Vocabulary Flashcards
single words/phrases
It ran out.
Se acabó.
(the accidental “se” so this is a reflexive use)
I want to take the garbage out before my children go to bed.
Quier sacar la basura antes de que mis hijos se acuesten.
When there is no subject change, follow this pattern: antes de + infinitive.
If there is a subject change, antes de que + subjunctive.
Acostarse is the verb.
I’m glad that you’re here.
Me alegro de que estés aquí.
Alegrarse (de) (to be glad, to rejoice)
Reflexive: Yes
Preposition: Yes, requires de before a noun/infinitive or que + subjunctive.
Distinguish from:
Agradecer (to appreciate, to be grateful)
Reflexive: No
Preposition: No direct preposition; use with que + subjunctive or algo/a alguien.
Ejemplo: Agradezco que me ayudes. (I appreciate that you help me.)
not at all (express several ways)
para nada; en absoluto; de ninguna manera; de ningún modo.
No estoy cansado para nada. (I’m not tired at all.)
Eso no me preocupa para nada.
(That doesn’t worry me at all.)
No hay problema en absoluto.
(There’s no problem at all.)
No me gusta en lo absoluto.
(I don’t like it at all.)
No tiene sentido alguno.
(It doesn’t make any sense at all.)
No me importa ni un poco.
(I don’t care at all.)
“Para nada” is a common expression in Spanish that means “not at all” or “by no means.” While “no para nada” might be technically grammatically correct, it’s not a commonly used expression in Spanish. Typically, “para nada” is used on its own to convey the idea of “not at all.”
convincing
The research is very convincing.
convincente
La investigación es muy convincente.
therefore
Así que (casual and commonly used)
Entonces (meaning: “Then” or “so.”) Versatile and widely used in spoken language, especially for cause-and-effect explanations.
por lo tanto Indicates a conclusion or logical result based on the previous statement.
Por eso (“That’s why” or “therefore.”) Common in casual conversations to express causality.
Beer
Cerveza
Chela
Fría (more literally: a cold one)
bridge
el puente
to spoil/go bad (food)
echarse a perder
snacks
las botanas (most common in Mexico; they also say “snacks”)
also: aperitivos, bocadillos (which can refer to snacks or sandwiches)
In Mexico, the most common word for “snacks” is “botanas”. This term is widely used to refer to light, informal foods typically enjoyed between meals or at gatherings, such as chips, nuts, or small appetizers.
Another word you might hear is “antojitos”, but this usually refers to traditional Mexican street foods or small dishes, like tacos or tamales, rather than typical snack items.
as you know (as you well know, as you are well aware)
como bien sabes
Michaelada (name my favorite and say what it contains)
Michaelada cubana.
“cubana” incluye salsa inglesa, salsa picante y jugo de limón;
Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and lime juice;
I turned the light off so my wife could sleep.
Apagué la luz para que mi mujer pudiera dormir.
Para que (+ subjunctive)
shows the purpose of the action in the first clause. “So that” the thing in the second clause would occur or not.
don’t confuse with:
Asi que = so, because of that, as a result of…
shows the result of the action in the first clause
I burned the rice.
Se me quemó el arroz.
(I accidentally burned the rice.) The accidental se:
se + indirect object pronoun + conjugated verb + noun
The conjugated verb will always agree with the noun that follows it, rather than the subject.
- Quemar (transitive) – “to burn (something)”
Used when there is a direct object, meaning someone or something is burning something else.
Quemé la comida. (I burned the food.)
El sol puede quemar tu piel. (The sun can burn your skin.)
Quemaron documentos importantes. (They burned important documents.)
- Quemarse (reflexive) – “to burn oneself” / “to get burned” / “to be overcooked”
Used when the subject is affected by the burning or when something burns on its own.
Me quemé la mano con el sartén. (I burned my hand with the pan.)
El pan se quemó en el horno. (The bread got burned in the oven.)
Nos quemamos en la playa. (We got sunburned at the beach.)
Key Differences
If you actively burn something → Use “quemar” (e.g., Él quemó la carta → He burned the letter.)
If something burns itself or someone gets burned → Use “quemarse” (e.g., La casa se quemó → The house burned down.)
Hurry up/ come on
¡Ándale! – Very common in Mexico, can also mean “Come on!” or “Let’s go!”
¡Apúrate! – Common in many Spanish-speaking countries.
¡Date prisa! – Also widely understood, more formal in tone.
¡Rápido! – Short and simple, like saying “Quick!”
handyman
manitas
purchase receipt
recibo de compra
the whole day ahead
Todo el día por delante
(to run an) errand
To run an errand: hacer un mandado
mandado = errand or groceries
I came up with a brilliant idea.
Se me ocurrió una idea brillante.
Literal translation: “A brilliant idea occurred to me.”
“Se”: Reflexive marker for the accidental or spontaneous action.
“Me”: Indirect object pronoun indicating that the idea occurred to “me.”
“Ocurrió”: Third-person singular form of “ocurrir”, agreeing with “una idea” (the subject).
“Una idea brillante”: The subject of the sentence (the thing that occurred).
This construction is often used when inspiration or thoughts come unexpectedly.
holy moly! No way!
(expresses surprise)
No manches
to focus on
focus/approach
enfocarse en
el enfoque (noun)
I eat more ice cream than Anne.
Como más helado que Anne.
Pattern (when NOT followed by a verb):
más que
menos que
If the sentence is “I eat more ice cream than Anne does”, it doesn’t change the structure. Just leave out translating the “does.”
I ran out of options.
Me quedé sin opciones.
Se me acabaron las opciones.
The “se” in this sentence is an impersonal or accidental “se”, which is used to indicate that something happened unintentionally or passively.
It is often used with verbs like acabar, perder, romper, olvidar, etc.
It shifts focus away from personal responsibility, which is common in Spanish when describing accidental or unintended outcomes.
mishaps
(Examples:
despite the setbacks…
without setbacks…)
contratiempos
A pesar de los contratiempos…
Sin contratiempos…
daily life
vida cotidiana/vida diaria
so/ therefore
por lo que
Patience/
Patient
Paciencia (noun)
Paciente (adj)
I forgot my wallet so I couldn’t pay the bill.
Olvidé mi cartera, así que no pude pagar la cuenta.
Asi que = so, because of that as a result of…
shows the result of the action in the first clause. (Does not trigger subjunctive)
Don’t confuse with:
Para que shows the purpose of the action in the first clause. “So that” the thing in the second clause would occur or not.
“Regarding” or “as for”
En cuanto a
used to introduce a topic or specify the subject of a statement.
Example:
En cuanto a los resultados, todavía no los tenemos.
(As for the results, we don’t have them yet.)
En cuanto a tu propuesta, me parece interesante.
(Regarding your proposal, I find it interesting.)
clam
almeja
I appreciate that you help me.
Agradezco que me ayudes.
Agradecer (to appreciate, to be grateful)
Apreciar
Reflexive: No
Preposition: No direct preposition; use with que + subjunctive or algo/a alguien.
“Agradecer” is used for expressing thankfulness.
Aprecio que me ayudes.
“Apreciar” is about recognizing value or worth and can have broader applications.
“since,” “because,” or “given that”
Ya que
followed by a clause that explains the reason behind something. (use indicative)
Example 1 (Cause):
Ya que está lloviendo, no saldremos.
(Since it’s raining, we won’t go out.)
Example 2 (Reason):
Ya que tienes experiencia, puedes liderar el proyecto.
(Since you have experience, you can lead the project.)
Compared to “porque” (because):
“Ya que” is often more formal or explanatory, while “porque” is more neutral and direct.
No podemos hacerlo ya que es muy tarde.
(We can’t do it since it’s too late.)
No podemos hacerlo porque es muy tarde.
(We can’t do it because it’s too late.)
Summary:
Use “ya que” to explain a cause or reason in both formal and informal contexts. It’s versatile and can replace phrases like “porque” or “dado que” when you want to sound a bit more polished.
recipes
las recetas
seafood restaurant
marisquería
as soon as
As soon as I arrive, I’ll let you know.
en cuanto
introduces a time clause and is often followed by a verb in the subjunctive or indicative mood (depending on whether the action is anticipated or already completed).
Example:
En cuanto llegue, te aviso.
(As soon as I arrive, I’ll let you know.)
En cuanto terminó la reunión, se fue.
(As soon as the meeting ended, he left.)
shortly
Dentro de poco
They spend more than they earn.
Ellos gastan más de lo que ganan.
Pattern (when followed by a verb):
más de lo que + verb
menos de lo que + verb
in advance
de antemano (most common - beforehand)
also: todo antes
anticipadamente
I’m worried about the election.
Estoy preocupada por las elecciones.
Las elecciones me preocupan.
Preocuparse (por) (to worry about)
Reflexive: Yes
Preposition: Yes, requires por before a noun/verb or que + subjunctive.
other than that
aparte de eso
fuera de eso
His/her phone got damaged.
Se le dañó el teléfono.
(His/her phone got damaged accidentally.)
to stretch / strain
estirar
helpful
serviciales
I’m worried that you won’t arrive on time.
Me preocupa que no llegues a tiempo. (I’m worried that you won’t arrive on time.)
Preocuparse (por o que): to worry about
Reflexive
Requires por before a noun/verb or que + subjunctive.
help (noun)
la ayuda
entertaining
entretenido
I want to take the garbage out before going to the store.
Quiero sacar la basura antes de ir a la tienda.
When there is no subject change, follow this pattern: antes de + infinitive.
If there is a subject change, antes de que + subjunctive.
to return something
devolver (redundant le)
a nice touch
un toque agradable
In this way
De esta manera (not en)
I ran out of sugar.
Se me acabó el azúcar.
(I accidentally ran out of sugar.)
food trucks
puestos de comida
hill
la colina
willing
dispuesta
to sting (get a spicy kick)
spicy
enchilar
enchiloso
mindfulness
la atención plena
Sometimes people just adopt “mindfulness” as Spanish.
Plena/o is an adjective that means full.
opposing viewpoints
puntos de vista opuestos
lazy
flojo/a
perezoso/a
shredded chicken
pollo desmenuzado
to schedule
programar
at least
al menos
aging
envejecimiento
landscape
paisaje
Deep down, at heart.
Deep down, I knew I was right.
En el fondo, sabía que tenía razón.
I listened to background music while working.
Escuché música de fondo mientras trabajaba.
Thoroughly, in-depth.
We need to investigate the topic thoroughly.
Hay que investigar el tema a fondo.
over and over
una y otra vez
chest
el pecho
to put in practice
poner in práctica
to go beyond
ir más allá
to have repercusions
tener repurcusiones
to be subject to
estar sujeto a
oat milk
leche de avena
Every time I study, I understand more and more.
Cada vez que estudio, entiendo más y más.
childhood
Juventud
nothing out of the ordinary
nada fuera de lo normal
slices
In Mexican Spanish, the word for “slices” depends on what you are referring to:
“Rebanadas” – Used for slices of bread, cake, cheese, or cold cuts.
Ejemplo: “Quiero dos rebanadas de pan.” (I want two slices of bread.)
“Rodajas” – Used for round slices of things like fruits, vegetables, or cold cuts.
Ejemplo: “Corta unas rodajas de jitomate.” (Cut some slices of tomato.)
“Trozos” / “Pedazos” – Used for irregular pieces rather than even slices.
Ejemplo: “Partí el pastel en trozos.” (I cut the cake into pieces.)
This doesn’t taste like chicken.
Esto no sabe a pollo.
saber a
to taste like (noun)
It smells like fire.
Huele a fuego.
oler a : to smell like (something)
Remember oler is irregular:
yo huelo
tú hueles
ella / él / usted huele
nosotras / nosotros olemos
ellas / ellos / ustedes huelen
Preterite: regular (olí, oliste, olió, olimos, olieron)
What does it smell like?
A qué huele?
It seems like an excuse.
Sonar a = to seem like (don’t confuse with “sounds like” which is “sonar como”)
Parece un una excusa.
Suena a excusa.
It sounds like Spanish.
Suena como español.
Sonar como = to sound like (something)
(Don’t confuse with sonar a which is seems like)
tastes like
smells like
sounds like
seems like
tastes like - saber a
smells like - oler a
sounds like - sonar como
seems like - sonar a
a translator (a person)
to translate
un traductor
traducir
classmates/partners
compañeras
