habla
/AH-blah/
he/she speaks
As a verb, habla means 'he/she speaks' or 'you speak' (formal), or can be used as the command 'Speak!'.
habla(Verb)
he/she speaks
?Describing what a third person does
,you speak
?Polite/formal way to address one person ('usted')
speak!
?Informal command given to one person ('tú')
📝 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!
💡 Grammar Points
One Word, Three Meanings
This single word 'habla' can mean 'he speaks', 'she speaks', or 'you speak' if you're being formal. Spanish often leaves out words like 'he' or 'she' because the verb ending tells you who is doing the action.
It's Also a Command!
When you want to tell a friend ('tú') to do something, you often use this form. So, '¡Habla!' means 'Speak!' or 'Talk!'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing up 'habla' and 'hablas'
Mistake: "Mi amigo hablaS español."
Correction: Mi amigo habla español. Use 'habla' for 'he/she/you (formal)'. The version with the '-s' at the end, 'hablas', is only for the informal 'you' ('tú').
⭐ Usage Tips
Start Your Sentences
This is a perfect word to start practicing sentences. Just pick a person (él, ella, el profesor, mi mamá) and add 'habla' plus a language: 'El profesor habla alemán.' (The teacher speaks German).
As a noun, el habla refers to 'speech' (the ability to speak) or a specific 'way of speaking'.
habla(Noun)
speech
?the ability to speak
way of speaking
?a person's manner of talking
,dialect
?a regional form of a language
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
A Tricky Gender Rule: 'El' habla
Even though 'habla' is a feminine word (meaning you'd describe it with feminine words like 'el habla clara'), we say 'el habla' instead of 'la habla'. This is a special rule to avoid the awkward 'a-a' sound clash. It happens with other feminine words that start with a stressed 'a', like 'agua' (el agua).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Using 'la' instead of 'el'
Mistake: "La habla de los niños es fascinante."
Correction: El habla de los niños es fascinante. Remember the sound-clash rule! Use 'el' right before 'habla' when it's singular.
⭐ Usage Tips
'Habla' vs. 'Idioma'
Use 'habla' to talk about the act or style of speaking. Use 'idioma' when you mean a specific language system, like Spanish, French, or Japanese. 'El idioma español tiene muchas hablas diferentes.' (The Spanish language has many different dialects/ways of speaking).
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: habla
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
📚 More Resources
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).