Focusing on the most commonly used words is an efficient way to learn a language. I recommend you start doing that as a beginner though not necessarily on day 1, but once you either are comfortable with present tense conjugations or are comfortable with the construction “me gusta”. I make this recommendation so that you can practice not only with flash cards, but in potentially more fun ways such as speaking actual sentences. Here are the top fifty most commonly used verbs in Spanish. These are in alphabetical order, not frequency order.
- abrir (to open)
- aprender (to learn)
- beber (to drink)
- buscar (to search)
- caminar (to walk)
- cerrar (to close)
- cocinar (to cook)
- comenzar (to begin)
- comer (to eat)
- conocer (to know)
- creer (to believe)
- dar (to give)
- decir (to say)
- encontrar (to find)
- entender (to understand)
- escribir (to write)
- estar (to be)
- haber (to have)
- hablar (to talk)
- hacer (to do)
- ir (to go)
- jugar (to play)
- leer (to read)
- llamar (to call)
- llegar (to arrive)
- mirar (to look)
- necesitar (to need)
- pagar (to pay)
- pedir (to ask)
- pensar (to think)
- poder (to be able to)
- poner (to put)
- preferir (to prefer)
- quedar (to stay)
- querer (to want)
- saber (to know)
- salir (to leave)
- sentarse (to sit down)
- sentir (to feel)
- ser (to be)
- tener (to have)
- tomar (to take)
- trabajar (to work)
- traer (to bring)
- usar (to use)
- venir (to come)
- ver (to see)
- viajar (to travel)
- vivir (to live)
- volver (to return)
In case you are wondering, here are the top ten most common verbs in Spanish, in order of frequency.
- Ser (To be)
- Estar (To be)
- Haber (To have)
- Tener (To have)
- Querer (To want)
- Hacer (To do, To make)
- Decir (To say, To tell)
- Poder (Can, to be able)
- Ir (To go)
- Saber (To know)
You now have a list of the most common verbs in Spanish. Learning both the meanings and conjugations of these verbs is an efficient way to improve your Spanish.
For further reading
Exploring Hobbies in Spanish: Using the “Me gusta + Infinitive” Construction
Bibliography
Learn More Than Spanish. (n.d.). 10 most common Spanish verbs. Learn More Than Spanish. Retrieved December 2, 2023, from https://www.learnmorethanspanish.com/10-most-common-spanish-verbs/
The 50 Most Common Spanish Verbs. (n.d.). In Lingolia. Retrieved from https://espanol.lingolia.com/en/50-spanish-verbs