A1 - Beginner Spanish
The A1 level is for students with no prior knowledge of Spanish.
Students typically complete this level when they can interact with others by asking and answering questions about yourself and where you live.
Based on the widely used Instituto Cervantes Spanish learning levels.
tener bigote
have a mustache
The Spanish phrase 'tener bigote' translates to 'have a mustache' in English. This phrase could refer to a description of someone's physical appearance, highlighting specifically that they have hair growth above their upper lip, known as a mustache. Alternatively, it may be used figuratively in idiomatic expressions or other cultural references.
tener calefacción (central
heating (central)
The Spanish phrase 'tener calefacción (central)' directly translates to 'have heating (central)' in English. It is often used in the context of discussing amenities in a home or building. For instance, it might be used in a sentence such as 'este edificio tiene calefacción central', which means 'this building has central heating'. It is important to note that 'tener' is a common Spanish verb that means 'to have', and 'calefacción (central)' refers to a system that provides warmth to the entire interior of a building (or portion of a building) from one point to multiple rooms.
tener el pelo blanco
have white hair
The Spanish phrase 'tener el pelo blanco' translates to 'have white hair' in English. This phrase is usually used to describe a person's hair color. The verb 'tener' means 'to have', 'el pelo' translates to 'the hair', and 'blanco' means 'white'. It is worth noting that adjectives in Spanish generally follow nouns, unlike English where the adjective generally comes before the noun.
tener el pelo moreno
having brown hair
The Spanish phrase 'tener el pelo moreno' translates to 'having brown hair' in English. This phrase is used to describe a person's hair color. 'Tener' means 'to have', 'el pelo' means 'the hair', and 'moreno' means 'brown'. So when you say 'tener el pelo moreno' in Spanish, you're essentially describing someone as having brown hair.
tener el pelo rubio
have blond hair
The Spanish phrase 'tener el pelo rubio' translates to 'have blond hair' in English. It's typically used to describe someone's physical appearance. In this case, it would be used to denote a person who has blond hair.
tener gafas
Have glasses
The Spanish phrase 'tener gafas' translates into English as 'to have glasses'. Generally used in scenarios where someone owns or is wearing eyeglasses. The verb 'tener' expresses the possession of something, in this case, 'gafas' which means glasses. It's important to note that in Spanish, possession is expressed differently than in English, using the verb 'to have' rather than the verb 'to be' when referring to wearing or carrying items.
tener los ojos azules
have blue eyes
The Spanish phrase 'tener los ojos azules' translates to 'have blue eyes' in English. This is a descriptive phrase used in Spanish to describe someone's physical appearance, specifically the color of their eyes. Just like in English, Spanish speakers often use the color of someone's eyes as a defining characteristic.
tener los ojos claros
have clear eyes
The Spanish phrase 'tener los ojos claros' translates to 'have clear eyes' in English. This phrase can be used to describe someone with light-colored eyes such as blue or green, but it can also refer to someone who has a clear, uncomplicated view or understanding of a situation.
tener los ojos grandes
have big eyes
The phrase 'tener los ojos grandes' is a Spanish idiom that, translated directly, means 'to have big eyes'. The meaning of this phrase can vary based on context, but most commonly it is used to describe someone who either literally has large eyes, or metaphorically someone who is naive or easy to fool, similar to the English phrase 'wide eyed'. It can also be used to say someone is greedy or always wanting more, similar to the English phrase 'eyes bigger than your stomach'.
tener los ojos marrones
have brown eyes
The phrase 'tener los ojos marrones' in Spanish translates to 'have brown eyes' in English. This phrase is often used to describe the physical appearance of a person specifically their eye color. It is composed of 'tener' which means 'to have', 'los ojos' meaning 'the eyes', and 'marrones' meaning 'brown'. Overall, if you want to describe someone as having brown eyes in Spanish, you would say 'tiene los ojos marrones'.
tener los ojos negros
have black eyes
The Spanish phrase 'tener los ojos negros' translates to 'have black eyes' in English. It's usually used to describe someone's eye color, indicating that the person has dark, black eyes. This is an example of how in Spanish, descriptions often follow the noun they are describing, which might be different from English sentence structures.
tener los ojos oscuros
have dark eyes
The Spanish phrase 'tener los ojos oscuros' translates to 'have dark eyes' in English. It's a way to describe someone's physical appearance specifically referring to the color of their eyes. Just like in English, in Spanish, it is common to describe a person's features in this way. So, if you're learning Spanish and want to talk about someone's dark eyes, 'tener los ojos oscuros' is the phrase you would use.
tener los ojos pequeños
have small eyes
The phrase 'tener los ojos pequeños' is Spanish for 'have small eyes'. This phase may be utilized when describing a physical attribute about a person in Spanish.
tener los ojos verdes
have green eyes
The Spanish phrase 'tener los ojos verdes' translates to 'have green eyes' in English. It's a descriptive phrase commonly used in Spanish to describe someone's physical appearance specifically related to eye color. In a sentence, it could be used like 'Ella tiene los ojos verdes' which would translate to 'She has green eyes'. The verb 'tener' means 'to have' in English, 'los ojos' translates to 'the eyes', and 'verdes' is an adjective meaning 'green'. Therefore, combined, 'tener los ojos verdes' literally translates to 'to have the eyes green' but is understood as 'have green eyes' in proper English.
tener muchos años
having many years
The Spanish phrase 'tener muchos años' translates to 'having many years' in English. This generally refers to someone or something being old or having been around for a long time. It is used to indicate age or period of existence in a more casual and informal manner.
tener pocos años
having few years
The Spanish phrase 'tener pocos años' translates directly to English as 'having few years'. This phrase is often used to refer to someone who is young. In English, an equivalent phrase might be 'being of a young age'. It is used in both formal and informal speech, to describe the age of a person in a somewhat indirect and poetic manner.
tener teléfono
have a phone
The Spanish phrase 'tener teléfono' translates to 'have a phone' in English. This phrase could be used in differing contexts indicating the possession or availability of a telephone. For instance, when asked about one's ability to communicate via telephone, one might respond affirmatively using 'tener teléfono'. It's also important to note that 'tener' is a verb meaning 'to have' and 'teléfono' is a noun meaning 'phone'. The combination of these words result in the English phrase 'have a phone'.
tener trabajo
having work
The Spanish phrase 'tener trabajo' is directly translated into English as 'to have work'. It is used to signify one's possession of work, tasks or duties. It could refer to both the state of employment or any kind of task or responsibility that someone might have. For instance, in a sentence it could be used as follows: 'No puedo salir esta noche porque tengo trabajo' which means 'I can't go out tonight because I have work.'
tener un examen
Have a review
The phrase 'tener un examen' in Spanish is translated to 'have a review' in English. The phrase has two main components: 'tener' is a verb that translates to 'to have', and 'un examen' translates to 'a review' or 'an exam'. Thus, when combined, 'tener un examen' means to have a review or an exam. It's a phrase commonly used in educational or learning contexts to indicate the necessity to conduct an assessment of learned material.
tener vacaciones
holiday
The Spanish phrase 'tener vacaciones' translates to 'have holidays' in English. This phrase is commonly used to imply that someone is taking a break from work or school, similar to a holiday or vacation. This is not an exact one-word to one-word translation, but rather a phrase that communicates a familiar concept within English language context. The verb 'tener' translates to 'have', and 'vacaciones' translates to 'holidays' or 'vacation'. Thus, 'tener vacaciones' could be directly interpreted as 'have a vacation'.
terraza
terrace
The word 'terraza' in Spanish translates to 'terrace' in English. A terrace can refer to a leveled outdoor area attached to a building or a similar structure, often paved and used for leisure activities. It can also relate to a flat area next to a building where people can sit and enjoy the outdoors. The term can also be used in the context of a geological formation. But in most general uses, 'terraza' refers to a balcony or patio area in a house or building.
tienda
store
The Spanish word 'tienda' is used to refer to a physical location where items are sold, similar to how 'store' is used in English. Mostly, it is accompanied with the type of store it is, for example, 'tienda de ropa' for clothing store. It could also be used to indicate an online platform for the sales of goods, namely 'tienda en línea'.
Example sentences with tienda →tímido
shy
Tímido means 'shy'. It describes someone who is not much confident or comfortable with unknown people or in social situations. For example, 'El niño es tímido' translates to 'The child is shy'.
Example sentences with tímido →tío
uncle
The Spanish word 'tío' directly translates to 'uncle' in English. It's a common term used to refer to a parent's brother. Similar to English, 'tío' can also be used colloquially in some regions of the Spanish-speaking world to refer to a close male friend. This is often used informally and among peers.
tortilla
tortilla
A tortilla is a type of soft, thin flatbread made from finely ground wheat flour. It originates from Mexico, and is used for making tacos, quesadillas, burritos, etc.
Example sentences with tortilla →trabajar (en)
work (in)
The Spanish term 'trabajar (en)' translates to 'work (in)' in English. This is a verb that refers to the action of exerting mental or physical effort in order to do, establish, or produce something. This can apply to a variety of contexts, such as 'trabajar en una empresa' meaning 'work in a company', 'trabajar en un proyecto' meaning 'work on a project', and many more.
tren
train
A train is a succession of vehicles that travel along rail tracks to transport cargo or passengers from one location to another. It's a popular form of public transportation in many parts of the world.
Example sentences with tren →turista
tourist
The term 'turista' translates in English to 'tourist'. It is a person who visits a place for pleasure and interest, usually when they are on vacation.
Example sentences with turista →unidad
unity
The word 'unidad' is Spanish translates to 'unity' in English. It is primarily used to talk about concepts of solidarity, oneness, and cohesion in both social and technical context. For example, it can represent unity in a community or the unity in a system of equations in mathematics.
Example sentences with unidad →vendedor
seller
Vendedor is a Spanish word used to refer to a person, male or female, who sells goods or services as a profession. This term is commonly associated with commercial transactions and can be found in various contexts such as retail businesses, sales departments in corporations, street markets, etc. In English, 'vendedor' is translated as 'seller' or 'salesperson'. The role of a 'vendedor' can vary, depending on what kind of goods or services they are selling. Simply put, a 'vendedor' is someone whose job is to sell things.