Wondering how to expand your kid’s vocabulary? Aside from your native dialect, one of the most important languages to learn is Spanish. Teaching kids to be bilingual later on equips them with the cognitive and social skills needed before entering preschool.
How to Raise Bilingual Kids?
To get started, you can read books or try conversing with them using a second language at home. Teaching children Spanish will further develop their character and linguistic background.
There are plenty of Spanish words that are easy to learn and can eventually become part of your kid’s vocabulary. For your reference, below are some of the easiest and most beautiful Spanish words to teach your children.
1. Hola!
When greeting people in Spanish, you say “hola” which means hi or hello in English. Hola is one of the most common greetings in Spanish. You can use this as a conversation starter when meeting someone for the first time or bumping into a person you know.
2. Adios
If “hola” serves as a form of greeting, “adios” means goodbye. It is one of the commonly used words that most people say when bidding farewell to someone.
3. ¿Cómo estás?
What usually comes after hola is asking and knowing the person’s current state. The question “¿cómo estás?” translates to “how are you?” in English. Teaching this phrase can instill courtesy and respect whenever they talk to someone in Spanish.
4. Por favor
This beautiful Spanish phrase lets your child become more respectful without being too demanding. Por Favor means please and a phrase used to ask for a favor from someone while also showing respect.
5. Los Siento
If your kids mistakenly did something, they can say “Los Siento” to apologize. This beautiful Spanish phrase for “sorry” in English can encourage your children to take responsibility for their actions. It also lets them express themselves better when confronted with difficult situations.
6. Gracias
Saying gracias or thank you is a positive gesture you can teach your kids to say. Whenever someone offers you a good deed, it’s always nice to let the person know how grateful you are for what they gave or did for you.
7. Te Quiero
The sweetest Spanish word and phrase you can say to your kid is “Te Quiero” or “I love you” in English. Let them feel how deeply you care for them, so they can say “yo también te quiero” or “I love you too” in return.
8. El Gato
Aside from words to express feelings, you can teach your kids Spanish animal words. One of the most adorable and easiest animals to identify is El Gato which means “cat” in English.
9. La piña
For Spanish foods, you can start with fruits and vegetables that are healthy for your kids. Among those that they can easily remember is La piña or “pineapple” in Spanish. You can also take this chance to teach them the importance of eating fruits and staying healthy.
10. Pequeño/Grande
Another way to teach the Spanish language is by letting your kids identify opposite words like Pequeño and Grande. These words mean “small” and “huge” respectively. Allow your kids to understand more about these opposite words by stating or pointing out objects as perfect examples.
11. Alto/Bajo
Another example of an opposite Spanish word pair is Alto and Bajo or “high” and “low” in English. Learning words with polar opposite meanings enables children to describe nouns different from each other.
12. Caliente/Frio
This next Spanish word pair is commonly used to describe the temperature of food, objects, and places, among others. You say “caliente” when the food is hot or “frio” if it’s cold.
13. Verde
Spanish colors are fun and easy to learn for kids. Plus, you can ask them to describe their surroundings by identifying shapes and colors. One of the beautiful Spanish words is the color Verde, which means green in English. Verde can also be used to describe trees and plants.
14. Rojo
Tickle their creativity once more with this next beautiful word you can add to their Spanish vocabulary. If Verde means green, then Rojo means red. You can also teach your kid to use rojo to describe roses and strawberries.
15. Abuela/Abuelo
For kids just starting to learn Spanish, it’s best to teach them words that they can use to address other family members. You can teach them “abuela” or “abuelo” to call their grandmother or grandfather, respectively. This expands their vocabulary and also makes them more affectionate.
16. Hermano/Hermana
If your kids have siblings, you can teach them how to call and address their older and younger sibs in Spanish. That said, Hermano and Hermana are equivalent to brother and sister when translated to English respectively.
17. Comer
For Spanish learners, it’s important to know some basic verbs or action words. One of the beautiful Spanish words you can teach kids is “comer” which means “to eat” in English.
18. Estudiar
Another commonly used verb or Spanish action word is “Estudiar”, which means “to study”. This word is very timely and relevant to learn before your kids start schooling.
19. Bella
Teach your kids to give positive praises and compliments. This way you can instill good values in them whenever they converse with their friends and the people around them. If they find something or someone pretty, tell them to describe it as “muy Bella” or very pretty in English.
20. Hermosa
Last but not the least, Hermosa or gorgeous is one of the prettiest Spanish words your kids can utter. This word is used to describe lovely people, stunning places, and beautiful things.
Teach Your Kids Beautiful Words in Spanish
Once your child becomes bilingual, they’ll be able to communicate and express themselves better thanks to knowing two languages. Moreover, teaching Spanish to kids can further broaden their cultural and linguistic abilities.
One way to enhance their vocabulary is by enrolling them in our Spanish immersion classes. We provide a safe and fun environment for kids. To learn more about our Spanish programs, visit the Rayito de Sol blog today.
