Spanish words that start with D: Delfínes, Dragónes y Diamantes

Exploring the Spanish alphabet can be a delightful journey, especially when coming across specific letters and their unique contributions to vocabulary. Among these letters are Spanish words that start with D. The letter D in Spanish opens up a vast list of nouns, adjectives, verbs, and adverbs that often reflect cultural nuances and everyday life.

Today, we will dive into the rich variety of Spanish words that start with D, categorized into groups for easy reference. First we’ll discuss the pronunciation of the letter D, including the phenomenon where it’s sometimes essentially silent near the end of words. Then we’ll get into common nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs that start with D, providing a few fun example sentences after each list. Our last section will go deeper into some of the most important terms that start with D in Spanish, since these deserve more than simple translations.

As a fun conclusion, we’ll send you on your way with a few motivational quotes that each contain many of the Spanish D words we cover throughout the lesson. Now let’s get started with today’s post on Spanish words that start with D!

D in Spanish: Pronunciation

The Spanish D pronunciation can vary slightly depending on its position within a word, the surrounding sounds, and even the region.

When the Spanish D appears at the beginning of words like día (pronounced /DI-a/) or dama (pronounced /DA-ma/), it’s a hard sound pronounced similarly to the English D.

However, when the Spanish D follows a vowel or any consonant other than L or N, it becomes much softer. This Spanish D pronunciation is similar to the English TH sound in this or bathe, but softer and quicker, so words like nada and amado are pronounced as /NA-thah/ and /a-MA-thoh/. This softening is particularly noticeable in Spain, whereas Latin American accents often pronounce a harder D sound in these words.

Silent D in some dialects

The Spanish D also has another peculiarity, in that it’s sometimes rendered effectively silent in rapid casual speech. This phenomenon can be compared to some English accents where speakers essentially omit hard consonants. Think of how kitten is sometimes pronounced /KI-en/, or water as /WA-er/.”

In Spanish, some speakers essentially skip the final D in adjectives or past participles that end in -ado or -ido. Whether it becomes almost silent or completely omitted depends on the speaker, but the result is that words like cansado and perdido, for instance, are pronounced as /can-SA-o/ and /per-DI-o/ or /per-THI-o/. This phenomenon is common in certain dialects of Spain such as Andalusian, as well as in the Caribbean and Central America.

As a Spanish learner, you should still aim to pronounce the final D in these words, whether as a softer TH sound or a harder D sound, and you should be entirely understood. But in regions where the locals apparently omit these final Ds, now you’ll recognize their accent and still be able to understand them!

Spanish nouns that start with D in Spanish

Now let’s get into our vocab lists of Spanish words that start with D. We’ll start with nouns, which cover a variety of basic words like deporte, dinero, and dedo: sport, money, and finger.

Spanish D nouns	English translation
El dado	Dice
La dama	Lady
La danza	Dance
El dardo	Dart
El dato	Data
El dragón	Dragon
El debate	Debate
La década	Decade
La decisión	Decision
El dedo	Finger
El delfín	Dolphin
El delito	Infraction
La derecha	Right, The right hand side
El deporte	Sport
El destino	Destiny
El día	Day
La diabetes	Diabetes
El diablo	Devil
El diamante	Diamond
El dialecto	Dialect
El diario	Diary
El diente	Tooth
La dieta	Diet
La dignidad	Dignity
El dilema	Dilemma
El dinero	Money
El dinosaurio	Dinosaur
El dios	God
El doble	Double
La docena	Dozen
El doctor	Doctor
El documental	Documentary
El documento	Document
El domingo	Sunday
El dolor	Pain
La ducha	Shower
La duda	Doubt
El dueño	Owner
El durazno, El melocotón	Peach

• El dueño de la tienda vende una docena de duraznos al día. – The store owner sells a dozen peaches a day.

• La dama tiene los dientes muy hermosos. – The lady has very beautiful teeth.

Adjectives that start with D in Spanish

Adjectives in Spanish that start with the letter D are as common as nouns. Common words like divertido or desagradable add flavor to our descriptions in Spanish.

Spanish D adjectives	English translation
Dañino	Harmful
Débil*	Weak
Decente*	Decent
Delicado	Delicate
Delgado	Thin
Delicioso	Delicious
Democrático	Democratic
Denso	Dense
Desconocido	Unknown
Desagradable*	Unpleasant, Nasty
Deslumbrante*	Dazzling
Desnudo	Naked
Desordenado	Messy, Disordered
Despejado	Clear
Despierto	Awake
Despreciable*	Despicable
Diferente*	Different
Dinámico	Dynamic
Dietético	Dietary
Distraído	Distracted
Diurno	Diurnal
Diverso	Diverse
Divertido	Fun, Funny
Divino	Divine, Delightful
Doméstico	Domestic
Dudoso	Doubtful
Dulce*	Sweet
Duro	Hard

*These adjectives are invariable. All the other adjectives change form to respect the gender and number of the nouns they modify.

• Ana toma soda dietética de una marca desconocida. – Ana drinks diet soda from an unknown brand.

• Ellos son muy decentes y divertidos. – They are very decent and fun.

Adverbs that start with D

Adverbs that start with D are less common than adjectives, but words like debajo or delante are essential in daily conversations. Let’s uncover the adverbs in Spanish that start with D!

Spanish D adverbs	English translation
Debajo	Below, Under
Debido	Due
Debidamente	Properly, Duly
Decididamente	Decisively
Definitivamente	Definitely, For sure
Delante	In front
Delicadamente	Delicately
Deliberadamente	Deliberately, Intentionally
Dentro	Inside
Desafortunadamente	Unfortunately
Despectivamente	Contemptuously
Desesperadamente	Desperately
Despacio	Slow
Después	After
Diariamente	Daily
Dichosamente	Happily, Fortunately
Directamente	Directly
Divertidamente	Entertainingly
Dolorosamente	Painfully
Donde	Where
Dudablemente	Doubtfully, Dubiously
Dudosamente	Doubtfully, Questionably

• Los datos en el documento deben ser llenados debidamente. – The data in the document must be properly filled out.

• Ese delfín es definitivamente deslumbrante y hermoso. – That dolphin is definitely dazzling and beautiful.

Verbs that start with D

Verbs that start with D in Spanish are very common in daily conversations. Essential verbs like dar and decir shape our everyday Speech. Let’s dive into an interesting list of Spanish verbs that start with D.

Spanish D verbs	English translation
Dañar	To damage
Dar	To give
Deambular	To wander
Debatir	To debate
Deber	To owe
Decidir	To decide
Decir	To say, To tell
Dedicar	To dedicate
Declarar	To declare, To state
Decorar	To decorate
Decretar	To decree
Definir	To define
Dejar	To leave
Depender	To depend on, To rely on
Derramar	To spill
Desayunar	To have breakfast
Descansar	To rest
Desear	To wish, To desire
Descubrir	To discover
Detener	To stop
Dibujar	To draw
Dictar	To dictate
Dictaminar	To rule
Difundir	To spread, To disseminate
Disfrutar	To enjoy, To delight
Disminuir	To reduce, To decrease
Disparar	To shoot
Distinguir	Distinguish, Differentiate
Divertir	To entertain, To amuse
Divertirse	To have fun
Dominar	Dominate
Domesticar	To domesticate, To tame
Dormir	To sleep
Donar	To donate
Dudar	To doubt

• Necesito hacer dieta y dormir temprano diariamente. – I need to follow my diet and get to sleep early every day.

• Me gusta dibujar dragónes en mi tiempo libre. – I like to draw dragons in my spare time.

Other essential Spanish words that start with D

Now it’s time to take a deep dive into some of the most essential Spanish words that start with D. Prepositions like de, contractions like del, and phrases such as de ahí and de ninguna manera stand out for their versatility and the variety of uses they offer.

These words in Spanish that start with D are essential for such uses as expressing possession, origin, time, cause, or strong emotions like denial or refusal. Let’s explore each of them with explanations and examples.

Essential Spanish words that start with D

De

De ahí

Del

De ninguna manera

Desde que

Después de

De

The word de plays an essential role in the language. It is one of the most versatile prepositions and has several important functions. It’s used primarily to express possession, essentially linking two nouns just as you might say of in English.

• La mamá de Carlos dona dinero a la escuela. – The mother of Carlos donates money to the school. – Carlos’s mother donates money to the school.

• Definitivamente, el dinosaurio es de mi hermano. – Definitely, the dinosaur is my brother’s.

Del

Del is a common Spanish contraction that’s formed when the preposition de is followed by the definite article el. Like de, it is mainly used to express possession.

• La tía del profesor José es delgada y divertida. – Professor José’s aunt is thin and funny.

• El tema del documental es desagradable. – The plot of the documentary is unpleasant.

De ahí

The Spanish phrase de ahí is a common expression used in various contexts. Meaning from there or hence, it indicates origin, cause, or logical consequence.

• Salimos de ahí al mediodía. –  We left from there at noon.

• No entendí la explicación; de ahí mis dudas. – I didn’t understand the explanation; hence my doubts.

De ninguna manera

Meaning no way, by no means, or absolutely not, de ninguna manera is a strong Spanish phrase that expresses a strong refusal, often used to emphatically deny or reject something.

• De ninguna manera voy a desayunar comida dietética. – There’s no way I’m having diet food for breakfast.

• ¿Quieres decorar la casa para Navidad? / De ninguna manera, eso es muy costoso. – Do you want to decorate the house for Christmas? / Absolutely not, it’s very expensive.

Desde que

The phrase desde que, meaning since or ever since in Spanish, indicates the starting point of an action or something that continues into the present. Desde que is commonly used when referring to a specific event or a point in time that represents a beginning.

• No he derramado más café desde que aprendí a servirlo debidamente. – I haven’t spilled any more coffee since I learned how to serve it properly.

• Desde que voy al gimnasio, no tengo dolor de cabeza. – Since I’ve been going to the gym, I don’t have headaches.

Después de

Después de is used to express that one action follows another, usually translated simply as after.

• Después de debatir, vamos a divertirnos en la casa de Diego. – After debating, we are going to have fun at Diego’s house.

• Discutiremos los resultados después de la reunión. – We will discuss the results after the meeting.

Conclusion: Spanish words that start with D

There you have it, we’ve taken a quick tour of important Spanish words that start with D!

Today’s post was essentially a compilation of words in Spanish that start with D. We started with how our Spanish D is pronounced, and then we explored a diverse range of common nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs, and other essential words starting with D.

To conclude, we’ll leave you with a few uplifting phrases to help you practice your new vocab!

• ¡Desayuna algo delicioso y saludable para empezar tu día con energía! – Have something delicious and healthy for breakfast to start your day with energy!

• ¡Decora tu día con momentos dulces y diviértete al máximo! – Decorate your day with sweet moments, and enjoy yourself to the max!
• ¡Descubre tu destino y dedícate a algo que disfrutes! – Discover your destiny and dedicate yourself to something that you enjoy!