Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 1

CEFR A1-A2

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Test yourself (23 questions)

Spanish Word Order: SVO, Pro-Drop and the Five Rules

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 11 October 2026

Spanish word order is Subject-Verb-Object, like English: Marta . - Marta reads the book. You already have the baseline. The work is five places where Spanish parts company with English, and each is one small rule.

#RuleSpanishEnglish
1Drop the subject pronoun .I speak Spanish.
2Pronoun before the verb .I see it.
3Adjective after the noun the white house
4No before the verb .I don't see it.
5Questions: no do or does¿ ?Do you speak Spanish?

Quick check

Now use it: three quick questions on the chart above. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake an English speaker makes. Tap it.

The SVO baseline

With no pronouns and no emphasis, the order is the English one.

SubjectVerbObjectEnglish
I eat bread
Marta Marta reads the book
The children drink milk
My brother bought a house
Subject
Verb
Object
Marta

Each rule below changes one of these three boxes: the subject box empties, a pronoun object jumps in front of the verb, and so on.

Divergence 1: Pro-drop (subject pronouns are usually dropped)

The verb ending already says who is doing it, so the subject pronoun is usually left out. Watch the ending: it is the subject.

the ending that names the subjectWhat do the colours mean?
SpanishEnglishWho?
I speak Spanish-o: I
you speak Spanish-as: you ()
he/she speaks Spanish-a: he, she,
we speak Spanish-: we
Subject
Verb
Object
empty
empty

The subject box stays empty: the ending fills it.

is not wrong, but said every time it sounds like an English speaker translating. The pronoun comes back for three jobs:

JobSpanishEnglish
Contrast .I work and you don't.
Emphasis .I did it (not someone else).
Who is it? .She speaks English.

The third job matters because alone can mean he, she or polite you. When the context already says who, drop it there too. The subject pronouns page has the full set.

Divergence 2: Object pronouns go before the verb

A full noun object sits after the verb, as in English. Swap it for a pronoun such as (it, him) and the pronoun moves in front of a conjugated verb.

Veo el libro (I see the book) becomes Lo veo (I see it)
Noun objectPronoun objectEnglish
. .I see it.
. .I'm buying it.
Juan. .I'm calling him.

With an infinitive the pronoun may instead attach to the end: . - I want to see it. Which pronoun to use, and how two of them stack, is the job of the object pronouns page and then pronoun order.

Divergence 3: Adjectives go after the noun by default

Describing adjectives (colour, size, shape, nationality) follow the noun. It is the most difference from English.

SpanishEnglish
the white house
a red car
an interesting idea
the big book
Four panels: a white house with a lilac roof and a blue door; a white dog with grey ears and a blue collar; a black cat with yellow eyes; a red car.

The thing first, then its colour: la casa blanca, never la blanca casa.

Article
Noun
Adjective

Words that count or point go before, as in English:

  • - a lot of time
  • - two houses
  • - another day

A few common adjectives can go before the noun, and then they shorten or change meaning: - a good friend; - a great man, against - a big man. That set is on the adjective agreement page. Until then, after the noun is the safe default.

Divergence 4: Negation goes before the verb

Spanish has no do or does to carry the negative. goes straight in front of the verb, and in front of any object pronoun attached to it.

No
Pronoun
Verb
Rest
empty
empty
empty
SpanishEnglish
.I don't speak English.
.I don't see it.
.I don't like it.
.I don't want to go.

When a negative word such as (nothing) or (nobody) comes after the verb, still goes in front. The double negative is correct Spanish:

  • . - I have nothing.
  • . - I don't see anybody.

Put the negative word first and the drops: . - Nobody is coming. The negation page has the full list.

Divergence 5: Yes/no questions keep the statement order

Spanish has no do, does or did. A yes/no question keeps the statement order; the voice rises at the end, and writing marks it at both ends with ¿ and ?.

Same words, same order: only the marks and the voice change
StatementQuestionEnglish
.¿ ?Do you speak Spanish?
.¿ ?Do you eat meat?
Madrid.¿ Madrid?Do you live in Madrid?
María .¿María ?Is María coming tomorrow?

The subject may also move after the verb, with no change in meaning: ¿ María ? - Is María coming tomorrow?

Where adverbs go

Adverbs are freer than the five rules, but these defaults are safe:

Kind and spotExampleEnglish
Time (either end) .I went to the cinema yesterday.
Frequency (pre-verb) .He/she is always late.
Manner (after verb) .He/she speaks very well.
Place (after verb) .I live here.
Degree (pre-adj.) very tall

means yesterday I went to the cinema; is just as good. The adverbs page has the rest.

Verb before subject

In news and stories Spanish often puts the verb first when the subject is the new information: María. - María arrived (and that is the news). You will read it long before you need to say it. The verb-subject order page explains when and why.

Questions with a question word

A question word goes first and the verb comes straight after it, before any subject: ¿ María? - Where is María? The question words page has the full set, their accents and this order in detail.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
Yo . Yo .. .the ending already says I
. .pronoun before a conjugated verb
describing adjectives follow the noun
no . .no goes before the pronoun too
¿ María ?¿ María?verb straight after the question word
No . .after no, use

What to do next

  1. Do the word-order tiles below until each sentence comes out first time.
  2. Read your next Spanish text and circle every dropped subject.
  3. Then learn which pronoun to use on object pronouns.

See also

Practise: test yourself

Put the words in order

0/5

Put the words in order.

  1. Make it negative: Veo el coche.

    Your sentence is empty.

  2. Swap el libro for a pronoun and make it negative: Veo el libro.

    Your sentence is empty.

  3. Make it a question. The order stays the same: Hablas muy bien.

    Your sentence is empty.

  4. The white house is big.

    Your sentence is empty.

  5. I want the red car.

    Your sentence is empty.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one mistake an English speaker makes. Tap it.

Mark the pattern

0/5

Mark the subject, verb and object in each Spanish sentence.

S = subject, V = verb, O = object

  1. María ve a Juan.

    Select the subject

  2. Marta ve la casa.

    Select the subject

  3. Juan tiene una casa.

    Select the subject

  4. Los niños ven el coche.

    Select the subject

  5. María tiene un perro.

    Select the subject

Pick the right one

0/5

Pick the natural, everyday Spanish.

  1. the white house

  2. I see it. (el libro)

  3. I don't see it. (la casa)

  4. Do you speak Spanish?

  5. I have nothing.

Translation drill

0/4

Translate into Spanish. Drop the subject pronoun, put the object pronoun before the verb, and put the adjective after the noun.

  1. I see Maria.

  2. I see it. (el coche)

  3. Do you speak well?

  4. Do you want the big book?

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Spanish · Free printables

Practice worksheets and infographics

Practice worksheets with answer keys built in, plus infographic and listicle formats. Open any one to view, print or save.

Infographics

  1. Key points infographic
  2. Table 1
  3. The SVO baseline
  4. Divergence 1: Pro-drop (subject pronouns are usually dropped)
  5. Divergence 1: Pro-drop (subject pronouns are usually dropped)
  6. Divergence 2: Object pronouns go before the verb
  7. Divergence 3: Adjectives go after the noun by default
  8. Divergence 4: Negation goes before the verb
  9. Divergence 5: Yes/no questions keep the statement order
  10. Where adverbs go
  11. Mistakes English speakers make

Other formats

  1. Listicle

More grammar on this course

Frequently asked questions

Is Spanish SVO?
Yes. Spanish is Subject-Verb-Object by default, the same baseline as English: Marta is Marta reads the book. The differences from English are five specific rules, not the basic order: subject pronouns are usually dropped, object pronouns go before the verb, adjectives go after the noun, no goes before the verb, and questions keep the statement order. Spanish also allows verb-subject order for new information ( María), but SVO is the default.
Why do object pronouns come before the verb in Spanish?
They are unstressed little words that lean on the verb, and with a conjugated verb they lean on it from the front: (I see it), (I'll call you). With an infinitive they attach to the end instead: (I want to see it). A full noun object stays after the verb as in English: . The object pronouns page has both charts and the rest of the rules.
Where do adjectives go in Spanish?
After the noun by default: (the white house), (a red car). A few very common adjectives usually go before: , , and the numbers ( , ). A handful change meaning with position: is a great man, is a big one. The adjective agreement page covers that set.
How do questions form in Spanish?
Keep the statement order and raise your voice at the end: becomes ¿ ? Spanish has no do or does. With a question word (, , , ) the question word goes first and the verb comes straight after it, with any subject after the verb: ¿ María?, not ¿ María ? In yes/no questions the subject may also follow the verb: ¿ María ?
Why does Spanish not need yo, or ?
Because the verb ending already says who: is I speak, is you speak, is we speak. The pronoun comes back for contrast ( , no: I work, you don't), for emphasis ( : I did it), and when could mean he, she or polite you and the context does not settle it ( ).