About This Quiz
¡Hola! ¿Hablas español?
For a large number of us, Spanish was an elective class growing up or a class we took in college to obtain core credits toward graduating. For another group of us, Spanish is either a primary or close secondary language, and something that is a daily part of our lives. Regardless of where our knowledge of this beautiful language stands, there is no arguing that knowing [at least] a second language not only opens us up to the opportunity to communicate with even more people, but it gives us the chance to better understand other cultures.
Spanish is the primary language in 20 countries worldwide, with hundreds of millions of people speaking it. Needless to say, having at the very least a basic knowledge of the language could serve all of us well!
So, we want to see how well you would do with Spanish terms and phrases from five categories: Animals, Foods, Daily Routines, Household Items and Places. All of these are things you would either hear or see while traveling, or you could very well encounter them right in your home town. Do you have the vocabulary to ace this quiz? If anything, maybe you'll learn something new today!
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Out of all of these animals, you are more likely to see a turtle, or "la tortuga," come up on the beach from the water. This term, which is a part of the Animal category, has been popularized often as a name for restaurants or bars all over the world.
You may want your huevos with jamón (ham) or pan (bread). "Huevos" translates to "eggs" in English, and is part of the Food category. You'll want to keep this one in your mental library if you are ever ordering breakfast at a Spanish-speaking restaurant.
If you are needing to go grocery shopping, you will want to go to a market, which in Spanish is "el mercado". This is part of the Places category and is an important one to know in Spanish.
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As part of the Places category, "el cine" is a good one to remember when traveling. A trick to remember that it means "the theater" would be the fact that "cine" is the first part of the English word, "cinema."
"El toro" translates to "bull" and is part of the Animals category. If you ever find yourself at a bullfight, you'll likely hear the picador (bullfighter) shout, "Toro, toro!" to get the bull's attention.
If you're not in the countryside, you're most likely to be "in the city," right? This is exactly what "en la cuidad" translates to, and is part of the Places category.
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"Cepillarse los dientes" does translate directly to "to brush your teeth" in English. Similarly, you could also say, "lavarse los dientes" which means "to clean your teeth." Either way, this is a good phrase to lock down as part of the Daily Routines category.
Any dog person should know this phrases in every language! "Yo amo los perros" translates to "I love dogs" and is part of the Animals category. If you're more of a cat person, simply say, "Yo amo los gatos."
"El refrigerador" is one of those Spanish terms that is very close to its English translation and is part of the Household Items category. The refrigerator is of course a place for your perishable foods, but you could also opt for "el congelador" which translates to "the freezer".
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"Voy a trabajar" translates to "I am going to work," which would certainly fall under the Daily Routines category. If you wanted to be more specific, say if you were going to the office, you could state, "Voy a la oficina."
¿Donde está la biblioteca? means, "Where is the library?" and it is in the Places category. This is usually one of the first phrases taught in introductory Spanish classes. If you think about it, though, isn't it a little ironic that you'd be asking where the library is with such limited fluency?
"El gato" means "cat" in Spanish, and is in the Animal category. This is definitely a term to know, especially since you'll for sure come across them at any point in your travels, not to mention in Spanish-speaking countries.
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"La iglesia" translates to "church" and is part of the Places category. Other useful terms for this could be, "templo" which means "temple," "mezquita" which means "mosque," "sinagoga" which means "synagogue," and "catedral" which means "cathedral".
"Pásame la sal y la pimienta" translates to, "pass me the salt and pepper" and is part of the Foods category. Whether you're at a restaurant or a guest in someone's home, you'll want to remember this phrase. Just be sure you say please (por favor)!
Oh boy, let's hope no one ever hears this saying while swimming in the ocean. "Tiburón" translates to "shark" and is a part of the Animals category. Now, if you heard someone say they saw "un delfín," that would be a much different situation, as this translates to "dolphin".
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While all of these are perfect additions to any cup of coffee, if you ask to have yours "con leche" you are asking to have it with milk (or cream). This term is a part of the Food category, and a good one to have in memory when ordering somewhere primarily Spanish.
"Maquillarse" means "to put on makeup" and is part of the Daily Routines category. Most commonly, this is something that is done by women in the morning as part of getting ready for the day.
"Mira los caballos" translates to "look at the horses," which is a part of the Animals category. No one can deny taking a moment to look at horses when given the opportunity, and that doesn't change when in Spanish-speaking areas.
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"Pones la ropa en la lavadora" translates to, "put the clothes in the washing machine." Since we are talking about clothing going into a washing machine, this would be part of the Household Items category.
"Aeropuerto" translates to "the airport," which is definitely a term you will need to remember if traveling, and is a part of the Places category. "Estación de autobuses" is another one to keep in mind, as this translates to "bus station".
"Bañarse" translates to "take a shower" and is in the Daily Routines category. If you wanted, you could also say "tomar una ducha" which translates to the same thing.
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Paella (part of the Food category) can be made with a number of ingredients, however, the ones listed above are some of the most traditional. They translate to: rice, meat (which is usually chicken or seafood), green beans, lima beans and peppers.
These are all good ways to relax! "Ver televisión" means "watch television," "lee un libro" means "read a book" and "tómate un baño" means "take a bath," All of these can go under the Daily Routines category.
Frijoles y queso means beans and cheese, and it is in the Food category. You'll definitely need to know this one since it is a universally delicious dish in every Spanish-speaking country.
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"Cierre la puerta" means "close the door" in Spanish, and is in the Household Items category. If you're wanting to say the opposite and have someone open a door, you would instead say, "abre la puerta."
"Hacer el almuerzo" translates directly to "to make lunch" and is part of the Daily Routines category. You could also say "preparar la comida," which means "to make food" if you were wanting to speak more generally.
"El martillo" means "a hammer" in Spanish, which is also in the Household Items category. Let's not forget, though, you won't be able to hang that picture without una uña (a nail)!
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"Las arañas" is the correct Spanish word for "spiders," which falls under the Animals category. If you were to come across a tarantula and wanted to tell someone in Spanish, that one's easy-- there's no translation needed!
"La estufa" translates to "the stove" and is part of the Household Items category. It is related to "el horno" as that actually translates to "the oven," but you wouldn't boil water inside the oven, would you?
"Naranja" could be a good order for breakfast time since this translates to "orange." As part of the Food category, you'll want to know some of the key veggies and fruits when ordering food in Spanish-speaking locations.
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"Quiero ir a cenar" translates to "I want to go to dinner," which would be grouped with the Food category. If you want to say you want to go to breakfast, simply switch out "cenar" with "desayunar" and if you want to go to lunch, say "almorzar" instead.
"Limpia el piso" alone means "clean the floor," so out of these options "escoba" fits best, as this means "broom" in Spanish. This term is part of the Household Items category.
"En una posada" translates directly to "at an inn" but when said will be understood as "hotel" or even "hostel." This phrase falls under the Places category.
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"Una fregona" translates to "a mop" and is in the Household Items category. While any of the above could technically be used while you are cleaning your house, a mop is definitely going to do the best job with the floors!
"Acostarse" translates to "go to bed," which is in the Daily Routines category. But, if you wanted to be technical, the last thing you would do with your day is actually going to sleep, in which case, you would say, "dormirse."