Common Spanish Words
These Spanish words for medical terms and emergencies, family, teachers in the classroom, people traveling and on vacation are essential for your Spanish language survival kit! Perhaps you need help at the airport, the bank or the post office.. maybe you want to be able to describe to your Spanish-speaking friends how you are feeling or what you enjoy doing...
Here are some of the most basic Spanish words to get you started. Further on in this lesson we will look at the pronunciation of these and more Spanish words.
- accident - el accidente
- la alergia - allergy
- el antibiótico - antibiotic
- la aspirina - aspirin
- la clínica - clinic
- la diarrea - diarrhea
- el doctor - doctor
- el dolor - pain
- el dolor de cabeza - headache
- el dolor de la garganta - sore throat
Resources for further reading:
If you’re traveling to a Spanish-speaking country or you're in a Spanish-speaking environment, you need some simple Spanish vocabulary for those times when you’ve got something to say or questions to ask and the people around you speak only Spanish!
I hope you find these Spanish word lists helpful. If you REALLY want to learn a lot of Spanish fast, my Rocket Spanish course is where you need to head next.
In the meantime, here are some simple English to Spanish word lists on common themes to help you on your Spanish learning journey:
Word List for Medical Terms in Spanish
Practice Your Pronunciation With Rocket Record
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accident
el accidente
la alergia
allergy
el antibiótico
antibiotic
la aspirina
aspirin
la clínica
clinic
la diarrea
diarrhea
el doctor
doctor
el dolor
pain
el dolor de cabeza
headache
el dolor de la garganta
sore throat
el dolor del estómago
stomach ache
la enfermedad
sickness, illness
la enfermera
nurse
estornudar
to sneeze
el examen médico
physical
la fiebre
fever
la gripe
cold
la herida
wound
la inyección
shot, injection
el mareo
nausea
el medicamento
medicine
el médico
doctor
la operación
operation
el paciente
patient
la pastilla
pill, tablet
la receta
prescription
roto
broken
la sala de emergencia
emergency room
la salud
health
el síntoma
symptom
cough
la tos
la tos
cough
Spanish Words for Teachers in the Classroom
administración (la)
administration
año (el)
year
arte (el)
art
biblioteca (la)
library
biología (la)
biology
borrador (el)
eraser
cafetería (la)
cafeteria
ciencias (las)
sciences
clase (la)
class
compañero de clase (el)
classmate
computación (la)
computer science
contabilidad (la)
accounting
cuaderno (el)
notebook
curso (el)
course
diario (el)
diary
diccionario (el)
dictionary
economía (la)
economics
empresa (la)
enterprise, business
escritorio (el)
desk
escuela (la)
school
español (el)
Spanish
estadio (el)
stadium
estudiante (el, la)
student
examen (el)
exam
física (la)
physics
geografía (la)
geography
grabadora (la)
cassette recorder
historia (la)
history
horario (el)
schedule
humanidades (las)
humanities
ingles (el)
English
joven (el, la)
youth, young person
laboratorio (el)
laboratory
lápiz (el)
pencil
lección (la)
lesson
lenguas extranjeras (las)
foreign languages
librería (la)
bookstore
libro (el)
book
literatura (la)
literature
mapa (el)
map
matemáticas (las)
mathematics
mochila (la)
backpack
número (el)
number
oficina (la)
office
papel (el)
paper
periódico (el)
newspaper
pizarra (la)
blackboard
pluma (la)
pen
prueba (la)
test, quiz
psicología (la)
psychology
puerta (la)
door
química (la)
chemistry
reloj (el)
clock, watch
residencia estudiantil (la)
dormitory
semestre (el)
semester
silla (la)
chair
sociología (la)
sociology
tarea (la)
homework
tiza (la)
chalk
trimestre (el)
trimester
universidad (la)
university, college
ventana (la)
window
Spanish Words to use in an Emergency
¡Auxilio!
Help!
¡Ladrón!
Thief!
¡Fuego!
Fire!
accidente
accident
ambulancia
ambulance
peligro
danger
Spanish Words for Family
abuela (la)
grandmother
abuelo (el)
grandfather
cuñada (la)
sister-in-law
cuñado (el)
brother-in-law
esposo (el)
spouse
familia (la)
family
hermanastro (el)
stepbrother
hermano (el)
brother
hijastra (la)
stepdaughter
hijastro (el)
stepson
hijo (el)
son
hijo (la)
daughter
hijos (los)
children
madrastra (la)
stepmother
madrastra (la)
stepmother
madre (la)
mother
marido (el)
husband
medio hermano (el)
half-brother
mujer (la)
wife, woman
nieto (el)
grandson
nuera (la)
daughter-in-law
padrastro (el)
stepfather
padrastro (el)
stepfather
padre (el)
father
padres (los)
parents
parientes (los)
relatives
primo (el)
cousin
sobrino (el)
nephew
suegra (la)
mother-in-law
suegro (el)
father-in-law
tío (el)
uncle
tío (la)
aunt
yerno (el)
son-in-law
Spanish Words for People
actor (el)
actor
amigo (el)
friend
anciano (el)
elderly person
artista (el, la)
artist
bebe (el, la)
baby
chica (la)
girl
chico (el)
boy
doctor (el), médico (el)
doctor, physician
ganador (el)
winner
gente (la)
people
hombre (el)
man
ingeniero (el)
engineer
jugador (el)
player
luchador (el)
fighter
muchacha (la)
girl
muchacho (el)
boy
mujer (la)
woman
niño (el)
child
novia (la)
girlfriend
novio (el)
boyfriend
periodista (el, la)
journalist
persona (la)
person
pescador (el)
fisherman
programador (el)
programmer
trabajador (el)
worker
turista (el, la)
tourist
Spanish Verb List
abrir
to open
aburrir
to bore
acabar de
to have just done something
adquirir
to acquire
aprender
to learn
arreglar
to fix
asistir
to attend
buscar
to search, to look for
caminar
to walk
cerrar
to close
comenzar
to begin
compartir
to share
comprender
to understand
conducir
to drive
conseguir
to get, to obtain
contestar
to answer
conversar
to converse, to chat
correr
to run
creer (en)
to believe (in)
cruzar
to cross
deber
to have to; should
decidir
to decide
describir
to describe
desear
to wish for, to desire
despacio
slow
dormir
to sleep
empezar
to begin
encantar
to like very much, to love (inanimate things)
encontrar
to find
enseñar
to teach
entender
to understand
entretener
to entertain
esperar
to wait, to hope
estar
to be
estudiar
to study
explicar
to explain
faltar
to lack; to need
fascinar
to fascinate
fumar
to smoke
ganar
to win
gustar
to like, to be pleased by
hablar
to talk
hacer
to do, to make
importar
to be important to, to matter
inquirir
to inquire
interesar
to be interesting to, to interest
ir
to go
jugar
to play
levantar
to lift
llamar (por teléfono)
to call (on the phone)
llegar
to arrive
llevar
to carry
luchar
to fight
medir
to measure
molestar
to bother, to annoy
morir
to die
mostrar
to show
necesitar
to need
ofrecer
to offer
oír
to hear
oler
to smell
parecer
to seem, to appear
pedir
to ask for, to request
pensar (en)
to think about
perder
to lose
poder
to be able to, can, may
poner
to put, to place
practicar
to practice
preferir
to prefer
preguntar
to ask
preparar
to prepare
quedar
to be left over, to be remaining, to fit (clothing)
querer
to want, to love
rápidamente
rapidly
recibir
to receive
recordar
to remember
regresar
to return
repetir
to repeat
saber
to know, to know how
salir
to leave
seguir
to follow, to continue
sentir
to feel
ser
to be
suponer
to suppose
tener
to have
terminar
to finish
tomar
to take, to drink
trabajar
to work
traducir
to translate
traer
to bring
usar
to use
valer
to value
venir
to come
ver
to see
vivir
to live
volver
to return
Reflexive Spanish Verb List
acordarse (de)
to remember
acostarse
to go to bed
afeitarse
to shave
bañarse
to bathe, take a bath
cepillarse el pelo
to brush one's hair
cepillarse los dientes
to brush one's teeth
cortarse
to cut oneself
despedirse (de)
to say goodbye (to)
despertarse
to wake up
dormirse
to go to sleep, to fall asleep
ducharse
to shower, to take a shower
enojarse (con)
to get angry (with)
irse
to go away, to leave
juntarse
to get together, to join
lavarse la cara
to wash one's face
lavarse las manos
to wash one's hands
levantarse
to get up
llamarse
to be called, to be named
maquillarse
to put on one's makeup
meterse
to get in
peinarse
to comb one's hair
ponerse
to put on, to become (if followed by an adjective)
preocuparse (por)
to worry (about)
probarse
to try on
quedarse
to stay, to remain
quemarse
to burn yourself
quitarse
to take off
sentarse
to sit down
sentirse
to feel
vestirse
to get dressed
Spanish Words for Hobbies and Pastimes
bailar
to dance
béisbol (el)
baseball
broncearse
to suntan
bucear
to scuba dive
cantar
to sing
carrera (la)
race, career
ciclismo (el)
cycling
competencia (la)
competition
deporte (el)
a sport
dibujar
to draw
diversión (la)
fun activity; entertainment; recreation
equipo (el)
team
escalar montañas
to climb mountains
escribir
to write
escribir un mensaje electrónico
to write an e-mail message
escribir un postal
to write a postcard
escribir una carta
to write a letter
escuchar (la radio/música)
to listen (to the radio/music)
esquiar (acuático)
to (water) ski
excursionista (el, la)
hiker
fútbol (el)
soccer
fútbol americano (el)
American football, gridiron
golf (el)
golf
hacer compras
to go shopping
ir de excursión
to go for a hike
hockey (el)
hockey
leer
to read
leer correo electrónico
to read e-mail
leer un periódico
to read a newspaper
leer una revista
to read a magazine
mirar (la televisión)
to watch (television)
música (la)
music
nadar
to swim
natación (la)
swimming
partido (el)
game, match
pasar tiempo
to spend time
pasatiempo (el)
pastime
pasear
to take a walk, to stroll
patinar (en línea)
to skate (in-line)
pelota (la)
ball
ratos libres (los)
spare (free) time
ser aficionado
to be a fan
tenis (el)
tennis
tiempo libre (el)
free time
tomar el sol
to sunbathe
ver películas
to see movies
visitar monumentos
to visit monuments
Spanish Words for Emotions, Feelings and States
aburrido
bored, boring
adolorido
sore
agradable
pleasant
alegre
happy, joyful
avergonzado
embarrassed
cansado
tired
contento
happy, content
enamorado (de)
in love (with)
enojado
mad, angry
equivocado
wrong
feliz
happy
listo
ready
lleno
full
nervioso
nervous
ocupado
busy
ordenado
orderly, organized
preocupado (por)
worried (about)
seguro
sure
triste
sad
Spanish Words to use at the Airport
la aduana
customs
la aerolínea
airline
el aeropuerto internacional
international airport
el asiento
the seat
el avión
pl ane
la azafata
stewardess
el boleto
ticket
el carrito de equipaje
baggage cart
el cinturón de seguridad
seatbelt
el compartimiento de equipaje
overhead bins
el destino
destination
el equipaje de mano
hand luggage, carry-on
el equipaje
baggage
la escala
layover
el exceso de equipaje
excess baggage
el impuesto
tax
la inmigración
immigration
el itinerario
itinerary
la mesita
table tray
el pasajero
passenger
el pasaporte
passport
el pase de abordar
boarding pass
el pasillo
aisle
la puerta de embarque
boarding gate
el reclamo de equipaje
baggage claim
el vuelo
flight
la maleta
suitcase
llegadas
arrivals
salidas
departure
Spanish Words to Use at the Post Office
el buzón
mailbox
la carta
letter
el cartero
postman
la casilla
post office box
el correo
la dirección
address
la estampilla
stamp
el paquete
package
por avión
airmail
la postal
postcard
el sobre
envelope
la tarjeta
card
Spanish Words to Use at the Bank
los ahorros
savings
el billete
bill
los billetes grandes
large bills
la caja
cash desk
el cajero
cashier
el cajero automático
ATM machine
cambiar
exchange
el cheque
check
el cheque de viajero
travelers cheque
el código SWIFT
Swift code
la cuenta
account
la cuenta bancaria
bank account
la cuenta de ahorros
savings account
el débito
debit
el depósito
deposit
la deuda
debt
el dinero
money
en efectivo
cash
las monedas
coins
el préstamo
loan
la tarjeta de crédito
credit card
la ventanilla
cashier's window
If you want more on Spanish words then check these out!
- Need help with your computer in Spanish?
- Like cooking? Learn common words for cooking in Spanish.
- Not feeling well? You may need to call the doctor in Spanish.
See you soon! ¡Hasta pronto!
Mauricio Evlampieff: Rocket Spanish