White sandy beaches, gorgeous waterfalls, and bustling cities are why you will always find at least one Spanish-speaking country in top 10 lists of places to visit. Learning common Spanish verbs will help you travel confidently to these places since you’ll be able to communicate with people there.
Why Knowing Common Spanish Verbs Is Helpful
I looked at a bunch of travel destination lists and at least one Spanish-speaking country was on each list. In an article that ranked the top 50 places that should be on your bucket list, 6 of them were Spanish-speaking countries. After English, Spanish was the only language on that list that is spoken in multiple countries.
With more than 500 million Spanish-speakers in the world, learning common Spanish verbs will help you travel confidently whether you go to one of the more than 20 countries that speak Spanish or if you travel around the United States (the country with the second largest number of Spanish speakers after Mexico).
Plus, traveling is more fun when you can speak the language where you’re traveling. Whether you’re visiting a Spanish-speaking country or a Spanish-speaking community in the United States, knowing the most common Spanish verbs can take you far with communicating with others.
For instance, in a Spanish-speaking country being able to speak Spanish helps when you go to the market especially if you like to bargain. I hate it! They tell me a price, and I pay it. On one trip to Mexico, I was with a friend who was astounded that I had never bargained in the market before and didn’t like to.
He loved bargaining! He made me bargain on that trip. Lol My one and only time. If you like bargaining like my friend, you’ll be a lot more successful with it if you can speak the same language as the vendor!
I did love speaking Spanish when I went to the supermarket, though. They probably thought I was crazy because in the bakery section I piled my tray as high as I could with every type of pan dulce I could fit on it.
I definitely enjoyed the restaurants more too. On another trip to Mexico, I went with a different friend who didn’t speak Spanish. Going to restaurants is way more enjoyable when you can read the menu and talk to the waiters.
I get a thrill when I’m communicating with someone in their first language. They appreciate the effort of others learning their language too. When you’re able to understand them and you can say enough that they understand you, it’s so exciting!
We had neighbors from Mexico who spoke very little English and had kids a little younger than Aidan. They came over one day because they wanted to play with Aidan. It was so much fun to talk to them in Spanish and help them start playing together! It’s also super fun to go into a Mexican store or panadería (bakery) – mmmmm, pan dulce – and be able to speak to the clerk in Spanish.
You don’t need to know a lot of Spanish to talk to people when you go to the market, the supermarket, or restaurants. When I talked with our neighbor kids and when I go into a panadería, I use the most common Spanish verbs like “want,” “have,” and “is there.” You can usually get your message across when you know the most frequently used verbs, and my experience has been that Spanish-speakers will help you when they know Spanish isn’t your first language.
Verbs are the most important to learn since you can’t look up the conjugated forms in a dictionary and Google translate isn’t always accurate. Plus, who wants to keep stopping a conversation to look every word up?
My friend from El Salvador told me Spanish-speakers love it when English-speakers try speaking Spanish with them. Wherever you are, trying to speak Spanish with a native speaker shows that you think of others and it builds community. Check out my post with the 11 most common Spanish verbs so you and your kids can start learning Spanish today!
And if you know anyone who wants to start learning basic Spanish words with their kids, please share with the buttons on the left!
Do you like to bargain when shopping or are you like me and will just pay whatever to avoid bargaining? 😂 Tell me in the comments!
P.S. Are you looking for a quick and fun way to help your kids start learning Spanish? If so, check out my free Spanish for Kids Starter Guide! You can immediately use any of the 9 simple tips to introduce your kids to Spanish. Know what the best part is? You don’t have to know Spanish to use it!
