And I’m going to show you why.
Es AL REVES de lo que pensás y te voy a demostrar porqué.
A fascinating myth is the idea that Spanish has more vocabulary than English, or that you need an overwhelming amount of words to express yourself.
The truth is the opposite: To be fluent and express yourself naturally, you need fewer words than in English.
Let me show you why:
- English is a “Collector” of Synonyms
The Fact: English, due to its history (Anglo-Saxon + Norman French + Latin), often has two or three words for a similar idea (e.g., freedom/liberty, ask/question, house/home). This can create the false sensation that Spanish has more.
The Opposite Reality: In Spanish, a verb like “sacar” can replace a dozen English verbs: take out, get out, remove, withdraw (money), take (a photo), get (a good grade), bring out, etc. You learn ONE word and use it in dozens of contexts. It’s more economical! And…. the expression “al revés” in English is “upside down”, “the other way around”, “backwards”, “back to front” and ”inside out”.
- Flexibility is Your Superpower.
- What you think:“In English, there’s a specific verb for each action, and it must be the same in Spanish.”
- The opposite reality:
- “To do” & ”to make”-> “hacer”
- “To quit”, ”to let” and in some context “to leave”-> “dejar”
- “To wait”, “to hope” and “to expect” -> esperar
You don’t need to learn a new, specific verb for every single situation. You learn key verbs. It’s like having a toolbox with versatile pieces instead of a separate tool for every tiny task.
- Context is King.
- A word like “vale” can mean okay, worth, valid, it works, sure, fine,depending on the context.
- The word “bueno” can be a simple ..to start a sentence, or it can mean good, kind, okay, fine.
- This means that with a more compact and core vocabulary, you can cover a huge range of meanings, trusting that the context will do the work for you.
Don’t feel overwhelmed thinking you need to know “more” words. The trick is not to have a huge dictionary in your head, but to know how to use key words masterfully.
I hope this new perspective on Spanish empowers you to learn with more confidence and less frustration.
