An Introduction to Basic Spanish Grammar Rules

Chances are you know how to say at least a few things in Spanish, even if you never "studied" the language. Millions of non-Spanish speakers know that  "hola" means hello and "gracias" means thank you, but the Spanish language goes much deeper than a few recognizable words. To really start working towards fluency, you need to understand how some basic Spanish grammar rules shape sentence structure. Whether you're just starting to learn Spanish or you've been working on building your vocabulary (slowly) for years, here's everything you need to know about the most important Spanish grammar rules.

What is a Spanish Grammar Rule?

A Spanish grammar rule dictates how words are formed, how sentences are constructed, and how meaning is conveyed. Spanish grammar encompasses various aspects such as verb conjugation, noun-adjective agreement, pronoun usage, word order, and punctuation. So, if you want to speak Spanish, they're an essential part of language learning to help you communicate both effectively and accurately in conversation. While it can take some time to master, creating a strong foundation will help you slowly build your path towards fluency.

9 of the Most Important Grammar Rules in Spanish

There are many specific rules for grammar in Spanish, but trying to memorize them all at once can lead to a headache and a bit of confusion. To help you build a strong foundation and master the different elements of Spanish grammar, let's start with the basics. These important grammar rules in Spanish will help you start sounding like a native in no time. If you want to put them to use, download Tandem, match with a native Spanish speaker, and start practicing right away!

1. Every Noun Reflects Gender and Number

Spanish is a gendered language, so every noun in the Spanish language is either masculine or feminine, singular or plural. Masculine nouns in Spanish will be preceded with "el" or "un" and many end with -o. However, there are always some exceptions to this rule. Some masculine nouns may also end in consonants, stressed vowels, -a, -e, and more. When they turn plural, "el" turns into "los," and an -s is added to the end. Some examples of masculine Spanish nouns include:

• El hombre (man) - Los hombres
• El perro (dog) - Los perros
• El gato (cat) - Los gatos
• El árbol (tree) - Los árboles
• El libro (book) - Los libros
• El coche (car) - Los coches
• El amigo (friend) - Los amigos
• El niño (boy) - Los niños
• El padre (father) - Los padres
• El hermano (brother) - Los hermanos

Feminine nouns in Spanish will be preceded with "la" or "una" and many end with -a. Again, there are some exceptions to this rule. Feminine nouns can also end in -ión, -ez, -ad, -ud, -is, and -umbre. When they turn plural, "la" turns into "las," and an -s is added to the end. Some examples of feminine Spanish nouns include:

• La mujer (woman) - Las mujeres
• La perra (female dog) - Las perras
• La gata (female cat) - Las gatas
• La mesa (table) - Las mesas
• La silla (chair) - Las sillas
• La casa (house) - Las casas
• La amiga (female friend) - Las amigas
• La niña (girl) - Las niñas
• La madre (mother) - Las madres
• La hermana (sister) - Las hermanas

You'll notice that "amigo" is placed in both masculine and feminine noun groups. That's because this can change by gender. However, if you have a group of friends that includes both men and women, you'll always use the masculine form. This rule applies to all mixed groups.

2. Basic Spanish Sentence Structure Can Fluctuate

Basic sentence structure in Spanish could be written in a few different ways yet maintain the same meaning. Verb conjugation, word order, and all different parts of speech will play a role. Typically, the structure is:

Subject + Verb + Object

This is the same as basic sentences in English, which makes understanding the basics of Spanish a bit easier. However, if you want to add stress or just play around with your Spanish conversations, things can change. 

• El gato negro se esconde detrás del sofá. — The black cat hides behind the sofa.
• Detrás del sofá se esconde el gato negro. — The black cat hides behind the sofa.
• El sol brilla intensamente en el cielo azul. — The sun shines intensely in the blue sky.
• En el cielo azul, el sol brilla intensamente. — The sun shines intensely in the blue sky.

3. Questions in Spanish Follow The Same Structure

Questions in Spanish usually follow the same sentence structure as statements. In fact, many times, you'll only know it's a question if you see the use of ¿ and ? or hear the inflection change associated with a question at the end of a sentence. For example:

• Juan camina por el parque. — Juan walks through the park.
• ¿Juan camina por el parque? — Does Juan walk through the park?
• El perro ladra fuerte. — The dog barks loudly.
• ¿El perro ladra fuerte? — Does the dog bark loudly?

4. Verbs Are Conjugated Regarding the Subject Pronoun

In each sentence, the subject pronoun determines Spanish verb conjugation. Like in English, subject pronouns can be used in a sentence to replace names or nouns and avoid repetition. In Spanish, there are 12 different subject pronouns:

• yo (I)
• tú (you)
• usted (you - formal)
• él (he)
• ella (she)
• nosotros/nosotras (we - male/female)
• vosotros/vosotras (you - plural, male/female)
• ustedes (you - plural, formal)
• ellos (they - masculine)
• ellas (they - feminine). 

What's different from English is how the pronoun affects the verb. For example, if you wanted to say different people "went to the movies" in English, it'd look like this:

• I went to the movies. 
• He went to the movies.
• They went to the movies.

However, in Spanish, the verb "went" will change based on who is going. So, the same sentences above would translate to:

• Yo fui al cine.
• Él fue al cine.
• Ellos fueron al cine.

When learning Spanish grammar, it's important that you have a strong understanding of verb conjugation for the present tense, past tense, and future tense—as each of these requires different alterations. In addition to some irregular changes, there are three main types of conjugation: -ar verbs, -er verbs, and -ir verbs. You can learn more about Spanish verb conjugation here.

5. Including Subject Pronouns in Sentences is Optional

Since the subject pronouns change how a verb is conjugated, you can omit them from the sentence altogether. Native speakers often do this, as the subject becomes obvious based on the verb ending.

For example, the following both mean, "I am cooking dinner tonight."

• Voy a preparar la cena esta noche.
• Yo voy a preparar la cena esta noche.

The form of "voy" implies that the pronoun in Spanish is "yo," so it's redundant and can be omitted.

6. Adjectives Go After the Noun

Another difference when learning Spanish grammar rules is that adjectives go after the nouns in a sentence. In English, they're placed before nouns—red house, big cup, small book. Spanish adjectives also need to agree with nouns in gender and number by changing their endings. Some examples include:

• una casa hermosa — a beautiful house 
• flores hermosas — beautiful flowers
• un coche hermoso — a beautiful car
• perros hermosos — beautiful dogs

7. Pronouns Will (Almost) Always Precede the Verb

Spanish uses several types of basic pronouns—personal, reflexive, direct, and indirect—that always precede the verb. They're used after the verb in English, so this can take some practice. Some examples include:

• Le gusta su perro. — She likes her dog
• Mike se levanta trade. — Mike gets up late

However, if you have verbs in the infinitive, gerund, or imperative form, the pronoun is placed after. For example:

• Siéntese, por favor. — Sit down, please.
• ¿Quieres hacerme la comida? — Do you want to make me food?

8. Adverb Placement is Quite Flexible

Adverbs, which modify or qualify a verb, adverb, or word group, can be put almost anywhere if they are modifying the entire Spanish sentence. For example, all the sentences below mean: "Maria ate her food quickly."

• María come su comida rápidamente.
• Rápidamente, Maria comesu comida.
• Maria rápidamente come su comida.
• Maria come rápidamente su comida.

However, when adverbs modify a particular part of the sentence, they require specific placement.

When adverbs modify adjectives, the adverb is placed before the adjective: 

• Está muy enfadada. — She is very angry.

When adverbs modify another adverb, they are placed before the modified adverb:

• Ella puede nadar tan rápido. — She can swim so quickly.

When adverbs modify a verb, the adverb needs to go after the verb:

• Su discurso se basa principalmente en la política. — Her speech is based mainly on politics.

9. You Can Turn an Affirmative Statement Into a Negative Statement With a Simple "No"

You can take any affirmative sentence in Spanish and make it negative simply by adding a "no" before the verb. For example:

• Me gusta el helado. — I like ice cream.
• No me gusta el helado. — I don't like ice cream.
• Ella tiene un gato. — She has a cat.
• Ella no tiene un gato. — She doesn't have a cat.
• Nosotros vamos al parque. — We are going to the park. 
• Nosotros no vamos al parque. — We are not going to the park.

How to Practice Spanish Grammar Rules

Learning the Spanish grammar rules can seem like a never-ending journey, but it’s important to keep practicing and building more complex grammar rules as you go. 

To connect with a native Spanish speaker who will help you work towards mastering all of the basic grammar rules in Spanish (and more), download Tandem today. Tandem is a unique language learning experience that allows you to work towards fluency in any language interactively. All you need to do is fill out your profile and match with a native Spanish speaker. Our community is filled with millions of like-minded individuals worldwide who share a passion for language. At Tandem, we aim to help our users foster a deeper understanding of language while improving fluency and building long-lasting friendships. Sign up for Tandem today to join our community and improve your Spanish fluency.