40+ Excellent Spanish Exercises for Beginners

 

Certain Spanish concepts can be confusing for beginners. Here, Carmichael, CA Spanish tutor Joan B. shares some effective exercises to master the basics of the Spanish language… 

With lots of new concepts, words, and ideas, learning Spanish can be difficult for beginners. The following exercises will help you become more proficient with the building blocks of the language.

Practice these best Spanish exercises for beginners to feel more comfortable and confident speaking and writing in Spanish.

How Can I Learn Spanish at Home for Beginners?

If you want to learn a beautiful and useful new language, here are some free Spanish exercises for beginners:

• Do grammar and vocabulary exercises from workbooks – use a Spanish exercise book for beginners to get the right kinds of lessons
• Engage with Spanish media – read Spanish books , watch Spanish television, and listen to Spanish music
• Watch movies and television shows with subtitles
• Travel to Spanish speaking countries for a true immersion experience
• Find a native speaker to practice with
• Use flashcards
• Try a Spanish learning app 

Of course, one of the best ways you can learn a new language – including Spanish – is to take language lessons with a talented teacher. You’ll learn all the important grammar and vocabulary you need to know, as well as things that are harder to pick up through typical online resources, like proper pronunciation:

5 Top Spanish Exercises for Beginners

We’ll go into more detail about some specific, targeted Spanish language exercises for beginners below, but if you’re looking for a quick fix, you’ll find that these Spanish exercises for beginners fit the bill perfectly!

1. Recite Verb Conjugations

Verb conjugation is one of the keys to speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. When you can easily conjugate verbs with the different endings, -ar, -er, and -ir, you can say a lot of things and express a variety of ideas.

Choose a verb from each ending group, and recite the conjugations for different subjects. For example, conjugate caminar: camino, caminas, camina, caminamos, camináis, caminan. When you can recite the verbs in this way, you will have no problem remembering specific conjugations.

2. Repeat Subject Pronouns

It’s easy to confuse Spanish subject pronouns when you’re creating a sentence. Students often mix up he and she, or you all and them. Repeat the subject pronouns in order: yo, tú, usted, él, ella, nosotros, vosotros, ustedes, ellos. Then, repeat the pronouns and match them with various verb conjugations.

3. Identify Colors

Learning the colors in Spanish will enhance your vocabulary and help you be more descriptive while speaking or writing. All you need for this exercise is a magazine. Flip through the magazine and identify the items you know in Spanish. Say the word out loud, and then name the color. This is also a great way to practice agreement in Spanish, since the noun has to agree with the adjective in gender and number (una casa blanca, not una casa blanco).

4. Match Adjectives and Nouns

As you continue to learn Spanish, you should try to increase the complexity of what you’re able to express, so you can talk about interests, ideas, needs, and desires. Practice matching adjectives with nouns. This helps you describe the noun with more detail; it’s more descriptive to say “un muchacho bajo” than just “un muchacho.”

You can practice this by flipping through a book and choosing vocabulary, or you can use everyday objects that you know in Spanish. Then, pick an appropriate adjective to describe each object. This exercise also tests your ability to make the noun and adjective agree in number and gender (i.e. los escritorios pequeños, not los escritorios pequeña).

5. Write a Story

Understanding when to use ser vs estar is extremely important in Spanish. To practice this, write a simple story in English that uses the verb “to be” (I am, you are, he is, she is, we are, you all are, they are). Circle all the instances of “to be” in your story, and then decide whether you should use ser or estar in Spanish.

Write the correct conjugation of ser or estar above the English word. A good way to distinguish between the two is to ask yourself if the situation is referring to a temporary state, condition, or location. If you’re talking about a condition or location, you should use estar. Use ser if you’re describing things like origin, profession, dates, times, or traits.

How Can I Practice Reading Spanish?

If you want to practice your reading skills, these Spanish reading exercises for beginners should help you do so. 

• Woodward Spanish – these reading passages focus on a specific topic and come with helpful vocabulary lists to reference as you read
• 123TeachMe – here’s another compilation of Spanish passages, all categorized by the level of difficulty 
• Children’s Books Forever – you’ll find six downloadable Spanish books, complete with helpful illustrations
• GoComics – comic strips are always fun to read, and these take the enjoyment to the next (Spanish learning) level
• CNN in Spanish – this resource won’t be for the faint of heart – it’s an actual news website so you may encounter some tough Spanish vocabulary here 
• Online newspapers in Spanish – MIT has a massive compilation of Spanish newspapers here, so you can brush up on your reading skills and current events at the same time!
• Duolingo app – you’ll find all kinds of resources for Spanish language learning, including those for reading help
• Langbox – here, you’ll find a selection of Spanish stories you can buy on Amazon 
• Kindle App – you can look up “free Spanish books” and download more than 10 books on most days even without having a Kindle Unlimited membership

Spanish Translation Exercises for Beginners 

All Spanish learners, from beginner to more advanced, can benefit from some Spanish translation exercises. 

Here are some good ones to try:

• Oregon State University: illustrated recipes with food vocabulary