Common Spanish Mistakes That English Speakers Make (And How to Fix Them!)

Learning Spanish is awesome… until you accidentally tell someone you’re embarrazada and they start congratulating you. (Spoiler: you just said you’re pregnant.)

Yep, Spanish can be tricky—especially when your English brain tries to help and ends up starting a linguistic dumpster fire. But hey, we’ve all been there. Let’s go over some of the most common Spanish slip-ups that English speakers make—and how to fix them like a pro.

1. False Friends: “I’m embarrassed” ≠ “Estoy embarazada”

Let’s get this one out of the way.

• ❌ Estoy embarazada = “I’m pregnant”

• ✅ Tengo vergüenza or Estoy avergonzado/a = “I’m embarrassed”

Fix it: Anytime you’re tempted to say embarazada, pause and think: “Do I actually mean I’m pregnant right now?” If not—use vergüenza.

2. Ser vs. Estar: AKA “Why are there two ‘to be’s?!?”

This one trips up everyone. Ser is for permanent-ish things. Estar is for temporary states or locations.

• ✅ Soy alto. = I’m tall. (Permanent)

• ✅ Estoy cansado. = I’m tired. (Temporary)

• ✅ Madrid está en España. = Madrid is in Spain. (Locations always use estar)

Pro tip: If it changes with mood, time, or place, it’s probably estar. If it’s a part of who you are, it’s ser.

3. Confusing “por” and “para” — The eternal struggle

Both mean “for,” kind of. But they’re not interchangeable. At all.

• ✅ Este regalo es para ti. = This gift is for you. (para = destination, purpose)

• ✅ Gracias por el regalo. = Thanks for the gift. (por = cause, exchange, duration)

Fix it: If you’re talking about a goal, use para. If you’re talking about the reason something happened or something in exchange, it’s por. Still confused? Same. Just keep practicing and one day it’ll click.

4. Forgetting to Match Gender and Number

Spanish nouns have genders. Adjectives have to agree. This is the law.

• ❌ El casa es bonito.

• ✅ La casa es bonita.

• ❌ Los chico alto.

• ✅ Los chicos altos.

Fix it: Pay attention to endings. If your noun ends in -o, it’s probably masculine. If it ends in -a, it’s probably feminine. And don’t forget to make your adjectives plural if your noun is!

5. Overusing Subject Pronouns

In English we say “I eat, you eat, he eats…” In Spanish, the verb tells you who’s doing it. So you don’t always need to say yo, tú, etc.

• ❌ Yo como la pizza, y tú comes la ensalada, y él bebe agua…

• ✅ Como la pizza, comes la ensalada, bebe agua…

Fix it: Drop the subject pronoun unless you need it for clarity or emphasis. Spanish is chill like that.

6. Saying “Estoy caliente” when you mean you’re warm

Be careful with this one. Please.

• ❌ Estoy caliente = I’m… feeling frisky.

• ✅ Tengo calor = I’m warm/hot (temperature-wise)

Fix it: When talking about physical feelings like hunger, thirst, or heat, use tener:

• Tengo hambre = I’m hungry

• Tengo sed = I’m thirsty

• Tengo frío = I’m cold

• Tengo sueño = I’m sleepy

Your dignity will thank you.

7. Saying “es divertido” for “I’m having fun”

• ❌ Estoy divertido = I’m a funny person

• ✅ Me estoy divirtiendo = I’m having fun

Fix it: Use divertirse (to have fun) as a reflexive verb. It’s a little awkward at first, but it’s how you say you’re enjoying yourself—not that you’re the life of the party.

(Though, hey, maybe you are. In which case… ¡Eres divertido!)

8. Translating Literally from English

Don’t just word-for-word it. Spanish has its own flow. Its own idioms. Its own drama.

• ❌ Estoy roto (to say “I’m broken” after a tough day)

• ✅ Estoy hecho polvo = I’m exhausted/wiped out

Fix it: Learn common expressions and idioms. Literal translation rarely works in your favor. Trust me, “Estoy caliente y embarazada” is a very different vibe than “I’m hot and embarrassed.”

Final Tip: Laugh at Yourself. A Lot.

Making mistakes is part of learning. Spanish speakers are usually super kind and encouraging, even if you accidentally confess to being pregnant and emotionally overwhelmed in the same sentence.

Keep listening, keep practicing, and keep ordering churros with confidence (even if you misgender them).

You got this. ¡Ánimo! (That means “You can do it!” Not “anime,” although you can watch that too.)

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