Spanish for Elementary Learners: Talking About How You Study
Learn to say how you study in Spanish: make flashcards, study in the morning, and share simple study tips using present-tense verbs and frequency words.
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In this lesson you will learn to talk about your study routines in Spanish. You will use the present tense to say what you do to study, when you study best, and what tips help you. You will practice the verb hacer (to do/make), estudiar (to study), and useful time expressions like por la mañana (in the morning). This is different from talking about hobbies because the focus is on academic habits, not free-time activities. By the end, you will be able to describe your own study routine in simple, clear Spanish.
By the end, you can…
- say what I do to study, such as making flashcards or reviewing notes.
- say when I study best, using time expressions like in the morning or at night.
- give a simple study tip to a classmate using the present tense.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Hago tarjetas de memoria.
I make flashcards.
AH-goh tar-HEH-tahs deh meh-MOH-ree-ah
Use this to say you make flashcards. Hago is the yo form of hacer. In some countries, people say tarjetas didácticas or fichas.
Estudio mejor por la mañana.
I study best in the morning.
ehs-TOO-dyoh meh-HOR por lah mah-NYAH-nah
Use mejor after the verb to say you study best at that time. Por la mañana means in the morning.
Repaso mis apuntes antes de la clase.
I review my notes before class.
reh-PAH-so mees ah-POON-tehs AHN-tehs deh lah KLAH-seh
Repaso means I review. Apuntes means notes. Antes de means before.
Me concentro mejor con música tranquila.
I concentrate better with quiet music.
meh kon-SEN-troh meh-HOR kon MOO-see-kah trahn-KEE-lah
Use me concentro to say I concentrate. Mejor means better. Tranquila means quiet or calm.
Un consejo: estudia en bloques de veinte minutos.
A tip: study in twenty-minute blocks.
oon kon-SEH-hoh ehs-TOO-dyah en BLOH-kehs deh BEHN-teh mee-NOO-tohs
Use Un consejo to give a tip. Estudia is the tú command form. Bloques means blocks.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To talk about study habits, use the present tense. For yo (I), many verbs end in -o: hago (I make/do), estudio (I study), repaso (I review), me concentro (I concentrate). To say when, add a time expression: por la mañana (in the morning), por la tarde (in the afternoon), por la noche (at night). Example: Estudio por la noche. (I study at night.) To say you do something better, use mejor after the verb: Estudio mejor por la mañana. (I study best in the morning.)
When to use it
Use these phrases when talking about school routines, not hobbies. For example, say Hago tarjetas de memoria para la clase de historia. (I make flashcards for history class.) Use Me concentro mejor... to explain your ideal study conditions: Me concentro mejor en la biblioteca. (I concentrate better in the library.) To give advice, use Un consejo: + command: Un consejo: repasa todos los días. (A tip: review every day.) Keep commands simple with tú forms like estudia, repasa, and practica.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Cómo estudias para el examen?
How do you study for the exam?KOH-moh ehs-TOO-dyahs PAH-rah el ehk-SAH-mehnHago tarjetas de memoria y repaso mis apuntes.
I make flashcards and review my notes.AH-goh tar-HEH-tahs deh meh-MOH-ree-ah ee reh-PAH-so mees ah-POON-tehs¿Estudias mejor por la mañana o por la noche?
Do you study better in the morning or at night?ehs-TOO-dyahs meh-HOR por lah mah-NYAH-nah oh por lah NOH-chehEstudio mejor por la mañana. Un consejo: estudia en bloques de veinte minutos.
I study best in the morning. A tip: study in twenty-minute blocks.ehs-TOO-dyoh meh-HOR por lah mah-NYAH-nah oon kon-SEH-hoh ehs-TOO-dyah en BLOH-kehs deh BEHN-teh mee-NOO-tohsA little context goes a long way
Por la mañana is the standard way to say in the morning throughout the Spanish-speaking world, including Spain. Daily schedules do vary from country to country and between individuals, so study times differ, but this is not a Spain-versus-Latin-America split. Tarjetas de memoria is widely understood; in some regions people say fichas or tarjetas didácticas. Using tú is normal with classmates and friends; use usted with teachers or older adults to show respect.
One thing to watch for
Placing mejor before the verb to mean better or best, as in Mejor estudio por la mañana.
Try this instead: When mejor means better or best, it normally goes after the verb: Estudio mejor por la mañana. To talk about the best time, use el mejor momento: La mañana es el mejor momento para estudiar. Avoid Mejor estudio por la mañana.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say I make flashcards in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
Hago tarjetas de memoria.
Hago is the yo form of hacer, and tarjetas de memoria means flashcards. You can also say Hago fichas in some regions.
2Translate: I study best at night.
Show a sample answer
Estudio mejor por la noche.
Estudio means I study, mejor means best/better, and por la noche means at night. The order verbo + mejor is standard.
3Give a simple study tip in Spanish using a tú command.
Show a sample answer
Un consejo: repasa tus apuntes todos los días.
Un consejo introduces a tip. Repasa is the tú command for review. Tus apuntes means your notes. Todos los días means every day. Alternatives like estudia en bloques also work.
Use the present tense to describe your study routine: Hago tarjetas, estudio mejor por la mañana, y repaso mis apuntes. Add Un consejo to share a tip with a classmate.
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