The Ultimate Spanish Study Guide for Beginners (2024)

Can you learn Spanish by simply following a Spanish study guide? Absolutely! Especially if you’re at a beginner level.

Nowadays, there are so many online Spanish resources that learning Spanish is no longer limited to Spanish schools. However, it’s easy to get lost with so many available options, and with no prior knowledge, it might be difficult to know where to start and how to follow.

After reading this article you’ll be able to print your first Spanish guide, and it will be crystal clear what to study. I also throw in some articles that will provide you with more theoretical (less practical) knowledge.

Let’s step up your beginner level in Spanish!

Quick Introduction to Spanish Levels

In 1996, the Council of Europe established CEFR, the Common European Framework, as a standard for the assessment and teaching of languages. It quickly became a worldwide standard. CEFR uses a six-level scale of competence: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2.

Read more: The CEFR and How Homeschool Spanish Academy Uses It

The following Spanish study guide is for beginners at the A1 level. If you cover all the points I include here, you will smoothly transition to the next level: A2.

Generally speaking, A1 level takes you between 80 to 100 study hours. The good news is that if you’ve studied (or speak) Portuguese, French, Italian, or any other Romance language, you’ll likely advance much faster.

Spanish Study Guide for Beginners (A1)

This Spanish Study Guide will let you move from level zero to the level of not getting lost in a Spanish-speaking country.

Nowadays, you do not need to go to a regular language school to learn a language. Independent learning with a good study guide, supported by apps and some one-to-one lessons to practice conversations, can be enough to advance, believe me.

This Spanish Study Guide covers three basic areas:

1. Grammar
2. Vocabulary
3. Pronunciation

You can also download it in a checklist form, and tick off topics you’ve studied and learned. Each topic comes with a suggestion of one or more blog posts that teach the topic in-depth and provide additional suggestions, tips, and materials.

If you need some tips and inspiration on what to do with your Spanish Study Guide and how to study these topics for best results, read Your Ultimate Guide to Basic Spanish for Beginners.

Spanish Study Guide for Beginners (A1) – Grammar

On the A1 level, the grammar you’ll cover is a very basic one. Don’t expect any irregularities; you’ll study simple structures, and basic regular verbs to have you covered when you find yourself thrown into a Spanish-speaking country.

1. Regular Verbs in Present Tense

Articles to read:

• Present Tense Verbs in Spanish Part 1: The Simple Present
• Help in Spanish: How to Memorize Conjugations

Learning Present tense is the place to start your grammar journey with Spanish. It’ll give you some basic regular verbs to use, grammatical persons, and your first insight into Spanish sentence structure.

2. Ser and Estar

Articles to read:

• Ser Vs Estar vs Tener: All the Ways to Say “I am” in Spanish
• Estar and Ser: Funny Mistakes and How to Use the Verbs the Right Way!

Ser and Estar both mean “to be” and you’ll need to learn when to use them. Ser has irregular conjugation but you’ll learn it quickly.

2. Tú vs. Usted

Articles to read:

• The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Spanish Subject Pronouns
• Workplace Spanish – Formal s. Informal

“You” in Spanish is slightly more complex than in English. You have to learn to distinguish between formal and informal situations and apply the correct “you” in each one of them.

3. Nouns and Adjectives – gender

Articles to read:

• Nouns in Spanish: Everything a Beginner Wants to Know
• Positive Adjectives in Spanish for Any Person or Occasion

Surprise, surprise. Nouns and adjectives in Spanish can be feminine or masculine. On the A1 level, you’ll discover the basic noun and adjective endings that indicate the gender of these parts of speech.

4. Question Words (cómo, dónde, cuándo, etc)

Articles to read:

• ‘Where Are You From?’ in Spanish and Other Essential Questions
• What’s the Deal With the Upside-Down Question Mark in Spanish?

You simply want to learn how to ask questions when you start learning a new language, don’t you? Questions are crucial to keep the conversation going and you want to start talking as soon as possible. Here, you’ll learn how to say how, where, who, what, and when, and how to use them as conversation starters.

Spanish Study Guide for Beginners (A1) – Vocabulary

Grammar is not enough. You need words and more words to use with grammar structures. Broad vocabulary will help you function in a Spanish-speaking world. This Spanish study guide includes basic vocabulary that will make your life easier dor example on vacation in Mexico.

1. Introduce Yourself

Articles to read:

• How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish
• Making Friends: How to Introduce Someone in Spanish

Step one to make Spanish-speaking friends: present yourself. Say your name and last name, exchange some fundamental greetings and salutations.

2. Ask and Give Personal Information (nationality, profession, telephone number, address, etc.)

Articles to read:

• How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish
• A Giant List of 119 Nations and Nationalities in Spanish
• How to Write Your Address in Spanish

You’ll want to say something more about yourself to your new Spanish-speaking friends. On the A1 level, you’ll learn to talk about your age, nationality, and profession. You’ll also learn how to say where you live and exchange telephone numbers to send WhatsApp messages for example.

3. Family and Its Members

Articles to read:

• Talk About Your Family in Spanish: Vocabulary and Conversation Starters.

After you get somebody a little better you may want to share some information about your family. A beginner Spanish learner should know the names of family members.

4. Physical Appearance

Articles to read:

• 75+ Physical Adjectives in Spanish for Describing People

Knowing vocabulary related to physical appearance can help your conversation partner picture for example your family members. You’ll be able to say: Mi mamá es alta, delgada y muy bonita. (My mom is tall, slim, and very beautiful).

5. Basic Personality Traits

Articles to read:

• Spanish Personality Traits: 100+ Ways to Describe Someone

Do you want to add that your brother is smart (listo) but shy (tímido)? Vocabulary related to personality traits will help you with this.

6. Town – Basic Vocabulary

Articles to read:

• How to Write Your Address in Spanish

If you don’t want to get lost in a new place, you need to know some basic vocabulary. This will help you to find a museum and this popular street with interesting shops.

7. Shopping – Basic Vocabulary

Articles to read:

• Exploring The Market in Spanish
• The Spanish Supermarket: 100+ Vocabulary Words to Empower Your Shopping Trip
• ‘How Much is it?’ in Spanish: A Guide to Travel and Shopping

Everybody loves shopping. After you master this part of Spanish vocabulary, you’ll be able to buy exotic fruit on the market and buy souvenirs for your friends back home.

9. Numbers from 0 to 1000

Articles to read:

• How to Use Numbers in Spanish
• Counting in Spanish from 1 to 100 Million (and Beyond!)
• Ordinal Numbers in Spanish – Homeschool Spanish Academy

Numbers are simply necessary for almost everything, for example, to say your age, address, understand the price, and many situations more. Hence, you should start counting in Spanish pretty early to master the topic.

Spanish Study Guide for Beginners (A1) – Pronunciation

You don’t want to sound like a robot. You already know some grammar and vocabulary but it’s worth nothing if you can’t make yourself understood because of your pronunciation. Spanish is an easy, phonetic language, but anyway, you need to get used to some sounds that are pronounced differently than in English. Here you have a Complete Spanish Pronunciation Guide for Beginners that you might want to start with.

Let’s see what pronunciation areas you should cover on the A1 level:

1. Alphabet

Articles to read:

• Spanish Alphabet Basics: Learn Your ABCs!

Do you want to spell your name to your new friend? Knowing your ABCs will help you with this. Also, if you don’t know how to write a word, you may ask somebody to spell it out for you.

2. Vowels

Articles to read:

• Pronunciation of vowels and letters C and G
• Diphthongs, Triphthongs, and Hiatus

Vowels are tricky, it looks for example like the same “i” you have in English but what sound you should apply to it! Don’t underestimate the vowel pronunciation, it’s important to master to approach fluency.

3. Consonants

Articles to read:

• Confusing Consonants in Spanish
• How to Master B/V Spelling and Pronunciation in Spanish
• Spelling Spanish Words with “C”
• Spelling Words in Spanish: Lists and Lessons with the Letter G
• Spelling Words in Spanish with the Letter H, Spelling Words in Spanish with CH
• Spelling Words in Spanish: Lessons and Lists with the Letter J
• Roll With It: Spanish Spelling Words with RR and R

As I said before, Spanish is a straightforward language as far as pronunciation is concerned, but there are some tricky consonants that you should get to know as soon as possible. For example “c” and “g” can have different pronunciations depending on a letter that follows them.

And don’t forget to roll your “Rs” when necessary!

Practice Time

Are you excited? Do you feel like starting your Spanish lessons right now?

Remember that if you need help and guidance with any of the above topics from the Spanish study guide, or you simply want to try out a new skill, you can sign up for a free class with one of our friendly, Spanish-speaking teachers from Guatemala. You learn languages to communicate with others and get to know new cultures and new worlds, so take advantage of this opportunity to practice in a one-to-one conversation.

Congratulations on your first step to Spanish fluency!

Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies? Check these out!

• A Complete Guide to Imperfect Conjugation for Beginners
• How to Talk About the Temperature in Spanish: Fahrenheit, Celcius, and Descriptions
• A Complete Guide to Preterite Conjugation for Beginners
• Local Learning Networks: Finding Homeschool Co-ops Near You
• Spanish Words with Multiple Meanings in Latin America
• How Many Words Are in the Spanish Language? Really?
• Home Sweet Classroom: Creating Engaging Spanish Lessons at Home
• Avoiding Common Errors in Spanish Grammar