Grammar Rules / Culture Insight / Plain learning Flashcards
(129 cards)
1
Q
Adjectives come after nouns in Spanish sentences.
Imagine that Juan has green eyes and we want to say so in Spanish. We need to write that he has “ojos verdes” (literally: eyes green) and not “verdes ojos.”
This rule applies to other adjective and noun combinations, not just green eyes. If Juan has long hair, we’d say he has “pelo largo” (literally: hair long) and if it’s short, it would be “pelo corto.”
A
Just to make things even more confusing, you also need to remember to make your adjectives agree. So if the noun is plural, the adjective needs to be plural too. For example, since ojos (eyes) is plural, that’s why we paired it with verdes (green – plural) and not the singular verde.
2
Q
Like in English, Spanish adverbs are used to describe verbs.
For example, “Juan lee rápidamente” (Juan reads quickly). How does he read? He reads quickly, which describes the verb “reads.” Good for Juan.
Here’s another example: “Juan canta mal” (Juan sings badly). Not so good for Juan.
A
Spanish adverbs can also move around in the sentence, similar to how they can in English. We could say:
Juan escribe lentamente. (Literally: Juan writes slowly)
Lentamente escribe Juan. (Literally: Slowly writes Juan)
Either way, we would be saying that Juan writes slowly. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on your point of view.
3
Q
To make most Spanish adverbs, just add “-mente” to the end of the adjective. If the adjective ends in “o” to describe a masculine noun, you’ll need to make sure that the letter before the “-mente” is “a” and not “o.“
A
rápido/rápida, → rápidamente
lento/lenta → lentamente
perfecto/perfecta → perfectamente
If the adjective doesn’t end in o/a, you can simple add “-mente.” For example, difícil (difficult) becomes difícilmente. Not so difícil after all!
4
Q
The addition of “-mente” in Spanish is similar to the addition of “-ly” to adjectives in English (“slow” becomes “slowly,” for example).
A
Unlike Spanish adjectives, Spanish adverbs do not convey gender and are the same whether we’re talking about a male or female.
5
Q
Of course, there are also a few adverbs that don’t follow the “add -mente” rule. The most common irregular adverbs are:
A
bueno → bien
malo → mal
Remember those two and you should have no problem making basic sentences with adverbs.
6
Q
To make a Spanish sentence negative, add “no” before the verb.
A
So “Juan escribe” (Juan writes) becomes “Juan no escribe” (Juan doesn’t write).
7
Q
Unlike in English, it is possible in Spanish to use double negatives.
A
For example, we could say “no me gusta nada,” which translates literally to, “I don’t like nothing,” but is completely correct grammatically in Spanish.
8
Q
Spanish Comparatives
and
Spanish Superlatives
A
Words that compare one thing to another (e.g., better, older) are called comparatives.
Words that put something at the top or bottom of the class, so to speak, (e.g., best, oldest) are called superlatives.
9
Q
When you want to compare the age (older, younger) or quality (better, best) of two things, you will use the comparative form of the adjective plus than.
A
For example:
mejor que- better than
peor que- worse than
mayor que- older than
menor que - younger than
10
Q
Ejemplos:
mi hermano es mayor que yo .
my brother is older than me.
la hermana de Gabriel es menor que él.
Gabriel’s sister is younger than him.
A
Ex)
El sombrero negro es mejor que el sombrero blanco.
The black hat is better than the white hat.
La primera banda fue mejor que la segunda.
The first band was better than the second.
11
Q
If you want to say that your sister is the oldest in your family, you will simply add the article “the” to the comparative form of the adjective.
A
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12
Q
Ejemplos:
Él es el mejor cantante del mundo.
He is the best singer in the world.
Ella es la peor estudiante de la clase.
She is the worst student in the class.
A
La señora es la mayor del barrio.
The lady is the oldest in the neighborhood.
Margarita es la hija menor.
Margaret is the youngest daughter.
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Q
You will notice that the word de is often used with superlatives. When used after a superlative, de can mean “in” or “of.”
A
Ejemplos:
El jugador es el mejor de todos.
The player is the best of all.
Lupe es la mejor trabajadora del grupo.
Lupe is the best worker in the group.
14
Q
You can also form superlatives by talking about the strongest, coolest, fastest thing of all. Whereas you form these superlatives in English by adding an –est to the end of the adjective or adverb, you form them in Spanish by using the word más instead.
A
Más means most.
If you wish to talk about “the hottest day of the summer” in Spanish, you’ll have to say “the day most hot of the summer.”
15
Q
That’s exactly how it’s done in Spanish. All other superlatives will be formed using the sentence construction below.
noun + más + adjective or adverb + de + noun
A
In Spanish, then, the phrase “the hottest day of the summer” will become:
el día + más + caluroso + del + verano
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Q
Ejemplos
Hoy es el día más caluroso del verano.
Today is the hottest day of the summer.
La primavera es la estación más lluviosa en mi región.
The spring is the wettest season in my region.
A
Estas son las flores más hermosas de mi jardín.
These are the most beautiful flowers of my garden.
Juan tiene la guitarra más cara del grupo.
John has the most expensive guitar in the group.
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Q
In Spanish, there’s another way of expressing how something is just the “most-est.” You can intensify the meaning of any adjective by adding the ending -ísimo.
A
This is the English equivalent adding a “very” or “super” before the adjective.
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Q
Ejemplos
La comida está riquísima.
The food is super delicious.
El atleta corrió rapidísimo en la competencia.
The athlete ran super fast in the competition.
A
La noche estuvo heladísima.
The night was super cold.
19
Q
Other comparisons you will make will be of the greater and lesser sort. In other words, you will say that something has more or less of a quality than the other thing.
A
Julie has more pens than Matt.
San Francisco has fewer people than
Los Angeles.
When it comes to shoes, Annette has more than her sister.
20
Q
Notice that the words “more” and “less” are followed by a “than.”
A
In Spanish, it’s just the same, but instead of talking about “more than” you will talk about más que.
más que = more (or greater) than
menos que = less (or fewer) than
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Q
Ejemplos
Ricardo es más inteligente que José.
Richard is more intelligent than Joe.
Elena tiene menos dinero que Nadia.
Ellen has less money than Nadia.
A
Javier es más fuerte que su hermano.
Javier is stronger than his brother.
Pedro come menos que Miguel.
Peter eats less than Michael.
22
Q
You can also use comparatives to describe how similar two things are. For example, you might wish to say:
You’re as nice as your sister.
I have as many toys as you.
A
Expressions like tan … como and tanto … como help you do that.
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Q
When you compare two things that are similar in English, you often use as … as, whether or not the word that the two things have in common is a noun, adjective, or adverb. In Spanish, however, there is a distinction.
A
Use tan … como for “as … as” when the characteristic in common is an adjective or adverb.
Use tanto … como for “as many … as” or “as much … as,” when the characteristic in common is a noun.
Remember that the word tanto must reflect the gender and quantity of the noun it describes.
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Q
Ejemplos
Tu auto es tan lento como un caracol.
Your car is as slow as a snail. (“slow” is an adjective)
Carlos es tan guapo como su hermano.
Charles is as handsome as his brother. (“handsome” is an adjective)
A
Tú tienes tantas ideas como yo.
You have as many ideas as I do. (“ideas” is a noun)
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Rules of Pluralization
Here we’ll perform magic, and with the blink of an eye, one will turn into many, and singular nouns will be transformed into their plural cousins.
In order to do that, you will have to change two things:
Change “el” → “los” or “la” → “las”
Change the noun into its plural form, according to the rules.
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A. If the noun ends in a vowel, add “s.”
El libro → los libros (books)
El gato → los gatos (male cats)
La casa → Las casas (houses)
La manzana → las manzanas (apples)
B. If the noun ends in a consonant, add “es.”
El papel → los papeles (papers)
El rey → los reyes (kings)
La ciudad → las ciudades (cities)
La estación → las estaciones (stations)
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C. If the noun ends in a “z,” change “z” → “c” and add “es.”
La actriz → las actrices (actresses)
La luz → las luces (lights)
La vez → las veces (times)
D. If the noun ends in “-ión,” add “es” (Don’t forget to drop the written accent on the “ó”!)
La sección → las secciones (sections)
La televisión → las televisiones (televisions)
La conversación → las conversaciones (conversations)
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E. When the group you are referring to contains a mix of both males and females, use the masculine plural form.
2 hermanos (brothers) + 2 hermanas (sisters) = 4 hermanos (siblings)
1 gato (male cat) + 9 gatas (female cats) = 10 gatos (cats)
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Rules of Contraction and Conjunction
ADELANTE
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Contractions in Spanish involve two prepositions: “a” and “de.”
a = to, at, from, by, on, for, upon
de = of, about, on, because of, by, at
Here is the one rule for contractions:
When “a” or “de” comes before the masculine article “el,” the two are contracted.
a + el = al
de + el = del
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So if we want to say “John got on the train,” we have [Juan subió a] + [el tren], which together is:
Juan subió al tren.
Likewise, to say “It’s the neighbor’s car,” we’d have [Es el carro de] + [el vecino], which together is:
Es el carro del vecino.
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Now let’s move to conjunctions. These are words used to link other words, phrases and clauses. Here we’re interested in the Spanish words for “and” and “or”:
y (and)
o (or)
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Here are the rules:
A. If “y” is followed by a word that begins or sounds like “i,” then “y” changes to “e.” (This is for good reason, because “y” and “i” are so similar-sounding.)
[Padre y] + [hijo] is: Padre e hijo (Father and son)
[Cruel y] + [inhumano] is: Cruel e inhumano (Cruel and inhumane)
B. If “o” is followed by a word that begins or sounds like “o,” then the conjunction becomes “u.”
[Sujeto o] + [objeto] is: Sujeto u objeto (Subject or object)
[Ayer o] + [hoy] is: Ayer u hoy (Yesterday or today)
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Sino In Spanish
You may already know that the word pero, means but.
What you may not know is that there is another word for but in Spanish that has a slightly different meaning: sino!!.
pero
but, however
sino
but rather, on the contrary
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When to Use PERO
You will ordinarily use pero before a complete clause or statement, be it a negative one or a positive one. You will know that pero is the correct choice if you can substitute the word however and still convey the correct English meaning.
Ejemplos
Me gustan mucho las manzanas, pero los plátanos me gustan más.
I like apples very much, but I like bananas more.
El auto rojo está muy maltratado, pero el motor está super bueno.
The red car has been badly taken care of, but the motor is in great condition.
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When to Use SINO
When what follows the word but is NOT a complete clause or statement, you may need to use sino instead. If you can substitute but rather or on the contrary and still convey the correct English meaning, then you will know that sino is the correct choice.
Ejemplos
No sirven comida en el bar, sino en el restaurante.
They don’t serve food at the bar, but rather in the restaurant.
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If what follows sino is a conjugated verb or a subordinate clause (rather than an infinitive or a noun), you’ll need to use sino que.
Por ejemplo:
Not Only ... But Also
Sino has another use. If you want to say that you not only won first place but also the grand prize, you will use the phrase no solo … sino.
The word también is frequently used with no solo … sino. También means too or also.
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Ejemplos
No me gusta hablar, sino cantar.
I don’t like talking, but rather singing.
Sarita no le gusta Orlando Bloom, sino Johnny Depp.
Sarita doesn’t like Orlando Bloom, but rather Johnny Depp.
No solo vamos a Irlanda sino a Escocia también.
We’re not only going to Ireland but to Scotland, too.
No solo comimos pastel sino helado también.
We didn’t just eat cake but ice cream also.
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Remember that if what follows is a subordinate clause (e.g., a conjugated verb), you need to use sino que.
Ejemplos
1. No sólo estoy enamorado de Silvia, sino que quiero casarme con ella.
- I’m not only in love with Silvia, but also I want to marry her.
2. No sólo dices que tengo que cambiar, sino que les dices a todas tus amigas qué vago soy.
- You don’t just tell me that I have to change, but you also tell all your friends how lazy I am.
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How to Say “A” or “An” in Spanish
Main teaching point:
unos and unas
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In Spanish, there are four forms of the indefinite articles “a,” “an,” or “some.”
Masculine:
Singular: un
Ex: un lápiz - a pencil
Plural: unos
Ex: unos lápices - some pencils
Feminine:
Singular: una
Ex: una flor - a flower
Plural: unas
Ex: unas flores - some flowers
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Further examples:
Hay una flor en el florero.
There is a flower in the vase.
Necesito unos lápices para la escuela.
I need some pencils for school.
Un abrazo
| A hug
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Spanish Direct Object Pronouns
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In English, pronouns replace nouns previously mentioned to avoid unnecessarily repeating them. For example, in the sentence, “John did not come to work, because he was sick,” the pronoun he is used to replace the proper noun John.
We have seen that pronouns can be used in the same way in Spanish. For example, the above sentence in Spanish would be: Juan no vino a trabajar, porque él estaba enfermo. The pronoun él replaces the proper noun Juan.
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There is another way in which pronouns are used: to avoid unnecessarily repeating the direct object of a sentence. The direct object is the object that the action in the sentence is happening to.
For example, in the sentence, “The cat ate the mouse,” the “cat” is the subject, “ate” is the verb, and “mouse” is the direct object. If you wanted to replace the direct object noun with a pronoun, you could say, “The cat ate it.” The pronoun “it” would refer to the mouse.
In Spanish, the construction of direct object pronouns is a bit different from English. The direct object comes before the verb, not afterwards.
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The direct object pronouns
me - me
te - you (informal)
lo - you (formal, masculine), him, it
la - you (formal, feminine), her
nos - us
os - you (familiar, plural)
los - you (formal, plural), them (masculine)
las - you (formal, plural), them (feminine)
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Ejemplos
Estela tiene el libro.
Estela has the book.
becomes
Estela lo tiene.
Estela has it.
Estoy comprando unos zapatos.
I am buying some shoes.
becomes
Los estoy comprando.
I am buying them.
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Spanish indirect object pronouns
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The Spanish Indirect Object Pronouns are used to replace a word or phrase, which in the sentence, fulfills that function. They are usually placed before the verb, when this is conjugated. If the verb is not conjugated, then the indirect object pronoun is placed after the verb.
The indirect object pronouns in Spanish are:
Singular:
me - me
te - you
le - you, him, her, it
Plural:
nos - us
os - you
les - you all, them
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An indirect object is the person or thing for whom an action is being or has been performed, usually indicated in English by the words “to” or “for.”
Unlike in English, the indirect object pronouns go directly before the verb. If the sentence is negative (has a “no” in it), the indirect object pronoun still goes directly before the verb
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Ejemplos
Quiero comprar un regalo para Teresa.
I want to buy a gift for Teresa.
Becomes
Le quiero comprar un regalo.
I want to buy her a gift.
No voy a pedir a Pedro y Ernesto un favor.
I’m not going to ask Peter and Ernest for a favour.
Becomes
No les voy a pedir un favor.
I’m not going to ask them for a favour.
Lupe está hablando con nosotros
Lupe is talking with us.
Becomes
Lupe nos está hablando.
Lupe is talking with us.
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There is one case, however, in which the indirect object pronoun can be placed somewhere else. It can be attached to the end of an infinitive.
Ejemplos
The previous examples can be written as:
Quiero comprarle un regalo.
I want to buy her a gift.
No voy a pedirles un favor.
I'm not going to ask them for a favor.
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When you use the indirect pronouns le or les, you could be referring to anyone: you, him, her, them! English is much more specific than Spanish in that sense. For that reason, if it is unknown or unclear to whom the indirect object pronoun is referring, it’s a good idea to use proper nouns in addition to the indirect object pronoun.
Ejemplos
Jenny le está escribiendo una carta a su padre.
Jenny is writing a letter to her father.
Carlos quiere darles algo a ustedes.
Carlos wants to give you something.
Le voy a llamar a Juan mañana.
I’m going to call John tomorrow
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Spanish direct and indirect object pronouns
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When you combine the direct and indirect object pronouns in a sentence, you have two potions.
• You can put the indirect object pronoun, followed by the direct object pronoun, as two separate words before the verb.
- such as, “Te lo voy a dar.” I’m going to give it to you.
• You can attach the indirect object pronoun and the direct object pronoun onto the end of an infinitive.
- such as, “Voy a dártelo.” I’m going to give it to you.
(Note that you must add an accent on the infinitive ending to preserve the correct pronunciation.)
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In English, you can switch the order of the direct and indirect objects.
For example:
I will give it to him
Or
I will give him it
Hector gave them to you
Or
Hector gave you them
In Spanish, on the other hand, the indirect object pronoun will ALWAYS come before the direct object pronoun.
Ejemplos
Mi profesor me enseña a hablar español.
My professor teaches me to speak Spanish.
Mi profesor me lo enseña.
My professor teaches it to me.
Nos arreglan los boletos de avión.
They arrange our plane tickets for us.
Nos los arreglan.
They arrange them for us.
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Why Does ‘Le’ Change to ‘Se’?
As with so many irregularities in the Spanish language, the change of the indirect object pronoun in the third person makes pronunciation easier.
Ejemplo
• Try saying, “Le lo voy a dar.”
• Now, try saying, “Se lo voy a dar.”
I’m going to give it to him.
• Can you hear why le changes to se?
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Más ejemplos
Les servimos la comida.
We serve them the food.
Se la servimos.
We serve them it.
Le muestra las casas.
He shows her the houses.
Se las muestra.
He shows her them.
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The word “se” can refer to any number of indirect pronouns: him, her, it, them, you…. Just as it is recommended to add a clarification after “le,” if your audience does not know to whom you are referring, it is also recommended to add a clarification after the use of “se” if the indirect object is not clear.
To do so, use “se” as you normally would, then append one of the following to the end of your sentence:
* a Ud.
* a él
* a ella
* a Uds.
* a ellos
* a ellas
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Ejemplos
¿A quién le servimos la comida?
To whom do we serve the food?
Se la servimos a él.
We serve it to him.
¿A quién les explicamos los chistes?
To whom do we explain the jokes?
Se los explicamos a Uds.
We explain them to you.
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Spanish relative pronouns
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The Relative Pronouns in Spanish are a type of pronoun used to refer to a person, animal or thing that has already been named previously, and the pronoun is used in order to avoid repetition. The Relative Pronouns are also used to connect two sentences together, where the second clause qualifies the subject of the first.
The words that, which, and who are not just used in questions. They are used in statements, too. Examples include:
My coat, WHICH is blue, is hanging in your closet.
Mrs. Castle, WHO is a music teacher, knows how to play the piano.
The highway THAT extends to the north is the one you want to take.
When these words are used in statements, they are called relative pronouns.
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The most common relative pronoun is que. Notice that the relative pronoun que does NOT have an accent mark over the é like the question ¿qué? does.
Get used to using que. It has a variety of meanings, including that, which, who and whom. Whereas we often drop the word that in English, it must ALWAYS be included in Spanish.
I bought the shoes she wanted.
Compré los zapatos QUE ella quería.
We brought the car you asked for.
Trajimos el auto QUE pediste.
Luisa followed the road you told her to follow.
Luisa siguió el camino que usted le dijo que siga.
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Que can also be used together with the prepositions a, con, de, or en to form phrases like at which, in which, to which, etcetera.
a que - to which
con que - with which
de que - of which, about which
en que - in which, at which
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To use these expressions properly, you need to have a basic understanding of English grammatical rules governing prepositions. Spanish has a much more rigid grammatical structure than English in many cases. When it comes to prepositions, you can’t just let them dangle in Spanish. Compare the sentences below.
In Spanish, you MUST use the formal structure. It is impossible to form sentences in Spanish using the informal structure.
Informal:
The person I went with was late.
Formal:
The person with whom I went was late.
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Compare these two direct translations into Spanish.
INFORMAL STRUCTURE:
La persona fui con estaba atrasada.
FORMAL STRUCTURE:
La persona con quien fui estaba atrasada.
The first sentence makes no sense in Spanish. The second sentence is correct.
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If it seems a bit confusing, remember that a similar grammatical rule governs the construction of questions in Spanish.
Informal:
Who am I speaking to ?
Formal:
TO WHOM am I speaking ?
Spanish:
¿Con quién hablo?
Informal:
Who are you going with?
Formal:
WITH WHOM are you going?
Spanish:
¿Con quién vas?
Informal:
Where are you going to?
Formal:
TO WHERE are you going?
Spanish:
¿A dónde vas?
Again, Spanish always uses the formal structure, and as a result you’ll never find a Spanish sentence that ends with a preposition.
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Quien is used to refer to people. It can mean who, whom, or that and is often used with the prepositions a, con, and de.
a quien - who, whom, to whom
con quien - with whom
de quien - about whom, that
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Remember that quien reflects the quantity of the subject to which it refers. If its object is plural, quien becomes quienes.
Por ejemplo :
Juan, a quien le regalé los zapatos, está muy contento.
Juan, to whom I gave the shoes, is very happy.
Las personas con quienes salimos anoche no han regresado.
The people with whom we went out last night have not returned.
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When what you are talking about ISN’T a particular noun but rather an idea, a wish, a situation, or something that happened in the past, you will need to use lo que. Lo que can mean that, what, or that which.
Aprendí todo lo que sé de computadoras en la escuela.
I learned all that I know about computers at school.
Lo que quise decir es que tienes razón.
What I meant to say is that you’re right.
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Spanish demonstrative adjectives
A demonstrative adjective is a word that is used to indicate a relation of place, expressing the proximity of the person with whom or of whom one speaks. They are always placed before the noun; otherwise, they would be pronouns. They should also match the gender and number of the nouns they accompany.
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When you want to point to something, you often use demonstrative adjectives or pronouns. For example, imagine that you are in a café in Spain. You are selecting un pan, or a bread roll, from a glass case. The waiter is waiting with his tongs to select the roll you want. He points to one, which isn’t the roll you want. “No,” you say, pointing to the one nearest you. “Not that roll, this one.”
While English only has two options—this for something close to you, and that for something farther away—Spanish has three: this, that, and that over there. The third option implies an even greater distance.
To get a better understanding of the difference between that and that over there, imagine yourself standing with a friend at a harbor. Your friend tells you, “I’d like to own that boat.” You point to one at the other end of the dock, asking, “That one?” “No,” he tells you. He indicates a boat on the horizon. “That boat, way over there.”
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Close proximity:
(this)
Masculine: este
Feminine: esta
Close proximity:
(These)
Masculine: estos
Feminine: estas
Farther away :
(That)
Masculine: ese
Feminine: esa
Farther away:
(Those)
Masculine: esos
Feminine: esas
At a distance:
That (over there)
Masculine: aquel
Feminine: aquella
At a distance:
Those (over there)
Masculine: aquellos
Feminine: aquellas
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Ejemplos :
¿Puedes ver aquel barco?
Can you see that boat over there?
Aquellas montañas me parecen muy altas.
Those mountains over there seem to me very tall.
Esos lápices son de Pamela.
Those pencils are Pamela’s.
Esta revista es interesante.
This magazine is interesting.
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You may also be interested to know that if you don’t know whether something is masculine or feminine, there is a neuter form:
esto
eso
aquello
Use these forms only if you’re referring to an abstract idea or an unknown object.
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Ejemplos
Qué es eso?
What is that ?
Esto no me gusta
I do not like this
Aquello fue una pesadilla
That was a nightmare
Eso fue solo un malentendido
That was just a misunderstanding
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A misplaced or missing accent mark can completely change the meaning of a word. For example, think of the words:
esta ésta está
```
The first (esta) is an adjective that means “this ____”
The second (ésta) is a pronoun that means “this.”
The third (está) is a verb that means “is.”
```
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Spanish possessive adjectives
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Just like an ordinary adjective, you must match the gender (masculine or feminine) and quantity (singular or plural) of the stressed possessive adjective to the noun.
Singular :
mío/mía
Plural:
míos/mías
Translation:
mine, my
Singular:
tuyo/tuya
Plural:
tuyos/tuyas
Translation:
your, yours
Singular:
suyo/suya
Plural:
suyos/suyas
Translation:
his, her, hers, its, your, yours
Singular:
nuestro/nuestra
Plural:
nuestros/nuestras
Translation :
our, ours
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Ejemplos
El carro es mío.
The car is mine.
The handbag is hers.
La cartera es suya.
The apples are ours.
| Las manzanas son nuestras.
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Is this seat yours?
- ¿Es este asiento suyo?
I don’t want to use yours.
- No quiero usar el tuyo
In the first sentence, “yours” is acting as an adjective. In the second sentence, “yours” is acting as a pronoun.
To use mío, tuyo, suyo, etc. as pronouns, all you have to do is add an el, la, los, or las in front.
For example, if you want to use “mine” as a noun (as in, “Mine is the best,” or, “You want mine”), you will use el mío, la mía, los míos, or las mías.
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Ejemplos
¿Tienes tú los libros de la biblioteca?
Do you have the books from the library?
– Sí, y también tengo los míos.
– Yes, and mine too.
¿Mi casa está muy desordenada, y la tuya?
My house is very messy, and yours?
– La mía está muy limpia.
Mine is very clean.
¡Las flores en mi jardín están todas secas!
- The flowers in my garden are all dry!
Las tuyas también, no?
Yours are too, aren't they?
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Gustar in Spanish
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Knowing whether to use Gusta or Gustan depends on the words that come after it (the things that you like).
If you want to say that you like doing something, then you use Gusta + Infinitive (verb)
A mí me gusta bailar (= I like to dance)
A nosotros nos gusta cocinar (= We like to cook)
A ellos les gusta ir al cine (= They like to go to the movies/cinema)
BUT when we talk about liking things, then we use GUSTA if that thing is in singular form
A mí me gusta el fútbol (= I like football/soccer)
A nosotros nos gusta la película (= We like the movie)
A ellos les gusta la canción (= They like the song)
We use GUSTAN if we like something that is in plural form
A mí me gustan los libros (= I like books)
A nosotros nos gustan las películas de terror (= We like horror movies)
A ellos les gustan las canciones (= They like the songs)
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You will notice that many times we have the prepositional phrase A + mí (or tí etc.) before the me gusta (o te gusta etc.). This is sometimes used to give more emphasis about the person who is liking the thing but also to clarify when they may be a doubt about who that person is.
For example if we say Le gusta comer, we don't know if the person who likes to eat is a man, a woman or even you. So to clarify we had the prepositional phrase A + él (or ella, usted). Compare the difference:
A él le gusta comer (= he likes to eat)
A ella le gusta comer (= she likes to eat)
A usted le gusta comer (= you like to eat)
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Making a negative sentence with the verb gustar is simple. You just add NO between the prepositional phrase A + mí (or tí etc.) and the Indirect Object Pronoun (me, te, le etc.)
Affirmative: A mí me gustan los gatos. (= I like cats)
Negative: A mí no me gustan los gatos. (= I don't like cats)
Affirmative: A ella le gusta cantar. (= She likes to sing)
Negative: A ella no le gusta cantar. (= She doesn't like to sing)
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Prepositions of place
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A preposition of place is used to show the relationship of two or more things in regards to location or position.
When translating To Be + Preposition in English (e.g. The dog is next to the tree), the verb Estar (in its correct form) is used before the preposition of place. (e.g. El perro está al lado del árbol).
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Prepositions in Spanish are always followed by an object (a noun or pronoun).
preposition of place + object
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Abajo de - below, underneath
El sótano está abajo de mi casa.
The basement is underneath my house.
Afuera de - outside of
El perro vive afuera de la casa. / The dog lives outside of the house.
Al lado de - next to / beside
El viejo roble está al lado de mi casa. The old oak is next to my house.
Arriba de - above
El cielo está arriba de mí. / The sky is above me.
cerca de = near / close to
La tienda de móviles está cerca de mi casa.
The cell phone store is near my house.
debajo de - below / under
Tus zapatos están debajo de ese mueble.
Your shoes are under that furniture.
delante de - in front of
El jardín está delante de mi casa.
The garden's in front of my house.
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detrás de - behind
El jardín está detrás de mi casa.
The garden is behind my house.
En - in, on, at
Hay leche en la sopa
There's milk in the soup.
La sopera está en la mesa.
The soup bowl's on the table.
Estoy en la mesa.
I'm at the table.
Encima de - on top of
La gata ahora está encima de la mesa.
Now the cat's on top of the table.
Enfrente de- facing, across from, opposite
El hospital está enfrente de la farmacia.
The hospital is across from the pharmacy.
Entre - between
La tienda está entre dos edificios más grandes.
The store is between two bigger buildings.
Lejos de - far from
Ellos viajarán lejos de aquí.
They will travel far from here.
Sobre - on / on top of
Hay una espada colgada sobre mi cabeza.
There's a sword hanging over my head.
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Other expressions showing the position of something :
A la izquierda de – on the left / to the left
A la derecha de – on the right / to the right
En la parte superior – at the top
En el centro – in the middle
En la parte inferior – at the bottom
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Muy Vs Mucho
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MUY
Muy means Very in English.
Muy is an adverb.
There is only one form of the word Muy. It has no masculine or feminine form and there is no singular or plural form either.
Muy + adjective
You normally use Muy before an adjective to increase the intensity of it.
Mi hermano es muy alto - (My brother is very tall)
Mi hermana es muy alta - (My sister is very tall)
Mis calcetines son muy sucios - (My socks are very dirty)
Tus amigas son muy locas - (You friends are very crazy)
Estoy muy enojado - (I am very angry)
Muy + Adverb
Muy + Adverb
Sometimes we use Muy before an adverb
Yo hablo muy despacio - (I speak very slowly)
Tú hablas español muy bien. - (You speak very well)
You never use the word Muy by itself. It always needs to be accompanied by an adjective or an adverb.
¿Estás cansado? - (Are you tired?)
– Sí, mucho (we cannot say: si, muy)
– Sí, muy cansado (you need to add an adjective though it may sound repetitive)
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MUCHO
Mucho means a lot - a lot of - much - many in English
Mucho can be used as an adjective or as an adverb.
When Mucho is used as an adjective, it must agree both in gender (masc/fem) and number (singular/plural) with the noun.
There are 4 ways of writing Mucho:
mucho – singular masculine - (a lot, a lot of, much)
mucha – singular feminine - (a lot, a lot of, much)
muchos – plural masculine - (a lot, a lot of, many)
muchas – plural feminine - (a lot, a lot of, many)
Mucho + Noun
Mucho (or its variation) normally goes before a noun.
Examples of mucho, muchos, mucha, muchas:
Tengo mucho trabajo - (I have a lot of work)
Hace mucho calor - (It’s really hot)
Hay mucha comida en la mesa - (There’s a lot of food on the table)
Ella tiene mucha paciencia - (She has a lot of patience)
Mi hijo tiene muchos zapatos - (My son has a lot of shoes)
Necesito muchos vasos para la fiesta - (I need many glasses for the party)
Mi hija tiene muchas amigas - (My daughter has many friends)
Hay muchas casas viejas en mi barrio - (There are a lot of old houses in my neighborhood)
Verbo + mucho
Sometimes mucho is used as an adverb and comes after the verb.
The form of Mucho is always the same and there is no change in gender or number.
Estoy muy satisfecho, he comido mucho - (I’m full, I have eaten a lot)
Mi hijo está muy cansado porque estudió mucho - (My son is very tired because he studied a lot)
Mi esposo trabaja mucho - (My husband works a lot)
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Muchísimo
You can use muchísimo to emphasize that something is MORE THAN a lot.
It is like saying “very, very” OR “lots and lots of” OR “many, many”.
Again, the word needs to agree both in gender and number:
Muchísimo – Muchísimos
Muchísima – Muchísimas
Esta mañana hace muchísimo frío. - (It’s very, very cold this morning)
Ese candidato necesita muchísimos votos para ganar. - (That candidate needs lots and lots of votes to win)
Tengo muchísima sed porque corrí 10 kilómetros. - (I’m very, very thirsty because I ran 10 kilometres)
Hubo muchísimas personas en el concierto. - (There were many, many people at the concert)
In English you can say “Very much” however in Spanish you cannot join those two words together and say Muy Mucho. You either use Muchísimo or just Mucho.
The Opposite of Mucho
The opposite of Mucho is Poco. Just like with Mucho, the adjective Poco also needs to agree both in gender and number.
Mucho – Poco
Muchos – Pocos
Mucha – Poca
Muchas – Pocas
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Reflexive Verbs
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A reflexive verb is a verb that refers to something the subject does to itself. Any given day is full of tasks that you need to complete “upon yourself,” such as brushing your own hair or waking yourself up. These verbs reflect upon themselves, hence they’re known as “reflexive” verbs.
The easiest way to recognize an infinitive (unconjugated) reflexive verb is that, rather ending with –ar, –ir, or –er, it’ll end with –se. For example:
lavar — to wash
lavarse — to wash yourself
The reflexive verb pattern could be explained as referring to an instance when the subject completes action on itself.
On the other hand, with a regular verb the subject completes an action on another subject or object.
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Most reflexive verbs are simply regular verbs with a se added to them to indicate that the subject and object are the same. Some, however, are unable to be anything except reflexive. Consider the verb “repent” in English. Only the subject can repent, for themselves. The subject can’t repent for someone else.
Therefore, in Spanish, arrepentirse (to repent) can’t be used without the se or reflexive element. The same can be said of quejarse (to complain).
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1. Know Your Pronouns
To understand how to use reflexive verbs, you’ll need to understand pronouns. Pronouns are those pesky, two- or three-letter words that reflexive verbs need to make sense. They’re the equivalents of “myself,” “yourself” and so on.
Reflexive pronouns are almost the same as indirect object pronouns.
There’s just one key difference: Instead of le or les for the third person singular and plural, reflexive pronouns use se.
SINGULAR
```
1st person (yo): me
2nd person (tú): te
3rd person (él/ella/usted): se
```
PLURAL
```
1st person (nosotros): nos
2nd person (vosotros): os
3rd person (ellos/ellas/ustedes): se
```
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Let’s see that in action!
The reflexive verb lavarse could be conjugated as:
Me lavo las manos (I wash my hands)
Te lavas las manos (You wash your hands)
When the subject is yo, the pronoun me is used. When the subject is tú, the pronoun te is used and so forth.
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2. Place Your Pronouns
One of the hardest parts of learning reflexive verbs is knowing where to place a pronoun.
They’re often the most confusing part about reflexive verbs for non-Spanish speakers, but if you know the key rules it won’t seem so hard anymore! Soon it will become second nature.
Here are the 3 big rules that you need to remember about placing pronouns..
Usually, a pronoun goes before a reflexive verb:
Formula: subject + pronoun + verb + object
Example: Yo me peino el pelo. (I brush my hair.)
Yo (subject) me (pronoun) peino (verb) el pelo (object)
If you have two verbs next to one another, the pronoun placement is more flexible.
Formula: subject + verb + reflexive verb + pronoun
Example: Ella está peinándose. (She is brushing her hair.)
Ella (subject) está (verb) peinándo (reflexive verb) se (pronoun)
*Note that there’s an accent placed on the a. The accent should be placed on the a in –ando (in –ar verbs) and the e in –iendo (in –er and –ir verbs) when the verb and the pronoun are merged into one word.
With a gerund like peinando, the reflexive pronoun can go before or after the verb. You could equally say:
Formula: subject + pronoun + verb + reflexive verb
Example: Ella se está peinando. (She is brushing her hair.)
Ella (subject) se (pronoun) está (verb) peinando (reflexive verb)
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So, when must the pronoun go at the end of the verb?
```
An infinitive reflexive must always have the pronoun at the end.
Quiero ducharme (I want to wash myself)
```
Antes de vestirme (before I get dressed)
In a positive command, the pronoun must always go at the end of the conjugated reflexive verb.
¡Vístete! (Get dressed!)
In a negative command, the pronoun must always go before the conjugated reflexive verb.
¡No te levantes! (Don’t get up!)
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3. Get Those Negatives Right
The no always goes before the pronoun. Imagine the formula like this:
Formula: No + pronoun + conjugated reflexive verb
Example: No me ducho. ( I don’t shower myself)
No (no) me (pronoun) ducho (conjugated reflexive verb)
The no may only go immediately before the pronoun in this case. When the pronoun is at the end of the verb, things look a little different. Consider the following.
Formula: No + verb + reflexive verb + pronoun (In this formula the reflexive verb and pronoun are merged into one word)
Example: Ella no está peinándose. (She isn’t combing herself)
Example: Ella no va a peinarse. (She isn’t going to comb her hair)
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4. Nail Objects and Ownership
The articles of objects involved in reflexive verb actions don’t change to become owned by the subject. In English we’d say “I wash my hands.”The article before hands is changed to the first person, so that the listener knows that the hands belong to us. The same could be said of many other sentences.
In Spanish, however, changing the ownership via the article isn’t necessary. You’ll instead see sentences like:
Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands).
Look carefully, las manos hasn’t been changed to mis manos. That’s because, thanks to the reflexive verb, it’s very clear in Spanish that the subject is washing their own hands. Remember that in all constructions of Spanish sentences with reflexive verbs it’s unnecessary to reiterate ownership through articles in front of objects.
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5. Conjugate with Confidence
Conjugate a reflexive verb just as you would a regular verb.
Remember that the subject is doing the verb to themselves, so you would conjugate in that form. For example, in me peino (I comb myself) the conjugation of peino is in the first person singular as is the pronoun.
Remember:
Reflexive verbs are usually regular in their conjugation and the key rules of pronoun placements never change. If a verb refers to a subject completing an action upon themselves, it’s reflexive!
Just add se!
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Gerunds
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The gerund is a verb form that expresses continuous action, or an action that’s currently happening. It’s equivalent to the –ing form of a verb in English.
Estoy cenando. (I am eating dinner.)
It’s formed by dropping the infinitive ending of a verb and adding –ando for –ar verbs and –iendo for –er and –ir verbs.
Ejemplos
Infinitive—gerund
-ar
Bajar—bajando
Cantar—cantando
-er
Comer—comiendo
Llover—lloviendo
-ir
Abrir—abriendo
Salir—saliendo
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Of course, what fun would it be if there were no exceptions to the rule? Several verbs, those that end in two vowels, take –yendo to form the gerund.
Infinitive—gerund
Caer—cayendo
Creer—creyendo
Leer—leyendo
Oír—oyendo
Traer—trayendo
And then there are the real funky ones, the stem-changers, that don’t really follow any easy rule and you just have to learn.
Infinitive—gerund
Decir—diciendo
Dormir—durmiendo
Morir—muriendo
Pedir—pidiendo
Sentir—sintiendo
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The gerund in progressive constructions
In the progressive tenses the gerund is almost always paired with the verb estar to express an action in motion. In the present, it’s something that’s currently happening, right now, at this moment.
Ronaldo está quejándose. (Ronaldo is complaining.)
Javier Bardem me está seduciendo. (Javier Bardem is seducing me.)
The progressive construction can be paired up with just about any verb tense. Just remember that it means that the action is/was/will be continuously happening.
Things can get pretty complex quickly, but don’t worry, we’re not here to learn all the progressive tenses. Remember that the progressive tenses aren’t used with venir, ir and estar. So no double estar. Here’s an example of each progressive construction:
Past progressive: Estuve trabajando como espía en Rusia por diez años. (I was working as a spy in Russia for ten years.)
Present perfect continuous: Hemos estado hablando y decidimos que tu blusa es fea. (We’ve been talking and we decided that your blouse is ugly.)
Future perfect continuous: Elena habrá estado saliendo con Juan por cinco meses en junio. (In June, Elena will have been dating Juan for five months in June)
Pluperfect subjunctive: Si hubieras estado prestando atención en la prepa, esto ya lo habrías sabido. (If you had been paying attention in high school, you would have already known this.)
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You don’t always need to use a main verb.
There are a number of instances when you can use the gerund all by its lonesome without even worrying about estar or having to conjugate anything.
To express an action in motion
Just like we just learned, the gerund is used to express that something is in the process of happening. Only this time, you don’t need the main verb.
And here’s the best thing: it can refer to the present, past or future. So long, conjugations!
¿Qué haces? –Nada, relajándome un poquito. (What are you doing? Nothing, relaxing a bit.)
¿Y Paz? ¿Qué hacía? –Tomando un té. (And Paz? What was she doing? Drinking tea.)
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To express how something has been achieved
Similar to the construction in English, by + -ing, you can use the Spanish gerund to describe how something is done or carried out.
Viajando, conocí muchos países, mucha gente y a mi esposa. (By traveling, I got to know many countries, people and my wife.)
Comiendo mucho, me engordé. (By eating a lot, I got fat.)
To describe
You can use the independent gerund to describe pictures and situations.
Mi hijo, ganando el premio Nobel. (My son, winning the Nobel Prize.)
¿Dónde está la escuela? –Saliendo del metro a la izquierda. (Where’s the school? On the left when you get off the metro.)
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As exclamations and interrogatives
Here’s a great use of the gerund that’ll make you sound like you really know your stuff. It’s easy too.
Use the gerund when you want to say that you think someone spends too much time doing one thing. Use this with expressions like siempre or otra vez.
¡Otra vez comiendo McDonalds! (Eating McDonalds again? (with all these delicious tapas around?))
¡De nuevo estudiando! (Studying again! (Get outside!))
As sarcasm
Of course you want to learn how to be sarcastic in Spanish. You can use the independent gerund for situations in which it’s obvious what’s going on. You can ask questions that don’t require a response this way.
¿Qué? ¿Comiéndote mi tortilla? (Eating my tortilla, I see.)
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To give orders
Could it be any easier than this? You can use the gerund to give orders.
¡Vamos a perder el bus! ¡Corriendo! (We’re going to miss the bus. Run!)
Nunca vas a terminar. Trabajando. (You’re never going to finish. Get to work.)
Although you can use the gerund in a whole bunch of awesome ways, there are a few things you should be careful (ojo) of as well. First, the gerund isn’t a noun like in English. In Spanish, you must use the infinitive form of the verb if you want the action to act as a noun.
Me gusta nadar. Nadar es divertido. (I like swimming. Swimming is fun.)
The gerund isn’t an adjective either in Spanish. Instead, use a past participle or restructure the sentence.
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Comparison Between the English and Spanish Subjunctive
While English speakers often have a lot of trouble with the subjunctive, English does actually have a subjunctive mood; however, it is far less common than in Spanish, and more associated with formal speech and writing. Nevertheless, it is similar enough that it should provide a basis for understanding the Spanish subjunctive.
Think about the following pairs of sentences:
“If I were in your position, I would call the police.” “I was in your position, and I called the police.”
“The important thing is that you be here.” “You are here, and that is the important thing.”
“I wish I were a little bit taller.” “I am now a little bit taller.”
The first sentences in each pair are subjunctive. This allows them to communicate doubt or conditionality. In the second sentence of each pair the outcome is already determined, and the subjunctive is not necessary.
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While it preserves the same basic moods of doubt etc., the Spanish subjunctive is used for a far wider variety of purposes than the English.
The Spanish subjunctive expresses sentiment or wishes, doubt about a future event, or conditionality. All verbs require a specific conjugation in the Spanish subjunctive, whereas only a handful require different conjugations in English.
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The Trigger Method
It is nice to keep this idea of uncertainty, doubt or desire in mind but, if you’re like most people, you’ll learn to use the subjunctive by learning certain “triggers” that tell you your sentence is about to be shot headfirst into the subjunctive.
The subjunctive mood often occurs in subordinate clauses that begin with que. For example:
“Es probable que salgamos tarde”. (It’s likely we’ll leave late.)
“Es bueno que tengas tiempo libre”. (It’s good that you have free time.)
In the first sentence, the subjunctive verb expresses a probable, but indefinite, outcome. In the second, it expresses a subjective opinion about whether it is good or bad to have free time.
With the sense of uncertainty or desire removed, these sentences would be:
“Salimos tarde”. (We left late.)
“Tienes tiempo libre”. (You have free time.)
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Spanish Subjunctive Triggers
es importante que …
it’s important that …
dudar que …
to doubt that …
es bueno que …
it’s good that …
es malo que …
it’s bad that …
esperar que …
to hope/wish that …
es mejor que …
it’s better that …
es raro que …
it’s strange that …
es posible que …
it’s possible that …
es probable que …
it’s likely that …
es necesario que …
it’s necessary that …
hasta que …
until …
ojalá que …
hopefully …
no es cierto que …
it’s not certain that …
mientras que …
meanwhile/while …
sin que …
without …
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The Two Most Common Subjunctive Triggers in Spanish
There are a couple of subjunctive triggers that deserve their own separate explanation.
The first trigger is a change in person. This happens with a number of verbs. Take querer: to want. If the verb following querer agrees with the subject of querer, you have not got a subjunctive sentence. If the verb following querer is different to the subject of querer, you’ve got yourself a subjunctive sentence.
For example:
“Yo quiero ir a la piscina” (I want to go to the swimming pool) is not subjunctive. Whereas
“Yo quiero que vayas a la piscina” (I want you to go to the swimming pool) is subjunctive.
The same change happens with the verb esperar:
“Yo espero llegar pronto” (I hope to arrive soon) is not subjunctive. Whereas
“Yo espero que él llegue pronto” (I hope he arrives soon) is subjunctive.
The second trigger is the idea of wishing a certain experience on someone. That’s a weirdly complex way to express the general rule, but it’s basically the equivalent of when you say “Have a safe trip,” or “Have a nice day.” In English this is obviously an imperative sentence. You’re telling someone to have a nice day whether they want to or not. In Spanish the phrase is “Que tengas un buen dia.” Or “Que te vayas bien.” These are subjunctive statements.
Together, these are the two most common ways you’ll encounter the subjunctive in everyday conversation. So they’re worth understanding.
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How to tell time !
I learned how to tell time straight from Spanishpod101 absolute beginner lesson 5.
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JP: So telling time.
Fernando: Tell us about that.
JP: Okay. First of all, there’s a difference between telling the current time and telling like a schedule, okay? So when we tell the current time, we’re always going to use the verb: ser, okay?
Fernando: Right.
JP: For example, if I want to say, “It’s 4 o’clock.”
Fernando: Son las cuatro.
JP: Son las cuatro. Okay. You heard that, son, that’s the verb: ser, in the third person plural, Son las cuatro. How about it’s 3 o’clock?
Fernando: Son las tres.
JP: Son las tres. How about it’s 2 o’clock?
Fernando: Son las dos.
JP: And it’s 1 o’clock.
Fernando: Es la una.
JP: Es la una. Okay. Now, we all understand that it’s: Es la una, because: la una, is singular.
Fernando: Right.
JP: So you’re going to use: es.
Fernando: Yes.
JP: Okay.
Fernando: For all other time, you want to use a plural.
JP: Right. When it’s 2 or 3 or 4 or 12.
Fernando: Exactly.
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JP: Okay, cool. Es la una, son las dos, son las tres. Okay. So that’s the answer. Now, the question again was…
Fernando: ¿Qué hora es?
JP: ¿Qué hora es? Now that is the standard proper way to ask for the time, right?
Fernando: Yes, and you’ll still hear people say ¿Qué horas son?
JP: Okay. So now we know how to tell time on the hour, right?
Fernando: Yes.
JP: But let’s talk a little bit, what if we want to tell time on the half hour, like it’s 3:30?
Fernando: Son las tres y media.
JP: Son las tres y media. Now, what’s that word: media?
Fernando: Media: half, literally translated.
JP: Okay. So like in English, we say, “It’s half past 3:00.”
Fernando: Right.
JP: Okay. So what if I want to say it’s 3:20, it’s not quite 3:30, it’s 3:20?
Fernando: Son las tres y veinte.
JP: Son las tres y veinte. Okay, that’s the classical textbook thing. Now, Fernando, you say other things because I listen to you and when you tell me the time, it’s not always that classical textbook way.
Fernando: Yes. I say: tres veinte or…
JP: Tres veinte, 3:20.
Fernando: Yes, or Tres con veinte.
JP: Okay, 3 with 20.
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JP: Tres veinte. Now, what if it’s 3:40?
Fernando: Es veinte para las cuatro.
JP: Es veinte para las cuatro. Wait a second, now in the dialogue, it was: Es veinte para las tres, right?
Fernando: Exactly.
JP: Okay. So that should have been 2:40.
Fernando: 2:40.
JP: Okay. Es veinte para las tres.
2:40. Okay. Anyway, what’s happening is there are some subtraction going on, right, so there’s 3 o’clock and 20 minutes before that is 2:40.
Fernando: Yes, Es veinte para las cuatro.
JP: That would be 3:40.
Fernando: 3:40.
JP: Okay. Okay. So Fernando, when you tell the minutes, you just add the minutes, so you say, Son las tres veinte, right?
Fernando: Son las tres veinte.
JP: And then you get 3:30.
Fernando: Tres y media.
JP: And after 3:30, you’re going to say, “It’s 20 to 4:00,” right?
Fernando: Es veinte para las cuatro.
JP: Okay. And then 15 to 4:00 or quarter to 4:00?
Fernando: Cuarto para las cuatro.
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ITO and ITA
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125
JP: Morenita, okay. So ITO and ITA. If you see those on the end of an adjective you know that there’s some kind of affection or, you know, cuteness that is going along with it. So when Diego calls Adrianna, morenita, we kind of know that he’s interested in her.
Fernando: Yeah, from the get-go.
JP: From the get-go.
Fernando: Guy moves fast. And these can all be applied to: alta, alto, chistoso, chistosa.
JP: So if I want to be affectionate about a woman that’s tall?
Fernando: Altita.
JP: Altita.
Fernando: Está altita. that’s right.
JP: She’s a little tall. She’s tally-tall. How about if you want to be affectionate about a woman that’s funny?
Fernando: Es bien chistosita.
JP: Es bien chistosita.
Fernando: But you could also use that to be
sarcastic: Que chistosito ehh.
JP: Oh, “you’re funny now?”
Fernando: Yeah, “you’re funny now?”
JP: Yeah, that’s pretty funny.
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What are some other ways we can ask for something?
Karen: Good question. Another common way to ask for something would be “Me da, plus, the item”.
Jessi: Me da, so that uses the reflexive verb “darse”, to give someone.
Karen: That’s right, so it’s like, you’re asking, Can you give me blank?
(Spanishpod101 Absolute beginner)
Jessi: Can we hear an example?
Karen: Sure. For example, at a restaurant, you could say, “Me da una servilleta.”
Jessi: “Could you give me a napkin?”
Karen: That form is used for strangers. If you were to ask a friend, you would use “tú form”, das. “Me das una servilleta”.
127
Jessi: One of the many ways to talk about price is by using the form of the verb “ser”. In Spanish-speaking countries, “son” is often used to tell the price of something. We can say: Son, plus, the price. How was it used in the dialogue?
Karen: In the dialogue, Paco asked about the cover charge and the security guard responded with: Son cien pesos.
Jessi: Which is?
Karen: “It is a 100 pesos.”
Jessi: So, “son” here means: it is.
Karen: Yes. When talking about prices, that’s what it means.
Jessi: And again, “son” here is the third person plural of the verb: ser. Let’s give them some more examples using “son”.
(Spanishpod101 Absolute Beginner)
Karen: Sure. For example, Son cuarenta dolares por los dos.
Jessi: And that means, “It is 40 for both.”
Karen: Yes. What about: Son ciento-veinte dólares, por los impuestos.
Jessi: It is 120 for the taxes.
Karen: That’s right.
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Jessi: Also, something important to note, “son” is only used if the amount is more than one, that is more than one dollar, one peso, one unit of currency.
Karen: That’s correct, good point.
Jessi: If the price is just one dollar or one peso, what would we use, Karen?
Karen: “Es”, this is the third person singular of: ser.
(Spanishpod101 Absolute Beginner)
Jessi: Let’s hear an example.
Karen: Es un dolar.
Jessi: It’s one dollar.
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what’s another common way to give the price of something in Spanish?
Karen: Well, there’s a verb that Spanish people use to tell the price of something. “Costar”
Jessi: Which means “the cost.”
Karen: Right and we will use it in the third person singular, “cuesta”.
Jessi: So, it’s like saying, “it cost, amount.”
(Spanishpod101 Absolute Beginner)
Let’s give some examples.
Karen: Sure.
Jessi: La cartera cuesta cien dólares.
Karen: And it’s translated as: The purse costs 100.
Jessi: One more example would be…
Karen: El juguete cuesta docientos dólares.
Jessi: And that means, the toy costs 200. That’s one expensive toy.
Karen: Muy caro, very expensive.
