If you want to say, “Can I have… ?” in Spanish, you would generally say, “¿Puedo tener…?” Other variants include, “Me das…” (the informal singular version), as well as, “Me da…” (formal singular). “Me gustaría…” is yet another option if you’d like to say, “I would like…” There are also other versions that range from highly informal slang to the most polished and polite.
Phrases like these can often be a challenge for beginners, as they each have specific circumstances where they might be most appropriate. Fortunately, getting a few down feels accessible to many—especially for those who speak languages like English, French, or Italian. When languages come from the same family, they tend to share words that are highly related to one another (cognates) or have noticeable similarities because they are directly linked to the same root language. That’s why you’ll find English words like “quality” that sound remarkably similar in French (qualité), Italian (qualità), and Spanish (calidad). In addition to familiar-sounding vocabulary and spelling, you will notice Spanish also has a clear system of pronunciation, with far fewer irregularities than you’ll find in English. The Spanish alphabet, too, is an almost exact match to English. Aside from the twenty-six letters you already know, there are just three more you’ll need to remember: ch (chay), ll (elle), and ñ (eñe).
With Rosetta Stone’s immersive approach, you’ll learn the language, not just the words. What makes Rosetta Stone unique is that we prepare you to use your new language in your everyday life. So it’s not just about the features, but what you’re able to do because of them. That way, you’ll be ready to handle any situation with ease and confidence.
Learning & Pronouncing Spanish Words
Many individuals decide to learn Spanish because they find that they often encounter the Spanish language in their everyday life. Spanish is prominently featured in popular music, restaurant fare, and many other aspects of our culture. Other individuals choose to learn Spanish because they have plans to travel to or do business in one of the 20 countries in which Spanish is the official language. Whether you need Spanish language skills for everyday life here at home, for leisure travel abroad or for work purposes, you will be off to a great start by familiarizing yourself with some of the most common Spanish words and phrases. Learning basic Spanish words and phrases is very important. That’s because learning grammar alone will not allow you to understand how the Spanish language is used by the estimated 437 million Spanish speakers around the globe.
The key to learning Spanish is to focus on pronunciation instead of vocabulary acquisition. This proven approach will help you to learn to speak Spanish with confidence. It’s entirely too common for beginner language learners to get caught up in trying to memorize long lists of phrases or flashcard decks full of words. As a result, many new language learners end up without the ability to understand or be understood in actual Spanish conversations. To avoid this outcome, it’s critical to learn to pronounce and understand commonly used phrases in Spanish. This approach will lead to comfort and confidence in engaging in conversation with locals.
As you may have noticed—Spanish does have a few crucial differences in pronunciation that can make it a bit of a challenge for some learners, at least early on. One example is found with the letter r which is pronounced differently and takes some practice for most new learners. This distinct sound is formed by tapping the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth, about a third of the way back in the mouth. Some Spanish language experts counsel new Spanish learners to practice making the “tt” sound, as it sounds in the English word butter.
Your ability to develop accurate Spanish pronunciation depends on you getting immediate and accurate feedback. Based on this feedback, you’ll be able to make pronunciation corrections, and then practice until your mouth gets used to naturally shaping the distinct sounds that make up the Spanish language. Rosetta Stone integrates TruAccent, our patented speech-recognition engine, into every single language learning lesson. TruAccent offers instant feedback that will help you align your accent with the accent of native Spanish speakers. TruAccent was expertly developed by scanning and integrating the speech of native and non-native Spanish speakers, so it can be very effective in helping you quickly learn to understand and be understood in Spanish.
Once you have learned the basics that are the building blocks of speaking Spanish, it will be a natural transition to the longer phrases that are the backbone of Spanish conversations. Rosetta Stone’s 10-minute lessons are built in just this way, leading to your ability to speak comfortably and confidently in context with real-life situations.
Try Our Award-Winning App
Surround yourself with Spanish whenever, wherever with the Rosetta Stone app .
Download a unit and knock it out on the train or a flight. Select a 5-10 minute lesson and sneak it in while you wait in line or for your ride to show up. And explore dynamic features, like Seek and Speak, where you can point at an object in the real world and get a translation .
The best part? You don’t have to choose between app or desktop. Both come with your subscription and sync, so you can switch between devices seamlessly.
