HSC Spanish Beginners (NSW) key terms

A basic greeting used when meeting someone or answering the phone. It works in formal and informal situations and is usually the first word learners practise when listening to short dialogues.

A morning greeting meaning good day or good morning. It is used until roughly midday and shows the speaker is being polite; the plural form is fixed and does not change for one person.

An afternoon or early evening greeting. Spanish speakers use it from around midday until dusk, so recognising it helps you work out the time of day in a listening passage.

A greeting used after dark and also a way of saying goodbye at night or wishing someone a good sleep. Context in the recording tells you which meaning applies.

A common farewell meaning goodbye. It suits both formal and informal settings, and in listening tasks it often signals the end of a conversation, so it helps you know when to stop answering.

A farewell meaning see you later. It is friendly and informal, suggesting the speakers expect to meet again, and it appears often at the close of short recorded exchanges.

A polite phrase meaning please. It accompanies requests and appears in service situations such as ordering food or asking for information, where recognising courtesy formulas helps you identify what a speaker wants.

The standard way to say thank you. A reply such as de nada often follows, so hearing gracias in a recording usually means the next line is a response and the transaction is nearly finished.

A polite reply to thanks, meaning you are welcome. It literally says it is nothing, and recognising it confirms that a request has been met in the dialogue you are hearing.

An informal question asking how you are. The reply usually describes a state or feeling, such as bien or cansado, so this question signals that the next speaker will give personal information.

The formal version of how are you, used with strangers, older people or people in authority. The pronoun usted signals distance and respect, which matters when you judge the relationship between speakers.

A phrase said when meeting someone for the first time, meaning pleased to meet you. It typically follows an introduction with names, so it helps you pick out who is who in a listening passage.

The usual way to give your name, literally I call myself. It is followed by the person's name, so in listening tasks it is a reliable cue that a name will come next.

A form of the verb ser meaning I am. It introduces identity, origin or profession, as in soy estudiante or soy de Chile, and appears constantly in self-introductions on recordings.

A form of the verb tener meaning I have. It is used for age, possessions and family, as in tengo dieciséis años, so hearing it tells you a number or noun will follow.

The plural noun for years, used mainly to state age with tener. Numbers before it give the age, so listening for años helps you extract personal details quickly from a conversation.

The set of number words from zero to at least one hundred. Prices, times, dates, phone numbers and ages all depend on them, making them essential for both listening and reading tasks.

The word for hour and for the time of day. Timetables and appointments are expressed with it, and questions like ¿a qué hora? ask when something happens, a frequent listening task.

A timetable or schedule showing when trains, classes or shops operate. Reading it requires matching times with places or activities, a common skill in the reading paper.

The date, given as a day number plus month. Notices and invitations include it, so recognising months and ordinal-style day forms helps you answer questions about when an event takes place.

The price of an item, usually shown in shops, menus and advertisements. Questions about cost appear in both papers, and recognising currency words like pesos or euros supports accurate answers.

An adjective meaning expensive. It often appears in shopping dialogues and reviews of products, and contrasts with barato, so it helps you understand opinions about value.

An adjective meaning cheap or inexpensive. Advertisements use it to attract buyers, and exam questions may ask which item costs less, so the contrast with caro is worth memorising.

A polite verb form meaning I would like. It is used to order food or ask for something in shops and restaurants, and it signals that the speaker's request or purchase comes next.

The bill in a restaurant or cafe. A request for la cuenta, por favor marks the end of a meal, so hearing it helps you follow the order of events in a service dialogue.

The list of food and drinks available in a restaurant. Reading menus and understanding prices and dish names is a typical reading task, and listening to a waiter describe one is also common.

A dish or plate of food. It appears in menus and in opinions about meals, as in este plato está delicioso, so it links food vocabulary with expressions of liking.

A phrase meaning I like it, used with singular nouns or activities. It expresses preferences about food, music, sport and school, and it is one of the most frequent opinion phrases in the exam.

A verb form meaning I prefer. It appears when speakers compare options, such as two drinks or two activities, and it helps you answer questions about someone's choice.

Free time, the hours not spent at school or work. Texts about hobbies and weekend plans use it, and questions often ask what someone does in their spare time.

Hobbies and leisure activities such as reading, swimming or playing music. Recognising these nouns and their verbs supports both listening and reading tasks about daily life and routines.

The weekend. Plans and past activities are often set at this time, so the phrase helps you place events correctly when a speaker describes what they did or will do.

The family, including parents, siblings and grandparents. Family descriptions are a standard topic, and knowing relationship nouns helps you match people to roles in a listening or reading text.

A friend, used for males, with amiga for females. The word appears in descriptions of social life and invitations, and it signals informal relationships between the people in a dialogue.

An informal farewell meaning see you. It is common among friends and often closes a conversation about arranging to meet, so it helps you identify the end of a listening passage.

A school, especially a secondary school. Timetables, subjects and opinions about school appear frequently, and the word helps you identify the setting of a text or recording.

A school subject such as mathematics or history. Students discuss which subjects they like or find difficult, so the word supports questions about preferences and school life.

The weather or climate. Forecasts and holiday descriptions mention sun, rain and temperature, and listening questions often ask what the weather will be like in a named place.

The holidays or vacation period. Texts describe destinations, transport and activities during holidays, making this word useful for locating time and place information in a passage.

The season of summer. It is linked to holidays, hot weather and beach activities, and recognising the seasons helps you place events in the right part of the year when reading or listening.