Parts of Speech in Spanish

When learning Spanish, it is essential to understand the parts of speech. These categories help us structure sentences and communicate effectively. Spanish shares many grammatical elements with English, but there are key differences to be aware of. 

This is a summary of the 9 parts of speech. You can find more detail if you click on each part of speech.

1. Nouns (Los sustantivos)

Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. In Spanish, every noun has a gender: masculine or feminine. They also have singular and plural forms.

• Masculine: el perro (the dog), el libro (the book)

• Feminine: la casa (the house), la mesa (the table)

• Plural: los perros (the dogs), las casas (the houses)

2. Articles (Los artículos)

Articles define the gender and number of nouns. There are definite and indefinite articles in Spanish.

• Definite articles (the): el, la, los, las
  Example: El coche (The car)

• Indefinite articles (a, an, some): un, una, unos, unas
  Example: Una mesa (A table)

3. Adjectives (Los adjetivos)

Adjectives describe nouns and usually agree with the noun in gender and number.

• Example: una casa grande (a big house) vs. un coche grande (a big car)

• Plural: unas casas grandes (some big houses)

4. Pronouns (Los pronombres)

Pronouns replace nouns and help avoid repetition.

• Subject pronouns: yo (I), tú (you), él/ella (he/she), nosotros (we), ellos/ellas (they)

• Object pronouns: me (me), te (you), lo/la (him/her/it)

• Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, se (used for actions done to oneself, e.g., me lavo – I wash myself)

5. Verbs (Los verbos)

Verbs indicate actions, states, or occurrences. They change depending on the subject, tense, and mood.

• Infinitive forms: hablar (to talk), comer (to eat), vivir (to live)

• Conjugation example (present tense of hablar): yo hablo, tú hablas, él habla, nosotros hablamos, ellos hablan

6. Adverbs (Los adverbios)

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They often answer questions like how?, when?, where?, or to what extent?

• Example: rápidamente (quickly), ayer (yesterday), siempre (always), muy (very)

7. Prepositions (Las preposiciones)

Prepositions link words and show relationships in a sentence.

• Examples: en (in), de (of/from), con (with), sin (without), por (by/for), para (for)

• Example sentence: Voy a la tienda con mi amigo. (I go to the store with my friend.)

8. Conjunctions (Las conjunciones)

Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses.

• Examples: y (and), o (or), pero (but), porque (because), aunque (although)

• Example: Quiero un café pero sin azúcar. (I want coffee but without sugar.)

9. Interjections (Las interjecciones)

Interjections express emotions or sudden reactions.

• Examples: ¡Hola! (Hello!), ¡Ay! (Ouch!), ¡Uf! (Phew!), ¡Qué bien! (How nice!)