Actually it's easier for adults cos so many of the concepts and vocabulary are similar to our own language. We can begin by finding which words are the same see my list. But after this first lesson Don't Translate
Spanish + English = CONFUSION
THINK IN SPANISH >>SPEAK IN SPANISH !! |
Don't worry Of course everday adult street language is a different level. It has a big vocabulary and regional accents. At the beginning you will have a small vocabulary so you won't recognise the words. And it will take a while for your ears to become tuned. For me at first Spanish sounded like a blur, but then I was able to pick out a few words I recognised.
Don't worry about the words you don't understand .. Ignore them
, you will still often be able to understand the message.
50% Same as English : the alphabet and many of the words are the same , BUT the sounds and thinking can be very different.
Firstly wheras English is a "stupid language" , where the sounds vary Spanish is completely pronounced as it's written.
a - apple e - egg i - ee like feet o- like O toe u- like oo, Sue ña - n- ya au - like now ai - like I, eye ei - A, like dayConsonants : Pronounciation is mostly the same as English... Except
30 % of the words are the same as English anyway See List of similar words
vocabulary book when you hear a new important word write it down.
The endings can be complicated.
Many verbs are irregular, but most are regular
Basically for I end the verb with o e.g.
amo, (and é in the past)
for he, she and formal you cut the "r" : ama
with you cut the "r" and use "s" : amas, comes etc
note also the simple form means +ing e.g. ando = I walk, I am walking
There are other tenses, but unlike English if you mention the time you can just use the present form.
Like English you can use ir "go" to make the future Voy andar- going to walk
- to be.
There is are 2 verbs estar and ser
Soy Britanico (always true)
Estoy aqui (true right now)
Note Also you can use Estar +ndo to make am + ing : estoy andando
- tenir = to have : tengo, teines, teine
- to make, to do use only one verb hacer : hago, haces, hace
QUESTIONS - Simpler than English - keep the word order and use intonation raising the tone on the last syllable Ando mañana ?
Question words : que (what), porque (why), quien (who), como (how), cuantos (how many) e.g. ?Cuantos años tienes ?
Cuando (when), dondé (where), qual (which)
Superlatives ..use "más"
: Más contente
...the "most" use el más : el mas contente
Dates and countries don't have Capital letters. Only names..........Stewgreen@ hotmail.com