Barbie said it first: “You can be anything”. That phrase has shaped generations of children that are looking for their way in this multicultural world. It has made them dream of being anything they wanted, even Spanish experts.
We all know that to achieve a dream, you must study and work super hard. But that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Just like Barbie taught us, we can also learn while having fun. After all, didn’t your Barbie have fun becoming a doctor, or an actress, or a figure skater, or a chef while you were playing with her?
Well, your kids can do the same. They can learn Spanish with Barbie by playing with their dolls or watching movies. It won’t be a boring process at all.
So now you know, if your kids want to master the Spanish language there’s no one better to learn with than Barbie.
Spanish Words Related to Barbie
Here are some important words in Spanish we’re sure you’ll use when playing Barbies. The pronunciation that we learned from Span¡sh D!ctionary is in parenthesis:
- Barbie – Barbie (bahr bee)
- Ken – Ken (kehn)
- Doll – Muñeca (female) (moo nyeh kah) / Muñeco (male) (moo nyeh koh)
- Fashionista – Amante de la moda (ah mahn teh deh lah moh dah) / Experta en moda (ehks pehr tah ehn moh dah)
- Pink – Rosa (rroh sah)
- Clothes – Ropa (rroh pah)
- Shoes – Zapatos (sah pah tohs)
- Heels – Tacones (tah koh nehs)
- Dress – Vestido (behs tee doh)
- Barbie house – Casa de Barbie (kah sah deh bahr bee)
- Car – Carro (kah rroh)
- Furniture – Muebles (mweh blehs)
- Bed – Cama (kah mah)
- Hair – Cabello (kah beh yoh)
- Dog / Doggy – Perro (peh rroh) / Perrito (peh rree toh)
- Sister / Sisters – Hermana (ehr mah nah) / Hermanas (ehr mah nahs)
- To decorate – Decorar (deh koh rahr)
- To play – Jugar (hoo gahr)
- Nutcracker – Cascanueces (kahs kah nweh sehs)
- Movie – Película (peh lee koo lah)
- Toys – Juguetes (hoo geh tehs)
- Accessories – Accesorios (ahk seh soh ryohs)
- Kids – Niños (nee nyohs) / Niñas (female) (nee nyahs)
- Box – Caja (kah hah)
- Beach – Playa (plah yah)
Professions in Spanish for Your Barbie
Barbie can be anything, right? That means there are thousands of possibilities. Maybe she can be more than one thing at the same time. And maybe she can even be a magical creature, no just a human being. How cool!
But do you know how to say in Spanish all the amazing things your doll can be? Don’t worry, we teach you here some of the possibilities:
- Doctor – Doctora (dohk thor ah)
- Nurse – Enfermera (ehn fehr meh rah)
- Veterinary – Veterinaria (beh teh ree nah ryah)
- Chef – Chef (chehf)
- Police woman / Police officer – Policía (poh lee see ah) / Oficial de policía (oh fee syahl deh poh lee see ah)
- Biologist – Bióloga (byoh loh gah)
- Football player – Jugadora de fútbol (hoo gah doh rah deh foot bohl)
- Figure skater – Patinadora artística (pah tee nah doh rah ahr tees tee kah)
- Violinist – Violinista (byoh lee nees tah)
- Photographer – Fotógrafa (foh toh grah foh)
- Judge – Jueza (hwehs ah)
- Lawyer – Abogada (ah boh gah dah)
- Firewoman / Firefighter – Bombera (bohm beh rah)
- Ballerina – Bailarina de ballet (bay lah ree nah deh bah let)
- Dancer – Bailarina (bay lah ree nah)
- Astronaut – Astronauta (ahs troh now tah)
- Teacher – Maestra (mah ehs trah)
- Pilot – Piloto (pee loh toh)
- Flight attendant – Azafata (ah sah fah tah)
- Pop star – Estrella de pop (ehs treh yah deh pop)
- Singer – Cantante (kahn tahn teh)
- Model – Modelo (moh deh loh)
- Painter – Pintora (peen toh rah)
- Gymnast – Gimnasta (heem nahs tah)
- Scientist – Científica (syehn tee fee kah)
- Fairy – Hada (ah dah)
- Princess – Princesa (preen seh sah)
- Queen – Reina (rrey nah)
- Mermaid – Sirena (see reh nah)
- Butterfly – Mariposa (mah ree poh sah)
Set your imagination free and let your Barbie be any of these things or anything you can think of. Playing with her it’s all about your own creativity.
Barbie Movies in Spanish
Since Barbie is super iconic, there have been many Barbie movies along the years, animated or not. All of them have different, super cool and innovative stories, with diverse characters. They also show you how Barbie can truly be anything, because she has different professions and looks in each movie.
Here are the Spanish names of some of those movies. So you can look them up and watch them with your kids.
- Barbie of Swan Lake – Barbie y el Lago de los Cisnes
- Barbie in The Nutcracker – Barbie en el Cascanueces
- Barbie as Rapunzel – Barbie como Rapunzel
- Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper – Barbie en la Princesa y la Plebeya / Barbie en la Princesa y la Costurera
- Barbie Fairytopia – Barbie Fairytopia
- Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus – Barbie y la Magia de Pegaso
- Barbie: Princess Charm School – Barbie: Escuela de Princesas
- Barbie and the Three Musketeers – Barbie y las Tres Mosqueteras
- Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Fairy Friends – Barbie Mariposa y sus Amigas las Hadas
- Barbie: The Princess & the Popstar – Barbie: la Princesa y la Cantante
- Barbie in a Mermaid Tale – Barbie en Una Aventura de Sirenas
- Barbie Star Light Adventure – Barbie en Una Aventura Espacial
Phrases in Spanish to Talk about Barbies
Here are some phrases in Spanish children can say to talk about Barbie, express themselves through Barbie, and invite others to play:
- I love playing with Barbies! – ¡Amo jugar con Barbies!
- Do you want to play Barbies? – ¿Quieres jugar a las Barbies?
- My favorite color is pink, because it’s Barbie’s color – Mi color favorito es el rosa, porque es el color de Barbie.
- Did you see the latest Barbie movie? – ¿Viste la nueva película de Barbie?
- My favorite movie is Barbie of Swan Lake – Mi película favorita es Barbie y el Lago de los Cisnes.
- If I were a Barbie I’d love to be a fairy Barbie – Si yo fuera una Barbie, me encantaría ser una Barbie hada.
- I’m going to ask Santa for the new Barbie doll – Voy a pedirle a Santa la nueva muñeca Barbie.
- Mom, can you buy me the Barbie doll car, please? – Mamá, ¿me puedes comprar el carro de la muñeca Barbie, por favor?
- Sarah wants to be a veterinary when she grows up, just like her favorite Barbie – Sarah quiere ser doctora cuando crezca, justo como su Barbie favorita.
- The new Barbie is a singer, but the accessories are sold separately – La nueva Barbie es una cantante, pero los accesorios se venden por separado.
- Dad’s taking me to see the Barbie movie today, do you want to come? – Mi papá me va a llevar a ver la película de Barbie hoy, ¿quieres venir?
- My grandma sewed some dresses for my Barbies. They look so beautiful! – Mi abuela cosió algunos vestidos para mis Barbies. ¡Se ven tan bonitas!
Barbie Iconic Phrases in Spanish
We just learned about the phrases your kids can say to talk about Barbie. But what about the phrases that Barbie herself has said? There are many iconic Barbie expressions kids would love to learn and say in Spanish.
In fact, in many movies there’s a special Barbie quote at the end. So here are some of those phrases in Spanish that are related to Barbie:
- Hi, Barbie! – ¡Hola, Barbie!
- You can be anything – Tú puedes ser lo que quieras ser.
- Anything is possible – Todo es posible. (Barbie in The Nutcracker)
- What makes you different makes you special – Lo que te hace diferente es lo que te hace especial. (Barbie Fairytopia)
- Magic happens when you believe in yourself – La magia aparece cuando crees en ti mismo. (Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale)
- You’re braver than you think – Eres más valiente de lo que crees. (Barbie of Swan Lake)
- The most beautiful thing you can be is yourself – La cosa más hermosa que puedes ser es tú mismo. (Barbie Mariposa and Her Butterfly Fairy Friends)
- Live your dream – Vive tu sueño. (Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper)
How to Acquire Spanish Vocabulary with Barbie
Do you want your kids to learn the vocabulary above, but not just by memory, rather understand how to use it and when? Good. That’s one of the best things you can do for them! To help you, here are some tips on how kids can acquire Spanish vocabulary through Barbie:
Watch a movie
One of the things kids love the most is watching children’s movies. All the Barbie films are perfect for that. They are entertaining, fun, colorful and full of all kinds of creatures.
Most importantly, the main character in every single one of those movies is a toy that has become an icon for many generations of kids: Barbie. So if they’ve played with this cool doll, they’ll love to see her on their screens.
Pick one of the Barbie movies we recommended above and play it in Spanish for your kids. If they’re complete beginners, they can watch it in English with Spanish subtitles.
If they’re more advanced, they should watch the movie in Spanish, but they can still turn on the subtitles in Spanish. As their language level improves, they must lose the subtitles.
This will make them acquire vocabulary and understand when to use it. As well as learn the correct pronunciation of words and improve their listening and comprehension. All of this will contribute to also improving their speaking skills.
Even if they don’t know a lot of Spanish, it’ll be easier for them to understand what’s going on because of the images.
Play some music
Who doesn’t love to sing along to some awesome songs? Maybe even dance to the rhythm. Good news is Barbie movies have really catchy and beautiful songs and many of those also have their Spanish translations. So, you can choose your kids’ favorite Barbie songs in Spanish and make a playlist.
You can either make time to listen, sing and even dance along those songs every week. Or you can play them in the background while your kids do something else. For example, play the songs while they draw, or while they play basketball in the backyard. Even better, play the music while they play with Barbies, so they get in the mood.
This way, kids will slowly but naturally acquire the Spanish language. All while listening to something they love.
Songs can be very beneficial for kids that are learning a second language. And it’s even better when they sing along. Because that means they’ll have to look up the lyrics and learn them. So they’ll learn the writing of the words.
This will also help not only their listening comprehension, but the Spanish reading comprehension as well. And of course, the speaking will improve too while singing.
Play Barbies with them
Your kids probably already play Barbies with their friends or with their siblings. But you can play with them to make sure it’s in Spanish.
We understand if you don’t want to make the rule of speaking Spanish during the game. Because you want it to be a playful time, not study.
What you can do then is make your Barbie doll from Mexico, Chile, Spain or any Spanish speaking country. So, you’ll always speak in Spanish when you make the voice of your doll. That way your kids will be forced to acquire a little bit of vocabulary, but in a fun way.
They’ll also have to put into practice their Spanish lessons to understand your Barbie.
Throw a Barbie theme party
Honestly, we think this is a super cool idea. You should totally throw a Barbie theme party with the kids from your children’s Spanish school.
You can contact the parents from your kids’ language school and tell them the idea. It can even be a party to celebrate when they pass onto another Spanish level. Or for after they’ve had their final Spanish exam.
Pick a house or a place for the party and decorate accordingly. Pick some Barbie music in Spanish and some colorful outfits for your kids.
When writing the invitations make sure to add that the party is in Spanish. So they must speak the language the whole time. It’s okay if they make mistakes; they’re learning. It’s all about having fun while practicing their Spanish skills; the pressure to be perfect and get an A+ is off.
When it’s time for the party, just make sure kids are actually speaking the language. You may want to encourage parents to also speak it, so you all inspire the children.
Come on, Barbie! Let’s Learn Spanish!
TruFluency Kids has Spanish classes that are as cool as playing with Barbies! That’s because we teach through fun, common activities, like singing, cooking, playing games, making crafts and storytelling in Spanish! That’s right! We understand kids are energetic and creative, so they need classes that are just like them.
We based our classes on the Bellieu Method, created by our founder based on her own experience learning languages. It consists of encouraging students to speak Spanish using all they’ve learned so far. So, when kids are in school, they’ll put their knowledge into practice by speaking. This is the best way to achieve Spanish fluency.
We also have teachers that are as awesome and talented as Barbie! You must know they’re native Spanish speakers. That’s a huge plus! Just think about it: Children will hear the correct pronunciation and learn everyday expressions and all about Spanish cultures from locals.
They also teach in a really dynamic way. They make hand motions and facial expressions, so your kids get immersed in the lesson.
Do you want more? Take a 30-minute trial class now for only $9! There are no more than six students per class, so treatment is super personalized. After the class, you can participate in a Q & A for parents to answer all your doubts.
Let’s be anything we want! Let’s be fluent in Spanish together!
