5 Common Language Mistakes Made As You Learn How to Speak Spanish

By Diana McGrew

Learning to speak Spanish can be a difficult process but with the desire to learn it IS possible. Even after getting a grasp of the language you can still have trouble with certain words and sentence constructions. It seems that you are saying them right, but you notice that Spanish speakers say them differently. If you learn certain Spanish language secrets, you will understand the subjects better. Such as:

1. How to use prepositions properly. A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases, such as: about, but, for and since. In Spanish they can be notoriously challenging. It can be helpful to think about the purpose of the prepositions as you learn them, rather than their translations. This will help you avoid mistakes such as pienso acerca de ti for "I think about you" instead of pienso en ti "I think in you".

2. When to use articles (un, una, el, la, los, las). Foreigners learning English often have a hard time knowing when to use or not use "a," "an" and "the," and it's the same for English speakers trying to learn Spanish. Using them incorrectly usually won't keep you from being understood, but it will mark you as someone who is awkward with the language.

3. The subjunctive mood. A verb is in the subjunctive mood when it expresses a condition which is doubtful or not factual. In English, we seldom make a distinction when verbs are in the subjunctive mood. But the subjunctive can't be avoided in Spanish if you wish to do more than state simple facts and ask simple questions.

4. Translating idioms word for word. Both languages have their share of idioms, phrases whose meanings cannot readily be determined from the meanings of the individual words. Some idioms translate exactly (for example, bajo control means "under control"), but many don't. For example, en el acto is an idiom meaning "on the spot." Translate them word for word and you'll end up with en el sitio and "in the act," both of which are incorrect.

5. Not learning when to use articles (un, una, el, la, los, las). Foreigners learning English often have a hard time knowing when to use or not use "a," "an" and "the". It's the same for English speakers trying to learn Spanish. Using them incorrectly usually won't keep you from being understood, but it will mark you as someone who feels awkward with the language.

When you learn how to speak Spanish the word order in its basic form is quite easy. It is usually like English except adjectives tend to go after the noun they describe. However, if you spend the time to learn the word order in Spanish as you listen to Spanish speaking people, you will find differences. Meaning can have subtle variations when you change the word order. Click here to learn more about common mistakes and tools to help you learn how to speak Spanish. Buena Suerte;-)