Module 1 of 119 · Starting Spanish
By the end of this module, you can greet someone, ask or answer whether something is possible, and close a short personal exchange.
Your goal
Imagine meeting someone in the morning. You greet the person, ask whether something is possible, answer yes or no, and say goodbye.
Ana and Luis are ready to use. Choose one of them, or add someone you know. The selected name will appear in your practice.
Your names stay on this device unless you remove them.
Lesson 1 · New Language
Pronounced: ehs
Meaning: “is” or “it is”
Say it: es — ehs.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 1
Type the Spanish word for “it is.”
Lesson 1 · New Language
Pronounced: poh-SEE-bleh
Meaning: possible
Now add the cognate posible. Use it immediately with es.
Cognates are words in two languages that look similar and have the same or a closely related meaning.
The combined -ble cognate family contains more than 100 useful English–Spanish cognates.
es = it is
posible = possible
Es posible.
It is possible.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| acceptable | aceptable |
| admirable | admirable |
| terrible | terrible |
| visible | visible |
When an English word ends in -able or -ible, look for a similar Spanish word ending in -able or -ible.
The meaning is often similar, although the spelling and pronunciation may change. Learned -ble words may now appear in your practice.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 2
Type “It is possible” in Spanish.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 3A
Type “It is compatible” in Spanish.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 3B
Type “It is reversible” in Spanish.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 3C
Type “It is inevitable” in Spanish.
Lesson 1 · New Language
Pronounced: OH-lah
Meaning: hello
Add a person’s name after hola, then connect the greeting to a message you already know.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 4A
Type “Hello, Luis.”
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 4B
Greet Luis, then say, “It is possible.”
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 4C
Greet Luis, then use a sensible -ble message.
Another clear answer may also be correct.
Lesson 1 · New Language
Pronounced: BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs
Meaning: good morning
Keep buenos días together as one complete morning greeting.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 5A
It is morning. Greet Luis.
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 5B
Greet Luis in the morning, then say, “It is possible.”
Lesson 1 · Practice roll 5C
Greet Luis in the morning and add any sensible -ble message.
Another clear answer may also be correct.
Lesson 2 · New Use
Spanish can keep the same word order. In writing, place ¿ at the beginning and ? at the end.
Es posible.
¿Es posible?
Listen to both. The words stay the same, but the question sounds as though an answer is expected.
Lesson 2 · Easy learning note
English and Spanish do not always build questions in the same way.
In English, a statement often changes word order when it becomes a question:
Statement: It is possible.
Question: Is it possible?
The words it is change to is it.
In Spanish, the word order can remain exactly the same:
Statement: Es posible.
Question: ¿Es posible?
Spanish shows that the sentence is a question through:
The opening question mark ¿ tells the reader immediately that a question is beginning. This is especially useful because Spanish can use the same words and word order for both a statement and a question.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Statement: It is possible. | Statement: Es posible. |
| Question: Is it possible? | Question: ¿Es posible? |
When saying the statement, the voice sounds complete and settles at the end:
Es posible.
When asking the question, the intonation changes so the listener recognizes that an answer is expected:
¿Es posible?
The voice may lift or remain slightly unfinished near the end, depending on the speaker and regional accent. It is more accurate to say that question intonation changes than to say that the voice always rises.
English often changes word order: It is → Is it?
Spanish can keep the same word order: Es posible. → ¿Es posible?
In writing, place ¿ at the beginning and ? at the end of a direct Spanish question.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 6
Write “Is it possible?” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 6B
Write “Is it compatible?” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 6C
Ask a clear Spanish question using es and any learned -ble cognate.
Another clear -ble question may also be correct.
Lesson 2 · New Language
Pronounced: see
Meaning: yes
Sí can answer the question by itself, or it can begin a fuller answer.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 7A
Type “yes” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 7B
Answer “Is it possible?” positively.
Sí. is also a correct, sensible answer.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 7C
Greet Luis, ask whether it is possible, and give a sensible positive answer.
A shorter positive answer such as Sí is also sensible.
Lesson 2 · New Language
Pronounced: noh
Meaning: no / not
No can answer the question. A second no before es makes the message negative.
Lesson 2 · Build the negative message
No has two useful jobs in this lesson. It can answer a question by itself, and it can make the current sentence negative.
To make es posible negative, place no immediately before es: no es posible.
In No, no es posible, the first no answers the question. The second no changes es posible into a negative message.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 8A
Type “no” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 8B
Type “It is not possible” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 8C
Answer “¿Es posible?” negatively.
No. and No es posible. are also sensible answers.
Lesson 2 · New Language
Pronounced: mwee
Meaning: very
Place muy before the describing word: es muy posible.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 9A
Type “very” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 9B
Type “It is very possible” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 9C
Answer “¿Es posible?” with a clear, stronger positive message.
Es muy posible. is also a sensible answer.
Lesson 2 · New Language
Pronounced: ah-DYOHS
Meaning: goodbye
Use adiós when you are ready to close the exchange.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 10A
Type “goodbye” in Spanish.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 10B
Greet Luis, then close the exchange.
Lesson 2 · Practice roll 10C
Greet Luis in the morning, say something is possible, and close.
A different learned -ble message may also be correct.
Lesson 3 · English–Spanish comparison
The natural English meaning of buenos días is good morning. Word for word, the Spanish expression uses plural forms: good, plural + days.
good day
good days
In English, the describing word good does not change. Only the noun day changes to days to show plural.
buen día
buenos días
In Spanish, related words often change together. Because días is plural, buenos also becomes plural so the two words match.
Although día ends in -a, it is treated as a masculine word. That is why Spanish uses buenos días, not buenas días.
| English | Spanish |
|---|---|
| good days | buenos días |
| Only days shows plural. | Both buenos and días show plural. |
Do not translate buenos días as good days when speaking natural English.
buenos días = good morning
For now, learn buenos días as one complete greeting while noticing that Spanish makes the describing word and the noun match.
Lesson 3 · Recognition check 1
buen día → buenos días
Lesson 3 · Recognition check 2
Choose the natural Spanish greeting.
Lesson 3 · Practice roll 11
What is the natural English meaning of buenos días?
Now use what you learned
You can use the words in different sensible combinations. More than one answer may be correct when it is clear, logical, and uses the language from this module.
Conversation Practice
Build the exchange yourself. The model shown by Reveal is one clear example, not the only possible answer.
Conversation Practice
Greet someone, ask a -ble question, and give a sensible yes or no answer.
A sensible negative answer is also correct.
Conversation Practice
Greet someone, ask a clear question, answer it sensibly, and close with adiós.
A positive answer and a different learned -ble word may also be correct.
Grand Practice
Complete the eight mixed practices. Use the current situation rather than following one fixed script.
Grand Practice · 1 of 8
Say that it is possible in Spanish.
Grand Practice · 2 of 8
Create a sensible Spanish message with es and a learned word ending in -able or -ible.
Another clear, learned -ble message may also be correct.
Grand Practice · 3 of 8
Greet any person you added to the course.
Grand Practice · 4 of 8
Greet any person in the morning.
Grand Practice · 5 of 8
Ask whether something is possible or use another learned -ble word.
¿Es compatible? is another sensible example.
Grand Practice · 6 of 8
Give a sensible positive answer to “¿Es posible?”
Sí. is also correct.
Grand Practice · 7 of 8
Give a sensible negative answer to “¿Es posible?”
No. and No es posible. are also correct.
Grand Practice · 8 of 8
Use muy to make a clear -ble message stronger.
Another clear learned -ble word may also work.
Mastery Recap
You used a person’s name, asked whether something was possible, answered positively or negatively, strengthened a message with muy, and closed the exchange with adiós.
Complete the remaining activities. Your progress is saved on this device.
You will use this again: Module 2 brings back greetings, questions, answers, and closings in a new situation.