Is Money Heist good for learning Spanish?

It is great for motivation and listening, but the Castilian Spanish is fast. Use graded subtitles, and save the recurring heist and everyday words you hear for review.

What level of Spanish do you need for Money Heist?

Around B2 to follow comfortably without help. Beginners can still enjoy it using graded subtitles that swap only a few words at a time.

Learn Spanish with Money Heist

Yes, Money Heist is a B2-level pick for Spanish learners. Spain's biggest global hit is gripping enough to keep you watching episode after episode, which is exactly what immersion needs. The Castilian Spanish is fast, so it suits upper-intermediate learners or graded subtitles.

Key takeaways

Money Heist is a B2-level pick for Spanish, best suited to upper-intermediate learners.
The most addictive way in, if you pair its fast Castilian Spanish with graded subtitles.
It runs 5 seasons, 48 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 atraco and plan.
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: 5 seasons, 48 episodes
Original audio: Spanish
Genre: crime, 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 Money Heist

atraco: heist, robbery
plan: plan
dinero: money
rehén: hostage
tranquilo: calm, relax

Go deeper: more Spanish from Money Heist

golpe: job, heist (literally: hit, blow); the crew's own word for the robbery, alongside atraco
el atracador: the robber; the -dor ending makes an agent noun; la atracadora for a woman
el rehén: the hostage; same form for men and women; only the article changes
la caja fuerte: the safe, the vault (literally: the strong box)
el rescate: the ransom; also means a rescue, from rescatar (to rescue)
manos arriba: hands up (literally: hands above); the shout in any robbery scene
no os mováis: don't move (you all); vosotros command; the -os is Spain's plural you, unusual for Latin American learners
la Casa de la Moneda: the Royal Mint (literally: the House of the Coin); the season-one target, where the money is printed
el plan sale mal: the plan goes wrong (literally: the plan comes out badly); salir bien/mal is the everyday way to say something turns out well or badly
confiar en alguien: to trust someone; note the fixed preposition en; you trust en a person, not a person directly
la negociación: the negotiation; the Professor's tactic; verb negociar
estamos jodidos: we're screwed; strong colloquial Spain register; jodido is mild profanity, common in the show
salir de aquí: to get out of here; salir de is to leave a place; the crew's constant goal

Spanish is not available yet

LingoBinge currently supports Indonesian. Join the Spanish waitlist and we'll let you know when it is ready.

One email when it's ready. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam. Privacy.

In the meantime, these work right now:

Frequently asked questions

Is Money Heist good for learning Spanish?: It is great for motivation and listening, but the Castilian Spanish is fast. Use graded subtitles, and save the recurring heist and everyday words you hear for review.
What level of Spanish do you need for Money Heist?: Around B2 to follow comfortably without help. Beginners can still enjoy it using graded subtitles that swap only a few words at a time.