1. BASIC PHRASES ¡Buenos días! bway-nohs dee-ahs Hello! / Good morning!
¡Buenas tardes! bway-nahs tard-ays Good afternoon!
¡Buenas noches! bway-nahs noh-chays Good evening! / Good night!
¡Hola! / ¡Chao! oh-lah / chow Hi! / Bye!
Adiós. ah-dee-ohs Good bye.
Por favor. por fah-bor Please.
Hasta la vista / Hasta luego. ah-stah lah vees-tah / ah-stah loo-ay-go See you / See you later.
Hasta pronto. ah-stah prohn-toh See you soon.
Hasta mañana. ah-stah mahn-yahn-ah See you tomorrow.
(Muchas) Gracias. (moo-chahs) grah-see-ahs Thank you (very much).
De nada. day nah-dah You're welcome.
Bienvenidos byen-veh-nee-dohs Welcome
Lo siento loh see-ehn-toh I'm sorry
Con permiso / Perdón / Disculpe kohn pehr-mee-soh / pehrdohn /dees-kool-peh Excuse me / Pardon me
¡Vamos! bah-mohs Let's go!
¿Cómo está usted? koh-moh ay-stah oo-sted How are you? (formal)
¿Cómo estás? koh-moh ay-stahs How are you? (informal)
¿Qué tal? kay tahl How's it going?
Bien / Muy bien bee-ehn / moy bee-ehn Good / Very good
Mal / Muy mal / Más o menos mahl / moy mahl / mahs oh may-nohs Bad / Very bad / OK
Sí / No see / noh Yes / No
¿Cómo se llama usted? koh-moh say yah-mah oo-sted What is your name? (formal)
¿Cómo te llamas? koh-moh tay yah-mahs What is your name? (informal)
Me llamo... / Mi nombre es... may yah-moh / mee nohmbreh ess My name is...
Mucho gusto. / Encantado. moo-choh goo-stoh / en-cahntah-doh Nice to meet you.
Igualmente. ee-guahl-mehn-tay Same here. / Same to you.
Señor / Señora / Señorita sayn-yor / sayn-yor-ah / sayn-yor-ee-tah Mister / Mrs. / Miss
¿De dónde es usted? day dohn-day ehs oo-sted Where are you from? (formal)
¿De dónde eres? day dohn-day eh-rehs Where are you from? (informal)
Yo soy de... yoh soy day I'm from...
¿Cuántos años tiene usted? quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-aynay oo-sted How old are you? (formal)
¿Cuántos años tienes? quahn-tohs ahn-yohs teeayn-ays How old are you? (informal)
Yo tengo _____ años. yoh tayn-goh _____ ahnyohs I am _____ years old.
¿Habla usted español? ah-blah oo-sted eh-spahn-yol Do you speak Spanish? (formal)
¿Hablas inglés? ah-blahs een-glehs Do you speak English? (informal)
(No) Hablo... noh ah-bloh I (don't) speak...
¿Entiende usted? / ¿Entiendes? ehn-tyen-deh oo-sted / ehntyen-dehs Do you understand? (formal / informal)
(No) Entiendo. noh ehn-tyen-doh I (don't) understand.
Yo (no lo) sé. yoh noh loh seh I (don't) know.
¿Puede ayudarme? pweh-deh ah-yoo-dar-meh Can you help me? (formal)
Claro / Claro que sí klah-roh / klah-roh keh see Sure / Of course
¿Cómo? koh-moh What? Pardon me?
¿Dónde está / Dónde están... ? dohn-deh eh-stah / dohn-deh eh-stahn Where is ... / Where are ... ?
Aquí / Ahí ah-kee / ah-ee Here / There
Hay / Había... eye / ah-bee-ah There is / are... / There was / were...
¿Cómo se dice ____ en español? koh-moh seh dee-seh ___ en eh-spahn-yol How do you say ____ in Spanish?
¿Qué es esto? keh ehs ehs-toh What is that?
¿Qué te pasa? keh teh pah-sah What's the matter (with you)?
No importa. noh eem-por-tah It doesn't matter.
¿Qué pasa? keh pah-sah What's happening?
Sin novedad. seen noh-veh-dahd Nothing much.
No tengo ninguna idea. noh tehn-goh neen-goo-nah ee-deh-ah I have no idea.
¡Buena idea! bweh-nah ee-deh-ah Good idea!
¡Pase! pah-seh Go ahead!
Estoy cansado / enfermo. eh-stoy kahn-sah-doh / ehnfehr-moh I'm tired / sick.
Tengo hambre / sed. tehn-goh ahm-breh / sed I'm hungry / thirsty.
Tengo calor / frío. tehn-goh kah-lohr / free-oh I'm hot / cold.
Estoy aburrido. eh-stoy ah-boo-ree-doh I'm bored.
No me importa. noh meh eem-por-tah I don't care.
No se preocupe. noh seh preh-oh-koo-peh Don't worry
Está bien. ehs-tah bee-ehn That's alright. / It's ok.
Me olvidé. meh ohl-vee-deh I forgot.
Tengo que ir ahora. tehn-goh keh eer ah-oh-rah I must go now.
¿Listo? lees-toh
Quizás / Depende. kee-sahs / deh-pehn-deh
Todavía no. toh-dah-vee-ah noh
Ready?
Maybe / It depends.
Not yet.
¡Qué chistoso! keh chees-toh-soh How funny!
¡Que le vaya bien! keh leh vah-yah bee-ehn Have a nice day!
¡Nos vemos! nohs veh-mos We'll see you!
¡Salud! sah-lood Bless you!
¡Felicitaciones! feh-lee-see-tah-see-oh-nehs Congratulations!
¡Buena suerte! bweh-nah swehr-teh Good luck!
Te toca a ti. teh toh-kah ah tee It's your turn. (informal)
¡Callate! kah-yah-teh Shut up!
Te amo. tay ah-moh I love you. (informal and singular)
Notice that Spanish has informal and formal ways of speaking. This is because there is more than one meaning to "you" in
Spanish (as well as in many other languages.) The informal you is used when talking to close friends, relatives, animals or children. The formal you is used when talking to someone you just met, do not know well, or someone for whom you would like to show respect (a professor, for example.)
Encantado, cansado, enfermo, and aburrido are the masculine forms of the words. If the words refer to a woman or are by a woman, then the finaland o changes encantada, cansada, enferma, aburrida to a:spoken In Spain, as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, the Spanish language is calledcastellano instead of español.
2. PRONUNCIATION Spanish Letter
English Sound
a
ah
e
ay
i
ee
o
oh
u
oo
ll
y
v
b at beginning of word, real soft b between 2 vowels
ñ
ny (as in canyon)
r
almost like a d when in between 2 vowels
rr
r with a roll of the tongue
d
almost like a th when in between 2 vowels
j
hard h
g
g, sometimes a h
qu ai / all / ay
k eye
z
s
z, ce, ci
th (in northern Spain only)
The five vowels in Spanish are all pure vowels: [a], [e], [i], [o], [u] Be sure that you do not pronounce a diphthong as we do in English (the extra yuh or wuh sound at the end).
Stress: Just as in English, Spanish stresses a certain syllable in a word. If a word ends in a consonant, except s or n, the stress is on the last syllable. If a word ends in a vowel, or s or n, the stress is on the second-to-last syllable. For words that do no follow these rules, an accent is written over the vowel so that you will know to stress that syllable, as in el pájaro (bird).
Please keep in mind that because Spanish is spoken in many countries, there are several regional dialects and accents so pronunciation rules may not apply to all countries. This tutorial is mostly concerned with the language that is spoken inMexico and Spain.
3. ALPHABET a
ah
j
hoh-tah
r
b
bay
k
kah
rr airr-ay
c
say
l
ay-lay
s
ay-say
ch chay
ll
ay-yay
t
tay
d
day
m ay-may
u
oo
e
ay
n
ay-nay
v
bay chee-kah
f
ay-fay
ñ
ayn-yay w
vay doh-blay
g
hey
o
oh
x
ah-kees
h
ah-chay p
pay
y
ee-gree-ay-gah
i
ee
q
koo
z
say-tah
air-ay
The Spanish language academy no longer considers the ch, ll or rr to be separate letters in dictionaries, but they are still separate letters in the alphabet. In Spain, you can say oo-bay for v, but in Latin America most dialects just use bay and an adjective, such as chica (Mexico and Peru) or corta (Argentina and Chile).
4. ARTICLES & DEMONSTRATIVES Masc. Singular
Fem. Singular
Masc. Plural
Fem. Plural
the
el (ail)
la (lah)
a, an
un (oon)
una (oon-ah)
the
los (lohs)
las (lahs)
some
unos (oon-ohs)
unas (oon-ahs)
this
este
esta
these
estos
estas
that that
ese
esa
those
esos
esas
aquel
aquella
those
aquellos
aquellas
El is also used with feminine nouns beginning with a or ha when the accent is on the first syllable. Words that end in -o and -or are generally masculine, with a few exceptions: la mano (hand), la foto (photo). Words that end in -a are generally feminine, with a few exceptions: el mapa (map), el problema (problem). Other feminine words end in -ción, -tad, dad, or -tud. Use the ese forms to mean that when what you are talking about is near the person you are addressing. Use the aquelforms when what you are talking about is far from both you and the person you are addressing. Esto and eso are the neuter forms of this and that. They can be used in general and abstract ways. Demonstrative adjectives (listed above) are used before a noun; if you want to use the demonstrative pronouns, which are used before a verb, add an accent on all of the first e's: éste,aquéllos, ésta, éstos, éstas, ése, ésa, ésos, ésas, aquél, aquélla, aquéllas.
5. SUBJECT PRONOUNS yo
yoh
I
tú
too
you (informal) vosotros / vosotras
ail / ayél / ella /usted yah / oosted
nosotros / nosotras
he / she / it / you (formal)
noh-soh-trohs / we noh-soh-trahs boh-soh-trohs / you all boh-soh-trahs
ay-yohs / ayellos / ellas /ustedes yahs / oo-stedays
they / they / you (plural)
Vosotros is used only in Spain when speaking to more than one person with whom you know well. Nosotras andvosotras refer to a group of all females, as well as ellas. Ustedes is almost always used for saying "you all" in all Spanish speaking countries. Usted can be abbreviated to Ud. Ustedes can also be abbreviated to Uds. Please note that the subject pronouns are rarely used before verbs. 6. TO BE & TO HAVE
soy
present I am
ser - to be past I was
fui
eres
you are
fuiste
es
he/she/it is / you fue are
somos
we are
fuimos
we were
sois
you are
fuisteis
you were
son
they / you fueron are
you were he/she/it was / you were
future seré I will be you will serás be he/she/it / será you will be seremos we will be you will seréis be
they / you serán were
estar - to be
they / you will be
present estoy I am
past estuve I was
estás
you are
estuviste
está
he/she/it is / you estuvo are
you were he/she/it was / you were
estamos we are
estuvimos we were
estáis
you are
estuvisteis you were
están
they / you they / you estuvieron are were
present
future estaré I will be you will estarás be he/she/it / estará you will be estaremos we will be you will estaréis be they / you estarán will be
tener - to have past
tengo
I have
tuve
tienes
you have tuviste
tiene
he/she/it has / you tuvo have
tenemos we have tuvimos tenéis
you have tuvisteis
tienen
they / you tuvieron have
future I will I had tendré have you will you had tendrás have he/she/it / he/she/it / tendrá you will you had have we will we had tendremos have you will you had tendréis have they / you they / you tendrán had will have
Highlighted forms are only used in Spain.
Ser is used to identify or describe. It tells what something is, its basic characteristics, or its srcin. Estar is used to tell the location of something or how someone feels. Uses of Ser El edificio es un templo. Identify person/object La casa es Inherent grande. characteristics Carlos es pobre. or qualities Es carpintero. Nationality/Occupation Son las tres. Telling time Los libros son de Express ownership Juan. Impersonal Es necesario. expressions El teléfono fue Passive voice inventado por Bell.
The building is a temple. The house is large. Charles is poor. He is a carpenter. It's three o'clock. The books are John's. It is necessary. The telephone was invented by Bell.
Uses of Estar Location/position El libro está en la mesa. Temporary condition/state La ventana está State of health abierta. Form Juan está enfermo. Miguel está progressive tense estudiando.
The book is on the table. The window is open. John is sick. Michael is studying.
Sometimes changing the verb can completely change the meaning: ser aburrido means to be boring, while estar aburrido means to be bored. Others include: ser bueno - to be nice, - to be good health; to be estar bueno ser callado discrete, estar callado - toinbe silent; ser moreno - to -have brown hair, estar moreno - to be tan.
Many common expressions using the verb "be" in English use the verb "tener" in Spanish (but not all): to be in a hurry
tener prisa, estar de prisa
to be jealous
tener celos
to be lucky
tener suerte
to be patient
tener paciencia
to be cold tener frío
to be sleepy
tener sueño
to be curious
ser curioso/a
to be successful
tener éxito
to be happy
estar contento/a
to be thirsty
tener sed
to be hot
tener calor
to be tired
estar cansado/a
to be hungry
tener hambre
to be ___ years old
tener ___ años
to be afraid
tener miedo
to be
estar en
against to be at fault
contra tener la culpa
to be careful
tener cuidado
7. QUESTION WORDS what
qué
which
cuál(es)
who
quién(es)
how much
cuánto (-a)
how
cómo
how many
cuántos (-as)
when
cuándo
whom
a quién(es)
where
dónde
whose
de quién(es)
why
por qué
8. CARDINAL & ORDINAL NUMBERS 0
cero
say-roh
1
uno
oo-noh
first
primero
2
dos
dohs
second
segundo
3
tres
trays
third
tercero
4 5
cuatro cinco
kwah-troh seen-koh
fourth fifth
cuarto quinto
6
seis
says
sixth
sexto
7
siete
see-ay-tay
seventh
séptimo
8
ocho
oh-choh
eighth
octavo
9
nueve
new-ay-vay
ninth
noveno
10
diez
dee-ays
tenth
décimo
11
once
ohn-say
eleventh
undécimo
12
doce
doh-say
twelfth
duodécimo
13
trece
tray-say
thirteenth
décimo tercero
14
catorce
kah-tor-say
fourteenth
décimo cuarto
15
quince
keen-say
fifteenth
décimo quinto
16 17
sixteenth diez y seis dee-ays ee says dee-ays ee see-ayseventeenth diez y siete tay
décimo sexto décimo séptimo
18
diez y ocho dee-ays ee oh-choh eighteenth
décimo octavo
19
diez y nueve
dee-ays ee new-aynineteenth vay
décimo noveno
20
veinte
bayn-tay
21
veinte y uno
bayn-tay ee oo-noh twenty-first
22
veinte y dos bayn-tay ee dohs
twentysecond
vigésimo segundo
30
treinta
trayn-tah
thirtieth
trigésimo
40
cuarenta
kuar-ain-tah
fortieth
cuadragésimo
50
cincuenta
seen-kuain-tah
fiftieth
quincuagésimo
60
sesenta
say-sain-tah
sixtieth
sexagésimo
70
setenta
say-tain-tah
seventieth
septuagésimo
twentieth
vigésimo vigésimo primero
80
ochenta
oh-chain-tah
eightieth
octogésimo
90
noventa
noh-bain-tah
ninetieth
nonagésimo
100 cien(to)
see-ain-(toh)
hundredth
centésimo
1000 mil
meel
thousandth
milésimo
If you are just saying 100, you use cien. If it's over 100, you use ciento. So 101 is ciento uno and 156 would be ciento
cincuenta y seis. Also you can use dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, and diecinueve for 16, 17, 18, and 19, respectively. They are pronounced the same but are combined into one word. Additionally, 21-29 can be written as one word (veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, etc.), but you need to use y for the rest of the numbers. Primero and tercero drop the final -o when used directly before a noun. 9. DAYS OF THE WEEK Monday
lunes
loo-nays
Tuesday
martes
mar-tays
Wednesday
miércoles
mee-air-coh-lays
Thursday
jueves
hway-bays
Friday
viernes
bee-air-nays
Saturday
sábado
sah-bah-doh
Sunday
domingo
doh-ming-oh
day
el día
dee-ah
week
la semana
say-mahn-ah
weekend
el fin de semana
feen day say-mahn-ah
today
hoy
oy
tonight
esta noche
es-tah noh-chay
last night
anoche
ah-noh-chay
yesterday
ayer
eye-yair
tomorrow
mañana
mahn-yahn-ah
my birthday
mi cumpleaños
mee coom-play-ahn-yohs
next
próximo / próxima
prok-see-moh / mah
last
pasado / pasada
pah-sah-doh / dah
day before yesterday
anteayer
ahn-teh-eye-yair
day after tomorrow
pasado mañana
pah-sah-doh mahn-yahn-ah
the following day
el día siguiente
dee-ah see-gwee-ehn-teh
the day before
la víspera
vees-peh-rah
Days of the week are all masculine in gender and they are not capitalized in writing. The definite article is not used after the verbser, but at all other times it is required and there is slight change in meaning if it is singular or plural:el lunes = on Monday but los lunes = on Mondays
10. MONTHS OF THE YEAR January
enero
ay-nair-oh
February
febrero
fay-bray-roh
March
marzo
mar-soh
April May
abril mayo
ah-breel mi-oh
June
junio
hoo-nee-oh
July
julio
hoo-lee-oh
August
agosto
ah-gohs-toh
September
septiembre
sayp-tee-aim-bray
October
octubre
ohk-too-bray
November
noviembre
noh-bee-aim-bray
December
diciembre
dee-see-aim-bray
month
el mes
mais
first of [a month]
el primero de [month]
pree-mair-oh day _____
year decade
el año la década
ahn-yoh deh-kah-dah
century
el siglo
see-gloh
el milenio
millennium
mee-leh-nee-oh
The preposition en is used with months: en abril = in April. Also notice that primero is used for the first of the month, but the rest of the days are referred to using the regular cardinal numbers: el primero de junio but el dos de julio. Months of the year are also all masculine and not capitalized in writing.
¿Cual es la fecha de hoy? What is today's date? Hoy es el primero de agosto. Today is August 1st. 11. SEASONS spring
la primavera
in spring
en primavera
summer
el verano
in summer
en verano
winter
el invierno
in winter
en invierno
autumn
el otoño
in autumn
en otoño
12. DIRECTIONS to the right to the left straight ahead
a la derecha a la izquierda todo derecho
north
el norte
northeast
el noreste
south
el sur
northwest
el noroeste
east
el este
southeast
el sureste
west
el oeste
southwest
el suroeste
13. COLORS & SHAPES red
rojo / roja
circle
el círculo
pink
rosado / rosada
square
el cuadrado
orange
anaranjado / anaranjada
rectangle
el rectángulo
yellow
amarillo / amarilla
triangle
el triángulo
green
verde
oval
el óvalo
blue
azul
cube
el cubo
light blue
celeste
sphere
la esfera
purple
morado / morada
cylinder
el cilindro
violet
violeta
cone
el cono
brown
marrón
octagon
el octágono
black
negro / negra
box
la caja
gray
gris
pyramid
la pirámide
white
blanco / blanca
golden
dorado / dorada
dark
oscuro / oscura
silver
plateado / plateada
light
claro / clara
All adjectives in Spanish are placed after the noun that they describe and they agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun. Notice that some colors do not change for gender (marrón) or number (gris). To change an adjective to the feminine form, you usually just change the final -o to -a. To make an adjective plural, simply add an -s. a red house = una casa roja
14. TIME ¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?
Es la una.
It's one.
Son las dos/tres/cuatro...
It's two/three/four...
Es mediodía.
It's noon.
Es medianoche.
It's midnight.
Son las cinco y cinco.
It's 5:05
Son las ocho y cuarto.
It's 8:15
Son las diez menos cuarto.
It's 9:45
Son cuarto para las diez.
It's 9:45 (common in Mexico)
Son las nueve menos diez.
It's 8:50
Son diez para las nueve.
It's 8:50 (common in Mexico)
Son las tres y media / treinta.
It's 3:30
de la mañana
in the morning / AM
de la tarde
in the afternoon / PM
de la noche
in the evening / PM
en punto
exactly / sharp
¿A qué hora?
At what time?
15. WEATHER ¿Qué tiempo hace?
What's the weather like?
Hace buen tiempo.
The weather's nice.
Hace mal tiempo.
The weather's bad.
Hace frío.
It's cold.
Hace calor.
It's hot.
Hace sol.
It's sunny.
Hace viento.
It's windy.
Hace fresco.
It's chilly.
Está nublado.
It's cloudy.
Hay niebla.
It's foggy.
Hay neblina.
It's misty.
Hay humedad.
It's humid.
Hay granizo.
It's hailing.
Llueve.
It's raining.
Nieva.
It's snowing.
Truena.
It's thundering.
Llovizna.
It's sprinkling.
16. PREPOSITIONS a
at, to
al lado de
beside, alongside of
con
with
alrededor de
around
contra
against
cerca de
near, close to
de
of, from
lejos de
far from
en
in, on
delante de
in front of
entre
between, among
debajo de
below, under
hacia
towards, about
en frente de
opposite
para
for, in order, by
detrás de
behind
por
for, through, along, via
encima de
above, on top of
sobre
on, over
hasta
till, until
sin
without
desde
from, since
There are two prepositional contractions with definite articles. A and el combine to form al, and de and el combine to form del.
17. FAMILY & ANIMALS family
la familia
cousin (m)
el primo
parents
los padres
cousin (f)
la prima
husband
el marido / el esposo cousins
los primos
wife father / dad
la mujer / la esposa el padre / el papá
relatives stepfather
los parientes el padastro
mother / mom
la madre / la mamá
stepmother
la madrastra
son
el hijo
stepbrother
el hermanastro
daughter
la hija
stepsister
la hermanastra
children
los hijos
stepson
el hijastro
brother
el hermano
stepdaughter
la hijastra
sister
la hermana
godfather
el padrino
brothers & sisters
los hermanos
godmother
la madrina
only child (m)
el hijo único
baby
el bebé
only child (f)
la hija única
teenager
el adolescente
kid / boy
el muchacho
boy
el niño
kid / girl half-brother
la muchacha el medio hermano
girl boys & girls
la niña los niños
half-sister
la media hermana
man
el hombre
father-in-law
el suegro
woman
la mujer
mother-in-law
la suegra
adult
el adulto
brother-in-law
el cuñado
twins (m)
los gemelos
sister-in-law
la cuñada
twins (f)
las gemelas
son-in-law
el yerno
dog
el perro
daughter-in-law
la nuera
cat
el gato
grandfather
el abuelo
bird
el pájaro
grandmother
la abuela
fish
el pez
grandparents
los abuelos
gold fish
la carpa dorada
grandson
el nieto
horse
el caballo
granddaughter
la nieta
goat
la cabra
grandchildren
los nietos
pig
el cerdo
uncle
el tío
cow
la vaca
aunt
la tía
rabbit
el conejo
aunts & uncles
los tíos
turtle
la tortuga
nephew
el sobrino
mouse
el ratón
niece
la sobrina
deer
el ciervo
nieces & nephews
los sobrinos
duck
el pato
18. TO KNOW PEOPLE & FACTS conocer - to know people
saber - to know facts
conozco
conocemos
sé
sabemos
conoces
conocéis
sabes
sabéis
conoce
conocen
sabe
saben
19. FORMATION OF PLURAL NOUNS 1. If a singular noun ends in a vowel, just add -s to make it plural: la casa → las casas 2. If a singular ends a consonant, vowel → with an los accent, or y,noun add -es to in make it plural: ela papel
papeles
3. Singular nouns that end in -z change the z to c and add -es to form the plural: la luz → las luces 4. A few nouns that have an accent in the singular will lose it in the plural: el lápiz → los lápices
20. POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES Initial Forms
Terminal Forms
singular
plural
singular
plural
my
mi
mis
mío / mía
míos / mías
your
tu
tus
tuyo / tuya
tuyos / tuyas
your/his/her/its su
sus
suyo / suya
suyos / suyas
our
nuestro / nuestra
nuestros nuestro / / nuestra nuestras
nuestros / nuestras
your
vuestro / vuestra
vuestros vuestro / / vuestra vuestras
vuestros / vuestras
your/their
su
sus
suyos / suyas
suyo / suya
Remember that vuestro forms are only used in Spain (just as the vosotros subject pronoun & verb conjugations are only used in Spain). Because su and sus can have so many meanings, de + a pronoun may be used following the noun: de Ud., de él, de ella,
de Uds., de ellos and de ellas. los libros de ellos their books
The terminal forms are placed after the noun, and the noun must be preceded by the definite article, except in direct address. When used with the indefinite article, it corresponds to the English "of mine, of yours," etc.
el libro mío my book Qué haces, hijo mío? What are you doing, my son? un amigo mío a friend of mine
21. TO DO / MAKE hacer - to do or make
hago
hacemos
haces
hacéis
hace
hacen
22. WORK & SCHOOL accountant
el contador
musician
el músico
actor / actress architect
el actor / la actriz el arquitecto
nurse official / civil servant
el enfermero el funcionario
author
el autor
optician
el óptico
baker
el panadero
painter
el pintor
banker
el banquero
pharmacist (chemist)
el químico
barber
el barbero
pharmacist
el farmacéutico
bookseller
el librero
photographer
el fotógrafo
businessman
el comerciante
pilot
el piloto
butcher
el carnicero
plumber
el fontanero
carpenter
el carpintero
policeman
el agente de policía
computer programmer
el programador
postman
el cartero
cook
el cocinero
priest
el cura
customer
el cliente
professor
el profesor
dentist
el dentista
publisher
el editor
doctor
el médico / el doctor
salesman
el vendedor
electrician
el electricista
scientist
el científico
employee
el empleado
secretary
la secretaria
engineer
el ingeniero
servant
el criado
firefighter fisherman
el bombero el pescador
shoemaker singer
el zapatero el cantante
gardener
el jardinero
soldier
el soldado
grocer
el dependiente
student
el estudiante
hair stylist
el peluquero
surgeon
el cirujano
jeweler
el joyero
tailor
el sastre
journalist
el periodista
teacher
el profesor
judge
el juez
teacher (grade school)
el maestro
lawyer
el abogado
typist
el mecanógrafo
librarian
el bibliotecario
waiter / server
el camarero
mason
el albañil
watchmaker
el relojero
mechanic model
el mecánico el modelo
worker (blue-collar) writer
el obrero el escritor
accounting
la contabilidad
law
el derecho
algebra
linguistics
architecture
el álgebra la arquitectura
literature
la lingüística la literatura
art
el arte
mathematics
la matématica
astronomy
la astronomía
medicine
biology
la biología
modern languages
la medicina las lenguas modernas
botany
la botánica
music
la música
business
el comercio
natural science
las ciencias naturales
chemistry
la química
painting
la pintura
computing (IT)
la informática
philosophy
drawing
el dibujo
physical education
earth science
la ciencia terrestre physical science
economics
la económia
physics
la filosofía la educación física las ciencas físicas la física
engineering
la ingeniería
political science
las ciencias políticas
English
el inglés
Portuguese
el portugués
French
el francés
psychology
geography
la geografía
religious education
la psicología la enseñanza religiosa
geometry
la geometría
science
la ciencia
German
el alemán
sociology
la sociología
Greek
el griego
Spanish
el español
history
la historia el italiano
technology
Italian
la technología la zoología
Latin
el latín
zoology
23. COUNTRIES & NATIONALITIES Africa
el Africa
Indonesia
Indonesia
African
africano/a
Indonesian
indonesio/a
Albania
Albania
Ireland
la Irlanda
Albanian
albano/a
Irishman
irlandés/esa
America
la América
Israel
Israel
American
americano/a
Israeli
israelí
Argentina
la Argentina
Hebrew
hebreo/a
Argentine
argentino/a
Italy
Italia
Asia
el Asia (f)
Italian
italiano/a
Asian Australia
asiático/a Australia
Japan Japanese
Japón japonés/esa
Australian
australiano/a
Latvia
Letonia
Austria
el Austria (f)
Latvian
letón/ona
Austrian
austríaco/a
Lithuania
Lituania
Belgium
la Bélgica
Lithuanian
lituano/a
Belgian
belga
Luxembourg
Luxemburgo
Bolivia
la Bolivia
Luxembourger
luxemburgués/esa
Bolivian
boliviano(a)
Macedonia
Macedonia
Bosnia
la Bosnia
Macedonian
macedonio/a
Bosnian Brazil
bosnio/a el Brasil
Malta Maltese
Malta maltés/esa
Brazilian
brasileño/a
Mexico
México
Bulgaria
la Bulgaria
Mexican
mexicano/a
Bulgarian
búlgaro/a
Netherlands
los Países Bajos
Canada
Canadá
Dutch
holandés/esa
Canadian
canadiense
New Zealand
Nueva Zelanda
China
China
New Zealander neozelandés/esa
Chinese
chino/a
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Chile
la Chile
Nicaraguan
nicaragüense
Chilean
chileno/a
Norway
Noruega
Colombia Colombian
Colombia colombiano/a
Norwegian Panama
noruego/a Panama
Costa Rica
la Costa Rica
Panamanian
panameño/a
Costa Rican
costarricense
Paraguay
Paraguay
Croatia
la Croacia
Paraguayan
paraguayo/a
Croatian
croata
Peru
Perú
Cuba
la Cuba
Peruvian
peruano/a
Cuban
cubano/a
Poland
la Polonia
Czech Republic
la República Checa
Polish
polaco/a
Czech
checo/a
Portugal
Portugal
Denmark
Dinamarca
Portuguese
portugués/esa
Danish Dominican Republic
danés/esa República Dominicana
Romania
Rumania
Romanian
rumano/a
Dominican
dominicano/a
Russia
Rusia
Ecuador
Ecuador
Russian
ruso/a
Ecuadorian
ecuatoriano/a
Scotland
la Escocia
Egypt
Egipto
Scottish
escocés/esa
Egyptian
egipcio/a
Serbia
Serbia
El Salvador
El Salvador
Serbian
serbio/a
Salvadorean
salvadoreño
Slovakia
England
la Inglaterra
Slovak
Eslovaca eslovaco/a
English
inglés/esa
Slovenia
Eslovenia
Estonia
Estonia
Slovene
esloveno/a
Estonian
estonio/a
South Africa
Sudáfrica
Europe
la Europa
South African
sudafricano/a
European
europeo/a
Spain
España
Finland
Finlandia
Spanish
español/a
Finnish
finlandés/esa
Sweden
Suecia
France
Francia
Swedish
sueco/a
French
francés/esa
Switzerland
la Suiza
Germany German
Alemania alemán/ana
Swiss Turkey
suizo/a la Turquía
Great Britain
la Gran Bretaña
Turk
turco/a
British
británico/a
Ukraine
Ucrania
Greece
Grecia
Ukrainian
ucraniano/a
Greek
griego/a
United Kingdom
Reino Unido
Guatemala
Guatemala
United States
Estados Unidos
Guatemalan
guatemalteco/a
Uruguay
Uruguay
Honduras
Honduras
Uruguayan
uruguayo/a
Honduran
hondureño
Venezuela
Venezuela
Hungary
Hungría
Venezuelan
venezolano/a
Hungarian
húngaro/a
Wales
el país de Gales
Iceland
Islandia
Welsh
galés/esa
la República
Icelandic
islandés/esa
India
India
Indian
indio/a
24. TO / IN AND FROM to
a
from
de
in
en
Remember to use the prepositional contractions when a noun with an article follows the preposition.
25. TO COME & TO GO venir - to come
ir - to go
vengo
venimos
voy
vamos
vienes
venís
vas
vais
viene
vienen
va
van
26. COMMON WORDS a lot
mucho
always
siempre
very much
muchísimo
everyday
todos los días
a little
poco
now
ahora
very little
muy poco
usually
usualmente
sometimes
a veces
there
ahí
well
bien
over there
allí
after
después
too bad
demasiado malo
poorly
mal
27. CONJUGATING REGULAR VERBS
Verbs in Spanish end in -ar, -er or -ir. Before a verb is conjugated, it is called the infinitive. Removing the last two letters gives you the stem of the verb (cantar is the infinitive to sing, while cant- is the stem.) To conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, add these endings to the stems:
-ar
-er
-ir
o
amos
o
emos
o
imos
as
áis
es
éis
es
ís
a
an
e
en
e
en
Remember that verbs do not require the subject pronouns, so just canto means I sing. Here are some more regular verbs: -ar verbs
-er verbs
-ir verbs
bailar
to dance
aprender
to learn
vivir
to live
desear
to want
comer
to eat
escribir
to write
escuchar
to listen
correr
to run
compartir
to share
estudiar
to study
leer
to read
recibir
to receive
hablar
to speak
vender
to sell
practicar
to practice
beber
to drink
tomar
to take
comprender
to understand
viajar
to travel
To make sentences negative, simply put no in front of the verb.
28. REFLEXIVE VERBS The subject and the object are the same with reflexive verbs - the subject acts upon itself. A reflexive verb in Spanish will be marked with se attached to the end of the infinitive. These verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, except the reflexive pronoun agrees with case and gender and precedes the verb when not used in the infinitive form. Reciprocal verbs are the same as reflexive except the action passes from one person to another. It can only be used in the first and third person plural forms. Reflexive verbs sometimes use the "-self" forms in English, while the reciprocal verbs use "each other." reflexive pronouns
me
nos
te
os
se
se
Some common reflexive verbs:
acostarse - to go to bed bañarse - to bathe oneself casarse - to get married despertarse - to wake up irse - to go away levantarse - to rise sentarse - to sit down vestirse - to dress oneself atreverse - to dare quejarse - to complain 29. IRREGULAR CONJUGATIONS Some verbs have vowel changes in the present tense for all forms except first and second person plural. After dropping the endings (-ar, -er, or -ir), the e of the last syllable changes to ie, and o of the last syllable changes to ue. Some -ir verbs change the e to i, while verbs ending in -uir change the i to y for all forms except first and second plural. e to ie
o to ue
pensar - to think querer - to want, like, love cerrar - to close comenzar - to begin despertar - to awaken empezar - to begin entender - to understand perder - to lose preferir - to prefer sentar - to seat sentir - to regret, feel pensar
e to i
contar - to count poder - to be able costar - to cost dormir - to sleep encontrar - to find, meet jugar - to play morir - to die mostrar - to show volar - to fly volver - to return
contar
pedir
ui to uy
pedir - to ask construir - to (for) build repetir - to repeat seguir - to follow servir - to serve vestir - to dress
construir
pienso
pensamos cuento
contamos pido pedimos construyo
construimos
piensas pensáis
cuentas contáis
pides pedís
construyes construís
piensa
cuenta
pide piden
construye
piensan
cuentan
construyen
A few other verbs are irregular only in the first person singular form. The rest of the forms follow the regular pattern: traer salir
to carry to go out
traigo salgo
I carry I go out
hacer
to do
hago
I do
saber
to know
sé
I know
dar
to give
doy
I give
ver
to see
veo
I see
tener
to have
tengo
I have
poner
to put
pongo
I put
decir
to say
digo
I say
valer
to be worth
valgo
I am worth
caer
to fall
caigo
I fall
conocer deducir
to know to deduce
conozco deduzco
I know I deduce
Generally, verbs that end in -cer and -cir add z before the first person singular ending.
30. PERSONAL A When the direct object of a verb (except tener) is a person, it is preceded by a. It isn't used if a number precedes the object though. The pronouns alguien (somebody), alguno (someone), nadie (nobody), and ninguno (no one) requirea as well, when used as the direct object.
Veo a Juan. I see John. I know your friend. Conozco a tu amiga. Veo a alguien. I see somebody.
31. PRETERITE TENSE The preterite tense expresses an action in the past. It is used to describe events that are finished or complete. It is formed by adding these endings to the infinitive stem. -ar verbs
-er and -ir verbs
-é
-amos
-í
-aste
-asteis
-iste
-isteis
-ó
-aron
-ió
-ieron
-imos
Viví en España dos años. I lived in Spain for two years. Ellos hablaron con los niños. They spoke with the children. Quién comió la fruta? Who ate the fruit? 32. IRREGULAR PRETERITE TENSE A few verbs are irregular in the preterite tense. The following are the most common: dar - to give
decir - to say, tell
estar - to be
di
dimos
dije
dijimos
estuve
estuvimos
diste dio
disteis dieron
dijiste dijo
dijisteis dijeron
estuviste estuvo
estuvisteis estuvieron
hacer - to do, make
ir - to go / ser- to be
poner - to put, place
hice hiciste hizo
fui fuiste fue
puse pusiste puso
hicimos hicisteis hicieron
fuimos fuisteis fueron
pusimos pusisteis pusieron
tener - to have
traer - to bring
venir - to come
tuve tuviste tuvo
traje trajiste trajo
vine viniste vino
tuvimos tuvisteis tuvieron
trajimos trajisteis trajeron
vinimos vinisteis vinieron
Ir and ser have the same forms in the preterite tense. Context will make the meaning clear.
33. IMPERFECT TENSE
The imperfect is another past tense that is used to express an action as going on in the past, as repeated or habitual. It is also used with mental and physical conditions and for descriptions. The preterite tense is used much more often than the imperfect tense though, except with these verbs: querer, creer, poder, esperar, tener, and saber. It is formed by adding these endings to the infinitive stem. -ar verbs
-er and -ir verbs
-aba
-ábamos
-ía
-abas
-abais
-ías
-íais
-aba
-aban
-ía
-ían
-íamos
Yo vivía en España. I used to live in Spain. Luisa estaba triste. Louise was sad. El vendía radios. He was selling radios. Only a few verbs are irregular in the imperfect tense: ser - to be
era eras era
ir - to go
éramos erais eran
iba ibas iba
ver - to see
íbamos ibais iban
veía veías veía
veíamos veíais veían
34. FOOD AND MEALS salad
beef
el tocino la carne de vaca
salami
la ensalada el salchichón
beer
la cerveza
salt
la sal
beverage
la bebida
sandwich
el bocadillo
biscuit
el bizcocho el pan
sauce
bread
la salsa la salchicha
breakfast
el desayuno
soft drink
el refresco gaseoso
butter
la mantequilla
soup
la sopa
cake candy
la torta los dulces el queso
sour cream steak
la crema agria el bistec el guisado
bacon
cheese
sausage
stew
chicken
el pollo
sugar
el azúcar
chocolate
el chupete la chuleta
supper
la cena el té (helado)
el café la galleta
toast turkey
las tostadas el pavo
el requesón
veal
la ternera
vegetable
la legumbre
vinegar
custard
el algodón de azúcar la crema las natillas
el vinagre el agua
dessert
el postre
whipped cream
la nata montada
dinner
la comida
wine
el vino
duck
el pato
yogurt
el yogur
egg
el huevo
bag
la bolsa
fat
bowl
flour
la grasa la harina
bottle
el tázon la botella
fried eggs
los huevos fritos
box
la caja
goose
el ganso
can
la lata
ham hamburger
el jamón la hamburguesa
can opener carton
abrelatas el tetrabrik
honey
la miel
chopsticks
los palillos
hot dog
el perro caliente
coffee pot
la cafetera
ice
el hielo
colander
el colador
ice cream
el helado
corkscrew
el sacacorchos
jam
la jalea
cup
la taza
juice
dish
lamb
el jugo el cordero
fork
el plato el tenedor
lobster
la langosta
frying pan
la sartén
lollipop lunch
el chupete el almuerzo la comida
glass jar
el vaso el tarro la jarra
chop coffee cookie cottage cheese cotton candy cream
meal
tea (iced)
water
jug
meat
la carne
kettle
la caldera
milk
la leche la malteada
knife
el cuchillo la tapa
la mostaza la carne de carnero
napkin
mutton
plate
la servilleta el plato
oil
el aceite
saucer
el platillo
omelet
la tortilla
saucepan
la cacerola / el cazo
pepper pie
la pimienta el pastel
spoon spray can
la cuchara el spray
pork
table
roast
el cerdo el arroz el asado
teapot
la mesa el mantel la tetera
roll
el panecillo
tube
el tubo
milkshake mustard
rice
lid
tablecloth
35. GUSTAR Gustar plus a noun means to like something. Literally, it means to please and takes an indirect object, so the construction of the sentence will be different than that of English. The verb will only be conjugated in the third person singular or plural because it is agreeing with the noun or infinitive that follows it, not the subject. I like Me gusta(n)
Nos gusta(n)
we like
Te gusta(n)
you like
Os gusta(n)
you like
Le gusta(n)
you/he/she likes
Les gusta(n)
you/they like
Gusta is used with singular nouns or an infinitive, while gustan is used with plural nouns. It is also possible to add a + complement pronoun to emphasize the subject, but this is not necessary. The complement pronouns are the same as the suject pronouns except a mí and a ti.
Me gustan las flores. I like the flowers. (Literally: To me are pleasing the flowers or the flowers are pleasing to me.) A nosotros nos gusta la casa. We like the house. No me gusta. I don't like it. Le gusta a Ud.? Do you like it? A ellos les gustan los caballos. They like the horses.
36. FRUITS & VEGETABLES almond
la almendra
barley
la cebada
apple
la manzana
beans
los frijoles / las judías
apricot
el albaricoque
beet
la remolacha
avocado
el aguacate
broccoli
el brócoli
banana
el plátano
cabbage
la col
berry blackberry
la baya la zarzamora
carrot cauliflower
la zanahoria la coliflor
blueberry
el arándano
celery
el apio
cherry
la cereza
chives
la cebollana
chestnut
la castaña
corn
el maíz
coconut
el coco
cucumber
el pepino
currant
la grosella
eggplant
la berenjena
date
el dátil
garlic
el ajo
fig
il higo
green bean
la habichuela
fruit
la fruta
herbs
le hierba
grapefruit
el pomelo
horse-radish
el rabano picante
grapes hazelnut
la uva la avellana
leek lentil
el puerro la lenteja
kiwi
el kiwi
lettuce
la lechuga
lemon
el limón
mint
la menta
lime
la lima
mushroom
la seta / el hongo
lychee
el lichi
oats
la avena
mango
el mango
onion
la cebolla
melon
el melón
parsley
el perejil
olive
la aceituna
pea
el guisante
orange
la naranja
pepper
el pimiento
papaya
la papaya
potato
la patata / la papa
peach pear
el melocotón la pera
pumpkin radish
la calabaza el rábano
pineapple
la piña
rhubarb
el ruibarbo
plum
la ciruela
rice
el arroz
prune
la ciruela pasa
rye
el centeno
raisin
la uva pasa
sage
la salvia
raspberry
la frambuesa
seed
la semilla
starfruit
la carambola
spinach
la espinaca
strawberry
la fresa
sweet potato
el camote / la batata
walnut
la nuez
tomato
el tomate
watermelon artichoke
la sandía la alcachofa
turnip wheat
el nabo el trigo
asparagus
el espárrago
zucchini
el calabacín
Los frijoles is used in South America, whereas las judías is used in Spain.
37. TO TAKE OR DRINK tomar - to take or drink
tomo
tomamos
tomas
tomáis
toma
toman
When tomar means to drink, it usually refers to alcohol. In Mexico, tomar can be intransitive, as beber is almost never used. In Spain, tomar is always transitive, such as tomar una copa - to have a drink and tomar un café - to have a coffee.
38. COMMANDS / IMPERATIVE To form commands, drop the final -s on the present tense conjugation for the tú form and change the final -r of the infinitive to -d for the vosotros form. The other imperative conjugations (for Usted, Ustedes, and nosotros) use the present subjunctive forms. (More about the Subjunctive at #70.) You use the nosotros form when you mean Let's + infinitive. Negative commands use no + the present subjunctive conjugations for all forms. So the only forms that differ between affirmative and negative commands are tú and
vosotros. Verbs that end in -car, -gar and -zar have the following changes in commands as well: c becomes qu, g becomes gu, and z becomes c. Affirmative
-ar
Negative
-er or -ir
-ar
-er or -ir
tú
-a
-e
-es
-as
Usted
-e
-a
-e
-a
nosotros vosotros
-emos -ad
-amos -ed / -id
-emos -éis
-amos -áis
Ustedes
-en
-an
-en
-an
¡Habla! = Speak! (tú form) ¡Comed! = Eat! (vosotros form) ¡No comáis! = Don't eat! (negative vosotros form) ¡Beba! = Drink! (Usted form) ¡Coman! = Eat (Ustedes form) ¡No beban! = Don't drink! (negative Ustedes form) There are 8 irregular verbs in the imperative, but they are only irregular for the tú form. The rest of the commands follow the pattern above. infinitive
tú form
decir hacer ir poner salir ser tener venir
di haz ve pon sal sé ten ven
There are several irregular stems that appear in the present subjunctive, and therefore in the imperative.
infinitive dar
imperative stem d-
decir
dig-
estar
est-
haber
hayhag-
hacer poder
vaypued-
poner
pong-
querer
quier-
saber salir
sepsalg-
ser traer
setengtraig-
venir
veng-
ir
tener
39. MORE NEGATIVES To make sentences negative, you place no before the verb. Other negatives may precede or follow the verb, but if they follow, they must follow a negative verb (a double negative). The word order is either no + verb + negative or negative + verb. Nunca means ever when it follows a comparative; jamás means ever when it follows an affirmative verb. Ya no + verb means the same thing as no + verb + más (no more, no longer). más
no more, no longer
nada
nothing, (not) anything
nadie
nobody, (not) anybody
ninguno (a)
no, none
tampoco
neither, either
ni
nor
ni...ni
neither... nor
ni siquiera
not even
nunca, jamás
never, ever
No bailas nunca. = Nunca bailas. You never dance. No juego más. = Ya no juego. I no longer play.
40. HOLIDAY PHRASES Feliz Navidad
Merry Christmas
Feliz Año Nuevo
Happy New Year
Feliz Cumpleaños
Happy Birthday
Feliz Pascua
Happy Easter
Spanish National Anthem: Marcha Real There are no words to the Spanish national anthem; it is completely instrumental.
Mexican National Anthem: Mexicanos, al Grito de Guerra by Francisco González Bocanegra Mexicanos, al grito de guerra El acero aprestad y el bridón; y retiemble en sus centros la tierra Al sonoro rugir del cañón.
Mexicans, at the cry of battle lend your swords and bridle; and let the earth tremble at its center upon the roar of the cannon.
Ciña oliva ¡oh patria! tus sienes de De la Paz el arcángel divino, Que en el cielo tu eterno destino Por el dedo de Dios se escribió. Mas si osare un extraño enemigo Profanar con su planta tu suelo, Piensa ¡oh patria querida! que el cielo Un soldado en cada hijo te dio.
fatherland, with olive garlands by the divine archangel of peace, For in heaven your eternal destiny has been written by the hand of God. But should a foreign enemy Profane your land with his sole, Think, beloved fatherland, that heaven gave you a soldier in each son.
¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente De la patria manchar los
The terrifying cannon thunder and the echoes nobly resound to the cries of union! liberty!
Your forehead shall be girded, oh
War, war without truce against who would attempt to blemish the honor of the fatherland! War, war! The patriotic banners saturate in waves of blood. War, war! On the mount, in the vale
blasones! ¡Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones En las olas de sangre empapad. ¡Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle Los cañones horrísonos truenen
Fatherland, before your children become unarmed Beneath the yoke their necks in sway, May your countryside be watered with blood, On blood their feet trample. And may your temples, palaces and towers crumble in horrid crash, and their ruins exist saying:
Y los ecos sonoros resuenen Con las voces de ¡Unión! ¡Libertad!
The fatherland was made of one thousand heroes here.
Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos Bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen, Tus campiñas con sangre se rieguen, Sobre sangre se estampe su pie. Y tus templos, palacios y torres Se derrumben con hórrido estruendo, Y sus ruinas existan diciendo: De mil héroes la patria aquí fue. ¡Patria! ¡patria! Tus hijos te juran Exhalar en tus aras su aliento, Si el clarín con su bélico acento Los convoca a lidiar con valor. ¡Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva! ¡Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria!
Fatherland, fatherland, your children swear to exhale their breath in your cause, If the bugle in its belligerent tone should call upon them to struggle with bravery. For you the olive garlands! For them a memory of glory! For you a laurel of victory! For them a tomb of honor! Mexicans, at the cry of battle lend your swords and bridle; and let the earth tremble at its center upon the roar of the cannon.
¡Un laurel para ti de victoria! ¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor! Mexicanos, al grito de guerra El acero aprestad y el bridón, y retiemble en sus centros la tierra Al sonoro rugir del cañón.
41. USEFUL EXPRESSIONS Hay
There is/are
Había There was/were Hay que + infinitive It is necessary to + infinitive Tener que + infinitive
To have to + infinitive
Ir a + infinitive
To go to + infinitive
Acabar de + infinitive Hace + time
To have just + past participle time + ago
42. PROGRESSIVE TENSES The progressive tense indicates an action that is ongoing. It is formed by using estar (in any tense) with a present participle. Present participles are formed by dropping the ending of the verb, and adding the following endings to the stem: Present Participles
-ar
-ando
-er
-iendo
-ir
-iendo
Joshwere is talking. Juan estácantando. hablando.They Estaban singing. Estuve escribiendo una carta. I was writing a letter.
A few irregular present participles: poder - pudiendo, dormir - durmiendo, sentir - sintiendo, venir - viniendo, pedir -pidiendo, leer - leyendo, ir yendo, reír - riendo.
43. HABER haber - to have (auxiliary verb)
he
hemos
has ha
habéis han
This verb does not mean to possess (that is tener); but it is used in past tenses as an auxiliary verb.
44. PRESENT PERFECT The present perfect tense is a compound tense using haber with a past participle. (Haber is only used as a helping verb; it is never used to show possession.) This tense can be translated as have or has done something. Please note that the preterite tense is used more often than this tense when expressing the past. Past theseparticiples endings: are formed by dropping the infinitive ending, and adding Past Participles
-ar -er -ir
-ado -ido -ido
The following verbs have irregular past participles: abrir (to open) abierto (opened); escribir (to write) - escrito(written); morir (to die) muerto (died); poner (to put) - puesto (put); ver (to see) - visto (seen); volver (to return) - vuelto(returned); decir (to say) - dicho (said); hacer (to do) - hecho (done).
No han vendido la casa. They have not sold the house. Dónde ha puesto Ud. la llave? Where have you put the key? Hemos ganado mucho dinero. We have earned a lot of money. Qué ha dicho Ud.? What did you say?
45. PLACES airport
el embassy la embajada aeropuerto
pier
el muelle
bakery
la factory panadería
la fábrica
police station
la comisaría
bar
el banco el bar
port la granja la boca de agua prison
barn
el granero fountain
bank
barracks el cuartel
farm fire hydrant
el puerto la prisión
la fuente
restauran el t restaurante
garage
el garaje
road la carretera / (highway) la vía
bench
el banco
grocery store
el supermercad school o
bridge
el puente
hospital
el hospital
sidewalk la acera
hotel
el hotel
square
la plaza
la casa la cabaña
stable stadium
la cuadra el estadio
inn
la posada
stop sign
la señal de alto
lane (town)
la calleja
store
la tienda
el cemetery cementeri library o
la biblioteca
street
la calle
church
la iglesia
market
el mercado
suburb
cinema
el cine
ministry
el ministerio
theater
el barro residencial el teatro
consulate
monumen el el monumento consulado t
tower
la torre
corner
la esquina museum
town
la ciudad
bookstor la librería e
building el edificio house la butcher's hut carnicería castle
el castillo
cathedral la catedral
el museo
la escuela
courtyard el patio
palace
el palacio
el town hall ayuntamient o
crosswal el cruce k peatonal
path
la senda
traffic light
el semáforo
university
la universidad
village
el pueblo
dock
la dársena pavement la acera
dry
la
pharmacy la farmacia
cleaner's tintorería
46. TRANSPORTATION by bus
en autobús
by bicycle
en bicicleta
by car
en coche
by motorcycle
en motocicleta
by subway
en metro
by taxi
en taxi
by plane
en avión
by train by boat
en tren en barco
on foot
a pie
47. TO WANT, TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE TO querer-to want
poder-to be able to, can
deber-to have to, must
quiero
queremos
puedo
podemos
debo
debemos
quieres
queréis
puedes
podéis
debes
debéis
quiere
quieren
puede
pueden
debe
deben
48. PAST PERFECT The past perfect tense corresponds to the English "had + past participle." It indicates an event that happened prior to another event in the past. It
consists of the imperfect of haber and a past participle. Sometimes the preterite of haber is used, but the imperfect is more common.
Carlos había vivido en México. Carlos had lived in Mexico. Habíamos aprendido el español. We had learned Spanish.
49. HOUSE & FURNITURE alarm clock
el drawer despertador
armchair el sillón
el cajón
pipe
la pipa
dresser
el tocador
pipe (water)
el tubo
la entrada del garaje
poker
el atizador
ashtray
el cenicero
driveway
attic
el desván
DVD player
balcony
el balcón
fence
basement el sótano basket
la cesta
bathroom el baño bathtub
la bañera
batteries
las pilas
bed
la cama
film
el lector de radio la radio DVD record la cerca el disco la película refrigerator el refrigerador
fire
el fuego
roof
el tejado
flame
la llama
room
el cuarto
flashlight la linterna rug el flat apartament sheet o floor
la alcoba / el floor dormitorio (levels) la bell (door) flower campanilla bedroom
shelf
el estante
el piso / la planta
shovel
la pala
la flor
shower
la ducha
el sideboard congelador
la cobija
freezer
blinds
la persiana
front walk la vereda
box
la caja
la sábana
el suelo
blanket
bookcase la librería
la alfombra
sink
el aparador el fregadero
furniture
los muebles
sink (bathroom) el lavabo
garage
el garaje
sitting
la sala
room broom bucket
la escoba
garden
el balde
ground floor
camcorde la cámara r
hearth
el jardín la planta baja la chimenea
smoke
el humo
sofa
el sofá
stairs
las escaleras
camera
la máquina de fotos
hook
el gancho
steps
los escalones
candle
la vela
house
la casa
story
el piso
carpet
la alfombra
iron (flat) la plancha
stove
la estufa
la cinta el lector de CD player CD
kerosene el petróleo
study
el estudio
cassette
key
la llave
switch
el conmutador
table
la mesa
ceiling
el techo
kitchen
la cocina
chair
la silla
ladder
la escalera tap (faucet) el grifo
chimney
la chimenea lamp
la lámpara
telephone
el teléfono
cigar
el puro / el cigarro
lawn
el césped
television
el televisor
cigarette
el cigarrillo
light bulb la bombilla toaster
clock
el reloj
living room
la sala
toilet (WC) el inodoro
closet
el armario
lock
la cerradura
towel
la toalla
compact disc
el disco compacto
mailbox
el buzón
vacuum cleaner
el aspirador
la computer computador matches a corner
el rincón
cupboard la alacena
mattress
las cerillas vase
el jarrón
el colchón
el magnetoscopi o
microwav el horno
curtain
la cortina
e oven mirror
cushion
el cojín
oven
la tostadora
VCR wall (house
el muro microondas ) el espejo wall (room) la pared el horno
window
la ventana
desk
el escritorio pantry
la despensa
dining room
el comedor
picture
el cuadro
door
la puerta
pillow
la almohada
yard
el jardín
50. COMPARATIVE & SUPERLATIVE Comparisons are expressed as follows: más [adjective] que menos [adjective] que tan [adjective] como tanto (-a, -os, -as) [noun] como
more [adjective] than less [adjective] than as [adjective] as as much/many [noun] as
El gato es menos inteligente que el perro. The cat is less intelligent than the dog. Mi prima tiene más discos que nadie. My cousin has more records than anyone. No tengo tanto dinero como ustedes. I don't have as much money as you. To form comparatives, just add más or menos before the adjective or adverb. To form the superlative, place the definite article before the comparative. Note that de is used to express in after a superlative.
más alta taller la más alta the tallest Rosa es la niña más alta de la clase. Rosa is the tallest girl in the class.
51. IRREGULAR FORMS Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. The most common are: Adjective/Adverb
Comparative
Superlative
good
bueno
better
mejor
the best
el mejor
bad great small
malo grande pequeño
worse greater less
peor mayor menor
the worst the greatest the least
el peor el mayor el menor
well badly much little
bien mal mucho poco
better worse more less
mejor peor más menos
best worst most least
el mejor el peor el más el menos
Note that the bueno and malo change according to gender and number while grande and pequeño change according to gender. The adverbs (the last four) do not agree with the noun.
52. CLOTHING el delantal el pasador
pants
barrette
pin
los pantalones el alfiler
bathrobe
la bata
pocket
el bolsillo
belt
el cinturón
purse
el bolso
blouse
la blusa
raincoat
el impermeable
boot
la bota
ring
el anillo
bracelet
la pulsera
sandals
las sandalias
brush
scarf
buckle
un cepillo del pelo la hebilla
shirt
la bufanda la camisa
button
el botón
shoe
el zapato
cap
el gorro
shoelace
el cordón
clothes
la ropa el abrigo
shorts
coat
silk
los pantalones cortos la seda
collar
el cuello
skirt
la falda
comb
sleeve
cotton
el peine el algodón
slippers
la manga las pantuflas
dress
el vestido
soap
el jabón
earmuffs
las orejaras
sock
los calcetines
earrings
stocking
fashion
el arete la moda
suit
la media el traje
glasses
los lentes
sunglasses
las gafas de sol
glove
el guante
suspenders los tirantes
apron
handbag
el bolso
sweater
el jersey
handkerchief
el pañuelo el sombrero
sweatsuit
el chándal el traje de baño
la cazadora los vaqueros
tie
jeans
T-shirt
la corbata la camiseta
mittens
los mitones
umbrella
el paraguas
necklace
el collar
underwear
la ropa interior
nightgown overcoat
el camisón el sobretodo
waistcoat watch
el chaleco el reloj
pajamas
los pijamas
wool
la lana
hat jacket
swimsuit
53. TO WEAR llevar - to wear
ponerse - to put on
llevo llevas lleva
me pongo te pones se pone
llevamos lleváis llevan
nos ponemos os ponéis se ponen
You don't use possessive pronouns when referring to parts of the body or clothing, but you do use the definite article.
54. FUTURE TENSE The future of regular verbs is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive: -é -ás -á
-emos -éis -án
Many verbs use irregular stems in the future tense, but they still use the regular endings from above: caber (to fit)
cabr-
cabré
decir (to say, tell)
dir-
dirás
haber (to have)
habr-
habrá
hacer (to do, make) har-
haremos
poder (to be able)
podr-
podréis
poner (to put, place)
pondr-
pondrán
querer (to want)
querr-
querré
saber (to know)
sabr-
sabrás
salir (to leave, go out)
saldr-
saldrá
tener (to have, to own)
tendr-
tendremos
valer (to be worth)
valdr-
valdréis
venir (to come)
vendr-
vendrán
55. ADJECTIVES Adjectives must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they describe, and they are placed after the noun. In general, masculine adjectives end in -o and feminine adjectives end in a: blanco and blanca (white). Adjectives that end in -ín, -án, -ón, -dor, -tor and -sor in the masculine will add an -a for the feminine. Adjectives that end in -ete for the masculine will end in -eta for the feminine. Adjectives of nationality add -a to the masculine to form the feminine: francés - francesa (French).Notice that when you add -a, the adjective is no longer written with an accent. To form the plural of adjectives, follow the same rules for forming the plural of nouns. Most adjectives follow the noun they describe, but the following adjectives drop the final -o if placed before a masculine noun in the singular: bueno good; malo - bad; alguno - some; ninguno - no, any; uno - one; primero first; tercero - third When grande means great, it precedes the noun and drops the -de before a singular noun of either gender. Santo(saint) drops the -to before all masculine nouns, except those beginning with Do- or To-.
56. MORE ADJECTIVES large
grande
high, tall
alto
small
pequeño
low, short
bajo
long
largo
pretty
lindo, bonito
short
corto
beautiful
hermoso
good
bueno
ugly
feo
bad
malo
wide
ancho
rich
rico
narrow
estrecho
poor
pobre
heavy
pesado
strong
fuerte
light
ligero
weak
débil
hard
duro
easy
fácil
soft
blando
difficult
difícil
sweet
dulce
fat
gordo
sour
agrio
thin
delgado
bitter
amargo
When any form of the definite article is placed before an adjective, then the adjective becomes a noun.
pobre - poor; el pobre - the poor man If the neuter article lo is placed before a singular masculine adjective, the latter becomes an abstract noun.
bueno - good; lo bueno - the good (everything that is good)
57. SPORTS ball
la pelota
pool
la piscina
game
el juego
basketball
el baloncesto
match
el partido
tennis
el tenis
team
el equipo
swimming
la natación
player soccer
el jugador el fútbol
boxing wrestling
el boxeo la lucha
football
el fútbol americano
hockey
el hockey
baseball
el béisbol
volleyball
el vóleibol
racket
una raqueta
net
una red
ball (small)
una pelota
cleats
unos zapatos de fútbol
bat
un bate
skis
unos esquís
glove
un guante
ski poles
unos bastones
ball
un balón
boots
unas botas
basketball hoop
una canasta
helmet
el casco
58. NATURE air
el aire
grass
el archipelago gulf archipiélago bank la orilla hail
la hierba
sea
el golfo
shadow
el mar
el granizo
sky
la sombra el cielo
bay
la bahía
hay
el heno
snow
la nieve
barn
el granero la playa
high tide hill
la marea alta la colina
soil
beach
el suelo el sur
branch
la rama
ice
el hielo
spring (water)
bridge
el puente
island
la isla
star
bud
el capullo
isthmus
el istmo
stem
bush
el arbusto
jungle
la jungla
storm
cape
el cabo
lake
el lago
strait
cave
la cueva
leaf
la hoja
stream
el arroyo
city
light lightning
la luz el relámpago
street
climate
la ciudad el clima
la calle el sol
cloud
la nube
lily
la azucena
sunflower el girasol
coast
la costa
low tide
la marea baja
thaw
comet
el cometa
meadow
el prado
thunder
south
sun
la fuente la estrella el tallo la tormenta el aprieto
el deshielo el trueno
constellation
la moon constelación
country
el país
country(side) el campo
tornado
el tornado
mountain la montaña
tree
el árbol
mountain la sierra range
trunk
el tronco
la luna
la tulip desembocadura el barro valley
current
la corriente
mouth (river)
daffodil
el narciso
mud
daisy
la margarita nature
la naturaleza
view
la vista
darkness
la obscuridad
north
el norte
water
el agua (f)
desert
el desierto
peninsula la península
dew
el rocío
plain
el llano
dust
el polvo
planet
el planeta
watering la can regadera
earth
la tierra
plant
la planta
waterfall
la cascada
east
el este
pond
el estanque
wave
la ola
farm
la granja
pot (for plants)
la maceta
weather
el tiempo
field
el campo
rain
la lluvia
west
el oeste
flower
la flor
rainbow
el arco iris
wind
el viento
foam
la espuma le niebla
river
el mundo
rock
el río la roca
world
fog foliage
el follaje
root
la raíz
forest
el bosque la helada
rose
la rosa la arena
frost
sand
59. TO SAY & TO GO OUT decir - to say
digo dices
salir - to go out
decimos decís
salgo sales
salimos salís
el tulipán el valle
el agua dulce el agua salt water salada fresh water
dice
dicen
sale
salen
60. PARA VS. POR & PERO VS. SINO Para is used to express: use or destination (for), purpose (in order to); point of future time (for, by) and to be about to (estar para + infinitive - though this is not used in all dialects of Spanish.) La carta es para Concha. The letter is for Concha. Estudia para aprender. He studies in order to learn. Lo tendré para el martes. I will have it by Tuesday. Juan está para salir. John is about to leave. (not used in all dialects) Por is used to express: a place through or along which; expressions of time (in, during, at); exchange, price (for); unit of measure (by, per); way or means (by); because of, on account of, for; to go for, to send for; on behalf of, for the sake of; motive, reason. It is also used after a passive verb to indicate the agent (by) and estar por + infinitive indicates what remains to be done or to be in favor of. por el pueblo through the town por la mañana in the morning Pagó un peso por el libro. He paid a dollar for the book. Se vende por libras. It's sold by the pound. Voy por tren. I'm going by train. I'm going for Alice. Voy Votépor porAlicia. Juanita. I voted for Juanita. Fue escrito por Cervantes. It was written by Cervantes. La carta está por escribir. The letter is yet to be written. Estoy por escribirla. I am in favor of writing it.
Pero (but) usually follows an affirmative expression, but may follow a negative statement if the verb of the first clause is repeated, or if another verb follows. Bebe leche pero no bebe café. He drinks milk, but he does not drink coffee. Sino (but) is only used in negative sentences of contrasting statements when the verb of the first clause is understood but not repeated. No bebe café sino leche. He does not drink coffee, but milk.
61. OBJECT PRONOUNS Subject
Indirect
Object of Prepositions
yo
I
Direct
me
me
me to me
mí
me
tú
you
te
you
te
to you
ti
you
él
he/it
lo
him/it le
to him/it
él
him/it
ella
she/it la
her/it
le
to her/it
ella
her/it
Usted
you
la
you
le
to you
Usted
you
nosotros (as)
we
nos
us
nos to us
nosotros (as)
us
vosotros (as)
you
os
you
os
to you
vosotros (as)
you
Ustedes
you
los, las
you
les
to you
Ustedes
you
ellos (as)
they
los
them
les
to them
ellos (as)
them
1. An object pronoun generally precedes the conjugated verb, except if is used in an affirmative command, with an infinitive or gerund. Then it is attached to the verb as one word. Déme Ud. el libro. Give me the book. 2. When you have more than one pronoun, the indirect comes before the direct. If both pronouns begin with the letterl, then the first one is changed to se. 3. When one or two object pronouns follow and are attached to the verb form, an accent mark must be added to retain the srcinal stress of the word. 4. For clearness or emphasis, the prepositional form of a plus an object of a preposition may be used. Nos envió a Ud. He sent us to you. 5. When the preposition con (with) precedes me or te, the words change to conmigo (with me) and contigo (with you).
62. PARTS OF THE BODY ankle
el tobillo
fever
la fiebre
pain
el dolor
arm
el brazo
finger
el dedo
nose
la nariz
artery
la arteria la espalda
fist
el puño la carne
palm
la palma el pulso
back
flesh
pulse
beard
la barba
foot
el pie
rib
la costilla
belly
el vientre la vejiga
forehead
la frente la encía
shin
la espinilla
bladder blood
la sangre
hair
body
el cuerpo el hueso
hand head
la mano la cabeza
skin
bone brain breast
el cerebro el seno
health heart
la salud el corazón
sole spine
breath
el aliento
heel
el talón
la planta la espina dorsal stomach el estómago
calf
la pantorrilla
hip
la cadera
tear
cheek
la mejilla el pecho
intestine jaw
el intestino temple la quijada thigh
la sien el muslo
chest
gum
el cabello / el pelo
shoulder el hombro skeleton el esqueleto
skull
la piel el cráneo
la lágrima
chin
la barba / la barbilla
kidney
el riñón
throat
la garganta
coccyx
el coxis
knee
la rodilla
thumb
cold
el resfriado
leg
la pierna
toe
el pulgar el dedo del pie
lip liver
el labio el hígado
tongue tooth
la lengua el diente
vein
ear
la enfermedad lung el pulmón la oreja moustache el bigote
wound
la vena le herida
elbow
el codo
mouth
la boca
waist
la cintura
eye
el ojo
muscle
el músculo
wrist
la muñeca
eyebrow
nail
eyelid
la ceja el párpado
neck
la uña el cuello
face
la cara
nerve
el nervio
complexion la tez cough la tos disease
To express pain, use an indirect object pronoun + duele(n) + body part.
Me duele la cabeza. My head hurts. Le duelen los pies. His feet hurt.
63. ASKING QUESTIONS
Simply raise your voice at the end of the sentence. Place the predicate in front of the subject of the sentence. Add no? or verdad? or no es verdad? to the end of the statement. These translate to many phrases in English, such as Isn't it? Aren't you? Don't you? Didn't he? Isn't she? etc.
64. TO GIVE AND TO BRING dar - to give
traer - to bring
doy das da
traigo traes trae
damos dais dan
traemos traéis traen
65. RELATIVE PRONOUNS A relative pronoun connects a dependent clause to a main clause and refers to something already mentioned (the antecedent.) This pronoun may serve as the subject or object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. Que and quienare the most commonly used relative pronouns.
Que (who, whom, that, which) refers to persons or things, except after a preposition, when it refers to things only. El que (and its forms - la que, los que, las que) and el cual (and its forms - la cual, los cuales, las cuales) may replace que or quien. These pronouns are used for clearness when there are two antecedents, and with prepositions.
La casa en que vivo es pequeña. The house in which I live is small. He visitado la ciudad cerca de la cual vive. I visited the city near which he lives. Quien (-es) (who) is used in a supplementary clause. When used with a preposition, it means whom. Quien (-es) is often used in place of el que and its forms as well, when it means one who, those who, etc. Lo que and lo cual (which) refer to the whole sentence. Cuyo (-a, -os, -as) is a possessive adjective and it agrees in gender and number with the thing possessed, which is always the word that follows it.
66. DISJUNCTIVE PRONOUNS
Disjunctive pronouns are used independently of the verb. They are the pronouns which follow prepositions, or show emphasis. mí ti él ella Usted
nosotros (-as) vosotros (-as) ellos ellas Ustedes
Ello is also used as a neuter pronoun meaning it. Sí can mean yourself, himself, herself, yourselves or themselves. When con combines with mí, ti or sí, the words become conmigo, contigo and consigo. For clearness, the forms ofmismo (-a, -os, -as) can be added to these pronouns.
67. TO HEAR, TO SMELL AND TO SEE oír - to hear
oler - to smell
oigo oyes oye
huelo hueles huele
oímos oís oyen
ver - to see
olemos oléis huelen
veo ves ve
vemos veis ven
68. ANIMALS el animal la hormiga
lark
ant
lion
la alomdra el león
antelope
el antílope
lizard
el lagarto
antenna
la antena
lobster (spiny)
la langosta
antler
louse
badger
el asta el tejón
mackerel
el piojo el escombro
bat
el murciélago
mole
el topo
beak
el pico
monkey
el mono
bear
mosquito
bee
el oso la abeja
moth
el mosquito la polilla
beetle
el escarabajo
mouse
el ratón
bird
el pájaro
mule
el mulo
animal
blackbird
el mirlo
mussel
la almeja
bull
el toro la mariposa
nest
el nido el ruiseñor
el ternero la carpa
octopus
carp
ostrich
el pulpo el avestruz
cat
el gato
owl
el buho
caterpillar
la oruga
ox
el buey
cheetah chicken
el guepardo el pollo
oyster parrot
la ostra el loro
chimpanzee
partridge
cockroach
el chimpancé la zarpa la cucaracha
penguin
la perdiz la pata el pingüino
cod
el bacalao
pig
el cerdo
cocoon
pigeon
cow
el capullo la vaca
pike
el pichón el sollo
crab
el cangrejo
pony
el potro
crayfish
el cangrejo el cocodrilo
rabbit
crocodile
raccoon
el conejo el mapache
crow deer
el cuervo el ciervo
rat rooster
la rata el gallo
dog
el perro el burro
salmon
donkey
scale
el salmón la escama
dragonfly
la libélula
scorpion
el escorpión
duck
el pato
sea gull
la gaviota
eagle
el águila (f)
seahorse
el caballito de mar
eel
el anguila
seal
la foca
egg
el huevo el elefante
shark
elephant
sheep
el tiburón la oveja
feather fin
la pluma la aleta
shrimp skin
la gamba la piel
fish
el pez
slug
la babosa
butterfly calf
claw
nightingale
paw
flea
la pulga
snail
el caracol
fly
la mosca
snake
la serpiente / la culebra
fox
el zorro la rana
sole
el pelo la branquia
spider
gill giraffe goat
la jirafa la cabra
squirrel starfish
goose
el ganso
stork
la ardilla la estrella de mar la cigüeña
gorilla
el gorila
swallow
la golondrina
grasshopper
el saltamontes la marmota
swan
hamster
tadpole
el cisne el renacuajo
hare
la liebre
tail
la cola
hedgehog
el erizo la gallina
tiger
hen
toad
el tigre el sapo
heron
la garza
trout
la trucha
herring
el arenque
tuna
el atún
hoof
la pezuña el cuerno
turkey
horn
turtle
el pavo la tortuga
horse
el caballo
wasp
la avispa
hummingbird
weasel
insect
el colibri la iguana el insecto
wing
la comadreja la ballena el ala (f)
jellyfish
la medusa
wolf
el lobo
kitten
el gatito la catarina
worm
ladybug
el gusano la cebra
lamb
el cordero
frog fur
iguana
69. SUFFIXES
sparrow squid
whale
zebra
el lenguado el gorrión la araña el calamar
Suffixes may be attached to nouns, adjectives or adverbs. Unaccented vowels should be dropped before adding the suffixes. The most common suffixes are -ito (a) and -cito (a). They express size, affection, admiration, appreciation or pity. The ending -ero (a) indicates the maker or dealer in charge of something. To indicate where something is made or sold, add ería. When -eza and -ura are added to adjectives, they express abstract nouns. When -dor is added to a verb (minus the final letter), it indicates the performer of the action.
70. SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD The subjunctive is not used very often in English, but it is very common and important in Spanish. Some command forms are actually the subjunctive, so the formation of the present subjunctive should not be too difficult. Start with the first person singular yo conjugation in the present indicative tense, remove the final -o and add these endings:
Present Subjunctive -ar verbs -er and -ir -e -es -e
-
-a emos -éis -as -a -en
amos -áis -an
(Notice that -ar verbs use -e and -er/-ir verbs use -a) Usually when there is an irregular spelling change in the present indicative of a verb, that form will be used for the stem of all of the subjunctive forms. (Review #29 from Spanish I) Verbs than end in -erir, -ertir, or -entir use two different irregular spellings in the present subjunctive:
mentir in present subjunctive mienta mintamos mientas mintáis mienta mientan The past subjunctive is formed from the third person plural of the preterite. Remove the -on ending, leaving you with -ar and -ier, and add these new endings:
Past (Imperfect) Subjunctive
all verbs -a - amos as -ais -a -an An accent is added to the stem vowel as well in the first person plural form. Instead of hablaramos, it is habláramos; instead of comieramos, it is comiéramos, etc. Note that there is another way to form the past subjunctive (a different set of endings), but the endings given are used more often. You must always the past subjunctive after como si. Es como si fuera mi padre. It's as if he were my father. The present perfect subjunctive is formed with the present subjunctive of haber and the past participle of the main verb. Similarly, the past perfect subjunctive is formed with the past subjunctive of haber and the past participle of the main verb.
Present perfect subjunctive haya hayamos hayas hayáis + past participle haya hayan
Past perfect subjunctive hubiera hubiéramos hubieras hubierais + past participle hubiera hubieran
You must always pay attention to the correct usage of verb tenses. When the verb of the main clause is in the present or future, then the verb of the subordinating clause will be in the present subjunctive. But if the verb in the main clause is in a past tense, the verb of the subordinating clause will be in the past subjunctive.
71. IRREGULAR SUBJUNCTIVE MOOD Many verbs are considered irregular in the present subjunctive mood. However, only six verbs (marked in grey below) do not follow the pattern described above when starting with the yo conjugation of the indicative. Nevertheless, these verbs are still somewhat easy to remember even if they don't follow the pattern because the imperative form will help you determine the stem to use for the subjunctive conjugation. dé des
dar - to give demos deis
decir - to say/tell diga digamos digas digáis
esté estés
estar - to be estemos estéis
dé
den haber - to have haya hayamos hayas hayáis haya hayan poder - to be able to pueda podamos puedas podáis
diga digan hacer - to do/make haga hagamos hagas hagáis haga hagan poner - to put/place ponga pongamos pongas pongáis
esté
estén ir - to go vaya vayamos vayas vayáis vaya vayan querer - to want quiera queramos quieras queráis
pueda puedan saber - to know sepa sepamos sepas sepáis sepa sepan tener - to have tenga tengamos tengas tengáis tenga tengan
ponga pongan salir - to go out salga salgamos salgas salgáis salga salgan traer - to bring traiga traigamos traigas traigáis traiga traigan
quiera
quieran ser - to be sea seamos seas seáis sea sean venir - to come venga vengamos vengas vengáis venga vengan
Many verbs are irregular in the past subjunctive as well:
dar - to give
decir - to say/tell
estar - to be
diera dieras diéramos dierais diera dieran haber - to have hubiera hubiéramos hubieras hubierais hubiera hubieran poder - to be able to pudiera pudiéramos pudieras pudierais pudiera pudieran saber - to know supiera supiéramos
dijera dijeras dijéramos dijerais dijera dijeran hacer - to do/make hiciera hiciéramos hicieras hicierais hiciera hicieran poner - to put/place pusiera pusiéramos pusieras pusierais pusiera pusieran ser - to be fuera fuéramos
estuviera estuvieras estuviéramos estuvierais estuviera estuvieran ir - to go fuera fuéramos fueras fuerais fuera fueran querer - to want quisiera quisiéramos quisieras quisierais quisiera quisieran tener - to have tuviera tuviéramos
supieras supiera supierais supieran traer - to bring
fueras fuerais fuera fueran venir - to come
tuvieras tuviera
tuvierais tuvieran
trajera trajéramos trajeras trajerais trajera trajeran
viniera viniéramos vinieras vinierais viniera vinieran
72. USES OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE The main uses of the subjunctive include (generally, que will follow the verb): 1. After the verbs querer and desear (to want) when there is a change of subject (but use the infinitive if there is no change of subject) 2. When one person tells ( decir) or asks ( pedir) another person to do something. 3. After verbs of emotion or command, such as esperar (to hope), sentir (to be sorry), temer (to fear), alegrarse (to be glad), mandar (to order), rogar (to request), when there is a change of subject. 4. After dudar (to doubt) and other verbs expressing uncertainty (negative of creer), as well as after quizás, tal vez andacaso (maybe) to reinforce the idea of doubt. 5. After most impersonal expressions, such as es posible que / puede que (it's possible), es importante que (it's important), es necesario que /
hace falta (it's necessary) if there is a subject for the subordinate verb. 6. In adjective clauses is the antecedent is indefinite 7. After certain conjunctions, such as para que (in order that), sin que (without), and antes que (before) 8. After time conjunctions, such as cuando (when), en cuanto (as soon as), hasta que (until), when future is implied. 9. After que in expressions of wishes or desires: Que aproveche! Have a good meal! 10. To translate the future tense in subordinating clause: Cuando sea mayor iré a España. When I'm older, I will go to Spain. In contrary-to-fact conditions, the past subjunctive must be used in the ifclause (and the main clause is in a conditional tense)
73. ADVERBS
Most adverbs are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the adjective. However, two common adverbs that do not end in -mente are despacio (slowly) and demasiado (too much). Adjective
Adverb
correcto fácil claro absoluto rápido
correctamente fácilmente claramente absolutamente rápidamente
correctly easily clearly absolutely rapidly
Lo + adverb + que expresses how, while lo más + adverb + an expression of possibility is translated: as ... as ... lo bien que how well lo más pronto posible as soon as possible
74. PASSIVE VOICE In passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb. In active sentences, the subject does the action. However, the meaning of both sentences is the same. The passive voice in Spanish is formed with a tense of ser and a past participle. Ser should be in the same tense as the verb in its corresponding active sentence. The agent is expressed by por if the action is physical; and by de if mental. The past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject. If you use estar instead of ser, the past participle is called the predicate adjective and it is not a passive sentence. Active
El viento destruye la casa.
The wind destroys the house.
Passive
La casa fue destruida por el viento.
The house was destroyed by the wind.
Predicate Adjective
Cuando la vi, la casa estaba destruida.
When I saw it, the house was destroyed.
El niño fue castigado por su padre. The boy was punished by his father. Rosa es amada por todos. Rose is loved by everyone.
75. USES OF THE INFINITIVE
The infinitive is translated as a gerund (the -ing form of the verb) after these words: el, al, a preposition, ver or oír.
El correr es un buen ejercicio. Running is good exercise. Partió sin hablar. He left without speaking. Oigo cantar a Maria. I hear Maria singing.
76. SHOPPING department store
el almacén
shop/store
la tienda
glasses
el centro comercial el cinturón las gafas
sale
el mercado (al aire libre) el precio (fijo) la rebaja
gloves
los guantes
to bargain
regatear
sunglasses
los lentes de sol
to spend money
gastar
shopping mall belt
(open-air) market (fixed) price
77. POST OFFICE AND BANK post office
el correo
bank
el banco
envelope
el sobre
(traveler's) check
el cheque (de viajero)
mailbox
el buzón
to cash (a check)
cobrar
mail carrier
el cartero
to save (money)
ahorrar
stamps
las estampillas el paquete
to deposit
depositar la cuenta
package
account
78. CONDITIONAL TENSE The conditional tense expresses an idea dependent on a condition that is either expressed or understood. It can also refer to the past when it expresses probability.
To form the present conditional, add these endings to the infinitive for all three types of verbs. Verbs that had irregular stems in the future tense, also use that stem for the conditional tense. -ía -ías -ía
-íamos -íais -ían
79. INFINITIVES FOLLOWED BY PREPOSITIONS The following verbs require a, de, en or con when followed by another infinitive, although the preposition is not always translated into English. Verb + a + another infinitive acostumbrarse aprender atreverse ayudar comenzar convidar decidirse dedicarse empezar enseñar invitar ir negarse persuadir principiar rehusar resignarse resistirse resolverse venir volver
to become used to to learn to to dare to to help to begin to to invite to to decide to to devote oneself to to begin to to teach to to invite to go to to refuse to to persuade to to begin to to refuse to to resign oneself to to resist to resolve to to come to to return to
Verb + en + another infinitive consentir consistir divertirse empeñarse
to to consent consist to to amuse oneself to insist on
Verb + de + another infinitive acabar acordarse alegrarse aprovecharse arrepentirse cansarse cesar dejar encargarse gozar jactarse olvidarse tratar
to have just to remember to be glad to to profit by to repent to tire of to cease to cease to take charge of to take pleasure in to boast of to forget to to try to
Verb + con + another infinitive contar contentarse soñar
to count ononeself with to content to dream of
esforzarse insistir ocuparse pensar persistir tardar
to endeavor to to insist on to busy oneself to think of to persist in to delay in
80. OFFICE / SCHOOL SUPPLIES pencil
el lápiz
dictionary
el diccionario
eraser
la goma
tape (audio)
la cinta
pen
la pluma
map
el mapa
ink
la tinta
newspaper
el periódico
paper
el papel
novel
la novela
letter
la carta
backpack
la mochila
notebook
el cuaderno
stapler
la grapadora
book
el libro
scissors
unas tijeras
81. PARTS OF A CAR & GAS STATION car garage tank gasoline oil air grease tire spare tire wheel steering wheel brake speed slow danger stop go
el coche el garage el tanque la gasolina el aceite el aire la grasa la llanta llanta picada la rueda el volante el freno la velocidad despacio peligro alto siga, adelante
service station
la estación de servicio
82. TRAVELLING & VACATION passport customs arrival departure
el pasaporte la aduana la llegada la salida
airport parking lot bus stop traffic jam
(roundel pasaje (de ida y vuelta) map trip) ticket luggage el equipaje countryside single/double la mountain room habitación individual/doble train (bus) la estación de tren (de beach station autobuses) subway la estación de metro paths to take a trip hacer un viaje vacation to go on ir de vacaciones to drive vacation to pack hacer las maletas to visit to travel viajar to walk to fly volar to get lost
el aeropuerto el aparcamiento la parada los atascos el mapa el campo la montaña la playa los caminos las vacaciones conducir visitar pasearse perderse
83. COSMETICS / TOILETRIES shampoo
el champú
brush
el cepillo
soap
el jabón
comb
el peine
makeup
el maquillaje
toothpaste
la pasta de dientes
toothbrush
el cepillo de dientes la toalla
shaving cream la crema de afeitar lotion
la loción
towel
nail polish
el esmalte para las uñas
electric razor
84. OTHER PERFECT TENSES
la maquinilla de afeitar
Beside the present and past perfect tenses, there are also the preterite, future and conditional perfect tenses. All are conjugated with a form of haber and a past participle. The preterite perfect is formed with the preterite of haber + past participle, and it has the same meaning as the past perfect. But this tense is normally only used after conjunctions of time, such as así que, luego que, tan pronto como(as soon as); cuando (when); después (de) que (after); and hasta que (until). The future perfect is formed with the future of haber + past participle and is also used to express probability, referring to the present. The conditional perfect is formed with the conditional of haber + past participle and is also used to express probability, referring to the past.
85. DURATIONS OF TIME Ago : hace + a period of time Se fue hace quince días. He left fifteen days ago. Since / For : desde hace + a period of time (careful with verb tenses here: present tense in Spanish, present perfect orpresent perfect continuous in English) No vienes a verme desde hace un mes. You haven't come to see me for a month. In : dentro de + a period of time (time at which something will happen) Te llamo dentro de media hora. I'll call you in a half hour.
86. TELEPHONE Hello
Diga
Hello (reply) Oiga This is... phone card
Soy... una tarjeta telefónica
telephone book
la guía telefónica
yellow pages
las páginas amarillas
to transfer someone poner con alguien to call telefonear
phone booth una cabina
to pick up
descolgar
una llamada el timbre del teléfono
to hang up
colgar
to leave a message
dejar un recado
dialtone
el tono de marcar
to be very talkative
hablar por los codos
wrong number
un número equivocado
to dial a number
marcar un número
busy signal
la señal de ocupado
call ringtone
87. EXCLAMATIONS Exclamatory phrases, which express what a or how, begin with qué, cuánto, and cómo. Qué can be followed by a noun or an adjective. Sometimes tan or más are also used with the adjective to emphasize a defect or a quality. ¡Qué mujer!What a woman! ¡Qué familia tan unida! What a united family!
Cuánto expresses quantity, and agrees in gender and number with the adjective that follows. It can also be followed by a verb, in which case there is no agreement. Furthermore, lo que can replace cuánto when a verb follows. ¡Cuánta comida! How much food! / There's a lot of food! ¡Cuánto comes! How you eat! / You eat a lot! Cómo expresses the manner in which something is done. It can only be followed by a verb. ¡Cómo baila! How he dances! / He dances well! 88. COLLOQUIAL EXPRESSIONS
la pandilla
group of friends
¡qué pasada!
that's awesome!
el colega / el socio
friend
¡qué rollo!
it's boring!
el profe el cole
teacher middle school
¡chulo! ¡chula! ser un lince
great! to be very clever
un(a) chaval(a)
guy/girl
llevarse un chasco to be
disappointed
un tío
guy
un ligue
flirt
un empollón
hard-worker
un cabeza de chorlito
scatterbrain
estar hasta la gorra ligar estar hecho papilla
to be fed up to flirt to be sad
estar hecho polvo to be tired
un cabeza cuadrada stubborn
estar mal del coco to be crazy
un cara de mala leche
estar harto
mean look/face
to be fed up
89. ASPECTS OF ACTION To express an action that is planned (going to happen): ir a + infinitive. Voy a acostarme. I'm going to go to bed. To express an action that is just about to happen: estar a punto de + infinitive or estar para + infinitive. El avión está para aterrizar. The plane is about to land. To express an action that repeats: volver a + infinitive. Vuelve a escribir su nombre. You write your name again. To express an action that has just happened: acabar de + infinitive. Acabo de llegar. I just arrived.
90. VERBS OF FEELINGS Several verbs in Spanish that express feelings (pleasure, pain, etc.) have different word order than in English. These verbs have the same construction as gustar (#35): Indirect object + verb + subject. Me, te, le, nos, os, les are the indirect object pronouns. The verb is conjugated in third person singular or plural because it agrees with the subject, not the indirect object.
gustar
to like
dar asco
to hate
apetecer
to feel like
dar miedo
to scare
encantar dar ganas
to adore
dar lástima doler
to trouble
to feel like
to hurt
Te apetece salir. You feel like going out. Le duelen los dientes. His teeth hurt. Les da miedo la película. The film scares them. You can also add a mí,aaellas, ti, a él, a usted, a nosotros/-as, a for or aa ella, before the indirect object vosotros/-as, a ellos, ustedes emphasis.
A mí me gusta el fútbol . Me, I like soccer.