Learn Spanish with Elite

Yes, Elite is a B2-level pick for Spanish learners. A teen thriller set in an elite school, so it is full of current, colloquial Spanish slang the textbooks skip. The drama is moreish, which keeps you watching.

Key takeaways

  • Elite is a B2-level pick for Spanish, best suited to upper-intermediate learners.
  • The best source of current teen slang, once you are past the basics.
  • It runs 8 seasons, 64 episodes, so its vocabulary recurs enough that finishing it builds real Spanish listening.
  • Against the 27 other Spanish titles in our difficulty index, it is easier than 1 of them.
  • Expect everyday Spanish such as tío and guay.
  • Watch it with Spanish subtitles rather than your own language, which the research links to the biggest listening gain.
Difficulty
B2 (challenging)
Best for
upper-intermediate learners
Format
TV series
Length
8 seasons, 64 episodes
Genre
teen, drama, thriller
Platform
Netflix
Relative difficulty
Easier than 1 of 27 other Spanish titles we rate
In our index
1 of 28 Spanish titles

How we rate difficulty

Wondering how long the whole language takes? How long it takes to learn Spanish.

Spanish words you'll hear in Elite

tío
dude, mate (Spain slang, literally 'uncle')
guay
cool
vale
okay
mentira
lie
fiesta
party

Go deeper: more Spanish from Elite

tía
girl, mate (female) (literally: aunt)
the feminine of tío; both are constant filler among the students
el insti
high school
clipped slang for el instituto, how teens actually say it
colega
buddy, pal
casual friend word, common in Spain alongside tío
flipar
to be amazed, to freak out
very common Spain slang; me flipa = I love it, no flipes = don't overreact
molar
to be cool, to like
me mola = I like it; teen synonym of gustar
estar liado con alguien
to be hooking up with someone (literally: to be tangled with someone)
core to the show's relationship drama
ligar
to flirt, to pull
what the characters spend much of the series doing
pillar
to catch, to get, to grab
wide slang use: catching someone out, getting a joke, grabbing something
el pibón
a stunner, a hottie
slang for a very attractive person; informal register
pasar de alguien
to blow someone off, to not care about them
paso de ti = I don't care about you; classic teen dismissal
el marrón
a mess, a tough spot (literally: brown)
menudo marrón = what a mess; the trouble the plot keeps landing them in
chivarse
to snitch, to tell on someone
central to a show built on secrets and cover-ups
no me ralles
stop bugging me, don't stress me out
rallar someone is to annoy or nag them; very colloquial Spain

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Frequently asked questions

Is Elite good for learning Spanish slang?
Yes. As a contemporary teen drama it is packed with current Spanish slang and casual register, which is great once you have the basics. Graded subtitles help with the fast group dialogue.