Vocabulary
The words and phrases for this theme, each with audio. Words marked H are for Higher.
Every word is checked against both boards' lists: H marks a Higher word, a note says when the boards differ, and words on neither list are marked "Not on the exam lists". The official lists: AQA vocabulary list (specification Appendix 2) and Pearson Edexcel vocabulary list (specification Appendix 1).
Key phrases
Phrases for speaking and writing on this theme. Phrases marked H use Higher grammar.
- Vivo en un/una...I live in a...
- Mi casa tiene... habitacionesMy house has... rooms
- En mi barrio hay...In my neighbourhood there is...
- Está situado/a en...It's located in...
- HLo que más me gusta de mi zona es...What I like most about my area is...
- En el futuro, me gustaría vivir en...In the future, I'd like to live in...
Key verbs
The verbs for this theme. Where the site has a verb page, the link opens its conjugation tables and practice.
- HConjugation and practice →seguirto carry on, to follow
- HConjugation and practice →cruzarto crossHigher on AQA
- HConjugation and practice →alquilarto rentHigher on AQA
- HConjugation and practice →mudarseto move houseNot on the exam lists
- HConjugation and practice →vivirto live
- HConjugation and practice →estarto be (location, states)Not on the exam lists
- HConjugation and practice →haberto have (done); hay = there is/are
- HConjugation and practice →tenerto haveNot on the exam lists
- HConjugation and practice →serto be (what someone or something is)Not on the exam lists
- HConjugation and practice →compartirto share
- HConjugation and practice →gustarto like
- HConjugation and practice →preferirto prefer
Words by topic
The core words and expressions for this theme, in groups. Each noun shows its gender. Open a group to see its words.
Homes and buildings
14 words
- Hla casa (f)house
- Hel piso (m)flat
- Hel chalet (m)detached houseNot on the exam lists
- Hel edificio (m)building
- Hla escalera (f)stairsAQA list only
- Hla planta (f)storey (of a building), floorHigher on Pearson
- Hel castillo (m)castle
- Hel palacio (m)palacePearson list only
- Hel monumento (m)monumentPearson list only
- Hla casa adosada (f)terraced houseNot on the exam lists
- Hel ático (m)penthouse, top-floor flatNot on the exam lists
- Hla urbanización (f)housing development, estateNot on the exam lists
- Hel hogar (m)home
- Hel ascensor (m)lift
Rooms and outside spaces
13 words
- Hla cocina (f)kitchen
- Hel salón (m)living roomAQA list only
- Hel comedor (m)dining roomNot on the exam lists
- Hel dormitorio (m)bedroomAQA list only
- Hel (cuarto de) baño (m)bathroom
- Hel jardín (m)garden
- Hel garaje (m)garageNot on the exam lists
- Hel sótano (m)basementNot on the exam lists
- Hel desván (m)atticNot on the exam lists
- Hla habitación (f)room, bedroom
- Hel patio (m)courtyard
- Hel cuarto (m)room, bedroom
- Hla piscina (f)swimming pool
Inside the home
13 words
- Hla cama (f)bed
- Hel armario (m)wardrobeNot on the exam lists
- Hla mesa (f)table
- Hla silla (f)chair
- Hel sofá (m)sofaNot on the exam lists
- Hla estantería (f)bookshelfNot on the exam lists
- Hel espejo (m)mirrorNot on the exam lists
- Hla puerta (f)door
- Hla ventana (f)window
- Hla pared (f)wallAQA list only
- Hla llave (f)keyHigher on AQA
- Hel escritorio (m)deskNot on the exam lists
- Hel suelo (m)ground, floor (surface)AQA Higher list only
Describing your home and area
15 words
- Hgrandebig
- Hpequeño/asmall
- Hmoderno/amodern
- Hantiguo/aold
- Hcómodo/acomfortable
- Htranquilo/aquiet/peaceful
- Hruidoso/anoisyNot on the exam lists
- Hlimpio/aclean
- Hsucio/adirty
- Hlleno/afullHigher on Pearson
- Hbonito/apretty, nice
- Hfeo/auglyAQA list only
- Hacogedor/acosyNot on the exam lists
- Hespacioso/aspaciousNot on the exam lists
- Hluminoso/abright/lightNot on the exam lists
Places in town
15 words
- Hla tienda (f)shop
- Hel supermercado (m)supermarket
- Hel parque (m)park
- Hla iglesia (f)churchAQA list only
- Hel ayuntamiento (m)town hallNot on the exam lists
- Hla biblioteca (f)library
- Hel polideportivo (m)sports centreNot on the exam lists
- Hel mercado (m)market
- Hel banco (m)bank, bench
- Hel bar (m)bar, caféPearson list only
- Hel museo (m)museum
- Hel hospital (m)hospital
- Hla farmacia (f)chemist'sPearson list only
- Hla estación (f)station
- Hla comisaría (f)police stationPearson Higher list only
Directions and saying where things are
14 words
- Hel norte (m)north
- Hel sur (m)south
- Hel este (m)east
- Hel oeste (m)west
- Hcerca (de)near (to)
- Hlejos (de)far (from)
- Hdelante (de)in front (of)
- Hdetrás (de)behind
- Hal lado (de)next to
- HentrebetweenNot on the exam lists
- Hencima (de)on top (of), above
- Hdebajo (de)under, underneath
- Ha la derechaon the right, to the right
- Ha la izquierdaon the left, to the left
Streets, towns and countries
15 words
- Hel pueblo (m)village/town
- Hla ciudad (f)city
- Hla calle (f)street
- Hla plaza (f)square
- Hla esquina (f)corner
- Hla carretera (f)road
- Hel puente (m)bridge
- Hel puerto (m)port
- Hla región (f)region
- Hla provincia (f)provincePearson list only
- Hla capital (f)capital city
- Hla costa (f)coast
- Hel país (m)country
- Hel mundo (m)world
- Hel campo (m)countryside
Your area and its people
15 words
- Hel barrio (m)neighbourhood
- Hlas afueras (f)outskirtsHigher on Pearson
- Hel centro (m)centre
- Hel lugar (m)placeHigher on Pearson
- Hel sitio (m)place
- Hla zona (f)area
- Hel/la habitanteinhabitantHigher on Pearson
- HlocallocalPearson list only
- Hhistórico/ahistoric
- Hanimado/alivelyAQA list only
- Hla gente (f)people
- Hel/la vecino/aneighbour
- Hlos alrededores (m)surrounding area
- Hla población (f)populationAQA Higher list only
- Hurbano/aurbanPearson Higher list only
Grammar
The grammar this theme uses most, with examples from the theme. Each guide explains it in full.
Past, present and future
To talk about your area in three timeframes: where you went, where you usually go and where you're going to go.
The time words decide the : el sábado pasado and ayer take the preterite, normalmente and los sábados the present, and el sábado que viene and mañana take ir a + . Ir is irregular: fui (I went), voy (I go), voy a ir (I'm going to go), and fui has no accent. The preterite is for one trip (el sábado pasado fui al centro); for what you used to do, use the imperfect (antes iba al parque).
El sábado pasado fui al centro con mis amigos – Last Saturday I went into town with my friends
Normalmente voy al centro los sábados – I normally go into town on Saturdays
El sábado que viene voy a ir al centro en autobús – Next Saturday I'm going to go into town by bus
Exam tip: The top language marks in AQA's 90-word task, Pearson's 80-90 and 130-150 word tasks and Pearson's conversation need all three timeframes.
Hay and estar for places
Hay says what there is in your area; estar says where a particular place is.
Hay (there is, there are) introduces something new and has one form for and : hay un cine, hay dos parques. Estar says where a particular place you already know about is: el cine está en el centro. So it's hay un banco en la plaza but el banco está en la plaza; never hay el banco.
En mi barrio hay muchas tiendas – In my neighbourhood there are many shops
Hay un parque cerca – There is a park nearby
El banco está en la plaza – The bank is in the square
Prepositions of place
To say where things are in your home and town.
Most of these end in de, which joins el to make del: al lado del parque, cerca del colegio (but cerca de la playa); junto a makes junto al. Use them with estar to say where something is: mi casa está lejos del centro. Enfrente de means "opposite", across the street, while delante de means "in front of".
al lado de / junto a – next to
enfrente de / delante de – opposite / in front of
cerca de / lejos de – near / far from
Lo bueno, lo malo
HigherTo give a balanced opinion of where you live: lo bueno, lo malo, lo mejor, lo peor.
Lo + a means "the ... thing": lo bueno (the good thing), lo peor (the worst thing). The doesn't change, whatever you're describing, and is usually followed by es que + a full sentence: lo malo es que no hay cine. Putting both sides together (lo bueno es que..., pero lo malo es que...) gives a balanced opinion in one sentence.
Lo bueno es que hay mucho que hacer – The good thing is there's lots to do
Lo malo es que es muy ruidoso – The bad thing is it's very noisy
Lo mejor de mi barrio es el parque – The best thing about my area is the park
Imperfect for how it used to be
To say what your home or area used to be like, next to how it is now.
The imperfect describes how things were or used to be: antes vivía en el campo, el pueblo era tranquilo. -ar verbs end in -aba and -er/-ir verbs in -ía; only ser (era), ir (iba) and ver (veía) are irregular. Había is the imperfect of hay: había un parque (there was a park). Set it against the present to compare then and now: antes había más tiendas, pero ahora hay menos.
Antes vivía en un piso pequeño – I used to live in a small flat
Mi habitación era muy pequeña – My room was very small
Había más tiendas – There used to be more shops
Practice
Exercises on this theme's words and grammar, marked as you go. Higher tasks are labelled.
Vocabulary matching
Match the Spanish words with their English meanings:
Fill in the blanks: home and town words
Complete these sentences about homes and locations:
- Vivo en un en el centro. (flat)
- Mi casa tiene tres . (bedrooms)
- El parque está de mi casa. (near)
- muchas tiendas en mi barrio. (there are)
Fill in the blanks: past, present or future
Past, present or future? Write the verb in brackets in the right form: the time words tell you which. For the future, use ir a + infinitive.
- Ayer por el parque con mi perro. (pasear, yo)
- Normalmente la mesa antes de cenar. (poner, yo)
- El año que viene en el campo. (vivir, yo)
- El fin de semana pasado mis padres el jardín. (limpiar)
- Ahora en mi barrio un parque nuevo. (haber)
Multiple choice: rooms and places
Choose the correct room or place:
1. Where you sleep
2. Where you cook
3. Where you watch TV with family
4. Where you can read and borrow books
Translate into Spanish: sentences
Translate into Spanish:
Hints:vivo enhayal lado de
Vivo en un piso pequeño en el centro de la ciudad. Hay tres dormitorios y una cocina moderna. Al lado de mi casa hay un parque donde juego con mis amigos.
Translate into Spanish: a paragraph
HigherTranslate into Spanish:
Hints:lo mejorsin embargome gustaría
Lo mejor de mi barrio es que es muy tranquilo y hay muchas zonas verdes. Sin embargo, está bastante lejos del centro y no hay muchas tiendas. En el futuro, me gustaría vivir más cerca de la ciudad.
Listening
Mi casa y mi barrio
My house and my neighbourhood
Tip: If you need help, read the questions first, use the slow speed and check the transcript.
Show transcript
- Isabel
Hola, me llamo Isabel y voy a hablar de mi casa y mi barrio.
Hello, my name is Isabel and I'm going to talk about my house and my neighbourhood.
- Isabel
Vivo en un piso en la tercera planta de un edificio moderno, en un barrio cerca del centro.
I live in a flat on the third floor of a modern building, in a neighbourhood near the centre.
- Isabel
Mi piso tiene tres dormitorios, un salón grande, una cocina y un baño.
My flat has three bedrooms, a big living room, a kitchen and a bathroom.
- Isabel
Mi dormitorio es bastante pequeño pero acogedor. Tiene una cama, un escritorio y un armario.
My bedroom is quite small but cosy. It has a bed, a desk and a wardrobe.
- Isabel
Me gusta mucho mi barrio porque hay muchas tiendas, un parque y está cerca del centro.
I really like my neighbourhood because there are many shops, a park and it is close to the centre.
- Isabel
Sin embargo, lo malo es que hay mucho ruido y tráfico, especialmente por la mañana.
However, the bad thing is that there is a lot of noise and traffic, especially in the morning.
- Isabel
En el futuro, me gustaría vivir en el campo porque es más tranquilo y hay aire fresco.
In the future, I would like to live in the countryside because it is quieter and there is fresh air.
Comprehension questions
Answer all 6 questions based on the recording.
- Question 1
Where does Isabel live?
- Question 2
How many bedrooms does the flat have?
- Question 3
Isabel's bedroom is big.
- Question 4
What is there in Isabel's neighbourhood?
- Question 5
In the future Isabel would like to live in the city.
- Question 6
What is the problem in Isabel's neighbourhood, especially in the morning?
Speaking
Practise answering out loud. How each board runs the speaking exam: the GCSE speaking exam.
Practice questions
- ¿Cómo es tu casa?Vivo en una casa adosada que tiene dos plantas. Es bastante grande y tiene un jardín pequeño.
- ¿Cuántas habitaciones hay?Hay tres dormitorios, un salón, una cocina, dos baños y un garaje.
- ¿Cómo es tu dormitorio?Mi dormitorio es pequeño pero acogedor. Tiene una cama, un escritorio y un armario.
- ¿Qué hay en tu barrio?En mi barrio hay tiendas, un parque, un supermercado y una estación de tren.
- ¿Te gusta vivir donde vives?Sí, me gusta porque está cerca del centro y hay buenas conexiones de transporte.
- ¿Prefieres vivir en el campo o en la ciudad?Prefiero vivir en la ciudad porque hay más actividades y es más práctico.
- ¿Cómo sería tu casa ideal?Mi casa ideal sería grande con una piscina y un jardín enorme cerca de la playa.
- ¿Te gustaría mudarte en el futuro?Sí, me gustaría mudarme a España algún día porque me encanta el clima.
Role-play
A role-play card in the exam format. Prepare an answer for each task, with a verb in every answer. The boards set different role-plays: AQA's is a chat with a friend on the theme; Pearson's is in a public place such as a café, shop, hotel or station. Full role-plays with the examiner's lines and model answers: GCSE speaking practice.
No Pearson-format role-play on this theme: practise one on the GCSE speaking page.
You are talking to your Spanish friend about where you live.
- Say what type of home you live in. (Give one detail.)
- Describe your bedroom. (Give one detail.)
- Say what there is in your area. (Give one detail.)
- Give your opinion of your town. (Give one opinion.)
- ?Ask your friend a question about their home.
Your teacher plays your friend and speaks first; speak to your friend as tú. The task marked ? is where you ask a question. At Foundation, every task is in the present tense.
Full exam cards on this topic
With the teacher's lines, timings and model answers, on the speaking page:
Photo card (AQA) and picture task (Pearson)
There is no photo on this page: practise with exam-style photos on the GCSE speaking page.
AQA photo card: two photos (Háblame de las fotos). Say something about each, then have a conversation on the card's theme, with questions like the practice questions above.
Pearson picture task: describe one of two pictures (the people, the place and what they are doing), answer two questions about yourself, then have a conversation, with questions like the practice questions above.
For a photo on this theme, say:
- What type of home or place it is
- Where it is (in a town, in the country, by the sea)
- Who the people are and what they are doing
Writing
Plan and write your answer, then check it covers every bullet point. The tasks and word counts on each board: the GCSE writing exam. Useful phrases: key phrases.
AQA: about 90 words
Foundation and Higher papers
You are writing to your Spanish friend about where you live. Write approximately 90 words in Spanish. You must write something about each bullet point.
You must include:
- your house or flat
- what you did in your area last weekend
- where you would like to live in the future
AQA: about 150 words
HigherHigher paper
You are writing an article about towns and the countryside for a Spanish website. Write approximately 150 words in Spanish. You must write something about both bullet points.
You must include:
- the advantages and disadvantages of living in a town or in the countryside
- how your area has changed in recent years
Pearson Edexcel: 80-90 words
Foundation and Higher papers
Your Spanish friend Ana has asked you about where you live. Write an email to Ana. Write your answer in Spanish. You should aim to write between 80 and 90 words.
You must include:
- your home
- what there is to do in your area
- a place in your town you visited recently
- how you would change your area
Pearson Edexcel: 130-150 words
HigherHigher paper
You are writing an article for a Spanish website about neighbourhoods. Write your answer in Spanish. You should aim to write between 130 and 150 words.
You must include:
- what makes a good neighbourhood
- the problems in your area
- how your area was different in the past
- where you will live when you are older
Key points
- Hay = there is/are (invariable - same for singular and plural)
- Use estar for locations: el banco está al lado del parque
- Describe rooms: en mi dormitorio hay una cama y un escritorio
- Location prepositions: al lado de, enfrente de, cerca de, lejos de
- Compare: me gustaría vivir en... porque sería más tranquilo
Homework
- Draw a floor plan of your home and label all rooms and key furniture in Spanish
- Write a description of your local area: what there is, what is missing, your opinion
- Practise using hay and estar in 8 sentences about your town
- Compare city vs countryside life in 6-8 sentences using comparatives
More for this theme
- Practice
- Listening
- Vocabulary
The listening and reading texts are general practice, not in the exam format: for that, see the GCSE reading papers and GCSE listening papers.