Master English: Key Vocabulary and Grammar for Spanish Speakers
Posted on Oct 13, 2025 in English
Essential English Vocabulary with Spanish Translations
Social and Personal Actions
- Turning point: (punto de inflexión)
- Miss out on: (perderse)
- Milestone: (hito)
- Hang out: (pasar el rato)
- Be involved in: (participar en)
- Run for office: (postularse a un cargo)
- Overdo: (exagerar)
- Race: (raza/carrera)
- Lower: (bajar)
- Rate: (calificar/tasa)
- Handle: (manejar)
- Enable: (habilitar)
- Make fun of: (burlarse de)
- Cheer on: (animar)
- Enforce: (hacer cumplir)
- Venue: (lugar)
- Cautious: (cauteloso)
- Playing a role in: (tener un papel en)
- Social status: (estatus social)
- Steady job: (empleo estable)
- Support a cause: (apoyar una causa)
- Take action: (tomar acción)
Culture and Society
- Bigotry / Pejorative / Belittle: (intolerancia / despectivo / menospreciar)
- Custom: (costumbre)
- Belief: (creencia)
- Appreciate: (apreciar)
- Broaden culture gap: (ampliar la brecha cultural)
- Language barrier: (barrera del idioma)
- Foreign: (extranjero)
- Fit in: (encajar)
- Outlooks: (puntos de vista)
- Open-minded / Narrow-minded: (mente abierta / cerrada)
- Values: (valores)
- Roots: (raíces)
- Founded: (fundado)
- Manners: (modales)
- Advantage and disadvantage: (ventaja y desventaja)
- Overwhelming: (abrumador)
- Heritage: (herencia)
- Inherit: (heredar)
- Stand up for: (defender)
- Carry out: (llevar a cabo)
- Fall out of favor: (perder popularidad)
- Cultural appropriation: (apropiación cultural)
- Appropriate: (apropiado)
Safety and Precaution
- Safe / Safety / Save: (seguro / seguridad / salvar)
- Happen: (suceder)
- Faulty: (defectuoso)
- Wiring: (cableado)
- Choke: (ahogarse)
- Involve: (involucrar)
- Be likely to: (ser probable que)
- Gear: (equipo)
- Ensure: (asegurar)
Environment and Effort
- Hefty: (pesado)
- Defunct: (extinto)
- Junk: (basura)
- Debris: (escombros)
- Worldwide: (mundial)
- Rely on: (confiar en)
- Iron out: (resolver)
- Improve: (mejorar)
- Provide: (proporcionar)
- Effort: (esfuerzo)
- Take sth for granted: (dar por sentado)
- Be aware of: (estar consciente de)
- Measures: (medidas)
- Entire: (completo)
- At stake: (en juego)
Achievement and Personal Qualities
- Feat: (hazaña)
- Runner up: (subcampeón)
- Setback: (retroceso)
- Astounding: (asombroso)
- Leap: (salto)
- Fail / Succeed: (fallar / tener éxito)
- Ancient: (antiguo)
- Sacred: (sagrado)
- Goal / Achieve a goal: (meta / lograr una meta)
- Average: (promedio)
- Humble: (humilde)
- Skill: (habilidad)
- Eager: (ansioso)
- Reluctant: (reacio)
- Bulk: (volumen)
- Asset: (activo)
Key Concepts and Definitions
Part 1
- Friendship: A close relationship of mutual affection and support. (Spanish: Amistad)
- Kindness: Being friendly, generous, and considerate. (Spanish: Cordialidad, amabilidad)
- Deserve: To be worthy of something due to actions or qualities. (Spanish: Merecer)
- Asset: A valuable thing or person. (Spanish: Activo)
- Well-being: The state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. (Spanish: Bienestar)
- Refrain: To avoid doing something intentionally. (Spanish: Evitar)
- Turning point: A crucial moment when a change happens. (Spanish: Punto de inflexión)
- Milestone: A significant event or stage in development. (Spanish: Hito)
- Joy: Great happiness or pleasure. (Spanish: Felicidad)
- Destiny: The future predetermined course of events. (Spanish: Destino)
- Eager: Excitedly interested or enthusiastic. (Spanish: Ansioso)
- Reluctant: Unwilling or hesitant to act. (Spanish: Reacio)
- Cheer: To encourage or lift someone’s mood. (Spanish: Alegrar, animar, motivar)
- Average: A typical or usual standard. (Spanish: Promedio, media, corriente)
- Deliberately: Done on purpose; intentionally. (Spanish: A propósito)
- Skill: An ability gained through practice or talent. (Spanish: Habilidad)
- Reliable: Can be trusted or depended on. (Spanish: Fiable)
- Strength: Power, energy, or toughness. (Spanish: Fuerza)
- Peer: A person of equal status or age. (Spanish: Compañero/a)
- Behavior: The manner of acting or conducting oneself. (Spanish: Comportamiento)
- Tell off: To scold or reprimand someone. (Spanish: Reñir a alguien)
- Fight: To argue or engage in conflict. (Spanish: Reñir)
- Ancient: Very old or from long ago. (Spanish: Antiguo)
- Heavy: Having great weight or force. (Spanish: Pesado)
- Bond: A strong connection or relationship. (Spanish: Vínculo)
Part 2
- Junk: To discard as useless or unwanted. (Spanish: Tirar)
- Debris: Scattered fragments from destruction. (Spanish: Restos)
- Bigotry: Intolerance toward different opinions or groups. (Spanish: Fanatismo)
- Global: Worldwide or involving the whole earth. (Spanish: Global)
- Iron out: To resolve differences or problems. (Spanish: Solucionar)
- Improve: To make better or enhance. (Spanish: Mejorar)
- Provide: To give or supply something needed. (Spanish: Proporcionar)
- Effort: An attempt made through hard work. (Spanish: Esfuerzo)
- Rule: A guideline or principle to follow. (Spanish: Norma)
- Jam: To block, stick, or become stuck. (Spanish: Atascar)
- Halt: To stop or bring to an end. (Spanish: Detener)
- Take for granted: To assume without appreciation or questioning. (Spanish: Dar por hecho)
- Measures: Planned actions for a purpose. (Spanish: Medidas)
- Goal: A desired result or aim. (Spanish: Objetivo)
- Achieve: To successfully reach an objective. (Spanish: Alcanzar)
- Share: To use or enjoy something with others. (Spanish: Compartir)
- Let down: To disappoint by not meeting expectations. (Spanish: Decepcionar)
- Empathetic: Able to understand and share others’ feelings. (Spanish: Empático)
- Culture gap: A difference in beliefs or customs. (Spanish: Brecha cultural)
- Root: The origin or source of something. (Spanish: Raíz)
- Get along: To have a good relationship. (Spanish: Llevarse bien)
- Overwhelming: Very intense or overpowering. (Spanish: Abrumador)
- Humble: Modest or not arrogant. (Spanish: Humilde)
- Join: To connect or become part of something. (Spanish: Unirse)
- Heritage: Property or tradition passed down. (Spanish: Herencia)
English Grammar and Sentence Transformation
Sentence Rewriting Examples
- Scientists are explaining the origin of the universe. → The origin of the universe is being explained by scientists.
- I’m sorry that I don’t have time to spend with my family. → I wish I had time to spend with my family.
- I didn’t know you were here; that’s why I didn’t call you. → If I had known you were here, I would have called you.
- It is expected that the government will reduce taxes soon. → The government is expected to reduce taxes soon.
- People say that the company has financial problems. → The company is said to have financial problems.
- I would like to have a Ferrari, but I’m not rich. → If I were rich, I would have a Ferrari.
- It is said that he has discovered a cure for stress. → He is said to have discovered a cure for stress.
- Many people believe that the climate is changing. → The climate is believed to be changing.
- They are repairing our Internet connection at the moment. → We are having our Internet connection repaired at the moment.
- The children couldn’t go out to the playground since it was raining. → The children couldn’t go out to the playground due to the rain.
Conditional Sentences (If-Clauses)
- If the team’s results don’t improve, the manager is going to be fired.
- Unless you have a visa, you can’t enter China.
- If Jonathan had enough money, he would go to America.
- If I were you, I wouldn’t move into that neighborhood.
- We would have gone up the Eiffel Tower if it hadn’t been closed.
Mixed Grammar Examples
Conditionals and Reported Speech
- If it doesn’t stop raining, I won’t go out.
- If we had money, we would go on holidays.
- If I had known your telephone number, I would have called you.
- Claire ordered us not to wear shorts to the office.
- The supervisor asked what I had done last week.
- Mary asked me if I would come to her birthday party.
- Lia suggested buying him some flowers.
Passive Voice
- A new stadium was built near our neighborhood by the city council.
- Our van is being repaired by a mechanic.
- Horror scripts have been written by Stephen King since he was young.
- The song we’re listening to was written by John Lennon.
Modals and Obligation
- You don’t need to rush.
- Tom was allowed to go on the school trip.
- You should study harder.
- Mr. Smith might have murdered his wife.
Connectors and Clauses
- She was late because there was a traffic jam.
- I’m going to study harder in order to pass my exams.
- Although the salary is low, she has accepted the job.
- In spite of the heavy rain, they went climbing.
- This is the new president whom we all voted for.
