Homeschool · Diploma track · Grades 9-12

Spanish 1

A full year of first-year Spanish for a student who knows no Spanish at all. The course teaches in English and practices in Spanish: every explanation is plain English, and every example, problem and answer shows the Spanish with its accents and punctuation. Eleven units take the year from the sounds of the alphabet through greetings, descriptions, the verbs ser and estar, the present tense, school and family, daily routines, food, travel and the first past tense, and end with the Spanish-speaking world and a paragraph the student writes alone. Spanish is a small number of patterns used over and over, and most lost marks come from five of them: agreement, English structure carried over, ser against estar, verb endings and accents. Every lesson names the error that costs the marks, works one example in full, and gives ten practice problems with a complete model answer.

DIPLOMA TRACK CA WORLD LANGUAGE NOVICE MODEL ANSWERS 75 LESSONS 880 PRACTICE PROBLEMS None. The course begins with the sounds of the alphabet and assumes no earlier Spanish.

Course overview

What this year covers

A first year of a language is mostly a small set of patterns met in a sensible order. Unit 1 teaches the sounds, because Spanish is spelled almost exactly as it is said, and then the numbers, days and months a student needs on the first day. Unit 2 gives the two ideas behind every noun phrase, gender and number, and unit 3 gives the two verbs that mean to be, ser and estar, and the habit of choosing between them by reason rather than by feel. Unit 4 introduces the present tense and the questions, negatives and structures that surround it. Units 5 to 9 spend the year in real territory: school and likes, family and home, daily routines, food and shopping, towns, travel and weather. Unit 10 adds free time, health and the first past tense, the preterite, so a student can say what happened as well as what happens. Unit 11 turns to the Spanish-speaking world and gathers everything into a written paragraph and a short presentation. Every lesson opens with the method, names the specific error that costs the marks, works an example in eight steps, and gives ten practice problems with complete answers. There is no audio, so the course says plainly how every sound is made and asks the student to read every example aloud.

  • U1Unit 1: First Words in Spanish7 lessons
  • U2Unit 2: People, Things and Descriptions7 lessons
  • U3Unit 3: Ser, Estar and Pronouns7 lessons
  • U4Unit 4: The Present Tense7 lessons
  • U5Unit 5: School and Likes7 lessons
  • U6Unit 6: Family and Home7 lessons
  • U7Unit 7: Daily Routines7 lessons
  • U8Unit 8: Food and Shopping7 lessons
  • U9Unit 9: Town, Travel and Weather7 lessons
  • U10Unit 10: Free Time, Health and the Past7 lessons
  • U11Unit 11: The Spanish-Speaking World5 lessons

All eleven units are open, 75 lessons in all. Every lesson opens with the method, one extended worked example, and ten practice problems. Every problem has a full worked solution, so you can find the step where yours went wrong. Each unit closes with a ten-problem mixed review.

Free preview: open any 5 lessons without an account. The counter on the left keeps track.

Lesson 1.1 · Unit 1 · Communication: interpersonal

Saying hello, giving your name and being polite

Every conversation in any language begins the same way: a greeting, a name, a question about how the other person is, and a goodbye. These phrases are fixed. You do not build them, you learn them whole, so this lesson is a short list to memorize and one decision to make each time: how formal to be. Read every Spanish phrase aloud as you go. Spanish spelling is close to the sound, and Lesson 1.2 shows you exactly how.

The method
  1. Greet by the time of day. Hola (hello) works at any hour. Buenos días (good morning) is used until about noon, buenas tardes (good afternoon) until dark, and buenas noches (good evening, and also good night) after that.
  2. Say goodbye. Adiós (goodbye), hasta luego (see you later), hasta mañana (see you tomorrow), nos vemos (see you around) and the casual chao.
  3. Ask how someone is. To a friend or a young person: ¿Cómo estás? To an adult you respect, a stranger or a teacher: ¿Cómo está usted? Answer with muy bien (very well), bien (fine), más o menos (so so), regular (okay) or mal (bad), then return the question: ¿Y tú? or ¿Y usted?
  4. Give your name. Me llamo Ana. (My name is Ana.) It literally means "I call myself Ana." Ask a friend ¿Cómo te llamas? and an adult ¿Cómo se llama usted?
  5. Meet someone. Mucho gusto (nice to meet you) works for anyone. A man or boy may say encantado and a woman or girl encantada. The reply is igualmente (likewise) or el gusto es mío (the pleasure is mine).
  6. Be polite. Por favor (please), gracias (thank you), de nada (you're welcome), perdón (excuse me, sorry), lo siento (I'm sorry) and con permiso (excuse me, when you pass in front of someone).
  7. Use titles with last names. señor (Mr.), señora (Mrs.), señorita (Miss). Written out they are not capitalized: buenos días, señor Ramos. Titles always go with usted, never with tú.
  8. Say where you are from. Soy de México. (I am from Mexico.) Ask ¿De dónde eres? (friend) or ¿De dónde es usted? (formal). Learn Soy de ___ as a set phrase now. Lesson 3.2 explains the verb inside it.

Where students lose marks: the register and the plurals. Buenos días and buenas tardes are plural, and they differ in gender, so buenos noches is wrong. Using tú with a teacher or a stranger is wrong in school Spanish. Pick formal or informal before you speak and keep it the whole way through.

Worked example

The problem. It is 8:15 in the morning. You are a student named Marta and you meet your teacher, Mr. Ramos, in the hall. Write the conversation: greet him, ask how he is, answer his question, say goodbye.

Step one: read the situation. The time is morning, so the greeting is buenos días. The other person is a teacher, so the register is formal and the form of "you" is usted.

Step two: greet him with his title. Buenos días, señor Ramos. (Good morning, Mr. Ramos.) The title is lowercase.

Step three: ask how he is, formally. ¿Cómo está usted? Both question marks are present, the accent on cómo is written, and the verb is está, the usted form, not estás.

Step four: his answer. He says Muy bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? He is older, so he may use tú to you. That is allowed, because a person of higher status chooses the register.

Step five: your answer and the return question. Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted? You still say usted to him.

Step six: add politeness. After he answers, you say Con permiso as you step past to class.

Step seven: say goodbye. Hasta mañana, señor Ramos. If you will see him again the same day, hasta luego fits better.

Step eight: read it aloud and check. Two greeting words, one title used twice, usted every time you speak, an accent on días, cómo and está, and a ¿ at the start of both questions. The finished conversation is Buenos días, señor Ramos. ¿Cómo está usted? Bien, gracias. ¿Y usted? Hasta mañana, señor Ramos.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What greeting do you use at 8:00 in the morning?
    Show the full solution

    The morning greeting is buenos días. It is plural even though it greets one day. Buenos días

  2. What greeting do you use at 3:00 in the afternoon?
    Show the full solution

    Afternoon is buenas tardes, plural and feminine because tarde is a feminine word. Buenas tardes

  3. How do you say "See you tomorrow" in Spanish?
    Show the full solution

    Hasta means "until" and mañana means "tomorrow". Hasta mañana

  4. What does mucho gusto mean, and when do you say it?
    Show the full solution

    It means "nice to meet you" and you say it when you are introduced to someone. Nice to meet you

  5. You are asked ¿Cómo te llamas? Answer with a name of your choice.
    Show the full solution

    Use me llamo and then the name. Any name works, for example Me llamo Daniel. The verb phrase never changes. Me llamo Daniel.

  6. It is 9:00 at night. Greet Mrs. López and ask how she is.
    Show the full solution

    Night calls for buenas noches. A woman you address by title is formal, so the question uses usted: ¿Cómo está usted? Buenas noches, señora López. ¿Cómo está usted?

  7. Find and correct the errors: Buenos noches. Como estas?
    Show the full solution

    Three errors. Noches is feminine, so the greeting is buenas noches. Cómo needs its accent. The question needs both marks, ¿Cómo estás?, and estás needs its accent. Buenas noches. ¿Cómo estás?

  8. Which question would you ask a friend, ¿Cómo estás? or ¿Cómo está usted?, and which would you ask a stranger twice your age?
    Show the full solution

    The friend gets the tú form, ¿Cómo estás? The older stranger gets the respectful usted form, ¿Cómo está usted? Friend: ¿Cómo estás? Stranger: ¿Cómo está usted?

  9. Write a three-line conversation in which you meet a new classmate named Luis and say where you are from.
    Show the full solution

    Classmates are informal, so use tú. One correct answer: Hola, me llamo Sofía. ¿Cómo te llamas? Me llamo Luis. Mucho gusto. Igualmente. ¿De dónde eres? Soy de Texas. It names, asks, and uses the set phrases mucho gusto and soy de.

  10. Someone says Gracias to you. What do you answer? What do you say if you bump into someone by accident?
    Show the full solution

    The answer to thanks is de nada. For a small accident say perdón, and for a more serious apology say lo siento. De nada; perdón

Lesson 1.2 · Unit 1 · Structures

The letters, and the five sounds that never change

English spelling is a poor guide to English sound, so students expect Spanish to be as hard. It is not. Spanish spelling is almost phonetic: a letter makes its sound and keeps it. The whole system rests on five vowels, and if those five are right, the language already sounds Spanish. This lesson gives you the alphabet and the vowels. Say every example aloud, slowly at first.

The method
  1. Spanish has 27 letters. They are the 26 English letters plus ñ (eñe). The letters k and w appear only in borrowed words such as kilo and web.
  2. The letter names. a (ah), be (beh), ce (seh), de (deh), e (eh), efe (EH-feh), ge (heh), hache (AH-cheh), i (ee), jota (HOH-tah), ka (kah), ele (EH-leh), eme (EH-meh), ene (EH-neh), eñe (EH-nyeh).
  3. The letter names, continued. o (oh), pe (peh), cu (koo), erre (EH-rreh), ese (EH-seh), te (teh), u (oo), uve (OO-beh), doble ve (DOH-bleh beh), equis (EH-kees), ye (yeh), zeta (SEH-tah).
  4. There are five vowel sounds. a as in "father", e as in "bet", i as in "machine", o as in "go" without the glide, and u as in "rule".
  5. A vowel never changes. English reduces unstressed vowels to a lazy "uh": the "a" in "banana" is three different sounds. In Spanish every a is the same clear sound, stressed or not. Banana is bah-NAH-nah.
  6. Keep vowels short and pure. English "o" slides into "oo" and "e" slides into "ee". Spanish does not slide. Hold the mouth still: no is a short, steady "noh", not "no-oo".
  7. The letter h is silent. Hola is OH-lah, hotel is oh-TEL, and hay is eye. Only in ch does h do any work.
  8. Spell your name aloud. You will do this on the phone and at a desk. Say the letter names: Luis is ele, u, i, ese. Use doble ve or uve doble for w, and ye or i griega for y.

Where students lose marks: the lazy vowel. Reading casa as "KAY-suh" instead of KAH-sah makes the word almost unrecognizable to a Spanish speaker. Say each vowel in full, the way you would at the top of a vowel list.

Worked example

The problem. Pronounce Ana María Salazar and spell the first name and the family name aloud in Spanish.

Step one: split the name into words. Three words: Ana, María and Salazar.

Step two: find the vowels. Ana has a and a. María has a, i, a. Salazar has a, a, a. Every one of those a sounds is the same: "ah".

Step three: pronounce Ana. AH-nah. No "uh", no "ay".

Step four: pronounce María. mah-REE-ah. The i is the "ee" of "machine", and the written accent in María marks the stress (Lesson 1.4).

Step five: pronounce Salazar. sah-lah-SAHR. Three identical a sounds. The z is an "s" in Latin America (Lesson 1.3).

Step six: spell Ana aloud. a, ene, a.

Step seven: spell Salazar aloud. ese, a, ele, a, zeta, a, erre.

Step eight: check yourself. Every vowel was one clean sound, no vowel was reduced, and the letter names were Spanish, not English: Spanish a is "ah", not "ay", and Spanish e is "eh", not "ee".

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. How many letters does the Spanish alphabet have, and which one does English lack?
    Show the full solution

    It has 27 letters. The extra letter is ñ, called eñe. 27; ñ

  2. How do you say the vowel e in Spanish, with an English comparison?
    Show the full solution

    It is "eh", as in "bet", never the "ee" of the English letter name. "eh"

  3. Which letter is silent in hotel?
    Show the full solution

    The h is always silent in Spanish, so the word begins with the sound of o: oh-TEL. h

  4. Name the five Spanish vowels in order.
    Show the full solution

    a, e, i, o, u, pronounced ah, eh, ee, oh, oo. a, e, i, o, u

  5. Spell Luis aloud with Spanish letter names.
    Show the full solution

    L is ele, u is u (oo), i is i (ee), s is ese. ele, u, i, ese

  6. Give an English respelling of banana and say what it shows about Spanish vowels.
    Show the full solution

    bah-NAH-nah. All three vowels are the same clear "ah". English has three different sounds in "banana", while Spanish keeps one. bah-NAH-nah

  7. Which two of these are pronounced alike: hay, ay, ahí?
    Show the full solution

    Hay and ay both sound like the English word "eye", because the h is silent. Ahí is ah-EE. hay and ay

  8. Pronounce año and say what the mark over the letter does.
    Show the full solution

    AH-nyoh. The tilde makes n into a different letter, ñ, sounding like the "ny" in "canyon". It is part of the spelling, not an accent. AH-nyoh

  9. Find the error: a student reads pato as "PAY-toe".
    Show the full solution

    The student glided both vowels as English does. Spanish a is a flat "ah" and o is a short "oh" with no glide: PAH-toh. PAH-toh

  10. You are on the phone and must spell Ximena Vega. Write the letter names you would say for the first name.
    Show the full solution

    X is equis, i is i, m is eme, e is e, n is ene, a is a. equis, i, eme, e, ene, a

Lesson 1.3 · Unit 1 · Structures

The consonants that surprise English speakers, and where the stress falls

Most Spanish consonants sound as they do in English. A handful do not, and that handful decides whether you can read a new word aloud on the first try. This lesson gives you those few, then the rule for splitting a word into syllables and the rule for knowing which syllable is stressed. With both rules you can say almost any Spanish word correctly without ever having heard it.

The method
  1. b and v sound the same. Both are a soft "b", with the lips barely touching: vaso (glass) and basa sound alike. Do not use the English "v" with the teeth on the lip.
  2. c and qu. C before a, o or u is a "k": casa, cosa. Before e or i it is an "s" in Latin America (cena, cine). Qu is a "k" and the u is silent: que is keh, quiero is KYEH-roh.
  3. g and j. G before a, o, u is the hard "g" of "go": gato. Before e or i it is an "h" sound: gente (HEN-teh). Gu before e or i is a hard "g" with a silent u: guerra, guitarra. J is always the "h": jugo (HOO-goh).
  4. h, ll, ñ, ch and y. H is silent. Ll sounds like a "y" in most places: llamo is YAH-moh. Ñ is "ny". Ch is as in "cheese". Y alone is "ee" as the word "and" and a "y" before a vowel.
  5. r and rr. A single r is a quick tap of the tongue, like the "dd" in "ladder": pero. A word-initial r and a double rr are trilled: rojo, perro. The difference changes meaning: pero (but) and perro (dog).
  6. z and d. Z is an "s" in Latin America (zapato is sah-PAH-toh) and a "th" in most of Spain. D between vowels is soft, like the "th" in "this": nada, todo.
  7. Syllables. Each syllable holds one vowel sound. A single consonant between vowels goes with the second vowel: ma-no. Two consonants split, with exceptions for ch, ll, rr and a consonant followed by l or r: can-tar, pe-rro, li-bro. The strong vowels a, e, o and the weak i, u blend when weak meets another: bue-no, cua-tro.
  8. Stress. If a word ends in a vowel, n or s, stress the next-to-last syllable: ha-BLA-mos, co-MI-da. If it ends in any other consonant, stress the last syllable: es-pa-ÑOL, ciu-DAD. A written accent overrides the rule (Lesson 1.4).

Where students lose marks: the soft g and the silent u. Gente is not "GEN-tay" and queso is not "KWAY-so". Also, stressing the wrong syllable. Stress alone can make a word unrecognizable, so run the stress rule on every new word.

Worked example

The problem. You have never seen the word guitarra or the word ciudad. Divide each into syllables, decide the stressed syllable, and give an English respelling.

Step one: guitarra, find the vowels. u, i, a, a. After g the u is part of the spelling gu, and it is silent before i.

Step two: guitarra, divide. gui-ta-rra, three syllables. The double rr goes with the second vowel, as in pe-rro.

Step three: guitarra, stress. The word ends in a vowel, so the stress falls on the next-to-last syllable: gui-TA-rra.

Step four: guitarra, respelling. The gu is a hard "g", and the rr is trilled. Gui-TA-rra is "gee-TAH-rrah", with the rolled "r".

Step five: ciudad, find the vowels. i, u, a. The letters iu are two weak vowels together and blend into one syllable.

Step six: ciudad, divide. ciu-dad, two syllables. The first c comes before i, so it is "s" in Latin America.

Step seven: ciudad, stress. The word ends in d, a consonant other than n or s, so the last syllable is stressed: ciu-DAD, "syoo-DAHD". The final d is a soft "th".

Step eight: check. Both words were stressed by rule, with no memory needed. Guitarra is gee-TAH-rrah and ciudad is syoo-DAHD.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. How is c pronounced in casa and in cena (Latin America)?
    Show the full solution

    Before a it is a "k" (KAH-sah). Before e it is an "s" (SEH-nah). k; s

  2. How is j pronounced in jugo?
    Show the full solution

    J is always the "h" sound: HOO-goh. "h"

  3. Is the u pronounced in queso?
    Show the full solution

    No. In que the u is silent and only makes the q a "k": KEH-soh. No

  4. Divide mano into syllables.
    Show the full solution

    One consonant between vowels goes with the second vowel. ma-no

  5. Which syllable is stressed in hablamos?
    Show the full solution

    The word ends in s, so stress the next-to-last syllable: ha-BLA-mos. the second, BLA

  6. Tell pero from perro in sound and meaning.
    Show the full solution

    Pero has a single tapped r and means "but". Perro has a trilled rr and means "dog". The trill alone changes the word. but; dog

  7. Divide cantar into syllables and give its stressed syllable.
    Show the full solution

    Two consonants split: can-tar. It ends in r, so the last syllable is stressed: can-TAR. can-tar; tar

  8. Give an English respelling of gente and guerra and explain the difference.
    Show the full solution

    Gente is HEN-teh because g before e is an "h" sound. Guerra is GEH-rrah because gu before e is a hard "g" with a silent u. HEN-teh; GEH-rrah

  9. Find the error: a student says llamo as "LAH-moh", with an English "l".
    Show the full solution

    The double ll is a "y" sound in most Spanish, so the word is YAH-moh, the one from me llamo. YAH-moh

  10. Apply the stress rule to ciudad, joven and papel and state the reason for each.
    Show the full solution

    Ciudad ends in d, so the last syllable is stressed: ciu-DAD. Joven ends in n, so the next-to-last: JO-ven. Papel ends in l, so the last: pa-PEL. ciu-DAD, JO-ven, pa-PEL

Lesson 1.4 · Unit 1 · Structures

Accent marks, question marks and exclamation points

The stress rule from Lesson 1.3 has exceptions, and Spanish marks every exception in writing with an accent. That makes the accent a spelling signal, not a decoration, and it is why a missing accent is a spelling mistake. Spanish also opens a question with ¿ and an exclamation with ¡, so the reader knows from the first word what kind of sentence it is. This lesson shows when each mark is required.

The method
  1. An accent marks a stress that breaks the rule. Without it, a word ending in a vowel, n or s would be stressed on the next-to-last syllable. With it, the marked syllable is stressed: canción (kahn-SYOHN), café (kah-FEH), está (eh-STAH).
  2. The second rule works the same way. A word ending in another consonant is stressed on the last syllable. An accent marks the exception: fácil (FAH-seel), lápiz (LAH-pees), árbol (AHR-bohl).
  3. The third-from-last syllable always carries a mark. Teléfono, sábado, matemáticas, música. No unmarked word stresses a syllable that early.
  4. An accent can change the meaning. Pairs that look alike are different words: el (the) and él (he); tu (your) and tú (you); mi (my) and mí (me); si (if) and sí (yes); te (you, object) and té (tea).
  5. Question words always carry an accent. qué (what), quién (who), cómo (how), dónde (where), cuándo (when), cuánto (how much), por qué (why). Without it they are other words, as in que (that) and como (as, I eat).
  6. A written accent can split a vowel pair. i and u normally blend with the next vowel. An accent on the weak vowel pulls them apart: día (DEE-ah), país (pah-EES), María, Raúl.
  7. Questions and exclamations use two marks. ¿Cómo te llamas? ¡Qué bien! The opening mark goes where the question starts, which may be in the middle of a sentence: Hola, ¿cómo estás?
  8. Spanish capitalizes less than English. Capitalize the first word of a sentence and proper names. Do not capitalize days, months, languages, nationalities or yo (I): hoy es lunes, hablo español, yo soy colombiano.

Where students lose marks: writing only the closing mark of a question, or dropping the accent on a question word. Como estas? has three errors: no ¿, no accent on cómo and no accent on estás. Treat the accent as a letter. To type: on Windows add the US-International keyboard and press the apostrophe and then the vowel; on a Mac hold the vowel key, or press Option and e then the vowel.

Worked example

The problem. Add every missing accent and mark to this sentence, and explain each: Hola, como esta tu mama? Que bien!

Step one: read the sentence aloud. There is a greeting, a question about someone's mother, and an exclamation.

Step two: mark the question. The question starts after the comma, so the opening mark goes before como: Hola, ¿como esta tu mama?

Step three: question word. Cómo is a question word and always carries an accent: ¿cómo.

Step four: esta. The form that means "is" is está, stressed on the last syllable. Without the accent esta means "this".

Step five: tu. Here tu means "your", a possessive, so it takes no accent. The pronoun tú ("you") would take one.

Step six: mamá. The word ends in a vowel and is stressed on the last syllable, so it needs an accent: mamá (mah-MAH). Compare mama (MAH-mah), which is a different word.

Step seven: the exclamation. Qué carries an accent, and the exclamation takes both marks: ¡Qué bien!

Step eight: write the corrected sentence. Hola, ¿cómo está tu mamá? ¡Qué bien! Count: four accents (cómo, está, mamá, qué) and four inverted-and-closing marks.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Which syllable does the accent mark in canción?
    Show the full solution

    The mark is on the last syllable, ción. Because the word ends in n, the rule would stress the first syllable, so the accent signals the exception. the last syllable

  2. Write the question "How are you?" in Spanish with all marks and accents (informal).
    Show the full solution

    Both question marks, an accent on cómo, and an accent on estás. ¿Cómo estás?

  3. What is the difference in meaning between si and sí?
    Show the full solution

    Si means "if". Sí with the accent means "yes". if; yes

  4. Should the days of the week be capitalized in Spanish? Write "Monday".
    Show the full solution

    No. Days, months and languages are lowercase unless they begin a sentence. lunes

  5. Does sábado need its accent? Why?
    Show the full solution

    Yes. The stress falls on the third syllable from the end (SÁ-ba-do), and a stress that early always carries a mark. Yes

  6. Add the missing marks: Donde esta el telefono.
    Show the full solution

    Dónde is a question word, está is stressed on the end, and teléfono is stressed on the third syllable from the end. ¿Dónde está el teléfono?

  7. Choose the correct word and say why: Tu / Tú eres mi amigo.
    Show the full solution

    The sentence needs the pronoun "you" as the subject, so it takes the accent. Tú eres mi amigo.

  8. Find the errors: ¿Cuando es la clase de Español?
    Show the full solution

    Cuándo is a question word and needs an accent. Español is a language name and is lowercase. ¿Cuándo es la clase de español?

  9. Explain why día has an accent although the stress rule would already put the stress there.
    Show the full solution

    The accent is not about the stress rule here. Normally ia blends into one syllable (dia). The accent on the í keeps the two vowels separate: dí-a. It splits the vowel pair.

  10. Write in Spanish, with every mark: "Hello, how is your father? Great!"
    Show the full solution

    The question opens after the comma, and cómo and está carry accents. Papá takes an accent, and tu (your) does not. The exclamation takes both marks, as in ¡Qué bien! Hola, ¿cómo está tu papá? ¡Qué bien!

Lesson 1.5 · Unit 1 · Communication: interpretive

Counting from zero to thirty

You will use numbers every day in Spanish: for ages, dates, times, phone numbers and prices. The numbers to 30 follow a simple pattern, and once you see it, learning the numbers to 100 in the next lesson takes little extra work. Say each one aloud as you read it. Counting out loud is the best practice you can do on your own.

The method
  1. Zero to ten. cero, uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez. Learn these cold. The c in cero and cinco is an "s".
  2. Eleven to fifteen are single irregular words. once, doce, trece, catorce, quince. They do not follow a pattern, so memorize them as a group of five.
  3. Sixteen to nineteen are built from "ten and". dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, diecinueve. Each is a single word made of diez plus the unit. Dieciséis carries an accent.
  4. Twenty is veinte. It stands alone. Twenty-one to twenty-nine are one word each, built on veinti-: veintiuno, veintidós, veintitrés, veinticuatro, veinticinco, veintiséis, veintisiete, veintiocho, veintinueve. The words for 22, 23 and 26 take an accent.
  5. Thirty is treinta. From 31 on, numbers become three words, as Lesson 1.6 shows.
  6. Uno changes before a noun. Uno shortens to un before a masculine noun and becomes una before a feminine one: un libro, una mesa, veintiún libros, veintiuna mesas. Used alone in counting, it is uno.
  7. Do arithmetic aloud. más or y (plus), menos (minus), por (times), dividido por (divided by), son (equals): Dos y dos son cuatro. Diez menos tres son siete. For a single result es also appears: Uno y uno es dos.
  8. Use them for age. Ask ¿Cuántos años tienes? and answer Tengo quince años. Spanish says "I have fifteen years", never "I am fifteen".

Where students lose marks: the accent and the age structure. Dieciseis is misspelled without the accent, and Soy quince años is an English structure forced into Spanish. Age uses tener, not ser. Also remember that veintiuno before a noun becomes veintiún.

Worked example

The problem. Write these in Spanish words: 7, 14, 16, 22 and 21 books. Then write "Fifteen plus nine equals twenty-four" in Spanish.

Step one: 7. From the list to ten: siete.

Step two: 14. From the irregular group of five: catorce.

Step three: 16. Build it from "ten and six": dieciséis. One word, and the accent stays on the final syllable.

Step four: 22. It is veinti- plus dos, and the accent appears: veintidós.

Step five: 21 books. The base is veintiuno. Before the masculine noun libros it shortens to veintiún and gains an accent: veintiún libros.

Step six: choose the arithmetic words. "Plus" is y or más. "Equals" is son for a plural sum.

Step seven: write the numbers. 15 is quince and 9 is nueve. Twenty-four is veinticuatro, one word.

Step eight: assemble and check. Quince y nueve son veinticuatro. Every number is spelled in one word with the right accent, and the sum is correct, since 15 + 9 = 24.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write 5 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    cinco

  2. Write 12 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    From the irregular group: doce

  3. Write 18 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Ten and eight, one word: diez + ocho becomes dieciocho

  4. Write 25 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Twenty-five is one word built on veinti-: veinticinco

  5. What is veintiséis in digits?
    Show the full solution

    Veinti- is 20 and séis is 6. 26

  6. Write the answer in Spanish: Siete y ocho son ___.
    Show the full solution

    7 + 8 = 15, and 15 is quince. Siete y ocho son quince.

  7. Write "I am sixteen years old" in Spanish and say why soy is wrong.
    Show the full solution

    Spanish expresses age with tener: "I have sixteen years". The number is dieciséis with its accent. Soy dieciséis años is an English structure. Tengo dieciséis años.

  8. Write "twenty-one pens" (bolígrafos, masculine) in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    The noun is masculine, so veintiuno shortens, and the accent is added: veintiún bolígrafos

  9. Find the error: Dieciseis y tres son diecinueve.
    Show the full solution

    The sum is correct (16 + 3 = 19), but dieciséis needs its accent. Dieciséis y tres son diecinueve.

  10. Write and solve in Spanish words: thirty minus eleven.
    Show the full solution

    30 is treinta, 11 is once, and the result 19 is diecinueve. Treinta menos once son diecinueve.

Lesson 1.6 · Unit 1 · Communication: interpretive

Counting from thirty-one to one hundred

After thirty, the numbers stop being irregular. There are seven round tens to learn, and every number between them is built from three words in the same order. That makes this the easiest stretch of the number system, and it ends with one small surprise at 100. Phone numbers, ages of older relatives and prices all live in this range.

The method
  1. Learn the tens. treinta (30), cuarenta (40), cincuenta (50), sesenta (60), setenta (70), ochenta (80), noventa (90). Most are the unit plus -nta: cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa. Thirty and forty are the two to learn separately.
  2. Between the tens use three words. Ten, then y (and), then the unit, with spaces: treinta y uno (31), cuarenta y cinco (45), noventa y nueve (99).
  3. Only 16 to 29 are single words. From 31 on, never write the number as one word. Cuarentaicinco is wrong and cuarenta y cinco is right.
  4. The words for 100. Exactly one hundred is cien. For 101 to 199 the word becomes ciento: ciento uno (101). Lesson 8.3 takes the numbers above 100 further.
  5. Uno changes before a noun. Treinta y un libros and treinta y una mesas. The final uno becomes un or una to agree with the noun.
  6. Say phone numbers in pairs or groups. A number like 555-1234 is often read in short groups: cinco, cinco, cinco, doce, treinta y cuatro. Listen for the grouping the speaker uses and write what you hear in digits.
  7. Check by adding. The tens count in jumps of ten, so cuarenta más treinta son setenta (40 + 30 = 70). A quick sum aloud is the best test of whether you know the words.
  8. Stress and spelling. Treinta, cuarenta, cincuenta, sesenta, setenta, ochenta, noventa are all stressed on the next-to-last syllable and need no accent. The c in cincuenta is an "s".

Where students lose marks: writing 31 to 99 as one word, or forgetting y. The structure is always tens, y, units, in three words. Also, do not use cien in 101: it is ciento uno.

Worked example

The problem. Write 47, 68 and 100 in Spanish. Then write the sum "Thirty-five plus forty-four equals seventy-nine" and "I am thirty-one" with the correct age structure.

Step one: 47. Tens first: 40 is cuarenta. Then y, then 7 is siete: cuarenta y siete.

Step two: 68. 60 is sesenta and 8 is ocho: sesenta y ocho.

Step three: 100. Exactly 100 is cien. It does not take y.

Step four: the numbers in the sum. 35 is treinta y cinco, 44 is cuarenta y cuatro, and 79 is setenta y nueve.

Step five: connect them. "Plus" is más here, since y is already busy inside the numbers. "Equals" is son.

Step six: write the sentence. Treinta y cinco más cuarenta y cuatro son setenta y nueve.

Step seven: the age. Age uses tener and años: Tengo treinta y un años. The final uno becomes un before años, a masculine plural noun.

Step eight: check. 35 + 44 = 79. All numbers from 31 up are three words with y, and cien is the only form for exactly 100.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write 40 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    cuarenta

  2. Write 33 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Tens, y, units, in three words. treinta y tres

  3. Write 56 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    50 is cincuenta and 6 is seis. cincuenta y seis

  4. What is setenta y cuatro in digits?
    Show the full solution

    70 and 4. 74

  5. Write 100 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Exactly one hundred uses cien. cien

  6. Write the answer in Spanish words: cuarenta y dos más veinte son ___.
    Show the full solution

    42 + 20 = 62, and 62 is sesenta y dos. Cuarenta y dos más veinte son sesenta y dos.

  7. Say "I am forty-one years old" in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Use tener with años. The unit uno becomes un before años. Tengo cuarenta y un años.

  8. Find the error: Mi abuela tiene setentaiocho años.
    Show the full solution

    From 31 on the number is three words, not one. Setenta y ocho is correct. Mi abuela tiene setenta y ocho años.

  9. You hear a phone number: seis, cuarenta y cinco, ochenta y siete. Write the digits.
    Show the full solution

    6, then 45, then 87. 6-45-87

  10. Write the numbers 90 and 99 in Spanish and say how they differ in form.
    Show the full solution

    90 is noventa, one word. 99 is noventa y nueve, three words with y. Round tens are one word, and everything between them is three. noventa; noventa y nueve

Lesson 1.7 · Unit 1 · Cultures

The days of the week, the months and how to say the date

The calendar is the first piece of everyday Spanish you can use immediately: you can say what day it is, when your birthday is, and when a class meets. It is also the first place Spanish and English differ in a way that matters. Spanish calendars start the week on Monday, days and months are lowercase, and dates are written day first. Get those three right and the rest is vocabulary.

The method
  1. The days. lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo. Monday is first on most Spanish calendars. Lowercase them unless they start a sentence.
  2. The months. enero, febrero, marzo, abril, mayo, junio, julio, agosto, septiembre, octubre, noviembre, diciembre. Also lowercase.
  3. Days are masculine, and "on" is el or los. Say el lunes for "on Monday" and los lunes for "on Mondays". There is no word for "on". Tengo clase el lunes, never en lunes.
  4. The plural. Monday to Friday do not change in the plural, since they already end in s: los lunes, los martes. Sábado and domingo add -s: los sábados, los domingos.
  5. What day is it? ¿Qué día es hoy? Hoy es martes. The day needs no article after es. Also mañana es miércoles (tomorrow is Wednesday).
  6. What is the date? ¿Cuál es la fecha? Es el cinco de mayo. The pattern is el, the day number, de, the month. The year follows with another de: el cuatro de julio de 1776.
  7. The first is special. The first day of a month is often el primero de: el primero de enero. Every other day uses the ordinary number. In Spain and many other places el uno de enero is also used.
  8. Dates are written day, month, year. 5/3 means the fifth of March in Spanish-speaking countries, not May 3. Say your birthday as Mi cumpleaños es el tres de abril.

Where students lose marks: capitalizing, and the English order. Lunes and enero are lowercase. El 3 de abril puts the day first. Never say abril tres. Never use en with a day.

Worked example

The problem. Today is Thursday, October 12. Write the question and answer for both the day and the date. Then say that you have Spanish class on Mondays and that your birthday is June 30.

Step one: the day question. ¿Qué día es hoy? with the accent on qué and on día.

Step two: the day answer. Thursday is jueves, lowercase, with no article: Hoy es jueves.

Step three: the date question. ¿Cuál es la fecha? The accent is on cuál.

Step four: the date answer. Day first, then month: Es el doce de octubre. The month is lowercase and joined by de.

Step five: Mondays. For something that happens every Monday, use the plural with los: Tengo clase de español los lunes. There is no word for "on".

Step six: the birthday. Day, de, month: Mi cumpleaños es el treinta de junio.

Step seven: add the year if needed. Another de and then the year, for example el treinta de junio de 2010.

Step eight: check. No capitals for days or months, el before each date, day before month, and no en before a day. The answers are Hoy es jueves. Es el doce de octubre.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What day follows lunes?
    Show the full solution

    The week runs Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. martes

  2. Write the month after febrero.
    Show the full solution

    marzo

  3. How do you ask "What day is it today?"
    Show the full solution

    Both accents and both marks are needed. ¿Qué día es hoy?

  4. Say "It is Saturday."
    Show the full solution

    No article, no capital. Es sábado. (or Hoy es sábado.)

  5. Say "on Fridays" in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Use los with the plural day. Viernes does not change. los viernes

  6. Write "It is the fifth of May."
    Show the full solution

    Pattern: es el, number, de, month. Es el cinco de mayo.

  7. Write your birthday if it is December 24.
    Show the full solution

    Day first, then month. Mi cumpleaños es el veinticuatro de diciembre.

  8. Find the errors: Mi clase es en Lunes, Octubre 3.
    Show the full solution

    Three errors: en should not be used with a day, days and months are lowercase, and the date needs the day before the month with de. Mi clase es el lunes, 3 de octubre.

  9. You see 3/9 on a Spanish calendar. What date is it, and why is that different from an American reading?
    Show the full solution

    Spanish dates are day first: the third of September, el tres de septiembre. An American reading of 3/9 would be March 9. el tres de septiembre

  10. Write in Spanish: "Tomorrow is Wednesday, the fourteenth of February, and I have class on Wednesdays."
    Show the full solution

    "Tomorrow" is mañana, Wednesday is miércoles (accent), the date is el catorce de febrero, and "on Wednesdays" is los miércoles. Mañana es miércoles, catorce de febrero, y tengo clase los miércoles.

Unit 1 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 1 review: First Words in Spanish

These are mixed across all seven lessons and do not say which idea they want. Say every Spanish answer aloud, and check each accent and each inverted mark before you reveal the solution.

  1. It is 4:00 in the afternoon. Greet Mr. Gómez and ask how he is.
    Show the full solution

    Afternoon is buenas tardes. A man you address by title is formal, so the question uses usted and the verb está. Buenas tardes, señor Gómez. ¿Cómo está usted?

  2. Which syllable is stressed in estudiante, and why?
    Show the full solution

    The word ends in a vowel, so the stress falls on the next-to-last syllable: es-tu-DIAN-te. Dian is one syllable because ia blends. DIAN

  3. Add every accent and mark: Que dificil es la leccion (as an exclamation).
    Show the full solution

    Qué is an exclamation word. Difícil ends in l but is stressed on the first syllable, so it needs a mark. Lección ends in n but is stressed on the last syllable. An exclamation takes both marks. ¡Qué difícil es la lección!

  4. Give an English respelling of queso, gente and llamo.
    Show the full solution

    The u in que is silent, g before e is an "h" sound, and ll is a "y" sound. KEH-soh, HEN-teh, YAH-moh

  5. Write 16, 22 and 31 in Spanish words.
    Show the full solution

    16 to 19 and 21 to 29 are single words, with an accent on 16 and 22. From 31 the number is three words with y. dieciséis, veintidós, treinta y uno

  6. Write in Spanish words: forty-five plus thirty-seven equals eighty-two.
    Show the full solution

    45 is cuarenta y cinco, 37 is treinta y siete, and 82 is ochenta y dos. "Plus" is más and "equals" is son. Cuarenta y cinco más treinta y siete son ochenta y dos.

  7. Say "I am fifteen years old. My birthday is June 3."
    Show the full solution

    Age uses tener, not ser. The date is day first, with el and de, and the month is lowercase. Tengo quince años. Mi cumpleaños es el tres de junio.

  8. Find the errors: Mi clase es en el Martes a la tres.
    Show the full solution

    There is no en with a day, days are lowercase, and three o'clock takes a las. Mi clase es el martes a las tres.

  9. Spell Javier aloud with Spanish letter names.
    Show the full solution

    J is jota, a is a, v is uve, i is i, e is e, r is erre. jota, a, uve, i, e, erre

  10. Ask "What is the date?" and answer "It is the first of January."
    Show the full solution

    The question word cuál carries an accent. The first of a month is often el primero. ¿Cuál es la fecha? Es el primero de enero.

Lesson 2.1 · Unit 2 · Structures

Every noun is masculine or feminine

English nouns have no gender, so this is the first idea in Spanish that has no English twin. Every noun, including tables, ideas and cities, is grammatically masculine or feminine, and every word that describes it must match. It is not a vocabulary burden once you learn the endings, because most nouns tell you their gender by how they end. The word for "the" and the word for "a" depend on it, so you learn each noun with its article from the start.

The method
  1. Every noun has a gender. Learn the noun with its article: el libro (the book) and la mesa (the table), never just libro or mesa.
  2. Most nouns ending in -o are masculine and most ending in -a are feminine. el niño, el libro, el cuaderno. la niña, la casa, la silla.
  3. Some endings are reliably feminine. -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre: la canción, la televisión, la ciudad, la libertad, la actitud.
  4. Some endings are reliably masculine. -aje, -or, -án, -ambre: el viaje, el color, el motor. The common exceptions are la flor and la labor.
  5. Memorize the exceptions. Masculine words ending in -a: el día, el mapa, el problema, el programa, el sistema, el tema, el idioma. Feminine words ending in -o: la mano, la foto, la moto, la radio. The last three are shortened forms of fotografía, motocicleta and radiodifusión.
  6. The words for "the" and "a". el and la mean "the" before a masculine and a feminine singular noun. un and una mean "a" or "an": un libro, una mesa.
  7. People follow the person. el chico / la chica, el hijo / la hija, el profesor / la profesora. A noun ending in -e or -ista is the same for both: el estudiante / la estudiante, el artista / la artista. Only the article shows the gender.
  8. One stress exception. A feminine noun that starts with a stressed a sound takes el in the singular: el agua, el águila. It is still feminine, so adjectives stay feminine: el agua fría.

Where students lose marks: trusting the English meaning or the final letter without checking the exceptions. La problema and el mano are the classic errors. Problema is masculine and mano is feminine. Learn the seven masculine words in -a and the four feminine words in -o by heart.

Worked example

The problem. Give the correct definite article (el or la) for each noun, and say how you decided: libro, casa, ciudad, problema, mano, día. Then write each with its indefinite article.

Step one: libro. It ends in -o and is not on the exception list, so it is masculine: el libro.

Step two: casa. It ends in -a and is not on the exception list: la casa.

Step three: ciudad. The ending -dad is reliably feminine: la ciudad.

Step four: problema. It ends in -a but is one of the Greek-origin exceptions in -ma, so it is masculine: el problema.

Step five: mano. It ends in -o but is a famous exception: la mano.

Step six: día. It ends in -a and is on the masculine exception list: el día.

Step seven: the indefinite articles. Swap el for un and la for una: un libro, una casa, una ciudad, un problema, una mano, un día.

Step eight: check. The two reliable endings gave ciudad, and the two exceptions gave problema, día (masculine) and mano (feminine). A decision made from the final letter alone would have been wrong in three of the six.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Give the article for mesa (table).
    Show the full solution

    It ends in -a and is not an exception. la mesa

  2. Give the article for cuaderno (notebook).
    Show the full solution

    It ends in -o and is not an exception. el cuaderno

  3. Is canción (song) masculine or feminine?
    Show the full solution

    The ending -ción is reliably feminine. feminine: la canción

  4. Give the article for mapa (map).
    Show the full solution

    It ends in -a but is on the masculine exception list. el mapa

  5. Write "a friend" for a boy and for a girl (amigo / amiga).
    Show the full solution

    People follow the person's sex. un amigo; una amiga

  6. Give el or la and explain: televisión, viaje, flor, tema.
    Show the full solution

    Televisión ends in -sión, feminine. Viaje ends in -aje, masculine. Flor ends in -or but is an exception, so feminine. Tema is a masculine word in -ma. la televisión, el viaje, la flor, el tema

  7. Find the errors: El mano de la niña es pequeña. La problema es fácil.
    Show the full solution

    Mano is feminine, so la mano. Problema is masculine, so el problema, and the adjective must be masculine too (that comes in Lesson 2.4). La mano de la niña es pequeña. El problema es fácil.

  8. Why is it el agua if agua is feminine?
    Show the full solution

    A feminine noun that begins with a stressed a sound takes el in the singular so the two a sounds do not run together. The noun is still feminine, so it takes feminine adjectives: el agua fría. to avoid two a sounds side by side; it is still feminine

  9. A student says una estudiante for a girl and un estudiante for a boy. Is this correct, and why?
    Show the full solution

    Yes. Estudiante ends in -e and is the same for both sexes, so only the article shows the gender. Correct.

  10. Write each with its correct indefinite article and give the rule: lección, color, idioma, foto.
    Show the full solution

    Lección ends in -ción: una lección. Color ends in -or: un color. Idioma is a masculine word in -ma: un idioma. Foto is a feminine exception in -o: una foto. una lección, un color, un idioma, una foto

Lesson 2.2 · Unit 2 · Structures

Making nouns and articles plural

Spanish plurals are more regular than English ones, and there are only two rules to learn, plus the small changes in spelling that follow from them. The articles change too, and the plural is also how Spanish refers to a mixed group. Once this lesson is done, you will be able to turn any phrase from Lesson 2.1 into its plural without a list of exceptions.

The method
  1. After a vowel add -s. libro → libros, casa → casas, estudiante → estudiantes, café → cafés.
  2. After a consonant add -es. ciudad → ciudades, profesor → profesores, papel → papeles.
  3. A final z becomes c before -es. lápiz → lápices, vez → veces, pez → peces. Spanish does not write z before e or i in this position.
  4. Words ending in -s that are stressed on the last syllable add -es. país → países, autobús → autobuses. Words not stressed on the last syllable do not change: el lunes → los lunes, la crisis → las crisis.
  5. The accent may disappear or appear. Adding a syllable can change the stress rule. canción → canciones loses its accent. joven → jóvenes and examen → exámenes gain one, because without it the stress would shift.
  6. The articles become plural. el → los, la → las, un → unos, una → unas. Unos and unas mean "some" or "a few".
  7. Every word agrees. The article and the noun are both plural: los libros and las casas, never los libro. Adjectives follow in Lesson 2.4.
  8. A mixed group is masculine plural. Los hijos can mean sons, or sons and daughters together. Los padres means parents. Los hermanos is brothers, or brothers and sisters. Use the feminine plural only when every member is female.

Where students lose marks: forgetting to make the article plural and spelling the z. El lápices is wrong twice: the article is singular and the z should be a c, giving los lápices. Always change the article first, then the noun.

Worked example

The problem. Write the plural, with its article, of el lápiz, la ciudad, la canción, el joven, el lunes, el agua.

Step one: el lápiz. It ends in a consonant, so add -es. The z must become c: los lápices.

Step two: la ciudad. It ends in d, a consonant: las ciudades.

Step three: la canción. Add -es: canciones. The word now has three syllables and the stress falls on -cio- by rule, so the accent is dropped: las canciones.

Step four: el joven. Add -es: jóvenes. Without an accent the stress rule would put the stress on -ve-, so the accent goes on the first syllable: los jóvenes.

Step five: el lunes. It already ends in -s and is not stressed on the last syllable, so the noun does not change. Only the article does: los lunes.

Step six: el agua. The plural article is regular, because the stress exception applies only to the singular: las aguas.

Step seven: add the indefinite plural. The same nouns with "some": unos lápices, unas ciudades, unas canciones, unos jóvenes, unos lunes, unas aguas.

Step eight: check. Each article was changed first, each noun then took -s or -es, and the three spelling changes (z → c, the accent dropped, the accent added) were each the result of the stress rule, not memory.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the plural of el libro.
    Show the full solution

    Vowel ending, add -s. los libros

  2. Write the plural of la mesa.
    Show the full solution

    las mesas

  3. Write the plural of el profesor.
    Show the full solution

    Consonant ending, add -es. los profesores

  4. Write the plural of una ciudad.
    Show the full solution

    Both the article and the noun change. unas ciudades

  5. Write the plural of el lápiz.
    Show the full solution

    Add -es and change z to c. los lápices

  6. Write the plural of la lección and explain the accent.
    Show the full solution

    Lecciones. The added syllable puts the stress where the rule already wants it, so the accent is no longer needed. las lecciones

  7. Write the plural of el joven and explain the accent.
    Show the full solution

    Jóvenes. Without the accent the stress would fall on the second syllable. The accent keeps it on the first. los jóvenes

  8. Find the error: Tengo tres lápiz y dos cuaderno.
    Show the full solution

    Both nouns must be plural after a number. Lápiz becomes lápices and cuaderno becomes cuadernos. Tengo tres lápices y dos cuadernos.

  9. Explain why los lunes and los sábados do not form the plural the same way.
    Show the full solution

    Lunes already ends in -s and is not stressed on the last syllable, so the noun stays the same and only the article changes. Sábado ends in a vowel, so it simply adds -s. los lunes; los sábados

  10. You describe a group of two boys and three girls. Do you say los chicos or las chicas? Write "the children" for a mixed group of niño/niña.
    Show the full solution

    A mixed group is masculine plural, even if females outnumber males. los chicos; los niños

Lesson 2.3 · Unit 2 · Communication: interpersonal

There is, there are, and the things in a classroom

The first thing you will want to say about a place is what is in it. Spanish has one small word for that, hay, and it never changes. It also introduces the first real vocabulary of the year, the objects in a classroom, and it forces the habit you built in Lessons 2.1 and 2.2: every noun has a gender and a number, and you choose the article with that in mind.

The method
  1. Hay means "there is" and "there are". The form never changes: Hay un libro. Hay tres libros. It is pronounced exactly like the English word "eye".
  2. Hay is followed by an indefinite or a number. un, una, unos, unas, a number or a quantity word: Hay una mesa. Hay dos sillas. Hay muchos estudiantes. Never the definite article. Hay el libro is wrong.
  3. Ask with ¿Hay...? The question word is the same word with marks: ¿Hay un lápiz? To ask how many, use ¿Cuántos hay? with masculine nouns and ¿Cuántas hay? with feminine: ¿Cuántas sillas hay? (How many chairs are there?)
  4. Say no with no hay. No hay libros. After no hay you often drop the article: No hay profesor hoy (There is no teacher today).
  5. Learn the classroom nouns with their gender. el libro, el cuaderno, el lápiz, el bolígrafo, el escritorio, el reloj, el mapa, el papel and la mesa, la silla, la pizarra, la mochila, la puerta, la ventana, la carpeta, la tiza, la computadora. In Spain, el ordenador replaces la computadora.
  6. People in the room. el profesor / la profesora, el estudiante / la estudiante, el compañero / la compañera (classmate).
  7. Say what a thing is with ¿Qué es esto? Es... ¿Qué es esto? Es un cuaderno. You will use es here as a set phrase. Lesson 3.2 explains it.
  8. Hay is a count, so keep numbers in agreement. The noun after a number is plural, and uno shortens: Hay veintiún estudiantes. Hay una profesora.

Where students lose marks: using the definite article and pluralizing hay. Hay los libros and Hay tres mesas are different errors from Hay becoming hayn or han: there is no plural of hay. One short word covers one or twenty, and it never takes el.

Worked example

The problem. Describe a classroom in Spanish: there is a teacher, 24 students, a board, two windows, no computer, and some maps. Then ask how many desks there are.

Step one: choose the verb. Everything here is existence, so hay is the verb in every sentence and it does not change.

Step two: the teacher. A woman or a man is not specified, so use a masculine form in the example: Hay un profesor. The article is indefinite, un.

Step three: 24 students. The number is veinticuatro, followed by a plural noun: Hay veinticuatro estudiantes.

Step four: the board. Pizarra is feminine: Hay una pizarra.

Step five: two windows. A feminine plural noun with a number: Hay dos ventanas.

Step six: no computer. Use no hay and drop the article: No hay computadora.

Step seven: some maps. Mapa is masculine, so "some maps" is unos mapas: Hay unos mapas.

Step eight: ask the question and check. The question is masculine plural: ¿Cuántos escritorios hay? (Escritorio is masculine, so cuántos.) Check: hay never changed, no definite article followed it, and each noun agrees with its article and number.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "There is a book."
    Show the full solution

    Hay un libro.

  2. Say "There are three chairs."
    Show the full solution

    Silla is feminine and the noun is plural. Hay tres sillas.

  3. Say "There is no board."
    Show the full solution

    Use no hay. No hay pizarra.

  4. What does ¿Qué es esto? mean?
    Show the full solution

    What is this?

  5. Write "a pencil" and "a backpack" with the correct articles.
    Show the full solution

    Lápiz is masculine and mochila is feminine. un lápiz; una mochila

  6. Ask "Are there pens?" and "How many pens are there?"
    Show the full solution

    Bolígrafo is masculine, so "how many" is cuántos. ¿Hay bolígrafos? ¿Cuántos bolígrafos hay?

  7. Find the error: Hay los cuadernos en la mesa.
    Show the full solution

    Hay introduces something new, so it does not take the definite article. Use an indefinite or a number. Hay unos cuadernos en la mesa.

  8. Translate: "There are twenty-one students and one teacher."
    Show the full solution

    21 before a masculine plural noun is veintiún. Hay does not change. Hay veintiún estudiantes y un profesor.

  9. Answer in Spanish: ¿Cuántas ventanas hay? if the room has four.
    Show the full solution

    Restate with hay and the number. Hay cuatro ventanas.

  10. Describe in three Spanish sentences a classroom with a board, thirty chairs and no map.
    Show the full solution

    Each sentence uses hay, with an indefinite article or number and no definite article. One correct answer: Hay una pizarra. Hay treinta sillas. No hay mapa.

Lesson 2.4 · Unit 2 · Structures

Adjectives change to match their nouns

In English "tall" is always "tall". In Spanish an adjective takes the gender and number of the noun it describes, so one adjective has up to four forms. This is the idea behind most written errors in first-year Spanish, and it is easy to learn once you see that there are only two kinds of adjective. The question to ask each time is not about the speaker. It is about the noun.

The method
  1. An adjective agrees with its noun. In gender and in number, every time. el niño alto, la niña alta, los niños altos, las niñas altas.
  2. Four-form adjectives end in -o. alto, alta, altos, altas. Change the -o to -a for feminine, then add -s for plural.
  3. Two-form adjectives end in -e or most consonants. inteligente and fácil do not change for gender: un libro fácil, una prueba fácil. They add only -s or -es for plural: fáciles, inteligentes.
  4. Agreement is with the noun, not the speaker. A boy who says El libro es interesante uses the form for libro. La clase es difícil is feminine because clase is, whoever says it.
  5. The adjective follows the verb the same way. La casa es grande. Las casas son grandes. El problema es difícil. After es or son it still matches the subject.
  6. Plural spelling follows Lesson 2.2. A consonant adds -es, z becomes c, an accent may appear or disappear: joven → jóvenes, fácil → fáciles, feliz → felices.
  7. A mixed group takes the masculine plural. Mis padres son simpáticos. Marta y Luis son altos. One masculine noun in the group makes the adjective masculine.
  8. Two nouns, one adjective. When an adjective describes two nouns of different gender, use the masculine plural: el libro y la mesa son nuevos. When both are feminine, use the feminine plural.

Where students lose marks: leaving an adjective in the dictionary form (las casas son bonito) or inventing a feminine for a two-form adjective (la clase es interesanta). Interesante never has an -a form. Before writing an adjective, ask: is this a four-form or a two-form adjective, and what are the gender and number of the noun?

Worked example

The problem. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the adjective in parentheses: (1) La profesora es ___ (inteligente). (2) Los libros son ___ (nuevo). (3) Las clases son ___ (difícil). (4) Marta y Luis son ___ (alto).

Step one: classify the adjectives. Inteligente ends in -e, so it has two forms. Nuevo and alto end in -o, so they have four. Difícil ends in a consonant, so it has two.

Step two: sentence 1, find the noun. The adjective describes la profesora: feminine, singular.

Step three: sentence 1, choose the form. A two-form adjective has no separate feminine, so the singular is inteligente: La profesora es inteligente.

Step four: sentence 2. The noun is los libros: masculine plural. Nuevo becomes nuevos: Los libros son nuevos.

Step five: sentence 3. The noun is las clases: feminine plural. Difícil is two-form, so add -es: difíciles. The accent stays on the first syllable: Las clases son difíciles.

Step six: sentence 4. The subject is Marta (feminine) and Luis (masculine). A mixed group is masculine plural: altos.

Step seven: write sentence 4. Marta y Luis son altos.

Step eight: check each sentence. The nouns were identified first, the adjectives classified second, and the endings chosen third. The answers are inteligente, nuevos, difíciles, altos.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Give the four forms of bajo (short).
    Show the full solution

    Ends in -o, so four forms. bajo, baja, bajos, bajas

  2. Give the feminine singular of simpático (nice).
    Show the full solution

    Change -o to -a, keep the accent. simpática

  3. Complete: La casa es ___ (grande).
    Show the full solution

    Grande is two-form. grande

  4. Complete: Los estudiantes son ___ (inteligente).
    Show the full solution

    Masculine plural, two-form: add -s. inteligentes

  5. Complete: Las mochilas son ___ (nuevo).
    Show the full solution

    Feminine plural. nuevas

  6. Complete: El examen es ___ (difícil). and Los exámenes son ___ (difícil).
    Show the full solution

    Difícil is two-form. The plural adds -es. difícil; difíciles

  7. Find the error: La clase es interesanta.
    Show the full solution

    Interesante is a two-form adjective ending in -e, so it has no -a form. La clase es interesante.

  8. Write in Spanish: "The books are old and the notebook is new." (viejo, nuevo)
    Show the full solution

    The books are masculine plural, so viejos. The notebook is masculine singular, so nuevo. Los libros son viejos y el cuaderno es nuevo.

  9. Complete with the correct form: El libro y la mochila son ___ (bonito).
    Show the full solution

    One masculine and one feminine noun gives the masculine plural. bonitos

  10. A girl says Yo soy ___ (alto) about herself. Which form does she use, and what does that show about agreement?
    Show the full solution

    She uses alta, because the subject yo refers to a girl, so the adjective describes a feminine person. A boy would say alto. Agreement is with the person or thing described, so with a person it follows their sex. Yo soy alta.

Lesson 2.5 · Unit 2 · Structures

Where the adjective goes, and the colors

English puts adjectives before the noun: "a red car". Spanish usually puts them after: un coche rojo. That one habit is the second great structural difference between the languages, and the exceptions are few and quite reasonable. This lesson gives the rule, the short list of words that go first, the handful that shorten, and the colors you will use to practice them.

The method
  1. Descriptive adjectives go after the noun. They tell you which kind: una casa grande, un perro negro, una profesora simpática. The noun comes first and the adjective follows.
  2. Quantity words go before. Numbers, mucho, poco, todo, otro, algunos and the articles come first: dos gatos, muchos libros, pocas sillas. They answer "how many", not "what kind".
  3. The colors. rojo (red), azul (blue), amarillo (yellow), verde (green), negro (black), blanco (white), gris (gray), anaranjado (orange), morado (purple), rosado (pink), marrón (brown).
  4. Colors agree like any adjective. rojo has four forms. Azul, verde, gris, marrón are two-form: una mesa azul, dos mesas azules, una camisa verde, unos zapatos grises. Colors are adjectives, so they follow the noun.
  5. Some colors do not change. Naranja and rosa, when taken from a fruit or flower, are often invariable: dos camisas naranja. Anaranjado and rosado are the regular four-form versions.
  6. Some adjectives shorten before a masculine singular noun. bueno → buen, malo → mal, primero → primer, tercero → tercer: un buen libro, un mal día, el primer día. Before a feminine noun they stay: una buena idea.
  7. Some adjectives change meaning with position. un gran hombre is a great man, and un hombre grande is a large man. Gran is the shortened grande and means "great" before a singular noun.
  8. Stack with y. Two adjectives after a noun are joined by y: una casa grande y blanca. Both agree with the noun.

Where students lose marks: English word order. Un rojo coche and una grande casa are English structures. The default is noun first, adjective second. The exceptions you must remember are quantity words (before) and the shortening of bueno, malo, primero and tercero.

Worked example

The problem. Say in Spanish: (1) a red car (coche, masculine); (2) two white houses; (3) a good day; (4) many green notebooks; (5) a big, blue backpack.

Step one: sentence 1, the order. "Red" is a color, so it follows the noun: coche rojo.

Step two: sentence 1, article. Coche is masculine, so un coche rojo.

Step three: sentence 2. The number goes before. Casa is feminine and plural, so the adjective is feminine plural: dos casas blancas.

Step four: sentence 3. Bueno may go before the noun and shortens before a masculine singular: un buen día. Día is masculine despite its ending.

Step five: sentence 4. Muchos is a quantity word and goes before. It agrees with cuadernos: masculine plural. Verde is two-form, so only the plural changes: muchos cuadernos verdes.

Step six: sentence 5, the noun. Mochila is feminine and singular: una mochila.

Step seven: sentence 5, both adjectives. Both follow the noun and agree. Join them with y: una mochila grande y azul. Azul is two-form, so it is unchanged.

Step eight: check. Descriptive adjectives came after their nouns, quantity words and the shortened buen came before, and every adjective matched its noun. The answers: un coche rojo, dos casas blancas, un buen día, muchos cuadernos verdes, una mochila grande y azul.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "a black cat" (gato, masculine).
    Show the full solution

    The color follows the noun. un gato negro

  2. Say "a white house."
    Show the full solution

    Feminine noun, feminine adjective. una casa blanca

  3. Say "three blue pens" (bolígrafos).
    Show the full solution

    Azul is two-form and takes -es for plural. tres bolígrafos azules

  4. What is gris in English, and what is its plural?
    Show the full solution

    It means "gray". It ends in a consonant, so the plural adds -es. gray; grises

  5. Write the short form of bueno in "a good friend" (masculine).
    Show the full solution

    Before a masculine singular noun bueno shortens to buen. un buen amigo

  6. Say "a good idea" and explain why it is not buen.
    Show the full solution

    Idea is feminine, so bueno does not shorten and takes its feminine form. una buena idea

  7. Find the errors: Tengo una roja mochila y muchos azul lápices.
    Show the full solution

    The colors belong after the noun. Azul must be plural (azules). Tengo una mochila roja y muchos lápices azules.

  8. Translate: "The yellow pencils and the green notebook are new."
    Show the full solution

    Colors follow their nouns. Nuevo describes one masculine plural subject, since lápices is masculine and cuaderno is masculine too. Los lápices amarillos y el cuaderno verde son nuevos.

  9. Explain the difference between un gran hombre and un hombre grande.
    Show the full solution

    Before the noun, the shortened gran means "great" or "important". After the noun, grande means physically large. a great man; a large man

  10. Describe in Spanish a classroom object of your choice using a quantity, a noun and two colors.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Hay dos mochilas azules y negras. It uses hay, a number before the noun, and two colors after it joined with y, both feminine plural. Hay dos mochilas azules y negras.

Lesson 2.6 · Unit 2 · Communication: presentational

Describing yourself, your friends and your family

Describing people is the first real thing you can do with adjectives. It combines every idea of this unit: gender and number, position, and the vocabulary of appearance and personality. You will also meet the words es and son, the forms of the verb "to be" that most descriptions use. Lesson 3.2 explains the whole verb. Here you only need the two forms that describe a person.

The method
  1. Describe a person with es and son. Mi hermano es alto. Mis padres son simpáticos. Es goes with one person, son with more than one. For yourself use soy: Soy alta.
  2. Appearance. alto, bajo, delgado, gordo, joven, viejo, guapo, bonito, feo, pelirrojo, and moreno (dark-haired), rubio (blond), castaño (brown).
  3. Personality. simpático, antipático, amable, inteligente, trabajador, perezoso, divertido, serio, tímido, generoso, paciente, sociable. Most end in -o or -e. Trabajador and perezoso have four forms as trabajadora, perezosa.
  4. Hair and eyes use tener. Tengo el pelo largo. Tiene los ojos azules. Tienen el pelo rubio. Spanish says "I have the long hair" and uses the article for body parts, and the adjective goes after the noun.
  5. The plural of gender pairs. mi amigo, mi amiga, mis amigos. Mis amigos can be all boys or a mixed group. Check that the adjective matches: Mis amigos son divertidos.
  6. Make the description fuller with an intensifier. muy (very), bastante (fairly), un poco (a little), nada (not at all). Muy never changes: Es muy alta. Son muy altas.
  7. Contrast with pero. Es inteligente pero perezoso. and with y: Es amable y generosa. Both adjectives agree with the same person.
  8. Learn the gender pairs for family. Descriptions often involve the same nouns as the family: mi madre es morena, mi padre es rubio.

Where students lose marks: forgetting to change the adjective for a girl and using tener for appearance. Ella es alto is wrong, and so is Tengo azules ojos. A correct description of eyes is Tengo los ojos azules.

Worked example

The problem. Describe your sister in Spanish: she is tall and fairly thin, has long brown hair and green eyes, and is intelligent but lazy. Then describe your two parents as very nice.

Step one: choose the verb for what she is. Appearance and personality use es for one person.

Step two: tall and thin. Hermana is feminine, so alta and delgada. "Fairly" is bastante and does not change: Mi hermana es alta y bastante delgada.

Step three: hair uses tener. "She has long brown hair" is Tiene el pelo largo y castaño. The noun pelo is masculine singular, so both adjectives are masculine singular and follow the noun.

Step four: eyes. Eyes are plural and masculine: Tiene los ojos verdes. Verde is two-form, so it takes -s.

Step five: personality. The adjectives describe her, so they are feminine: inteligente (two-form, no change) and perezosa (four-form). Contrast with pero: Es inteligente pero perezosa.

Step six: the parents. The subject is plural, so use son. "Very nice" is muy simpáticos. A mother and a father is a mixed group, which is masculine plural: Mis padres son muy simpáticos.

Step seven: assemble the paragraph. Mi hermana es alta y bastante delgada. Tiene el pelo largo y castaño y los ojos verdes. Es inteligente pero perezosa. Mis padres son muy simpáticos.

Step eight: check. Es was used for one subject and son for two, hair and eyes took tener with an article, and each adjective matched its noun's gender and number.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "My brother is tall."
    Show the full solution

    Masculine subject, masculine adjective. Mi hermano es alto.

  2. Say "My sister is tall."
    Show the full solution

    Change the adjective to feminine. Mi hermana es alta.

  3. Say "They are friendly" about two girls (amable).
    Show the full solution

    Son for plural, and amable is two-form. Son amables.

  4. What does pelirrojo mean?
    Show the full solution

    It describes a person with red hair. red-haired

  5. Say "I am very tall" if you are a boy.
    Show the full solution

    Use soy, with muy unchanged. Soy muy alto.

  6. Write "She has blue eyes" in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Use tener, the article, and the color after the plural noun. Tiene los ojos azules.

  7. Find the error: Mi madre es simpático y trabajador.
    Show the full solution

    The subject is feminine, so both adjectives must be too. Mi madre es simpática y trabajadora.

  8. Find the error: Tengo azules los ojos.
    Show the full solution

    The color follows the noun. Tengo los ojos azules.

  9. Translate: "My two friends (girls) are funny and generous."
    Show the full solution

    Feminine plural, amigas. Divertido becomes divertidas and generoso becomes generosas. Mis dos amigas son divertidas y generosas.

  10. Write four Spanish sentences describing a real person you know: appearance, hair, eyes, personality.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer for a boy: Mi primo es alto y delgado. Tiene el pelo corto y negro. Tiene los ojos marrones. Es muy divertido. Check that es and tiene are used correctly, that hair and eyes take tener, and that every adjective agrees with the person. Mi primo es alto y delgado...

Lesson 2.7 · Unit 2 · Cultures

Where people are from, and what to call them

Spanish is the main language of more than twenty countries, so naming countries and nationalities is useful from the first day. Nationality words are adjectives, so they follow the rules you just learned, with one extra pattern for words that end in a consonant. They are also not capitalized, which surprises English speakers. This lesson gives you the core list and the patterns that generate the rest.

The method
  1. The Spanish-speaking countries to know first. España, México, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico, la República Dominicana, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay. Capitalize country names.
  2. Other countries. Estados Unidos, Canadá, Francia, Alemania, Italia, Inglaterra, China, Japón, Brasil. Estados Unidos is usually written with los, as in los Estados Unidos.
  3. Nationalities ending in -o have four forms. mexicano, cubano, colombiano, argentino, peruano, chileno, italiano, chino, venezolano. The feminine is mexicana, plural mexicanos, mexicanas.
  4. Nationalities ending in a consonant add -a for the feminine. español → española, alemán → alemana, francés → francesa, inglés → inglesa, japonés → japonesa. Notice that the final accent disappears in the feminine and in the plural: franceses, francesas.
  5. Nationalities ending in -e, -a or -ista have two forms. estadounidense, canadiense, nicaragüense and costarricense do not change for gender: un chico canadiense, una chica canadiense. Only the plural adds -s.
  6. Nationalities are lowercase. They are adjectives, and they follow the noun: un estudiante colombiano. The same applies to languages: el español, el inglés, el francés.
  7. Say where someone is from with ser de. Soy de México. Ella es de Chile. ¿De dónde eres? ¿De dónde son ustedes? You may also use the nationality: Soy mexicana. Both answer "where are you from?"
  8. The country and the person. A person is colombiano and the country is Colombia. Do not mix them: Soy de Colombia and Soy colombiano are correct, but Soy Colombia is not.

Where students lose marks: capitalizing the nationality and forgetting the feminine of the consonant words. Ella es Española has the wrong capital, and Ella es español has the wrong gender. The correct form is Ella es española. The feminine of a word ending in a consonant adds -a and drops the accent.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) Pedro is from Spain; he is Spanish. (2) Marie is French (a girl). (3) Hans and Ute are German (a boy and a girl). (4) Ask a friend where he is from. (5) Say that two girls from Canada are Canadian.

Step one: sentence 1, the country. The country name is España. The verb phrase is es de for a person: Pedro es de España.

Step two: sentence 1, the nationality. Español ends in a consonant. For a boy it is unchanged and lowercase: Es español.

Step three: sentence 2. Francés ends in a consonant. For a girl add -a and drop the accent: Marie es francesa.

Step four: sentence 3, the forms. Alemán has a boy form alemán and a girl form alemana.

Step five: sentence 3, the group. Hans and Ute are two people, one of each sex. The adjective is masculine plural, and the accent is lost with the added -es: alemanes. Hans y Ute son alemanes.

Step six: sentence 4. A friend means tú: ¿De dónde eres? With both marks, the accent on dónde, and eres.

Step seven: sentence 5. Canadiense is two-form. The subject is plural, so add -s: Las chicas son canadienses. Their country is Canadá, with an accent.

Step eight: check. Country names are capitalized and nationalities are not. Consonant-ending words changed for gender and dropped their accent, -e words did not change, and every plural was formed by the rules of Lesson 2.2.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the nationality of a boy from Mexico.
    Show the full solution

    Ends in -o, four forms. Lowercase. mexicano

  2. Write the nationality of a girl from Argentina.
    Show the full solution

    argentina

  3. Write the feminine of inglés.
    Show the full solution

    Add -a and drop the accent. inglesa

  4. Is canadiense the same for a boy and a girl?
    Show the full solution

    Yes. It ends in -e, so it is a two-form adjective. Yes

  5. Say "I am from Chile."
    Show the full solution

    Use soy de and the country name. Soy de Chile.

  6. Write "Ana and Sara are Spanish." Both are girls.
    Show the full solution

    Feminine plural of español: españolas. Ana y Sara son españolas.

  7. Write "Luis and Marta are Cuban."
    Show the full solution

    A mixed group takes the masculine plural. Luis y Marta son cubanos.

  8. Find the errors: Ella es Española y él es Francés.
    Show the full solution

    The forms are right (española for her, francés for him), but nationalities are lowercase in Spanish, so both capitals are errors. Ella es española y él es francés.

  9. Ask two friends where they are from, and give the answer "We are from Peru."
    Show the full solution

    For two people use ustedes with son. The answer is plural, somos de. ¿De dónde son ustedes? Somos de Perú.

  10. A student writes Soy Colombia. Explain the error and give two corrections.
    Show the full solution

    She mixed up the country name with the person. The country is Colombia and a person is colombiano or colombiana. Corrections: Soy de Colombia. Soy colombiana.

Unit 2 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 2 review: People, Things and Descriptions

These are mixed across all seven lessons. Before you write any Spanish, name the gender and number of every noun, because everything else in a phrase has to match it.

  1. Give el or la and the reason: mano, problema, ciudad, día.
    Show the full solution

    Mano is a feminine exception in -o. Problema is a masculine word in -ma. Ciudad ends in the feminine -dad. Día is a masculine exception in -a. la mano, el problema, la ciudad, el día

  2. Write the plural with the article: el lápiz, la canción, el joven.
    Show the full solution

    A final z becomes c before -es. Canción loses its accent. Joven gains one so the stress stays on the first syllable. los lápices, las canciones, los jóvenes

  3. Say "There are twenty-one students and one teacher."
    Show the full solution

    Hay never changes. Veintiuno shortens to veintiún before a masculine noun, and un goes with profesor. Hay veintiún estudiantes y un profesor.

  4. Complete with the correct forms: Las casas son ___ y ___ (grande, blanco).
    Show the full solution

    Grande has two forms and only adds -s. Blanco has four, and the noun is feminine plural. grandes, blancas

  5. Say "a red backpack and two blue pens" (bolígrafos).
    Show the full solution

    Colors follow the noun and agree with it. Azul adds -es in the plural. una mochila roja y dos bolígrafos azules

  6. Say "a good friend" (a boy) and "a good idea."
    Show the full solution

    Bueno shortens to buen before a masculine singular noun, and stays buena before a feminine one. un buen amigo; una buena idea

  7. Say "My mother is tall, has green eyes, and is intelligent but lazy."
    Show the full solution

    Appearance and personality use es, eyes use tener with the article, and the adjectives agree with a feminine subject. Mi madre es alta, tiene los ojos verdes y es inteligente pero perezosa.

  8. Say that Ana is Spanish, Pierre is French and Hans and Ute (a boy and a girl) are German.
    Show the full solution

    Nationalities are lowercase. A mixed group is masculine plural, and alemán loses its accent when -es is added. Ana es española, Pierre es francés y Hans y Ute son alemanes.

  9. Find the errors: La problema es interesanta y los libros son nuevo.
    Show the full solution

    Problema is masculine. Interesante is a two-form adjective, so there is no -a form. Libros is plural, so the adjective is too. El problema es interesante y los libros son nuevos.

  10. Say where Marta is from (Colombia) in two ways.
    Show the full solution

    The country takes de, and the nationality is an adjective that agrees with Marta. Marta es de Colombia. Marta es colombiana.

Lesson 3.1 · Unit 3 · Structures

Who is speaking, who is spoken to, and who is spoken about

Every Spanish verb ending depends on its subject, so before you can use a verb you need the nine subject words. They look like the English list with two surprises: Spanish has two ways to say "you" in the singular, one for friends and one for respect, and it does not need to say the pronoun at all most of the time. This lesson gives the list, the choice between tú and usted, and the rule for when to leave the pronoun out.

The method
  1. The subject pronouns. yo (I), tú (you, informal), él (he), ella (she), usted (you, formal), nosotros, nosotras (we), vosotros, vosotras (you all, Spain), ellos, ellas (they), ustedes (you all).
  2. Yo is not capitalized, and there is no word for "it". Yo is lowercase unless it begins a sentence. Spanish has no subject word for things: Es difícil means "It is difficult" and Son nuevos means "They are new".
  3. Use tú with people close to you, usted with respect. Tú is for friends, classmates, family and young people. Usted (written Ud.) is for teachers, elders, strangers, officials and anyone you would address by title. When you are not sure, usted is the safe choice.
  4. Plural "you" is ustedes everywhere in Latin America. It serves for friends and for strangers alike. Spain separates vosotros (informal) from ustedes (formal). This course drills ustedes and gives vosotros in the tables.
  5. Plural pronouns show gender. Nosotras and ellas are used only for an all-female group. A mixed group, or a group with one male, takes nosotros and ellos.
  6. Usually leave the pronoun out. The verb ending already shows the subject, so Hablo español is normal and Yo hablo español sounds emphatic. Drop the pronoun unless there is a reason to keep it.
  7. Keep the pronoun for contrast or to avoid confusion. Yo soy de Chile, y tú eres de Perú. The forms for él, ella and usted are identical, so the pronoun clarifies who is meant when the sentence is unclear.
  8. Usted takes the third-person verb. Although it means "you", usted takes the same verb form as él and ella, and ustedes takes the same as ellos. That is why ¿Cómo está usted? uses está. In Argentina and parts of Central America vos replaces tú in speech.

Where students lose marks: the English structure. Yo is not capitalized, a pronoun for "it" is never written, and using tú with a teacher or él for a group of mixed people are common errors. Ask two questions first: is this person someone I address formally, and how many people, of what gender?

Worked example

The problem. Choose the correct subject pronoun for each situation: (1) you talk about yourself; (2) you speak to your teacher; (3) you speak to your best friend; (4) you talk about your two sisters; (5) you talk about your brother and your sister; (6) you speak to a group of three classmates in Mexico.

Step one: situation 1. You are the speaker, one person: yo, lowercase unless it starts a sentence.

Step two: situation 2. A teacher is someone you address with respect, so the form is usted.

Step three: situation 3. A friend is informal and close: tú.

Step four: situation 4. Two sisters is a group of women: ellas.

Step five: situation 5. One brother and one sister is a mixed group, so the masculine plural wins: ellos.

Step six: situation 6. Three classmates in Mexico: plural "you" in Latin America is always ustedes, even among friends.

Step seven: decide whether to write the pronoun. In a sentence like "We are from Peru" you would normally drop nosotros. You would keep it only to contrast: Ellos son de Chile, pero nosotros somos de Perú. Lesson 3.2 gives the verb forms.

Step eight: check. The six answers are yo, usted, tú, ellas, ellos, ustedes. Each was chosen from the number of people, their gender, and how close the speaker is to them.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is "we" for an all-girl group?
    Show the full solution

    The feminine plural. nosotras

  2. Which pronoun do you use to speak to your grandmother's doctor?
    Show the full solution

    An adult professional you address with respect. usted

  3. Which pronoun do you use for a girl you are talking about?
    Show the full solution

    ella

  4. What is the plural of usted?
    Show the full solution

    ustedes

  5. How do you say "It is important" without a pronoun for "it"?
    Show the full solution

    Spanish writes no subject for "it". Importante is two-form. Es importante.

  6. Choose the pronoun: you speak to two friends who are boys in Mexico.
    Show the full solution

    In Latin America plural "you" is always ustedes, even for friends. ustedes

  7. Choose the pronoun for "they": two boys and four girls.
    Show the full solution

    A mixed group takes the masculine plural. ellos

  8. Find the errors: Yo is capitalized in Mañana Yo voy con Él. What should change?
    Show the full solution

    Yo and él are not capitalized in the middle of a sentence. The pronoun yo is usually dropped altogether. Mañana voy con él.

  9. You meet a new teacher. Which form of "you" do you use, and what verb form follows it?
    Show the full solution

    You use usted, and it takes the same verb form as él and ella. usted, with the third-person verb

  10. Explain why Yo soy de Chile, y tú eres de Perú keeps both pronouns while Soy de Chile does not.
    Show the full solution

    The pronouns are kept for contrast between two people. When the speaker is clear from the ending, the pronoun is unnecessary. They mark a contrast.

Lesson 3.2 · Unit 3 · Structures

The verb ser and its six forms

Spanish has two verbs that mean "to be", ser and estar, and this is the first of them. It is the verb for what something is: who you are, what you do, where you come from, what you are like. It is also fully irregular, so its forms must be learned as a set. You have already used soy, es and son as set phrases. Here is the whole verb.

The method
  1. Ser means "to be". The infinitive ser is the dictionary form. It is irregular, which means its forms are not predictable from the stem and must be memorized.
  2. The present tense. yo soy, tú eres, él / ella / usted es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos / ellas / ustedes son.
  3. Pick the form by the subject. One subject, three forms to remember: the first person soy, the "you" informal eres, and everyone else singular es. Plural: somos (we) and son (they, you all).
  4. The ending carries the subject. Because each form is different, the pronoun is usually dropped: Soy estudiante. Eres simpático. Somos amigos.
  5. Make it negative with no before the verb. No soy alto. No somos de aquí. There is no helper word like English "do" or "am not".
  6. Ask a question by changing the intonation or the order. ¿Eres estudiante? or ¿Es ella la profesora? The verb may come before the subject. Both marks are required.
  7. No article before a profession or nationality. Soy estudiante. Ella es profesora. Somos españoles. Add an article only if a describing word follows: Es una profesora excelente.
  8. Ser links two equal things. What follows ser is a noun or an adjective that renames or describes the subject. It never takes estoy or hay in its place. Lesson 3.3 says what ser expresses.

Where students lose marks: the wrong person and the wrong verb. Yo es, tú soy and nosotros son are agreement errors. Soy quince años uses ser where Spanish uses tener, and Es un profesor adds an article that is not needed. A profession after ser takes no article unless it is described.

Worked example

The problem. Complete each sentence with the correct form of ser: (1) Yo ___ estudiante. (2) Tú ___ muy simpático. (3) Mi madre ___ profesora. (4) Ana y yo ___ amigas. (5) Los libros ___ nuevos. Then make sentence 1 negative and turn sentence 2 into a question.

Step one: sentence 1. The subject is yo. The form is soy: Yo soy estudiante. There is no article before estudiante.

Step two: sentence 2. The subject is tú, so the form is eres: Tú eres muy simpático.

Step three: sentence 3. Mi madre stands for ella, a third-person singular subject, so use es: Mi madre es profesora.

Step four: sentence 4. Ana y yo is "we", so the form is somos: Ana y yo somos amigas.

Step five: sentence 5. Los libros is plural, third person, so the form is son: Los libros son nuevos.

Step six: the negative. Put no directly before the verb: Yo no soy estudiante. In everyday speech you would drop the pronoun: No soy estudiante.

Step seven: the question. Add both marks and change the intonation, or move the verb: ¿Eres muy simpático? or ¿Eres tú muy simpático?

Step eight: check. The five answers are soy, eres, es, somos, son. Each was chosen by finding the subject and its person, not by translating from English.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of ser.
    Show the full solution

    soy

  2. Write the tú form of ser.
    Show the full solution

    eres

  3. Complete: Ella ___ de Colombia.
    Show the full solution

    Third-person singular. es

  4. Complete: Nosotros ___ amigos.
    Show the full solution

    somos

  5. Complete: Ustedes ___ estudiantes.
    Show the full solution

    Ustedes takes the same form as ellos. son

  6. Make negative: Somos de México.
    Show the full solution

    Put no before the verb. No somos de México.

  7. Turn into a question: Eres estudiante.
    Show the full solution

    Add both marks. ¿Eres estudiante?

  8. Find the error: Yo es profesor y tú soy estudiante.
    Show the full solution

    Both verbs are in the wrong person. Yo takes soy and tú takes eres. Yo soy profesor y tú eres estudiante.

  9. Find the error: Mi tío es un médico., meaning "My uncle is a doctor."
    Show the full solution

    A profession after ser takes no article unless it is described. Mi tío es médico.

  10. Translate and drop every unnecessary pronoun: "We are not students, but they are students."
    Show the full solution

    "We" is dropped, "they" is kept for contrast, and pero joins the two clauses: No somos estudiantes, pero ellos son estudiantes.

Lesson 3.3 · Unit 3 · Communication: interpersonal

What ser is used for

Knowing the forms of ser is half of the work. The other half is knowing when it is the right verb, and for that the tradition is a mnemonic: ser is for what is basic and lasting about a thing, such as what it is, who it belongs to and where it comes from. This lesson gives the six uses under one word you can remember, DOCTOR, and two more.

The method
  1. D is for Description. Basic physical qualities: Mi casa es grande. El cielo es azul. What something is like by nature.
  2. O is for Occupation. What a person does: Mi padre es ingeniero. Somos estudiantes. No article after ser (Lesson 3.2).
  3. C is for Characteristic. Personality and lasting traits: Es simpática. Ellos son trabajadores.
  4. T is for Time. The hour, the day and the date: Son las tres. Hoy es lunes. Es el dos de mayo. Lessons 1.7 and 3.4.
  5. O is for Origin. Where someone or something comes from: Soy de Panamá. El café es de Colombia. Somos mexicanos.
  6. R is for Relationship. Family and friendship: Es mi hermano. Son mis amigos. Ella es mi profesora.
  7. Ser with de shows possession. Spanish has no apostrophe-s. Write the owner after de: El libro es de Ana (Ana's book). ¿De quién es la mochila? (Whose backpack is it?) Es de Luis.
  8. Ser with de shows material. La mesa es de madera. Los zapatos son de cuero. It is also how you say what something is made of, and the same de links a noun to its type: una clase de español.

Where students lose marks: the English apostrophe and the wrong verb. Ana's libro is not Spanish and La casa está grande describes it like a passing condition. Ask whether the word describes the nature of the thing (ser) or a temporary state (estar, Lesson 3.5).

Worked example

The problem. Write each in Spanish with ser and name the DOCTOR category: (1) My father is an engineer. (2) The house is big. (3) It is half past two. (4) The pen is Ana's. (5) Marta is my cousin. (6) We are from Ecuador.

Step one: sentence 1. A job: Occupation. No article after ser: Mi padre es ingeniero.

Step two: sentence 2. A basic quality: Description. The house is feminine: La casa es grande. The adjective is two-form.

Step three: sentence 3. The hour: Time. Hours use the plural verb for every hour but one: Son las dos y media.

Step four: sentence 4. The owner after de: possession. Bolígrafo is masculine, so El bolígrafo es de Ana. There is no apostrophe.

Step five: sentence 5. A family tie: Relationship. Marta es mi prima. The noun is feminine because Marta is a girl.

Step six: sentence 6. The place you come from: Origin. Somos de Ecuador.

Step seven: ask two questions. To ask about owners: ¿De quién es el bolígrafo? To ask for a description: ¿Cómo es la casa?, which means "What is the house like?"

Step eight: check. Every sentence has a form of ser that matches its subject (es, es, son, es, es, somos), and each one fits one of the six DOCTOR uses or the possession use.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "My mother is a teacher."
    Show the full solution

    An occupation, so no article. Mi madre es profesora.

  2. Say "Luis is from Peru."
    Show the full solution

    Origin uses ser de. Luis es de Perú.

  3. Say "It is Tuesday."
    Show the full solution

    A day uses ser. Es martes.

  4. Say "The book is Ana's."
    Show the full solution

    No apostrophe. El libro es de Ana.

  5. Say "Whose backpack is it?"
    Show the full solution

    De quién asks about the owner. ¿De quién es la mochila?

  6. Say "The tables are made of wood."
    Show the full solution

    Material uses ser de, and the verb is plural. Las mesas son de madera.

  7. Name the DOCTOR category: Mis primos son simpáticos.
    Show the full solution

    The adjective describes a lasting personality trait: Characteristic (the word primos also names a family tie). Characteristic

  8. Find the error: El carro de Marcos es., meaning "The car is Marcos's."
    Show the full solution

    Spanish needs the owner after es de, not after the noun with the verb left at the end. El carro es de Marcos.

  9. Translate: "My brother is tall, funny and a student."
    Show the full solution

    Description, characteristic and occupation, all with ser, and no article before estudiante. Mi hermano es alto, divertido y estudiante.

  10. Write four sentences about yourself, one each for occupation, origin, characteristic and relationship.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Soy estudiante. Soy de California. Soy simpático. Ana es mi hermana. Each uses a correct form of ser, the occupation takes no article, and the relationship sentence uses es. Soy estudiante. Soy de California. Soy simpático. Ana es mi hermana.

Lesson 3.4 · Unit 3 · Communication: interpretive

Saying what time it is, and when things happen

Telling time is a lesson on ser, because the hour is one of the things ser expresses, and it has one unusual rule: the verb is singular for one o'clock and plural for every other hour. After that it is a matter of numbers and four small words. You will use this on the first day of class, on every schedule and in every conversation about plans.

The method
  1. Ask with ¿Qué hora es? The answer begins with Es la for one o'clock and Son las for any other hour: Es la una. Son las dos. Son las siete. The hour is feminine because the word hora is understood.
  2. Add minutes after the hour with y. Son las tres y diez. Y cuarto is a quarter past, y media is half past: Son las cinco y cuarto. Son las cinco y media.
  3. Subtract minutes with menos. After half past, tell the time to the next hour: Son las seis menos veinte (5:40), Es la una menos cuarto (12:45).
  4. On the hour use en punto. Son las ocho en punto. (It is exactly eight.) Noon is el mediodía and midnight is la medianoche.
  5. Say the period of the day. de la mañana (a.m., until noon), de la tarde (afternoon until dark) and de la noche (night): Son las ocho de la mañana. Son las nueve de la noche. Use these when the hour does not make the time clear.
  6. Ask when something happens with ¿A qué hora...? The answer uses a la or a las: ¿A qué hora es la clase? Es a las ocho. Here the class is the subject, so the verb is singular, and a means "at".
  7. Everyday forms. You will hear Son las siete y cuarenta (7:40) as well as Son las ocho menos veinte. Both are correct. Digital times are read as numbers: las dos y cincuenta.
  8. Other time words. temprano (early), tarde (late), ahora (now), más tarde (later), hoy, mañana, anoche (last night).

Where students lose marks: the singular and plural verb. Es las tres and Son la una are the two classic errors. The verb agrees with the hour: one (la una) takes es, all the others take son. Also, "a quarter to" is menos cuarto, never y.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) 1:00; (2) 4:15; (3) 7:30 p.m.; (4) 8:45; (5) 12:00 noon. Then say "The class is at 9:10 in the morning."

Step one: 1:00. The one o'clock hour is singular: Es la una.

Step two: 4:15. Four is plural, and a quarter past adds y cuarto: Son las cuatro y cuarto.

Step three: 7:30 p.m. Half past adds y media. The evening needs the period of the day: Son las siete y media de la noche.

Step four: 8:45. After half past tell the time to the next hour: nine minus a quarter. Son las nueve menos cuarto.

Step five: noon. It has a word of its own: Es el mediodía.

Step six: the class at 9:10. The question is about when, so use a las and give the minutes after the hour: La clase es a las nueve y diez de la mañana.

Step seven: ask the question. ¿A qué hora es la clase? The verb is singular because la clase is.

Step eight: check. Es only with the one o'clock; y up to half past; menos after it. The answers: Es la una. Son las cuatro y cuarto. Son las siete y media de la noche. Son las nueve menos cuarto. Es el mediodía.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "It is two o'clock."
    Show the full solution

    Any hour except one is plural. Son las dos.

  2. Say "It is one o'clock."
    Show the full solution

    One o'clock is singular. Es la una.

  3. Say "It is 3:15."
    Show the full solution

    Son las tres y cuarto.

  4. Say "It is 6:30."
    Show the full solution

    Son las seis y media.

  5. What time is Son las doce en punto de la noche?
    Show the full solution

    Twelve exactly at night is midnight. 12:00 midnight

  6. Say "It is 5:45."
    Show the full solution

    Six minus a quarter. Son las seis menos cuarto.

  7. Say "It is 12:45."
    Show the full solution

    One o'clock is singular, so the verb is es. Es la una menos cuarto.

  8. Find the error: Es las diez y media de la mañana.
    Show the full solution

    Ten is plural, so the verb must be son. Son las diez y media de la mañana.

  9. Ask and answer: "At what time is the class? At 8:20."
    Show the full solution

    The question is singular because la clase is, and the answer uses a las. ¿A qué hora es la clase? Es a las ocho y veinte.

  10. It is 9:40 at night. Write two correct ways to say it.
    Show the full solution

    You may count past nine or to ten, and both need the period of the day. Son las nueve y cuarenta de la noche. Son las diez menos veinte de la noche.

Lesson 3.5 · Unit 3 · Structures

The verb estar: where things are and how they are

Estar is the second verb for "to be". Where ser says what something is, estar says where it is and how it is at the moment. You have already used it in ¿Cómo estás? and ¿Cómo está usted?. Its forms are nearly regular, with accents on the ones that need them, and its uses fit the mnemonic PLACE.

The method
  1. The forms. yo estoy, tú estás, él / ella / usted está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos / ellas / ustedes están. Only the yo form is irregular. The accents on estás, está, estáis and están are required.
  2. P is for Position. A body position: Estoy sentado. Están de pie.
  3. L is for Location. Where a person or a thing is: Madrid está en España. Mis libros están en la mochila. Even permanent locations take estar.
  4. A is for Action. Estar helps form the present progressive, taught in Lesson 9.5: Estoy comiendo.
  5. C is for Condition. A state that can change: La sopa está caliente. La puerta está abierta.
  6. E is for Emotion. How someone feels now: Estoy feliz. Están cansados.
  7. Location words follow. aquí (here), allí (there), cerca de (near), lejos de (far from), en (in, on, at): La escuela está cerca de mi casa.
  8. Events are the exception. The location of a place or thing uses estar, but the location of an event uses ser: La fiesta es en mi casa. El concierto es en el parque.

Where students lose marks: Soy en la escuela or Mi casa es cerca use ser for where, and Estoy estudiante uses estar for what. Ask whether the sentence says where something is or how it is right now (estar), or what it is (ser). Also keep the accents on the verb forms.

Worked example

The problem. Complete each sentence with the correct form of estar: (1) Yo ___ en la clase. (2) Nosotros ___ cansados. (3) La profesora ___ en el laboratorio. (4) ¿Cómo ___ ustedes? (5) Mis libros ___ en la mesa. Then translate "The party is at my house."

Step one: sentence 1. The subject is yo, the irregular form: Yo estoy en la clase. It states a location.

Step two: sentence 2. Nosotros takes estamos, and the adjective cansados is masculine plural to match: Nosotros estamos cansados.

Step three: sentence 3. La profesora is third-person singular, with the accent on the last syllable: La profesora está en el laboratorio.

Step four: sentence 4. Ustedes takes the same form as ellos: ¿Cómo están ustedes? The question asks about how they are, a condition.

Step five: sentence 5. Mis libros is plural, third person, with the accent: Mis libros están en la mesa.

Step six: the event. A party is an event, and the location of an event uses ser, not estar: La fiesta es en mi casa.

Step seven: check the accents. Estoy has no accent, and the forms estás, está, están all have one. Estamos has none.

Step eight: check the reason. Sentences 1, 3 and 5 are locations, 2 and 4 are conditions, and the party is an event. The answers are estoy, estamos, está, están, están, and es for the party.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of estar.
    Show the full solution

    estoy

  2. Complete: Tú ___ en casa.
    Show the full solution

    The accent is required. estás

  3. Complete: Mi hermano ___ en el parque.
    Show the full solution

    está

  4. Complete: Nosotros ___ aquí.
    Show the full solution

    estamos

  5. Complete: Los estudiantes ___ en la clase.
    Show the full solution

    Third-person plural, with the accent. están

  6. Say "I am tired" if you are a girl.
    Show the full solution

    A passing state: estar, with the feminine adjective. Estoy cansada.

  7. Say "Mexico is in North America" (América del Norte).
    Show the full solution

    A permanent location still takes estar. México está en América del Norte.

  8. Find the error: Mi casa es cerca de la escuela.
    Show the full solution

    Location uses estar. Mi casa está cerca de la escuela.

  9. Say "The concert is in the park." Explain which verb and why.
    Show the full solution

    An event uses ser for its location, so the verb is es. El concierto es en el parque.

  10. Write three sentences: where you are, how you feel, and where your school is.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Estoy en casa. Estoy contento. Mi escuela está cerca. All three use estar, one for a location, one for an emotion and one for the location of a place. Estoy en casa. Estoy contento. Mi escuela está cerca.

Lesson 3.6 · Unit 3 · Structures

Choosing between the two verbs for "to be"

The hardest question in first-year Spanish is not how to conjugate ser or estar, but which to choose. The answer is not a feeling. It is a short procedure that you can run on any sentence. The two verbs often work with the same adjective and give different meanings, so the choice is a statement about what you mean.

The method
  1. Ser says what something is. Identity, nature, origin, relationship, time and possession. It is about what defines the subject.
  2. Estar says where or how something is. Location and the state or condition the subject is in right now.
  3. The decision procedure. Ask in this order. Is it a location (not an event)? Use estar. Is it a time, an occupation, an origin or a relationship? Use ser. Is it a feeling or a state that can change? Use estar. Otherwise, a basic quality, use ser.
  4. The same adjective can change the meaning. Ella es nerviosa (she is a nervous person) and Ella está nerviosa (she is nervous right now). Neither is wrong. They say different things.
  5. Estar for results of a change. La sopa está fría (it has gone cold) and La puerta está cerrada (someone closed it). A state that came about takes estar.
  6. Ser for the ordinary and typical. La sopa es fría would describe a soup that is served cold, like gazpacho. Ser says the thing is that way by nature.
  7. Estar with "how" and ser with "what like". ¿Cómo está? asks about health or mood. ¿Cómo es? asks for a description. Mixing them changes the question.
  8. Check both options on a doubtful sentence. If you are not sure, say what you mean in plain English ("is a doctor" or "is feeling sick") and run the procedure.

Where students lose marks: choosing by the English word. Both verbs translate as "is", so the English does not help. Locations are always estar except events, and occupations, nationalities and times are always ser. In between, name the reason, then choose.

Worked example

The problem. Choose ser or estar and give the reason: (1) Mi tía ___ doctora. (2) La biblioteca ___ cerca. (3) Hoy ___ martes. (4) Los niños ___ cansados. (5) La fiesta ___ en el gimnasio. (6) Ella ___ simpática.

Step one: sentence 1. An occupation: es. Mi tía es doctora.

Step two: sentence 2. A location of a place: está. La biblioteca está cerca.

Step three: sentence 3. A day: es. Hoy es martes.

Step four: sentence 4. A feeling, which can change: están. Los niños están cansados. The adjective is masculine plural.

Step five: sentence 5. The location of an event: es. La fiesta es en el gimnasio.

Step six: sentence 6, two readings. If she is a nice person by nature, the verb is es: Ella es simpática. If she is being nice today, it is está: Ella está simpática hoy.

Step seven: rewrite one sentence both ways. Mi hermano es aburrido (my brother is boring) against Mi hermano está aburrido (my brother is bored).

Step eight: check. Each verb was chosen by running the procedure, not by sound. The answers are es, está, es, están, es, and either es or está for sentence 6.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Choose: Yo (soy / estoy) estudiante.
    Show the full solution

    An occupation uses ser. soy

  2. Choose: Ellos (son / están) en la clase.
    Show the full solution

    A location. están

  3. Choose: Mi libro (es / está) interesante. if you mean it is an interesting book.
    Show the full solution

    A basic quality of the book. es

  4. Choose: Yo (soy / estoy) muy feliz hoy.
    Show the full solution

    A feeling today. estoy

  5. Choose: Hoy (es / está) viernes.
    Show the full solution

    A day. es

  6. Complete: La clase de español ___ a las ocho, y el profesor ___ en el aula.
    Show the full solution

    The time of an event takes ser and the location of a person takes estar. es; está

  7. Explain the difference: Mi hermano es aburrido and Mi hermano está aburrido.
    Show the full solution

    With ser, the brother is boring by nature. With estar, he is bored right now. boring; bored

  8. Find the error: Mi madre está médica y es en el hospital.
    Show the full solution

    An occupation needs ser, and a location needs estar, so the verbs are swapped. Mi madre es médica y está en el hospital.

  9. Complete and justify: La tarea ___ difícil, pero yo ___ listo. (the homework is hard; I am ready)
    Show the full solution

    Difficulty is a basic quality of the task: es. Being ready is a state: estoy. es; estoy

  10. Write two Spanish sentences about yourself, one that needs ser and one that needs estar, and give the reason for each.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Soy estudiante (occupation, ser) and Estoy en casa (location, estar). Any pair that follows the procedure is correct. Soy estudiante. Estoy en casa.

Lesson 3.7 · Unit 3 · Comparisons

Adjectives that change meaning with ser and estar

A small group of adjectives means one thing with ser and something different with estar, and an even larger group of feeling words lives almost entirely with estar. Both groups are common in conversation. This lesson gives the pairs that matter most and the feelings you will use every day, with the agreement rule you have used all along.

The method
  1. aburrido. Es aburrido means "it is boring". Está aburrido means "he is bored".
  2. listo. Es listo means "he is clever". Está listo means "he is ready".
  3. malo and bueno. Es malo is "he is a bad person" and está malo is "he is sick". Es bueno is "he is good" and está bueno says a food or a person is tasty or good-looking, depending on the context.
  4. rico. Es rico means "he is rich". Está rico means "it is delicious", and is the phrase for tasting something.
  5. seguro. Es seguro means "it is safe". Estoy seguro means "I am sure".
  6. Feelings use estar. contento, feliz, triste, enojado, nervioso, preocupado, cansado, ocupado, enfermo, emocionado: Estoy contento. Están preocupados. They are conditions.
  7. Agreement still applies. The adjective matches the subject: Ana está cansada. Los niños están enojados. Mi madre está preocupada. Feliz adds -ces in the plural.
  8. Use the right word for the right question. ¿Cómo estás? asks about a feeling and ¿Cómo eres? asks about a personality. They are both asked with "how" and answer very different questions.

Where students lose marks: the false friends. Estoy aburrido and Soy aburrido differ by "bored" against "boring", which is why speakers insist on the right verb. Soy listo says you are clever, not that you are ready. Learn these five pairs and the sentences will say what you mean.

Worked example

The problem. Say in Spanish: (1) My sister is ready. (2) My sister is clever. (3) The soup is delicious. (4) We are worried. (5) The children are tired (the boys and the girls). (6) This classroom is safe.

Step one: sentence 1. Being ready is a state: está, with listo in its feminine form. Mi hermana está lista.

Step two: sentence 2. Being clever is a lasting trait: es. Mi hermana es lista. The adjective is identical, and only the verb changes the meaning.

Step three: sentence 3. A flavor right now: está rico. Sopa is feminine, so the adjective is rica: La sopa está rica.

Step four: sentence 4. A feeling: estamos. The speakers are plural, so preocupados: Estamos preocupados.

Step five: sentence 5. A mixed group of boys and girls is masculine plural: Los niños están cansados.

Step six: sentence 6. A basic quality of the place: es seguro. Aula is feminine, so segura: Esta aula es segura. (If it were about feeling sure, it would be estar.)

Step seven: contrast. El postre es rico says "the dessert is a rich one" and El postre está rico says "the dessert tastes good". The difference is the speaker's meaning.

Step eight: check. The pairs listo and seguro changed meaning with the verb, the feelings used estar and agreed in gender and number.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does Estoy cansado mean?
    Show the full solution

    I am tired.

  2. Say "She is sad."
    Show the full solution

    A feeling. Está triste.

  3. What does La sopa está rica mean?
    Show the full solution

    With estar, rico describes the taste. The soup is delicious.

  4. What does Mi primo es malo mean?
    Show the full solution

    With ser, malo describes a bad nature. My cousin is a bad person.

  5. Say "We are happy" if the speakers are girls.
    Show the full solution

    Feminine plural, felices is two-form. Estamos felices.

  6. Translate: "The class is boring, but the students are not bored."
    Show the full solution

    Boring is a quality of the class: es aburrida. Bored is a state: no están aburridos. La clase es aburrida, pero los estudiantes no están aburridos.

  7. Explain the difference: Mi amigo es listo and Mi amigo está listo.
    Show the full solution

    With ser he is clever. With estar he is ready. clever; ready

  8. Find the error: Estamos aburrido porque la película es aburrida.
    Show the full solution

    The adjective must be plural to match nosotros. The rest is right: being bored uses estar and a boring film uses ser. Estamos aburridos porque la película es aburrida.

  9. Say "I am sure that the exam is easy." Choose the verbs and justify them.
    Show the full solution

    Being sure is a state of mind: estoy seguro (segura if you are female). Easy is a quality of the exam: es fácil. Estoy seguro de que el examen es fácil.

  10. Write four sentences about how you and your family feel today and what they are like.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Estoy contento. Mi madre está ocupada. Mi hermano es serio. Mis padres son simpáticos. The first two are feelings (estar) and the last two are characteristics (ser). Each adjective matches its subject. Estoy contento. Mi madre está ocupada. Mi hermano es serio. Mis padres son simpáticos.

Unit 3 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 3 review: Ser, Estar and Pronouns

These are mixed across all seven lessons. For every sentence with a form of "to be", name your reason (what it is, or how or where it is) before you choose the verb.

  1. Choose the pronoun: speaking to your teacher; speaking to two friends in Mexico; talking about one boy and one girl.
    Show the full solution

    A teacher is addressed with respect. Plural "you" in Latin America is always ustedes. A mixed group is masculine plural. usted, ustedes, ellos

  2. Complete with ser: Nosotros ___ amigos. Tú ___ alto. Ellos ___ de Perú.
    Show the full solution

    Each form follows its subject. somos, eres, son

  3. Say "My father is an engineer" and "The book is Ana's."
    Show the full solution

    An occupation takes ser and no article. Possession uses de, never an apostrophe. Mi padre es ingeniero. El libro es de Ana.

  4. Say "It is 5:45" and "It is 1:15."
    Show the full solution

    After half past, count to the next hour with menos. One o'clock is singular. Son las seis menos cuarto. Es la una y cuarto.

  5. Complete with estar: Yo ___ en casa. Ellas ___ cansadas.
    Show the full solution

    A location and a condition both take estar, and están carries its accent. estoy, están

  6. Choose es or está: La fiesta ___ en mi casa. La sopa ___ fría (right now). Mi tía ___ doctora.
    Show the full solution

    The location of an event uses ser. A present condition uses estar. An occupation uses ser. es, está, es

  7. Explain the difference: Mi hermana es lista and Mi hermana está lista.
    Show the full solution

    With ser, lista means clever, a lasting trait. With estar it means ready, a present state. clever; ready

  8. Find the errors: Soy cansado y mi casa es cerca del parque.
    Show the full solution

    A feeling takes estar, and a location takes estar. Estoy cansado y mi casa está cerca del parque.

  9. Say "The class is at 9:30, and the teacher is in the classroom."
    Show the full solution

    The time of an event is ser with a las. The location of a person is estar. Aula is feminine but takes el in the singular. La clase es a las nueve y media y el profesor está en el aula.

  10. Say "My brothers are bored because the movie is boring."
    Show the full solution

    Being bored is a state (estar), and being boring is a quality (ser). Both adjectives agree with their subjects. Mis hermanos están aburridos porque la película es aburrida.

Lesson 4.1 · Unit 4 · Structures

The present tense of verbs that end in -ar

Until now you have used ser, estar and a few fixed phrases. This lesson is the first of the regular verbs, which are the ones that follow a pattern, so one lesson teaches you hundreds of verbs. The pattern is simple: take the infinitive, remove the last two letters, and add an ending that shows the subject. The verbs that end in -ar are the largest group in the language, and this pattern is the one you will use most.

The method
  1. The infinitive is the name of the verb. It ends in -ar, -er or -ir. The English "to speak" is hablar. Never use the infinitive after a subject: yo hablar is wrong.
  2. Find the stem. Drop -ar. The stem of hablar is habl-, of estudiar is estudi-, of trabajar is trabaj-.
  3. Add the endings. -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. For hablar: hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan.
  4. Match the subject. yo hablo, tú hablas, él / ella / usted habla, nosotros hablamos, vosotros habláis, ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan.
  5. One present tense, three English meanings. Hablo español means "I speak Spanish", "I am speaking Spanish" and "I do speak Spanish". Spanish does not use a helper word for "do" or "am".
  6. Common -ar verbs. bailar, buscar, caminar, cantar, cocinar, comprar, desayunar, escuchar, estudiar, hablar, limpiar, llamar, mirar, necesitar, practicar, tomar, trabajar, usar, viajar.
  7. Make it negative with no. No hablo francés. And ask a question by changing intonation or order: ¿Hablas inglés?
  8. Two verbs together: the second stays an infinitive. Me gusta cantar. Necesito estudiar. Only the first verb takes an ending, which is Unit 5.

Where students lose marks: the wrong ending for the subject and a leftover infinitive. Yo hablas, nosotros hablo and ellos habla are all errors. Always find the subject first, then choose the ending, and use the infinitive only after a verb that needs one.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate estudiar in the present tense, then write five sentences: (1) I study Spanish. (2) You (informal) work in a store. (3) Marta listens to music. (4) We do not dance. (5) Do the students speak French?

Step one: find the stem. Remove -ar from estudiar: estudi-.

Step two: add the six endings. estudio, estudias, estudia, estudiamos, estudiáis, estudian. The accent appears only in the vosotros form.

Step three: sentence 1. The subject is yo, which is dropped: Estudio español.

Step four: sentence 2. A friend is tú, and "work" is trabajar: Trabajas en una tienda.

Step five: sentence 3. "Listen to" is escuchar, and the Spanish verb has no word for "to". Marta is third person: Marta escucha música.

Step six: sentence 4. No goes before the verb. "We dance" is bailamos: No bailamos.

Step seven: sentence 5. Ellos forms the plural, with -an. There is no word for "do": ¿Hablan francés los estudiantes? or ¿Los estudiantes hablan francés?

Step eight: check. Each verb matches its subject (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -an), none of the sentences has an English helper word, and every verb is a form, not an infinitive.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of cantar.
    Show the full solution

    Stem cant- plus -o. canto

  2. Write the tú form of bailar.
    Show the full solution

    Stem bail- plus -as. bailas

  3. Write the nosotros form of trabajar.
    Show the full solution

    trabajamos

  4. Complete: Ella ___ (hablar) español.
    Show the full solution

    habla

  5. Complete: Ustedes ___ (estudiar) mucho.
    Show the full solution

    Ustedes takes the same form as ellos. estudian

  6. Say "I do not speak French."
    Show the full solution

    No before the verb, and no helper word for "do". No hablo francés.

  7. Say "My friends listen to music."
    Show the full solution

    The subject is plural. Escuchar takes no preposition for "to". Mis amigos escuchan música.

  8. Find the error: Nosotros hablo español y tú habla inglés.
    Show the full solution

    Both endings are wrong: nosotros takes -amos and tú takes -as. Nosotros hablamos español y tú hablas inglés.

  9. Find the error: Yo necesito estudio., meaning "I need to study."
    Show the full solution

    After necesito the second verb stays in the infinitive. Yo necesito estudiar. (The pronoun can be dropped.)

  10. Write four sentences about what you and your family do, using four different -ar verbs.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Estudio español. Mi madre trabaja en un hospital. Mis hermanos escuchan música. Nosotros cocinamos los domingos. Each verb has the ending that matches its subject. Estudio español. Mi madre trabaja en un hospital...

Lesson 4.2 · Unit 4 · Structures

The present tense of verbs that end in -er and -ir

The two other verb families work exactly like the -ar group, with different endings. They are so similar to each other that they differ in only two of the six forms. Once you know these three sets of endings you can conjugate almost every regular verb in Spanish, and you can do it for verbs you have never seen before.

The method
  1. Remove -er or -ir and find the stem. comer → com-, beber → beb-, vivir → viv-, escribir → escrib-.
  2. The -er endings. -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en: como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen.
  3. The -ir endings. -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en: vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven.
  4. The two families differ in two forms. They are nosotros and vosotros: -emos / -éis for -er, -imos / -ís for -ir. The other four forms are the same.
  5. The yo form always ends in -o. It is the same in all three families. A form that does not end in -o cannot be the yo form of a regular verb.
  6. Common -er verbs. aprender, beber, comer, comprender, correr, creer, leer, responder, vender.
  7. Common -ir verbs. abrir, asistir (a), compartir, decidir, escribir, recibir, vivir.
  8. Mix the three families in one conversation. Yo vivo en California y como en casa. Mis padres trabajan y beben café. You must identify each verb's family before choosing an ending.

Where students lose marks: using -ar endings on -er and -ir verbs. Yo comas, ella viva and nosotros comamos are all -ar endings on verbs that are not -ar. Look at the last two letters of the infinitive before you conjugate.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate vivir and comer in the present tense and write: (1) I live in Texas. (2) You read a book. (3) We eat at one o'clock. (4) The students write a lot. (5) My family does not drink coffee.

Step one: classify the verbs. Vivir ends in -ir. Comer ends in -er. The stems are viv- and com-.

Step two: conjugate vivir. vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven.

Step three: conjugate comer. como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen. Compare the nosotros forms: vivimos and comemos.

Step four: sentence 1. Yo vivo en Texas, with yo dropped: Vivo en Texas.

Step five: sentence 2. "Read" is leer, an -er verb, so for tú: Lees un libro.

Step six: sentence 3. Comemos a la una. The verb is comemos (-emos), and one o'clock needs la after a.

Step seven: sentences 4 and 5. "Write" is escribir, an -ir verb: Los estudiantes escriben mucho. For the negative, "drink" is beber: Mi familia no bebe café. Familia is singular, so the verb is singular.

Step eight: check. The ending of each verb belongs to the family of its infinitive: -o, -es, -emos, -en, -e. No -ar ending has crept in.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of beber.
    Show the full solution

    bebo

  2. Write the tú form of escribir.
    Show the full solution

    escribes

  3. Write the nosotros form of aprender.
    Show the full solution

    aprendemos

  4. Write the nosotros form of vivir.
    Show the full solution

    vivimos

  5. Complete: Ellos ___ (correr) en el parque.
    Show the full solution

    corren

  6. Complete: Mi madre ___ (recibir) muchos mensajes.
    Show the full solution

    recibe

  7. Say "We read the newspaper."
    Show the full solution

    "The newspaper" is el periódico. Leemos el periódico.

  8. Find the error: Yo como pizza y mi hermano comas hamburguesas.
    Show the full solution

    Comas is the -ar ending. The correct form is come. Yo como pizza y mi hermano come hamburguesas.

  9. Explain how comemos and vivimos differ and what they have in common.
    Show the full solution

    Both are nosotros forms. Comemos belongs to an -er verb (-emos), vivimos to an -ir verb (-imos). The difference is the vowel in the ending. -emos for -er; -imos for -ir

  10. Translate: "I live in a big house, I eat dinner at seven, and my parents read the news."
    Show the full solution

    Three different subjects and three different verb families. "Dinner" is la cena and "to eat dinner" is cenar, an -ar verb, though comer also works with "dinner" as a meal. Vivo en una casa grande, ceno a las siete y mis padres leen las noticias.

Lesson 4.3 · Unit 4 · Communication: interpersonal

Asking questions in Spanish

A language you cannot ask questions in is a language you cannot use. Spanish questions are easier than English ones in one way and harder in another. They are easier because there is no helper word like "do" or "does". They are harder because the question words carry accents, and most of them change their form. This lesson gives both kinds of question and the words you need.

The method
  1. Spanish has no "do" in questions. "Do you speak Spanish?" is ¿Hablas español?, using only the verb. Never translate "do" word for word.
  2. A yes-or-no question has three forms. Raise the pitch at the end of a statement: ¿Tú hablas español? Put the verb before the subject: ¿Hablas tú español? Or add a tag: Hablas español, ¿verdad? or ¿no?
  3. Use both marks. The opening ¿ goes at the start of the question, which can be in the middle of a sentence: Marta, ¿cómo estás?
  4. Question words always have an accent. qué (what), quién (who), dónde (where), cuándo (when), cómo (how), cuál (which), por qué (why).
  5. Some change form. Quién becomes quiénes for many people. Cuánto agrees with the noun: cuánto, cuánta, cuántos, cuántas. Cuál becomes cuáles in the plural.
  6. The word order is question word, verb, subject. ¿Dónde vive tu abuela? ¿Qué estudian ustedes? The subject normally follows the verb.
  7. A preposition goes first. English can end a question with "to" or "with". Spanish may not: ¿Con quién hablas? ¿De dónde eres? ¿Adónde vas?
  8. Por qué and porque. ¿Por qué? is two words with an accent and asks why. Porque is one word, no accent, and means "because". ¿Por qué estudias español? Porque me gusta.

Where students lose marks: a translated helper word and a missing accent. ¿Haces estudiar tú? is not Spanish, and Donde vives? has three errors: no opening ¿, no accent on dónde, and no verb accent when needed. Say the question word, the verb and then the subject.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) Do you (informal) live in Texas? (2) Where do your parents work? (3) Who speaks French? (4) With whom do you study? (5) Why does Ana study Spanish? Then answer 5 with "because she likes it" in two words.

Step one: question 1. There is no "do". Use the verb and raise the pitch, with both marks: ¿Vives en Texas?

Step two: question 2. The question word is dónde, followed by the verb and then the subject: ¿Dónde trabajan tus padres? Tus means "your" and is plural to match.

Step three: question 3. Quién is the subject, so there is no other subject: ¿Quién habla francés? The verb is singular.

Step four: question 4. "With" must come first: ¿Con quién estudias?

Step five: question 5. Why is por qué, in two words, with the accent: ¿Por qué estudia Ana español? The subject follows the verb.

Step six: the answer. "Because" is porque, one word with no accent: Porque le gusta. The structure is explained in Lesson 5.2.

Step seven: add tags. You could also ask Vives en Texas, ¿verdad? expecting yes, with the tag after a comma.

Step eight: check. No question contains a word for "do". Each has both marks, the accent on dónde, quién and qué, and the verb ahead of its subject.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Translate "Where do you live?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Dónde vives?

  2. Translate "What do you study?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué estudias?

  3. Translate "Who are you?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Quién eres?

  4. What is the difference between por qué and porque?
    Show the full solution

    Por qué asks "why" and has an accent. Porque answers "because" and has none. why; because

  5. Turn into a question using the pitch: Tú hablas inglés.
    Show the full solution

    Add both marks. ¿Tú hablas inglés?

  6. Translate "How many students are there?"
    Show the full solution

    Cuántos agrees with estudiantes, masculine plural. ¿Cuántos estudiantes hay?

  7. Translate "With whom do you eat?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    The preposition goes first. ¿Con quién comes?

  8. Find the errors: Donde vive tu familia.
    Show the full solution

    Three errors: no opening ¿, no accent on dónde, and no closing ?. ¿Dónde vive tu familia?

  9. Find the error: ¿Haces tú estudiar español?, meaning "Do you study Spanish?"
    Show the full solution

    Spanish has no "do" in questions, so the helper word haces must go. ¿Estudias español?

  10. Ask four questions of a new classmate: where he is from, where he lives, what he studies, and why.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: ¿De dónde eres? ¿Dónde vives? ¿Qué estudias? ¿Por qué estudias español? Each begins with a question word and has the verb before any subject. ¿De dónde eres? ¿Dónde vives? ¿Qué estudias? ¿Por qué estudias español?

Lesson 4.4 · Unit 4 · Structures

Saying no, never and nothing

English teachers warn against double negatives. Spanish requires them. A Spanish sentence that has a negative word after the verb must also have no before the verb, and the two do not cancel each other. If you avoid the double negative the way you would in English, you will write sentences that sound wrong. This lesson gives the negative words, the pairs they come in, and the rule.

The method
  1. The basic negative is no before the verb. No hablo francés. No estoy cansado. Anything that belongs to the verb, such as a pronoun, stays between no and the verb.
  2. Learn the positive and negative pairs. algo (something) and nada (nothing); alguien (someone) and nadie (no one); siempre (always) and nunca (never); también (also) and tampoco (neither); algún (some) and ningún (no, none).
  3. Before the verb, the negative word stands alone. Nunca como carne. Nadie habla francés. Tampoco estudio. There is no extra no.
  4. After the verb, the double negative is required. No como carne nunca. No hablo con nadie. No tengo nada. The pattern is no before the verb and the negative word after it. Writing Como carne nunca, with no no before the verb, is the error.
  5. Several negatives may stack. No hay nadie aquí. No tengo nada. No quiero nada nunca. Each negative adds emphasis, and the sentence is still negative.
  6. Algún and ningún shorten. Before a masculine singular noun, alguno → algún and ninguno → ningún: algún libro, ningún problema. Ningún is almost always singular: No tengo ningún libro.
  7. The personal a with alguien and nadie. When the negative word is a person and the object of the verb, a comes before it: No veo a nadie. This rule is taught in Lesson 7.5.
  8. Answer a yes-or-no question negatively. ¿Hablas francés? No, no hablo francés. The first no answers and the second is part of the sentence. Say both.

Where students lose marks: "I don't have nothing" is bad English but correct Spanish: No tengo nada. Writing Tengo nada is the error. When a negative word follows the verb, put no before the verb. When it comes first, leave the no out.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I do not eat meat. (2) I never eat meat, in two word orders. (3) No one speaks French. (4) I have no books. (5) I don't know anything and he doesn't either.

Step one: sentence 1. Simple negation: No como carne.

Step two: sentence 2, negative after the verb. No before the verb and nunca after it: No como carne nunca.

Step three: sentence 2, negative before the verb. Move nunca to the front and drop no: Nunca como carne. The two sentences mean the same.

Step four: sentence 3. Nadie before the verb needs no no: Nadie habla francés. The verb is singular.

Step five: sentence 4. Ningún after the verb requires no before it, and the noun is singular: No tengo ningún libro. Plural nouns are almost never used with ningún.

Step six: sentence 5, "anything". After the verb, nada is paired with no: No sé nada.

Step seven: sentence 5, "either". Neither is tampoco, which stands alone before the verb: Él tampoco sabe nada. The second negative is also present, because nada follows the verb and tampoco comes first. Mixing the two is allowed.

Step eight: check. Every sentence that has a negative word after its verb also has no before it, and every sentence that starts with a negative word does not. The answers: No como carne. Nunca como carne. Nadie habla francés. No tengo ningún libro. No sé nada y él tampoco.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I do not study."
    Show the full solution

    No estudio.

  2. What is the opposite of siempre?
    Show the full solution

    nunca

  3. What is the opposite of alguien?
    Show the full solution

    nadie

  4. What is the opposite of también?
    Show the full solution

    tampoco

  5. Say "I have nothing."
    Show the full solution

    After the verb, nada needs no. No tengo nada.

  6. Say "Nobody is at home" in two ways.
    Show the full solution

    Before the verb: Nadie está en casa. After the verb, with no: No está nadie en casa. Nadie está en casa. No está nadie en casa.

  7. Find the error: Tengo nada en mi mochila.
    Show the full solution

    A negative word after the verb needs no before it. No tengo nada en mi mochila.

  8. Find the error: No nunca como pescado.
    Show the full solution

    No and nunca are both placed before the verb, which is wrong. A negative word before the verb needs no no, and one after the verb needs it. Nunca como pescado. / No como pescado nunca.

  9. Answer negatively: ¿Hablas alemán?
    Show the full solution

    Say both no words. No, no hablo alemán.

  10. Translate: "I never watch television, and my brother doesn't either."
    Show the full solution

    "Never" before the verb needs no no, and "doesn't either" is tampoco. Nunca miro la televisión y mi hermano tampoco.

Lesson 4.5 · Unit 4 · Structures

The verb tener, and how Spanish says you are hungry or fifteen

Tener means "to have", and it is the verb Spanish uses for many things English says with "to be": your age, whether you are hungry, thirsty, hot or cold. These are the idioms that cause the most errors in a first year, because students translate "I am hungry" word for word. This lesson gives the verb and the list, and the one small rule about "very".

The method
  1. The forms. yo tengo, tú tienes, él / ella / usted tiene, nosotros tenemos, vosotros tenéis, ellos / ellas / ustedes tienen. The yo form is irregular, and the stem changes e to ie in three forms: tienes, tiene, tienen (Lesson 5.4 explains).
  2. Tener means to have. Tengo dos hermanos. Tiene un perro. It names what you possess or what is in your family.
  3. Age uses tener. ¿Cuántos años tienes? Tengo quince años. Spanish says "I have fifteen years".
  4. Bodily feelings use tener. tener hambre (to be hungry), tener sed (thirsty), tener sueño (sleepy), tener frío (cold), tener calor (hot), tener miedo (afraid), tener prisa (in a hurry), tener razón (right), tener suerte (lucky).
  5. These are nouns, so the intensifier is mucho, never muy. Tengo mucha hambre. Tienes mucho frío. Tenemos mucha prisa. Mucho agrees with the noun: hambre, sed, prisa, razón, suerte are feminine and frío, calor, sueño, miedo are masculine.
  6. Tener ganas de + infinitive means to feel like. Tengo ganas de comer. No tenemos ganas de estudiar.
  7. Tener que + infinitive means to have to. Tengo que estudiar. Tienes que trabajar. It expresses obligation. Lesson 5.7 develops it.
  8. Do not use estar or ser for these. Estoy hambre and Soy frío are not Spanish. Soy frío means "I am a cold person", with a different meaning entirely.

Where students lose marks: Soy quince años, Estoy mucho hambre and Tengo muy frío. Age and these feelings take tener, and the intensifier before the noun is mucho or mucha, matching the noun in gender.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I am sixteen years old. (2) We are very hungry. (3) My sister is very cold. (4) The children are sleepy. (5) You (informal) have to study, but you don't feel like it.

Step one: sentence 1. Age uses tener and años: Tengo dieciséis años.

Step two: sentence 2, the verb. A bodily feeling uses tener. The subject is "we", so tenemos.

Step three: sentence 2, the intensifier. Hambre is feminine, so "very" is mucha: Tenemos mucha hambre.

Step four: sentence 3. Frío is masculine, so mucho. The subject is third person singular, so tiene: Mi hermana tiene mucho frío. The feeling does not agree with the sister, since it is a noun.

Step five: sentence 4. Sueño needs no intensifier. The subject is plural: Los niños tienen sueño.

Step six: sentence 5, obligation. Tener que plus an infinitive: Tienes que estudiar.

Step seven: sentence 5, no desire. No tener ganas de plus an infinitive: pero no tienes ganas. Join the two: Tienes que estudiar, pero no tienes ganas.

Step eight: check. Every sentence uses a form of tener that matches its subject (tengo, tenemos, tiene, tienen, tienes), and no sentence uses muy or estar with a feeling.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of tener.
    Show the full solution

    tengo

  2. Say "I am thirsty."
    Show the full solution

    Tengo sed.

  3. Say "She is fourteen years old."
    Show the full solution

    Tiene catorce años.

  4. Say "We are hot."
    Show the full solution

    Tenemos calor.

  5. Complete: Ellos ___ miedo.
    Show the full solution

    tienen

  6. Say "I am very thirsty."
    Show the full solution

    Sed is feminine, so mucha. Tengo mucha sed.

  7. Say "You are very cold" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    Frío is masculine, so mucho. Tienes mucho frío.

  8. Find the error: Soy quince años y estoy mucho hambre.
    Show the full solution

    Both age and hunger use tener, and hambre takes mucha. Tengo quince años y tengo mucha hambre.

  9. Translate: "My parents have to work, but they don't feel like it."
    Show the full solution

    Tener que for obligation and tener ganas de for desire; the second verb is understood. Mis padres tienen que trabajar, pero no tienen ganas.

  10. Explain why Soy frío is a different sentence from Tengo frío.
    Show the full solution

    Tengo frío means "I am cold" (the feeling). Soy frío uses ser with an adjective and means "I am a cold, unfriendly person". feeling cold; being cold as a personality

Lesson 4.6 · Unit 4 · Structures

The verb ir and how to talk about what you are going to do

Ir means "to go", and it is irregular, like ser. It is also the verb you use to say what you are going to do. Spanish has a more formal future tense, but in speech most people use ir a plus an infinitive, which means you can talk about plans without learning a new set of endings. This lesson gives the forms, the small word that follows, and the pattern for the future.

The method
  1. The forms. yo voy, tú vas, él / ella / usted va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos / ellas / ustedes van. None begins like the infinitive.
  2. Going somewhere uses ir a. Voy a la escuela. Vamos al parque. The word a means "to".
  3. A and el combine. a + el = al. Voy al cine, never voy a el cine. A la, a los, a las do not combine. In the same way, de + el = del.
  4. Ask where with adónde. ¿Adónde vas? means "Where are you going to?" The word adónde contains the a, so ¿Dónde vas? is also heard.
  5. Say how you travel with en. Voy en autobús. Vamos en carro. The exception is a pie (on foot): Voy a pie.
  6. The near future is ir a + infinitive. Voy a estudiar. Vas a comer. Vamos a viajar. The first verb changes with the subject, and the second stays an infinitive.
  7. Vamos a + infinitive means "let's". Vamos a bailar. (Let's dance.) The same phrase also means "we are going to dance", and the context decides.
  8. Time words for the future. mañana, esta noche, el lunes, el fin de semana, la semana próxima, pronto. Mañana voy a estudiar.

Where students lose marks: leaving out the a in the near future, or writing a el. Voy estudiar is incomplete and Voy a el parque is a spelling error. The pattern is subject form of ir plus a plus an infinitive, and the two words a el always contract to al.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I am going to the library. (2) We are going to the movies. (3) Where are you going? (informal) (4) Tomorrow I am going to study. (5) Let's eat at one o'clock. (6) My parents are going to travel on Saturday.

Step one: sentence 1. The form for yo is voy. Biblioteca is feminine, so a la: Voy a la biblioteca.

Step two: sentence 2. The form for nosotros is vamos. Cine is masculine, so a + el contracts: Vamos al cine.

Step three: sentence 3. The question word is adónde, and the form for tú is vas: ¿Adónde vas?

Step four: sentence 4. The near future has three parts: voy, a, and the infinitive estudiar. A time word begins the sentence: Mañana voy a estudiar.

Step five: sentence 5. "Let's" uses vamos a and the infinitive: Vamos a comer a la una. The time uses a la una, with the singular article for one o'clock.

Step six: sentence 6. The subject is plural, so van. Sábado needs el for "on": Mis padres van a viajar el sábado.

Step seven: practice the contraction. Vamos a la playa but vamos al museo, because museo is masculine. Notice that only a el contracts.

Step eight: check. Every future sentence has ir, then a, then an infinitive, and every destination has a before it, with al for masculine singular. The forms used were voy, vamos, vas, voy, vamos, van.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the tú form of ir.
    Show the full solution

    vas

  2. Write the nosotros form of ir.
    Show the full solution

    vamos

  3. Complete: Ellos ___ a la escuela.
    Show the full solution

    van

  4. Say "I am going to the park."
    Show the full solution

    Parque is masculine, so a + el = al. Voy al parque.

  5. Say "She is going to the store."
    Show the full solution

    Va a la tienda.

  6. Say "We are going to eat."
    Show the full solution

    Near future, vamos a plus an infinitive. Vamos a comer.

  7. Find the error: Voy a el supermercado.
    Show the full solution

    A and el must contract. Voy al supermercado.

  8. Find the error: Mañana yo voy estudiar.
    Show the full solution

    The near future needs the word a before the infinitive. Mañana voy a estudiar.

  9. Translate: "Where are the students going on Friday? They are going to travel."
    Show the full solution

    Adónde is the question word, "on Friday" is el viernes, and the answer uses the near future. ¿Adónde van los estudiantes el viernes? Van a viajar.

  10. Write four sentences about your plans for the weekend, using ir a and a different subject each time.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Voy a estudiar. Mi hermano va a trabajar. Mis padres van a viajar. Vamos a comer en un restaurante. Each sentence uses the right form of ir, the word a and an infinitive. Voy a estudiar. Mi hermano va a trabajar...

Lesson 4.7 · Unit 4 · Structures

Verbs with one strange form: the irregular yo

A large group of common Spanish verbs is regular in every form but one. In the yo form they add a -g- before the ending, and the other five forms follow the normal pattern. This is the easiest kind of irregularity to learn, because the rest of the verb can be built from the rules you already know. You will use these verbs constantly, so they deserve their own lesson.

The method
  1. The irregular yo ends in -go. hacer → hago, poner → pongo, salir → salgo, traer → traigo, venir → vengo, oír → oigo. The infinitive gives the stem, and the g is added before the -o.
  2. The other forms are regular. haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen. Pones, pone, ponemos, ponéis, ponen. Sales, sale, salimos, salís, salen.
  3. Hacer means to do or to make. Hago la tarea. ¿Qué haces? The answer repeats the question's verb in the form that matches the subject. Hacer also forms weather expressions, in Lesson 9.4.
  4. Poner means to put or to set. Pongo la mesa (I set the table). Pongo mi mochila en la silla.
  5. Salir means to leave or to go out. It takes de for leaving a place and con for going out with someone: Salgo de casa a las siete. Salgo con mis amigos. Use salir para for the destination: Salgo para México.
  6. Traer means to bring, and venir means to come. Traigo mi libro. Vengo a la fiesta. Venir also changes its stem, vienes, viene, vienen, which Lesson 5.4 explains. Venimos and venís keep the plain stem.
  7. Oír means to hear. Oigo música. It is quite irregular in other forms: oyes, oye, oímos, oís, oyen. Learn it as a set.
  8. More irregular yo forms come later. Conocer → conozco and saber → sé (Lesson 7.4), ver → veo and dar → doy (Lesson 7.7). The pattern is the same: one odd form, five regular ones.

Where students lose marks: regularizing the yo form. Yo hacer, yo hazo, yo ponó and yo salo are all wrong. The yo form is the only one that takes -go. Do not add -g- to the other forms: tú hages is wrong and tú haces is right.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate hacer and write: (1) I do my homework every day. (2) What do you do on Saturdays? (3) We go out with our friends. (4) My brother comes to the party. (5) I bring my backpack and put it on the table.

Step one: conjugate hacer. hago, haces, hace, hacemos, hacéis, hacen. Only the first form is irregular.

Step two: sentence 1. "My homework" is mi tarea, and "every day" is todos los días: Hago mi tarea todos los días.

Step three: sentence 2. The form for tú is regular: ¿Qué haces los sábados? Remember los for "on Saturdays".

Step four: sentence 3. Salir with con, and the regular nosotros form salimos: Salimos con nuestros amigos.

Step five: sentence 4. Venir is third-person singular, with the stem change: Mi hermano viene a la fiesta.

Step six: sentence 5, the two verbs. Both are yo forms with -g-: traigo and pongo.

Step seven: assemble sentence 5. "Put it" uses a pronoun, which is taught in Lesson 7.6, so write it with the noun: Traigo mi mochila y pongo mi mochila en la mesa. The repetition is correct, if clumsy.

Step eight: check. The yo forms hago, traigo, pongo carry -g- and none of the other forms do. The answers: Hago mi tarea todos los días. ¿Qué haces los sábados? Salimos con nuestros amigos. Mi hermano viene a la fiesta.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of salir.
    Show the full solution

    salgo

  2. Write the yo form of poner.
    Show the full solution

    pongo

  3. Write the tú form of hacer.
    Show the full solution

    Regular. haces

  4. Write the nosotros form of salir.
    Show the full solution

    Regular -ir. salimos

  5. Complete: Yo ___ (traer) mi libro a la clase.
    Show the full solution

    traigo

  6. Complete: Ella ___ (hacer) la cena.
    Show the full solution

    hace

  7. Say "I come at seven."
    Show the full solution

    The yo form is vengo. Vengo a las siete.

  8. Find the error: Yo hago la tarea y tú hagas la cena.
    Show the full solution

    Only the yo form has -g-. Yo hago la tarea y tú haces la cena.

  9. Translate: "What are you doing tonight? I am going out with my friends."
    Show the full solution

    Spanish uses the simple present for what you are doing, and "tonight" is esta noche. ¿Qué haces esta noche? Salgo con mis amigos.

  10. Write five yo sentences with five different verbs from this lesson.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Hago la tarea. Pongo la mesa. Salgo de casa a las siete. Traigo mi mochila. Vengo a la escuela en autobús. Every verb is a yo form with -g-. Hago la tarea. Pongo la mesa...

Unit 4 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 4 review: The Present Tense

These are mixed across all seven lessons. Find the subject first, then the verb family, then the ending. Do not translate any English helper words such as "do" or "am".

  1. Write the present tense: yo (estudiar), tú (comer), nosotros (vivir).
    Show the full solution

    Remove the infinitive ending and add the ending of the right family. Comer and vivir differ only in the nosotros form. estudio, comes, vivimos

  2. Ask "Where do you work?" (informal) and "Who speaks French?"
    Show the full solution

    There is no "do". Quién is the subject, so the verb is third-person singular. ¿Dónde trabajas? ¿Quién habla francés?

  3. Say "I never eat meat" in two ways and "I don't have anything."
    Show the full solution

    A negative word before the verb needs no no. After the verb the double negative is required. Nunca como carne. No como carne nunca. No tengo nada.

  4. Say "I am sixteen years old," "I am very hungry" and "My sister is very cold."
    Show the full solution

    Age and bodily states take tener, and the intensifier is mucho or mucha to match the noun. Tengo dieciséis años. Tengo mucha hambre. Mi hermana tiene mucho frío.

  5. Say "We are going to the park" and "Tomorrow I am going to study."
    Show the full solution

    A + el contracts to al. The near future is ir plus a plus an infinitive. Vamos al parque. Mañana voy a estudiar.

  6. Give the yo forms of hacer, salir, poner.
    Show the full solution

    These verbs add -g- before the -o and are regular in the other forms. hago, salgo, pongo

  7. Find the errors: Yo hablas inglés y nosotros comamos pizza.
    Show the full solution

    Yo takes -o, and nosotros takes -emos for an -er verb. Yo hablo inglés y nosotros comemos pizza.

  8. Find the errors: Soy dieciséis años y estoy hambre.
    Show the full solution

    Both age and hunger use tener, which is the English structure carried over wrongly. Tengo dieciséis años y tengo hambre.

  9. Say "What are you doing tonight? I am going out with my friends and I have to study."
    Show the full solution

    The present tense covers "are doing". Hacer is regular for tú, and salir has salgo. ¿Qué haces esta noche? Salgo con mis amigos y tengo que estudiar.

  10. Say "Do the students speak Spanish? No, they don't speak Spanish, but they study a lot."
    Show the full solution

    No helper word for "do", a double no in the answer, and mucho unchanged after a verb. ¿Hablan español los estudiantes? No, no hablan español, pero estudian mucho.

Lesson 5.1 · Unit 5 · Communication: interpersonal

Talking about your classes and your day at school

School is the first world you can describe completely in Spanish, because you already know the numbers, the days, the time and the verbs for it. This lesson adds the subjects and the vocabulary of a school day, and shows how to say what class you have, when it meets and whether you like it. It is also a review of Units 1 to 4, since you can only describe a schedule by using all of them together.

The method
  1. The subjects. las matemáticas, el español, el inglés, el francés, la historia, la geografía, la biología, la química, la física, las ciencias, el arte, la música, la educación física, la informática. Matemáticas and ciencias are always plural.
  2. The school day. el horario (schedule), la clase, el recreo (break), el almuerzo (lunch), la tarea (homework), el examen, la prueba (quiz), la nota (grade), el laboratorio, el gimnasio, la biblioteca.
  3. Say what you have with tener. Tengo matemáticas a las nueve. Tengo clase de historia los martes. With a subject the article is usually dropped after tener, and clase de adds the word for a class.
  4. Say when with a, a la and a las. La clase de arte es a las diez. Tengo almuerzo a las doce y media. Days use el and los.
  5. Name the order. primero (first), segundo, tercero, después (afterward), luego (then), por último (finally): Primero tengo matemáticas. Después tengo inglés.
  6. Give opinions with fácil, difícil, interesante, aburrido. La clase de ciencias es difícil pero interesante. The adjective agrees with the class, and the verb is ser, because it describes the class itself (Lesson 3.6).
  7. Say your favorite. Mi clase favorita es el arte. Mi materia favorita es la música. Favorito is a four-form adjective and agrees with the noun it follows.
  8. Ask about your classmate's day. ¿Qué clases tienes hoy? ¿A qué hora es tu clase de historia? ¿Cuál es tu clase favorita? ¿Quién es tu profesor de ciencias?

Where students lose marks: the article and the plural. Tengo la matemática and La clase es a la nueve are the two classic slips. The subject names that are plural, such as matemáticas, stay plural, and the time uses a las for every hour but one.

Worked example

The problem. Describe this Monday in Spanish: 8:00 math, 9:00 Spanish, 10:00 history, lunch at 12:00. Say which class is your favorite (Spanish), that it is easy, and that you have a lot of homework.

Step one: choose the verb. Tener says what class you have. The subject is yo, so the form is tengo.

Step two: the first class. A time for a class uses a las. Math is plural: Los lunes tengo matemáticas a las ocho.

Step three: the second class. Después tengo español a las nueve. The word español is not capitalized, even when it names the subject.

Step four: the third class. Luego tengo historia a las diez.

Step five: lunch. Por último, el almuerzo es a las doce. The subject is el almuerzo, so the verb is es.

Step six: the favorite. Mi clase favorita es el español. The adjective favorita is feminine because it follows clase, and the verb ser names the class.

Step seven: easy and homework. Es fácil, pero tengo mucha tarea. Tarea is feminine, so mucha. Fácil is two-form.

Step eight: check. Tengo was used for what you have, es for what it is, every hour but one took a las, and the subject names are written without capitals.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I have math."
    Show the full solution

    Matemáticas is plural and takes no article here. Tengo matemáticas.

  2. Say "Biology is at ten o'clock."
    Show the full solution

    Time of a class: ser with a las. La clase de biología es a las diez.

  3. What is el horario?
    Show the full solution

    the schedule

  4. Say "My favorite class is music."
    Show the full solution

    The adjective agrees with clase. Mi clase favorita es la música.

  5. Say "The class is difficult."
    Show the full solution

    A quality of the class, so ser. La clase es difícil.

  6. Ask "What classes do you have today?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    No helper word for "do". ¿Qué clases tienes hoy?

  7. Say "First I have history, then I have chemistry."
    Show the full solution

    Primero tengo historia y luego tengo química.

  8. Find the errors: Tengo la matemática a la nueve.
    Show the full solution

    The subject is plural with no article after tener, and nine takes a las. Tengo matemáticas a las nueve.

  9. Translate: "My Spanish class is on Tuesdays and Thursdays at eleven fifteen."
    Show the full solution

    Days use los, and the time uses a las. Mi clase de español es los martes y jueves a las once y cuarto.

  10. Write a five-sentence description of your own schedule, naming three classes, a time for each, and your favorite.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Tengo historia a las ocho. Tengo matemáticas a las nueve. Tengo inglés a las diez. El almuerzo es a las doce. Mi clase favorita es el inglés. It uses tener for classes and ser for the time and the favorite. Tengo historia a las ocho...

Lesson 5.2 · Unit 5 · Structures

Saying what you like: the verb that works backward

"I like pizza" is the first opinion every student wants to express, and it is the first place where translating word for word fails. Spanish does not say "I like pizza". It says "pizza pleases me". The thing that is liked is the subject of the sentence, and the person who likes it is a pronoun. Once you see that, gustar is one of the most regular things in the language.

The method
  1. Gustar means to please. Me gusta la pizza literally means "the pizza is pleasing to me". The pizza is the subject and the speaker is the indirect object.
  2. The pronoun shows who likes it. me (I), te (you), le (he, she, you formal), nos (we), os (you all in Spain), les (they, you all). It goes before the verb.
  3. The verb has only two forms. Gusta when the thing liked is singular and gustan when it is plural: Me gusta el libro. Me gustan los libros.
  4. The verb agrees with the thing liked, not the person. Nos gusta la música. Les gustan las fiestas. The pronoun changes with the person and the verb changes with the object.
  5. Use the article. The thing you like is usually a general category, and Spanish uses el, la, los or las: Me gusta el chocolate. Me gustan los gatos. Never Me gusta chocolate.
  6. Add a + the person to clarify or to emphasize. A Ana le gusta el arte. A mí me gusta la música. A ti te gustan los deportes. A mis padres les gusta viajar. The a phrase does not replace the pronoun. Both are written.
  7. Negative and questions are regular. No me gusta la tarea. ¿Te gustan las matemáticas? Answer: Sí, me gustan. No, no me gustan.
  8. Intensify with mucho. Me gusta mucho el arte. No me gusta nada la física. Mucho goes after the verb here and does not change.

Where students lose marks: Yo gusto la pizza and Me gusta los libros. The first treats the speaker as the subject, the second makes the verb singular for a plural thing. Ask two questions: who is the person (me, te, le) and is the thing singular or plural (gusta or gustan)?

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I like the movies (las películas). (2) You (informal) like the music. (3) Ana likes the dog. (4) We like the sports (los deportes). (5) My parents like the books. (6) Do you like math? (informal)

Step one: sentence 1. The pronoun is me. The thing, las películas, is plural, so gustan: Me gustan las películas.

Step two: sentence 2. The pronoun is te. La música is singular: Te gusta la música.

Step three: sentence 3. The pronoun is le, plus a Ana for clarity. El perro is singular: A Ana le gusta el perro.

Step four: sentence 4. The pronoun is nos. Los deportes is plural: Nos gustan los deportes.

Step five: sentence 5. The pronoun is les, with a mis padres. Los libros is plural: A mis padres les gustan los libros.

Step six: sentence 6. A question with te. Las matemáticas is plural: ¿Te gustan las matemáticas?

Step seven: answer it negatively. No, no me gustan las matemáticas. The first no answers the question, and the second makes the sentence negative.

Step eight: check. Every sentence has a pronoun and a verb that agrees with the thing liked: gustan, gusta, gusta, gustan, gustan, gustan. No sentence has a subject pronoun like yo or tú.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Complete: Me ___ (gustar) el chocolate.
    Show the full solution

    One singular thing. gusta

  2. Complete: Te ___ (gustar) los gatos.
    Show the full solution

    A plural thing. gustan

  3. Which pronoun goes with nosotros in gustar?
    Show the full solution

    nos

  4. Say "I like the pizza."
    Show the full solution

    Me gusta la pizza.

  5. Say "He likes the books."
    Show the full solution

    Le gustan los libros.

  6. Say "Marta likes the movies" with the clarifying phrase.
    Show the full solution

    A Marta le gustan las películas.

  7. Say "We don't like the homework."
    Show the full solution

    No goes before the pronoun. No nos gusta la tarea.

  8. Find the error: Yo gusto las manzanas.
    Show the full solution

    The speaker is the indirect object, not the subject. Manzanas is plural. Me gustan las manzanas.

  9. Find the error: A mis amigos les gusta los deportes.
    Show the full solution

    The thing liked is plural, so the verb must be gustan. A mis amigos les gustan los deportes.

  10. Write four sentences about what you, a friend, your family and your teacher like.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Me gusta el chocolate. A mi amigo le gustan los deportes. A mis padres les gusta la música. A la profesora le gustan los libros. Each has the right pronoun, and the verb matches the thing liked. Me gusta el chocolate...

Lesson 5.3 · Unit 5 · Structures

Liking to do things, and the verbs that work like gustar

You can use gustar with an action as well as with a thing: "I like to dance". The rule is simple and has no exceptions. A handful of other common verbs work the same way, so once you know gustar you also know encantar, interesar and several others. This lesson gives you the rule and the list.

The method
  1. With an infinitive, always gusta. Me gusta bailar. Te gusta cantar. Nos gusta estudiar. An action is one thing, so the verb is singular.
  2. A list of actions stays singular. Me gusta cantar y bailar. Even with two infinitives the verb does not become gustan.
  3. The infinitive is the subject. It plays the role the noun played in Lesson 5.2, so it takes no article and no a: Me gusta nadar, not Me gusta el nadar or Me gusta a nadar.
  4. Encantar means to love. Me encanta el arte. Me encantan los deportes. It is a stronger form of gustar and works the same way.
  5. Interesar means to interest. Me interesa la historia. Te interesan los idiomas. Aburrir (to bore), fascinar (to fascinate) and molestar (to bother) follow the same pattern.
  6. Importar and faltar. Importar is to matter: Me importa la familia. Faltar is to be missing: Me faltan dos lápices.
  7. Add the phrase with a. A mí me encanta cantar. A ti te interesa la música. A él le molesta el ruido. A nosotros nos gusta viajar. A ellas les fascina el arte. The a phrase is optional but common.
  8. Two ways to say the opposite. No me gusta nada (I don't like it at all) and Me disgusta (it displeases me). Use no me gusta for most situations.

Where students lose marks: making the verb plural because there are two actions, and adding a preposition. Me gustan cantar y bailar is the first error and Me gusta a bailar is the second. The infinitive subject is always singular and takes nothing in front of it.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I like to swim. (2) We like to sing and dance. (3) My sister loves to read. (4) Do you like to study? (informal) (5) The students are interested in art. (6) Maria is bored by the homework.

Step one: sentence 1. The pronoun is me and the subject is the infinitive nadar: Me gusta nadar.

Step two: sentence 2. The pronoun is nos. Two infinitives are still singular: Nos gusta cantar y bailar.

Step three: sentence 3. A stronger verb: encantar. The pronoun is le, clarified with a mi hermana: A mi hermana le encanta leer.

Step four: sentence 4. A question with te: ¿Te gusta estudiar? Both marks and the te before the verb.

Step five: sentence 5. Interesar with les, because the students are plural. The subject is el arte, singular: A los estudiantes les interesa el arte.

Step six: sentence 6. Aburrir with le. The homework is singular, so the verb is third-person singular: A María le aburre la tarea.

Step seven: contrast with plural subjects. A plural thing needs the plural verb: A los estudiantes les interesan las ciencias. The -an ending follows the thing, not the people.

Step eight: check. The pronoun matched the person and the verb matched the thing liked. The infinitives had singular verbs and no articles. The answers are the six sentences above.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I like to dance."
    Show the full solution

    Me gusta bailar.

  2. Say "She loves to sing."
    Show the full solution

    Le encanta cantar.

  3. Say "We like to eat."
    Show the full solution

    Nos gusta comer.

  4. Say "Do you like to read?" (informal)
    Show the full solution

    ¿Te gusta leer?

  5. What does Me encantan los gatos mean?
    Show the full solution

    I love cats.

  6. Say "They like to travel and to eat."
    Show the full solution

    Two infinitives, but one singular verb. Les gusta viajar y comer.

  7. Say "History interests me."
    Show the full solution

    Interesar works like gustar. Me interesa la historia.

  8. Find the error: Me gustan cantar y bailar.
    Show the full solution

    Infinitives are singular, even when there are two. Me gusta cantar y bailar.

  9. Find the error: A mi madre le gusta el cocinar.
    Show the full solution

    An infinitive subject takes no article. A mi madre le gusta cocinar.

  10. Write four sentences about what you like to do, what you love, what interests you and what bores you.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Me gusta nadar. Me encanta bailar. Me interesan las ciencias. Me aburre la tarea. The first two have infinitive subjects, the last two have noun subjects, and each verb matches its subject. Me gusta nadar. Me encanta bailar. Me interesan las ciencias. Me aburre la tarea.

Lesson 5.4 · Unit 5 · Structures

Verbs whose e becomes ie

Some of the most common verbs in Spanish change their vowel when it is stressed. They are called stem-changing or boot verbs, and there are three patterns. The first is e to ie, which includes querer, pensar, preferir and empezar, and also the verbs tener and venir you have already used. The change follows a rule, not chance, and once you see where it applies, you can use all of these verbs.

The method
  1. Stem-changing verbs change the vowel in the stressed syllable. In querer, the stressed vowel in yo quiero is the e of the stem. In the nosotros form, queremos, the stress falls on the ending, so the stem is unchanged.
  2. The boot. Draw a line around yo, tú, él, ellos in a table. They change, and nosotros and vosotros do not. The shape looks like a boot, which is why these are called boot verbs.
  3. The e to ie pattern. querer: quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, queréis, quieren. Pensar: pienso, piensas, piensa, pensamos, pensáis, piensan.
  4. The endings are the regular ones. Only the stem changes. Querer is an -er verb and pensar is an -ar verb, and each uses its own set of endings.
  5. Common verbs in this group. querer (to want), pensar (to think, to plan), preferir (to prefer), empezar (to begin), comenzar (to begin), entender (to understand), cerrar (to close), perder (to lose), sentir (to feel), tener and venir.
  6. Pensar has two meanings by preposition. Pensar en means to think about: Pienso en mi familia. Pensar with an infinitive means to intend: Pienso estudiar.
  7. Querer means to want, and to love a person. Quiero un helado. Quiero a mi abuela. The second uses the personal a (Lesson 7.5).
  8. Learn the nosotros form as the "regular" one. When you are unsure whether a verb changes its stem, remember that nosotros never does. Queremos, pensamos, preferimos. If your word has the stem change, you have gone wrong.

Where students lose marks: changing the stem in the nosotros form and forgetting it in the others. Nosotros queremos is correct, nosotros quieremos is not, and yo quero and ella quere are errors in the other direction. Change yo, tú, él and ellos, and no others.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate preferir, then write: (1) I want a sandwich. (2) You (informal) prefer tea. (3) We prefer to eat at home. (4) The class begins at eight. (5) My parents think about the trip.

Step one: identify the pattern. Preferir is an -ir verb with an e in its stem that becomes ie in the boot.

Step two: conjugate. prefiero, prefieres, prefiere, preferimos, preferís, prefieren. The nosotros and vosotros forms stay regular.

Step three: sentence 1. Querer in the yo form is quiero: Quiero un sándwich.

Step four: sentence 2. The tú form is in the boot: Prefieres té. The article is not needed because té is the object, not a general category.

Step five: sentence 3. The nosotros form is outside the boot, so no change: Preferimos comer en casa. A second verb stays an infinitive.

Step six: sentence 4. Empezar is third person singular, and it is a boot verb, so empieza. Time uses a las: La clase empieza a las ocho.

Step seven: sentence 5. Pensar en for "think about", in the ellos form, which is inside the boot: Mis padres piensan en el viaje.

Step eight: check. The boot forms (quiero, prefieres, empieza, piensan) all have ie, and the one outside the boot (preferimos) does not.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of querer.
    Show the full solution

    quiero

  2. Write the tú form of pensar.
    Show the full solution

    piensas

  3. Write the nosotros form of querer.
    Show the full solution

    No change outside the boot. queremos

  4. Complete: Ellos ___ (preferir) el café.
    Show the full solution

    prefieren

  5. Complete: La película ___ (empezar) a las ocho.
    Show the full solution

    empieza

  6. Say "I want a book."
    Show the full solution

    Quiero un libro.

  7. Say "We prefer to study at the library."
    Show the full solution

    Nosotros does not change, and the second verb is an infinitive. Preferimos estudiar en la biblioteca.

  8. Find the error: Nosotros quieremos pizza y yo quero helado.
    Show the full solution

    The nosotros form does not change, and the yo form does: Nosotros queremos pizza y yo quiero helado.

  9. Translate: "Do you understand? I do not understand the lesson."
    Show the full solution

    Both are boot forms of entender. ¿Entiendes? No entiendo la lección.

  10. Explain the difference between Pienso en mi madre and Pienso estudiar.
    Show the full solution

    Pensar en means "to think about", and pensar with an infinitive means "to intend". I am thinking about my mother; I plan to study.

Lesson 5.5 · Unit 5 · Structures

Verbs whose o becomes ue

The second stem-change pattern is o to ue, and it works exactly like the first. The boot is the same shape, the endings are the same, and the change happens in the same four forms. This pattern includes poder, dormir and volver, plus one odd verb, jugar, whose u becomes ue. Because the endings are regular, the new information is only the vowel and the list.

The method
  1. The pattern. In the boot (yo, tú, él, ellos), the stressed o becomes ue. Poder: puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden.
  2. Nosotros and vosotros stay regular. Podemos, dormimos, volvemos. The stress falls on the ending, so the stem keeps its o.
  3. Common verbs. poder (to be able to), dormir (to sleep), volver (to return), almorzar (to have lunch), encontrar (to find), costar (to cost), recordar (to remember), contar (to count, to tell), mostrar (to show).
  4. Dormir. duermo, duermes, duerme, dormimos, dormís, duermen: Duermo ocho horas.
  5. Volver. vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven. Use volver a for a place: Vuelvo a casa a las tres.
  6. Costar and weather verbs. Costar is used in the third person: cuesta (singular) and cuestan (plural): ¿Cuánto cuesta el libro? Cuestan diez euros. The weather verb llover is llueve.
  7. Jugar is the one u to ue verb. juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, jugáis, juegan. It is the only u verb that changes, and it is a common one.
  8. Jugar a + sport. Juego al fútbol. Jugamos al baloncesto. The a contracts with el: al. In Latin America you will also hear jugar fútbol. For a musical instrument, use tocar: Toco la guitarra.

Where students lose marks: forgetting that poder keeps a plain o in podemos, and using jugar with no a before the sport and no stem change. Podemos is correct, puedemos is the classic error. Yo jugo should be yo juego. Remember the boot.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I can study tonight. (2) You (informal) sleep eight hours. (3) We return at three o'clock. (4) The students play soccer. (5) How much does the book cost? (6) We can't go.

Step one: sentence 1. Poder in the yo form is puedo, followed by an infinitive: Puedo estudiar esta noche.

Step two: sentence 2. Dormir in the tú form is in the boot: Duermes ocho horas.

Step three: sentence 3. Volver in the nosotros form is outside the boot, so no change: Volvemos a las tres.

Step four: sentence 4. Jugar in the ellos form is in the boot, and the sport takes al: Los estudiantes juegan al fútbol.

Step five: sentence 5. Costar with a singular subject: ¿Cuánto cuesta el libro? With several books it is ¿Cuánto cuestan los libros?

Step six: sentence 6. Nosotros again, with no change, and the negative: No podemos ir.

Step seven: contrast the boot. Puedo, puedes, puede, pueden change, and podemos does not. Say all six aloud, noticing where the stress falls.

Step eight: check. The boot forms (puedo, duermes, juegan, cuesta) have ue, and the nosotros forms (volvemos, podemos) keep o.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of poder.
    Show the full solution

    puedo

  2. Write the tú form of dormir.
    Show the full solution

    duermes

  3. Write the nosotros form of volver.
    Show the full solution

    volvemos

  4. Complete: Ella ___ (jugar) al tenis.
    Show the full solution

    juega

  5. Complete: Ellos ___ (almorzar) a las doce.
    Show the full solution

    almuerzan

  6. Say "I can't dance."
    Show the full solution

    No puedo bailar.

  7. Say "We play soccer on Saturdays."
    Show the full solution

    Nosotros does not change, and the sport takes al. Jugamos al fútbol los sábados.

  8. Find the error: Nosotros puedemos ir y yo no podo.
    Show the full solution

    The nosotros form keeps o and the yo form changes. Nosotros podemos ir y yo no puedo.

  9. Find the error: Yo jugo fútbol con mis amigos.
    Show the full solution

    Jugar is a boot verb, so the yo form is juego. The sport takes al. Yo juego al fútbol con mis amigos.

  10. Translate: "How much do the shoes cost? They cost forty euros, and I can't buy them."
    Show the full solution

    The shoes are plural, so cuestan. "Buy them" repeats the noun or uses a pronoun taught in Lesson 7.6. ¿Cuánto cuestan los zapatos? Cuestan cuarenta euros y no puedo comprar los zapatos.

Lesson 5.6 · Unit 5 · Structures

Verbs whose e becomes i

The third pattern is the smallest. It affects only verbs that end in -ir, and the stem vowel changes from e to i, not to ie. The boot is the same shape. Because these verbs include pedir, servir and decir, which you will use daily in a restaurant and in a conversation, they deserve a short lesson of their own.

The method
  1. Only -ir verbs follow this pattern. There are no -ar or -er verbs that change e to i in the present tense.
  2. The change is e to i. Pedir: pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden. The boot forms change, nosotros and vosotros do not.
  3. Common verbs. pedir (to ask for, to order), servir (to serve), repetir (to repeat), seguir (to follow, to continue), conseguir (to get), vestir (to dress), competir (to compete), decir (to say).
  4. Pedir and preguntar. Pedir means to ask for something: Pido un café. Preguntar means to ask a question: Pregunto dónde está. They are different verbs.
  5. Servir. sirvo, sirves, sirve, servimos, servís, sirven. The restaurant verb: El camarero sirve la comida.
  6. Repetir. repito, repites, repite, repetimos, repetís, repiten. The classroom phrase: Repite, por favor.
  7. Seguir. sigo, sigues, sigue, seguimos, seguís, siguen. The yo form drops the u because of a spelling rule: sigo, not siguo. It is also used for directions: Sigue derecho.
  8. Decir. digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. It is both a stem-changer and an irregular yo, so it has two quirks. Lesson 7.7 gives it fuller treatment.

Where students lose marks: using ie instead of i, and confusing pedir with preguntar. Yo piedo is wrong and yo pido is right. Pregunto un café means you are asking a question about a coffee, not ordering one.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I order a sandwich. (2) You (informal) repeat the question. (3) We ask for the menu. (4) The waiter serves the soup. (5) My teacher says that the exam is easy. (6) I ask where the library is.

Step one: sentence 1. The yo form of pedir is pido: Pido un sándwich. No preposition follows pedir.

Step two: sentence 2. Repetir in the tú form is in the boot: Repites la pregunta.

Step three: sentence 3. The nosotros form of pedir is outside the boot: Pedimos el menú.

Step four: sentence 4. Servir in the third person singular: El camarero sirve la sopa.

Step five: sentence 5. Decir in the third person singular is dice, followed by que: Mi profesor dice que el examen es fácil.

Step six: sentence 6. To ask a question use preguntar, not pedir: Pregunto dónde está la biblioteca. The verb is regular, and dónde has its accent in an indirect question too.

Step seven: practice the boot. Say pido, pides, pide, pedimos, pedís, piden aloud and notice that only pedimos and pedís keep the e.

Step eight: check. The boot forms (pido, repites, sirve, dice) have i, and pedimos does not. Pedir and preguntar were not mixed up.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of servir.
    Show the full solution

    sirvo

  2. Write the tú form of pedir.
    Show the full solution

    pides

  3. Write the nosotros form of repetir.
    Show the full solution

    repetimos

  4. Complete: Ellos ___ (pedir) agua.
    Show the full solution

    piden

  5. Complete: Yo ___ (decir) la verdad.
    Show the full solution

    Decir has a stem change and an irregular yo. digo

  6. Say "She orders a coffee."
    Show the full solution

    Pide un café.

  7. Say "Please repeat" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    Repite, por favor.

  8. Find the error: Yo piedo una pizza.
    Show the full solution

    The e changes to i, not ie, and the ending is -o. Yo pido una pizza.

  9. Find the error: Pregunto una pizza al camarero.
    Show the full solution

    You do not ask a question about a pizza; you ask for it. Use pedir. Pido una pizza al camarero.

  10. Translate: "The waiter serves the food, and we ask for water."
    Show the full solution

    Servir in the third person and pedir in nosotros. El camarero sirve la comida y pedimos agua.

Lesson 5.7 · Unit 5 · Structures

Two verbs together: wanting, needing, being able to and having to

The single most useful sentence pattern in a first year is a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive. It lets you say what you want, need, plan or have to do without learning a new tense. You have already seen ir a and tener que. This lesson collects the pattern, shows which verbs link directly and which need a small word, and ties it to the stem changes of this unit.

The method
  1. The pattern is conjugated verb + infinitive. Only the first verb takes an ending that matches the subject. The second verb stays in the infinitive form: Quiero comer. Podemos ir.
  2. Some verbs link with nothing. querer, poder, necesitar, preferir, deber, pensar, esperar: Necesito estudiar. Prefiero bailar. Debes comer.
  3. Some link with que. Tener que expresses obligation: Tengo que trabajar. Hay que is impersonal and means "one must": Hay que estudiar.
  4. Some link with a. ir a (near future), empezar a (to begin to), aprender a (to learn to), volver a (to do again): Voy a comer. Empiezo a leer. Aprendo a bailar.
  5. Some link with de. acabar de means "to have just done": Acabo de comer (I just ate). Tener ganas de means to feel like: Tengo ganas de salir.
  6. The English "-ing" is also an infinitive. After a preposition Spanish uses the infinitive, not the participle: Antes de comer, leo el menú (Before eating, I read the menu). Gracias por venir.
  7. Use negatives and questions on the first verb. No quiero estudiar. ¿Puedes venir? The negative goes before the conjugated verb, not before the infinitive.
  8. Keep stem changes straight. The first verb is often a boot verb: quiero, puedo, prefiero, pienso. In nosotros the verb returns to its regular form: queremos ir, podemos comer.

Where students lose marks: conjugating both verbs and using an English word. Quiero como and Necesitas estudias conjugate the second verb, and Quiero a comer adds a preposition that does not belong. Learn each first verb with its link: nothing, que, a or de.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I want to travel. (2) You (informal) need to study. (3) We have to work. (4) The students are going to take an exam. (5) I just ate. (6) We are able to come on Friday. (7) You don't want to go.

Step one: sentence 1. Querer links directly. The yo form is a boot form: Quiero viajar.

Step two: sentence 2. Necesitar links directly, and the tú form is regular: Necesitas estudiar.

Step three: sentence 3. Tener que needs que: Tenemos que trabajar. The nosotros form of tener is regular.

Step four: sentence 4. Ir a with a plural subject: Los estudiantes van a tomar un examen.

Step five: sentence 5. Acabar de in the yo form: Acabo de comer. The tense of the sentence is present, and the meaning is past.

Step six: sentence 6. Poder in nosotros has no stem change: Podemos venir el viernes.

Step seven: sentence 7. The negative goes before the first verb: No quieres ir.

Step eight: check. The first verb was conjugated every time and the second stayed an infinitive. The links were nothing for querer, necesitar, poder, que for tener, a for ir, and de for acabar.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I want to eat."
    Show the full solution

    Quiero comer.

  2. Say "She needs to study."
    Show the full solution

    Necesita estudiar.

  3. Say "We can swim."
    Show the full solution

    Podemos nadar.

  4. Say "I have to work."
    Show the full solution

    Tengo que trabajar.

  5. Say "I just studied."
    Show the full solution

    Acabo de estudiar.

  6. Say "One must study" with the impersonal form.
    Show the full solution

    Hay que estudiar.

  7. Say "They prefer to eat at home."
    Show the full solution

    Prefieren comer en casa.

  8. Find the error: Quiero a comer y necesito estudio.
    Show the full solution

    Querer takes no a, and necesitar needs an infinitive. Quiero comer y necesito estudiar.

  9. Translate: "You can't come tonight because I have to study."
    Show the full solution

    Each clause has a conjugated verb and an infinitive. "Because" is porque. No puedes venir esta noche porque tengo que estudiar.

  10. Write four sentences about your weekend plans, using querer, tener que, ir a and poder.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Quiero descansar. Tengo que estudiar. Voy a salir con mis amigos. Puedo jugar al fútbol. Each has a conjugated first verb and an infinitive. Quiero descansar. Tengo que estudiar. Voy a salir con mis amigos. Puedo jugar al fútbol.

Unit 5 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 5 review: School and Likes

These are mixed across all seven lessons. For any sentence about liking, decide first who is the person and what the thing liked is. For any boot verb, say the boot aloud before you write.

  1. Say "I have math at nine, and my favorite class is music."
    Show the full solution

    Tener takes no article before the subject, the time is a las, and favorita agrees with clase. Tengo matemáticas a las nueve y mi clase favorita es la música.

  2. Say "I like the movies," "She likes to dance" and "They love art."
    Show the full solution

    The verb agrees with the thing liked, and an infinitive is always singular. Me gustan las películas. Le gusta bailar. Les encanta el arte.

  3. Give yo and nosotros of querer, tú of pensar, ellos of jugar.
    Show the full solution

    The boot changes yo, tú, él, ellos and leaves nosotros alone. Jugar changes u to ue. quiero, queremos, piensas, juegan

  4. Give tú of dormir, yo of pedir, ellos of servir.
    Show the full solution

    Dormir is o to ue. Pedir and servir are e to i. duermes, pido, sirven

  5. Say "We prefer to eat at home."
    Show the full solution

    Preferir keeps its plain stem in nosotros, and the second verb stays an infinitive. Preferimos comer en casa.

  6. Find the errors: Nosotros quieremos jugar al fútbol y yo no podo.
    Show the full solution

    Nosotros does not change its stem, and the yo form of poder does. Nosotros queremos jugar al fútbol y yo no puedo.

  7. Say "I want to travel, but I have to work."
    Show the full solution

    Querer links directly to an infinitive and tener needs que. Quiero viajar, pero tengo que trabajar.

  8. Find the error: Me gustan bailar y cantar.
    Show the full solution

    Infinitives are singular even when there are two. Me gusta bailar y cantar.

  9. Say "I ask for the menu" and "I ask where the bank is."
    Show the full solution

    Pedir is to ask for something and preguntar is to ask a question. Pido el menú. Pregunto dónde está el banco.

  10. Write four sentences about your school day: one with tener, one with gustar, one with a boot verb and one with ir a.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Tengo inglés a las ocho. Me gusta la clase de arte. Prefiero estudiar en la biblioteca. Voy a hacer la tarea esta noche. Each verb matches its subject and the boot form is correct. Tengo inglés a las ocho. Me gusta la clase de arte...

Lesson 6.1 · Unit 6 · Cultures

Talking about your family

The family is the first subject most people talk about with a stranger, and in much of the Spanish-speaking world it is a subject of real pride. This lesson gives the words for relatives and the patterns for counting them, and it applies the gender and number rules of Unit 2 to a list of nouns that come in pairs. Notice how many words change only their ending between a man and a woman.

The method
  1. The immediate family. el padre, la madre, el hijo, la hija, el hermano, la hermana. Informally papá and mamá, which take an accent and are used with mi: mi mamá.
  2. The extended family. el abuelo, la abuela, el tío, la tía, el primo, la prima, el sobrino, la sobrina, el nieto, la nieta. Learn each pair together.
  3. By marriage. el esposo / el marido (husband), la esposa (wife), el suegro, la suegra (father-in-law, mother-in-law), el cuñado, la cuñada (brother-in-law, sister-in-law), el padrastro, la madrastra (stepfather, stepmother).
  4. The masculine plural covers both sexes. los padres (parents), los hermanos (brothers and sisters), los abuelos (grandparents), los tíos (aunts and uncles), los primos (cousins), los hijos (children). Use the feminine plural only for an all-female group.
  5. Ask how many with cuántos. ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes? The answer is a number and the noun in the plural: Tengo dos hermanos. If you have one brother and one sister, say Tengo dos hermanos, or more precisely un hermano y una hermana.
  6. No siblings. No tengo hermanos. For "only child" use hijo único or hija única: Soy hija única. Describing yourself uses ser, because it is a lasting fact.
  7. Padres is not parientes. Los padres are your parents and los parientes are your relatives. This is a false friend, a word that looks similar and means something else in English.
  8. Use the personal a for people. Quiero mucho a mi abuela. Veo a mis primos. This rule is formalized in Lesson 7.5, but notice it here whenever a verb has a relative as its object.

Where students lose marks: the gender slips on pairs and the false friend. La hermano and el abuela do not exist, and mis parientes does not mean "my parents". Check that the article and the noun match, and say mis padres for your parents.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I have two brothers and one sister. (2) My parents are Maria and Carlos. (3) My grandmother lives with us. (4) My cousins (all girls) are funny. (5) I am an only child. Then ask a friend how many brothers and sisters he has.

Step one: sentence 1. Tener, yo form, and the numbers. A number before a masculine noun works, and a girl is hermana: Tengo dos hermanos y una hermana.

Step two: sentence 2. The subject is mis padres, plural, so the verb is son. Names need no article: Mis padres son María y Carlos.

Step three: sentence 3. Vivir con plus a pronoun for "us" is con nosotros: Mi abuela vive con nosotros.

Step four: sentence 4. The cousins are all girls, so the noun is feminine plural: mis primas. The adjective is feminine plural too: Mis primas son divertidas.

Step five: sentence 5. Describing yourself uses ser. If you are a boy, hijo único, and if you are a girl, hija única: Soy hijo único.

Step six: the question. The word is cuántos, because brothers and sisters is a masculine plural. The question is ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes?

Step seven: practice the pairs. Abuelo / abuela, tío / tía, primo / prima, sobrino / sobrina. Each changes only its ending. Padre and madre are the exception, since they are two separate words.

Step eight: check. Each noun agreed with its article and adjective, the masculine plural was used for the mixed group, and padres was used for parents, not parientes.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the Spanish for "grandmother"?
    Show the full solution

    la abuela

  2. What is the Spanish for "uncle"?
    Show the full solution

    el tío

  3. What does los hermanos mean?
    Show the full solution

    The masculine plural can include both sexes. brothers, or brothers and sisters

  4. Say "I have a sister."
    Show the full solution

    Tengo una hermana.

  5. Say "My cousin (a girl) is tall."
    Show the full solution

    Mi prima es alta.

  6. Ask "How many cousins do you have?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    Primos is masculine plural, so cuántos. ¿Cuántos primos tienes?

  7. Say "My parents are teachers."
    Show the full solution

    No article before the occupation. Mis padres son profesores.

  8. Find the error: Mis parientes viven en California, meaning "My parents live in California."
    Show the full solution

    Parientes means "relatives". Parents are padres. Mis padres viven en California.

  9. Find the error: El abuela de Ana es simpático.
    Show the full solution

    Abuela is feminine, so both the article and the adjective must be. La abuela de Ana es simpática.

  10. Write four Spanish sentences about your own family: who is in it, how many siblings, one description and one place.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi familia es grande. Tengo dos hermanos. Mi madre es simpática. Mis abuelos viven en México. The sentences use ser, tener and vivir with the right agreement. Mi familia es grande. Tengo dos hermanos...

Lesson 6.2 · Unit 6 · Structures

My, your, his, her, our and their

Possessive words are short and common, and in Spanish they follow the same agreement rule as every other adjective: they agree with the noun that is owned, not with the owner. That means "my book" and "my books" differ even though the owner is the same. This lesson gives the words and the one ambiguity you must learn to resolve, which is su.

The method
  1. The set. mi (my), tu (your, informal), su (his, her, its, your formal, their), nuestro (our), vuestro (your all, Spain), su (their, your all).
  2. They go before the noun. mi casa, tu libro, su hermana. Unlike descriptive adjectives, possessives come first.
  3. Mi, tu and su agree in number only. They add -s for a plural noun: mi libro, mis libros; tu mochila, tus mochilas; su amigo, sus amigos. They do not change for gender.
  4. Nuestro and vuestro agree in gender and number. nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras: nuestro perro, nuestra casa, nuestros padres, nuestras clases.
  5. Agree with the thing owned, not the owner. A girl says mi hermano for her brother and mis hermanos for two brothers. The word mi has nothing to do with the speaker being a girl.
  6. Su is ambiguous. Su casa may mean his, her, your or their house. Spanish clarifies with de: la casa de él, la casa de ella, la casa de usted, la casa de ellos.
  7. Tu and tú are different words. Tu is "your" and has no accent. Tú is the pronoun "you" and has one. Tu libro but tú tienes el libro.
  8. Do not use a possessive for body parts or clothing. Spanish uses the article: Me lavo las manos. Tengo los ojos azules. The English "my hands" is just las manos when it is clear whose they are.

Where students lose marks: agreeing the possessive with the owner and forgetting the plural -s. Mi hermanos should be mis hermanos, and nuestro casa should be nuestra casa. Look at the noun that follows to decide.

Worked example

The problem. Complete with the correct possessive: (1) ___ madre es médica (my). (2) ___ hermanos viven en Texas (your, informal). (3) ___ casa es grande (our). (4) ___ amigas son simpáticas (their). (5) ___ perros son negros (our). Then say "Ana's house" and "his house" clearly.

Step one: sentence 1. Madre is singular: mi. Mi madre es médica.

Step two: sentence 2. Hermanos is plural, so tus: Tus hermanos viven en Texas.

Step three: sentence 3. Casa is feminine singular, so nuestra: Nuestra casa es grande.

Step four: sentence 4. Amigas is plural, so sus: Sus amigas son simpáticas. The word su adds -s for the plural noun.

Step five: sentence 5. Perros is masculine plural, so nuestros: Nuestros perros son negros.

Step six: Ana's house. Use de, not an apostrophe: la casa de Ana.

Step seven: "his house". Su casa could mean any owner, so clarify: la casa de él. For her, la casa de ella.

Step eight: check. Each possessive agreed with the noun that followed it (mi, tus, nuestra, sus, nuestros), and the ambiguous su was clarified with de.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "my book."
    Show the full solution

    mi libro

  2. Say "my books."
    Show the full solution

    mis libros

  3. Say "your (informal) backpack."
    Show the full solution

    tu mochila

  4. Say "our house."
    Show the full solution

    nuestra casa

  5. Say "our friends" (masculine).
    Show the full solution

    nuestros amigos

  6. Say "her sisters."
    Show the full solution

    Su adds -s for the plural noun. sus hermanas

  7. Say "Their teacher is nice."
    Show the full solution

    Su profesor es simpático.

  8. Find the error: Mi hermanos y nuestro casa son grandes.
    Show the full solution

    Mis agrees with the plural noun, and nuestra agrees with the feminine noun. Mis hermanos y nuestra casa son grandes.

  9. Clarify with de: Su coche es azul, meaning "Her car is blue."
    Show the full solution

    El coche de ella es azul.

  10. A boy says mi hermana and a girl says mi hermana. Is the possessive the same, and why?
    Show the full solution

    Yes. Mi agrees with the thing owned, not with the speaker, and has one form for both genders. The same: mi hermana.

Lesson 6.3 · Unit 6 · Communication: interpersonal

Whose it is, how old they are and when their birthday is

Three small questions complete a conversation about the family: whose is this, how old are they, and when is the birthday. Each has one pattern, and each uses something you already know. The pattern for possession and for ages is the one your first lessons on numbers and on tener prepared. The birthday pattern is the one for dates in Lesson 1.7.

The method
  1. Possession uses de. el libro de Ana, la casa de mis abuelos, los amigos de Luis. Never an apostrophe.
  2. De and el combine. de + el = del: la casa del profesor. De la, de los, de las do not combine: la casa de la profesora.
  3. Ask whose with ¿De quién? ¿De quién es el libro? Es de Ana. For plurals the verb changes: ¿De quién son los libros? Son de Ana. De quiénes is used when the owners are many.
  4. Ask age with ¿Cuántos años tiene? ¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermana? Tiene doce años. The form of tener matches the person asked about.
  5. Say the number and años. Mi abuelo tiene setenta y ocho años. Tengo quince años. Always años, plural, except after the number one: un año.
  6. Birthday uses cumpleaños. ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? Mi cumpleaños es el diez de junio. Dates use el and de, as in Lesson 1.7. To say you turn an age, cumplir: Cumplo quince años en junio.
  7. Mayor and menor. To say an older sibling, use mayor and for a younger sibling, menor: mi hermano mayor, mi hermana menor. They are two-form adjectives and follow the noun.
  8. Congratulations and wishes. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! ¡Felicidades! Feliz is two-form: ¡Felices fiestas! Both exclamation marks are needed.

Where students lose marks: the English apostrophe, and soy for age. El libro de el profesor should contract to del, and Soy quince años should be Tengo quince años. Both come from translating word for word.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) The teacher's car is red. (2) Whose pens are these? They are Marta's. (3) My younger sister is ten years old. (4) When is your grandfather's birthday? It is on September 3. (5) Wish a friend a happy birthday.

Step one: sentence 1. Possession with de, and de + el contracts: El carro del profesor es rojo.

Step two: sentence 2, the question. The pens are plural, so the verb is son: ¿De quién son los bolígrafos?

Step three: sentence 2, the answer. Son de Marta. The verb is plural to match the pens.

Step four: sentence 3. Younger sister: mi hermana menor. Age uses tener: Mi hermana menor tiene diez años.

Step five: sentence 4, the question. The possessor is a grandfather: ¿Cuándo es el cumpleaños de tu abuelo? The question word has an accent.

Step six: sentence 4, the answer. A date: Es el tres de septiembre. The day comes first.

Step seven: sentence 5. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! with both marks. For a longer wish: ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Marta! ¡Felicidades!

Step eight: check. The contraction del appeared where de el would stand, ages used tener, and the date was day first. There was no apostrophe anywhere.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "Ana's book."
    Show the full solution

    el libro de Ana

  2. Say "the teacher's house" (male teacher).
    Show the full solution

    De el contracts. la casa del profesor

  3. Ask "Whose backpack is this?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿De quién es la mochila?

  4. Ask "How old is your brother?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Cuántos años tiene tu hermano?

  5. Say "My grandmother is seventy-two years old."
    Show the full solution

    Mi abuela tiene setenta y dos años.

  6. Say "My birthday is on May 4."
    Show the full solution

    Mi cumpleaños es el cuatro de mayo.

  7. Say "my older brother" and "my younger sisters".
    Show the full solution

    Mayor and menor follow the noun and are two-form. mi hermano mayor; mis hermanas menores

  8. Find the error: Soy dieciséis años y el casa de el profesor es grande.
    Show the full solution

    Age uses tener, casa is feminine, and de el contracts. Tengo dieciséis años y la casa del profesor es grande.

  9. Translate: "Whose books are these? They are my cousin's, and his birthday is on March 15."
    Show the full solution

    The books are plural, so son. Prima or primo both work for the owner, and the date is day first. ¿De quién son los libros? Son de mi primo y su cumpleaños es el quince de marzo.

  10. Write four sentences about two family members: their names, ages and birthdays.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi madre se llama Rosa. Tiene cuarenta y cinco años. Mi hermano se llama Luis. Su cumpleaños es el doce de julio. The verbs tiene and es carry the ages and the dates. Mi madre se llama Rosa. Tiene cuarenta y cinco años...

Lesson 6.4 · Unit 6 · Communication: presentational

Describing the home where you live

The home is a vocabulary lesson built on structures you already control. You will name the rooms and the furniture, describe them with hay and tener, and say where things are with estar. Spanish-speaking countries use different words for some rooms, and the lesson lists the most common variations so you recognize them when you hear them.

The method
  1. Where you live. Vivo en una casa. Vivimos en un apartamento. The alternative piso is used in Spain. Vivir en names the place.
  2. The rooms. la sala (living room), el comedor (dining room), la cocina (kitchen), el baño (bathroom), el dormitorio, la habitación, el cuarto (bedroom), el garaje, el jardín, el patio.
  3. Regional variations. Bedroom is la recámara in Mexico, la pieza in Chile and la alcoba in Colombia. Living room is el salón in Spain and el living in parts of South America.
  4. The furniture. la cama (bed), el sofá, la mesa, la silla, el escritorio (desk), el armario (closet, wardrobe), la lámpara, el espejo (mirror), la alfombra (rug), la estufa (stove), el refrigerador or la nevera (refrigerator).
  5. Say what is in a room with hay. En mi cuarto hay una cama, un escritorio y dos lámparas. Remember the rules of Lesson 2.3: no definite article after hay.
  6. Say what the house has with tener. Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios y dos baños. The subject is the house, so the verb is third-person singular.
  7. Describe with ser and estar. La cocina es grande. La sala está ordenada. A basic quality takes ser and a current condition takes estar.
  8. Say what you do where. Duermo en mi cuarto. Cocinamos en la cocina. Estudio en el escritorio. Each room links to a verb you know.

Where students lose marks: the gender of the room words and the false friends. La baño and el cocina are common slips, and el cuarto can mean "room" or "quarter". Learn each word with its article, and say mi cuarto for your bedroom.

Worked example

The problem. Describe a house in Spanish: it has three bedrooms and two bathrooms, the kitchen is big, there is a garden, and in your bedroom there is a bed, a desk and a lamp.

Step one: say what the house has. The subject is mi casa. Use tener: Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios y dos baños.

Step two: the numbers agree. Tres and dos do not change, and the nouns are plural: dormitorios, baños.

Step three: the kitchen. A quality: ser. Cocina is feminine, and grande is two-form: La cocina es grande.

Step four: the garden. Existence: hay. También hay un jardín. An indefinite article follows hay.

Step five: begin the bedroom. En mi cuarto hay and then a list of things with indefinite articles.

Step six: finish the list. Una cama, un escritorio y una lámpara. The three nouns have articles that match their genders: feminine, masculine, feminine.

Step seven: put it together. Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios y dos baños. La cocina es grande. También hay un jardín. En mi cuarto hay una cama, un escritorio y una lámpara.

Step eight: check. Tener for what it has, ser for a quality, hay for what exists, and no definite article after hay.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Give the article for cocina.
    Show the full solution

    la cocina

  2. Give the article for baño.
    Show the full solution

    el baño

  3. What is el refrigerador?
    Show the full solution

    the refrigerator

  4. Say "I live in an apartment."
    Show the full solution

    Vivo en un apartamento.

  5. Say "My house has two bathrooms."
    Show the full solution

    Mi casa tiene dos baños.

  6. Say "In the living room there is a sofa and a rug."
    Show the full solution

    After hay use indefinite articles. En la sala hay un sofá y una alfombra.

  7. Say "The bedroom is small, but the garden is big."
    Show the full solution

    Two basic qualities take ser. El cuarto es pequeño, pero el jardín es grande.

  8. Find the error: En mi cuarto hay la cama y el escritorio.
    Show the full solution

    No definite article after hay. En mi cuarto hay una cama y un escritorio.

  9. Translate: "We cook in the kitchen, we eat in the dining room, and I sleep in my room."
    Show the full solution

    The nosotros forms are regular, and dormir is a boot verb in the yo form. Cocinamos en la cocina, comemos en el comedor y duermo en mi cuarto.

  10. Describe your own home in four sentences: what kind of home, how many bedrooms, one room and one piece of furniture.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Vivo en una casa. Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios. La cocina es pequeña. En mi cuarto hay una cama. Vivo en una casa. Mi casa tiene tres dormitorios...

Lesson 6.5 · Unit 6 · Structures

Saying where things are

A language needs a few small words to place one thing next to another. In Spanish most of them are phrases ending in de, and they combine with estar to form the answer to ¿Dónde está? This lesson gives the list, the one contraction that matters, and the habit of using estar for location. Together with hay and the furniture words, they let you describe a room completely.

The method
  1. Location uses estar. El libro está en la mesa. Mis padres están en casa. The question is ¿Dónde está...? or ¿Dónde están...?, with the verb matching the thing asked about.
  2. The simple prepositions. en (in, on, at), a (to), de (of, from), con (with), sin (without), para (for), entre (between), sobre (on, over).
  3. The compound prepositions end in de. encima de (on top of), debajo de (under), delante de (in front of), detrás de (behind), al lado de (next to), cerca de (near), lejos de (far from), enfrente de (across from), dentro de (inside), fuera de (outside).
  4. Left and right. a la izquierda de (to the left of) and a la derecha de (to the right of). Izquierda and derecha are feminine, so the article is la.
  5. De and el combine. del: El gato está debajo del sofá. La tienda está cerca del parque. With la, los, las no contraction: detrás de la puerta.
  6. Pronouns after prepositions. After a preposition use mí, ti, él, ella, usted, nosotros, ellos: cerca de mí, detrás de ti. With con the forms are conmigo and contigo.
  7. Here and there. aquí (here), ahí (there, near you), allí (over there), acá and allá (in Latin America, with movement). They need no preposition: Está aquí.
  8. Describe a room. Begin with hay to say what is there, then use estar with a preposition to place each thing: Hay un sofá en la sala. El sofá está al lado de la ventana.

Where students lose marks: leaving out the final de and using ser for location. El gato está debajo el sofá is incomplete, and El gato es debajo del sofá uses the wrong verb. Write the preposition in full, with de, and use está.

Worked example

The problem. A room has a table in the middle, a lamp on the table, a cat under the table, a window to the left of the door, and a backpack behind the door. Describe it in Spanish with hay and estar.

Step one: say what is in the room. Hay followed by indefinite articles: En el cuarto hay una mesa, una lámpara, un gato, una ventana, una puerta y una mochila.

Step two: place the table. The question is ¿Dónde está la mesa? The answer uses en el centro: La mesa está en el centro del cuarto. The contraction del appears.

Step three: place the lamp. The lamp is on top of the table: La lámpara está encima de la mesa. No contraction, because la mesa is feminine.

Step four: place the cat. Under the table: El gato está debajo de la mesa.

Step five: place the window. Left of the door: La ventana está a la izquierda de la puerta.

Step six: place the backpack. Behind the door: La mochila está detrás de la puerta.

Step seven: use a pronoun. To say the cat is next to you: El gato está al lado de mí. With con: El gato está conmigo.

Step eight: check. Hay introduced the objects, estar placed them, every compound preposition ended in de, and de + el contracted to del.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does debajo de mean?
    Show the full solution

    under

  2. What does al lado de mean?
    Show the full solution

    next to

  3. Say "The book is on the table."
    Show the full solution

    Use en or sobre. El libro está en la mesa.

  4. Say "The school is near the park."
    Show the full solution

    Cerca de and de + el contracts. La escuela está cerca del parque.

  5. Say "The cat is under the bed."
    Show the full solution

    El gato está debajo de la cama.

  6. Say "The lamp is to the right of the sofa."
    Show the full solution

    De and el contract to del only with el, so use del sofá. La lámpara está a la derecha del sofá.

  7. Ask "Where are the pencils?"
    Show the full solution

    The verb is plural. ¿Dónde están los lápices?

  8. Find the error: El gato es debajo el sofá.
    Show the full solution

    Location uses estar, and the preposition needs de, which contracts with el. El gato está debajo del sofá.

  9. Translate: "My brother is in front of me and my sister is behind him."
    Show the full solution

    After a preposition, mí and él. Mi hermano está delante de mí y mi hermana está detrás de él.

  10. Describe your own room in four sentences, saying where four objects are.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi cama está al lado de la ventana. Mi escritorio está delante de la puerta. Mi mochila está debajo del escritorio. Mi lámpara está encima de la mesa. Every sentence uses estar and a preposition with de. Mi cama está al lado de la ventana...

Lesson 6.6 · Unit 6 · Communication: interpersonal

What has to be done at home

Every household has the same jobs, and talking about them is a real use of the language. This lesson collects the verbs for chores and puts them in sentences with the structures of Unit 5, especially tener que and poder. It also adds frequency words, because the usual question about a chore is not what it is but how often you do it.

The method
  1. Chore verbs. limpiar (to clean), lavar (to wash), barrer (to sweep), cocinar (to cook), ordenar (to tidy), cuidar (to take care of), ayudar (to help), planchar (to iron).
  2. Chore phrases. lavar los platos (do the dishes), lavar la ropa, sacar la basura (take out the trash), pasar la aspiradora (vacuum), hacer la cama, poner la mesa, limpiar el baño, cortar el césped (mow the lawn).
  3. Obligation with tener que. Tengo que lavar los platos. Mis hermanos tienen que sacar la basura. The first verb matches the subject and the second is an infinitive.
  4. Impersonal obligation with hay que. Hay que limpiar la casa. It means "one must" and has no subject or stem change.
  5. Ayudar takes a. Ayudo a mi madre. Ayudo a cocinar. The word a comes before a person and before an infinitive.
  6. Frequency words. siempre (always), casi siempre, a menudo (often), a veces (sometimes), casi nunca (hardly ever), nunca (never), todos los días (every day), una vez a la semana (once a week).
  7. Where the frequency word goes. Siempre lavo los platos. Lavo los platos todos los días. Short words go before the verb and phrases often go at the end. Nunca before the verb needs no no (Lesson 4.4).
  8. Ask about chores. ¿Qué tienes que hacer en casa? ¿Quién lava los platos? ¿Cuántas veces a la semana sacas la basura? Quién asks for a person and takes a singular verb.

Where students lose marks: forgetting que after tener and forgetting a after ayudar. Tengo lavar los platos and Ayudo cocinar are both incomplete. Tener que and ayudar a must be memorized with their small words.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I always wash the dishes. (2) My brother has to take out the trash every day. (3) We help our mother cook. (4) One must clean the house on Saturdays. (5) I never iron.

Step one: sentence 1. A frequency word before the verb: Siempre lavo los platos. The yo form of lavar is lavo.

Step two: sentence 2. Tener que with the third-person singular: Mi hermano tiene que sacar la basura todos los días.

Step three: sentence 3. Ayudar a before the person, and a again before the infinitive, so there are two: Ayudamos a nuestra madre a cocinar.

Step four: sentence 4. The impersonal form: Hay que limpiar la casa los sábados. Los sábados says "on Saturdays".

Step five: sentence 5. Nunca before the verb needs no no: Nunca plancho.

Step six: ask a question. ¿Quién lava los platos en tu casa? Quién is the subject, so the verb is third-person singular.

Step seven: answer it. Mi padre los lava. The pronoun los replaces los platos and is covered in Lesson 7.6. For now repeat the noun: Mi padre lava los platos.

Step eight: check. Every tener que had its que and an infinitive, ayudar had its a, and the frequency words sat where they belong.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does sacar la basura mean?
    Show the full solution

    to take out the trash

  2. Say "I wash the clothes."
    Show the full solution

    Lavo la ropa.

  3. Say "We have to clean the kitchen."
    Show the full solution

    Tenemos que limpiar la cocina.

  4. Say "Sometimes I cook."
    Show the full solution

    A veces cocino.

  5. Say "She never makes her bed."
    Show the full solution

    Before the verb, so no no. Nunca hace la cama.

  6. Say "I help my father."
    Show the full solution

    Ayudar takes a before a person. Ayudo a mi padre.

  7. Say "One must set the table."
    Show the full solution

    Hay que poner la mesa.

  8. Find the error: Tengo lavar los platos y ayudo cocinar.
    Show the full solution

    Both small words are missing. Tengo que lavar los platos y ayudo a cocinar.

  9. Translate: "Who takes out the trash at your house? My sister takes it out twice a week."
    Show the full solution

    Quién is singular. "Twice a week" is dos veces a la semana. ¿Quién saca la basura en tu casa? Mi hermana saca la basura dos veces a la semana.

  10. Write four sentences about the chores you do at home and how often.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Siempre lavo los platos. A veces limpio mi cuarto. Mi hermano saca la basura todos los días. Nunca plancho. The frequency words sit before the verb and nunca needs no no. Siempre lavo los platos. A veces limpio mi cuarto...

Lesson 6.7 · Unit 6 · Comparisons

Bigger, smaller, as tall as, the best

Comparing is one of the most natural uses of adjectives, and the Spanish system is more regular than the English one. There are no "-er" endings to learn: the word más or menos goes before the adjective. There are only four irregular forms, and you probably use them already in English. This lesson gives the three kinds of comparison and the superlative.

The method
  1. More and less use más and menos + que. Ana es más alta que Luis. Luis es menos alto que Ana. The adjective still agrees with its subject, and que means "than".
  2. The same pattern works for nouns, verbs and adverbs. Tengo más libros que tú. Corro más rápido que mi hermano. Estudia menos que yo.
  3. Equal comparisons use tan ... como. Mi casa es tan grande como la tuya. Tan means "as" and goes before an adjective or an adverb, and como means "as".
  4. Equal quantity uses tanto ... como. Tengo tantos libros como tú. Hay tantas sillas como mesas. Tanto agrees with the noun: tanto, tanta, tantos, tantas.
  5. Use de, not que, before a number. Tengo más de diez libros (more than ten). Menos de veinte estudiantes. When a number follows, the word is de.
  6. Four irregular comparatives. bueno → mejor (better), malo → peor (worse), joven → menor (younger), viejo → mayor (older). They agree in number only: mejores, peores, menores, mayores. Never más bueno or más malo.
  7. The superlative uses the article. el / la / los / las + más / menos + adjective + de: Ana es la más alta de la clase. Ellos son los mejores estudiantes. The English "in" is de.
  8. Do not confuse mayor and más grande. Mi hermano mayor is older, and mi casa es más grande is larger. Mayor refers to age.

Where students lose marks: using English "-er" logic and the wrong word for "than". Más buena que is wrong because Spanish has mejor, and Tengo más que diez libros should use de before a number. Que compares two things and de introduces a number or a group.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) Ana is taller than Luis. (2) My house is as big as your house. (3) I have more than ten books. (4) My brother is older than I am. (5) She is the best student in the class. (6) We have as many chairs as tables.

Step one: sentence 1. Más plus the adjective plus que. Ana is feminine, so alta: Ana es más alta que Luis.

Step two: sentence 2. An equal comparison of an adjective: tan plus the adjective plus como: Mi casa es tan grande como tu casa.

Step three: sentence 3. A number follows, so use de, not que: Tengo más de diez libros.

Step four: sentence 4. Older is irregular: mayor. Mi hermano es mayor que yo. After que a subject pronoun is used, not mí.

Step five: sentence 5. The superlative with the article: Ella es la mejor estudiante de la clase. "In the class" is de la clase.

Step six: sentence 6. Equal quantity: tanto agrees with sillas: Tenemos tantas sillas como mesas.

Step seven: use the other irregulars. Estas pizzas son mejores que esas. Mi nota es peor que la tuya.

Step eight: check. Más ... que for unequal, tan ... como and tanto ... como for equal, de before a number, and the four irregular words used where English has "better", "worse", "older" and "younger".

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "Marta is taller than Pedro."
    Show the full solution

    Marta es más alta que Pedro.

  2. Say "My book is as interesting as your book."
    Show the full solution

    Mi libro es tan interesante como tu libro.

  3. What is the comparative of bueno?
    Show the full solution

    mejor

  4. What is the comparative of joven?
    Show the full solution

    menor

  5. Say "more than twenty students."
    Show the full solution

    A number follows, so de. más de veinte estudiantes

  6. Say "I have as many friends as you."
    Show the full solution

    Tanto agrees with amigos. Tengo tantos amigos como tú.

  7. Say "He is the tallest in the class."
    Show the full solution

    Superlative with the article, and "in" is de. Es el más alto de la clase.

  8. Find the error: Mi comida es más buena que tu comida.
    Show the full solution

    Use the irregular comparative. Mi comida es mejor que tu comida.

  9. Translate: "My younger sister is less tall than I am, but she studies more than I do."
    Show the full solution

    Two comparisons with que, and a subject pronoun after it. Mi hermana menor es menos alta que yo, pero estudia más que yo.

  10. Write four comparisons about you and a family member or a friend.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi hermano es más alto que yo. Mi madre es más trabajadora que mi padre. Tengo tantos libros como mi amiga. Mis abuelos son mayores que mis padres. Each uses más ... que, tanto ... como or mayor correctly. Mi hermano es más alto que yo...

Unit 6 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 6 review: Family and Home

These are mixed across all seven lessons. Check the noun first, then the possessive or the adjective, then the preposition.

  1. Give the Spanish for grandmother, uncle, cousin (a girl) and parents.
    Show the full solution

    Learn each with its article. Padres means parents, while parientes means relatives. la abuela, el tío, la prima, los padres

  2. Say "my books," "our house" and "her sisters."
    Show the full solution

    Mi and su add -s for a plural noun. Nuestro agrees in gender and number. mis libros, nuestra casa, sus hermanas

  3. Say "The teacher's car" (a male teacher) and ask "Whose pens are these?"
    Show the full solution

    De + el contracts to del. The pens are plural, so the verb is son. El carro del profesor. ¿De quién son los bolígrafos?

  4. Say "My grandfather is seventy-eight. His birthday is on March 15."
    Show the full solution

    Age uses tener, and the date is day first. Mi abuelo tiene setenta y ocho años. Su cumpleaños es el quince de marzo.

  5. Say "In my room there is a bed and a desk. My house has two bathrooms."
    Show the full solution

    After hay use indefinite articles. A house tiene what it contains. En mi cuarto hay una cama y un escritorio. Mi casa tiene dos baños.

  6. Say "The cat is under the table" and "The lamp is to the left of the sofa."
    Show the full solution

    Location uses estar, the preposition ends in de, and de + el contracts. El gato está debajo de la mesa. La lámpara está a la izquierda del sofá.

  7. Say "I have to wash the dishes. I always take out the trash. I help my mother."
    Show the full solution

    Tener que needs que, the frequency word goes before the verb, and ayudar takes a before a person. Tengo que lavar los platos. Siempre saco la basura. Ayudo a mi madre.

  8. Say "Ana is taller than Luis," "I have more than ten books" and "My sister is the best student in the class."
    Show the full solution

    Que compares, de goes before a number, and the superlative uses the article and de. Ana es más alta que Luis. Tengo más de diez libros. Mi hermana es la mejor estudiante de la clase.

  9. Find the errors: Mi hermanos y nuestro casa son grande.
    Show the full solution

    Mi must add -s, nuestro must be feminine, and the adjective must be plural. Mis hermanos y nuestra casa son grandes.

  10. Say "My older brother is as tall as my father, but my younger sister is shorter."
    Show the full solution

    Mayor and menor follow the noun. An equal comparison uses tan ... como, and "shorter" is más baja. Mi hermano mayor es tan alto como mi padre, pero mi hermana menor es más baja.

Lesson 7.1 · Unit 7 · Communication: presentational

Describing your day, from morning to night

Describing a day is the first sustained thing you can say in Spanish: not a single sentence but a sequence. It needs verbs you already know, time words to order them, and a handful of small words that say how often. This lesson collects the vocabulary of a day and the connectors that turn a list of sentences into a description someone can follow.

The method
  1. The parts of the day. la mañana (morning), la tarde (afternoon), la noche (night), el mediodía (noon), la medianoche (midnight). They are all feminine except mediodía.
  2. Say "in the morning" with por la. por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche. With a clock time use de la: a las siete de la mañana. Por la mañana is general and de la mañana goes after a specific hour.
  3. The meals. el desayuno (breakfast), el almuerzo (lunch), la cena (dinner). The verbs are desayunar, almorzar (o to ue) and cenar.
  4. Everyday verbs. ir a la escuela, volver a casa, hacer la tarea, ver la televisión, escuchar música, leer, salir con amigos, acostarse (Lesson 7.2). Use the present tense for what you do every day.
  5. Order the actions. primero (first), luego and después (then, afterward), más tarde (later), por último (finally). Primero desayuno. Luego voy a la escuela.
  6. Before and after use an infinitive. antes de comer (before eating), después de estudiar (after studying). Spanish uses the infinitive after a preposition, never the -ing form.
  7. Frequency words. siempre, casi siempre, a menudo, a veces, casi nunca, nunca. Also todos los días (every day), todas las mañanas (every morning), una vez al mes (once a month).
  8. Time of the week. los lunes (on Mondays), los fines de semana (on weekends), entre semana (on weekdays). Use los for a repeated day, as in Lesson 1.7.

Where students lose marks: the English -ing form after antes de and the wrong preposition for morning. Antes de comiendo should be antes de comer, and a las siete en la mañana should be a las siete de la mañana. A clock time takes de la mañana, and the general morning takes por la mañana.

Worked example

The problem. Describe a school day in Spanish: you eat breakfast at 7:00, go to school at 7:30, have lunch at 12:00, do homework in the afternoon, and always have dinner with your family. Say you never watch television before studying.

Step one: sentence 1, order word and verb. Primero, then the yo form of desayunar: Primero desayuno a las siete de la mañana.

Step two: sentence 2. Ir a la escuela with a time: Luego voy a la escuela a las siete y media. The time uses y media.

Step three: sentence 3. Almorzar is a boot verb, and the yo form is almuerzo: Almuerzo al mediodía. The preposition a contracts: a + el = al.

Step four: sentence 4. A general part of the day: Por la tarde hago la tarea. The yo form of hacer is irregular.

Step five: sentence 5. A frequency word before the verb, and the family with con: Siempre ceno con mi familia.

Step six: sentence 6. Antes de plus an infinitive: Nunca veo la televisión antes de estudiar. Nunca is before the verb, so no no.

Step seven: link them. Add por último to the final sentence: Por último, me acuesto a las diez. (The reflexive form is Lesson 7.2.)

Step eight: check. The order words, the time expressions, siempre and nunca are all in their places, and the infinitive follows antes de.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "in the afternoon" in general.
    Show the full solution

    por la tarde

  2. Say "at seven in the morning."
    Show the full solution

    A clock time takes de la. a las siete de la mañana

  3. What does a veces mean?
    Show the full solution

    sometimes

  4. Say "every day."
    Show the full solution

    todos los días

  5. Say "before eating."
    Show the full solution

    The infinitive after a preposition. antes de comer

  6. Say "First I have breakfast, then I go to school."
    Show the full solution

    Primero desayuno y luego voy a la escuela.

  7. Say "I always do my homework after dinner."
    Show the full solution

    Después de plus an infinitive. Siempre hago la tarea después de cenar.

  8. Find the error: Antes de comiendo, estudio a las seis en la tarde.
    Show the full solution

    After antes de use the infinitive, and a clock time takes de la. Antes de comer, estudio a las seis de la tarde.

  9. Translate: "On weekends I never go to school, but on weekdays I go at eight."
    Show the full solution

    Nunca before the verb needs no no, and entre semana means on weekdays. Los fines de semana nunca voy a la escuela, pero entre semana voy a las ocho.

  10. Write five sentences describing your day, using three order words and two frequency words.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Primero desayuno. Luego voy a la escuela. Por la tarde hago la tarea. Siempre ceno con mi familia. A veces veo la televisión. The sentences are in order and use the present tense. Primero desayuno. Luego voy a la escuela...

Lesson 7.2 · Unit 7 · Structures

Verbs that act on yourself

English says "I wash" and the reader assumes you wash yourself. Spanish says it with a small pronoun: me lavo, "I wash myself". These are reflexive verbs, and a large part of the daily routine uses them. There is one new idea, the pronoun, and one rule for where it goes. Everything else is the present tense you have already learned.

The method
  1. A reflexive verb has -se on the infinitive. lavarse (to wash oneself), ducharse (to shower), peinarse (to comb one's hair), cepillarse (to brush), levantarse (to get up). The se shows that the action returns to the subject.
  2. The reflexive pronouns. me (yo), te (tú), se (él, ella, usted), nos (nosotros), os (vosotros), se (ellos, ellas, ustedes).
  3. The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. Me lavo. Te duchas. Se peina. Nos levantamos. Se cepillan. The verb takes the ordinary ending for its subject.
  4. Conjugate normally, then add the pronoun. Levantarse: me levanto, te levantas, se levanta, nos levantamos, os levantáis, se levantan. The pronoun changes with the subject and the verb changes with the pronoun's person.
  5. With an infinitive, the pronoun either attaches or goes before. Voy a lavarme or Me voy a lavar. Both are correct. The pronoun must still match the subject: voy a lavarme, never voy a lavarse.
  6. Use the article for body parts. Me lavo las manos. Se cepilla los dientes. Te peinas el pelo. The reflexive pronoun already shows whose they are, so no possessive is needed.
  7. The negative goes before the pronoun. No me levanto temprano. The pronoun stays attached to the verb, so the whole unit follows no.
  8. Some verbs change meaning. Lavar el carro is to wash the car and lavarse is to wash oneself. Llamar is to call and llamarse is to be named: Me llamo Ana.

Where students lose marks: leaving out the pronoun and mismatching it. Yo lavo says you wash something else, and Yo se lavo uses the wrong pronoun. The pronoun must match the subject: yo me, tú te, él se.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate ducharse, then write: (1) I get up at seven. (2) You (informal) brush your teeth. (3) My sister combs her hair. (4) We wash our hands. (5) They are going to shower. (6) I do not shower in the morning.

Step one: conjugate. me ducho, te duchas, se ducha, nos duchamos, os ducháis, se duchan. Both the pronoun and the ending change.

Step two: sentence 1. The yo pronoun is me: Me levanto a las siete.

Step three: sentence 2. The tú pronoun is te. Body parts take the article: Te cepillas los dientes.

Step four: sentence 3. Se for a third person. The article for hair: Mi hermana se peina el pelo.

Step five: sentence 4. Nos for nosotros, with the article: Nos lavamos las manos.

Step six: sentence 5. An infinitive with ir a. The pronoun must match the subject, ellos: Ellos se van a duchar or Ellos van a ducharse.

Step seven: sentence 6. The negative goes before the pronoun: No me ducho por la mañana.

Step eight: check. Every reflexive verb had a pronoun matching its subject, body parts took an article and no possessive, and the negative stood before the pronoun.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the reflexive pronoun for nosotros.
    Show the full solution

    nos

  2. Write the reflexive pronoun for ellos.
    Show the full solution

    se

  3. Complete: Yo ___ levanto temprano.
    Show the full solution

    me

  4. Complete: Tú ___ duchas por la mañana.
    Show the full solution

    te

  5. Say "She brushes her teeth."
    Show the full solution

    Reflexive se and the article. Se cepilla los dientes.

  6. Say "We wash our hands."
    Show the full solution

    Nos lavamos las manos.

  7. Say "I am going to shower" in two ways.
    Show the full solution

    The pronoun may go before the conjugated verb or attach to the infinitive. Me voy a duchar. Voy a ducharme.

  8. Find the error: Yo lavo las manos y ella se peino.
    Show the full solution

    The first verb lacks its pronoun, and the second has the wrong ending. Yo me lavo las manos y ella se peina.

  9. Find the error: Voy a ducharse a las siete.
    Show the full solution

    The pronoun must match the subject yo. Voy a ducharme a las siete.

  10. Translate: "My brother does not shower in the morning, but I always brush my teeth."
    Show the full solution

    The negative goes before the pronoun, and body parts take the article. Mi hermano no se ducha por la mañana, pero yo siempre me cepillo los dientes.

Lesson 7.3 · Unit 7 · Structures

Getting up, going to bed, and the stem-changing reflexives

The most common reflexive verbs for a daily routine are also the ones with stem changes: you wake up, you go to bed, you get dressed. This lesson combines the boot patterns from Unit 5 with the reflexive pronoun from Lesson 7.2. Nothing is new except the combination. If you hold the pronoun and the stem change separately, each one is easy.

The method
  1. Despertarse (e to ie). me despierto, te despiertas, se despierta, nos despertamos, os despertáis, se despiertan. Me despierto a las seis.
  2. Acostarse (o to ue). me acuesto, te acuestas, se acuesta, nos acostamos, os acostáis, se acuestan. Nos acostamos a las diez.
  3. Vestirse (e to i). me visto, te vistes, se viste, nos vestimos, os vestís, se visten. The stem change follows the same boot.
  4. Other common ones. sentarse (to sit down, e to ie), dormirse (to fall asleep, o to ue), divertirse (to have fun, e to ie), sentirse (to feel, e to ie), irse (to leave) and ponerse (to put on, with irregular me pongo).
  5. The boot is the same. The pronoun does not affect the stem change. Only yo, tú, él and ellos forms change, and nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem.
  6. Ponerse is used for clothes. Me pongo la camisa. Se pone los zapatos. Clothes take the article, not a possessive: los zapatos, not sus zapatos.
  7. Irse means to go away. Me voy. (I'm leaving.) Nos vamos a las tres. It is different from ir, which means to go to a place.
  8. Put a day in order. Use the times of day and the connectors from Lesson 7.1: Me despierto a las seis, me levanto a las seis y cuarto, me visto, desayuno y salgo a las siete.

Where students lose marks: missing the stem change or the pronoun, or both at once. Yo me despertó and Ella acuesta lose a piece each. Write the pronoun first, then apply the boot: yo me despierto, ella se acuesta.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I wake up at 6:30. (2) You (informal) get dressed quickly. (3) My brother goes to bed at ten. (4) We have fun on Saturdays. (5) The students sit down. (6) I put on my jacket.

Step one: sentence 1. Despertarse, yo, with the stem change: Me despierto a las seis y media.

Step two: sentence 2. Vestirse, tú, with e to i: Te vistes rápido.

Step three: sentence 3. Acostarse, third person singular: Mi hermano se acuesta a las diez.

Step four: sentence 4. Divertirse in nosotros, which has no stem change: Nos divertimos los sábados.

Step five: sentence 5. Sentarse, third person plural, in the boot: Los estudiantes se sientan.

Step six: sentence 6. Ponerse with an irregular yo, and the article for clothing: Me pongo la chaqueta.

Step seven: link a day. Me despierto a las seis, me visto, desayuno y salgo a las siete. Me acuesto a las diez.

Step eight: check. The pronoun is first, the stem change is in the boot, and nosotros kept its stem. The forms were me despierto, te vistes, se acuesta, nos divertimos, se sientan, me pongo.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of despertarse.
    Show the full solution

    me despierto

  2. Write the tú form of acostarse.
    Show the full solution

    te acuestas

  3. Write the ellos form of vestirse.
    Show the full solution

    se visten

  4. Write the nosotros form of acostarse.
    Show the full solution

    No stem change outside the boot. nos acostamos

  5. Write the yo form of ponerse.
    Show the full solution

    Irregular yo. me pongo

  6. Say "I go to bed at eleven."
    Show the full solution

    Me acuesto a las once.

  7. Say "She wakes up at seven and gets dressed."
    Show the full solution

    Se despierta a las siete y se viste.

  8. Find the error: Yo me despertó a las seis y ella acuesta a las diez.
    Show the full solution

    The first verb has the wrong person and stem, and the second has no pronoun and no stem change. Yo me despierto a las seis y ella se acuesta a las diez.

  9. Say "We have fun at the party" and "They are leaving now."
    Show the full solution

    Divertirse in nosotros and irse in ellos. Nos divertimos en la fiesta. Se van ahora.

  10. Write a six-sentence routine for a school day using at least four reflexive verbs.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Me despierto a las seis. Me levanto y me ducho. Me visto y desayuno. Salgo a las siete. Por la noche me acuesto a las diez. Each reflexive verb has its pronoun and the stem change where needed. Me despierto a las seis. Me levanto y me ducho...

Lesson 7.4 · Unit 7 · Structures

Two verbs for "to know"

English has one verb for knowing a fact and knowing a person. Spanish has two. Saber is for information and for skills, and conocer is for being familiar with a person, a place or a thing. Both have an irregular yo form that you must learn, and the choice between them is made by the object that follows, not by feeling.

The method
  1. Saber is irregular in yo. sé, sabes, sabe, sabemos, sabéis, saben. The yo form sé carries an accent, to tell it from the pronoun se.
  2. Conocer ends in -zco in yo. conozco, conoces, conoce, conocemos, conocéis, conocen. Only the yo form is irregular.
  3. Saber means to know a fact. Sé la respuesta. Sabemos que hoy es lunes. No sé dónde vive. It is followed by a noun for information, or by que, dónde, cuándo, quién.
  4. Saber + infinitive means to know how to. Sé nadar. Ella sabe bailar. ¿Sabes cocinar? It names a learned skill.
  5. Conocer means to be familiar with. Conozco a tu hermana. Conocemos Madrid. ¿Conoces este libro? A person, a place or a thing you have met or visited.
  6. Conocer takes the personal a with people. Conozco a Marta, but Conozco México. Lesson 7.5 explains the rule, and you should write it now.
  7. The same irregular pattern: -zco. A group of verbs ends in -cer or -cir after a vowel and follows the pattern: parecer → parezco, ofrecer → ofrezco, traducir → traduzco, conducir → conduzco.
  8. The difference can change a sentence. Sé a Marta is wrong. To say you know where Marta lives, Sé dónde vive Marta. To say you have met her, Conozco a Marta.

Where students lose marks: choosing by the English word. The English "I know how to dance" is sé bailar, and "I know Marta" is conozco a Marta. Never conozco bailar or sé a Marta. Ask: is the object a fact or a skill, or a person or place?

Worked example

The problem. Choose saber or conocer and write the sentence: (1) I know the answer. (2) I know your sister. (3) We know how to swim. (4) Do you know Spain? (5) She does not know where he lives. (6) They know that today is Monday.

Step one: sentence 1. A fact: saber, yo form: Sé la respuesta. With the accent on sé.

Step two: sentence 2. A person: conocer, with the personal a: Conozco a tu hermana.

Step three: sentence 3. A skill: saber plus an infinitive. For nosotros the form is regular: Sabemos nadar.

Step four: sentence 4. A place: conocer, tú form, no a for a place: ¿Conoces España?

Step five: sentence 5. Information: saber, third person, in a negative: Ella no sabe dónde vive él. Dónde keeps its accent.

Step six: sentence 6. A fact introduced by que: Saben que hoy es lunes.

Step seven: contrast. Sé dónde vive Marta (I know the fact) and Conozco a Marta (I have met her). The two verbs answer different questions.

Step eight: check. Saber went with facts and skills (sé, sabemos, sabe, saben), conocer went with a person and a place (conozco, conoces), and the personal a appeared before the person only.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of saber.
    Show the full solution

    sé

  2. Write the yo form of conocer.
    Show the full solution

    conozco

  3. Choose: Yo (sé / conozco) a Pedro.
    Show the full solution

    A person. conozco

  4. Choose: Ella (sabe / conoce) la respuesta.
    Show the full solution

    A fact. sabe

  5. Say "I know how to dance."
    Show the full solution

    Sé bailar.

  6. Say "Do you know my cousin?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    A person, so conocer with a. ¿Conoces a mi primo?

  7. Say "We know Mexico City" (la Ciudad de México).
    Show the full solution

    A place, so no a. Conocemos la Ciudad de México.

  8. Find the error: Conozco bailar y sé a tu madre.
    Show the full solution

    The two verbs are swapped. A skill takes saber and a person takes conocer with a. Sé bailar y conozco a tu madre.

  9. Translate: "I don't know where the library is, but I know the librarian."
    Show the full solution

    Information uses saber and a person uses conocer with a. No sé dónde está la biblioteca, pero conozco a la bibliotecaria.

  10. Write four sentences about what you know and who you know, using both verbs twice.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Sé hablar español. Sé que hoy es viernes. Conozco a mi profesora. Conozco California. The first two are skills and facts, the last two a person and a place. Sé hablar español. Sé que hoy es viernes...

Lesson 7.5 · Unit 7 · Structures

The small word that goes before people

Spanish marks a person who receives the action of a verb with the word a, which has no English equivalent and is called the personal a. English-speaking students often leave it out, because English says "I see Maria" with nothing between. It is a small rule that is easy to apply once you can identify a direct object, and it separates a correct sentence from an almost correct one.

The method
  1. A direct object answers "whom?" or "what?" after the verb. In veo a Marta and veo la casa, Marta and la casa are the direct objects. The personal a applies to the first, not the second.
  2. Use a before a specific person. Veo a mi madre. Conozco a Ana. Escucho al profesor. Invito a mis amigos. The word a has no meaning here and is required.
  3. It also goes before pets and beloved animals. Quiero a mi perro. Busco a mi gato. It signals that the animal is treated as a person.
  4. A and el contract. Veo al profesor, not veo a el profesor.
  5. Do not use it before things. Veo la casa. Escucho la música. Busco mi mochila. The personal a is only for people and treasured animals.
  6. Do not use it with tener. Tengo dos hermanos. Tengo un amigo en México. Tener is the usual exception.
  7. Do not use it with ser, or with a general person. Busco un profesor (any teacher) but Busco a la profesora (a particular one). Es mi amigo has no direct object at all.
  8. Use it with alguien, nadie, quién. No veo a nadie. ¿Ves a alguien? ¿A quién buscas? The question word quién takes a when it is the object: ¿A quién ves?

Where students lose marks: leaving it out before a person and adding it before a thing. Veo mi madre misses it, and Veo a la casa has it wrongly. Ask whether the object is a person. If it is, add a.

Worked example

The problem. Add the personal a where it is needed and write the sentence: (1) I see my mother. (2) I see the house. (3) We listen to the teacher (male). (4) She has three brothers. (5) I don't see anyone. (6) Whom are you looking for?

Step one: sentence 1. The object is a person: Veo a mi madre.

Step two: sentence 2. The object is a thing: Veo la casa. No a.

Step three: sentence 3. A person, and a + el contracts: Escuchamos al profesor.

Step four: sentence 4. Tener is the exception: Ella tiene tres hermanos.

Step five: sentence 5. Nadie as an object takes a, and the negative uses no before the verb: No veo a nadie.

Step six: sentence 6. Quién as the object takes a, at the front: ¿A quién buscas? The question word is accented.

Step seven: contrast. Busco mi libro (a thing) and Busco a mi hermano (a person). The verb is the same and only the object changes.

Step eight: check. The personal a appeared before people and nadie, was contracted with el, and was left out before things and after tener.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I see my friend."
    Show the full solution

    Veo a mi amigo.

  2. Say "I see the book."
    Show the full solution

    A thing, so no a. Veo el libro.

  3. Say "We visit our grandmother."
    Show the full solution

    Visitamos a nuestra abuela.

  4. Say "I have two cousins."
    Show the full solution

    Tener takes no personal a. Tengo dos primos.

  5. Say "She listens to the music."
    Show the full solution

    A thing. Escucha la música.

  6. Say "I am looking for the teacher" (male).
    Show the full solution

    A person, and a + el contracts. Busco al profesor.

  7. Ask "Whom do you see?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿A quién ves?

  8. Find the error: Veo a la televisión y escucho mi madre.
    Show the full solution

    The first has an a before a thing and the second lacks one before a person. Veo la televisión y escucho a mi madre.

  9. Translate: "I don't know anyone here, but I love my dog."
    Show the full solution

    Nadie as an object takes the personal a, and so does a dog that is treated as a family member. "Love" is querer here. No conozco a nadie aquí, pero quiero a mi perro.

  10. Write four sentences using ver, conocer, escuchar and buscar, with a person in two and a thing in two.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Veo a mi amiga. Conozco a tu padre. Escucho música. Busco mi mochila. The first two have an a before a person, the last two have none. Veo a mi amiga. Conozco a tu padre. Escucho música. Busco mi mochila.

Lesson 7.6 · Unit 7 · Structures

Replacing a noun with lo, la, los or las

Repeating a noun in every sentence sounds clumsy, so every language replaces it with a pronoun. In Spanish the pronoun that replaces a direct object is short, it agrees with the noun it stands for, and it goes before the verb. This is the first time you can say "I see it" or "I know her" in Spanish, and it is one of the biggest steps toward natural-sounding sentences.

The method
  1. The direct object pronouns. me (me), te (you), lo (him, it, you formal), la (her, it, you formal), nos (us), os (you all, Spain), los (them, masculine), las (them, feminine).
  2. The pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces. el libro → lo, la mesa → la, los libros → los, las mesas → las. Gender and number come from the noun, not from the speaker.
  3. It goes before the conjugated verb. ¿Ves la película? Sí, la veo. ¿Compras los libros? Sí, los compro.
  4. It attaches to an infinitive or goes before the first verb. Voy a comprarlo or Lo voy a comprar. In a negative: No lo voy a comprar. Never put it between the two verbs.
  5. The negative goes before the pronoun. No lo veo. No la conozco.
  6. People use the same pronouns. ¿Conoces a Ana? Sí, la conozco. ¿Ves a tus primos? Sí, los veo. The personal a disappears when the noun is replaced.
  7. Lo can refer to an idea. Lo sé (I know it). Lo siento (I'm sorry). No lo creo (I don't believe it). It stands for a whole thought.
  8. Answer yes-or-no questions with the pronoun. ¿Tienes el libro? Sí, lo tengo. ¿Lees las noticias? No, no las leo.

Where students lose marks: the position and the agreement. Veo lo and Compro la libros are the typical errors. The pronoun comes before the verb, and its gender and number copy the noun. Replace the noun, then move the pronoun.

Worked example

The problem. Answer each question with a pronoun in place of the noun: (1) ¿Ves la película? Yes. (2) ¿Compras los zapatos? No. (3) ¿Conoces a Marta? Yes. (4) ¿Vas a leer el libro? Yes. (5) ¿Tienes las llaves? No. (6) ¿Quieres comer las manzanas? Yes.

Step one: sentence 1. La película is feminine singular, so la. Sí, la veo.

Step two: sentence 2. Los zapatos is masculine plural, so los, and the negative goes before it: No, no los compro.

Step three: sentence 3. A person, feminine singular: Sí, la conozco. The personal a is dropped.

Step four: sentence 4. With ir a and an infinitive, either position works: Sí, lo voy a leer or Sí, voy a leerlo.

Step five: sentence 5. Las llaves is feminine plural, so las. No, no las tengo.

Step six: sentence 6. With querer and an infinitive, either position: Sí, las quiero comer or Sí, quiero comerlas.

Step seven: the stress. When the pronoun attaches to an infinitive, the stress stays where it was, so comerlas and leerlo need no accent.

Step eight: check. La, los, la, lo, las, las each match the noun they replace, and each stands before the conjugated verb or after the infinitive.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Which pronoun replaces el libro?
    Show the full solution

    lo

  2. Which pronoun replaces las mesas?
    Show the full solution

    las

  3. Answer: ¿Ves la televisión? Yes.
    Show the full solution

    Sí, la veo.

  4. Answer: ¿Tienes los libros? No.
    Show the full solution

    No, no los tengo.

  5. Answer: ¿Conoces a Pedro? Yes.
    Show the full solution

    Sí, lo conozco.

  6. Say "I am going to buy it" (el carro) in two ways.
    Show the full solution

    Lo voy a comprar. Voy a comprarlo.

  7. Say "I don't see them" about las chicas.
    Show the full solution

    Feminine plural, with the negative before the pronoun. No las veo.

  8. Find the error: Veo lo y compro la libros.
    Show the full solution

    The pronoun goes before the verb, and a pronoun replaces the noun, so la libros cannot stand. Lo veo y los compro.

  9. Translate: "Do you read the newspaper? Yes, I read it every day."
    Show the full solution

    Periódico is masculine singular. ¿Lees el periódico? Sí, lo leo todos los días.

  10. Answer in Spanish with a pronoun: ¿Quieres ver la película? ¿Vas a comprar los boletos? Yes to both.
    Show the full solution

    Feminine singular and masculine plural, with either position. Sí, la quiero ver. Sí, los voy a comprar.

Lesson 7.7 · Unit 7 · Structures

Three common verbs: giving, seeing and saying

Three of the most useful verbs in daily speech belong together, because each has an irregular yo form or a stem change, and each is used with the pronouns you have just learned. Dar means to give, ver to see and decir to say. This lesson also introduces the indirect object pronouns, which you already know from gustar, in their ordinary role.

The method
  1. Dar. doy, das, da, damos, dais, dan. Only the yo form is irregular, and it ends in -oy, like estoy, voy and soy.
  2. Ver. veo, ves, ve, vemos, veis, ven. The yo form takes -eo, and the other forms are regular.
  3. Decir. digo, dices, dice, decimos, decís, dicen. The yo form is irregular and the stem changes to i in the boot (Lesson 5.6).
  4. The indirect object pronouns. me, te, le, nos, os, les. They show to whom or for whom: Le doy el libro a Ana (I give the book to Ana).
  5. Le and les mean to him, her, you, them. A phrase with a clarifies: Le digo la verdad a mi madre. Les doy el regalo a mis amigos. The pronoun is written even when the phrase is.
  6. Decir que introduces what is said. Digo que sí. Dice que no. Mi madre dice que hay que estudiar. No comma and no accent on que here.
  7. Dar has many idioms. dar un paseo (take a walk), dar las gracias (thank), dar clases (teach), dar la mano (shake hands), dar de comer (feed).
  8. Ver is a direct-object verb. It takes the direct pronouns and the personal a: La veo. Veo a mi hermano. The expression a ver means "let's see".

Where students lose marks: the regularized yo forms and the double stem and spelling change of decir. Yo da, yo vo and yo dico are all wrong. Learn doy, veo, digo as a set and the rest of each verb follows the patterns you know.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I give the book to my teacher. (2) You (informal) see the movie. (3) My mother tells us the truth. (4) We give gifts to our friends. (5) I say that I am tired. (6) The students see the board.

Step one: sentence 1. Dar in yo is doy. The indirect pronoun is le, with the clarifying phrase: Le doy el libro a mi profesor.

Step two: sentence 2. Ver, tú: Ves la película.

Step three: sentence 3. Decir, third person singular, with the indirect pronoun nos: Mi madre nos dice la verdad.

Step four: sentence 4. Dar, nosotros, regular form, and les for the plural friends: Les damos regalos a nuestros amigos.

Step five: sentence 5. Decir, yo, with que: Digo que estoy cansado. Que has no accent here.

Step six: sentence 6. Ver, ellos: Los estudiantes ven la pizarra.

Step seven: use one pronoun at a time. Using a direct and an indirect pronoun together (se lo doy) belongs to a later course. For now keep the noun and add only the indirect pronoun: Le doy el libro.

Step eight: check. Doy, ves, dice, damos, digo, ven are all the correct forms, and le, nos, les show to whom the action is directed.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo form of dar.
    Show the full solution

    doy

  2. Write the yo form of ver.
    Show the full solution

    veo

  3. Write the yo form of decir.
    Show the full solution

    digo

  4. Write the tú form of decir.
    Show the full solution

    Stem change in the boot. dices

  5. Complete: Nosotros ___ (ver) la televisión.
    Show the full solution

    vemos

  6. Say "I give a gift to my mother."
    Show the full solution

    Le doy un regalo a mi madre.

  7. Say "He tells me the truth."
    Show the full solution

    Me is the indirect pronoun. Me dice la verdad.

  8. Find the error: Yo da el libro y mis amigos dicen que no veen la película.
    Show the full solution

    The yo form is doy, and ver in ellos is ven. Yo doy el libro y mis amigos dicen que no ven la película.

  9. Translate: "My parents say that we have to study, and I see my teacher every day."
    Show the full solution

    Mis padres dicen que tenemos que estudiar y veo a mi profesor todos los días.

  10. Write four sentences using dar, ver, decir and a pronoun in each.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Le doy un regalo a mi amigo. La veo todos los días. Les digo la verdad a mis padres. Nos da la tarea el profesor. Every verb is in a correct form with an indirect or direct pronoun. Le doy un regalo a mi amigo. La veo todos los días...

Unit 7 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 7 review: Daily Routines

These are mixed across all seven lessons. For any verb with a pronoun, decide whether it is reflexive, direct object or indirect object, and check that it matches the subject or the noun.

  1. Say "in the morning" in general and "at seven in the morning."
    Show the full solution

    The general part of the day uses por la, and a clock time uses de la. por la mañana; a las siete de la mañana

  2. Say "I get up," "She brushes her teeth" and "We wash our hands."
    Show the full solution

    The reflexive pronoun matches the subject, and body parts take the article. Me levanto. Se cepilla los dientes. Nos lavamos las manos.

  3. Give yo of despertarse, tú of acostarse and ellos of vestirse.
    Show the full solution

    The boot is the same as without the pronoun: e to ie, o to ue, e to i. me despierto, te acuestas, se visten

  4. Say "I know how to swim" and "I know your sister."
    Show the full solution

    A skill takes saber. A person takes conocer and the personal a. Sé nadar. Conozco a tu hermana.

  5. Say "I see my mother," "I see the house" and "She doesn't know anyone."
    Show the full solution

    The personal a goes before a person and before nadie, and not before a thing. Veo a mi madre. Veo la casa. Ella no conoce a nadie.

  6. Answer with a pronoun: ¿Lees el libro? Sí. and ¿Conoces a Marta? Sí.
    Show the full solution

    The pronoun copies the gender and number of the noun and goes before the verb. Sí, lo leo. Sí, la conozco.

  7. Give the yo forms of dar, ver, decir and the ellos form of ver.
    Show the full solution

    These yo forms are irregular and must be learned as a set. doy, veo, digo; ven

  8. Find the errors: Yo lavo las manos y ella se levanto temprano.
    Show the full solution

    The first verb lacks its reflexive pronoun, and the second has the yo ending for a third person. Yo me lavo las manos y ella se levanta temprano.

  9. Say "Before eating, I do my homework, and after studying I watch television."
    Show the full solution

    Use the infinitive after antes de and después de, never the -ing form. Antes de comer, hago la tarea y después de estudiar veo la televisión.

  10. Say "My mother tells us that she goes to bed at ten."
    Show the full solution

    The indirect pronoun nos comes before dice, and acostarse changes o to ue in the third person. Mi madre nos dice que se acuesta a las diez.

Lesson 8.1 · Unit 8 · Cultures

What people eat, and when

Food is one of the best ways into a culture, and it is also one of the most practical vocabularies to have. The meals and the foods of the Spanish-speaking world vary a great deal from country to country, but the words for the basics are shared. This lesson gives the meals and the main food words, and it uses the verbs comer, beber and gustar to talk about them.

The method
  1. The meals. el desayuno (breakfast), el almuerzo (lunch), la merienda (afternoon snack), la cena (dinner). The verbs are desayunar, almorzar, merendar, cenar. In Spain lunch is the largest meal, taken around two o'clock, and dinner is late, around nine.
  2. Breakfast foods. el pan (bread), las tostadas (toast), el huevo (egg), el cereal, la mantequilla (butter), la mermelada (jam), el yogur, la fruta.
  3. Main dishes. la carne (meat), el pollo (chicken), el pescado (fish), el jamón (ham), el queso (cheese), el arroz (rice), los frijoles (beans), la pasta, la sopa (soup), la ensalada (salad).
  4. Fruit and vegetables. la manzana (apple), la naranja, el plátano (banana), la fresa (strawberry), la uva (grape), el tomate, la zanahoria (carrot), la lechuga (lettuce), la papa or la patata (potato).
  5. Drinks and sweets. el agua, la leche (milk), el jugo or el zumo (juice), el café, el té, el refresco (soft drink), el helado (ice cream), el pastel (cake), la galleta (cookie).
  6. Eat and drink. Comer and beber are regular. Como pan y bebo leche. Tomar works for both: Tomo café. Also tener hambre and tener sed (Lesson 4.5).
  7. The article with food. Use the article for a general statement, Me gusta el pescado, and no article for "some", Como pescado hoy. After gustar the article is required.
  8. Mealtimes and meals. Para el desayuno como pan y bebo jugo. Para la cena prefiero pollo. Para means "for" the meal.

Where students lose marks: the gender of food words and the false friends. La leche is feminine while el queso is masculine, and la sopa is feminine. Also, el agua takes el but is feminine (Lesson 2.1). Los frijoles are beans, and el pan is not a pan to cook with.

Worked example

The problem. Describe your meals in Spanish: for breakfast you eat toast and drink juice; for lunch you eat chicken and rice; you love cheese; you do not like fish; you are very hungry.

Step one: breakfast. Para introduces the meal, and desayunar is not needed: Para el desayuno como tostadas y bebo jugo.

Step two: lunch. Para el almuerzo como pollo con arroz. No article is needed after como for "some".

Step three: love. Encantar works like gustar (Lesson 5.3). The cheese is singular: Me encanta el queso.

Step four: dislike. The negative goes before the pronoun, and fish takes the article: No me gusta el pescado.

Step five: hungry. Tener hambre, and the intensifier is mucha because hambre is feminine: Tengo mucha hambre.

Step six: ask a question. ¿Qué comes para el almuerzo? and ¿Te gustan las verduras? The second verb is plural.

Step seven: put it together. Para el desayuno como tostadas y bebo jugo. Para el almuerzo como pollo con arroz. Me encanta el queso, pero no me gusta el pescado. Tengo mucha hambre.

Step eight: check. The verbs como, bebo are yo forms, the likes use encantar and gustar with an article, and hambre is feminine with mucha.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la cena?
    Show the full solution

    dinner

  2. What is el pollo?
    Show the full solution

    chicken

  3. Say "I eat bread."
    Show the full solution

    Como pan.

  4. Say "I drink milk."
    Show the full solution

    Bebo leche.

  5. Say "I like fruit."
    Show the full solution

    After gustar the article is required. Me gusta la fruta.

  6. Say "For lunch we eat rice and beans."
    Show the full solution

    Para el almuerzo comemos arroz y frijoles.

  7. Say "She loves ice cream."
    Show the full solution

    Le encanta el helado.

  8. Find the error: Tengo muy hambre y me gusta pescado.
    Show the full solution

    Hambre takes mucha, and gustar needs the article. Tengo mucha hambre y me gusta el pescado.

  9. Translate: "What do you eat for dinner? I usually eat chicken and a salad."
    Show the full solution

    "Usually" is normalmente. ¿Qué comes para la cena? Normalmente como pollo y una ensalada.

  10. Write four sentences about what you eat and drink on a normal day.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Para el desayuno como pan y bebo leche. Para el almuerzo como una ensalada. Para la cena como pollo con arroz. Me gusta el helado. The sentences use comer and beber in the yo form. Para el desayuno como pan y bebo leche...

Lesson 8.2 · Unit 8 · Communication: interpersonal

Asking politely for what you want

Ordering a meal is one of the first genuine tasks you can do in another country, and it is built from a small set of fixed phrases. This lesson gives the setting, the dishes and utensils, and the polite forms. It also teaches the difference between quiero, which is direct, and quisiera, which is what a polite customer says. That one choice changes how you sound.

The method
  1. The people and the paper. el camarero or la camarera (waiter, waitress), el menú or la carta (menu), la cuenta (the bill), la propina (the tip), la mesa, el restaurante.
  2. The table. el plato (plate, dish), el vaso (glass), la taza (cup), el tenedor (fork), el cuchillo (knife), la cuchara (spoon), la servilleta (napkin).
  3. What the waiter says. ¿Qué desea? (What would you like?) ¿Qué van a tomar? (What will you have?) ¿Algo más? (Anything else?) ¿Desean postre? (Would you like dessert?)
  4. What the customer says. The polite forms are quisiera and me gustaría, both meaning "I would like": Quisiera una ensalada. Me gustaría pollo con arroz. A simple Para mí (for me) also works.
  5. Quiero is direct. Quiero una sopa means "I want soup" and is acceptable among friends but abrupt to a waiter. Quisiera is a polite request.
  6. The courses. de primero (as a first course), de segundo (as a main course), de postre (for dessert), de beber (to drink). De primero quisiera una sopa, de segundo pescado y de postre helado.
  7. Ask for things. ¿Me trae el menú, por favor? ¿Nos trae la cuenta? Un vaso de agua, por favor. Traer is to bring. La cuenta, por favor asks for the bill.
  8. Pay and tip. La propina varies by country. In Spain it is small and optional, and in Mexico it is usually about ten to fifteen percent. Gracias, todo estaba delicioso. (Thank you, everything was delicious.)

Where students lose marks: too direct a register and the wrong verb for ordering. Quiero sounds blunt to a waiter, and pregunto una sopa confuses asking a question with ordering. Use quisiera or me gustaría, and the verb pedir (Lesson 5.6) for the action of ordering.

Worked example

The problem. Write the customer's side of a dinner: ask for a table for two, order soup first and fish as a main course, ask for water, ask for the bill and say the meal was delicious.

Step one: ask for a table. Una mesa para dos, por favor. The word para means "for".

Step two: the first course. A polite request with quisiera: De primero quisiera una sopa.

Step three: the main course. De segundo, me gustaría pescado con arroz. Me gustaría is another polite form.

Step four: the drink. Para beber, un vaso de agua, por favor. The de after vaso links the container to what it holds.

Step five: ask for the bill. ¿Me trae la cuenta, por favor? Me means "for me", and both marks and the accent on trae are written.

Step six: compliment. Gracias, todo estaba delicioso. The verb is in a past tense you will meet later, so learn it as a set phrase.

Step seven: the waiter's side. ¿Qué desea? ¿Algo más? Aquí tiene la cuenta. The waiter uses usted, as the verb desea shows.

Step eight: check. Every request used quisiera, me gustaría or por favor, and quiero was not used with the waiter.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la cuenta?
    Show the full solution

    the bill

  2. What is un tenedor?
    Show the full solution

    a fork

  3. Say "I would like a salad" politely.
    Show the full solution

    Quisiera una ensalada. (or Me gustaría una ensalada.)

  4. Say "The bill, please."
    Show the full solution

    La cuenta, por favor.

  5. What does the waiter mean by ¿Qué desea?
    Show the full solution

    What would you like?

  6. Say "For the main course I would like chicken with rice."
    Show the full solution

    De segundo quisiera pollo con arroz.

  7. Ask "Can you bring me a glass of water, please?"
    Show the full solution

    Formal register, with the container linked by de. ¿Me trae un vaso de agua, por favor?

  8. Find the error: Quiero una sopa y pregunto una cerveza.
    Show the full solution

    The register is blunt and preguntar means to ask a question. Use a polite form and pedir. Quisiera una sopa y pido un refresco.

  9. Translate: "Good evening. A table for four, please. What do you recommend?"
    Show the full solution

    Recomendar is a boot verb, and the waiter is addressed with usted. Buenas noches. Una mesa para cuatro, por favor. ¿Qué recomienda?

  10. Write a short dialogue of four lines between a customer and a waiter in which the customer orders a meal and asks for the bill.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Camarero: ¿Qué desea? Cliente: Quisiera una sopa y pescado. Camarero: ¿Algo de beber? Cliente: Un vaso de agua. La cuenta, por favor. The customer is polite and the waiter uses usted. Camarero: ¿Qué desea? Cliente: Quisiera una sopa y pescado...

Lesson 8.3 · Unit 8 · Structures

Counting to a million, and saying what things cost

You have the numbers to 100, and the rest of the system is built from them with a small number of new words. Spanish has an unusual feature in the hundreds: they have gender, and a few are irregular. The numbers above 100 are what you need for prices, years and populations. This lesson gives the hundreds, the thousands and the way to say a price and ask what something costs.

The method
  1. One hundred is cien, but 101 to 199 use ciento. cien libros (100), ciento uno (101), ciento cincuenta y dos (152). The word cien is used for exactly 100 and before a noun.
  2. The hundreds. doscientos (200), trescientos (300), cuatrocientos (400), quinientos (500), seiscientos (600), setecientos (700), ochocientos (800), novecientos (900). Three are irregular: quinientos, setecientos and novecientos.
  3. The hundreds agree with the noun. doscientos libros, doscientas casas, quinientas personas. The feminine ends in -cientas.
  4. Thousand is mil. mil (1,000), dos mil (2,000), cinco mil quinientos (5,500). Mil never takes un and never adds -s: mil libros, tres mil libros.
  5. A million is un millón and takes de. un millón de personas, tres millones de euros. Millón is a noun, so it is plural when more than one, and the accent disappears in the plural.
  6. The word y comes only between tens and units. ciento cuarenta y cinco (145), but doscientos cinco (205) and mil trescientos (1,300) have no y. Never write y after a hundred or a thousand directly.
  7. Years are read as thousands and hundreds. mil novecientos noventa y nueve (1999), dos mil veintiséis (2026). The English "nineteen ninety-nine" pattern does not exist in Spanish.
  8. Prices. Ask ¿Cuánto cuesta? ¿Cuánto cuestan? and answer Cuesta tres euros con cincuenta (3.50 euros). Con introduces the cents. Spain writes the decimal as a comma and Mexico uses a point, so 3,50 and 3.50 are the same price.

Where students lose marks: the irregular hundreds and the wrong y. Cincocientos should be quinientos, and ciento y cinco should be ciento cinco. Y belongs only between a ten and a unit. Write the number in digits first, then say it from the left.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish words: (1) 365 days. (2) 1,250 euros. (3) 574 girls. (4) 2,800 books. (5) the year 1776. (6) a price of 12.75 euros, and ask what a book costs.

Step one: 365. Hundreds first: trescientos. Then the tens and units, with y: sesenta y cinco. Trescientos sesenta y cinco días.

Step two: 1,250. Mil with no un, then doscientos cincuenta: mil doscientos cincuenta euros. No y after the hundreds.

Step three: 574 girls. The hundreds agree with a feminine noun, and quinientos becomes quinientas: quinientas setenta y cuatro niñas. The y sits between the ten and the unit.

Step four: 2,800. Dos mil, then ochocientos. The thousand does not become plural: dos mil ochocientos libros.

Step five: 1776. Mil setecientos setenta y seis. The word setecientos has an irregular stem.

Step six: the price. Doce euros con setenta y cinco is 12.75. Con links euros and cents.

Step seven: the question. ¿Cuánto cuesta el libro? Cuesta doce euros con setenta y cinco. The verb is singular because the book is.

Step eight: check. The hundreds agree with the noun, mil never has un or -s, and y appears only between tens and units.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write 100 and 101 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    cien; ciento uno

  2. Write 500 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Irregular. quinientos

  3. Write 700 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Irregular. setecientos

  4. Write 1,000 in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    No un. mil

  5. Write 200 pencils (lápices, masculine).
    Show the full solution

    doscientos lápices

  6. Write 200 chairs (sillas, feminine).
    Show the full solution

    The hundreds agree in gender. doscientas sillas

  7. Write 315 in Spanish words.
    Show the full solution

    Hundreds, then quince (a single word up to 29), with no y. trescientos quince

  8. Write 1,999 in Spanish words.
    Show the full solution

    mil novecientos noventa y nueve

  9. Find the error: Hay cincocientos y cinco estudiantes.
    Show the full solution

    The hundred is irregular (quinientos), and there is no y after a hundred. Hay quinientos cinco estudiantes.

  10. Ask "How much does the jacket cost?" and answer "It costs eighty-five euros with fifty."
    Show the full solution

    85.50 euros. ¿Cuánto cuesta la chaqueta? Cuesta ochenta y cinco euros con cincuenta.

Lesson 8.4 · Unit 8 · Communication: interpersonal

Buying clothes, and talking to a salesperson

Shopping is a situation in which almost every structure you have learned comes together: numbers for prices, adjectives for colors and sizes, the verbs of buying and wearing, and the polite forms of Lesson 8.2. This lesson gives the clothing vocabulary and the expressions a customer and a salesperson use, and the one verb, quedar, that behaves like gustar.

The method
  1. The clothes. la camisa, la blusa, la camiseta (T-shirt), los pantalones, los vaqueros (jeans), la falda, el vestido, la chaqueta, el abrigo, el suéter, los calcetines, los zapatos, las botas, el sombrero, la gorra (cap). Pantalones, vaqueros, zapatos and calcetines are plural.
  2. The places. la tienda (store), el centro comercial (mall), el mercado (market), la boutique, el almacén (department store). A dependiente or dependienta is a salesperson.
  3. Llevar means to wear. Llevo una camisa azul y pantalones negros. Llevar also means to carry or to take.
  4. Size and fit. la talla is the size of clothing (Uso la talla mediana), and el número is shoe size (Calzo el número ocho). Quedar says how it fits, like gustar: Me queda bien. Me quedan grandes los zapatos.
  5. Try on with probarse. Probarse is reflexive and an o-to-ue verb: Me pruebo la camisa. Nos probamos los zapatos.
  6. Prices and judgments. caro (expensive), barato (cheap), una ganga (a bargain), una rebaja (a sale), en oferta. Es muy caro uses ser, since price is a quality of the item.
  7. What the salesperson says. ¿En qué puedo servirle? (How can I help you?) ¿Qué talla usa? ¿Cómo paga? And the customer: Busco una chaqueta. Quisiera probarme esta camisa.
  8. Pay. pagar (to pay), en efectivo (in cash), con tarjeta (by card), el cambio (change), el recibo (receipt). Pagar con names the means: Pago con tarjeta.

Where students lose marks: the plural clothes and the English "wear". Los pantalones es azul uses a singular verb for a plural noun, and Visto una camisa confuses vestir with llevar. Los pantalones son azules and Llevo una camisa are correct.

Worked example

The problem. Write a short shopping scene: you walk in and say you are looking for a blue jacket, ask the price, say it is too expensive, try on a shirt in size medium, say it fits well, and say you pay by card.

Step one: say what you want. Busco una chaqueta azul. Buscar takes no para, and the adjective follows the noun and agrees.

Step two: ask the price. ¿Cuánto cuesta la chaqueta? The verb is singular because the jacket is.

Step three: the judgment. Price is a quality, so ser, with demasiado for "too": Es demasiado cara. Cara agrees with chaqueta.

Step four: try on. A polite request with quisiera and a reflexive infinitive: Quisiera probarme esta camisa en talla mediana.

Step five: the fit. Quedar works like gustar: Me queda bien. If it were large, Me queda grande.

Step six: pay. Pago con tarjeta. The verb is the yo form of pagar, and the means follows con.

Step seven: the salesperson's side. ¿En qué puedo servirle? Aquí tiene. Son cuarenta euros. The salesperson uses usted.

Step eight: check. The color agreed with the noun, price used ser, the fit used quedar with the pronoun, and every request was polite.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la falda?
    Show the full solution

    the skirt

  2. What is the verb for "to wear"?
    Show the full solution

    llevar

  3. Say "I wear a blue shirt."
    Show the full solution

    Llevo una camisa azul.

  4. What does es muy caro mean?
    Show the full solution

    It is very expensive.

  5. Say "The shoes are cheap."
    Show the full solution

    The shoes are plural. Los zapatos son baratos.

  6. Say "I am looking for a black skirt."
    Show the full solution

    Busco una falda negra.

  7. Say "The pants are too big for me."
    Show the full solution

    Quedar in the plural with me. Los pantalones me quedan grandes.

  8. Find the error: Los pantalones es azul y yo visto una camisa.
    Show the full solution

    The verb must be plural and the adjective too, and llevar is "to wear". Los pantalones son azules y yo llevo una camisa.

  9. Translate: "How can I help you? I would like to try on these boots, and I will pay in cash."
    Show the full solution

    "These" is explained in Lesson 8.5. For the boots use estas botas. The salesperson addresses usted. ¿En qué puedo servirle? Quisiera probarme estas botas y pago en efectivo.

  10. Write four sentences describing what you wear to school and what you would like to buy.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Llevo pantalones y una camiseta. Mis zapatos son negros. Quisiera comprar una chaqueta. Busco una talla mediana. The clothes are in their correct plural or singular forms. Llevo pantalones y una camiseta...

Lesson 8.5 · Unit 8 · Structures

This, that and that one over there

Pointing is one of the first things language does. English has two points, "this" and "that", and Spanish has three. The third marks a thing that is far from both speakers, and you will use all three constantly when shopping and describing. Each is an adjective, so each agrees with its noun. This lesson gives the three sets and the neuter forms for things you cannot name.

The method
  1. Este means this, near the speaker. este, esta, estos, estas: este libro, esta casa, estos libros, estas casas.
  2. Ese means that, near the listener. ese, esa, esos, esas: ese libro, esa casa, esos libros, esas casas. It points at something close to the person you are talking to.
  3. Aquel means that, far from both. aquel, aquella, aquellos, aquellas: aquel edificio, aquella montaña. It is used for things that are distant, in space or in time.
  4. They agree with the noun. Gender and number come from the noun, not the speaker. Esta camisa but este suéter, esas botas but esos zapatos.
  5. They match the words for here and there. aquí goes with este, ahí with ese, allí with aquel. Esta camisa de aquí. Esos zapatos de ahí. Aquella casa de allí.
  6. As pronouns they stand for a noun. Me gusta esta camisa, pero prefiero esa. Modern spelling uses no accent on the pronoun: este, ese, aquel.
  7. The neuter forms name an idea or an unknown. esto, eso, aquello do not change and are never accented: ¿Qué es esto? Eso es interesante. Aquello es imposible. Never with a noun.
  8. They come before the noun, with no article. Este libro, never el este libro. The demonstrative takes the place of the article.

Where students lose marks: the agreement and the English habit of adding the article. Este casa should be esta casa, and el este libro should be este libro. Check the gender and number of the noun before choosing the form.

Worked example

The problem. Complete with the correct demonstrative: (1) ___ camisa (this). (2) ___ zapatos (those, near you). (3) ___ casas (those, far away). (4) ___ libro (this). (5) ¿Qué es ___? (that, an unknown thing). Then say "I like this shirt, but I prefer that one."

Step one: sentence 1. Camisa is feminine singular, near me: esta camisa.

Step two: sentence 2. Zapatos is masculine plural, near the listener: esos zapatos.

Step three: sentence 3. Casas is feminine plural and far from both: aquellas casas.

Step four: sentence 4. Libro is masculine singular and near me: este libro.

Step five: sentence 5. No noun, so the neuter form: ¿Qué es eso? The neuter has no accent and does not agree with anything.

Step six: the contrast sentence. Me gusta esta camisa, pero prefiero esa. The second esa stands for esa camisa and is a pronoun.

Step seven: add the place words. Esta camisa de aquí es azul. Esos zapatos de ahí son negros. Aquí goes with esta, and ahí with esos.

Step eight: check. Each form agrees with its noun, there is no article, and the neuter eso appears only without a noun.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "this book."
    Show the full solution

    este libro

  2. Say "this house."
    Show the full solution

    esta casa

  3. Say "these shoes."
    Show the full solution

    estos zapatos

  4. Say "those books" (near you).
    Show the full solution

    esos libros

  5. Say "that mountain over there" (montaña, feminine).
    Show the full solution

    aquella montaña

  6. Which place word goes with ese?
    Show the full solution

    ahí

  7. Ask "What is that?" when you do not know what it is.
    Show the full solution

    The neuter form, with no accent. ¿Qué es eso?

  8. Find the error: Quiero este casa y el esos libros.
    Show the full solution

    The demonstrative must agree with the noun, and it takes no article. Quiero esta casa y esos libros.

  9. Translate: "I like these pants, but I prefer those jackets."
    Show the full solution

    Plurals throughout: estos pantalones and esas chaquetas. Me gustan estos pantalones, pero prefiero esas chaquetas.

  10. Write four sentences pointing at things in a store: one near you, one near the clerk, one far away, and one with esto or eso.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Esta camisa es azul. Esos zapatos son caros. Aquella tienda es grande. ¿Qué es eso? Each demonstrative agrees with its noun. Esta camisa es azul. Esos zapatos son caros. Aquella tienda es grande. ¿Qué es eso?

Lesson 8.6 · Unit 8 · Structures

Much, little, enough, all and every

Words of quantity are among the most common in any language, and Spanish has a trap in them. The same word can be an adjective, which agrees with its noun, or an adverb, which never changes, and students confuse the two. This lesson sorts them out and adds the container phrases for food and drink, which are the quantity words you will use most in a restaurant or a market.

The method
  1. As adjectives, quantity words agree with the noun. mucho, mucha, muchos, muchas (much, many, a lot of), poco, poca, pocos, pocas (little, few), bastante (enough, quite a lot of), demasiado (too much).
  2. They come before the noun. Tengo muchos amigos. Hay pocas sillas. Bebo demasiado café. Bastante has one form for both genders and adds -s in the plural: bastantes.
  3. As adverbs, they never change. Estudio mucho. Come poco. Trabajan demasiado. After a verb, mucho is an adverb, so it is never mucha or muchos.
  4. Muy and mucho are different. Muy means "very" and comes before an adjective or an adverb: muy alto, muy bien. Mucho means "a lot" and goes before a noun or after a verb. Never muy mucho.
  5. Todo means all, every. todo el día (all day), toda la familia, todos los días (every day), todas las noches. It agrees with the noun and is followed by an article.
  6. Otro means another, other. otro libro, otra casa, otros amigos. It never takes un before it: otro, not un otro.
  7. Containers and measures use de. un vaso de agua, una taza de café, una botella de leche, un kilo de manzanas, un litro de jugo, una docena de huevos, un poco de pan. The noun after de has no article when it is a quantity.
  8. Use algunos and varios for some. algunos libros, varias personas, cada día. Cada (each) never changes and goes before a singular noun.

Where students lose marks: making the adverb agree and mixing muy with mucho. Estudio muchos, Estoy mucho cansado and Tengo muy amigos are the three typical slips. Mucho after a verb is invariable, muy goes before an adjective, and muchos goes before a plural noun.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I have many friends. (2) I study a lot. (3) She is very tired. (4) We drink too much coffee. (5) He eats every day at one. (6) I would like a kilo of apples and a bottle of water.

Step one: sentence 1. Mucho before a noun is an adjective and agrees: Tengo muchos amigos.

Step two: sentence 2. After a verb it is an adverb and does not change: Estudio mucho.

Step three: sentence 3. "Very" before an adjective is muy: Ella está muy cansada. The adjective agrees with ella.

Step four: sentence 4. Demasiado before a noun is an adjective; the noun café is masculine singular: Bebemos demasiado café.

Step five: sentence 5. Todos los días for "every day". The phrase agrees with the plural noun: Come todos los días a la una.

Step six: sentence 6, the first container. Un kilo de manzanas, with de and no article.

Step seven: sentence 6, the second. Una botella de agua, and the polite form: Quisiera un kilo de manzanas y una botella de agua.

Step eight: check. Mucho agreed before nouns and stayed fixed after a verb, muy stood before an adjective, and every container used de.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "many books."
    Show the full solution

    muchos libros

  2. Say "few chairs."
    Show the full solution

    pocas sillas

  3. Say "I eat a lot."
    Show the full solution

    After a verb, mucho does not change. Como mucho.

  4. Say "very good."
    Show the full solution

    muy bueno (or muy bien for an adverb)

  5. Say "a glass of milk."
    Show the full solution

    un vaso de leche

  6. Say "all day" and "every night."
    Show the full solution

    todo el día; todas las noches

  7. Say "another book" and "other friends."
    Show the full solution

    No un. otro libro; otros amigos

  8. Find the error: Estudio muchos y estoy mucho cansada.
    Show the full solution

    Mucho after a verb does not change, and "very" before an adjective is muy. Estudio mucho y estoy muy cansada.

  9. Translate: "We have a lot of homework, but we do not study enough."
    Show the full solution

    The first is before the noun and agrees, and the second is after a verb. Tenemos mucha tarea, pero no estudiamos bastante.

  10. Write a shopping list in Spanish with four items, each with a container or a measure.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Quisiera un kilo de tomates, una docena de huevos, un litro de leche y una botella de agua. Each uses de and no article. Quisiera un kilo de tomates, una docena de huevos...

Lesson 8.7 · Unit 8 · Structures

How food tastes, and which verb to use

Talking about food is a second chance to practice the choice between ser and estar, and it makes the rule visible, because the same adjective means something different with each verb. This lesson adds the words for tastes and temperatures, and the verb saber a. The aim is a description of a dish that a listener could taste.

The method
  1. Tastes. dulce (sweet), salado (salty), amargo (bitter), ácido (sour), picante (spicy), sabroso (tasty), delicioso, rico (delicious), soso (bland).
  2. Temperatures. caliente (hot), frío (cold), tibio (lukewarm), fresco (fresh, cool). Food that has a temperature right now takes estar: La sopa está caliente.
  3. Estar says how it tastes at this moment. Está rico. Está salado. Está delicioso. You have tasted it and are reporting the result.
  4. Ser says what it is like by nature. El limón es ácido. El chocolate es dulce. El helado es frío. Los chiles son picantes. These are always true of the food.
  5. Rico changes meaning. La comida es rica says it is rich or a fine dish, and La comida está rica says it tastes good now. In conversation people usually mean the second.
  6. Saber a means to taste like. Sabe a limón. Esto sabe a chocolate. ¿A qué sabe? The verb is third person and regular in this use, sabe and saben.
  7. Doing the work: opinions. Me gusta porque es dulce. No me gusta porque está demasiado salado. The reason follows porque, with ser or estar as the meaning requires.
  8. The agreement rule still applies. La sopa está caliente. Los frijoles están calientes. Las papas están ricas. The adjective matches the food.

Where students lose marks: using ser for a taste you have just experienced, and forgetting agreement. La sopa es caliente says soup is a hot thing by nature, and Los frijoles está ricos has a singular verb. A taste right now is estar, and a lasting fact is ser.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) The soup is hot. (2) The cake tastes delicious. (3) Lemons are sour. (4) The beans are salty today. (5) This tastes like chocolate. (6) I like the food because it is spicy.

Step one: sentence 1. A temperature now: estar. The soup is feminine: La sopa está caliente.

Step two: sentence 2. A taste now: estar. El pastel está delicioso.

Step three: sentence 3. A fact about lemons: ser. Both the noun and the verb are plural: Los limones son ácidos.

Step four: sentence 4. Today signals a temporary condition: estar. Los frijoles están salados hoy.

Step five: sentence 5. Saber a for taste: Esto sabe a chocolate. The neuter esto takes a singular verb.

Step six: sentence 6, the opinion. Me gusta la comida porque es picante. The spiciness is a quality of the dish, so ser.

Step seven: contrast. El pescado es salado (a salted fish by nature) and El pescado está salado (this fish is too salty).

Step eight: check. The verbs está, está, son, están, sabe, es were chosen by the question: lasting fact or present taste.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is picante?
    Show the full solution

    spicy

  2. What is salado?
    Show the full solution

    salty

  3. Say "The soup is cold" (right now).
    Show the full solution

    A present condition. La sopa está fría.

  4. Say "Sugar is sweet" (a general fact).
    Show the full solution

    A lasting quality: ser. El azúcar es dulce.

  5. Say "The cake is delicious."
    Show the full solution

    A taste you have just experienced. El pastel está delicioso.

  6. Say "It tastes like lemon."
    Show the full solution

    Sabe a limón.

  7. Choose and explain: El helado (es / está) frío, as a general fact.
    Show the full solution

    Ice cream is cold by nature. es

  8. Find the error: Los frijoles es ricos y la sopa es caliente.
    Show the full solution

    The verb must be plural for the beans, and a taste or temperature right now takes estar. Los frijoles están ricos y la sopa está caliente.

  9. Translate: "I don't like this soup because it is too salty, but the salad is delicious."
    Show the full solution

    Both tastes are present judgments, so estar. No me gusta esta sopa porque está demasiado salada, pero la ensalada está deliciosa.

  10. Write a four-sentence review of a meal you ate, using one ser sentence, two estar sentences and saber a.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: El restaurante es pequeño. La sopa está caliente. El pollo está delicioso. El postre sabe a chocolate. The first is a quality, the next two are present tastes, and the last uses saber a. El restaurante es pequeño. La sopa está caliente...

Unit 8 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 8 review: Food and Shopping

These are mixed across all seven lessons. Name the noun's gender and number first, then choose the article, the demonstrative or the number word that agrees with it.

  1. Say "I like fish" and "I love strawberries."
    Show the full solution

    Gustar needs the article, and a plural thing takes the plural verb. Me gusta el pescado. Me encantan las fresas.

  2. Politely ask for soup and for the bill.
    Show the full solution

    Quisiera is the polite request, and por favor softens the second. Quisiera una sopa. La cuenta, por favor.

  3. Write in words: 365, 500, 1,250 and 1999.
    Show the full solution

    The hundreds are irregular at 500, mil takes no un, and y appears only between tens and units. trescientos sesenta y cinco, quinientos, mil doscientos cincuenta, mil novecientos noventa y nueve

  4. Ask "How much does the jacket cost?" and answer "It costs forty-five euros with fifty."
    Show the full solution

    The verb is singular because the jacket is, and con introduces the cents. ¿Cuánto cuesta la chaqueta? Cuesta cuarenta y cinco euros con cincuenta.

  5. Say "The pants are too big for me" and "I wear a blue shirt."
    Show the full solution

    Quedar works like gustar, and the pants are plural. Llevar means to wear. Los pantalones me quedan grandes. Llevo una camisa azul.

  6. Say "this shirt," "those shoes" (near you) and "that mountain over there."
    Show the full solution

    Choose by distance and agree with the noun. esta camisa, esos zapatos, aquella montaña

  7. Say "I have many friends," "I study a lot" and "a bottle of water."
    Show the full solution

    Mucho agrees before a noun and is invariable after a verb. A container is joined by de with no article. Tengo muchos amigos. Estudio mucho. Una botella de agua.

  8. Say "The soup is cold" (right now) and "Lemons are sour."
    Show the full solution

    A present condition uses estar, and a lasting quality uses ser. La sopa está fría. Los limones son ácidos.

  9. Find the errors: Los pantalones es azul y quiero este casas.
    Show the full solution

    The verb and adjective must be plural for the pants, and the demonstrative must agree with a feminine noun. Los pantalones son azules y quiero esta casa. (or estas casas)

  10. Say "I would like to try on these boots, but they are very expensive."
    Show the full solution

    Probarse is reflexive, and price is a quality of the item, so ser, with caras agreeing with botas. Quisiera probarme estas botas, pero son muy caras.

Lesson 9.1 · Unit 9 · Cultures

Describing a town, and what people do in it

A visitor to a Spanish-speaking city needs the names of the places before anything else: where the bank is, where to buy bread, where to catch a train. Many of these words are close to English, and a few are traps. In this lesson you learn the places, link each to the verb that goes with it, and use ir a, estar and hay to say where they are.

The method
  1. The town itself. la ciudad (city), el pueblo (town, village), el barrio (neighborhood), el centro (downtown), la calle (street), la avenida, la plaza (square), la esquina (corner), la cuadra (block).
  2. Public places. la escuela, la biblioteca, el museo, el parque, el cine, el teatro, la iglesia, el hospital, la estación, el aeropuerto, la oficina de correos (post office).
  3. Stores. el supermercado, la panadería (bakery), la carnicería (butcher), la farmacia, la librería (bookstore), la zapatería (shoe store), el mercado. The ending -ería names a shop that sells something.
  4. Other services. el banco, el restaurante, el hotel, el café, la gasolinera (gas station), la peluquería (hair salon), el correo (mail).
  5. Link each place to its verb. Compro pan en la panadería. Saco dinero en el banco. Leo en la biblioteca. Veo una película en el cine. Tomo el tren en la estación.
  6. Say where you are going with ir a. Voy a la farmacia. Vamos al museo. A + el contracts to al. Ask ¿Adónde vas?
  7. Say where something is with estar and hay. El banco está en la esquina. Hay un parque cerca de mi casa. Estar for a known place and hay for what exists.
  8. False friends. La librería is a bookstore, not a library (biblioteca). El correo is the mail, and la farmacia is the pharmacy. La estación can be a train station or a season.

Where students lose marks: the library and the bookstore, and a against en. Leo libros en la librería says you read in the bookstore. En says where you are and a says where you are going: Estoy en el banco but Voy al banco.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) There is a park near my house. (2) I am going to the bank to take out money. (3) The pharmacy is on the corner. (4) We buy bread at the bakery. (5) Where is the library? (6) I am in the museum.

Step one: sentence 1. Existence uses hay and an indefinite article: Hay un parque cerca de mi casa.

Step two: sentence 2. Going to a place: ir a, with the contraction. Sacar is the verb for taking out money: Voy al banco para sacar dinero.

Step three: sentence 3. Location of a known place: estar. La farmacia está en la esquina.

Step four: sentence 4. The place with en and the verb in nosotros: Compramos pan en la panadería.

Step five: sentence 5. A question about location: ¿Dónde está la biblioteca?

Step six: sentence 6. Being in a place uses estar and en: Estoy en el museo. No contraction, because en does not combine.

Step seven: contrast. Voy al museo says where I am going, and estoy en el museo says where I am. The two prepositions never swap.

Step eight: check. Hay for existence, estar for location, a for the destination and en for the place where the action happens.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la panadería?
    Show the full solution

    the bakery

  2. What is la biblioteca, and what is la librería?
    Show the full solution

    the library; the bookstore

  3. Say "I am going to the supermarket."
    Show the full solution

    Voy al supermercado.

  4. Say "The hospital is far from my house."
    Show the full solution

    El hospital está lejos de mi casa.

  5. Say "There is a theater downtown."
    Show the full solution

    Hay un teatro en el centro.

  6. Say "We watch movies at the movie theater."
    Show the full solution

    Vemos películas en el cine.

  7. Say "I buy medicine at the pharmacy."
    Show the full solution

    "Medicine" is medicina or medicamentos. Compro medicina en la farmacia.

  8. Find the error: Estoy a la biblioteca y voy en el parque.
    Show the full solution

    Being in a place takes en and going takes a. Estoy en la biblioteca y voy al parque.

  9. Translate: "Where are you going? I am going to the post office, and then to the bank."
    Show the full solution

    Adónde for "where to". ¿Adónde vas? Voy a la oficina de correos y luego al banco.

  10. Write four sentences about your town: two places it has, one place near you, and one place you go every week.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: En mi pueblo hay un parque y un museo. La biblioteca está cerca de mi casa. Voy al supermercado todos los sábados. En mi pueblo hay un parque y un museo...

Lesson 9.2 · Unit 9 · Communication: interpersonal

How to get from here to there

Asking for directions is the single most useful thing to do in a new city, and listening to the answer is the harder half. People answer with commands, short and fast, so you need to recognize about a dozen of them. This lesson gives the question, the commands to understand, and the places words that go with them. You do not need to produce many commands yourself, but you must follow them.

The method
  1. Ask the way. ¿Cómo llego a la estación? ¿Dónde está el banco? ¿Puede decirme cómo llegar al museo? The first is the most natural: llegar a means to arrive at.
  2. Directions are commands. To a stranger you use usted commands: take the third-person present form and switch the vowel. -ar verbs take -e, and -er and -ir verbs take -a.
  3. The key usted commands. doble (turn), gire (turn), siga (continue), cruce (cross), camine (walk), tome (take), baje (go down), suba (go up). Add no before them for the negative.
  4. Friends use tú commands. The affirmative tú command is the third-person singular present: dobla, sigue, cruza, camina, toma. Do not add the pronoun.
  5. Directions. a la derecha (to the right), a la izquierda (to the left), derecho or todo recto (straight ahead), hasta (until), al final de (at the end of), en la esquina (at the corner).
  6. Distance. a dos cuadras (two blocks away), a cinco minutos (five minutes away), cerca (near), lejos (far). Está a tres cuadras de aquí.
  7. Landmarks. enfrente de (across from), al lado de (next to), detrás de (behind), entre (between): La farmacia está enfrente del banco.
  8. Thank and confirm. Gracias. ¿Es lejos? ¿Puede repetir, por favor? If you do not understand, Más despacio, por favor (slower, please).

Where students lose marks: confusing the two meanings of derecho and the ending of the command. Siga derecho means to continue straight, and a la derecha means right. Also, doble and gire are not the infinitive, and cruce must end in -e, not -a.

Worked example

The problem. You are on Main Street and ask a stranger how to get to the library. The answer is: Siga derecho dos cuadras. Doble a la izquierda en la esquina. La biblioteca está a la derecha, enfrente del banco. Write the question, explain each part of the answer, and give the same directions to a friend.

Step one: the question. A stranger gets usted: ¿Cómo llego a la biblioteca?

Step two: first command. Siga derecho: seguir is an e-to-i verb with a spelling change, and siga is its usted command. It means "continue straight".

Step three: the distance. Dos cuadras says how far: two blocks.

Step four: second command. Doble a la izquierda: doblar is an -ar verb, so the command ends in -e. It means "turn left".

Step five: the place. En la esquina says at the corner, so the turn is at the first corner after two blocks.

Step six: the location. La biblioteca está a la derecha, enfrente del banco. It is on the right, across from the bank. De + el contracts to del.

Step seven: give it to a friend. The tú commands drop the formality: Sigue derecho dos cuadras. Dobla a la izquierda en la esquina.

Step eight: check. The strangers' commands end in -a for seguir and -e for doblar, the friend's commands match the third-person present, and the final sentence uses estar for location.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does a la derecha mean?
    Show the full solution

    to the right

  2. What does siga derecho mean?
    Show the full solution

    continue straight ahead

  3. What does doble a la izquierda mean?
    Show the full solution

    turn left

  4. Ask "How do I get to the museum?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿Cómo llego al museo?

  5. What is the usted command of cruzar?
    Show the full solution

    An -ar verb takes -e, and z becomes c before e. cruce

  6. What is the tú command of caminar?
    Show the full solution

    The third-person singular present. camina

  7. Say "It is three blocks from here."
    Show the full solution

    Está a tres cuadras de aquí.

  8. Find the error: Doblar a la derecha y cruza la calle, said to a stranger.
    Show the full solution

    A stranger needs usted commands, not the infinitive or tú. Doble a la derecha y cruce la calle.

  9. Translate for a stranger: "Walk two blocks, turn left at the corner, and the bank is next to the church."
    Show the full solution

    Two usted commands and estar for location. Camine dos cuadras, doble a la izquierda en la esquina y el banco está al lado de la iglesia.

  10. Write directions from your school to a park nearby, using three commands and one preposition of place.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Siga derecho una cuadra. Doble a la derecha. Cruce la calle. El parque está enfrente de la escuela. Siga derecho una cuadra. Doble a la derecha...

Lesson 9.3 · Unit 9 · Communication: interpretive

How people get around

Transportation is a lesson in prepositions and in regional vocabulary. Spanish uses en for the vehicle you ride in, one exception for walking, and several different words for the same bus in different countries. You will also learn to ask how long a trip takes, which uses a verb that has no tidy English equivalent, tardar.

The method
  1. The vehicles. el autobús, el tren, el metro, el taxi, el avión, el barco, el carro, el coche, la bicicleta, la moto. Carro is used in Latin America and coche in Spain.
  2. Regional words. A bus is el camión in Mexico, la guagua in the Caribbean and el colectivo in Argentina. A car is el auto in many countries. Recognize them and use the one your listener uses.
  3. Say how you travel with en. Voy en autobús. Viajamos en tren. Llegan en avión. The vehicle takes no article after en.
  4. On foot is the exception. Voy a pie or Camino a la escuela. Also en bicicleta, but a caballo for horseback.
  5. Stations and stops. la estación, el aeropuerto, la parada de autobús (bus stop), el andén (platform), el boleto or el billete (ticket), de ida (one way), de ida y vuelta (round trip).
  6. Verbs of travel. llegar a (to arrive at), salir de (to leave from), tomar (to take), viajar (to travel), subir a (to get on), bajar de (to get off). Salgo de casa. Llego a la escuela.
  7. Tardar means to take time. ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el tren? Tarda dos horas. For your own trip: Tardo veinte minutos en llegar.
  8. Ask and answer. ¿Cómo vas a la escuela? Voy en autobús. ¿A qué hora sale el tren? Sale a las ocho. The times use a las, as always.

Where students lose marks: using a or con for the vehicle, and the regional vocabulary. Voy con autobús and Voy a autobús are both wrong. Use en autobús, and use a pie for walking. Keep llegar a and salir de together in your head.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I go to school by bus. (2) We travel by train to Madrid. (3) She walks to work. (4) How long does the flight take? (5) The train leaves at 8:30 and arrives at 11:00. (6) I want a round-trip ticket.

Step one: sentence 1. The vehicle takes en: Voy a la escuela en autobús.

Step two: sentence 2. Viajar in nosotros and a for a destination: Viajamos en tren a Madrid.

Step three: sentence 3. Walking is the exception: Ella va a pie al trabajo. The contraction al appears.

Step four: sentence 4. Tardar for time: ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el vuelo? The verb is singular because the flight is.

Step five: sentence 5, the departure. Salir and a time: El tren sale a las ocho y media.

Step six: sentence 5, the arrival. Llegar a and a time: Llega a las once. Combine with y: El tren sale a las ocho y media y llega a las once.

Step seven: sentence 6. The polite form and the phrase for round trip: Quisiera un boleto de ida y vuelta.

Step eight: check. Every vehicle took en and no article, walking took a pie, and the verbs were salir de, llegar a and tardar.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "by train."
    Show the full solution

    en tren

  2. Say "on foot."
    Show the full solution

    a pie

  3. What is un boleto de ida y vuelta?
    Show the full solution

    a round-trip ticket

  4. Say "We go to school by bus."
    Show the full solution

    Vamos a la escuela en autobús.

  5. Say "I arrive at the airport."
    Show the full solution

    Llego al aeropuerto.

  6. Ask "How long does the trip take?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿Cuánto tiempo tarda el viaje?

  7. Say "The bus leaves at seven."
    Show the full solution

    El autobús sale a las siete.

  8. Find the error: Voy con autobús y llego en la escuela a pie.
    Show the full solution

    The vehicle takes en, and llegar takes a. The two phrases also contradict each other. Voy en autobús y llego a la escuela.

  9. Translate: "My parents travel by plane, but I go by bicycle."
    Show the full solution

    Mis padres viajan en avión, pero yo voy en bicicleta.

  10. Write four sentences about how you and your family get to school, to work and on trips.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Voy a la escuela en autobús. Mi madre va al trabajo en carro. Mi padre va a pie. Viajamos en avión. Each vehicle takes en and no article. Voy a la escuela en autobús...

Lesson 9.4 · Unit 9 · Comparisons

What the weather is like, and which season it is

Weather is a common first topic of conversation, and Spanish handles it with the verb hacer, which you know, used in an unexpected way: "it makes cold" rather than "it is cold". This lesson gives the weather expressions, the seasons, and a fact that surprises many students: the seasons are reversed between the northern and southern hemispheres, so July is winter in Chile and Argentina.

The method
  1. Ask with ¿Qué tiempo hace? The answer begins with Hace. The verb is always in the third person singular, and there is no subject. Tiempo means weather here, and time in general (¿Qué hora es? is the clock).
  2. Hace + noun. Hace sol (sunny), Hace viento (windy), Hace calor (hot), Hace frío (cold), Hace fresco (cool), Hace buen tiempo (nice), Hace mal tiempo (bad).
  3. Mucho, not muy. Hace mucho calor. Hace mucho frío. Hace mucho viento. The noun is masculine, so mucho never changes (Lesson 4.5).
  4. Verbs for precipitation. Llueve (it rains, from llover, o to ue), Nieva (it snows, from nevar, e to ie). They are always third person singular: Llueve mucho. Nieva en el invierno.
  5. Estar and hay. Está nublado (cloudy), Está lloviendo (it is raining now), Hay niebla (foggy), Hay tormenta (there is a storm). Use estar with an adjective and hay with a noun.
  6. Temperature. Spanish-speaking countries use Celsius. Hace veinte grados (20 degrees). Remember that 0 degrees Celsius is 32 Fahrenheit and 20 is 68, and that 30 is 86.
  7. The seasons. la primavera (spring), el verano (summer), el otoño (fall), el invierno (winter). Say "in summer" as en verano or en el verano. The seasons are lowercase.
  8. Hemispheres. In the southern hemisphere the seasons are opposite: July is winter in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, and December is summer. Spain and Mexico share the northern pattern. The tropical countries have wet and dry seasons instead.

Where students lose marks: using ser or estar for the weather, and muy. Es frío, Está frío and Hace muy frío are all wrong. The weather uses hacer with a noun, and "very" is mucho: Hace mucho frío.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) It is very hot. (2) It is sunny and windy. (3) It is raining. (4) It snows in the winter. (5) It is 20 degrees and cloudy. (6) What is the weather like in Chile in July?

Step one: sentence 1. Hacer with calor, and mucho: Hace mucho calor.

Step two: sentence 2. Two nouns joined by y: Hace sol y viento.

Step three: sentence 3. A precipitation verb in the present progressive, or simply: Llueve. Both are correct, and Está lloviendo says it is raining right now.

Step four: sentence 4. The season takes en with the article: Nieva en el invierno. The season is lowercase.

Step five: sentence 5. The temperature uses hacer and grados, and cloudy uses estar: Hace veinte grados y está nublado. That is 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step six: sentence 6. The question and the place: ¿Qué tiempo hace en Chile en julio? The month is lowercase.

Step seven: answer. July is winter in Chile: En julio es invierno, y hace frío. Seasons after es take no article.

Step eight: check. The weather used hace with nouns, mucho was invariable, precipitation used llueve and nieva, and clouds used está.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Ask "What is the weather like?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué tiempo hace?

  2. Say "It is cold."
    Show the full solution

    Hace frío.

  3. Say "It is very windy."
    Show the full solution

    Hace mucho viento.

  4. Say "It is snowing."
    Show the full solution

    Nieva. (or Está nevando.)

  5. Say "It is cloudy."
    Show the full solution

    An adjective, so estar. Está nublado.

  6. Say "It is 30 degrees, so it is very hot."
    Show the full solution

    30 degrees Celsius is 86 Fahrenheit. Hace treinta grados y hace mucho calor.

  7. What are the four seasons, in order from spring?
    Show the full solution

    la primavera, el verano, el otoño, el invierno

  8. Find the error: Es muy frío y está lluvia hoy.
    Show the full solution

    Weather uses hacer with mucho, and rain is a verb. Hace mucho frío y llueve hoy.

  9. Explain why July is cold in Argentina but hot in Spain.
    Show the full solution

    Argentina is in the southern hemisphere, where July is winter. Spain is in the northern hemisphere, where July is summer. Opposite hemispheres, opposite seasons.

  10. Write four sentences describing the weather in your town in each of two seasons.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: En el verano hace mucho calor. En el verano hace sol. En el invierno hace frío. En el invierno llueve mucho. En el verano hace mucho calor...

Lesson 9.5 · Unit 9 · Structures

What is happening right now

English uses "I am eating" as its ordinary present, but Spanish keeps a separate form for an action that is in progress at this moment. It is built with estar and a short word ending in -ando or -iendo, called the gerund. The pattern is regular, with a small number of spelling and stem changes, and it is used less than you might expect. The simple present does most of the work.

The method
  1. The structure is estar plus the gerund. Estoy comiendo. Estás estudiando. Ella está hablando. Only estar changes with the subject. The gerund never changes.
  2. Form the gerund of -ar verbs with -ando. hablar → hablando, estudiar → estudiando, trabajar → trabajando. Remove -ar and add -ando.
  3. Form the gerund of -er and -ir verbs with -iendo. comer → comiendo, beber → bebiendo, vivir → viviendo, escribir → escribiendo.
  4. The i becomes y between vowels. leer → leyendo, oír → oyendo, traer → trayendo, ir → yendo. Spanish does not write an i between two vowels.
  5. -ir verbs with a stem change keep it in the gerund. dormir → durmiendo, pedir → pidiendo, decir → diciendo, servir → sirviendo, seguir → siguiendo, sentir → sintiendo, repetir → repitiendo. The vowel becomes u or i.
  6. Reflexive pronouns go before estar or attach to the gerund. Me estoy duchando or Estoy duchándome. When the pronoun attaches, the gerund takes a written accent.
  7. Use it for an action happening now. ¿Qué estás haciendo? Estoy haciendo la tarea. It answers "What are you doing right now?"
  8. Do not use it for the future or for habits. Mañana voy a estudiar, not Mañana estoy estudiando. Estudio todos los días, not Estoy estudiando todos los días. Also avoid it with ir and venir.

Where students lose marks: the overuse and the form. English speakers use the progressive everywhere, and Spanish does not: Estoy yendo a la escuela is unnatural, and Estoy comer uses the infinitive instead of the gerund. Use the simple present for habits and plans, and the progressive for right now.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I am studying. (2) You are eating. (3) He is reading a book. (4) We are sleeping. (5) The students are writing. (6) She is taking a shower. Then say "I study every day" and "I am studying now."

Step one: sentence 1. Estoy and the gerund of estudiar: Estoy estudiando.

Step two: sentence 2. Comer takes -iendo: Estás comiendo.

Step three: sentence 3. Leer follows the vowel rule, so leyendo: Él está leyendo un libro.

Step four: sentence 4. Dormir has a stem change in the gerund: durmiendo. Estamos durmiendo.

Step five: sentence 5. Escribir takes -iendo: Los estudiantes están escribiendo. Están is plural.

Step six: sentence 6. A reflexive verb, with the pronoun before estar: Ella se está duchando. Or attached: Ella está duchándose.

Step seven: contrast the tenses. A habit uses the simple present: Estudio todos los días. The action right now uses the progressive: Estoy estudiando ahora.

Step eight: check. The gerunds ended in -ando or -iendo, the irregular ones were leyendo and durmiendo, and estar matched its subject.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the gerund of hablar.
    Show the full solution

    hablando

  2. Write the gerund of beber.
    Show the full solution

    bebiendo

  3. Write the gerund of leer.
    Show the full solution

    I between vowels becomes y. leyendo

  4. Write the gerund of pedir.
    Show the full solution

    pidiendo

  5. Say "I am working."
    Show the full solution

    Estoy trabajando.

  6. Say "They are eating."
    Show the full solution

    Están comiendo.

  7. Say "What are you doing?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué estás haciendo?

  8. Find the error: Estoy comer y ella está lee.
    Show the full solution

    The progressive needs the gerund, not the infinitive or the present. Estoy comiendo y ella está leyendo.

  9. Explain why Mañana estoy estudiando is unnatural.
    Show the full solution

    The progressive is for an action in progress at the moment. For the future use the near future: Mañana voy a estudiar. Use ir a or the simple present.

  10. Write four sentences about what four family members are doing right now.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi madre está cocinando. Mi padre está leyendo. Mis hermanos están jugando. Yo estoy escribiendo. Each uses a form of estar and a gerund. Mi madre está cocinando. Mi padre está leyendo...

Lesson 9.6 · Unit 9 · Communication: interpersonal

Checking in, and flying

A trip abroad is made of short exchanges at counters: the airline desk, the passport check, the hotel reception. Each is a small script with set questions and answers, and the vocabulary is very international. This lesson gives the words and the scripts, and it uses the polite register from Lesson 8.2 throughout. The staff will address you with usted, and you should answer the same way.

The method
  1. At the airport. el aeropuerto, el vuelo (flight), la puerta de embarque (gate), la salida (departure), la llegada (arrival), el retraso (delay), el pasaporte, la aduana (customs), la seguridad.
  2. The luggage and the ticket. la maleta (suitcase), el equipaje (luggage), la mochila, el boleto or el billete, la tarjeta de embarque (boarding pass). Verbs: facturar (to check in luggage), abordar (to board), despegar (to take off), aterrizar (to land).
  3. Questions at the airport. ¿A qué hora sale el vuelo? ¿De qué puerta sale? ¿Está retrasado? ¿Dónde está la aduana? The answers use sale and llega with a time.
  4. At the hotel. el hotel, la habitación (room), una habitación sencilla (single), una habitación doble (double), la reserva or la reservación, la llave (key), el ascensor (elevator), la recepción.
  5. Checking in. Tengo una reserva a nombre de García. Quisiera una habitación doble para tres noches. A nombre de means "in the name of".
  6. Ask about the room. ¿Cuánto cuesta por noche? ¿Está incluido el desayuno? ¿Tiene aire acondicionado? ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? Remember the singular verb for a singular subject.
  7. Requests and problems. Necesito una toalla. ¿Puede ayudarme? El aire no funciona. No hay agua caliente. Funcionar means to work, as of a machine.
  8. Be polite. Buenas tardes. Por favor. Muchas gracias. ¿Podría...? The conditional podría (could you) is a more polite form of puede. Learn it as a set phrase.

Where students lose marks: the false friends and the register. Una reserva is a booking, but la reservación also works in Latin America. Equipaje is not "equipment". Address staff with usted, and say Tengo una reserva, not Yo reservo.

Worked example

The problem. Write the traveler's lines: at the airport, ask what time the flight to Bogotá leaves and from what gate; at the hotel, say you have a reservation in the name of Sánchez, ask for a single room for two nights, and ask if breakfast is included.

Step one: the flight time. The traveler uses polite usted: ¿A qué hora sale el vuelo a Bogotá?

Step two: the gate. ¿De qué puerta sale? The preposition de comes first.

Step three: the reservation. Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva a nombre de Sánchez. The surname is capitalized because it is a name.

Step four: the room. Quisiera una habitación sencilla para dos noches. The number agrees: dos noches, feminine plural.

Step five: the breakfast. ¿Está incluido el desayuno? The participle incluido agrees with el desayuno.

Step six: the response. The receptionist says Sí, el desayuno está incluido. Aquí tiene la llave. The staff answers with usted.

Step seven: a problem. El aire no funciona. ¿Puede ayudarme? The pronoun attaches to the infinitive.

Step eight: check. Every request was polite, every verb matched its subject, and the key vocabulary was vuelo, puerta, reserva, habitación sencilla, incluido.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la maleta?
    Show the full solution

    the suitcase

  2. What is una habitación doble?
    Show the full solution

    a double room

  3. Say "I have a reservation."
    Show the full solution

    Tengo una reserva.

  4. Ask "What time does the flight leave?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿A qué hora sale el vuelo?

  5. Ask "Where is customs?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿Dónde está la aduana?

  6. Say "I would like a room for three nights."
    Show the full solution

    Quisiera una habitación para tres noches.

  7. Ask "Is breakfast included?"
    Show the full solution

    ¿Está incluido el desayuno?

  8. Find the error: Yo reservo una habitación en el nombre de García y mi equipaje es un equipo.
    Show the full solution

    The phrase is a nombre de, and the natural statement is tengo una reserva. Equipaje means luggage, not equipment. Tengo una reserva a nombre de García.

  9. Translate: "Excuse me, where is the gate? My flight leaves at 6:45."
    Show the full solution

    The time uses a las and menos cuarto. Perdón, ¿dónde está la puerta de embarque? Mi vuelo sale a las siete menos cuarto.

  10. Write a four-line dialogue between a guest and a receptionist in which the guest checks in and asks about breakfast.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Huésped: Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva a nombre de López. Recepcionista: Bienvenido. Aquí tiene la llave. Huésped: ¿Está incluido el desayuno? Recepcionista: Sí, es a las siete. Huésped: Buenas tardes. Tengo una reserva a nombre de López...

Lesson 9.7 · Unit 9 · Communication: presentational

Describing a trip you are going to take

This lesson closes the unit by combining its parts into one sustained piece of speech. You will plan a trip: where you are going, how, with whom, for how long and what you will do there. It uses the near future, the verbs of wanting and planning, and the prepositions of travel. If you can describe a trip in six or seven connected sentences, you can describe almost any plan.

The method
  1. Where. Voy a viajar a México. Voy de vacaciones a España. Viajar a names the destination, and de vacaciones means on vacation. Country names take no article, with a few exceptions.
  2. When and for how long. en julio, en el verano, la semana próxima, por una semana, por dos semanas, durante las vacaciones. Por plus a time names the duration.
  3. How and with whom. en avión, en tren, en carro; con mi familia, con mis amigos, solo, sola. Solo and sola are adjectives and agree with the speaker.
  4. Plans use ir a, pensar and querer. Voy a visitar museos. Pienso descansar. Quiero conocer la ciudad. Each is followed by an infinitive.
  5. Visitar a, visit. Visitar takes a direct object, a place or a person. For a person it takes the personal a: Visito a mi tía but Visito el museo.
  6. Purpose uses para + infinitive. Viajo para visitar a mi familia. Para means "in order to". Not por.
  7. Activities. tomar fotos, comer en restaurantes, comprar recuerdos (souvenirs), nadar en la playa, caminar por la ciudad, descansar, conocer gente. Place them as infinitives after the verbs of planning.
  8. Pack. hacer la maleta (to pack), llevar, necesitar, traer. Voy a llevar ropa ligera y un abrigo. The clothes agree with what you read in Lesson 8.4.

Where students lose marks: the missing a and por against para. Voy visitar lacks a, Viajo por visitar uses the wrong word for purpose, and Visito mi tía lacks the personal a. Each is a small word with a clear job.

Worked example

The problem. Describe a trip: you are going to Mexico with your family in July for two weeks, by plane; you want to visit your grandmother, see museums, swim at the beach and take photos; you will pack light clothes.

Step one: the destination and the time. En julio voy a viajar a México. The month is lowercase and ir a is followed by an infinitive.

Step two: with whom and how. Voy con mi familia en avión.

Step three: the duration. Vamos por dos semanas. Duration takes por.

Step four: the purpose. Viajo para visitar a mi abuela. Para before the infinitive, and the personal a before the person.

Step five: activities. Verbs of wanting take infinitives: Quiero ver museos, nadar en la playa y tomar fotos.

Step six: packing. Voy a hacer la maleta con ropa ligera. The adjective agrees with ropa, feminine singular.

Step seven: connect the sentences. Add order words: Primero voy a visitar a mi abuela. Luego voy a ver museos. Por último, voy a nadar en la playa.

Step eight: check. Every plan had a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive, the small words a, por, para were each in their place, and the personal a stood before the grandmother.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I am going to travel to Spain."
    Show the full solution

    Voy a viajar a España.

  2. Say "for two weeks."
    Show the full solution

    por dos semanas

  3. Say "with my friends."
    Show the full solution

    con mis amigos

  4. Say "I want to visit museums."
    Show the full solution

    A place, so no personal a. Quiero visitar museos.

  5. Say "I want to visit my aunt."
    Show the full solution

    A person, so the personal a. Quiero visitar a mi tía.

  6. Say "I travel in order to see my family."
    Show the full solution

    Purpose uses para. Viajo para ver a mi familia.

  7. Say "We are going to take photos and swim."
    Show the full solution

    Vamos a tomar fotos y nadar.

  8. Find the error: Voy visitar mi tía por ver la ciudad.
    Show the full solution

    Three errors: ir needs a, a person needs the personal a, and purpose uses para. Voy a visitar a mi tía para ver la ciudad.

  9. Translate: "Next week my family is going to travel to Mexico by plane for ten days."
    Show the full solution

    La semana próxima mi familia va a viajar a México en avión por diez días.

  10. Write a six-sentence plan for an imaginary trip: where, when, with whom, how, what you will do and what you will pack.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: En el verano voy a viajar a Argentina. Voy con mi familia en avión. Vamos por dos semanas. Quiero visitar museos y comer en restaurantes. Voy a hacer la maleta con ropa ligera. Pienso tomar muchas fotos. En el verano voy a viajar a Argentina...

Unit 9 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 9 review: Town, Travel and Weather

These are mixed across all seven lessons. Notice whether each sentence is about where something is, where someone is going, or what is happening now, since each uses a different structure.

  1. Say "I am going to the bank" and "The pharmacy is on the corner."
    Show the full solution

    Going to a place uses ir a with al, and a known place uses estar. Voy al banco. La farmacia está en la esquina.

  2. Give directions to a stranger: "Continue straight two blocks and turn left."
    Show the full solution

    The usted command of an -ar verb ends in -e and of seguir ends in -a. Siga derecho dos cuadras y doble a la izquierda.

  3. Say "I go by bus," "She walks" and "The train leaves at 8:30."
    Show the full solution

    A vehicle takes en with no article, walking is a pie, and a departure uses salir with a las. Voy en autobús. Ella va a pie. El tren sale a las ocho y media.

  4. Say "It is very cold and snowing" and "It is cloudy."
    Show the full solution

    The weather uses hacer with a noun and mucho. Precipitation is a verb. Clouds take estar. Hace mucho frío y nieva. Está nublado.

  5. Write the gerund of estudiar, beber, leer, dormir.
    Show the full solution

    -ar takes -ando, -er and -ir take -iendo, leer has y between vowels, and dormir keeps the stem change. estudiando, bebiendo, leyendo, durmiendo

  6. Say "My mother is cooking" and "We are reading."
    Show the full solution

    Estar changes with the subject and the gerund never does. Mi madre está cocinando. Estamos leyendo.

  7. At a hotel say "I have a reservation in the name of López" and ask "Is breakfast included?"
    Show the full solution

    The set phrase is a nombre de, and incluido agrees with el desayuno. Tengo una reserva a nombre de López. ¿Está incluido el desayuno?

  8. Find the errors: Voy visitar mi tía en avión por ver la ciudad.
    Show the full solution

    Ir needs a before an infinitive, a person takes the personal a, and purpose uses para. Voy a visitar a mi tía en avión para ver la ciudad.

  9. Find the errors: Es muy frío hoy y estoy lloviendo.
    Show the full solution

    The weather uses hacer, "very" before a noun is mucho, and rain is a verb with no subject. Hace mucho frío hoy y llueve. (or está lloviendo)

  10. Say "Next week I am going to travel to Mexico by plane for ten days with my family."
    Show the full solution

    The near future, en for the vehicle, and por for the duration. La semana próxima voy a viajar a México en avión por diez días con mi familia.

Lesson 10.1 · Unit 10 · Cultures

What people do in their free time

Free time is the topic on which people say the most in a first conversation, and it uses verbs you already know in new combinations. Sports are a large part of the culture in the Spanish-speaking world, and soccer in particular is a national passion in most of it. This lesson gives the words for sports and hobbies and the three small differences between jugar, practicar and tocar.

The method
  1. The sports. el fútbol, el baloncesto, el béisbol, el tenis, el voleibol, el fútbol americano, la natación (swimming), el ciclismo, el atletismo (track and field), el golf.
  2. The people and things. el equipo (team), el partido (game, match), el jugador / la jugadora, el entrenador (coach), la pelota, el balón (ball), ganar (to win), perder (to lose).
  3. Jugar a + sport. Juego al fútbol. Jugamos al tenis. Jugar is a boot verb with u to ue (Lesson 5.5), and a + el contracts.
  4. Practicar + sport. Practico la natación. Practicamos deportes. It takes no preposition. Hacer deporte (to do sports) is also common: Hago deporte los sábados.
  5. Tocar + instrument. Toco la guitarra. Toca el piano. The article is required, and tocar also means "to touch". Jugar is not used for an instrument.
  6. Hobbies. leer, bailar, cantar, dibujar (to draw), pintar, sacar fotos, ver películas, escuchar música, ir de excursión (to hike), montar en bicicleta, pasear (to take a walk), coleccionar (to collect).
  7. Say how well. bien, mal, muy bien, regular, mejor, peor: Juego bien al tenis. Cocina muy bien. The adverb bien never changes (it is not bueno).
  8. Say how often. todos los días, una vez a la semana, los fines de semana, a veces, nunca. Place the frequency word before the verb or at the end, as in Lesson 6.6.

Where students lose marks: the verb for the activity and bien against bueno. Juego la guitarra uses jugar for an instrument, and Juego bueno uses an adjective after a verb. Toco la guitarra and Juego bien are correct.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I play soccer on Saturdays. (2) My sister plays the guitar very well. (3) We swim every day. (4) My brother never plays tennis. (5) They like to hike on weekends. (6) What do you do in your free time?

Step one: sentence 1. Jugar, yo, with the stem change, and al for the sport: Juego al fútbol los sábados.

Step two: sentence 2. An instrument takes tocar and the article, and "very well" is muy bien: Mi hermana toca la guitarra muy bien.

Step three: sentence 3. Nadar in nosotros with a frequency phrase: Nadamos todos los días.

Step four: sentence 4. Nunca before the verb needs no no: Mi hermano nunca juega al tenis.

Step five: sentence 5. Gustar with an infinitive subject: Les gusta ir de excursión los fines de semana. The verb is singular.

Step six: sentence 6. The question for a friend: ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? Tiempo libre means free time.

Step seven: answer it. Practico la natación, toco el piano y salgo con mis amigos. The three verbs are all yo forms.

Step eight: check. Jugar a went with sports, tocar with the instrument, bien stayed an adverb, and nunca sat before its verb.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is el partido?
    Show the full solution

    the game (match)

  2. Say "I play basketball."
    Show the full solution

    Juego al baloncesto.

  3. Say "She plays the piano."
    Show the full solution

    An instrument takes tocar. Toca el piano.

  4. Say "We practice swimming."
    Show the full solution

    Practicamos la natación.

  5. Say "I like to dance."
    Show the full solution

    Me gusta bailar.

  6. Say "My team wins a lot."
    Show the full solution

    Mucho after a verb is invariable. Mi equipo gana mucho.

  7. Say "He plays tennis well."
    Show the full solution

    Bien is an adverb. Juega bien al tenis.

  8. Find the error: Yo juego la guitarra bueno.
    Show the full solution

    An instrument needs tocar, and the adverb is bien. Yo toco la guitarra bien.

  9. Translate: "On weekends I go biking with my friends, and we never watch television."
    Show the full solution

    "Go biking" is montar en bicicleta, and nunca before the verb needs no no. Los fines de semana monto en bicicleta con mis amigos y nunca vemos la televisión.

  10. Write four sentences about your free time: one sport, one hobby, one instrument or activity, and how often.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Juego al fútbol los sábados. Me gusta leer. Toco la guitarra. Nado una vez a la semana. Juego al fútbol los sábados...

Lesson 10.2 · Unit 10 · Communication: interpersonal

Inviting someone, accepting and saying no politely

Making plans with another person is one of the most common conversations there is, and it follows a script: an invitation, an answer, a time and a place. It is also an exercise in politeness, because a refusal in Spanish is almost always softened with a reason. This lesson gives the phrases for each step and shows how they use the structures of earlier units.

The method
  1. Invite with a question. ¿Quieres ir al cine? ¿Puedes venir a mi casa? ¿Te gustaría cenar conmigo? ¿Por qué no vamos al parque? Each is followed by an infinitive.
  2. The pronoun after con. Conmigo means "with me", contigo "with you", and the rest are regular: con él, con ella, con nosotros: ¿Vienes conmigo? Voy contigo.
  3. Accept warmly. Sí, claro. ¡Buena idea! Con mucho gusto. Me encantaría. ¡Vamos! Me encantaría is "I would love to".
  4. Decline with a reason. Lo siento, no puedo. Tengo que estudiar. Estoy muy ocupado. Mi madre no me deja. The reason follows porque or the tener que structure.
  5. Offer an alternative. ¿Y si vamos mañana? ¿Qué tal el sábado? Qué tal means "how about".
  6. Set the time and place. ¿A qué hora quedamos? Quedamos a las seis. ¿Dónde nos encontramos? Nos vemos en la plaza. Quedar here means to arrange to meet, and encontrarse is to meet.
  7. Use the near future for plans. Voy a ir al cine con mis amigos. Vamos a cenar a las ocho. Pair it with a time word, esta noche, mañana, el sábado.
  8. Close politely. ¡Nos vemos! Hasta luego. Gracias por invitarme. Por followed by an infinitive says "for doing".

Where students lose marks: a blunt refusal and the pronoun after con. No quiero sounds rude, and con yo is a typical error. A refusal needs lo siento and a reason, and the forms are conmigo and contigo.

Worked example

The problem. Write a short exchange between two friends: Ana invites Luis to the movies on Saturday; Luis says he cannot because he has to study; Ana suggests Sunday; Luis accepts; they agree on a time and place.

Step one: the invitation. Ana is a friend, so tú: Luis, ¿quieres ir al cine el sábado? The a + el contracts.

Step two: the refusal. A soft refusal with a reason: Lo siento, no puedo. Tengo que estudiar. Poder is a boot verb, and tener que gives the reason.

Step three: the alternative. ¿Y si vamos el domingo? or ¿Qué tal el domingo? Qué tal proposes a new day.

Step four: the acceptance. ¡Buena idea! Me encantaría. Luis answers with enthusiasm.

Step five: the time. ¿A qué hora quedamos? The question uses quedar, to arrange.

Step six: the answer. Quedamos a las seis. The time uses a las.

Step seven: the place. ¿Dónde nos encontramos? Nos vemos en la plaza. Nos is the reflexive pronoun for each other.

Step eight: check. There was a polite refusal with a reason, an alternative, a time and a place, and the pronouns nos and te matched the speakers.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Invite a friend to eat at your house.
    Show the full solution

    ¿Quieres comer en mi casa?

  2. Say "with me."
    Show the full solution

    conmigo

  3. Say "with you" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    contigo

  4. Say "Good idea!"
    Show the full solution

    ¡Buena idea!

  5. Say "I'm sorry, I can't."
    Show the full solution

    Lo siento, no puedo.

  6. Decline an invitation to the movies with a reason.
    Show the full solution

    Any polite reason works: Lo siento, no puedo porque tengo que estudiar.

  7. Ask "What time shall we meet?" and answer "At seven."
    Show the full solution

    ¿A qué hora quedamos? Quedamos a las siete.

  8. Find the error: ¿Quieres ir con yo al parque?
    Show the full solution

    After con, "with me" is the single word conmigo, not con yo. ¿Quieres ir conmigo al parque?

  9. Translate: "Do you want to come to the party with me on Friday? Yes, I would love to."
    Show the full solution

    ¿Quieres venir a la fiesta conmigo el viernes? Sí, me encantaría.

  10. Write a five-line dialogue: one friend invites, the other declines, offers another day, and they agree on a time.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: A: ¿Quieres ir al parque el sábado? B: Lo siento, no puedo. Tengo que ayudar a mi madre. A: ¿Y el domingo? B: ¡Buena idea! A: Quedamos a las tres. A: ¿Quieres ir al parque el sábado?...

Lesson 10.3 · Unit 10 · Communication: interpersonal

Naming the body, and saying what hurts

If you need a doctor in another country, you need to say two things: where it hurts and what is wrong. Spanish does this with a verb that works exactly like gustar, which means you already know its grammar. This lesson gives the parts of the body, the common illnesses, and the phrases of a visit to a doctor and of friendly advice.

The method
  1. The body. la cabeza, el pelo, la cara, el ojo, la nariz, la boca, el diente, la oreja, la garganta, el cuello, el hombro, el brazo, la mano, el dedo, el pecho, la espalda, el estómago, la pierna, la rodilla, el pie. Note that la mano is feminine.
  2. Doler means to hurt. It is an o-to-ue verb, and it works like gustar: the body part is the subject. Me duele la cabeza. Me duelen los pies.
  3. The verb matches the body part. Duele for one, duelen for more than one. The pronoun shows who is in pain: Te duele el estómago. Le duelen las piernas.
  4. Ask where it hurts. ¿Qué te duele? ¿Dónde te duele? ¿Qué le duele a usted? The doctor uses usted with an adult patient.
  5. Illnesses use tener. tener fiebre (a fever), tener tos (a cough), tener gripe (flu), tener un resfriado (a cold), tener dolor de cabeza (a headache), tener dolor de garganta. Estar enfermo means to be sick.
  6. The visit. el médico, la médica, el doctor, la doctora, la enfermera, el hospital, la clínica, la farmacia, la medicina, la receta (prescription), la cita (appointment). The doctor asks ¿Qué le pasa? You say Me siento mal.
  7. The doctor's advice. Debe descansar. Tiene que tomar la medicina. Hay que beber mucha agua. No debe comer pizza. The structures are the ones you know from Lesson 5.7.
  8. Use the article for body parts. Me duele la cabeza, not mi cabeza. Tengo los ojos rojos. The pronoun already tells whose they are.

Where students lose marks: the possessive and the agreement of doler. Mi cabeza duele is understandable and wrong, and Me duele los pies uses a singular verb for a plural thing. Me duele la cabeza and Me duelen los pies are correct.

Worked example

The problem. Write the patient's side of a visit: you say you feel bad, that your head and your feet hurt, that you have a fever and a cough. The doctor advises you to rest, take the medicine and drink water.

Step one: how you feel. Me siento mal. Sentirse is reflexive and e-to-ie, so the yo form is me siento.

Step two: the head. Cabeza is feminine singular: Me duele la cabeza.

Step three: the feet. Pies is plural: Me duelen los pies. The verb duelen matches.

Step four: the fever and cough. Illnesses use tener: Tengo fiebre y tengo tos. No article.

Step five: the doctor's questions. ¿Qué le pasa? ¿Dónde le duele? The doctor uses usted.

Step six: the advice. Tiene que descansar, tomar la medicina y beber mucha agua. Three infinitives follow tener que.

Step seven: your thanks. Gracias, doctor. ¿Cuántas veces al día tomo la medicina? A question about frequency.

Step eight: check. Doler matched the body part (duele, duelen), the body parts took an article and no possessive, and illnesses used tener.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is la espalda?
    Show the full solution

    the back

  2. Say "My head hurts."
    Show the full solution

    Me duele la cabeza.

  3. Say "My hands hurt."
    Show the full solution

    Plural, so duelen. Me duelen las manos.

  4. Say "I have a fever."
    Show the full solution

    Tengo fiebre.

  5. Ask "What hurts you?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué te duele?

  6. Say "Her throat hurts."
    Show the full solution

    Le duele la garganta.

  7. Say "You (formal) must rest."
    Show the full solution

    Debe descansar. (or Tiene que descansar.)

  8. Find the error: Mi cabeza duele y me duele los pies.
    Show the full solution

    Use the pronoun and the article, and make the verb plural for the feet. Me duele la cabeza y me duelen los pies.

  9. Translate: "My brother has a cold and his stomach hurts, so he has to go to the doctor."
    Show the full solution

    Mi hermano tiene un resfriado y le duele el estómago, así que tiene que ir al médico.

  10. Write a four-line dialogue between a doctor and a patient in which the patient says what hurts and the doctor gives advice.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Doctor: ¿Qué le pasa? Paciente: Me duele la garganta y tengo tos. Doctor: Tiene que descansar. Paciente: ¿Debo tomar medicina? Doctor: ¿Qué le pasa? Paciente: Me duele la garganta y tengo tos...

Lesson 10.4 · Unit 10 · Communication: presentational

Saying how you feel, and why

You met the feelings in Lesson 3.7 and the verbs that carry them in Units 3 and 4. Now you put them together to say how you feel and why, which is what a conversation about a person actually needs. The new pieces are the verb sentirse, a few exclamations, and the words that give a reason or a time: porque, cuando, si.

The method
  1. Estar for feelings. Estoy contento, triste, enojado, nervioso, cansado, preocupado, emocionado, aburrido. The adjective agrees with the subject: Ella está enojada.
  2. Sentirse means to feel. Me siento bien. Te sientes mal. Se siente feliz. Sentirse is reflexive and e-to-ie, and it takes an adjective or an adverb: Me siento cansado but Me siento bien.
  3. Bien and mal are adverbs. Me siento bien. Me siento mal. Never bueno. With estar you may also use them: Estoy bien.
  4. Tener for bodily states. Tengo sueño, hambre, sed, calor, frío, miedo, prisa, as in Lesson 4.5. These are nouns and they take mucho.
  5. Ponerse means to become, to get. Me pongo nervioso. Se pone triste. It names the change into a feeling.
  6. Give a reason with porque. Estoy contento porque tengo vacaciones. For a time, cuando: Me pongo nervioso cuando tengo un examen. Porque is one word with no accent.
  7. Exclamations with qué. ¡Qué alegría! ¡Qué lástima! (What a pity!) ¡Qué bien! ¡Qué miedo! They use both marks, and qué has an accent.
  8. Ask and respond. ¿Cómo te sientes? ¿Qué te pasa? ¿Por qué estás triste? Answer with Estoy ... porque .... Me alegro de means "I am glad".

Where students lose marks: ser for a feeling, muy with a bodily state, and an adjective for bien. Soy triste, Tengo muy hambre and Me siento bueno are all errors. A feeling takes estar or sentirse, a bodily state takes tener with mucho, and bien stays bien.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) I am happy because I have vacation. (2) She feels sad. (3) We get nervous when we have an exam. (4) I feel good today. (5) How do you feel? (6) What a pity!

Step one: sentence 1. Estar, a feeling, and a reason with porque: Estoy contento porque tengo vacaciones. Contento agrees with the speaker (contenta for a girl).

Step two: sentence 2. Sentirse with the adjective: Ella se siente triste. The reflexive pronoun is se and the stem change is in the boot.

Step three: sentence 3. Ponerse in nosotros, with the plural adjective and cuando: Nos ponemos nerviosos cuando tenemos un examen.

Step four: sentence 4. The adverb bien: Me siento bien hoy. Not bueno.

Step five: sentence 5. The question for a friend: ¿Cómo te sientes? Sentirse in tú is te sientes.

Step six: sentence 6. The exclamation: ¡Qué lástima! with both marks and the accent.

Step seven: contrast the verbs. Estoy nervioso describes the state. Me pongo nervioso names the change. Me siento nervioso describes the experience.

Step eight: check. Each feeling used estar, sentirse or ponerse, the adjectives agreed, and the reason followed porque or cuando.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Say "I am tired."
    Show the full solution

    Estoy cansado. (cansada for a girl)

  2. Say "I feel well."
    Show the full solution

    Me siento bien.

  3. Say "They are worried."
    Show the full solution

    Están preocupados.

  4. Say "What a pity!"
    Show the full solution

    ¡Qué lástima!

  5. Ask "How do you feel?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Cómo te sientes?

  6. Say "I am sad because my friend is sick."
    Show the full solution

    Estoy triste porque mi amigo está enfermo.

  7. Say "She gets angry when she loses."
    Show the full solution

    Ponerse and cuando. Se pone enojada cuando pierde.

  8. Find the error: Soy triste y tengo muy hambre y me siento bueno.
    Show the full solution

    A feeling takes estar, hunger takes mucha, and bien stays an adverb. Estoy triste y tengo mucha hambre y me siento bien.

  9. Translate: "We are happy because we are going to travel, but I am nervous about the airplane."
    Show the full solution

    "Nervous about" uses de or por; use por here. Estamos contentos porque vamos a viajar, pero estoy nervioso por el avión.

  10. Write four sentences about how you feel in four situations: an exam, a vacation, a long day, and a visit from a friend.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Me pongo nervioso cuando tengo un examen. Estoy contento en las vacaciones. Estoy cansado después de un día largo. Me siento feliz cuando viene mi amigo. Me pongo nervioso cuando tengo un examen...

Lesson 10.5 · Unit 10 · Structures

Saying what happened: the preterite

Until now you have talked about the present and the near future. To tell what happened, Spanish uses the preterite, a past tense for completed actions: "I ate", "she called", "we lived there for a year". The regular forms are new endings on stems you already know, and there are two sets, one for -ar verbs and one for -er and -ir verbs together. Two forms carry written accents, and learning to see them is half of the lesson.

The method
  1. Use the preterite for a completed action. Ayer estudié. Anoche comimos pizza. The action began and ended at a definite time in the past.
  2. The -ar endings. -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. For hablar: hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron.
  3. The -er and -ir endings. -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. For comer: comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron. For vivir: viví, viviste, vivió.
  4. Two forms carry an accent. The yo form and the él / ella / usted form: hablé, habló, comí, comió. Without the accent the form would be stressed in the wrong place, and hablo and habló are different tenses.
  5. Nosotros is the same in the present and the preterite for -ar and -ir verbs. hablamos and vivimos are both present and past. The context decides: Ayer hablamos against Siempre hablamos.
  6. Stem-changing verbs of -ar and -er do not change. pensé, volví, empecé. The boot disappears in the preterite for these verbs. (Stem-changing -ir verbs do change, in Lesson 10.7.)
  7. Time markers. ayer (yesterday), anoche (last night), anteayer (the day before yesterday), la semana pasada, el año pasado, el lunes pasado, hace dos días (two days ago), una vez.
  8. Negatives and questions are regular. No estudié. ¿Comiste? ¿Qué compraste ayer? There is no helper word, and no "did".

Where students lose marks: the missing accent and the English "did". Yo hablo ayer mixes the present with a past marker, Habló and hablo are not the same word, and Yo did hablé adds an English helper. The accent on -é and -ó is part of the spelling.

Worked example

The problem. Conjugate hablar and comer in the preterite and write: (1) Yesterday I studied. (2) You ate pizza. (3) She worked last night. (4) We lived in Texas for two years. (5) They wrote a letter. (6) Did you buy the book?

Step one: conjugate hablar. Stem habl-: hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron.

Step two: conjugate comer. Stem com-: comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron.

Step three: sentence 1. Estudiar, yo, with the accent: Ayer estudié.

Step four: sentence 2. Comer, tú: Comiste pizza.

Step five: sentence 3. Trabajar, third person, accent: Trabajó anoche. Anoche is a time marker.

Step six: sentence 4. Vivir, nosotros, and a duration: Vivimos en Texas por dos años. The same word as the present, so the time phrase matters.

Step seven: sentences 5 and 6. Escribir, ellos: Escribieron una carta. The question: ¿Compraste el libro? There is no word for "did".

Step eight: check. The yo and él forms carried accents, the -er and -ir verbs shared one set of endings, and the questions had no helper word.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo preterite of bailar.
    Show the full solution

    bailé

  2. Write the tú preterite of comer.
    Show the full solution

    comiste

  3. Write the ella preterite of hablar.
    Show the full solution

    habló

  4. Write the ellos preterite of vivir.
    Show the full solution

    vivieron

  5. Write the nosotros preterite of trabajar.
    Show the full solution

    trabajamos

  6. Say "Yesterday I ate at home."
    Show the full solution

    Ayer comí en casa.

  7. Say "Last night she studied a lot."
    Show the full solution

    Anoche estudió mucho.

  8. Find the error: Ayer yo hablo con mi madre y ella escribe una carta.
    Show the full solution

    A past marker needs the preterite: hablé and escribió, both with accents. Ayer hablé con mi madre y ella escribió una carta.

  9. Translate: "Did you watch the movie? No, I didn't watch it, but my brother saw it."
    Show the full solution

    "Watch" is mirar (or ver); ver is irregular in the preterite (Lesson 10.6), so use mirar here. ¿Miraste la película? No, no la miré, pero mi hermano la miró.

  10. Write four sentences telling what you did yesterday, with four different verbs.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Ayer estudié español. Comí en casa. Hablé con mi amiga. Escribí una carta. Each yo form carries an accent. Ayer estudié español. Comí en casa...

Lesson 10.6 · Unit 10 · Structures

Five common verbs that are irregular in the past

The most common verbs in a language are the most irregular, and the preterite is no exception. This lesson gives five of them: ir, ser, hacer, ver and dar. They have to be learned as forms, but they fall into patterns that make it manageable. Two of them are identical, which is odd and useful, and none of the five takes an accent on the yo or él form.

The method
  1. Ir and ser are identical in the preterite. fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. The context says which verb it is: Fui al cine (I went) and Fue un día largo (It was a long day).
  2. Tell them apart by what follows. After a or a place, it is ir: Fuimos a México. After a noun or an adjective, it is ser: La fiesta fue divertida.
  3. Hacer. hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron. The stem becomes hic-, and the él form takes z to keep the sound: hizo, not hico.
  4. Ver. vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron. It is regular in its endings but one-syllable forms need no accent: vi and vio.
  5. Dar. di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron. It is an -ar verb that takes the -er and -ir endings, and di and dio have no accent.
  6. The irregular preterites have no accents on yo and él. This is the quick mark of an irregular preterite: hice, hizo, fui, fue, vi, vio, di, dio are all one-syllable or irregular.
  7. Common uses. ¿Qué hiciste ayer? Fui al parque. Vi una película. Le di un regalo a mi amiga. La clase fue difícil.
  8. Learn the forms as a set. Five verbs and thirty forms, but only four sets, since ir and ser are the same. Say each set aloud three times.

Where students lose marks: regular endings on irregular stems and accents on forms that have none. Yo hací, ella hico and yo fuí are all wrong. The correct forms are hice, hizo and fui, and none of the five verbs has a written accent in its yo or él form.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish: (1) Yesterday I went to the park. (2) What did you do last night? (3) She made a cake. (4) We saw a movie. (5) The party was fun. (6) I gave a gift to my friend.

Step one: sentence 1. Ir in yo is fui, with a and the contraction: Ayer fui al parque.

Step two: sentence 2. Hacer, tú, hiciste: ¿Qué hiciste anoche?

Step three: sentence 3. Hacer, third person: hizo, with z: Ella hizo un pastel.

Step four: sentence 4. Ver, nosotros: Vimos una película. The nosotros form has no accent.

Step five: sentence 5. Ser, third person: fue. The adjective agrees with fiesta: La fiesta fue divertida.

Step six: sentence 6. Dar, yo: di, with the indirect pronoun le: Le di un regalo a mi amiga.

Step seven: tell ir from ser. Fui a la escuela (I went to school) and Fui estudiante (I was a student). The word after the verb tells you which one.

Step eight: check. None of fui, hiciste, hizo, vimos, fue, di has a written accent, and each stem matched its verb.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo preterite of ir.
    Show the full solution

    fui

  2. Write the ella preterite of hacer.
    Show the full solution

    hizo

  3. Write the tú preterite of ver.
    Show the full solution

    viste

  4. Write the ellos preterite of dar.
    Show the full solution

    dieron

  5. Write the nosotros preterite of ser.
    Show the full solution

    fuimos

  6. Say "I went to the store."
    Show the full solution

    Fui a la tienda.

  7. Say "What did you do?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué hiciste?

  8. Find the error: Yo hací la tarea y ella hico un pastel.
    Show the full solution

    The stem is hic-, with -e for yo, and hizo with z for ella. Yo hice la tarea y ella hizo un pastel.

  9. Say whether fue is ir or ser in each: Fue a México. and Fue muy divertido.
    Show the full solution

    After a and a place it is ir. Before an adjective it is ser. ir; ser

  10. Translate: "Last weekend we went to the beach, we saw our cousins, and the day was wonderful."
    Show the full solution

    "Wonderful" is maravilloso. El fin de semana pasado fuimos a la playa, vimos a nuestros primos y el día fue maravilloso.

Lesson 10.7 · Unit 10 · Communication: presentational

Telling a story in the past

The last lesson of the unit finishes the preterite with its spelling changes and uses it to do what the tense is for: tell a story. There are three kinds of change, all of which follow a single idea: Spanish protects the sound of a consonant by changing its spelling. This lesson also teaches the small connectors that turn a list of past actions into a narrative.

The method
  1. -car, -gar and -zar change in the yo form. The last consonant must keep its sound before -é. sacar → saqué, practicar → practiqué, tocar → toqué (c becomes qu). llegar → llegué, jugar → jugué, pagar → pagué (g becomes gu). empezar → empecé, almorzar → almorcé (z becomes c).
  2. Only the yo form changes. Saqué, sacaste, sacó. The other forms are regular.
  3. Leer, oír, creer: i becomes y. The él and ellos forms take y between vowels: leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeron. The other forms take an accent on the i.
  4. Stem-changing -ir verbs change in the third person. dormir → durmió, durmieron; pedir → pidió, pidieron; servir → sirvió, sirvieron; sentir → sintió, sintieron; repetir → repitió. The other forms stay regular: pedí, pediste, pedimos.
  5. Narrate in order. primero (first), luego, después (then), más tarde (later), finalmente (finally), por último. Each verb is in the preterite.
  6. Link events. y, pero, porque, entonces (so, then), mientras (while), cuando. Cuando llegué, mi amigo ya salió.
  7. Start with the time. El sábado pasado, ayer por la mañana, anoche, hace dos días. The marker comes first, followed by a comma if it is long.
  8. Give a closing reaction. ¡Qué divertido! Fue un día perfecto. Me gustó mucho. Me gustó is the preterite of gustar, and gustó agrees with the thing liked.

Where students lose marks: forgetting the spelling change and the third-person stem change. Yo toqué is correct, and yo tocé is not. Ella pedió is wrong, and ella pidió is right. Check the infinitive's ending and whether it is an -ir boot verb.

Worked example

The problem. Write in Spanish a short story about last weekend: on Saturday you got up late, played soccer, and paid for lunch; on Sunday your mother read a book and your brother ordered pizza; you slept ten hours.

Step one: the opening time marker. El sábado pasado followed by a comma sets the scene.

Step two: soccer. Jugar is a -gar verb. The yo form takes gu: jugué. Jugué al fútbol por la mañana.

Step three: lunch. Pagar is also -gar: Luego pagué el almuerzo.

Step four: the second day. El domingo, mi madre leyó un libro. Leer in the third person has y: leyó.

Step five: the brother. Pedir is an -ir boot verb, so the third person takes i: Mi hermano pidió una pizza.

Step six: the sleeping. Dormir takes u in the third person, but the yo form is regular: Yo dormí diez horas.

Step seven: the ending. A closing reaction: Fue un fin de semana perfecto. The verb fue comes from ser.

Step eight: check. The spelling changes appeared in jugué and pagué, the y in leyó, the third-person stem change in pidió, and the yo form dormí stayed regular.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write the yo preterite of tocar.
    Show the full solution

    C becomes qu. toqué

  2. Write the yo preterite of llegar.
    Show the full solution

    G becomes gu. llegué

  3. Write the yo preterite of empezar.
    Show the full solution

    Z becomes c. empecé

  4. Write the él preterite of leer.
    Show the full solution

    leyó

  5. Write the ellos preterite of pedir.
    Show the full solution

    pidieron

  6. Write the yo preterite of pedir.
    Show the full solution

    The yo form is regular. pedí

  7. Say "Yesterday I played tennis and paid for lunch."
    Show the full solution

    Ayer jugué al tenis y pagué el almuerzo.

  8. Find the error: Yo tocé la guitarra y mi hermana pedió helado.
    Show the full solution

    Tocar changes c to qu, and pedir changes to pidió. Yo toqué la guitarra y mi hermana pidió helado.

  9. Translate: "The students slept in the bus, and the teacher served the food."
    Show the full solution

    Both are third-person plural stem changes. Los estudiantes durmieron en el autobús y la profesora sirvió la comida.

  10. Write a seven-sentence story about last weekend, using at least three connectors and one spelling change.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: El sábado pasado me levanté tarde. Luego jugué al fútbol con mis amigos. Después comimos en un restaurante y pagué la cuenta. Más tarde fui al cine y vi una película. Cuando llegué a casa, mi madre leyó un libro. Entonces cené y me acosté. Fue un día perfecto. It uses ordered connectors and the yo forms jugué, pagué and llegué. El sábado pasado me levanté tarde. Luego jugué al fútbol...

Unit 10 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 10 review: Free Time, Health and the Past

These are mixed across all seven lessons. When a sentence is about the past, check the accent on the yo and él forms, and check whether the verb is regular, irregular or spelling-changing.

  1. Say "I play soccer" and "She plays the guitar."
    Show the full solution

    A sport takes jugar a and an instrument takes tocar with the article. Juego al fútbol. Ella toca la guitarra.

  2. Invite a friend to come with you, then decline because you have to study.
    Show the full solution

    The pronoun after con is conmigo. A refusal is softened with lo siento and a reason. ¿Quieres venir conmigo? Lo siento, no puedo; tengo que estudiar.

  3. Say "My head hurts," "Her feet hurt" and "I have a fever."
    Show the full solution

    Doler works like gustar and agrees with the body part. An illness takes tener. Me duele la cabeza. Le duelen los pies. Tengo fiebre.

  4. Say "I am sad because my friend is sick" and "I feel well."
    Show the full solution

    A feeling takes estar and a reason takes porque. Sentirse takes bien, not bueno. Estoy triste porque mi amigo está enfermo. Me siento bien.

  5. Write the preterite: yo hablar, tú comer, ella vivir, nosotros trabajar.
    Show the full solution

    The yo and él forms carry accents. The -er and -ir endings are the same set. hablé, comiste, vivió, trabajamos

  6. Write the preterite: yo ir, ella hacer, ellos ver, tú dar.
    Show the full solution

    These stems are irregular and take no written accent on yo or él. Hacer uses z in hizo. fui, hizo, vieron, diste

  7. Write the preterite: yo tocar, yo llegar, yo empezar, él leer, ellos pedir.
    Show the full solution

    The yo forms change c to qu, g to gu, and z to c. Leer takes y and pedir changes in the third person. toqué, llegué, empecé, leyó, pidieron

  8. Find the errors: Ayer yo hablo con mi madre y hací la tarea.
    Show the full solution

    "Yesterday" needs the preterite, and hacer has the irregular stem hic-. Ayer hablé con mi madre y hice la tarea.

  9. Say "Last night we went to the movies, we saw a comedy, and I paid."
    Show the full solution

    Ir and ver are irregular, and pagar takes gu in yo. Anoche fuimos al cine, vimos una comedia y pagué.

  10. Write three sentences telling what you did last weekend.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: El sábado pasado fui al parque. Jugué al fútbol con mis amigos. Comí en casa con mi familia. Each verb is in the preterite with the correct accents and spelling change. El sábado pasado fui al parque...

Lesson 11.1 · Unit 11 · Cultures

Where Spanish is spoken, and how it varies

Spanish is the official language of twenty countries on three continents, and it is also spoken by a large community in the United States. It is the second most common first language in the world. It is not one uniform language, though. A student who has learned the Spanish of this course will understand all of it and will hear different words, different pronouns and a different rhythm in each country. This lesson maps the Spanish-speaking world and names the main differences.

The method
  1. Twenty countries have Spanish as an official language. One is in Europe (España), one in Africa (Guinea Ecuatorial) and eighteen in the Americas. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States, also uses Spanish officially, and there are more than forty million Spanish speakers in the United States itself.
  2. North America and Central America. México (capital Ciudad de México), Guatemala, Honduras (Tegucigalpa), El Salvador (San Salvador), Nicaragua (Managua), Costa Rica (San José), Panamá.
  3. The Caribbean. Cuba (La Habana), la República Dominicana (Santo Domingo) and Puerto Rico (San Juan). The Caribbean speech drops some final consonants and is fast.
  4. South America. Colombia (Bogotá), Venezuela (Caracas), Ecuador (Quito), Perú (Lima), Bolivia (La Paz and Sucre), Paraguay (Asunción), Chile (Santiago), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Uruguay (Montevideo). Brazil speaks Portuguese.
  5. Geography. los Andes (the mountain chain that runs down the west of South America), el Amazonas (the Amazon), el desierto de Atacama (in Chile), la Patagonia (in Argentina and Chile), los Pirineos (between Spain and France), el Caribe.
  6. The pronouns vary. Spain uses vosotros for informal plural "you", while Latin America uses ustedes. In Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Central America, vos replaces tú: vos sos instead of tú eres.
  7. The sounds vary. In Spain c before e or i and z are pronounced like the English "th". In Latin America they are "s". In the Caribbean a final s is often dropped, and in Argentina ll sounds like the "zh" in "measure".
  8. The words vary. A car is carro, coche or auto; juice is jugo or zumo; a computer is la computadora or el ordenador. Do not call any of them wrong. They are different standards of the same language.

Where students lose marks: treating one country's Spanish as the only correct one, and the capitalization of country names. Perú and Bolivia are capitalized, but peruano and boliviano are not. If a form differs by region, write the one your course uses and recognize the others when you hear them.

Worked example

The problem. Write a short description in Spanish of Chile: its location, its capital, its geography, its language, and how people there say "you" and "bus".

Step one: the location. Ser for a country and estar for where it is: Chile es un país de América del Sur. Está al lado de Argentina.

Step two: the shape. A lasting quality with ser: Es largo y estrecho. Both adjectives are masculine singular because país is.

Step three: the capital. La capital es Santiago. The name takes no article.

Step four: the geography. Hay muchas montañas porque los Andes están en la frontera. Hay un desierto en el norte, el desierto de Atacama. Hay for what exists, estar for the Andes' location.

Step five: the language. La gente habla español. La gente means "the people" but is a singular noun in Spanish, so the verb is singular.

Step six: the pronouns and words. Hay muchas variaciones. Para decir "you" muchos chilenos usan tú, y para "bus" dicen micro. The nationality is lowercase.

Step seven: add a comparison. Chile es más largo que Colombia, pero es menos grande que Argentina. Use the comparisons from Lesson 6.7.

Step eight: check. Every sentence used a verb from this course, the country name was capitalized and the nationality was not, and the geography used hay and estar correctly.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What is the capital of Argentina?
    Show the full solution

    Buenos Aires

  2. What is the capital of Colombia?
    Show the full solution

    Bogotá

  3. Which South American country does not speak Spanish as its main language?
    Show the full solution

    Brazil speaks Portuguese. Brasil

  4. What does Spain say for informal plural "you" that Latin America does not?
    Show the full solution

    vosotros

  5. Name the mountains that run along the west of South America.
    Show the full solution

    los Andes

  6. Write two Spanish words for "juice" and say where each is used.
    Show the full solution

    Jugo is used in Latin America and zumo in Spain. jugo; zumo

  7. Say in Spanish "Spain is in Europe and Mexico is in North America."
    Show the full solution

    Both are locations, so estar. España está en Europa y México está en América del Norte.

  8. Find the error: Mi amigo es Peruano y vive en lima.
    Show the full solution

    The nationality is lowercase and the city is capitalized. Mi amigo es peruano y vive en Lima.

  9. Explain why a student in Madrid and a student in Mexico City may not say the same word for "car" but still understand each other.
    Show the full solution

    Spanish has regional vocabulary: coche in Spain and carro in much of Latin America. Speakers know both and understand each other because the grammar and most of the words are shared. Same language, different standard words.

  10. Write a five-sentence description in Spanish of one Spanish-speaking country: where it is, its capital, one geographic feature and two details of your choice.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Perú es un país de América del Sur. La capital es Lima. Los Andes están en el centro del país. Hay un desierto en la costa. La gente habla español. Perú es un país de América del Sur. La capital es Lima...

Lesson 11.2 · Unit 11 · Cultures

How people celebrate

Holidays show what a community values, and each Spanish-speaking country has its own. Some are shared across the world, like the Christmas season; some are national, like the days of independence; and some are known far beyond their origin, like the Day of the Dead in Mexico. This lesson names the major celebrations, describes them in the Spanish you know, and gives you the verbs you need to talk about a celebration of your own.

The method
  1. Navidad and the season. la Navidad (Christmas), la Nochebuena (Christmas Eve, December 24, when many families have the big meal), los Reyes Magos (the Three Kings, January 6, when children in Spain and Mexico traditionally get gifts), and in Mexico las posadas (December 16 to 24).
  2. The New Year. el Año Nuevo, la Nochevieja (New Year's Eve). In Spain people eat twelve grapes, doce uvas, one with each stroke of midnight, for good luck.
  3. El Día de los Muertos. In Mexico, on November 1 and 2, families remember those who have died. They build an ofrenda (altar) with photos, candles, flores de cempasúchil (marigolds) and the favorite foods of the person. It is a celebration, not a sad day.
  4. National days. el Día de la Independencia: Mexico on September 16, Chile on September 18, Argentina on July 9, Colombia on July 20, Peru on July 28. Spain celebrates la Fiesta Nacional on October 12. In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15.
  5. Regional festivals. las Fallas in Valencia (March, with giant sculptures that are burned), San Fermín in Pamplona (July, the running of the bulls), la Semana Santa (Holy Week, with processions across Spain and Latin America).
  6. Family occasions. la quinceañera (a girl's fifteenth birthday, a large celebration in many Latin American communities), la boda (wedding), el bautizo (baptism), el cumpleaños.
  7. The verbs of celebration. celebrar, festejar (to celebrate), decorar (to decorate), cantar, bailar, cocinar, reunirse (to get together), recordar (to remember, o to ue), regalar (to give a gift).
  8. Describe with the present tense. En México, las familias celebran el Día de los Muertos. Construyen un altar con fotos y flores. The present describes a custom. For something that happened, use the preterite: El año pasado celebramos mi cumpleaños.

Where students lose marks: comparing holidays too simply and English habits. Día de los Muertos is not "Mexican Halloween", and holiday names such as Navidad and Día de los Muertos are capitalized while ordinary days and months are not. Describe each custom in your own words and use the present tense for customs.

Worked example

The problem. Write a short paragraph in Spanish about the Day of the Dead: when it is, what families do, what they put on the altar, and how people feel. Then say what your family does for a holiday of your choice.

Step one: the date. Ser for a date: El Día de los Muertos es el primero y el dos de noviembre. The month is lowercase.

Step two: who celebrates. A plural subject and a plural verb: Las familias mexicanas celebran este día. The nationality follows the noun and agrees with it.

Step three: what they do. Recuerdan a las personas que ya no están. The personal a goes before las personas.

Step four: the altar. Hacen un altar con fotos, velas y flores. Hacen is the ellos form of hacer.

Step five: the food. Ponen la comida favorita de la persona en el altar. The article la goes with comida favorita and ponen is poner in ellos.

Step six: the feeling. No es un día triste. Es un día de recuerdo y de alegría. A day is a lasting thing, so ser.

Step seven: your own holiday. En mi familia celebramos Navidad. Cocinamos, cantamos y abrimos regalos. The verbs are nosotros forms.

Step eight: check. The present described a custom, the personal a stood before people, months were lowercase, and each verb matched its subject.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What are los Reyes Magos?
    Show the full solution

    the Three Kings

  2. What is una ofrenda?
    Show the full solution

    an altar with offerings, built for the Day of the Dead

  3. On what dates is the Day of the Dead celebrated in Mexico?
    Show the full solution

    November 1 and 2

  4. What do people eat in Spain at midnight on New Year's Eve?
    Show the full solution

    twelve grapes (doce uvas)

  5. What is a quinceañera?
    Show the full solution

    a celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday

  6. Say "My family celebrates Christmas."
    Show the full solution

    Mi familia celebra la Navidad. (Celebra Navidad is also heard.)

  7. Say "We cook and sing."
    Show the full solution

    Cocinamos y cantamos.

  8. Find the error: El Día de los Muertos es en Noviembre y la gente recuerda las personas.
    Show the full solution

    Months are lowercase, and recordar takes the personal a before people. El Día de los Muertos es en noviembre y la gente recuerda a las personas.

  9. Explain why the Day of the Dead is not a sad day.
    Show the full solution

    Families remember the person with their favorite foods, music and flowers, and they treat the day as a celebration of the person's life. It is a celebration of memory.

  10. Write a five-sentence paragraph in Spanish about a holiday your family celebrates: when, what you do, what you eat and how you feel.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi familia celebra el Cuatro de Julio. Es el cuatro de julio. Comemos hamburguesas y helado. Vemos los fuegos artificiales. Estoy muy contento. Mi familia celebra el Cuatro de Julio...

Lesson 11.3 · Unit 11 · Communication: presentational

Turning sentences into a paragraph

So far you have written single sentences. A paragraph is different: it has a point, an order, and words that connect one sentence to the next. In a first language you do this without thinking, and in a new one you have to do it deliberately. This lesson gives the structure, the connecting words and a checklist for the errors that most often appear in a written paragraph.

The method
  1. Start with a topic sentence. One sentence that says what the paragraph is about: Mi familia es pequeña pero muy unida. Everything that follows supports it.
  2. Add three or four supporting sentences. Each gives a detail: who, what, how often, why. Use a variety of verbs: ser, tener, estar, gustar, and a regular verb.
  3. Connect with small words. y (and), pero (but), porque (because), también (also), además (besides), por eso (so, for that reason), entonces (then), sin embargo (however).
  4. Order the ideas. primero, luego, después, por último for a sequence, or en primer lugar, en segundo lugar for a list of points.
  5. Vary the sentence start. Not every sentence should begin with Yo or Mi. Begin some with a time (Por la mañana), a place (En mi casa) or a connector.
  6. Close with a concluding sentence. Por eso me gusta mucho mi familia. It returns to the topic.
  7. Keep one tense. A description of what you do uses the present, and a story about last weekend uses the preterite. Switch only when the meaning changes.
  8. Edit with a checklist. After writing: (1) Does each verb match its subject? (2) Does each adjective match its noun? (3) Are the accents and ¿ ¡ marks written? (4) Are days, months and nationalities lowercase? (5) Did I use ser and estar for the right reasons?

Where students lose marks: a list of unconnected sentences and English word order. A paragraph that reads Tengo un hermano. Tengo una hermana. Tengo un perro. is correct but not connected. Combine with y, pero and también, and reread each sentence for agreement.

Worked example

The problem. Turn these separate sentences into one connected paragraph: Tengo un hermano. Tengo una hermana. Mi hermano se llama Pablo. Mi hermana se llama Rosa. Pablo tiene doce años. Rosa tiene dieciséis. Pablo juega al fútbol. Rosa toca el piano.

Step one: choose the topic sentence. The sentences are about two siblings: Tengo dos hermanos, un hermano y una hermana.

Step two: combine the names. Mi hermano se llama Pablo y mi hermana se llama Rosa. Y joins two parallel ideas.

Step three: combine the ages with a contrast. Pablo tiene doce años, pero Rosa tiene dieciséis. Pero marks the difference.

Step four: combine the activities. Pablo juega al fútbol y Rosa toca el piano.

Step five: add a connector. Además, a los dos les gusta la música. Además adds a new idea, and gustar takes les for two people.

Step six: add a concluding sentence. Por eso nuestra casa siempre es divertida. Por eso links the cause and the conclusion.

Step seven: assemble. Tengo dos hermanos, un hermano y una hermana. Mi hermano se llama Pablo y mi hermana se llama Rosa. Pablo tiene doce años, pero Rosa tiene dieciséis. Pablo juega al fútbol y Rosa toca el piano. Además, a los dos les gusta la música. Por eso nuestra casa siempre es divertida.

Step eight: edit with the checklist. The verbs match their subjects, the adjectives agree, tiene and juega are third person, and tocar is used for the piano.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does además mean?
    Show the full solution

    besides, also

  2. What does por eso mean?
    Show the full solution

    for that reason, so

  3. Join with pero: Me gusta el fútbol. No me gusta el tenis.
    Show the full solution

    Me gusta el fútbol, pero no me gusta el tenis.

  4. Join with porque: Estoy cansado. Estudié mucho.
    Show the full solution

    Estoy cansado porque estudié mucho.

  5. Write a topic sentence for a paragraph about your school.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi escuela es grande y moderna.

  6. Put in a logical order using connectors: Hago la tarea. Ceno con mi familia. Me levanto a las siete.
    Show the full solution

    Primero me levanto a las siete. Luego ceno con mi familia. Por último, hago la tarea. (Other orders work if the connectors match.)

  7. Combine into one sentence: Tengo un perro. Se llama Max. Es negro. Es muy simpático.
    Show the full solution

    One answer: Tengo un perro negro que se llama Max y es muy simpático. (Que joins the two clauses.)

  8. Edit: mi amiga es Colombiana pero ella vive en miami y estudia el Español.
    Show the full solution

    Capital letter at the start, colombiana lowercase, Miami capitalized, español lowercase, and a comma before pero. Mi amiga es colombiana, pero vive en Miami y estudia español.

  9. Edit: Yo soy 15 años. Yo tengo una hermano. Ella es alto.
    Show the full solution

    Age uses tener, hermano is masculine so un, and the adjective must match ella. Tengo quince años. Tengo un hermano. Ella es alta. (The pronouns are dropped.)

  10. Write a seven-sentence paragraph about your daily routine with a topic sentence, three connectors and a concluding sentence.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Mi día es muy ocupado. Primero me levanto a las seis. Luego desayuno y voy a la escuela. Por la tarde estudio y hago la tarea. Además, ceno con mi familia. Por la noche leo un libro. Por eso me acuesto cansado pero contento. Mi día es muy ocupado. Primero me levanto a las seis...

Lesson 11.4 · Unit 11 · Communication: interpersonal

Keeping a conversation going

A conversation is not a series of questions and answers. It is two people taking turns, reacting to each other, and filling the gaps. When you are a beginner the temptation is to answer with one word and wait. This lesson gives you the habits of a speaker who keeps a conversation going: expanding an answer, asking back, reacting, and repairing a misunderstanding. It uses every question word and every verb you know.

The method
  1. Review the question words. ¿Qué? ¿Quién? ¿Dónde? ¿Adónde? ¿De dónde? ¿Cuándo? ¿Cómo? ¿Cuánto? ¿Cuál? ¿Por qué? ¿Con quién? ¿A qué hora? Every one carries an accent.
  2. Answer in a full sentence. ¿Dónde vives? Vivo en Sacramento. Not just Sacramento. Repeating the verb gives you a sentence to build on.
  3. Add one detail. Vivo en Sacramento, con mi familia, en una casa pequeña. One extra piece makes the answer into a contribution to the conversation.
  4. Ask back. ¿Y tú? ¿Y usted? ¿Y a ti? ¿Y tú? is the most useful phrase for a beginner. For a question about preference, ¿Y a ti? keeps the pronoun that gustar needs.
  5. React. ¡Qué interesante! ¡Qué bien! ¡Qué lástima! ¿De verdad? Yo también. Yo tampoco. A reaction shows you are listening.
  6. Use fillers. pues, bueno, a ver, o sea, es que, mira. Native speakers use them to think. Pues, no sé. A ver, un momento.
  7. Repair a misunderstanding. ¿Cómo? ¿Puede repetir, por favor? Más despacio, por favor. No entiendo. ¿Qué significa...? ¿Cómo se dice "..." en español? Asking is not failing, it is part of the conversation.
  8. Close politely. Bueno, tengo que irme. Mucho gusto. Hablamos pronto. Nos vemos mañana. The close mirrors the opening.

Where students lose marks: the one-word answer and the missing ¿Y tú?. A conversation graded for communication rewards length and reaction, not just correct grammar. Always answer in a sentence, add one detail, and return the question.

Worked example

The problem. Write a six-turn conversation between two students meeting for the first time at school: names, where they are from, what they like, one misunderstanding that is repaired, and a polite close.

Step one: the greeting and names. A: Hola, me llamo Laura. ¿Cómo te llamas? B: Me llamo Diego. Mucho gusto. The register is informal.

Step two: where from. A: ¿De dónde eres? B: Soy de Colombia, de Bogotá. ¿Y tú? Diego answers in a full sentence with an added detail and asks back.

Step three: reply and react. A: Soy de California. ¡Qué interesante! ¿Hablas inglés? B: Sí, un poco. She reacts and asks a follow-up.

Step four: likes. B: ¿Qué te gusta hacer? A: Me gusta bailar y tocar la guitarra. ¿Y a ti? Gustar and the return question with a ti.

Step five: the misunderstanding. B: Me encanta el fútbol, pero también me gusta el voleibol. A: ¿Cómo? ¿Puedes repetir? Laura asks him to repeat.

Step six: the repair. B: Me gusta el fútbol y el voleibol. A: ¡Ah, qué bien! Yo también juego al voleibol. She reacts and shares a connection.

Step seven: the close. A: Bueno, tengo que irme. Mucho gusto, Diego. B: Igualmente. ¡Nos vemos mañana!

Step eight: check. Each answer was a sentence, each turn ended with a question or a reaction, the misunderstanding was repaired politely, and the conversation had an opening and a close.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. What does ¿Cómo se dice "book" en español? ask?
    Show the full solution

    How do you say "book" in Spanish?

  2. How do you ask someone to repeat what they said?
    Show the full solution

    ¿Puede repetir, por favor? (informal: ¿Puedes repetir?)

  3. What does ¡Qué interesante! do in a conversation?
    Show the full solution

    It reacts to what the other person said. It shows interest.

  4. Return the question: Vivo en Texas.
    Show the full solution

    ¿Y tú?

  5. Ask "What do you like to do?" (informal).
    Show the full solution

    ¿Qué te gusta hacer?

  6. Answer in a full sentence with an extra detail: ¿Cuántos hermanos tienes?
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Tengo dos hermanos, un hermano mayor y una hermana menor.

  7. Say "Me too" and "Me neither."
    Show the full solution

    Yo también. Yo tampoco.

  8. Find the error: A: ¿Como te llamas? B: Ana. Improve B's answer.
    Show the full solution

    The question needs ¿ and the accent on cómo, and B should answer in a sentence. A: ¿Cómo te llamas? B: Me llamo Ana. ¿Y tú?

  9. Write a repair: you did not understand what a teacher said. Write three phrases you would use.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Perdón, no entiendo. ¿Puede repetir, por favor? Más despacio, por favor.

  10. Write a six-line conversation between you and a new neighbor: names, where you live, one like, and a polite close.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: A: Hola, soy Ana. ¿Cómo te llamas? B: Me llamo Marcos. Mucho gusto. A: Vivo en la casa azul. ¿Dónde vives tú? B: Vivo al lado. Me gusta el fútbol. ¿Y a ti? A: Me gusta el voleibol. Bueno, tengo que irme. ¡Nos vemos! A: Hola, soy Ana. ¿Cómo te llamas?...

Lesson 11.5 · Unit 11 · Communication: presentational

Introducing yourself in a paragraph and a talk

This is the last lesson, and it asks you to do what the first lesson in this course began: introduce yourself. The difference after a year is length and range. You can now say who you are, where you are from, what you look like, who is in your family, what you do all day, what you like and what you plan, and you can do it in a connected piece of speech. This lesson gives you the plan and the checklist for a one-minute talk and a one-page written version.

The method
  1. Begin with a greeting and your name. Hola, me llamo Daniel. Mucho gusto. Add your age and your birthday: Tengo quince años y mi cumpleaños es el doce de mayo.
  2. Say where you are from and where you live. Soy de California. Vivo en una casa con mi familia. Use ser de for origin and vivir for residence.
  3. Describe yourself. Soy alto y delgado. Tengo el pelo corto y castaño. Soy simpático y trabajador. Remember to match the adjectives to the speaker's gender.
  4. Describe your family. Tengo dos hermanos. Mi madre es profesora. Mi padre trabaja en un hospital. Include one detail about each person.
  5. Describe your school and your day. Estudio en una escuela grande. Tengo seis clases. Mi clase favorita es el español. Me levanto a las seis.
  6. Say what you like. Me gusta jugar al fútbol y escuchar música. Me encanta la pizza. Add a reason with porque.
  7. Say what you did and what you will do. El fin de semana pasado fui al cine. El año próximo voy a viajar a México. Use the preterite for the past and ir a for the future.
  8. Close and invite. Gracias por escuchar. ¿Tienen preguntas? The closing mirrors the opening. Keep the talk to about twelve sentences, and speak slowly.

Where students lose marks: memorizing rather than understanding, and skipping the checklist. A talk that is read quickly loses accents and agreement. Practice aloud, check each verb against its subject, and finish with the closing sentence you have prepared.

Worked example

The problem. Write a model one-minute presentation of twelve sentences, built in the order of the method.

Step one: the greeting and name. Hola, me llamo Daniel. Mucho gusto.

Step two: age and birthday. Tengo quince años y mi cumpleaños es el doce de mayo. The date has the day first.

Step three: origin and home. Soy de California y vivo con mi familia en una casa grande.

Step four: description. Soy alto y delgado, y tengo el pelo corto y castaño. The adjectives are masculine.

Step five: family. Tengo dos hermanos. Mi madre es profesora y mi padre trabaja en un hospital. Profesora takes no article.

Step six: school and day. Estudio en una escuela grande y mi clase favorita es el español. Me levanto a las seis y voy a la escuela en autobús.

Step seven: likes, past and future. Me gusta jugar al fútbol porque es divertido. El sábado pasado fui al cine con mis amigos. El año próximo voy a viajar a México.

Step eight: close and check. Gracias por escuchar. That is twelve sentences. Check agreement, accents, and that the preterite (fui) and the near future (voy a viajar) are correct.

Practice · 10 problems

Problems 1 to 5 are routine. Problems 6 to 10 are multi-step or ask for reasoning.

  1. Write your greeting and name for the presentation.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Hola, me llamo Carlos. Mucho gusto.

  2. Say your age and birthday.
    Show the full solution

    Age uses tener and the date is day first. Tengo quince años y mi cumpleaños es el tres de junio.

  3. Say where you are from and where you live.
    Show the full solution

    Soy de Texas y vivo en Austin.

  4. Describe yourself in two sentences (use ser and tener).
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Soy alta y simpática. Tengo el pelo largo y los ojos verdes.

  5. Describe your family in two sentences.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Tengo una hermana. Mi padre es ingeniero y mi madre es médica.

  6. Say one thing you like to do and give a reason.
    Show the full solution

    Use gustar with an infinitive and porque. Me gusta nadar porque es relajante.

  7. Say what you did last weekend.
    Show the full solution

    Use the preterite. El fin de semana pasado fui al parque y jugué al fútbol.

  8. Say what you are going to do next year.
    Show the full solution

    Use ir a with an infinitive. El año próximo voy a estudiar español y viajar a España.

  9. Find and fix the errors in this part of a presentation: Yo soy 15 años y yo vive en Texas. Mi hermana es Mexicana y me gusta los deportes.
    Show the full solution

    Age needs tener, vivir needs the yo form, nationality is lowercase, and gustar agrees with the thing liked. Tengo quince años y vivo en Texas. Mi hermana es mexicana y me gustan los deportes.

  10. Write your own twelve-sentence presentation in Spanish, following the order of the method, and check it with the editing checklist.
    Show the full solution

    A strong response has twelve sentences in order, uses ser, tener, estar, gustar, a stem-changing verb, a reflexive verb, a preterite and ir a, and passes the checklist for agreement, accents, ¿ ¡ and lowercase nationalities. One example: Hola, me llamo Marta. Mucho gusto. Tengo dieciséis años y mi cumpleaños es el cinco de abril. Soy de Florida y vivo con mi familia. Soy alta y simpática. Tengo dos hermanos. Mi madre es profesora. Estudio en una escuela grande y mi clase favorita es el español. Me levanto a las seis. Me gusta bailar porque es divertido. El sábado pasado fui al cine. El año próximo voy a viajar a México. Gracias por escuchar. Hola, me llamo Marta...

Unit 11 review · 10 problems · all lessons

Unit 11 review: The Spanish-Speaking World

These are mixed across all five lessons. Some ask for facts about the Spanish-speaking world and some ask you to write, so give complete Spanish answers where they are asked for.

  1. Give the capitals of Chile, Peru and Mexico in Spanish.
    Show the full solution

    Santiago, Lima, Ciudad de México

  2. Give the word for "juice" in Spain, "bus" in Mexico and "car" in Spain.
    Show the full solution

    Regional vocabulary differs, and every form is correct in its place. zumo, camión, coche

  3. Give the dates of the Day of the Dead in Mexico and of the Three Kings.
    Show the full solution

    November 1 and 2; January 6

  4. Join with a connector: Estoy cansado. Trabajé mucho. and Me gusta el cine. No me gusta el teatro.
    Show the full solution

    Porque gives a reason and pero marks a contrast. Estoy cansado porque trabajé mucho. Me gusta el cine, pero no me gusta el teatro.

  5. Edit: mi amigo es Chileno pero vive en santiago
    Show the full solution

    Start with a capital, nationalities are lowercase, city names are capitalized, and a comma goes before pero. Mi amigo es chileno, pero vive en Santiago.

  6. Write three phrases to use when you do not understand something in a conversation.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Perdón, no entiendo. ¿Puede repetir, por favor? Más despacio, por favor.

  7. Give the reactions for "Me too," "Really?" and "What a pity!"
    Show the full solution

    Yo también. ¿De verdad? ¡Qué lástima!

  8. Write the opening of a presentation: your name, age, birthday and where you are from.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Hola, me llamo Elena. Tengo quince años y mi cumpleaños es el veinte de agosto. Soy de Oregón. Age uses tener and the date is day first. Hola, me llamo Elena...

  9. Write three sentences describing a Spanish-speaking country.
    Show the full solution

    One correct answer: Argentina es un país de América del Sur. La capital es Buenos Aires. Hay montañas en el oeste. Argentina es un país de América del Sur...

  10. Write a closing sentence for a presentation, inviting questions.
    Show the full solution

    Gracias por escuchar. ¿Tienen preguntas?

Cumulative review 1 · 10 problems · units 1 to 6

Everything from greetings through family and home

A unit review tells you which unit a problem came from. This one does not, which is the point: naming the kind of problem before you write any Spanish is half the work. Check agreement, verb endings, accents and the inverted marks in every answer.

  1. Say "Good morning, Mrs. López. How are you?"
    Show the full solution

    Morning is buenos días, a title goes with usted, and the question carries its accent and both marks. Buenos días, señora López. ¿Cómo está usted?

  2. Write the plural with the article: el lápiz, la ciudad, el problema.
    Show the full solution

    The z becomes c, a consonant adds -es, and the article changes first. los lápices, las ciudades, los problemas

  3. Say "There are three red pens and a blue notebook."
    Show the full solution

    Hay does not change, colors follow the noun and agree, and azul is a two-form adjective. Hay tres bolígrafos rojos y un cuaderno azul.

  4. Complete with es or está: Mi hermano ___ alto, pero hoy ___ cansado.
    Show the full solution

    Height is a basic quality, and being tired today is a condition. es; está

  5. Say "It is 7:30, and the class is at 8:15."
    Show the full solution

    The hour is plural and uses y media. The time of an event uses ser and a las, with y cuarto. Son las siete y media y la clase es a las ocho y cuarto.

  6. Write the present tense: yo vivir, tú pensar, nosotros jugar, ellos pedir.
    Show the full solution

    Regular endings, then the boot: pensar is e to ie, jugar keeps its stem in nosotros, and pedir is e to i. vivo, piensas, jugamos, piden

  7. Say "I don't have anything, and my brother doesn't either."
    Show the full solution

    A negative word after the verb needs no, and "either" is tampoco. No tengo nada y mi hermano tampoco.

  8. Say "She likes to read, and they like the books."
    Show the full solution

    An infinitive subject takes gusta, and a plural thing takes gustan. Le gusta leer y les gustan los libros.

  9. Say "My cousin's house is next to the school."
    Show the full solution

    Possession uses de, location uses estar, and the preposition ends in de and combines with la as de la. La casa de mi primo está al lado de la escuela.

  10. Say "My younger sister is more intelligent than I am, but she is not as tall as I am."
    Show the full solution

    Menor follows the noun, an unequal comparison uses más ... que, an equal one uses tan ... como, and a subject pronoun follows que and como. Mi hermana menor es más inteligente que yo, pero no es tan alta como yo.

Cumulative review 2 · 10 problems · units 1 to 11

Everything from the first greeting to the past tense

This is the whole year, and it does not say where each problem came from. Before you write, name what the sentence is doing: describing, asking, going, doing a routine, or telling what happened. Then check every verb against its subject and every accent.

  1. Write 1,250 and 1,999 in Spanish words.
    Show the full solution

    Mil never takes un, and y appears only between tens and units. mil doscientos cincuenta; mil novecientos noventa y nueve

  2. Say "I get up at six, I take a shower and I go to school by bus."
    Show the full solution

    Reflexive pronouns match the subject, the vehicle takes en with no article, and ir is irregular. Me levanto a las seis, me ducho y voy a la escuela en autobús.

  3. Ask "Do you know Marta?" and answer "Yes, I know her."
    Show the full solution

    A person takes conocer with the personal a, and the answer replaces the noun with la, placed before the verb. ¿Conoces a Marta? Sí, la conozco.

  4. Politely order chicken with rice, with ice cream for dessert.
    Show the full solution

    Quisiera is the polite request, and de postre names the course. Quisiera pollo con arroz y de postre helado.

  5. Ask "How much do these shoes cost?" and answer "They cost sixty euros."
    Show the full solution

    The demonstrative and the verb both agree with the plural noun. ¿Cuánto cuestan estos zapatos? Cuestan sesenta euros.

  6. Give directions to a stranger: "Cross the street, and the bank is across from the library."
    Show the full solution

    The usted command of an -ar verb ends in -e, with z becoming c. Location uses estar. Cruce la calle y el banco está enfrente de la biblioteca.

  7. Say "It is raining, and my mother is reading."
    Show the full solution

    Rain is a verb with no subject, and the progressive uses estar with a gerund. Leer has y between vowels. Llueve y mi madre está leyendo.

  8. Say "My stomach hurts and I have a cold, so I have to rest."
    Show the full solution

    Doler works like gustar, an illness takes tener, and tener que needs an infinitive. Me duele el estómago y tengo un resfriado, por eso tengo que descansar.

  9. Say "Yesterday I ate at home, I saw a movie, and my sister played tennis."
    Show the full solution

    All three verbs are in the preterite: comí has an accent, vi is irregular with none, and jugó has the accent on the last syllable. Ayer comí en casa, vi una película y mi hermana jugó al tenis.

  10. Write a five-sentence self-introduction: name, age, where you are from, one thing you like and one plan.
    Show the full solution

    A strong response uses llamarse, tener for age, ser de, gustar with an infinitive and ir a. One example: Me llamo Sara. Tengo dieciséis años. Soy de Nevada. Me gusta nadar. El verano próximo voy a viajar a México. Me llamo Sara. Tengo dieciséis años...

Reference · always available

Every pattern this course lets you quote

This sheet lists the patterns the course establishes, with the lesson that develops each one. It is meant to be looked up, not memorized in one sitting. Where a pattern has a short explanation, the lesson gives it, and understanding where a form comes from is faster than recalling one you half remember. Spanish varies from country to country, so where a form differs by region the sheet gives the one this course uses and notes the other.

The checking routine. After writing any sentence, check five things in order: (1) the subject and its ending, (2) the gender and number of every noun and adjective, (3) ser or estar, with a reason, (4) any structure carried over from English, and (5) accents, ¿ and ¡. Most lost marks in a first year come from one of these five.

The five errors this course names

The errorWhy it is wrong
Gender and number mismatchLa problema, interesanta, unos libro. Articles, adjectives and nouns agree in gender and number. Lessons 2.1, 2.4, 6.2
The English structure carried overYo gusto la pizza, Soy quince años, Tengo caliente. Gustar works backward, age uses tener, and bodily feelings use tener. Lessons 4.5, 5.2
Ser against estarName the reason first: what it is (ser) or how and where it is (estar). Lessons 3.3, 3.5, 3.6
A wrong or missing verb endingYo hablas, nosotros hablo. The ending carries the subject. Lessons 4.1, 4.2
Accents and punctuationSi/sí, tu/tú, el/él; a missing ¿ or ¡ is an error. Lesson 1.4

Sounds, accents and numbers (unit 1)

PatternWhere it comes from
Vowels: a ah, e eh, i ee, o oh, u oo, never reducedLesson 1.2
H is silent; b and v sound alike; j and g before e or i are "h"; qu is "k"; ll is "y"; ñ is "ny"; rr is trilledLessons 1.2, 1.3
Stress: a word ending in a vowel, n or s is stressed on the next-to-last syllable; any other consonant, on the last; a written accent overridesLessons 1.3, 1.4
¿ ... ? and ¡ ... ! open and close; question words carry an accent: qué, quién, dónde, cuándo, cómo, cuál, por quéLessons 1.4, 4.3
Days, months, languages and nationalities are lowercase; yo is lowercaseLessons 1.4, 1.7, 2.7
Numbers: 16 to 19 and 21 to 29 are single words; from 31 use y (treinta y uno); cien is 100, ciento before 101 to 199; 500, 700, 900 are irregularLessons 1.5, 1.6, 8.3
Date: el + day + de + month; el primero de for the firstLesson 1.7

Nouns, articles and adjectives (units 2 and 6)

PatternWhere it comes from
Articles: el, la, los, las (the); un, una, unos, unas (a, some). El agua, but feminineLessons 2.1, 2.2
Masculine exceptions in -a: día, mapa, problema, programa, sistema, tema, idioma. Feminine exceptions in -o: mano, foto, moto, radio. Feminine endings: -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, -tudLesson 2.1
Plural: vowel + s; consonant + es; z becomes c; canción → canciones; joven → jóvenes; lunes unchangedLesson 2.2
Hay is "there is" and "there are"; no definite article after itLesson 2.3
Adjectives agree: four-form in -o (alto, alta, altos, altas); two-form in -e or a consonant (inteligente, fácil); a mixed group is masculine pluralLesson 2.4
Descriptive adjectives go after the noun; quantity words and numbers go before; bueno → buen, malo → mal, grande → gran before a masculine singular nounLesson 2.5
Nationalities: -o four forms; consonant adds -a and drops the accent (francés → francesa); -e and -ense two formsLesson 2.7
Possessives: mi, tu, su (agree in number); nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras; clarify su with de él, de ella, de ustedLesson 6.2
Possession: el libro de Ana; de + el = del; ¿De quién es?Lessons 3.3, 6.3
Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel with their feminine and plural forms; neuter esto, eso, aquello with no accentLesson 8.5
Comparisons: más / menos + adjective + que; tan ... como; tanto ... como; de before a number; mejor, peor, mayor, menor; superlative el más ... deLesson 6.7

Pronouns, ser and estar (unit 3)

PatternWhere it comes from
Subject pronouns: yo, tú, él, ella, usted, nosotros, nosotras, vosotros, ellos, ellas, ustedes; usually dropped; no word for "it"Lesson 3.1
Ser: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, sonLesson 3.2
Estar: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, estánLesson 3.5
DOCTOR for ser: Description, Occupation, Characteristic, Time, Origin, Relationship; also possession and material with deLesson 3.3
PLACE for estar: Position, Location, Action (progressive), Condition, Emotion; the location of an event uses serLessons 3.5, 3.6
Es la una, son las dos; y cuarto, y media, menos cuarto; a las for "at"Lesson 3.4
Meaning changes: aburrido, listo, malo, rico, seguro with ser and with estarLesson 3.7

The present tense (units 4, 5 and 7)

PatternWhere it comes from
-ar: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. -er: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. -ir: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -enLessons 4.1, 4.2
Questions have no "do"; negatives put no before the verb; a negative word after the verb needs no before itLessons 4.3, 4.4
Tener: tengo, tienes, tiene, tenemos, tenéis, tienen; age and bodily feelings use tener with muchoLesson 4.5
Ir: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van; a + el = al; ir a + infinitive is the near futureLesson 4.6
Irregular yo: hago, pongo, salgo, traigo, vengo, oigo, sé, conozco, doy, veo, digoLessons 4.7, 7.4, 7.7
Boot verbs change in yo, tú, él, ellos only: e to ie (quiero), o to ue (puedo), u to ue (juego), e to i (pido)Lessons 5.4, 5.5, 5.6
Verb + infinitive: querer, poder, necesitar, preferir, deber link directly; tener que, hay que; ir a, empezar a; acabar deLesson 5.7
Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se, before the conjugated verb or attached to the infinitiveLessons 7.2, 7.3
Saber for facts and skills; conocer for people and placesLesson 7.4
Personal a before a specific person as a direct object; not after tenerLesson 7.5
Direct object pronouns: me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las; indirect: me, te, le, nos, os, lesLessons 7.6, 7.7

Liking, location and travel (units 5, 6, 8 and 9)

PatternWhere it comes from
Gustar: pronoun + gusta (one thing or an infinitive) or gustan (several things); same pattern for encantar, interesar, doler, quedarLessons 5.2, 5.3, 10.3
Prepositions: en, sobre, encima de, debajo de, delante de, detrás de, al lado de, cerca de, lejos de, a la izquierda de, a la derecha de, entre; after them mí, ti, él; conmigo, contigoLessons 6.5, 10.2
Quantity: mucho agrees before a noun and is fixed after a verb; muy goes before an adjective; containers use deLesson 8.6
Polite requests: quisiera, me gustaría, por favor; pedir orders, preguntar asks a questionLessons 5.6, 8.2
Weather: hace + noun with mucho; llueve, nieva; está nublado; hay + nounLesson 9.4
Progressive: estar + -ando or -iendo; leyendo, durmiendo, pidiendoLesson 9.5
Directions: usted commands (-ar → -e; -er, -ir → -a) and tú commands (the third person)Lesson 9.2
Vehicles take en; walking is a pie; llegar a, salir de, tardar; duration uses por, purpose uses paraLessons 9.3, 9.7

The preterite (unit 10)

PatternWhere it comes from
-ar: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. -er and -ir: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieronLesson 10.5
Ir and ser: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. Hacer: hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieronLesson 10.6
Ver: vi, viste, vio, vimos, visteis, vieron. Dar: di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieronLesson 10.6
yo spelling changes: -car → -qué, -gar → -gué, -zar → -cé; leer → leyó, leyeron; -ir boot verbs change in the third person (pidió, durmieron)Lesson 10.7
Time markers: ayer, anoche, anteayer, la semana pasada, el año pasado, hace dos díasLesson 10.5

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