Basic Spanish grammar

Learning a new language can be one of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of your life. For English speakers who want to learn Spanish, mastering the sometimes-confusing rules of Spanish grammar might seem daunting. However, with a little knowledge of the language and the right education, anyone can master basic Spanish.

Getting a Grasp on Spanish Grammar

Much like English and Italian, Spanish is considered a Latin language because it has its roots in the original spoken Latin of early history. Spanish developed as people spread across Europe to establish new cities. By the 13th century, scholars had begun the work of codifying Spanish into a written language.

Basic Sentence Structures in Spanish

One of the first skills that students who hope to learn Spanish must master is understanding how sentences are structured. As in English, the primary parts of the sentence in Spanish are the subject, object and verb. Pronouns, adjectives and adverbs are also used in Spanish, though often in different ways than in English. One of the most notable differences between the two languages is that the word order in Spanish sentences can generally be changed without affecting the meaning, whereas English sentences must always follow the same order.

How Does Spanish Grammar Differ from English Grammar?

Students who want to learn Spanish can prepare themselves for their Babbel.com lessons by getting familiar with the basic ways that Spanish differentiates from English. Keeping these simple differences in mind helps students to avoid making embarrassing mistakes or becoming frustrated with their inability to communicate efficiently.

Gender

Perhaps the first difference that English speakers notice when learning Spanish is that every noun in Spanish has a gender. The gender of a noun is generally determined by looking at whether the word ends in “o” or “a” and choosing the right article. In English, the only definite article used is the. In Spanish, both el and la are used. El is used with words that end in “o” to express that the word is masculine while la is used with words that end in “a” to express that the word is feminine.

Adjective Placement

In Spanish, adjectives and noun both take a different placement than in English and must carry a gender. English speakers generally say an adjective first, then a noun. A good example is white house. In Spanish, the order of these two words is almost always reversed. Since blanco/a means white and la casa is the house, we would say la casa blanca. There are few exceptions to this rule.

Conjugation

Spanish follows strict rules for conjugation. As you work to master the language, you’ll memorize charts that explain how to change the infinitive form of a verb into its conjugated forms. For some, this makes mastering Spanish grammar easier than mastering English grammar. While there are irregular verbs in Spanish, there are far fewer than in English.

How to Learn Spanish Despite Grammar Differences

With the right tools, it isn’t difficult to learn Spanish. Babbel’s interactive courses teach vital language skills through participatory activities and easy-to-understand lessons. The platform teaches skills across reading, writing, speaking and listening so that students are prepared to use Spanish in the real world.

Some may be wary of Babbel because of its low price point, but we know that great language software doesn’t need to be expensive. Plus, Babbel offers a social network to keep you engaged with other learners and offers great tools so that you can learn a new language at your own speed no matter where you are in the world. The application is available for a wide variety of platforms and devices.