Nouns Derived from Verbs

Multiply Your Spanish Vocabulary (Nominalization)

One of the most useful vocabulary-building strategies in Spanish is learning how verbs transform into nouns. By mastering a few common suffixes, one verb can help you recognize related actions, results, people, tools, and places.

1. The Most Useful Noun Suffixes

-ción / -sión

Action, process or result

Informar → Información

To inform → Information

Educar → Educación

To educate → Education

Decidir → Decisión

To decide → Decision

-miento

Process or State

Mover → Movimiento

To move → Movement

Conocer → Conocimiento

To know → Knowledge

Crecer → Crecimiento

To grow → Growth

-ada / -ida

Event, result or concrete noun

Llegar → Llegada

To arrive → Arrival

Salir → Salida

To leave → Exit, departure

Comer → Comida

To eat → Food, meal

-aje

Process, result or field

Aprender → Aprendizaje

To learn → Learning

Aterrizar → Aterrizaje

To land → Landing

-dor / -dora

Person, role or tool

Vender → Vendedor

To sell → Seller

Lavar → Lavadora

To wash → Washing machine

Infinitive

Action in General

Spanish often uses the infinitive itself as a noun, especially for actions in general.

Fumar es malo.

Smoking is bad.

Viajar abre la mente.

Traveling broadens the mind.

2. 100+ Verb–Noun Pairs

Learn two words at once: one verb and one related noun. The first 40 pairs are deliberately simple, frequent and easy to recognize, so the logic of word formation is clear before you expand to 100+ pairs.

Study tip: Start with the most transparent pairs: comer → comida, beber → bebida, salir → salida, ayudar → ayuda, preguntar → pregunta, buscar → búsqueda, perder → pérdida and llamar → llamada. Then expand gradually.

100+ Spanish verb-to-noun pairs
#	Verb	Noun	Meaning
1	comer	comida	food, meal
2	beber	bebida	drink, beverage
3	salir	salida	exit, departure
4	ayudar	ayuda	help, assistance
5	preguntar	pregunta	question
6	buscar	búsqueda	search
7	perder	pérdida	loss
8	llamar	llamada	call, phone call
9	parar	parada	stop, bus stop
10	despedirse	despedida	farewell, goodbye
11	pedir	pedida	proposal, formal request
12	vivir	vida	life
13	trabajar	trabajo	work, job
14	cambiar	cambio	change, exchange
15	usar	uso	use
16	comprar	compra	purchase, shopping
17	vender	venta	sale
18	pagar	pago	payment
19	gastar	gasto	expense, spending
20	pedir	pedido	order, request
21	reservar	reserva	reservation
22	llamar	llamado	call, calling; formal
23	responder	respuesta	answer, response
24	decidir	decisión	decision
25	invitar	invitación	invitation
26	traducir	traducción	translation
27	viajar	viaje	trip, journey
28	ir	ida	outward trip, departure
29	volver	vuelta	return, turn
30	venir	venida	coming, arrival
31	llegar	llegada	arrival
32	entrar	entrada	entrance, entry, ticket
33	subir	subida	rise, climb, ascent
34	bajar	bajada	descent, downhill
35	caer	caída	fall, drop
36	pasar	paso	step, passage
37	descansar	descanso	rest, break
38	abrir	apertura	opening
39	comenzar	comienzo	beginning, start
40	despedir	despido	dismissal, firing
41	nacer	nacimiento	birth
42	morir	muerte	death
43	crecer	crecimiento	growth
44	desarrollar	desarrollo	development
45	consumir	consumo	consumption
46	mover	movimiento	movement
47	votar	voto	vote
48	conocer	conocimiento	knowledge
49	mejorar	mejora	improvement
50	apoyar	apoyo	support
51	costar	costo	cost
52	cobrar	cobro	collection, payment received
53	alquilar	alquiler	rent, rental
54	amar	amor	love
55	aprender	aprendizaje	learning
56	arreglar	arreglo	arrangement, repair
57	bailar	baile	dance
58	caminar	camino	path, way
59	cantar	canción	song
60	cantar	canto	singing, chant
61	casarse	casamiento	marriage
62	cerrar	cierre	closing, closure
63	cocinar	cocina	kitchen, cooking
64	comunicar	comunicación	communication
65	conducir	conducción	driving
66	construir	construcción	construction
67	contestar	contestación	answer, reply; formal
68	cruzar	cruce	crossing, intersection
69	devolver	devolución	return, refund
70	divorciarse	divorcio	divorce
71	educar	educación	education
72	elegir	elección	choice, election
73	enseñar	enseñanza	teaching
74	escribir	escritura	writing
75	esperar	espera	wait, waiting
76	esperar	esperanza	hope
77	estudiar	estudio	study, studio
78	explicar	explicación	explanation
79	ganar	ganancia	profit, gain
80	gustar	gusto	taste, pleasure, liking
81	informar	información	information
82	investigar	investigación	research, investigation
83	jugar	juego	game, play
84	leer	lectura	reading
85	llorar	llanto	crying, weeping
86	limpiar	limpieza	cleaning, cleanliness
87	luchar	lucha	fight, struggle
88	medir	medida	measure, measurement
89	mirar	mirada	look, gaze
90	navegar	navegación	navigation
91	negociar	negociación	negotiation
92	ocupar	ocupación	occupation
93	ofrecer	ofrecimiento	offer
94	operar	operación	operation
95	organizar	organización	organization
96	pintar	pintura	painting
97	producir	producción	production
98	proteger	protección	protection
99	publicar	publicación	publication
100	recibir	recibo	receipt
101	dudar	duda	doubt
102	votar	voto	vote
103	venir	venida	coming, arrival
104	subir	subida	rise, climb
105	pasar	paso	step, passage
106	recordar	recuerdo	memory, souvenir
107	proponer	propuesta	proposal
108	reparar	reparación	repair
109	soñar	sueño	dream, sleepiness
110	servir	servicio	service

3. Same Root, Different Gender, Different Meaning

A small ending change can create a different noun and sometimes a different meaning. These pairs appear often in daily life, so they are worth noticing early.

pedir

pedidoorder, request

pedidaproposal, especially pedida de mano

llamar

llamadacall, phone call

llamadocall, calling; often more formal

parar

paradastop, bus stop

paradounemployed person; someone standing still

despedir / despedirse

despedidafarewell, goodbye

despidodismissal, firing

Essential Irregular Spanish Verb–Noun Pairs

High-frequency nouns that cannot be predicted from common suffix patterns.

Irregular and high-frequency verb-to-noun derivations
Verb	Noun	Meaning
Vivir to live	Vida	Life
Amar to love	Amor	Love
Leer to read	Lectura	Reading
Llorar to cry	Llanto	Crying, weeping
Cantar to sing	Canción	Song
Morir to die	Muerte	Death
Ir to go	Ida	Going, one-way trip
Volver to return	Vuelta	Return
Caer to fall	Caída	Fall, drop
Romper to break	Ruptura	Break, rupture
Escribir to write	Escritura	Writing; legal deed
Mentir to lie	Mentira	Lie

Everyday Expressions

Many useful Spanish phrases are built with these nouns, especially in travel, food, work and daily conversation.

Ida y vueltaRound trip

Llegadas y salidasArrivals and departures

Comida y bebidaFood and drink

Vida y muerteLife and death

Ruptura amorosaBreakup

Movimiento socialSocial movement

Pregunta y respuestaQuestion and answer

Compra y ventaBuying and selling

Entrada y salidaEntrance and exit

Investigación y desarrolloResearch and development

Llamadas perdidasMissed calls

Practical Verb Families

Learning word families is a practical way to expand vocabulary quickly. Notice how one root can generate multiple related words.

Tener (To have)

Tenencia Possession, holding
Mantenimiento Maintenance
Contención Containment

Conocer (To know)

Conocimiento Knowledge
Desconocimiento Lack of knowledge

Decidir (To decide)

Decisión Decision
Indecisión Indecision

Aprender (To learn)

Aprendizaje Learning
Aprendiz Apprentice

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The Golden Rule

Learn One Related Noun for Every Verb

When you learn a new Spanish verb, try to learn at least one related noun. This habit expands your vocabulary much faster and vastly improves reading comprehension and writing.

Advanced Tip: The Latin Connection

Many Spanish nouns derived from verbs come directly from Latin and have close English cognates. Recognizing these unlocks thousands of words instantly:
organización (organization), educación (education), producción (production), conclusión (conclusion).

Take the Next Step: Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes

If you like learning vocabulary through patterns, continue with our broader word-formation guide. It helps you recognize how Spanish words grow through roots, prefixes and suffixes.

Explore Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes

Spanish Nouns Review gender, number and noun basics. Roots, Prefixes & Suffixes Expand vocabulary through word formation. Countable vs. Uncountable Learn common noun categories in Spanish. Diminutives & Augmentatives Build words with -ito, -azo and more. Daily Nouns Quiz Practice essential Spanish nouns. Vocabulary Quiz Try mixed vocabulary practice.