Note: Before heading to the tutorial I would recommend to download any online dictionary which could easily translate the words coming in your mind in Spanish which will help learning the new words which are not provided in this tutorial, if you have one so that’s good if not then I’ll personally prefer BabelFish dictionary which is free so you don’t need to buy it. The download link is provided below:
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 / pehr-dohn / 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 nohm-breh ess My name is… |
| Mucho gusto. / Encantado. moo-choh goo-stoh / en-cahn-tah-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-ay-nay oo-sted How old are you? (formal) | ¿Cuántos años tienes? quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-ayn-ays How old are you? (informal) | Yo tengo _____ años. yoh tayn-goh _____ ahn-yohs 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 / ehn-tyen-dehs Do you understand? (formal / informal) | (No) Entiendo. noh ehn-tyen-doh I (don’t) understand. | Yo (no lo) se. 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 / ehn-fehr-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 Ready? | Quizás / Depende. kee-sahs / deh-pehn-deh Maybe / It depends. | Todavía no. toh-dah-vee-ah noh 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) |
Encantado, cansado, enfermo, and aburrido are the masculine forms of the words. If the words refer to a woman or are spoken by a woman, then the final o changes to a: encantada, cansada, enferma, and aburrida
In Spain, as well as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, the Spanish language is called castellano 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 | k |
| ai / all / ay | eye |
| z | s |
| z, ce, ci | th (in northern Spain only) |
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 thelanguage that is spoken in Mexico and Spain.
3. Alphabet
| a | ah | j | hoh-tah | r | air-ay |
| 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 |
4. Articles & Demonstratives
| Masc. Singular | Fem. Singular | Masc. Plural | Fem. Plural | |||
| the | el (ail) | la (lah) | the | los (lohs) | las (lahs) | |
| a, an | un (oon) | una (oon-ah) | some | unos (oon-ohs) | unas (oon-ahs) | |
| this | este | esta | these | estos | estas | |
| that | ese | esa | those | esos | esas | |
| that | aquel | aquella | those | aquellos | aquellas |
Use the ese forms to mean that when what you are talking about is near the person you are addressing. Use the aquel forms 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, ésta, éstos, éstas, ése, ésa, ésos, ésas, aquél, aquélla, aquéllos, aquéllas.
5. Subject Pronouns
| yo | yoh | I | nosotros / nosotras | noh-soh-trohs / noh-soh-trahs | we |
| tú | too | you (informal) | vosotros / vosotras | boh-soh-trohs / boh-soh-trahs | you all |
| él / ella / usted | ail / ay-yah / oo-sted | he / she / it / you (formal) | ellos / ellas / ustedes | ay-yohs / ay-yahs / oo-sted-ays | they / they / you (plural) |
6. To Be & to Have
| ser – to be | |||||
| present | past | future | |||
| soy | I am | fuí | I was | seré | I will be |
| eres | you are | fuiste | you were | serás | you will be |
| es | he/she/it is | fué | he/she/it was | será | he/she/it will be |
| somos | we are | fuimos | we were | seremos | we will be |
| sois | you are | fuisteis | you were | seréis | you will be |
| son | they are | fueron | they were | serán | they will be |
| estar – to be | |||||
| present | past | future | |||
| estoy | I am | estuve | I was | estaré | I will be |
| estás | you are | estuviste | you were | estarás | you will be |
| está | he/she/it is | estuvo | he/she/it was | estará | he/she/it will be |
| estamos | we are | estuvimos | we were | estaremos | we will be |
| estáis | you are | estuvisteis | you were | estaréis | you will be |
| están | they are | estuvieron | they were | estarán | they will be |
| tener – to have | |||||
| present | past | future | |||
| tengo | I have | tuve | I had | tendré | I will have |
| tienes | you have | tuviste | you had | tendrás | you will have |
| tiene | he/she/it has | tuvo | he/she/it had | tendrá | he/she/it will have |
| tenemos | we have | tuvimos | we had | tendremos | we will have |
| tenéis | you have | tuvisteis | you had | tendréis | you will have |
| tienen | they have | tuvieron | they had | tendrán | they will have |
Ser is used to identify or describe. It tells what something is, its basic characteristics, or its origin. Estar is used to tell the location of something or how someone feels.
Uses of Ser
| Identify person/object Inherent characteristics or qualities Nationality/Occupation Telling time Express ownership Impersonal expressions Passive voice | El edificio es un templo. La casa es grande. Carlos es pobre. Es carpintero. Son las tres. Los libros son de Juan. Es necesario. El teléfono fue 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. |
| Location/position Temporary condition/state State of health Form progressive tense | El libro está en la mesa. La ventana está abierta. Juan está enfermo. Miguel está estudiando. | The book is on the table. The window is open. John is sick. Michael is studying. |
Many common expressions using the verb “be” in English use the verb “tener” in Spanish (but not all):
| to be afraid | tener miedo | to be in a hurry | tener prisa, estar de prisa |
| to be against | estar en contra | to be jealous | tener celos |
| to be at fault | tener la culpa | to be lucky | tener suerte |
| to be careful | tener cuidado | 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 |
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 | cuatro | kuah-troh | fourth | cuarto |
| 5 | cinco | seen-koh | fifth | 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 | diez y seis | dee-ays ee says | sixteenth | décimo sexto |
| 17 | diez y siete | dee-ays ee see-ay-tay | seventeenth | décimo séptimo |
| 18 | diez y ocho | dee-ays ee oh-choh | eighteenth | décimo octavo |
| 19 | diez y nueve | dee-ays ee new-ay-vay | nineteenth | décimo noveno |
| 20 | veinte | bayn-tay | twentieth | vigésimo |
| 21 | veinte y uno | bayn-tay ee oo-noh | twenty-first | vigésimo primero |
| 22 | veinte y dos | bayn-tay ee dohs | twenty-second | 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 |
| 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 |
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 |
10. Months of the Year
| January | enero | ay-nair-oh |
| February | febrero | fay-bray-roh |
| March | marzo | mar-soh |
| April | abril | ah-breel |
| May | mayo | 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 | el año | ahn-yoh |
| decade | la década | deh-kah-dah |
| century | el siglo | see-gloh |
| millennium | el milenio | mee-leh-nee-oh |
¿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 | a la derecha |
| to the left | a la izquierda |
| straight ahead | 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 |
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 |
17. Family & Animals
| family | la familia | grandfather | el abuelo | baby | el bebé | ||
| parents | los padres | grandmother | la abuela | teenager | el adolescente | ||
| husband | el marido / el esposo | grandparents | los abuelos | boy | el niño | ||
| wife | la mujer / la esposa | grandson | el nieto | girl | la niña | ||
| father / dad | el padre / papá | granddaughter | la nieta | boys & girls | los niños | ||
| mother / mom | la madre / mamá | grandchildren | los nietos | man | el hombre | ||
| son | el hijo | uncle | el tío | woman | la mujer | ||
| daughter | la hija | aunt | la tía | adult | el adulto | ||
| children | los hijos | aunts & uncles | los tios | twins (m) | los gemelos | ||
| brother | el hermano | nephew | el sobrino | twins (f) | las gemelas | ||
| sister | la hermana | niece | la sobrina | dog | el perro | ||
| brothers & sisters | los hermanos | nieces & nephews | los sobrinos | cat | el gato | ||
| only child (m) | el hijo único | cousin (m) | el primo | bird | el pájaro | ||
| only child (f) | la hija única | cousin (f) | la prima | fish | el pez | ||
| kid / boy | el muchacho | cousins | los primos | gold fish | la carpa dorada | ||
| kid / girl | la muchacha | relatives | los parientes | horse | el caballo | ||
| half-brother | el medio hermano | stepfather | el padastro | goat | la cabra | ||
| half-sister | la media hermana | stepmother | la madrastra | pig | el cerdo | ||
| father-in-law | el suegro | stepbrother | el hermanastro | cow | la vaca | ||
| mother-in-law | la suegra | stepsister | la hermanastra | rabbit | el conejo | ||
| brother-in-law | el cuñado | stepson | el hijastro | turtle | la tortuga | ||
| sister-in-law | la cuñada | stepdaughter | la hijastra | mouse | el ratón | ||
| son-in-law | el yerno | godfather | el padrino | deer | el ciervo | ||
| daughter-in-law | la nuera | godmother | la madrina | 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
- If a singular noun ends in a vowel, just add -s to make it plural: la casa → las casas
- If a singular noun ends in a consonant, a vowel with an accent, or y, add -es to make it plural: el papel → los papeles
- Singular nouns that end in -z change the z to c and add -es to form the plural: la luz → las luces
- 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 / nuestras | nuestro / nuestra | nuestros / nuestras | ||
| your | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras | ||
| your/their | su | sus | suyo / suya | suyos / suyas | ||
Because su and sus can have so many meanings, the definite article may be used instead of su with these expressions 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 & Verbal Expressions
| hacer – to do or make | |
| hago | hacemos |
| haces | hacéis |
| hace | hacen |
22. Work and School
| doctor dentist lawyer professor teacher engineer architect writer journalist musician painter pharmacist banker carpenter barber mechanic salesman electrician postman policeman soldier pilot secretary typist nurse | el médico el dentista el abogado el profesor el maestro el ingeniero el arquitecto el escritor el periodista el músico el pintor el farmacéutico el banquero el carpintero el barbero el mecánico el vendedor el electricista el cartero el agente de policía el soldado el piloto la secretaria la mecanógrafo la enfermera | history math algebra geometry science physics chemistry zoology botany geography music art drawing painting linguistics languages | la historia las matemáticas el álgebra la geometría la ciencia la fisica la química la zoología la botánica la geografía la música el arte el dibujo la pintura la lingüística las lenguas / idiomas |
23. Countries and Nationalities
| Country | Masculine (Feminine) Nationality | |
| Germany | Alemania | alemán (alemana) |
| Argentina | Argentina | argentino(a) |
| Australia | Australia | australiano(a) |
| Bolivia | Bolivia | boliviano(a) |
| Canada | Canadá | canadiense |
| Columbia | Colombia | colombiano(a) |
| Costa Rica | Costa Rica | costarricense |
| Cuba | Cuba | cubano(a) |
| Chile | Chile | chileno(a) |
| China | China | chino(a) |
| Ecuador | Ecuador | ecuatoriano(a) |
| Egypt | Egipto | egipcio(a) |
| Spain | España | español(a) |
| United States | los Estados Unidos | (norte)americano(a) |
| France | Francia | francés (francesa) |
| India | India | indio(a) |
| England | Inglaterra | inglés (inglesa) |
| Italy | Italia | italiano(a) |
| Japan | Japón | japonés (japonesa) |
| Mexico | México | mexicano(a) |
| Poland | Polonia | polaco(a) |
| Portugal | Portugal | portugués (portuguesa) |
| Russia | Rusia | ruso(a) |
| South Africa | Sudáfrica | sudafricano(a) |
24. To / In and From
| to | a |
| from | de |
| in | en |
25. To Come and 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 to sing, 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 | ||
| -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 | ||||||
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 te se | nos os se |
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 | e to i | ui to uy |
| 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 | 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 | pedir – to ask (for) repetir – to repeat seguir – to follow servir – to serve vestir – to dress | construir – to build |
| pensar | contar | pedir | construir | ||||
| pienso piensas piensa | pensamos pensáis piensan | cuento cuentas cuenta | contamos contáis cuentan | pido pides pide | pedimos pedís piden | construyo construyes contruye | construimos construís construyen |
| traer | to carry | traigo | I carry |
| salir | to go out | salgo | 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 | to know | conozco | I know |
| deducir | to deduce | deduzco | I deduce |
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) require a as well, when used as the direct object.
Veo a Juan. I see John.
Conozco a tu amiga. I know your friend.
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 -aste -ó | -amos -asteis -aron | -í -iste -ió | -imos -isteis -ieron | |
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 diste dio | dimos disteis dieron | dije dijiste dijo | dijimos dijisteis dijeron | estuve estuviste estuvo | estuvimos estuvisteis estuvieron | ||
| hacer – to do, make | ir – to go / ser- to be | poner – to put, place | |||||
| hice hiciste hizo | hicimos hicisteis hicieron | fui fuiste fue | fuimos fuisteis fueron | puse pusiste puso | pusimos pusisteis pusieron | ||
| tener – to have | traer – to bring | venir – to come | |||||
| tuve tuviste tuvo | tuvimos tuvisteis tuvieron | traje trajiste trajo | trajimos trajisteis trajeron | vine viniste vino | vinimos vinisteis vinieron | ||
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 -abas -aba | -ábamos -abais -aban | -ía -ías -ía | -íamos -íais -ían | |
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 | ir – to go | ver – to see | |||||
| era eras era | éramos erais eran | iba ibas iba | íbamos ibais iban | veía veías veía | veíamos veíais veían | ||
34. Food and Meals
| bacon | el tocino | lunch | el almuerzo | wine | el vino |
| beef | la carne de vaca | meal | la comida | yogurt | el yogur |
| beer | la cerveza | meat | la carne | bag | la bolsa |
| beverage | la bebida | milk | la leche | bowl | el tázon |
| biscuit | el bizcocho | milkshake | la malteada | bottle | la botella |
| bread | el pan | mustard | la mostaza | box | la caja |
| breakfast | el desayuno | mutton | la carne de carnero | can | la lata |
| butter | la mantequilla | oil | el aceite | can opener | abrelatas |
| cake | la torta | omelet | la tortilla | carton | el tetrabrik |
| candy | los dulces | pepper | la pimienta | chopsticks | los palillos |
| cheese | el queso | pie | el pastel | coffee pot | la cafetera |
| chicken | el pollo | pork | la carne de cerdo | colander | el colador |
| chocolate | el chupete | rice | el arroz | corkscrew | el sacacorchos |
| chop | la chuleta | roast | el asado | cup | la taza |
| coffee | el café | roll | el panecillo | dish | el plato |
| cookie | la galleta | salad | la ensalada | fork | el tenedor |
| cottage cheese | el requesón | salami | el salchichón | frying pan | la sartén |
| cotton candy | el algodón de azúcar | salt | la sal | glass | el vaso |
| cream | la crema | sandwich | el bocadillo | jar | el tarro |
| custard | las natillas | sauce | la salsa | jug | la jarra |
| dessert | el postre | sausage | el chorizo | kettle | la caldera |
| dinner | la comida | soft drink | el refresco gaseoso | knife | el cuchillo |
| egg | el huevo | soup | la sopa | lid | la tapa |
| fried eggs | huevos fritos | sour cream | la crema agria | napkin | la servilleta |
| fat | la grasa | steak | el bistec | plate | el plato |
| flour | la harina | stew | el guisado | saucer | el platillo |
| ham | el jamón | sugar | el azúcar | saucepan | la cacerola / el cazo |
| hamburger | la hamburguesa | supper | la cena | spoon | la cuchara |
| honey | la miel | tea (iced) | el té (helado) | spray can | el spray |
| hot dog | el perro caliente | toast | las tostadas | table | la mesa |
| ice | el hielo | veal | la ternera | tablecloth | el mantel |
| ice cream | el helado | vegetable | la legumbre | teapot | la tetera |
| jam | la jalea | vinegar | el vinagre | tube | el tubo |
| juice | el jugo | water | el agua | ||
| lollipop | el chupete | whipped cream | la nata montada |
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.
| Me gusta(n) | I like | 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 |
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 and Meats
| apple | la manzana | lettuce | la lechuga | broccoli | el brócoli |
| orange | la naranja | cabbage | la col | corn on the cob | el elote / la mazorca |
| banana | la banana | cauliflower | la coliflor | radish | el rábano |
| grapefruit | la toronja | green peas | los guisantes | pepper | el pimiento |
| lemon | el limón | asparagus | los espárragos | garlic | el ajo |
| lime | la lima | green bean | la habichuela | potato | la patata |
| peach | el melocotón | spinach | la espinaca | sweet potato | la batata |
| apricot | el albaricoque | tomato | el tomate | beans | los frijoles / las judías |
| fig | el higo | carrot | la zanahoria | beef | la carne de vaca |
| grapes | las uvas | turnip | el nabo | lamb | el cordero |
| pear | la pera | beet | la remolacha | pork | el cerdo |
| plum | la ciruela | celery | el apio | sausage | la salchicha |
| cherry | la cereza | onion | la cebolla | ham | el jamón |
| pineapple | la piña | cucumber | el pepino | bacon | el tocino |
| melon | el melón | parsley | el perejil | goose | el ganso |
| watermelon | la sandía | squash | la calabaza | duck | el pato |
| strawberry | la fresa | artichoke | la alcachofa | chicken | el pollo |
| raspberry | la frambuesa | eggplant | la berenjena | turkey | el pavo |
| blackberry | la zarzamora | rhubarb | el ruibarbo | lobster | la langosta |
37. To Take or Drink
| tomar – to take or drink | |
| tomo tomas toma | tomamos tomáis toman |
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. 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 | Negative | ||||
| -ar | -er or -ir | -ar | -er or -ir | ||
| tú | -a | -e | -es | -as | |
| Usted | -e | -a | -e | -a | |
| nosotros | -emos | -amos | -emos | -amos | |
| vosotros | -ad | -ed / -id | -éis | -áis | |
| Ustedes | -en | -an | -en | -an | |
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 |
| infinitive | imperative stem |
| dar | d- |
| decir | dig- |
| estar | est- |
| haber | hay- |
| hacer | hag- |
| ir | vay- |
| poder | pued- |
| poner | pong- |
| querer | quier- |
| saber | sep- |
| salir | salg- |
| ser | se- |
| tener | teng- |
| traer | traig- |
| venir | veng- |
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 nada nadie ninguno (a) tampoco ni ni…ni ni siquiera nunca, jamás | no more, no longer nothing, (not) anything nobody, (not) anybody no, none neither, either nor neither… nor not even never, ever |
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 |
| 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. Ciña ¡oh patria! tus sienes de oliva 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. ¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente De la patria manchar los blasones! ¡Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones En las olas de sangre empapad. ¡Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle Los cañones horrísonos truenen Y los ecos sonoros resuenen Con las voces de ¡Unión! ¡Libertad! 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! ¡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. | 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. Your forehead shall be girded, oh 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. 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 The terrifying cannon thunder and the echoes nobly resound to the cries of union! liberty! 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: The fatherland was made of one thousand heroes here. 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. |
| 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 | To have just + past participle |
| Hace + time | 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 |
Estaban cantando. They were 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 | |
| he has ha | hemos habéis han |
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 participles are formed by dropping the infinitive ending, and adding these endings:
| Past Participles | |
| -ar -er -ir | -ado -ido -ido |
No han vendido la casa. They have not sold the house.
Dónde ha puesto Ud. la llave? Where have you put the key?
Hemos gastado mucho dinero. We have spent a lot of money.
Qué ha dicho Ud.? What did you say?
45. Places
| airport | el aeropuerto | embassy | la embajada | pier | el muelle |
| bakery | la panadería | factory | la fábrica | police station | la comisaría |
| bank | el banco | farm | la granja | port | el puerto |
| bar | el bar | fire hydrant | la boca de agua | prison | la prisión |
| barn | el granero | fountain | la fuente | restaurant | el restaurante |
| barracks | el cuartel | garage | el garaje | road (highway) | la carretera / la vía |
| bench | el banco | grocery store | el supermercado | school | la escuela |
| bridge | el puente | hospital | el hospital | sidewalk | la acera |
| bookstore | la librería | hotel | el hotel | square | la plaza |
| building | el edificio | house | la casa | stable | la cuadra |
| butcher’s | la carnicería | hut | la cabaña | stadium | el estadio |
| castle | el castillo | inn | la posada | stop sign | la señal de alto |
| cathedral | la catedral | lane (town) | la calleja | store | la tienda |
| cemetery | el cementerio | library | la biblioteca | street | la calle |
| church | la iglesia | market | el mercado | suburb | el barro residencial |
| cinema | el cine | ministry | el ministerio | theater | el teatro |
| consulate | el consulado | monument | el monumento | tower | la torre |
| corner | la esquina | museum | el museo | town | la ciudad |
| courtyard | el patio | palace | el palacio | town hall | el ayuntamiento |
| crosswalk | el cruce peatonal | path | la senda | traffic light | el semáforo |
| dock | la dársena | pavement | la acera | university | la universidad |
| dry cleaner’s | la tintorería | pharmacy | la farmacia | village | el pueblo |
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 | en tren |
| by boat | 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 despertador | drawer | el cajón | pipe | la pipa |
| armchair | el sillón | dresser | el tocador | pipe (water) | el tubo |
| ashtray | el cenicero | driveway | la entrada del garaje | poker | el atizador |
| attic | el desván | DVD player | el lector de DVD | radio | la radio |
| balcony | el balcón | fence | la cerca | record | el disco |
| basement | el sótano | film | la película | refrigerator | el refrigerador |
| basket | la cesta | fire | el fuego | roof | el tejado |
| bathroom | el baño | flame | la llama | room | el cuarto |
| bathtub | la bañera | flashlight | la linterna | rug | la alfombra |
| batteries | las pilas | flat | el apartamento | sheet | la sábana |
| bed | la cama | floor | el suelo | shelf | el estante |
| bedroom | la alcoba / el dormitorio | floor (levels) | el piso / la planta | shovel | la pala |
| bell (door) | la campanilla | flower | la flor | shower | la ducha |
| blanket | la cobija | freezer | el congelador | sideboard | el aparador |
| blinds | la persiana | front walk | la vereda | sink | el fregadero |
| bookcase | la librería | furniture | los muebles | sink (bathroom) | el lavabo |
| box | la caja | garage | el garaje | sitting room | la sala |
| broom | la escoba | garden | el jardín | smoke | el humo |
| bucket | el balde | ground floor | la planta baja | sofa | el sofá |
| camcorder | la cámara | hearth | la chimenea | 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 |
| cassette | la cinta | kerosene | el petróleo | study | el estudio |
| CD player | el lector de CD | key | la llave | switch | el conmutador |
| ceiling | el techo | kitchen | la cocina | table | la mesa |
| 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 | la tostadora |
| 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 |
| computer | la computadora | matches | las cerillas | vase | el jarrón |
| corner | el rincón | mattress | el colchón | VCR | el magnetoscopio |
| cupboard | la alacena | microwave oven | el horno microondas | wall (house) | el muro |
| curtain | la cortina | mirror | el espejo | wall (room) | la pared |
| cushion | el cojín | oven | el horno | window | la ventana |
| desk | el escritorio | pantry | la despensa | yard | el jardín |
| dining room | el comedor | picture | el cuadro | ||
| door | la puerta | pillow | la almohada |
50. Comparative and 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 |
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 bad great small well badly much little | bueno malo grande pequeño bien mal mucho poco | better worse greater less better worse more less | mejor peor mayor menor mejor peor más menos | the best the worst the greatest the least best worst most least | el mejor el peor el mayor el menor el mejor el peor el más el menos |
52. Clothing
| apron | el delantal | pants | los pantalones |
| barrette | el pasador | pin | el alfiler |
| bathrobe | la bata | 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 | un cepillo del pelo | scarf | la bufanda |
| buckle | la hebilla | shirt | la camisa |
| button | el botón | shoe | el zapato |
| cap | el gorro | shoelace | el cordón |
| clothes | la ropa | shorts | los pantalones cortos |
| coat | el abrigo | silk | la seda |
| collar | el cuello | skirt | la falda |
| comb | el peine | sleeve | la manga |
| cotton | el algodón | slippers | las pantuflas |
| dress | el vestido | soap | el jabón |
| earmuffs | las orejaras | sock | los calcetines |
| earrings | el arete | stocking | la media |
| fashion | la moda | suit | el traje |
| glasses | los lentes | sunglasses | las gafas de sol |
| glove | el guante | suspenders | los tirantes |
| handbag | el bolso | sweater | el jersey |
| handkerchief | el pañuelo | sweatsuit | el chándal |
| hat | el sombrero | swimsuit | el traje de baño |
| jacket | la cazadora | tie | la corbata |
| jeans | los vaqueros | T-shirt | la camiseta |
| mittens | los mitones | umbrella | el paraguas |
| necklace | el collar | underwear | la ropa interior |
| nightgown | el camisón | waistcoat | el chaleco |
| overcoat | el sobretodo | watch | el reloj |
| pajamas | los pijamas | wool | la lana |
53. To Wear
| llevar – to wear | ponerse – to put on | |||
| llevo llevas lleva | llevamos lleváis llevan | me pongo te pones se pone | nos ponemos os ponéis so ponen | |
54. Future Tense The future of regular verbs is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive:
| -é -ás -á | -emos -éis -án |
| caber (to fit) | cabr- |
| decir (to say, tell) | dir- |
| haber (to have) | habr- |
| hacer (to do, make) | har- |
| poder (to be able) | podr- |
| poner (to put, place) | pondr- |
| querer (to want) | querr- |
| saber (to know) | sabr- |
| salir (to leave, go out) | saldr- |
| tener (to have, to own) | tendr- |
| valer (to be worth) | valdr- |
| venir (to come) | vendr- |
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 |
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 | el jugador | boxing | el boxeo | |
| soccer | el fútbol | wrestling | 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 | la hierba | sea | el mar |
| archipelago | el archipiélago | gulf | el golfo | shadow | la sombra |
| bank | la orilla | hail | el granizo | sky | el cielo |
| bay | la bahía | hay | el heno | snow | la nieve |
| barn | el granero | high tide | la marea alta | soil | el suelo |
| beach | la playa | hill | la colina | south | el sur |
| branch | la rama | ice | el hielo | spring (water) | la fuente |
| bridge | el puente | island | la isla | star | la estrella |
| bud | el capullo | isthmus | el istmo | stem | el tallo |
| bush | el arbusto | jungle | la jungla | storm | la tormenta |
| cape | el cabo | lake | el lago | strait | el aprieto |
| cave | la cueva | leaf | la hoja | stream | el arroyo |
| city | la ciudad | light | la luz | street | el calle |
| climate | el clima | lightning | el relámpago | sun | el sol |
| cloud | la nube | lily | la azucena | sunflower | el girasol |
| coast | la costa | low tide | la marea baja | thaw | el deshielo |
| comet | el cometa | meadow | el prado | thunder | el trueno |
| constellation | la constelación | moon | la luna | tornado | el tornado |
| country | el país | mountain | la montaña | tree | el árbol |
| country(side) | el campo | mountain range | la sierra | trunk | el tronco |
| current | la corriente | mouth (river) | la desembocadura | tulip | el tulipán |
| daffodil | el narciso | mud | el barro | valley | el valle |
| 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 | fresh water | el agua dulce |
| dew | el rocío | plain | el llano | salt water | el agua salada |
| dust | el polvo | planet | el planeta | watering can | la 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 | river | el río | world | el mundo |
| fog | le niebla | rock | la roca | ||
| foliage | el follaje | root | la raíz | ||
| forest | el bosque | rose | la rosa | ||
| frost | el helada | sand | la arena |
59. To Say and to Go Out
| decir – to say | salir – to go out | |||
| digo dices dice | decimos decís dicen | salgo sales sale | salimos salís salen | |
60. Para vs. Por and 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.)
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.
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.
Voy por Alicia. I’m going for Alice.
Voté por 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 | Direct | Indirect | Object of Prepositions | ||||
| yo | I | 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 |
2. When you have more than one pronoun, the indirect comes before the direct. If both pronouns begin with the letter l, 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 original 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.
- 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 | fist | el puño | palm | la palma |
| back | la espalda | flesh | la carne | pulse | el pulso |
| beard | la barba | foot | el pie | rib | la costilla |
| belly | el vientre | forehead | la frente | shin | la espinilla |
| bladder | la vejiga | gum | la encía | shoulder | el hombro |
| blood | la sangre | hair | el cabello / el pelo | skeleton | el esqueleto |
| body | el cuerpo | hand | la mano | skin | la piel |
| bone | el hueso | head | la cabeza | skull | el cráneo |
| brain | el cerebro | health | la salud | sole | la planta |
| breast | el seno | heart | el corazón | spine | la espina dorsal |
| breath | el aliento | heel | el talón | stomach | el estómago |
| calf | la pantorrilla | hip | la cadera | tear | la lágrima |
| cheek | la mejilla | intestine | el intestino | temple | la sien |
| chest | el pecho | jaw | la quijada | thigh | el muslo |
| chin | la barba / la barbilla | kidney | el riñón | throat | la garganta |
| coccyx | el coxis | knee | la rodilla | thumb | el pulgar |
| cold | el resfriado | leg | la pierna | toe | el dedo del pie |
| complexion | la tez | lip | el labio | tongue | la lengua |
| cough | la tos | liver | el hígado | tooth | el diente |
| disease | la enfermedad | lung | el pulmón | vein | la vena |
| ear | la oreja | moustache | el bigote | wound | le herida |
| elbow | el codo | mouth | la boca | waist | la cintura |
| eye | el ojo | muscle | el músculo | wrist | la muñeca |
| eyebrow | la ceja | nail | la uña | ||
| eyelid | el párpado | neck | el cuello | ||
| face | la cara | nerve | el nervio |
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 | damos dais dan | traigo traes trae | 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 quien are 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 |
67. To Hear, to Smell and to See
| oír – to hear | oler – to smell | ver – to see | |||||
| oigo oyes oye | oímos oís oyen | huelo hueles huele | olemos oléis huelen | veo ves ve | vemos veis ven | ||
68. Animals
| animal | el animal | duck | el pato | lark | la alondra | sea gull | la gaviota |
| ant | la hormiga | eagle | el águila (f) | lion | el león | seahorse | el caballito de mar |
| antelope | el antílope | eel | el anguila | lizard | el lagarto | seal | la foca |
| antenna | la antena | egg | el huevo | lobster (spiny) | la langosta | shark | el tiburón |
| antler | el asta | elephant | el elefante | louse | el piojo | sheep | la oveja |
| badger | el tejón | feather | la pluma | mackerel | el escombro | shrimp | la gamba |
| bat | el murciélago | fin | la aleta | mole | el topo | skin | la piel |
| beak | el pico | fish | el pez | monkey | el mono | slug | la babosa |
| bear | el oso | flea | la pulga | mosquito | el mosquito | snail | el caracol |
| bee | la abeja | fly | la mosca | moth | la polilla | snake | la serpiente / la culebra |
| beetle | el escarabajo | fox | el zorro | mouse | el ratón | sole | el lenguado |
| bird | el pájaro | frog | la rana | mule | el mulo | sparrow | el gorrión |
| blackbird | el mirlo | fur | el pelo | mussel | la almeja | spider | la araña |
| bull | el toro | gill | la branquia | nest | el nido | squid | el calamar |
| butterfly | la mariposa | giraffe | la jirafa | nightingale | el ruiseñor | squirrel | la ardilla |
| calf | el ternero | goat | la cabra | octopus | el pulpo | starfish | la estrella de mar |
| carp | la carpa | goose | el ganso | ostrich | el avestruz | stork | la cigüeña |
| cat | el gato | gorilla | el gorila | owl | el buho | swallow | la golondrina |
| caterpillar | la oruga | grasshopper | el saltamontes | ox | el buey | swan | el cisne |
| cheetah | el guepardo | hamster | la marmota | oyster | la ostra | tadpole | el renacuajo |
| chicken | el pollo | hare | la liebre | parrot | el loro | tail | la cola |
| chimpanzee | el chimpancé | hedgehog | el erizo | partridge | la perdiz | tiger | el tigre |
| claw | la zarpa | hen | la gallina | paw | la pata | toad | el sapo |
| cockroach | la cucaracha | heron | la garza | penguin | el pingüino | trout | la trucha |
| cod | el bacalao | herring | el arenque | pig | el cerdo | tuna | el atún |
| cocoon | el capullo | hoof | la pezuña | pigeon | el pichón | turkey | el pavo |
| cow | la vaca | horn | el cuerno | pike | el sollo | turtle | la tortuga |
| crab | el cangrejo | horse | el caballo | pony | el potro | wasp | la avispa |
| crayfish | el cangrejo | hummingbird | el colibri | rabbit | el conejo | weasel | la comadreja |
| crocodile | el cocodrilo | iguana | la iguana | raccoon | el mapache | whale | la ballena |
| crow | el cuervo | insect | el insecto | rat | la rata | wing | el ala (f) |
| deer | el ciervo | jellyfish | la medusa | rooster | el gallo | wolf | el lobo |
| dog | el perro | kitten | el gatito | salmon | el salmón | worm | el gusano |
| donkey | el burro | ladybug | la catarina | scale | la escama | zebra | la cebra |
| dragonfly | la libélula | lamb | el cordero | scorpion | el escorpión |
69. Suffixes 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. You can use the present tense endings and switch the vowel (-ar verbs use -e and -er/-ir verbs use -a):
Present Subjunctive
| -ar verbs | -er and -ir | ||
| -e -es -e | -emos -éis -en | -a -as -a | -amos -áis -an |
| mentir in present subjunctive | |
| mienta mientas mienta | mintamos mintáis mientan |
Past (Imperfect) Subjunctive
| all verbs | |
| -a -as -a | -amos -ais -an |
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 | Past perfect subjunctive | |||||
| haya hayas haya | hayamos hayáis hayan | + past participle | hubiera hubieras hubiera | hubiéramos hubierais hubieran | + past participle | |
71. Irregular Subjunctive Mood Many verbs are irregular in the present subjunctive mood:
| dar – to give | decir – to say/tell | estar – to be | |||
| dé des dé | demos deis den | diga digas diga | digamos digáis digan | esté estés esté | estemos estéis estén |
| haber – to have | hacer – to do/make | ir – to go | |||
| haya hayas haya | hayamos hayáis hayan | haga hagas haga | hagamos hagáis hagan | vaya vayas vaya | vayamos vayáis vayan |
| poder – to be able to | poner – to put/place | querer – to want | |||
| pueda puedas pueda | podamos podáis puedan | ponga pongas ponga | pongamos pongáis pongan | quiera quieras quiera | queramos queráis quieran |
| saber – to know | salir – to go out | ser – to be | |||
| sepa sepas sepa | sepamos sepáis sepan | salga salgas salga | salgamos salgáis salgan | sea seas sea | seamos seáis sean |
| tener – to have | traer – to bring | venir – to come | |||
| tenga tengas tenga | tengamos tengáis tengan | traigo traigas traiga | traigamos traigáis traigan | venga vengas venga | vengamos vengáis vengan |
| dar – to give | decir – to say/tell | estar – to be | |||
| diera dieras diera | diéramos dierais dieran | dijera dijeras dijera | dijéramos dijerais dijeran | estuviera estuvieras estuviera | estuviéramos estuvierais estuvieran |
| haber – to have | hacer – to do/make | ir – to go | |||
| hubiera hubieras hubiera | hubiéramos hubierais hubieran | hiciera hicieras hiciera | hiciéramos hicierais hicieran | fuera fueras fuera | fuéramos fuerais fueran |
| poder – to be able to | poner – to put/place | querer – to want | |||
| pudiera pudieras pudiera | pudiéramos pudierais pudieran | pusiera pusieras pusiera | pusiéramos pusierais pusieran | quisiera quisieras quisiera | quisiéramos quisierais quisieran |
| saber – to know | ser – to be | tener – to have | |||
| supiera supieras supiera | supiéramos supierais supieran | fuera fueras fuera | fuéramos fuerais fueran | tuviera tuvieras tuviera | tuviéramos tuvierais tuvieran |
| traer – to bring | venir – to come | ||||
| trajera trajeras trajera | trajéramos trajerais trajeran | viniera vinieras viniera | viniéramos vinierais 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 and acaso (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 if-clause (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 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 de 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 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 |
| shopping mall | el centro comercial | (open-air) market | el mercado (al aire libre) |
| belt | el cinturón | (fixed) price | el precio (fijo) |
| glasses | las gafas | sale | la rebaja |
| gloves | los guantes | to bargain | regatear |
| sunglasses | los lentes de sol | to spend money | gastar |
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 | to deposit | depositar |
| package | el paquete | account | la cuenta |
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 | Verb + de + 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 | 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 + en + another infinitive | Verb + con + another infinitive | |||
| consentir consistir divertirse empeñarse esforzarse insistir ocuparse pensar persistir tardar | to consent to to consist to amuse oneself to insist on to endeavor to to insist on to busy oneself to think of to persist in to delay in | contar contentarse soñar | to count on to content oneself with to dream of | |
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 |
| car garage tank gasoline oil air grease tire spare tire wheel steering wheel brake speed slow danger stop go service station | 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 la estación de servicio |
82. Travelling & Vacation
| passport | el pasaporte | airport | el aeropuerto |
| customs | la aduana | parking lot | el aparcamiento |
| arrival | la llegada | bus stop | la parada |
| departure | la salida | traffic jam | los atascos |
| (round-trip) ticket | el pasaje (de ida y vuelta) | map | el mapa |
| luggage | el equipaje | countryside | el campo |
| single/double room | la habitación individual/doble | mountain | la montaña |
| train (bus) station | la estación de tren (de autobuses) | beach | la playa |
| subway | la estación de metro | paths | los caminos |
| to take a trip | hacer un viaje | vacation | las vacaciones |
| to go on vacation | ir de vacaciones | to drive | conducir |
| to pack | hacer las maletas | to visit | visitar |
| to travel | viajar | to walk | pasearse |
| to fly | volar | to get lost | perderse |
83. Cosmetics / Toiletries
| shampoo | el champú | brush | el cepillo |
| soap | el jabón | comb | el peine |
| makeup | el maquillaje | toothpaste | la pasta de dientes |
| shaving cream | la crema de afeitar | toothbrush | el cepillo de dientes |
| lotion | la loción | towel | la toalla |
| nail polish | el esmalte para las uñas | electric razor | la maquinilla de afeitar |
84. Other Perfect Tenses 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 or present 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 | telephone book | la guía telefónica |
| Hello (reply) | Oiga | yellow pages | las páginas amarillas |
| This is… | Soy… | to transfer someone | poner con alguien |
| phone card | una tarjeta telefónica | to call | telefonear |
| phone booth | una cabina | to pick up | descolgar |
| call | una llamada | to hang up | colgar |
| ringtone | el timbre del teléfono | 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 |
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 | teacher | ¡chulo! ¡chula! | great! |
| el cole | middle school | ser un lince | to be very clever |
| un(a) chaval(a) | guy/girl | llevarse un chasco | to be disappointed |
| un tío | guy | estar hasta la gorra | to be fed up |
| un ligue | flirt | ligar | to flirt |
| un empollón | hard-worker | estar hecho papilla | to be sad |
| un cabeza de chorlito | scatterbrain | estar hecho polvo | to be tired |
| un cabeza cuadrada | stubborn | estar mal del coco | to be crazy |
| un cara de mala leche | mean look/face | estar harto | 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 | to adore | dar lástima | to trouble |
| dar ganas | to feel like | doler | to hurt |
Le duelen los dientes. His teeth hurt.
Les da miedo la película. The film scares them.
You can also add a mí, a ti, a él, a ella, a usted, a nosotros/-as, a vosotros/-as, a ellos, a ellas, or a ustedes before the indirect object for emphasis.
A mí me gusta el fútbol. Me, I like soccer.
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