Spanish is a beautiful historical language with over 500 million speakers worldwide. It is one of the easiest languages for Italians to learn, due to the Latin roots shared by both languages. While learning a new language takes time and dedication, the satisfaction you will feel after having your first real conversation with a Spaniard will make you realize that it was absolutely worth it! Here are some great ideas on how to learn to speak Spanish. Have fun!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Part 1: Mastering the Basics
Step 1. Learn the Spanish alphabet
Although the Spanish alphabet is almost identical to the Italian one in terms of the letters used, the pronunciation of each letter is really difficult. Learning to pronounce the letters of the alphabet perfectly is a great place to start your adventure in the Spanish language! Once you are able to pronounce all the individual letters, learning to pronounce entire words and phrases will be much easier. Below is the phonetic pronunciation of each letter of the Spanish alphabet:
- A = ah, B = well, C = theh, D = deh, E = huh, F = eh-feh, G = heh, H = ah-cheh, I = and and
- J = hoh-tah, K = kah, L = eh-leh, M = eh-meh, N = eh-neh, Ñ = eh-nyeh, O = Oh
- P = peh, Q = koo, R = eh-reh, S = eh-seh, T = teh, U = oo, V = oo-well
- W = doh-bleh oo-well, X = eh-kees, Y = ee gree-eh-gah and Z = theh-tah.
- Note that next to the N in the Spanish alphabet is the letter Ñ, which is pronounced eh-nyeh. It is completely different from the letter N. It is similar to the sound "gn" in the Italian word "gnome".
Step 2. Learn to count
Knowing how to count is an essential skill in any language. Learning to count in Spanish is not difficult, as the names of the numbers are very similar to the Italian ones. Below you can read the list of numbers from one to ten:
- One = One, Two = Dos, Three = Tres, Four = Cuatro, Five = Cinco, You are = Six S, Seven = You are, Eight = Ocho, Nine = Nieve, Ten = Diez.
- As in Italian, the number "one" it changes shape depending on whether it precedes a masculine or feminine noun. For example, "a man" is said "a hombre" and "a girl" they say "una chica".
Step 3. Memorize a simple vocabulary
The more vocabulary you have, the easier it will be to speak a language fluently. Familiarize yourself with as many simple Spanish words as possible in everyday use: you will be surprised at how quickly they will increase!
- One of the simplest ways to do this is to use corradicals, words that have similar meanings in common, spelling and pronunciation in both languages. Learning Spanish cognates of Italian words is a great way to quickly increase your vocabulary; many Italian words have a Spanish cognate.
- For unrelated words, try using one of the following memorization methods. When you hear a word in Italian, think about how you would say it in Spanish. If you don't know what it says, write it down and look it up later. It is helpful to always carry a notebook with you for this purpose. Alternatively, try attaching small labels in Spanish to objects around the house, such as on the mirror, coffee table, sugar bowl. You will see the words so often that you will learn them without realizing it!
- It is important to learn a word or phrase 'from Spanish to Italian' as well as 'from Italian to Spanish'. That way you will remember how to say it, not only will you recognize it when you hear it.
Step 4. Learn some basic conversation phrases
By learning the basics of polite conversation, you will very quickly be able to interact with Spanish-speaking people on an easy level. Write down a few everyday sentences in Spanish in a notebook and consider it important to learn between five and ten each day. Here are some to get you started:
- Bye! = ¡Hola!, pronounced "ola"
- Yes = Yup, as in Italian
- No = No, as in Italian
- Thanks! = ¡Gracias!, pronounced "grasias"
- Please = please, pronounced "por fabor"
- What is his name? = ¿Cómo se llama usted?, is pronounced "como se iama usted?"
- My name is… = Me llamo …, is pronounced "me iamo …"
- Nice to meet you = Mucho taste, pronounced "mucio gusto"
- Later! = See you later!, pronounced "asta luego"
- Goodbye = ¡Adiós!, is pronounced "adios!"
Method 2 of 3: Part 2: Studying Basic Grammar
Step 1. Learn to conjugate regular verbs
Learning how to conjugate verbs is an important part of learning to speak Spanish correctly. To conjugate means to take the infinitive form of the verb (to speak, to eat) and to change its form to indicate who is performing an action e when. To learn how to conjugate verbs in Spanish, the best choice is to start with regular verbs in the present tense. Regular verbs in Spanish all end with "- ar", "- er" or "- ir", and how each verb is conjugated depends on its ending. Here is an explanation of how each type of regular verb is conjugated in the present tense:
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Verbs ending in "-ar". Hablar is the infinitive form of the Spanish verb "to speak". To change the verb in the present tense, all you have to do is remove "- ar "and add a different ending, which varies according to the subject pronoun. For example:
- "I speak" becomes yo hablo
- "You speak '' (informal)" becomes tú hablas
- "You speak" (formal) becomes usted habla
- "He / she speaks" becomes él / ella habla
- "We talk" becomes nosotros / as hablamos
- "You speak" (informal) becomes vosotros / as habláis
- "You speak" (formal) becomes ustedes hablan
- "They talk" becomes ellos / ellas hablan
- As you can see, the six different endings used are - or, - as, - to, - amos, - áis And - an. These endings will be the same for any regular verb ending in "-ar", such as bailar (dance), buscar (seek), comprar (buy) and trabajar (work).
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Verbs ending in "-er".
Comer in Spanish is the infinitive of the Italian verb "to eat". To conjugate the verb in the present tense, remove the "-er" and add the endings - or, - ex, - And, - emos, - éis or - en, depending on the subject pronoun. For instance:
- "I eat" becomes yo como
- "Tu mangi" (informal) becomes tú comes
- "She eats" (formal) becomes usted as
- "He / she eats" becomes él / she like
- "We eat" becomes nosotros / as comemos
- "You eat" (informal) becomes vosotros / as coméis
- "You eat" (formal) becomes ustedes comen
- "They eat" becomes ellos / ellas comen
- These six endings will be the same for any regular verb ending in "-er", such as aprender (to learn), beber (to drink), leer (to read) and vender (to sell).
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Verbs ending in "-ir".
Vivir is the infinitive of the verb which in Spanish means "to live". To conjugate it to the present, delete "-ir" and add the endings - or, - es, - And, - imos, - ís or - en, depending on the subject pronoun. For instance:
- "I live" becomes yo alive
- "You live (informal)" becomes tú vives
- "She lives (formal)" becomes usted lives
- "He / she lives" becomes él / she lives
- "We live" becomes nosotros / as vivimos
- "You live (informal)" becomes vosotros / as vivís
- "You live (formal)" becomes ustedes viven
- "They live" becomes ellos / ellas viven
- These six verbal endings will be the same for any regular verb ending in "-ir" verb, such as abrir (to open), escribir (to write), insistir (to insist) and recibir (to receive).
- After learning the present tense, you can move on to conjugating verbs in other tenses, such as the future, the distant past and the imperfect, and ways, such as the conditional. The same basic method used to conjugate the present tense is also used for each of these tenses: it is sufficient to take the root of the verb in the infinitive and add a particular set of endings, which vary according to the subject pronoun.
Step 2. Learn to conjugate common irregular verbs
By the time you have learned to conjugate regular verbs, you will already be doing very well. But be aware that not all verbs can be conjugated with the normal rules: there are many irregular verbs, each with its own unique conjugation, without logic. Unfortunately, some of the more common everyday verbs, such as ser (to be), estar (to be), ir (to go), and haber (to have (done)), are irregular. The best thing to do is to simply learn these verbs by heart.
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Ser.
The verb "ser" is one of two Spanish verbs that can be translated as "to be". "Ser" is used to describe the essential characteristics of a thing: for example, it is used for physical descriptions, for time and dates, and to describe characters and personalities, among other things. It is used to describe what it is something. In the present tense this verb is conjugated like this:
- "I am" becomes yo soy
- "You are (informal)" becomes tú eres
- "She is (formal)" becomes usted es
- "He / she is" becomes él / ella es
- "We are" becomes nosotros / as somos
- "You are (informal)" becomes vosotros / as sois
- "You are (formal)" becomes ustedes son
- "They are" becomes ellos / ellas son
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Estar.
The verb "estar" also means "to be", but it is used in a context other than "ser". "Estar" is used for states of being: for example, to describe conditional states such as feelings, moods and emotions, as well as the position of a person or thing among other objects. It is used to describe like something is. The present indicative of the verb is conjugated as follows:
- "I am" becomes yo estoy
- "You are (informal)" becomes tú estás
- "She is (formal)" becomes usted está
- "He / she is" becomes él / ella está
- "We are" becomes nosotros / as estamos
- "You are (informal)" becomes vosotros / as estáis
- "You are (formal)" becomes ustedes están
- "They are" becomes ellos / ellas están
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Ir.
The verb "ir" means "to go". The present indicative is conjugated in the following way:
- "I'm going" becomes yo voy
- "You go (informal)" becomes tú vas
- "She goes (formal)" becomes usted goes
- "He / she goes" becomes él / she goes
- "We go" becomes nosotros / as vamos
- "You go (informal)" becomes vosotros / as vais
- "You go formal)" becomes ustedes van
- "They go" becomes ellos / ellas van
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Haber.
The verb "haber" can be translated either as "to have" or as "to have done", depending on the context. At present it is conjugated as follows:
- "I have (done)" becomes yo he
- "You have (did) (informal)" becomes tú has
- "She (did) (formal)" becomes usted has
- "He / she has (done)" becomes él / she has
- "We have (done)" becomes nosotros / as hemos
- "You have (done) (informal)" becomes vosotros / as habéis
- "You have (done) (formal)" becomes ustedes han
- "They have (done)" becomes ellos / ellas han
Step 3. Learn the gender rules in Spanish
In Spanish, as in many other languages, each noun is assigned a gender, masculine or feminine. There is no surefire way to tell if a noun is masculine or feminine by sound or spelling, so you need to learn the genders as you learn the words.
- In some cases, however, it is possible to make a hypothesis about the gender of the noun. For example, "the girl" in Spanish is said the chica and the masculine, "the boy" is said el chico; however, there are many exceptions to this rule.
- Also, nouns ending with the letter "o", like el book (the book), are usually masculine and words ending with "a", like the magazine (the magazine) are usually female. However, there are many nouns that end neither in "a" nor in "o", so this example is not always valid.
- Each adjective used to describe a noun must also agree with the gender of the noun, consequently the adjectives change shape depending on whether the noun itself is masculine and feminine (as happens in Italian).
Step 4. Learn to use definite and indefinite articles
Learn how to use definite and indefinite articles. In Spanish, as in Italian, there are four types for each of them, depending on whether the noun they refer to is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
- For example, to say "the cat" in Spanish we use the singular masculine definite article "el": "el gato". To say "cats, the definite article changes to" los ":" los gatos ".
- The defining article changes again when it refers to a feminine noun. To say "the cat" we use the article "la": "la gata", while to say "the cats" we use the definite article "las": "las gatas".
- The four forms of indefinite article are used in the same way: "a" is used for the masculine singular, "unos" for the masculine plural, "una" for the feminine singular and "unas" for the feminine plural.
Method 3 of 3: Part 3: Immerse yourself in the Language
Step 1. Find a native speaker
One of the best ways to improve in the new language you are learning is to practice speaking with a native speaker. He will be able to correct your grammar or pronunciation errors and will be able to introduce you to more informal or conversational forms of speech that you would not find in a textbook.
- If you have a friend who speaks Spanish, that's perfect! Otherwise, you can place an ad in a local newspaper or on the internet, or inquire about some Spanish conversation group that already exists in your area.
- If you can't find anyone who speaks Spanish nearby, you can try searching for someone on Skype. You may find someone willing to exchange fifteen minutes of conversation in Spanish with fifteen minutes of conversation in Italian.
Step 2. Consider enrolling in a language course
If you need extra motivation, or think you would learn better in a formal context, try enrolling in a Spanish language course.
- Look for language courses at local universities, schools and community centers.
- If you're nervous about signing up for a course on your own, bring a friend with you! It'll be more fun and you'll even have someone to practice with in between lessons!
Step 3. Watch films and cartoons in Spanish
Get Spanish DVDs (with subtitles) or watch Spanish cartoons online. This is an easy and fun way to get a feel for the sound and structure of the Spanish language.
- If you are feeling particularly proactive, try pausing the video after a simple sentence and repeat what was just said. This will give your Spanish accent a touch of authenticity!
- If you can't find Spanish films for sale, try renting them from a video store, which usually has a foreign language film department. Or see if the local library has Korean movies or ask if they can get you some.
Learn to Speak Spanish Step 10 Step 4. Listen to music and radio in Spanish
Listening to music and / or radio in Spanish is another way to immerse yourself in the language. Even if you can't understand everything, try to grasp the keywords that will help you understand the meaning of what is being said.
- Download a Spanish radio app to your mobile so you can listen to it on the go.
- Download some postcads in Spanish to listen to while you are doing gymnastics or doing housework.
- Alejandro Sanz, Shakira and Enrique Iglesias are some good singers in the Spanish language.
Learn to Speak Spanish Step 6 Step 5. Get to know the Spanish culture
Languages exist in a dialogue with culture, so certain expressions and mentalities are inextricably linked to cultural origins. The study of culture could also prevent some social misunderstanding.
Learn to Speak Spanish Step 7 Step 6. Consider traveling to Spain or another Spanish-speaking country
When you feel comfortable with the basics of the Spanish language, consider traveling to Spain or another Spanish-speaking country. To immerse yourself in a language, there is nothing better than going out and talking to the locals!
- Be careful because each Spanish-speaking country has a different accent, jargon and sometimes even vocabulary. For example, Chilean Spanish is extremely different from Mexican Spanish, Spanish Spanish and even Argentine Spanish.
- In fact, as you get better at learning the Spanish language, you may find it helpful to focus on a single variety. It could be confusing to move between the different meanings and pronunciations of words in each country. If you are not sure which form of Spanish to use, choose Standard Spanish, as it is the most neutral.
Step 7. Don't be discouraged
If you are serious about learning to speak Spanish, persevere in studying: the satisfaction you will feel in mastering a second language will lessen the difficulties you will encounter along the way. Learning a new language takes time and practice, it doesn't happen overnight. If you still need some extra motivation, here are some things that make Spanish easier to learn than other languages:
- Spanish uses the subject-verb-object object structure, just like Italian. This means that it will be easy to translate directly from Italian to Spanish, without having to worry about reconstructing the sentence structure.
- Spanish spelling is very phonetic, so it is usually quite easy to pronounce a word correctly, simply by reading it as it is written.
- As mentioned above, many Spanish words have an Italian cognate. This is due to the fact that the two languages share the Latin root. Consequently, you already have an extensive Spanish vocabulary even before starting to study; all you need is a few tweaks and a Spanish pronunciation!
Advice
- Small fragments of sentences can combine to form complex sentences. For example, "I want to eat" and "I'm hungry" are very simple phrases, but they can be combined with a small change to say "I want to eat something now because I'm hungry".
- Pay close attention to the Spanish pronunciation, as it should be pronounced, for example how 'b' and 'd' are pronounced differently at the beginning or in the middle of a word. If you have a good ear, you can consciously change your accent to get closer to having a less "dirty" one.
- Practice all four components of learning a language. To learn a new language, you need to practice reading, writing, listening and speaking. Make sure you dedicate time to each of these aspects of studying the language.
- Many words in a language of Latin origin (Italian, Spanish, French, etc.) are quite similar to words in another language. Learn the conversion rules between languages (for example, Italian words ending in "-ibile", like "possible", in Spanish ending in "-ible", like "posible". Simply by small conversions you can have an extended spanish vocabulary.
- Try to find a friend or colleague who is a native Spanish speaker. He will be able to guide you through linguistic nuances that you may not find in a book or study material.
- Carrying a simultaneous electronic translator with you can be quite helpful when you are trying to think in Spanish and want to check your accuracy.
- Read, read, read! This is the best way to become proficient in a language, because reading covers many aspects of it: vocabulary, grammar, popular phrases and expressions. Reading something above your level can be more difficult but also more rewarding than reading something below your level.
Warnings
- Learning a new language takes time and dedication. Reap what you sow. Rather than get frustrated, have fun learning!
- The only way to learn a new language is to speak it. Speak out loud, even if you are alone. This will give you an idea of how it sounds.
