Spanish TV vocabulary

Here’s a list of TV-related terms. They can be useful should you decide to move to a Spanish-speaking country and binge-watch local TV/Netflix/Hulu/HBO Latino for a few months to improve your Spanish listening skills.

10 iconic songs in Spanish everyone should know: from salsa to reggaeton

Here's a list of 10 very famous songs in Spanish (famous at the level of "I Will Survive", "Hotel California", or "Sweet Child O' Mine").

Spanish greetings beyond '¿cómo estás?': regional variations and slang

Here are some common and some less common greeting formulas in Spanish (there are so many!):

Ver vs. mirar in Spanish: understanding the difference with examples

Let's discuss ver and mirar. An English version of this text can be found at the end of the Spanish one you are about to read. Even if you are a beginner student, we encourage you to read the Spanish version first.

Spanish reflexive verbs for involuntary or accidental actions

Most of you are already familiar with the concept of reflexive verbs in Spanish. If you have taken only level one, you know the verbs we are going to label in this article as” directional verbs”.

Y vs. LL in Spanish: do they sound the same or different?

Un rayo cayó en Sevilla. Can you say this out loud? Did you pronounce the ‘y’ and the ‘ll’ differently? Can you ask your Spanish-speaking friends or relatives to say this?

6 common mistakes in Spanish you want to avoid

1. Not including the “personal a”. As we know, whenever the grammatical object is a person (or a pet), we must use the preposition a right before said object:

Spanish reading practice: a story about moving and habits (pretérito vs. imperfecto

Este artículo puede ayudar a los estudiantes de Nivel 3 en adelante a explorar las narrativas que incorporan diferentes tiempos verbales del pasado, en particular el pretérito perfecto simple y el pretérito imperfecto.

Colombian New Year traditions: a personal story (reading practice in Spanish)

El pasado treinta y uno de diciembre de dos mil veintiuno, me preparaba para recibir el año dos mil veintidós junto a mi esposa y a nuestro pequeño hijo.

Spanish verbs of change: Hacerse, volverse, ponerse, quedarse

Change and adaptation is a constant in life that has been the topic of many theories and thoughts. We have several ways to express the nature of these changes in Spanish that could be confusing at first glance.

Spanish basic tenses explained: presente vs. pretérito perfecto vs. pretérito imperfecto

Verb conjugation is the backbone of Spanish learning. Strong conjugation skills allow students to ask and answer questions confidently and set the mood for a productive and fulfilling learning experience.

How to use 'ya' in Spanish: meanings, examples, and common expressions

If you are slightly advanced in your Spanish learning journey, you have for sure come across the adverb ya many times.

What is the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)? A beginner's guide

What do you think about when you hear IPA? Well, I probably just made you think about how you could really take a break from work and go for a cold beer; oops, sorry for that, that's on me.

Day of the Dead explained: traditions, altars, and cultural significance

It is said that on the nights of November 1st and 2nd the souls of the dead come home to visit their loved ones and have their favorite foods and treats left on an altar by family members for them to enjoy and remember the days when they were alive.

Soccer vocabulary in Spanish

Here is a list of words and expressions related to fútbol, the most popular sport in the world, in Spanish.

Voseo in Spanish: understanding 'vos' in Argentina and Latin America

In the Spanish-speaking world, we widely use the pronoun tú to address those with whom we have a familiar relationship, like our friends or colleagues, or those we have some form of seniority over, like children or subordinates.

Spanish verbs ser & estar in depth

Beginner Spanish students are often told that ser is for permanent things and estar is for temporary things, except for location, which is always estar, even if it’s a permanent location.

Understanding 'haber' in Spanish: impersonal verb vs. auxiliary verb

Most Spanish students are very familiar with the verb ‘haber’ in its present impersonal form ‘hay’, but many tend to forget — or simply don’t know — its infinitive form.

Spanish regular verbs

Memorizing verbs (and their conjugations) is the single most important part of learning Spanish. As you probably know, a lot of verbs are "regular", meaning they follow a standard conjugation pattern.

The surprising origins of Spanish words: from Arabic to Basque

Have you ever paused to think that the words we use every day, such as perro, izquierda, albahaca, bufanda, zanahoria, naranja, toalla, reloj, piel, remolacha, azúcar, alcohol, toalla, mar, rival, puente, pais, ciudad, queso, ventana, tomate, aguacate, cabello and alcalde date back hundreds, if not thousands, of years?

How to roll your Rs in Spanish

It may sound obvious, but effective, satisfactory learning requires a solid grasp of basic skills and rules. For Spanish students, a strong foundation includes, among others, mastering the conjugation of regular and irregular verbs;

5 ways to express obligation in Spanish and their differences

We all have obligations and things to do in our everyday lives, and these tasks will often differ in their nature. From moral values to menial chores, our day to day is filled with a vast collage of duties that dictate our priorities.

The Spanish future tense: expressing uncertainty and doubt

No matter how conscientiously we plan our day, our week, our life, the only certain thing about the future is its inherent uncertainty.

How to memorize Spanish verb conjugations

Learning how to conjugate verbs in Spanish is something most people struggle with at first. But don't worry! In this article, we'll provide you with some tips for memorizing verb conjugations so that you can speak like a pro in no time.

Perífrasis verbales: verbal periphrasis in Spanish explained (article in Spanish)

La perífrasis verbal es una combinación de verbos que se utiliza para comunicar diversos aspectos de una acción, tales como su intención, comienzo, duración, transcurso o fin.

The Spanish alphabet: pronunciation guide for English speakers

The Spanish alphabet consists of the Latin alphabet (which is the one English uses) plus the letter Ñ (eñe): A a B b C c D d E e F f G g H h I i J j K k L l M m N n Ñ ñ O o P p Q q R r S s T t U u V v W w X x Y y Z z

The pronoun “se” and its interesting uses in Spanish

If you’ve taken Spanish classes with Berges, you’ve probably seen the pronoun “se” since level 1 when you learned the reflexive verbs.

Guitar vocabulary in Spanish

Whether you're a seasoned guitarist or just starting out, being able to talk about your instrument in Spanish opens up new possibilities—from discussing gear with Spanish-speaking musicians to following tutorials and reviews.

Grammatical cases explained: nominative, accusative, dative, and more

Here are the most important grammatical cases, explained. Vocative - used to address someone / to get someone’s attention: Peter, can you hear me?

Understanding 'lo' in Spanish: the most versatile little word

As language learners, we often focus on the big, impressive vocabulary—those polysyllabic words that make us sound sophisticated. But sometimes the smallest words in a language carry the most weight and cause the most confusion.