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Spanish essential verb vocabulary: 300 words

The everyday verbs that carry most conversations (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese). This page lists 40 of them with their Spanish translations, then lets you practise the full set in either direction with spaced repetition.

English to Spanish: the first 40 words

EnglishSpanishNotes
beserTo exist, or to link a subject with a state or description.
havetenerTo possess or hold something as yours.
dohacerTo perform an action or carry out a task.
goirTo move from here toward another place.
getconseguirTo obtain or receive something; not become.
makehacerTo produce or create something.
taketomarTo get hold of something and carry it away with you.
comevenirTo move toward the speaker or arrive at a place.
seeverTo perceive something with your eyes.
knowsaberTo have knowledge or be aware of facts; not to understand or meet.
thinkpensarTo use your mind to reason or form an opinion.
saydecirTo utter words aloud.
findencontrarTo discover or locate something you were looking for.
givedarTo hand something over to someone so it becomes theirs.
tellcontarTo narrate or recount; also to communicate information to someone.
worktrabajarTo exert effort at a job or task.
callllamarTo use your voice loudly to summon someone.
tryintentarTo attempt something, putting in effort to achieve it.
feelsentirTo experience an emotion or a physical sensation.
becomeconvertirseTo grow into a new state or turn into something different.
putponerTo place something in a particular spot.
meansignificarTo express a particular sense, as a word or sign does.
keepguardarTo retain or maintain possession; not just to guard.
letdejarTo allow or permit someone to do something.
begincomenzarTo start doing something or to come into existence.
seemparecerTo appear or give a certain impression.
helpayudarTo assist someone so their task is easier.
talkhablarTo speak with someone in conversation.
turngirarTo rotate or spin around a point or axis.
startempezarTo do the first part of something, or come into being for the first time.
showmostrarTo let someone see something, or point it out to them.
hearoírTo take in sound through the ears.
playjugarTo take part in a game or amuse oneself for fun.
runcorrerTo go on foot faster than walking, with both feet leaving the ground.
movemoverTo go from one position to another, or make something do so.
likegustarTo find someone or something pleasant and enjoyable.
livevivirTo have one's home in a particular place.
believecreerTo accept something as true, or trust that someone is honest.
holdsostenerTo keep something in your hands or arms.
bringtraerTo carry or take something with you to the place where you are going.

260 more words in the full “Essential Verbs” library, each aligned across seven languages and scheduled for you by spaced repetition. Add it to your account and start drilling English to Spanish in one click.

What to watch out for in Spanish

  • Accents count. Answers are graded accent-sensitively, so you need á é í ó ú ü ñ ¿ ¡ — LinguaSwap shows a one-tap keypad for them while you type.
  • 300 words carry a usage note in the full library, for the cases where a direct translation would mislead you.

Practise Spanish essential verb vocabulary

Words come back just before you would forget them, and every language direction is tracked separately.

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