Spanish 101 · Chapter P
Bienvenidos
Letters and sounds, introductions, classroom phrases, calendar and clock time, weather, numbers through 100, and the first split between ser and estar — the habits most programs teach before Chapter 1.
Capítulo Preliminar is free — no account needed.
What you'll learn
- Alphabet and pronunciation basics
- Greetings, introductions, and leave-takings
- Classroom and school vocabulary
- Days, months, and seasons
- Telling time (¿Qué hora es?)
- Numbers through 100
- Ser vs. estar — identity, origin, time vs. location and condition
Grammar spotlight
Spanish vowels have one sound each; consonants such as j, g (before e/i), ñ, and ll need deliberate practice because they do not match English spelling habits.
Register matters: tú vs. usted changes verb forms and how formally you address someone. Pair greetings like Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas noches with the time of day.
Ser often expresses what something *is* (identity, profession, origin, religious or national affiliation, the time on the clock). Estar expresses *where* something is or *how* it is at the moment (location, progressive actions with estar + gerund, many emotional or physical states). Both gloss as “to be” in English, so you have to choose the Spanish verb by meaning.
Try a question
Sample question
Which fits best? “Ana _____ muy nerviosa antes del examen.”
Related grammar topics
Drill these in Chapurra before your next quiz.