Spanish you can mostly follow teaches you more than Spanish you have to decode word by word. Comprehensible input is Spanish like that: you understand most of it, so the words you know show you what a new one means. If you're learning the Spanish of Spain, pick input recorded in Spain, so the accent and the words match.
What Comprehensible Input Looks Like
About one unfamiliar word per sentence, while you still follow the meaning.
Here's a sentence we wrote for this guide: Voy a pedir un zumo de naranja. If you know naranja (orange) and pedir (to order), zumo is the only new word, and the orange tells you it's a drink. It means juice, and Spain says zumo where most of Latin America says jugo.
Your Roadmap by Level
Pick the row that sounds like you. The podcasts and shows don't use these levels, so treat each link as a place to start.
- Level 1
I'm just starting out or know only a few words.
Read the cafe lesson further down this page at Level 1. Then ask Poppy, your AI tutor in Bubblegum, for very short scenes like it about your own plans.
Level 1 lessons about cafes and bars in Spain - Level 2
I can handle simple exchanges.
Listen to a Notes in Spanish Inspired Beginners episode, recorded in Madrid. Play it twice before you look anything up.
Notes in Spanish Inspired Beginners - Level 3
I follow conversations on familiar topics.
Pick the Spain edition of News in Slow Spanish, and read each story while you listen.
News in Slow Spanish - Level 4
I understand most content but miss some nuance.
Listen to a Deep Spanish episode, where Ben and Marina chat about the everyday phrases people use in Spain. Play it once without stopping, then say what it was about.
Deep Spanish - Level 5
I read complex topics but rare words slow me down.
Read a short news story on RTVE about something you already know from English news, and watch its video report if it has one.
RTVE Noticias - Level 6
I can read almost anything.
Watch a documentary on RTVE Play about a place in Spain you'd like to visit, and keep the Spanish subtitles on where they're offered.
RTVE Play
When a row feels easy, try the next one. If almost every line sends you to the dictionary, go back a row.
Try It on a Real Lesson
A Cafe in Spain at Three Levels
Drinks and Tapas
I want that juice and that tapa. The dish is good.
There is cold water on that table.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn Spain Spanish. You learn from Spain Spanish you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
- Spain Spanish is its own journey, and lessons are read aloud in a Spain accent.
- Verb tables show the vosotros forms and mark them as used in Spain.
- Lessons fit your level, interests, and goals.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, and you can export them to Anki.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- A book you bought in Madrid can't become a lesson. Send Poppy a photo of a page you're stuck on, and she explains it.
- A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
Frequently Asked Questions About Comprehensible Input
Can I Use Latin American Podcasts Too?
Yes. The grammar is almost the same, and you'll understand people from both places. Keep most of your listening from Spain, though, so the Spain accent and vosotros feel normal to you.
How Much Time Should I Set Aside?
Set aside three to five hours of Spanish a week, in sittings of 15 to 30 minutes or more. Use most of it for reading and listening, and some for talking with a tutor or a friend from Spain.
Which App Should a Beginner Choose?
If you are serious about learning Spain Spanish, start with Bubblegum. Poppy writes lessons at your level about things you like. To compare it with courses and tutors, see the best ways to learn Spain Spanish.
Is Bubblegum Free?
Yes. The lesson library is free for everyone, because we believe everyone should be able to learn. It holds lessons that other learners asked Poppy for. A new custom lesson costs us real money to make, so your first one is free, and Bubblegum Pro gives you unlimited custom lessons.
