Words

Mensaje

Mensaje

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “mensaje”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “message”, and can refer to written, spoken and electronic messages. A few specific types of message include the following: It comes from Latin missaticum, derived from mittere (to send), which is also the root of words like “missile” and “mission”. The word […]

Mensaje Read More »

Callar

Callar

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “callar”. It’s a verb that means “to be quiet”, “to fall silent”, or “to silence”. Used reflexively (“callarse”), it means “to stop speaking” or “to shut up” (depending on tone and context). The related adjective, “callado”, means “silent”, “quiet” or “reserved”. The verb “callar” comes from Latin callare,

Callar Read More »

Desear

Desear

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “desear”. It’s a verb meaning “to wish”, “to want”, or “to desire”. While “querer” is more commonly used for everyday wanting, “desear” expresses a stronger kind of longing, or sometimes more formality. Its meaning is often similar to that of English “to wish” or “to yearn for”, and

Desear Read More »

Habitación

Habitación

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “habitación”. It’s a feminine noun meaning “room”, especially a bedroom or hotel room. Other related words include: “Habitación” is more formal than these alternatives, and often used in written or polite contexts. The word “habitación” comes from the Latin verb habitare, meaning “to inhabit”, which is also the

Habitación Read More »

Marido

Marido

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “marido”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “husband”. Another common word for “husband” is “esposo”, which can be used interchangeably with “marido”, though “esposo” tends to sound a bit more formal and is used more frequently in legal contexts. Some countries also favor one word over the other: “Marido”

Marido Read More »

Ser

Ser

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “ser”. It’s one of the two Spanish verbs that mean “to be”, the other being “estar”. Summarising the differences between “ser” and “estar” and when to use each is tricky, but generally “ser” is used for essential or permanent characteristics, while “estar” is used for temporary states and

Ser Read More »

Peligro

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “peligro”. It’s a masculine noun meaning “danger”, “risk”, or “hazard”. You’ll often see it in warning signs to alert you to danger (¡Peligro!). The word “peligro” comes from Latin periculum, which is also the source of a few English words including “peril” and “perilous”. The related adjective in

Peligro Read More »

Recordar

Recordar

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “recordar”. It’s a verb meaning “to remember” or “to remind”. While in English we have two separate words for remembering and reminding, in Spanish you can use “recordar” for both. However, when using the word to mean “remind”, you need to add an indirect object pronoun (me, te,

Recordar Read More »

Malo

Malo

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “malo”. It’s an adjective usually meaning “bad” or “evil”. It can also mean “sick” or “ill”. When used before a singular masculine noun, the word “malo” is shortened to “mal”, for example: This form of the word can also be used as a noun meaning “evil” or “sickness”,

Malo Read More »

Totalmente

Totalmente

Today’s Spanish word of the day is “totalmente”. It’s an adverb meaning “totally”, “fully”, “completely” or “entirely”. It’s formed by adding the suffix -mente to the word “total”. The word “totalmente” is just one of several adverbs that are almost identical in Spanish as in English, with the key difference being that English -ly becomes

Totalmente Read More »