95 Spanish Words That Start With N: Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives and Adverbs
The letter N in the Spanish alphabet represents the same alveolar nasal consonant sound /n/ as in English.
It is one of the few Spanish consonants that is pronounced similarly in both languages.
The Spanish N appears in many common words like “no” (no), “nuevo” (new), and “nunca” (never), so you have to know about Spanish words that start with N.
When N appears before the letters V, B, or P, it undergoes a slight change in pronunciation, becoming an M sound, as in “enviar” (to send) and “anverso” (reverse side). The N is a fundamental Spanish consonant that maintains its core sound while adapting to certain linguistic contexts.
Canta con Jess introduces you to Spanish letter N song, a fun way to learn Spanish words that start with N:
And now, let’s explore all the Spanish words that start with N – categorized as nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs.
1. Common Spanish nouns that start with N
Alright, buckle up, amigos!
We’re about to take a wild ride through the land of Spanish nouns that start with the letter N.
We’re talking about everyday stuff, people, jobs, and even our furry (or not so furry) animal pals. Here they are:
Everyday objects with letter N
Spanish | English |
---|---|
naranja | orange |
nevera | refrigerator |
nube | cloud |
nota | note |
nivel | level |
navaja | pocket knife |
nido | nest |
noche | night |
nudo | knot |
nuez | walnut |
People and professions

Spanish | English |
---|---|
niño/niña | boy/girl |
novio/novia | boyfriend/girlfriend |
narrador | narrator |
nutricionista | nutritionist |
nadador | swimmer |
ninja | ninja |
notario | notary |
novia | bride |
niñera | nanny |
neurocirujano | neurosurgeon |
Animal Spanish words that start with N
Spanish | English |
---|---|
nutria | otter |
narval | narwhal |
nido | nest |
novillo | young bull |
nightingale | ruiseñor |
numbat | numbat |
nilgó | nilgai |
nandu | rhea |
nyala | nyala |
nécora | velvet crab |
2. Spanish adjectives beginning with N
Hold onto your sombreros, folks!
We’re about to jazz up your Spanish with some knock-out adjectives starting with N.
These bad boys will turn your basic Spanish into a linguistic fiesta!

Whether you’re describing your abuela’s cooking or your feelings after binge-watching telenovelas, these adjectives have got your back.
Let’s get this adjectival party started!
Descriptive words in Spanish for people and things
Spanish | English |
---|---|
nuevo/nueva | new |
natural | natural |
nervioso/nerviosa | nervous |
nacional | national |
necesario/necesaria | necessary |
nítido/nítida | clear, sharp |
nocturno/nocturna | nocturnal |
numeroso/numerosa | numerous |
nutritivo/nutritiva | nutritious |
nebuloso/nebulosa | hazy, cloudy |
Common words for emotions and feelings with letter N
Spanish | English |
---|---|
nostálgico/nostálgica | nostalgic |
neutral | neutral |
noble | noble |
negativo/negativa | negative |
normal | normal |
nervioso/nerviosa | nervous |
necio/necia | foolish |
negligente | negligent |
nefasto/nefasta | disastrous |
nauseabundo/nauseabunda | nauseating |
3. Spanish verbs that start with N
It’s time to power up your Spanish with some action-packed verbs!

These N-tastic (pun intended!) verbs are the secret weapons you need to level up your Spanish game.
We’re talking about words that’ll have you swimming through conversations.
Action words that start with N
Spanish | English |
---|---|
nadar | to swim |
navegar | to navigate |
necesitar | to need |
negar | to deny |
nombrar | to name |
negociar | to negotiate |
narrar | to narrate |
neutralizar | to neutralize |
nivelar | to level |
nutrir | to nourish |
State-of-being verbs
Spanish | English |
---|---|
nacer | to be born |
notar | to notice |
nutrir | to nourish |
neutralizar | to neutralize |
normalizar | to normalize |
naufragar | to shipwreck |
necesitar | to need |
nublar | to cloud |
nominar | to nominate |
neutralizar | to neutralize |
4. Spanish adverbs starting with N
Adverbs beginning with N in Spanish, while limited in number, play their role in the Spanish sentence structure and meaning.

These adverbs can be useful for describing manner, frequency, or degree in various contexts.
Let’s examine some of these Spanish adverbs and their applications.
Spanish | English |
---|---|
naturalmente | naturally |
normalmente | normally |
nuevamente | again, anew |
nunca | never |
necesariamente | necessarily |
nerviosamente | nervously |
notablemente | notably |
negativamente | negatively |
nítidamente | clearly, sharply |
notoriamente | notoriously |
5. Spanish-English cognates that start with N
It’s always easier to learn some Spanish words that start with N when there are Spanish cognates.
These Spanish-English cognates will make you feel like a Spanish genius in no time. Why? Because they are all true Spanish cognates, meaning that they have the exact same meaning in both Spanish and English.
Let’s boost your confidence in Spanish with this vocabulary:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
normal | normal |
natural | natural |
negativo | negative |
nostalgia | nostalgia |
nervioso | nervous |
nacional | national |
necesario | necessary |
nativo | native |
notable | notable |
notorio | notorious |
novelista | novelist |
nuclear | nuclear |
nutritivo | nutritious |
nervio | nerve |
noticia | notice, news |
6. Learn Spanish words starting with N with Conversation Based Chunking
As we wrap up our blog post of Spanish words that start with N, it’s clear that these Spanish terms form an important part of the language: everyday nouns, essential verbs, Spanish adverbs…
Conversation Based Chunking offers an efficient approach to learning and retaining these words. This method is all about learning the language in practical, conversational segments.
If you use these Spanish words that start with N in real-life context, you’ll learn them naturally – just like native Spanish speakers do. We can give you a free Spanish Chunking Starter Pack to get you started on this journey.