Words

Ganar

Ganar

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “ganar”. It’s a verb that can have several meanings, including “to earn”, “to gain” and “to win”. Like the English word “gain”, it’s thought to ultimately derive from a Germanic word related to hunting or fishing. Unlike in English, Spanish doesn’t always distinguish between “earning” and “winning”, so […]

Ganar Read More »

Papá

Papá

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “papá”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “dad”, or “daddy”. Like the English word “dad”, “papá” is informal. The more formal way to refer to your father is “padre” (“father”). The plural, “los papás”, translates as “parents”, so “mis papás” would translate as “my parents” or “my mom and

Papá Read More »

Minuto

Minuto

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “minuto”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “minute”. Like in English, it’s often used to suggest a very brief period of time that may not last exactly a minute, for example in the phrase “¡Espera un minuto!” (“Wait a minute!”). The word “minuto” comes from Latin minutus, meaning “small”.

Minuto Read More »

Probablemente

Probablemente

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “probablemente”. It’s an adverb meaning “probably”. You may have noticed that while many English adverbs end in -ly, many Spanish adverbs end in -mente. Here are just a few examples: This doesn’t mean that all Spanish adverbs end in -mente, but it’s a common pattern. The Spanish word

Probablemente Read More »

Calle

Calle

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “calle”. It’s a feminine noun meaning “street”. Like in English, Spanish has several different words for types of street and road. Here are a few of the most common: The word “calle” comes from Latin callis, meaning “path”. Example sentences Hay un perro sentado en la esquina de

Calle Read More »

Gusto

Gusto

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “gusto”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “taste”, “flavor”, “pleasure” or “liking”. The word “gusto” is used in a few conventional polite phrases. These include “con gusto” to mean “you’re welcome” when someone thanks you for something, and “mucho gusto” to mean “nice to meet you” when meeting someone

Gusto Read More »

Trato

Trato

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “trato”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “deal” or “contract”. It can also mean “manner” or “treatment” (in the sense of behavior towards someone rather than medical treatment). The word for “treatment” in a medical context is “tratamiento”. Confusingly, “trato” is also the first-person singular form of the verb

Trato Read More »

Suficiente

Suficiente

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “suficiente”. It’s an adjective meaning “enough”, or “sufficient”. When used to describe a person, it can also mean “smug” or “self-satisfied”. Like the English word “sufficient”, it ultimately derives from Latin sufficiens, meaning “adequate”. Example sentences No tengo suficiente tiempo para terminar el proyecto. I don’t have enough

Suficiente Read More »

Perro

Perro, Perra

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “perro” in the masculine form, or “perra” in the feminine form. It’s a noun meaning “dog”, or “bitch” (in the feminine form). Unlike in English where the word “bitch” is considered rude except when used in certain contexts such as dog breeding, in Spanish it is normal to

Perro, Perra Read More »

Peor

Peor

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “peor”. It means “worse” or “worst”, and can be used as an adverb or an adjective. When preceded by a definite article such as “el”, “la” or “lo”, the word “peor” translates as “worst”. Otherwise, it translates as “worse”. Contrast the following: The word “peor” comes from Latin

Peor Read More »