Welcome to your first Spanish lesson! In this introductory lesson, we will cover some basic information about the Spanish language, including its history, where it’s spoken, and some common phrases.
Spanish is a Romance language that originated in the Iberian Peninsula in Europe. It is the second most spoken language in the world, with over 500 million speakers. Spanish is an official language in 21 countries, including Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Peru.
Spanish has a rich history that dates back to the 8th century, when the Iberian Peninsula was conquered by the Moors, who spoke Arabic. As a result, Spanish has many words of Arabic origin. Later, in the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish explorers and conquistadors spread the language to the Americas, where it became the dominant language in many countries.
Now let’s learn some basic Spanish phrases that you can use in everyday conversations:
- Hola (OH-lah) – Hello
- ¿Cómo estás? (KOH-moh ess-TAHS) – How are you?
- Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? (BYEN GRAH-see-ahs. EE too) – Good, thank you. And you?
- Adiós (ah-DEE-ohs) – Goodbye
- Por favor (pohr fah-BOHR) – Please
- Gracias (GRAH-see-ahs) – Thank you
- De nada (day NAH-dah) – You’re welcome
- Sí (see) – Yes
- No (noh) – No
Practice saying these phrases out loud and try to use them in conversations with Spanish speakers. In the next lesson, we will learn about Spanish pronunciation and the alphabet. ¡Hasta luego! (Until later!)