Spanish is a rich and complex language, with a variety of grammatical rules and syntactic structures that are essential to learn in order to improve communication in Spanish.
Among the most important grammar topics in Spanish are: regular and irregular verbs, verb tenses, possessive pronouns and adjectives, and the subjunctive.
In this article I will share 10 grammar topics you should learn in Spanish.
Most Common Grammar Topics in Spanish Lessons
Whether you are taking general Spanish classes or doing a beginner Spanish course, below I share grammar topics that you should include in your Spanish learning.
1 – Spanish Verb Conjugation
This topic covers the different forms of Spanish verbs and how they change depending on the subject and tense.
Learning regular and irregular verbs is essential to correctly conjugate verbs in different verb tenses. Verb tenses, in turn, are essential for expressing past, present and future actions accurately.
Do exercises to master the conjugation of verbs in various tenses.
2 – Subject-verb concordance
This grammatical topic may generate some difficulty for students, depending on their native language.
You will need to understand the rules for agreeing the subject and verb in a sentence, including the use of singular and plural forms and the use of formal and informal subject pronouns.
3 – Adjective and Noun Agreement
This topic deals with the rules for matching the adjective and the noun it modifies, including gender and number agreement.
That is, the adjective must have the same gender and number as the noun it accompanies.
✏️ Examples:
- El gato blanco (masculino, singular)
- La gata blanca (femenino, singular)
- Los gatos blancos (masculino, plural)
- Las gatas blancas (femenino, plural)
In Spanish, adjectives follow the noun, and usually match in gender and number with the noun they accompany.
It is important to keep in mind that some adjectives have specific forms for gender and number, such as “grande” and “grandes” among others.
There are some exceptions, such as nouns that are always masculine or feminine, nouns that refer to people and change the gender of the adjective, and some compound nouns where the adjective does not change according to the noun.
4 – Pronouns in Spanish
This topic deals with the different types of pronouns in Spanish, such as subject pronouns, possessive pronouns and reflexive pronouns, and how to use them correctly in a sentence.
5 – Prepositions
Prepositions are words that indicate the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other parts of a sentence. They are used to indicate place, time, direction, or other relationships between words in a sentence.
For example, the preposition “en” indicates that something is located within something else, while the preposition “sobre” indicates that something is resting on the surface of something else. Without prepositions, it would be difficult to accurately and effectively express these relationships in language.
Examples of common prepositions are “en”, “sobre”, “bajo”, “entre”, “por”, “hacia”, “desde”, “con”, “sin”, “para” and “hasta”.
In addition to expressing relationships, prepositions help create more complex and nuanced meanings. By using different prepositions, it is possible to convey subtle differences in meaning and add depth and richness to our language.
When learning prepositions, it is important that you understand and know how to use prepositions accurately in order to communicate effectively in Spanish.
6 – Subjunctive Mood
This topic covers the use of the subjunctive form in Spanish, including the different markers and conjugation rules.
The subjunctive mood in Spanish is used to express desires, suggestions, doubts, and hypothetical situations.
From my experience, it can present a challenge for students as it is the most complex verb form.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Espero que tú estudies español. | I hope you study Spanish. (wish) |
| Es importante que ella vaya temprano. | It’s important for her to go early. (suggestion) |
| No estoy seguro de que ellos vengan a la fiesta | I’m not sure if they will come to the party (doubt). |
| Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría español. | If I had more time, I would study Spanish (hypothetical situation). |
In the above sentences, the verb is in the subjunctive. You can recognize them because in the present it has a different conjugation than the indicative, and in the preterite and future they are conjugated with a different form as well.
There are several rules for the use of the subjunctive in Spanish, and its correct use often depends on the context and the words used in the sentence.
However, by learning the basic rules and practicing their use, you can have a better understanding and use of this mood.
7 – Imperative mood in Spanish
This topic covers the use of the imperative mood in Spanish, including how to give orders and make requests.
Learning the imperative in Spanish is essential for any student who wants to improve his or her ability to communicate in the language.
The imperative is a verb tense that is used to give orders, suggestions or advice, and is very common in everyday life.
8 – Comparative and superlative sentences
The superlative and comparative in Spanish are used to compare and grade adjectives and adverbs.
The superlative is the highest grade of an adjective or adverb and is used to express the greater quantity or intensity of something.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Este es el libro más interesante que he leído. | This is the most interesting book I have ever read. (absolute superlative). |
| Este es el libro más interesante de todos. | This is the most interesting book of all. (relative superlative). |
The comparative is used to compare two things or people to each other, expressing a difference in degree or quantity.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Este libro es más interesante que aquel. | This book is more interesting than that one. (comparative superiority). |
| Este libro es menos interesante que aquel. | This book is less interesting than that one. (comparative inferiority). |
It is important to note that some adjectives and adverbs are irregular in their comparative and superlative forms.
In Spanish, the comparative form is constructed with “más” + adjective/adverb to indicate superiority and “menos” + adjective/adverb to indicate inferiority.
And to form the superlative we use “el/la/los/las/las” + “más” + adjective/adverb or “el/la/los/las/las” + “menos” + adjective/adverb.
9 – Passive voice
The passive voice in Spanish is used to shift the focus of a sentence to the object instead of the subject. That is, instead of saying “Juan wrote the book” in active voice, you say “El libro fue escrito por Juan” in passive voice.
In Spanish, the passive voice is constructed with the verb “ser” in the verb tense corresponding to the original verb, followed by “por” and the original subject.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| El libro fue escrito por Juan | The book was written by Juan (passive voice). |
| El centro comercial está siendo construido por una empresa internacional. | The shopping mall is being built by an international company. (passive voice in present progressive / continuous present tense). |
| La ciudad será premiada por su desarrollo en el área del Turismo. | The city will be awarded for its development in the area of Tourism. (passive voice in future). |
It is important to note that the passive voice is not always appropriate or necessary in a sentence, and its use should be considered depending on the context and the desired emphasis.
In Spanish, the active voice is the most common and natural form of expression, and on many occasions, it is clearer and more direct.
10 – Gerund and infinitive in Spanish
The gerund and infinitive in Spanish are non-personal verb forms, which do not indicate a specific verb tense.
The gerund is constructed with the conjugated verb in the -ando or -endo form, and is used to describe actions in progress, when there are two actions occurring simultaneously, to indicate the consequence of what is expressed in the main verb and can also adopt an adverbial character depending on the context.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Estoy leyendo un libro. | I am reading a book. (action in progress). |
| Se resbaló y cayó en la vereda, golpeándose la cara. | He slipped and fell on the sidewalk, hitting his face. (two simultaneous actions). |
| La erupción del volcán ocurrió a las 2am, obligando a los habitantes a huir en medio de la noche. | The eruption of the volcano occurred at 2am, forcing the inhabitants to flee in the middle of the night. (indicate consequence) |
| Vine corriendo ni bien escuché las noticias. | I came running as soon as I heard the news. (adverbial form). |
The infinitive is the non-conjugated form of the verb ending in -ar in verbs of the first conjugation (amar), in -er in those of the second conjugation (comer) and in -ir in those of the third conjugation (vivir).
It does not indicate tense, number or person, and is often assimilated to the noun in its grammatical functioning.
It is used to describe actions without a specific tense, as a noun, to form compound sentences, and to construct sentences with verbs that require an infinitive verb complement.
✏️ Examples:
| Spanish | English |
| Quiero ir a la playa. | I want to go to the beach. (verbal complement). |
| Tenemos muchos temas a tratar esta semana. | We have many topics to discuss this week. (compound sentences). |
| Fumar es perjudicial para la salud. | Smoking is bad for your health. (noun) |
