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

SpanishEnglish
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 words that start with n in red in front of black background
SpanishEnglish
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

SpanishEnglish
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!

spanish words that start with n as initials

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

SpanishEnglish
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

SpanishEnglish
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!

spanish words that start with n in white in front of grey background

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

SpanishEnglish
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

SpanishEnglish
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.

spanish words that start with n - on wall

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.

SpanishEnglish
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:

SpanishEnglish
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.

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