If you’ve decided to embark on the exciting journey of learning Spanish, you’ve probably already realised that this language comes with its own set of challenges. Each student brings their own linguistic background, and speakers of English, French, Italian or German face specific hurdles that go well beyond basic grammar.
The fascinating thing about language learning is that these mistakes are entirely predictable—and therefore avoidable. With the right strategies and consistent practice, you can significantly speed up your path to fluency. The key is to identify these patterns before they become ingrained habits.
Why do we make mistakes when learning Spanish?
Mistakes in Spanish usually arise from differences between your native language and Spanish. Each language has its own grammar structure, sound system, and cultural logic, all of which affect how we process new information. Interference from your first language is a key factor—your brain tries to apply familiar rules to the new language, leading to confusion.
A lack of practice in real-world settings can also cause beginners to develop incorrect habits without even realising. That’s why more and more students choose immersive language programmes—being constantly exposed to Spanish in everyday situations helps you learn faster and more accurately.
The most common Spanish mistakes and how to avoid them
Understanding the most frequent mistakes can help you develop targeted strategies to avoid them and communicate more effectively.
Grammar mistakes
- Confusing “ser” and “estar”: Probably the most common error for beginners. Ser is for permanent characteristics (“Soy alta”, “Es médico”), while estar is used for temporary states or location (“Estoy cansada”, “Está en casa”). Practise with everyday phrases to build automaticity.
- Struggling with the subjunctive: The subjunctive expresses desire, doubt, or emotion. Many beginners avoid it, but it’s essential to sound natural. Start with common phrases like “Espero que tengas un buen día” or “No creo que llueva.”
- Mixing up past tenses: The various Spanish past tenses (pretérito perfecto, indefinido, imperfecto) often cause confusion.
- Pretérito indefinido is used for completed actions: “Ayer comí paella.”
- Imperfecto describes habitual or ongoing actions in the past: “Cuando era niño, comía paella los domingos.”
- Pretérito indefinido is used for completed actions: “Ayer comí paella.”
- Using the wrong prepositions: Por and para are a constant source of confusion.
- Por refers to cause or method: “Llegué tarde por el tráfico.”
- Para indicates purpose or destination: “Estudio para el examen.”
- Por refers to cause or method: “Llegué tarde por el tráfico.”
Vocabulary and expression mistakes
- False friends: These words look similar across languages but have different meanings.
- Spanish-English: “actual” means “current”, not “actual”; “éxito” means “success”, not “exit”.
- French-Spanish: “gâteau” looks like “gato” but means “cake”; “dos” means “back”, not “two”.
- Italian-Spanish: “burro” means “butter”, not the animal; “carta” in Italian is “paper”, but in Spanish it often means “menu”.
- Spanish-English: “actual” means “current”, not “actual”; “éxito” means “success”, not “exit”.
- Misunderstood expressions: Idioms like “estar hecho polvo” (to be exhausted) or “tomar el pelo” (to tease) can confuse learners who try to translate them literally. Learn these expressions in context, not word by word.
- Register mistakes: Avoid using “tú” with elderly strangers or in formal situations. In Spain, the tone is generally informal, but “usted” is still preferred in professional or respectful contexts.
Pronunciation and accentuation
Spanish pronunciation presents particular challenges depending on your native language. The trilled “r” is especially difficult for English and Asian speakers. Practise with tongue-twisters like “El perro de San Roque no tiene rabo porque Ramón Ramírez se lo ha robado”.
Accentuation is another common stumbling block. Words like “público” (noun) and “publicó” (verb) completely change meaning depending on where the stress falls. Spanish accent rules are logical:
- Words stressed on the last syllable (agudas) take a written accent if they end in a vowel, n, or s.
- Words stressed on the penultimate syllable (llanas/graves) are accented if they do not end in a vowel, n, or s.
Spanish vowels are generally sharper and more closed than in many other languages. Practice distinguishing between “e” and “i”, especially in words like “bebé” vs. “bebí”, where the vowel shift signals a change in tense.
Common mistakes based on your native language
Mistakes English speakers often make
- Using “ser” for age: Saying “Soy 25 años” instead of “Tengo 25 años”.
- Gender mix-ups: For example, “la problema” instead of “el problema”.
- Literal translations of feelings: “I am cold” becomes “Soy frío” instead of “Tengo frío”.
- Omitting reflexive pronouns: Saying “lavo” instead of “me lavo”.
Mistakes French speakers often make
- Using “hacer” for age: “Hago 30 años”, influenced by “J’ai 30 ans”, instead of “Tengo 30 años”.
- Confusing “ser” and “estar”: French has only être, so “Soy cansado” is used instead of “Estoy cansado”.
- Mixing up “saber” and “conocer”: Saying “Sé Valencia” instead of “Conozco Valencia”.
- Trouble with the “r” sound: The French “r” is quite different, which makes words like “carro” vs. “caro” challenging.
Mistakes Italian speakers often make
- Confusing “hay” with “está”: Saying “Está mucha gente” due to the influence of “c’è”, when “Hay mucha gente” is correct.
- Adding articles to names: Following regional Italian patterns like “la María” or “el Pedro”.
- Overcorrecting with the subjunctive: Saying “Creo que sea fácil” instead of “Creo que es fácil”.
- Preferring the infinitive over the gerund: Using “Me quedo a estudiar” instead of “Me quedo estudiando”.
Mistakes German speakers often make
- Rigid word order: One of the most frequent mistakes is placing the verb at the end, such as “Ayer al cine fui” instead of “Ayer fui al cine”.
- Defaulting to masculine gender: Due to German’s three-gender system, learners often default to masculine for all nouns.
- Pronouncing “g/j” sounds: Struggles with “ge/gi” and the Spanish “j”, which don’t exist in German.
- Confusing “por” and “para”: Translating “für” as “para” in all contexts, without distinguishing between cause (por) and purpose (para).
Improve your Spanish in Valencia, Spain with Españolé
Studying Spanish in Spain offers unique advantages for correcting these common mistakes. At Españolé, located in the heart of Valencia’s historic city centre, you’ll find top-quality Spanish courses and the chance to live the language in its natural cultural context. This vibrant city blends Spanish heritage with a warm, cosmopolitan atmosphere.
Our practical teaching approach helps you confront and correct these errors in real-life situations from day one. Españolé’s native teachers are experts at identifying the most common mistakes based on your mother tongue, offering personalised correction that speeds up your journey to fluency.
Turn your mistakes into strengths and start sounding like a native. Your language adventure starts here—get in touch with us!
