Basic vocabulary (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Basic vocabulary - Vocab list 3
This vocabulary list covers essential Spanish words that you'll need for your GCSE exam. These terms will help you ask questions, describe locations, talk about the body, and connect ideas in your speaking and writing. Mastering these fundamental words will significantly improve your ability to communicate effectively in Spanish and achieve higher marks in your exam.
Basic descriptive words
Understanding these fundamental terms will help you make comparisons and describe things more precisely. These words are particularly useful when expressing superlatives and talking about people or objects in more detail.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| alguien | someone |
| algo | something |
| el peor, la peor | the worst |
| los peores, las peores | the worst (plural) |
| el menor, la menor | the youngest |
| los menores, las menores | the youngest (plural) |
Example sentences:
- ¿Hay alguien en casa? - Is there someone at home?
- Necesito algo para comer. - I need something to eat.
- Este es el peor día de mi vida. - This is the worst day of my life.
When using superlatives like "el peor" or "el menor", remember that they must agree in gender and number with the noun they describe. This agreement is crucial for grammatical accuracy in your exam answers.
Question words
These interrogative words are essential for forming questions and gathering information. They form the foundation of conversational Spanish and are frequently tested in GCSE exams.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿cuánto(s)? | how much? / how many? (masculine) |
| ¿cuánta(s)? | how much? / how many? (feminine) |
| ¿cuándo? | when? |
| ¿dónde? | where? |
| ¿qué? | what? |
| ¿cuál(es)? | which? |
| ¿quién(es)? | who? |
| ¿por qué? | why? |
Example sentences:
- ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? - How many brothers do you have?
- ¿Dónde vives? - Where do you live?
- ¿Qué quieres hacer? - What do you want to do?
Pronunciation tip: Question words in Spanish always carry accent marks and this is essential for correct spelling in written exams. Never forget the accents when writing questions!
Negatives
These negative constructions are crucial for expressing what doesn't happen or doesn't exist. Understanding Spanish negatives is particularly important as they work differently from English grammar rules.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ninguno | no / not... any (masculine) |
| ningún | no / not... any (before masculine noun) |
| nadie, (no) nadie | nobody / no one, anybody (after negative verb) |
| ninguno / (no) ninguno | no-one / none (after negative verb) |
| nada / (no) nada | nothing / anything (after negative verb) |
Example sentences:
- No tengo ningún problema. - I don't have any problem.
- No viene nadie. - Nobody is coming.
- No quiero nada. - I don't want anything.
Grammar tip: In Spanish, double negatives are correct and commonly used. This is different from English where double negatives are considered incorrect. Embrace this rule - it's perfectly grammatical in Spanish!
Prepositions
Prepositions help express relationships between people, places, and things, especially regarding location and time. They are fundamental building blocks for creating more complex sentences and descriptions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| al | to the (masculine singular) |
| encima (de) | above |
| (en) contra | against |
| entre | between / among |
| por | by / for / through / in / at / per |
| durante | during |
| menos | except / minus |
| para / para | for / in order to |
| desde | from / since |
| en | in / on / at |
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| del | of the (masculine singular) |
| de | of / from |
| sobre | on / on top of / about |
| a | to / at / away |
| bajo | under / underneath |
| debajo (de) | underneath / below / under |
| hasta | until / up to |
| con | with |
| sin / sin | without / without |
| según | according to |
Example sentences:
- El libro está encima de la mesa. - The book is above the table.
- Vamos al cine. - We're going to the cinema.
- Estudio durante la noche. - I study during the night.
Many prepositions can combine with articles to form contractions. For example, al = a + el and del = de + el. Learning these contractions will make your Spanish sound more natural and fluent.
Parts of the body
Learning body parts is essential for describing people and discussing health topics. These words frequently appear in GCSE reading and listening exercises, particularly in contexts about sports injuries, illness, and physical descriptions.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| brazo (m) | arm |
| boca (f) | mouth |
| cuerpo (m) | body |
| corazón (m) | heart |
| diente (m) | tooth |
| dedo (m) | finger |
| espalda (f) | back |
| garganta (f) | throat |
| hombro (m) | shoulder |
| pierna (f) | leg |
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| lengua (f) | tongue |
| mano (f) | hand |
| nariz (f) | nose |
| oído (m) | ear |
| pie (m) | foot |
| pelo (m) | hair |
| cabello (m) | hair |
| piel (f) | skin |
| cabeza (f) | head |
| estómago (m) | stomach |
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| cara (f) | face |
| ojos (mpl) | eyes |
| voz (f) | voice |
Example sentences:
- Me duele la cabeza. - My head hurts.
- Tiene los ojos azules. - He/she has blue eyes.
- Levanta la mano si sabes la respuesta. - Raise your hand if you know the answer.
Study tip: Try pointing to each part of your body whilst saying the Spanish name to help memorise these words. This physical connection helps reinforce memory through kinesthetic learning. Notice that each body part has a specific gender (m) or (f) that you must learn alongside the vocabulary.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions help you connect ideas and create more complex, interesting sentences. Using these effectively will demonstrate higher-level Spanish skills and help you achieve better grades by showing sophisticated sentence construction.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| y, e | and |
| porque | because |
| pero | but |
| si | if / whether |
| como | like / as |
| o, u | or |
| ya que | since |
| pues | so / well |
| que | than |
| cuando | when |
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| donde | where |
| aunque | although |
| no obstante | however / nevertheless |
| sin embargo | however / nevertheless |
| dado (que) | given (that) |
| (no) ni ... (ni) | neither ... nor |
| sino | but rather |
| para que (+ subj) | in order to / so that |
| por lo tanto | therefore |
| mientras | while / whereas |
Example sentences:
- Me gusta el fútbol y el tenis. - I like football and tennis.
- No voy porque estoy enfermo. - I'm not going because I'm ill.
- Es pequeño pero cómodo. - It's small but comfortable.
Grammar note: Use e instead of y before words beginning with i or hi, and u instead of o before words beginning with o or ho. This phonetic rule helps with pronunciation and demonstrates advanced grammatical knowledge.
Worked Example: Practice Exercises
Spanish to English:
- ¿Dónde está tu hermano?
- No tengo ningún dinero.
English to Spanish: 3. I need something to drink. 4. The book is on top of the table.
Answers:
- Where is your brother?
- I don't have any money.
- Necesito algo para beber.
- El libro está encima de la mesa.
Key Points to Remember:
- Question words always have accent marks and help you gather information
- Negatives can be doubled in Spanish - this is grammatically correct
- Prepositions show relationships between objects and are essential for describing location
- Body parts have specific genders that you must learn alongside the vocabulary
- Conjunctions help you create longer, more sophisticated sentences in your exam answers
- Practice using these words in context rather than just memorising translations
- Regular revision of these fundamental terms will build a strong foundation for more advanced Spanish learning