PERFECTING YOUR PRONUNCIATION
Although your level of competence in pronouncing Spanish properly has very little bearing on your ability to be understood, you can follow some simple steps that should enable you to express yourself in a more acceptable manner. Some suggestions and tips for better pronunciation include the following:
• Relax and speak slowly. No one expects you to sound like a native.
• Slip and slide sounds together to get a more natural flow.
• Lose your inhibitions by reading aloud Spanish newspapers, magazines, and literature.
• Set aside the necessary time to practice different sounds.
• Don’t be afraid to “ham up” your accent.
• Remember to pronounce letters with accents properly.
STRESS
The rules for stress in Spanish are straightforward, but they do require your concentration at first. In general, Spanish words are pronounced exactly as they are written. Follow these simple guidelines:
• If a word ends in a vowel, an n, or an s, place the stress on the next to the last syllable, for example: escuela, inteligente, centro, joven, insectos.
• If the word ends in any letter besides those mentioned above, the stress is on the last syllable, for example: papel, comunicar, salud.
• All exceptions to the above two rules have an accent over the vowel of the stressed syllable, for example: café, lámpara, inglés, según.
The only exceptions to these rules are words of foreign origin, usually words taken from English, which keep their original spelling and pronounciation, for example: sandwich, Internet.
ACCENTS
Accent marks are small pronunciation guides that help you speak more like a native. Spanish has three different accent marks that may change the sound or stress of the letter.
The most common accent in Spanish is the acute accent (´), which is used only on a vowel and indicates that you must put additional stress on the syllable containing it:
mama ma-MAH
cafe ka-FEH
egoista eh-goh-EES-tah
opinion oh-peen-YOHN
musica MOO-see-kah
The tilde (˜) is used only on the letter n (ñ), producing the sound ny as in the nio of union:
cabaña kah-bah-NYAH
manaña mah-NYAH-nah
The least common accent is known as a diéresis (¨) and is placed on a u when it is followed by another vowel. A diéresis indicates that each vowel sound is pronounced separately:
nicaraguense nee-kah-rah-goo-WEHN-seh
linguistico leen-goo-WEES-tee-koh
VOWELS
Each vowel in Spanish is represented by one phonetic sound, and accent marks are used only to determine the amount of stress needed. After each of the following vowel explanations you will have the opportunity to practice repeating sentences that reinforce the sounds presented. Take
advantage and practice your accent until you feel comfortable that you have mastered the material.
a
There is only one sound for a. Just open your mouth and say ahhh.
VOWEL SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
a, a ah a as in ma
Mariana is going home now with Susana’s mother.
Mariana / va / a / su / casa / ahora / con / la / mama / de / Susana.
mah-ree-yah-nah / bah / ah / soo / kah-sah / ah-oh-rah / kohn / lah / mah-MAH / deh / soo-sah-nah.
e
There is one sound for the vowel e:
VOWEL SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
e, e eh e as in gate
Enrique Estevez is the man from Chile.
Enrique / Estevez / es / el / hombre / de / Chile.
ehn-ree-keh / ehs-teh-behs /ehs / ehl / ohm-breh / deh / chee-leh
i
The i is pretty straightforward and easy to pronounce as an ee sound:
VOWEL SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
i,iee i as in magazine
Isidro is an Italian individual.
Isidro es un individuo italiano.
ee-see-droh / ehs / oon / een-dee-bee-doo-woh / ee-tahl-ee-yah-noh
o
Round your lips to get the o sound:
VOWEL SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
o, o oh o as in go
I don’t understand it.
Yo no lo comprendo.
yoh / noh / loh / kohm-prehn-doh
u
Say the sound oo as in moo when pronouncing u:
VOWEL SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
u, u oo oo as in too
You use a pen in a university.
Tu usas una pluma en una universidad.
too / oo-sahs / oo-nah / ploo-mah / ehn / oo-nah / oo-nee-behr-see-dad.
DIPHTHONGS
A diphthong is the combination of a vowel sound and the consonant sound of y or w into a single syllable. The sound of y is represented in Spanish by i or y, and the sound of w is represented by u.
Diphthongs with Vowel Sounds First
DIPHTHONG SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
ai, ay ah-yee i as in light
ei, ey eh-yee e as in they
oi, oy oy o as in boy
au ow ow as in cow
eu eh-yoo eu as in reuse
I hear that there are six kings and an author in Europe.
Oigo que hay seis reyes y un autor en Europa.
oy-goh keh ah-yee seh-yees rreh-yehs ee oon ow-tohr ehn eh-yoo-roh-pah
Diphthongs with Consonant Sounds First
DIPHTHONG SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
ia, ya ee-yah ya as is yarn
ie, ye ee-yeh ye as in yet
ua oo-wah wa as in watch
ue oo-weh we as in wet
io, yo ee-yoh yo as in yoke
uo oo-woh (w)uo as in quote
iu, yu ee-yoo you as in you
ui, uy oo-wee wee as in week
I am serious and I study in the city when there is no noise.
Soy serio y estudio en la ciudad cuando no hay ruido.
soy seh-ree-yoh ee ehs-too-dee-yoh ehn lah see-yoo-dahd kwahn-doh noh ah-yee rroo-wee-doh
CONSONANTS
The Spanish alphabet consists of twenty-eight letters, five of which are vowels. Three of the remaining twenty-three letters, ch, ll, and ñ, do not exist in the English alphabet. (Ch and ll are no longer commonly treated as separate letters, but they do have unique pronunciations.) The letter
w is used only in words of foreign origin and is not considered part of the Spanish alphabet. The following Spanish consonants should pose no problem in pronunciation because they are the same in both Spanish and English: b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, s, t, y.
c
The letter c may have a soft or hard sound depending on the letter that
comes after it:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
c before a, o, u (hard sound) k c as in car
c before i, e, y (soft sound) s s as in sent
ch ch ch as in much
Carlos Cepeda drives his car downtown with the check.
Carlos Cepeda conduce su coche al centro con el cheque.
kahr-lohs seh-peh-dah kohn-doo-seh soo koh-cheh ahl sehn-troh
kohn ehl cheh-keh
g
The letter g may have a soft or hard sound depending on the vowel(s)
that comes after it:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
g before a, o, u, or consonant g g as in good
(hard sound)
g before e, i (soft sound) h h as in he
Geraldo and Gabriela Gomez win in the gym.
Geraldo y Gabriela Gomez ganan en el gimnasio.
heh-rahl-doh ee gah-bree-yeh-lah goh-mehs gah-nahn ehn ehl
heem-nah-see-yoh.
h
An h is always silent in Spanish:
Hector has a Hispanic ice cream.
Hector tiene un helado hispano.
ehk-tohr tee-yeh-neh oon eh-lah-doh ees-pah-noh
j
The letter j is pronounced like an English h:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
j h h as in he
The big young boy plays with Julio and Gerald in the garden.
El joven grande juega con Julio y Geraldo en el jardin.
ehl hoh-behn grahn-deh hoo-weh-gah kohn hoo-lee-yoh ee heh-rahl-doh
ehn ehl har-deen
ll
The Spanish ll has the sound of an English y:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
ll y y as in you
The llama cries slowly.
La llama llora lentamente.
lah yah-mah yoh-rah lehn-tah-mehn-teh
ñ
The ñ has almost the equivalent sound of ni in union:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
n ny ni as in union
The young girl doesn’t add anything.
La nina no anade nada.
lah nee-nyah noh ah-nyah-deh nah-dah
q
The Spanish q has the sound of an English k:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
q k k as in key
Perhaps you want fifteen cheeses.
Quizas quieras quince quesos.
kee-sahs kee-yeh-rahs keen-seh keh-sohs
r
The Spanish r is rolled or trilled. A single r receives a single tap of the tongue whereas the double r (rr), an r at the beginning of a word, and an r preceded by l, n, or s are strongly trilled (two or three tongue rolls).
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
r r r as in ray
rr rr r as in rrray
Mr. Robert wants the honor of seeing Ramon and Carlota Ruiz.
El senor Roberto quiere la honra de ver a Ramon y Carlota Ruiz.
ehl seh-nyohr rroh-behr-toh kee-yeh-reh lah ohn-rrah deh behr ah
rrah-mohn ee kahr-loh-tah rroo-ees
v
The Spanish v sounds like the English b.
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
v b b as in boy
It is true that Violet had a glass of wine.
Es verdad que Violeta tuvo un vaso de vino.
ehs behr-dahd keh bee-yoh-leh-tah too-boh oon bah-soh deh bee-noh
x
The letter x is pronounced one way before a consonant and a different
way between two vowels. In some words, it has the sound of the
English s:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
x (before a consonant) s s as in see
x (between two vowels) gs gs as in eggs
Mrs. Maxima explains the sixth test.
La senora Maxima explica el sexto examen.
lah seh-nyoh-rah mag-see-mah ehs-plee-kah ehl sehs-toh ehg-sah-mehn
z
The Spanish z has a soft sound:
LETTER SYMBOL PRONUNCIATION
z s s as in see
The blue fox is in the zoo.
El zorro azul esta en el zoologico.
ehl soh-roh ah-sool ehs-tah ehn ehl soh-oh-loh-hee-koh
HAVING THE RIGHT TOOLS
A tape recorder can be an indispensable tool for language study, but also
make sure that you have on hand an up-to-date, modern, clear, easy-touse
bilingual dictionary. Don’t make a hasty purchase. Ensure that you
understand the abbreviations in the front of the book and that grammatical
explanations are clear. Verify that modern, everyday technical
and business terms are included. Check the date of publication—the
world is changing so rapidly that you want to have a book that has been
updated quite recently.
A FINAL SUGGESTION
Now that you are well on your way to excellent pronunciation habits,
try singing along to your favorite Latin tunes. Whether you prefer oldies
or something more contemporary, you will find that you can learn a lot
of vocabulary and easily become accustomed to the rhythms used by
native speakers.
TIME’S UP!
Now that you’ve had the opportunity to thoroughly acquaint yourself with and practice the sounds of Spanish, try reading these potentially useful phrases without the aid of any pronunciation clues. Try to avoid looking
back for help.
1. Buenos días. Me llamo José Silva. ¿Cómo se llama?
Hello. My name is Jose Silva. What’s your name?
2. Hablo español (un poco).
I speak (a little) Spanish.
3. Perdóneme. Yo no comprendo. Hable más despacio por favor.
Excuse me. I don’t understand. Please speak more slowly.
4. ¿Qué dijo? Repítalo por favor.
What did you say? Please repeat it.
5. Quisiera cambiar mis dólares en euros por favor.
I would like to change my American dollars to euros please.
6. Perdóneme. ¿Dónde está la embajada americana?
Excuse me. Where’s the American Embassy?
7. No me siento bien. ¿Dónde está la oficina del médico más cercana?
I don’t feel well. Where is the office of the nearest doctor?
8. ¿Podrías ayudarme, por favor? Perdí un documento importante.
Could you please help me? I’ve lost an important document.
9. ¿Cúanto cuestan estos pantalones negros y estas camisas rojas?
How much do these black pants and red shirts cost?
10. Necesito una cuchara, un tenedor y un cuchillo. Gracias.
I need a spoon, a fork, and a knife. Thank you.
Recognizing and Using Nouns: MASTER THESE SKILLS
• Recognizing and using noun markers
• Using nouns properly
• Making nouns plural
• Recognizing and using cognates
You’ll learn how to differentiate between masculine and feminine nouns and how to form the plural
of nouns. Cognates will be explained, and a useful, working list will be presented to allow for immediate communication.
GENDER
Like English, all Spanish nouns have a number: singular (one), as in la familia, or plural (more than one), as in las familias. Unlike English, however, all Spanish nouns also have a gender: masculine or feminine. In some instances, the gender of the noun is blatantly obvious: un hombre (a man) is masculine, whereas una mujer (a woman) is feminine. In other cases, the gender of a noun is not in the least bit apparent and defies all rules of common sense or logic: una corbata (a tie) is feminine, while un vestido (a dress) is masculine.
Spanish syntax and grammar require that all words in a sentence agree in number and gender with the noun or pronoun they modify. For this reason, you must learn the gender of each noun you need or deem important. Special noun endings and markers, either articles or adjectives, indicate the gender and number of Spanish nouns.
NOUN MARKERS
Noun markers are articles or adjectives that tell you whether a noun is singular (sing.) or plural (pl.), masculine (m.) or feminine (f.). Three of the most common markers, as shown in the following table, are definite articles expressing “the,” indefinite articles expressing “a,” “an,” “one,” or “some,” and demonstrative adjectives expressing “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those.”
Singular Noun Markers: MEANING MASCULINE FEMININE
definite article the el la
indefinite article a, an un(o) una
demonstrative adjectives this este esta
that ese esa
that aquel aquella
Plural Noun Markers: MEANING MASCULINE FEMININE
definite article the los las
indefinite article some unos unas
demonstrative adjectives these estos estas
those esos esas
those aquellos aquellas
Definite Articles
The definite article the indicates a specific person or thing: the teacher, the house. The definite article precedes the noun that it modifies and, in Spanish, agrees with that noun in gender and number. The masculine or feminine gender of the noun is usually, but not always, easily recognizable by the noun ending: -o for masculine and -a for feminine. Plural nouns end in -s:
el muchacho the boy la muchacha the girl
los muchachos the boys las muchachas the girls
Use the definite article in the following instances:
• With nouns in a general or abstract sense: El chocolate es delicioso.
(Chocolate is delicious.)
• With time of day:
Es la una. It’s one o’clock.
Son las siete. It’s seven o’clock.
• With names of languages, except immediately after hablar, en,
and de:
El espanol es facil. Spanish is easy.
But:
Hablo espanol. I speak Spanish.
El libro esta escrito en espanol. The book is written in Spanish.
Es un libro de espanol. It’s a Spanish book.
• With parts of the body when the possessor is clear: Cierra los ojos.
(Close your eyes.)
• With titles of rank or profession except when addressing the person:
El doctor Rueda llega. Dr. Rueda arrives.
But:
Buenos dias, Doctor Rueda. Good morning, Dr. Rueda.
• With days of the week in a plural sense to express something that takes place regularly, except after the verb ser (to be) when expressing dates:
Los domingos descanso. On Sundays I rest.
But:
Hoy es lunes. Today is Monday.
• With seasons, except that it may be omitted after en:
Me gusta la primavera I like spring (summer, fall, winter).
(el verano, el otono, el invierno).
But:
Voy a Espana en (el) otono. I am going to Spain in the fall.
• With most geographical names (rivers, mountains, oceans, countries, states, and cities):
Vivo en los Estados Unidos. I live in the United States.
El Amazonas es un rio. The Amazon is a river.
• Before verb infinitives used as nouns (although when the infinitive is the subject of the sentence, the definite article may be omitted): (El) llegar temprano es bueno. (Arriving early is good.)
• Before nouns of weight or measure: dos dólares la docena (two dollars a dozen)
The definite article is omitted:
• Before nouns in apposition, except where there is a family or business relationship:
Madrid, capital de Espana, es una ciudad maravillosa.
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a marvelous city.
But:
Susana, la hermana de Susan, Juan’s sister, is very intelligent.
Juan,es muy inteligente.
• Before numerals expressing the numerical order of rulers: Carlos Segundo (Charles the Second).
The neuter definite article lo is used as follows:
• The neuter lo (used for masculine or feminine, singular or plural) precedes a masculine adjective used as a noun to express an abstract idea or a quality:
Pienso lo mismo que ellos. I think the same as they do.
Lo caro no es siempre mejor que lo barato.
Expensive is not always better than inexpensive.
• Lo + adjective (or adverb) + que = how
Ya veo lo peligroso que es. I see how dangerous it is.
.Escuchas lo rapidamente que el habla?. Do you hear how fast he speaks?
Indefinite Articles
The indefinite article refers to persons and objects not specifically identified:
a dog, some cats. The indefinite article also precedes the noun that it modifies and must agree with that noun in gender and number:
un muchacho a boy una muchacha a girl
unos muchachos some boys unas muchachas some girls
Omit the indefinite article in these situations:
• Before nouns showing a class or group (occupation, nationality, religion, etc.) unless the noun is modified:
Soy profesora. I’m a teacher.
Es americana. She’s (an) American.
But:
Soy una buena profesora. I’m a good teacher.
Es una americana importante. She’s an important American.
• Before or after certain words that generally have the article in English:
otro dia another day
cierto hombre a certain man
cien libros a hundred books
mil dolares a thousand dollars
tal mujer such a woman
!Que lastima! What a pity!
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives indicate or point out the person, place, or thing referred to: this girl, that country, these people, those pens. A demonstrative adjective precedes the noun that it modifies and agrees with that noun in gender and number. In Spanish, the demonstrative adjective is selected according to how near or directly concerned the noun is to the speaker and the person
addressed in the conversation. Este/esta (this) and estos/estas (these) refer to nouns that are close to and directly concern the speaker:
este muchacho this boy esta muchacha this girl
estos muchachos these boys estas muchachas these girls
Ese/esa (that) and esos/esas (those) refer to nouns that are not near or directly concerned with the speaker or the person being addressed:
ese muchacho that boy esa muchacha that girl
esos muchachos those boys esas muchachas those girls
Aquel/aquella (that) and aquellos/aquellas (those) refer to things that are quite far from or do not directly concern either the speaker or the person being addressed:
aquel muchacho that boy aquella muchacha that girl
aquellos muchachos those boys aquellas muchachas those girls
Demonstrative adjectives may be reinforced by using corresponding adverbs that show location:
DEMONSTRATIVE ADJECTIVE ADVERB MEANING
este, esta, estos, estas aquí here
ese, esa, esos, esas ahí there (but not too far)
aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas alla over there (rather far)
este libro aqui this book here
esa pluma ahi that pen there
aquellos lapices alla those pencils over there
NOUNS
A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, idea, or quality. All Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine and the gender of most of them can be determined by their meaning or ending. Most masculine nouns end in -o, while most feminine nouns end in -a. A few nouns
must be learned on an individual basis. Gender-Obvious Nouns Nouns that refer to males are obviously masculine. Refer to this list for common nouns you’ll see:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
abuelo ah-boo-weh-loh grandfather
hijo ee-hoh son
hombre ohm-breh man
muchacho moo-chah-choh boy
nino nee-nyoh boy
padre pah-dreh father
sobrino soh-bree-noh nephew
tio tee-yoh uncle
Nouns that refer to females are obviously feminine. Refer to the table below for the female counterparts of the males listed above:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
abuela ah-boo-weh-lah grandmother
chica chee-kah girl
hija ee-hah daughter
madre mah-dreh mother
muchacha moo-chah-chah girl
mujer moo-hehr woman
sobrina soh-bree-nah niece
tia tee-yah aunt
Some nouns can be either masculine or feminine depending upon whom you are speaking about. Make sure to use the gender marker that identifies the person correctly. The following list of words may be used to refer to both males and females.
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
artista ahr-tees-tah artist
dentista dehn-tees-tah dentist
estudiante ehs-too-dee-yahn-teh student
joven hoh-behn youth
turista too-rees-tah tourist
El artista es talentoso. The (male) artist is gifted.
La artista es talentosa. The (female) artist is gifted.
Some high-frequency words are always masculine or feminine despite the gender of the person referred to:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
un bebe oon beh-beh an infant
una persona oo-nah pehr-soh-nah a person
una victima oo-nah beek-tee-mah a victim
Gender-Changing Singular Nouns
Changing the gender of a noun can be as easy as removing the o ending for the masculine form and substituting an a to get the feminine form as shown here:
MASCULINE FEMININE MEANING
amigo (ah-mee-goh) amiga (ah-mee-gah) friend
maestro (mah-yehs-troh) maestra (mah-yehs-trah) teacher
nieto (nee-yeh-toh) nieta (nee-yeh-tah) grandchild
nino (nee-nyoh) nina (nee-nyah) child
primo (pree-moh) prima (pree-mah) cousin
vecino (beh-see-noh) vecina (beh-see-nah) neighbor
Some nouns may be masculine or feminine depending upon their meaning as shown below:
MASCULINE FEMININE PRONUNCIATION
el capital (money) la capital (of a city) kah-pee-tahl
el cura (priest) la cura (cure) koo-rah
el guia (male guide) la guia (guidebook/ gee-yah female guide)
el policia (policeman) la policia (police force/ poh-lee-see-yah woman)
Gender Endings Some nouns that end in -o are feminine:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
la mano lah mah-noh hand
la radio lah rrah-dee-yo radio
Some nouns that end in -a are masculine:
NOUN PRONUNCIATION MEANING
el clima ehl klee-mah climate
el dia ehl dee-yah day
el drama ehl drah-mah drama
el idioma ehl ee-dee-yoh-mah language
el mapa ehl mah-pah map
el planeta ehl plah-neh-tah planet
el problema ehl proh-bleh-mah problem
el programa ehl proh-grah-mah program
el tema ehl teh-mah theme
el telegrama ehl teh-leh-grah-mah telegram
Some noun endings are normally feminine:
• -dad: la ciudad, city
• -tad: la dificultad, difficulty
• -tud: la juventud, youth
• -umbre: la costumbre, custom
• -ie: la serie, series
• -ión: la canción, song
Two exceptions to -ión are avión (ah-bee-yohn) airplane, and camion (kah-mee-yohn) truck.
For masculine nouns referring to people and ending in -or, -és, or -n, add an a for the feminine equivalents:
MASCULINE FEMININE MEANING
el profesor la profesora teacher
(ehl proh-feh-sohr) (lah proh-feh-soh-rah)
el frances la francesa French person
(ehl frahn-sehs) (lah frahn-seh-sah)
el aleman la alemana German person
(ehl ah-leh-mahn) (lah ah-leh-mah-nah)
Note that if the masculine noun is accented on the last syllable, the accent is dropped for the feminine form. Two exceptions to this rule are:
el emperador la emperatriz emperor, empress
(ehl ehm-peh-rah-dohr) (lah ehm-peh-rah-trees)
el actor (ehl ahk-tohr) la actriz (lah ahk-trees) actor, actress
Making Nouns Plural
Just as in English, when a Spanish noun refers to more than one person, place, thing, idea, or quality, the noun must be made plural. Unlike English, however, it is not enough to simply change the noun; the marker must be made plural as well. Spanish nouns ending in a vowel add a pronounced -s to form the plural:
el muchacho (the boy) los muchachos lohs moo-chah-chos (the boys)
una amiga (a friend) unas amigas oo-nahs ah-mee-gahs (some friends)
este hombre (this man) estos hombres ehs-tohs ohm-brehs (these men)
esa nina (that girl) esas ninas (those girls) eh-sahs nee-nyahs
aquel libro (that book) aquellos libros ah-keh-yos lee-brohs (those books)
Spanish nouns ending in a consonant (including y) add pronounced –es (ehs) to form the plural:
el papel (paper) los papeles lohs pah-peh-lehs
el mes (month) los meses lohs meh-sehs
el actor (actor) los actores lohs ahk-toh-rehs
la ley (law) las leyes lahs leh-yehs
Spanish nouns undergo the following changes in the plural:
• Nouns ending in -z change -z to -ce before adding -es:
el lapiz (pencil) los lapices lohs lah-pee-sehs
la actriz (actress) las actrices lahs ahk-tree-sehs
el pez (fish) los peces lohs peh-sehs
• In order to preserve the original stress of the noun, you may need to add or delete an accent mark:
el joven (youth) los jovenes lohs hoh-beh-nehs
el examen (test) los examenes lohs ehg-sah-meh-nehs
el frances (Frenchman) los franceses lohs frahn-seh-sehs
la cancion (song) las canciones lahs kahn-see-yoh-nehs
• Nouns ending in -s, except for those ending in és, do not change in the plural:
el (los) jueves ehl (lohs) hoo-weh-behs Thursday(s)
la (las) dosis lah (lahs) doh-sees dose(s)
• In cases where there is a group of nouns from both genders, the masculine plural form of the noun is used:
el padre y la madre = los padres (the parents)
el nino y la nina = los ninos (the children)
el senor y la senora Ruiz = los senores Ruiz (the Ruizes)
Some nouns in Spanish are always plural:
ENGLISH SPANISH PRONUNCIATION
eyeglasses las gafas lahs gah-fahs
los espejuelos lohs ehs-peh-hooweh-lohs
mathematics las matematicas lahs mah-tehmah-tee-kahs
vacation las vacaciones lahs bah-kahsee-yoh-nehs
Some nouns are singular but refer to a group of people. Make sure to use a singular verb that agrees with these subjects:
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION ENGLISH
el equipo ehl eh-kee-poh team
la familia lah fah-meel-yah family
la gente lah hehn-teh people
el grupo ehl groo-poh group
la pareja lah pah-reh-hah couple
el publico ehl poo-blee-koh audience
todo el mundo toh-doh ehl moon-doh everybody
A note about regionalisms: Do not be surprised when traveling in certain regions or countries that the final -s of a plural word is not pronounced. You can still tell that the noun is plural by paying careful attention to the marker that accompanies it. This marker will also tell you whether the
noun is masculine or feminine.
COGNATES
A cognate is a Spanish word that is spelled exactly the same, or almost the same, as a word in English and that has the same meaning. Sometimes the English word may have been appropriated from Spanish, letter for letter, and have been incorporated into our own vocabulary.
The only real difference between the two words is in the pronunciation. The meanings of the Spanish cognates should be quite obvious to anyone who speaks English.
Perfect Cognates. Following is a list of some cognates that are the same in Spanish and
English. Take time to compare the different pronunciations.
Adjectives
ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION
artificial ahr-tee-fee-see-yahl sociable soh-see-yah-bleh
cruel kroo-ehl tropical troh-pee-kahl
popular poh-poo-lahr usual oo-soo-wahl
Masculine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
actor ahk-tohr chocolate choh-koh-lah-teh
animal ah-nee-mahl mosquito mohs-kee-toh
cereal seh-reh-yahl taxi tahk-see
Feminine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
alpaca ahl-pah-kah plaza plah-sah
banana bah-nah-nah radio rrah-dee-yoh
llama yah-mah soda soh-dah
Near Perfect Cognates
The following table lists the cognates that are nearly the same in both Spanish and English.
Adjectives
ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION ADJECTIVE PRONUNCIATION
americano ah-meh-ree-kah-noh imposible eem-poh-see-bleh
delicioso deh-lee-see-yoh-soh inteligente een-teh-lee-hehn-teh
diferente dee-feh-rehn-teh interesante een-teh-reh-sahn-teh
excelente eh-seh-lehn-teh moderno moh-der-noh
famoso fah-moh-soh necesario neh-seh-sah-ree-yoh
grande grahn-deh posible poh-see-bleh
importante eem-pohr-tahn-teh
Masculine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
apartamento ah-pahr-tah-mehn-toh diccionario deek-see-yoh-nahree-yoh
automovil ow-toh-moh-beel garaje gah-rah-heh
cafe kah-feh grupo groo-poh
calendario kah-lehn-dah-ree-yoh insecto een-sehk-toh
plato plah-toh restaurante rrehs-tow-rahn-teh
profesor proh-feh-sohr tigre tee-greh
Feminine Nouns
NOUN PRONUNCIATION NOUN PRONUNCIATION
aspirina ahs-pee-ree-nah gasolina gah-soh-lee-nah
bicicleta bee-see-kleh-tah hamburguesa ahm-boor-geh-sah
blusa bloo-sah medicina meh-dee-see-nah
computadora kohm-poo-tah-doh-rah musica moo-see-kah
dieta dee-yeh-tah persona pehr-soh-nah
familia fah-mee-lee-yah rosa rroh-sah
False Friends
False friends are words that are spelled exactly or almost the same in both languages but have very different meanings in Spanish and English.
These words might even be different parts of speech. Do not allow yourself to become overconfident and think that every Spanish word that resembles an English one is automatically a cognate. The following table will give you some common false friends.
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION MEANING
asistir ah-sees-teer to attend
caro kah-roh expensive
comer koh-mehr to eat
fabrica fah-bree-kah factory
flor flohr flower
hay ah-yee there is, are
libreria lee-breh-ree-yah bookstore
joya hoh-yah jewel
mano mah-noh hand
pan pahn bread
sopa soh-pah soup
vaso bah-soh glass
When in doubt about the meaning of a word, always verify by using a bilingual dictionary. Make sure to look at the part of speech so that you don’t confuse a noun with a verb, adjective, or adverb. Cross-check by looking up the word on both the Spanish and English sides of the dictionary.
You can easily guess the meaning of many Spanish words that begin with -e by simply dropping the initial e:
SPANISH PRONUNCIATION MEANING
escena eh-seh-nah scene
España ehs-pah-nyah Spain
especial ehs-peh-see-yahl special
espectaculo ehs-pehk-tah-koo-loh spectacle, show
espia ehs-pee-yah spy
esqui ehs-k ee ski
estupendo ehs-too-pehn-doh stupendous
TIME’S UP!
Here is a two-part exercise to find out how you have assimilated what you’ve learned about nouns during the last hour. Try your best not to look back at the chapter to arrive at your answers.
Part I
Change the markers and plural nouns to their singular forms.
1. los bancos
2. esos platos
3. estas catedrales
4. las flores
5. aquellos hombres
Part II
Change the feminine markers and nouns to their masculine counterparts.
6. una amiga
7. esa francesa
8. la actriz
9. esta policía
10. aquella profesora
Working with Present-Tense
Verbs
MASTER THESE SKILLS
• Subject nouns and pronouns
• Conjugating -ar verbs
• Conjugating -er and -ir verbs
• Using shoe verbs properly
• Conjugating spelling-change and irregular yo verbs
• Conjugating other irregular verbs
• Speaking in the present
In this chapter you will learn how to conjugate verbs in the present tense so that they agree with their subject noun or pronoun. By the end of the lesson you will be able to speak, read, and write entire sentences in Spanish.
SUBJECT NOUNS AND PRONOUNS
A pronoun is a word that is used to replace a noun (that is, a person, place, thing, idea, or quality). A subject pronoun replaces a subject noun (the noun performing the action of the verb). Pronouns are extremely useful because they allow for fluidity by eliminating the need to constantly
repeat the noun when speaking or writing. Just as in English, the Spanish subject pronouns in the following table are given a person and a number (singular or plural).
PERSON SINGULAR PLURAL
first yo (yoh) I nosotros(as) (noh-soh-trohs[ahs]) we
second tu (too) you vosotros(as) (boh-soh-trohs[ahs]) you
third el (ehl) he ellos (eh-yohs) they
ella (eh-yah) she ellas (eh-yahs) they
Ud. (oo-stehd) you Uds. (oo-steh-dehs) you
Note the following about Spanish subject pronouns:
• In Spanish, subject pronouns are used far less frequently than in English because the verb ending usually indicates the speaker. Spanish speakers, however, generally use the pronouns usted
(abbreviated as Ud.; formal you, singular) and ustedes (abbreviated as Uds.; formal you, plural) to clarify that the subject is not él or ella. All other subject pronouns in Spanish are used mainly for
clarity, emphasis, and politeness.
• Unlike the English pronoun I, the pronoun yo is capitalized only when it begins a sentence. In all other instances, it remains in lower case.
• The pronouns nosotras, vosotras, and ellas are used when the subjects are all females. When the subject consists of a mixed group, the masculine plural pronoun is always used.
Elena y Roberto salen. Elena and Roberto are going out.
Ellos salen. They are going out.
• The English pronoun it has no Spanish equivalent and is not expressed as a subject: ¿Dónde está? (Where is it?)
• The subject pronoun tú is used to address one friend, relative, child, or pet. For this reason, it is referred to as the familiar or informal form of you. The subject pronoun vosotros(as) is used in Spain and a few countries in Latin America. It is used in the plural to show familiarity, and as such, is the plural of the tú, singular familiar (informal) form.
REGULAR VERBS
A verb expresses an action or state of being and is generally shown in its infinitive, the basic “to” form: to live, to laugh, to love. An infinitive is the form of the verb before it has been conjugated. Conjugation refers to changing the ending of the verb so that it agrees with the subject noun
or pronoun. Although we do this automatically in English, it will take some thought and practice in Spanish until verb endings and patterns become second nature.
Here is an example of a verb conjugated in English:
to speak
SINGULAR PLURAL
First Person: I speak We speak
Second Person You speak You speak
Third Person He speaks They speak
She speaks They speak
Notice that the verb is rather simple and is written in only two ways. In Spanish, you need to know more ways to write the verb and you need to memorize more verb endings.
Keep in mind that, as in English, you cannot mix and match subjects and verb forms; each subject has its own personalized matching verb form that never changes.
Conjugating Regular Verbs Spanish has regular verbs that are grouped into three main families: -ar, -er, and -ir verbs. The families are so named because the verb infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir. Each verb within its respective family follows the same rules of conjugation. After you’ve learned the pattern for one family, you know all the verbs within that family. This rule applies regardless of
the tense being used. Tense refers to the time period when the action is taking place. This
chapter concentrates on the present tense, that is, what happens here and now.
Conjugating -ar Verbs. The -ar family is, by far, the largest and most widely used of regular verb families. To form the present tense of –ar verbs, drop the -ar from the infinitive and add the following endings, indicated in bold, for the subject pronouns listed. The following table gives the conjugation for the verb hablar (to speak).
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
yo hablo yoh ah-bloh I speak
tu hablas too ah-blahs you speak
el habla ehl ah-blah he speaks
ella habla eh-yah ah-blah she speaks
Ud. habla oo-stehd ah-blah you speak
nosotros hablamos noh-soh-trohs ah-blah-mohs we speak
vosotros habláis boh-soh-trohs ah-blah-yees you speak
ellos hablan eh-yohs ah-blahn they speak
ellas hablan eh-yahs ah-blahn they speak
Uds. hablan oo-steh-dehs ah-blahn you speak
Another possible meaning for all present tense verbs uses a form of the word do plus the verb: I do speak. She does speak. You should now be able to conjugate the common -ar verbs given in
the list below. Take note of all the cognates, marked with an asterisk (*), which will make communication in Spanish a much easier task.
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
*acompanar ah-kohm-pah-nyahr to accompany
*adorar ah-doh-rahr to adore
alimentar ah-lee-mehn-tahr to feed
alquilar ahl-kee-lahr to rent
*anunciar ah-noon-see-yahr to announce
apagar ah-pah-gahr to turn off
arreglar ah-rreh-glahr to fix, adjust
aterrizar ah-teh-rree-sahr to land
avisar ah-bee-sahr to warn
ayudar ah-yoo-dahr to help
bailar bah-yee-lahr to dance
bajar bah-hahr to go down, get off
buscar boos-kahr to look for
cambiar kahm-bee-yahr to change
caminar kah-mee-nahr to walk
cantar kahn-tahr to sing
cobrar koh-brahr to cash, charge
comprar kohm-prahr to buy
contestar kohn-tehs-tahr to answer
cortar kohr-tahr to cut
cruzar kroo-sahr to cross
dejar deh-hahr to let, allow, leave
desear deh-seh-yahr to desire
durar doo-rahr to last
ensenar ehn-seh-nyahr to teach, show
*entrar ehn-trahr to enter
escuchar ehs-koo-chahr to listen (to)
esperar ehs-peh-rahr to hope, wait for
*estudiar ehs-too-dee-yahr to study
evitar eh-bee-tahr to avoid
*explicar eh-splee-kahr to explain
*expresar eh-spreh-sahr to express
firmar feer-mahr to sign
ganar gah-nahr to win, earn
gastar gahs-tahr to spend
guardar gwahr-dahr to watch, keep
hablar ah-blahr to speak, talk
hallar ah-yahr to find
*invitar een-bee-tahr to invite
lavar lah-bahr to wash
llegar yeh-gahr to arrive
llenar yeh-nahr to fill
llevar yeh-bahr to wear, carry
mandar mahn-dahr to order
mirar mee-rahr to look at
montar mohn-tahr to go up, ride
nadar nah-dahr to swim
necesitar neh-seh-see-tahr to need
olvidar ohl-bee-dahr to forget
pagar pah-gahr to pay
pasar pah-sahr to spend (time)
*practicar prahk-tee-kahr to practice
preguntar preh-goon-tahr to ask
*preparar preh-pah-rahr to prepare
*presentar preh-sehn-tahr to introduce
prestar prehs-tahr to lend
regresar rreh-greh-sahr to return
*reparar rreh-pah-rahr to repair
*reservar rreh-sehr-bahr to reserve
saludar sah-loo-dahr to greet
*telefonear teh-leh-foh-neh-yahr to phone
*terminar tehr-mee-nahr to end
tirar tee-rahr to throw
tocar toh-kahr to touch, play
(an instrument)
tomar toh-mahr to drink, take
*usar oo-sahr to use, wear
viajar bee-yah-hahr to travel
*visitar bee-see-tahr to visit
Conjugating -er Verbs. The -er verb family is much smaller than the –ar verb family. To form the present tense of -er verbs, drop the -er from the infinitive and add the following endings, indicated in bold, for the subject pronouns listed. The following table shows you how the verb comer (to eat) looks when it is conjugated.
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
yo como yoh koh-moh I eat
tu comes too koh-mehs you eat
el come ehl koh-meh he eats
ella come eh-yah koh-meh she eats
Ud. come oo-stehd koh-meh you eat
nosotros comemos noh-soh-trohs koh-meh-mohs we eat
vosotros coméis boh-soh-trohs koh-meh-yees you eat
ellos comen eh-yohs koh-mehn they eat
ellas comen eh-yahs koh-mehn they eat
Uds. comen oo-steh-dehs koh-mehn you eat
The following is a list of common -er verbs that you should know. Notice that this list is much smaller than the one for -ar verbs. The asterisk (*) indicates easily recognizable cognates.
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
aprender ah-prehn-dehr to learn
beber beh-behr to drink
comer koh-mehr to eat
*comprender kohm-prehn-dehr to comprehend, understand
correr koh-rrehr to run
creer kreh-yehr to believe
deber deh-behr to have to, owe
leer leh-yehr to read
*prometer proh-meh-tehr to promise
*responder rrehs-pohn-dehr to respond
*vender behn-dehr to sell
Conjugating -ir Verbs. The -ir verb family is also quite small. To form the present tense of -ir verbs, drop the -ir from the infinitive and add the endings, indicated in bold, for the subject pronouns listed. The following table shows how the verb abrir (to open) looks when it is conjugated.
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
yo abro yoh ah-broh I open
tu abres too ah-brehs you open
el abre ehl ah-breh he opens
ella abre eh-yah ah-breh she opens
Ud. abre oo-stehd ah-breh you open
nosotros abrimos noh-soh-trohs ah-bree-mohs we open
vosotros abrís boh-soh-trohs ah-brees you open
ellos abren eh-yohs ah-brehn they open
ellas abren eh-yahs ah-brehn they open
Uds. abren oo-steh-dehs ah-brehn you open
See the list below for common -ir verbs.
VERB PRONUNCIATION MEANING
abrir ah-breer to open
asistir ah-sees-teer to attend
*aplaudir ah-plow-deer to applaud
cubrir koo-breer to cover
*decidir deh-see-deer to decide
*describir dehs-kree-beer to describe
escribir ehs-kree-beer to write
*omitir oh-mee-teer to omit
partir pahr-teer to divide, share
recibir rreh-see-beer to receive
subir soo-beer to go up, climb
sufrir soo-freer to suffer
vivir bee-beer to live
Notice that -er and -ir verbs have the same endings except for the nosotros and vosotros forms, where -er verbs use an e and -ir verbs use an i.
SHOE VERBS
Verbs with certain spelling changes and irregularities are referred to as shoe verbs because the subject pronouns that follow one set of rules can be placed inside the shoe, and the other subject pronouns remain outside the shoe. To make this clearer, look at the pronouns that go inside and
outside of the shoe: The infinitives of shoe verbs are often written with the type of change
necessary in parentheses, as in pensar (ie).
Verbs Ending in -ar and -er. The vowel within the stem of the verb changes as follows:
e to ie in all forms except for nosotros and vosotros
o to ue in all forms except for nosotros and vosotros
pensar (pehn-sahr)—to think
yo pienso nosotros pensamos
tu piensas vosotros pensais
el, ella, Ud. piensa ellos, ellas, Uds. piensan
Other verbs like pensar are atravesar (ah-trah-beh-sahr) to cross, cerrar(seh-rrahr) to close, *comenzar (koh-mehn-sahr), *confesar (kohn-fehsahr), empezar (ehm-peh-sahr) to begin, and recordar (rreh-kohr-dahr) to remember.
querer (keh-rehr)—to wish, want
yo quiero nosotros queremos
tu quieres vosotros quereis
el, ella, Ud. quiere ellos, ellas, Uds. quieren
nosotros
vosotros
ellos, ellas, Uds.
yo
tu
el, ella, Ud.
Other verbs like querer are *ascender (ah-sehn-dehr), *defender (deh-fehndehr),
*descender (deh-sehn-dehr), entender (ehn-tehn-dehr) to understand, and perder (pehr-dehr) to lose.
encontrar (ehn-kohn-trahr)—to meet, find
yo encuentro nosotros encontramos
tu encuentras vosotros encontrais
el, ella, Ud. encuentra ellos, ellas, Uds. encuentran
Other verbs like encontrar are almorzar (ahl-mohr-sahr) to eat lunch, contar (kohn-tahr) to tell or count, and mostrar (mohs-trahr) to show.
volver (bohl-behr)—to return, go back
yo vuelvo nosotros volvemos
tu vuelves vosotros volveis
el, ella, Ud. vuelve ellos, ellas, Uds. vuelven
Other verbs like volver are devolver (deh-bohl-behr) to return or give back, poder (poh-dehr) to be able to, and *resolver (rreh-sohl-behr). While we have studied verbs where o changes to ue within the shoe, there is one slightly irregular verb, the verb jugar (hoo-gahr) to play, where u changes to ue in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:
jugar (hoo-gahr)—to play
yo juego nosotros jugamos
tu juegas vosotros jugais
el, ella, Ud. juega ellos, ellas, Uds. juegan
Verbs Ending in -ir. The vowel within the stem of the verb changes as follows in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:
e to ie
o to ue
e to i
preferir (preh-feh-reer)—to prefer
yo prefiero nosotros preferimos
tu prefieres vosotros preferis
el, ella, Ud. prefiere ellos, ellas, Uds. prefieren
Other verbs like preferir are advertir (ahd-behr-teer) to notify, *consenter (kohn-sehn-teer), mentir (mehn-teer) to lie, *referir (rreh-feh-reer), and sentir (sehn-teer) to feel, regret, or feel sorry.
dormir (dohr-meer)—to sleep
yo duermo nosotros dormimos
tu duermes vosotros dormis
el, ella, Ud. duerme ellos, ellas, Uds. duermen
Another verb like dormir is morir (moh-reer) to die.
servir (sehr-beer)—to serve
yo sirvo nosotros servimos
tu sirves vosotros servis
el, ella, Ud. sirve ellos, ellas, Uds. sirven
Other verbs like servir are gemir (heh-meer) to moan, *impedir (eempeh-deer), medir (meh-deer) to measure, pedir (peh-deer) to ask, and *repetir (rreh-peh-teer).
Verbs Ending in -uir. For verbs ending in -uir, except those ending in -guir, insert a y after the u in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
contribuir (kohn-tree-boo-weer)—to contribute
yo contribuyo nosotros contribuimos
tu contribuyes vosotros contribuis
el, ella, Ud. contribuye ellos, ellas, Uds. contribuyen
Other verbs like contribuir include concluir (kohn-kloo-weer) to conclude, construir (kohn-stroo-weer) to construct, destruir (deh-stroo-weer) to destroy, incluir (een-kloo-weer) to include, and sustituir (soo-stee-tooweer) to substitute.
Verbs Ending in -iar and -uar. Some verbs ending in -iar and -uar require an accent on the i or u respectively, in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
enviar (ehn-bee-yahr)—to send
yo envío nosotros enviamos
tu envías vosotros enviais
el, ella, Ud. envía ellos, ellas, Uds. envían
Other verbs like enviar are confiar en (kohn-fee-yahr ehn) to trust, espiar (ehs-pee-yahr) to spy, guiar (gee-yahr) to guide, and *variar (bah-ree-yahr).
actuar (ahk-too-wahr)—to act
yo actúo nosotros actuamos
tu actúas vosotros actuais
el, ella, Ud. actúa ellos, ellas, Uds. actúan
Another verb like actuar is *continuar (kohn-tee-noo-wahr).
Conjugating Spelling-Change and Irregular Yo Verbs Some verbs in Spanish require a spelling change in order to preserve correct pronunciation according to the rules of the language. Note the
changes that occur in verbs with these endings:
• Verbs ending in consonant + -cer or -cir change c to z before o or a:
convencer (kohn-behn-sehr) to convince: yo convenzo
esparcir (eh-spahr-seer) to spread: yo esparzo
• Verbs ending in vowel + -cer or -cir change c to zc before o or a:
conocer (koh-noh-sehr) to know: yo conozco
conducir (kohn-doo-seer) to drive: yo conduzco
• Verbs ending in -ger or -gir change g to j before o or a:
coger (koh-hehr) to seize: yo cojo
dirigir (dee-ree-heer) to direct: yo dirijo
escoger (ehs-koh-hehr) to choose: yo escojo
exigir (ehg-see-heer) to demand: yo exijo
fingir (feen-heer) to pretend: yo finjo
proteger (proh-teh-heer) to protect: yo protejo
recoger (rreh-koh-hehr) to pick up: yo recojo
• Verbs ending in -guir change gu to g before o or a:
distinguir (dees-teen-geer) to distinguish: yo distingo
The verb seguir (seh-geer) to follow or continue, is a common verb that has a stem change and a spelling change:
yo sigo nosotros seguimos
tu sigues vosotros seguis
el, ella, Ud. sigue ellos, ellas, Uds. siguen
Other verbs like seguir are conseguir (kohn-seh-geer) to obtain, perseguir (pehr-seh-geer) to pursue, and proseguir (proh-seh-geer) to continue.
IRREGULAR VERBS
A good number of high-frequency Spanish verbs are irregular. Irregular means that they follow no specific rules of conjugation, and you must memorize them. Some of these verbs are used in idiomatic expressions that can help you speak the language more colloquially.
An idiom is a particular word or expression whose meaning cannot be readily understood by either its grammar or the words used. Idiomatic expressions cannot be translated word for word without causing confusion. Imagine trying to grammatically explain to a non-native English speaker the meaning of:
It’s raining cats and dogs.
They fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
Verbs Only Irregular for Yo
The following high-frequency verbs have irregular yo forms only in the present tense. You should commit them to memory because you will use them often:
• conocer (koh-noh-sehr) to know: yo conozco. Other verbs like conocer are agradecer (ah-grah-deh-sehr) to thank, crecer (kreh-sehr) to grow, merecer (meh-reh-sehr) to deserve, ofrecer (oh-freh-sehr) to offer, reconocer (rreh-koh-noh-sehr) to recognize.
• caer (kah-yehr) to fall: yo caigo
• dar (dahr) to give: yo doy. The following list gives the most common
idiomatic expressions that use the verb dar.
EXPRESSION MEANING EXAMPLE
dar a to face Mi casa da al mar. (My house faces the sea.)
dar las gracias (a) to thank Me dan las gracias. (They thank me.)
dar un paseo to take a walk .Quieres dar un paseo? (Do you want to take a walk?)
dar una vuelta to take a stroll Vamos a dar una vuelta. (We are going to take a stroll.)
darse cuenta de to realize Me doy cuenta de mi error. (I realize my mistake.)
darse prisa to hurry Tengo que darme prisa. (I have to hurry.)
• hacer (ah-sehr) to make, do: yo hago. Below is a list of common idiomatic expressions that use the verb hacer.
EXPRESSION MEANING EXAMPLE
hacer buen (mal) to be nice (bad) Hace buen tiempo.
tiempo weather (It’s nice weather.)
hacer frio (calor) to be cold (hot) Hace calor. (It’s hot.) weather
hacer una pregunta to ask a question Hagame una pregunta. (Ask me a question.)
hacer un viaje to take a trip Hago un viaje a Roma. (I’m taking a trip to Rome.)
hacerse + noun to become Nos hacemos amigos. (We’re becoming friends.)
• poner (poh-nehr) to put: yo pongo
• saber (sah-behr) to know a fact, to know how to: yo sé
• salir (sah-leer) to go out: yo salgo
• traducir (trah-doo-seer) to translate: yo traduzco. Other verbs like traducir are conducir (kohn-doo-seer) to drive, conduct, or lead,
*producir (proh-doo-seer), *reducir (rreh-doo-seer).
• traer (trah-yehr) to bring: yo traigo
• ver (behr) to see: yo veo
Other Irregular Verbs
The following verbs are irregular in all forms, and you should memorize them:
decir (deh-seer)—to say, tell
yo digo (dee-goh) nosotros decimos (deh-see-mohs)
tu dices (dee-sehs) vosotros decis (deh-sees)
el, ella, Ud. dice (dee-seh) ellos, ellas, Uds. dicen (dee-sehn)
estar (eh-stahr)—to be
yo estoy (eh-stoy) nosotros estamos (eh-stah-mohs)
tu estas (eh-stahs) vosotros estais (eh-stah-yees)
el, ella, Ud. esta (eh-stah) ellos, ellas, Uds. estan (eh-stahn)
The following are the very common idiomatic expressions that use the verb estar:
EXPRESSION MEANING EXAMPLE
estar a punto de to be just about to Estoy a punto de salir.
(+ infinitive) (I’m just about to leave.)
estar por to be inclined to Estoy por cocinar.
(+ infinitive) (I’m inclined to cook.)
estar de acuerdo to be in agreement Estoy de acuerdo con Ud. (I agree with you.)
ir (eer)—to go
yo voy (boy) nosotros vamos (bah-mohs)
tu vas (bahs) vosotros vais (bah-yees)
el, ella, Ud. va (bah) ellos, ellas, Uds. van (bahn)
oír (oh-eer)—to hear
yo oigo (oy-goh) nosotros oimos (oh-ee-mohs)
tu oyes (oy-ehs) vosotros ois (oh-ees)
el, ella, Ud. oye (oy-eh) ellos, ellas, Uds. oyen (oy-ehn)
ser (sehr)—to be
yo soy (soy) nosotros somos (soh-mohs)
tu eres (eh-rehs) vosotros sois (soh-yees)
el, ella, Ud. es (ehs) ellos, ellas, Uds. son (sohn)
tener (tehn-ehr)—to have
yo tengo (tehn-goh) nosotros tenemos (teh-neh-mohs)
tu tienes (tee-yeh-nehs) vosotros teneis (teh-neh-yees)
el, ella, Ud. tiene ellos, ellas, Uds. tienen (tee-yeh-nehn) (tee-yeh-neh)
In most instances, if a larger verb form contains an irregular verb you recognize, the chances are great that you may use the conjugation endings of the smaller verb. Tener is contained in contener (cohn-teh-nehr) to contain, detener (deh-teh-nehr) to detain, entretener (ehn-treh-teh-nehr) to entertain, mantener (mahn-teh-nehr) to maintain, obtener (ohb-tehnehr) to obtain and sostener (soh-steh-nehr) to sustain. You conjugate these verbs as you would tener.
Although English speakers use the verb “to be” when speaking about certain physical conditions, Spanish speakers use the verb “to have” (tener) plus a noun to express the same thought.
The following list gives the very common idiomatic expressions that use the verb tener:
EXPRESSION MEANING EXAMPLE
tener . . . anos to be . . . years old Yo tengo veinte anos. (I’m twenty years old.)
tener calor (frio) to be hot (cold) Yo tengo calor. (I’m hot.)
tener cuidado to be careful Tenga cuidado. (Be careful.)
tener ganas de to feel like Tengo ganas de salir. (I feel like going out.)
tener hambre to be hungry Tenemos hambre. (We’re hungry.)
tener sed to be thirsty Tienen sed. (They are thirsty.)
tener miedo de to be afraid of Tengo miedo de eso. (I’m afraid of that.)
tener prisa to be in a hurry Ella tiene prisa. (She’s in a hurry.)
tener que to have to Tengo que estudiar. (I have to study.)
tener razon to be right Ud. tiene razon. (You’re right.)
tener suerte to be lucky Tengo suerte. (I’m lucky.)
venir (beh-neer)—to come
yo vengo (behn-goh) nosotros venimos (beh-nee-mohs)
tu vienes (bee-yeh-nehs) vosotros venis (beh-nees)
el, ella, Ud. viene ellos, ellas, Uds. vienen (bee-yeh-nehn) (bee-yeh-neh)
USES OF THE PRESENT TENSE
The present tense is customarily used instead of the future tense to ask for instructions or to discuss an action that will take place in the immediate future:
Yo preparo la cena? Shall I prepare dinner?
Yo te veo pronto. I’ll see you soon.
To express an event that began in the past and is continuing in the present, use the following formulas for questions and answers. Questions containing hace + que must be answered with hace + que. Those questions containing desde must be answered with desde.
.Cuánto tiempo hace + que + present tense?
.Cuanto tiempo hace que vives aqui?
How long have you been living here?
hace + an expression of time + que + present tense
Hace un ano que vivo aqui.
I’ve been living here for a year.
.Desde cuándo + present tense?
.Desde cuando vives aqui?
How long have you been living here?
present tense + desde
Vivo aqui desde hace un ano.
I’ve been living here a year.
NOTE
When it is necessary to use two verbs in succession, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive:
Yo quiero salir. I want to go out.
Ellos pueden bailar. They can dance.
THE PRESENT PROGRESSIVE
Whereas the present tense expresses what the subject generally does at any given time, the present progressive expresses what the subject is doing now. The present progressive is formed as follows: estar (conjugated) + present participle (gerund—the -ing form).
Gerunds are formed as follows:
• From -ar verb infinitives, drop -ar and add -ando: Yo estoy cantando. (I’m singing.)
• From -er and -ir verb infinitives, drop -er or -ir and add -iendo:
El no esta comiendo. He’s not eating.
Estamos escribiendo We’re writing a poem. un poema.
For -er and -ir verbs whose stems end in a vowel, add -yendo:
creer (to believe) creyendo
leer (to read) leyendo
oir (to hear) oyendo
traer (to bring) trayendo
• Stem-changing -ir verbs change the stem vowel from e to i and from o to u:
decir (to say, tell) diciendo
dormir (to sleep) durmiendo
morir (to die) muriendo
pedir (to ask) pidiendo
sentir (to feel) sintiendo
venir (to come) viniendo
TIME’S UP!
Without looking back, try to correctly complete this short story about a boy
and his friend. Conjugate the verbs carefully.
Yo (1. estar) en casa.
Yo (2. ser) un muchacho muy aplicado.
Yo (3. tener) hambre.
Yo (4. querer) comer.
Yo (5. poder) preparar una comida deliciosa.
Yo (6. buscar) los ingredientes.
Yo (7. medir) todo con cuidado.
Yo no (8. sustituir) nada.
Mi madre (9. venir) a la cocina.
Nosotros (10. ir) a comer mi excelente arroz con pollo.
Do you ever feel like breaking down because of English spelling? Don't worry, English spelling and pronunciation system is very confusing and often puzzles even the native speaker. Dr. Edward Rondthaler the noted typographist, the chairman of the American Literary Council and master of the English language says that "nothing seems to be spelled, or said, quite the way you expect it to be!" In fact there are two English languages - the Written English and the Spoken or Phonetic English. But if you really want to communicate, which means speak, understand, read and write English, you have to deal with both of them.
-r (amer.)
-r (amer.)
-r (amer.)
