Spanish Quiz for Beginners: 50 Questions to Test Your Spanish

Key takeaways

• This quiz covers three areas that beginners need to master: vocabulary (the words), grammar (the rules), and phrases (the ready-made expressions for real situations). Testing yourself across all three gives a more complete picture of your level than any single type of question.
• Getting a question wrong is more useful than getting it right. A wrong answer tells you exactly where a gap exists, and gaps at the beginner level are small enough to fix quickly with targeted practice.
• A score of 35 or above (70%) suggests a solid beginner foundation. A score of 25 to 34 (50-68%) means you have the basics but key areas need more work. Below 25 means returning to foundational study before attempting more advanced material.
• The quiz is designed for self-assessment, not for high-stakes testing. Use it to identify the specific vocabulary sets or grammar rules that need more attention, then focus practice on those areas before retesting.

A quiz is one of the most efficient ways to identify what you know and what you still need to learn. Rather than studying everything at the same level, you can use your results to prioritize.

italki connects beginners with Spanish tutors who can help you address the specific gaps that a quiz like this reveals, turning weak points into strengths through targeted conversation practice. This guide presents 50 questions across vocabulary, grammar, and everyday phrases, complete with answers and brief explanations for the tricky ones.

Work with a Spanish language tutor to practice the areas where you scored lowest and build a stronger foundation for real Spanish conversation.

How to use this quiz

Read each question and write your answer before scrolling to the answers section. If you look at the answers before attempting the question, you are testing recognition rather than recall, which is less useful for measuring your actual level.

Time yourself if you want to simulate conversation speed: aim for no more than 15 seconds per question. Vocabulary and grammar questions that require more than 15 seconds are answers you do not know automatically, which is exactly the information this quiz is designed to reveal.

Section 1: vocabulary (questions 1-20)

Translate these Spanish words into English:

1. El libro 2. La mesa 3. El agua 4. La casa 5. El trabajo 6. La ciudad 7. El amigo / la amiga 8. La comida 9. El tiempo 10. La tienda

Translate these English words into Spanish:

11. The dog 12. The mother 13. The school 14. Monday 15. Red (the color)

Choose the correct word:

16. What is the Spanish word for to speak? a) comer b) hablar c) vivir d) tener

17. Which of these means to want? a) saber b) querer c) poder d) hacer

18. What does gracias mean? a) Please b) Excuse me c) Thank you d) Hello

19. What does mañana mean? a) Yesterday b) Today c) Now d) Tomorrow

20. Which word means how much or how many? a) Cómo b) Cuándo c) Cuánto d) Cuál

Section 2: grammar (questions 21-35)

Choose the correct verb form:

21. Yo _____ de España. (ser) a) soy b) eres c) estoy d) son

22. Ella _____ en casa ahora. (estar) a) es b) son c) está d) estás

23. Nosotros _____ español. (hablar) a) hablo b) hablas c) hablamos d) hablan

24. ¿Tú _____ hambre? (tener) a) tienes b) tiene c) tengo d) tienen

25. Ellos _____ al parque. (ir) a) voy b) va c) vamos d) van

Ser or estar? Choose the correct verb:

26. María _____ médica. (She is a doctor.) a) es b) está

27. El café _____ frío. (The coffee is cold.) a) es b) está

28. Mi hermano _____ alto. (My brother is tall.) a) es b) está

29. ¿Dónde _____ el banco? (Where is the bank?) a) es b) está

30. Hoy yo _____ cansado. (Today I am tired.) a) soy b) estoy

Choose the correct article (el/la/los/las):

31. _____ problema (the problem) a) la b) el c) los d) las

32. _____ noches (the nights) a) el b) la c) los d) las

33. _____ mano (the hand) a) el b) la c) los d) las

Choose the correct word to complete the sentence:

34. Tengo _____ hermanos. (I have two brothers.) a) uno b) dos c) tres d) cuatro

35. ¿_____ te llamas? (What is your name?) a) Qué b) Cómo c) Cuándo d) Dónde

Section 3: phrases and conversation (questions 36-50)

What does this phrase mean?

36. Mucho gusto. a) I’m hungry. b) Nice to meet you. c) You’re welcome. d) How are you?

37. ¿Cuánto cuesta? a) What time is it? b) Where is it? c) How much does it cost? d) When does it open?

38. No entiendo. a) I don’t agree. b) I don’t have it. c) I don’t understand. d) I don’t want it.

39. Más despacio, por favor. a) More expensive, please. b) Come back later, please. c) Speak more slowly, please. d) Go straight ahead, please.

40. ¿A qué hora cierra? a) What time does it close? b) How far is it? c) When does it open? d) Is it nearby?

Which phrase is correct for this situation?

41. You want to order a coffee in a café: a) Quiero un café, por favor. b) Tengo un café. c) Soy el café. d) El café está aquí.

42. You want to say you don’t speak Spanish well: a) No hablo nada. b) No hablo español bien. c) No tengo español. d) No es español.

43. You want to ask someone how they are (informal): a) ¿Cómo se llama? b) ¿De dónde es usted? c) ¿Cómo estás? d) ¿Cuántos años tienes?

44. You want to say goodbye in Spanish: a) Hola b) Buenas noches c) Adiós d) Por favor

45. You need to apologize: a) Gracias b) Perdón c) De nada d) Bienvenido

Translate the phrase:

46. I am from Mexico. (Write the Spanish sentence.)

47. How old are you? (Write the Spanish question.)

48. I don’t understand. Can you repeat? (Write two sentences in Spanish.)

49. Where is the bathroom? (Write the Spanish question.)

50. What is your name? (informal) (Write the Spanish question.)

Answers

Section 1: Vocabulary

1. The book
2. The table
3. The water
4. The house
5. The work / the job
6. The city
7. The friend
8. The food / the meal
9. The weather / the time
10. The shop / the store
11. El perro
12. La madre / la mamá
13. La escuela / el colegio
14. El lunes
15. Rojo (masculine) / roja (feminine)
16. b) hablar
17. b) querer
18. c) Thank you
19. d) Tomorrow
20. c) Cuánto

Section 2: Grammar

1. a) soy (ser, first person singular)
2. c) está (estar, third person singular)
3. c) hablamos (hablar, first person plural)
4. a) tienes (tener, second person singular)
5. d) van (ir, third person plural)
6. a) es (profession = permanent characteristic = ser)
7. b) está (temperature = temporary state = estar)
8. a) es (physical characteristic = ser)
9. b) está (location = estar)
10. b) estoy (temporary state = estar)
11. b) el (el problema is masculine, despite the -a ending: a small group of Greek-origin words ending in -ma are masculine)
12. d) las (la noche – las noches)
13. b) la (la mano is feminine, an exception to the usual -o = masculine rule)
14. b) dos
15. b) Cómo (¿Cómo te llamas? literally means How do you call yourself?)

Section 3: Phrases and conversation

1. b) Nice to meet you.
2. c) How much does it cost?
3. c) I don’t understand.
4. c) Speak more slowly, please. (despacio = slowly)
5. a) What time does it close?
6. a) Quiero un café, por favor. (I want a coffee, please.)
7. b) No hablo español bien.
8. c) ¿Cómo estás? (informal you with estar)
9. c) Adiós
10. b) Perdón (also lo siento for I’m sorry)
11. Soy de México.
12. ¿Cuántos años tienes?
13. No entiendo. ¿Puede repetir? (formal) OR No entiendo. ¿Puedes repetir? (informal)
14. ¿Dónde está el baño?
15. ¿Cómo te llamas?

How to interpret your score

Count one point for each correct answer across all three sections (maximum 50 points for questions 1-45; questions 46-50 are open-ended and count for one point each if your Spanish sentence is grammatically correct and conveys the right meaning).

45-50 points: A very strong beginner foundation. You have solid vocabulary, understand key grammar distinctions (ser vs estar, correct verb conjugation), and can handle basic conversational phrases. The next step is moving into intermediate-level content: more tenses, more complex sentences, and longer conversations.

35-44 points: A good beginner level with some gaps. Review the questions you missed, identify whether the pattern is vocabulary, grammar, or phrases, and focus study time there. At this score, conversation practice with a tutor will have a high return on investment.

25-34 points: Core foundations are present but inconsistent. The ser/estar distinction, basic verb conjugation, and high-frequency vocabulary need more repetition. Work through the mistakes systematically: each wrong answer in the grammar section points to a specific rule to revisit.

Below 25 points: Return to foundational study before retesting. Focus on: the 10 most essential verbs in present tense, 50 core vocabulary words, and the five most useful conversational phrases. The quiz will be significantly more productive once those basics are secure.

For structured vocabulary study, the guide to essential Spanish words covers 100 core words across all major categories. For a focused guide to verb conjugation, the guide to Spanish conjugations covers the present, preterite, imperfect, and future tenses with full charts.

Practice with a tutor after your quiz

A quiz identifies where your gaps are. A tutor helps you close them. After seeing your results, a Spanish tutor can focus the first lesson on exactly the vocabulary or grammar areas where you scored lowest, design conversation exercises that force you to use those specific structures, and give you feedback in real time that a quiz cannot provide.

italki’s 30,000+ expert tutors include native Spanish speakers at every teaching level, from absolute beginner specialists to advanced conversation partners. Trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide, the platform lets you find a tutor who can turn your quiz results into a concrete study plan. Book a trial lesson and let your quiz results guide your first session.

FAQ

What level of Spanish does this quiz test?

This quiz is designed for A1 to A2 level learners (absolute beginner to elementary). The vocabulary covers everyday objects and basic verbs, the grammar focuses on the present tense and the ser/estar distinction, and the phrases cover survival Spanish for common situations.

What is the most important grammar rule for beginners in Spanish?

The ser/estar distinction is the most important and most commonly misunderstood rule for English-speaking beginners. Both words translate as to be in English, but they are not interchangeable in Spanish. Ser is used for permanent or defining characteristics (identity, profession, origin, physical traits). Estar is used for temporary states (emotions, health), location, and ongoing actions.

What is the hardest part of Spanish for beginners?

Different learners struggle with different areas, but the most commonly reported challenges are: gender agreement (all nouns are masculine or feminine, and adjectives must match), verb conjugation (Spanish changes the verb ending for every subject pronoun), and the ser/estar distinction. All three are addressable with focused practice.

How many Spanish words do I need to know to have basic conversations?

Research suggests that 500 to 1,000 words cover roughly 80% of everyday spoken Spanish. At 300 words, you can handle simple survival situations. At 1,000 words, most everyday topics become navigable. Vocabulary grows most quickly through conversation practice rather than memorization in isolation.

Should I take a quiz before or after studying?

Both. Taking a quiz before studying tells you what you already know and where to focus. Taking the same quiz after studying shows you how much you have retained. Spaced repetition, meaning reviewing material at increasing intervals, makes quiz-based learning more effective than a single study session.