Lumi KidsSpanish for kids
Spanish is the language most US schools teach and the one many families hear around them, which makes it the easiest second language to keep going at home. Below are the 64 first words your child learns in Lumi Kids, in Lumi's Latin American Spanish, with a say-it guide for English speakers.
Spanish on this site
- Spanish words for kids10 topics with audio: colors, numbers, greetings, animals and more
- Free Spanish printablesworksheets, word lists and coloring pages (PDF)
- Teach Your Child Spanish at Home (Even If You Don't Speak It)a 15-minute daily plan, even if you don't speak Spanish
- Best Spanish Apps for Kids (Ages 4–9), Compared for 2026apps compared, with dated prices
- Online Spanish Classes for Kids: Costs, Formats, How to Choosecosts, formats and how to judge a trial class
- Dual Language Immersion: Pros, Cons and How to Help at Homefor families choosing a school program
Why Spanish?
For most American families Spanish is simply the most useful second language. It is the language your child is most likely to meet at school: 40% of US public schools teach Spanish, far more than any other language, and where elementary schools offer a language at all, it is usually Spanish (NCES, January 2024). In a Pew Research Center survey from 2026, 53% of US adults said it is extremely or very important for schools to offer it.
It is also the language your child is most likely to hear outside school: about six in ten Americans who speak a language other than English at home speak Spanish (Census Bureau). Neighbors, classmates, a soccer coach or a babysitter can turn words from a screen into real conversation.
For English speakers Spanish is friendly to start with. Words are read the way they are written, there are only five vowel sounds, and many words look familiar: familia, elefante, animal. The hard parts, such as the rolled r and the masculine and feminine words, come easily to young children who hear them often.
The 64 first Spanish words
These are the 64 words of the Seed level, eight worlds of eight words, each with a short sentence. Tap a card and Lumi says the word; the orange line is a say-it guide in English spelling, with the stressed syllable in capitals. The guide gets you close; Lumi's voice is the real thing. Lumi speaks Latin American Spanish; where Spain uses another word (coche for car, tarta for cake), the topic pages say so.
Tap a card and Lumi says the word; ▶ next to a sentence reads it, and “Play all in order” plays a whole group. Voices: Lumi (AI-generated voice).
8 words · 8 sentences
Hello World · Hola, mundo
More greetings and polite words, with tiny dialogues: Spanish greetings for kids.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| ¡Hola, soy Lumi!OH-lah, soy LOO-mee | Hello, I am Lumi! | |
| ¡Adiós, nos vemos!ah-DYOHS, nohs BEH-mohs | Goodbye, see you! | |
| ¡Sí, me gusta!SEE, meh GOOS-tah | Yes, I like it! | |
| No, muchas gracias.NOH, MOO-chahs GRAH-see-ahs | No, thank you. | |
| ¡Muchas gracias, Lumi!MOO-chahs GRAH-see-ahs, LOO-mee | Thank you very much! | |
| Por favor, ayúdame.por fah-BOR, ah-YOO-dah-meh | Please help me. | |
| Tú eres mi amigo.TOO EH-rehs mee ah-MEE-goh | You are my friend. | |
| ¡Buenos días, Lumi!BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs, LOO-mee | Good morning, Lumi! |
8 words · 8 sentences
Colors · Colores
Eleven colors, the rules for roja and rojo, and two games: colors in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| La manzana es roja.lah mahn-SAH-nah ehs ROH-hah | The apple is red. | |
| El cielo es azul.ehl SYEH-loh ehs ah-SOOL | The sky is blue. | |
| El sol es amarillo.ehl SOHL ehs ah-mah-REE-yoh | The sun is yellow. | |
| La rana es verde.lah RAH-nah ehs BEHR-deh | The frog is green. | |
| Me gusta el naranja.meh GOOS-tah ehl nah-RAHN-hah | I like orange. | |
| Las uvas son moradas.lahs OO-bahs sohn moh-RAH-dahs | The grapes are purple. | |
| El cerdito es rosa.ehl sehr-DEE-toh ehs ROH-sah | The pig is pink. | |
| La nube es blanca.lah NOO-beh ehs BLAHN-kah | The cloud is white. |
8 words · 8 sentences
Numbers · Números
Up to 20, with counting games: numbers in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| Tengo una manzana.TEHN-goh OO-nah mahn-SAH-nah | I have one apple. | |
| Veo dos patos.BEH-oh DOHS PAH-tohs | I see two ducks. | |
| ¡Hay tres globos!AY TREHS GLOH-bohs | Three balloons! | |
| Hay cuatro pastelitos.AY KWAH-troh pahs-teh-LEE-tohs | Four cupcakes. | |
| ¡Hay cinco estrellas!AY SEEN-koh ehs-TREH-yahs | Five stars! | |
| Hay seis fresas.AY SAYS FREH-sahs | Six strawberries. | |
| Hay siete peces.AY SYEH-teh PEH-sehs | Seven fish. | |
| Hay ocho flores.AY OH-choh FLOH-rehs | Eight flowers. |
8 words · 8 sentences
Animals · Animales
Sixteen animals and what they say in Spanish: animals in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| El gato dice miau.ehl GAH-toh DEE-seh MYOW | The cat says meow. | |
| El perro está feliz.ehl PEH-rroh ehs-TAH feh-LEES | The dog is happy. | |
| El pájaro puede volar.ehl PAH-hah-roh PWEH-deh boh-LAR | The bird can fly. | |
| El pez puede nadar.ehl PEHS PWEH-deh nah-DAR | The fish can swim. | |
| El caballo es grande.ehl kah-BAH-yoh ehs GRAHN-deh | The horse is big. | |
| La vaca dice muu.lah BAH-kah DEE-seh MOO | The cow says moo. | |
| El león es fuerte.ehl leh-OHN ehs FWEHR-teh | The lion is strong. | |
| El conejo salta.ehl koh-NEH-hoh SAHL-tah | The rabbit jumps. |
8 words · 8 sentences
My Family · Mi familia
Aunts, uncles, cousins and a photo game: family words in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| Quiero a mi mamá.KYEH-roh ah mee mah-MAH | I love my mom. | |
| Mi papá es alto.mee pah-PAH ehs AHL-toh | My dad is tall. | |
| Mi hermana es amable.mee ehr-MAH-nah ehs ah-MAH-bleh | My sister is kind. | |
| Mi hermano juega.mee ehr-MAH-noh HWEH-gah | My brother plays. | |
| La abuela hace galletas.lah ah-BWEH-lah AH-seh gah-YEH-tahs | Grandma bakes cookies. | |
| El abuelo cuenta cuentos.ehl ah-BWEH-loh KWEHN-tah KWEHN-tohs | Grandpa tells stories. | |
| El bebé es pequeño.ehl beh-BEH ehs peh-KEH-nyoh | The baby is small. | |
| Esta es mi familia.EHS-tah ehs mee fah-MEE-lyah | This is my family. |
8 words · 8 sentences
Food · Comida
Snack words and the words that change by country: food in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| Como una manzana.KOH-moh OO-nah mahn-SAH-nah | I eat an apple. | |
| El plátano es amarillo.ehl PLAH-tah-noh ehs ah-mah-REE-yoh | The banana is yellow. | |
| Me gusta el pan.meh GOOS-tah ehl PAHN | I like bread. | |
| Yo tomo leche.yoh TOH-moh LEH-cheh | I drink milk. | |
| Un huevo para desayunar.oon WEH-boh PAH-rah deh-sah-yoo-NAR | An egg for breakfast. | |
| El queso es rico.ehl KEH-soh ehs REE-koh | Cheese is yummy. | |
| Quiero agua, por favor.KYEH-roh AH-gwah, por fah-BOR | I want water, please. | |
| ¡Un pastel para tu cumpleaños!oon pahs-TEHL PAH-rah too koom-pleh-AH-nyohs | Happy birthday cake! |
8 words · 8 sentences
My Body · Mi cuerpo
Simón dice and a song: body parts in Spanish.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| Tócate la cabeza.TOH-kah-teh lah kah-BEH-sah | Touch your head. | |
| Tengo dos ojos.TEHN-goh DOHS OH-hohs | I have two eyes. | |
| Esta es mi nariz.EHS-tah ehs mee nah-REES | This is my nose. | |
| Abre la boca.AH-breh lah BOH-kah | Open your mouth. | |
| Escucho con mis orejas.ehs-KOO-choh kohn mees oh-REH-hahs | I hear with my ears. | |
| ¡Aplaude con las manos!ah-PLOW-deh kohn lahs MAH-nohs | Clap your hands! | |
| ¡Pisa fuerte con los pies!PEE-sah FWEHR-teh kohn lohs PYEHS | Stomp your feet! | |
| Mi cabello es rizado.mee kah-BEH-yoh ehs ree-SAH-doh | My hair is curly. |
8 words · 8 sentences
Toys & Home · Juguetes y mi casa
A hide-and-find game with under, on top of and behind: toys and home words.
| Sentence | English | listen |
|---|---|---|
| Pateo la pelota.pah-TEH-oh lah peh-LOH-tah | I kick the ball. | |
| El carro es rápido.ehl KAH-rroh ehs RAH-pee-doh | The car is fast. | |
| Juego con mi muñeca.HWEH-goh kohn mee moo-NYEH-kah | I play with my doll. | |
| Leo un libro.LEH-oh oon LEE-broh | I read a book. | |
| Abrazo mi osito de peluche.ah-BRAH-soh mee oh-SEE-toh deh peh-LOO-cheh | I hug my teddy bear. | |
| Duermo en mi cama.DWEHR-moh ehn mee KAH-mah | I sleep in my bed. | |
| Siéntate en la silla.SYEHN-tah-teh ehn lah SEE-yah | Sit on the chair. | |
| Esta es mi casa.EHS-tah ehs mee KAH-sah | This is my house. |
Sounds that are new for English speakers
| Sound or letter | What to know |
|---|---|
| a, e, i, o, u | Always short and clear: ah, eh, ee, oh, oo. Casa is KAH-sah, never "kay-sah". |
| j, and g before e or i | A breathy h, like a soft laugh: rojo (ROH-hoh), jirafa (hee-RAH-fah). |
| ll and y | Like the y in "yes": amarillo (ah-mah-REE-yoh), silla (SEE-yah). |
| ñ | Like ny in "canyon": muñeca (moo-NYEH-kah). |
| r and rr | A single r between vowels is a quick tap, like the tt in a fast "butter". The rr in perro and the r at the start of rojo are rolled. Many children roll it later; a tap is fine meanwhile. |
| v and b | Both sound like a soft b: vaca is BAH-kah. |
| h | Always silent: hola (OH-lah), huevo (WEH-boh). |
| z, and c before e or i | Like s in Latin American Spanish: cabeza (kah-BEH-sah). In much of Spain they sound like th. |
How to practice Spanish at home
Five to ten minutes most days is easier to keep up than a long session on the weekend. Three habits are enough to start:
- One word group a week. Pick a world from this page, play the eight words at breakfast and use them during the day: ¿De qué color es? at the store, uno, dos, tres on the stairs.
- Say it, then let your child say it. Play Lumi's audio, repeat it yourself and let your child copy you. Don't worry about your accent: Lumi's voice gives your child the model.
- Give Spanish a place in the day. A Spanish song in the car, buenas noches at bedtime, a bilingual picture book from the library.
Print the 64 first Spanish words (free PDF) for the fridge, and see our guide to teaching your child Spanish at home for a full plan by age, including ideas for parents who don't speak Spanish.
How Lumi teaches Spanish
In Lumi Kids your child starts at Seed, the first of four levels (Seed, Sprout, Sapling and Tree, 72 worlds in all). The 64 words on this page are Seed's eight worlds. Every world has at least six exercises: learn the words, listen and tap, card match, true or false, listen in order and talk with Lumi; higher levels add sentence building, stories and role play. Lumi explains in English and says the new words in Latin American Spanish.
From age 7 the app also adds reading and spelling in Spanish, which suits Spanish well: once a child knows the sounds, they can read almost any word.
Seed and Sprout are free, with 60 seconds of live talk to try. Lumi Plus unlocks Sapling and Tree and adds 10 minutes of live talk a week: $14.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers (App Store US, checked October 5, 2026). Before live talk is turned on, the app tells you, the parent, that Lumi is an AI. Lumi Kids does not record or store your child's voice. More about the app.
Sources
Facts on this page come from these pages (checked October 5, 2026) and from the app itself.
- ACTFL (March 2026): The State of K-12 World Language Education, data from the NCES School Pulse Panel, January 2024 (October 5, 2026)
- Pew Research Center (August 3, 2026): What do Americans think about language learning in US schools? (October 5, 2026)
- US Census Bureau (December 6, 2022): What Languages Do We Speak in the United States? (October 5, 2026)
- App Store (US): Lumi Kids: Learn Languages (October 5, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What is the best age to start Spanish?
Any age from toddler to 9 works; younger children copy sounds easily and older ones follow rules and read. What matters more is regular practice. Our article on the best age to learn a second language sums up the research.
Can I teach my child Spanish if I don't speak it?
Yes. Your job is to make Spanish part of the day, not to be the teacher: play the audio, learn the words alongside your child and find real speakers, such as classes, neighbors, family or an app with speaking practice. Many parents learn a lot of Spanish this way too.
Is Lumi's Spanish from Mexico or Spain?
Lumi speaks Latin American Spanish with a Mexican accent: carro for car, plátano for banana, pastel for cake. Speakers from Spain and Latin America understand each other easily; only some words and sounds differ.
How long does it take a child to learn Spanish?
It depends on how much Spanish your child hears and speaks each week, so no honest answer fits every child. First words and short phrases come first; speaking freely takes much longer and needs real conversations with people.
Is there a printable list of these 64 words?
Yes: the 64 first Spanish words (PDF) has the words with their meaning and say-it guide, a matching worksheet and a writing sheet. More worksheets by topic are on the printables page.
Spanish with Lumi, a few minutes a day
Your child hears the words, plays with them and then speaks Spanish with Lumi. The first two levels are free.
