Is Spanish a simple language to learn?

Answer 1

I agree with Alissa, but would add the following:

 

Spanish pronunciation can get a bit complicated with vowel combinations. For example, place the letter i before an a or an e (without an accent on the i) and you get a "yah" or "yeh" sound.

 

Also, the letter h is silent. So is the u when it follows the letter g as in guerra (war). However place two dots over the u (ü) and the u is pronounced like a w, as in the word vergüenza (shame).

 

Spanish also has 16 verb conjugations. The language uses the subjunctive mood far more extensively than English. You have to have a good grounding in the simple verb tense conjugations before you can move on to compound verbs and their uses.

Answer 2

Hi Sonya! I think the word "simple" is relative. If you compare Spanish to other languages, such as non-Latin-based languages like Russian or Chinese, I would say yes, it's simple. The fact that English and Spanish have similar roots will be useful to you! They have similarities that make it easier to learn. The fact that they share the same alphabet (with the addition of written accents and the "RR" in Spanish) means you don't have to learn a totally different alphabet and you can dive in to your reading and writing skills more quickly. Also, Spanish is a very phonetic language, and to me that makes it simple compared to other foreign languages. The way a word is written in Spanish is exactly the same as it is pronounced, once you know how to pronounce the five vowels: A, E, I, O, U (ah, eh, ee, oh, oo). In English, this is not the case. Say the words "say" and "cat" in your head. They are both three-letter words with A in the middle. However, the A is pronounced differently in each. This is because the Y in "say" affects the pronunciation of the A. But in Spanish, this would never happen. The A is pronounced "ah" in every single word that has an A, no matter what other consonants or vowels are nearby.

I hope that makes sense. Let me know if you'd like to discuss this more! I'd be happy to chat further about learning Spanish.

Answer 3

Hi Sonya! I agree with Lorenzo; no language, Spanish included, is simple to learn if you want to go beyond asking where the bathroom is and being able to order food in a restaurant. Of course some languages, like Mandarin and Russian, require more time and effort than others, but learning any language aside from your native one will involve some serious time and dedication. (But you should definitely learn Spanish!) ¡Suerte!

Answer 4

No, Spanish is a language that has to be practiced everyday with Spanish speakers.  Want to know more about this, let me know.