PRONUNCIATION OF THE SPANISH ALPHABET
If you know the alphabet in English, you can easily learn it in Spanish.
That is because the Spanish alphabet is very similar to the alphabets of most other western European languages, including English. According to the Real Academia Española, which is considered the arbiter of what's official Spanish, the following letters make up the Spanish alphabet:
a, b, c, ch, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, ll, m, n, ñ, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
The following chart shows the capital letters along with name of each letter. You can listen to the alphabet on the accompanying sound file.
A: a
B: be
C: ce
CH: che
D: de
E: e F: efe
G: ge
H: hache
I: i
J: jota
K: ka L: ele
LL: elle
M: eme
N: ene
Ñ: eñe
O: o P: pe
Q: cu
R: ere
S: ese
T: te
U: u V: ve
W: doble u
X: equis
Y: i griega
Z: zeta
It may interest you to know that not all authorities (or at least not all textbooks) agree on which letters make up the alphabet. Some lists don't include W (sometimes referred to as doble ve) and K, which exist almost exclusively in words of foreign origin, such as kilowatt. And some lists count RR (erre), whose sound usually is different than that of R, as a separate letter.
The Academy also has ruled that while CH and LL are considered letters, for alphabetization purposes only they should not be treated that way. It used to be that dictionaries would list all the words beginning with CH separately, after the words beginning with C, so, for example, the word achatar would be listed after acordar. But in most modern dictionaries, the words are alphabetized as they would be in English (except that the Ñ comes after the N).
Note also that the letters B and V have exactly the same pronunciation, and their names are pronounced exactly alike. Some colorful expressions are used to indicate which letter is being used, such as B de burro and V de vaca (roughly, "B as in burro" and "V as in vaca"). Sometimes B is referred to as be grande ("big B") and the V as uve or ve chica ("little V").
You will find as you learn Spanish that vowels are often written with accents, as in tablón, and the U is sometimes topped with a dieresis or umlaut, as in vergüenza. However, vowels with such diacritical marks are not considered separate letters as they can be in some other languages.
(courtesy: http://spanish.about.com)
GREETINGS, "LEAVE TAKINGS", TELLING NAME AND WHERE YOU'RE FROM...
AND OTHER BASIC WORDS IN SPANISH
HOW DO YOU SAY "THE", "A" and "AN" IN SPANISH?
The word "the" occupies a unique place in the English language as the only word that grammarians classify as a definite article. It's not quite so simple in Spanish, where the English "the" has four equivalents. Like many adjectives, the definite article in Spanish varies with number and gender:
(Realize that there are Singular and Plural forms:)
| |
Singular |
Plural |
| Masculine |
el |
los |
| Feminine |
la |
las |
Although there are a few exceptions, as a general rule a definite article is used in Spanish whenever "the" is used in English. But Spanish also uses a definite article in many cases where English does not. Although the following list isn't exhaustive, and there are exceptions some of these rules, here are the major instances where Spanish includes a definite article absent in English:
With abstract nouns and nouns used in a general sense: In English, the article is often omitted with abstract nouns and nouns that refer more to a concept than a tangible item. But it still is needed in Spanish. A few examples might help clarify: La ciencia es importante. (Science is important.) Creo en la justicia. (I believe in justice.) Estudio la literatura. (I study literature.) La primavera es bella. (Spring is beautiful.)
With most titles of people: The definite article is used before most titles of a person being talked about. El presidente Bush vive en la Casa Blanca. (President Bush lives in the White House.) Voy a la oficina de la doctora González. (I'm going to the office of Dr. Gonzalez.) Mi vecina es la señora Jones. (My neighbor is Mrs. Jones.) The article is omitted, however, when directly addressing the person. ¿Cómo está usted? profesora Barrera. (How are you, Professor Barrera?)
Before days of the week: Days of the week are always masculine. Except in constructions where the day of the week follows a form of ser (a verb for "to be"), as in hoy es martes (today is Tuesday), the article is needed. Vamos a la escuela los lunes. (We go to school on Mondays.) El tren sale el miércoles. (The train leaves on Wednesday.)
Before verbs used as subjects: In Spanish, infinitives (the basic form of a verb) can be used as nouns. The article el is used when one is used as the subject of a sentence. El escribir es difícil. (Writing is difficult.) El esquiar es peligroso. (Skiing is dangerous.) No me gusta el nadar. (I don't like swimming. In Spanish, this sentence has an inverted word order that makes nadar the subject.)
Often before names of languages: The article generally is used before names of languages. But it can be omitted immediately following a verb that is used often with languages, such as hablar (to speak), or after the preposition en. El inglés es la lengua de Belice. (English is the language of Belize.) El alemán es difícil. (German is difficult.) Hablo bien el español. (I speak Spanish well.) But, hablo español. (I speak Spanish.) No puede escribir en francés. (He can't write in French.)
With some place names: Although the definite article is seldom mandatory with place names, it is often used with many of them. The list of place names using the definite article is quite arbitrary and can be found here. La Habana es bonita. (Havana is pretty.) La India tiene muchas lenguas. (India has many languages.)
With nouns joined by "and": In English, it often isn't necessary to include the "the" before each noun in a series. But Spanish often requires it. La madre y el padre están felices. (The mother and father are happy.) Compré la silla y la mesa. (I bought the chair and table.)
EXPRESSING AGE OF SELF AND OTHERS, AND OTHER USEFUL PHRASES WITH THE VERB "TENER"
Idiomatic Expressions with "Tener"
An idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. A few examples of idioms in English are:
to be "on the go"
to "play the field"
to "jump the gun"
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Spanish also has many idiomatic expressions. Although their literal translations sound odd to English speakers, they sound perfectly natural to native speakers. Here is one example:
Idiom: Hace mucho frío
Literally: It makes much cold
True Meaning: It is very cold
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There are many idiomatic expressions that use the verb tener. This one expresses age:
Idiom: tener _____ años
Literally: to have _____ years
True Meaning: to be _____ years old
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Many other expressions using tener express 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.
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There are also many idiomatic expressions with tener that express sensations more psychological in nature:
tener prisa
to be in a hurry
tener miedo a
to be afraid of something
tener miedo de
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
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There are other idiomatic expressions with tener as well:
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
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When using these idiomatic expressions, conjugate the verb (tener) according to the subject of the sentence.
Yo tengo cinco años.
Tú tienes ocho años.
Pablo tiene dos años.
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Notice that the expressions combine the verb tener with a noun:
el año los celos
el frío la confianza
el calor el cuidado
la hambre la vergüenza
la sed la razón
el sueño el éxito
el dolor la culpa
la prisa la suerte
el miedo el lugar
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Because the expressions with tener use nouns, they are modified with adjectives, not adverbs.
Tengo frío.
Tengo mucho frío. (not muy)
(courtesy: www.studyspanish.com)
NUMBERS FROM 1 THROUGH 100
Here are the numbers 1-10:
1. uno
2. dos
3. tres
4. cuatro
5. cinco
6. seis
7. siete
8. ocho
9. nueve
10. diez
The number "one" changes from "uno" to "un" before a masculine noun.
un libro
one book
un perro
one dog (male)
un hombre
one man
The number "one" changes from "uno" to "una" before a feminine noun.
una pluma
one pen
una gata
one cat (female)
una chica
one girl
When counting generically (one, two, three ...) use "uno" but when counting specifically (one cat, one dog), use "un" or "una."
un libro
one book
una pluma
one pen
uno, dos, tres
one, two, three
Here are the numbers 11-20:
11. once
12. doce
13. trece
14. catorce
15. quince
16. dieciséis
17. diecisiete
18. dieciocho
19. diecinueve
20. veinte
Here are the numbers 21-30:
21. veintiuno
22. veintidós
23. veintitrés
24. veinticuatro
25. veinticinco
26. veintiséis
27. veintisiete
28. veintiocho
29. veintinueve
30. treinta
Notice how the numbers 16-19 and 21-29 are actually contractions. That is, sixteen is a contraction of the words "ten and six," twenty one is a contraction of the words "twenty and one," etc.
dieciséis
diez y séis
diecisiete
diez y siete
dieciocho
diez y ocho
diecinueve
diez y nueve
veintiuno
veinte y uno
veintidós
veinte y dos
veintitrés
veinte y tres
veinticuatro
veinte y cuatro, etc.
The next step is to learn to count by 10s all the way to 100:
10. diez
20. veinte
30. treinta
40. cuarenta
50. cincuenta
60. sesenta
70. setenta
80. ochenta
90. noventa
100. cien
Now, see how easy it is to fill in the gaps:
31. treinta y uno
32. treinta y dos
33. treinta y tres
34. treinta y cuatro
35. treinta y cinco
36. treinta y seis
37. treinta y siete
38. treinta y ocho
39. treinta y nueve
40. cuarenta
41. cuarenta y uno
42. cuarenta y dos
etc.
This pattern continues all the way to 100:
53. cincuenta y tres
54. cincuenta y cuatro
65. sesenta y cinco
66. sesenta y seis
78. setenta y ocho
88. ochenta y ocho
99. noventa y nueve
etc.
(courtesy: www.studyspanish.com)
COUNTRIES AND CAPITALS
Go to this web site to practice your knowledge of which capital cities go with which Spanish-speaking countries:
http://www.quia.com/custom/95main.html
THE SIX PRESENT-TENSE FORMS OF THE VERB "SER" AND "ESTAR"
Ser and Estar: Part I
Whole books have been written about the two important Spanish verbs: ser and estar. This will be the subject of our discussion for the next few lessons. Soon, you will have a very good understanding of how these two verbs are used.
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Ser and estar can both be translated as "to be." Here is the English verb, fully conjugated:
to be
I am
you are
he/she is
we are
you-all are
they are
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Notice that these two sentences can have different meanings in English.
The apple is green.
(Meaning the apple is not ripe.)
The apple is green.
(Meaning the color of the apple is green.)
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In the first case, our example speaks of the condition of the apple. The apple is green because it has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no longer be green.
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In the second case, our example speaks of the essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is green in color. This particular apple remains green even after it has ripened.
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In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and what something is (the essence).
How is the apple?
It is unripe.
What color is the apple?
It is green.
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In Spanish, a different verb is used to express "to be" depending on whether the speaker intends to address a condition or an essential quality.
La manzana está verde.
The apple is green. (condition)
La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)
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Note how the adjective "verde" actually changes meaning, depending upon whether it is used with ser or estar.
La manzana está verde.
(condition: unripe)
La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: color green)
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To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular verb. It does not follow the standard rules of conjugation for regular -ar verbs. Therefore, you must memorize it.
estar
estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están
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To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular and must be memorized.
ser
soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son
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If you are talking about what something is, use ser; if you are talking about how something is, use estar.
What is she like?
She is quiet.
Use ser:
Ella es callada.
How is she acting?
She is being quiet.
Use estar:
Ella está callada.
(courtesy www.studyspanish.com)
THE PRESENT TENSE OF THE VERB "LLAMARSE"
(REMEMBER, THE SUBJECT PRONOUNS, SUCH AS "YO", "TÚ", "USTED", ETC. ARE NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY)
YO ME LLAMO (I am called; my name is) NOSOTROS NOS LLAMAMOS (we are called...)
TÚ TE LLAMAS (You are called...) VOSOTROS OS LLAMÁIS (y'all are called...)
USTED SE LLAMA (You are called...) USTEDES SE LLAMAN (you all are called...)
ELLA SE LLAMA (She is called...) ELLAS SE LLAMAN (they [all females] are called...)
ÉL SE LLAMA (He is called...) ELLOS SE LLAMAN (they [males, or males and females] are called...)
THE PRESENT TENSE OF THE VERB "TENER"
YO TENGO NOSOTRAS TENEMOS
TÚ TIENES VOSOTRAS TENÉIS
USTED TIENE USTEDES TIENEN
ELLA TIENE ELLAS TIENEN
ÉL TIENE ELLOS TIENEN
HOW DO YOU FORM QUESTIONS IN SPANISH?
In Spanish, there may be several ways to ask the same question. Note the inverted question mark that begins each question.
¿María habla español?
¿Habla María español?
¿Habla español María?
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The following questions mean exactly the same thing:
Does María speak Spanish?
¿María habla español?
¿Habla María español?
¿Habla español María?
Possible answers would be:
Sí, María habla español.
No, María no habla español.
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Another method of forming questions is to add a tag question to the end of a statement.
María habla español, ¿no?
María habla español, ¿verdad?
Each of these questions could be translated as:
Maria speaks Spanish, doesn't she?
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Common words used to introduce other questions are:
¿Adónde?
¿Dónde?
¿De dónde?
¿Cómo?
¿Cuál (-es)?
¿Cuándo?
¿Cuánto (-a)?
¿Cuántos (-as)?
¿Qué?
¿De qué?
¿Quién (-es)?
¿A quién (-es)?
¿Con quién (-es)?
¿De quién (-es)?
¿Por qué?
¿Para qué?
Note: Each has a written accent mark.
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Notice how the subject and verbs are inverted. That is, the subject comes after the verb.
¿Qué estudia Pilar?
¿Cuándo comen ustedes?
¿Dónde está mi coche?
¿Cuánto cuesta la corbata?
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¿Dónde? means "Where?" ¿Adónde? means "To where?" Thus, dónde asks for a location, while adónde asks for a destination.
¿Dónde está la biblioteca?
Where is the library?
¿Adónde va Raúl?
Where is Raul going?
(Literally: To where goes Raul?)
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¿De dónde? means "From where?"
¿De dónde es Gerardo?
Where is Gerardo from?
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¿Cómo? means "How?"
¿Cómo está usted?
How are you?
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¿Cuál? and ¿Cuáles? mean "What?" or "Which?"
¿Cuál es tu nombre?
What is your name?
¿Cuáles son tus libros favoritos?
What (Which) are your favorite books?
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¿Cuándo? means "When?"
¿Cuándo van a ir ustedes?
When are you-all going to go?
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¿Cuánto(-a)? means "How much?"
¿Cuánto dinero gana Eduardo?
How much money does Eduardo earn?
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¿Cuántos(-as)? means "How many?"
¿Cuántas chicas hay en la clase?
How many girls are there in the class?
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¿Qué? means "What?"
¿Qué es la libertad?
What is liberty?
¿Qué estudias?
What do you study?
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¿De qué? means "About what?" or "Of what?"
¿De qué material es la pluma?
What is the pen made of?
Literally: Of what material is the pen?
¿De qué hablan ustedes?
What are you-all talking about?
Literally: Of what do you-all speak?
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¿Quién(-es)? means "Who?"
¿Quién es Gregorio?
Who is Gregorio?
¿Quiénes son esos chicos?
Who are those boys?
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¿A quién(-es)? means "Whom?"
¿A quién buscas?
For whom are you looking?
¿A quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?
To whom are you going to give so many books?
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¿Con quién(-es)? means "With whom?"
¿Con quién hablo?
With whom am I speaking?
¿Con quiénes estudia Mario?
With whom does Mario study?
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¿De quién(-es)? means "Whose?"
¿De quién es aquel sombrero?
Whose hat is that?
¿De quiénes son estas monedas?
Whose coins are these?
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¿Por qué? means "Why? (for what reason)"
¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Porque es un requisito.
Because it's required.
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¿Para qué? means "Why? (for what purpose)"
¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.
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When used with the verb ser, cuál and qué can both mean "what," but they are not interchangeable. Cuál is more common, and is used to indicate a selection, or choice of possibilities. Qué is used to elicit a definition or an explanation.
¿Cuál es la capital de España?
What is the capital of Spain?
¿Qué es la capital?
What is the (definition of) capital?
(courtesy: www.studyspanish.com)
HOW DO YOU MAKE A SENTENCE NEGATIVE?
You have already learned how to make simple affirmative statements.
Ella habla inglés.
Él es profesor.
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To make a sentence negative, place the word "no" before the verb.
Ella no habla inglés.
Él no es profesor.
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When the answer to a question is negative, the word "no" appears twice.
¿Habla Ud. español?
No, no hablo español.
¿ Está Gerardo en la clase?
No, Gerardo no está en la clase.
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Study the following list of affirmative words and their negative counterparts:
algo (something)
nada (nothing)
alguien (somebody)
nadie (nobody)
algún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (some, something)
ningún (-o, -a, -os, -as) (no, none)
siempre (always)
nunca (never) jamás (never, ever)
también (also)
tampoco (neither, not either)
o . . . o (either . . . or)
ni . . . ni (neither . . . nor)
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The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb.
Nadie habla.
Él nunca come.
Alfredo tampoco baila.
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The negative words can also be used with the word "no," following the verb. Note that unlike English, double negatives are acceptable in Spanish.
No habla nadie.
Él no come nunca.
Alfredo no baila tampoco.
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Sometimes, three negative words occur in the same sentence.
No compro nada nunca.
Él no compra nada tampoco.
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You can even have four negative words in the same sentence.
Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.
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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.
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Alguno and ninguno drop the -o before a masculine singular noun.
¿Tienes algún libro?
No, no tengo ningún libro.
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Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular.
¿Tienes algunas revistas?
No, no tengo ninguna.
¿Tienes algunos libros?
No, no tengo ninguno.
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The plural of ninguno(-a) is used only when the noun it modifies exists only in plural.
Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley.
No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.
(courtesy www.studyspanish.com)