Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Estudio español una hora al día.

Spanish usually drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows who the subject is. Estudio already means I study. Add yo only for emphasis or contrast: Yo estudio..., no mi hermano.

Why is there no article before español? Can I say el español?

After verbs of speaking/learning like hablar, estudiar, aprender, enseñar, saber, modern usage normally omits the article: estudio español. Estudio el español is possible, often sounding more formal/specific (the language as an academic subject). Use the article when the language is the subject or in some prepositional phrases: El español es difícil, del español al inglés, but note en español (no article).

Why una hora, not un hora?

Because hora is feminine (la hora). The initial h is silent and doesn’t affect gender: una hora, dos horas.

What does al mean in al día?

It’s the contraction of a + el. Una hora al día = one hour per day.

Could I say por día, cada día, todos los días, a diario, or diariamente instead of al día?

al día: standard for per day.
por día: common in much of Latin America (esp. Southern Cone), often for rates.
cada día / todos los días: every day (frequency), not per-day rate.
a diario / diariamente: daily (more adverbial/formal).
All are fine; choose the tone you want.

Why the simple present estudio and not estoy estudiando?

Spanish uses the simple present for routines/habits: Estudio… The progressive estoy estudiando is for actions in progress right now or a temporary current arrangement. You could say Estoy estudiando español una hora al día if you mean it’s your current, possibly temporary, plan.

Can I move the time phrase around?

Yes. Neutral: Estudio español una hora al día. Fronted for emphasis: Una hora al día, estudio español. Keep una hora al día together; Estudio español al día una hora sounds awkward.

How do I say two hours a day, half an hour, or an hour and a half?

Dos horas al día
Media hora al día
Una hora y media al día
Minutes: 45 minutos al día

Do I need por or durante to express duration?

You can just say the length: Estudio español una hora…
Durante is fine: …durante una hora…
In Latin America, por is also common: …por una hora… All three are widely understood; the bare duration is the most neutral.

Why is día written with an accent, and how is it pronounced?

The accent in día marks stress on í and breaks the diphthong, so it’s two syllables: dee-ah. Without the accent, it would be read as one syllable. It’s pronounced DEE-ah.

Why is día masculine even though it ends in -a?

It’s an irregular noun: el día. Memorize it like el mapa, el planeta, etc.

Why isn’t español capitalized?

Names of languages and nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish unless they start a sentence: español, inglés, mexicano.

How do I pronounce the ñ in español?

Like the ny in canyon. español ≈ eh-spa-NYOL, with stress on the last syllable.

Why not estudio a español? Don’t some Spanish verbs take a?

Estudiar is a transitive verb and takes a direct object with no preposition: estudio español. The personal a is used before a human direct object: Veo a mi profesor, not with a language.

Does al día ever mean something else?

Yes. In expressions like estar al día, it means up to date. In una hora al día, it means per day.

Can I replace español with a pronoun, like I study it?

Yes: Lo estudio una hora al día. Here lo refers to el español (the language).

How would I say I used to do this in the past?

Use the imperfect for past habits: Estudiaba español una hora al día.
A one-time past action would use the preterite without the per-day idea: Ayer estudié español por una hora.

How do I say per week or per month?

Follow the same pattern: una hora a la semana, una hora al mes. For frequency of occurrences: dos veces al día / a la semana / al mes.

Is castellano okay instead of español?

Yes. In much of Latin America both are understood; español is the most neutral across the region. In Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and parts of Chile/Peru, castellano is very common.