Spanish Grammar

Gender of Nouns II

-Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in "a". (Ex: el profesor - la profesora) -Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for masculine and feminine. (el estudiante - la estudiante) -Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine. -Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine -A few nouns that end in -o are feminine. (Ex: la mano, la radio) -Exceptions that must be memorized - el día, el mapa, el planeta, el sofá.

Verb form "hay"

-The verb form "hay" has two meanings: there is, there are -In questions "hay" has two different meanings: is there? are there? -Use "is there" for something specific and "are there" for something plural.

Definite & Indefinite Articles

-Definite: Used when talking about something specific. (Ex: the cookie) -Definite Articles: el, los, la, las -Indefinite: Used when talking about generalities. (Ex: a cookie) -Indefinite Articles: un, unos, una, unas

Subjunctive VII

-Here is a list of common impersonal expressions that introduce an aspect of uncertainty or subjectivity, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive. es bueno que ... - it's good that ... es importante que ... - it's important that ... es posible que ... - it's possible that ... es raro que ... - it's rare that ... es malo que ... - it's bad that ... es ridículo que ... - it's ridiculous that ... es terrible que ... - it's terrible that ... puede ser que ... - it could be that ...

Preterite II

-These four verbs are irregular; you must memorize them: ser ir dar hacer fui fui di hice fuiste fuiste diste hiciste fue fue dio hizo fuimos fuimos dimos hicimos fuisteis fuisteis disteis hicisteis fueron fueron dieron hicieron

Tener & Venir - Irregular Verbs

tener - to have venir - to come tengo / vengo tienes / vienes tiene / viene tenemos / venimos tenéis / venís tienen / vienen

The Definite Article II

- Feminine singular nouns that begin with an emphasized a or ha use the masculine form of the article. el agua el hacha -This rule only applies to the singular form of the noun. The plural form uses the feminine article. las aguas las hachas -The definite article is used when talking about a person, but it is not used when talking directly to a person. El señor Gómez es profesor. Señor Gómez, ¿es usted profesor? -The definite article is used when reflexive verbs are followed by body parts, clothing or other very personal possessions. María se lava la cara. -The definite article is often used in place of the possessive adjective when talking about parts of the body, or possessions that might be considered "personal." For example, in English it would be quite common to say: Joseph washes his clothes. To convey the same meaning in Spanish, it would be correct to say: Jose lava la ropa. (not "su" ropa)

Time Expressions with "hacer"

1. -Hace + time + que + present tense form of the verb Hace un año que estudio español. I have been studying Spanish for one year. -To make this type of expression negative, just add the word "no" before the verb ..... que no estudio español. I haven't been . . . 2. -Present tense form of the verb + desde hace + time Estudio español desde hace un año. I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Ser & Estar II

- Ser is used to express: 1. the hour, day, and date (Use "son" to respond) 2. place of origin 3. occupation 4. nationality 5. religious or political affiliation 6. the material something is made of 7. possession 8. relationship of one person to another 9. certain impersonal expressions (Ex: Es importante practicar cada día. It's important to practice every day. Es necesario hablar mucho. It's necessary to speak a lot.) 10. where an event is taking place 11. essential or inherent qualities (Ex: Miguel es un hombre sincero. Mike is a sincere man. También es guapo. He's also handsome.)

Informal Commands: "vosotros"

- The affirmative vosotros command is formed by simply replacing the final "r" of the infinitive with "d." Comprad (vosotros) el anillo. (You-all) Buy the ring. -As with the negative "tú" commands, the negative vosotros commands use the corresponding present subjunctive forms. No compréis (vosotros) el anillo. (You-all) Don't buy the ring. -The pronouns (vosotros, vosotras) are not normally used. -With affirmative commands using a reflexive verb, the final "d" of the verb form is dropped before adding the pronoun "os." Sentad + os = Sentaos. Sit down. The only exception is the verb "irse" which retains the final "d." ¡Idos! Go away! -Verbs ending in "-ir" will require a written accent. Vestid + os = Vestíos. Get dressed.

Preterite IV

-A number of verbs that are irregular in the preterite follow a particular pattern. While their stems change, they all take the following endings: -e -iste -o -imos -isteis -ieron -Here are the verbs, along with their corresponding stem changes: Infinitive Stem Change andar anduv- estar estuv- tener tuv- caber cup- haber hub- poder pud- poner pus- saber sup- hacer hic- querer quis- venir vin- -Here are two examples of how this pattern is applied: estar (estuv-) saber (sup-) estuve supe estuviste supiste estuvo supo estuvimos supimos estuvisteis supisteis estuvieron supieron Note: The one exception is the third person singular of hacer. As you learned in a previous lesson, the c changes to z to form "hizo."

Pronouns as Objects of Prepositions

-A pronoun is a word that is used instead of the name of a person or thing. Juan - he, him María - she, her María and Juan - they, them etc. -You have already learned one set of pronouns, called the subject pronouns. These are used for the subject of the sentence. yo tú él, ella, usted nosotros/as vosotros/as ellos, ellas, ustedes -When the pronoun acts as the object of a preposition, a different set of pronouns is used. Only mí & ti are diff. mí, ti, él, ella, usted, nosotros/as vosotros/as, ellos/as, ustedes -Use this second set of pronouns to replace the noun that comes immediately after a preposition. Juan habla de mí. - Juan speaks of me. Hablo con ellos. - I speak with them. Pablo compró un anillo para ella. - Pablo bought a ring for her. -Whenever mí follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form conmigo and ti for contigo. -Whenever you want to say "with him, with her, with you (formal), with them, with you-all (formal)" there are two possibilities. If the pronoun is referring to the subject of the sentence, use consigo. If the pronoun does not refer to the subject of the sentence, use con + the appropriate pronoun. He took the pens with him(self). - Él llevó las plumas consigo. They live with him. - Ellos viven con él. I don't want to talk to you. - No quiero hablar con usted. -There are six special prepositions that are followed by subject pronouns rather than object pronouns. entre - between excepto - except incluso - including menos - except según - according to salvo - except Entre tú y yo, esta comida es horrible.

Subject Pronouns

-A verb is an action word (Ex: run, sit, walk) -The main & pure form of a verb is called the infinitive. In English that includes the word "to". (Ex: to run, to sit, to walk) -The words "I" "you" "he" "she" "we" "you-all" and "they" are called subject pronouns. -Spanish Equivalent: "yo" "tú/usted" "él" "ella" "nosotros" "vosotros/ustedes" "ellos". -"Vosotros" is only used in Spain for informal situations. -"Ustedes" is used in Latin America for both formal and informal situations and only formal in Spain. -"Tú" is used for informal situations and "usted" for formal. -"Nosotros" has a feminine form "nosotras". Likewise, "ellos" and "ellas".

Reflexive Verbs I

-A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same. I wash myself. subject: I verb: wash object: myself -When a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in "se." lavar to wash (non-reflexive) vs. lavarse to wash oneself (reflexive) -These reflexive pronouns are positioned before the verb, while the ending "se" is dropped and the verb is conjugated normally yo me lavo - I wash (myself) -The reflexive pronouns are not subject pronouns; rather they are object pronouns. me (myself) te (yourself) se (himself, herself, yourself) nos (ourselves) os (yourselves) se (themselves, yourselves) -The purpose of the reflexive object pronouns is to show that the action of the verb remains with the subject. Juan se lava la cara. Juan washes his face. (reflexive) Juan lava su carro. (non-reflexive) Juan washes his car. Note: When referring to body parts, use the definite article, thus "la cara" not "su cara."

Demonstratives

-Adjective - describes a noun (Answers Which?) -Pronoun - takes the place of a noun -"This" & "That" can function as about adjectives or pronouns. (Ex: This book is mine (adjective)/This one is mine (Pronoun) -Here are the three forms for "this" "that" and "that one over there." They also have four forms. Demonstrative Adjectives & Deonstrative Pronouns este - this/this one (estos, esta, estas) ese - that/that one (esos, esa, esas) aquel - that book etc./one over there (aquellos, aquella, aquellas) (only used when object is more than a short distance away) -The demonstrative pronouns also have a neutered form where they don't change for anything. They are only used to refer to abstract ideas or to an unknown object. esto (this matter, this thing) eso (that matter, that thing) aquello (that matter/thing over there)

Adjectives I

-Adjectives are used to describe a noun, or distinguish the noun from a group of similar objects. (Ex: The red pen.) -In Spanish, most adjectives change form, depending upon whether the word they modify is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. (Ex: El chico alto. La chica alta. Los chicos altos.) -Adjectives that end in -e have two forms: inteligente, inteligentes. Gender is obsolete. -Most adjectives that end in a consonant have two forms: popular, populares. Gender is obsolete.

Formation of Adverbs

-Adverbs are words that describe, or modify, verbs, adjectives or other adverbs. He ran quickly. ("quickly" describes how he "ran") -Most Spanish adverbs are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the adjective. This ending corresponds to -ly in English. Adjective Fem. Form Adverb claro clara claramente constante constante constantemente difícil difícil difícilmente Note: When an adjective has a written accent, the adverb retains it. -Another way to form an adverb is to use the preposition con + the singular form of the noun. cuidadoso (carefully) cuidadosamente or con cuidado perfecto (perfectly) perfectamente or con perfección cariñoso (affectionately) cariñosamente or con cariño -Some adverbs do not follow any pattern of origination, and must simply be memorized. Here is a list of some common ones: bastante - quite demasiado - too mal - badly mucho - a lot muy - very nunca - never peor - worse poco - little siempre - always -When two adverbs modify the same verb, only the second one uses the -mente ending. Note that the first adverb is the same as the feminine singular form of the adjective. Juan trabaja lenta y cuidadosamente. Juan works slowly and carefully.

Idiomatic expressions w/ tener

-An idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. (Ex: to "play the field" to "jump the gun") -Spanish example - Hace mucho frio - It is very cold. -Examples of physical sensations: tener frío - to be cold tener calor - to be hot tener hambre - to be hungry tener sed - to be thirsty tener sueño - to be sleepy tener dolor de - to hurt or be sore, etc. -Examples more psychological tener prisa - to be in a hurry tener miedo a/de + noun - to be afraid of something tener miedo a/de + infinitive - to be afraid to do something tener celos - to be jealous tener confianza - to be confident tener cuidado - to be careful tener vergüenza - to be ashamed -Others: tener razón - to be right tener éxito - to be successful tener la culpa - to be guilty tener suerte - to be lucky tener lugar - to take place tener ganas de - to feel like tener en cuenta - to take into account tener _ anos - to be _ years old -When using these idiomatic expressions, conjugate the verb (tener) according to the subject of the sentence. -Notice that the expressions combine the verb tener with a noun. Because the expressions with tener use nouns, they are modified with adjectives, not adverbs. (Ex: Tengo frío. Tengo mucho frío. (not muy))

Formal Commands

-Commands are used when ordering, or telling someone to do something. This is often referred to as the "imperative" form of the verb. -Formal and informal distinction applies to commands. Compre Ud. el anillo. - Buy the ring. (formal) Compra (tú) los dulces. - Buy the candy. (familiar) -The formal commands are formed the same way as the present subjunctive: 1.Start with the yo form of the present indicative. 2.Then drop the -o ending. 3.Finally, add the following endings: -ar verbs: -e (for Ud.), -en (for Uds.) -er and -ir verbs: -a (for Ud.), -an (for Uds.) -Remember, if the first person singular (yo) form is irregular, that irregularity is carried over into the formation of the formal command. Tengan Uds. un buen viaje. (yo tengo) Have a good trip. -This also applies to stem-changing verbs. Cuente Ud. sus beneficios. (yo cuento) Count your blessings. -As with the present subjunctive, the following verbs are irregular: dar dé Ud. den Uds. estar esté Ud. estén Uds. ir vaya Ud. vayan Uds. ser sea Ud. sean Uds. saber sepa Ud. sepan Uds. -Subject pronouns Ud. & Uds. don't need to be used but adds a degree of formality to it.

Ser & Estar III

-Estar is used to express: 1. geographic or physical location (Ex: ¿Dónde estás?Where are you? Estoy en el laboratorio. I'm in the laboratory.)- The one exception to this rule is that ser is used to tell where an event is taking place. (Ex: La fiesta es en mi casa.) 2. state or condition (Ex: ¿Cómo está la sopa? How's the soup? La sopa está fría. The soup is cold. 3. many idiomatic expressions 4. progressive tenses (Ex: Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles. I am eating rice and beans.)

Conditional

-Frequently, the conditional is used to express probability, possibility, wonder or conjecture, and is usually translated as would, could, must have or probably. The student said that he would study one more hour. (probability, possibility) -Note: when "would" is used in the sense of a repeated action in the past, the imperfect is used. -To conjugate regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs in the conditional, simply add one of the following to the infinitive: ía ías ía íamos íais ían Ex: El alumno dijo que estudiaría una hora más. The student said that he would study one more hour. -The same twelve common verbs that are irregular in the future tense are also irregular in the conditional tense. Their endings are regular, but their stems change in the same way they change in the future tense. Because the endings are the same as all other conditional tense verbs, we show only the "yo" form, and have underlined the irregular stem. We have also grouped them according to their patterns of change. caber - yo cabría poner - yo pondría decir - yo diría haber - yo habría salir - yo saldría hacer - yo haría poder - yo podría tener - yo tendría querer - yo querría valer - yo valdría saber - yo sabría venir - yo vendría -Specific Uses of Conditional: To express speculation about the past: Aquél día correrían más de veinticinco kilómetros. That day they must have run more than 25 kilometers. To express the future from the perspective of the past: Yo sabía que abrirían la tienda a las siete. I knew that they would open the store at seven o'clock. To express hypothetical actions or events which may or may not occur: Sería interesante estudiar chino. It would be interesting to study Chinese. To indicate what would happen were it not for some certain specific circumstance: Yo viajaría pero no tengo dinero. I would travel but I don't have money. For polite use to soften requests: Por favor, ¿podría decirme a qué hora abre la gasolinera? Could you please tell me what time the gas station opens? To ask for advice: ¿Cuál compraría Ud.? Which one would you buy? For reported speech: Juan dijo que terminaría el trabajo. Juan said that he would finish the work. To express what would be done in a particular situation: ¿Hablarías inglés en España? Would you speak English in Spain? -The conditional is used to express probability to a past action, if the tense changes to become about the present, the future tense is used instead. ¿Qué hora será? What time can it be? as opposed to ¿Qué hora sería? What time could it have been? -Notice that if the main clause is in the past, the conditional is used. Juan dijo que terminaría el trabajo. Juan said that he would finish the work. -But if the main clause is in the present, the future is used. Juan dice que terminará el trabajo. Juan says that he will finish the work.

"Hace . . ." to mean "ago"

-Hace + time + que + preterite tense form of the verb Hace un año que estudié español. I studied Spanish one year ago. or -Preterite tense form of the verb + hace + time Estudié español hace un año. I studied Spanish one year ago.

Ordinal Numbers

-Here are the ordinal numbers first - tenth: primero - first segundo - second tercero - third cuarto - fourth quinto - fifth sexto - sixth séptimo - seventh octavo - eighth noveno - ninth décimo - tenth -Like many other adjectives, the ordinal numbers have a masculine and a feminine form as well as a singular and plural form. (Replace "o" with "a, as, os") -Primero and tercero drop the -o in the masculine singular adjective form. Ex: el primer día el tercer año -Ordinal numbers usually precede the noun. However, if the noun they refer to is royalty, a pope, or a street, they come after the noun. Carlos Quinto ("Quinto" comes after "Carlos" - royalty) el quinto libro ("quinto" comes before "libro") la Calle Sexta ("sexta" comes after "calle" - street) la sexta pluma ("sexta" comes before "pluma") -Ordinal numbers are not normally used after 10. la Calle Dieciséis - Sixteenth Street el siglo diecinueve - the nineteenth century

Subjunctive IV

-Here are the six verbs that are irregular in the present subjunctive: dar - to give dé des dé demos deis den estar - to be esté estés esté estemos estéis estén haber - to have (auxiliary verb) haya hayas haya hayamos hayáis hayan ir - to go vaya vayas vaya vayamos vayáis vayan saber - to know sepa sepas sepa sepamos sepáis sepan ser - to be sea seas sea seamos seáis sean

Subjunctive V

-Here is a list of common expressions that introduce an aspect of desire to the sentence, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive. esperar que - to wish that ... insistir en que ... - to insist that ... mandar que ... - to order that ... preferir que ... - to prefer that ... prohibir que ... - to prohibit that ... querer que ... - to want that ... es aconsejable que ... - it's advisable that ... es necesario que ... - it's necessary that ... pedir que ... - to ask that ... recomendar que ... - to recommend that ... rogar que ... - to plead that ... sugerir que ... - to suggest that ...

Subjunctive VI

-Here is a list of common expressions that introduce an aspect of ignorance or doubt to the sentence, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive. dudar que ... - to doubt that ... es dudoso que ... - it is doubtful that ... es improbable que ... - it's unlikely that ... es incierto que ... - it's uncertain that ... es posible que ... - it's possible that ... no creer que ... - not to believe that ... no es cierto que ... - it's not certain that ... no estar convencido de que ... - to not be convinced that ... no estar seguro de que ... - to not be sure that ... no parecer que ... - to not seem that ... no pensar que ... - to not think that ... no suponer que ... - to not suppose that ... puede ser que ... - it may be that ... negar que ... - to deny that ... no es verdad que ... - it's not true that ... no es cierto que ... - it's not certain that ... no imaginarse que ... - to not imagine that ... temer que ... - to suspect that ...

Subjunctive VIII

-Here is a list of common expressions that may indicate that the action that follows has not yet been completed. These expressions will always invoke the subjunctive: a menos que ... - unless ... antes (de) que ... - before ... con tal (de) que ... - provided that ... en caso de que ... - in case ... para que ... - so that ... sin que ... - without ... -The following expressions only invoke the subjunctive when they indicate that the action that follows has not yet been completed: después de que... - after... en cuanto... - as soon as... hasta que... - until... mientras que... - while... tan pronto como... - as soon as...

Plural Forms of Nouns

-If a noun ends in a vowel, add -s. -If a noun ends in a consonant, add -es. -If a noun ends in a -z, change the z to c before adding -es. -If a noun ends in ión, drop the written accent before -adding -es. -If the plural refers to a mixed group, use the masculine. -For compound nouns, change "el" to "los". -Change the article to the corresponding gender. (el-los, la-las etc.)

Regular Verbs II

-In Spanish the subject pronouns are not always required. This is because the verb endings can indicate who is performing the action. (Ex: Hablo español. (Yo is not necessary.)I speak Spanish.) -Subject pronouns are often used for clarification. For example, the verb form habla is ambiguous. Therefore, to distinguish between "you speak," "he speaks," and "she speaks," it may be necessary to use the subject pronoun. -Subject pronouns are often used for emphasis. (Ex: Ella habla español y yo hablo inglés.) -It is possible to use two verbs in a row. Just like in English, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form. (Ex: Necesito hablar con Alfredo.)

Comparisons of Inequality

-In Spanish, inequality is expressed by using one of the following formulae: más (menos) + adjective + que más (menos) + adverb + que más (menos) + noun + que Ex: 1. Tú eres más alto que yo. - You are taller than I. 2. Mónica habla más lentamente que Carmen. -Monica speaks more slowly than Carmen. 3. Tengo menos libros que Arsenio. - I have fewer books than Arsenio. -If the comparative is followed by a number, use de rather than que. Ex: 1. Hay menos de veinte alumnos en la clase. - There are less than twenty students in the class. 2. Él tiene más de noventa años. - He is more than ninety years old. (Literally: He has more than ninety years.) -Note that when the sentence is negative, que is used even with numbers, to convey the meaning "only." Ex: 1.No tengo más que cinco dólares. - (I only have five dollars.) 2.No hay más que veinte estudiantes en la clase. - (There are only twenty students in the class.)

Ir "a" + Infinitive

-In Spanish, many useful expressions are formed by combining two verbs. When this occurs, the first verb is conjugated, while the second verb remains in the infinitive form. Ex: ir, viajar Yo voy a viajar a España. I am going to travel to Spain. acabar, comer Tú acabas de comer. You have just eaten. saber, nadar Juan sabe nadar. Juan knows how to swim. volver, leer María vuelve a leer el libro. María reads the book again. -One such expression combines the verb ir (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition "a" is always used. The formula is: ir a + infinitive = to be going to do something (in the near future) Voy a llevar a mi hermana a su casa. I am going to take my sister to her house. -Here are some useful words and expressions for pinpointing exactly when you are going to do something. hoy - today mañana - tomorrow más tarde - later esta tarde - this afternoon la semana que viene - next week el mes que viene - next month el año que viene - next year esta noche - tonight mañana por la mañana - tomorrow morning mañana por la tarde - tomorrow afternoon mañana por la noche - tomorrow night

Direct Object Pronouns II

-In a negative sentence with one verb, the direct object pronoun is placed between the negative word and the conjugated verb. No los compro. (I don't buy them.) Guadalupe nunca lo estudia. -In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the direct object pronoun. 1. Place it immediately before the conjugated verb. 2. Attach it directly to the infinitive. Lo quiero ver. - I want to see it. Quiero verlo. - I want to see it. -These same rules apply for questions and negative statements. ¿Lo debemos comprar? ¿Debemos comprarlo? Should we buy it? Juan no lo necesita lavar. Juan no necesita lavarlo. John doesn't need to wash it.

Indirect Object Pronouns II

-In a negative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes between the negative word and the conjugated verb. Él no me compra nada. He doesn't buy me anything. He doesn't buy anything for me. -In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the indirect object pronoun. 1.Place it immediately before the conjugated verb 2.Attach it directly to the infinitive

Preterite IV

-In order to preserve the sound of the infinitive, a number of verbs change orthographically (spelling) in the preterite tense. The following changes occur in the "yo" form only: Verbs that end in -gar change g to gu Verbs that end in -car change c to qu Verbs that end in -zar change z to c Ex: yo jugué (jugar) yo busqué (buscar) yo almorcé (almorzar) -Some common orthographic changing verbs for the preterite tense in these categories are: -gar -car -zar cegar aparcar almorzar colgar buscar autorizar jugar clarificar cazar llegar clasificar comenzar pagar destacar cruzar plegar empacar empezar regar justificar forzar rogar practicar organizar tragar sacar simbolizar vagar tocar tropezarse -For verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -oír, and -oer, the él/ella/usted forms use the ending "yó" (rather than ió) and the third person plural uses the ending "yeron" (rather than ieron). The remaining forms gain a written accent over the letter "i." creer creí creíste creyó creímos creísteis creyeron -Other verbs like creer include: caer leer oír poseer proveer roer -Exceptions to this rule include: traer atraer distraer -Verbs that end in -uir change in the same way, but the written accent over the letter "i" only occurs in the yo form. huir huí huiste huyó huimos huisteis huyeron -Other verbs like huir include: construir contribuir destruir fluir incluir influir

Stem Changing Verbs (o:ue)

-In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs: o:ue e:ie e:i contar cuento cuentas cuenta contamos contáis cuentan - Endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs. Also, the stem doesn't change in the nosotros and vosotros form. -Here is a list of common o:ue stem-changing verbs. almorzar - to eat lunch morir - to die aprobar - to approve mostrar - to show colgar - to hang mover - to move (an object) contar - to count, to tell probar - to prove, test, sample, taste costar - to cost recordar - to remember devolver - to return (an object) resolver - to solve volver - to return (from someplace) rogar - to beg, pray dormir - to sleep sonar - to sound, ring encontrar - to find soñar (con) - to dream (about) envolver - to wrap tostar - to toast morder - to bite volar - to fly

Irregular Comparatives

-Irregular forms for the comparative and the superlative: Adjective: bueno (good) Comparative: mejor (better) Superlative: el/la mejor (best) Adjective: malo (bad) Comparative: peor (worse) Superlative: el/la peor (the worst) *Note that the words más and menos are not used with the irregular comparatives. -With the irregular superlatives, the definite article is used. Aquel libro es el mejor. - That book over there is the best. -Here are two more adjectives with irregular comparatives and superlatives: Adjective: grande (big) Comparative: mayor (older; greater) Superlative: el/la mayor (the oldest; the greatest) Adjective: pequeño (small) Comparative: menor (younger; less) Superlative: el/la menor (youngest; least) *Note that when referring to size, grande and pequeño follow the normal rules for comparative and superlative forms. That is, they do not use the irregular forms menor and mayor. -When referring to age, use the irregular forms mayor and menor. Juan es menor que María. Juan is younger than Maria. -When referring to the concepts "less" or "greater", use the irregular forms mayor and menor. El agua es de mayor importancia que la comida. Water is more important than food. -The words joven and viejo are used for non-comparative descriptions of age. El niño es joven. The boy is young.

Adjectives II

-Many adjectives of nationality end in -o. These adjectives follow the same rules as other adjectives ending in -o. That is, they have four forms. (Ex: mexicano, mexicana, mexicanos, mexicanas) -Many other adjectives of nationality end in a consonant. These adjectives do not follow the same rules as other adjectives ending in a consonant, rather, they have a distinct feminine form ending in -a. (Ex: español, española, españoles, españolas) -Adjectives ending in -or, -án, -ón, or -ín also have a feminine form and don't follow the rules. (Ex: hablador, habladora, habladores, habladoras) -Note: Adjectives ending in "-erior" do not have a feminine form. -Adjectives that are descriptive usually follow the noun they describe. (Ex: El chico alto.) -Adjectives of quantity almost always come before the noun. (Ex: pocos libros) -Sometimes, a descriptive adjective can precede the noun. If the adjective is descriptive, but speaks of a quality that is inherent and usually taken for granted, the adjective comes first. (Ex: la blanca nieve - the white snow (snow is inherently white).)

Months, Seasons, and Dates

-Months: Note that, like the days of the week, they are not capitalized. enero - January febrero - February marzo - March abril - April mayo - May junio - June julio - July agosto - August septiembre - September octubre - October noviembre - November diciembre - December -To express "in a certain month," use the preposition "en." Vamos a México en enero. (We are going to Mexico in January.) Las clases empiezan en el mes de septiembre. (Classes begin in September.) -Four Seasons: Las estaciones del año. la primavera - spring el verano - summer el otoño - autumn el invierno - winter -Note that the articles are normally used with the seasons. Ex: (En América del Norte, la primavera empieza en marzo. In North America, spring begins in March.) -Here are some ways to inquire as to the date. Ex: ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? ¿A cuántos estamos hoy? ¿Qué día es hoy? ¿A cuántos estamos? -If you are talking about the first day of the month, use the expression "el primer día" or simply "el primero." ¿Qué día es hoy? Hoy es lunes, el primer día de mayo. Hoy es lunes, el primero de mayo. Today is Monday, May 1. -For all other days of the month, use the cardinal numbers. ¿Cuál es la fecha de hoy? (Tuesday, March 25) Hoy es martes, el veinticinco de marzo. ¿A cuántos estamos hoy? (Sunday, June 3) Estamos al domingo, el tres de junio.

1st Person Commands: "nosotros"

-Nosotros commands are used when the speaker is included, and are used to express the idea "let's + verb." To form these commands, use the nosotros form of the present subjunctive. Comamos allí. Let's eat there. -To form the negative command, place the word no before the same verb form (present subjunctive). -The only exception is the verb ir(se), which uses the present indicative for the affirmative command only. Vamos ahora. Let's go now. but No vayamos a la tienda. Let's not go to the store. -As with other commands, a written accent is often required when pronouns are added. With affirmative commands, the final "s" of the verb form is dropped before adding the pronouns "nos" or "se." Sentemos + nos = Sentémonos. Let's sit down. Escribamos + se + la = Escribámosela. Let's write it to them. But not with negative commands. No nos sentemos. Let's not sit down. No se la escribamos. Let's not write it to them. -Note that "Vamos a + infinitive" can also be used to convey the meaning "Let's ___." Trabajemos juntos. Let's work together. Vamos a trabajar juntos. Let's work together.

Irregular Verbs - Estar, Ir, Dar

-Notice that ir and dar follow the same pattern as estar; they are irregular in the first person singular (yo). Estar - Ir (to go) - Dar (to give) estoy - voy - doy estás - vas - das está - va - da estamos - vamos - damos estáis - vais - dais están - van - dan

Gender of Nouns I

-Nouns describe a person, place, thing or idea. -Most nouns in Spanish end with "o" for the masculine form and "a"for the feminine form. -Because not every noun ends this way, the definitive articles are your clue as to whether or not a noun is masculine/feminine. -Definitive Articles: el, la, los, las

Imperfect III

-One way to determine if a verb is actually the imperfect is to try substituting one of the following: was/were ...ing used to ... would (meaning used to) ... Ex: I worked in the agency during the day. I was working in the agency during the day. I visited my grandmother every day. I used to visit my grandmother every day. Every afternoon I took a nap. Every afternoon I would take a nap. -One does not normally think of a general mental state or physical sensations as having a definite beginning or end, and so they are usually expressed in the imperfect. Ramón tenía miedo de hablar en público. Ramón was afraid to speak in public. Yo creía que Juan podía hacerlo. I thought that Juan could do it. Me gustaba el coche. I liked the car. (The car was pleasing to me.) -The imperfect is used to describe how things were or what things were like. Use the imperfect when describing the characteristics of people, things or conditions. Era un muchacho muy inteligente. He was a very intelligent boy. Era una señorita muy guapa. She was a beautiful young lady. Las ventanas estaban abiertas. The windows were open. La casa era blanca. The house was white.

Subjunctive III

-Orthographic Changes: -For verbs that end in -zar, the z changes to c when it comes before the letter e. empezar (e:ie) empiece empieces empiece empecemos empecéis empiecen -For verbs that end in -ger or -gir, the g changes to j when it comes before the letter a. escoger escoja escojas escoja escojamos escojáis escojan elegir (e:i) elija elijas elija elijamos elijáis elijan -For verbs that end in -guir, the gu changes to g when it comes before the letter a. seguir (e:i) siga sigas siga sigamos sigáis sigan -For verbs that end in -car, the c changes to qu when it comes before the letter e. buscar busque busques busque busquemos busquéis busquen -For verbs that end in -gar, the g changes to gu when it comes before the letter e. pagar pague pagues pague paguemos paguéis paguen -For verbs that end in uir, add the letter y before the letter a. huir huya huyas huya huyamos huyáis huyan

Possessive Adjectives

-Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership. mi, mis - my tu, tus - your su, sus - his, her, their, your (formal) -If the meaning of su is not clear from the context of the sentence, a prepositional phrase is used in place of su. (Ex: María busca a la hermana de él. María looks for his sister.) nuestro(os,a,as) - our vuestro(os,a,as) - your (familiar, plural, Spain) -Note that these possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing or body parts. Rather, the definite article is used.

Relative Pronouns: "que"

-Pronouns are words that refer to a noun. -Relative pronouns are called "relative" because they are "related" to a noun that has previously been stated. -One way to view relative pronouns is to recognize that they combine two sentences that share a common noun. In the following example, the common noun is "milk" or "leche." ¿Dónde está la leche? Where is the milk? Compraste leche. You bought milk. ¿Dónde está la leche que compraste? Where is the milk that you bought? -Another way to view relative pronouns is to recognize that they are used to introduce a clause that modifies a noun. In the following example, the clause "I finished last night" modifies the noun "book." Terminé el libro anoche. I finished the book last night. El libro es muy extenso. The book is very long. El libro que terminé anoche es muy extenso. The book that I finished last night is very long. -The most common relative pronoun, and the one used in the previous two examples is "que". It can be used to refer to both persons and things, in either the subject or the object position. "Que" is the Spanish equivalent of the English words: who, whom, which, and that. El hombre que es pobre ... (person, subject) The man who is poor ... Los libros que son extensos ... (thing, subject) The books which are long ... La señorita que conocí ... (person, object) The young lady whom I met ... La carta que leíste ... (thing, object) The letter that you read ... -The relative pronoun is often omitted in English, but it is never omitted in Spanish. La casa que compramos es nueva. The house (that) we bought is new.

Por vs. Para

-Rules for Por: Rule: to express gratitude or apology Model: Gracias por la ayuda. (Thanks for the help.) Rule: for multiplication and division Model: Dos por dos son cuatro. (Two times two equals four.) Rule: for velocity, frequency and proportion Model: Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana. (I go to the restaurant five times per week.) Rule: meaning "through," "along," "by" or "in the area of" Model: Andamos por el parque. (We walk through the park.) Rule: when talking about exchange, including sales Model: Él me dio diez dólares por el libro. (He gave me ten dollars for the book.) Rule: to mean "on behalf of," or "in favor of," Model: No voté por nadie. (I didn't vote for anyone.) Rule: to express a length of time Model: Yo estudié por dos horas. (I studied for two hours.) Rule: to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning "during" Model: Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche. (One can see the stars during the night.) Rule: for means of communication or transportation Model: Prefiero viajar por tren y hablar por teléfono. (I prefer to travel by train and speak by phone.) Rule: in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning "to be seen as" Model: Me tienen por loco. (They take me for crazy.) Rule: to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and preguntar) Model: Paso por ti a las ocho. (I'll come by for you at eight o'clock.) Rule: when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be completed, use por + infinitive Model: La cena está por cocinar. (Dinner has yet to be cooked.) Rule: to express cause or reason Model: El hombre murió por falta de agua. The man died for lack of water. Rule: "estar por" means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something Model: Estoy por tomar café. (I'm in the mood for drinking coffee.) Rule: in passive constructions Model: El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz. (The book was written by Octavio Paz.) -Idiomatic expressions for Por: por adelantado - in advance por ahora - for now por allí - around there; that way por amor de Dios - for the love of God por aquí - around here; this way por casualidad - by chance por ciento - percent por cierto - certainly por completo - completely por dentro - inside por desgracia - unfortunately por ejemplo - for example por eso - therefore por favor - please por fin - finally por lo general - generally por lo visto - apparently por medio de - by means of por lo menos - at least por lo tanto - consequently por mi parte - as for me por ningún lado - nowhere por otra parte - on the other hand palabra por palabra - word for word por primera vez - for the first time por separado - separately por supuesto - of course por suerte - fortunately por todas partes - everywhere por todos lados - on all sides por último - finally Rules for Para: Rule: to indicate destination Model: El hombre salió para Madrid. (The man left for Madrid.) Rule: to show the use or purpose of a thing Model: El vaso es para agua. (The glass is for water.) Rule: to mean "in order to" or "for the purpose of" Model: Para hacer una paella, primero dore las carnes. To make a paella, first sauté the meats. Rule: to indicate a recipient Model: Este regalo es para ti. (This gift is for you.) Rule: to express a deadline or specific time Model: Necesito el vestido para el lunes. (I need the dress by Monday.) Rule: to express a contrast from what is expected Model: Para un niño lee muy bien. (For a child, he reads very well.) Rule: "estar para" to express an action that will soon be completed Model: El tren está para salir. (The train is about to leave.) -"Por" and "para" can also be used in questions. "¿Por qué?" means "Why?" (for what reason) while "¿Para qué?" means "Why?" (for what purpose). ¿Por qué estudias español? -For what reason do you study Spanish? Possible answer: Porque es un requisito. - Because it's required. ¿Para qué estudias español? - For what purpose do you study Spanish? Possible answer: Para ser profesor de español. - In order to become a Spanish teacher.

Ser & Estar I

-Ser and estar can both be translated as "to be." (I am, you are, he/she is, we are, you-all are, they are) -The apple is green. (Meaning the apple is not ripe.) - Condition The apple is green. (Meaning the color of the apple is green.) - Characteristic/Essence -In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and what something is (the essence). (Ex: How is the apple? It is unripe. What color is the apple? It is green.) -To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular verb. estoy estás está estamos estáis están -To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular. soy eres es somos sois son

Preterite vs. Imperfect III

-Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect. -conocer Conocí a Juan hace cinco años. I met Juan five years ago. (completed action) En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad. At that time we knew the city very well. (no definite beginning or end) -querer María quiso comprar la casa. Maria tried to buy the house. (completed action) Juan quería comprar la casa. Juan wanted to buy the house. (no definite beginning or end) -no querer María no quiso comprar la casa. Maria refused to buy the house. (completed action) Juan no quería comprar la casa. Juan did not want to buy the house. (no definite beginning or end) -saber María lo supo ayer. Maria found out yesterday. (completed action) Juan sabía que María venía. Juan knew that Maria was coming. (no definite beginning or end) -poder María pudo levantar la mesa. Maria succeeded in lifting the table. (completed action) Juan podía participar en la manifestación. Juan was able to participate in the demonstration. (no definite beginning or end) -tener María tuvo una carta de su mamá. Maria received a letter from her mom. (completed action) Juan tenía un coche nuevo. Juan used to have a new car. (no definite beginning or end)

Preterite vs Imperfect II

-Some words and phrases indicate specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the preterite. ayer - (yesterday) anteayer - (the day before yesterday) anoche - (last night) desde el primer momento - from the first moment) durante dos siglos - (for two centuries) el otro día - (the other day) en ese momento - (at that moment) entonces - (then) esta mañana - (this morning) esta tarde - (this afternoon) la semana pasada - (last week) el mes pasado - (last month) el año pasado - (last year) hace dos días, años - (two days, years ago) ayer por la mañana - (yesterday morning) ayer por la tarde - (yesterday afternoon) -Other words and phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the imperfect. a menudo - (often) a veces - (sometimes) cada día - (every day) cada semana - (every week) cada mes - (every month) cada año - (every year) con frecuencia - (frequently) de vez en cuando - (from time to time) en aquella época - (at that time) frecuentemente - (frequently) generalmente - (usually) muchas veces - (many times) mucho - (a lot) nunca - (never) por un rato - (for awhile) siempre - (always) tantas veces - (so many times) todas las semanas - (every week) todos los días - (every day) todo el tiempo - (all the time) varias veces - (several times)

Preterite vs. Imperfect I

-Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. -To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following: é aste ó amos asteis aron -To conjugate regular -ar verbs in the imperfect, simply drop the ending (-ar) and add one of the following: aba abas aba ábamos abais aban -Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed. Use of the preterite tense implies that the past action had a definite beginning and definite end. Juan habló de la una hasta las dos. Juan spoke from one until two o'clock. -It is important to realize that the beginning and the end may not always be clearly stated. Juan habló dos horas. Juan spoke for two hours. (implied beginning and end) Juan habló con la estudiante. Juan spoke with the student. (implied beginning and end) -Generally speaking, the imperfect is used for actions in the past that are not seen as completed. Use of the imperfect tense implies that the past action did not have a definite beginning or a definite end. Las chicas hablaban en inglés. The girls used to speak in English. (no definite beginning or end)

Tener que/Hay que . . .

-Tener que + infinitive is one way to express obligation or necessity. This expression can be translated as "someone has to do something." Tener is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence. (Ex: Tengo que comer las verduras. I have to eat the vegetables.) -Hay que + infinitive is used to express the idea of "one must do something" or, "it is necessary to do something." It is a more general expression and since there is no subject, the verb form hay is always used. (Ex: Hay que tomar un taxi. It is necessary to take a taxi.)

Informal Commands

-The affirmative informal (tú) commands are formed the same way as the present indicative Ud. form: (hablar - ar + a = habla) (comer - er + e = come) (escribir - ir + e = escribe) -Be sure to note that the "tú" commands use the usted form, not the tú form! Habla (tú) más lentamente. (You) Speak more slowly. Come (tú) la cena. (You) Eat the dinner. Escribe (tú) la carta. (You) Write the letter. -Note that the negative informal commands use the tú form of the present subjunctive. No cuentes tus beneficios. Don't count your blessings. No hables más lentamente. Don't speak more slowly. -Be sure to note that this is the tú form! -Compare the affirmative informal (tú) commands with the negative informal (tú) commands: Cuenta tus beneficios. - Count your blessings. No cuentes tus beneficios. - Don't count your blessings. Habla más lentamente. - Speak more slowly. No hables más lentamente. - Don't speak more slowly. -Also note that the subject pronoun tú is not normally used with imperative form.

The Personal "a"

-The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. (Ex: Mike hit the BALL. George calls MARY. He calls HER.) -In Spanish, when the direct object is a person, it is preceded by the preposition "a." (Ex: Jorge llama a María.) -The personal "a" may also be used if the direct object is a domesticated animal, especially a pet, provided that the speaker attaches some sort of personal feelings towards the animal. (Ex: La mujer acaricia a su perro. (acariciar) The woman pets her dog. El perro persigue a la gata. (perseguir) The dog chases the cat.) -The personal "a" is not used when the direct object is not a person or is an animal for which no personal feelings are felt. Bebo la leche. (beber) I drink the milk. -- milk is neither a person nor an animal Miro la jirafa. (mirar) I look at the giraffe. -- no personal feelings are felt towards the giraffe -The personal "a" is not used after the verb tener, or the verb form hay. This is true even if the direct object is a person. -If the direct object is an indefinite person, the personal "a" is not used. The result is that the person becomes "depersonalized." Necesito médico. I need (any) doctor. (or) I need medical assistance. Necesito jardinero. I need (any) gardener. (or) I need someone to tend my garden.

Preterite V

-The following verbs are irregular in the preterite and must be memorized: decir traer ver dije traje vi dijiste trajiste viste dijo trajo vio dijimos trajimos vimos dijisteis trajisteis visteis dijeron trajeron vieron Also like traer: atraer detraer distraer extraer maltraer retraer sustraer -Verbs that end in -ucir are irregular and conjugated as follows: producir produje produjiste produjo produjimos produjisteis produjeron -Other verbs in this category include: aducir conducir coproducir deducir inducir introducir reducir traducir

Verbs with Irregular First Persons

-The following verbs have irregular forms for the first person singular of the present tense: caber (to fit) - yo quepo caer (to fall) - yo caigo conducir (to drive) - yo conduzco conocer (to know, to be acquainted with) - yo conozco escoger (to choose) - yo escojo dirigir (to direct) - yo dirijo hacer (to do, to make) - yo hago poner (to put, to place) - yo pongo saber (to know something - a fact) - yo sé salir (to leave) - yo salgo seguir (to follow) - yo sigo traer (to bring) - yo traigo valer (to be worth) - yo valgo ver (to see) - yo veo -For verbs that end in -cer and -cir, change the c to zc for the yo form: (Ex: conocer (to know) - yo conozco) -For verbs that end in -ger and -gir, change the g to j for the yo form: (Ex: escoger (to choose) - yo escojo) -For verbs that end in -guir, change the gu to g for the yo form:(Ex: seguir (to follow) - yo sigo)

Acabar de + Infinitive

-The formula is: acabar(conjugated) de(always used) + infinitive = to have just done something (in the very recent past) Ex: Acabo de llevar a mi hermana a su casa. I just took my sister to her house. acabo, acabas, acaba, acabamos, acabáis, acaban

Volver "a" + Infinitive

-The formula is: volver(conjugated) a(always used) + infinitive = to do something again Vuelvo a leer el libro. I read the book again. -Remember: Volver is a stem changing verb (o:ue)

Future Perfect

-The future perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "haber" with the past participle. In this case, "haber" is conjugated in the future tense. habré habrás habrá habremos habréis habrán -The future perfect tense is used to describe what will have happened in the future before a different action takes place, or by a specific time. I will have studied before I take the test. He will have completed the task by six o'clock. -Object pronouns + reflexive verbs & "no's", go before auxiliary verb because it and the past participle stay together. -Past Participle doesn't change forms in perfect tenses. It only changes when used as an adjective because it modifies a noun.

Future Tense

-The future tense is used to tell what "will" happen, or what "shall" happen. -But, the future tense is not used to express a willingness to do something. For this, use the verb "querer." ¿Quieres ir a la tienda? Will you go to the store? -The future tense is also used to express wonder or probability in the present state. ¿Quién será ella? I wonder who she is? (Who could she be?) Estará viajando solo. He is probably traveling alone. -For actions that will occur in the near future, the present tense is more commonly used. Esta noche voy al cine. Tonight I'm going to the movies. -Further in the future, use the future tense. El año que viene iré a España. Next year I'm going to Spain. -Regular verbs in the future tense are conjugated by adding the following endings to the infinitive form of the verb: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án. hablaré hablarás hablará hablaremos hablaréis hablarán -There are twelve common verbs that are irregular in the future tense. Their endings are regular, but their stems change. caber - yo cabré - poner - yo pondré decir - yo diré haber - yo habré salir - yo saldré hacer - yo haré poder - yo podré tener - yo tendré querer - yo querré valer - yo valdré saber - yo sabré venir - yo vendré -Note that compound verbs based on the irregular verbs inherit the same irregularities. Here are a few examples: desquerer - yo desquerré resaber - yo resabré anteponer - yo antepondré mantener - yo mantendré prevaler - yo prevaldré

Imperfect II

-The imperfect tells when -- in general, an action occurred. -There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect. ser ir ver era iba veía eras ibas veías era iba veía éramos íbamos veíamos erais ibais veíais eran iban veían

Indirect Object Pronouns I

-The indirect object (IO) tells us where the direct object (DO) is going. Ex: He gives the book to María. DO=Book Where is the book going? To María. IO=María -The indirect object answers the question "To whom?" or "For whom?" the action of the verb is performed. He gives María the book. To whom does he give the book? To María. -Sentences that have an indirect object usually also have a direct object. -Sometimes the direct object is not stated; rather it is implied, or understood. My mother writes me every week. DO=letter (understood) IO=me (My mother writes me a letter every week.) - Use the following pronouns: me (me) te (you-familiar) le (him, her, you-formal) nos (us) os (you-all-familiar) les (them, you-all-formal) -In an affirmative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb. -Since le and les can mean more than one thing, a prepositional phrase is often added to remove the ambiguity and sometimes to add emphasis. Ella le escribe a Juan una carta. Juan me da a mí el dinero. - John gives me the money.

Direct Object Pronouns I

-The object that directly receives the action of the verb is called the direct object. It answers the question "what?" or "whom?" in regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing. Bill hit the ball. "Ball" receives the action of the verb "hit." Sherry hit Bill. "Bill" receives the action of the verb "hit." -It is better to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun. Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home. Paul bought the flowers. He took them home. -When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns: me (me) te (you-familiar) lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal) nos (us) os (you-all-familiar) los, las (them, you-all-formal) -In an affirmative statement with one verb, the direct object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb. The gender of the pronoun only changes depending on the direct object it replaces. Tengo = I have Tengo la pluma. = I have the pen. La tengo. = I have it.

Past Perfect

-The past perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "had" with the past participle. I had studied. -Imperfect auxiliary haber + past participle había habías había habíamos habíais habían -Object pronouns + reflexive verbs & "no's", go before auxiliary verb because it and the past participle stay together. -Past Participle doesn't change forms in perfect tenses. It only changes when used as an adjective because it modifies a noun.

Present Perfect

-The present perfect is formed by combining the auxiliary verb "has" or "have" with the past participle. I have studied. -Because the present perfect is a compound tense, two verbs are required: the main verb and the auxiliary verb. I have studied. (main verb: studied ; auxiliary verb: have) -In Spanish, the present perfect tense is formed by using the present tense of the auxiliary verb "haber" with the past participle. Haber is conjugated as follows: he has ha hemos habéis han Ex: (yo) He comido. - I have eaten. -When used as an adjective, the past participle changes to agree with the noun it modifies. However, when used in the perfect tenses, the past participle never changes. Past participle used as an adjective: La cuenta está pagada. The bill is paid. Past participle used in the present perfect tense: He pagado la cuenta. I have paid the bill. Juan ha pagado las cuentas. Juan has paid the bills. -Notice that we use "ha" to agree with "Juan". We do NOT use "han" to agree with "cuentas." The auxiliary verb is conjugated for the subject of the sentence, not the object. -The present perfect tense is frequently used for past actions that continue into the present, or continue to affect the present. He estado dos semanas en Madrid. I have been in Madrid for two weeks. Diego ha sido mi amigo por veinte años. Diego has been my friend for 20 years. -The present perfect tense is often used with the adverb "ya". Ya han comido. They have already eaten. -The auxiliary verb and the past participle are never separated. So to make a sentence negative, place "no" before haber. Also object pronouns and reflexive verbs are before auxiliary verbs. Pablo no le ha dado mucho dinero a su hermana. Pablo has not given a lot of money to his sister. No me he cepillado los dientes. I have not brushed my teeth. -Ex: How questions are formed: ¿Han salido ya las mujeres? Have the women left yet?

Present Progressive

-The present progressive is formed by combining the verb "to be" with the present participle. (The present participle is merely the "-ing" form of a verb.) -In Spanish, the present progressive is only used to describe an action that is in the process of taking place. (Not future actions) -To form the present progressive in Spanish, combine a form of "estar" with the present participle. Estoy hablando. I am speaking. -To form the present participle of regular -ar verbs, add -ando to the stem of the verb. hablar: hablando (hablar - ar + ando) -To form the present participle of regular -er and -ir verbs, add -iendo to the stem of the verb. comer: comiendo (comer - er + iendo) -To form the present participle of -ir stem changing verbs, change e:i and o:u in the stem, and then add -iendo to the stem of the verb. (Ex: decir: diciendo/dormir: durmiendo) -Sometimes when forming the present participle it is necessary to change the spelling of a word so that it agrees with the way it is pronounced. We call this an "orthographic" change. caer: cayendo seguir: siguiendo ir: yendo

Subjunctive II

-The present subjunctive is formed by following these three steps: 1.Start with the yo form of the present indicative. 2.Then drop the -o ending. 3.Finally, add the following endings: -ar verbs: -e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en -er and -ir verbs: -a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an -The formula also works for verbs that have irregular "yo" forms in the present indicative. conocer (yo conozco) conozco - o = conozc conozc + a = conozca etc.... -For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that there is no stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms. pensar (yo pienso) pienso - o = piens piens + e = piense etc... pens + emos = pensemos -For -ir stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that the stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms follows these patterns: o:ue verbs change o to u; e:ie verbs change e to i; e:i verbs change e to i. durmamos sintamos pidamos

Relative Pronouns: "el que, la que, los que, las que, and lo que"

-The relative pronoun "el que" (and its related forms) is used to refer to both people and things. Note that there are four forms to accomodate singular and plural, masculine and feminine: el que, la que, los que, las que. Mi tía, la que es profesora, viene a visitarme hoy día. My aunt, the one who is a professor, is coming to visit me today. -Another set of relative pronouns can be used in place of el que, la que, los que, and las que: These are not common and only used in written Spanish or formal oratory. el cual la cual los cuales las cuales -When the relative pronoun refers to an abstract idea, use "lo que." Lo que quieres no existe. That which you want does not exist. No comprendo lo que ocurre. I do not understand that which is happening.

Relative Pronoun: "quien"

-The relative pronoun "quien" is used only to refer to people, and has a plural form "quienes." (There is no masculine/feminine distinction.) Mi tío, quien es profesor, viene a visitarme hoy día. My uncle, who is a professor, is coming to visit me today. -When the relative pronoun refers to a person and is in the direct object position, either "que" or "a quien" may be used. Each is correct. Notice that the "personal a" is used with "quien" but is not used with "que." La señorita que conocí anoche es la hermana de Raquel. La señorita a quien conocí anoche es la hermana de Raquel. The young lady whom I met last night is Raquel's sister. -When the relative pronoun occurs after a preposition and refers to a person, "quien" must be used. After a preposition, "que" is only used to refer to things. Los chicos, con quienes fuimos a la playa, son nuestros amigos. The boys, with whom we went to the beach, are our friends. El libro en que pienso es extenso, no es corto. The book I'm thinking of is long, not short. -In English, although it is technically incorrect, common usage often finds a sentence ending in a preposition. Notice that this never occurs in Spanish. Ella es la señorita en quien estoy pensando. She is the young lady I'm thinking about. / She is the young lady about whom I'm thinking.

Subjunctive I

-The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood. Tense refers to when an action takes place (past, present, future), while mood merely reflects how the speaker feels about the action. English Ex: If I were a rich man, I wouldn't have to work hard. Subjunctive conjugation: I were Dudo que usted vaya al Perú en diciembre. I doubt that you are going to Peru in December. -In the above sentence, the clause "dudo" introduces a quality of uncertainty, -- the speaker does have doubt, so here the subjunctive mood is used in the second clause (vaya). -The subjunctive mood is used to express everything except certainty and objectivity: things like doubt, uncertainty, subjectivity, etc. -A main clause usually introduces an element of subjectivity. Ex: I feel she will come. I feel = main clause. - Instead of trying to memorize such a long list, why not familiarize yourself with a much shorter list of expressions with which the subjunctive is not used? -If a main clause introduces certainty or objectivity = indicative for second clause -If a main clause introduces uncertainty or subjectivity = subjunctive for second clause. creer que ... - to believe that ... no dudar que ... - to not doubt that ... es cierto que ... - it is certain that ... es claro que ... - it is clear that ... es evidente que ... - it is certain that ... es obvio que ... - it is obvious that ... estar seguro que ... - to be sure that ... es verdad que ... - it is true that ... no cabe duda que ... - there's no doubt that ... no es dudoso que ... - it is not doubtful that ... no hay duda que ... - there is no doubt that ...

Telling Time

-The verb ser is used to express the time of day. Use es when referring to "one o'clock" and use son when referring to all other hours. Es la una. It's one o'clock. Son las dos. It's two o'clock. -The feminine article (la, las) is used before the hour because it refers to "la hora." -Minutes can be added to the hour using the word y (and). Es la una y cinco. - It's five minutes past one. -Minutes can be subtracted from the hour using the word menos (less). Es la una menos cinco. It's five minutes till one. -You can also use the words media (half) and cuarto (quarter). Es la una y media. It's half past one. Son las dos y cuarto. It's quarter past two. -To say something occurs at a specific time, use the formula a + la(s) + time. La fiesta empieza a las nueve. The party begins at nine o'clock. -To differentiate between a.m. and p.m. use the expressions de la mañana, de la tarde and de la noche. Son las dos de la tarde. It's two in the afternoon. -When no specific time is mentioned, use the expressions por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche. Siempre leo el periódico por las mañanas. I always read the newspaper in the morning. -Useful time expressions: la mañana - morning el mañana - tomorrow, future mañana por la mañana - tomorrow morning pasado mañana - the day after tomorrow ayer - yesterday anoche - last night la noche anterior, anteanoche - the night before last el lunes que viene - next Monday la semana que viene - next week el año que viene - next year el lunes pasado - last Monday la semana pasada - last week el año pasado - last year al mediodía - at noon a la medianoche - at midnight alrededor de - around de día - -days durante el día - during the day a tiempo - on time en punto - exactly, on-the-dot tarde - late temprano - early

Regular Verbs I

-There are either regular or irregular verbs in Spanish -There are 3 categories of verbs: -ar verbs, -er verbs, -ir verbs. Conjugation: hablar - to speak yo hablo - I speak tú hablas/usted habla - you speak él/ella habla - he/she speak nosotros/as hablamos - we speak vosotros/as habláis/ustedes hablan - you-all speak ellos/ellas hablan - they speak comer - to eat yo como - I eat tú comes/usted come - you eat él/ella come - he/she eat nosotros/as comemos - we eat vosotros/as coméis/ustedes comen - you-all eat ellos/ellas comen - they eat vivir - to live yo vivo - I live tú vives/usted vive - you live él/ella vive - he/she live nosotros/as vivimos - we live vosotros/as vivís/ustedes viven - you-all live ellos/ellas viven - they live -If the subject is I (yo), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -o. -If the subject is you formal (usted) or he/she (él/ella), drop the ending and add either -a (ar) or -e (-er, -ir). -If the subject is you informal (tú), drop the ending and add either -as (ar) or -es (er, ir). -If the subject is we (nosotros/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -amos (ar), -emos (er), or -imos (ir). -If the subject is you all informal (vosotros), drop ending and add -áis, -éis or -ís (ar, er, ir). -If the subject is you-all (ustedes) or they (ellos/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -an (ar) or -en (-er, -ir). -Present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things: I, I do, and I am. (Ex: I speak, I do speak, I am speaking)

Questions

-There are multiple ways to form questions in Spanish. Ex: Does María speak Spanish? ¿María habla español? ¿Habla María español? ¿Habla español María? Note: These all mean the same thing. -You can also add a tag question to the end of a statement. Ex: María habla español, ¿no? Maria speaks Spanish, doesn't she? -Common words used to introduce other questions are: (Each has an accent mark) ¿Adónde? - To Where? (Asks for destination) ¿Dónde? - Where? (Asks for location) ¿De dónde? - From where? ¿Cómo? - How? ¿Cuál (-es)? - What? or Which? ¿Cuándo? - When? ¿Cuánto (-a)? - How much? ¿Cuántos (-as)? - How many? ¿Qué? - What? ¿De qué? - About what? or Of what? ¿Quién (-es)? - Who? ¿A quién (-es)? - Whom? ¿Con quién (-es)? - With whom? ¿De quién (-es)? - Whose? ¿Por qué? - Why? (for what reason) ¿Para qué? - Why? (for what purpose) -Notice how the subject comes after the verb. Ex: ¿Qué estudia Pilar? What does Pilar study? -When used with the verb ser, cuál and qué can both mean "what," but they are not interchangeable. Cuál is more common, and is used to indicate a selection, or choice of possibilities. Qué is used to elicit a definition or an explanation. (Ex: ¿Cuál es la capital de España? What is the capital of Spain? ¿Qué es la capital? What is the (definition of) capital?)

Superlatives

-There are two types of superlative: 1.Relative: John is the smartest boy in the class. (Describes a noun within the context of another group) 2.Absolute: John is very smart. (Making an absolute statement) -In English, the relative superlative is formed by using the word "most" or the ending "-est." -In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to the comparative. definite article + noun + más (menos) + adjective + de Ex: 1.Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase. - John is the smartest boy in the class. -Just like in English, the noun can be omitted. All of the following are correct. María es la chica más delgada de la clase. Mary is the thinnest girl in the class. María es la más delgada de la clase. Mary is the thinnest in the class. -The absolute superlative for adjectives has three possible forms. muy + adjective sumamente + adjective adjective + ísimo (-a, -os, -as) -Each superlative statement is a little stronger than the one that precedes it. Ex: muy guapo - very handsome sumamente guapo - extremely handsome guapísimo - indescribably handsome

Imperfect I

-To conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect, simply drop the ending (-er or -ir) and add one of the following: ía ías ía íamos íais ían -The imperfect is used for actions that were repeated habitually. Almorzábamos juntos todos los días. We would lunch together every day. -The imperfect is used for actions that "set the stage" for another action. Yo leía cuando entró mi papá. I was reading when my papa entered. (note that "entered" is preterite) -The imperfect is used for telling time and stating one's age. Eran las siete de la noche. It was seven o'clock at night. La niña tenía cinco años. The little girl was five years old.

Preterite I

-To conjugate regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite, simply drop the ending (-er or -ir) and add one of the following: í iste ió imos isteis ieron -The preterite is used for actions that can be viewed as single events. Ella caminó por el parque. She walked through the park. Ellos llegaron a las ocho. They arrived at eight o'clock. -The preterite is used for actions that were repeated a specific number of times, or occurred during a specific period of time. Ayer escribí tres cartas. Yesterday I wrote three letters. Vivimos allí por cuatro años. We lived there for four years. -The preterite is used for actions that were part of a chain of events. Ella se levantó, se vistió, y salió de la casa. She got up, dressed, and left the house. -The preterite is used to state the beginning or the end of an action. Empezó a nevar a las ocho de la mañana. It began to snow at eight in the morning.

Saber vs. Conocer/ Pedir vs. Preguntar

-To express knowledge or ignorance of a fact or information about something, use "saber." Juan sabe donde está María. Juan knows where Maria is. -To say that one is or is not acquainted with a person, a place, or an object, use conocer. Yo no conozco a María. I don't know (am not acquainted with) Maria. -To express knowledge or ignorance of a subject or learning discipline, use saber or conocer, depending upon the context. Él sabe matemáticas. He knows mathematics. Juan conoce la literatura española. Juan is familiar with Spanish literature. -To express knowledge or ignorance of a skill, or how to do something, use saber + infinitive. María sabe conducir. Maria knows how to drive. -Summary: saber to know a fact, to know something thoroughly, to know how to do something conocer to be acquainted with a person, place, or thing -pedir to ask for, or request an object, service or favor Pido más carne. - I ask for more meat. -preguntar to ask a question, or request information Pregunto qué hora es. - I ask what time it is.

Comparisons of Equality

-To form the comparisons of equality using adjectives or adverbs, use the following formula: tan + adjective (adverb) + como Ex: 1. El libro es tan bueno como la película. - (The book is as good as the movie.) 2. El chico es tan alto como la chica. - (The boy is as tall as the girl.) -To form comparisons of equality with nouns, use the following formula: tanto(-a,-os,-as: depends on form of noun) + noun + como Ex: 1.Juan tiene tanto dinero como María. - (as much money as) 2.Él tiene tanta paciencia como ella. - (as much patience as) 3.Tiene tantos libros como ella. - (as many books as) 4.Tiene tantas plumas como ella. - (as many pens as) -When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is no adjective, use the following formula: verb + tanto + como Ex: 1.Sus estudiantes aprenden tanto como mis estudiantes. (learn as much as) -When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is an adjective, use the following formula: verb + tan + adjective (masculine form) + como Ex: 1.El niño juega tan poco como la niña. - (plays as little as)

Past Participle

-To form the past participle, simply drop the infinitive ending (-ar, -er, -ir) and add -ado (for -ar verbs) or -ido (for -er, -ir verbs). hablar - ar + ado = hablado comer - er + ido = comido vivir - ir + ido = vivido -The following common verbs have irregular past participles: abrir (to open) - abierto (open) cubrir (to cover) - cubierto (covered) decir (to say) - dicho (said) escribir (to write) - escrito (written) freír (to fry) - frito (fried) hacer (to do) - hecho (done) morir (to die) - muerto (dead) poner (to put) - puesto (put) resolver (to resolve) - resuelto (resolved) romper (to break) - roto (broken) ver (to see) - visto (seen) volver (to return) - vuelto (returned) -Note that compound verbs based on the irregular verbs inherit the same irregularities. Here are a few examples: componer - compuesto describir - descrito devolver - devuelto -Most past participles can be used as adjectives. Like other adjectives, they agree in gender and number with the nouns that they modify. La puerta está cerrada. The door is closed. Las puertas están cerradas. The doors are closed. El restaurante está abierto. The restaurant is open. Los restaurantes están abiertos. The restaurants are open. -The past participle can be combined with the verb "ser" to express the passive voice. Use this construction when an action is being described, and introduce the doer of the action with the word "por." La casa fue construida por los carpinteros. The house was built by the carpenters. La tienda es abierta todos los días por el dueño. The store is opened every day by the owner. -Note that for -er and -ir verbs, if the stem ends in a vowel, a written accent will be required. creer - creído oír - oído Note: this rule does not apply, and no written accent is required for verbs ending in -uir. (construir, seguir, influir, distinguir, etc.)

Negation

-To make a sentence negative, place the word "no" before the verb. (Ex: Ella no habla inglés. She doesn't speak English.) -When the answer to a question is negative, two negative words are required. (Ex: ¿Habla Ud. español? No. No hablo español.) -Affirmative Words + Negative Counterparts: algo (something) nada (nothing) alguien (somebody) nadie (nobody) algún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (some, something) ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (no, none) siempre (always) nunca (never) jamás (never, ever) también (also) tampoco (neither, not either) o . . . o (either . . . or) ni . . . ni (neither . . . nor) -The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb. (Ex: Nadie habla. Nobody speaks.) -The negative words can also be used with the word "no," following the verb. (Ex: No habla nadie. Nobody speaks.) -Unlike English, Spanish does not normally mix negative and affirmative words. English Maria doesn't need anything. NOT Maria doesn't need nothing. Spanish María no necesita nada. NOT María no necesita algo. -Alguno and ninguno drop the -o before a masculine singular noun. (Ex: ¿Tienes algún libro? No, no tengo ningún libro.) -Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular. (Ex: ¿Tienes algunas revistas? No, no tengo ninguna.) -The plural of ninguno(-a) is used only when the noun it modifies exists only in plural, or is normally used in plural. (Ex: Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley. No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.) Note: vacation is generally used in the plural.

Relative Adjectives: "cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas"

-We include the relative adjective "cuyo" (and its related forms) in this discussion because it relates the owner to that which is owned, as does the English "whose". -Note that the adjective agrees in number and gender with the thing being owned, not with the owner: La niña, cuyo padre es profesor, es muy simpática. El hombre, cuya madre murió, escribió su biografía. El coche, cuyos faros no funcionan, es un peligro. Pedro, cuyas hermanas son guapas, es mi amigo.

Contractions

-When a or de precedes the definite article el, the two words combine to form a contraction. a + el = al de + el = del -A + el is always contracted. Incorrect: ¿Llevas a el hermano de Raúl? Correct: ¿Llevas al hermano de Raúl? -De + la, de + las, de + los, a + la, a + las, and a + los are never contracted. ¿Llevas al hermano de Raúl? Are you taking Raul's brother? No, llevo a las hermanas de Pilar. No, I'm taking Pilar's sisters. ¿El libro es del profesor? Is the book the profesor's? No, el libro es de la profesora. No, the book is the profesor's (fem). -Remember the difference between el and él. The pronoun (él) does have a written accent and means "he." The definite article (el) does not have a written accent and means "the." el libro / the book él come / he eats -Only the definite article (el) is contracted. The pronoun (él) is not. La Casa Blanca es la casa del presidente. The White House is the president's house. Es la casa de él. It's his house. A él no le gusta fumar. He doesn't like to smoke.

Indirect Commands

-When the command is given through a third party, indirect commands are used. The form is "que + present subjunctive." Que entre María. Let María come in. -Indirect commands are also used to convey a hope or a wish. Que lo hagas tú. (I want) You (to) do it. -The following examples include pronouns and negative commands. Que ellos entren ahora. Let them in now. Que no entren ellos ahora. Don't let them in now. Que se ponga Sara el vestido negro. Have Sara put on the black dress. Que no se ponga Sara el vestido blanco. Don't have Sara put on the white dress.

Reflexive Verbs II

-When the sentence has two verbs, the pronoun can be placed directly before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive. Nos preferimos lavar con jabón perfumado. -Whenever a verb directly follows a preposition, it remains in the infinitive form. For reflexive verbs, the ending -se changes to agree with the subject. Antes de dormirme, yo cuento burros. -In English, many verbs can be used transitively (with a direct object) or intransitively (without a direct object). The sun dried the clothes. (transitive) The clothes dried in the sun. (intransitive) -In Spanish, these intransitive constructions frequently employ the reflexive form. The sun dried the clothes. (transitive) El sol secó la ropa. The clothes dried in the sun. (intransitive) La ropa se secó al sol. -Sometimes, the reflexive construction is used merely to emphasize who is performing the action of the sentence. The cake? Maria ate it. ¿La torta? María se la comió. -For some verbs, the meaning changes when they are used reflexively. aburrir - to bore aburrirse - to be bored acordar - to agree acordarse de - to remember acostar - to put to bed acostarse - to go to bed casar - to perform a marriage ceremony casarse con - to become married to someone despedir - to fire despedirse de - to say goodbye dormir - to sleep dormirse - to fall asleep ir - to go irse - to go away, to leave morir - to die (abruptly, as of an accident, war, etc.) morirse - to die (as from natural causes; also "to die" figuratively) negar - to deny negarse a - to refuse parecer - to seem parecerse a - to resemble poner - to put ponerse - to put on probar - to try, to taste probarse - to try on quitar - to take away quitarse - to take off -A few verbs are always used reflexively. arrepentirse (e:ie) - to repent atreverse a - to dare darse cuenta de - to realize jactarse de - to boast quejarse de - to complain about suicidarse - to commit suicide

Direct Object & Indirect Object Pronouns

-When you have both a direct object pronoun and an indirect object pronoun in the same sentence, the indirect object pronoun comes first. Ellos me los dan. They give them to me. -Whenever both pronouns begin with the letter "l" change the first pronoun to "se." -In negative sentences, the negative word comes directly before the first pronoun. -Because the pronoun se can have so many meanings, it is often helpful to clarify it by using a prepositional phrase. Él se lo dice a Juan. -2 Options: Place them immediately before the conjugated verb or attach them directly to the infinitive. She should explain it to me. Ella me lo debe explicar. Ella debe explicármelo. -Note that when attaching the pronouns to the infinitive, a written accent is also added to the final syllable of the infinitive. (Perseves sound of infinitive)

Object Pronouns w/ Commands

-With all affirmative commands, the object pronouns are attached directly to the end of the imperative form of the verb. Compre Ud. el anillo. Buy the ring. Cómprelo Ud. Buy it. -If both direct and indirect object pronouns are attached, the indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun. Tráigalas Ud. Bring them. Tráigaselas Ud. Bring them to her. -Note that in order to maintain the original stress of the verb, a written accent is often needed. If the command has more than one syllable, a written accent is required when one or more pronoun is added. Command: compre (two syllables) cómprelos cómpremelos -If the command has only one syllable, a written accent is only necessary when two pronouns are added. Command: haz (one syllable) hazlo (one pronoun, no accent required) házmelo (two pronouns, accent is required) -These rules for accentuation apply to all affirmative imperative forms. Hágamelo Ud. Házmelo. Hágalo Ud. Hazlo. With all negative commands, the object pronouns come before the imperative form of the verb. No compre Ud. el anillo. Don't buy the ring. No lo compre. Don't buy it. -If there are both direct and indirect object pronouns, the indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun. No me lo compre. Don't buy it for me. No se las traiga. Don't bring them to her. -Whenever both pronouns begin with the letter "l" change the first pronoun to "se."

Preterite III

-ar and -er verbs that change their stem in the present tense do not change in the preterite. They are conjugated just like other regular preterite verbs. Present Preterite entender entender entiendo entendí entiendes entendiste entiende entendió entendemos entendimos entendéis entendisteis entienden entendieron Present Preterite cerrar cerrar cierro cerré cierras cerraste cierra cerró cerramos cerramos cerráis cerrasteis cierran cerraron -ir verbs that change their stem in the present tense do change in the preterite, but in a different way. They change e:i and o:u in the third person, singular and plural. Present Preterite preferir preferir prefiero preferí prefieres preferiste prefiere prefirió preferimos preferimos preferís preferisteis prefieren prefirieron Present Preterite dormir dormir duermo dormí duermes dormiste duerme durmió dormimos dormimos dormís dormisteis duermen durmieron

Stem Changing Verbs (e:i)

-e:i verb conjugation: -Remember exception of nosotros and vosotros repetir repito repites repite repetimos repetís repiten -Common List of e:i stem changing verbs: bendecir (*) - to bless impedir - to impede colegir - to deduce maldecir (*) - to curse competir - to compete medir - to measure conseguir - to get, obtain pedir - to ask for, to order corregir - to correct perseguir - to pursue, to persecute decir (*) - to say, tell reír - to laugh despedir - to dismiss, fire repetir - to repeat elegir - to elect seguir - to follow, continue freír - to fry servir - to serve gemir - to groan, moan sonreír - to smile * Note: The verb "decir" and its derivitive forms are irregular in the first person: yo digo, etc.

Stem Changing Verbs (e:ie)

-e:ie stem change: -Remember exception of nosotros and vosotros cerrar cierro cierras cierra cerramos cerráis cierran -Here is a list of common e:ie stem-changing verbs. acertar - to guess, get right encender - to light, kindle advertir - to advise, warn entender - to understand cerrar - to close, shut fregar - to scrub, wash dishes comenzar - to begin hervir - to boil confesar - to confess mentir - to lie consentir - to consent negar - to deny convertir - to convert pensar (en) - to think about defender - to defend perder - to lose empezar - to begin preferir - to prefer

Days of the Week

-lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, viernes, sábado, domingo (Monday....Sunday) -Not capitalized, all masculine -When used with the days of the week, the definite article has the special meaning "on." (Ex: No trabajo el lunes. I don't work on Monday.) -When using the plural; days of the week already ending in "s" only change in article. (Ex: el lunes - los lunes. el sabado - los sabados) -Use the verb ser to express the day. (Ex: ¿Qué día es hoy? What day is today?) -In Spanish, the present tense of the indicative is sometimes used to express the near future. (Ex: Salimos el lunes. We (will) leave on Monday.)

Weather Expressions

-¿Qué tiempo hace? What's the weather like? Hace frío. It's cold. Hace calor. It's hot. Hace viento. It's windy. Hace sol. It's sunny. Hace buen tiempo. The weather is good. Hace mal tiempo. The weather is bad. Hace fresco. It's brisk. - These idioms also contain a noun and are modified by adjectives. (Ex: mucho not muy) -There are also weather expressions that use the verb hay: Hay niebla. It's foggy. Hay neblina. It's misty. Hay sol. The sun is shining. Hay luna. The moon is out. Hay relámpagos. It's lightning. Hay humedad. It's humid. Hay nubes. It's cloudy. Hay lluvias torrenciales. It's pouring. Hay un vendaval. There's a windstorm. Hay granizo. It's hailing. Hay lloviznas. It's sprinkling. -Other weather expressions use the verb estar along with an adjective: Está oscuro. It's dark. Está nublado. It's cloudy. Está lluvioso. It's raining. -Other weather expressions simply use a single verb: Llueve. It is raining. or It rains. From the verb llover (to rain) Nieva. It is snowing. or It snows. From the verb nevar (to snow) Truena. It is thundering. or It thunders. From the verb tronar (to thunder) Llovizna. It is drizzling. or It drizzles. From the verb lloviznar (to drizzle) -Common ways to ask about weather: ¿Qué tiempo hace? ¿Qué clima hace? ¿Cómo está el clima en ...? ¿Cómo está el tiempo? ¿Cómo está el clima hoy?

Ser & Estar IV

1. When a noun follows the verb, use ser 2. When an adjective follows the verb, decide between "essence" and "condition" (Ex: El profesor está aburrido. The professor is bored. El profesor es aburrido. The professor is boring.) 3. To tell where something is from, use ser (Ex: Mónica es de España. (origin)) 4. To tell where something is located right now, use estar (Ex: Mónica está en Venezuela. (location)) 5. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser (Ex: La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica. (taking place))

Numbers

1. uno (Changes from "uno" to "un" before a masculine noun and to "una" before a feminine noun.) 2. dos 3. tres 4. cuatro 5. cinco 6. seis 7. siete 8. ocho 9. nueve 10. diez 11. once 12. doce 13. trece 14. catorce 15. quince 16. dieciséis 17. diecisiete 18. dieciocho 19. diecinueve 20. veinte 21. veintiuno 22. veintidós 23. veintitrés 24. veinticuatro 25. veinticinco 26. veintiséis 27. veintisiete 28. veintiocho 29. veintinueve 30. treinta

Numbers 30-1000

30. treinta (y uno . . . etc.) 40. cuarenta 50. cincuenta 60. sesenta 70. setenta 80. ochenta 90. noventa 100. cien -From 101-199, use "ciento": ciento uno ciento dos ciento tres ciento sesenta y uno ciento sesenta y dos etc. -Notice how 1-29 don't use "y" for seperation. 200. doscientos 300. trescientos 400. cuatrocientos 500. quinientos 600. seiscientos 700. setecientos 800. ochocientos 900. novecientos 1000. mil -There is a feminine for numbers 200 . . . and onwards depending on noun Ex: (doscientas plumas) -When there is exactly 100 of something, and the number is used with the noun, use the shortened form "cien." cien dólares -Finally, in Spanish a period is used to indicate thousands, and a comma is used as a decimal point. 1.543,67

Possessive Pronouns

Ex: My book is large. (My is both adjective and possessive adjective) Ex: Yours is small. (Your is both pronoun and possessive pronoun -The possessive pronouns are similar to the possessive adjectives, but they are normally used with the definite article. mine el mío / la mía los míos / las mías yours (familiar) el tuyo / la tuya los tuyos / las tuyas yours (formal), his, hers el suyo / la suya los suyos / las suyas ours el nuestro / la nuestra los nuestros / las nuestras yours (familiar) el vuestro / la vuestra los vuestros / las vuestras yours (formal), theirs el suyo / la suya los suyos / las suyas -The definite article is usually omitted when the possessive pronoun comes after the verb ser: El carro grande es mío. - The big car is mine. -El suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas can be clarified as follows because they are usually ambiguous: El carro grande es suyo. - The big car is his. (unclarified) El carro grande es de él. - The big car is his. (clarified) -Note: de + el are contracted to form "del," however, de + él are not contracted.

Verbs Like Gustar

Me gustan los libros. Literal Translation: To me are pleasing the books. Actual Translation: I like the books. -In spanish the indirect object is used to describe "liking" because the subject of the sentence is the books. -For purposes of clarification, the sentence will often begin with a prepositional phrase that clarifies just who the IO pronoun refers to. A él le gusta la silla. He likes the chair. -Here is a list of verbs that operate in the same manner: aburrir - to bore fascinar - to be fascinating to bastar - to be sufficient importar - to be important to caer bien (mal) - to (not) suit interesar - to be interesting to dar asco - to be loathsome molestar - to be a bother disgustar - to hate something parecer - to appear to be doler (o:ue) - to be painful picar - to itch encantar - to "love" something quedar - to be left over, remain faltar - to be lacking something volver (o:ue) loco - to be crazy about

Irregular Commands: "tú"

The following eight verbs have irregular familiar commands in the affirmative: decir - di salir - sal hacer - haz ser - sé ir - ve tener - ten poner - pon venir - ven Note that these irregularities only occur with affirmative tú commands. As with all other verbs, to form negative informal commands with these verbs, use the "tú" form of the present subjunctive. Di la verdad. - (Tell the truth.) No digas mentiras. - (Don't tell lies.) Haz tu tarea. - (Do your homework.) No hagas eso. - (Don't do that.)