Learn Spanish (Latin America) 🌎

¿Hola como estás? 👋 ! Here’s our curated content for training your passive understanding of the language.

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⏰ Time spent here also counts towards your streak.

Language competency consists of active vocabulary, but also passive vocabulary and natural pattern recognition. Train essential listening skills, understand grammar and morphing patterns.

Knowing Basic Phrases allows you to stay in the language instead of switching to English. Listening-Reading videos is a comfortable yet intense training of your listening skills. It also allows you to explore the country through videos.

If you want to really be comfortable, have lessons. What makes Lingophant unique is that you can create your 100% personalised vocabulary from conversations. 45 minutes per week with a friend or a teacher is already enough input for a constant stream of engaging sentences to practice between lessons.

📔 Basic Phrases

These phrases are the perfect point of departure for serious learners. They help you stay in the language, without needing to switch to English. And you internalize patterns.

Unlock them one-by-one in the app, and memorize them from the “Practice” tab.

01 – Basic Phrases — 17 phrases
02 – Introductions — 21 phrases
03 – Useful Reactions — 26 phrases
04 – Clarifications — 18 phrases
05 – Learning Languages — 20 phrases
06 – Interests, Opinions, Preferences — 24 phrases
07 – Travel Phrases — 21 phrases
08 – Smalltalk — 22 phrases
09 – Politeness — 9 phrases

This is just to get you started. For personalized phrases, we recommend sessions of 45 minutes with a native speaker.

  • Know 300 phrases and you can make jokes and impress people
  • Know 600 phrases and you can hold basic conversations
  • Know 1000 phrases and you start communicating effortlessly

And because of working with audio, you’ll get compliments on your pronunciation a lot. We promise!

🎧 Train your listening skills with proper documentaries

We have selected enjoyable documentaries and reportage channels. Watch them, listen to the language, and build a natural intuition. Some polyglots swear by this method — 30 minutes a day builds working proficiency.

BBC News Mundo (4.76m subs)

BBC News Mundo (view channel) – ¡Hola! Bienvenidos a BBC Mundo. Este es el canal oficial de YouTube de la BBC en español. Si te interesa la actualidad internacional y buscas una cobertura imparcial estás en el mejor lugar.

N+ UNIVISION (10.40m subs)

N+ UNIVISION (view channel) – El referente de noticias en español para la comunidad hispana en Estados Unidos.

EL COMERCIO (1.64m subs)

EL COMERCIO (view channel) – Bienvenidos al canal de YouTube de El Comercio, un lugar donde podemos conversar sobre el acontecer nacional y mundial, así como conectarnos con nuestros seguidores. Acá encontrarás documentales y reportajes sobre lo que ocurre en el Perú y mundo.

Confidencial (539k subs)

Confidencial (view channel) – ¡Este es el canal de Confidencial Nicaragua! 📹🇳🇮

Narcosistema con Anabel Hernández (400k subs)

Narcosistema con Anabel Hernández (view channel) – Bienvenidos a Narcosistema, soy Anabel Hernández, periodista de investigación. Este podcast tiene el propósito de hablar sobre el crimen organizado, los cárteles y su conexión con el más alto nivel de la política mexicana, empresarios y personalidades de todos los ámbitos de la vida pública de México. Este podcast tiene el objetivo hablar de todo aquello de ese sistema que poco a poco ha ido erosionando y destruyendo a nuestro país, el Narcosistema

Nat Geo en Español (1.52m subs)

Nat Geo en Español (view channel) – Un paso a lo maravilloso! Bienvenidos al canal oficial de National Geographic en Español.

Documentales gratuitos (290k subs)

Documentales gratuitos (view channel) – Vea nuestros últimos documentales sobre la naturaleza y la vida salvaje.

GeoDocs – Español (155k subs)

GeoDocs – Español (view channel) – ¡Sean bienvenidos a nuestro canal dedicado a documentales que revelan las maravillas del mundo, sus culturas fascinantes y la riqueza de la vida silvestre! Aquí encontrarás producciones en español, con una calidad impecable en 4K.

Bianca Graulau Español (35k subs)

Bianca Graulau Español (view channel) – Reportajes de temas de Puerto Rico y el mundo en español.

Antártica Press (30k subs)

Antártica Press (view channel) – Periodismo en territorio.

🎧 Train listening with weird popular YouTube videos

It’s like zapping TV through another linguistic and cultural universe. Watch what native speakers watch. We hope you find something interesting.

🧑‍🏫 Grammar overview in 9 chapters

Below is an overview of the most important grammar topics. Each chapter has a short explanation and recommended videos.

While memorizing phrases, you’ll likely recognize patterns from grammar. You can add a note or question to a card and get it answered next time you’re with a teacher.

Ser vs. Estar (Two Ways to Say ‘To Be’) A1

Spanish has two verbs that both translate as ‘to be’ in English: ser and estar. Ser is used for permanent or defining characteristics — identity, nationality, profession, and inherent qualities (e.g., ‘Soy mexicano’ — I am Mexican; ‘Ella es doctora’ — She is a doctor). Estar is used for states, conditions, locations, and feelings that are temporary or changeable (e.g., ‘Estoy cansado’ — I am tired; ‘Estamos en la ciudad’ — We are in the city). The same adjective can change meaning depending on which verb you use: ‘Es aburrido’ means he is a boring person, while ‘Está aburrido’ means he is bored right now.

A helpful trick is to link estar with the acronym FELT + Location: Feelings, Emotions, Location, and Temporary states. Everything else tends to be ser territory. Practice by noticing which verb appears in the phrases you study on the app and asking yourself why. Once you internalize this split, you will sound dramatically more natural and avoid one of the most common errors English speakers make in everyday Spanish conversation.

  • When to Use Ser or Estar | Spanish For Beginners (Ep.2.5) – AIB: Highly popular beginner-focused lesson that reviews ser and clearly explains when to use each verb with structured examples, making it ideal for A1 learners.
  • Ser or estar? [Speaking Spanish] – Butterfly Spanish: A clear, engaging explanation of ser vs. estar with practical examples and high viewer trust, well-suited for absolute beginners learning to distinguish the two verbs.
  • Ser vs Estar: Spanish Lesson #3 – BaseLang: A concise, well-structured lesson that covers the core distinction between ser and estar in under 5 minutes, perfect for beginners who want a quick but solid overview.

Present Tense: Regular & Key Irregular Verbs A1

The present tense in Spanish is used far more broadly than in English — it covers what is happening now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans (‘Mañana trabajo’ — I work tomorrow). Regular verbs follow predictable endings for three groups: -ar verbs like hablar (hablo, hablas, habla…), -er verbs like comer (como, comes, come…), and -ir verbs like vivir (vivo, vives, vive…). However, the highest-frequency verbs — tener (to have), ir (to go), querer (to want), poder (to be able), hacer (to do/make), and venir (to come) — are irregular and must be memorized as they appear constantly in real speech.

Rather than drilling full conjugation tables in isolation, learn irregulars through chunked phrases you already use: ‘tengo que…’ (I have to…), ‘quiero un…’ (I want a…), ‘puedo ayudarte’ (I can help you). These high-frequency chunks will embed the forms naturally. Mastering the present tense unlocks the ability to talk about your daily life, express needs and desires, and hold basic conversations on virtually any everyday topic.

Noun Gender & Adjective Agreement A1

Every Spanish noun is either masculine or feminine, and this gender affects the articles and adjectives that accompany it. Masculine nouns typically use el/un (el libro — the book) while feminine nouns use la/una (la mesa — the table). Adjectives must match the noun in both gender and number: ‘un chico alto’ (a tall boy) becomes ‘una chica alta’ (a tall girl), and in the plural ‘chicos altos’ / ‘chicas altas’. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine and most ending in -a are feminine, though there are important exceptions like ‘el día’ (masculine) and ‘la mano’ (feminine).

The most effective strategy is to always learn a new noun together with its article — store it as ‘la mesa’ not just ‘mesa’. This turns gender into a memory feature of the word itself rather than a separate rule to recall under pressure. Once this agreement becomes automatic, your Spanish will sound polished and connected, and you will be able to build descriptive sentences — describing people, places, and objects — with natural fluency.

Preterite Tense (Completed Past Actions) A2

The preterite (pretérito indefinido) is the primary past tense used in Latin American conversation to talk about actions that are completed and viewed as finished events: ‘Fui al mercado’ (I went to the market), ‘Comimos tacos’ (We ate tacos), ‘Ella llamó ayer’ (She called yesterday). Regular -ar verbs take endings like -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -aron, while -er/-ir verbs use -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -ieron. Several very common verbs — ser/ir (both become fui), tener, estar, hacer, poder — have irregular preterite stems that simply need to be learned.

Focus first on the third-person singular (-ó / -ió) and first-person singular (-é / -í) forms, since these come up most in storytelling and recounting events. Notice time markers like ayer (yesterday), la semana pasada (last week), and hace un momento (a moment ago) — they are reliable signals that the preterite is coming. Internalizing this tense lets you recount experiences, tell stories, and talk about your past in real conversations — an essential ability for connecting with people.

Gustar-Type Verbs (Expressing Likes & Feelings) A2

The verb gustar and a family of similar verbs — encantar (to love), molestar (to bother), parecer (to seem), doler (to hurt), faltar (to be missing) — work differently from typical verbs. Rather than ‘I like tacos,’ Spanish says the equivalent of ‘Tacos please me’: ‘Me gustan los tacos.’ The verb agrees with the thing doing the pleasing (tacos, plural), not with the person. The person is indicated by an indirect object pronoun: me (me), te (you), le (him/her/you formal), nos (us), les (them/you all). So ‘Me gusta la música’ (I like music) vs. ‘Le duele la cabeza’ (His/her head hurts).

Think of it as the subject and verb being flipped compared to English. A practical trick: always start by choosing the correct pronoun (me/te/le/nos/les), then pick gusta or gustan based on whether what follows is singular or plural. This structure is everywhere in daily Latin American Spanish — used to express preferences, complaints, needs, and opinions. Mastering it lets you talk about what you enjoy, what bothers you, and how you feel, which forms the backbone of casual, personal conversation.

Reflexive Verbs & Daily Routine A2

Reflexive verbs in Spanish describe actions done to or for oneself, and they are marked by reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, se. Many daily-routine verbs are reflexive: levantarse (to get up), bañarse (to shower), vestirse (to get dressed), llamarse (to be called), sentirse (to feel). The pronoun goes before a conjugated verb (‘Me levanto a las siete’ — I get up at seven) or can attach to an infinitive (‘Voy a bañarme’ — I’m going to shower). Beyond daily routines, reflexive constructions signal reciprocal actions (‘Nos queremos’ — We love each other) and emotional states (‘Me alegro’ — I’m glad).

The best way to internalize reflexives is to narrate your own morning routine aloud using these verbs — it is repetitive and predictable, which makes the pronouns stick quickly. Watch for the -se ending on infinitives in the app as your cue that a verb behaves reflexively. Once you have these down, you can describe your daily life, talk about how you feel, and understand a huge range of sentences that would otherwise seem mysterious.

Object Pronouns (Lo, La, Le, Me, Te…) B1

Object pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition and are essential for flowing, natural Spanish. Direct object pronouns answer ‘what?’ or ‘whom?’: lo (it/him/masculine), la (it/her/feminine), los, las. Indirect object pronouns answer ‘to/for whom?’: me, te, le, nos, les. In Latin American speech, le and les are used as indirect objects even when referring to people (rather than the ‘leísmo’ of Spain). These pronouns almost always come directly before the conjugated verb: ‘¿El libro? Ya lo tengo’ (The book? I already have it). When combined, indirect comes first: ‘Te lo doy’ (I give it to you), and le/les become se before lo/la: ‘Se lo expliqué’ (I explained it to him).

The key insight is to listen for these small words right before verbs in the app’s audio — they are easy to miss but carry critical meaning. A useful drill is to take a sentence and mentally substitute the noun with the right pronoun. Once you handle object pronouns smoothly, your Spanish stops sounding like translated English: you can give things, ask for things, and talk about people without repeating nouns awkwardly, which is a hallmark of genuine fluency.

Present Subjunctive: Wishes, Doubts & Recommendations B1

The subjunctive mood feels intimidating but its core uses appear constantly in spoken Latin American Spanish. It is triggered in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, emotion, doubt, or recommendation — essentially when one subject influences or reacts to another. Common triggers include: quiero que (I want you to…), espero que (I hope that…), es importante que (it’s important that…), no creo que (I don’t think that…), and te recomiendo que (I recommend that you…). The present subjunctive is formed by taking the yo present-tense form, dropping the -o, and adding ‘opposite’ endings (-e endings for -ar verbs, -a endings for -er/-ir verbs): hablar → hable, comer → coma, vivir → viva.

Rather than memorizing abstract rules, learn the subjunctive by anchoring it to the trigger phrases you encounter in the app — treat ‘quiero que + subjunctive’ as a fixed chunk at first. Listen for it especially in recommendations, instructions, and expressions of feeling. Once you recognize and produce this structure, you unlock the ability to express nuanced ideas: hopes, advice, doubts, and emotional reactions — the kind of language that moves conversations beyond simple facts into real personal expression.

  • Introduction to the Present Subjunctive in Spanish – Señor Jordan: Highly structured and beginner-friendly introduction with clear examples of subjunctive triggers (wishes, recommendations, emotions), backed by nearly 750K views confirming its proven quality for learners.
  • The Subjunctive in Spanish | The Language Tutor *Lesson 58* – The Language Tutor – Spanish: A thorough 16-minute lesson that walks B1 learners through subjunctive usage with well-organized examples of desire, doubt, and recommendation triggers, supported by over 430K views.
  • Learn the Spanish Subjunctive in 10 Minutes – Tell Me In Spanish: A concise, approachable 10-minute guide from a Latin American Spanish speaker that directly addresses when and how to use the subjunctive, making it especially relevant for learners targeting Latin American Spanish.

Imperfect vs. Preterite (Two Past Tenses) B2

While the preterite marks completed events, the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto) describes ongoing states, habitual past actions, background context, and descriptions in the past. Regular imperfect endings are highly consistent: -ar verbs take -aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, -aban; and -er/-ir verbs take -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -ían. Only three verbs are truly irregular: ser (era), ir (iba), and ver (veía). In storytelling, the two tenses work as a team: the imperfect sets the scene (‘Llovía y hacía frío’ — It was raining and cold) while the preterite advances the plot (‘De repente, sonó el teléfono’ — Suddenly, the phone rang).

A vivid way to remember the distinction: think of the preterite as a photograph (a single captured moment) and the imperfect as a video (ongoing, continuous). Time expressions help too — ‘siempre,’ ‘todos los días,’ and ‘cuando era niño’ signal the imperfect, while ‘ayer,’ ‘de repente,’ and ‘una vez’ signal the preterite. Mastering this contrast allows you to tell stories and anecdotes with the same natural rhythm that native speakers use, painting background scenes while moving the action forward — a defining feature of confident, expressive Spanish.