Printable Spanish Flashcards for Beginners
This free set has 24 printable Spanish flashcards: eight colors, the numbers uno to ocho, and eight family words like mamá and abuela. Every card has the Spanish word, how to say it, the English, and an empty box where your child draws the picture.
Below is every card in the set and the games to play with them, none of which involve a timer.
What’s in the free PDF
Page 1
Parent guide
How to use the cards at home, in English, for a parent who doesn’t speak Spanish.
Page 2
Colors: 8 cards
rojo, azul, amarillo, verde, naranja, violeta, rosa, celeste
Page 3
Numbers: 8 cards
uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho
Page 4
Family: 8 cards
mamá, papá, hermano, hermana, abuelo, abuela, tío, tía
Eight cards per US Letter page, two across and four down, with cut lines. Card stock holds up best, but plain paper works.
Spanish English flashcards: all 24 cards
Colors
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| rojo | RRO-ho | red |
| azul | ah-SOOL | blue |
| amarillo | ah-ma-REE-yo | yellow |
| verde | VER-de | green |
| naranja | na-RAN-ha | orange |
| violeta | vee-o-LE-ta | purple |
| rosa | RRO-sa | pink |
| celeste | se-LES-te | sky blue |
Each color card also has a swatch, and its box asks for something in that color (think “Draw something rojo”). Learn these words first.
Numbers
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| uno | OO-no | one |
| dos | DOS | two |
| tres | TRES | three |
| cuatro | KWA-tro | four |
| cinco | SEEN-ko | five |
| seis | SAYS | six |
| siete | SYE-te | seven |
| ocho | O-cho | eight |
Number cards show the numeral and dots; the box asks your child to draw that many (“Draw 3 stars”). Learn these words first.
Family
| Spanish | Say it | English |
|---|---|---|
| mamá | ma-MA | mom |
| papá | pa-PA | dad |
| hermano | er-MA-no | brother |
| hermana | er-MA-na | sister |
| abuelo | a-BWE-lo | grandpa |
| abuela | a-BWE-la | grandma |
| tío | TEE-o | uncle |
| tía | TEE-a | aunt |
Here your child draws their own people (“Draw your abuela”), so this page becomes a family portrait. Learn these words first.
Two color words to notice: violeta for purple and celeste for sky blue, its own everyday color word. The ll in amarillo sounds like the y in yes.
The draw-it-yourself card
There are no clip-art pictures on these cards. Each one has an empty box and a short prompt, and your child’s drawing becomes the picture: a red apple for rojo, three dots for tres, their own grandma for abuela. To draw it, they have to think about what the word means, and they will care about a card they made.
Spanish flashcards for beginners: why these 24
Colors, small numbers and family are words a child can point to all day: the crayon box, the stairs, the people at dinner. They are also the first units of our Spanish Basics series, so the cards review words your child has already heard on those pages.
How to use flashcards the story way
Every card carries its own pronunciation and English, so a parent with no Spanish can lead. The rule is simple: the words come first from real life and stories, the cards come after. Manuel and Lola never learn rojo from a card; they learn it from a red ball. Your child can do the same, and then the card is a game.
- 1
¿Dónde está? Hide and find. Hide four cards around the room and ask ¿Dónde está el rojo? (Where is red?). Cheer when it turns up.
- 2
Muéstrame. Lay three cards on the table and say Muéstrame el tres (show me three). Then let your child say it to you.
- 3
Memory. Print two copies of one page, turn all 16 cards face down, and say each word out loud as you flip it.
- 4
Never a timed drill. Five minutes, then the cards go back in their envelope. Counting real things your child can touch still beats any card.
Stories and real objects come first on purpose. Stephen Krashen’s input hypothesis, widely cited in language teaching, holds that we acquire words by understanding messages that use them. ACTFL’s research brief on early language learning adds that steady exposure over time matters, and a five-minute card game a few times a week is an easy way to keep the words coming back.
Get the free flashcards
Four pages: a parent guide and 24 cards (8 colors, 8 numbers, 8 family). Print as many copies as you like at home or in class; you won’t be asked for an email. A full illustrated deck is planned for our Foundations Pack, which isn’t for sale yet.
Download the Flashcards (Free PDF)Questions parents ask
Are flashcards good for learning Spanish?
They are good for review, not for first learning. A child who has already heard rojo while coloring, or counted uno, dos, tres on real stairs, will enjoy spotting those words on a card. A child meeting the word for the first time on a card is memorizing, not learning. Use the cards after the words have been heard.
How do you use Spanish flashcards with kids?
As games, not drills. Hide cards around a room and ask ¿Dónde está el rojo? (where is red?). Lay out three cards and say Muéstrame el tres (show me three). Print two copies and play memory. Keep it to five minutes and never time your child.
What Spanish words should beginners learn first?
Words your child can see, touch or point to every day: colors, numbers to ten, and the names of the people at home. That's why this set is colors, numbers and family. After that, greetings like hola and chau, then the small words that fill every story, like y, es and tengo.
Why is there a blank box on every card?
It's the picture. Your child draws something red, three dots, or their own abuela. Drawing it means your child has to think about what the word means, and a card they made themselves is one they want to use.
Do you have Spanish alphabet or sight word flashcards?
Our free sight word cards cover the 40 small words from the Manuel y Lola stories, with English on every card. For the alphabet, our Spanish alphabet page has the 27 letters with example words and a printable chart.
More card sets and printables
Cards review words; stories give them a reason to exist. The free starter story, Manuel tiene un perro, has a red ball, a blue ball and a very good dog.
Spanish Sight Word Cards
40 small words from the stories, each with a story sentence.
The Spanish Alphabet
27 letters, the sounds kids need, and a printable chart.
Spanish Bingo
Number and color boards with call cards.
Get the Free Starter Story Pack
A short printable Manuel y Lola story with a parent guide in English.
Spanish Basics units: Colors · Numbers · Family · Greetings · Days of the week · Months and seasons · Animals · Body parts · Emotions · The alphabet. More: word searches · worksheets · all free printables.
Sources
- Stephen D. Krashen: Principles and Practice in Second Language Acquisition (1982)
- ACTFL: The Impact of Early Language Learning (research brief)