Plus a free printable to empower your everyday Spanish learning
What do eating breakfast, brushing our teeth, or getting dressed have in common? They’re perfect daily routines for practicing Spanish at home!
These small moments in our day may seem insignificant when it comes to learning languages. Yet, there is power in what we do routinely – 15 minutes each day adds up to 105 minutes each week, or 7 hours each month!
If you and your child are trying to learn Spanish and use it together – even little by little – your daily routines are an impactful place to start. In this post, I’ll help you discover some important vocabulary and phrases around typical daily routines. Use them to add in more Spanish language use as a family!
If you have young children and are interested in ways to add Spanish in fun ways, check out this popular post: Using Daily Routines to Teach Your Child Spanish.
Ideas for Getting Started
- Start small. If you’re not already speaking much Spanish at home, start with one daily routine.
- Add in a second daily routine when you and your child are ready, preferably around the same time of day as the first.
- Encourage language use in a fun and positive way, rather than focusing on perfect pronunciation and correcting errors.
- Set goals for your family’s language use: “Let’s see if we can use Spanish at dinner each day this week!”
- Prioritize learning together as a family by working as a team, encouraging each other’s Spanish vocabulary use, and making time to read and study Spanish together.
- Add in engaging Spanish resources to keep the weekly learning going: books, music, podcasts, apps, videos, games, etc. We all learn better when we’re doing meaningful, enjoyable activities!
Getting Ready in the Morning
Whether you’re eating breakfast, getting dressed, or combing your hair, you can talk about it en español! Try out these helpful vocabulary words and phrases to aid your family in speaking Spanish in your morning daily routines.
Start with Verbs:
- to wake up – despertarse
- to get up – levantarse
- to brush teeth – cepillarse los dientes
- to comb your hair – peinarse el cabello
- to go to the bathroom – ir al baño
- to eat breakfast – desayunar
- to shower – ducharse
- to take a bath – bañarse
- to get dressed – vestirse
- to go to work – ir a trabajar
- to go to school – ir a la escuela
- to drive – manejar/conducir
Move to Conversations:
- Good morning, how did you sleep last night? Buenos días, ¿cómo dormiste anoche?
- I slept well, how about you? Dormí bien, ¿y tú?
- What would you like for breakfast? ¿Qué te gustaría para el desayuno?
- I want eggs or cereal today. Quiero huevos o cereal hoy.
- Did you brush your teeth and hair? ¿Te cepillaste los dientes y el cabello?
- Yes, I brushed my teeth and hair. Sí, me cepillé los dientes y el cabello.
Related post: 7 Strategies to Get Your Child Speaking a Minority Language
Afternoon Routines
It’s time for lunch and afternoon activities! As you go about your day with chores, studying, or running errands, make it a priority to chat in Spanish. Here are some helpful verbs and phrases to get you and your family started…
Start with Verbs:
- to study – estudiar
- to work – trabajar
- to cook – cocinar
- to go shopping – ir de compras
- to exercise – hacer ejercicio
- to get home – llegar a casa
- to take the dog for a walk – pasear al perro
- to ride a bike – andar en bicicleta
- to read a book – leer un libro
Move to Conversations:
- I’m going shopping. Do you need anything at the store? Voy de compras. ¿Necesitas algo en el supermercado?
- Yes, we need milk and bread. Sí, necesitamos leche y pan.
- Do you have plans for today? ¿Tienes planes para hoy?
- I need to study and go to the gym. Necesito estudiar e ir al gimnasio.
- What should we have for lunch? ¿Qué debemos tener para el almuerzo?
- What chores do you have today? ¿Qué quehaceres tienes para hoy?
Related post: Language Learning with Kids in the Kitchen
Evening Activities
Moving into the evening, your family might be doing homework, having dinner together, or watching TV. These verbs and language frames will be a good starting point as you talk about your nighttime daily routines.
Start with Verbs:
- to do homework – hacer la tarea
- to have dinner – cenar
- to clear the table – recoger la mesa
- to wash dishes – lavar los platos
- to watch television – ver la tele
- to listen to music – escuchar la música
- to clean the house – limpiar la casa
- to take a bath – bañarse
- to go to bed – acostarse
- to sleep – dormir
Move to Conversations:
- What time will you get home? ¿A qué hora llegarás a casa?
- I plan to get home at five. Planeo llegar a casa a las cinco.
- Will you please set the table? ¿Pones la mesa por favor?
- Yes, is it time to eat? Sí, ¿es la hora de cenar?
- What are you doing tonight? ¿Qué haces esta noche?
- I have to do homework and walk the dog. Tengo que hacer tareas y pasear al perro.
- What do you like to do before bed? ¿Qué te gusta hacer antes de acostarte?
- I like to watch TV or read a book. Me gusta ver la tele o leer un libro.
Related post: Create a Spanish Immersion Environment at Home
Printable Conversation Starter
To help you and your family get started adding in more Spanish to your everyday activities, I’ve created a free printable guide! Download the printable below, print it out in color if possible, and stick it on the fridge or somewhere readily visible. Get practicing some helpful Spanish phrases to empower your family to use more Spanish throughout the day!
Daily Routine Conversations at Home
I’d love to hear if this post and printable are helpful for you or your family! Please let me know in the comments.
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