Vocab list 2 (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Basic vocabulary - Vocab list 2
This vocabulary list covers essential terms you'll encounter in your GCSE Spanish exam, including geographical terms, common names, and useful everyday phrases.
This vocabulary list is specifically designed for GCSE Spanish students. These terms appear frequently in listening and reading exercises, so mastering them will significantly improve your exam performance.
Countries and places
Understanding geographical vocabulary is crucial for GCSE Spanish as these terms frequently appear in listening and reading exercises.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| África | Africa |
| Asia | Asia |
| Europa | Europe |
| América Latina | Latin America |
| España | Spain |
| Reino Unido | United Kingdom |
| Venezuela | Venezuela |
| Bolivia | Bolivia |
| Ecuador | Ecuador |
Cities and regions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Islas Baleares | Balearic Islands |
| Islas Canarias | Canary Islands |
| Barcelona | Barcelona |
| Buenos Aires | Buenos Aires |
| Madrid | Madrid |
| Medellín | Medellín |
Practice Sentences with Geographical Terms:
- Vivo en España desde hace cinco años. (I've been living in Spain for five years.)
- El próximo verano voy a visitar las Islas Baleares. (Next summer I'm going to visit the Balearic Islands.)
Notice how desde hace + present tense expresses duration - this is a key grammar structure for GCSE!
Cultural events and festivals
These terms help you discuss cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries, which is a popular GCSE topic area.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Carnaval | Carnival |
| Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead |
| Las Fallas | The Fallas festival |
| Nochevieja | New Year's Eve |
| La Tomatina | Tomatina festival |
Cultural Context Example:
El Carnaval de Brasil es muy famoso en todo el mundo. (Brazil's Carnival is very famous worldwide.)
This type of sentence shows cultural knowledge and is perfect for demonstrating your understanding in speaking and writing tasks.
Common Spanish names in exams
Knowing these names helps you follow conversations and texts more easily. These names appear frequently in GCSE materials, so familiarising yourself with them will improve your comprehension skills significantly.
Girls' names
Alba, Amira, Ana, Andrea, Carla, Carmen, Elena, Fátima, Indra, Julia, Karima, Leya, Lola, Luisa, María, Marta, Monika, Nadia, Natalia, Paula, Pilar, Sara, Sofia
Boys' names
Alejandro, Antonio, Daniel, David, Diego, Emilio, Hugo, Iván, Jalil, Javier, Jorge, Juan, Lin, Luis, Malek, Manuel, Marcos, Mario, Miguel, Nadim, Omar, Raúl, Vicente
Mixed groups
Álex, Cris, Dani (can be used for boys or girls) Gaby, Sasha, Toni (can be used for boys or girls)
Adult names you might encounter
Dolores, Rosalía (female adults) Nicolás (Nico), Sebastián (male adults)
Pay special attention to names that can be shortened (like Nicolás → Nico). These variations often appear in listening exercises to test your comprehension skills.
Essential everyday phrases
These short phrases are vital for expressing yourself naturally in Spanish conversations and written work.
Greetings and politeness
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¡Buen provecho! | Enjoy your meal! |
| ¡Buenos días! | Good morning! |
| ¡Buenas tardes/noches! | Good afternoon/evening/night! |
| ¡Hasta luego/pronto! | See you later/soon! |
| de nada | you're welcome/not at all |
| desde luego | of course |
Asking questions and expressing opinions
Understanding how to ask questions and express opinions naturally is essential for higher GCSE grades.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Qué (te) pasa? | What's wrong?/What's happened? |
| ¿Qué tal (estás/está)? | How are you? |
| me da igual | I don't mind |
| me/te/le gustaría | I/you/he-she would like |
Question and Response Practice:
- ¿Qué tal estás? - Muy bien, gracias. (How are you? - Very well, thanks.)
- Me gustaría ir al cine esta noche. (I would like to go to the cinema tonight.)
These conversational exchanges are commonly tested in role-play scenarios.
Useful expressions for opinions and preferences
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| al lado (de) | next to |
| billete de ida | single ticket |
| billete de ida y vuelta | return ticket |
| en este momento | at the moment |
| hay que | you must/one must |
| ir de compras | to go shopping |
| ir(se) de vacaciones | to go on holiday/going on holiday |
Using Modal Expressions:
Hay que comprar los billetes de ida y vuelta antes del viaje. (You must buy the return tickets before the trip.)
Notice how hay que + infinitive expresses necessity - this is a high-frequency structure in GCSE Spanish.
Key grammar structures with these phrases
Understanding these structures will help you use vocabulary more effectively and achieve higher grades. These are some of the most important grammar patterns for GCSE Spanish.
Time expressions
- desde hace + present tense = for + time period
- hace falta + infinitive = it's necessary to
Expressing preferences and abilities
- me apetece + infinitive/noun = I feel like + -ing/noun
- se me da bien/mal = I am good/bad at
- vale la pena + infinitive = it's worth it (to)
Useful connecting phrases
- por un lado = on the one hand
- por otro lado = on the other hand
- tan... como = as... as
- tener ganas de = to be keen to/being keen to
Grammar Structures in Context:
- Estudio español desde hace dos años. (I've been studying Spanish for two years.)
- Me apetece salir esta noche. (I feel like going out tonight.)
- Se me da bien la música pero se me da mal el deporte. (I'm good at music but I'm bad at sport.)
These examples show how to use time expressions, preference structures, and ability expressions naturally.
Translation practice
Translation Exercise:
Spanish to English:
- Vivo en Reino Unido pero me gustaría visitar América Latina.
- ¿Qué tal estás? Me da igual lo que hacemos esta tarde.
English to Spanish:
- It's necessary to buy a return ticket.
- I've been learning Spanish for three years.
Answers:
- I live in the United Kingdom but I would like to visit Latin America.
- How are you? I don't mind what we do this afternoon.
- Hace falta comprar un billete de ida y vuelta.
- Estudio/Aprendo español desde hace tres años.
Key Points to Remember:
- Learn names by categories - grouping girls' and boys' names separately makes them easier to remember
- Practise time expressions - desde hace + present tense is essential for expressing duration
- Use connecting phrases - por un lado... por otro lado adds sophistication to your writing
- Master question forms - ¿Qué tal estás? and ¿Qué te pasa? are frequently tested
- Connect vocabulary to topics - geographical terms link to holidays, school exchanges, and cultural discussions