10 English mistakes Spanish speakers make, and how to fix them
Most of them come from translating Spanish word for word. Once you see the Spanish pattern, the English fix is easy.
The most common English mistakes Spanish speakers make are “I am agree” (say “I agree”), “I have 30 years” (say “I'm 30”), “explain me” (say “explain to me”), “people is” (say “people are”) and “discuss about” (say “discuss”). Each one copies a Spanish structure into English. Learn the Spanish reason and the mistake stops.
Below are ten of them, each with the wrong version, the right version, and why your Spanish brain picks the wrong one. There's a short quiz at the end.
1. “I am agree”
Why: estoy de acuerdo uses estar, so “am” feels needed. In English, agree is already a verb.
- ✗ I am agree with you.
- ✓ I agree with you.
The same goes for disagree: “I disagree”, never “I am disagree”. In a work chat: “I agree, let's send it today.”
2. “I have 30 years”
Why: Spanish uses tener for age, hunger, thirst, cold and fear. English uses to be.
- ✗ I have 30 years. I have hunger.
- ✓ I'm 30 (or I'm 30 years old). I'm hungry.
Also: tengo frío → “I'm cold”, tengo miedo → “I'm scared”, tengo razón → “I'm right”.
3. “Explain me”
Why: explícame puts the person right after the verb. English explain needs “to” before the person, and the thing usually comes first.
- ✗ Can you explain me the problem?
- ✓ Can you explain the problem to me?
Say works the same way: “say it to me”, never “say me”. Or use tell, which takes the person directly: “Can you tell me what happened?”
4. “People is”
Why: la gente es is singular in Spanish. In English, people is plural.
- ✗ The people in my team is very friendly.
- ✓ The people in my team are very friendly.
The opposite happens with news, advice and information. They are singular and have no plural in English: “the news is good”, “some advice”, “more information”, never “informations” or “advices”.
5. “Discuss about”
Why: discutir sobre and hablar de have a preposition; discuss doesn't.
- ✗ Let's discuss about the budget tomorrow.
- ✓ Let's discuss the budget tomorrow.
If you want the preposition, use talk: “let's talk about the budget”. Two more in the same family: “enter the room” (not enter in), “call me” (not call to me).
6. “Since three years”
Why: Spanish uses desde hace with a period of time and the present tense: vivo aquí desde hace tres años. English splits it in two, for with a period and since with a starting point, and it needs the present perfect.
- ✗ I live here since three years.
- ✓ I have lived here for three years.
- ✓ I have worked here since 2023.
In an email to a client: “We have worked together for two years”, not “since two years”.
7. “Is raining” (the missing subject)
Why: Spanish can drop the subject: está lloviendo, es importante, es tarde. English always needs one, even an empty it or there.
- ✗ Is very important to arrive on time. Are three problems.
- ✓ It's very important to arrive on time. There are three problems.
This one shows up most in fast messages, where you type the way you think.
8. “Actually” and other false friends
Why: some English words look like Spanish words but mean something else.
| English word | It means | Not the same as |
|---|---|---|
| actually | in fact | actualmente (currently) |
| assist | help | asistir (attend) |
| embarrassed | ashamed, awkward | embarazada (pregnant) |
| library | a place to borrow books | librería (bookshop) |
| sensible | reasonable | sensible (sensitive) |
| carpet | a rug on the floor | carpeta (folder) |
So “I'm actually working in Madrid” means “in fact, I'm working in Madrid”. If you mean right now, say “I'm currently working in Madrid”. And “I will assist the meeting” means you'll help run it; you want “I will attend the meeting”. For more, try our Spanish false friends finder.
9. “Make a party” and “make a question”
Why: hacer covers both make and do, and English picks a different verb for many phrases.
- ✗ We're making a party on Saturday. Can I make you a question?
- ✓ We're having a party on Saturday. Can I ask you a question?
Common pairs: do homework, do the dishes, make a mistake, make a decision, take a photo, take a shower (or have one), pay attention.
10. “The life is beautiful”
Why: Spanish uses el and la with general ideas: la vida, el amor, la gente. English drops the article when you talk about something in general.
- ✗ The life is beautiful. I love the music.
- ✓ Life is beautiful. I love music.
Keep the article when you mean something specific: “the music at the wedding was great”.
How to stop making them
Reading a list helps, but the mistakes that stick are your own. Three habits work better than any rule book:
- Notice your patterns. Most people repeat the same three or four mistakes. Write them down when someone corrects you.
- Redo the sentence, don't just read the fix. Typing the corrected sentence yourself, a day later, is what makes it stay.
- Check before you send, not after. A message to your boss or a client is where a mistake costs the most.
For a full routine, see how to improve your English writing in 10 minutes a day. If you write emails at work, the formal email templates avoid most of these traps.
This is also what Lingently does on Android. It floats over WhatsApp, Gmail and any app, checks your message when you tap it, and explains each fix in one line. Then it turns your mistakes into short daily practice, so “I am agree” disappears from your messages. See how it works for non-native writers.
Quick quiz: can you fix these?
Fix each sentence, then tap to check your answer.
1. “I am agree with the new schedule.”
I agree with the new schedule. Agree is a verb, so it doesn't need am.
2. “Can you explain me how the app works?”
Can you explain to me how the app works? (or “Can you explain how the app works?”). Explain needs to before the person.
3. “I work in this company since five years.”
I have worked at this company for five years. Use the present perfect, and for with a period of time.
4. “Is very difficult to find informations about this.”
It's very difficult to find information about this. English needs the subject it, and information has no plural.
5. “I'm going to assist the conference in Lima.”
I'm going to attend the conference in Lima. Assist means help; asistir is attend.
Questions
Why do Spanish speakers make the same English mistakes?
Because many English mistakes come from translating Spanish structures word for word: tener for age, estar de acuerdo, desde hace, a subject that can be dropped. When you know the Spanish pattern behind a mistake, it's much easier to avoid.
Is “I am agree” ever correct?
No. In standard English agree is a verb, so you say “I agree” or “I don't agree”. “I am in agreement” is correct but very formal; in emails and chats, “I agree” is what native speakers write.
Should I say “since” or “for”?
Use for with a length of time (for three years, for two weeks) and since with a starting point (since 2023, since Monday). Both usually go with the present perfect: “I have lived here for three years.”
Do Latin American and Spain Spanish speakers make different mistakes?
Mostly the same ones, because the grammar behind them is shared. Some false friends and vocabulary differ by country, but I am agree, I have 30 years and since three years come up across the Spanish-speaking world.
