Table of Contents
- Names of actions in Spanish
- Basic everyday actions and verbs in Spanish
- Basic movement and physical verbs vocabulary in Spanish
- Creative and artistic verbs in Spanish
- Communication and social actions and verbs in Spanish
- Outdoor and adventure verbs in Spanish
- How to learn and remember action words in Spanish
Action words, or verbs, are the powerhouses of our sentences, bringing life and energy to the stories we tell. Whether we’re jumping, running, or dancing, these words help us express all the exciting things we do every day. For children, learning verbs is a big step in building strong communication skills, allowing them to share their adventures, describe their feelings, and interact with the world around them.
Understanding and using action words effectively is key to mastering any language. This article is a selection of some of the most common actions and verbs in Spanish for language learners to remember and use.
Ready? Let’s pounce!
Names of actions in Spanish
Understanding how to use verbs effectively allows us to talk about our daily activities and adventures vividly. The following action words are part of the Studycat Learn Spanish app for kids, designed to make learning verbs fun and interactive. By practicing these words, children can better express their daily activities, building confidence in their language skills.
Here’s a lively list of action words to energize our conversations:
walk - caminar
caminar (pronounced: kah-mee-NAR) “Me gusta caminar en el parque.” “I like to walk in the park.”
fly - volar
volar (pronounced: boh-LAR) “Los pájaros pueden volar alto.” “Birds can fly high.”
swim - nadar
nadar (pronounced: nah-DAR) “Me encanta nadar en la piscina.” “I love to swim in the pool.”
jump - saltar
saltar (pronounced: sahl-TAR) “Los niños saltan de alegría.” “The children jump with joy.”
run - correr
correr (pronounced: koh-REHR) “Me gusta correr rápido.” “I like to run fast.”
Basic everyday actions and verbs in Spanish
These are the foundational actions we perform every day, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night. Mastering these verbs helps young Spanish learners describe their daily routines and interactions with others.
eat - comer
comer (pronounced: koh-MEHR) “Le encanta comer manzanas después de la escuela.” “She loves to eat apples after school.”
sleep - dormir
dormir (pronounced: dohr-MEER) “Se acuesta temprano todas las noches para sentirse descansado.” “He goes to sleep early every night to feel rested.”
drink - beber
beber (pronounced: beh-BEHR) “Le gusta beber agua después de jugar afuera.” “She likes to drink water after playing outside.”
sit - sentarse
sentarse (pronounced: sehn-TAHR-seh) “Le gusta sentarse en el sofá y ver televisión.” “He likes to sit on the sofa and watch TV.”
stand - estar de pie
estar de pie (pronounced: ehs-TAHR deh PYEH) “Se mantiene de pie durante la asamblea escolar.” “She stands tall during the school assembly.”
write - escribir
escribir (pronounced: ehs-kree-BEER) “Le encanta escribir historias en su cuaderno.” “He loves to write stories in his notebook.”
read - leer
leer (pronounced: leh-EHR) “Lee un libro todas las noches antes de dormir.” “She reads a book every night before bed.”
talk - hablar
hablar (pronounced: ah-BLAHR) “Hablan por teléfono todas las noches.” “They talk on the phone every evening.”
listen - escuchar
escuchar (pronounced: ehs-koo-CHAHR) “Escucha atentamente al maestro en clase.” “He listens carefully to the teacher in class.”
watch - mirar
mirar (pronounced: mee-RAHR) “Ellos miran su programa favorito juntos todos los fines de semana.” “They watch their favorite show together every weekend.”
Basic movement and physical verbs vocabulary in Spanish
Movement is a big part of our lives, from playing sports to simply getting from one place to another. These Spanish verbs describe how we move our bodies in different ways.
walk - caminar
caminar (pronounced: kah-mee-NAHR) “Camina a la escuela con sus amigos todas las mañanas.” “She walks to school with her friends every morning.”
run - correr
correr (pronounced: koh-RREHR) “Corre rápido durante el partido de fútbol.” “He runs fast during the soccer game.”
jump - saltar
saltar (pronounced: sahl-TAHR) “A los niños les encanta saltar en la cama elástica.” “The kids love to jump on the trampoline.”
climb - escalar
escalar (pronounced: ehs-kah-LAHR) “Escalaron el árbol para obtener una mejor vista.” “They climbed the tree to get a better view.”
dance - bailar
bailar (pronounced: bye-LAHR) “Le encanta bailar al ritmo de sus canciones favoritas.” “She loves to dance to her favorite songs.”
crawl - gatear
gatear (pronounced: gah-teh-AHR) “El bebé gatea por el suelo para alcanzar su juguete.” “The baby crawls across the floor to reach his toy.”
swim - nadar
nadar (pronounced: nah-DAHR) “Ellos nadan en la piscina cada verano.” “They swim in the pool every summer.”
fly - volar
volar (pronounced: boh-LAHR) “El pájaro puede volar alto sobre las copas de los árboles.” “The bird can fly high above the treetops.”
skate - patinar
patinar (pronounced: pah-tee-NAHR) “Ellos van a la pista de patinaje todos los fines de semana.” “They go to the rink to skate every weekend.”
slide - deslizarse
deslizarse (pronounced: dehs-lee-SAHR-seh) “Le gusta deslizarse por el gran tobogán en el parque.” “She likes to slide down the big slide at the playground.”
Creative and artistic verbs in Spanish
Creative actions allow us to express ourselves through art, music, and imagination. These Spanish verbs are essential for children who love to create and explore their artistic talents.
draw - dibujar
dibujar (pronounced: dee-boo-HAHR) “Le gusta dibujar animales en su cuaderno de bocetos.” “She draws pictures of animals in her sketchbook.”
paint - pintar
pintar (pronounced: peen-TAHR) “Él pinta paisajes con colores brillantes.” “He paints landscapes with bright colors.”
sing - cantar
cantar (pronounced: kahn-TAHR) “Le encanta cantar sus canciones favoritas todo el día.” “She sings her favorite songs all day long.”
play (an instrument) - tocar
tocar (pronounced: toh-KAHR) “Toca el piano maravillosamente durante el recital.” “He plays the piano beautifully during the recital.”
sculpt - esculpir
esculpir (pronounced: ehs-kool-PEER) “Esculpe animales de arcilla en la clase de arte.” “She sculpts animals out of clay in art class.”
build - construir
construir (pronounced: kohn-stroo-EER) “Le gusta construir torres con sus bloques.” “He builds towers with his blocks.”
write (a story) - escribir
escribir (pronounced: ehs-kree-BEER) “Ella escribe historias sobre mundos mágicos.” “She writes stories about magical worlds.”
compose - componer
componer (pronounced: kohm-poh-NEHR) “Compone sus propias canciones en la guitarra.” “He composes his own songs on the guitar.”
perform - actuar
actuar (pronounced: ahk-too-AHR) “Ellos actúan en la obra escolar todos los años.” “They perform in the school play every year.”
craft - crear
crear (pronounced: kreh-AHR) “Ella crea hermosas joyas con cuentas y cordón.” “She crafts beautiful jewelry using beads and string.”
Communication and social actions and verbs in Spanish
These actions are all about how we interact with others. Verbs in this category help children express how they communicate, share, and engage with friends, family, and the world around them.
talk - hablar
hablar (pronounced: ah-BLAHR) “Hablan sobre su día en la mesa de la cena.” “They talk about their day at the dinner table.”
listen - escuchar
escuchar (pronounced: ehs-koo-CHAHR) “Escucha atentamente la historia de su amiga.” “She listens to her friend’s story attentively.”
share - compartir
compartir (pronounced: kohm-pahr-TEER) “Él comparte sus juguetes con su hermano.” “He shares his toys with his brother.”
help - ayudar
ayudar (pronounced: ah-yoo-DAHR) “Ella ayuda a su mamá a hornear galletas.” “She helps her mom bake cookies.”
ask - preguntar
preguntar (pronounced: preh-goon-TAHR) “Él pregunta a la maestra una duda durante la clase.” “He asks the teacher a question during class.”
answer - responder
responder (pronounced: reh-spohn-DEHR) “Responde al teléfono cuando suena.” “She answers the phone when it rings.”
teach - enseñar
enseñar (pronounced: ehn-seh-NYAHR) “Él enseña a su amigo a jugar ajedrez.” “He teaches his friend how to play chess.”
show - mostrar
mostrar (pronounced: mohs-TRAHR) “Le muestra su dibujo a la clase.” “She shows her drawing to the class.”
tell - contar
contar (pronounced: kohn-TAHR) “Él cuenta una historia divertida a sus amigos.” “He tells a funny story to his friends.”
greet - saludar
saludar (pronounced: sah-loo-DAHR) “Ellos saludan a sus abuelos con un gran abrazo.” “They greet their grandparents with a big hug.”
Outdoor and adventure verbs in Spanish
Outdoor activities and adventures are an exciting part of childhood. These verbs describe the actions we take when exploring the great outdoors and having fun in nature.
hike - hacer senderismo
hacer senderismo (pronounced: ah-SEHR sehn-deh-REES-moh) “Aman hacer senderismo en las montañas los fines de semana.” “They love to hike in the mountains on weekends.”
camp - acampar
acampar (pronounced: ah-kahm-PAHR) “La familia acampa junto al lago cada verano.” “The family camps by the lake every summer.”
fish - pescar
pescar (pronounced: pehs-KAHR) “Le gusta pescar con su papá en el río.” “He enjoys fishing with his dad at the river.”
explore - explorar
explorar (pronounced: eks-ploh-RAHR) “Exploran el bosque para encontrar senderos escondidos.” “They explore the forest to find hidden trails.”
hunt - cazar
cazar (pronounced: kah-SAHR) “El grupo caza tesoros durante su juego de aventuras.” “The group hunts for treasure during their adventure game.”
ride (a bike) - montar en bicicleta
montar en bicicleta (pronounced: mohn-TAHR ehn bee-see-KLEH-tah) “Ella monta en bicicleta al parque todas las tardes.” “She rides her bike to the park every afternoon.”
paddle - remar
remar (pronounced: reh-MAHR) “Reman el bote por el lago.” “They paddle the canoe across the lake.”
climb - escalar
escalar (pronounced: ehs-kah-LAHR) “Escalan rocas durante su aventura al aire libre.” “They climb rocks during their outdoor adventure.”
surf - surfear
surfear (pronounced: soor-FEHR) “Él surfea todas las mañanas en la playa.” “He surfs every morning at the beach.”
ski - esquiar
esquiar (pronounced: ehs-kee-AHR) “Esquían por las pendientes cada invierno.” “They ski down the slopes every winter.”
How to learn and remember action words in Spanish
Learning verbs with Studycat is all about active engagement. Here are some fun and effective ways to remember these dynamic words:
- Act them out: Play a game where you act out different verbs and have others guess which action you’re demonstrating. This helps connect the word with the physical action.
- Verb charades: A classic game of charades focusing on verbs can be a fun way to reinforce this new vocabulary.
- Create verb cards: Make flashcards with each verb and a picture representing it. Use these cards to play matching games or to prompt storytelling.
- Visit a park or playground: Use a visit to a park or playground as an opportunity to practice these verbs in real-time. For example, run to the slide, jump off the swing, and fly down the slide.
- Storytelling adventures: Encourage children to tell a story using the verbs from the list. This helps in contextualizing the words and embedding them in memorable narratives.
As we wrap up today’s energetic exploration of action words in Spanish, remember that every action you learn increases your ability to describe the world around you. Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be able to talk about all your exciting adventures in Spanish!
Until our next dynamic dive into language learning, ¡sigue moviéndote, jugando y aprendiendo juntos!
(Keep moving, playing and learning together!)