When we learn we make mistakes and that’s perfectly fine, it is part of the process. The more we learn the more mistakes we make and the more challenging the adventure of learning another language is.
Some mistakes are funny, others make us feel frustrated but all of them have a thing in common: we want to avoid them.
Today I’m going to share some common mistakes in Spanish and how to correct them:
1. Saying la gente son instead of la gente es
This common mistake in Spanish is common among speakers of different languages and it makes sense, since it is translated from their native languages into Spanish. In English people say people are, in Dutch people say mensen zijn, but in Spanish people is a singular noun.
What we say: La gente son amables.
What we should say: La gente es amable.
Then you should remember that since gente is singular, the adjective or verb that follows is singular too:
What we say: La gente hablan mucho.
What we should say: La gente habla mucho.
2. Using yo when it is not necessary
Another common mistake in Spanish is mentioning the subject pronoun when it is not necessary. In other languages, such as English, it can’t be omitted, you can’t say feel good. However, in Spanish we only mention yo when it is necessary, when we want to emphasise it.
What we say: Yo vivo en Medellín.
What we should say: Vivo en Medellín.
Since vivo is only used for yo and it is clear in the context that I am talking about myself, the pronoun yo is not necessary. This applies to other subject pronouns as well.
What we say: -¿Dónde vive María?
-Ella vive en el centro.
What we Should say: -¿Dónde vive María?
-Vive en el centro.
Important! It is not wrong to say Ella vive en el centro or Yo vivo en Medellín, but when it is obvious it is better to avoid using the subject pronoun (yo, tú, vos, él, ella, nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, vosotras, ellos, ellas, ustedes)
3. Saying Yo soy 30 años instead of Yo tengo 30 años
The third common mistake in Spanish might sound familiar to you and all learners make it when they start learning Spanish-and even later on!. Let’s take a closer look at it:
What we say: Yo soy 30 años.
What we should say: Yo tengo 30 años.
When talking about age, in Spanish the verb TENER is needed (yo tengo, tú tiene, vos tenés, él/ella tiene, nosotros/as tenemos, vosotros/as tenéis, ellos/as/ ustedes tienen).
This verb TENER is not only used for age, it is also used for possession, such as yo tengo un coche – I have a car- but for now we will focus on the fact that when telling someone how old you are, you should use the verb tener, the verb ser (yo soy 30 años) is not correct.
4. Using CALIENTE instead of CALOR
This is one of the most common mistakes in Spanish and it is important to correct it to avoid misinterpretation. Why? Let’s remember the following example:
What we say: Hace 30 grados, estoy muy caliente.
What we should day: Hace 30 grados, tengo mucho calor.
Why is it important to remember this? Because ‘estoy caliente’ has a sexual connotation and although native speakers might understand what you mean, it is worth avoiding it.
Things such as drinks (coffee, water) are caliente but when we talk about the weather and how it makes us feel, the word you should use is calor.
How can you avoid these common mistakes in Spanish?
- Do write your own examples, those you will remember because they are meaningful.
- When you use any of the examples above, do stop for a moment and give yourself a few seconds to correct them if necessary.
- When you read, pay attention to these words, I am sure they will appear in any kind of text.
- Practice, practice and practice!
Which other common mistakes in Spanish do you make and you would like to avoid? Share in the comments and I will write a new blog answering your questions!
If you need further guidance on how to avoid making common mistakes in Spanish and how to improve, LET’S TALK. Book your free talk with Daiana and she will give you advice on what to do to reach your objectives!
Are you also interested in learning about the common mistakes in English and how to correct them? Check the blog out!
