Spanish reading
Spanish resources
Opinion-led pieces on learning Spanish as an adult: methodology, vocabulary deep dives, regional notes.
Methodology
AQA GCSE Spanish (8692): The Vocabulary, the Topics, and What It Takes to Cover It
What the AQA GCSE Spanish 8692 specification actually asks for: 1,200+ vocabulary items across nine topics, foundation and higher tier breakdown, and how the spec maps onto a frequency-based learning approach.
14 Jun 2026
Methodology
Colors in Spanish: The 11 Basics and the Gender Agreement Rule
Colors in Spanish: the 11 basic colours, the gender agreement rule that flips rojo to roja, the fruit-named invariants like rosa and naranja, marrón vs café vs castaño, and the color de X workaround for sand, cream and bone neutrals.
11 Jun 2026
Methodology
Days of the Week in Spanish: Lunes to Domingo and the Lowercase Rule Most Learners Get Wrong
Days of the week in Spanish: lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo. The Latin etymology, the lowercase rule, the lunes-first calendar, el lunes vs los lunes, the L M X J V S D abbreviations and why X stands for Wednesday.
11 Jun 2026
Methodology
Numbers in Spanish: 1 to 100 and the Patterns That Get You to Any Number
Numbers in Spanish from cero to un millón, with the irregulars (once, doce, quince), the contracted veintiuno pattern, the cien vs ciento split, the quinientos and setecientos irregulars, gender agreement on doscientas, and the spelling rules at 21 that the textbooks bury.
11 Jun 2026
Methodology
Por vs Para: The Spanish Preposition Split, the Mnemonics That Actually Work, and the Shift Cases
Por vs para in Spanish, properly explained: the binary rule that beats the textbook lists, every category for each preposition, the shift cases where the same verb takes either, and the fixed expressions to memorise as units.
11 Jun 2026
Methodology
Ser vs Estar: The Two Spanish 'To Be' Verbs, Full Conjugation Tables, and When Each One Wins
The complete guide to ser vs estar - what each verb actually means, full conjugation tables for every major tense, the DOCTOR and PLACE mnemonics, the shift cases where the same adjective changes meaning, and when to use each one.
11 Jun 2026
Resources
Essential Spanish Words for Travel: Water, Food, Help and the 30 Words That Actually Matter
The 30 essential Spanish words for travel: agua, comida, baño, ayuda, dinero, cómo, dónde, cuánto, plus the survival-vocabulary apps quietly skip. With pronunciation, the Spain vs Latin America variants, and the phrase patterns to slot them into.
10 Jun 2026
Methodology
How to Say Beautiful in Spanish: Hermoso, Bonito, Guapo and the Word That Actually Lands
How to say beautiful in Spanish across registers, regions and contexts. Hermoso, bonito, lindo, bello, precioso, guapo - which one applies to a person, an object, a sunset, and what Spaniards versus Latin Americans actually reach for.
10 Jun 2026
Methodology
How to Say Good Morning in Spanish: Buenos Días and the Times-of-Day Greetings
How to say good morning in Spanish, plus good afternoon, good evening and good night. Buenos días, buenas tardes, buenas noches, the shortened buenas, the transition times in Spain vs Latin America, and the WhatsApp / email register most learners get wrong.
10 Jun 2026
Methodology
How to Say My Name Is in Spanish: Me Llamo, Mi Nombre Es, and How to Ask Back
How to say my name is in Spanish across registers and regions. Me llamo, mi nombre es, soy, the formal cómo se llama vs the informal cómo te llamas, and the introduction etiquette Spain and Latin America actually use.
10 Jun 2026
Resources
Top 100 Spanish Verbs: The Ones That Carry Adult Conversation
The 100 most-frequent Spanish verbs, ranked, with translations and links to full conjugations. The seven verbs that do 30% of the work, the modal cluster, the perception cluster, and which irregulars are unavoidable.
10 Jun 2026
Resources
Dreaming Spanish Review: An Honest Verdict for Adult Learners
Dreaming Spanish is real comprehensible input done unusually well, and the hours estimates are unrealistic for working adults. Use it as the listening backbone, not the whole plan.
8 Jun 2026