The first 250 words
Ordered by how many whole sentences each word makes readable, not by raw frequency — the reason that matters. «Sentences opened» is how many of the shelf's 1,298 sentences have nothing unknown left in them by the time you reach that rung; it is a running total, not a score for the single word.
| # | Spanish | English | As it appears in the text | Sentences opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | no | no, not (adv.) | 5 | |
| 2 | bueno | good; well then, all right (adj./interj.) | buenos, buen, buena, buenas | 8 |
| 3 | ir | to go (v.) — its preterite fue, fui, fueron is shared with ser, to be, so «se fue» is «he went» and «fue una noche larga» is «it was a long night» | iba, vamos, fueron, voy | 10 |
| 4 | raya | stingray; line, stripe (n., f.) | rayas | 12 |
| 5 | día | day (n., m.) | días | 14 |
| 6 | salir | to go out, leave; to come out (v.) | salió, salieron, salgan, salido | 16 |
| 7 | pobre | poor (adj.) | pobres | 18 |
| 8 | ligero | light, quick; quickly (adj./adv.) | 20 | |
| 9 | ah | ah, oh (interj.) | 22 | |
| 10 | decir | to say, tell (v.) | dijo, dijeron, decía, dicho | 23 |
| 11 | le | to him, to her, to you (indirect object pron.) | les | 26 |
| 12 | y | and (conj.) | 27 | |
| 13 | entonces | then, at that time (adv.) | 29 | |
| 14 | tigre | tiger — in these tales the jaguar of the South American forest (n., m.) | tigres | 30 |
| 15 | el | the (masculine) | la, los, las | 31 |
| 16 | echar | to throw, throw out; echarse — to lie down, set about (v.) | echó, echaron, echarse, echen | 33 |
| 17 | hombre | man (n., m.) | hombres | 34 |
| 18 | yacaré | caiman, the South American alligator (n., m., from Guaraní) | yacarés | 35 |
| 19 | eh | hey, eh (interj.) | 40 | |
| 20 | responder | to answer, reply (v.) | respondió, respondieron, respondido, respondía | 43 |
| 21 | así | thus, so, like this (adv.) | 45 | |
| 22 | pasar | to pass, happen, spend (time) (v.) | pasó, pasa, pasaba, pasado | 47 |
| 23 | a | to; at; on (prep.) | á | 49 |
| 24 | se | himself, herself, themselves; one (reflexive pron.) | 51 | |
| 25 | qué | what; how (interrog.) | 53 | |
| 26 | haber | to have (auxiliary); hay — there is, there are (v.) | había, hay, habían, han | 59 |
| 27 | paso | step; passage, way through (n., m.) | pasos | 62 |
| 28 | ser | to be — what a thing IS, against estar, how it is right now (v.) | es, era, son, eran | 64 |
| 29 | por | by, for, through, because of (prep.) | 66 | |
| 30 | hacer | to do, make (v.) | hacía, hizo, hecho, hace | 68 |
| 31 | querer | to want; to love (v.) | quería, quiso, querían, quiero | 70 |
| 32 | dejar | to leave; to let, allow (v.) | dejaron, dejando, déjenme, dejaba | 72 |
| 33 | viejo | old (adj.) | viejas, viejos, viejísimo | 74 |
| 34 | llamar | to call; llamarse — to be called (v.) | llaman, llamó, llama, llamaban | 76 |
| 35 | gama | doe, hind (n., f.) | gamas | 78 |
| 36 | yo | I (subject pron.) | 80 | |
| 37 | surubí | surubí, the great catfish of the Paraná — and, capitalised, the one who lends the caimans a torpedo (n., m.) | surubi, surubíes | 82 |
| 38 | contestar | to answer (v.) | contestó, contestaron | 84 |
| 39 | que | that, which, who; than (conj./rel. pron.) | 86 | |
| 40 | lo | it, him; the (neuter article) (pron./art.) | 88 | |
| 41 | saber | to know (a fact); to know how to (v.) | sé, sabía, sabemos, sabe | 92 |
| 42 | ya | already, now; ya no — no longer (adv.) | 96 | |
| 43 | sacar | to take out, pull out; to remove (v.) | saquen, sacan, sacamos, sacó | 100 |
| 44 | dique | dam, dyke (n., m.) | 102 | |
| 45 | un | a, an, one (indef. art.) | una, unos, unas | 106 |
| 46 | flamenco | flamingo (n., m.) | flamencos | 108 |
| 47 | él | he, him; ella — she, her (subject pron.) | ella, ellos, ellas | 110 |
| 48 | eso | that (neuter dem. pron.) | 112 | |
| 49 | abejita | little bee (n., f., diminutive of abeja) | abejitas | 114 |
| 50 | dorado | golden; the dorado, a great river fish (adj./n., m.) | dorados | 116 |
| 51 | ballena | whale (n., f.) | 118 | |
| 52 | gritar | to shout, cry out (v.) | gritaron, gritó, gritando, gritaban | 120 |
| 53 | oficial | officer; official (n., m./adj.) | 124 | |
| 54 | almacenero | shopkeeper, grocer (n., m.) | 127 | |
| 55 | loro | parrot (n., m.) | loros | 129 |
| 56 | poner | to put, place; ponerse — to put on, become (v.) | puso, pusieron, puesto, póngale | 131 |
| 57 | oír | to hear (v.) | oir, oyó, oyeron, oído | 133 |
| 58 | zonzo | silly, daft (adj., River Plate) | zonza | 135 |
| 59 | canal | channel, canal (n., m.) | 137 | |
| 60 | todo | all, every; everything (adj./pron.) | todos, todas, toda | 138 |
| 61 | pero | but (conj.) | 139 | |
| 62 | ese | that, that one (dem. adj./pron.) | esa, ése, esas, esos | 141 |
| 63 | también | also, too (adv.) | 143 | |
| 64 | quién | who (interrog. pron.) | quiénes | 145 |
| 65 | estar | to be — where a thing is, or how it is right now, against ser, what it is (v.) | estaba, estaban, esta, está | 146 |
| 66 | dónde | where (interrog. adv.) | 151 | |
| 67 | aquí | here (adv.) | 153 | |
| 68 | de | of, from (prep.) | 154 | |
| 69 | ver | to see (v.) | vió, vieron, veía, veo | 155 |
| 70 | al | to the, at the (a + el) | 157 | |
| 71 | mamá | mother, mum (n., f.) | 159 | |
| 72 | sí | yes (adv.) | 161 | |
| 73 | más | more, most (adv.) | 162 | |
| 74 | pescado | fish (as caught or eaten) (n., m.) | pescados | 164 |
| 75 | otro | other, another (adj./pron.) | otra, otros, otras | 165 |
| 76 | vez | time, occasion; una vez — once; a veces — sometimes (n., f.) | veces | 167 |
| 77 | último | last (adj.) | última, últimas | 170 |
| 78 | rugir | to roar (v.) | rugió, rugieron, rugiendo | 172 |
| 79 | almacén | store, general shop (n., m.) | almacenes | 174 |
| 80 | pique | a pique — about to, on the point of (n., m.) | 176 | |
| 81 | poder | to be able, can (v.) | podía, puede, podría, pudo | 177 |
| 82 | remedio | remedy, cure; no hay remedio — there is nothing to be done (n., m.) | remedios | 179 |
| 83 | agua | water (n., f. — takes el: el agua) | aguas | 180 |
| 84 | del | of the, from the (de + el) | 181 | |
| 85 | bien | well; very (adv.) | 182 | |
| 86 | loco | mad, crazy (adj.) | locos, loca, locas | 184 |
| 87 | comer | to eat (v.) | comió, comía, comido, comiendo | 185 |
| 88 | abeja | bee (n., f.) | abejas | 186 |
| 89 | te | you, to you (pron.) | 188 | |
| 90 | este | this, this one (dem. adj./pron.) | esta, éste, estas, estos | 189 |
| 91 | tortuga | tortoise, turtle (n., f.) | 191 | |
| 92 | morir | to die (v.) | morían, moriremos, moría, mueren | 192 |
| 93 | nunca | never (adv.) | 194 | |
| 94 | ni | nor, not even; ni... ni — neither... nor (conj.) | 198 | |
| 95 | me | me, to me (pron.) | 200 | |
| 96 | pluma | feather; pen (n., f.) | plumas | 202 |
| 97 | sin | without (prep.) | 203 | |
| 98 | si | if (conj.) | 204 | |
| 99 | deshacer | to undo, take apart, destroy (v.) | deshagan, deshaciendo, deshaciéndole, deshaciéndoselas | 206 |
| 100 | dar | to give (v.) | daba, dió, dieron, darse | 207 |
| 101 | creer | to believe, think (v.) | creyó, creía, creo, creyendo | 209 |
| 102 | porque | because (conj.) | 210 | |
| 103 | mucho | much, many; a lot (adj./adv.) | muchos, muchas, mucha, muchísimo | 211 |
| 104 | muerto | dead; a dead one (adj./n., m.) | muerta, muertos | 213 |
| 105 | grande | big, great (adj.) | gran, grandes, grandísima, grandísimo | 214 |
| 106 | llegar | to arrive, reach (v.) | llegó, llegado, llegaron, llegaba | 215 |
| 107 | orilla | bank, shore, edge (n., f.) | orillas | 216 |
| 108 | pata | paw, leg of an animal (n., f.) | patas | 217 |
| 109 | lorito | little parrot (n., m., diminutive of loro) | 219 | |
| 110 | solo | alone; single (adj.) | sola, solos | 220 |
| 111 | gamita | little doe, fawn (n., f., diminutive of gama) | gamitas | 221 |
| 112 | tiempo | time; weather (n., m.) | 222 | |
| 113 | nada | nothing (pron.) | 223 | |
| 114 | adentro | inside (adv.) | 225 | |
| 115 | tener | to have; tener que — to have to (v.) | tenía, tiene, tienen, tenían | 226 |
| 116 | quedar | to remain, be left; quedarse — to stay (v.) | quedó, quedaba, quedaban, quedaron | 227 |
| 117 | acercar | to bring near; acercarse — to come closer (v.) | acercó, acercaban, acercarse, acercaba | 228 |
| 118 | entrar | to enter, go in (v.) | entraba, entró, entra, entraban | 229 |
| 119 | esto | this (neuter dem. pron.) | 230 | |
| 120 | coaticito | coati cub (n., m., diminutive of coatí) | coaticitos | 231 |
| 121 | fin | end; por fin — at last (n., m.) | 232 | |
| 122 | lanzar | to hurl, let out; lanzarse — to fling oneself (v.) | lanzó, lanzaron, lanzando, lanzándose | 233 |
| 123 | buscar | to look for, seek (v.) | buscó, buscando, buscarla, buscan | 234 |
| 124 | usted | you (polite) (pron.) | ustedes | 236 |
| 125 | venir | to come (v.) | viene, venimos, vengan, venía | 238 |
| 126 | persona | person (n., f.) | personas | 240 |
| 127 | correr | to run (v.) | corriendo, corrieron, corrían, corrió | 241 |
| 128 | ansioso | anxious, eager (adj.) | ansiosas | 243 |
| 129 | allí | there (adv.) | 244 | |
| 130 | nuevo | new; de nuevo — again (adj.) | nuevas | 245 |
| 131 | torpedo | torpedo (n., m.) | torpedos | 246 |
| 132 | pedir | to ask for, request (v.) | pedirte, pidió, pídanselas, pedimos | 248 |
| 133 | soltar | to let go, release (v.) | suelten, soltaron | 250 |
| 134 | uno | one (num./pron.) | 251 | |
| 135 | chico | small; boy, child (adj./n., m.) | chicos, chica, chicas | 252 |
| 136 | después | afterwards, then; después de — after (adv./prep.) | 253 | |
| 137 | tarde | afternoon, evening; late (n., f./adv.) | tardes | 254 |
| 138 | tomar | to take; to drink (v.) | tomaba, toman, tomó, tomá | 255 |
| 139 | cosa | thing (n., f.) | cosas | 256 |
| 140 | nadie | nobody (pron.) | 258 | |
| 141 | madre | mother (n., f.) | madres | 259 |
| 142 | levantar | to lift, raise; levantarse — to get up (v.) | levantaba, levantada, levantó, levantarse | 260 |
| 143 | ruido | noise, sound (n., m.) | 261 | |
| 144 | hablar | to speak, talk (v.) | habló, hablando, hablaron, hablaba | 262 |
| 145 | con | with (prep.) | 263 | |
| 146 | curar | to cure, heal, treat (v.) | curó, curada, curarse, curaba | 264 |
| 147 | ahora | now (adv.) | 266 | |
| 148 | vapor | steamer, steamship; steam (n., m.) | vapores | 267 |
| 149 | aún | still, yet (adv.) | áún | 268 |
| 150 | cerca | near, close by (adv.) | 270 | |
| 151 | bramar | to bellow, roar (v.) | bramó, bramaba, bramaban | 272 |
| 152 | ninguno | none, no, not any (adj./pron.) | ningún, ninguna | 273 |
| 153 | buque | ship, vessel (n., m.) | buques | 274 |
| 154 | guerra | war (n., f.) | 276 | |
| 155 | siempre | always (adv.) | 277 | |
| 156 | miedo | fear; tener miedo — to be afraid (n., m.) | 279 | |
| 157 | nosotros | we, us (pron.) | nosotras | 281 |
| 158 | conocer | to know, be acquainted with; to recognise (v.) | conocido, conocían, conoce, conocemos | 283 |
| 159 | nadar | to swim (v.) | nadaban, nadando, nadó, nadado | 285 |
| 160 | papá | father, dad (n., m.) | 287 | |
| 161 | como | as, like; since (conj./adv.) | 288 | |
| 162 | cañonazo | cannon shot (n., m.) | cañonazos | 290 |
| 163 | para | for, in order to (prep.) | 292 | |
| 164 | ganar | to win; to earn (v.) | gano, ganado | 294 |
| 165 | volver | to return; volver a — to do again (v.) | volvió, volvieron, volverán, volviendo | 295 |
| 166 | cuando | when (conj.) | 296 | |
| 167 | hasta | until, as far as; even (prep./adv.) | 297 | |
| 168 | mañana | morning; tomorrow (n., f./adv.) | mañanas | 298 |
| 169 | herir | to wound (v.) | herido, herida, heridas, heridos | 299 |
| 170 | fuerza | strength, force (n., f.) | fuerzas | 301 |
| 171 | dos | two (num.) | 302 | |
| 172 | poco | little, few; un poco — a little (adj./adv.) | poca, pocos | 303 |
| 173 | sordo | deaf; muffled (adj.) | 305 | |
| 174 | encontrar | to find; encontrarse — to meet (v.) | encontraban, encontrado, encontró, encontrarlas | 306 |
| 175 | medio | half; middle; en medio de — in the middle of (adj./n., m.) | media | 307 |
| 176 | momento | moment (n., m.) | 308 | |
| 177 | pájaro | bird (n., m.) | pájaros | 309 |
| 178 | isla | island (n., f.) | 310 | |
| 179 | defender | to defend (v.) | defendían, defenderemos, defendido, defendió | 311 |
| 180 | hermano | brother; hermana — sister (n., m.) | hermanos, hermanas, hermana | 312 |
| 181 | trabajar | to work (v.) | trabajes, trabajando, trabajen, trabajado | 313 |
| 182 | pensar | to think (v.) | pensó, pensaba, pensando | 314 |
| 183 | papa | potato (n., f., River Plate) | 315 | |
| 184 | rico | rich; delicious (adj., and the parrot's favourite word) | rica, ricas, ricos, riquísima | 322 |
| 185 | reventar | to burst, blow up (v.) | reventó, revienta | 323 |
| 186 | pues | then, well; since (conj./adv.) | 324 | |
| 187 | río | river (n., m.) | ríos | 325 |
| 188 | culebra | snake (n., f.) | culebras | 326 |
| 189 | reír | to laugh; reírse de — to laugh at (v.) | reir, reía, riendo, rió | 328 |
| 190 | exclamar | to exclaim (v.) | exclamó, exclamando | 331 |
| 191 | contento | pleased, glad (adj.) | contentos, contenta, contentas | 332 |
| 192 | vengar | to avenge; vengarse — to take revenge (v.) | vengado, vengarse | 334 |
| 193 | antes | before, earlier (adv.) | 335 | |
| 194 | cerrar | to close, shut (v.) | cerrara, cerró, cerrada, cerrando | 336 |
| 195 | color | colour (n., m.) | 337 | |
| 196 | salvar | to save, rescue (v.) | salvado, salvadas, salvarnos | 338 |
| 197 | perro | dog (n., m.) | perros | 339 |
| 198 | diente | tooth (n., m.) | dientes | 340 |
| 199 | frío | cold (adj./n., m.) | fría, frías | 341 |
| 200 | cuidado | care; ¡cuidado! — look out! (n., m./interj.) | 342 | |
| 201 | saltar | to jump, leap (v.) | saltaban, saltando, saltaba, saltado | 343 |
| 202 | arriba | up, above, upstream (adv.) | 344 | |
| 203 | llorar | to cry, weep (v.) | lloraba, lloraban, llorando, lloraron | 345 |
| 204 | hambre | hunger (n., f. — takes el: el hambre) | 346 | |
| 205 | nos | us, to us (pron.) | 348 | |
| 206 | aunque | although, even though (conj.) | 349 | |
| 207 | cola | tail; queue (n., f.) | 350 | |
| 208 | en | in, on, at (prep.) | 351 | |
| 209 | seguida | en seguida — at once, straight away (n., f.) | 356 | |
| 210 | efecto | effect; en efecto — indeed (n., m.) | 360 | |
| 211 | casa | house, home (n., f.) | 362 | |
| 212 | monte | forest, wild country (n., m., the River Plate word for the bush) | montes | 363 |
| 213 | media | stocking (n., f.) | medias | 364 |
| 214 | parte | part; por todas partes — everywhere (n., f.) | partes | 366 |
| 215 | lechuza | owl (n., f.) | 368 | |
| 216 | víbora | snake, viper (n., f.) | víboras, vibora | 369 |
| 217 | noche | night (n., f.) | noches | 370 |
| 218 | cabeza | head (n., f.) | cabezas | 371 |
| 219 | llevar | to carry, take; to wear (v.) | llevaba, llevaban, llevó, llevarle | 372 |
| 220 | colmena | hive (n., f.) | colmenas | 373 |
| 221 | tres | three (num.) | 374 | |
| 222 | coral | coral; víbora de coral — coral snake (n., m.) | 375 | |
| 223 | bicho | creature, small animal, bug (n., m.) | bichos | 376 |
| 224 | sobre | on, upon; about (prep.) | 377 | |
| 225 | tigra | tigress; here, the female jaguar (n., f.) | 378 | |
| 226 | lindo | lovely, pretty (adj., the everyday River Plate word for nice) | lindísimas, linda, lindísimo, lindísimos | 379 |
| 227 | tan | so, as (adv.) | 380 | |
| 228 | ratón | mouse (n., m.) | 382 | |
| 229 | lomo | back (of an animal) (n., m.) | 383 | |
| 230 | pronto | soon; de pronto — suddenly (adv.) | prontas | 384 |
| 231 | temblar | to tremble, shake (v.) | temblando, temblaba, tembló | 385 |
| 232 | picar | to sting, bite; to peck (v.) | picaron, pican, picaban, picada | 386 |
| 233 | bote | boat, dinghy (n., m.) | 387 | |
| 234 | cómo | how (interrog. adv.) | 388 | |
| 235 | vivo | alive; lively (adj.) | vivas, viva, vivos | 389 |
| 236 | gusto | pleasure, taste; con mucho gusto — with pleasure (n., m.) | 391 | |
| 237 | esperar | to wait; to hope, expect (v.) | esperando, esperaron, esperemos, esperen | 392 |
| 238 | agachar | to lower; agacharse — to crouch, duck down (v.) | agachaban, agachado, agachándose, agachaba | 393 |
| 239 | acabar | to finish, end; acabar de — to have just done (v.) | acababa, acababan, acabado, acabarán | 394 |
| 240 | recorrer | to go over, travel through (v.) | recorría, recorran, recorrieron, recorrió | 395 |
| 241 | haragán | lazy, idle; an idler (adj./n.) | haragana, haraganas | 396 |
| 242 | detener | to stop, detain; detenerse — to halt (v.) | detuvieron, detuvo, detenía, detenían | 397 |
| 243 | parecer | to seem, look like (v.) | parecía, parece, parecían | 398 |
| 244 | sangre | blood (n., f.) | 399 | |
| 245 | acostar | to lay down; acostarse — to lie down (v.) | acostaron, acostaba, acostado, acostó | 400 |
| 246 | grito | shout, cry (n., m.) | gritos | 401 |
| 247 | alegría | joy, gladness (n., f.) | 403 | |
| 248 | seguir | to follow; to go on doing (v.) | seguía, siguió, seguían | 404 |
| 249 | repetir | to repeat (v.) | repitió | 405 |
| 250 | todavía | still, yet (adv.) | 406 |
Download all 250, with the printed forms (CSV, opens in Anki or Excel) → No account, no address, nothing to sign. Columns are Anki's import order.
The fourth column is the one that matters in Spanish
A Russian word list has to mark stress, because Russian print does not. Spanish print does — the written accent is the spelling — so this column carries the thing that actually stops a beginner instead: the forms the word is printed in. ser is on every vocabulary list ever published; what is on the page is es, era, son, eran, and a reader who cannot get from those back to the headword is stranded on a word they already know. These come from the room's own form-to-lemma map, ordered by how often each form really occurs in the eight tales.
Some of those forms are older than today's spelling: this is the 1918 printing, which carries the written accent the Real Academia only dropped in 1959 — fué and fuí under ir, dió under dar, vió under ver. The room prints today's spelling beside every one of them, and the ledger lists them all.
Learning them in sentences works better than learning them in a list
In the reading room every one of these words is glossed where it stands, inside a real sentence of Quiroga, and the English sits under the line rather than in a column. «Las medias de los flamencos» is free and entire, with no account.