01 · On the menu
Essential food words
Articles help you remember each noun’s gender.
🍞
el pan
bread
🍚
el arroz
rice
🥗
la ensalada
salad
🐟
el pescado
fish
🍗
el pollo
chicken
🥣
la sopa
soup
💧
el agua
water
☕
el café
coffee
Useful menu words
el menú menu · el plato dish · la bebida drink · el postre dessert · la cuenta bill/check
Quantities
un vaso de a glass of · una taza de a cup of · una botella de a bottle of · un poco de a little
02 · What pleases you
How gustar works
me / te / le / nos / les + gusta(n)
Spanish frames liking as “something is pleasing to someone.” Use gusta with one thing or an infinitive, and gustan with plural things.
Me gusta el café.
I like coffee.
I like coffee.
Me gustan las frutas.
I like fruits.
I like fruits.
Nos gusta cocinar.
We like cooking.
We like cooking.
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me | to me |
| te | to you (informal) |
| le | to him/her/you (formal) |
| nos | to us |
| les | to them/you all |
A María le gusta… clarifies who le refers to.
03 · Wants and choices
Querer and preferir
querer · to want
quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, quieren
Quiero una sopa. — I want a soup.
At a restaurant, soften it with Quisiera… (“I would like…”).
preferir · to prefer
prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, prefieren
Prefiero té. — I prefer tea.
The stem changes e → ie except in nosotros.
04 · Interactive practice
Build your restaurant order
Choose one item from each group, then place the order.
1. Main dish
2. Drink
3. Polite opening
Your Spanish order will appear here.
05 · Final check
Ten-question quiz
¡Buen provecho! Review the explanations and try again.