Grammar Lessons

Gender of Nouns

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A noun is a word used to denote a person, place, thing, or idea.

Person: John, girl, dentist
Place: garden, university, Venezuela
Thing: book, car, tomato
Idea: liberty, despair, intelligence

In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine.

The idea that nouns have gender seems perfectly natural when the noun stands for a living creature. This is because in English, living creatures often have different names, depending upon whether they are male or female.

The following Spanish nouns all denote living creatures.

How are all of these masculine nouns alike?

el gato
el perro
el chico
el abuelo

Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

How are all of these feminine nouns alike?

la gata
la perra
la chica
la abuela

Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

“El” and “la” both mean “the.”

el chico (the boy)
la chica (the girl)

el perro (the male dog)
la gata (the female cat)

Note: These two words (el, la) are called “definite articles.” You will learn more about them in a later lesson.

What do you notice about the last letter of these nouns?

Nouns that end in -o are usually masculine. Nouns that end in -a are usually feminine. Notice the word usually! There are exceptions to these two rules and you will soon be learning them.

One cannot predict the gender of a noun that stands for a non-living thing. Try to predict whether the Spanish words for the following things are masculine or feminine:

Masculine or feminine?

book
house
money
window

One cannot predict the gender of a noun, except in the case of living creatures. Do not try to analyze the nature of the object, looking for some inherent masculinity or femininity. It won’t work!

Take a guess. Do you think the Spanish word for “dress” is masculine or feminine? You might expect it to be feminine, since a dress is an article of clothing worn by females.

Actually, the word for “dress” is a masculine word:

el vestido

Take another guess. Do you think the Spanish word for “necktie” is masculine or feminine? You might expect it to be masculine, since a necktie is an article of clothing worn by males.

Actually, the word for “necktie” is a feminine word:

la corbata

When you learn a new noun, you should also learn its definite article (el, la). There are several reasons for this:

• Because you cannot predict the gender of most nouns.
• Because not every noun that ends in -o is masculine, and not every noun that ends in -a is feminine.
• Because many nouns end in letters other than o or a.
• Because the definite article (el, la) is your clue as to whether a noun is masculine or feminine.

Why do you care whether a noun is masculine or feminine?

Good question! As you shall see in upcoming lessons, Spanish places a great deal more emphasis on gender than does English.

Gender of Nouns: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.

el profesor
la profesora

el doctor
la doctora

el señor
la señora

Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).

el estudiante
la estudiante

el pianista
la pianista

el artista
la artista

Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.

la televisión
la decisión
la conversación
la habitación
la ciudad
la universidad
la dificultad
la libertad
la actitud
la gratitud
la certidumbre
la muchedumbre

Some nouns that end in -a are masculine.

el problema
el telegrama
el programa
el mapa
el sistema
el poema
el día
el tema
el clima
el idioma
el sofá
el planeta

Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine. Notice that eight of the twelve nouns listed above end in -ma.

el telegrama
el programa
el problema
el sistema
el poema
el idioma
el clima
el tema

Note: A few nouns that end in -ma are feminine, such as la cama and la pluma.

Four of the nouns that end in -a are simply exceptions and must be memorized.

el día
el mapa
el planeta
el sofá

A few nouns that end in -o are feminine.

la mano
la radio

Review of the rules learned in lesson 1 and lesson 2.

• Many nouns that denote living things have both a masculine and a feminine form.
• Most nouns that end in -o are masculine.
• Most nouns that end in -a are feminine.
• Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.
• Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).
• Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
• Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine.
• A few nouns that end in -o are feminine

You now know most of the rules for determining the gender of a noun. There are just a few more things to know, but they won’t be covered until later. Remember, whenever you learn a new noun, learn it complete with its definite article (el, la). Definite articles are the subject of an upcoming lesson.

Cardinal Numbers: 1-10

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are the numbers 1-10:

1. uno
2. dos
3. tres
4. cuatro
5. cinco
6. seis
7. siete
8. ocho
9. nueve
10. diez

The number “one” changes from “uno” to “un” before a masculine noun.

The number “one” changes from “uno” to “una” before a feminine noun.

When counting generically (one, two, three …) use “uno” but when counting specifically (one cat, one dog), use “un” or “una.”

Plural Forms of Nouns

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

If a noun ends in a vowel, make it plural by adding -s.

The definite articles (el, la) also change in the plural form. They become “los” and “las.” The definite articles will be covered in depth in the next lesson.

el libro: los libros

la pluma: las plumas

el chico: los chicos

la señora: las señoras

If a noun ends in a consonant, make it plural by adding -es.

If a noun ends in -ión, add -es and drop the written accent.

el avión: los aviones

la conversación: las conversaciones

la sección: las secciones

la televisión: las televisiones

Note: You may wonder why “avión” isn’t feminine. Notice that it doesn’t qualify for our rule which says that all nouns ending in -ción and sión are feminine.

If a noun ends in -z, add -es and change the z to c.

el lápiz: los lápices

la voz: las voces

el tapiz: los tapices

la actriz: las actrices

When the plural refers to two or more nouns of different genders, the masculine plural is used.

2 perros + 6 perras = 8 perros (not perras)
1 gato + 8 gatas = 9 gatos (not gatas)

A few nouns are “compound nouns,” that is, they are formed by combining two words into one.

(Example: abre + latas = abrelatas / open + cans = can opener)

These compound nouns are always masculine, and the plural is formed by changing the “el” to “los.”

el abrelatas
los abrelatas

el paraguas
los paraguas

Let’s review the rules for making nouns plural.

• If a noun ends in a vowel, simply add -s.
• If a noun ends in a consonant, simply add -es.
• If a noun ends in a -z, change the z to c before adding -es.
• If a noun ends in ión, drop the written accent before adding -es.
• If the plural refers to a mixed group, use the masculine.
• For compound nouns, change “el” to “los”.

Definite and Indefinite Articles: Part I

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The difference between definite articles and indefinite articles can be
observed in the following two sentences:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.
Give me a cookie, please.

Imagine a plate full of cookies. There are peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and one chocolate chip cookie.

The first sentence speaks of a particular (or definite) cookie:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.

The second sentence speaks of any of a number of cookies (or an indefinite cookie):

Give me a cookie, please.

The difference between the definite and indefinite articles is the difference between talking about a specific cookie, or any old cookie at all.

the cookie
a cookie

In English, the definite article is the word “the” regardless of whether the noun it introduces is singular or plural.

the cookie
the cookies

In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

Note: The masculine plural definite and indefinite articles (los, unos) are also used to indicate a group of mixed sex. Thus, “los gatos” could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the definite article are:

In English, the indefinite article is the word “a,” “an,” or “some.”

a cookie
an apple
some books

In Spanish, the indefinite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the
noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

Note: Remember, as long as the group of creatures has at least one male member, the masculine plural article is used. Thus, “unos gatos” could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the indefinite article are:

Here are the definite and indefinite articles together:

Each of the following has a different meaning:

“Un” and “una” can mean “one,” “a,” or “an.”

The Verb Form "Hay"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The verb form “hay” has two meanings:

there is
there are

Examples:

Hay muchos libros en la biblioteca.
There are many books in the library.

Hay un libro encima de la mesa.
There is a book on the table.

Más ejemplos:

Hay dos baños en mi casa.
There are two baths in my house.

Hay cuatro océanos en el mundo.
There are 4 oceans in the world.

Hay un libro y una pluma en la mesa.
There is one book and one pen on the table.
or:
There is a book and a pen on the table.

When used in questions, “hay” has two different meanings:

Is there?
Are there?

Ejemplos:

¿Hay un hotel en el centro?
Is there a hotel downtown?

¿Hay algunos libros por aquí?
Are there any books around here?

Más ejemplos:

¿Hay muchos estudiantes en la clase?
Are there lots of students in the class?

¿Hay cuatro sillas en el cuarto?
Are there 4 chairs in the room?

¿Hay una chica o dos?
Is there one girl or two?

The verb form “hay” can also be used to answer questions.

¿Hay un hotel en el centro?
Is there a hotel downtown?

Sí. Sí hay.
Yes. Yes there is.

¿Hay algunos libros por aquí?
Are there any books around here?

No. No hay.
No. No there aren’t.

It is vital that you begin a collection of verb flashcards. This will be your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. We will tell you when you need to add a card to this collection. Begin by creating a card with the verb form “hay” on one side, and the English translations on the other side:

Subject Pronouns

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A verb is an action word.

run
sit
eat
sink
swim
study

The main form of a verb is called the infinitive. In English, infinitives include the word “to.”

to run
to sit
to eat
to sink
to swim
to study

The infinitive is the pure form of a verb. The infinitive is like a lump of clay that can be molded to match the subject of the sentence it is used in:

I speak
you speak
he/she speaks

we speak
you-all* speak

they speak

Note: The above forms are called conjugations of the infinitive “to speak.”

Regarding the form “you-all” — this usage is not considered to be standard English. In standard English, the same word is used for both the singular you and the plural you. That is, each of the following is correct:

You have a tail light out, ma’am.
You (kids) have soccer practice at four.

In the first sentence, “you” refers to the singular “ma’am.” In the second sentence, “you” refers to the plural “kids.” To avoid confusion between you (singular) and you (plural), we will employ the non-standard English usage “you-all” to indicate you (plural). This will be very beneficial to y’all, particularly at the beginning of your studies.

The words “I” “you” “he” “she” “we” “you-all” and “they” are called subject pronouns. Spanish has corresponding subject pronouns. Here’s a list of the English subject pronouns and their Spanish equivalents:

Spanish subject pronouns are both similar to and different from their English counterparts. Let’s examine some of the differences. Look more closely at the English word “you.”

You have just seen that this can be translated into Spanish as “usted.” But there is also a second way it can be translated. There are two ways the English word “you” can be expressed in Spanish:

Spanish has a formal and an informal form of the word “you.” “Usted” is more formal and is generally used to express respect. “Tú” is more familiar and is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.

Speaking to your boss: usted
Speaking to your daughter: tú
Speaking to your teacher: usted
Speaking to your friend: tú

usted = you formal

tú = you informal (familiar)

This same distinction with regard to degree of formality occurs in the plural form as well. When referring to “you-all,” there are two choices in Spanish:

ustedes
you-all formal

vosotros
you-all familiar

Once again, the difference lies in the degree of formality conveyed by the speaker. However, the vosotros form is used primarily in Spain. Throughout Latin America, “ustedes” is generally used in both formal and informal situations to refer to “you-all.”

Speaking to a group of children
(in Spain): vosotros

Speaking to a group of children
(in Latin America): ustedes

Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Spain): ustedes

Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Latin America): ustedes

Note: usted can be abbreviated Ud. or Vd. ; ustedes can be abbreviated Uds. or Vds.

In many ways, Spanish is more gender-specific than English. We find evidence of this in the subject pronouns. First, look at the word “nosotros.” This means “we” in the sense of a group containing at least one male. If the group contains only females, the word “nosotras” is used. So, in Spanish, there are two ways to say “we”:

nosotros
we (masculine or mixed group)

nosotras
we (feminine)

This same idea applies to the English word “they”:

ellos
they (masculine or mixed group)

ellas
they (feminine)

This same idea also applies to the “vosotros” form:

vosotros
you-all familiar (masculine or mixed group)

vosotras
you-all familiar (feminine)

Note: These forms are used primarily in Spain, not Latin America.

Finally, don’t get confused over the difference between talking to a group or talking about a group. Consider the following statement, which could have been made by your Spanish teacher, while standing before the class:

“You-all need to study your Spanish. Those students in the other class don’t need to study Spanish. They are studying French. You-all can practice Spanish in Spain. They can practice French in France.”

The teacher is talking to the Spanish students and about the French students.

Talking to a group, use “you-all”:

ustedes
vosotros
vosotras

Talking about a group, use “they”:

ellos
ellas

Here’s the complete list of Spanish subject pronouns:

Singular

yo – I
tú – you (familiar)
él – he
ella – she
usted – you (formal)

Plural

Regular Spanish Verbs

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

All Spanish verbs are either “regular” or “irregular.” In this lesson we will look at three completely regular verbs:

hablar (to speak)
comer (to eat)
vivir (to live)

Notice the last two letters of each verb.

hablar (to speak)
comer (to eat)
vivir (to live)

There are three categories of verbs:

-ar verbs (like hablar)
-er verbs (like comer)
-ir verbs (like vivir)

All three categories are infinitives. You will recall from a previous lesson that infinitives are the base form of the verb, equivalent in English to: to speak, to eat, to live, etc. In Spanish, all infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir.

-ar verb
hablar (to speak)

-er verb
comer (to eat)

-ir verb
vivir (to live)

Remember what it means to conjugate a verb:

to speak

I speak
you speak
he speaks
she speaks
we speak
you-all speak
they speak

In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate our model verbs for I, you (formal), we, and you-all (formal).

hablar – to speak

comer – to eat

vivir – to live

Look for a pattern in the yo form.

yo hablo
yo como
yo vivo

If the subject is I (yo), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -o.

yo hablo (hablar – ar + o = hablo)
yo como (comer – er + o = como)
yo vivo (vivir – ir + o = vivo)

Look for a pattern in the usted form.

usted habla
usted come
usted vive

If the subject is you formal (usted) drop the ending and add either -a or -e. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -a. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -e.

usted habla (hablar – ar + a = habla)
usted come (comer – er + e = come)
usted vive (vivir – ir + e = vive)

Look for a pattern in the nosotros/as form.

nosotros/as hablamos
nosotros/as comemos
nosotros/as vivimos

If the subject is we (nosotros/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -amos, -emos, or -imos.

Notice that the ending of the infinitive determines which is used: -ar verbs add -amos, -er verbs add -emos, -ir verbs add -imos.

nosotros/as hablamos
(hablar – ar + amos = hablamos)

nosotros/as comemos
(comer – er + emos = comemos)

nosotros/as vivimos
(vivir – ir + imos = vivimos)

Look for a pattern in the ustedes form.

ustedes hablan
ustedes comen
ustedes viven

If the subject is you-all (ustedes), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -an or -en. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -an. If it is an -er or an -ir verb, add -en.

ustedes hablan
(hablar – ar + an = hablan)

ustedes comen
(comer – er + en = comen)

ustedes viven
(vivir – ir + en = viven)

Present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things.

1. Yo hablo inglés:

   I speak English.
   I do speak English.
   I am speaking English.

2. Yo como pan:

   I eat bread.
   I do eat bread.
   I am eating bread.

3. Yo vivo en Buenos Aires:

   I live in Buenos Aires.
   I do live in Buenos Aires.
   I am living in Buenos Aires.

It is vital that you continue with your collection of verb flashcards. This will be your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. Continue by creating 4 additional cards, writing the words in bold on one side and the conjugations on the other side:

Regular Verbs: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, all Spanish verbs are either “regular” or “irregular.” In this lesson we continue by looking at our three model verbs, which are completely regular:

Also remember, there are three categories of verbs:

-ar verbs (like hablar)
-er verbs (like comer)
-ir verbs (like vivir)

Remember that when you conjugate a verb, you mold the infinitive to match the subject of the sentence.

to speak

I speak
you speak
he speaks
she speaks
we speak
you-all speak
they speak

In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate regular verbs for the following forms: you (familiar), he, she, you-all (familiar) and they.

hablar

comer

vivir

Look for a pattern in the tú form.

tú hablas
tú comes
tú vives

If the subject is you (familiar), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -as or -es. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -as. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add es.

tú hablas (hablar – ar + as = hablas)
tú comes (comer – er + es = comes)
tú vives (vivir – ir + es = vives)

Look for a pattern in the él form.

él habla
él come
él vive

If the subject is he (él) drop the ending and add either -a or -e. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -a. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -e.

él habla (hablar – ar + a = habla)
él come (comer – er + e = come)
él vive (vivir – ir + e = vive)

Look for a pattern in the ella form.

ella habla
ella come
ella vive

If the subject is she (ella), conjugate in exactly the same manner as you did for he (él). That is, by dropping the ending and add -a or -e, depending on whether the verb is an -ar, -er or -ir verb.

ella habla (hablar – ar + a = habla)
ella come (comer – er + e = come)
ella vive (vivir – ir + e = vive)

Note: at this point, you may notice that the conjugations for él/ella are the same as for usted (usted habla, usted come, usted vive).

Look for a pattern in the vosotros/as form.

vosotros/as habláis
vosotros/as coméis
vosotros/as vivís

If the subject is you-all familiar (vosotros/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and adding -áis, -éis or -ís. Again, decide which ending to use by the class of infinitive (-ar, -er, -ir).

vosotros/as habláis (hablar – ar + áis = habláis)
vosotros/as coméis (comer – er + éis = coméis)
vosotros/as vivís (vivir – ir + ís = vivís)

Note: Remember, vosotros and vosotras forms are primarily used in Spain. In Latin America, ustedes is generally used for both formal and informal situations.

Look for a pattern in the ellos form.

ellos hablan
ellos comen
ellos viven

If the subject is they masculine (ellos) drop the ending and add either -an or -en. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -an. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -en.

ellos hablan (hablar – ar + an = hablan)
ellos comen (comer – er + en = comen)
ellos viven (vivir – ir + en = viven)

Look for a pattern in the ellas form.

ellas hablan
ellas comen
ellas viven

If the subject is they feminine (ellas), conjugate in exactly the same manner as you did for they masculine (ellos). That is, by dropping the ending and add -an or -en, depending on whether the verb is an -ar, -er or -ir verb.

ellas hablan (hablar – ar + an = hablan)
ellas comen (comer – er + en = comen)
ellas viven (vivir – ir + en = viven)

Note: At this point, you may notice that the conjugations for ellos/ellas are the same as for ustedes (ustedes hablan, ustedes comen, ustedes viven).

Remember that the present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things.

If you are going to succeed in Spanish, you must learn the verbs. The best way to do that is by creating a special collection of flashcards.

Practicing with these flashcards is your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. Continue by replacing the three cards you created in the previous lesson with these updated versions.

Regular Verbs: Part III

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here’s the complete list of Spanish subject pronouns.

To conjugate -ar verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-as
-a
-amos
-áis
-an

To conjugate -er verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-es
-e
-emos
-éis
-en

To conjugate -ir verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-es
-e
-imos
-ís
-en

You will benefit greatly by quickly memorizing the three model verbs.

hablar

yo hablo
tú hablas
él, ella, Ud. habla
nosotros/as hablamos
vosotros/as habláis
ellos, ellas, Uds. hablan

comer

yo como
tú comes
él, ella, Ud. come
nosotros/as comemos
vosotros/as coméis
ellos, ellas, Uds. comen

vivir

yo vivo
tú vives
él, ella, Ud. vive
nosotros/as vivimos
vosotros/as vivís
ellos, ellas, Uds. viven

Note: The verb forms are the same for él, ella and Ud. as are the verb forms for ellos, ellas and Uds.

In Spanish the subject pronouns are not always required. This is because the verb endings can indicate who is performing the action.

Hablo español. (Yo is not necessary.)
I speak Spanish.

Comemos carne. (Nosotros is not necessary.)
We eat meat.

Vives en México. (Tú is not necessary.)
You live in Mexico.

Subject pronouns are often used for clarification. For example, the verb form habla is ambiguous.

Ud. habla
él habla
ella habla

Therefore, to distinguish between “you speak,” “he speaks,” and “she speaks,” it may be necessary to use the subject pronoun. Often, the conversation implies the subject of the verb. In such cases the subject pronoun may be omitted.

Subject pronouns are often used for emphasis.

Ella habla español y yo hablo inglés.

Here there is no ambiguity with respect to hablo. The subject pronoun is merely adding emphasis:

She speaks Spanish and I speak English.

Another example of using subject pronouns for emphasis.

Yo como pan y tú comes arroz.

Once again there is no ambiguity. The pronouns emphasize the contrast.

I eat bread and you eat rice.

It is possible to use two verbs in a row. Just like in English, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

Necesito hablar con Alfredo.
I need to speak with Alfredo.
(necesitar, hablar)

Necesito + hablar + con Alfredo.
I need + to speak + with Alfredo.

Another example of two verbs used together:

Deseas vivir en España.
You wish to live in Spain.
(desear, vivir)

Deseas + vivir + en España.
You wish + to live + in Spain.

Hopefully, you have taken our advice and have been creating a special collection of verb flashcards. If not, it’s not too late to start. Here is the entire list of cards to this point:

Common Regular -ar Verbs

alquilar – to rent
entrar (en) – to enter (into)
necesitar – to need
amar – to love
enviar – to send
olvidar – to forget
andar – to walk
escuchar – to listen to
pagar – to pay for
ayudar – to help
esperar – to hope, to wait for
practicar – to practice
bailar – to dance
estudiar – to study
preguntar – to ask
buscar – to look for
firmar – to sign
preparar – to prepare
caminar – to walk
ganar – to win, earn
regresar – to return
cantar – to sing
gastar – to spend money
saludar – to greet
cocinar – to cook
hablar – to speak, to talk
tocar – to touch, to play an instrument
comprar – to buy
lavar – to wash
tomar – to take, to drink
contestar – to answer
llegar – to arrive
trabajar – to work
dejar – to allow, to leave
llevar – to wear, to carry
viajar – to travel
desear – to desire
mandar – to order
visitar – to visit
enseñar – to teach
mirar – to watch, to look at

Common Regular -er Verbs

aprender – to learn
creer – to believe
poseer – to possess, to own
beber – to drink
deber – to have to, to owe
prometer – to promise
comer – to eat
esconder – to hide
romper – to break
comprender – to understand
leer – to read
temer – to fear
correr – to run
meter en – to put into
vender – to sell

Common Regular -ir Verbs

abrir – to open
descubrir – to discover
permitir – to permit
admitir – to admit
discutir – to discuss
recibir – to receive
asistir a – to attend
escribir – to write
subir – to climb, to go up
cubrir – to cover
existir – to exist
sufrir – to suffer
decidir – to decide
omitir – to omit
unir – to unite
describir – to describe
partir – to divide
vivir – to live

Spanish Adjectives

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Adjectives are frequently descriptive. That is, most often adjectives are used to describe a noun, or distinguish the noun from a group of similar objects. For example, an adjective might describe the color of an object.

the red pen
the blue pen

In Spanish, most adjectives change form, depending upon whether the word they modify is masculine or feminine. Notice the difference between “the tall boy” and “the tall girl.”

el chico alto
la chica alta

Adjectives also change form depending upon whether the word they modify is singular or plural. Notice the difference between “the tall boy” and “the tall boys” ; “the tall girl” and “the tall girls.”

el chico alto
los chicos altos

la chica alta
las chicas altas

Many common adjectives end in -o. These adjectives have four forms. The following words all mean “tall”:

alto
alta
altos
altas

The correct form of the adjective depends upon the noun it modifies. Is the noun masculine or feminine? Singular or plural?

libro rojo
red book

pluma roja
red pen

libros rojos
red books

plumas rojas
red pens

Notice how the endings of the nouns and these adjectives are similar.

libro rojo
pluma roja
libros rojos
plumas rojas

Adjectives that end in -e also change form for singular or plural. To form the plural, simply add -s.

la chica inteligente
las chicas inteligentes

Adjectives that end in -e do not, however, change form for masculine or feminine.

la chica inteligente
el chico inteligente

las chicas inteligentes
los chicos inteligentes

Similarly, most adjectives that end in a consonant do change form for singular or plural, but do not change for masculine or feminine. To form the plural, add -es.

la chica popular
el chico popular

las chicas populares
los chicos populares

Let’s review.

• Adjectives that end in -o have four forms: alto, alta, altos, altas
• Adjectives that end in -e have two forms: inteligente, inteligentes
• Most adjectives that end in a consonant have two forms: popular, populares (form plural by adding -es)

Adjectives: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Many adjectives of nationality end in -o. These adjectives follow the same rules as other adjectives ending in -o. That is, they have four forms.

el muchacho mexicano
la muchacha mexicana

los muchachos mexicanos
las muchachas mexicanas

Many other adjectives of nationality end in a consonant. These adjectives do not follow the same rules as other adjectives ending in a consonant, rather, they have a distinct feminine form ending in -a.

el muchacho español
la muchacha española

los muchachos españoles
las muchachas españolas

There is another group of adjectives that does not follow the normal rules. Adjectives ending in -or, -án, -ón, or -ín also have a feminine form.

el chico hablador
la chica habladora

los chicos habladores
las chicas habladoras

el hombre trabajador
la mujer trabajadora

los hombres trabajadores
las mujeres trabajadoras

Note: Adjectives ending in “-erior” do not have a feminine form.

Adjectives that are descriptive usually follow the noun they describe.

el chico alto
la chica alta
los libros pequeños
las plumas rojas

Adjectives of quantity almost always come before the noun. Such adjectives tell how much or how many.

pocos libros
mucha energía
mucho trabajo
pocas casas

Sometimes, a descriptive adjective can precede the noun. If the adjective is descriptive, but speaks of a quality that is inherent and usually taken for granted, the adjective comes first.

la blanca nieve
the white snow (snow is inherently white)

los altos picos
the tall peaks (peaks are inherently tall)

Let’s review the last two lessons.

Adjectives that end in -o have four forms.

alto
alta
altos
altas

Adjectives of nationality ending in -o are no different from other such adjectives.

guatemalteco
guatemalteca
guatemaltecos
guatemaltecas

Adjectives that end in -e have two forms.

inteligente
inteligentes

Most adjectives ending with a consonant have two forms.

popular
populares

Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant have four forms.

español
española
españoles
españolas

Adjectives ending in -or, -án, -ón, or -ín have four forms.

hablador
habladora
habladores
habladoras

Adjectives that are descriptive usually follow the noun they describe.

casa blanca
chica alta

When an adjective speaks of a quality that is inherent and usually taken for granted, the adjective precedes the noun.

la blanca nieve
los altos picos

Adjectives of quantity usually come before the noun.

pocos libros
muchos libros

Days of the Week

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish-speaking countries, the week begins on Monday.

lunes
Monday

martes
Tuesday

miércoles
Wednesday

jueves
Thursday

viernes
Friday

sábado
Saturday

domingo
Sunday

Notice that the days of the week are not capitalized.

lunes
martes
miércoles
jueves
viernes
sábado
domingo

The days of the week are all masculine.

el lunes
el martes
el miércoles
el jueves
el viernes
el sábado
el domingo

When used with the days of the week, the definite article has the special meaning “on.”

No trabajo el lunes.
I don’t work on Monday.

No trabajo los martes.
I don’t work on Tuesdays.

Hay una fiesta el miércoles.
There is a party on Wednesday.

Hay muchas fiestas los viernes.
There are many parties on Fridays.

Days of the week ending in -s do not change form in the plural. Only the article changes.

el lunes
los lunes

el martes
los martes

el miércoles
los miércoles

el jueves
los jueves

el viernes
los viernes

el sábado
los sábados

el domingo
los domingos

Use the verb ser to express the day. You will soon learn more about this verb. For now, simply realize that the word “es” is a conjugation of that verb, and is the correct verb in this use.

¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today is Monday.

Mañana es martes.
Tomorrow is Tuesday.

Notice that the following actions do not occur in the present, but rather in the near future.

Salimos el lunes.
We leave on Monday.

Mañana es domingo.
Tomorrow is Sunday.

In Spanish, the present tense of the indicative is sometimes used to express the near future. English does this too.

Salimos el lunes.
We (will) leave on Monday.

Mañana es domingo.
Tomorrow (will be) is Sunday.

Cardinal Numbers 11-30

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are the numbers 11-20:

11. once
12. doce
13. trece
14. catorce
15. quince
16. dieciséis
17. diecisiete
18. dieciocho
19. diecinueve
20. veinte

Here are the numbers 21-30:

21. veintiuno
22. veintidós
23. veintitrés
24. veinticuatro
25. veinticinco
26. veintiséis
27. veintisiete
28. veintiocho
29. veintinueve
30. treinta

"Ser" and "Estar"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Whole books have been written about the two important Spanish verbs: ser and estar. This will be the subject of our discussion for the next few lessons. Soon, you will have a very good understanding of how these two verbs are used.

Ser and estar can both be translated as “to be.” Here is the English verb, fully conjugated:

to be

I am
you are
he/she is
we are
you-all are
they are

Notice that these two sentences can have different meanings in English.

The apple is green.
(Meaning the apple is not ripe.)

The apple is green.
(Meaning the color of the apple is green.)

In the first case, our example speaks of the condition of the apple. The apple is green because it has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no longer be green, it will be ripe.

In the second case, our example speaks of the essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is green in color. This particular apple remains green even after it has ripened.

In English, the verb “to be” can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and what something is (the essence).

How is the apple?
It is unripe.

What color is the apple?
It is green.

In Spanish, a different verb is used to express “to be” depending on whether the speaker intends to address a condition or an essential quality.

La manzana está verde.
The apple is green. (condition)

La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)

Note how the adjective “verde” actually changes meaning, depending upon whether it is used with ser or estar.

La manzana está verde.
(condition: verde = unripe)

La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: verde = color green)

To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular verb. It does not follow the standard rules of conjugation for regular -ar verbs. Therefore, you must memorize it.

estar

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular and must be memorized.

ser

soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son

If you are talking about what something is, use ser; if you are talking about how something is, use estar.

What is she like?
She is quiet.
Use ser:
Ella es callada.

How is she acting?
She is being quiet.
Use estar:
Ella está callada.

Let’s add the two important verbs ser and estar to our set of verb flashcards:

"Ser" and "Estar": Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In the previous lesson you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar – essence or condition. The examples used the verbs in conjunction with adjectives to clearly illustrate this point.

In practice, ser and estar are not always used with adjectives, nor is it always easy for the non-native speaker to choose between the two verbs. Therefore, it is extremely useful to learn some concrete rules for deciding when to use ser or estar.

This lesson examines some common uses for the verb ser.

Ser is used to express the hour, day, and date.

¿Qué hora es?
What time is it?

Son las dos.
It’s two o’clock.

¿Qué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today’s Monday.

¿Qué fecha es hoy?
What’s the date today?

Es el cinco de mayo.
It’s May fifth.

Ser is used to express place of origin.

¿De dónde eres tú?
Where are you from?

Soy de Colombia.
I’m from Colombia.

Ser is used to express occupation.

¿Cuál es tu trabajo?
What do you do?

Soy carpintero
I’m a carpenter.

Ser is used to express nationality.

¿Es ella puertorriqueña?
Is she Puerto Rican?

No, es guatemalteca.
No, she’s Guatemalan.

Ser is used to express religious or political affiliation.

¿Son los García bautistas?
Are the Garcias Baptists?

No, son católicos.
No, they’re Catholics.

¿Es el gobierno socialista?
Is the government socialist?

No, es comunista.
No, it’s communist.

Ser is used to express the material something is made of.

¿De qué material es la mesa?
What’s the table made of?

Es de madera.
It’s made of wood.

Ser is used to express possession.

¿De quién es la pluma?
Whose pen is it?

Es de Emilio.
It’s Emilio’s.

Ser is used to express the relationship of one person to another.

¿Quién es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?

Es el esposo de Marta.
He’s Martha’s husband.

Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.

Es importante practicar cada día.
It’s important to practice every day.

Es necesario hablar mucho.
It’s necessary to speak a lot.

Ser is used to tell where an event is taking place.

La película es en el cine.
The movie is at the theatre.

La fiesta es en el club Fantástico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.

Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent, or essential qualities.

Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere man.

También es guapo.
He’s also handsome.

Let’s review. Ser is used to express:

Let’s add another flashcard:

"Ser" and "Estar": Part III

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In the previous two lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar – essence or condition (“what” something is v. “how” something is), as well as some common uses for the verb ser.

This lesson examines the other Spanish verb for “to be”: estar.

Estar is used to express geographic or physical locations.

¿Dónde estás?
Where are you?

Estoy en el laboratorio.
I’m in the laboratory.

¿Dónde está Chile?
Where’s Chile?

Chile está en América del Sur.
Chile is in South America.

Note: The one exception to this rule is that ser is used to tell where an event is taking place. (La fiesta es en mi casa.)

Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or condition (“how” something is).

¿Cómo está la sopa?
How’s the soup?

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

¿Cómo estás tú?
How are you?

Estoy muy bien, gracias.
I am very well, thanks.

Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions. These are just a few.

Estar is used with the progressive tenses. You will learn more about this usage later. We present it now simply because it is an important use of the verb estar.

¿Qué estás comiendo?
What are you eating?

Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles.
I am eating rice and beans.

Let’s review. Estar is used to express:

Let’s add another flashcard:

"Ser" and "Estar": Part IV

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In the previous three lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar — essence or condition, as well as some common uses for each verb.

This lesson presents the two verbs side by side, with the emphasis on contrasting their uses. In the process, much — but not all — of the previous three lessons will be reviewed.

The practice exercises and the test cover material from all four lessons (Ser and Estar Parts I-IV).

When the verb “to be” is followed by a noun, the verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be helpful to think of the verb as equivalent to an “equal” sign, such as a = b. This type of sentence is always referring to essential characteristics, since the verb is “linking” what comes before the verb to what comes after the verb.

John is a doctor.
John = doctor.

Juan es médico.

When the verb “to be” is followed by an adjective, the verb used depends upon the meaning. When referring to an essential characteristic, use ser. When referring to a state or condition, use estar.

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

Los elefantes son grandes.
The elephants are big.

When the verb “to be” is followed by an adjective, the verb can actually change the meaning of the adjective.

El profesor está aburrido.
The professor is bored.

El profesor es aburrido.
The professor is boring.

Let’s distinguish between origin, location, and “to take place.” To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.

Mónica es de España. (origin)
Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place)

Let’s review.

Let’s add another flashcard:

Negation

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

You have already learned how to make simple affirmative statements.

Ella habla inglés.
She speaks English.

Él es profesor.
He is a professor.

To make a sentence negative, place the word “no” before the verb.

Ella no habla inglés.
She doesn’t speak English.

Él no es profesor.
He is not a professor.

When the answer to a question is negative, two negative words are required.

¿Habla Ud. español? (Do you speak Spanish?)
No. No hablo español. (No. I don’t speak Spanish.)

¿ Está Gerardo en la clase? (Is Gerardo in the class?)
No. Gerardo no está en la clase. (No. Gerardo is not in the class.)

¿Siempre estudias? (Do you always study?)
No, nunca estudio. (No, I never study.)

Study the following list of affirmative words and their negative counterparts:

algo (something)
nada (nothing)

alguien (somebody)
nadie (nobody)

algún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (some, something)
ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (no, none)

siempre (always)
nunca (never) jamás (never, ever)

también (also)
tampoco (neither, not either)

o . . . o (either . . . or)
ni . . . ni (neither . . . nor)

The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb.

Nadie habla.
Nobody speaks.

Él nunca come.
He never eats.

Alfredo tampoco baila.
Alfredo doesn’t dance either.

The negative words can also be used with the word “no,” following the verb. Note that unlike English, double negatives are acceptable in Spanish.

No habla nadie.
Nobody speaks.

Él no come nunca.
He never eats.

Alfredo no baila tampoco .
Alfredo doesn’t dance either.

Sometimes, three negative words occur in the same sentence.

No compro nada nunca.
I never buy anything.

Él no compra nada tampoco.
He doesn’t buy anything either.

You can even have four negative words in the same sentence.

Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.
I never see anybody either.

Unlike English, Spanish does not normally mix negative and affirmative words.

English
Maria doesn’t need anything.
NOT Maria doesn’t need nothing.

Spanish
María no necesita nada.
NOT María no necesita algo.

Alguno and ninguno drop the -o before a masculine singular noun.

¿Tienes algún libro?
No, no tengo ningún libro.

Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular.

¿Tienes algunas revistas?
No, no tengo ninguna.

¿Tienes algunos libros?
No, no tengo ninguno.

The plural of ninguno(-a) is used only when the noun it modifies exists only in plural, or is normally used in plural.

Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley.
No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.

In this example “ningunas” is used because “vacaciones” is normally used in plural form.

Questions

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish, there may be several ways to ask the same question. Note the inverted question mark that begins each question.

¿María habla español?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

¿Habla María español?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

¿Habla español María?
Does Maria speak Spanish?

The following questions mean exactly the same thing:

Does María speak Spanish?

¿María habla español?
¿Habla María español?
¿Habla español María?

Possible answers would be:

Sí, María habla español.
No, María no habla español.

Another method of forming questions is to add a tag question to the end of a statement.

María habla español, ¿no?
Maria speaks Spanish, doesn’t she?

María habla español, ¿verdad?
Maria speaks Spanish, right?

Common words used to introduce other questions are:

¿Adónde?
¿Dónde?
¿De dónde?
¿Cómo?
¿Cuál (-es)?
¿Cuándo?
¿Cuánto (-a)?
¿Cuántos (-as)?
¿Qué?
¿De qué?
¿Quién (-es)?
¿A quién (-es)?
¿Con quién (-es)?
¿De quién (-es)?
¿Por qué?
¿Para qué?

Note: Each has a written accent mark.

Notice how the subject and verbs are inverted. That is, the subject comes after the verb.

¿Qué estudia Pilar?
What does Pilar study?

¿Cuándo comen ustedes?
When do you-all eat?

¿Dónde está mi coche?
Where is my car?

¿Cuánto cuesta la corbata?
How much does the tie cost?

¿Dónde? means “Where?” ¿Adónde? means “To where?” Thus, dónde asks for a location, while adónde asks for a destination.

¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Where is the library?

¿Adónde va Raúl?
Where is Raul going?
(Literally: To where goes Raul?)

¿De dónde? means “From where?”

¿De dónde es Gerardo?
Where is Gerardo from?

¿Cómo? means “How?”

¿Cómo está usted?
How are you?

¿Cuál? and ¿Cuáles? mean “What?” or “Which?”

¿Cuál es tu nombre?
What is your name?

¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos?
What (Which) are your favorite books?

¿Cuándo? means “When?”

¿Cuándo van a ir ustedes?
When are you-all going to go?

¿Cuánto(-a)? means “How much?”

¿Cuánto dinero gana Eduardo?
How much money does Eduardo earn?

¿Cuántos(-as)? means “How many?”

¿Cuántas chicas hay en la clase?
How many girls are there in the class?

¿Qué? means “What?”

¿Qué es la libertad?
What is liberty?

¿Qué estudias?
What do you study?

¿De qué? means “About what?” or “Of what?”

¿De qué material es la pluma?
What is the pen made of?
Literally: Of what material is the pen?

¿De qué hablan ustedes?
What are you-all talking about?
Literally: Of what do you-all speak?

¿Quién(-es)? means “Who?”

¿Quién es Gregorio?
Who is Gregorio?

¿Quiénes son esos chicos?
Who are those boys?

¿A quién(-es)? means “Whom?”

¿A quién buscas?
For whom are you looking?

¿A quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?
To whom are you going to give so many books?

¿Con quién(-es)? means “With whom?”

¿Con quién hablo?
With whom am I speaking?

¿Con quiénes estudia Mario?
With whom does Mario study?

¿De quién(-es)? means “Whose?”

¿De quién es aquel sombrero?
Whose hat is that?

¿De quiénes son estas monedas?
Whose coins are these?

¿Por qué? means “Why? (for what reason)”

¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Porque es un requisito.
Because it’s required.

¿Para qué? means “Why? (for what purpose)”

¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.

When used with the verb ser, cuál and qué can both mean “what,” but they are not interchangeable. Cuál is more common, and is used to indicate a selection, or choice of possibilities. Qué is used to elicit a definition or an explanation.

¿Cuál es la capital de España?
What is the capital of Spain?

¿Qué es la capital?
What is the (definition of) capital?

Possessive Adjectives

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership.

mi libro
my book

tu pluma
your pen

There are five possessive adjectives.

mi
tu
su

nuestro
vuestro

Three possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) have only two forms, singular and plural.

mi
mis

tu
tus

su
sus

Possessive adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. That is, they agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor.

Mi, tu and su do not have masculine and feminine forms. They stay the same, regardless of the gender of the nouns they modify.

mi amigo
mi amiga

tus hermanos
tus hermanas

su libro
sus plumas

Mi means “my” ; tu means “your.”

Mi casa es tu casa.
My house is your house.

Su, like tu, can mean “your.” The difference between your (tu) and your (su) lies in the degree of formality the speaker wishes to convey.

Mi casa es tu casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as “tú”)

Mi casa es su casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as “usted”)

Note: The two words “tu” and “tú” are pronounced the same. Tú (with the written accent) is the subject pronoun meaning “you” (informal). Tu (without the written accent) is the possessive adjective meaning “your” (informal).

Su has four meanings: his, her, their and your (formal).

María busca a su hermana.
María is looking for her sister.

Juan busca a su hermana.
Juan is looking for his sister.

Ellos buscan a su hermana.
They are looking for their sister.

Su madre busca a su hermana.
Your mother is looking for your sister.

If the meaning of su is not clear from the context of the sentence, a prepositional phrase is used in place of su.

María busca a la hermana de él.
María looks for his sister.

El hombre busca las llaves de ella.
The man looks for her keys.

María busca el cuaderno de Juan.
María looks for Juan’s notebook.

El hombre busca las llaves de Samanta.
The man looks for Samanta’s keys.

Two possessive adjectives (nuestro and vuestro) have four forms.

nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras

vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras

Nuestro means “our.”

Vuestro means “your” (familiar, plural). Like vosotros, vuestro is primarily used in Spain.

Here are all of the possessive adjectives:

mi(s)
my

tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)

su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their

nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our

vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)

Note that these possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing or body parts. Rather, the definite article is used.

Me gusta el vestido nuevo.
I like my new dress

Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.

Irregular Verbs: "Tener" and "Venir"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

“Tener” and “venir” are both irregular verbs. Because they are irregular, you must memorize their conjugations. We present these two verbs together because they are very similar in the way they are conjugated:

tener
to have
venir
to come

tengo / vengo
tienes / vienes
tiene / viene
tenemos / venimos
tenéis / venís
tienen / vienen

Continuing with our verb flashcards, let’s add a single card for the two verbs tener and venir:

"Tener Que" and "Hay Que"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Tener que + infinitive is one way to express obligation or necessity. This expression can be translated as “someone has to do something.” Tener is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence.

Tengo que comer las verduras.
I have to eat the vegetables.

Ángel tiene que leer el periódico.
Ángel has to read the newspaper.

Ellos tienen que comprar una revista.
They have to buy a magazine.

Hay que + infinitive is used to express the idea of “one must do something” or, “it is necessary to do something.” It is a more general expression and since there is no subject, the verb form hay is always used.

Hay que tomar un taxi.
It is necessary to take a taxi.

Hay que estudiar mucho.
One must study a lot.

These examples illustrate the contrasting uses of these two expressions:

María tiene un examen el lunes. Ella tiene que estudiar.
María has a test on Monday. She has to study.

No es fácil aprender el español. Hay que practicar mucho.
It isn’t easy to learn Spanish. It is necessary to practice a lot.

Idiomatic Expressions with "Tener"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

An idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. A few examples of idioms in English are:

to be “on the go”
to “play the field”
to “jump the gun”

Spanish also has many idiomatic expressions. Although their literal translations sound odd to English speakers, they sound perfectly natural to native speakers. Here is one example:

Idiom: Hace mucho frío

Literally: It makes much cold

True Meaning: It is very cold

There are many idiomatic expressions that use the verb tener. This one expresses age:

Idiom: tener _____ años

Literally: to have _____ years

True Meaning: to be _____ years old

Many other expressions using tener express physical sensations:

There are also many idiomatic expressions with tener that express sensations more psychological in nature:

There are other idiomatic expressions with tener as well:

When using these idiomatic expressions, conjugate the verb (tener) according to the subject of the sentence.

Yo tengo cinco años.
Tú tienes ocho años.
Pablo tiene dos años.

Notice that the expressions combine the verb tener with a noun:

• el año
• los celos
• el frío
• la confianza
• el calor
• el cuidado
• el hambre (feminine)
• la vergüenza
• la sed
• la razón
• el sueño
• el éxito
• el dolor
• la culpa
• la prisa
• la suerte
• el miedo
• el lugar

Because the expressions with tener use nouns, they are modified with adjectives, not adverbs.

Tengo frío.
Tengo mucho frío. (not muy)

The first practice exercise and test will cover ten of the most common and useful of these expressions:

• tener _____ años
• tener calor
• tener frío
• tener hambre
• tener sed
• tener prisa
• tener miedo a/de _____
• tener razón
• tener suerte

Practice exercises 2-4 and test 2 will cover all of the expressions in this lesson.

Weather Expressions

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, an idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. A few examples of idioms in English are:

to “drive someone crazy”
to “lose it”
to be “raining cats and dogs”

Spanish also has many idiomatic expressions. Although their literal translations sound odd to English speakers, they sound perfectly natural to native speakers. Here is one example:

Idiom: Hace mucho frío

Literally: It makes much cold

True Meaning: It is very cold

In Spanish, there are a number of idiomatic expressions that employ the verb hacer (literal meaning: to do or to make), and are used to describe the weather.

Like the idioms that use tener, these idioms also contain a noun.

• el frío
• el calor
• el viento
• el sol
• el tiempo

Because the idioms use nouns, they are modified by adjectives, not adverbs.

Hace mucho frío.
It’s very cold.

There are also weather expressions that use the verb hay:

Other weather expressions use the verb estar along with an adjective:

Other weather expressions simply use a single verb:

Llueve.
It is raining. or It rains.
From the verb llover (to rain)

Nieva.
It is snowing. or It snows.
From the verb nevar (to snow)

Truena.
It is thundering. or It thunders.
From the verb tronar (to thunder)

Llovizna.
It is drizzling. or It drizzles.
From the verb lloviznar (to drizzle)

Here are some common ways to ask about the weather:

• ¿Qué tiempo hace?
• ¿Qué clima hace?
• ¿Cómo está el clima en …?
• ¿Cómo está el tiempo?
• ¿Cómo está el clima hoy?

The first practice exercise and test will cover ten of the most common and useful of these expressions:

• ¿Qué tiempo hace?
• Hace frío.
• Hace calor.
• Hace viento.
• Hay niebla.
• Hay granizo.
• Hay relámpagos.
• Llovizna.
• Nieva.
• Llueve.

Practice exercises 2-4 and test 2 will cover all of the expressions in this lesson.

The Personal "A"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. In the following sentences, the direct objects are underlined.

Mike hit the ball.
George calls Mary.
He calls her.

In Spanish, when the direct object is a person, it is preceded by the preposition “a.” This word has no English translation.

Jorge llama a María.
Jorge calls María.

From the perspective of the English speaker, the personal “a” appears to be an extra word. From the perspective of the Spanish speaker, the personal “a” is required, and to not use it is a serious error.

Jorge llama a María.

The personal “a” may also be used if the direct object is a domesticated animal, especially a pet, provided that the speaker attaches some sort of personal feelings towards the animal.

La mujer acaricia a su perro. (acariciar)
The woman pets her dog.

El perro persigue a la gata. (perseguir)
The dog chases the cat.

The personal “a” is not used when the direct object is not a person or is an animal for which no personal feelings are felt.

Bebo la leche. (beber)
I drink the milk. — milk is neither a person nor an animal

Miro la jirafa. (mirar)
I look at the giraffe. — no personal feelings are felt towards the giraffe

The personal “a” is not used after the verb tener, or the verb form hay. This is true even if the direct object is a person.

Tengo dos hermanos. (tener)
I have two brothers.

Hay cinco chicas.
There are five girls.

If the direct object is an indefinite person, the personal “a” is not used. The result is that the person becomes “depersonalized.”

Necesito médico.
I need (any) doctor. (or)
I need medical assistance.

Necesito jardinero.
I need (any) gardener. (or)
I need someone to tend my garden.

Because this Spanish grammatical structure has no equivalent in English, it is normal to expect that the student will forget to use it until a pattern of use has been established. Remember, to not use the personal “a” is a serious error, and the student should try to remember to use it when appropriate.

Contractions

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

When a or de precedes the definite article el, the two words combine to form a contraction. That is, two words become one.

a + el = al
de + el = del

A + el is always contracted.

Incorrect:
¿Llevas a el hermano de Raúl?

Correct:
¿Llevas al hermano de Raúl?

De + el is always contracted.

Incorrect:
¿El libro es de el profesor?

Correct:
¿El libro es del profesor?

De + la, de + las, de + los, a + la, a + las, and a + los are never contracted.

¿Llevas al hermano de Raúl?
Are you taking Raul’s brother?

No, llevo a las hermanas de Pilar.
No, I’m taking Pilar’s sisters.

¿El libro es del profesor?
Is the book the profesor’s?

No, el libro es de la profesora.
No, the book is the profesor’s (fem).

Remember the difference between el and él. The pronoun (él) does have a written accent and means “he.” The definite article (el) does not have a written accent and means “the.”

el libro / the book
él come / he eats

Only the definite article (el) is contracted. The pronoun (él) is not.

La Casa Blanca es la casa del presidente.
The White House is the president’s house.

Es la casa de él.
It’s his house.

A él no le gusta fumar.
He doesn’t like to smoke.

Stem-Changing Verbs: "O">"Ue"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the first group of stem-changing verbs, the letter o in the stem changes to ue in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

contar

cuento
cuentas
cuenta

contamos
contáis

cuentan

Here’s another o:ue stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb comer. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

mover (o:ue)
comer (regular -er verb)

muevo
como

mueves
comes

mueve
come

movemos
comemos

movéis
coméis

mueven
comen

Here’s another o:ue stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn’t change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

dormir (o:ue)

duermo
duermes
duerme

dormimos
dormís

duermen

Here is a list of common o:ue stem-changing verbs.

almorzar
to eat lunch

morir
to die

aprobar
to approve

mostrar
to show

colgar
to hang

mover
to move (an object)

contar
to count, to tell

probar
to prove, test, sample, taste

costar
to cost

recordar
to remember

devolver
to return (an object)

resolver
to solve

volver
to return (from someplace)

rogar
to beg, pray

dormir
to sleep

sonar
to sound, ring

encontrar
to find

soñar (con)
to dream (about)

envolver
to wrap

tostar
to toast

morder
to bite

volar
to fly

Let’s add a flashcard for o:ue stem-changers:

Stem-Changing Verbs: "E">"Ie"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the second group of stem-changing verbs, the letter e in the stem changes to ie in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

cerrar

cierro
cierras
cierra

cerramos
cerráis

cierran

Here’s another e:ie stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb comer. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

entender (e:ie)
comer (regular -er verb)

entiendo
como

entiendes
comes

entiende
come

entendemos
comemos

entendéis
coméis

entienden
comen

Here’s another e:ie stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn’t change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

mentir (e:ie)

miento
mientes
miente

mentimos
mentís

mienten

Here is a list of common e:ie stem-changing verbs.

acertar
to guess, get right

encender
to light, kindle

advertir
to advise, warn

entender
to understand

cerrar
to close, shut

fregar
to scrub, wash dishes

comenzar
to begin

hervir
to boil

confesar
to confess

mentir
to lie

consentir
to consent

negar
to deny

convertir
to convert

pensar (en)
to think about

defender
to defend

perder
to lose

empezar
to begin

preferir
to prefer

Let’s add a flashcard for e:ie stem-changers:

Stem-Changing Verbs: "E">"I"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the third group of stem-changing verbs, the letter e in the stem changes to i in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

repetir

repito
repites
repite

repetimos
repetís

repiten

Here’s another e:i stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb vivir. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

competir (e:i)
vivir (regular -ir verb)

compito
vivo

compites
vives

compite
vive

competimos
vivimos

competís
vivís

compiten
viven

Here’s another e:i stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn’t change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

pedir (e:i)

pido
pides
pide

pedimos
pedís

piden

Here is a list of common e:i stem-changing verbs.

bendecir (*)
to bless

impedir
to impede

colegir
to deduce

maldecir (*)
to curse

competir
to compete

medir
to measure

conseguir
to get, obtain

pedir
to ask for, to order

corregir
to correct

perseguir
to pursue, to persecute

decir (*)
to say, tell

reír
to laugh

despedir
to dismiss, fire

repetir
to repeat

elegir
to elect

seguir
to follow, continue

freír
to fry

servir
to serve

gemir
to groan, moan

sonreír
to smile

* Note: The verb “decir” and its derivative forms are irregular in the first person: yo digo, etc.

Let’s add a flashcard for e:i stem-changers:

Irregular Verbs: "Estar," "Ir," "Dar"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

You should already know how to conjugate the verb estar.

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

Notice that ir and dar follow the same pattern as estar; they are irregular in the first person singular (yo).

Since these verbs are irregular, their conjugations must be memorized. Make a flashcard with these three verbs on one side, and their conjugations on the other side.

It seems that there are two options when it comes to learning the irregular verbs. The first is to view them as complex and difficult, in which case you will struggle, wring your hands in consternation, and never really learn them. We do not advocate this approach.

A more productive strategy is to build a library of flashcards and to study them regularly. It is not necessary to study them for long periods of time. It is, however, essential to study them frequently. Therefore, we recommend that you carry your little stack of verb cards with you, and pull them out several times a day. This will work, even if you only study them for 3-4 minutes per session.

Guaranteed!

Let’s add a flashcard for the irregular verbs estar, ir, and dar:

"Ir A" + Infinitive

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish, many useful expressions are formed by combining two verbs. When this occurs, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

ir, viajar

Yo voy a viajar a España.
I am going to travel to Spain.

acabar, comer

Tú acabas de comer.
You have just eaten.

saber, nadar

Juan sabe nadar.
Juan knows how to swim.

volver, leer

María vuelve a leer el libro.
María reads the book again.

One such expression combines the verb ir (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition “a” is always used. The formula is:

ir a + infinitive = to be going to do something (in the near future)

Voy a llevar a mi hermana a su casa.
I am going to take my sister to her house.

Vas a invitar a muchas muchachas.
You are going to invite lots of girls.

Cristina va a conversar con mi mamá.
Christina is going to talk with my mom.

Eduardo va a leer el libro.
Edward is going to read the book.

Remember from the previous lesson how to conjugate the verb ir:

voy
vas
va

vamos
vais
van

Here are some useful words and expressions for pinpointing exactly when you are going to do something.

Let’s add a flashcard for the expression “ir a + infinitive”:

"Acabar De" + Infinitive

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish, many useful expressions are formed by combining two verbs. When this occurs, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

Yo voy a viajar a España.
I am going to travel to Spain.

Tú acabas de comer.
You have just eaten.

Juan puede nadar cada día.
Juan can swim every day.

María vuelve a leer el libro.
María reads the book again.

One such expression combines the verb “acabar” (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition “de” is always used. The formula is:
acabar de + infinitive = to have just done something (in the very recent past)

Acabo de llevar a mi hermana a su casa.
I just took my sister to her house.

Acabas de invitar a muchas muchachas.
You have just invited many girls.

Cristina acaba de conversar con mi mamá.
Christina has just spoken with my mom.

Nosotros acabamos de leer el libro.
We just read the book.

Vosotros acabáis de escribir unas cartas.
You-all have just written some letters.

Ellos acaban de nadar en el mar.
They have just swum in the ocean.

Let’s add a flashcard for the expression “acabar de + infinitive”:

"Volver A" + Infinitive

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish, many useful expressions are formed by combining two verbs. When this occurs, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

Yo voy a viajar a España.
I am going to travel to Spain.

Tú acabas de comer.
You have just eaten.

Juan no puede comer.
Juan can’t eat.

María vuelve a leer el libro.
María reads the book again.

One such expression combines the verb volver (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition “a” is always used. The formula is:

volver a + infinitive = to do something again

Vuelvo a leer el libro.
I read the book again.

Cristina vuelve a conversar con mi mamá.
Christina speaks with my mom again.

Remember, volver is an o:ue stem-changing verb.

vuelvo
vuelves
vuelve

volvemos
volvéis

vuelven

Let’s add a flashcard for the expression “volver a + infinitive”:

Ordinal Numbers

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are the ordinal numbers first – tenth:

primero
first

segundo
second

tercero
third

cuarto
fourth

quinto
fifth

sexto
sixth

séptimo
seventh

octavo
eighth

noveno
ninth

décimo
tenth

Like many other adjectives, the ordinal numbers have a masculine and a feminine form.

primero
primera

segundo
segunda

tercero
tercera

cuarto
cuarta

quinto
quinta

sexto
sexta

séptimo
séptima

octavo
octava

noveno
novena

décimo
décima

They also have a singular and plural form.

primero 
primeros

segundo
segundos

tercero
terceros

cuarto
cuartos

quinto
quintos

sexto
sextos

séptimo
séptimos

octavo
octavos

noveno
novenos

décimo
décimos

So, the ordinal numbers have four forms, just like other adjectives that end in -o.

primero
primeros
primera
primeras

Primero and tercero drop the -o in the masculine singular adjective form.

el primer día
el tercer año

Ordinal numbers usually precede the noun. However, if the noun they refer to is royalty, a pope, or a street, they come after the noun.

Carlos Quinto
(“Quinto” comes after “Carlos” – royalty)

el quinto libro
(“quinto” comes before “libro”)

la Calle Sexta
(“sexta” comes after “calle” – street)

la sexta pluma
(“sexta” comes before “pluma”)

Ordinal numbers are not normally used after 10.

la Calle Dieciséis
Sixteenth Street

el siglo diecinueve
the nineteenth century

Months, Seasons, and Dates

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are the months in Spanish. Note that, like the days of the week, they are not capitalized.

To express “in a certain month,” use the preposition “en.”

Vamos a México en enero.
We are going to Mexico in January.

Las clases empiezan en el mes de septiembre.
Classes begin in September.

Here are the four seasons.

Las estaciones del año.

Note that the articles are normally used with the seasons.

En América del Norte, la primavera empieza en marzo.
In North America, spring begins in March.

En América del Sur, la primavera empieza en septiembre.
In South America, spring begins in September.

Note: The seasons are reversed south of the equator. When it is winter in New York, NY, it is summer in Santiago, Chile.

Here are some ways to inquire as to the date.

¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy?
¿A cuántos estamos hoy?
¿Qué día es hoy?
¿A cuántos estamos?

If you are talking about the first day of the month, use the expression “el primer día” or simply “el primero.”

¿Qué día es hoy?

Hoy es lunes, el primer día de mayo.
Hoy es lunes, el primero de mayo.

Today is Monday, May 1.

For all other days of the month, use the cardinal numbers.

¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? (Tuesday, March 25)
Hoy es martes, el veinticinco de marzo.

¿A cuántos estamos hoy? (Sunday, June 3)
Estamos al domingo, el tres de junio.

The Spanish way is to write the day + month + year. This is different from the American way (month + day + year).

el 29 de febrero de 1996
February 29, 1996

29.2.96
2/29/96

Comparisons of Inequality

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

If two things are not equal, they are unequal.

We are not the same height.
You are taller than I.

The two items do not cost the same.
The camera is more expensive than the television.

In Spanish, inequality is expressed by using one of the following formulae:

más (menos) + adjective + que
más (menos) + adverb + que
más (menos) + noun + que

Here are some examples:

If the comparative is followed by a number, use de rather than que.

Hay menos de veinte alumnos en la clase.
There are fewer than twenty students in the class.

Él tiene más de noventa años.
He is more than ninety years old. (Literally: He has more than ninety years.)

Note that when the sentence is negative, que is used even with numbers, to convey the meaning “only.”

Tengo más de cinco dólares.
(I have more than five dollars.)

but

No tengo más que cinco dólares.
(I only have five dollars.)

Hay más de veinte estudiantes en la clase.
(There are more than twenty students in the class.)

but

No hay más que veinte estudiantes en la clase.
(There are only twenty students in the class.)

Comparisons of Equality

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

When things being compared have equal characteristics, the comparison of equality is used.

The book is as good as the movie.
The boy is as tall as the girl.

To form the comparisons of equality using adjectives or adverbs, use the following formula:

tan + adjective (adverb) + como

El libro es tan bueno como la película.
(The book is as good as the movie.)

El chico es tan alto como la chica.
(The boy is as tall as the girl.)

To form comparisons of equality with nouns, use the following formula:

tanto(-a,-os,-as) + noun + como

Juan tiene tanto dinero como María.
(as much money as)

Él tiene tanta paciencia como ella.
(as much patience as)

Tiene tantos libros como ella.
(as many books as)

Tiene tantas plumas como ella.
(as many pens as)

Choose the form of tanto to agree with the noun it modifies.

tanto dinero
tanta paciencia
tantos libros
tantas plumas

When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is no adjective, use the following formula:

verb + tanto + como

Sus estudiantes aprenden tanto como mis estudiantes.
(learn as much as)

Rosario cocina tanto como Josefina.
(cooks as much as)

Las naranjas cuestan tanto como las manzanas.
(cost as much as)

When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is an adjective, use the following formula:

verb + tan + adjective (masculine form) + como

Aquí se trabaja tan duro como ahí.
(work as hard as)

El niño juega tan poco como la niña.
(plays as little as)

Ellos duermen tan poco como ella.
(sleep as little as)

Superlatives

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

There are two types of superlative: relative and absolute.

Relative: John is the smartest boy in the class.
Absolute: John is very smart.

The relative superlative describes a noun within the context of some larger group.

John is the smartest boy in the class.
Mary is the youngest person in the room.
Of the three, Moe is the meanest.

The absolute superlative does not describe the noun in the context of a larger group.

John is very smart.
The book is extremely expensive.
The food is indescribably tasty.

In English, the relative superlative is formed by using the word “most” or the ending “-est.”

John is the most intelligent boy in the class.
Mary is the smartest girl in the class.

In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to the comparative.

definite article + noun + más (menos) + adjective + de

Here are some superlative examples.

Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase.
John is the smartest boy in the class.

Bill Gates es el hombre más rico de los EEUU.
Bill Gates is the richest man in the U.S.

Just like in English, the noun can be omitted. All of the following are correct.

María es la chica más delgada de la clase.
Mary is the thinnest girl in the class.

María es la más delgada de la clase.
Mary is the thinnest in the class.

The absolute superlative for adjectives has three possible forms.

muy + adjective
sumamente + adjective
adjective + ísimo (-a, -os, -as)

The following translations are somewhat arbitrary. Each superlative statement is a little stronger than the one that precedes it.

muy guapo
very handsome

sumamente guapo
extremely handsome

guapísimo
indescribably handsome

Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A pronoun is a word that is used instead of the name of a person or thing.

Juan – he, him
María – she, her
María and Juan – they, them
etc.

You have already learned one set of pronouns, called the subject pronouns.

yo
tú
él, ella, usted

nosotros/as
vosotros/as

ellos, ellas, ustedes

As the name implies, subject pronouns are the pronouns to use for the subject of the sentence.

Juan come mucho.
Él come mucho.

Juan y María hablan español.
Ellos hablan español.

When the pronoun acts as the object of a preposition, a different set of pronouns is used.

Note: Only mí and ti are different from the subject pronouns.

Use this second set of pronouns to replace the noun that comes immediately after a preposition.

Juan habla de mí.
Juan speaks of me.

Hablo con ellos.
I speak with them.

Pablo compró un anillo para ella.
Pablo bought a ring for her.

Whenever mí follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form conmigo.

¿Por qué no vienes conmigo?
Why don’t you come with me?

Whenever ti follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form contigo.

No voy contigo, voy con ellos.
I’m not going with you, I’m going with them.

Whenever you want to say “with him, with her, with you (formal), with them, with you-all (formal)” there are two possibilities. If the pronoun is referring to the subject of the sentence, use consigo. If the pronoun does not refer to the subject of the sentence, use con + the appropriate pronoun.

Pronoun does refer to the subject

He took the pens with him(self).
Él llevó las plumas consigo.

Why don’t you take a book with you(rself)?
¿Por qué no lleva un libro consigo?

Pronoun does not refer to the subject

They live with him.
Ellos viven con él.

I don’t want to talk to you.
No quiero hablar con usted.

There are six special prepositions that are followed by subject pronouns rather than object pronouns.

Examples:

Entre tú y yo, esta comida es horrible.
Todos beben agua, incluso yo.
Según tú, la chica es bonita.

Direct Object Pronouns

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The object that directly receives the action of the verb is called the direct object.

Bill hit the ball.
“Ball” receives the action of the verb “hit.”

Sherry reads the book.
“Book” receives the action of the verb “reads.”

The direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill.
(DO=Bill)

The direct object answers the question “what?” or “whom?” with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what?
Bill hit the ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom?
Sherry hit Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.

Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
los, las (them, you-all-formal)

In an affirmative statement with one verb, the direct object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.

Tengo = I have
Tengo la pluma. = I have the pen.
La tengo. = I have it.

The pronoun (la) comes immediately before the verb (tengo).

Notice that if the subject of the sentence changes, this does not affect the direct object pronoun.

Juan la tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.

and

María la tiene.

María tiene = Mary has
María tiene la pluma. = Mary has the pen.
María la tiene. = Mary has it.

However, if the direct object of the sentence changes to a masculine noun, the masculine pronoun must be used.

Juan lo tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.

but

Juan la tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.

Likewise, if the direct object of the sentence changes from singular to plural, the plural pronoun must be used.

Juan lo tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.

but

María los tiene.

María tiene = Mary has
María tiene los libros. = Mary has the books.
María los tiene. = Mary has them.

Look at how Spanish and English are different.

“Lo tengo” and “La tengo” BOTH mean “I have it.”

Differences:

When you try to translate literally from English to Spanish, sometimes it works very well:

John eats the soup.
John = Juan
John eats = Juan come
John eats the = Juan come la
John eats the soup = Juan come la sopa.

Other times, direct translation doesn’t work so well:

I eat the soup.
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat the = Yo como la
I eat the soup = Yo como la sopa.

Because “como” means “I eat,” the word “yo” is redundant. A better translation might be:

I eat the soup.
Como la sopa.

Sometimes, when you try to translate literally, you run into much bigger problems:

I eat it. (the soup – la sopa)
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat it. = Yo como la.

This is completely incorrect!

The correct translation would be:

I eat it. (the soup)
La como.

As you can see, directly translating sentences with direct object pronouns doesn’t work, so … don’t do it! There is a better, easier way.

Learn to translate groups of words, rather than individual words. The first step is to learn to view two Spanish words as a single phrase.

Try to think of each line as a single phrase, not two separate words:

la como
lo como

la leo

lo leo

la veo
lo veo

la tengo
lo tengo

la compro
lo compro

Read each line again. Before you do, glance at the translation beneath it. Then, read each line thinking of it as a phrase that has the same meaning as the English phrase below it.

In the previous examples, it is clear that the subject of the sentence is “I” because the verbs are all conjugated in the “yo” form. With other verb forms, it is often desirable to add a word to clarify the subject.

Now, some examples of plural direct objects.

Juan come dos sándwiches.
Los come. or Juan los come.

María tiene tres libros.
Los tiene. or María los tiene.

El chico compra dos revistas.
Las compra. or El chico las compra.

La chica ve dos coches.
Los ve. or La chica los ve.

Ella compra dos televisores.
Los compra. or Ella los compra.

Tenemos dos mesas.
Las tenemos. or Nosotros las tenemos.

Now, some examples where the direct object is a person.

I know you.
Te conozco.

She loves him.
Ella lo ama.

She loves me.
Ella me ama.

Juan sees her.
Juan la ve.

They call us.
Ellos nos llaman.

We call them.
Los llamamos.

Just as no one has ever learned to ride a bicycle by reading about it, neither will you learn to use direct object pronouns simply by reading this lesson. The key to success, as always, is to practice, practice, practice.

Direct Object Pronouns: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, a direct object receives the action of the verb.

Bill hit the ball.
“Ball” receives the action of the verb “hit.”

Sherry reads the book.
“Book” receives the action of the verb “reads.”

And, the direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill.
(DO=Bill)

Also, the direct object answers the question “what?” or “whom?” with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what? The ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom? Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.

Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
los, las (them, you-all-formal)

In a negative sentence with one verb, the direct object pronoun is placed between the negative word and the conjugated verb.

Affirmative Sentence

I buy the books.
Compro los libros.
Los compro. (I buy them.)

Negative Sentence

I don’t buy the books.
No compro los libros.
No los compro. (I don’t buy them.)

Compare the following affirmative statements with their negative counterparts.

Los compras.
No los compras.

Guadalupe siempre lo estudia.
Guadalupe nunca lo estudia.

Ellos nos conocen.
Ellos no nos conocen.

Remember, don’t try to translate word-for-word. Instead, think in terms of phrases, or concepts. For example, the sentence “No los compras” contains two concepts:

Direct Object Pronouns: Part III

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, a direct object receives the action of the verb.

Bill hit the ball.
“Ball” receives the action of the verb “hit.”

Sherry reads the book.
“Book” receives the action of the verb “reads.”

And, the direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill.
(DO=Bill)

Also, remember that the direct object answers the question “what?” or “whom?” with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what? The ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom? Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.

Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
los, las (them, you-all-formal)

When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

poder
to be able

pagar
to pay

Puedo pagar diez pesos.
I am able to pay 10 pesos.

preferir
to prefer

hablar
to speak

Elena prefiere hablar español.
Elena prefers to speak Spanish.

In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the direct object pronoun.

Here are examples of the direct object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb:

Lo quiero ver.
I want to see it.

Lo debemos comprar.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
John needs to wash it.

Here are examples of the direct object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:

Quiero verlo.
I want to see it.

Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is “better” than the other.

Lo quiero ver.
Quiero verlo.
I want to see it.

Lo debemos comprar.
Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

These same rules apply for questions and negative statements.

¿Lo debemos comprar?
¿Debemos comprarlo?
Should we buy it?

Juan no lo necesita lavar.
Juan no necesita lavarlo.
John doesn’t need to wash it.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part I

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The indirect object (IO) tells us where the direct object (DO) is going.

He gives the book to María.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María

He gives María the book.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María

The indirect object answers the question “To whom?” or “For whom?” the action of the verb is performed.

He gives María the book.
To whom does he give the book?
To María.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

Sentences that have an indirect object usually also have a direct object. Remember, the IO tells us where the DO is going. Notice how the sentences below just wouldn’t work without a direct object.

He gives María . . .
the book, the pen, the diamond, etc.

He buys me . . .
flowers, candy, an ironing board, etc.

Sometimes the direct object is not stated; rather it is implied, or understood.

My mother writes me every week.
DO=letter (understood)
IO=me
(My mother writes me a letter every week.)

She told him.
DO=it (understood)
IO=him
(She told it to him.)

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
le (him, her, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
les (them, you-all-formal)

In an affirmative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys me a gift.
John buys a gift for me.

Juan te compra un regalo.
John buys you a gift.
John buys a gift for you.

Juan le compra un regalo.
John buys her a gift.
John buys a gift for her.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys us a gift.
John buys a gift for us.

Juan os compra un regalo.
John buys you-all (familiar) a gift.
John buys a gift for you-all.

Juan les compra un regalo.
John buys them a gift.
John buys a gift for them.

Now, focus in on one part of each of the previous examples:

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys (for) me a gift.

Juan te compra un regalo.
John buys (for) you a gift.

Juan le compra un regalo.
John buys (for) her a gift.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys (for) us a gift.

Juan os compra un regalo.
John buys (for) you-all (familiar) a gift.

Juan les compra un regalo.
John buys (for) them a gift.

Let’s extract the IO phrase and its English equivalent:

me compra
buys (for) me

te compra
buys (for) you

le compra
buys (for) her

nos compra
buys (for) us

os compra
buys (for) you-all

les compra
buys (for) them

Just like with the direct object, the indirect object presents a problem if one tries to translate word-for-word:

Juan me compra un regalo.
John for me he buys a gift.

The key to learning to use the indirect object pronouns is the same as the key for direct object pronouns. You must learn to think in phrases, not words. The phrases consist of a pronoun and a conjugated verb. In the following examples, note that the IO remains the same, while the subject of the phrase changes.

me compra
he buys me

me compran
they buy me

me compras
you buy me

The IO pronouns le and les present a special problem because they are ambiguous. That is, they can stand for different things.

le
to (for) him
to (for) her
to (for) you-formal

les
to (for) them
to (for) you-all-formal

The following sentences, while grammatically correct, are ambiguous:

Ella le escribe una carta.
Ella les escribe una carta.

Out of context, there is no way we can know the meaning.

Ella le escribe una carta.
She writes him a letter.
She writes her a letter.
She writes you (formal) a letter.

Ella les escribe una carta.
She writes them a letter.
She writes you-all (formal) a letter.

Since le and les can mean more than one thing, a prepositional phrase is often added to remove the ambiguity.

Ella le escribe a Juan una carta.
Ella le escribe a su hermana una carta.
Ella le escribe a usted una carta.

Ella les escribe a sus padres una carta.
Ella les escribe a ustedes una carta.

Sometimes a prepositional phrase is added not for clarity, but rather for emphasis.

Juan me da a mí el dinero.
John gives me the money.
(emphasizing that the money is given to me and not to someone else)

Juan te da a ti el dinero.
John gives you the money. (emphasis on you)

There is no ambiguity in the following sentence. It can only mean one thing.

Juan me da el dinero.
John gives me the money.

The addition of a prepositional phrase merely adds emphasis.

Juan me da a mí el dinero.
John gives me the money.

Let’s sum up the important points of this lesson:

• The IO tells us where the DO is going.
• The IO answers the question “to whom” or “for whom.”
• Sentences that have an IO usually also have a DO
• Sometimes the DO is not stated, but rather is implied, or understood.
• The IO pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
• Place the pronoun before the conjugated verb.
• Think in phrases, do not translate word-for-word.
• Le and les are ambiguous.
• Prepositional phrases are often used for clarity and for emphasis.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Let’s begin with a review of the previous lesson.

The indirect object (IO) tells us where the direct object (DO) is going.

He gives the book to María.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María

He gives María the book.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María

The indirect object answers the question “To whom?” or “For whom?” the action of the verb is performed.

He gives María the book.
To whom does he give the book?
To María.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

Sentences that have an indirect object usually have a direct object. Remember, the IO tells us where the DO is going. Notice how the sentences below just wouldn’t work without a direct object.

He gives María . . .
the book, the pen, the diamond, etc.

He buys me . . .
flowers, candy, an ironing board, etc.

Sometimes the direct object is not stated; rather it is implied, or understood.

My mother writes me every week.
DO=letter (understood)
IO=me
(My mother writes me a letter every week.)

She told him.
DO=it (understood)
IO=him
(She told it to him.)

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
le (him, her, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
les (them, you-all-formal)

In a negative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes between the negative word and the conjugated verb.

Él no me compra nada.
He doesn’t buy me anything.
He doesn’t buy anything for me.

Ella no te trae el desayuno.
She doesn’t bring you breakfast.
She doesn’t bring breakfast for you.

No le mando a él la cuenta.
I don’t send him the bill.
I don’t send the bill to him.

Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo.
They don’t buy us any gifts.
They don’t buy any gifts for us.

Compare the affirmative statements with their negative counterparts.

Él me compra algo.
Él no me compra nada.

Ella te trae el desayuno.
Ella no te trae el desayuno.

Le mando a él la cuenta.
No le mando a él la cuenta.

Ellos nos compran regalos.
Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo.

Remember, don’t translate word-for-word. Instead, think in terms of phrases, or concepts. “Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo” contains 3 concepts:

The key to learning to use the indirect object pronouns is the same as the key for direct object pronouns. You must learn to think in phrases, not words. The phrases consist of a pronoun and a conjugated verb. In the following examples, note that the IO remains the same, while the subject of the phrase changes.

no me compra
he doesn’t buy (for) me

no me compras
you don’t buy (for) me

Remember, the IO pronouns le and les present a special problem because they are ambiguous. That is, they can stand for different things.

le
to (for) him
to (for) her
to (for) you-formal

les
to (for) them
to (for) you-all-formal

The following sentences, while grammatically correct, are ambiguous:

Ella no le escribe una carta.
Ella no les escribe una carta.

Out of context, there is no way we can know the meaning.

Ella no le escribe una carta.
She doesn’t write him a letter.
She doesn’t write her a letter.
She doesn’t write you (formal) a letter.

Ella no les escribe una carta.
She doesn’t write them a letter.
She doesn’t write you-all (formal) a letter.

Since le and les can mean more than one thing, a prepositional phrase is often added to remove the ambiguity.

Ella no le escribe a Juan una carta.
Ella no le escribe a su hermana una carta.
Ella no le escribe a usted una carta.

Ella no les escribe a sus padres una carta.
Ella no les escribe a ustedes una carta.

Sometimes a prepositional phrase is added not for clarity, but rather for emphasis.

Juan no me da a mí el dinero.
John doesn’t give me the money.
(emphasizing that the money is not given to me but rather to someone else)

Juan no te da a ti el dinero.
John doesn’t give you the money. (emphasis on you)

There is no ambiguity in the following sentence. It can only mean one thing.

Juan no me da el dinero.
John doesn’t give me the money.

The addition of a prepositional phrase merely adds emphasis.

Juan no me da a mí el dinero.
John doesn’t give me the money.

Remember:

• The IO tells us where the DO is going.
• The IO answers the question “to whom” or “for whom.”
• In order for a sentence to have a IO, it must also have a DO.
• Sometimes the DO is not stated, but rather is implied, or understood.
• The IO pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les.
• In a negative sentence, place the pronoun between the negative word and the conjugated verb.
• Think in phrases, do not translate word-for-word.
• Le and les are ambiguous.
• Prepositional phrases are often used for clarity and for emphasis.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part III

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Remember, the indirect object answers the question “To whom?” or “For whom?” the action of the verb is performed.

He gives María the book.
To whom does he give the book?
To María.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, use the following pronouns:

me (me)
te (you-familiar)
le (him, her, you-formal)

nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
les (them, you-all-formal)

In an affirmative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys me a gift.
John buys a gift for me.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys us a gift.
John buys a gift for us.

When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the indirect object pronoun.

Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb:

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:

Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is “better” than the other.

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

When reading or hearing sentences like these, you must learn to recognize whole groups of words, rather than inspecting each word independently.

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Me necesitas dar = You need to give me

Necesitas darme un regalo.
Necesitas darme = You need to give me

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Te necesito comprar = I need to buy you

Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte = I need to buy you

• Your success in being able to recognize these groups is largely dependent upon having learned previous material — namely verb conjugation.
• You need to be able to quickly recognize a conjugated verb and an infinitive. You need to automatically recognize “necesito comprar” as “I need to buy.”
• If you can do that, it is just one small step to recognize “te necesito comprar” as “I need to buy for you.” From there, the final step is easy: “Te necesito comprar un regalo.”

Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns Used Together

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Here are the direct object pronouns and the indirect object pronouns side by side:

When you have both a direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun in the same sentence, the indirect object pronoun comes first.

Ellos me los dan.
They give them to me.
IO pronoun: me
DO pronoun: los

Ella te la vende.
She sells it to you.
IO pronoun: te
DO pronoun: la

Whenever both pronouns begin with the letter “l” change the first pronoun to “se.”

le lo = se lo
le la = se la
le los = se los
le las = se las
les lo = se lo
les la = se la
les los = se los
les las = se las

The reason for changing “le lo” to “se lo” is merely to avoid the tongue-twisting effect of two short consecutive words that begin with the letter “l”. To demonstrate this, first quickly say “les las” and then quickly say “se las.” See how much easier it is to say “se las?”

In negative sentences, the negative word comes directly before the first pronoun.

No se lo tengo.
I don’t have it for you.

Nunca se los compro.
I never buy them for her.

Because the pronoun se can have so many meanings, it is often helpful to clarify it by using a prepositional phrase.

Él se lo dice.
Ambiguous. He tells it to (whom?).

Él se lo dice a Juan.
He tells it to him. (to Juan)

Él se lo dice a María.
He tells it to her. (to María)

Él se lo dice a ella.
He tells it to her.

In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the pronouns. Place them immediately before the conjugated verb or attach them directly to the infinitive.

She should explain it to me.
Ella me lo debe explicar.
Ella debe explicármelo.

I want to tell it to you.
Te lo quiero decir.
Quiero decírtelo.

You need to send it to them.
Se la necesitas enviar a ellos.
Necesitas enviársela a ellos.

Note that when attaching the pronouns to the infinitive, a written accent is also added to the final syllable of the infinitive. This preserves the sound of the infinitive.

When the pronouns are attached to the infinitive, make the sentence negative by placing the negative word directly before the conjugated verb.

Ella debe explicármelo.
Ella no debe explicármelo.

Quiero decírtelo.
No quiero decírtelo.

Necesitas enviársela a ellos.
No necesitas enviársela a ellos.

When the pronouns come before the conjugated verb, make the sentence negative by placing the negative word directly before the pronouns.

Ella me lo debe explicar.
Ella no me lo debe explicar.

Te lo quiero decir.
No te lo quiero decir.

Se la necesitas enviar a ellos.
No se la necesitas enviar a ellos.

Verbs Like Gustar

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

This is a good time to discuss the verb “gustar” because using it requires use of the IO pronouns.

Me gusta el cuarto.
I like the room.

Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.

In English, the following sentences are correct:

I like the room.
We like the books.

Examine the same sentences more closely.

I like the room.

I = subject of sentence
like = verb
the room = direct object

We like the books.

We = subject of sentence
like = verb
the books = direct object

In English, it is correct to construct a sentence that has the subject “liking” a direct object. In Spanish, this never occurs. In Spanish, a different construction is used.

English: I like the room.
Spanish: The room is pleasing to me.

English: We like the books.
Spanish: The books are pleasing to us.

The first thing you need to notice is that both versions really mean the same thing. They are merely different expressions of the same idea.

Idea: My feelings with regard to the book are positive.

English Way: I like the book.
Spanish Way: The book is pleasing to me.

The second thing to notice is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, we) while in Spanish the subject of the sentence is the object (room, books).

The room is pleasing to me.
Subject: The room

I like the room.
Subject: I

Finally notice that while the English sentence has a direct object, the Spanish sentence has an indirect object.

The room is pleasing to me.
me = Indirect Object

I like the room.
room = Direct Object

Let’s study the following example:

Me gustan los libros.

Literal Translation: To me are pleasing the books.
Actual Translation: I like the books.

Notice that gustar is conjugated as “gustan” not “gusto.” A common mistake is to say “Me gusto los libros.” This is incorrect because the subject of the sentence is “los libros” even though it comes at the end. Remember, the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.

Me gustan los libros. (I like the books.)

Notice that the conjugation of gustar changes to “gusta” when the subject of the sentence is singular.

Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)

Since the subject of the sentence must be either singular (book) or plural (books), the only forms of gustar you will use are “gusta” and “gustan.” This is true regardless of what IO pronoun appears in the sentence.

Me gusta el libro.
I like the book.

Te gusta el libro.
You like the book.

Nos gusta el libro.
We like the book.

Me gustan los libros.
I like the books.

Te gustan los libros.
You like the books.

Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.

Remember, gustar becomes either gusta or gustan, depending upon whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. It has nothing to do with which IO pronoun is used.

Subject is singular – use gusta

Me gusta el libro.
Te gusta el libro.

Subject is plural – use gustan

Me gustan los libros.
Te gustan los libros.

Remember, the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence!

Nos gustamos … incorrect!
Te gustas … incorrect!

Here are some examples of the correct use of gustar. Notice that the only forms of gustar that appear are gusta and gustan, even though each of the IO pronouns is used.

Look more closely at one example:

For purposes of clarification, the sentence will often begin with a prepositional phrase that clarifies just who the IO pronoun refers to.

A él le gusta la silla.
He likes the chair.

A Juan le gusta la silla.
John likes the chair.

A ella le gusta la silla.
She likes the chair.

A María le gusta la silla.
Mary likes the chair.

A usted le gusta la silla.
You (formal) like the chair.

As you can see, by adding a prepositional phrase, we remove the ambiguity of the “le” form.

You can also use a prepositional phrase to add emphasis, even if there is no ambiguity.

1. A Juan le gusta el café.
John likes coffee.

2. A mí me gusta el té.
I like tea.

In the first example, “a Juan” clarifies the ambiguous pronoun “le.” In the second example, there is no ambiguity. “Me gusta el té” can only mean “I like tea.” In this case, “a mí” adds emphasis, drawing attention to the fact that tea is what I like (as contrasted with what Juan likes).

Another way to look at it:

John likes coffee. Me, I like tea.
A Juan le gusta el café. A mí me gusta el té.

Now that you know how to correctly use the verb gustar, here is a list of verbs that operate in the same manner:

The practice exercises focus on 5 useful verbs:

gustar
faltar
molestar
parecer
disgustar

Note that all of the other verbs listed above behave in the same fashion as the five practice verbs.

Let’s add a flashcard for the special verb “gustar”:

Present Progressive

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The present progressive is formed by combining the verb “to be” with the present participle. (The present participle is merely the “-ing” form of a verb.)

I am studying.
I am studying with María.

In English, present progressive can be used to describe what is happening now, or what will happen in the future.

I am studying now.
I am studying with María tonight.

In Spanish, the present progressive is only used to describe an action that is in the process of taking place. It is not used for future actions.

I am studying now.
(use present progressive)

I am studying with María tonight.
(do not use present progressive)

To form the present progressive in Spanish, combine a form of “estar” with the present participle.

Estoy hablando.
I am speaking.

Juan está comiendo.
John is eating.

María está escribiendo una carta.
Mary is writing a letter.

In order to form the present progressive, you must know how to conjugate the verb estar, and how to form the present participle. You already know how to conjugate the verb estar:

estar

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

To form the present participle of regular -ar verbs, add -ando to the stem of the verb.

hablar: hablando
(hablar – ar + ando)

trabajar: trabajando
(trabajar – ar + ando)

estudiar: estudiando
(estudiar – ar + ando)

To form the present participle of regular -er and -ir verbs, add -iendo to the stem of the verb.

comer: comiendo
(comer – er + iendo)

hacer: haciendo
(hacer – er + iendo)

vivir: viviendo
(vivir – ir + iendo)

escribir: escribiendo
(escribir – ir + iendo)

To form the present participle of -ir stem changing verbs, change e:i and o:u in the stem, and then add -iendo to the stem of the verb.

servir: sirviendo
pedir: pidiendo
decir: diciendo

dormir: durmiendo
morir: muriendo
poder: pudiendo

Sometimes when forming the present participle it is necessary to change the spelling of a word so that it agrees with the way it is pronounced. We call this an “orthographic” change. Here are some common examples:

caer: cayendo
creer: creyendo
huir: huyendo
ir: yendo
influir: influyendo
oír: oyendo
traer: trayendo
leer: leyendo
seguir: siguiendo

The following examples illustrate the rules for forming the present participle.

hablar: hablando (-ar)
comer: comiendo (-er)
vivir: viviendo (-ir)
decir: diciendo (e:i)
dormir: durmiendo (o:u)
leer: leyendo (orthographic)
seguir: siguiendo (orthographic)

To form the present progressive, simply conjugate the verb estar to agree with the subject of the sentence, and follow it with the present participle.

Juan está comiendo pan.
John is eating bread.

María y Carmen están hablando con nosotros.
Mary and Carmen are speaking with us.

Remember, only use the present progressive for actions that are “in progress.” Compare the uses of the present indicative with the uses of the present progressive.

Estudio español. (Present Indicative)

I study Spanish.
I am studying Spanish (these days).
I do study Spanish.

Estoy estudiando español. (Present Progressive)

I am studying (right now, at this moment) Spanish.

It is important to remember that you would never use the present progressive to say something like “We are going to Spain this summer.” Use present progressive only for actions that are “in progress.”

Let’s add two more verb flashcards: one for present progressive and one for practice in forming the present participle:

Verbs with Irregular First Persons

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The following verbs have irregular forms for the first person singular of the present tense:

In addition to memorizing the above listed verbs, you should familiarize yourself with the following three rules:

1. For verbs that end in -cer and -cir, change the c to a zc or zfor the yo form:

conocer (to know)
yo conozco

conducir (to drive)
yo conduzco

crecer (to grow)
yo crezco

ejercer (to practice)
yo ejerzo

establecer (to establish)
yo establezco

mecer (to rock)
yo mezo

producir (to produce)
yo produzco

traducir (to translate)
yo traduzco

vencer (to defeat)
yo venzo

2. For verbs that end in -ger and -gir, change the g to j for the yo form:

escoger (to choose)
yo escojo

dirigir (to direct)
yo dirijo

emerger (to emerge)
yo emerjo

fingir (to pretend)
yo finjo

3. For verbs that end in -guir, change the gu to g for the yo form:

seguir (to follow)
yo sigo

conseguir (to get)
yo consigo

distinguir (to distinguish)
yo distingo

It is extremely important that you learn these verbs, because material covered later assumes that you have mastered this. At times, learning the irregular verbs may seem daunting, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Your best tool is your verb flashcards, which should be separate from any other flashcards you might be using. Add the following 14 verb flashcards to your collection:

"Saber" vs. "Conocer" / "Pedir" vs. "Preguntar"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In Spanish, there are two verbs that express the idea “to know.” These two verbs are “saber” and “conocer.” The verb you choose depends upon the context in which it is used. These verbs are not interchangeable.

To express knowledge or ignorance of a fact or information about something, use “saber.”

Juan sabe dónde está María.
Juan knows where Maria is.

Yo no sé tu número de teléfono.
I don’t know your telephone number.

To say that one is or is not acquainted with a person, a place, or an object, use conocer.

Yo no conozco a María.
I don’t know (am not acquainted with) Maria.

Alberto y Alfredo conocen Madrid.
Alberto and Alfredo know (are acquainted with) Madrid.

To express knowledge or ignorance of a subject or learning discipline, use saber or conocer, depending upon the context.

Juan no sabe nada de inglés.
Juan doesn’t know any English.

Él sabe matemáticas.
He knows mathematics.

Juan conoce la literatura española.
Juan is familiar with Spanish literature.

To express knowledge or ignorance of a skill, or how to do something, use saber + infinitive.

María sabe conducir.
Maria knows how to drive.

No sé nadar muy bien.
I don’t know how to swim very well.

To say that you know something by heart, use saber.

María sabe los verbos irregulares.
Maria knows the irregular verbs (by heart).

Ella no sabe la letra de esa canción.
She doesn’t know the words to that song.

The situation with regards to the correct use of saber and conocer can be summarized as follows:

saber
to know a fact, to know something thoroughly, to know how to do something

conocer
to be acquainted with a person, place, or thing

The same sort of situation exists with respect to the two Spanish verbs pedir and preguntar. They both mean “to ask” but they are not interchangeable. Fortunately, the rules for using them are a bit more straightforward:

pedir
to ask for, or request an object, service or favor

Pido más carne.
I ask for more meat.

Pedimos ahora.
We order now (ask for service).

preguntar
to ask a question, or request information

Pregunto qué hora es.
I ask what time it is.

Preguntamos a qué hora sirven la cena.
We ask what time they serve dinner.

Your verb flashcards should be your constant companions. You should always have them with you, and you should pull them out several times each day, even if you only look at them for a couple of minutes. Now, let’s add these two verbs to our growing stack:

Cardinal Numbers 31-1000

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

First, let’s review the cardinal numbers 1-30:

1. uno
2. dos
3. tres
4. cuatro
5. cinco
6. seis
7. siete
8. ocho
9. nueve
10. diez
11. once
12. doce
13. trece
14. catorce
15. quince
16. dieciséis
17. diecisiete
18. dieciocho
19. diecinueve
20. veinte
21. veintiuno
22. veintidós
23. veintitrés
24. veinticuatro
25. veinticinco
26. veintiséis
27. veintisiete
28. veintiocho
29. veintinueve
30. treinta

The next step is to learn to count by 10s all the way to 100:

10. diez
20. veinte
30. treinta
40. cuarenta
50. cincuenta
60. sesenta
70. setenta
80. ochenta
90. noventa
100. cien

Now, see how easy it is to fill in the gaps:

31. treinta y uno
32. treinta y dos
33. treinta y tres
34. treinta y cuatro
35. treinta y cinco
36. treinta y seis
37. treinta y siete
38. treinta y ocho
39. treinta y nueve
40. cuarenta
41. cuarenta y uno
42. cuarenta y dos
etc.

This pattern continues all the way to 100:

53. cincuenta y tres
54. cincuenta y cuatro
65. sesenta y cinco
66. sesenta y seis
78. setenta y ocho
88. ochenta y ocho
99. noventa y nueve
etc.

From 101-199, use “ciento”:

ciento uno
ciento dos
ciento tres
ciento sesenta y uno
ciento sesenta y dos
etc.

Notice that “y” is used only in numbers 31-99 (and 131-199, 231-299, 331-399, etc.) and it is not used to separate hundreds from tens.

Correct:
ciento ochenta y nueve

Incorrect:
ciento y ochenta y nueve

To get to 1000, all of the rules you have learned so far continue to apply. All you need to do now is learn to count by 100s all the way to 1000, and that is quite easy:

100. cien
200. doscientos
300. trescientos
400. cuatrocientos
500. quinientos
600. seiscientos
700. setecientos
800. ochocientos
900. novecientos
1000. mil

Here are some more examples:

142. ciento cuarenta y dos
375. trescientos setenta y cinco
612. seiscientos doce
907. novecientos siete
999. novecientos noventa y nueve

Remember from an earlier lesson, there is a masculine and a feminine form for the number one:

This is also true for the numbers 200, 300, 400, etc.

doscientos libros
doscientas plumas

cuatrocientos señores
cuatrocientas señoras

When there is exactly 100 of something, and the number is used with the noun, use the shortened form “cien.”

cien dólares
cien gatas
cien perros
cien pesetas

Finally, in Spanish a period is used to indicate thousands, and a comma is used as a decimal point.

English
1,543.67

Spanish
1.543,67

Telling Time

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The verb ser is used to express the time of day. Use es when referring to “one o’clock” and use son when referring to all other hours.

Es la una.
It’s one o’clock.

Son las dos.
It’s two o’clock.

The feminine article (la, las) is used before the hour because it refers to “la hora.”

Es la una.
It’s one o’clock.

Son las dos.
It’s two o’clock.

Minutes can be added to the hour using the word y (and).

Es la una y cinco.
It’s five minutes past one.

Son las tres y doce.
It’s twelve minutes past three.

Minutes can be subtracted from the hour using the word menos (less).

Es la una menos cinco.
It’s five minutes till one.

Son las tres menos doce.
It’s twelve minutes till three.

You can also use the words media (half) and cuarto (quarter).

Es la una y media.
It’s half past one.

Son las dos y cuarto.
It’s quarter past two.

Son las tres menos cuarto.
It’s quarter till three.

To say something occurs at a specific time, use the formula a + la(s) + time.

La fiesta empieza a las nueve.
The party begins at nine o’clock.

El banco abre a las ocho y media.
The bank opens at half past eight.

To differentiate between a.m. and p.m. use the expressions de la mañana, de la tarde and de la noche.

Son las dos de la tarde.
It’s two in the afternoon.

Son las dos de la mañana.
It’s two in the morning.

Son las diez de la noche.
It’s ten in the evening.

When no specific time is mentioned, use the expressions por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche.

Siempre leo el periódico por las mañanas.
I always read the newspaper in the morning.

Here are a number of useful time expressions:

"Por" and "Para"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

“Por” and “para” have a variety of meanings, and they are often confused because they can each be translated as “for.”

Gracias por la información.
Thanks for the information.

Este regalo es para Juan.
This gift is for Juan.

To learn to use “por” and “para” correctly, you need to do two things:

“Por” has many uses, and so it is the more problematic of the two.

Rule: to express gratitude or apology
Model: Gracias por la ayuda.
(Thanks for the help.)

Rule: for multiplication and division
Model: Dos por dos son cuatro.
(Two times two equals four.)

Rule: for velocity, frequency and proportion
Model: Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana.
(I go to the restaurant five times per week.)

Rule: meaning “through,” “along,” “by” or “in the area of”
Model: Andamos por el parque.
(We walk through the park.)

Rule: when talking about exchange, including sales
Model: Él me dio diez dólares por el libro.
(He gave me ten dollars for the book.)

Rule: to mean “on behalf of,” or “in favor of,”
Model: No voté por nadie.
(I didn’t vote for anyone.)

Rule: to express a length of time
Model: Yo estudié por dos horas.
(I studied for two hours.)

Rule: to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning “during”
Model: Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche.
(One can see the stars during the night.)

Rule: for means of communication or transportation
Model: Prefiero viajar por tren y hablar por teléfono.
(I prefer to travel by train and speak by phone.)

Rule: in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning “to be seen as”
Model: Me tienen por loco.
(They take me for crazy.)

Rule: to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and preguntar)
Model: Paso por ti a las ocho.
(I’ll come by for you at eight o’clock.)

Rule: when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be completed, use por + infinitive
Model: La cena está por cocinar.
(Dinner has yet to be cooked.)

Rule: to express cause or reason
Model: El hombre murió por falta de agua.
The man died for lack of water.

Rule: “estar por” means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something
Model: Estoy por tomar café.
(I’m in the mood for drinking coffee.)

Rule: in passive constructions
Model: El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz.
(The book was written by Octavio Paz.)

“Por” also appears in many idiomatic expressions:

por adelantado
in advance

por ahora
for now

por allí
around there; that way

por amor de Dios
for the love of God

por aquí
around here; this way

por casualidad
by chance

por ciento
percent

por cierto
certainly

por completo
completely

por dentro
inside

por desgracia
unfortunately

por ejemplo
for example

por eso
therefore

por favor
please

por fin
finally

por lo general
generally

por lo visto
apparently

por medio de
by means of

por lo menos
at least

por lo tanto
consequently

por mi parte
as for me

por ningún lado
nowhere

por otra parte
on the other hand

palabra por palabra
word for word

por primera vez
for the first time

por separado
separately

por supuesto
of course

por suerte
fortunately

por todas partes
everywhere

por todos lados
on all sides

por último
finally

“Para” — in contrast, has relatively fewer uses.

Rule: to indicate destination
Model: El hombre salió para Madrid.
(The man left for Madrid.)

Rule: to show the use or purpose of a thing
Model: El vaso es para agua.
(The glass is for water.)

Rule: to mean “in order to” or “for the purpose of”
Model: Para hacer una paella, primero dore las carnes.
To make a paella, first sauté the meats.

Rule: to indicate a recipient
Model: Este regalo es para ti.
(This gift is for you.)

Rule: to express a deadline or specific time
Model: Necesito el vestido para el lunes.
(I need the dress by Monday.)

Rule: to express a contrast from what is expected
Model: Para un niño lee muy bien.
(For a child, he reads very well.)

Rule: “estar para” to express an action that will soon be completed
Model: La chica está para dar a luz.
(The girl is about to give birth.)

It is quite important to learn to use these two prepositions correctly, because if you inadvertently substitute one for the other, you might end up saying something altogether different from what you had intended. Study the two examples:

Juan compró el regalo para María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it to give to her)

Juan compró el regalo por María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it because she could not)

“Por” and “para” can also be used in questions. “¿Por qué?” means “Why?” (for what reason) while “¿Para qué?” means “Why?” (for what purpose).

¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Porque es un requisito.
Because it’s required.

¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.

Irregular Comparatives

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Recall from a previous lesson some examples of comparatives and superlatives:

Tú eres más alto que yo.
You are taller than I.

Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase.
John is the smartest boy in the class.

The following adjectives have irregular forms for the comparative and the superlative:

Adjective: bueno (good)
Comparative: mejor (better)
Superlative: el/la mejor (best)

Adjective: malo (bad)
Comparative: peor (worse)
Superlative: el/la peor (the worst)

Note that the words más and menos are not used with the irregular comparatives.

Correct:
Este libro es bueno, pero ese libro es mejor.

Correct:
Esta película es mala, pero esa película es peor.

With the irregular superlatives, the definite article is used.

Here are two more adjectives with irregular comparatives and superlatives:

Adjective: grande (big)
Comparative: mayor (older; greater)
Superlative: el/la mayor (the oldest; the greatest)

Adjective: pequeño (small)
Comparative: menor (younger; less)
Superlative: el/la menor (youngest; least)

Note that when referring to size, grande and pequeño follow the normal rules for comparative and superlative forms. That is, they do not use the irregular forms menor and mayor.

When referring to age, use the irregular forms mayor and menor.

Juan es menor que María.
Juan is younger than Maria.

María es la mayor de la familia.
Maria is the oldest of the family.

When referring to the concepts “less” or “greater”, use the irregular forms mayor and menor.

El agua es de mayor importancia que la comida.
Water is more important than food.

La comida es de menor importancia que el agua.
Food is less important than water.

The words joven and viejo are used for non-comparative descriptions of age.

El niño es joven.
The boy is young.

El abuelo es viejo.
The grandfather is old.

Demonstratives

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In this lesson, we will discuss demonstratives of two types: demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns. The first step in clearly understanding these two topics is to review the differences between “adjectives” and “pronouns.”

adjective
describes a noun

pronoun
takes the place of a noun

In the following sentences, the words in bold all function as adjectives, since they all describe the noun “book.”

Give me the red book.
Give me the big book.
Give me that book.
Give me this book.

Notice that adjectives answer the question “Which?” in relation to the nouns that they modify. (Which book? The red book. The big book. That book. This book.)

In the following sentences, the words in bold all function as pronouns, since they all take the place of a noun.

Maria is next; give her the ball.
Juan is here; say hello to him.
That pencil is yours; this is mine.
This book is mine; that is yours.

Notice that pronouns replace a noun. (“her” replaces “Maria” – “him” replaces “Juan” – “this” replaces “pencil” – “that” replaces “book”)

As you have just seen, the words “this” and “that” can function as both adjectives and pronouns.

This book is mine. (adjective)
This (one) is mine. (pronoun)

That book is yours.(adjective)
That (one) is yours. (pronoun)

The same is true in Spanish.

Juan reads this book. (adjective)
Juan lee este libro.

Juan reads this. (pronoun)
Juan lee este.

That statue is Greek.
Esa estatua es griega.

That (one) is American.
Esa es americana.

Spanish has three words where English only has two. In English, we say “this” or “that” depending upon whether the object is close to us or not. In Spanish, we also say “this” and “that,” but there is another, separate word used to mean “that one over there.” This form is used when the object is more than just a short distance away, for example, on the other side of the room. Here are the three forms for “this” “that” and “that one over there.”

este
this

ese
that

aquel
that one over there

Remember that in Spanish, adjectives have four forms: masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine singular, feminine plural. For example the adjective “short” has four forms in Spanish: bajo, bajos, baja, bajas.

el chico bajo
los chicos bajos

la chica baja
las chicas bajas

The demonstrative adjectives also have four forms:

este libro (this book)
estos libros (these books)
esta pluma (this pen)
estas plumas (these pens)

ese libro (that book)
esos libros (those books)
esa pluma (that pen)
esas plumas (those pens)

aquel libro (that book over there)
aquellos libros (those books over there)
aquella pluma (that pen over there)
aquellas plumas (those pens over there)

Here are the corresponding demonstrative pronouns:

este (this one – masculine)
estos (these ones – masculine)
esta (this one – feminine)
estas (these ones – feminine)

ese (that one – masculine)
esos (those ones – masculine)
esa (that one – feminine)
esas (those ones – feminine)

aquel (that one over there – masc.)
aquellos (those ones over there – masc.)
aquella (that one over there – fem.)
aquellas (those ones over there – fem.)

Each demonstrative pronoun also has a neuter form. They do not change for number or gender, and they are used to refer to abstract ideas, or to an unknown object.

esto (this matter, this thing)
eso (that matter, that thing)
aquello (that matter/thing over there)

Note: Until 2010, the rule was that demonstrative pronouns carried a written accent to distinguish them from demonstrative adjectives. In 2010, however, the RAE declared that accents on demonstratives are no longer necessary, though they may still be used in cases of potential ambiguity.

Time Expressions with "Hacer"

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

The verb “hacer” can be used in a number of ways to indicate the length of time an action has been taking place. The first way uses the formula:

Hace + time + que + present tense form of the verb

Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Hace dos años que ellas estudian inglés.
They have been studying English for two years.

To make this type of expression negative, just add the word “no” before the verb, as in the following formula:

Hace + time + que + no + present tense form of the verb

Hace un año que no estudio español.
I haven’t studied Spanish for a year.

Hace dos años que ellas no estudian inglés.
They haven’t studied English for two years.

Another way to use the verb “hacer” to express how long something has been taking place is to use the following formula:

Present tense form of the verb + desde hace + time

Estudio español desde hace un año.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Ellas estudian inglés desde hace dos años.
They have been studying English for two years.

To make this type of expression negative, again simply add the word “no” before the verb, as in the following formula:

No + present tense form of the verb + desde hace + time

No estudio español desde hace un año.
I haven’t studied Spanish for a year.

Ellas no estudian inglés desde hace dos años.
They haven’t studied English for two years.

So, when it comes to using the verb “hacer” to express the length of time an action has been taking place, there are two ways to say the same thing:

Estudio español desde hace un año.
Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Possessive Pronouns

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

We begin this lesson with a review of the difference between an adjective and a pronoun.

adjective
describes a noun

pronoun
takes the place of a noun

Look at the following sentence pairs. One has an adjective, while the other has a pronoun.

My book is large. (adjective, describes book)
Yours is small. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Your car is green. (adjective, describes car)
Mine is red. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Now, let’s look at each sentence a little more closely.

My book is large.

My is an adjective because it modifies, or describes the noun “book.” Furthermore, it is a “possessive” adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the book.

Yours is small.

Yours is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that “yours” is replacing the noun “book.” Furthermore, it is a “possessive” pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.

Your car is green.

Your is an adjective because it modifies the noun “car.” Furthermore, it is a “possessive” adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the car.

Mine is red.

Mine is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that “mine” is replacing the noun “car.” Furthermore, it is a “possessive” pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.

So far, we have been talking about the difference between the possessive adjective and the possessive pronoun. You will recall that in a previous lesson, you already learned about the possessive adjectives.

mi(s)
my
mi libro
mis plumas

tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)
tu libro
tus plumas

su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their
su libro
sus plumas

nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our
nuestro libro
nuestras plumas

vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)
vuestro libro
vuestras plumas

The possessive pronouns are similar to the possessive adjectives, but they are normally used with the definite article.

mine
el mío / la mía
los míos / las mías

yours (familiar)
el tuyo / la tuya
los tuyos / las tuyas

yours (formal), his, hers
el suyo / la suya
los suyos / las suyas

ours
el nuestro / la nuestra
los nuestros / las nuestras

yours (familiar)
el vuestro / la vuestra
los vuestros / las vuestras

yours (formal), theirs
el suyo / la suya
los suyos / las suyas

Now let’s translate our model sentences:

Mi libro es grande.
My book is large.

El tuyo es pequeño.
Yours is small.

Tu carro es verde.
Your car is green.

El mío es rojo.
Mine is red.

The previous translations assume that you are talking to a friend, or someone you know well, and are using the informal “tú” form of speech. But remember, Spanish also has a more formal form of speech. Notice how the same sentences change if we assume that you are talking to someone in a position of authority, using the more formal “usted” form of speech.

Mi libro es grande. (no change)
My book is large.

El suyo es pequeño. (formal)
Yours (formal) is small.

Su carro es verde. (formal)
Your (formal) car is green.

El mío es rojo. (no change)
Mine is red.

The definite article is usually omitted when the possessive pronoun comes after the verb ser:

El carro grande es mío.
The big car is mine.

El carro pequeño es suyo.
The small car is hers.

Notice the following ambiguity:

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his.

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is hers.

El suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas can be clarified as follows:

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his. (unclarified)

El carro grande es de él.
The big car is his. (clarified)

La casa pequeña es suya.
The small house is hers. (unclarified)

La casa pequeña es de ella.
The small house is hers. (clarified)

Los carros grandes son suyos.
The big cars are theirs. (unclarified)

Los carros grandes son de ellas.
The big cars are theirs. (clarified)

Las casas pequeñas son suyas.
The small houses are theirs. (unclarified)

Las casas pequeñas son de ellos.
The small houses are theirs. (clarified)

Note: de + el are contracted to form “del,” however, de + él are not contracted.

Reflexive Verbs

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same.

Another way to think of it is when the subject is doing something to itself, it is reflexive. When the subject is doing something to someone or something else, it is not reflexive.

In English we make verbs reflexive by adding the word “himself”, “myself”, “yourself” and so on to the sentence. In Spanish, it’s done by using what is called a reflexive verb.

When a reflexive verb is used in Spanish, it is already understood that the action of the verb is being performed on the subject.

Let’s look at some examples of reflexive verbs in English to understand the concept, then we’ll start working with Spanish.

I wash myself.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.

I wash the car.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: car

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

Here’s another example of how a verb can be either reflexive or non-reflexive.

I scratch myself.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.

I scratch the dog.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: dog

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

When a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in “se.”

lavar
to wash (non-reflexive)

lavarse
to wash oneself (reflexive)

rascar
to scratch (non-reflexive)

rascarse
to scratch oneself (reflexive)

There is one reflexive verb you have been using since you began studying Spanish.

llamarse – to call oneself

¿Cómo se llama usted?
What do you call yourself?

Me llamo Juan.
I call myself Juan.

Note: A more “natural” translation would be “What is your name?” and “My name is Juan.”

When you learned to conjugate regular verbs, you needed to learn a set of pronouns called “subject pronouns.”

lavar

yo lavo
tú lavas
él, ella, usted lava
nosotros/as lavamos
vosotros/as laváis
ellos, ellas, ustedes lavan

To learn to conjugate reflexive verbs, you need to learn a different set of pronouns called “reflexive pronouns.” These pronouns are positioned before the verb, while the ending “se” is dropped and the verb is conjugated normally.

lavarse

yo me lavo
I wash (myself)

tú te lavas
you wash (yourself) (informal)

él se lava
he washes (himself)

ella se lava
she washes (herself)

usted se lava
you wash (yourself) (formal)

nosotros nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves)

nosotras nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves) (feminine)

vosotros os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal)

vosotras os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal, feminine)

ustedes se lavan
you-all wash (yourselves)(formal)

ellos se lavan
they wash (themselves)

ellas se lavan
they wash (themselves) (feminine)

The reflexive pronouns are not subject pronouns; rather they are object pronouns.

me (myself)
te (yourself)
se (himself, herself, yourself)
nos (ourselves)
os (yourselves)
se (themselves, yourselves)

The purpose of the reflexive object pronouns is to show that the action of the verb remains with the subject.

Juan se lava la cara.
Juan washes his face. (reflexive)

Juan lava su carro. (non-reflexive)
Juan washes his car.

Note: When referring to body parts, use the definite article, thus “la cara” not “su cara.”

Note that many, many verbs can be made reflexive. All it means when a verb is reflexive is that the action remains with the subject.

wash the dog (non-reflexive)
wash your face (reflexive)

raise the book (non-reflexive)
raise yourself (reflexive)

put the baby to bed (non-reflexive)
go to bed (reflexive)

wake up your son (non-reflexive)
wake up yourself (reflexive)

…and so on

Some Common Reflexive Verbs

Examples of some common reflexive Spanish verbs are below. Click on them to view their correct conjugation using our verb conjugation tool.

Reflexive Verbs: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

In the previous lesson, you learned that a verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same.

I wash myself.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.

I wash the car.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: car

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

You also learned that when a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in “se.”

lavar
to wash (non-reflexive)

lavarse
to wash oneself (reflexive)

rascar
to scratch (non-reflexive)

rascarse
to scratch oneself (reflexive)

You should have memorized a set of pronouns called “reflexive pronouns.”

me (myself)
te (yourself)
se (himself, herself, yourself)
nos (ourselves)
os (yourselves)
se (themselves, yourselves)

You learned to conjugate reflexive verbs like this:

lavarse

yo me lavo
I wash (myself)

tú te lavas
you wash (yourself) (informal)

él/ella se lava
he/she washes (him/herself)

usted se lava
you wash (yourself) (formal)

nosotros/as nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves)

vosotros/as os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal)

ustedes se lavan
you-all wash (yourselves) (formal)

ellos/as se lavan
they wash (themselves)

In the lesson titled Direct Object Pronouns Part III you learned that when there are two verbs, you have two options on where to place the pronoun: before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive.

I want to see it. (querer, ver)
Lo quiero ver.
Quiero verlo.

Lo debemos comprar.
Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

The same is true regarding reflexive pronouns. When the sentence has two verbs, the pronoun can be placed directly before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive.

I want to see myself.
Me quiero ver.
Quiero verme.

John needs to wash his hair.
Juan se necesita lavar el pelo.
Juan necesita lavarse el pelo.

Maria can wash her face now.
Ahora María se puede lavar la cara.
Ahora María puede lavarse la cara.

I have just gone to bed.
Acabo de acostarme.
Me acabo de acostar.

We prefer to wash with scented soap.
Preferimos lavarnos con jabón perfumado.
Nos preferimos lavar con jabón perfumado.

Whenever a verb directly follows a preposition, it remains in the infinitive form. For reflexive verbs, the ending -se changes to agree with the subject. Observe the differences in the following sentences, all of which are about counting burros before falling asleep.

Antes de dormirme, yo cuento burros.

Antes de dormirte, tú cuentas burros.

Antes de dormirse, la chica cuenta burros.

Antes de dormirnos, nosotros contamos burros.

Antes de dormiros, vosotros contáis burros.

Antes de dormirse, los chicos cuentan burros.

In English, many verbs can be used transitively (with a direct object) or intransitively (without a direct object).

The sun dried the clothes. (transitive)
The clothes dried in the sun. (intransitive)

In Spanish, these intransitive constructions frequently employ the reflexive form.

The sun dried the clothes. (transitive)
El sol secó la ropa.

The clothes dried in the sun. (intransitive)
La ropa se secó al sol.

Sometimes, the reflexive construction is used merely to emphasize who is performing the action of the sentence.

The cake? Maria ate it.
¿La torta? María se la comió.

For some verbs, the meaning changes when they are used reflexively.

aburrir – to bore
aburrirse – to be bored

acordar – to agree
acordarse de – to remember

acostar – to put to bed
acostarse – to go to bed

casar – to perform a marriage ceremony
casarse con – to become married to someone

despedir – to fire
despedirse de – to say goodbye

dormir – to sleep
dormirse – to fall asleep

ir – to go
irse – to go away, to leave

morir – to die (abruptly, as of an accident, war, etc.)
morirse – to die (as from natural causes; also “to die” figuratively)

negar – to deny
negarse a – to refuse

parecer – to seem
parecerse a – to resemble

poner – to put
ponerse – to put on

probar – to try, to taste
probarse – to try on

quitar – to take away
quitarse – to take off

A few verbs are always used reflexively.

arrepentirse (e:ie) – to repent
atreverse a – to dare
darse cuenta de – to realize
jactarse de – to boast
quejarse de – to complain about
suicidarse – to commit suicide

The Definite Article: Part II

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

By now, you are quite familiar with the definite articles:

el
la
los
las

You are probably comfortable with the normal uses of the definite article.

El chico es alto.
La chica es guapa.
Los hombres comen mucho.
Las mujeres charlan.

In this lesson, you will learn some additional rules to help you use the definite article correctly. For example, feminine singular nouns that begin with an emphasized a or ha use the masculine form of the article.

el agua
el hacha
el hambre
el águila

This rule only applies to the singular form of the noun. The plural form uses the feminine article.

el agua
las aguas
el hacha
las hachas
el hambre
las hambres
el águila
las águilas

Note: The reason the singular form uses the masculine article is that when the first syllable is an emphasized a or ha, the article la tends to run together with the first syllable of the word when they are spoken. This doesn’t happen with the article las.

The definite article is used with some countries and cities, and is not used with others. Here are some examples where it is used:

la Argentina
el Brasil
el Canadá
el Ecuador
la Florida
la Habana
la India
el Japón
el Paraguay
el Perú
el Salvador
el Uruguay

There is no convenient rule to tell you when to use the definite article. You simply have to memorize the ones that do.

The definite article is always used with compound geographic names.

la América Central
la América del Sur
los Estados Unidos
la Gran Bretaña

The definite article is used when talking about a person, but it is not used when talking directly to a person.

El señor Gómez es profesor.
Señor Gómez, ¿es usted profesor?

La señorita está muy bonita.
¡Señorita! Usted está muy bonita esta noche.

The definite article is used when reflexive verbs are followed by body parts, clothing or other very personal possessions.

María se lava la cara.
Él se pone el traje.

The definite article is often used in place of the possessive adjective when talking about parts of the body, or possessions that might be considered “personal.” For example, in English it would be quite common to say:

Joseph washes his clothes.

To convey the same meaning in Spanish, it would be correct to say:

Jose lava la ropa. (not “su” ropa)

Preterite vs Imperfect: Part I

Notes:

1. The written lesson is below.
2. Links to quizzes, tests, etc. are to the left.

Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. Most verbs can be put into either tense, depending upon the meaning. In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite and the imperfect. You will also learn the basic difference between the preterite and the imperfect, so that you can begin using them correctly.

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following:

é
aste
ó
amos
asteis
aron

To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the imperfect, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following:

aba
abas
aba
ábamos
abais
aban

Compare the verb “hablar” conjugated in the preterite and the imperfect.