Common English Mistakes by Spanish Speakers (A2–B1)

Common English Mistakes by Spanish Speakers (A2–B1)

Have you ever said I have 25 years or People is very friendly?

If Spanish is your first language, these sentences might sound perfectly logical to you. After all, they're very close to what you'd say in Spanish.

But English doesn't always work that way.

Let's look at five common mistakes by Spanish speakers, why they happen and what you can do to avoid them.

1. I have 25 years

Imagine you're introducing yourself to someone new.

You say: I'm from Bilbao, and I have 25 years.

Your meaning is clear, but there's a problem. In Spanish, you have years (tengo 25 años). In English, you're a certain age.

So we'd say:

✅ I'm 25 years old.

Or simply:

✅ I'm 25.

The same thing happens with some physical feelings.

I have hungry doesn't work in English. You need I'm hungry.

And if you're thirsty?

I'm thirsty, not I have thirsty.

Remember: English often uses be where Spanish uses tener.

2. People is very friendly

Here's a mistake that can be surprisingly difficult to stop making.

In Spanish, la gente is singular. So why shouldn't people take a singular verb?

Because in everyday English, people is normally plural.

❌ People is very friendly here.

✅ People are very friendly here.

Compare these two sentences:

• The person is waiting outside.
• The people are waiting outside.

One person, but two or more people.

Next time you're talking about people in your town, remember to use are, were or another plural verb form.

3. I live here since 2020

Let's say you moved to Madrid in 2020 and you still live there.

How would you explain that in English?

You might be tempted to say I live here since 2020, especially if you're thinking of Vivo aquí desde 2020.

But English normally uses the present perfect when we describe a situation that started in the past and continues now.

✅ I've lived here since 2020.

✅ She's worked at the school for five years.

Notice the difference between since and for.

• Since tells us when something started: since Monday, since 2020, since I was a child.
• For tells us how long: for three days, for six months, for years.

Try making a sentence about yourself. How long have you lived in your town? How long have you studied English?

4. I did a mistake

In Spanish, hacer covers a lot of situations. In English, we have both make and do.

And unfortunately, you can't always choose between them by translating.

You make a mistake, but you do your homework.

You make a plan, but you do the shopping.

Confusing? It can be.

Here's something that helps: rather than memorising make and do separately, learn the whole expression.

For example:

• I made a mistake in the exam.
• I need to do my homework tonight.
• Let's make a plan for the weekend.

You'll start recognising which words naturally belong together.

5. I'm married with Ana

Prepositions are small words, but they cause plenty of problems.

In Spanish, you might say Estoy casado con Ana. Translating con directly gives you with, but English uses a different preposition.

✅ I'm married to Ana.

And there are lots of similar examples.

• It depends on the weather.
• I'm waiting for my friend.
• She listens to music every morning.

Don't worry about finding a single English translation for every Spanish preposition. It rarely works.

Instead, learn combinations such as depend on, wait for and listen to.

How can you stop making these mistakes?

Here's a simple suggestion.

Think about the last time someone corrected your English. Can you remember what the mistake was?

If you can, write down the corrected sentence and make another example about your own life.

For instance, if you often confuse since and for, try writing:

I've studied English for three years.

Then change the sentence:

I've studied English since 2023.

Practising your own sentences helps you move beyond simply understanding a rule.

You don't need to correct everything at once, either. Choose two or three mistakes you often make and concentrate on those.

Ready for a bigger challenge?

These are just some of the common English mistakes by Spanish speakers when learning. You might recognise several, even if your English is already quite good.

If you're working towards B2 or C1, take a look at our next article. We'll explore false friends, confusing vocabulary and expressions that sound fine in Spanish but don't quite work in English.

Common English Mistakes by Spanish Speakers (B2–C1)

And remember: making mistakes is part of learning. What matters is recognising them and giving yourself opportunities to use the correct English next time.