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Spanish grammar

A complete, free Spanish grammar reference organised by CEFR level — with examples, exercises and quizzes for every topic.

A1Level A1

Absolute beginner — present tense, articles, gender, basic sentence building.

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Ser vs Estar: The Complete Guide

Ser and estar both mean 'to be' in Spanish, but ser describes permanent or defining qualities such as identity, origin, profession and inherent characteristics, while estar describes temporary states and locations such as mood, condition and where something is.

Spanish Present Tense (Presente de Indicativo)

The presente de indicativo is the Spanish present tense, used for habitual actions, general truths and things happening now. Verbs are conjugated across six persons and follow one of three patterns based on their -ar, -er or -ir ending.

Spanish Articles: el, la, los, las

Spanish has four definite articles: el (masculine singular), la (feminine singular), los (masculine plural) and las (feminine plural). The article must agree with the gender and number of the noun it introduces.

Spanish Adjective Agreement

Spanish adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in both gender and number, and they normally follow the noun: un coche rojo means a red car.

Spanish Personal Pronouns

Spanish personal pronouns divide into subject pronouns (yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes), direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la) and indirect object pronouns (me, te, le). Subject pronouns are usually omitted because the verb ending already identifies the speaker.

A2Level A2

Elementary — past tenses, reflexive verbs, comparisons, everyday structures.

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Spanish Preterite (Pretérito Indefinido)

The pretérito indefinido is the Spanish preterite tense, used for completed past actions with a clear beginning and end, as in Ayer comí paella — yesterday I ate paella.

Por vs Para in Spanish

Por and para are Spanish prepositions that often both translate as 'for'. Por expresses cause, means, duration and exchange; para expresses purpose, recipient, destination and deadlines.

B1Level B1

Intermediate — subjunctive, conditionals, reported speech, connectors.

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Spanish Present Subjunctive

The subjunctive is the Spanish mood used for wishes, doubt, emotion, recommendations and situations that are not presented as fact. Unlike the indicative, which states reality, it typically appears in a subordinate clause after que.