¡Aprende! The Hola School Blog
Learning Spanish for life in Spain — grammar made simple, exams (DELE/SIELE), residency & nationality, and practical tips for expats.
Business Email in Spanish: Templates, Openings and Sign-offs
Ready-to-use Spanish email templates for requests, follow-ups, apologies and introductions, with the correct openings, sign-offs and register for each situation.
How to Memorise Spanish Vocabulary: Methods That Actually Stick
Why word lists fail, how spaced repetition and phrase-based learning work, and a realistic daily routine that turns recognised words into words you can actually use.
Job Interview in Spanish: Common Questions and How to Answer
The questions that come up in almost every Spanish job interview, phrases for answering them, what to ask at the end, and how to recover when you miss something.
How to Write a CV in Spanish: Structure, Wording and Example
The structure Spanish employers expect from a CV, section-by-section wording, what to omit, and how the Spanish format differs from British and American resumes.
Spanish Idioms and Set Phrases That Native Speakers Actually Use
The Spanish idioms and set phrases you will genuinely hear in daily life, with literal translations, real meanings and notes on where each one fits.
Spanish TV Series by Level: What to Watch from A1 to C1
A watchlist of Spanish-language series graded by level, with notes on accent difficulty by country and a method for watching that actually builds listening skills.
Cost of Living in Spain 2026: What You Actually Spend, by City
Realistic monthly budgets for Spain in 2026: rent, utilities, groceries, transport and health insurance across the main cities, plus the costs newcomers consistently underestimate.
Renewing Your Residency Card (TIE) in Spain: Timing and Documents
When to apply to renew your Spanish residency card, which documents you need, how long the new TIE takes and why gaps between cards matter for permanent residency and citizenship.
Why Spanish Visa Applications Get Refused (and How to Avoid It)
The most common reasons Spanish consulates refuse residency visa applications — insurance, income, documents, translations — and what to do if you get a refusal letter.
Spanish Citizenship: Requirements, Timeline and the Exams You Need
How long you must live in Spain, which exams you take (DELE A2 and CCSE), what documents are needed, how long the decision takes and what happens to your original citizenship.
Spain Visa Comparison 2026: Non-Lucrative vs Digital Nomad vs Student
Non-lucrative, digital nomad and student visas compared on income requirements, the right to work, taxes, family reunification and the path to permanent residency — with a clear recommendation for each situation.
How to Get a NIE Number in Spain: Appointment, Documents, Cost
A step-by-step guide to getting a Spanish NIE: booking the cita previa, filling the EX-15 form, paying the modelo 790 fee, what documents to bring and how to find an appointment when everything shows as full.
Health Insurance for a Spanish Visa: What Actually Qualifies
Which private health insurance policies Spanish consulates accept for the NLV, digital nomad and student visas — no copays, no deductibles, no waiting periods — plus real costs and common rejection reasons.
Best Cities in Spain to Learn Spanish: Accent, Cost and Who Each Suits
Salamanca, Granada, Valencia, Madrid, Seville, Malaga and Bilbao compared for language learners: clarity of accent, cost of living, how many English speakers around and who each city fits.
Best Spanish Textbooks by Level: What to Use from A1 to C1
The Spanish textbooks teachers actually use — Aula Internacional, Español en Marcha, Vitamina, Prisma, Gramática de uso and El Cronómetro — and which one fits your level.
Can You Learn Spanish with ChatGPT? What AI Does Well and Where It Fails
An honest look at using ChatGPT for Spanish: where AI genuinely beats a textbook, where it does nothing for you, the three traps to avoid and the prompts that actually work.
Spanish Conversation Club Online: How It Works and Who It Is For
What an online Spanish conversation club actually is, how it differs from lessons and language exchange, the level you need to join and how to pick a club where you really speak.
Best Free Resources to Learn Spanish in 2026: Sites, Podcasts and Apps
The free Spanish resources that actually work in 2026 — dictionaries, podcasts, YouTube channels, grammar drills, reading and language exchange — plus a weekly plan that turns them into a system.
Best Online Spanish Schools and Tutoring Platforms in 2026: An Honest Comparison
Marketplaces, subscription schools, unlimited plans and language schools in Spain compared: real 2026 prices, who each format suits and the seven criteria that actually decide your result.
Your First Online Spanish Lesson: What a Free Trial Class Looks Like
What happens in a free trial Spanish lesson online, how to prepare in five minutes, the questions to ask the teacher and the green and red flags to watch for.
Online Spanish Lessons for Kids: Best Age to Start and How to Choose a Tutor
When to start Spanish with a child, how kids lessons differ from adult ones, what online classes cost and how to pick a tutor your child will not quit on.
Learning Spanish Online vs In-Person: Which Is Better?
An honest look at online versus in-person Spanish lessons: the real strengths of each format, the myths worth dropping, and how to pick what fits you.
How to Start Speaking Spanish and Beat the Speaking Barrier
The speaking barrier is not about grammar but about the fear of mistakes: here is why you freeze in Spanish and how to actually start talking today.
How Much Do Online Spanish Lessons Cost? An Honest Breakdown
An honest look at online Spanish lesson prices: what drives cost, how the formats compare, and why the cheapest option is rarely the best value.
Native vs Bilingual Spanish Teacher: Which Is Better for You?
An honest look at the strengths of a native Spanish teacher versus a bilingual one, and how to choose the right fit for your level and learning goal.
How to Choose a Spanish Tutor: 8 Things That Actually Matter
A practical guide on how to choose a Spanish tutor: 8 criteria that actually matter, red flags to avoid, and the questions to ask before your first paid class.
Is Spanish Hard to Learn? An Honest Guide for 2026
An honest, no-hype breakdown: why Spanish is one of the easiest major languages for English speakers, what is genuinely hard, and how a good method fixes it.
How to Say Sorry in Spanish: Perdón, Lo Siento and Disculpa
Learn when to use perdón, lo siento, disculpa and con permiso, how formal and informal apologies differ, and the common mistakes to avoid in Spanish.
Happy Birthday in Spanish: Feliz Cumpleaños, the Song and Wishes
Learn to say happy birthday in Spanish: the key phrase and variants, the birthday song, warm wishes, how to ask about age, and useful party vocabulary.
How to Say I Love You in Spanish: Te Quiero vs Te Amo
Learn the real difference between te quiero and te amo, how to build up from a crush to a confession, plus pet names and romance phrases that sound natural.
How Many Countries Speak Spanish? The Full List for 2026
Spanish is official in around 20 countries: here is the full list by region for 2026, plus how many people speak Spanish worldwide and where.
Spain Non-Lucrative Visa (NLV) 2026: Who It's For and How to Apply
Spain's non-lucrative visa lets people with passive income or savings live in Spain without working — here's who qualifies, the requirements and how to apply.
Schools and Childcare in Spain: A Guide for Expat Parents
How schooling works in Spain for expat families: nurseries, public, concertado and international schools, how to enrol, and support for non-Spanish speakers.
Exchanging Your Driving License in Spain: How It Works
How to swap your foreign driving license in Spain: EU vs non-EU rules, the canje exchange, DGT documents, medical exam, the 6-month window, and mistakes to avoid.
Becoming Autónomo in Spain: Self-Employment and Taxes Explained
A clear guide to becoming autónomo in Spain: the two registrations, the monthly cuota and tarifa plana, quarterly taxes, invoicing, and mistakes to avoid.
Renting an Apartment in Spain: Contract, Deposit and Tenant Rights
How renting works in Spain: the contract and LAU law, the fianza deposit, documents landlords ask for, tenant rights, and the scams to avoid.
Healthcare in Spain: Tarjeta Sanitaria and Health Insurance
How healthcare works in Spain: who gets free public care with a tarjeta sanitaria, who needs private insurance, and how to register step by step.
Homologación in Spain: Getting Your Foreign Degree Recognized
When you need homologación, equivalencia or simple recognition of a foreign degree in Spain, which documents are required, and how the process works.
Opening a Bank Account in Spain: Resident vs Non-Resident
How to open a bank account in Spain as a resident or non-resident, which documents you need, the role of the NIE, and the fees to watch for.
Empadronamiento in Spain: What the Padrón Is and How to Register
Empadronamiento is registering your address at the town hall in Spain — here is what the padrón is, why it matters, and exactly how to register.
Moving to Spain in 2026: The Complete Guide for Newcomers
Moving to Spain in 2026 means choosing the right visa, getting your NIE/TIE, empadronamiento, a bank account and healthcare — here is the full sequence.
Places in the City in Spanish: Buildings and Getting Around
Learn the Spanish names for city buildings, streets, and directions, plus the key phrases you need to ask where things are and find your way around town.
Spanish Text and Chat Abbreviations: WhatsApp Slang Decoded
Decode the most common Spanish text abbreviations used on WhatsApp and social media, with real example messages and clear rules on when to use them.
School and Education Vocabulary in Spanish
Master Spanish education vocabulary: school stages, people, subjects, exams and grades, plus tricky false friends like carrera, colegio and suspender explained.
Talking on the Phone in Spanish: How to Call and Answer
Learn how to answer the phone across regions, introduce yourself, handle bad connections and leave voicemails in Spanish with a sample dialogue and key verbs.
Computer and Internet Vocabulary in Spanish
A practical guide to computer and internet vocabulary in Spanish: devices, online terms, social media words, useful phrases, false friends, and regional differences.
Spanish Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto): había hablado Explained
Learn the Spanish past perfect (pluscuamperfecto): how to form había hablado, irregular participles, when to use it, and the mistakes English speakers make.
Spanish Ordinal Numbers: primero, segundo, tercero and Beyond
Spanish ordinals like primero, segundo and tercero agree in gender and number, shorten before nouns, and give way to cardinals after tenth. Here is how.
Spanish Possessives: mi, tu, su and mío, tuyo, suyo Explained
Spanish has two sets of possessives: short forms before the noun (mi, tu, su) and long forms after it (mío, tuyo, suyo). Here is how to use each one.
Spanish Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel (this, that, that over there)
Master Spanish demonstratives este, ese and aquel: three distances, gender and number agreement, neuter forms, and the mistakes to avoid.
Spanish Plurals: How to Form the Plural of Nouns and Adjectives
Learn how Spanish plurals work: the +s and +es rules, -z to -ces spelling, accent changes, invariable words, and adjective agreement.
Spanish Adjectives: Agreement, Gender and Where They Go
In Spanish, adjectives change to match the noun and usually come after it. Two small rules — gender/number agreement and position — cover almost everything.
Ir + a + Infinitive: The Easy Future Tense in Spanish
Before you touch the "real" future tense, learn this one: ir + a + infinitive. It is how Spanish speakers actually talk about the future most of the time — and it takes five minutes.
The Verb Tener in Spanish: Conjugation and 15 Everyday Expressions
Tener means "to have" — but Spanish uses it where English uses "to be": hunger, age, fear, being right. Here is the conjugation plus the expressions you will hear every single day.
How to Introduce Yourself in Spanish: A Simple Script
Name, where you are from, what you do, and a friendly close — a short, natural script for introducing yourself in Spanish, with the phrases you can reuse forever.
Spanish Question Words: qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo, por qué
The seven question words that unlock real conversations in Spanish — with the accent-mark rule, correct word order, and the mistakes English speakers make most.
The 100 Most Common Spanish Words to Learn First
The first ~100 words in Spanish already cover most of everyday speech. Here they are, grouped so you can actually remember them — pronouns, verbs, connectors and the little words that hold sentences together.
Spanish Object Pronouns: me, te, lo, la, le Explained
Direct vs indirect object pronouns in Spanish, the lo/la vs le trap, why le turns into se, and where the pronoun goes. Clear tables and examples.
Spanish Articles: el, la, un, una and When to Drop Them
Definite vs indefinite articles in Spanish, guessing gender, the el agua trap, al and del, and the times English drops the article but Spanish keeps it.
The Spanish Alphabet and Pronunciation, Sound by Sound
Every letter of the Spanish alphabet with its name and sound, the traps that catch English speakers, the c/z regional split, r vs rr, and pure vowels.
Comparatives in Spanish: Más Que, Menos Que, Tan Como
Master Spanish comparatives: mas que, menos que, and tan como, the four irregulars mejor, peor, mayor, menor, plus de before numbers and -isimo.
Colors in Spanish: Names, Agreement, and Key Phrases
Learn the core Spanish colors, master gender and number agreement (rojo, roja, verde, azul, naranja), where colors go, and phrases to use them right.
Saber vs Conocer: Two Spanish Verbs for "To Know"
Saber is for facts and skills, conocer for people and places. Clear rules, the irregular yo forms, and how both change meaning in the past.
Verbs Like Gustar in Spanish: Encantar, Doler, Faltar and More
Gustar means "to be pleasing", not "to like" — master that one idea and encantar, doler, faltar, interesar and the whole family fall into place.
Spanish Reflexive Verbs: Me Llamo, Levantarse and How They Work
Why Spanish says "me llamo" instead of "I am called" — reflexive pronouns, conjugation, placement and the verbs you need for daily routine.
Days, Months and Telling Time in Spanish: Full Guide
Learn the days, months and how to tell time in Spanish. Lowercase days, es la una vs son las dos, y media, menos cuarto, and dates with el 5 de mayo.
Basic Spanish Phrases: Greetings and First Conversation
Essential Spanish phrases for beginners: greetings, how are you, introductions, the three ways to say sorry, tú vs usted, and survival lines that work.
Spanish Numbers 1-100 and Beyond: How to Count Them
Count in Spanish from zero to a million with clear tables. Master dieciséis, treinta y uno, cien vs ciento, quinientos, mil, and un millón de.
NIE vs TIE in Spain: what they are and how to get them
The NIE is a number, the TIE is a card, and confusing them costs appointments. A practical guide to empadronamiento, Modelo 790, cita previa and fingerprints.
Spanish imperative: how to give orders, instructions and advice
Haz, di, ven — and why "no hazlo" is wrong. A complete, practical guide to the Spanish imperative: irregulars, negatives, pronoun placement and how commands really sound.
CCSE exam 2026: the Spanish citizenship test explained
The CCSE is the citizenship knowledge test every applicant must pass. 25 questions, 45 minutes, 15 to pass — and all 300 possible questions are published in advance.
Beckham Law Spain 2026: the 24% flat tax — who actually qualifies
Spain’s Beckham Law in 2026: flat 24% up to €600,000, foreign income exempt, six years’ duration — plus the six-month deadline that disqualifies most people who miss it.
Spain Digital Nomad Visa 2026: requirements, income and how to apply
Spain’s digital nomad visa in 2026: the €2,849/month income bar, the 20% Spanish-client rule, family add-ons, consulate vs in-country routes, and who should not apply.
Spanish False Friends: 30 Words That Don't Mean What English Speakers Think
Embarazada isn't embarrassed and constipado isn't constipated. The 30 Spanish false friends that catch English speakers out, with real meanings and examples.
How long does it take to learn Spanish? Real timelines by level (A1-C2)
Realistic timelines for every Spanish level from A1 to C2, with official Instituto Cervantes hour estimates - plus what each level actually means for living, working, and getting citizenship in Spain.
How to learn Spanish when you live in Spain: a practical plan
A step-by-step plan to learn Spanish from scratch after moving to Spain: how to turn daily life into practice, realistic timelines to B1, the best resources, and the mistakes that keep expats stuck.
Castilian vs Latin American Spanish: what's different and which to learn
Vosotros or ustedes, ceceo or seseo, coche or carro: the key differences between Spanish in Spain and Latin America, and why expats living in Spain should learn Castilian.
The hardest parts of Spanish grammar for English speakers (and how to crack them)
Ser vs estar, por vs para, the past-tense trio, and the subjunctive: the four grammar topics that trip up almost every English speaker learning Spanish, why they feel so hard, and the concrete tricks that crack them.
What Level of Spanish Do You Need for Spanish Citizenship
No Spanish is required for any Spanish residency visa. For citizenship you need DELE A2 plus the CCSE: levels by goal, exemptions, costs and timings.
Spanish Present Tense Conjugation: Endings and Irregulars
How Spanish verbs conjugate in the present: -ar/-er/-ir endings, stem-changing boot verbs, irregular yo forms, ser, estar, ir, tener and when to use it.
The Spanish Subjunctive: What It Is and When to Use It
What the Spanish subjunctive actually is, when it switches on, how the presente de subjuntivo is formed, and the main triggers: querer que, ojalá, no creo.
DELE vs SIELE: the difference and which exam to take
DELE vs SIELE compared: format, cost, validity and what each is for — including why only DELE A2 counts for Spanish nationality. Pick the right one.
Spanish Past Tenses: Preterite vs Imperfect vs Perfect
Spanish has three past tenses where English has one. When to use indefinido, imperfecto and perfecto — a working rule, marker words and common mistakes.
Por vs Para in Spanish: the simple rule that finally makes sense
Por and para both translate as "for" in English, which is exactly why they trip people up. Here is the clear forward-vs-backward rule, minimal pairs, fixed phrases and common mistakes.
Ser vs Estar in Spanish: the rule that works 95% of the time
Spanish has two verbs for “to be”. One rule that works 95% of the time, full conjugations, the adjectives that change meaning and the mistakes to avoid.
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