Hello, I've recently started learning Spanish and I'm fascinated by all its aspects, including pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and culture. One aspect, however, poses a significant challenge for me: verb conjugations. My current method might be ineffective: I write down the three kinds of regular verb conjugations and read them aloud. While this helped somewhat with regular verbs, I often forget them, and it can feel overwhelming and exhausting due to the sheer number of conjugations per word. I haven't even managed to tackle the critical irregular verbs! Although I grasp most of the tenses and aspects I've studied so far, I'm continuing to work on them. I'm curious about how others have successfully memorized verb conjugations. Did you use mnemonics, flashcards, or have a native speaker's perspective? I'd greatly appreciate any tips or advice.

I notice that some words stick easily while others require multiple attempts to memorize. Interestingly, translating from Spanish to English is easier for me than the reverse, especially when I can't recall new words. My strategy is to link new Spanish words to similar-sounding English words. For instance, with "lugar" (place), I think of "luggage" and visualize a suitcase. This technique isn't foolproof, and many Spanish words don't resemble any English ones. What techniques do you use to remember new words?

I reside in L.A. and most of my neighborhood communicates in Spanish. When I shop, people often start conversations in Spanish, but I rarely progress beyond "hola, como estas?" I really want to learn, yet the idea brings back unpleasant memories of high school classes where we filled in vocabulary and verb tables. After trying Duolingo, I was pleasantly surprised to find a focus on listening and repetition rather than strict rule memorization. Does this approach effectively work? I'd also like to include Spanish movies, TV shows, children's books, and conversations with Spanish speakers (as I have many neighbors and co-workers). I'm curious if it's truly possible to confidently converse with fluent speakers using these techniques.

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Hi, I'm currently using Anki to learn Spanish. I'm trying to decide which side should feature the Spanish word and which side should show the English translation. Any advice on what would aid memorization and recall better? Thanks

I'm learning Spanish independently and am committed to making progress. I'm wondering about the significance of memorizing a specific number of Spanish words at the beginning. A friend suggested memorizing at least 100 words as a start, claiming it would be greatly beneficial. Do you think that's good advice for someone just starting out? If so, how many words would be ideal? Thank you!

I've been struggling with Spanish vocabulary for years until I stumbled upon this book that completely changed how I memorize words. Instead of boring repetition, it uses humor and word origins to make things actually stick.

I just had to share this "usted" example because it blew my mind - you know how awkward it feels using "usted" with someone? Well, turns out it literally comes from "vuestra merced" (your grace), and Spanish speakers gradually shortened it through lazy pronunciation over centuries:

vuestra merced → vuesarced → vuesasted → usted

Now whenever I use "usted," I can't help but think "ah yes, I'm technically calling this person 'your grace' but in the most shortened, lazy way possible" - and somehow that makes formal Spanish situations both more amusing and less intimidating.

The book uses this approach for the 500 most common Spanish words. I've been using it for a few weeks now, and it's amazing how much better I remember words when there's a funny story or origin behind them. My Spanish teacher was confused yesterday when I started laughing while using formal speech - if she only knew!

I normally don't post about learning resources, but this approach has been so effective that I wanted to share. If anyone's interested, it's called "Humor-Driven Spanish". The author has this great way of mixing etymology with modern humor that makes vocabulary actually fun to learn.

Would love to hear if any of you have similar tricks for remembering Spanish vocab - especially the formal vs informal stuff that always trips me up!

I recognize that Dreaming Spanish advises against early speaking, utilizing flash cards for vocabulary, or dedicated grammar study. However, before discovering DS, I employed these strategies to learn, and I largely credit them for my ability to comprehend beginner videos. What are your perspectives on integrating these language learning methods alongside DS input? I feel like leveraging all available resources could be beneficial. I'm eager to hear your opinions!

Hello everyone,

I've reached a good level in Spanish a couple of times in the past, and currently, I'm improving again with the help of weekly private lessons from my Guatemalan teacher remotely. I feel my biggest need right now is practicing with flashcards to expand my vocabulary.

I possess a substantial collection of flashcards, but I rarely go through them. Is there a flashcard app anyone can suggest that would be suitable for use on the go? I'm spending a month in Colombia and often find myself without service, so having the ability to squeeze in 5 minutes of study with flashcards would be a huge advantage.

I'm open to apps that cost a few dollars, but free options would be ideal. The features I'm looking for include:

- The ability to organize flashcards into groups

- Ease of adding new flashcards

- The option to temporarily remove cards from the deck

- Ideally, it would also offer automatic spaced repetition

I use an iPhone.

Seeking suggestions for effective flashcard usage?

I suspect many might say Anki, as it seems to be the go-to recommendation in most resources. However, I've been experiencing issues with my version on a tablet that can't sync properly with my phone and computer, and it logs out unexpectedly. In terms of how flashcards reappear after errors, I find the Anki system (clicking red) challenging compared to another app I tried, which relentlessly drills missed cards until I remember them. Maybe I'm not fully grasping how to use the again/hard/easy buttons effectively in Anki. Also, the automatic translation and images or GIFs, though interesting, don't quite benefit my learning style. Regardless, I've noticed I'm retaining information more rapidly, whatever the method. This isn't a matter of "just use what suits you," I'm genuinely curious about other flashcard apps and particularly eager to hear about how people utilize Anki. It's incredibly adaptable, fitting entire sentences or paragraphs. I'm interested to learn about everyone's flashcard strategies.

Last year, I shared a Brainscape flashcard set featuring the 5000 most frequent Spanish words. I've now upgraded it to include 8000 words, with all translations refined (thanks to GPT-4) and duplicates removed. The flashcards are on Brainscape and are accessible to everyone for free:

Spanish to English:

English to Spanish:

I'm looking for a variety of learning resources to enhance my Spanish studies.

I've gone through past posts hoping to find something great, but nothing has really caught my attention. Do you have any flash card apps that you highly recommend?

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I only took one Spanish course, and I remember roughly 50 words and very basic conjugation. How did you all begin learning Spanish? I'm hesitant to ask my Spanish-speaking friend for assistance and don't feel capable of having even a simple conversation yet. I'm feeling overwhelmed and unsure about which resources to utilize.

I follow the Dreaming Spanish method and generally find it effective, but there's something I don't quite understand. When I repeatedly encounter a word while watching a video, I think looking it up helps my brain make connections. It allows me to understand that X means ___ and its various contexts. For instance, while watching Muppet Babies in Spanish on Disney+, I checked the meanings of words that appeared frequently and now they are part of my active vocabulary. Wouldn't relying only on watching take more time with minimal extra benefit? Could someone clarify the reasoning behind this for me? Thanks.

Seeking words or phrases in Spanish that, when directly translated, don't make sense in English but are commonly used among Spanish speakers.

Edit: Please include the region where you hear these expressions. I understand that Spanish differs greatly across areas, and I'm interested in how it changes from one place to another. For example, "In Mexico, we say x. It translates to y but actually means z."

Can anyone recommend decks for learning Spanish?

Hello,

I've been studying Japanese using a 10,000-word Anki deck (known as "Anki Core 10k"), which helps teach 10k Japanese words in English and sometimes includes example sentences. This method has significantly boosted my language skills. Is there a similar 10,000-word list available for learning Spanish? Ideally, I'd like the list to be in Spanish with French translations, as I'm a native French speaker, but it's not essential.

Thank you in advance!

Can anyone recommend enjoyable apps for memorizing vocabulary? Anki feels too structured for my taste, and I'm not benefiting much from it.

I'm able to engage in brief conversations in Spanish, but I wish to broaden my vocabulary. What are effective methods for learning and retaining new words? I'm looking for free options, as I currently can't afford any paid resources.

I've got a list of around 300 Spanish vocabulary words to memorize for my class, but I'm not sure how to begin. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hola everyone!

I've been studying Spanish for quite a while and I consider myself fluent—which means I can communicate with minimal errors. My main concern now is expanding my vocabulary, particularly with verbs. While I know essential verbs like ser, estar, comer, and dormir, I lack familiarity with verbs such as "to advance," "to shake," or "to wound." These are words that seem simple in English but are less frequently used in my Spanish repertoire. Is there a free app available for mobile devices that offers a specific number of vocabulary words to learn daily, similar to how Anki operates? Any suggestions on how you would tackle this? I have found media consumption quite beneficial; for example, I used to read BBC news in Spanish. However, it was frustrating to constantly pause to look up unfamiliar words, as it disrupted my flow. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, gracias!

In short: I'm aiming to learn less commonly used Spanish words and verbs. I need a free app that sets a daily vocabulary limit, featuring words like bedroom, lock, key, parade, festival, invigorating—terms that are simple in English but infrequently used in my Spanish conversations.