Spanish course

SPANISH COURSE

Gender of Nouns: Part I

A noun is a word used to denote a person, place, thing, or idea.

Person: John, girl, dentist
Place: garden, university, Venezuela
Thing: book, car, tomato
Idea: liberty, despair, intelligence

In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine.

The idea that nouns have gender seems perfectly natural when the noun stands for a living creature. This is because in English, living creatures often have different names, depending upon whether they are male or female.

The following Spanish nouns all denote living creatures.

How are all of these masculine nouns alike?

el gato
el perro
el chico
el abuelo

Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

How are all of these feminine nouns alike?

la gata
la perra
la chica
la abuela

Hint: look at both the beginning and the ending of each line.

'El' and 'la' both mean 'the.'

el chico (the boy)
la chica (the girl)

el perro (the male dog)
la gata (the female cat)

Note: These two words (el, la) are called 'definite articles.' You will learn more about them in a later lesson.

What do you notice about the last letter of these nouns?

Masculine

gato
perro
chico
abuelo


Feminine

gata
perra
chica
abuela

Nouns that end in -o are usually masculine. Nouns that end in -a are usually feminine.

Notice the word usually! There are exceptions to these two rules and you will soon be learning them.

One cannot predict the gender of a noun that stands for a non-living thing. Try to predict whether the Spanish words for the following things are masculine or feminine:

Masculine or feminine?

book
house
money
window

One cannot predict the gender of a noun, except in the case of living creatures. Do not try to analyze the nature of the object, looking for some inherent masculinity or femininity. It won't work!

Take a guess. Do you think the Spanish word for 'dress' is masculine or feminine? You might expect it to be feminine, since a dress is an article of clothing worn by females. Actually, the word for 'dress' is a masculine word:

el vestido

Take another guess. Do you think the Spanish word for 'necktie' is masculine or feminine? You might expect it to be masculine, since a necktie is an article of clothing worn by males. Actually, the word for 'necktie' is a feminine word:

la corbata

When you learn a new noun, you should also learn its definite article (el, la). There are several reasons for this:

Because you cannot predict the gender of most nouns.

Because not every noun that ends in -o is masculine, and not every noun that ends in -a is feminine.

Because many nouns end in letters other than o or a.

Because the definite article (el, la) is your clue as to whether a noun is masculine or feminine.

Why do you care whether a noun is masculine or feminine? Good question! As you shall see in upcoming lessons, Spanish places a great deal more emphasis on gender than does English.

Gender of Nouns: Part II

Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.

el profesor
la profesora

el doctor
la doctora

el señor
la señora

Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).

el estudiante
la estudiante

el pianista
la pianista

el artista
la artista

Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.

la televisión
la decisión
la conversación
la habitación
la ciudad
la universidad
la dificultad
la libertad
la actitud
la gratitud
la certidumbre
la muchedumbre

Some nouns that end in -a are masculine.

el problema
el telegrama
el programa
el mapa
el sistema
el poema
el día
el tema
el clima
el idioma
el sofá
el planeta

Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine. Notice that eight of the twelve nouns listed above end in -ma.

el telegrama
el programa
el problema
el sistema
el poema
el idioma
el clima
el tema

Note: A few nouns that end in -ma are feminine, such as la cama and la pluma.

Four of the nouns that end in -a are simply exceptions and must be memorized.

el día
el mapa
el planeta
el sofá

A few nouns that end in -o are feminine.

la mano
la radio

Review of the rules learned in lesson 1 and lesson 2.

Many nouns that denote living things have both a masculine and a feminine form.

Most nouns that end in -o are masculine.

Most nouns that end in -a are feminine.

Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.

Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).

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

You now know most of the rules for determining the gender of a noun. There are just a few more things to know, but they won't be covered until later. Remember, whenever you learn a new noun, learn it complete with its definite article (el, la). Definite articles are the subject of an upcoming lesson.

Cardinal Numbers: 1-10

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

Plural Forms of Nouns

If a noun ends in a vowel, make it plural by adding -s.

libro: libros
(libro + s)

pluma: plumas
(pluma + s)

chico: chicos
(chico + s)

señora: señoras
(señora + s)

The definite articles (el, la) also change in the plural form. They become 'los' and 'las.' The definite articles will be covered in depth in the next lesson.

el libro: los libros

la pluma: las plumas

el chico: los chicos

la señora: las señoras

If a noun ends in a consonant, make it plural by adding -es.

el borrador: los borradores
(borrador + es)

la universidad: las universidades
(universidad + es)

el profesor: los profesores
(profesor + es)

la ciudad: las ciudades
(ciudad + es)

If a noun ends in -ión, add -es and drop the written accent.

el avión: los aviones

la conversación: las conversaciones

la sección: las secciones

la televisión: las televisiones

Note: You may wonder why 'avión' isn't feminine. Notice that it doesn't qualify for our rule which says that all nouns ending in -ción and sión are feminine.

If a noun ends in -z, add -es and change the z to c.

el lápiz: los lápices

la voz: las voces

el tapiz: los tapices

la actriz: las actrices

When the plural refers to two or more nouns of different genders, the masculine plural is used.

2 perros + 6 perras = 8 perros (not perras)

1 gato + 8 gatas = 9 gatos (not gatas)

A few nouns are 'compound nouns,' that is, they are formed by combining two words into one. (Example: abre + latas = abrelatas / open + cans = can opener) These compound nouns are always masculine, and the plural is formed by changing the 'el' to 'los.'

el abrelatas
los abrelatas

el paraguas
los paraguas

Let's review the rules for making nouns plural.

If a noun ends in a vowel, simply add -s.

If a noun ends in a consonant, simply 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'.

Definite and Indefinite Articles: Part I

The difference between definite articles and indefinite articles can be observed in the following two sentences:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.
Give me a cookie, please.

Imagine a plate full of cookies. There are peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, gingerbread cookies, and one chocolate chip cookie.

The first sentence speaks of a particular (or definite) cookie:

Give me the chocolate chip cookie.

The second sentence speaks of any of a number of cookies (or an indefinite cookie):

Give me a cookie, please.

The difference between the definite and indefinite articles is the difference between talking about a specific cookie, or any old cookie at all.

the cookie
a cookie

In English, the definite article is the word 'the' regardless of whether the noun it introduces is singular or plural.

the cookie
the cookies

In Spanish, the definite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

el gato
the male cat

los gatos
the male cats

la gata
the female cat

las gatas
the female cats

Note: The masculine plural definite and indefinite articles (los, unos) are also used to indicate a group of mixed sex. Thus, 'los gatos' could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the definite article are:

el
masculine singular

la
feminine singular

los
masculine plural

las
feminine plural

In English, the indefinite article is the word 'a,' 'an,' or 'some.'

a cookie
an apple
some books

In Spanish, the indefinite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural.

un gato
a male cat

unos gatos
some male cats

una gata
a female cat

unas gatas
some female cats

Note: Remember, as long as the group of creatures has at least one male member, the masculine plural article is used. Thus, 'unos gatos' could refer to a group of 10 male cats, or it could refer to a group of 9 female cats and one male cat.

The 4 forms of the indefinite article are:

un
masculine singular

una
feminine singular

unos
masculine plural

unas
feminine plural

Here are the definite and indefinite articles together:

el, un
masculine singular

la, una
feminine singular

los, unos
masculine plural

las, unas
feminine plural

Each of the following has a different meaning:

el gato
the male cat

los gatos
the male cats (or a mixed group)

la gata
the female cat

las gatas
the female cats

un gato
a male cat

unos gatos
some male cats (or a mixed group)

una gata
a female cat

unas gatas
some female cats

Un and una can mean 'one,' 'a,' or 'an.'

un libro
one book, a book

una pluma
one pen, a pen

una manzana
one apple, an apple

The Verb Form 'Hay'

The verb form 'hay' has two meanings:

there is
there are

Examples:

Hay muchos libros en la biblioteca.
There are many books in the library.

Hay un libro encima de la mesa.
There is a book on the table.

Más ejemplos:

Hay dos baños en mi casa.
There are two baths in my house.

Hay siete océanos en el mundo.
There are 7 oceans in the world.

Hay un libro y una pluma en la mesa.
There is one book and one pen on the table.
or:
There is a book and a pen on the table.

When used in questions, 'hay' has two different meanings:

Is there?
Are there?

Ejemplos:

sHay un hotel en el centro?
Is there a hotel downtown?

sHay algunos libros por aquí?
Are there any books around here?

Más ejemplos:

sHay muchos estudiantes en la clase?
Are there lots of students in the class?

sHay cuatro sillas en el cuarto?
Are there 4 chairs in the room?

sHay una chica o dos?
Is there one girl or two?

The verb form 'hay' can also be used to answer questions.

sHay un hotel en el centro?
Is there a hotel downtown?

Sí. Sí hay.
Yes. Yes there is.

sHay algunos libros por aquí?
Are there any books around here?

No. No hay.
No. No there aren't.

It is vital that you begin a collection of verb flashcards. This will be your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. We will tell you when you need to add a card to this collection. Begin by creating a card with the verb form 'hay' on one side, and the English translations on the other side:

Verb Flashcards

1.     hay
there is, there are

Subject Pronouns

A verb is an action word.

run
sit
eat
sink
swim
study

The main form of a verb is called the infinitive. In English, infinitives include the word 'to.'

to run
to sit
to eat
to sink
to swim
to study

The infinitive is the pure form of a verb. The infinitive is like a lump of clay that can be molded to match the subject of the sentence it is used in:

I speak
you speak
he/she speaks

we speak
you-all* speak

they speak

Note: The above forms are called conjugations of the infinitive to speak.

Regarding the form 'you-all': this usage is not considered to be standard English. In standard English, the same word is used for both the singular you and the plural you. That is, each of the following is correct:

You have a tail light out, ma'am.
You (kids) have soccer practice at four.

In the first sentence, 'you' refers to the singular ma'am. In the second sentence, 'you' refers to the plural kids. To avoid confusion between you (singular) and you (plural), we will employ the non-standard English usage 'you-all' to indicate you (plural). This will be very beneficial to y'all, particularly at the beginning of your studies.

The words I, you, he, she, we, you-all, and they are called subject pronouns. Spanish has corresponding subject pronouns. Here's a list of the English subject pronouns and their Spanish equivalents:

yo
I

usted
you

él
he

ella
she

nosotros
we

ustedes
you-all

ellos
they

Spanish subject pronouns are both similar to and different from their English counterparts. Let's examine some of the differences. Look more closely at the English word you. You have just seen that this can be translated into Spanish as usted. But there is also a second way it can be translated. There are two ways the English word you can be expressed in Spanish:

usted
you

tú
you

Spanish has a formal and an informal form of the word you. Usted is more formal and is generally used to express respect. Tú is more familiar and is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.

Speaking to your boss: usted
Speaking to your daughter: tú
Speaking to your teacher: usted
Speaking to your friend: tú


usted
you formal

tú
you informal (familiar)

This same distinction with regard to degree of formality occurs in the plural form as well. When referring to 'you-all,' there are two choices in Spanish:

ustedes
you-all formal

vosotros
you-all familiar

Once again, the difference lies in the degree of formality conveyed by the speaker. However, the vosotros form is used primarily in Spain. Throughout Latin America, 'ustedes' is generally used in both formal and informal situations to refer to 'you-all.'

Speaking to a group of children
(in Spain): vosotros

Speaking to a group of children
(in Latin America): ustedes

Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Spain): ustedes

Speaking to a group of strangers
(in Latin America): ustedes

Note: usted can be abbreviated Ud. or Vd. ; ustedes can be abbreviated Uds. or Vds.

In many ways, Spanish is more gender-specific than English. We find evidence of this in the subject pronouns. First, look at the word 'nosotros.' This means 'we' in the sense of a group containing at least one male. If the group contains only females, the word 'nosotras' is used. So, in Spanish, there are two ways to say 'we':

nosotros
we (masculine or mixed group)

nosotras
we (feminine)

This same idea applies to the English word 'they':

ellos
they (masculine or mixed group)

ellas
they (feminine)

This same idea also applies to the 'vosotros' form:

vosotros
you-all familiar (masculine or mixed group)

vosotras
you-all familiar (feminine)

Note: These forms are used primarily in Spain, not Latin America.

Finally, don't get confused over the difference between talking to a group or talking about a group. Consider the following statement, which could have been made by your Spanish teacher, while standing before the class:

'You-all need to study your Spanish. Those students in the other class don't need to study Spanish. They are studying French. You-all can practice Spanish in Spain. They can practice French in France.'

The teacher is talking to the Spanish students and about the French students.

Talking to a group, use 'you-all':

ustedes
vosotros
vosotras


Talking about a group, use 'they':

ellos
ellas

Here's the complete list of Spanish subject pronouns:

Singular

yo - I

tú - you (familiar)

él - he

ella - she

usted - you (formal)

Plural

nosotros
we (masculine or mixed gender)

nosotras
we (feminine)

vosotros
you-all (familiar, Spain, masculine or mixed gender)

vosotras
you-all (familiar, Spain, feminine)

ellos
they (masculine or mixed gender)

ellas
they (feminine)

ustedes
you-all (formal in Spain, formal and familiar in Latin America)

Regular Verbs: Part I

All Spanish verbs are either 'regular' or 'irregular.' In this lesson we will look at three completely regular verbs:

hablar (to speak)
comer (to eat)
vivir (to live)

Notice the last two letters of each verb.

hablar (to speak)
comer (to eat)
vivir (to live)

There are three categories of verbs:

-ar verbs (like hablar)
-er verbs (like comer)
-ir verbs (like vivir)

All three categories are infinitives. You will recall from a previous lesson that infinitives are the base form of the verb, equivalent in English to: to speak, to eat, to live, etc. In Spanish, all infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir.

-ar verb
hablar (to speak)

-er verb
comer (to eat)

-ir verb
vivir (to live)

Remember what it means to conjugate a verb:

to speak

I speak
you speak
he speaks
she speaks
we speak
you-all speak
they speak

In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate our model verbs for I, you (formal), we, and you-all (formal).

yo hablo
I speak

usted habla
you speak

nosotros/as hablamos
we speak

ustedes hablan
you-all speak



yo como
I eat

usted come
you eat

nosotros/as comemos
we eat

ustedes comen
you-all eat



yo vivo
I live

usted vive
you live

nosotros/as vivimos
we live

ustedes viven
you-all live

Look for a pattern in the yo form.

yo hablo
yo como
yo vivo

If the subject is I (yo), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -o.

yo hablo (hablar - ar + o = hablo)
yo como (comer - er + o = como)
yo vivo (vivir - ir + o = vivo)

Look for a pattern in the usted form.

usted habla
usted come
usted vive

If the subject is you formal (usted) drop the ending and add either -a or -e. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -a. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -e.

usted habla (hablar - ar + a = habla)
usted come (comer - er + e = come)
usted vive (vivir - ir + e = vive)

Look for a pattern in the nosotros/as form.

nosotros/as hablamos
nosotros/as comemos
nosotros/as vivimos

If the subject is we (nosotros/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -amos, -emos, or -imos. Notice that the ending of the infinitive determines which is used: -ar verbs add -amos, -er verbs add -emos, -ir verbs add -imos.

nosotros/as hablamos
(hablar - ar + amos = hablamos)

nosotros/as comemos
(comer - er + emos = comemos)

nosotros/as vivimos
(vivir - ir + imos = vivimos)

Look for a pattern in the ustedes form.

ustedes hablan
ustedes comen
ustedes viven

If the subject is you-all (ustedes), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -an or -en. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -an. If it is an -er or an -ir verb, add -en.

ustedes hablan
(hablar - ar + an = hablan)

ustedes comen
(comer - er + en = comen)

ustedes viven
(vivir - ir + en = viven)

Present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things.

Yo hablo inglés:

I speak English.
I do speak English.
I am speaking English.


Yo como pan:

I eat bread.
I do eat bread.
I am eating bread.


Yo vivo en Buenos Aires:

I live in Buenos Aires.
I do live in Buenos Aires.
I am living in Buenos Aires.

It is vital that you continue with your collection of verb flashcards. This will be your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. Continue by creating 4 additional cards, writing the words in bold on one side and the conjugations on the other side:

Verb Flashcards

2.     Present Indicative

I speak
I do speak
I am speaking

3.     hablar (to speak)

hablo

habla

hablamos

hablan

4.     comer (to eat)

como

come

comemos

comen

5.     vivir (to live)

vivo

vive

vivimos

viven

Regular Verbs: Part II

Remember, all Spanish verbs are either 'regular' or 'irregular.' In this lesson we continue by looking at our three model verbs, which are completely regular:

hablar
to speak

comer
to eat

vivir
to live

Also remember, there are three categories of verbs:

-ar verbs (like hablar)
-er verbs (like comer)
-ir verbs (like vivir)

Remember that when you conjugate a verb, you mold the infinitive to match the subject of the sentence.

to speak

I speak
you speak
he speaks
she speaks
we speak
you-all speak
they speak

In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate regular verbs for the following forms: you (familiar), he, she, you-all (familiar) and they.

Hablar

tú hablas
you (familiar) speak

él habla
he speaks

ella habla
she speaks

vosotros/as habláis
you-all (familiar) speak

ellos/ellas hablan
they speak

Comer

tú comes
you (familiar) eat

él come
he eats

ella come
she eats

vosotros/as coméis
you-all (familiar) eat

ellos/ellas comen
they eat

Vivir

tú vives
you (familiar) live

él vive
he lives

ella vive
she lives

vosotros/as vivís
you-all (familiar) live

ellos/ellas viven
they live

Look for a pattern in the tú form.

tú hablas
tú comes
tú vives

If the subject is you (familiar), conjugate by dropping the ending and add -as or -es. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -as. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add es.

tú hablas (hablar - ar + as = hablas)
tú comes (comer - er + es = comes)
tú vives (vivir - ir + es = vives)

Look for a pattern in the él form.

él habla
él come
él vive

If the subject is he (él) drop the ending and add either -a or -e. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -a. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -e.

él habla (hablar - ar + a = habla)
él come (comer - er + e = come)
él vive (vivir - ir + e = vive)

Look for a pattern in the ella form.

ella habla
ella come
ella vive

If the subject is she (ella), conjugate in exactly the same manner as you did for he (él). That is, by dropping the ending and add -a or -e, depending on whether the verb is an -ar, -er or -ir verb.

ella habla (hablar - ar + a = habla)
ella come (comer - er + e = come)
ella vive (vivir - ir + e = vive)

Note: at this point, you may notice that the conjugations for él/ella are the same as for usted (usted habla, usted come, usted vive).

Look for a pattern in the vosotros/as form.

vosotros/as habláis
vosotros/as coméis
vosotros/as vivís

If the subject is you-all familiar (vosotros/as), conjugate by dropping the ending and adding -áis, -éis or -ís. Again, decide which ending to use by the class of infinitive (-ar, -er, -ir).

vosotros/as habláis (hablar - ar + áis = habláis)
vosotros/as coméis (comer - er + éis = coméis)
vosotros/as vivís (vivir - ir + ís = vivís)

Note: Remember, vosotros and vosotras forms are primarily used in Spain. In Latin America, ustedes is generally used for both formal and informal situations.

Look for a pattern in the ellos form.

ellos hablan
ellos comen
ellos viven

If the subject is they masculine (ellos) drop the ending and add either -an or -en. If the verb is an -ar verb, add -an. If it is an -er or -ir verb, add -en.

ellos hablan (hablar - ar + an = hablan)
ellos comen (comer - er + en = comen)
ellos viven (vivir - ir + en = viven)

Look for a pattern in the ellas form.

ellas hablan
ellas comen
ellas viven

If the subject is they feminine (ellas), conjugate in exactly the same manner as you did for they masculine (ellos). That is, by dropping the ending and add -an or -en, depending on whether the verb is an -ar, -er or -ir verb.

ellas hablan (hablar - ar + an = hablan)
ellas comen (comer - er + en = comen)
ellas viven (vivir - ir + en = viven)

Note: At this point, you may notice that the conjugations for ellos/ellas are the same as for ustedes (ustedes hablan, ustedes comen, ustedes viven).

Remember that the present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things.

tú hablas inglés

you speak English.
you do speak English.
you are speaking English.


tú comes pan

you eat bread.
you do eat bread.
you are eating bread.


tú vives en Buenos Aires

you live in Buenos Aires.
you do live in Buenos Aires.
you are living in Buenos Aires.

If you are going to succeed in Spanish, you must learn the verbs. The best way to do that is by creating a special collection of flashcards. Practicing with these flashcards is your key to success in mastering the Spanish verbs. Continue by replacing the three cards you created in the previous lesson with these updated versions.

Verb Flashcards

3.     hablar (to speak)

Regular Verbs: Part III

Here's the complete list of Spanish subject pronouns.

Singular

yo
tú
usted
él
ella

Plural

nosotros/as
vosotros/as
ustedes
ellos
ellas

To conjugate -ar verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-as
-a
-amos
-áis
-an

To conjugate -er verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-es
-e
-emos
-éis
-en

To conjugate -ir verbs, drop the ending and add:

-o
-es
-e
-imos
-ís
-en

You will benefit greatly by quickly memorizing the three model verbs.

hablar
comer
vivir


yo hablo
tú hablas
él, ella, Ud. habla
nosotros/as hablamos
vosotros/as habláis
ellos, ellas, Uds. hablan


yo como
tú comes
él, ella, Ud. come
nosotros/as comemos
vosotros/as coméis
ellos, ellas, Uds. comen


yo vivo
tú vives
él, ella, Ud. vive
nosotros/as vivimos
vosotros/as vivís
ellos, ellas, Uds. viven

Note: The verb forms are the same for él, ella and Ud. as are the verb forms for ellos, ellas and Uds.

In Spanish the subject pronouns are not always required. This is because the verb endings can indicate who is performing the action.

Hablo español. (Yo is not necessary.)
I speak Spanish.

Comemos carne. (Nosotros is not necessary.)
We eat meat.

Vives en México. (Tú is not necessary.)
You live in Mexico.

Subject pronouns are often used for clarification. For example, the verb form habla is ambiguous.

Ud. habla
él habla
ella habla

Therefore, to distinguish between you speak, he speaks, and she speaks, it may be necessary to use the subject pronoun. Often, the conversation implies the subject of the verb. In such cases the subject pronoun may be omitted.

Subject pronouns are often used for emphasis.

Ella habla español y yo hablo inglés.

Here there is no ambiguity with respect to hablo. The subject pronoun is merely adding emphasis:

She speaks Spanish and I speak English.

Another example of using subject pronouns for emphasis.

Yo como pan y tú comes arroz.

Once again there is no ambiguity. The pronouns emphasize the contrast.

I eat bread and you eat rice.

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.

Necesito hablar con Alfredo.
I need to speak with Alfredo.
(necesitar, hablar)

Necesito + hablar + con Alfredo.
I need + to speak + with Alfredo.

Another example of two verbs used together:

Deseas vivir en España.
You wish to live in Spain.
(desear, vivir)

Deseas + vivir + en España.
You wish + to live + in Spain.

Hopefully, you have taken our advice and have been creating a special collection of verb flashcards. If not, it's not too late to start. Here is the entire list of cards to this point:

Verb Flashcards

1.     hay

there is, there are

2.     Present Indicative

I speak
I do speak
I am speaking

3.     hablar (to speak)

hablo
hablas
habla

hablamos
habláis

hablan

4.     comer (to eat)

como
comes
come

comemos
coméis

comen

5.     vivir (to live)

vivo
vives
vive

vivimos
vivís

viven

Here's a list of some common regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs:

-ar verbs

-er verbs

-ir verbs

Adjectives: Part I

Adjectives are frequently descriptive. That is, most often adjectives are used to describe a noun, or distinguish the noun from a group of similar objects. For example, an adjective might describe the color of an object.

the red pen
the blue pen

In Spanish, most adjectives change form, depending upon whether the word they modify is masculine or feminine. Notice the difference between 'the tall boy' and 'the tall girl.'

el chico alto
la chica alta

Adjectives also change form depending upon whether the word they modify is singular or plural. Notice the difference between 'the tall boy' and 'the tall boys' ; 'the tall girl' and 'the tall girls.'

el chico alto
los chicos altos

la chica alta
las chicas altas

Many common adjectives end in -o. These adjectives have four forms. The following words all mean 'tall':

alto
alta
altos
altas

The correct form of the adjective depends upon the noun it modifies. Is the noun masculine or feminine? Singular or plural?

libro rojo
red book

pluma roja
red pen

libros rojos
red books

plumas rojas
red pens

Notice how the endings of the nouns and these adjectives are similar.

libro rojo
pluma roja
libros rojos
plumas rojas

Adjectives that end in -e also change form for singular or plural. To form the plural, simply add -s.

la chica inteligente
las chicas inteligentes

Adjectives that end in -e do not, however, change form for masculine or feminine.

la chica inteligente
el chico inteligente

las chicas inteligentes
los chicos inteligentes

Similarly, most adjectives that end in a consonant do change form for singular or plural, but do not change for masculine or feminine. To form the plural, add -es.

la chica popular
el chico popular

las chicas populares
los chicos populares

Let's review.

Adjectives that end in -o have four forms: alto, alta, altos, altas

Adjectives that end in -e have two forms: inteligente, inteligentes

Most adjectives that end in a consonant have two forms: popular, populares (form plural by adding -es)

Adjectives: Part 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.

el muchacho mexicano
la muchacha mexicana

los muchachos mexicanos
las muchachas 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.

el muchacho español
la muchacha española

los muchachos españoles
las muchachas españolas

There is another group of adjectives that does not follow the normal rules. Adjectives ending in -or, -án, -ón, or -ín also have a feminine form.

el chico hablador
la chica habladora

los chicos habladores
las chicas habladoras


el hombre trabajador
la mujer trabajadora

los hombres trabajadores
las mujeres trabajadoras

Note: Adjectives ending in '-erior' do not have a feminine form.

Adjectives that are descriptive usually follow the noun they describe.

el chico alto
la chica alta
los libros pequeños
las plumas rojas

Adjectives of quantity almost always come before the noun. Such adjectives tell how much or how many.

pocos libros
mucha energía
mucho trabajo
pocas casas

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.

la blanca nieve
the white snow (snow is inherently white)

los altos picos
the tall peaks (peaks are inherently tall)

Let's review the last two lessons.

Adjectives that end in -o have four forms

alto
alta
altos
altas

Adjectives of nationality ending in -o are no different from other such adjectives

guatemalteco
guatemalteca
guatemaltecos
guatemaltecas

Adjectives that end in -e have two forms

inteligente
inteligentes

Most adjectives ending with a consonant have two forms

popular
populares

Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant have four forms

español
española
españoles
españolas

Adjectives ending in -or, -án, -ón, or -ín have four forms

hablador
habladora
habladores
habladoras

Adjectives that are descriptive usually follow the noun they describe

casa blanca
chica alta

When an adjective speaks of a quality that is inherent and usually taken for granted, the adjective precedes the noun

la blanca nieve
los altos picos

Adjectives of quantity usually come before the noun

pocos libros
muchos libros

Days of the Week

In Spanish-speaking countries, the week begins on Monday.

lunes
Monday

martes
Tuesday

miércoles
Wednesday

jueves
Thursday

viernes
Friday

sábado
Saturday

domingo
Sunday

Notice that the days of the week are not capitalized.

lunes
martes
miércoles
jueves
viernes
sábado
domingo

The days of the week are all masculine.

el lunes
el martes
el miércoles
el jueves
el viernes
el sábado
el domingo

When used with the days of the week, the definite article has the special meaning 'on.'

No trabajo el lunes.
I don't work on Monday.

No trabajo los martes.
I don't work on Tuesdays.

Hay una fiesta el miércoles.
There is a party on Wednesday.

Hay muchas fiestas los viernes.
There are many parties on Fridays.

Days of the week ending in -s do not change form in the plural. Only the article changes.

el lunes
los lunes

el martes
los martes

el miércoles
los miércoles

el jueves
los jueves

el viernes
los viernes

el sábado
los sábados

el domingo
los domingos

Use the verb ser to express the day. You will soon learn more about this verb. For now, simply realize that the word 'es' is a conjugation of that verb, and is the correct verb in this use.

sQué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today is Monday.

Mañana es martes.
Tomorrow is Tuesday.

Notice that the following actions do not occur in the present, but rather in the near future.

Salimos el lunes.
We leave on Monday.

Mañana es domingo.
Tomorrow is Sunday.

In Spanish, the present tense of the indicative is sometimes used to express the near future. English does this too.

Salimos el lunes.
We (will) leave on Monday.

Mañana es domingo.
Tomorrow (will be) is Sunday.

Cardinal Numbers: 11-30

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.

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.

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

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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)

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)

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

To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular and must be memorized.

ser

soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son

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.

Let's add the two important verbs ser and estar to our set of verb flashcards:

Verb Flashcards

6.     ser (to be)

soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son

7.     estar (to be)

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

Ser and Estar: Part II

In the previous lesson you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar - essence or condition. The examples used the verbs in conjunction with adjectives to clearly illustrate this point. In practice, ser and estar are not always used with adjectives, nor is it always easy for the non-native speaker to choose between the two verbs. Therefore, it is extremely useful to learn some concrete rules for deciding when to use ser or estar. This lesson examines some common uses for the verb ser.

Ser is used to express the hour, day, and date.

sQué hora es?
What time is it?

Son las dos.
It's two o'clock.

sQué día es hoy?
What day is today?

Hoy es lunes.
Today's Monday.

sQué fecha es hoy?
What's the date today?

Es el cinco de mayo.
It's May fifth.

Ser is used to express place of origin.

sDe dónde eres tú?
Where are you from?

Soy de Colombia.
I'm from Colombia.

Ser is used to express occupation.

sCuál es tu trabajo?
What do you do?

Soy carpintero
I'm a carpenter.

Ser is used to express nationality.

sEs ella puertorriqueña?
Is she Puerto Rican?

No, es guatemalteca.
No, she's Guatemalan.

Ser is used to express religious or political affiliation.

sSon los García bautistas?
Are the Garcias Baptists?

No, son católicos.
No, they're Catholics.

sEs el gobierno socialista?
Is the government socialist?

No, es comunista.
No, it's communist.

Ser is used to express the material something is made of.

sDe qué material es la mesa?
What's the table made of?

Es de madera.
It's made of wood.

Ser is used to express possession.

sDe quién es la pluma?
Whose pen is it?

Es de Emilio.
It's Emilio's.

Ser is used to express the relationship of one person to another.

sQuién es Rogelio?
Who is Roger?

Es el esposo de Marta.
He's Martha's husband.

Ser is used with certain impersonal expressions.

Es importante practicar cada día.
It's important to practice every day.

Es necesario hablar mucho.
It's necessary to speak a lot.

Ser is used to tell where an event is taking place.

La película es en el cine.
The movie is at the theatre.

La fiesta es en el club Fantástico.
The party is in the Fantastic Club.

Ser is used with adjectives to express inherent, or essential qualities.

Miguel es un hombre sincero.
Mike is a sincere man.

También es guapo.
He's also handsome.

Let's review. Ser is used to express:

1.     the hour, day, and date

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

10.  where an event is taking place

11.  essential qualities

Let's add another flashcard:

Verb Flashcards

8.     Uses of ser

the hour, day, and date
place of origin
occupation
nationality
religious or political affiliation
the material something is made of; possession
possession
relationship of one person to another
certain impersonal expressions
where an event is taking place
essential qualities

Ser and Estar: Part III

In the previous two lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar - essence or condition, as well as some common uses for the verb ser. This lesson examines the other Spanish verb for 'to be': estar.

Estar is used to express geographic or physical locations.

sDónde estás?
Where are you?

Estoy en el laboratorio.
I'm in the laboratory.

sDónde está Chile?
Where's Chile?

Chile está en América del Sur.
Chile is in South America.

Note: The one exception to this rule is that ser is used to tell where an event is taking place. (La fiesta es en mi casa.)

Estar is used with adjectives to express a state or condition.

sCómo está la sopa?
How's the soup?

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

sCómo estás tú?
How are you?

Estoy muy bien, gracias.
I am very well, thanks.

Estar is used with many idiomatic expressions. These are just a few.

estar de acuerdo
to be in agreement

estar de pie
to be standing

estar en camino
to be on the way

estar en las nubes
to daydream

Estar is used with the progressive tenses. You will learn more about this usage later. We present it now simply because it is an important use of the verb estar.

sQué estás comiendo?
What are you eating?

Estoy comiendo arroz y frijoles.
I am eating rice and beans.

Let's review. Estar is used to express:

1.     geographic or physical location

2.     state or condition

3.     many idiomatic expressions

4.     progressive tenses

Let's add another flashcard:

Verb Flashcards

9.     Uses of estar

geographic or physical location
state or condition
many idiomatic expressions
progressive tenses

Ser and Estar: Part IV

In the previous three lessons you learned the fundamental difference between ser and estar -- essence or condition, as well as some common uses for each verb. This lesson presents the two verbs side by side, with the emphasis on contrasting their uses. In the process, much -- but not all -- of the previous three lessons will be reviewed. The practice exercises and the test cover material from all four lessons (Ser and Estar Parts I-IV).

When the verb 'to be' is followed by a noun, the verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be helpful to think of the verb as equivalent to an 'equal' sign, such as a = b. This type of sentence is always referring to essential characteristics, since the verb is 'linking' what comes before the verb to what comes after the verb.

John is a doctor.
John = doctor.

Juan es médico.

When the verb 'to be' is followed by an adjective, the verb used depends upon the meaning. When referring to an essential characteristic, use ser. When referring to a state or condition, use estar.

La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.

Los elefantes son grandes.
The elephants are big.

When the verb 'to be' is followed by an adjective, the verb can actually change the meaning of the adjective.

El profesor está aburrido.
The professor is bored.

El profesor es aburrido.
The professor is boring.

Distinguishing between origin, location, and 'to take place.' To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.

Mónica es de España.
Mónica está en Venezuela.
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica.

Let's review.

1.     When a noun follows the verb, use ser

2.     When an adjective follows the verb, decide between 'essence' and 'condition'

3.     To tell where something is from, use ser

4.     To tell where something is located right now, use estar

5.     To tell where an event is taking place, use ser

Let's add another flashcard:

Verb Flashcards

10.  Ser and estar (contrasting uses)

When a noun follows the verb, use ser
When an adjective follows the verb, decide between 'essence' and 'condition'
To tell where something is from, use ser
To tell where something is located right now, use estar
To tell where an event is taking place, use ser

Negation

You have already learned how to make simple affirmative statements.

Ella habla inglés.
Él es profesor.

To make a sentence negative, place the word 'no' before the verb.

Ella no habla inglés.
Él no es profesor.

When the answer to a question is negative, the word 'no' appears twice.

sHabla Ud. español?
No, no hablo español.

s Está Gerardo en la clase?
No, Gerardo no está en la clase.

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)

The negative words can be used alone, preceding the verb.

Nadie habla.
Él nunca come.
Alfredo tampoco baila.

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.

Sometimes, three negative words occur in the same sentence.

No compro nada nunca.
Él no compra nada tampoco.

You can even have four negative words in the same sentence.

Yo no veo nunca a nadie tampoco.

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.

sTienes algún libro?
No, no tengo ningún libro.

Ninguno(-a) is generally used in the singular.

sTienes algunas revistas?
No, no tengo ninguna.

sTienes algunos libros?
No, no tengo ninguno.

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.

Questions

In Spanish, there may be several ways to ask the same question. Note the inverted question mark that begins each question.

sMaría habla español?
sHabla María español?
sHabla español María?

The following questions mean exactly the same thing:

Does María speak Spanish?

sMaría habla español?
sHabla María español?
sHabla español María?

Possible answers would be:

Sí, María habla español.
No, María no habla español.

Another method of forming questions is to add a tag question to the end of a statement.

María habla español, sno?
María habla español, sverdad?

Each of these questions could be translated as:

Maria speaks Spanish, doesn't she?

Common words used to introduce other questions are:

sAdónde?
sDónde?
sDe dónde?
sCómo?
sCuál (-es)?
sCuándo?
sCuánto (-a)?
sCuántos (-as)?
sQué?
sDe qué?
sQuién (-es)?
sA quién (-es)?
sCon quién (-es)?
sDe quién (-es)?
sPor qué?
sPara qué?

Note: Each has a written accent mark.

Notice how the subject and verbs are inverted. That is, the subject comes after the verb.

sQué estudia Pilar?
sCuándo comen ustedes?
sDónde está mi coche?
sCuánto cuesta la corbata?

sDónde? means 'Where?' sAdónde? means 'To where?' Thus, dónde asks for a location, while adónde asks for a destination.

sDónde está la biblioteca?
Where is the library?

sAdónde va Raúl?
Where is Raul going?
(Literally: To where goes Raul?)

sDe dónde? means 'From where?'

sDe dónde es Gerardo?
Where is Gerardo from?

sCómo? means 'How?'

sCómo está usted?
How are you?

sCuál? and sCuáles? mean 'What?' or 'Which?'

sCuál es tu nombre?
What is your name?

sCuáles son tus libros favoritos?
What (Which) are your favorite books?

sCuándo? means 'When?'

sCuándo van a ir ustedes?
When are you-all going to go?

sCuánto(-a)? means 'How much?'

sCuánto dinero gana Eduardo?
How much money does Eduardo earn?

sCuántos(-as)? means 'How many?'

sCuántas chicas hay en la clase?
How many girls are there in the class?

sQué? means 'What?'

sQué es la libertad?
What is liberty?

sQué estudias?
What do you study?

sDe qué? means 'About what?' or 'Of what?'

sDe qué material es la pluma?
What is the pen made of?
Literally: Of what material is the pen?


sDe qué hablan ustedes?
What are you-all talking about?
Literally: Of what do you-all speak?

sQuién(-es)? means 'Who?'

sQuién es Gregorio?
Who is Gregorio?

sQuiénes son esos chicos?
Who are those boys?

sA quién(-es)? means 'Whom?'

sA quién buscas?
For whom are you looking?

sA quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?
To whom are you going to give so many books?

sCon quién(-es)? means 'With whom?'

sCon quién hablo?
With whom am I speaking?

sCon quiénes estudia Mario?
With whom does Mario study?

sDe quién(-es)? means 'Whose?'

sDe quién es aquel sombrero?
Whose hat is that?

sDe quiénes son estas monedas?
Whose coins are these?

sPor qué? means 'Why? (for what reason)'

sPor qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Porque es un requisito.
Because it's required.

sPara qué? means 'Why? (for what purpose)'

sPara qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?

Possible answer:

Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.

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.

sCuál es la capital de España?
What is the capital of Spain?

sQué es la capital?
What is the (definition of) capital?

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership.

mi libro
my book

tu pluma
your pen

There are five possessive adjectives.

mi
tu
su

nuestro
vuestro

Three possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) have only two forms, singular and plural.

mi
mis

tu
tus

su
sus

Possessive adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. That is, they agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor.

mi libro
my book

mis libros
my books

tu pluma
your pen

tus plumas
your pens

Mi, tu and su do not have masculine and feminine forms. They stay the same, regardless of the gender of the nouns they modify.

mi amigo
mi amiga

tus hermanos
tus hermanas

su libro
sus plumas

Mi means 'my' ; tu means 'your.'

Mi casa es tu casa.
My house is your house.

Su, like tu, can mean 'your.' The difference between your (tu) and your (su) lies in the degree of formality the speaker wishes to convey.

Mi casa es tu casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as 'tú')

Mi casa es su casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as 'usted')

Note: The two words 'tu' and 'tú' are pronounced the same. Tú (with the written accent) is the subject pronoun meaning 'you' (informal). Tu (without the written accent) is the possessive adjective meaning 'your' (informal).

Su has four meanings: his, her, their and your (formal).

María busca a su hermana.
María is looking for her sister.

Juan busca a su hermana.
Juan is looking for his sister.

Ellos buscan a su hermana.
They are looking for their sister.

Su madre busca a su hermana.
Your mother is looking for your sister.

If the meaning of su is not clear from the context of the sentence, a prepositional phrase is used in place of su.

María busca a la hermana de él.
María looks for his sister.

El hombre busca las llaves de ella.
The man looks for her keys.

María busca el cuaderno de Juan.
María looks for Juan's notebook.

El hombre busca las llaves de Samanta.
The man looks for Samanta's keys.

Two possessive adjectives (nuestro and vuestro) have four forms.

nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras

vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras

Nuestro means 'our.'

nuestro hermano
our brother

nuestra hermana
our sister

nuestros hermanos
our brothers

nuestras hermanas
our sisters

Vuestro means 'your' (familiar, plural). Like vosotros, vuestro is primarily used in Spain.

vuestro libro
your book

vuestra pluma
your pen

vuestros libros
your books

vuestras plumas
your pens

Here are all of the possessive adjectives:

mi(s)
my

tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)

su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their

nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our

vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)

Note that these possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing or body parts. Rather, the definite article is used.

Me gusta el vestido nuevo.
I like my new dress

Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.

Irregular Verbs: 'Tener' and 'Venir'

'Tener' and 'venir' are both irregular verbs. Because they are irregular, you must memorize their conjugations. We present these two verbs together because they are very similar in the way they are conjugated:

tener
to have

venir
to come

tengo / vengo
tienes / vienes
tiene / viene
tenemos / venimos
tenéis / venís
tienen / vienen

Continuing with our verb flashcards, let's add a single card for the two verbs tener and venir:

Verb Flashcards

11.  tener (to have)
venir (to come)

tengo / vengo
tienes / vienes
tiene / viene
tenemos / venimos
tenéis / venís
tienen / vienen

'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.

Tengo que comer las verduras.
I have to eat the vegetables.

Ángel tiene que leer el periódico.
Ángel has to read the newspaper.

Ellos tienen que comprar una revista.
They have to buy a magazine.

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.

Hay que tomar un taxi.
It is necessary to take a taxi.

Hay que estudiar mucho.
One must study a lot.

These examples illustrate the contrasting uses of these two expressions:

María tiene un examen el lunes. Ella tiene que estudiar.
María has a test on Monday. She has to study.

No es fácil aprender el español. Hay que practicar mucho.
It isn't easy to learn Spanish. It is necessary to practice a lot.

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'

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

Tengo frío.
Tengo mucho frío. (not muy)

The first practice exercise and test will cover ten of the most common and useful of these expressions:

tener _____ años
tener calor
tener frío
tener hambre
tener sed
tener prisa
tener miedo de _____
tener miedo a _____
tener razón
tener suerte

Practice exercises 2-4 and test 2 will cover all of the expressions in this lesson.

Weather Expressions

Remember, an idiom is an expression that cannot be immediately understood by analyzing its literal meaning. A few examples of idioms in English are:

to 'drive someone crazy'
to 'lose it'
to be 'raining cats and dogs'

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

In Spanish, there are a number of idiomatic expressions that employ the verb hacer (literal meaning: to do or to make), and are used to describe the weather.

sQué 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.

Like the idioms that use tener, these idioms also contain a noun.

el frío
el calor
el viento
el sol
el tiempo

Because the idioms use nouns, they are modified by adjectives, not adverbs.

Hace frío.
Hace mucho frío. (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 lloviendo.
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)

Here are some common ways to ask about the weather:

sQué tiempo hace?
sQué clima hace?
sCómo está el clima en ?
sCómo está el tiempo?
sCómo está el clima hoy?

The first practice exercise and test will cover ten of the most common and useful of these expressions:

sQué tiempo hace?
Hace frío.
Hace calor.
Hace viento.
Hay niebla.
Hay granizo.
Hay relámpagos.
Llovizna.
Nieva.
Llueve.

Practice exercises 2-4 and test 2 will cover all of the expressions in this lesson.

The Personal 'a'

The direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb. In the following sentences, the direct objects are underlined.

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. This word has no English translation.

Correct
Jorge llama a María.
Jorge calls María.

Incorrect
Jorge llama María.

From the perspective of the English speaker, the personal 'a' appears to be an extra word. From the perspective of the Spanish speaker, the personal 'a' is required, and not to use it is a serious error.

Correct
Jorge llama a María.

Incorrect
Jorge llama 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.

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.

Correct
Bebo la leche. (beber)
(I drink the milk.)
-- milk is neither a person nor an animal

Correct
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.

Correct
Tengo dos hermanos. (tener)
(I have two brothers.)

Incorrect
Tengo a dos hermanos.

Correct
Hay cinco chicas.
(There are five girls.)

Incorrect
Hay a cinco chicas.

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.

Because this Spanish grammatical structure has no equivalent in English, it is normal to expect that the student will forget to use it until a pattern of use has been established. Remember, to not use the personal 'a' is a serious error, and the student should try to remember to use it when appropriate.

Contractions

When a or de precedes the definite article el, the two words combine to form a contraction. That is, two words become one.

a + el = al
de + el = del

A + el is always contracted.

Incorrect:
sLlevas a el hermano de Raúl?

Correct:
sLlevas al hermano de Raúl?

De + el is always contracted.

Incorrect:
sEl libro es de el profesor?

Correct:
sEl libro es del profesor?

De + la, de + las, de + los, a + la, a + las, and a + los are never contracted.

sLlevas al hermano de Raúl?
Are you taking Raul's brother?

No, llevo a las hermanas de Pilar.
No, I'm taking Pilar's sisters.

sEl 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.

Stem-Changing Verbs: o:ue

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the first group of stem-changing verbs, the letter o in the stem changes to ue in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

contar

cuento
cuentas
cuenta

contamos
contáis

cuentan

Here's another o:ue stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb comer. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

mover (o:ue)
comer (regular -er verb)

muevo
como

mueves
comes

mueve
come

movemos
comemos

movéis
coméis

mueven
comen

Here's another o:ue stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn't change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

dormir (o:ue)

duermo
duermes
duerme

dormimos
dormís

duermen

Here is a list of common o:ue stem-changing verbs.

Let's add a flashcard for o:ue stem-changers:

Verb Flashcards

12.  o:ue stem-changers (dormir)

duermo
duermes
duerme
dormimos
dormís
duermen

(almorzar, contar, costar, volver, recordar, volar)

Stem-Changing Verbs: e:ie

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the second group of stem-changing verbs, the letter e in the stem changes to ie in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

cerrar

cierro
cierras
cierra

cerramos
cerráis

cierran

Here's another e:ie stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb comer. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

entender (e:ie)
comer (regular -er verb)


entiendo
como

entiendes
comes

entiende
come

entendemos
comemos

entendéis
coméis

entienden
comen

Here's another e:ie stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn't change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

mentir (e:ie)

miento
mientes
miente

mentimos
mentís

mienten

Here is a list of common e:ie stem-changing verbs.

Let's add a flashcard for e:ie stem-changers:

Verb Flashcards

13.  e:ie stem-changers (cerrar)

cierro
cierras
cierra
cerramos
cerráis
cierran

(comenzar, empezar, entender, pensar, perder, preferir)

Stem-Changing Verbs: e:i

Remember, there are three types of infinitives: -ar, -er, -ir. Infinitives are made up of two parts: the ending and the stem. In the following examples, the stem is underlined and the ending is in bold.

hablar
comer
vivir

With regular verbs, the stem stays the same, and the ending changes as they are conjugated.

With some verbs, the stem also changes when you conjugate them. In the present tense, there are three groups of stem-changing verbs:

o:ue
e:ie
e:i

With the third group of stem-changing verbs, the letter e in the stem changes to i in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros.

repetir

repito
repites
repite

repetimos
repetís

repiten

Here's another e:i stem changing verb. Compare it to the regular verb vivir. Notice that the endings are the same for regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

competir (e:i)
vivir (regular -ir verb)


compito
vivo

compites
vives

compite
vive

competimos
vivimos

competís
vivís

compiten
viven

Here's another e:i stem-changing verb. Notice how the stem doesn't change in the nosotros and vosotros forms.

pedir (e:i)

pido
pides
pide

pedimos
pedís

piden

Here is a list of common e:i stem-changing verbs.

Let's add a flashcard for e:i stem-changers:

Irregular Verbs: Estar, Ir, Dar

You should already know how to conjugate the verb estar.

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

Notice that ir and dar follow the same pattern as estar; they are irregular in the first person singular (yo).

Since these verbs are irregular, their conjugations must be memorized. Make a flashcard with these three verbs on one side, and their conjugations on the other side.

It seems that there are two options when it comes to learning the irregular verbs. The first is to view them as complex and difficult, in which case you will struggle, wring your hands in consternation, and never really learn them. We do not advocate this approach.

A more productive strategy is to build a library of flashcards and to study them regularly. It is not necessary to study them for long periods of time. It is, however, essential to study them frequently. Therefore, we recommend that you carry your little stack of verb cards with you, and pull them out several times a day. This will work, even if you only study them for 3-4 minutes per session.

Guaranteed!

Let's add a flashcard for the irregular verbs estar, ir, and dar:

Verb Flashcards

15.  estar, ir, dar

estoy - voy - doy
estás - vas - das
está - va - da
estamos - vamos - damos
estáis - vais - dais
están - van - dan

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.

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.



poder, nadar

Juan puede nadar.
Juan can 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.

Vas a invitar a muchas muchachas.
You are going to invite lots of girls.

Cristina va a conversar con mi mamá.
Christina is going to talk with my mom.

Eduardo va a leer el libro.
Edward is going to read the book.

Remember from the previous lesson how to conjugate the verb ir:

voy
vas
va

vamos
vais

van

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

Let's add a flashcard for the expression 'ir a + infinitive':

Verb Flashcards

16.  Ir a + infinitive

To be going to do something

(voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van)

Acabar de + 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.

Yo voy a viajar a España.
I am going to travel to Spain.

Tú acabas de comer.
You have just eaten.

Juan puede nadar cada día.
Juan can swim every day.

María vuelve a leer el libro.
María reads the book again.

One such expression combines the verb acabar (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition 'de' is always used. The formula is:

acabar de + infinitive = to have just done something (in the very recent past)

Acabo de llevar a mi hermana a su casa.
I just took my sister to her house.

Acabas de invitar a muchas muchachas.
You have just invited many girls.

Cristina acaba de conversar con mi mamá.
Christina has just spoken with my mom.

Nosotros acabamos de leer el libro.
We just read the book.

Vosotros acabáis de escribir unas cartas.
You-all have just written some letters.

Ellos acaban de nadar en el mar.
They have just swum in the ocean.

Let's add a flashcard for the expression 'acabar de + infinitive':

Verb Flashcards

17.  Acabar de + infinitive

To have just done something

(acabo, acabas, acaba, acabamos, acabáis, acaban)

Volver 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.

Yo voy a viajar a España.
I am going to travel to Spain.

Tú acabas de comer.
You have just eaten.

Juan puede nadar.
Juan can swim.

María vuelve a leer el libro.
María reads the book again.

One such expression combines the verb volver (conjugated) with an infinitive. The preposition 'a' is always used. The formula is:

volver a + infinitive = to do something again

Vuelvo a leer el libro.
I read the book again.

Cristina vuelve a conversar con mi mamá.
Christina speaks with my mom again.

Remember, volver is an o:ue stem-changing verb.

vuelvo
vuelves
vuelve

volvemos
volvéis

vuelven

Let's add a flashcard for the expression 'volver a + infinitive':

Verb Flashcards

18.  Volver a + infinitive

To do something again

(vuelvo, vuelves, vuelve, volvemos, volvéis, vuelven)

Ordinal Numbers

Here are the ordinal numbers first - tenth:

Like many other adjectives, the ordinal numbers have a masculine and a feminine form.

They also have a singular and plural form.

So, the ordinal numbers have four forms, just like other adjectives that end in -o.

primero
primeros
primera
primeras

Primero and tercero drop the -o in the masculine singular adjective form.

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 Avenue

el siglo diecinueve
the nineteenth century

Months, Seasons, and Dates

Here are the months in Spanish. Note that, like the days of the week, they are not capitalized.

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.

Here are the 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.

En América del Norte, la primavera empieza en marzo.
In North America, spring begins in March.

En América del Sur, la primavera empieza en septiembre.
In South America, spring begins in September.

Note: The seasons are reversed south of the equator. When it is winter in New York, NY, it is summer in Santiago, Chile.

Here are some ways to inquire as to the date.

sCuál es la fecha de hoy?
sA cuántos estamos hoy?
sQué día es hoy?
sA cuántos estamos?

If you are talking about the first day of the month, use the expression 'el primer día' or simply 'el primero.'

sQué 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.

sCuál es la fecha de hoy? (Tuesday, March 25)
Hoy es martes, el veinticinco de marzo.

sA cuántos estamos hoy? (Sunday, June 3)
Estamos al domingo, el tres de junio.

The Spanish way is to write the day + month + year. This is different from the American way (month + day + year).

el 29 de febrero de 1996
February 29, 1996

29.2.96
2/29/96

Comparisons of Inequality

If two things are not equal, they are unequal.

We are not the same height.
You are taller than I.

The two items do not cost the same.
The camera is more expensive than the television.

In Spanish, inequality is expressed by using one of the following formulae:

más (menos) + adjective + que
más (menos) + adverb + que
más (menos) + noun + que

Here are some examples:

Tú eres más alto que yo.
You are taller than I.

Mónica habla más lentamente que Carmen.
Monica speaks more slowly than Carmen.

Tengo menos libros que Arsenio.
I have fewer books than Arsenio.

If the comparative is followed by a number, use de rather than que.

Hay menos de veinte alumnos en la clase.
There are less than twenty students in the class.

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.'

Tengo más de cinco dólares.
(I have more than five dollars.)

but

No tengo más que cinco dólares.
(I only have five dollars.)



Hay más de veinte estudiantes en la clase.
(There are more than twenty students in the class.)

but

No hay más que veinte estudiantes en la clase.
(There are only twenty students in the class.)

Comparisons of Equality

When things being compared have equal characteristics, the comparison of equality is used.

The book is as good as the movie.
The boy is as tall as the girl.

To form the comparisons of equality using adjectives or adverbs, use the following formula:

tan + adjective (adverb) + como

El libro es tan bueno como la película.
(The book is as good as the movie.)

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) + noun + como

Juan tiene tanto dinero como María.
(as much money as)

Él tiene tanta paciencia como ella.
(as much patience as)

Tiene tantos libros como ella.
(as many books as)

Tiene tantas plumas como ella.
(as many pens as)

Choose the form of tanto to agree with the noun it modifies.

tanto dinero
tanta paciencia
tantos libros
tantas plumas

When actions (not things) are being compared, and there is no adjective, use the following formula:

verb + tanto + como

Sus estudiantes aprenden tanto como mis estudiantes.
(learn as much as)

Rosario cocina tanto como Josefina.
(cooks as much as)

Las naranjas cuestan tanto como las manzanas.
(cost 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

Aquí se trabaja tan duro como ahí.
(work as hard as)

El niño juega tan poco como la niña.
(plays as little as)

Ellos duermen tan poco como ella.
(sleep as little as)

Superlatives

There are two types of superlative: relative and absolute.

Relative: John is the smartest boy in the class.

Absolute: John is very smart.

The relative superlative describes a noun within the context of some larger group.

John is the smartest boy in the class.

Mary is the youngest person in the room.

Of the three, Moe is the meanest.

The absolute superlative does not describe the noun in the context of a larger group.

John is very smart.

The book is extremely expensive.

The food is indescribably tasty.

In English, the relative superlative is formed by using the word 'most' or the ending '-est.'

John is the most intelligent boy in the class.
Mary is the smartest girl in the class.

In Spanish, the relative superlative construction is similar to the comparative.

definite article + noun + más (menos) + adjective + de

Here are some superlative examples.

Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase.
John is the smartest boy in the class.

Bill Gates es el hombre más rico de los EEUU.
Bill Gates is the richest man in the U.S.

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)

The following translations are somewhat arbitrary. Each superlative statement is a little stronger than the one that precedes it.

muy guapo
very handsome

sumamente guapo
extremely handsome

guapísimo
indescribably handsome

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.

yo
tú
él, ella, usted

nosotros/as
vosotros/as

ellos, ellas, ustedes

As the name implies, subject pronouns are the pronouns to use for the subject of the sentence.

Juan come mucho.
Él come mucho.

Juan y María hablan español.
Ellos hablan español.

When the pronoun acts as the object of a preposition, a different set of pronouns is used.

Note: Only mí and ti are different from the subject pronouns.

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.

sPor qué no vienes conmigo?
Why don't you come with me?

Whenever ti follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form contigo.

No voy contigo, voy con ellos.
I'm not going with you, I'm going with them.

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.

Pronoun does refer to the subject

He took the pens with him(self).
Él llevó las plumas consigo.

Why don't you take a book with you(rself)?
sPor qué no lleva un libro consigo?


Pronoun does not refer to the subject

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.

Examples:

Entre tú y yo, esta comida es horrible.
Todos beben agua, incluso yo.
Según tú, la chica es bonita.

Direct Object Pronouns: Part I

The object that directly receives the action of the verb is called the direct object.

Bill hit the ball.
'Ball' receives the action of the verb 'hit.'

Sherry reads the book.
'Book' receives the action of the verb 'reads.'

The direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill. (DO=Bill)

The direct object answers the question 'what?' or 'whom?' with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what?
Bill hit the ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom?
Sherry hit Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.


Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

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.

Tengo = I have
Tengo la pluma. = I have the pen.
La tengo. = I have it.

The pronoun (la) comes immediately before the verb (tengo).

Notice that if the subject of the sentence changes, this does not affect the direct object pronoun.

Juan la tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.


and


María la tiene.

María tiene = Mary has
María tiene la pluma. = Mary has the pen.
María la tiene. = Mary has it.

However, if the direct object of the sentence changes to a masculine noun, the masculine pronoun must be used.

Juan lo tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.


but


Juan la tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.

Likewise, if the direct object of the sentence changes from singular to plural, the plural pronoun must be used.

Juan lo tiene.

Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.


but


María los tiene.

María tiene = Mary has
María tiene los libros. = Mary has the books.
María los tiene. = Mary has them.

Look at how Spanish and English are different.

'Lo tengo' and 'La tengo' BOTH mean 'I have it.'

Differences:

1.     'It' has two forms in Spanish: lo, la

2.     'Tengo' one word in Spanish = two words in English (I have)

3.     The word order is different. In Spanish, the pronoun (lo, la) comes before the verb; in English, the pronoun (it) comes after the verb.

When you try to translate literally from English to Spanish, sometimes it works very well:

John eats the soup.
John = Juan
John eats = Juan come
John eats the = Juan come la
John eats the soup = Juan come la sopa.

Other times, direct translation doesn't work so well:

I eat the soup.
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat the = Yo como la
I eat the soup = Yo como la sopa.

Because 'como' means 'I eat,' the word 'yo' is redundant. A better translation might be:

I eat the soup.
Como la sopa.

Sometimes, when you try to translate literally, you run into much bigger problems:

I eat it. (the soup - la sopa)
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat it. = Yo como la.

This is completely incorrect!

The correct translation would be:

I eat it. (the soup)
La como.

As you can see, directly translating sentences with direct object pronouns doesn't work, so don't do it! There is a better, easier way.

Learn to translate groups of words, rather than individual words. The first step is to learn to view two Spanish words as a single phrase.

Try to think of each line as a single phrase, not two separate words:

la como
lo como
la leo
lo leo
la veo
lo veo
la tengo
lo tengo
la compro
lo compro

Read each line again. Before you do, glance at the translation beneath it. Then, read each line thinking of it as a phrase that has the same meaning as the English phrase below it.

la como
I eat it (feminine DO - la sopa, la comida, etc.)

lo como
I eat it (masculine DO - el pollo, el arroz, etc.)

la leo
I read it

lo leo
I read it

la veo
I see it

lo veo
I see it

la tengo
I have it

lo tengo
I have it

la compro
I buy it

lo compro
I buy it

In the previous examples, it is clear that the subject of the sentence is 'I' because the verbs are all conjugated in the 'yo' form. With other verb forms, it is often desirable to add a word to clarify the subject.

Juan la come. (la comida)
Juan eats it.

María lo tiene. (el libro)
María has it.

El chico la compra. (la pluma)
The boy buys it.

La chica lo ve. (el edificio)
The girl sees it.

Ustedes lo leen. (el periódico)
You-all read it.

Now, some examples of plural direct objects.

Juan come dos sándwiches.
Los come. or Juan los come.

María tiene tres libros.
Los tiene. or María los tiene.

El chico compra dos revistas.
Las compra. or El chico las compra.

La chica ve dos coches.
Los ve. or La chica los ve.

Ella compra dos televisiones.
Las compra. or Ella las compra.

Tenemos dos mesas.
Las tenemos. or Nosotros las tenemos.

Now, some examples where the direct object is a person.

I know you.
Te conozco.

She loves him.
Ella lo ama.

She loves me.
Ella me ama.

Juan sees her.
Juan la ve.

They call us.
Ellos nos llaman.

We call them.
Los llamamos.

Just as no one has ever learned to ride a bicycle by reading about it, neither will you learn to use direct object pronouns simply by reading this lesson. The key to success, as always, is to practice, practice, practice.

Direct Object Pronouns: Part II

Remember, a direct object receives the action of the verb.

Bill hit the ball.
'Ball' receives the action of the verb 'hit.'

Sherry reads the book.
'Book' receives the action of the verb 'reads.'

And, the direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill. (DO=Bill)

Also, the direct object answers the question 'what?' or 'whom?' with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what? The ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom? Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.


Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

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 a negative sentence with one verb, the direct object pronoun is placed between the negative word and the conjugated verb.

Affirmative Sentence

I buy the books.
Compro los libros.
Los compro. (I buy them.)

Negative Sentence

I don't buy the books.
No compro los libros.
No los compro. (I don't buy them.)

Compare the following affirmative statements with their negative counterparts.

Los compras.
No los compras.

Guadalupe siempre lo estudia.
Guadalupe nunca lo estudia.

Ellos nos conocen.
Ellos no nos conocen.

Remember, don't try to translate word-for-word. Instead, think in terms of phrases, or concepts. For example, the sentence 'No los compras' contains two concepts:

1. los compras (you buy them)
2. no (makes the whole sentence negative)

Direct Object Pronouns: Part III

Remember, a direct object receives the action of the verb.

Bill hit the ball.
'Ball' receives the action of the verb 'hit.'

Sherry reads the book.
'Book' receives the action of the verb 'reads.'

And, the direct object can also be a person.

Sherry hit Bill. (DO=Bill)

Also, remember that the direct object answers the question 'what?' or 'whom?' with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.

Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what? The ball.

Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom? Bill.

Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.

Example 1

Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.


Example 2

Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.

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)

When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

poder
to be able

pagar
to pay

Puedo pagar diez pesos.
I am able to pay 10 pesos.


preferir
to prefer

hablar
to speak

Elena prefiere hablar español. Elena prefers to speak Spanish.

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

Here are examples of the direct object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb:

Lo quiero ver.
I want to see it.

Lo debemos comprar.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
John needs to wash it.

Here are examples of the direct object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:

Quiero verlo.
I want to see it.

Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is 'better' than the other.

Lo quiero ver.
Quiero verlo.
I want to see it.

Lo debemos comprar.
Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

These same rules apply for questions and negative statements.

sLo debemos comprar?
sDebemos comprarlo?
Should we buy it?

Juan no lo necesita lavar.
Juan no necesita lavarlo.
John doesn't need to wash it.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part I

The indirect object (IO) tells us where the direct object (DO) is going.

He gives the book to María.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María


He gives María the book.
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.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

In order for a sentence to have an indirect object, it must have a direct object. Remember, the IO tells us where the DO is going. Notice how the sentences below just wouldn't work without a direct object.

He gives María . . .
the book, the pen, the diamond, etc.

He buys me . . .
flowers, candy, an ironing board, etc.

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.)

She told him.
DO=it (understood)
IO=him
(She told it to him.)

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

1.     The IO tells us where the DO is going.

2.     The IO answers the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom' the action of the verb is performed.

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, 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.

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys me a gift.
John buys a gift for me.

Juan te compra un regalo.
John buys you a gift.
John buys a gift for you.

Juan le compra un regalo.
John buys her a gift.
John buys a gift for her.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys us a gift.
John buys a gift for us.

Juan os compra un regalo.
John buys you-all (familiar) a gift.
John buys a gift for you-all.

Juan les compra un regalo.
John buys them a gift.
John buys a gift for them.

Now, focus in on one part of each of the above examples:

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys (for) me a gift.

Juan te compra un regalo.
John buys (for) you a gift.

Juan le compra un regalo.
John buys (for) her a gift.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys (for) us a gift.

Juan os compra un regalo.
John buys (for) you-all (familiar) a gift.

Juan les compra un regalo.
John buys (for) them a gift.

Let's extract the IO phrase and its English equivalent:

me compra
buys (for) me

te compra
buys (for) you

le compra
buys (for) her

nos compra
buys (for) us

os compra
buys (for) you-all

les compra
buys (for) them

Just like with the direct object, the indirect object presents a problem if one tries to translate word-for-word:

Juan me compra un regalo.
John for me he buys a gift.

The key to learning to use the indirect object pronouns is the same as the key for direct object pronouns. You must learn to think in phrases, not words. The phrases consist of a pronoun and a conjugated verb. In the following examples, note that the IO remains the same, while the subject of the phrase changes.

me compra
he buys me

me compran
they buy me

me compras
you buy me

The IO pronouns le and les present a special problem because they are ambiguous. That is, they can stand for different things.

le
to (for) him
to (for) her
to (for) you-formal

les
to (for) them
to (for) you-all-formal

The following sentences, while grammatically correct, are ambiguous:

Ella le escribe una carta.
Ella les escribe una carta.

Out of context, there is no way we can know the meaning.

Ella le escribe una carta.
She writes him a letter.
She writes her a letter.
She writes you (formal) a letter.

Ella les escribe una carta.
She writes them a letter.
She writes you-all (formal) a letter.

Since le and les can mean more than one thing, a prepositional phrase is often added to remove the ambiguity.

Ella le escribe a Juan una carta.
Ella le escribe a su hermana una carta.
Ella le escribe a usted una carta.

Ella les escribe a sus padres una carta.
Ella les escribe a ustedes una carta.

Sometimes a prepositional phrase is added not for clarity, but rather for emphasis.

Juan me da a mí el dinero.
John gives me the money.
(emphasizing that the money is given to me and not to someone else)

Juan te da a ti el dinero.
John gives you the money. (emphasis on you)

There is no ambiguity in the following sentence. It can only mean one thing.

Juan me da el dinero.
John gives me the money.

The addition of a prepositional phrase merely adds emphasis.

Juan me da a mí el dinero.
John gives me the money.

Let's sum up the important points of this lesson:

The IO tells us where the DO is going.

The IO answers the question 'to whom' or 'for whom.'

In order for a sentence to have a IO, it must also have a DO.

Sometimes the DO is not stated, but rather is implied, or understood.

The IO pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les.

Place the pronoun before the conjugated verb.

Think in phrases, do not translate word-for-word.

Le and les are ambiguous.

Prepositional phrases are often used for clarity and for emphasis.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part II

Let's begin with a review of the previous lesson.

The indirect object (IO) tells us where the direct object (DO) is going.

He gives the book to María.
DO=Book

Where is the book going?
To María.

IO=María


He gives María the book.
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.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

In order for a sentence to have an indirect object, it must have a direct object. Remember, the IO tells us where the DO is going. Notice how the sentences below just wouldn't work without a direct object.

He gives María . . .
the book, the pen, the diamond, etc.

He buys me . . .
flowers, candy, an ironing board, etc.

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.)

She told him.
DO=it (understood)
IO=him
(She told it to him.)

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

1.     The IO tells us where the DO is going.

2.     The IO answers the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom' the action of the verb is performed.

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, 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 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.

Ella no te trae el desayuno.
She doesn't bring you breakfast.
She doesn't bring breakfast for you.

No le mando a él la cuenta.
I don't send him the bill.
I don't send the bill to him.

Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo.
They don't buy us any gifts.
They don't buy any gifts for us.

Compare the affirmative statements with their negative counterparts.

Él me compra algo.
Él no me compra nada.

Ella te trae el desayuno.
Ella no te trae el desayuno.

Le mando a él la cuenta.
No le mando a él la cuenta.

Ellos nos compran regalos.
Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo.

Remember, don't translate word-for-word. Instead, think in terms of phrases, or concepts. 'Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo' contains 3 concepts:

1.     ellos nos compran (they buy us)

2.     regalo (gift)

3.     no, ningún (make the sentence negative)

The key to learning to use the indirect object pronouns is the same as the key for direct object pronouns. You must learn to think in phrases, not words. The phrases consist of a pronoun and a conjugated verb. In the following examples, note that the IO remains the same, while the subject of the phrase changes.

no me compra
he doesn't buy (for) me

no me compras
you don't buy (for) me

Remember, the IO pronouns le and les present a special problem because they are ambiguous. That is, they can stand for different things.

le
to (for) him
to (for) her
to (for) you-formal

les
to (for) them
to (for) you-all-formal

The following sentences, while grammatically correct, are ambiguous:

Ella no le escribe una carta.
Ella no les escribe una carta.

Out of context, there is no way we can know the meaning.

Ella no le escribe una carta.
She doesn't write him a letter.
She doesn't write her a letter.
She doesn't write you (formal) a letter.

Ella no les escribe una carta.
She doesn't write them a letter.
She doesn't write you-all (formal) a letter.

Since le and les can mean more than one thing, a prepositional phrase is often added to remove the ambiguity.

Ella no le escribe a Juan una carta.
Ella no le escribe a su hermana una carta.
Ella no le escribe a usted una carta.

Ella no les escribe a sus padres una carta.
Ella no les escribe a ustedes una carta.

Sometimes a prepositional phrase is added not for clarity, but rather for emphasis.

Juan no me da a mí el dinero.
John doesn't give me the money.
(emphasizing that the money is not given to me but rather to someone else)

Juan no te da a ti el dinero.
John doesn't give you the money. (emphasis on you)

There is no ambiguity in the following sentence. It can only mean one thing.

Juan no me da el dinero.
John doesn't give me the money.

The addition of a prepositional phrase merely adds emphasis.

Juan no me da a mí el dinero.
John doesn't give me the money.

Remember:

The IO tells us where the DO is going.

The IO answers the question 'to whom' or 'for whom.'

In order for a sentence to have a IO, it must also have a DO.

Sometimes the DO is not stated, but rather is implied, or understood.

The IO pronouns are: me, te, le, nos, os, les.

In a negative sentence, place the pronoun between the negative word and the conjugated verb.

Think in phrases, do not translate word-for-word.

Le and les are ambiguous.

Prepositional phrases are often used for clarity and for emphasis.

Indirect Object Pronouns: Part III

Remember, 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.

IO=María

He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.

IO=me

To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:

1.     The IO tells us where the DO is going.

2.     The IO answers the question 'to whom?' or 'for whom' the action of the verb is performed.

When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, 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.

Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys me a gift.
John buys a gift for me.

Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys us a gift.
John buys a gift for us.

When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.

poder
to be able

pagar
to pay

Puedo pagar diez pesos.
I am able to pay 10 pesos.


preferir
to prefer

hablar
to speak

Elena prefiere hablar español.
Elena prefers to speak Spanish.

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

Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb:

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:

Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is 'better' than the other.

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.

Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.

María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.

When reading or hearing sentences like these, you must learn to recognize whole groups of words, rather than inspecting each word independently.

Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Me necesitas dar = You need to give me

Necesitas darme un regalo.
Necesitas darme = You need to give me

Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Te necesito comprar = I need to buy you

Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte = I need to buy you

Your success in being able to recognize these groups is largely dependent upon having learned previous material -- namely verb conjugation.

You need to be able to quickly recognize a conjugated verb and an infinitive. You need to automatically recognize 'necesito comprar' as 'I need to buy.'

If you can do that, it is just one small step to recognize 'te necesito comprar' as 'I need to buy for you.' From there, the final step is easy: 'Te necesito comprar un regalo.'

Direct and Indirect Object Pronouns Used Together

Here are the direct object pronouns and the indirect object pronouns side by side:

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.
IO pronoun: me
DO pronoun: los

Ella te la vende.
She sells it to you.
IO pronoun: te
DO pronoun: la

Whenever both pronouns begin with the letter 'l' change the first pronoun to 'se.'

le lo = se lo
le la = se la
le los = se los
le las = se las
les lo = se lo
les la = se la
les los = se los
les las = se las

The reason for changing 'le lo' to 'se lo' is merely to avoid the tongue-twisting effect of two short consecutive words that begin with the letter 'l'. To demonstrate this, first quickly say 'les las' and then quickly say 'se las.' See how much easier it is to say 'se las?'

In negative sentences, the negative word comes directly before the first pronoun.

No se lo tengo.
I don't have it for you.

Nunca se los compro.
I never buy them for her.

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.
Ambiguous. He tells it to (whom?).

Él se lo dice a Juan.
He tells it to him. (to Juan)

Él se lo dice a María.
He tells it to her. (to María)

Él se lo dice a ella.
He tells it to her.

In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the pronouns. 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.

I want to tell it to you.
Te lo quiero decir.
Quiero decírtelo.

You need to send it to them.
Se la necesitas enviar a ellos.
Necesitas enviársela a ellos.

Note that when attaching the pronouns to the infinitive, a written accent is also added to the final syllable of the infinitive. This preserves the sound of the infinitive.

When the pronouns are attached to the infinitive, make the sentence negative by placing the negative word directly before the conjugated verb.

Ella debe explicármelo.
Ella no debe explicármelo.

Quiero decírtelo.
No quiero decírtelo.

Necesitas enviársela a ellos.
No necesitas enviársela a ellos.

When the pronouns come before the conjugated verb, make the sentence negative by placing the negative word directly before the pronouns.

Ella me lo debe explicar.
Ella no me lo debe explicar.

Te lo quiero decir.
No te lo quiero decir.

Se la necesitas enviar a ellos.
No se la necesitas enviar a ellos.

Verbs like Gustar

This is a good time to discuss the verb 'gustar' because using it requires use of the IO pronouns.

Me gusta el cuarto.
I like the room.

Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.

In English, the following sentences are correct:

I like the room.
We like the books.

Examine the same sentences more closely.

I like the room.

I = subject of sentence
like = verb
the room = direct object


We like the books.

We = subject of sentence
like = verb
the books = direct object

In English, it is correct to construct a sentence that has the subject 'liking' a direct object. In Spanish, this never occurs. In Spanish, a different construction is used.

English: I like the room.
Spanish: The room is pleasing to me.

English: We like the books.
Spanish: The books are pleasing to us.

The first thing you need to notice is that both versions really mean the same thing. They are merely different expressions of the same idea.

Idea: My feelings with regard to the book are positive.

English Way: I like the book.
Spanish Way: The book is pleasing to me.

The second thing to notice is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, we) while in Spanish the subject of the sentence is the object (room, books).

The room is pleasing to me.
Subject: The room

I like the room.
Subject: I

Finally notice that while the English sentence has a direct object, the Spanish sentence has an indirect object.

The room is pleasing to me.
me = Indirect Object

I like the room.
room = Direct Object

Let's study the following example:

Me gustan los libros.

Literal Translation: To me are pleasing the books.
Actual Translation: I like the books.

Notice that gustar is conjugated as 'gustan' not 'gusto.' A common mistake is to say 'Me gusto los libros.' This is incorrect because the subject of the sentence is 'los libros' even though it comes at the end. Remember, the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.

Me gustan los libros. (I like the books.)

Notice that the conjugation of gustar changes to 'gusta' when the subject of the sentence is singular.

Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)

Since the subject of the sentence must be either singular (book) or plural (books), the only forms of gustar you will use are 'gusta' and 'gustan.' This is true regardless of what IO pronoun appears in the sentence.

Me gusta el libro.
I like the book.

Te gusta el libro.
You like the book.

Nos gusta el libro.
We like the book.

Me gustan los libros.
I like the books.

Te gustan los libros.
You like the books.

Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.

Remember, gustar becomes either gusta or gustan, depending upon whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. It has nothing to do with which IO pronoun is used.

Subject is singular - use gusta

Me gusta el libro.
Te gusta el libro.


Subject is plural - use gustan

Me gustan los libros.
Te gustan los libros.

Remember, the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence!

Nos gustamos incorrect!
Te gustas incorrect!

Here are some examples of the correct use of gustar. Notice that the only forms of gustar that appear are gusta and gustan, even though each of the IO pronouns is used.

Look more closely at one example:

Le gusta la silla.

It is impossible to tell whether this means:

1. He likes the chair.
2. She likes the chair.
3. You (usted) like the chair.

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.

A Juan le gusta la silla.
John likes the chair.

A ella le gusta la silla.
She likes the chair.

A María le gusta la silla.
Mary likes the chair.

A usted le gusta la silla.
You (formal) like the chair.

As you can see, by adding a prepositional phrase, we remove the ambiguity of the 'le' form.

You can also use a prepositional phrase to add emphasis, even if there is no ambiguity.

1. A Juan le gusta el café.
John likes coffee.

2. A mí me gusta el té.
I like tea.

In the first example, 'a Juan' clarifies the ambiguous pronoun 'le.' In the second example, there is no ambiguity. 'Me gusta el té' can only mean 'I like tea.' In this case, 'a mí' adds emphasis, drawing attention to the fact that tea is what I like (as contrasted with what Juan likes).

Another way to look at it:

John likes coffee. Me, I like tea.
A Juan le gusta el café. A mí me gusta el té.

Now that you know how to correctly use the verb gustar, here is a list of verbs that operate in the same manner:

The practice exercises focus on 5 useful verbs:

gustar
faltar
molestar
parecer
disgustar

Note that all of the other verbs listed above behave in the same fashion as the five practice verbs.

Let's add a flashcard for the special verb 'gustar':

Verb Flashcards

19.  A Juan le gusta el libro.
A Juan le gustan los libros.

To 'like' something

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.)

I am studying.
I am studying with María.

In English, present progressive can be used to describe what is happening now, or what will happen in the future.

I am studying now.
I am studying with María tonight.

In Spanish, the present progressive is only used to describe an action that is in the process of taking place. It is not used for future actions.

I am studying now.
(use present progressive)

I am studying with María tonight.
(do not use present progressive)

To form the present progressive in Spanish, combine a form of estar with the present participle.

Estoy hablando.
I am speaking.

Juan está comiendo.
John is eating.

María está escribiendo una carta.
Mary is writing a letter.

In order to form the present progressive, you must know how to conjugate the verb estar, and how to form the present participle. You already know how to conjugate the verb estar:

estar

estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están

To form the present participle of regular -ar verbs, add -ando to the stem of the verb.

hablar: hablando
(hablar - ar + ando)

trabajar: trabajando
(trabajar - ar + ando)

estudiar: estudiando
(estudiar - 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)

hacer: haciendo
(hacer - er + iendo)

vivir: viviendo
(vivir - ir + iendo)

escribir: escribiendo
(escribir - ir + 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.

servir: sirviendo
pedir: pidiendo
decir: diciendo

dormir: durmiendo
morir: muriendo
poder: pudiendo

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. Here are some common examples:

caer: cayendo
creer: creyendo
huir: huyendo
ir: yendo
influir: influyendo
oír: oyendo
traer: trayendo
leer: leyendo
seguir: siguiendo

The following examples illustrate the rules for forming the present participle.

hablar: hablando (-ar)
comer: comiendo (-er)
vivir: viviendo (-ir)
decir: diciendo (e:i)
dormir: durmiendo (o:u)
leer: leyendo (orthographic)
seguir: siguiendo (orthographic)

To form the present progressive, simply conjugate the verb estar to agree with the subject of the sentence, and follow it with the present participle.

Juan está comiendo pan.
John is eating bread.

María y Carmen están hablando con nosotros.
Mary and Carmen are speaking with us.

Remember, only use the present progressive for actions that are 'in progress.' Compare the uses of the present indicative with the uses of the present progressive.

Estudio español. (Present Indicative)

I study Spanish.
I am studying Spanish (these days).
I do study Spanish.


Estoy estudiando español. (Present Progressive)

I am studying (right now, at this moment) Spanish.

It is important to remember that you would never use the present progressive to say something like 'We are going to Spain this summer.' Use present progressive only for actions that are 'in progress.'

Let's add two more verb flashcards: one for present progressive and one for practice in forming the present participle:

Verb Flashcards

20.  Present Progressive

estar + present participle

I am speaking (right now, at this moment)

Never use present progressive for something that will occur in the future.

21.  Present Participle (-ando, -iendo, yendo)

hablar - hablando (-ar)
comer - comiendo (-er)
vivir - viviendo (-ir)
decir - diciendo (e:i)
dormir - durmiendo (o:u)
leer - leyendo (orthographic)
seguir: siguiendo (orthographic)

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

In addition to memorizing the above listed verbs, you should familiarize yourself with the following three rules:

1.     For verbs that end in -cer and -cir, change the c to zc for the yo form:

conocer (to know)
yo conozco

conducir (to drive)
yo conduzco

crecer (to grow)
yo crezco

traducir (to translate)
yo traduzco

establecer (to establish)
yo establezco

producir (to produce)
yo produzco

2.     For verbs that end in -ger and -gir, change the g to j for the yo form:

escoger (to choose)
yo escojo

dirigir (to direct)
yo dirijo

emerger (to emerge)
yo emerjo

fingir (to pretend)
yo finjo

3.     For verbs that end in -guir, change the gu to g for the yo form:

seguir (to follow)
yo sigo

conseguir (to get)
yo consigo

distinguir (to distinguish)
yo distingo

It is extremely important that you learn these verbs, because material covered later assumes that you have mastered this. At times, learning the irregular verbs may seem daunting, but it's not as bad as it seems. Your best tool is your verb flashcards, which should be separate from any other flashcards you might be using. Add the following 14 verb flashcards to your collection:

Verb Flashcards

22.  caber (to fit)
yo quepo

23.  caer (to fall)
yo caigo

24.  conducir (to drive)
yo conduzco

25.  conocer (to know, to be acquainted with)
yo conozco

26.  escoger (to choose)
yo escojo

27.  dirigir (to direct)
yo dirijo

28.  hacer (to do, to make)
yo hago

29.  poner (to put, to place)
yo pongo

30.  saber (to know something - a fact)
yo sé

31.  salir (to leave)
yo salgo

32.  seguir (to follow)
yo sigo

33.  traer (to bring)
yo traigo

34.  valer (to be worth)
yo valgo

35.  ver (to see)
yo veo

Saber vs Conocer / Pedir vs Preguntar

In Spanish, there are two verbs that express the idea 'to know.' These two verbs are saber and conocer. The verb you choose depends upon the context in which it is used. These verbs are not interchangeable.

To express knowledge or ignorance of a fact or information about something, use saber.

Juan sabe donde está María.
Juan knows where Maria is.

Yo no sé tu número de teléfono.
I don't know your telephone number.

To say that one is or is not acquainted with a person, a place, or an object, use conocer.

Juan no conoce a María.
Juan doesn't know (is not acquainted with) Maria.

Alberto y Alfredo conocen Madrid.
Alberto and Alfredo know (are acquainted with) Madrid.

To express knowledge or ignorance of a subject or learning discipline, use saber or conocer.

Juan no sabe nada de inglés.
Juan doesn't know any English.

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.

No sé nadar muy bien.
I don't know how to swim very well.

To say that you know something by heart, use saber.

María sabe los verbos irregulares.
Maria knows the irregular verbs (by heart).

Ella no sabe la letra de esa canción.
She doesn't know the words to that song.

The situation with regards to the correct use of saber and conocer can be summarized as follows:

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

The same sort of situation exists with respect to the two Spanish verbs pedir and preguntar. They both mean 'to ask' but they are not interchangeable. Fortunately, the rules for using them are a bit more straightforward:

pedir
to ask for, or request an object, service or favor

Pido más carne.
I ask for more meat.

Pedimos ahora.
We order now (ask for service).

preguntar
to ask a question, or request information

Pregunto qué hora es.
I ask what time it is.

Preguntamos a qué hora sirven la cena.
We ask what time they serve dinner.

Your verb flashcards should be your constant companions. You should always have them with you, and you should pull them out several times each day, even if you only look at them for a couple of minutes. Now, let's add these two verbs to our growing stack:

Verb Flashcards

36.  Saber vs Conocer

saber: to know (facts, information, how to do something, something by heart)

conocer: to know (to be familiar with people, places, things)

37.  Pedir vs Preguntar

pedir: to ask (for an object or a service)

preguntar: to ask (a question, request information)

Cardinal Numbers: 31-1000

First, let's review the cardinal numbers 1-30:

1. uno
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

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.

From 101-199, use 'ciento':

ciento uno
ciento dos
ciento tres
ciento sesenta y uno
ciento sesenta y dos
etc.

Notice that 'y' is used only in numbers 31-99 (and 131-199, 231-299, 331-399, etc.) and it is not used to separate hundreds from tens.

Correct:
ciento ochenta y nueve

Incorrect:
ciento y ochenta y nueve

To get to 1000, all of the rules you have learned so far continue to apply. All you need to do now is learn to count by 100s all the way to 1000, and that is quite easy:

100. cien
200. doscientos
300. trescientos
400. cuatrocientos
500. quinientos
600. seiscientos
700. setecientos
800. ochocientos
900. novecientos
1000. mil

Here are some more examples:

142. ciento cuarenta y dos
375. trescientos setenta y cinco
612. seiscientos doce
907. novecientos siete
999. novecientos noventa y nueve

Remember from an earlier lesson, there is a masculine and a feminine form for the number one:

un libro
one book

una pluma
one pen

This is also true for the numbers 200, 300, 400, etc.

doscientos libros
doscientas plumas

cuatrocientos señores
cuatrocientas señoras

When there is exactly 100 of something, and the number is used with the noun, use the shortened form 'cien.'

cien dólares
cien gatas
cien perros
cien pesetas

Finally, in Spanish a period is used to indicate thousands, and a comma is used as a decimal point.

English
1,543.67

Spanish
1.543,67

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.'

Es la una.
It's one o'clock.

Son las dos.
It's two o'clock.

Minutes can be added to the hour using the word y (and).

Es la una y cinco.
It's five minutes past one.

Son las tres y doce.
It's twelve minutes past three.

Minutes can be subtracted from the hour using the word menos (less).

Es la una menos cinco.
It's five minutes till one.

Son las tres menos doce.
It's twelve minutes till three.

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.

Son las tres menos cuarto.
It's quarter till three.

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.

El banco abre a las ocho y media.
The bank opens at half past eight.

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.

Son las dos de la mañana.
It's two in the morning.

Son las diez de la noche.
It's ten in the evening.

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.

Here are a number of useful time expressions:

por la mañana
in the morning (no specific time)

de la mañana
in the morning (specific time)

por la tarde
in the afternoon (no specific time)

de la tarde
in the afternoon (specific time)

por la noche
in the evening or night (no specific time)

de la noche
in the evening or night (specific time)

mañana
tomorrow, morning

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

Irregular Comparatives

Recall from a previous lesson some examples of comparatives and superlatives:

Tú eres más alto que yo.
You are taller than I.

Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase.
John is the smartest boy in the class.

The following adjectives have 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.

Correct:
Este libro es bueno, pero ese libro es mejor.

Incorrect:
Este libro es bueno, pero ese libro es más bueno.

Correct:
Esta película es mala, pero esa película es peor.

Incorrect:
Esta película es mala, pero esa película es más mala.

With the irregular superlatives, the definite article is used.

Este libro es bueno.
This book is good.

Ese libro es mejor.
That book is better.

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.

Esta casa es grande.
This house is big.

Esa casa es más grande.
That house is bigger.

Aquella casa es la más grande.
That house over there is the biggest.

When referring to age, use the irregular forms mayor and menor.

Juan es menor que María.
Juan is younger than Maria.

María es la mayor de la familia.
Maria is the oldest of the family.

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.

La comida es de menor importancia que el agua.
Food is less important than water.

The words joven and viejo are used for non-comparative descriptions of age.

El niño es joven.
The boy is young.

El abuelo es viejo.
The grandfather is old.

Demonstratives

In this lesson, we will discuss demonstratives of two types: demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns. The first step in clearly understanding these two topics is to review the differences between 'adjectives' and 'pronouns.'

adjective
describes a noun

pronoun
takes the place of a noun

In the following sentences, the words in bold all function as adjectives, since they all describe the noun 'book.'

Give me the red book.
Give me the big book.
Give me that book.
Give me this book.

Notice that adjectives answer the question 'Which?' in relation to the nouns that they modify. (Which book? The red book. The big book. That book. This book.)

In the following sentences, the words in bold all function as pronouns, since they all take the place of a noun.

Maria is next; give her the ball.
Juan is here; say hello to him.
That pencil is yours; this is mine.
This book is mine; that is yours.

Notice that pronouns replace a noun. ('her' replaces 'Maria' - 'him' replaces 'Juan' - 'this' replaces 'pencil' - 'that' replaces 'book')

As you have just seen, the words 'this' and 'that' can function as both adjectives and pronouns.

This book is mine. (adjective)
This is mine. (pronoun)

That book is yours.(adjective)
That is yours. (pronoun)

In Spanish, the only difference between demonstrative pronouns and demonstrative adjectives is that demonstrative pronouns have a written accent.

Juan reads this book. (adjective)
Juan lee este libro.

Juan reads this. (pronoun)
Juan lee éste.

That statue is Greek.
Esa estatua es griega.

That is American.
Ésa es americana.

Spanish has three words where English only has two. In English, we say 'this' or 'that' depending upon whether the object is close to us or not. In Spanish, we also say 'this' and 'that,' but there is another, separate word used to mean 'that one over there.' This form is used when the object is more than just a short distance away, for example, on the other side of the room. Here are the three forms for 'this' 'that' and 'that one over there.'

este
this

ese
that

aquel
that one over there

Remember, the demonstrative pronouns are the same as the demonstrative adjectives, except that the pronouns have a written accent.

this
este (adjective)
éste (pronoun)

that
ese (adjective)
ése (pronoun)

that one over there
aquel (adjective)
aquél (pronoun)

Also remember that in Spanish, adjectives have four forms: masculine singular, masculine plural, feminine singular, feminine plural. For example the adjective 'short' has four forms in Spanish: bajo, bajos, baja, bajas.

el chico bajo
los chicos bajos

la chica baja
las chicas bajas

The demonstrative adjectives also have four forms:

este libro (this book)
estos libros (these books)
esta pluma (this pen)
estas plumas (these pens)

ese libro (that book)
esos libros (those books)
esa pluma (that pen)
esas plumas (those pens)

aquel libro (that book over there)
aquellos libros (those books over there)
aquella pluma (that pen over there)
aquellas plumas (those pens over there)

Here are the corresponding demonstrative pronouns:

éste (this one - masculine)
éstos (these ones - masculine)
ésta (this one - feminine)
éstas (these ones - feminine)

ése (that one - masculine)
ésos (those ones - masculine)
ésa (that one - feminine)
ésas (those ones - feminine)

aquél (that one over there - masc.)
aquéllos (those ones over there - masc.)
aquélla (that one over there - fem.)
aquéllas (those ones over there - fem.)

Each demonstrative pronoun also has a neuter form. They do not change for number or gender, they do not have a written accent, and they are 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)

Time Expressions with Hacer

The verb hacer can be used in a number of ways to indicate the length of time an action has been taking place. The first way uses the formula:

Hace + time + que + present tense form of the verb

Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Hace dos años que ellas estudian inglés.
They have been studying English for two years.

To make this type of expression negative, just add the word no before the verb, as in the following formula:

Hace + time + que + no + present tense form of the verb

Hace un año que no estudio español.
I haven't studied Spanish for a year.

Hace dos años que ellas no estudian inglés.
They haven't studied English for two years.

Another way to use the verb hacer to express how long something has been taking place is to use the following formula:

Present tense form of the verb + desde hace + time

Estudio español desde hace un año.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Ellas estudian inglés desde hace dos años.
They have been studying English for two years.

To make this type of expression negative, again simply add the word no before the verb, as in the following formula:

No + present tense form of the verb + desde hace + time

No estudio español desde hace un año.
I haven't studied Spanish for a year.

Ellas no estudian inglés desde hace dos años.
They haven't studied English for two years.

So, when it comes to using the verb hacer to express the length of time an action has been taking place, there are two ways to say the same thing:

I have been studying Spanish for one year.
Hace un año que estudio español.
Estudio español desde hace un año.

Possessive Pronouns

We begin this lesson with a review of the difference between an adjective and a pronoun.

adjective
describes a noun

pronoun
takes the place of a noun

Look at the following sentence pairs. One has an adjective, while the other has a pronoun.

My book is large. (adjective, describes book)
Yours is small. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Your car is green. (adjective, describes car)
Mine is red. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)

Now, let's look at each sentence a little more closely.

My book is large.

My is an adjective because it modifies, or describes the noun 'book.' Furthermore, it is a 'possessive' adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the book.


Yours is small.

Yours is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that 'yours' is replacing the noun 'book.' Furthermore, it is a 'possessive' pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.


Your car is green.

Your is an adjective because it modifies the noun 'car.' Furthermore, it is a 'possessive' adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the car.


Mine is red.

Mine is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that 'mine' is replacing the noun 'car.' Furthermore, it is a 'possessive' pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.

So far, we have been talking about the difference between the possessive adjective and the possessive pronoun. You will recall that in a previous lesson, you already learned about the possessive adjectives.

mi(s)
my
mi libro
mis plumas

tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)
tu libro
tus plumas

su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their
su libro
sus plumas

nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our
nuestro libro
nuestras plumas

vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)
vuestro libro
vuestras plumas

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

Now let's translate our model sentences:

Mi libro es grande.
My book is large.

El tuyo es pequeño.
Yours is small.

Tu carro es verde.
Your car is green.

El mío es rojo.
Mine is red.

The previous translations assume that you are talking to a friend, or someone you know well, and are using the informal 'tú' form of speech. But remember, Spanish also has a more formal form of speech. Notice how the same sentences change if we assume that you are talking to someone in a position of authority, using the more formal 'usted' form of speech.

Mi libro es grande. (no change)
My book is large.

El suyo es pequeño. (formal)
Yours (formal) is small.

Su carro es verde. (formal)
Your (formal) car is green.

El mío es rojo. (no change)
Mine is red.

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 carro pequeño es suyo.
The small car is hers.

Notice the following ambiguity:

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his.

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is hers.

El suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas can be clarified as follows:

El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his. (unclarified)

El carro grande es de él.
The big car is his. (clarified)

La casa pequeña es suya.
The small house is hers. (unclarified)

La casa pequeña es de ella.
The small house is hers. (clarified)

Los carros grandes son suyos.
The big cars are theirs. (unclarified)

Los carros grandes son de ellas.
The big cars are theirs. (clarified)

Las casas pequeñas son suyas.
The small houses are theirs. (unclarified)

Las casas pequeñas son de ellos.
The small houses are theirs. (clarified)

Note: de + el are contracted to form 'del,' however, de + él are not contracted.

Reflexive Verbs: Part I

A verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same.

I wash myself.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.


I wash the car.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: car

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

Here's another example of how a verb can be either reflexive or non-reflexive.

I scratch myself.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.


I scratch the dog.
subject: I
verb: scratch
object: dog

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

When a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in 'se.'

lavar
to wash (non-reflexive)

lavarse
to wash oneself (reflexive)

rascar
to scratch (non-reflexive)

rascarse
to scratch oneself (reflexive)

There is one reflexive verb you have been using since you began studying Spanish.

llamarse - to call oneself

sCómo se llama usted?
What do you call yourself?


Me llamo Juan.
I call myself Juan.

Note: A more 'natural' translation would be 'What is your name?' and 'My name is Juan.'

When you learned to conjugate regular verbs, you needed to learn a set of pronouns called 'subject pronouns.'

lavar

yo lavo
tú lavas
él, ella, usted lava
nosotros/as lavamos
vosotros/as laváis
ellos, ellas, ustedes lavan

To learn to conjugate reflexive verbs, you need to learn a different set of pronouns called 'reflexive pronouns.' These pronouns are positioned before the verb, while the ending 'se' is dropped and the verb is conjugated normally.

lavarse

yo me lavo
I wash (myself)

tú te lavas
you wash (yourself) (informal)

él se lava
he washes (himself)

ella se lava
she washes (herself)

usted se lava
you wash (yourself) (formal)

nosotros nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves)

nosotras nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves) (feminine)

vosotros os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal)

vosotras os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal, feminine)

ustedes se lavan
you-all wash (yourselves)(formal)

ellos se lavan
they wash (themselves)

ellas se lavan
they wash (themselves) (feminine)

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.'

Note that nearly all verbs can be made reflexive. All it means when a verb is reflexive is that the action remains with the subject.

wash the dog (non-reflexive)
wash your face (reflexive)

raise the book (non-reflexive)
raise your arm (reflexive)

put the baby to bed (non-reflexive)
go to bed (reflexive)

wake up your son (non-reflexive)
wake up yourself (reflexive)

and so on

Now add a flashcard for reflexive verbs:

Verb Flashcards

38.  lavarse to wash oneself

yo me lavo
tú te lavas
él se lava
ella se lava
usted se lava
nosotros nos lavamos
nosotras nos lavamos
vosotros os laváis
vosotras os laváis
ustedes se lavan
ellos se lavan
ellas se lavan

Reflexive Verbs: Part II

In the previous lesson, you learned that a verb is reflexive when the subject and the object are the same.

I wash myself.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: myself

Since the subject and object are the same, the verb is reflexive.


I wash the car.
subject: I
verb: wash
object: car

Since the subject and object are different, the verb is not reflexive.

You also learned that when a verb is reflexive, the infinitive ends in 'se.'

lavar
to wash (non-reflexive)

lavarse
to wash oneself (reflexive)

rascar
to scratch (non-reflexive)

rascarse
to scratch oneself (reflexive)

You should have memorized a set of pronouns called 'reflexive pronouns.'

me (myself)
te (yourself)
se (himself, herself, yourself)
nos (ourselves)
os (yourselves)
se (themselves, yourselves)

You learned to conjugate reflexive verbs like this:

lavarse

yo me lavo
I wash (myself)

tú te lavas
you wash (yourself) (informal)

él/ella se lava
he/she washes (him/herself)

usted se lava
you wash (yourself) (formal)

nosotros/as nos lavamos
we wash (ourselves)

vosotros/as os laváis
you-all wash (yourselves) (informal)

ustedes se lavan
you-all wash (yourselves) (formal)

ellos/as se lavan
they wash (themselves)

In the lesson titled Direct Object Pronouns Part III you learned that when there are two verbs, you have two options on where to place the pronoun: before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive.

I want to see it. (querer, ver)
Lo quiero ver.
Quiero verlo.

Lo debemos comprar.
Debemos comprarlo.
We should buy it.

María nos debe visitar.
María debe visitarnos.
Mary should visit us.

Juan lo necesita lavar.
Juan necesita lavarlo.
John needs to wash it.

The same is true regarding reflexive pronouns. When the sentence has two verbs, the pronoun can be placed directly before the conjugated verb or attached to the end of the infinitive.

I want to see myself.
Me quiero ver.
Quiero verme.

John needs to wash his hair.
Juan se necesita lavar el pelo.
Juan necesita lavarse el pelo.

Maria can wash her face now.
Ahora María se puede lavar la cara.
Ahora María puede lavarse la cara.

I have just gone to bed.
Acabo de acostarme.
Me acabo de acostar.

We prefer to wash with scented soap.
Preferimos lavarnos con jabón perfumado.
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. Observe the differences in the following sentences, all of which are about counting burros before falling asleep.

Antes de dormirme, yo cuento burros.

Antes de dormirte, tú cuentas burros.

Antes de dormirse, la chica cuenta burros.

Antes de dormirnos, nosotros contamos burros.

Antes de dormiros, vosotros contáis burros.

Antes de dormirse, los chicos cuentan 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.
sLa 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

The Definite Article: Part II

By now, you are quite familiar with the definite articles:

el
la
los
las

You are probably comfortable with the normal uses of the definite article.

El chico es alto.
La chica es guapa.
Los hombres comen mucho.
Las mujeres charlan.

In this lesson, you will learn some additional rules to help you use the definite article correctly. For example, feminine singular nouns that begin with an emphasized a or ha use the masculine form of the article.

el agua
el hacha
el hambre
el águila

This rule only applies to the singular form of the noun. The plural form uses the feminine article.

el agua
las aguas

el hacha
las hachas

el hambre
las hambres

el águila
las águilas

Note: The reason the singular form uses the masculine article is that when the first syllable is an emphasized a or ha, the article la tends to run together with the first syllable of the word when they are spoken. This doesn't happen with the article las.

The definite article is used with some countries and cities, and is not used with others. Here are some examples where it is used:

la Argentina
el Brasil
el Canadá
el Ecuador
la Florida
la Habana
la India
el Japón
el Paraguay
el Perú
El Salvador
el Uruguay

There is no convenient rule to tell you when to use the definite article. You simply have to memorize the ones that do.

The definite article is always used with compound geographic names.

la América Central
la América del Sur
los Estados Unidos
la Gran Bretaña

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, ses usted profesor?

La señorita está muy bonita.
tSeñorita! Usted está muy bonita esta noche.

The definite article is used when reflexive verbs are followed by body parts, clothing or other very personal possessions.

María se lava la cara.

Él se pone el traje.

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)

Preterite vs Imperfect: Part I

Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. Most verbs can be put into either tense, depending upon the meaning. In this lesson, you will learn to conjugate regular -ar verbs in the preterite and the imperfect. You will also learn the basic difference between the preterite and the imperfect, so that you can begin using them correctly.

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

Compare the verb hablar conjugated in the preterite and the imperfect.

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 dos horas.

Juan spoke two hours.
(clearly stated beginning and end)

It is important to realize that the beginning and the end may not always be clearly stated.

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)

You have now learned the basic difference between the preterite and the imperfect:

The preterite tells us specifically when an action took place.

The imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.

Note: Although this difference may appear simple, this is actually a complex topic, and you will learn the finer points in later lessons.

Let's add two more flashcards, one for regular -ar preterite, and one for regular -ar imperfect:

Verb Flashcards

39.  Preterite: regular -ar verbs

-é
-aste
-ó

-amos
-asteis

-aron

hablé, hablaste, habló, hablamos, hablasteis, hablaron

40.  Imperfect: regular -ar verbs

-aba
-abas
-aba

-ábamos
-abais

-aban

hablaba, hablabas, hablaba, hablábamos, hablabais, hablaban

Preterite: Part I

In the last lesson, you learned that the preterite is used for past actions that are seen as completed. You also learned how to conjugate regular -ar verbs. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate -er and -ir verbs, and become more familiar with the uses of the preterite.

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 -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

Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:

Note: the nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.

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.

The above examples all fall within our general rule for using the preterite:

The preterite is used for past actions that are seen as completed.

Let's add two more flashcards for regular -er and -ir verbs in the preterite tense:

Verb Flashcards

41.  Preterite: regular -er

-í
-iste
-ió

-imos
-isteis

ieron

comí, comiste, comió, comimos, comisteis, comieron

42.  Preterite: regular -ir verbs

-í
-iste
-ió

-imos
-isteis

ieron

viví, viviste, vivió, vivimos, vivisteis, vivieron

Imperfect: Part I

In a previous lesson, you learned that the imperfect is used for past actions 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. You also learned how to conjugate regular -ar verbs. In this lesson, you will learn how to conjugate -er and -ir verbs, and become more familiar with the uses of the imperfect.

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

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

Here are all three regular imperfect verb forms together:

The imperfect is used for actions that were repeated habitually.

Almorzábamos juntos todos los días.
We would lunch together every day.

Las señoras siempre charlaban por las mañanas.
The ladies would always chat in the mornings.

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.

The above examples all fall within our general rule for using the imperfect:

The imperfect is used for past actions that are not seen as completed.

Let's add two more flashcards for regular -er and -ir verbs in the imperfect tense:

Verb Flashcards

43.  Imperfect: regular -er

-ía
-ías
-ía

-íamos
-íais

-ían

comía, comías, comía, comíamos, comíais, comían,

44.  Imperfect: regular -ir

-ía
-ías
-ía

-íamos
-íais

-ían

vivía, vivías, vivía, vivíamos, vivíais, vivían,

Preterite: Part II

In this lesson you will learn to conjugate four important verbs in the preterite tense: ser, ir, dar and hacer.

These four verbs are irregular; you must memorize them:

Note: This is not a typo; ser and ir do have identical conjugations in the preterite!

To review some of the rules for using the preterite:

The preterite is used for actions that can be viewed as single events.

The preterite is used for actions that were repeated a specific number of times.

The preterite is used for actions that occurred during a specific period of time.

The preterite is used for actions that were part of a chain of events.

The preterite is used to state the beginning or the end of an action.

Let's add two more flashcards for irregular verbs in the preterite tense:

Verb Flashcards

45.  Preterite: ser, ir

fui
fuiste
fue

fuimos
fuisteis

fueron

46.  Preterite: dar, hacer

Imperfect: Part II

Remember, the imperfect is used for past actions 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. The imperfect tells when -- in general, an action occurred.

Good news! There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect. You must simply memorize them.

To review some of the rules for using the imperfect:

The imperfect is used for actions that were repeated habitually.

The imperfect is used for actions that 'set the stage' for another action.

The imperfect is used for telling time and stating one's age.

Let's add another flashcard for the three irregular verbs in the imperfect tense:

Verb Flashcards

47.  Imperfect: ser, ir, ver

Preterite vs Imperfect: Part II

Remember, Spanish has two past tenses: preterite and imperfect. Most verbs can be put into either tense, depending upon the meaning. The preterite tells us specifically when an action took place. The imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.

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)

Some of these are more obvious than others. The sure-fire way to learn these is to practice, practice, practice!

Speaking of practice, one of the most effective methods of practicing is your verb flashcards. Let's add two more flashcards so that you can become very familiar with the most common expressions that can provide a hint as to whether to use preterite or imperfect:

Verb Flashcards

48.  Expressions that signal use of preterite

49.  Expressions that signal use of imperfect

Preterite: Part 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.

-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.

Speaking of practice, one of the most effective methods of practicing is you verb flashcards. Let's add two more flashcards so that you can become very familiar with the most common expressions that can provide a hint as to whether to use preterite or imperfect:

Verb Flashcards

50.  -ar and -er stem-changing verbs do not change in the preterite

51.  -ir stem-changing verbs do change in the preterite (e:i and o:u third person singular and plural)

Imperfect: Part 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)

The following examples show how to use this substitution test for the imperfect:

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.

Preterite: Part 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

Here are three examples:

yo jugué (jugar)
yo busqué (buscar)
yo almorcé (almorzar)

Some common orthographic changing verbs for the preterite tense in these categories are:

For verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -oír, and -oer, the él,/ella/usted form uses 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

The preterite has quite a few irregular verbs, so flashcards can really help you to master them:

Verb Flashcards

52.  preterite: creer, caer, leer, oír

creí
creíste
creyó
creímos
creísteis
creyeron

53.  preterite: huir, construir, contribuir, incluir

huí
huiste
huyó
huimos
huisteis
huyeron

Preterite: Part V

The following verbs are irregular in the preterite and must be memorized:

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

That's right! More flashcards for the irregular preterites:

Verb Flashcards

54.  preterite: decir, traer

55.  preterite: ver

56.  preterite: -ucir (producir, conducir, traducir)

Preterite: Part VI

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:

Here are two examples of how this pattern is applied:

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.'

Another card for this pattern of irregular preterites:

Verb Flashcards

57.  irregular preterite pattern: andar, estar, tener, caber, haber, poder, poner, saber, hacer, querer, venir

Preterite vs Imperfect: Part III

You have already learned that the preterite and the imperfect are used in different situations. The preterite is used for actions that are viewed as completed, while the imperfect is used for actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

Estudié dos horas.

I studied two hours.
(completed action)


Yo estudiaba antes de los exámenes.

I used to study before the tests.
(no definite beginning or end)

Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect. This is not surprising, since the difference in meaning can be traced back to the different way in which these two past tenses are used.

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 and Imperfect: Review

Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:

Note: The nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.

Review this topic.

Here are all three regular imperfect verb forms together:

Review this topic.

Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.

Juan habló dos horas.
Juan spoke two hours.
(action completed)

Las chicas hablaban en inglés.
The girls used to speak in English.
(no definite beginning or end)

Another way to view this is that the preterite tells us specifically when an action took place, while the imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.

Review this topic.

The preterite is used in the following situations:

For actions that can be viewed as single events

For actions that were repeated a specific number of times

For actions that occurred during a specific period of time

For actions that were part of a chain of events

To state the beginning or the end of an action

Review this topic.

The imperfect is used in the following situations:

For actions that were repeated habitually

For actions that 'set the stage' for another past action

For telling time

For stating one's age

For mental states (usually)

For physical sensations (usually)

To describe the characteristics of people, things or conditions

Review this topic.

Ser, ir, dar and hacer are irregular in the preterite:

Note: This is not a typo; ser and ir do have identical conjugations in the preterite!

Review this topic.

There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect:

Review this topic.

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)

Review this topic.

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)

Review this topic.

-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.

Review this topic.

-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.

Review this topic.

There are a number of orthographic changing verbs in the preterite:

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

Verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -oír, -oer, and uir change ió to yó and ieron to yeron

Review this topic.

Here are three more verbs that are irregular in the preterite:

Review this topic.

Verbs that end in -ucir are irregular and conjugated as follows:

producir

produje
produjiste
produjo
produjimos
produjisteis
produjeron

Review this topic.

There are a number of verbs that are irregular in the preterite that follow a particular pattern. The pattern is that 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:

Review this topic.

Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect. This is not surprising, since the difference in meaning can be traced back to the different way in which these two past tenses are used.

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)

Review this topic.

'Hace ' to Mean 'ago'

In a previous lesson, you learned to use the verb hacer with the present tense form of a verb to indicate the length of time an action has been taking place:

Hace + time + que + present tense form of the verb

Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

When the verb is in the preterite tense, a different meaning is conveyed:

Hace + time + que + preterite tense form of the verb

Hace un año que estudié español.
I studied Spanish one year ago.

There is another way to convey the same idea:

Preterite tense form of the verb + hace + time

Estudié español hace un año.
I studied Spanish one year ago.

Note the differences and similarities:

Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.

Hace un año que estudié español.
I studied Spanish one year ago.

Estudié español hace un año.
I studied Spanish one year ago.

Formation of Adverbs

Adverbs are words that describe, or modify, verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.

He ran quickly.
('quickly' describes how he 'ran')

She spoke more slowly than he.
('slowly' describes how she 'spoke')
('more' modifies 'slowly')

Most Spanish adverbs are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the adjective. This ending corresponds to -ly in English.

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.

El chico le habló clara y cortésmente.
The boy spoke to him clearly and courteously.

El autor escribió rápida y fácilmente.
The author wrote quickly and easily.

Subjunctive: Part I

All too frequently, the topic of the subjunctive is made far more difficult than is necessary. Let's try a slightly different approach, with the goal of making this topic less troublesome.

The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood. Tense refers when an action takes place (past, present, future), while mood merely reflects how the speaker feels about the action. The subjunctive mood is rarely used in English, but it is widely used in Spanish.

So far, you have studied verb tenses in the indicative mood. The indicative mood is used to express factual information, certainty, and objectivity.

Usted va al Perú en diciembre.

You are going to Peru in December.

The above sentence merely reports the fact that you are going to Peru in December, so the indicative mood is used.

Let's change the above example slightly:

No dudo que usted va al Perú en diciembre.

I don't doubt that you are going to Peru in December.

In the above sentence, the clause 'no dudo' introduces a quality of certainty, -- the speaker has no doubt, so the indicative mood is used in the second clause (va) as well as the first (no dudo).

Let's make another slight change to our example:

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.

Yo dudo que usted vaya al Perú en diciembre.

I doubt that you are going to Peru in December.

Since the above statement does not express certainty, the subjunctive (vaya) is required in the second clause.

The difference between indicative and subjunctive is the difference between certainty/objectivity (indicative) and possibility/subjectivity (subjunctive).

Indicative

John goes to the store.
(This sentence merely states the certain, objective fact that John goes to the store.)

I know that John goes to the store.
(The clause 'I know' tells us that the speaker feels that it is a certain, objective fact that John goes to the store.)

There is no doubt that John goes to the store.
(The clause 'there is no doubt' tells us that the speaker feels that it is a certain, objective fact that John goes to the store.)

Subjunctive

I want John to go to the store.
(The clause 'I want' tells us that the speaker feels that there is uncertainty as to whether John goes to the store.)

I hope that John goes to the store.
(The clause 'I hope' tells us that the speaker feels that there is uncertainty as to whether John goes to the store.)

It is possible that John will go to the store.
(The clause 'it is possible' tells us that the speaker feels that there is uncertainty as to whether John goes to the store.)

It's good that John goes to the store.
(The clause 'it's good' alerts us that the speaker is about to express a subjective opinion.)

It's important that John goes to the store.
(The clause 'it's important' alerts us that the speaker is about to express a subjective opinion.)

Because there must be some uncertainty or subjectivity to warrant the use of the subjunctive, you will usually see it in sentences that contain a main clause which introduces a quality of uncertainty or subjectivity.

I hope she will come.
I hope = main clause

I know she will come.
I know = main clause

I feel she will come.
I feel = main clause.

The above examples all have main clauses, but only the first and the third introduce an element of uncertainty or subjectivity.

In learning to use the subjunctive, it is quite helpful if one can first recognize such clauses. The following is a list of clauses commonly associated with the use of the subjunctive:

a menos que
unless

antes (de) que
before

con tal (de) que
provided that

cuando
when

conviene que
it is advisable that

despues (de) que
after

dudar que
to doubt that

en caso de que
in case

en cuanto
as soon as

es aconsejable que
it's advisable that

es bueno que
it's good that

es difícil que
it's difficult for

es dudoso que
it is doubtful that

es fácil que
it's easy for

es fantástico que
it's fantastic that

es importante que
it's important that

es imposible que
it's impossible that

es improbable que
it's unlikely that

es incierto que
it's uncertain that

es increíble que
it's incredible that

es (una) lástima que
it's a pity that

es malo que
it's bad that

es mejor que
it's better that

es menester que
it's necessary that

es necesario que
it's necessary that

esperar que
to wish that

es posible que
it's possible that

es preciso que
it's necessary that

es preferible que
it's preferable that

es probable que
it's probable that

es raro que
it's rare that

es ridículo que
it's ridiculous that

estar contento que
to be happy that

es terrible que
it's terrible that

hasta que
until

insistir en que
to insist that

mandar que
to order that

más vale que
it's better that

mientras que
while

negar que
to deny 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 es verdad que
it's not true that

no imaginarse que
to not imagine that

no parecer que
to not seem that

no pensar que
to not think that

no suponer que
to not suppose that

ojalá que
if only he would

para que
in order that

pedir que
to ask that

preferir que
to prefer that

prohibir que
to prohibit that

puede ser que
it may be that

querer que
to want that

recomendar que
to recommend that

rogar que
to plead that

sentir que
to regret that

sin que
without

sugerir que
to suggest that

tan pronto como
as soon as

temer que
to fear that

tener miedo de que
to be afraid that

As you can see, the list is quite long, and this isn't even a complete list! There are even more expressions that trigger use of the subjunctive that we haven't included. 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?

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

Since these expressions introduce a quality of certainty, they do not trigger the use of the subjunctive.

If you encounter a sentence with a main clause followed by a second clause, and the main clause introduces a quality of certainty or objectivity, the sentence will use the indicative mood in the second clause, since the sentence will be reporting something certain.

If you encounter a sentence with a main clause followed by a second clause, and the main clause does not introduce a quality of certainty or objectivity, the sentence will usually use the subjunctive mood in the second clause, since the sentence will not be reporting something certain.

Let's add another flashcard to remind us of the fundamental difference between the indicative and subjunctive moods:

Verb Flashcards

58.  Indicative Mood
certainty and objectivity

Subjunctive Mood
uncertainty and subjectivity

Subjunctive: Part II

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels any uncertainty about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In this lesson you will begin to learn how to conjugate verbs in the present subjunctive.

For most verbs, 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

Regular -ar verbs like hablar (yo hablo).

hablo - o = habl

habl + e = hable
habl + es = hables
habl + e = hable
habl + emos = hablemos
habl + éis = habléis
habl + en = hablen

Regular -er verbs like comer (yo como).

como - o = com

com + a = coma
com + as = comas
com + a = coma
com + amos = comamos
com + áis = comáis
com + an = coman

Regular -ir verbs like vivir (yo vivo).

vivo - o = viv

viv + a = viva
viv + as = vivas
viv + a = viva
viv + amos = vivamos
viv + áis = viváis
viv + an = vivan

The formula also works for verbs that have irregular 'yo' forms in the present indicative. Study these examples:

conocer (yo conozco)
conozco - o = conozc

conozc + a = conozca
conozc + as = conozcas
conozc + a = conozca
conozc + amos = conozcamos
conozc + áis = conozcáis
conozc + an = conozcan

tener (yo tengo)
tengo - o = teng

teng + a = tenga
teng + as = tengas
teng + a = tenga
teng + amos = tengamos
teng + áis = tengáis
teng + an = tengan

salir (yo salgo)
salgo - o = salg

salg + a = salga
salg + as = salgas
salg + a = salga
salg + amos = salgamos
salg + áis = salgáis
salg + an = salgan

For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that there is no stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms. Study these examples:

pensar (yo pienso)
pienso - o = piens

piens + e = piense
piens + es = pienses
piens + e = piense
pens + emos = pensemos
pens + éis = penséis
piens + en = piensen

perder (yo pierdo)
pierdo - o = pierd

pierd + a = pierda
pierd + as = pierdas
pierd + a = pierda
perd + amos = perdamos
perd + áis = perdáis
pierd + an = pierdan

contar (yo cuento)
cuento - o = cuent

cuent + e = cuente
cuent + es = cuentes
cuent + e = cuente
cont + emos = contemos
cont + éis = contéis
cuent + en = cuenten

volver (yo vuelvo)
vuelvo - o = vuelv

vuelv + a = vuelva
vuelv + as = vuelvas
vuelv + a = vuelva
volv + amos = volvamos
volv + áis = volváis
vuelv + an = vuelvan

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. Study these examples:

dormir (yo duermo)
duermo - o = duerm

duerm + a = duerma
duerm + as = duermas
duerm + a = duerma
durm + amos = durmamos
durm + áis = durmáis
duerm + an = duerman

sentir (yo siento)
siento - o = sient

sient + a = sienta
sient + as = sientas
sient + a = sienta
sint + amos = sintamos
sint + áis = sintáis
sient + an = sientan

pedir (yo pido)
pido - o = pid

pid + a = pida
pid + as = pidas
pid + a = pida
pid + amos = pidamos
pid + áis = pidáis
pid + an = pidan

There are just a few more rules for conjugating verbs in the present subjunctive. They will be covered in the next two lessons.

Let's add flashcards for the conjugations covered in this lesson:

Verb Flashcards

59.  Present Subjunctive - hablar

hable
hables
hable
hablemos
habléis
hablen

60.  Present Subjunctive - comer

coma
comas
coma
comamos
comáis
coman

61.  Present Subjunctive - vivir

viva
vivas
viva
vivamos
viváis
vivan

62.  Present Subjunctive - verbs with irregular first persons in present indicative

conocer - conozca, conozcas, conozca, conozcamos, conozcáis, conozcan

tener - tenga, tengas, tenga, tengamos, tengáis, tengan

salir - salga, salgas, salga, salgamos, salgáis, salgan

63.  Present Subjunctive - -ar and -er stem-changing verbs

Conjugate just like regular subjunctives (using 'yo' form of the indicative) except the stem change does not occur in the nosotros/vosotros forms:

pensar

piense
pienses
piense
pensemos
penséis
piensen

64.  Present Subjunctive - -ir stem-changing verbs

Conjugate just like regular subjunctives (using 'yo' form of the indicative) except 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.:

dormir - durmamos

sentir - sintamos

pedir - pidamos

Subjunctive: Part III

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Part II, you learned the basic rules for conjugating regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

You learned that -ar verbs take the endings:

-e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en

And -er and -ir verbs take the endings:

-a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an

In this lesson you will learn how to conjugate verbs in the present subjunctive that change orthographically.

Remember the old question: What came first, the chicken or the egg? That's a hard one to answer. There's another question, one that pertains to learning Spanish, that's much easier to answer.

Spanish spelling is nearly perfect phonetically. That is, if you can pronounce it, you can spell it, and if you see it written, you can pronounce it. Have you ever asked yourself, 'Which came first, the pronunciation or the spelling?' This is a much easier question to answer than the 'chicken-egg' question.

The answer is that the pronunciation came first. Later, an alphabet was developed to represent that pronunciation on paper. Fortunately, when the rules for the alphabet were developed, they were kept simple and straightforward. That is why, in Spanish, you can spell any word that you can pronounce, and you can pronounce any word that you see written.

With regard to verb conjugations, these strict rules for spelling often lead to something called 'orthographic' changes. These are changes in spelling, changes that are made for one purpose -- to preserve the sound of the infinitive. All of the verbs we discuss in this lesson have orthographic changes.

All of these orthographic changes occur for one reason and one reason only. If we were to simply apply the rules learned in the previous lesson, then we would lose the sound of the infinitive. These orthographic changes ensure that the spelling properly reflects the way these words are actually pronounced.

Remember, pronunciation comes first. Spelling merely reflects the way a word is pronounced. Here are the rules for the orthographic changes in the present subjunctive:

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

There is just one more consideration for conjugating verbs in the present subjunctive. We will cover that in the next lesson.

Let's add flashcards for the verbs that change orthographically in the present subjunctive:

Verb Flashcards

65.  -zar: z changes to c before e
(present subjunctive)

empezar (e:ie)

empiece
empieces
empiece
empecemos
empecéis
empiecen

66.  -ger or -gir: g changes to j before a
(present subjunctive)

escoger

escoja
escojas
escoja
escojamos
escojáis
escojan

67.  -guir: gu changes to g before a
(present subjunctive)

seguir (e:i)

siga
sigas
siga
sigamos
sigáis
sigan

68.  -car: c changes to qu before e
-gar g changes to gu before e
(present subjunctive)

buscar / pagar

busque / pague
busques / pagues
busque / pague
busquemos / paguemos
busquéis paguéis
busquen / paguen

69.  uir: add y before a
(present subjunctive)

huir

huya
huyas
huya
huyamos
huyáis
huyan

Subjunctive: Part IV

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Part II, you learned the basic rules for conjugating regular verbs and stem-changing verbs.

You learned that -ar verbs take the endings:

-e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en

And -er and -ir verbs take the endings:

-a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an

In Part III, you learned how to conjugate verbs in the present subjunctive that change orthographically.

In this lesson, you will learn the verbs that are irregular in the present tense subjunctive. The good news is that there are only six irregular verbs. The bad news is that, like all irregular verbs, you just have to memorize them. But wait! More good news! The practice exercises and the verb flashcards will make memorizing them easy.

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

Let's add flashcards for the irregular verbs covered in this lesson:

Verb Flashcards

70.  Present Subjunctive - dar

dé
des
dé
demos
deis
den

71.  Present Subjunctive - estar

esté
estés
esté
estemos
estéis
estén

72.  Present Subjunctive - haber

haya
hayas
haya
hayamos
hayáis
hayan

73.  Present Subjunctive - ir

vaya
vayas
vaya
vayamos
vayáis
vayan

74.  Present Subjunctive - saber

sepa
sepas
sepa
sepamos
sepáis
sepan

75.  Present Subjunctive - ser

sea
seas
sea
seamos
seáis
sean

Subjunctive: Part V

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Parts II - IV, you learned all the rules for conjugating regular verbs in the present subjunctive.

In this lesson, you will simply practice one of the many ways the subjunctive is used: to express desire.

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

Remember, there are also expressions that trigger the use of the indicative mood, since they introduce a quality of certainty or objectivity. Here's a partial list of such expressions that we will mix into the practice exercises for this lesson, just to keep you on your toes!

creer que
to believe that

no dudar que
to not doubt that

estar seguro que
to be sure that

no es dudoso que
it is not doubtful that

no hay duda que
there is no doubt that

Let's add a flashcard for some of the phrases used to indicate desire:

Verb Flashcards

76.  Present Subjunctive - desire

esperar que
insistir en que
mandar que
preferir que
prohibir que
querer que
es aconsejable que
es necesario que
pedir que
recomendar que
rogar que
sugerir que

Subjunctive: Part VI

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Parts II - IV, you learned all the rules for conjugating regular verbs in the present subjunctive.

In this lesson, you will simply practice another of the many ways the subjunctive is used: to express ignorance or doubt.

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

Remember, there are also expressions that trigger the use of the indicative mood, since they introduce a quality of certainty. Here's a partial list of such expressions that we will mix into the practice exercises for this lesson, just to keep you on your toes!

no dudo que
to not doubt that

estar seguro de que
to be certain that

creer que
to think that

no negar que
to not deny that

es verdad que
it's true that

Let's add a flashcard for some expressions that introduce an aspect of ignorance or doubt:

Verb Flashcards

77.  Present Subjunctive - ignorance or doubt

dudar que
es improbable que
es incierto que
es posible que
no creer que
puede ser que
es aconsejable que
temer que

Subjunctive: Part VII

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Parts II - IV, you learned all the rules for conjugating regular verbs in the present subjunctive.

In this lesson, you will simply practice another of the many ways the subjunctive is used: after certain impersonal expressions.

Here is a list of common impersonal expressions that introduce an aspect of uncertainty or subjectivity, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive. You will notice that there is some overlap with other lessons. That is, you may see some of these impersonal expressions in other subjunctive lessons, as well.

conviene que
it is advisable that

es aconsejable que
it is advisable that

es bueno que
it's good that

es difícil que
it's difficult that

es dudoso que
it's doubtful that

es fácil que
it's easy for

es fantástico que
it's fantastic that

es importante que
it's important that

es imposible que
it's impossible that

es improbable que
it's unlikely that

es incierto que
it's uncertain that

es increíble que
it's incredible that

es (una) lástima que
it's a shame that

es malo que
it's bad that

es mejor que
it's better that

es menester que
it's necessary that

es necesario que
it's necessary that

es posible que
it's possible that

es preciso que
it's necessary that

es preferible que
it's preferable that

es probable que
it's likely that

es raro que
it's rare that

es ridículo que
it's ridicuous that

es terrible que
it's terrible that

más vale que
it's better that

ojalá que
if only he would

puede ser que
it could be that

Remember, there are also impersonal expressions that trigger the use of the indicative mood, since they introduce a quality of certainty or objectivity. Here's a partial list of such expressions that we will mix into the practice exercises for this lesson, just to keep you on your toes!

es evidente que
it is certain that

es obvio que
it is obvious that

es verdad que
it's true that

no es dudoso que
it is not doubtful that

no hay duda que
there is no doubt that

Let's add a flashcard for some impersonal expressions that trigger the use of the subjunctive:

Verb Flashcards

78.  Present Subjunctive - impersonal expressions

es bueno que
es importante que
es posible que
es raro que
es malo que
es ridículo que
es terrible que
puede ser que

Subjunctive: Part VIII

In Part I, you learned that the subjunctive mood is used whenever the speaker feels uncertain about the action of the sentence, or when the speaker is expressing a subjective opinion.

In Parts II - IV, you learned all the rules for conjugating regular verbs in the present subjunctive.

In this lesson, you will simply practice another of the many ways the subjunctive is used: with actions that are not yet completed.

Here is a list of common expressions that may indicate that the action that follows has not yet been completed.

a menos que
unless

antes (de) que
before

con tal (de) que
provided that

cuando
when

después (de) que
after

en caso de que
in case

en cuanto
as soon as

hasta que
until

mientras que
while

para que
so that

sin que
without

tan pronto como
as soon as

Important! The above expressions do not always invoke the subjunctive. They only do so when they indicate that the expression that follows has not yet been completed.

Remember, there are also expressions that trigger the use of the indicative mood, since they introduce a quality of certainty or objectivity. Here's a partial list of such expressions that we will mix into the practice exercises for this lesson, just to keep you on your toes!

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

es verdad que
it is true that

Let's add a flashcard for some expressions that may indicate that the action that follows has not yet been completed:

Verb Flashcards

79.  Present Subjunctive - incompleted actions

a menos que
antes de que
con tal de que
después de que
hasta que
mientras que
tan pronto como

Relative Pronouns: que

The next few lessons will cover a subject called 'relative pronouns.' Remember, 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'.

sDónde está la leche?
Where is the milk?

Compraste leche.
You bought milk.

sDónde 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 leiste (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.

El programa que miraba era cómico.
The show (that) I was watching was comical.

Relative Pronouns: quien

Continuing with the subject of 'relative pronouns,' remember that 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.

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.

La chica, con quien fui al cine, es mi novia.
The girl, with whom I went to the movies, is my girlfriend.

Quien estudia bastante, gana buenas notas.
He who studies hard earns good grades.

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 in not use 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.

Mi padre es la persona a quien envío la carta.
My father is the person I'm sending the letter to. / My father is the person to whom I'm sending the letter.

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

Continuing with the subject of 'relative pronouns,' remember that 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.

The relative pronoun 'el que' (and it's 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.

Las mesas, las que son de plástico, son baratas.
The tables, the ones that are made of plastic, are cheap.

Mi tío, el que es taxista, llegará pronto.
My uncle, the one who is a taxi driver, will arrive soon.

Mis pantalones, los que son viejos, son muy cómodos.
My pants, the ones that are old, are very comfortable.

Another set of relative pronouns can be used in place of el que, la que, los que, and las que:

el cual
la cual
los cuales
las cuales

These are not commonly used in everyday conversation, and are generally reserved for written Spanish or formal oratory.

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 Adjectives: cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas

We include the relative adjective 'cuyo' (and it's related forms) in this discussion because it relates the owner to that which is owned, as does the English 'whose'. Note that there are four forms to accomodate singular and plural, masculine and feminine: cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas.

La niña, cuyo padre es profesor, es muy simpática.
The girl, whose father is profesor, is very nice.

El hombre, cuya madre murió, escribió su biografía.
The man, whose mother died, wrote her biography.

El coche, cuyos faros no funcionan, es un peligro.
The car, whose lights do not work, is a danger.

Pedro, cuyas hermanas son guapas, es mi amigo.
Pedro, whose sisters are beautiful, is my friend.

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.

Relative Pronouns and Adjectives: Review

The past few lessons have covered the subject of 'relative pronouns.' The most common relative pronoun 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 leiste (thing, object)
The letter that you read

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 in not use 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 refers to a person and occurs after a preposition, '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.

The relative pronoun 'el que' (and it's 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.

Las mesas, las que son de plástico, son baratas.
The tables, the ones that are made of plastic, are cheap.

Mi tío, el que es taxista, llegará pronto.
My uncle, the one who is a taxi driver, will arrive soon.

Mis pantalones, los que son viejos, son muy cómodos.
My pants, the ones that are old, are very comfortable.

Another set of relative pronouns can be used in place of el que, la que, los que, and las que:

el cual
la cual
los cual
las cuales

These are not commonly used in everyday conversation, and are generally reserved for written Spanish or formal oratory.

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.

The relative adjective 'cuyo' (and it's related forms) relates the owner to that which is owned, as does the English 'whose'. Note that there are four forms to accomodate singular and plural, masculine and feminine: cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas.

La niña, cuyo padre es profesor, es muy simpática.
The girl, whose father is profesor, is very nice.

El hombre, cuya madre murió, escribió su biografía.
The man, whose mother died, wrote her biography.

El coche, cuyos faros no funcionan, es un peligro.
The car, whose lights do not work, is a danger.

Pedro, cuyas hermanas son guapas, es mi amigo.
Pedro, whose sisters are beautiful, is my friend.

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.

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.

El programa que miraba era cómico.
The show (that) I was watching was comical.

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.

Mi padre es la persona a quien envío la carta.
My father is the person I'm sending the letter to. / My father is the person to whom I'm sending the letter.

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.

Compre Ud. el anillo.
(You) Buy the ring.

Haga Ud. la tarea.
(You) Do the homework.

Compren Uds. los libros.
(You-all) Buy the books.

Hagan Uds. el trabajo.
(You-all) Do the work.

By now, you are well acquainted with the fact that Spanish has both a formal and an informal style of speech (tú / Ud.). This distinction applies to commands.

Compre Ud. el anillo.
Buy the ring. (formal)

Compra (tú) los dulces.
Buy the candy. (familiar)

Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child. Formal speech is generally used to be polite or to express respect. For that reason, the formal commands are often referred to as polite commands.

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.)

The following examples of formal commands use three regular verbs: hablar, comer, and escribir.

Hable Ud. más lentamente.
Hablen Uds. más lentamente.
Speak more slowly.

Coma Ud. la cena.
Coman Uds. la cena.
Eat the dinner.

Escriba Ud. la carta.
Escriban Uds. la carta.
Write the letter.

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.

Traiga Ud. el dinero. (yo traigo)
Bring the money.

Venga Ud. conmigo. (yo vengo)
Come with me.

This also applies to stem-changing verbs.

Cuente Ud. sus beneficios. (yo cuento)
Count your blessings.

Vuelvan Uds. pronto. (yo vuelvo)
Return quickly.

Pida dinero. (yo pido)
Ask for money.

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.

Note that affirmative and negative commands use the same verb forms.

Hable Ud.
Speak.

No hable Ud.
Don't speak.


Coma Ud.
Eat.

No coma Ud.
Don't eat.


Escriba Ud.
Write.

No escriba Ud.
Don't write.

Also note that the subject pronouns Ud. and Uds. may or may not be used. Using them adds a degree of formality or politeness to the command.

Hable.
Speak.

Hable Ud.
Speak. (more respectful)

Coma.
Eat.

Coma Ud.
Eat. (more polite)

Let's add two flashcards for the formal commands:

Verb Flashcards

80.  Formal Commands (Imperative)

Use the present subjunctive forms

Hable Ud.
Speak.

No hable Ud.
Don't speak.

Coma Ud.
Eat.

No coma Ud.
Don't eat.

Escriba Ud.
Write.

No escriba Ud.
Don't write.

81.  Irregular Formal Commands (Imperative)

Same irregulars as the present subjunctive forms

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.

Informal Commands (tú)

In the previous lesson, you learned that commands are used when ordering, or telling someone to do something. This is often referred to as the 'imperative' form of the verb.

Compra (tú) el anillo.
(You) Buy the ring.

Escribe (tú) la tarea.
(You) Do the homework.

Compra (tú) los libros.
(You) Buy the books.

Come (tú) la patata.
(You) Eat the potato.

Remember that Spanish has both a formal and an informal style of speech (tú/Ud.). This distinction applies to commands.

Compre Ud. el anillo.
Buy the ring. (formal)

Compra (tú) los dulces.
Buy the candy. (familiar)

Remember, formal speech is generally used to be polite or to express respect. Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.

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 this is the usted form, not the tú form!

The following examples of commands use three regular verbs: hablar, comer, and escribir.

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.

Habla más lentamente.
(You) Speak more slowly.

Come la cena.
(You) Eat the dinner.

Escribe la carta.
(You) Write the letter.

Let's add a flashcard for the informal tú commands:

Verb Flashcards

82.  Informal (tú) Commands (Imperative)

Affirmative: Use the present indicative Ud. form
Negative: Use the present subjunctive tú form

Habla.
Speak.

No hables.
Don't speak.

Come.
Eat.

No comas.
Don't eat.

Escribe.
Write.

No escribas.
Don't write.

Irregular Commands (tú)

The following eight verbs have irregular familiar commands in the affirmative:

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. (tú)
No digas mentiras. (tú)

Haz tu tarea. (tú)
No hagas eso. (tú)

Let's add another flashcard for the irregular tú commands:

Verb Flashcards

83.  Irregular Informal (tú) Commands (Imperative)
(Affirmative Only)

Using Object Pronouns with 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.

Traiga Ud. las cartas.
Bring the letters.

Tráigalas Ud.
Bring them.

If both direct and indirect object pronouns are attached, the indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun.

Cómprelo Ud.
Buy it.

Cómpremelo Ud.
Buy it for me.

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.

No traiga Ud. las cartas.
Don't bring the letters.

No las traiga.
Don't bring them.

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.

Remember the rule regarding two object pronouns: whenever both pronouns begin with the letter 'l' change the first pronoun to 'se.'

le lo = se lo
le la = se la
le los = se los
le las = se las
les lo = se lo
les la = se la
les los = se los
les las = se las

Let's add a flashcard for pronoun placement when using commands:

Verb Flashcards

84.  Pronoun placement with commands

Affirmative commands: attach to verb
Negative commands: precede verb

Tráigaselas.
No se las traiga.

Commands Review Part I

Commands are used when ordering, or telling someone to do something. This is often referred to as the 'imperative' form of the verb. Spanish has both formal and an informal commands.

The formal commands (both affirmative and negative) use the present subjunctive verb form:

hablar
hable Ud.
no hablen Uds.

comer
no coma Ud.
coman Uds.

decir
diga Ud.
no digan Uds.

As with the present subjunctive, the following verbs are irregular:

(dar) dé, den

(estar) esté, estén

(ir) vaya, vayan

(ser) sea, sean

(saber) sepa, sepan

The affirmative informal (tú) commands use the present indicative Ud. form:

Cuenta tus beneficios.
Count your blessings.

Habla más lentamente.
Speak more slowly.

The negative informal (tú) commands use the present subjunctive.

No cuentes tus beneficios.
Don't count your blessings.

No hables más lentamente.
Don't speak more slowly.

The following eight verbs have irregular familiar commands in the affirmative:

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.

Cómprelo Ud.
Buy it.

Cómpremelo Ud.
Buy it for me.

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)

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.

Informal Commands (vosotros)

Remember that the 'vosotros' verb forms are primarily used in Spain, and are not, by and large, used in Latin America. 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.

Escribid (vosotros) la tarea.
(You-all) Do the homework.

Comprad (vosotros) los libros.
(You-all) Buy the books.

Comed (vosotros) la patata.
(You-all) Eat the potato.

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.

No escribáis (vosotros) la tarea.
(You-all) Don't the homework.

No compréis (vosotros) los libros.
(You-all) Don't buy the books.

No comáis (vosotros) la patata.
(You-all) Don't eat the potato.

Remember, formal speech is generally used to be polite or to express respect. Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.

The pronouns (vosotros, vosotras) are not normally used.

Comprad el anillo.
(You-all) Buy the ring.

No escribáis la tarea.
(You-all) Don't the homework.

No compréis los libros.
(You-all) Don't buy the books.

Comed la patata.
(You-all) Eat the potato.

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.'

tIdos!
Go away!

Verbs ending in '-ir' will require a written accent.

Vestid + os = Vestíos.
Get dressed.

Let's add a flashcard for the informal vosotros commands:

Verb Flashcards

85.  Informal (vosotros) Commands (Imperative)

Affirmative: Change the final 'r' of the infinitive to 'd'
Negative: Use the present subjunctive vosotros form

Hablad.
Speak.

No habléis.
Don't speak.

Comed.
Eat.

No comáis.
Don't eat.

Escribid.
Write.

No escribáis.
Don't write.

First-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.

Contemos el dinero.
Let's count the money.

To form the negative command, place the word no before the same verb form (present subjunctive).

No comamos allí.
Let's not eat there.

No contemos el dinero.
Let's not count the money.

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 ___.' Note the two different ways of saying the same thing.

Trabajemos juntos.
Let's work together.

Vamos a trabajar juntos.
Let's work together.

Let's add a flashcard for nosotros commands:

Verb Flashcards

86.  Nosotros commands (let's ). Use present subjunctive (except ir)

Comamos allí.
No comamos allí.

Vamos ahora.
No vayamos ahora.

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.

Que vengan a las cuatro.
Have them come at four o'clock.

Indirect commands are also used to convey a hope or a wish.

Que lo hagas tú.
Why don't you do it?

Que vivas para siempre.
May you live forever.

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.

Let's add a flashcard for indirect commands:

Verb Flashcards

87.  Indirect commands Use 'que + present subjunctive'

Que entre María.
Let María come in.

Que vengan a las cuatro.
Have them come at four o'clock.