Basics & Pronunciation
Spanish is spoken (almost) as it is written — a great advantage over French or English. The most important pronunciation rules:
Pronunciation Tips
- ñ — like "ny" (año = "anjo", España = "Espanja")
- j — always like a harsh "ch" (jamón = "chamon")
- ll — like "lj" or "j" (calle = "kalje" or "kaje")
- z / ce, ci — in Spain like English "th" (cerveza = "therwetha"), in the Canary Islands and South America like "s"
- v — pronounced like "b" (vino = "bino")
- h — always silent (hotel = "otel", hola = "ola")
- r / rr — rolled tongue-tip R. Double R (rr) is strongly rolled
- Stress: Words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s are stressed on the penultimate syllable; on other consonants on the last. Accent (´) indicates exceptions
The Absolute Basics
| German | Spanish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Yes / No | Sí / No | ßi / no |
| Please | Por favor | por fa-wor |
| Thank you (very much) | Gracias (muchas gracias) | gra-thias (mutschas gra-thias) |
| Excuse me | Perdón / Disculpe | per-don / dis-kulpe |
| I'm sorry | Lo siento | lo ßjento |
| I don't understand | No entiendo | no en-tjendo |
| Do you speak German/English? | ¿Habla alemán/inglés? | abla ale-man / in-gles? |
| How much does it cost? | ¿Cuánto cuesta? | kwanto kwesta? |
| Where is …? | ¿Dónde está …? | donde esta …? |
💡 Tipp
The "you" form (tú) is used much more frequently in Spain than the polite "you" (usted). Among peers and in informal situations, always use "tú." Use "usted" only with significantly older people or in very formal contexts.