child are perfect for approaching their new language. By learning them, they’ll be able to communicate what they want, need, and are currently experiencing. With practice, they’ll start to form short phrases and eventually speak Spanish!
Download the First 99 Spanish Words to Teach Your Child Complete List!
Type in your name and email below! We’ll immediately send the first 99 Spanish words to teach your child complete list to your inbox!
Basic Conversation
Greetings, farewells, asking how you are, please, and thank you are the first baby steps towards making conversation—and being polite.
These Spanish words to teach your child are easy to practice. Make it a habit to use them when your kids wake up or when they come home from school.
Check-out: The Ultimate List of Spanish Greetings and Farewells for Beginners.
English | Spanish |
goodbye | adiós |
hello | hola |
how are you? | ¿cómo estás? |
I love you | te quiero |
please | por favor |
thank you | gracias |
Family Members
Here are the most common members of the family. Impress their grandparents by showing them all the things your little ones know how to say in Spanish.
English | Spanish |
brother | hermano |
dad | papá |
grandma | abuela |
grandpa | abuelo |
mom | mamá |
sister | hermana |
Animals
Animals are some of the first vocabulary words introduced to your little one in English, so it makes sense that they are one of the first Spanish words to teach your child.
See also: Animal Parts and Anatomy (Free Spanish Lessons for Kids)
English | Spanish |
cat | el gato |
cow | la vaca |
dog | el perro |
lion | el león |
monkey | el mono, el chango |
squirrel | la ardilla |
Colors
Another basic chunk of Spanish words to teach your child are colors. Practice them by making a fun game out of it!
Hand-picked for you: Fun and Fascinating Facts About the Rainbow (Free Spanish Lesson for Kids)
English | Spanish |
blue | azul |
brown | café |
green | verde |
orange | naranja |
pink | rosa |
red | rojo |
yellow | amarillo |
Foods
These Spanish words to teach your child will be easier to remember as they are constantly exposed to food. Make it part of your daily routine to practice talking about different kinds of foods in Spanish.
Recommended reading: 10 Brain Foods to Improve Your Memory While Learning Spanish
English | Spanish |
apple | la manzana |
avocado | el aguacate |
banana | el plátano |
fruits | las frutas |
lettuce | la lechuga |
pineapple | la piña |
vegetables | las verduras |
Toys
Toys represent happiness to little kids. Learning their names in Spanish only feels natural. Why? Because relating a learning subject like a language to good feelings will make them want to learn more for pleasure.
Check out: 9 Bilingual Toys to Get Your Kids This Christmas
English | Spanish |
ball | la pelota |
bicycle | la bicicleta |
board game | el juego de mesa |
cars | los carritos |
doll | la muñeca |
puzzle | el rompecabezas |
stuffed animals | los peluches |
Home Vocabulary
Phrases like vamos al baño (let’s go to the bathroom) or mueve la silla (move the chair) are easy to remember and say. Let them start with these short phrases or just naming items and places in and around your house.
Continue reading: Moving Day Vocabulary: Pack Up Your House!
English | Spanish |
bathroom | el baño |
bedroom | el cuarto, la habitación |
chair | la silla |
dining room | el comedor |
kitchen | la cocina |
living room | la sala |
table | la mesa |
window | la ventana |
Clothes
Ask your children: ¿Qué quieres llevar puesto? (What do you want to wear?) and let them answer in Spanish every morning. They’ll learn these words in no time!
English | Spanish |
dress | el vestido |
jacket | la chaqueta, la chamarra |
pants | los pantalones |
shirt | la camisa, la playera |
shoes | los zapatos |
sweater | el suéter |
Get more vocab! The Ultimate Guide to Clothes in Spanish
School Vocabulary
Talk to your kids about their school day with these Spanish words. ¿Qué clases tuviste hoy? (What classes did you have today?) or ¿De qué es tu tarea? (What is your homework about?) are a superb way to start a Spanish conversation.
English | Spanish |
backpack | la mochila |
book | el libro |
history | la historia |
math | las matemáticas |
music | la música |
notebook | el cuaderno, la libreta |
pencil | el lápiz |
science | la ciencia |
Opposites
This next Spanish vocabulary is a bit more challenging. Are you ready?
English | Spanish |
big and small | grande y pequeño |
good and bad | bien y mal |
happy and sad | feliz y triste |
hot and cold | caliente y frío |
See more: Spanish Opposites Activities for Kids
Environment
It is important that your children know their surroundings. This list is about some of the things they can find outside the house. Kids find it stimulating to learn things outdoors!
Hand-picked for you: The 5 Senses in Spanish (Free Spanish Lesson for Kids)
English | Spanish |
flower | la flor |
moon | la luna |
rain | la lluvia |
stars | las estrellas |
sun | el sol |
tree | el árbol |
Action Verbs
Here are some of the most common verbs that your little ones will use every day.
English | Spanish |
to eat | comer |
to go | ir |
to read | leer |
to study | estudiar |
to want | querer |
See also: The 100 Most Common Spanish Verbs
Pronouns
These pronouns will help your children improve their conversation skills!
English | Spanish |
I | yo |
you (singular, informal) | tú |
you (formal) | usted |
he | él |
she | ella |
it | eso |
we | nosotros |
you (plural) | ustedes |
they | ellos/as |
Recommended reading: How to Teach Kids to Read in Spanish: 10 Easy Tricks
Question Words
Another key piece of the puzzle of acquiring a new language is learning question words. Fuel your family’s curiosity by letting them know how to ask questions in Spanish.
English | Spanish |
how? | ¿cómo? |
what? | ¿qué? |
when? | ¿cuándo? |
where? | ¿dónde? |
who? | ¿quién? |
why? | ¿por qué? |
Check out: The Only Guide You’ll Ever Need to Master Question Words in Spanish
Commands
Use commands in Spanish at home! They’re quite useful (as any parent should know!). Encourage your kids to repeat what you say and use them in their own original ways.
English | Spanish |
calm down | cálmate |
come here | ven, ven aquí |
do your homework | haz tu tarea |
eat your food | come tu comida |
go to sleep | vete a dormir |
stop | para |
Let HSA Help You Teach Your Child Native Spanish
Learning proficient Spanish is a tool your child will use for the rest of their life to promote connection, success, and prosperity. They’ll be able to land better jobs, travel easier to Latin America and Spain, and be more sensitive to social and cultural issues by learning Spanish as a second language. Spanish has over 580 million speakers around the world and over 41 million in the U.S. alone.
Homeschool Spanish Academy is here to support you and your family in the ultimate goal of reaching Spanish fluency. Our method gives you access to practice with kid-friendly, certified experts who are native Spanish speakers. Our teachers from Guatemala provide individualized, online, flexible sessions that adapt to your schedule.
In fact, we’ll design a Spanish package that suits your needs and interests!
Check our affordable pricing and flexible programs. Prepare your children for a better future by signing them up for a free trial class today!
Join one of the 40,000 classes that we teach each month and you can experience results like these
“I love that my children have the opportunity to speak with a live person. They get to practice Spanish in a 1-1 setting while improve their speaking, writing and reading skills during their lessons. HSA is a great way to learn Spanish for all ages! My children are 6, 9 and 11. My oldest two (9 and 11) have been taking classes with HSA for almost 2 years now. They love seeing their teacher each week. They understand the importance of learning several languages. I’ve seen them grow and learn with HSA. I’m excited to see how they will improve the more classes they take. I highly recommend them. You can’t bet learning and speaking with a live teacher. I’ve tried other programs. It’s just not as motivating.”
– Karie Ann, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. I have appreciated the one on one interaction and teaching that my son gets from his teachers. He has gotten to know his teachers, which has increased his confidence in speaking Spanish. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Maple, Parent of 3
“HSA offers very affordable, quality, one on one classes with a native speaker. My son has greatly benefited from taking classes. We have seen his confidence increase as well as his pronunciation improve, because he learns from a native Spanish speaker. HSA has quick, personal customer service. Our family has been very pleased with our experience so far!”
– Erica P. Parent of 1
Ready to learn more Spanish vocabulary? Check these out!
- 200+ Beginner Spanish Vocabulary Words PDF: Learn Spanish Fast!
- The Most Extensive Guide Ever to House Vocabulary in Spanish
- ‘How Much Is It?’ in Spanish: A Guide to Travel and Shopping
- Familial Bonds: Expressing ‘Sister-in-Law’ in Spanish and Family Vocabulary
- 100 Easy Spanish Words for True Beginners
- Earth Day Projects for Kids + Spanish Earth Day Vocabulary
- How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions
- Car Parts Spanish Vocabulary List: Learn Using Pictures
- The Most Extensive Guide Ever to House Vocabulary in Spanish - August 1, 2024
- What Is An Umbrella School? - June 20, 2024
- Car Parts Spanish Vocabulary List: Learn Using Pictures - February 1, 2024
I like this web blog so much, saved to my bookmarks.
Thank you for reading our blog!