Basic words: numbers, time, verbs

What holds these lists together

These lists belong to no area, which means they belong to all of them. A verb such as tener, a preposition, a number, a question word: they turn up in every conversation recorded anywhere else on this site, so each word here repays the effort most. Spanish adds a reason English does not have. Its small words carry written accents that keep two of them apart — tú and tu, él and el, sí and si — and a writer used to English, which has none, tends to leave them off. The verbs of change belong here too: where English says «become», Spanish chooses between se puso nervioso, se hizo rico and se quedó ciego.

For example: hola (hello), yo (I), uno (one), ser (to be (identity, nature)), blanco (white), en (in, on, at)

Spread across the levels

The category runs across the levels — it is an area, not a difficulty. If you practise it, you can also choose a level at the top of the practice page and then get only the part that sits there.