If you want to say “to mean” in Spanish, “significar” or “querer decir” are the two options you’ll hear most frequently. They’re used interchangeably. On the other hand, if you’re saying “mean” as an adjective, you’ll want to use “malo.” Here are a few examples of how the options are used in everyday conversations:
- “Señor” significa “sir” en Inglés. = “Señor” means “sir” in English.
- ¿Qué quiere decir este párrafo?= What does this paragraph mean?
- ¡Eres tan malo! = You are so mean!
Getting comfortable with the nuances of Spanish can take some time. But remember, you don’t have to tackle it all at once. As you move forward on your language journey, you’ll learn to distinguish which option you should use without giving it much thought.
Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion® methodology teaches you to speak the language, not just memorize the words. What makes it effective 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. It helps you get ready to handle situations with confidence.
Learn Spanish Words and Phrases
To begin your language journey, you’ll want to start with some basic building blocks. These are essential Spanish words and phrases such as who, what, when, where, why, yes, no, please, and more. Learning these basics can put you on the path to having everyday conversations in Spanish. Here’s a list of some of the most common words and phrases:
- ¿Quién? = Who?
- ¿Qué? = What?
- ¿Por qué? = Why?
- ¿Dónde? = Where?
- Hola = Hello
- Sí = Yes
- No = No
- Me gusta = I like
- No me gusta = I don’t like
- Adiós = Goodbye
- Por favor = Please
- Gracias = Thank you
- Lo siento = Sorry
- Salud = Bless you
It’s worth mentioning that if you already speak another major European language, learning Spanish should go smoothly. Because English, just as Italian and French, has deep roots in Latin, and these languages all share thousands of words with contemporary Spanish. These shared words are called cognates and have significant similarities in spelling and/or pronunciation. That’s why you’ll notice that there are many English words and phrases like the word “chemistry” that sound remarkably similar in French (chimie), Italian (chimica), and Spanish (química).
To hone your pronunciation, you’ll need immediate feedback on your efforts. Rosetta Stone helps you dial in your pronunciation with our TruAccent™ speech-recognition engine. TruAccent compares your voice to native and non-native speakers so you get the feedback you need for the most accurate pronunciation. It’s also adjustable, which allows you to tweak your accent as needed. TruAccent is a powerful tool for helping you learn and speak the Spanish language.
After you have learned to pronounce basic words and short phrases, it’s a natural transition to move to the longer phrases you’ll use in everyday conversation. Rosetta Stone’s short, 10-minute lessons are built in just this way—first teaching the basics, then tackling the longer phrases. This approach helps you acquire the skills to speak Spanish with confidence.
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.
