Interests, wellbeing and technology (Edexcel GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Interests, wellbeing and technology
This vocabulary section covers three essential areas for GCSE Spanish: your hobbies and interests, health and wellbeing, and the technology that plays such an important role in daily life. Mastering these terms will help you discuss what you enjoy, how you stay healthy, and how you use technology.
Interests and hobbies
Understanding how to talk about your interests is crucial for speaking and writing tasks. This vocabulary covers sports, music, entertainment, and leisure activities.
When learning Spanish vocabulary for hobbies, always practice using the words in complete sentences. This helps you remember not just the translation, but how the words function in context.
Sports and physical activities
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| aficionado/a (m/f) | fan |
| baile (m) | dance |
| baloncesto (m) | basketball |
| canción (f) | song |
| competición (f) | competition |
| equipo (m) | team / equipment |
| fútbol (m) | football |
| natación (f) | swimming |
| partido (m) | match |
| tenis (m) | tennis |
Ejemplo trabajado: Usando vocabulario deportivo
- Soy aficionado al fútbol. (I'm a football fan.)
- Mi equipo favorito juega un partido el sábado. (My favourite team is playing a match on Saturday.)
- Me gusta el baloncesto porque es divertido. (I like basketball because it's fun.)
Music and entertainment
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| concierto (m) | concert |
| espectáculo (m) | show (e.g. theatre) |
| estadio (m) | stadium |
| flamenco (m) | flamenco |
| grupo (m) | group / band |
| instrumento (m) | instrument |
| música (f) | music |
| pop (m) | pop music |
| ritmo (m) | rhythm |
| rock (m) | rock music |
Ejemplo trabajado: Hablando de música
- Fui a un concierto de rock el viernes pasado. (I went to a rock concert last Friday.)
- Mi grupo favorito tocará en el estadio. (My favourite band will play at the stadium.)
- Aprendo a tocar un instrumento nuevo. (I'm learning to play a new instrument.)
Leisure and hobbies
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| juego (m) | game |
| lectura (f) | reading |
| leer | (to) read |
| leyendo | reading |
| libro (m) | book |
| miembro (m) | member |
| montar | (to) ride |
| pintar | (to) paint |
| tocar | (to) play (instrument) |
| vóleibol (m) | volleyball |
Notice that tocar specifically means "to play" when referring to musical instruments. For sports, you would typically use jugar (to play).
Wellbeing and health
This section covers vocabulary about staying healthy, dealing with illness, and maintaining physical and mental wellbeing. Understanding health vocabulary is essential for discussing lifestyle choices and personal care.
Health and wellbeing topics frequently appear in GCSE speaking exams. Practice expressing opinions about healthy lifestyles and giving advice using this vocabulary.
Physical health and fitness
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| activo/a | active |
| caminar | (to) walk |
| cansado/a | tired / tiring |
| correr | (to) run |
| cortarse | (to) cut (one self) |
| deporte (m) | sport |
| descansar | (to) rest |
| descanso (m) | break / rest |
| dieta (f) | diet |
| forma (f) | way / form |
Ejemplo trabajado: Describiendo actividad física
- Hago deporte para mantenerme activo. (I do sport to stay active.)
- Necesito descansar porque estoy cansado. (I need to rest because I'm tired.)
- Camino todos los días para estar en forma. (I walk every day to stay fit.)
Health and medical care
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| doctor/a (m/f) | doctor |
| dolor | (to) hurt |
| droga (f) | drug |
| ejercicio (m) | exercise |
| enfermo/a | ill / sick |
| farmacia (f) | chemist's / pharmacy |
| fuerte | strong |
| fumar | (to) smoke |
| hospital (m) | hospital |
| medicina (f) | medicine |
Be careful with droga - it specifically refers to illegal drugs. For medication, use medicina or medicamento.
Mental wellbeing
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| en forma | in shape / fit |
| malsano/a | unhealthy |
| mental | mental |
| pasear | (to) go for a walk |
| peligroso/a | dangerous |
| salud (f) | health |
| sano/a | healthy |
| sed (f) | thirst |
| siesta (f) | afternoon nap |
| violencia (f) | violence |
Ejemplo trabajado: Hablando de bienestar mental
- Es importante cuidar la salud mental. (It's important to look after mental health.)
- Fumar es peligroso para la salud. (Smoking is dangerous for health.)
- Me gusta pasear por el parque. (I like to go for a walk in the park.)
Technology and digital life
Technology vocabulary is essential for modern life discussions. These terms cover devices, internet usage, and digital communication. This topic appears frequently in contemporary GCSE materials as technology becomes increasingly central to daily life.
Devices and applications
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| aplicación (f) | application / app |
| bajar | (to) download |
| blog (m) | blog |
| cámara (f) | camera |
| canda | (to) change |
| chatear | (to) chat (online) |
| comentario (m) | comment |
| correo | |
| móvil (m) | mobile phone |
| portátil (m) | laptop |
Ejemplo trabajado: Usando tecnología
- Descargué una nueva aplicación en mi móvil. (I downloaded a new app on my mobile phone.)
- Uso mi portátil para hacer los deberes. (I use my laptop to do homework.)
- Me gusta chatear con mis amigos. (I like to chat with my friends.)
Internet and social media
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| datos (mpl) | data |
| Internet (m) | internet |
| jugador/a (m/f) | player |
| mensaje (m) | message |
| ordenador (m) | computer |
| publicación (f) | post / publication |
| publicar | (to) post (on the internet) |
| seguidor/a (m/f) | follower |
| streaming (m) | streaming |
| subir | (to) upload |
Notice that ordenador is used in Spain, while computadora is more common in Latin America. Both are acceptable in GCSE Spanish.
Technology features
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| tableta (f) | tablet |
| tecnología (f) | technology |
| texto (m) | text |
| vídeo (m) | video |
| videoconsola (f) | games console |
| web (f) | internet / web |
| aparato (m) | device |
| auriculares (mpl) | headphones |
| avance (m) | progress |
| colgar | (to) hang (online) |
Ejemplo trabajado: Describiendo uso de tecnología
- Veo vídeos en mi tableta todas las noches. (I watch videos on my tablet every night.)
- Los auriculares son útiles para escuchar música. (Headphones are useful for listening to music.)
- La tecnología avanza muy rápidamente. (Technology advances very quickly.)
Translation practice
Spanish to English:
- Me gusta tocar la guitarra en mi tiempo libre.
- Es importante hacer ejercicio para mantener la salud.
English to Spanish: 3. I use my mobile phone to chat with friends. 4. My favourite sport is basketball.
Respuestas:
- I like to play the guitar in my free time.
- It's important to do exercise to maintain health.
- Uso mi móvil para chatear con amigos.
- Mi deporte favorito es el baloncesto.
Pronunciation tips
- Technology terms: Many technology words are similar to English (blog, Internet, streaming)
- Sports: Remember that fútbol means football (soccer), not American football
- Health terms: Salud (health) is pronounced "sah-LOOD" with stress on the second syllable
Puntos clave para recordar:
- Gender matters - Learn vocabulary with articles (el/la) to remember gender
- Verb forms - Practice using infinitives like chatear, bajar, subir in different tenses
- Exam tip - These topics often appear in speaking tasks, so practise giving opinions about your interests
- Context is key - Use these words in sentences rather than learning them in isolation
- Technology evolves - Some terms like streaming are borrowed from English and widely understood