Are you just starting to learn Spanish and don't know which are the basic Spanish grammar rules you need to master? At donQuijote Spanish school we can help you with that.

Spanish is a rich and structured language and has clear grammar rules that can help you build correct and understandable sentences. That's why, below, we explain 10 essential Spanish grammar rules that every beginner should know before signing up for an intensive Spanish course.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

1. Spanish nouns have gender and number

In Spanish, nouns are classified into several categories, but if there is something to keep in mind about them, it is their gender and number. Each noun has its gender, masculine or feminine, and its number, that is, they can be singular or plural.

For example:

• El árbol / Los árboles (The tree / The trees)
• La casa / Las casas (The house / The houses)
• El perro / Los perros (The dog / The dogs)
• La silla / Las sillas (The chair / The chairs)

However, there are some nouns that are genderless, that is, they are used for both masculine and feminine. For example: el/la artista (the artist), el/la estudiante (the student), la/el paciente (the patient), la/el testigo (the witness) or la/el modelo (the model).

Also, you must keep in mind that, if the noun is accompanied by an adjective or article, these must agree with the gender and number of the noun they accompany. For example:

• El perro marrón / Los perros marrones (The brown dog / The brown dogs)
• La casa bonita / Las casas bonitas (The beautiful house / The beautiful houses)
• El libro antiguo / Los libros antiguos (The old book / The old books)
• La silla azul / Las sillas azules (The blue chair / The blue chairs)

2. Basic sentence structure in Spanish

The basic sentence structure in Spanish is subject + verb + object/complement. With this simple structure you can build clear and understandable sentences. For example:

• “María come una manzana” (Maria eats an apple). The subject is “Maria”, the verb is “come” (eat) and the object is “una manzana”.
• “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista” (They have an appointment at the dentist). The subject is “ellos”; the verb is “tienen” and the complement is “cita en el dentista”.

Although, sometimes, the subject can be omitted and need not be included in the sentence. In the example above, “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista”, the subject can be omitted, and the sentence would have the same sense and meaning: “Tienen cita en el dentista”.

If you want to learn more about it, you can visit our post Spanish sentence structure.

3. Questions in Spanish always have the same structure

As with sentences, questions in Spanish also have a clear order. Most questions usually start with interrogative words such as: qué (what), quién (who), cómo (how) or dónde (where). Also, note that interrogative particles always have accent.

However, in Spanish you can ask questions without the interrogative particle, simply add the question marks “¿?” and pronounce the phrase with the intonation of a question.

For example:

• ¿Quién es el vecino que toca la guitarra? (Who is the neighbor who plays the guitar?)
• ¿Me puedes decir qué hora es? (Can you tell me what time it is?)
• ¿Cómo puedo llegar al metro desde el teatro? (How can I get to the subway from the theater?)
• ¿Hablas español? (Do you speak Spanish?)
• ¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo? (Can I borrow your pen?)

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Spanish grammar rules

Spanish grammar rules are essential to master the language. Therefore, here you can understand the most basic Spanish grammar for beginners.

Grammar Spanish grammar rules are essential to master the language. Therefore, here you can understand the most basic Spanish grammar for beginners. grammatical rules in spanish, spanish grammar rules, spanish rules for grammar, basic spanish grammar, spanish grammar for beginners, simple spanish grammar, spanish beginner grammar Off Marta Díaz

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4. Finales (endings): indicate the purpose or aim of what is expressed in the main sentence. The main ones are: para que, a fin de que, con el objetivo de que.

Examples:

• Trabajo para que tú puedas estudiar (I work so that you can study)
• Lo explicó con el objetivo de que todos lo entendieran (He explained it so that everyone would understand)

5. Temporales (temporal): they point out a temporal relationship between sentences. Main: cuando, mientras, antes de que, después de que.

Examples:

• Llegaré cuando termine de trabajar (I will arrive when I finish work)
• Antes de que se vaya, hablaremos con ella (Before she leaves, we will talk to her)

6. Concesivas (concessives): express an objection or difficulty that does not prevent the realization of what is said in the main sentence. Principals: aunque, a pesar de que, por más que.

Examples:

• Aunque estaba cansado, siguió trabajando (Although he was tired, he continued working)
• Por más que insistas, no cambiaré de opinión (No matter how much you insist, I will not change my mind)

7. Comparativas (comparatives): establish a comparison between two ideas. They are: como, igual que, más que, menos que.

Examples:

• Es tan fuerte como un roble (She is as strong as an oak tree)
• Ella corre más rápido que su hermano (She runs faster than her brother)

These are some of the most common conjunctions in Spanish used in everyday life. Do you still have doubts? It's very simple! Sign up for an intensive Spanish course and our teachers will explain and solve all your doubts about Spanish conjunctions or grammar.

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Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions (conjunciones subordinadas) join two parts of a sentence, establishing a dependency relationship. We differentiate the following types:

1. Casuales (causal): they indicate the cause or reason for what is expressed in the main sentence. They are: porque, pues, pues que, puesto que.

Examples:

• No salí porque estaba lloviendo (I did not go out because it was raining)
• Debes descansar, ya que mañana será un día largo (You should rest, because tomorrow will be a long day)
• Pon la mesa porque ya vienen tus tíos (Set the table because your aunt and uncle are coming)
• No pude asistir a la cena puesto que tenía otro compromiso (I could not attend the dinner since I had another commitment)

2. Consecutivas (consecutives): they express the consequence of what was mentioned in the main sentence. The main ones: por lo tanto, por consiguiente, así que.

Examples:

• Estudió mucho, por lo tanto, aprobó el examen (She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam)
• Hace frío, así que ponte un abrigo (It is cold, so put on a coat)
• El proyecto fue un éxito, por consiguiente, recibimos muchas felicitaciones (The project was a success; consequently, we received many congratulations)

3. Condicionales (conditionals): they introduce a condition necessary for what is said in the main sentence to be fulfilled. They are: si, a menos que, con tal que, siempre que.

Examples:

• Iremos al parque si deja de llover (We will go to the park if it stops raining)
• No te ayudaré a menos que me hagas caso (I won't help you unless you listen to me)
• Te prestaré mi coche con tal que lo devuelvas como estaba (I will lend you my car as long as you return it as it was)

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2. Disyuntivas (disjunctive): they express alternatives or options between the elements. They are: o, u.

Examples:

• ¿Prefieres té o café? (Do you prefer tea or coffee?)
• Debemos ir rápido o perderemos el tren (We must go fast, or we will miss the train)
• ¿Quieres estudiar español u otro idioma? (Do you want to study Spanish or another language?)
• ¿Estudias o trabajas? (Do you study or work?)

3. Adversativas (adversatives): they indicate opposition or contrast between elements. You’ll find in this category: pero, mas, sino, sin embargo, no obstante.

Examples:

• Quiero ayudarte, pero no tengo tiempo (I want to help you, but I don't have time)
• No lo hizo él, sino su hermano (He didn't do it, but his brother did)
• Mejoró mucho, mas sigue débil (He improved a lot, but is still weak)
• Estamos compenetrados, sin embargo, no siempre acertamos (We understand each other; however, we don't always get it right)
• Quiero salir, pero está lloviendo (I want to go out, but it's raining)

4. Distributivas (distributive): they express an alternation between actions or concepts. The main ones: ya... ya, bien... bien... bien, unos…otros.

Examples:

• Ya ríes, ya lloras con esa película (You already laugh and cry with this movie)
• Puedes elegir bien el lunes o bien el viernes (You can choose either Monday or Friday)
• Unos prefieren la playa, otros la montaña (Some prefer the beach, others the mountains)

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