What are the Most Common Grammar Mistakes English Speakers Make in Spanish? If you’re learning Spanish and your native language is English, chances are you’ve made a few classic grammar mistakes — we all have. Here are some of the most common grammar slip-ups English speakers make when learning Spanish — plus a few quick tips to help you avoid them. 1. Mixing Up "Ser" and "Estar" Ah yes, the two verbs that both mean "to be" and love to mess with your head. Here’s the deal: "Ser" = who or what something is (more permanent stuff) "Estar" = how or where something is (temporary stuff) What often goes wrong: ❌ Soy cansado (Oops! You’re calling yourself a tiring person.) ✅ Estoy cansado (Much better — you’re just tired.) 2. Putting Adjectives in the Wrong Spot In English, we say “a red car.” In Spanish, it’s usually flipped: “a car red” — un coche rojo. Common trip-up: ❌ una rojo casa ✅ una casa roja There are a few adjectives that do come before the noun, but for most beginners, sticking with adjective-after-noun is a safe bet. 3. Ignoring Gender and Agreement Spanish loves gender. Like, a lot. And it expects everything — nouns, adjectives, articles — to agree. Oops moment: ❌ el problema es buena ✅ el problema es bueno Watch out for words that look feminine (like el problema) but are actually masculine. Spanish likes to keep us on our toes. 4. Mixing Up "Por" and "Para" Both mean "for," but they have different vibes. Think of it like this: Por = the reason something happens (cause, time, route) Para = the goal or destination (purpose, recipient) Easy mistake: ❌ Gracias para venir. ✅ Gracias por venir. Honestly, this one takes practice. So... How Do You Get Better at This? The truth is, grammar rules are helpful, but what really fixes these kinds of mistakes is actually using Spanish. Don’t be afraid to mess up. Everyone does. And honestly, you’ll remember the lesson way better when you laugh at yourself afterward. ¡Ánimo! You’ve got this.