habla
“habla” means “he/she speaks” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
he/she speaks, you speak
Also: speak!
📝 In Action
Mi hermana habla español y francés.
A1My sister speaks Spanish and French.
Disculpe, ¿usted habla inglés?
A1Excuse me, do you (formal) speak English?
¡Habla más despacio, por favor!
A1Speak more slowly, please!
speech
Also: way of speaking, dialect
📝 In Action
El habla es una de las capacidades que nos diferencia de los animales.
B2Speech is one of the abilities that differentiates us from animals.
Reconozco su habla; es de Andalucía.
B1I recognize his way of speaking; he's from Andalusia.
Después del susto, se quedó sin habla.
B1After the scare, she was left speechless.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: habla
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'fabulari', which meant 'to talk, chat, or tell stories'. Over time, the 'f' sound at the beginning softened into an 'h' (which is now silent in Spanish), giving us the modern word 'hablar' and its forms like 'habla'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it 'el habla' if 'habla' is a feminine noun?
It's a special rule in Spanish to make the language sound better. When a feminine noun starts with a stressed 'a' sound (like in 'HA-bla'), we use 'el' instead of 'la' right before it to avoid two 'a' sounds running together. The word itself is still feminine, which is why you would say 'el habla es clara' (using the feminine adjective 'clara').
What's the difference between 'habla' and 'hablas'?
They both come from the verb 'hablar' (to speak), but they're used for different people. 'Habla' is for 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), and 'usted' (you, formal). 'Hablas' (with an 's') is only for 'tú' (you, informal). For example: 'Ella habla' (She speaks), but 'Tú hablas' (You speak).