Learning Spanish is fun—until you realize you’ve been saying things that make native speakers giggle. Many English speakers assume they’re getting everything right, but some mistakes are so common that they’ve become legendary among Spanish teachers. Here are some of the most frequent errors English speakers make in Spanish—and how to fix them.
One of the first things you learn in Spanish is how to introduce yourself, but many learners trip up when talking about age. Saying “I am 30 years old” as Yo soy 30 años is incorrect. That sounds like you’re saying you’re literally 30 physical objects. The correct way is Tengo 30 años, which translates to “I have 30 years.” In Spanish, age is something you have, not something you are. Just like you say tengo frío (I am cold) instead of soy frío (which actually means “I am a cold person”).
If you ever find yourself in an awkward situation, do not say “Estoy embarazado/a” unless you’re announcing a pregnancy! Many learners make this mistake, thinking it means “I’m embarrassed.” In reality, embarazado means “pregnant.” The correct way to say you’re embarrassed is Estoy avergonzado/a. This is a classic case of false friends—words that look similar in both languages but have completely different meanings. Another fun one? Constipado in Spanish doesn’t mean “constipated.” It means you have a cold. So if you walk into a pharmacy in Spain and say “Estoy constipado,” they’ll offer you tissues, not laxatives.
Many students mistakenly try to say “It’s raining” as Está llueve. But llueve already means “it rains,” so adding está makes no sense. The correct way to say it is Está lloviendo mucho hoy. Think of it like this: Llover (to rain) works just like comer (to eat). You wouldn’t say “Está come” (It’s eats), right? You say “Está comiendo” (It’s eating). The same rule applies: Llueve means “it rains” in general, while Está lloviendo means “it’s raining” right now.
One of the biggest Spanish slip-ups involves the word “excited.” If you try to directly translate it, you might get some surprised looks. Saying Estoy excitado/a is a mistake because it means “I’m aroused” in Spanish. Instead, the correct way to say “I’m excited” is Estoy emocionado/a. So next time you want to tell someone you’re excited about an event, stick with emocionado/a. Otherwise, you might be oversharing!
English speakers often try to say “I had a good time” with a direct translation like Tuve un buen tiempo, but this doesn’t mean what you think it does. It sounds like you literally had good weather. The correct way to say it is Lo pasé bien or Me divertí mucho. If you want to ask someone “Did you have a good time?” you should say ¿Lo pasaste bien?
Talking about likes and dislikes in Spanish is tricky because the sentence structure is different. In English, we say “I like pizza.” The subject is “I” and the object is “pizza.” But in Spanish, it’s flipped: the thing you like is the subject, and you are just experiencing it. Saying Yo gusto la pizza is incorrect because it literally translates to “I please the pizza.” The correct way to say it is Me gusta la pizza (Pizza pleases me). Another common mistake is saying Me gusta los perros. Since perros is plural, you need to say Me gustan los perros. Once you get used to it, gustar makes a lot of sense, but at first, it feels like Spanish is deciding that pizza is in charge, and you’re just along for the ride.
If you want to say, “I’m married with two kids,” you might be tempted to say Estoy casado con dos hijos. But this literally means “I’m married TO two kids.” Yikes! To say it correctly, use Estoy casado y tengo dos hijos (I’m married and I have two kids). Always separate being married (casado/a) from having children (tener hijos) to avoid sounding like you have a very illegal marriage.
In English, we say “Can I have a coffee?” But in Spanish, asking “¿Puedo tener un café?” sounds weird and unnatural. No native speaker would ever say this. Instead, say ¿Me puede dar un café? (Can you give me a coffee?) or ¿Me pone un café, por favor? (Can you serve me a coffee, please?). If you’re in Spain, you can also simply say Un café, por favor. Spanish speakers don’t use “can I have” the way we do in English. Instead, they use verbs like dar (to give), poner (to put/serve), or traer (to bring).
Every Spanish learner makes mistakes—it’s part of the journey. But knowing these common errors will help you avoid embarrassing situations and sound more like a native speaker.
Which of these mistakes have you made before? Or have you heard a funny Spanish-learning fail? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear them!
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