Spanish by construction
Spanish for English speakers

Learn the bricks. Build your sentences.

Instead of memorising lists of phrases, you learn reusable words and the rules that put them together. You build, transform and listen to sentences you have never seen before.

Andalusian patio, azulejo tiles, whitewashed alley
Querer + action + object
QuieroˈkjeɾoWish
tomartoˈmaɾAction
ununArticle
téteObject
I’d like to have a tea. ˈkjeɾo toˈmaɾ un te
The method

Six families of bricks

Every word comes with its stressed syllable, its audio and a meaning in context.

People
yoʝo tútu élel ellaˈeʝa nosotrosnoˈsotɾos

Subject pronouns, often left out: the verb ending is enough.

Actions
beberbeˈβeɾ comerkoˈmeɾ iriɾ tenerteˈneɾ quererkeˈɾeɾ

Common verbs, conjugated according to the person.

Objects and places
téte aguaˈaɣwa panpan Españaesˈpaɲa restauranterestawˈɾante

With their article when needed, depending on gender and meaning.

Operators
nono sísi dóndeˈdonde quéke tambiéntamˈbjen

Negation, yes, and words for asking or adding.

Patterns
Bebo téV + O Quiero beberquerer + inf. ¿Bebes té?¿ … ?

The rules for putting bricks together. Nothing is glued word for word.

Sounds and stress
ñɲ jx rrr llʝ zθ

Five vowels, regular spelling and a written accent when a word breaks the rule.

In real life

The same bricks, everywhere

At a restaurant, on the move or meeting someone new, a few bricks are enough to make yourself understood.

tapas bar, coffee
At the café
Quiero un café.ˈkjeɾo un kaˈfeI’d like a coffee.
station, bus, city
Getting around
¿Adónde vas?aˈðonde basWhere are you going?
meeting, conversation
Meeting people
¿Te gusta España?te ˈɡusta esˈpaɲaDo you like Spain?
Spanish around the world

Where is Spanish spoken?

Spanish, or Castilian, was born in Castile, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, before becoming the common language of Spain. Carried to the Americas from the late 15th century onwards, it is now an official language in most Latin American countries and in Equatorial Guinea, and it is widely spoken in the United States.

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891011121314
  1. Spain — Castilian, born in Castile
  2. Argentina
  3. Chile
  4. Paraguay — official language, alongside Guarani
  5. Bolivia — Sucre; official alongside Indigenous languages
  6. Peru
  7. Ecuador
  8. Colombia
  9. Venezuela
  10. Panama
  11. Guatemala
  12. Mexico
  13. Cuba
  14. Dominican Republic
  15. Equatorial Guinea — the only African country where Spanish is official
  16. United States — especially the Southwest, Florida and New York

Homeland or official language Community · Approximate positions. Natural Earth.

Demonstration

The sentence builder

Every combination is checked against the grammar. Bricks marked ≠ don’t go with your choice: pick them to find out why.

Transform
    Yo quiero beber té.
    ʝo ˈkjeɾo beˈβeɾ te
    I would like to drink tea.
    A session

    Fifteen minutes a day

    Adjustable from 5 to 30 minutes. Missing a day costs you nothing: your progress waits for you.

    Learner with earphones, phone in hand
    3 min
    Review
    Today’s reviews, spaced according to how well you did.
    4 min
    New bricks
    Two or three words, with their audio and their stress.
    5 min
    Build
    Five sentences to build or transform, with mistakes explained.
    3 min
    Listen
    A question you hear, an answer to give.
    The course

    Eight weeks of discovery

    A path, not a promise of a level. Each week targets a skill you can see for yourself.

    1 Sounds, word stress, pronouns, first actions Pronounce and understand very short utterances
    2 Everyday nouns, affirmative sentences Build subject–verb–object sentences
    3 Negation, yes/no questions Ask and understand simple questions
    4 Where, what, how much, numbers Get practical information
    5 Wanting, being able to, asking politely Order and make a request
    6 Time, getting around, location Describe an action and a simple journey
    7 Dialogues in real situations Respond in a travel situation
    8 Consolidation, listening, transfer Reuse what you have learnt in new sentences
    Read and pronounce

    Five vowels, a few rules.

    Spanish is read very regularly. You only need to know a few special letters and the rule for word stress.

    Learn the pronunciation
    ñɲEspaña
    jxjamón
    rrrperro
    llʝcalle
    zθzapato
    h∅hola
    Frequently asked questions

    Learning Spanish with KilaTalk

    What is KilaTalk, and what does learning “by construction” mean?

    KilaTalk is a language-learning app. Instead of memorising lists of phrases, you learn reusable words — people, actions, things, places — and the rules that put them together, then you build, transform and listen to your own sentences.

    Do I need an account? Is it free?

    The sentence builder and the method, pronunciation and reading pages are open to everyone, with no account. The eight-week course, reviews and your word list require an account, which is free to create.

    How much time does it take each day, and what is in the eight-week course?

    A session lasts fifteen minutes, adjustable from 5 to 30: the day’s reviews, new bricks, sentences to build and a listening task. The eight weeks go from the first sounds to real-life dialogues, through negation, questions, numbers and polite requests; it is a discovery path, not a promise of a level.

    How is pronunciation taught?

    Every word and sentence has audio you can play at normal speed or slowly (0.5×, without distorting the voice). Words come with a transcription suited to the language: pinyin for Mandarin, Yale romanisation for Cantonese, rōmaji for Japanese, Revised Romanization for Korean, the International Phonetic Alphabet for Vietnamese and most European languages, and a transliteration for Russian.

    Which languages can I learn from?

    The interface is available in six languages: English, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Chinese and French. Explanations and translations are written for each of them, with comparisons drawn from the learner’s own language.

    Who is behind KilaTalk, and can I trust the sentences?

    KilaTalk is designed and published by SDiTech, a software publisher based in France. Every sentence in the builder is checked by a grammar engine: a combination that doesn’t work is refused, with the rule explained and correct alternatives offered.

    tapas with friends

    Lay your first brick.

    Choose your goal and your pace, and the first lesson starts straight away.

    Create my account