Spanish 1

Spanish Object Pronoun Position
Object pronouns (direct, indirect, and reflexive) usually precede the verbs they
modify. However, in the case of infinitives, gerunds, and affirmative commands,
they often get attached to the end of the verb instead.
Object Pronouns with Infinitive

When one or more pronouns are used with a verb in the infinitive (including
the perfect infinitive), the pronoun(s) are usually attached to the end of the
infinitive.
Sali sin verlo - He left without seeing it.
Limpi la casa para venderla - I cleaned the house to sell it.
If the infinitive is immediately preceded by a conjugated verb, the pronoun(s) can
either precede the conjugated verb or be attached to the infinitive.
Lo quiero vender / Quiero venderlo - I want to sell it.
Me voy a lavar / Voy a lavarme - I'm going to wash up.
When double pronouns are attached to an infinitive, an acute accent must be
added to the last syllable of the infinitive, in order to maintain the correct stress
on the word.
Quiere vendrnoslo - He wants to sell it to us.
Voy a drtelo - I'm going to give it to you.
Object Pronouns with Gerund

When pronouns are used with a gerund or progressive tense, the pronoun(s) can
either precede the helping verb or be attached to the gerund.
Lo estoy mirando / Estoy mirndolo - I am watching it.
Las estbamos mirando / Estbamos mirndolas - We were looking for them.
Note that when the pronoun is attached to the gerund, an accent must be added
to the original stressed syllable in order to maintain the correct stress on the
word.
Object Pronouns with Imperative
When object pronouns are used with negative commands, they precede the
verbs. However, for affirmative commands they must be attached to the end of
the verb.
No me ayudes! - Aydame!
Don't help me! - Help me!
No se vaya (Ud.) - Vyase.
Don't go away. - Go away.
No lo comas - Cmelo.
Don't eat it - Eat it.
No me la traiga - Trigamela.
Don't bring it to me - Bring it to me.
Again, when object pronouns are attached, an accent must be added to the verb
to maintain the proper word stress.
La Tilde - Acute Accent - Spanish Pronunciation

Accents may look strange to anyone whose native language doesn't have any, but
they are extremely important in Spanish. Leaving off the accent on a word is a
spelling mistake, and may cause confusion.
The Spanish acute accent or tilde (, , , , ) serves two purposes:
1. It indicates that the normal rules of word stress are being overridden. The
following table lists the normal rules and has examples of words that follow them
as well as words that need accents because they break the rules.
Exception
s
a. Words that end in a consonant other than N and S
have stress on the last syllable.
calor
estoy
salud
abril
rbol
lpiz
b
.
agosto
nosotros
seora
sbado
jess
perdn
cuarto
diciembr
e
junio
medioda
mircoles
fro
Words that end in a vowel, S, or N have stress on the

penultimate syllable.
c. Most two-vowel combinations diphthong* unless one

of them has an accent (exceptions and additional
info)
*Are pronounced as a single syllable
2. Acute accents are also used to distinguish between otherwise identical words,
such as s (yes) vs si (if) - learn more.
3. Acute accents are added to verbs with attached object pronouns - learn more.
Note: The tilde over the letter n () is something else entirely - learn more.
FAQ: How do I type Spanish accents?

You don't need special software or hardware to type Spanish accents - just follow
these instructions.
Windows users have several options.
International keyboard (Win XP)
1. Open your Control Panel (via Start menu or My Computer)

2. Double click Regional and Language Options
3. Click Languages
4. Click Details
5. Click Add
6. Pick English (United States - International)
This method has the advantage of maintaining the QWERTY layout, with
the following changes:
7. To type acute (, , , , ), type ' (single quote) then the vowel.
8. Tilde (), type ~ (shift + `) then n.
9. To type Spanish quotation marks use ctrl + alt + [ and ],

respectively.
10. To type the Spanish punctuation marks and use right-alt + ?

and 1, respectively.
The minor disadvantage of the international keyboard is that it takes a
little while to get used to typing a space when you actually want to type '
or ".
Vocales - Hard and Soft Spanish Vowels
Spanish vowels are divided into two categories: hard and soft. Hard vowels (A, O,
U) cause the consonant that precedes them to be pronounced with a hard sound,
which I've abbreviated in this lesson as [HS], while soft vowels (E, I) are
preceded by a soft sound [SS]. (Note that consonants - R, L, etc. - are always
preceded by the hard sound.)
The consonants affected by this hard/soft distinction are C, G, and, to a lesser
extent, Z.*
HS
[k]
[g]
[s]
cama
gafas
zapatos
cmo
abogado
perezoso
cuchara
mucho gusto
zumo
clase
gris
n/a
Cons.
n/a*
SS
[th]
[j]
cebolla
gente
cinturn
gigante
*The letter Z is a hard consonant, meaning that it Z has no "soft" pronunciation

and, with very few exceptions, cannot precede an E or an I; it must be replaced
by the letter C (as explained below).
***
Some Spanish words need a hard sound in front of a soft vowel, or a soft sound
in front of a hard vowel. This is the reason behind many Spanish spelling changes
in plurals and irregular verb conjugations (mostly in
the preterite and subjunctive). For certain plurals and verb conjugations, it is
necessary to change the spelling in order to maintain a hard sound in front of a
soft vowel or a soft sound in front of a hard vowel.
To make a hard sound in front of a soft vowel:
C --> QU
sacar --> yo saqu

buscar --> yo busqu
G --> GU
pagar --> yo pagu
jugar --> yo jugu

Z --> C
comenzar --> yo comenc

lpiz --> lpices
To make a soft sound in front of a hard vowel:

C --> Z
hacer --> l hizo
G --> J
coger --> yo cojo
And + Or - Spanish Conjunctions

The words and and or are conjunctions, and they have a few different forms in
Spanish.
And is normally translated as y:
Jos y Ana hablan francs.
Jos and Ana speak French.
Me gustan las fresas y las frambuesas.
I like strawberries and raspberries.
Necesitamos sal y hielo.
We need salt and ice.
When "and" precedes a word that begins with the sound "i," the Spanish
translation is e instead of y, in order to avoid having two "i" sounds in a row. This
includes words that begin with i and hi, but not words that begin with hie.
Hay templos e iglesias en este calle.
There are temples and churches on this

street.
Todos mis hijos e hijas han ido a la

universidad.
All of my sons and daughters have gone

to college.
Or is normally translated as o:
Quieres caf o t?
Do you want coffee or tea?
Paco o David puede ayudarte.
Paco or David can help you.
When "or" precedes a word that begins with the sound "o," the Spanish
translation is u instead of o, in order to avoid having two "o" sounds in a row.
This includes words that begin with o and ho.
Hay siete u ocho estudiantes en la
There are seven or eight students in the
oficina.
office.
Es vertical u horizontal?
Is it vertical or horizontal?
When o is used with numerals, it becomes , to avoid confusion with the number
0.
23
2 or 3
9 10
9 or 10
Spanish Dieresis - La Diresis -

When the letter G precedes a U plus a hard vowel, the U and the vowel are both
pronounced. The U is pronounced like an English W:
guasn
guapo
In order to obtain this W sound in front of a soft vowel, the comes into play.
The two dots over the U are called a dieresisand indicate that two adjacent
vowels both need to be pronounced as a diphthong:
vergenza
lingstica
Note: In Spanish, the dieresis is only found on the U, and it can only precede an
E or I. When a U is followed by a hard vowel, as in guapo, the W sound is
automatic. Remember that a U without dieresis + E or I just makes the G hard
(lesson on hard/soft vowels); the dieresis is what indicates that the U has its own
sound.
Diptongos e hiato - Spanish Diphthongs and Hiatus

When a Spanish word has two vowels side by side, various pronunciation issues
come into play: syllable division, diphthongs, and hiatus.
In terms of syllable division, Spanish vowels are divided into two
categories: strong vowels (A, E, O) and weak vowels (I, U). To pronounce
Spanish correctly, you need to understand strong and weak vowels and how they
affect pronunciation.
1. Two strong vowels
empleado
Pronounced as a hiatus* with normal rules of word stress

(see lesson)
2. Strong vowel + weak vowel (most common)

Pronounced as a diphthong* with emphasis on the strong
vowel.
estreo
europeo
impermeable
abierto
australiano
baile
estudioso
fuerte
guasningenu
o
3. Two weak vowels

Pronounced as a diphthong with emphasis on the second
vowel.
4. Exceptions
When the pronunciation of a word does not follow these
rules, an acute accent is placed on the stressed vowel.
suizo
cuidado
asitico
fro
jardinera
mircoles
natacin
patritico
polica
televisin
*Notes
Hiatus - Two vowels pronounced as two distinct syllables.
Diphthong - Two vowels pronounced as a single syllable. When this happens, the
unstressed weak vowel has a special sound: the letter I sounds like Y (as in yet)
and U sounds like W (as in will).
The letter U - When U's purpose in a word is to make a consonant hard rather
than soft (see lesson) as inportugus and guisantes, it does not count as a vowel
and thus the above rules do not apply.
Enlace - Encadenamiento - Spanish Linking

Enlace or encadenamiento is the phenomenon in Spanish whereby each word
seems to run into the next, as if there are no boundaries between them. In fact,
this is exactly the case: there are no phonetic boundaries in Spanish, and words
do run together, in three different ways.
1.
Vowel + vowel
a) When a word ending with a vowel is followed by a word beginning with
the same vowel, the two vowels are combined into a single, slightly
elongated sound.
la escuela abra la puerta a las

siete
la escue la bra la puer ta la sie te
b) When a word ending with a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a

different vowel, the two vowels diphthong into a single syllable.
tengo una idea interesante
2.
ten gou nai deain te re san te
Consonant + consonant
When a word ending with a consonant is followed by a word beginning with
the same consonant, the two consonants are combined into a single, slightly
elongated sound.
los seores son nerviosos
3.
lo se o re so ner vio sos
Consonant + vowel
When a word ending in a consonant is followed by a word that begins with a
vowel, the consonant sound at the end of the first word is transfered to the
beginning of the second word.
un actor es un artista
u nac to re su nar ti sta
Notes:
When the second word begins with an H, the word acts as if the H doesn't
exist, so the rules above still apply.
Basically, the Spanish language doesn't like to have syllables begin with
vowels or end in consonants, so whenever possible the final consonant is
tacked onto the word that follows it. The end result of enlace is that most
syllables begin with a consonant sound and end with a vowel sound. This
also increases the musicality of the language.
Silent letters ~ H and sometimes U

Figuring out how to pronounce a new Spanish word is fairly easy, because there
are consistent rules about how to pronounce each letter, and only two silent
letters.
The letter H is always silent - the word is pronounced as if the h weren't there at
all.
hablar - speak
hermano - brother
helado - ice cream
hija - daughter
ahora - now
zanahoria - carrot
(However, note that, as in English, CH is a different sound than C).

The letter U is sometimes silent in Spanish, but it has a purpose. When a U is
preceded by G and followed by the soft vowelsE or I, the letter U is silent.
guisantes - peas
droguera - drugstore
portugus - Portuguese
For a U followed by E or I to be pronounced, you need a dieresis.
Tricky Spanish Pronunciation

Spanish pronunciation is what I like to call phonetic, meaning that according to
the pronunciation rules, in a given use, each letter is always pronounced a certain
way. Many Spanish letters have only one pronunciation, making them especially
easy to learn. But certain consonants have two pronunciations depending on
where/how they are used. That's what this lesson is about. Take a look at this
summary of "dual-pronunciation" letters, and then click on the individual letters
for more in-depth explanations.
Lette
r
Sound
Usage
Similar Eng.
sound
B, V
[b]
beginning of word or after

consonant
boy
bien
rbol
vosotros
invierno
bilabial
fricative
everywhere else
n/a
hablar
problema
nueve
Examples
noventa
[th]
preceding E or I
once
diciembre
[k]
preceding A, O, U, or
consonant
como
cuatro
octubre
[d]
beginning of word or after

L or N
dog
had
dos
cundo
falda
[TH]
everywhere else
this
bathe
adis
perdn
salud
[g]
preceding A, O, U, or
consonant
gave
go
gum
glow
agosto
agua
galleta
grande
[kh]
preceding E or I
ch in loch
gente
gigante
preceding B, D, G, L, M, N
rose
cause
mismo
desde
[z]
[s]
everywhere else
house
some
escuela
gris
sombrero
[ks]
n/a
axe
mix
xito except
o
[gz]
n/a
exact example
exacto exigir
Spanish Syllabification / Word Division
Spanish words are divided into syllables according to fairly simple rules.
Number of syllables
Spanish words have the same number of syllables as they
have diphthongs + vowels, with the exception of the silent U. Here are some
examples:
1 syllable
1 vowel
l - tres - sur
1 diphthong
diez - soy - pie
2 syllables
2 vowels
fro - plato - estar
1 vowel + 1 diphthong
baile - fuerte - estoy
3 syllables
3 vowels
febrero - exacto - derecha
2 vowels + 1 diphthong
cuidado - abierto - ingenuo
1 vowel + 2 diphthongs
auxiliar - dieciseis
4 syllables
4 vowels
empleado - estreo - carnicero
3 vowels + 1 diphthong
estudioso - europeo - televisin
2 vowels + 2 diphthongs
australiano
etc.
Word Division
The syllables are divided according to the following rules:
1. Between two consecutive strong vowels: fe-o
2. Between two consecutive vowels when one is accented: d-a
3. Between two consecutive consonants: es-tar
a) except when the second one is L or R, in which case the syllable breaks before
them: a-trs
4. When there are three consecutive consonants, the syllable usually breaks
betwen the first and second: in-gls
Please note that this lesson is only a guideline for the Spanish that I know, which
is Castilian Spanish. There are many regional variations in Spanish pronunciation.
Basic Vocabulary
Hablo (un poco de) espaol.
I speak (a little) Spanish.
Habla ingls?
Do you speak English?
Qu quiere decir ----?
What does ---- mean?
Cmo se dice ---- en espaol?
How do you say ---- in Spanish?
Repita, por favor.
Repeat, please.
Ms despacio
More slowly
Otra vez
One more time
No comprendo.
I don't understand.
No s.
I don't know.
Tengo una pregunta.
I have a question
Tengo un problema.
I have a problem
Cmo?
What?
yes
no
no
de acuerdo
OK
y/o
and / or (lesson)
quin
who
qu
what
cundo
when
dnde
where
por qu
why
cmo
how
Body - El Cuerpo
hair
el pelo
head
la cabeza
face
la cara
eye
el ojo
nose
la nariz
cheek
la mejilla
mouth
la boca
lip
el labio
tooth
el diente
ear
la oreja
neck
el cuello
chest
el pecho
back
la espalda
stomach
el estmago
arm
el brazo
shoulder
el hombro
elbow
el codo
wrist
la mueca
hand
la mano
finger
el dedo
fingernail
la ua
thumb
el pulgar
leg
la pierna
knee
la rodilla
ankle
el tobillo
foot
el pie
toe
el dedo del pie
Ropa - Spanish Clothing

un abrigo
coat
un impermeable
raincoat
una chaqueta
jacket
un suter
sweater
una camiseta
T-shirt
unos pantalones
pants
unos pantalones cortos
shorts
un traje de bao
bathing suit
unos calcetines
socks
unos zapatos
shoes
unos deportivos
sneakers
unas botas
boots
unas sandalias
sandals
un pijama
pajamas
Saludos - Spanish Greetings

Click on the underlined Spanish words to hear them pronounced.
Hi
Hola
Hello
Buenos das
Good afternoon
Buenas tardes
Good evening
Buenas noches
How are you?
singular
plural
familiar
Cmo ests?
Cmo estis?
formal
Cmo est Ud.?
Cmo estn Uds.?
How's it going?
Qu tal?
I'm...
Estoy...*
Good
Bien
Great
Muy bien
Good-bye
Adis
See you later
Hasta luego
Hasta pronto
Hasta la vista
Introductions - las Presentaciones

English
Spanish
Reponse
English
What's your name?
Cmo se llama? (formal)

Me llamo...
Cmo te llamas? (familiar)
My name is...
I'd like to introduce

you to...
Permtame presentarle a...

(formal)
Nice to meet
you.
This is...
Este es... (familiar)
His/Her name is...
Mucho
gusto.
"
Se llama...
Politeness - Spanish Vocabulary

please
por favor
thank you (very much)
(muchas) gracias
I can't thank you enough!
cunto te lo agradezco!
you're welcome, don't mention it
de nada
it was my pleasure
no hay de qu
bless you! (after a sneeze)
Jess! or Salud!
pardon me
perdn
excuse me
con permiso
won't you please excuse me
tenga a bien disculparme
I'm (very) sorry
lo siento (mucho)
cheers
salud (y pesetas)
enjoy your meal
buen provecho
Sir, Mr.
seor
"
Ma'am, Mrs.
seora
Miss
seorita
To Be - Ser and Estar

There are two Spanish verbs that mean to be.* Each of these verbs is used to
express a different type of being - they are not interchangeable.
SER
Present tense:
yo
soy
nosotros
somos
eres
vosotros
sois
l, ella, Ud.
es
ellos, ellas, Uds.
son
All tenses
Ser is used to describe permanent or long-term attributes like
origin
nationality
what something is made of
physical characteristics
personality
religion
relationships
professions
Soy de Espaa.
I'm from Spain.
Eres francs?
Are you French?
La casa es de adobe.
The house is made of adobe.
Somos grandes.
We are tall.
Sois inteligentes!
You guys are smart!
Son catlicos?
Are they Catholic?
Soy la esposa de Juan.
I'm Juan's wife.
Eres profesor?
Are you a teacher?
ESTAR
Present tense:
yo
estoy
nosotros
estamos
ests
vosotros
estis
l, ella, Ud.
est
ellos, Ud.
estn
All tenses
Estar is used to describe the current state of a noun - temporary, changeable
attributes like
location**
attitude
mental / physical state
Estoy en Marruecos.
I'm in Morocco.
San Jos est en Costa Rica.**
San Jos is in Costa Rica.
Ests enfrente de la casa?
Are you in front of the house?
Est contento hoy!
He's happy today!
Cmo estis?
How are you?
Estmos enfermos.
We're sick.
*Note: There are a number of idiomatic expressions in which the verb tener
means to be.
** In the second example, estar is used even though the location of San Jos will
never change. For locations, whether temporary or permanent, estar is always
the verb to use.
Tener - To Have - Spanish Expressions

Tener can mean to have, to possess, to hold, and to contain. It is also used in a
number of idiomatic expressions.
tener a bien + infinitive
to see fit to, deign to
tener a menos + infinitive
to consider it beneath oneself to
tener que + infinitive
to have to do something
tener corazn de piedra
to have a heart of stone
tener un disgusto
to have a falling out
tener dolor de cabeza, estmago
to have a headache, stomach ache
tener ganas de
to feel like, be in the mood for
tener inconveniente
to mind, object to
tener los
to have difficulties
tener lugar
to take place
tener mala cara
to look bad
tener los nervios de punta
to be on edge
tener pjaros en la cabeza
to have bats in the belfry (to be crazy)
tener palabra
to keep one's word
tener la palabra
to have the floor
tener por
to consider to be, to take (someone) for
tener una promesa
to keep a promise
tener en la punta de la lengua
to have on the tip of the tongue
tener que
to have to
tener que ver con
to have to do with
In many expressions, tener means to be

tener 25 aos
to be 25 years old
tener ngel
to be charming
tener buena, mala estrella
to be lucky, unlucky
tener calor, fro
to be hot, cold
tener celos de
to be jealous of
tener cuidado
to be careful
tener la culpa de
to be to blame for
tener xito
to be successful
tener hambre, sed
to be hungry, thirsty
tener madera para
to be made for, cut out for
tener malas pulgas
to be short-tempered
tener miedo de
to be afraid of
tener mundo
to be sophisticated
tener prisa
to be in a hurry
tener razn
to be right
tener sueo
to be sleepy
tener suerte
to be lucky
tener vergenza de
to be ashamed of
tenerse
to stand (up)
tenerse sobre algo
to lean on something
tenerse firme
to stand up straight
tenerse por
to consider oneself as
tenerse en mucho
to have a high opinion of oneself
no poder tenerse
to be exhausted
Tener - To Have - Spanish Verb

Tener - to have - is one of the most common irregular Spanish verbs.
yo
tengo
nosotros
tenemos
tienes
vosotros
tenis
l, ella, Ud.
tiene
ellos, ellas, Uds.
tienen
In the simple present tense, it is used just like the English verb to have.
Tengo dos hermanos.
I have two brothers.
Tienes un diccionario?
Do you have a dictionary?
No tenemos dinero.
We don't have any money.
Spanish expressions with...

Acabar
Estar
Quedar
Andar
Haber
Querer
Buscar
Hablar
Saber
Caber
Hacer
Salir
Caer
Ir
Ser
Comer
Llamar
Tener
Dar
Llevar
Tomar
Decir
Meter
Traer
Dejar
Or
Valer
Dormir
Poner
Venir
Echar
Por / Para
Acabar - To Finish, Complete

The Spanish regular -ar verb acabar means to finish, complete, or come to an
end. Acabar is also used in three common grammatical constructions.
acabar de + infinitive
to have just + past participle
Acabo de llegar.
I've just arrived.
Acabamos de terminar.
We've just finished.
This construction is most common in the present tense, but can also be used in
the imperfect to mean "had just..."
Yo acababa de hacerlo.
I had just done it.
Acababan de salir cuando...
They had just left when...
acabar + gerund
acabar por + infinitive
to end up + gerund
Acabo saliendo.
Acabo por salir.
I ended up leaving.
Acaban yendo.
Acaban por ir.
They ended up going.
Acabamos venindolo.
Acabamos por venderlo.
We ended up selling it.
Top Spanish Verbs
There are thousands of Spanish verbs, but some are far more important than the
others. Be sure you know how to conjugate and use the 12 most common
Spanish verbs.
ESTAR - to be
Lessons: using estar | estar expressions | estar conjugations
SER - to be
Lessons: using ser | ser expressions | ser conjugations
TENER - to have
Lessons: using tener | tener expressions | tener conjugations
HABER - to have (auxiliary verb)

Lessons: using haber | haber expressions | haber conjugations
HACER - to do, make

Lessons: using hacer | hacer expressions | hacer conjugations
IR - to go
Lessons: using ir | ir expressions | ir conjugations
VENIR - to come
Lessons: using venir | venir expressions | venir conjugations
DECIR - to say, tell

Lessons: using decir | decir expressions | decir conjugations
PODER - to be able
Lesson: poder conjugations
DAR - to give
Lessons: dar expressions | dar conjugations
VER - to see
Lesson: ver conjugations
SABER - to know
Lessons: using saber | saber expressions | saber conjugations
Estar - To be ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb estar.

Presente
y
o
Subjuntivo
estoy
nosotro
s
estamos
yo est
nosotro
s
estemos
t ests
vosotro
s
estis
t ests
vosotro
s
estis
ellos
estn
ellos
estn
est
Pretrito
est
Imperfecto
y
o
estuve
nosotro
s
estuvimos
yo estaba
nosotro
s
estbamo
s
estuvist
e
vosotro
s
estuvistei
s
t estabas
vosotro
s
estabais
estuvo
ellos
estuviero
n
ellos
estaban
Futuro
y
o
estaba
Potencial
nosotro
s
estaremos
yo estara
nosotro
s
estaramo
s
t estars
vosotro
s
estaris
estara
s
vosotro
s
estarais
ellos
estarn
estara
ellos
estaran
estar
estar
Imperfecto del subjuntivo
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
est
yo
estuviera
(t negativo)
no ests
estuvieras
(Ud.)
est
estuviera
(nosotros)
estemos
nosotros
estuviramos
(vosotros)
estad
vosotros
estuvierais
(vosotros
neg.)
no estis
ellos
estuvieran
(Uds.)
estn
yo
estuviese
Gerundio
estando
estuvieses
estuviese
Participio pasado
estado
Formas con -SE
nosotros
estuvisemos
vosotros
estuvieseis
ellos
estuviesen
Ser - To be ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations

Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb ser.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo soy
nosotros
somos
yo
sea
nosotros
seamos
eres
vosotros
sois
seas
vosotros
seis
es
ellos
son
sea
ellos
sean
Pretrito
Imperfecto
yo fui
nosotros
fuimos
yo
era
nosotros
ramos
fuiste
vosotros
fuisteis
eras
vosotros
erais
fue
ellos
fueron
era
ellos
eran
Futuro
Potencial
yo ser
nosotros
seremos
yo
sera
nosotros
seramos
sers
vosotros
seris
seras
vosotros
serais
ser
ellos
sern
sera
ellos
seran
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
yo
fuera
(t negativo)
no seas
fueras
(Ud.)
sea
fuera
(nosotros)
seamos
nosotros
furamos
(vosotros)
sed
vosotros
fuerais
(vosotros neg.)
no seis
ellos
fueran
(Uds.)
sean
Formas con -SE

yo
fuese
fueses
fuese
nosotros
fusemos
vosotros
fueseis
ellos
fuesen
Gerundio
siendo
Participio pasado
sido
Tener - To have ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations

Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb tener.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo tengo
nosotro
s
t tienes
l
tiene
yo tenga
nosotro
s
vosotros tenis
t tengas
vosotros tengis
ellos
ellos
tengan
yo tena
nosotro
s
tenamos
tenemos
tienen
Pretrito
tenga
tengamos
Imperfecto
yo tuve
nosotro
s
t tuviste
vosotros tuvisteis
t tenas
vosotros tenais
ellos
ellos
tenan
nosotro
s
tendramo
s
tuvo
tuvimos
tuvieron
Futuro
yo tendr
tena
Potencial
nosotro
s
tendremo
s
yo tendra
tendr
s
vosotros tendris
tendra
s
vosotros tendrais
tendr
ellos
tendra
ellos
tendrn
Imperativo
tendran
Formas con -RA
(t)
ten
yo
tuviera
(t negativo)
no tengas
tuvieras
(Ud.)
tenga
tuviera
(nosotros)
tengamos
nosotros
tuviramos
(vosotros)
tened
vosotros
tuvierais
(vosotros
neg.)
no tengis
ellos
tuvieran
(Uds.)
tengan
yo
tuviese
Gerundio
teniendo
tuvieses
tuviese
Participio pasado
tenido
nosotros
tuvisemos
vosotros
tuvieseis
ellos
tuviesen
Formas con -SE
Haber - There is, there are ~ Spanish Verb

Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb haber.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo he
nosotros hemos
yo haya
nosotros hayamos
t has
vosotros habis
hayas
vosotros hayis
ellos
haya
ellos
ha
han
Pretrito
hayan
Imperfecto
yo hube
nosotros hubimos
yo haba
nosotros habamos
t hubiste
vosotros hubisteis
habas
vosotros habais
ellos
haba
ellos
hubo
Futuro
hubieron
Potencial
haban
yo habr
nosotros habremos
yo habra
nosotros habramos
t habrs
vosotros habris
habras
vosotros habrais
ellos
habra
ellos
habr
habrn
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
he
habran
yo
hubiera
(t negativo)
no hayas
hubieras
(Ud.)
haya
hubiera
(nosotros)
hayamos
nosotros
hubiramos
(vosotros)
habed
vosotros
hubierais
(vosotros neg.) no hayis
ellos
hubieran
(Uds.)
yo
hubiese
Gerundio
habiendo
hubieses
hubiese
Participio pasado
habido
nosotros
hubisemos
vosotros
hubieseis
ellos
hubiesen
hayan
Formas con -SE
Ir - To go ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations

Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb ir.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo voy
nosotros
vamos
yo
vaya
nosotros
vayamos
vas
vosotros
vas
vayas
vosotros
vayis
va
ellos
van
vaya
ellos
vayan
Pretrito
Imperfecto
yo fui
nosotros
fuimos
yo
iba
nosotros
bamos
fuiste
vosotros
fuisteis
ibas
vosotros
ibais
fue
ellos
fueron
iba
ellos
iban
Futuro
Potencial
yo ir
nosotros
iremos
yo
ira
nosotros
iramos
irs
vosotros
iris
iras
vosotros
irais
ir
ellos
irn
ira
ellos
iran
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
ve
yo
fuera
(t negativo)
no vayas
fueras
(Ud.)
vaya
fuera
(nosotros)
vamos
nosotros
furamos
(nosotros neg.)
no vayamos
vosotros
fuerais
(vosotros)
id
ellos
fueran
(vosotros neg.)
no vayis
(Uds.)
vayan
Formas con -SE

yo
fuese
fueses
fuese
nosotros
fusemos
vosotros
fueseis
ellos
fuesen
Using ir
Gerundio
yendo
Participio pasado
ido
Ir expressions
Poder - Can, may, to be able ~ Spanish Verb

Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb poder.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo puedo
nosotros podemos
yo pueda
nosotros podamos
t puedes
vosotros podis
puedas
vosotros podis
ellos
pueda
ellos
puede
pueden
puedan
Pretrito
Imperfecto
yo pude
nosotros pudimos
yo poda
nosotros podamos
t pudiste
vosotros pudisteis
podas
vosotros podais
ellos
poda
ellos
pudo
pudieron
Futuro
podan
Potencial
yo podr
nosotros podremos
yo podra
nosotros podramos
t podrs
vosotros podris
podras
vosotros podrais
ellos
podra
ellos
podr
podrn
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
puede
podran
yo
pudiera
(t negativo)
no puedas
pudieras
(Ud.)
pueda
pudiera
(nosotros)
podamos
nosotros
pudiramos
(vosotros)
poded
vosotros
pudierais
(vosotros neg.) no podis
ellos
pudieran
(Uds.)
yo
pudiese
Gerundio
pudiendo
pudieses
pudiese
Participio pasado
podido
nosotros
pudisemos
vosotros
pudieseis
ellos
pudiesen
puedan
Formas con -SE
Saber - To know, to find out ~ Spanish Verb

Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb saber.
Presente
yo s
Subjuntivo
nosotros sabemos
yo sepa
nosotros sepamos
sabes
vosotros sabis
sepas
vosotros sepis
sabe
ellos
sepa
ellos
saben
Pretrito
sepan
Imperfecto
yo supe
nosotros supimos
yo saba
nosotros sabamos
supiste
vosotros supisteis
sabas
vosotros sabais
supo
ellos
saba
ellos
supieron
Futuro
saban
Potencial
yo sabr
nosotros sabremos
yo sabra
nosotros sabramos
sabrs
vosotros sabris
sabras
vosotros sabrais
sabr
ellos
sabra
ellos
sabrn
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
sabe
sabran
yo
supiera
(t negativo)
no sepas
supieras
(Ud.)
sepa
supiera
(nosotros)
sepamos
nosotros
supiramos
(vosotros)
sabed
vosotros
supierais
(vosotros neg.)
no sepis
ellos
supieran
(Uds.)
sepan
yo
supiese
Gerundio
sabiendo
supieses
supiese
Participio pasado
sabido
nosotros
supisemos
vosotros
supieseis
ellos
supiesen
Formas con -SE
Dar - To give ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb dar.

Presente
Subjuntivo
yo doy
nosotros
damos
yo
nosotros
demos
das
vosotros
dais
des
vosotros
deis
da
ellos
dan
ellos
den
Pretrito
Imperfecto
yo di
nosotros
dimos
yo
daba
nosotros
dbamos
diste
vosotros
disteis
dabas
vosotros
dabais
dio
ellos
dieron
daba
ellos
daban
Futuro
Potencial
yo dar
nosotros
daremos
yo
dara
nosotros
daramos
dars
vosotros
daris
daras
vosotros
darais
dar
ellos
darn
dara
ellos
daran
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
yo
diera
(t negativo)
no des
dieras
(Ud.)
de
diera
(nosotros)
demos
nosotros
deramos
(vosotros)
dad
vosotros
dierais
(vosotros neg.)
no deis
ellos
dieran
(Uds.)
den
Formas con -SE

yo
diese
dieses
diese
nosotros
disemos
vosotros
dieseis
ellos
diesen
Gerundio
dando
Participio pasado
dado
Hacer - To do, make ~ Spanish Verb Conjugations

Learn how to conjugate the irregular Spanish verb hacer.
Presente
Subjuntivo
yo hago
nosotros
hacemos
yo
haga
nosotros
hagamos
haces
vosotros
hacis
hagas
vosotros
hagis
hace
ellos
hacen
haga
ellos
hagan
Pretrito
Imperfecto
yo hice
nosotros
hicimos
yo
haca
nosotros
hacamos
hiciste
vosotros
hicisteis
hacas
vosotros
hacais
hizo
ellos
hicieron
haca
ellos
hacan
Futuro
Potencial
yo har
nosotros
haremos
yo
hara
nosotros
haramos
hars
vosotros
haris
haras
vosotros
harais
har
ellos
harn
hara
ellos
haran
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
haz
yo
hiciera
(t negativo)
no hagas
hicieras
(Ud.)
haga
hiciera
(nosotros)
hagamos
nosotros
hiciramos
(vosotros)
haced
vosotros
hicierais
(vosotros neg.)
no hagis
ellos
hicieran
(Uds.)
hagan
yo
hiciese
Gerundio
haciendo
hicieses
hiciese
Participio pasado
hecho
nosotros
hicisemos
vosotros
hicieseis
ellos
hiciesen
Formas con -SE
Venir - To come; to happen ~ Spanish Verb

Conjugations
Learn how to conjugate the Spanish verb venir, an irregular stem-changing verb.
Presente
y
o
Subjuntivo
vengo
nosotro
s
venimos
y
o
t vienes
vosotro
s
vens
ellos
vienen
viene
Pretrito
y
o
nosotro
s
vengamos
t vengas
vosotro
s
vengis
ellos
vengan
nosotro
s
venamos
venga
venga
Imperfecto
vine
nosotro
s
vinimos
y
o
t viniste
vosotro
s
vinisteis
t venas
vosotro
s
venais
ellos
vinieron
ellos
venan
vino
Futuro
vena
vena
Potencial
y
o
vendr
nosotro
s
vendremo
s
y
o
vendra
nosotro
s
vendramo
s
vendr
s
vosotro
s
vendris
vendra
s
vosotro
s
vendrais
vendr
ellos
vendrn
vendra
ellos
vendran
Imperativo
Formas con -RA
(t)
ven
yo
viniera
(t negativo)
no vengas
vinieras
(Ud.)
venga
viniera
(nosotros)
vengamos
nosotros
viniramos
(vosotros)
venid
vosotros
vinierais
(vosotros
neg.)
no vengis
ellos
vinieran
(Uds.)
vengan
Formas con -SE
yo
viniese
vinieses
viniese
nosotros
vinisemos
vosotros
vinieseis
ellos
viniesen
Gerundio
veniendo
Participio pasado
venido
Professions ~ Spanish for Beginners

What's your job? Learn to talk about what you do with this list of some common
professions in Spanish.
An indefinite article indicates that the noun is always that gender, no matter what
the gender of the person it is referring to. Un/a indicates that the noun is spelled
the same for both men and women. No article indicates that the noun is made
feminine by replacing the final o with a (cajero -> cajera), or by adding a after or
(director -> directora).
actor
actress
un actor
una actriz
artist
un/a artista
baker
panadero
butcher
carnicero
carpenter
carpintero
cashier
cajero
civil servant
funcionario
cook
cocinero
doctor
mdico
electrician
un/a electricista
employee
empleado
engineer
ingeniero
flight attendant
un(a) auxiliar de vuelo
lawyer (barrister)
abogado
maid
una criada
manager
director
mechanic
mecnico
nurse
enfermero
pilot
el piloto
plumber
un plomero
police officer
un polica
receptionist
una recepcionista
secretary
secretario
student
un/a estudiante
teacher
profesor
waiter/waitress
camarero
writer
escritor
Family - La Familia
In order to talk about your family, you need to know Spanish family vocabulary.
Man/Boy
Hombre/Chico
Woman/Girl
Mujer/Chica
father
el padre
mother
la madre
brother
el hermano
sister
la hermana
son
el hijo
daughter
la hija
baby
el nio
baby
la nia
husband
el marido
el esposo
wife
la mujer
la esposa
grandfather
el abuelo
grandmother
la abuela
grandson
el nieto
granddaughter
la nieta
cousin
el primo
cousin
la prima
uncle
el to
aunt
la ta
nephew
el sobrino
niece
la sobrina
Languages + Nationalities in Spanish ~ Idiomas y

nacionalidades
As much as I would like to list every language and nationality in the world, it's
simply not possible. Without meaning any offense to anyone whose
country/language is not listed, here are some you should definitely know. :-)
Country/Continent
Nationality*
Language**
Africa
africano
America (North + South)
americano***
Argentina
argentino
Asia
asitico
Australia
australiano
el ingls
Brazil
brasileo
el portugus
Canada
canadiense
el francs, el ingls
China
chino
el chino
Colombia
colombiano
el espaol
Egypt
egipcio
el rabe
England
ingls
el ingls
Europe
europeo
France
francs
el francs
Germany
alemn
el alemn
India
indio
el hindi (plus many others)
Italy
italiano
el italiano
Japan
japons
el japons
Mexico
mejicano
el espaol
Poland
polaco
el polaco
Portugal
portugus
el portugus
Russia
ruso
el ruso
Spain
espaol
el espaol
Switzerland
suizo
el alemn, el francs, el italiano
United States
estadounidense
el ingls
el espaol
* Nationalities, which are both adjectives and proper nouns, are not capitalized in
Spanish. When feminine and/or plural, they follow the same agreement rules as
other adjectives.
** This is just a guide. Obviously some languages have speakers in many
countries, but here they are listed in the countries where they are primarily
spoken. Note that the names of languages are masculine and not capitalized, and
that, as in English, most are identical to the masculine adjective of their primary
nationality (e.g., espaol = Spanish language and Spanish person).
*** This refers to anyone from either North or South America; to talk about
someone from the United States, use estadounidense (learn more)
Adjetivos - Spanish Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Adjectives can describe

shape, color, size, and many other things about a noun.
Spanish adjectives are very different from English adjectives, for two reasons:
1. Whereas in English, adjectives are always found in front of the noun, Spanish
adjectives usually follow the noun that they modify.
2. Spanish adjectives change to agree in gender and number with the nouns
that they modify. This means that there can be up to four forms of each
adjective: masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, and feminine
plural. But not to worry, we'll go over everything right here. If you've already
studied the noun lesson, some of these rules will look familar to you.
I. Most Spanish adjectives end in o. To make them feminine, change the o to
an a. To make them plural, add -s.
singular
plural
singular
plural
masc
blanco
blancos
malo
malos
fem
blanca
blancas
mala
malas
II. When the adjective ends in a or e, there is no difference between the

masculine and feminine forms, and the plural is created by adding -s.
singular
plural
singular
plural
masc
triste
tristes
realista
realistas
fem
triste
tristes
realista
realistas
III. When the adjective ends in any consonant except n, r, or z, there is no

difference between the masculine and feminine forms, and the plural is created
by adding -es.
singular
plural
masc
fcil
fciles
fem
fcil
fciles
IV. When the adjective ends in z, there is no difference between the masculine
and feminine forms, and the plural is created by changing the z to a c and
adding -es. (Why is this?)
singular
plural
masc
feliz
felices
fem
feliz
felices
V. For adjectives that end in n or r, the feminine is created by adding an a, the

masculine plural by adding -es and the feminine plural by adding as. Peor and mejor are exceptions; they follow rule III.
masc
singular
plural
hablador
habladores
fem
habladora
habladoras
Nombres - Spanish Nouns

A noun is a word that represents a thing, either concrete (e.g., a chair, a dog)
or abstract (an idea, happiness).
In Spanish, all nouns have a gender - they are either masculine or feminine. It
is very important to learn a noun's genderalong with the noun itself
because definite articles, indefinite articles, adjectives, and pronouns have
to agree with nouns; that is, they change depending on the gender of the noun
they modify or replace. The gender of some nouns makes sense (hombre [man]
is masculine, mujer [woman] is feminine) but others don't (persona [person] is
always feminine, even if the person is a man!) The best way to learn
the gender of nouns is to make your vocabulary lists with the definite or
indefinite article. That is,
Rather than lists like this...
make lists like this...
libro = book
flor = flower
un libro = book
una flor = flower
BAD LIST
GOOD LIST :-)
:-(
so that you learn the gender with the noun. The gender is part of the noun and
you will be much better off learning it now, as a beginner, than trying to go back
after years of study and memorizing the genders of all the words you've already
learned (I speak from experience).
There are some tendencies in the gender of nouns, but there are always
exceptions. I will list the patterns that I have noticed, but please don't use these
as a way to avoid learning the genders of nouns - just learn each word
as gender + noun and then you'll know them forever.
This ending...
is usually
-o
masculine
-a
feminine
-in
feminine
-tad
feminine
Making nouns plural
Exceptions
Gender exceptions
Stressed A
Spanish Nouns - Gender Exceptions

In general, Spanish nouns that end in an O are masculine, and those that end in
an A are feminine. Here are the exceptions to this rule.
Masculine nouns that end in A
Feminine nouns that end in O
el clima
climate
la foto*
photo
el cometa
comet
la mano
hand
el cura
priest
la moto*
motorcycle
el drama
drama
el da
day
el enigma
enigma
el fantasma
ghost
el idioma
language
el mapa
map
el planeta
planet
el poema
poem
el problema
problem
el programa
program
el sistema
system
el sof
sofa
el telegrama
telegram
el tema
theme
el trauma
trauma
* La foto and la moto are shortened from la fotografa and la motocicleta.

Also see my lesson on the stressed A, which causes feminine nouns to take the
masculine article.
Spanish Stressed A - Feminine nouns with el or un

There's an interesting phenomenon in Spanish regarding feminine nouns that
begin with a stressed A sound (which can be written either a or ha). When these
nouns are singular and preceded directly by a definite article,* the masculine
article is used instead of the feminine article you might expect.
Some common feminine stressed A words:
el acta
act, record
el agua
water
el guila
eagle
el ala
wing
el alba
dawn
el alga
seaweed
el alma
woman, soul
el arca
chest, box
el arma
weapon
el aspa
cross
el aula
classroom
el ave
bird
el hacha
axe
el hada
fairy
el hambre
hunger
Notes:
*When dealing with an indefinite article, Spanish speakers will often use the
masculine form in front of these words, but this is considered incorrect. It's only
with the definite article that you should use the masculine form.
1. Despite the masculine article, these nouns are feminine, which means that
everything but the singular article must agree with them, including:
plural article
adjectives (including descriptive, possessive, demonstrative, etc.)
Quiero ver el agua azul.
I want to see the blue water.
Dnde estn las aves?
Where are the birds?
Tengo un arca muy bonita.
I have a very pretty box.
No me gusta esta aula.
I don't like this classroom.
2. When there is an adjective between the article and noun, the article is
feminine:
Es la ltima arma.
It's the last weapon.
Es una buena hada?
Is it a good fairy?
Artculo indefinido - Indefinite Article

The Spanish indefinite article is sometimes confusing for beginning students,
because it has to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, and it
doesn't always correspond to an article in other languages. For me, it helps to
remember that if you have a noun in Spanish, there is virtually always an article
(either indefinite or definite) in front of it, unless you use a possessive (my, your,
etc.) or a demonstrative (this, that) adjective. It is also vital that when you learn
new vocabulary, you make sure to learn the gender of each noun, because the
articles (as well as adjectives, pronouns, and just about everything else) change
according to the gender of the noun.
The singular indefinite articles in Spanish correspond to a,an, orone in English.
The plurals correspond to some. There are four Spanish indefinite articles.
Masculine
Singular
Plural
un
unos
un libro
un hombre
unos libros
unos hombres
una
Feminine
unas
una mesa
una mujer
unas mesas
unas mujeres
The indefinite article usually refers to an unspecified person or thing.

Quiero un libro - I want a book.
Tiene una idea - He has an idea.
The indefinite article can also refer to just one of something:
Hay un estudiante en la sala - There is one student in the room.
The plural indefinite article means some:
Compr unas naranjas - I bought some oranges.
When refering to a person's profession, the indefinite is not used in Spanish,
although it is used in English.
Soy profesor - I am a teacher.
Ana quiere ser mdica - Ana wants to be a doctor.
Definite article
Neuter article
Artculo definido - Spanish Definite Article

The Spanish definite article is sometimes confusing for beginning students,
because it has to agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies, and it
doesn't always correspond to an article in other languages. For me, it helps to
remember that if you have a noun in Spanish, there is virtually always an article
(either definite or indefinite) in front of it, unless you use a possessive (my, your,
etc.) or a demonstrative (this, that) adjective. It is also vital that when you learn
new vocabulary, you make sure to learn the gender of each noun, because the
articles (as well as adjectives, pronouns, and just about everything else) change
according to the gender of the noun.
The Spanish definite article corresponds with the in English. There are four
Spanish definite articles.
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
Plural
el
los
el hombre
los hombres
la
las
la mujer
las mujeres
The definite article indicates a specific noun.

Dnde est el libro? - Where is the book?
Las chicas quieren comer - The girls want to eat.
The definite article is also used in Spanish to indicate the general sense of a
noun. The article is not used in this sense in English.
Me gusta el caf - I like coffee.
As es la vida! - That's life!
The masculine singular definite article changes when preceded by
the preposition a or de: the preposition and article contract into a single word.
a + el
al
de + el
del
Lo - Neuter Article
In addition to the definite and indefinite articles, Spanish has what is called
a neuter article. This article, lo, is invariable and is used in front of just about
any adjective in order to express something abstract or a quality.
lo fcil
the easy thing, part
lo bueno
the good thing
lo bello
what's beautiful
lo justo
what is just
lo mejor
the best part
Lo + adjective is usually translated in English

as The adjective thing/part/one/style or What is adjective. For example,
Lo difcil es que no comprendo la
diferencia.
The hard thing is that I don't understand

the difference.
No viste lo mejor de la pelcula.
You didn't see the best part of the movie.
Lo importante es que estamos

juntos.
What's important is that we are together.
Me gusta lo azl.
I like the blue one.
Vests a lo americano.
You dress in the American style/like

Americans.
The construction lo + adjective + que means How adjective:

No sabes lo feliz que estoy.
You don't know how happy I am.
Veo lo importante que es.
I see how important it is.
Olvid lo bello que eres.
I forgot how beautiful you are.
Comprendes lo fcil que es?
Do you understand how easy it is?
Lo has other uses in Spanish, as various kinds of pronouns, which we will study in
future lessons.
Verbos - Spanish Verbs

A verb is the action word in a sentence. It is the word that says what happens,
discusses an action, or describes a state of being.
All Spanish verbs have to be conjugated - they have different forms depending
on what the subject is. In English, we only have a separate conjugation for
the third person singular of a verb: I sing becomes he sings. The verb to
be has three conjugations: I am, you are, he is.
In Spanish, verbs have 6 conjugations, one for each subject pronoun (I, you, he,
etc.)
Verbs come in many varieties: different tenses (present, future), voices, and
moods. There are different conjugations for each variety. But don't get
discouraged! There are patterns to the conjugations of most verbs.
5 categories of verbs:
-AR verbs, -ER verbs, and -IR verbs are regular verbs. Regular verbs that end in
these letters are all conjugated the same way in all of the tenses. Once you learn
how to conjugate one regular verb in each category, you can conjugate the
majority of Spanish verbs.
A fourth category is known as stem-changing verbs, or verbs with spelling
changes. These verbs take the same endings as regular verbs, but their root
changes depending on the subject.
The final category is irregular verbs. These are verbs whose conjugations are
unique to them, so you must memorize their conjugations separately.
Pronombres sujetos - Spanish Subject Pronouns

The subject of a sentence is the person or thing which performs the
action. Subject pronouns replace this person or thing. You must
understand subject pronouns before you begin conjugating Spanish verbs, as
the form of verbs changes for each one.
Spanish is what linguists call a "pro-drop" language, which simply means that the
pronoun can be dropped. It's not necessary for comprehension, the way it is in
English, because the subject of the verb is evident from the conjugated verb. "I
go" can be translated by "yo voy" or simply "voy" (from the verb ir - to go).
Pronombres de sujeto
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo1
nosotros
nosotras5
we
2nd person
you2
vosotros
vosotras5
you2
3rd person
l
ella
he, it3
she, it3
ellos
ellas5
they
Ud.4
you2
Uds.4
you2
Notes
1. Yo is only capitalized at the beginning of a sentence, unlike its English
counterpart I. It is pronounced differently inArgentina.
2. There are four words for you in Spanish.
familiar
singular
plural
vosotros
formal
Ud.
Uds.
3. Vosotros is used only in Spain. In Latin America, Uds. is the only plural
"you," used to refer to both familiar and formal groups. The formal "yous"
are used to show respect or to indicate the the person is unknown to the
speaker. In Argentina and some other Spanish-speaking countries, there is
an additional pronoun: vos.
4. In Latin America, since all Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine,
the 3rd person subject pronouns which correspond to the gender may
sometimes be used. Thus l can refer to a male (he) or a masculine noun
(it) and ellacan refer to a female (she) or a feminine noun (it).*
5. Ud. and Uds. are short for usted and ustedes, respectively, and may
also be written Vd. and Vds. Note that they use the third person
conjugations.
6. Nosotras, vosotras, and ellas means we, you, and they respectively
when all of the nouns (both people and things) referred to are feminine.
If there are any masculine nouns, the subject pronoun defaults to the
masculinenosotros, vosotros, or ellos.
*Spanish also has a neuter subject pronoun (ello).
Ello - Pronombre sujeto neutro - Spanish Neuter

Subject Pronoun
Ello is the Spanish neuter subject pronoun, used to mean "it" when referring to
something non-specific. When referring to someone specific, use "l" or "ella,"
depending on the gender of the noun.
Compare:
Qu pasa? Ello no me gusta.
What's happening? I don't like it.
vs
Quin es esta cantante? Ella no me
gusta.
Who is this singer? I don't like it.
Todo ello est terminando.
Everything is ending.
vs
Mario habla desde hace 20 minutos - ya
(l) est terminando.
Mario has been talking for 20 minutes

- he's finishing now.
Ello can also be the neuter object of a preposition:
Todo fue difcil - no quiero hablar

de ello.
Everything was difficult - I don't want to talk

about it.
vs
Qu tal fue la escuela?
No quiero hablar de ella.
How was school?

I don't want to talk about it.
Qu vas a hacer?
No te preocupes por ello.
What are you going to do?

Don't worry about it.
vs
Dnde est tu libro?
No te preocupes por l.
Where is your book?

Don't worry about it.
Spanish Prepositional Pronouns ~ Pronombres en

funcin de complemento con preposicin
Spanish prepositional pronouns are used after prepositions, logically enough,
often in order to emphasize the noun they replace, and are thus a sort of
subcategory of the disjunctive or stressed pronouns found in other languages.
There are 12 forms of prepositional pronouns in Spanish:
Singular
Plural
me
us
nosotros
you
ti
you
vosotros
him, it
them
ellos
her, it
ella
them
ellas
you
Ud.
you
Uds.
it
ello
oneself
Most of the above probably look familiar, since the third person singular and all of
the plurals are identical to Spanish subject pronouns. The new pronouns are m,
ti, and ello. M and ti are pretty easy - they are simply the prepositional form of
the first and second singular pronoun. Take a look at these examples.
Tengo un regalo para ti.
I have a present for you.
Vienes con nosotros?
Are you coming with us?
A m, no me gusta el pescado.
(Me,) I don't like fish.
Estoy al lado de ellas.
I'm next to them.
Quiero ir con l.
I want to go with him.
As you can see, it's pretty simple - you just use the prepositional pronoun to
replace a noun after a preposition. Now let's learn about the tricky ones - ello and
s.
Ello is the neuter prepositional pronoun, used when talking about something nonspecific or abstract (it). Remember that when talking about something specific,
even if it means "it" in English, the pronoun you use in Spanish depends on the
noun's gender - learn more.
No estoy listo para ello.
I'm not ready for this.
Tengo fro, y por ello no puedo

ayudarte.
I'm cold, and that's why I can't help

you.
Lesson on ello
Notes:
1. Con + m, ti, and s contract into the new words conmigo, contigo,
and consigo:
Voy contigo - I'm going with you.
2. In certain situations, subject pronouns are used instead of prepositional
pronouns:
After the
prepositions como (like), entre (between), excepto (except), incluso (inclu
ding), menos (except), salvo(except), and segn (according to).
When paired with another pronoun:

- para t y yo
- por ella o yo
Las preposiciones - Spanish Prepositions

Prepositions are the little words placed in front of nouns in order to indicate a
relationship between that noun and the verb, adjective, or noun that follows.
This is an introduction to some of the most common Spanish prepositions. In
upcoming lessons, we'll look at these prepositions in more detail.
to, at
Voy a Madrid.
I'm going to Madrid.
Est al banco.
He's at the bank.
1. connects a verb of purpose + infinitive

Voy a comer.
I'm going to eat.
Ana viene a ayudar.
Ana is coming to help.
2. joins any verb (except tener*) + a person (learn more)

Veo a la chica.
I see the girl.
Quiere a los nios.
He loves kids.
Buscas a Pablo?
Are you looking for Pablo?
* Tengo dos hermanos.
I have two brothers.
CON
with
Voy con Carlos.
I'm going with Carlos.
chile con carne
chili with meat
DE
from, of, about

Es de Paris.
He is from Paris.
el vaso de leche
glass of milk
el libro de poesa
book of poetry
la historia de amor
story about love
1. descriptively links two nouns

la clase de espaol
Spanish class
el pao de cocina
dishcloth, teacloth
el libro de historia
history book
2. expresses possession - see lesson

el libro de Juan
Juan's book
EN
in, on
Estoy en la clase.
I'm in the class.
Vamos en 10 minutos.
We're going in 10 minutes.
El libro en la mesa
The book on the table
More uses of en
SIN
without
Leo sin gafas.
I read without glasses.
Quiero un libro sin fotos.
I want a book without pictures.
Por vs Para - Spanish Prepositions

The Spanish prepositions por and para tend to be difficult for Spanish students,
because they can - but don't always - both mean for. Por is considerably more
common, so in theory, you might be able to get away with just memorizing the
uses forpara and then using por for everything else. In reality, it's good to learn
the rules, so here they are.
This lesson is divided into two sections. In the first, the uses of por and para are
compared and contrasted. In the second, the uses of por which don't have a
complementary para usage are explained.
Por vs Para
Por
Para
Location/Movement: General vs Specific

General location or movement:
Specific destination:
by (way of), through, via, around, near to, toward
Hay mucha gente
por aqu.
There are a lot of

people here.
Van para el colegio. They're going

to(ward) school.
Voy a Madrid por

Bilbao.
I'm going to Madrid Voy en tren para

via Bilbao.
Madrid.
Sal por esta

puerta.
Go out through this

door.
Est por el norte.
It's to the north.
I'm going by train

to Madrid.
Time: Duration/Point in time vs Deadline

Duration, inexact point in time:
for, in, around
Deadline, time by which:

by, before, for
Estudi por 3
horas.
I studied for three

hours.
Lo har para
maana.
I'll do it
by tomorrow.
por la maana
por la tarde
por la noche
in the morning
in the afternoon
in the evening
Termnelo para el
lunes.
Finish it before
Monday.
Te ver por
Navidad.
I'll see you around

Christmastime.
Reasons: Cause vs Purpose

Cause, Motive:
out of, for (the sake of), because (of),
due to, in support of
Purpose, Benefit:
for, in order to
Lo hizo por
necesidad.
He did it out of
necessity.
Estudio para
abogado.
I'm studying to be
a lawyer.
Lo hizo por t.
He did it for your

sake.
El libro es para t.
The book is for

you.
No me qued por el I didn't stay

calor.
because of the
heat.
No me qued para
comer.
I didn't stay to eat.
Lo hago por gusto. I do it because I

like to.
Lo hago para ganar I do it to earn

dinero.
money.
Vot por el partido

socialista.
He voted for the

Socialist party.
Es un mercado
para touristas.
It's a shop for

tourists.
Gracias por el
regalo.
Thank you for the

gift.
una taza para caf
coffee cup
Relationship: Exchange vs Comparison

Exchange/Payment/Substitution
(in exchange/payment) for, on behalf
of
Comparison/Contrast/Differences
for
Me di 2 lpices
por mi pluma.
He gave me 2
Para nio, escucha For a child, he
pencils for my pen. bien.
listens well.
Pagu mucho por
I paid a lot for the
Para generosos, los For generous
los libros.
books.
Escrib la carta por I wrote the letter

Lupe.
for (on behalf of)
Lupe.
marroqus.
people, there's no
one like Moroccans.
Quin es Ud. para Who are you to

hablarme as?
talk to me like
that?
Viewpoints: Say so vs Opinion

Say so, Attitudes
according to, from
Opinion
in one's opinion, for
por lo que dice...
from what he
says...
para m...
in my opinion...
por los sondeos...
according to the
polls...
para l...
in his opinion, for

him...
Additional uses of por

Means/Agent: By, on, with
Le habl por telfono.
I talked to him by/on the phone.
Lo hizo por su propia mano.
He did it with his own hand.
Viaj por tren.
I went by train.
Por trabajar todos los das, gan mucho By working every day, I earned a lot of
dinero.
money.
Fue decidido por el presidente. (passive It was decided by the president.
voice)
Math: Multiplication and Division
2 por 3 son 6
2 times 3 is 6
6 dividido por 2 son 3
6 divided by 2 is 3
Divid la clase por la mitad.
I divided the class in half.
Appearance, Consideration: As
Me tienen por experto.
They see me as an expert.
tener a alguien por amigo,

tenerlo a uno por amigo
to consider someone a friend
Frequency, Proportion: Per

Paga 10 Euros por hora.
He pays 10 Euros per hour.
tres veces por semana
three times per week
por ciento
percent
Something which is yet to be completed: Por + Infinitive

Los platos estn por fregar.
The dishes are yet to be done.
Spanish Expressions and Idioms with Por and Para

The Spanish prepositions por and para are found in a number of common
expressions, idioms, and locutions.
A por ellos!
dar gato por liebre
da por da
en un dos por tres
escaparse por un pelo
estar por
ir a por uno
hablar por alguien
hablar por seas
palabra por palabra
pasar un examen por los pelos
poner por las nubes
por adelantado
por ahora
por all
por amor de Dios
por aadidura
por aquel entonces
por aqu
por casualidad
por ciento
por cierto
por completo
por consecuencia
por consiguiente
por correo
por culpa de
por debajo de
por dentro
por desgracia
por detrs de
por difcil que sea
por dnde
por ejemplo
por encima de
por esa poca
por escrito
por eso
por favor
por fin
por fuera
por la maana, tarde
por la noche
por las buenas o por las malas
por lo comn
por lo dems
por lo general
por lo menos
por lo mismo
por lo pronto
por lo que a m me toca
por lo que dicen
por los cuatro costados
por lo tanto
por lo visto
por medio de
por m
por mi parte
por motivo de
por ningn lado
por orden
por otra parte
por poco
por primera vez
porque
por qu?
por separado
por si acaso
por si las moscas
por su cuenta
por suerte
por su propio mano
por supuesto
por telfono
por todas partes
por todos lados
por ltimo
por un lado, por otro
punto por punto
trabajar por cuatro
trado por los pelos
una vez por todas
estar para
para entonces
para esa poca
para otra vez
para que
para qu?
Para qu echar la soga tras el caldero?
para siempre
para variar
ser tal para cual
Spanish Adjectives
This is a list of all of the adjective lessons currently available on this site.
Introduction to Adjectives
An adjective is a word that describes a noun. Adjectives can describe shape,
color, size, and many other things about a noun. Spanish adjectives are very
different from English adjectives, for two reasons.
Augmentatives (-on, -azo, -ote, -acho)
In Spanish, suffixes called augmentatives can be added to nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and names to indicate bigness, as well as other ideas such as
excessiveness, contempt, or disdain. In this way, you can say that something is
big without adding an adjectives like grande to indicate bigness or repugnante to
indicate contempt.
Demonstrative Adjectives (Este, Eso, Aquel)
Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those) are words which indicate a
specific noun. Spanish demonstrative adjectives are more complicated than their
English counterparts, because there are three different sets and they must agree
in gender and number with the noun they modify.
Diminutives (-ito, -illo)
In Spanish, suffixes called diminutives can be added to nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and names to indicate smallness, as well as other ideas such as
affection, humor, pity, irony, or ridicule. In this way, you can say that something
is little without adding an adjectives like pequeo to indicate smallness
or querido to indicate affection, etc.
Exclamative Adjectives (Qu...!)
In Spanish, many exclamations are formed with qu! Although these
constructions might seem very simple, there are actually some strict rules about
the grammar used in them.
Indefinite Adjectives (Cada, Mucho, Otro...)
Affirmative indefinite adjectives are used to modify nouns in a unspecific sense.
Intensifiers (Muy, -simo)
In Spanish, there are a number of words as well as one suffix that can be used to
intensify the meaning of other words. Intensifiers are not the same thing as
comparatives, superlatives, or augmentatives.
Interrogative Adjectives (Qu, Cul, Cunto)
Qu, cul, and cunto are Spanish interrogative adjectives. An adjective is a word
that modifies a noun, and interrogative means questioning, so interrogative
adjectives are adjectives used to ask the questions what, which, and how
much/many.
Negative Adjectives (Ningn, Ninguna...)
Spanish negative adjectives, sometimes called indefinite negative adjectives,
negate, refuse, or cast doubt on a existence of the noun that they modify.
Position of Spanish Adjectives
Spanish adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify,
depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow
nouns, while limiting adjectives precede nouns.
Possessive Adjectives (Mi, Tuyo...)
Possessive adjectives indicate to whom or to what something belongs. In Spanish,
there are two different sets of possessive adjectives: long/stressed forms and
short/unstressed forms.
Relative Adjective (Cuyo)
Cuyo is a relative adjective that means whose, of whom, or of which. Like other
Spanish adjectives, cuyo agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number.
Cuyo is used to indicate the noun who or which is the object of the clause that
follows.
Short Spanish Adjectives (Gran, Buen, Primer...)
There are several Spanish adjectives that have a shortened form when they
precede certain nouns.
Todo
Learn how to "conjugate" and use the versatile Spanish word todo.
Spanish Augmentatives
Augmentatives | Diminutives
In Spanish, suffixes called augmentatives can be added to nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and names to indicate bigness, as well as other ideas such as
excessiveness, contempt, or disdain. In this way, you can say that something is
big without adding an adjective like grande to indicate bigness or repugnante to
indicate contempt.
Augmentatives change to match the gender and number of the word they modify.
Common Spanish augmentatives:
masculine
-n
-azo
-ote
-acho
feminine
-ona
-aza
-ota
-acha
Using Spanish augmentatives:

Augmentatives are less common than diminutives, and they are also easier to
tack on.
1. Words that end in a consonant take the whole suffix:
mujer
woman
mujerona
big, strapping woman
animal
animal
animalote
big, nasty animal
2. When the word to be modified ends with a vowel, the vowel is dropped before
adding the ending:
hombre
man
hombrn
big, strapping man
libro
book
librote
big, heavy book
xito
success
exitazo
great success
grande
big
grandn
very big
Spanish Diminutives
Diminutives | Augmentatives
In Spanish, suffixes called diminutives can be added to nouns, adjectives,
adverbs, and names to indicate smallness, as well as other ideas such as
affection, humor, pity, irony, or ridicule. In this way, you can say that something
is little without adding an adjective like pequeo to indicate smallness
or querido to indicate affection.
Common Spanish diminutives:
-ito
-cito
-ecito
-illo
-cillo
-ecillo
Basically there are two different diminutives, -ito and -illo, but other letters may
need to be added depending on what the modified word ends in.
Note that diminutives change to match the gender and number of the word they
modify.
1. For most words, including those that end in any vowel other than E, drop the
final vowel and add -ito or -illo:
ahora
now
ahorita
right now
hermano
brother
hermanito
little brother
Juana
Jean
Juanita
Jeannie
2. Words with more than one syllable that end in E, N, R, or a stressed vowel take
-cito or -cillo:
una joven
young girl
jovencita
young lady (endearing)
mam
mama
mamacita
mommy
pintor
painter
pintorcito
third-rate painter
pobre
poor
pobrecito
poor little thing
3. Words with one syllable that end in a consonant take -ecito or -ecillo:
flor
flower
florecita
little flower
pan
bread
panecillo
roll
There are also some spelling changes related to diminutives, which are similar to
those that occur with spelling-change verbs and noun plurals (learn more):
chica
girl
chiquita
little girl
Diego
James
Dieguito
Jimmy
pedazo
piece
pedacito
little piece
Adjetivos demostrativos - Spanish Demonstrative

Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives (this, that, these, those) are words which indicate
a specific noun. Spanish demonstrative adjectives are more complicated than
their English counterparts, because there are three different sets, as explained
below. Remember that all Spanish adjectives must agree in gender and number
with the noun they modify.
The three sets of Spanish demonstrative adjectives are este (this - something
near the speaker), ese (that - something near the listener), and aquel (that something far from both the speaker and listener).
this
that
that
masculin singular
este
ese
aquel
feminine singular
esta
esa
aquella
masculin plural
estos
esos
aquellos
feminine plural
estas
esas
aquellas
Because both ese and aquel mean "that," I've added phrases into the English
translations in order to clarify the difference between these two demonstrative
adjectives.
This teacher talks a lot.
Este profesor habla mucho.
Esa camisa es bonita.
That shirt (you're wearing) is pretty.
Aquellos estudiantes no
comprenden.
Those students (over there) don't

understand.
Esta chica est lista.
This girl is ready.
Esos libros son estpidos.
Those books (you just picked up) are stupid.
Me gusta aquella casa.
I like that house (on the other side of the

street).
Each set of Spanish demonstrative adjectives corresponds with at least one place
word.
este
aqu or ac - here
ese
ah - there
aquel
all or all - over there
Spanish Demonstrative Pronouns ~ Pronombres

demostrativos
Demonstrative pronouns (this one, that one, the one[s], these, those)
refer to a previously-mentioned noun in a sentence.
Spanish demonstrative pronouns are more complicated than their English
counterparts, because there are different sets and because they must agree in
gender and number with the noun they replace.
The three sets of Spanish demonstrative pronouns are ste (this one - something
near the speaker), se (that one - something near the listener),
and aqul (those - something far from both the speaker and listener). Note that
Spanish demonstrative pronouns are the same as demonstrative adjectives with
the addition of an accent over the stressed vowel. There is also a neuter
demonstrative pronoun in each set, which does not have an accent.
this
that
that
masculin singular
ste
se
aqul
feminine singular
sta
sa
aqulla
masculin plural
stos
sos
aqullos
feminine plural
stas
sas
aqullas
neuter
esto
eso
aquello
Demonstrative pronouns are used to replace a demonstrative adjective + noun,

or simply refer back to a previously-mentioned/implied noun without repeating its
name.
For example...
Qu chica lo hizo, sta o sa?
Which girl did it, this one or that one?
Estoy leyendo so.
I'm reading this (one).
Quiero mirar esta pelcula, no

me gusta aqulla.
I want to see this movie; I don't like that one.
Todos los perros son lindos,

pero prefiero ste.
All the dogs are cute, but I prefer this one.
stos son ms caros que sos.
These are more expensive than those.
ste can mean "latter," while aqul can mean "former."
Lus y Ana van a ayudarnos.

Aqul ya est aqu, y sta
llegar a las dos.
Lus and Ana are going to help up. The former

(Lus) is already here, and the latter (Ana) will
arrive at 2 o'clock.
Neuter pronouns / Indefinite demonstrative pronouns

Neuter pronouns, also known as indefinite demonstrative pronouns, refer to
unspecified or unknown nouns, situations, and ideas. Note that these never
have an accent.
Qu es esto?
What is this?
Eso es imposible.
That is impossible.
Por eso, no puedo hacerlo.
Therefore (because of that), I can't do it.
Aquello no es necesario.
That's not necessary.
Each set of Spanish demonstrative pronouns corresponds with a different place

word:
ste
aqu - here
se
ah - there
aqul
all - over there
Spanish Exclamations ~ Exclamative Adjectives ~ Los

exclamativos ~ Qu!
In Spanish, many exclamations are formed with qu! Although these
constructions might seem very simple, there are actually some strict rules about
the grammar used in them.
In an exclamation, qu! is equivalent to what...! what a...! or how...! It can be
used with nouns, adjectives, and adverbs.
Qu! can be followed directly by an adjective.

Qu bonita!
How pretty!
Qu hermoso!
How lovely!
Qu interesante!
How interesting!
Qu! can be followed by an adjective, adverb, or noun + verb.

Qu alto eres!
How tall you are!
Qu rojo es!
How red it is!
Qu bien trabaja!
How well he works!
Qu lejos vives!
How far away you live!
Qu prisa tiene!
What a big hurry he's in!
Qu coche compraste!
What a car you bought!
When qu! is followed by a noun, there is no article. The noun may

be preceded by an adjective.
Qu lstima!
What a shame!
Qu lo!
What a mess!
Qu asco!
How awful!
Qu buena persona!
What a good person!
Qu blanca nieve!
What (such) white snow!
When the noun is followed by an adjective, the adjective must be preceded

by tan or ms.
Qu da ms esplndido!
What a beautiful day!
Qu mujer tan hermosa!
What a lovely woman!
Qu nio tan fuerte!
What a strong child!
Qu clase ms interesante!
What an interesting class!
Qu de! + noun means "what a lot of" + noun.

Qu de cosas tenemos que hacer!
What a lot (of things) we have to do!
Qu de gente hay!
What a lot of people there are!
Spanish Relative Pronoun Que ~ Pronombre relativo

Just like in English, a Spanish relative pronoun links
a dependent/relative clause (i.e., a clause that cannot stand alone) to
a main clause. In this lesson we'll discuss que - the simplest and most common
Spanish relative pronoun. Depending on context, the English equivalent can be
who, whom, that, or which. Although relative pronouns are sometimes optional in
English, they are always required in Spanish.
Que is used to join a main clause with a dependent or relative clause. It always
replaces a word from the dependent clause:
Que replaces the subject (person or thing):
Busco al profesor. l vive en Barcelona.

Busco al profesor que vive en Barcelona.
I'm looking for the teacher (who) lives in Barcelona.
Voy a comprar el libro. l tiene cien pginas.
Voy a comprar el libro que tiene cien pginas.
I'm going to buy the book that has 100 pages.
Que replaces the direct object (person or thing):
Ana quiere al hombre. Yo lo vi.
Ana quiere al hombre que yo vi.
Ana loves the man (that) I saw.
Perd la pluma. Mi hermano la compr.
Perd la pluma que mi hermano compr.
I lost the pen (that) my brother bought.
Spanish Interrogative Pronouns ~ Pronombres

interrogativos ~ Quin Qu Cul Cunto Dnde
Quin, qu, cul, cunto, and dnde are Spanish interrogative pronouns. A
pronoun is a word that replaces a noun, and interrogative means questioning, so
interrogative pronouns are pronouns used to ask the questions who, what, which,
how much/many, and where. Note that all of these words have accents.
Quin means who or whom; it is used when asking about people. It has the
plural form quines.
Quin est aqu?
Who is here?
Quin viene conmigo?
Who's coming with me?
Quines han ganado?
Who won?
Quin can also follow a preposition.

A quin hablis?
To whom are you speaking?
De quin es este libro?
Whose book is this?
Qu means what and is used to refer to ideas or things.

Qu quiere?
What does he want?
Qu piensas del libro?
What do you think of the book?
Qu es eso?
What is this?
Cul means what or which - it is used when distinguishing between two or

more things. It has the plural form cules.
Cul quieres - la pluma o el
lpiz?
Which do you want - the pen or the pencil?
Hay muchas ideas. Cules

prefieres?
There are a lot of ideas. Which ones do you

prefer?
Cunto means how much and its plural cuntos means how many.
Tienes dinero? Cunto?
Do you have any money? How much?
Cuntos estn en el coche?
How many are in the car?
Dnde means where.

Dnde vives?
Where do you live?
Dnde ests?
Where are you?
Spanish Indefinite Adjectives ~ Adjetivos indefinidos

Affirmative indefinite adjectives are used to modify nouns in a unspecific
sense.
Todos los libros son buenos.
All of the books are good.
Cada estudiante debe hablar.
Each student must speak.
Hay otras posibilidades.
There are other possibilities.
Quiero varias cosas.
I want several things.
The Spanish indefinite adjectives are
Notes
algn/alguna
some, a few
cada
each
cierto
certain
diverso
various
mucho
many, much, a lot
otro
other
poco
few, a little
tal
some, any
todo
all
varios
several, some
Notes:
1
These pronouns have four different forms and agree in gender and number
with the nouns they modify.
Veo a algunos hombres.
I see some men.
Tiene mucha libertad.
He has a lot of freedom.
Cada is invariable - it is followed by a singular noun and the third personal

singular verb form.
Cada pas tiene sus proprias
tradiciones.
Each country has its own

traditions.
Quiero mirar cada coche.
I want to look at each car.
Tal has only singular and plural forms: tal, tales

No hay tal cosa.
There's no such thing.
Tales ideas nos ayudarn.
Such ideas will help us.
Varios has only masculine and feminine plural forms: varios, varias
Tengo varios libros.
I have several books.
Compr varias flores.
I bought several flowers.
Unlike most Spanish adjectives, indefinite adjectives precede the noun they
modify.
The Spanish indefinite article + noun can be replaced with the indefinite
pronoun (lesson coming soon).
Spanish Intensifiers
In Spanish, there are a number of words as well as one suffix that can be used to
intensify the meaning of other words. Intensifiers are not the same thing as
comparatives, superlatives, or augmentatives.
Intensifiers can be used with adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and verbs. They include
words like muy (very), mucho (much, a lot), and sumamente (extremely).
Es muy bonita.
She is very pretty.
Tenemos mucho dinero.
We have a lot of money.
The suffix -simo is an intensifier that can be attached to the end of many
adjectives. It changes for gender and number:
-simo
-simos
-sima
-simas
If the adjective that -simo attaches to ends in a vowel, the vowel is dropped.
There may also be spelling changes due tohard/soft vowels.
La tarea es facilsima.
The homework is really easy.
Ana es bellsima.
Ana is absolutely beautiful.
Son riqusimos.
They are super rich.
Intensifiers vs Augumentatives and Diminutives

Whereas augmentatives and diminutives add a particular meaning to the word
they modify (such as greatness or ridicule), intensifiers only intensify the
meaning of the modified adjective itself.
Intensifiers vs Comparatives
Comparatives compare one person or thing to another. Intensifiers do not. The
adjective modified by an intensifier is very (whatever) all by itself.
Intensifiers vs Superlatives
The superlative is the most/least something of a group. This is sometimes called
the "relative superlative," while intensifiers, particularly the suffix -simo, are
sometimes called the "absolute superlative." However, this is a misnomer, since
intensifiers are not comparing anything.
Spanish Comparatives and Superlatives

Spanish comparatives and superlatives are fairly simple. Comparatives are the
comparison of one person or thing to another (more, less, or as... as),
while superlatives indicate that one person/thing is the most, best, least, or
worst of all.
I. Comparatives come in three varieties:

Superiority
ms... (que)
more... than or ____er than
Inferiority
menos... (que)
less/fewer... than
Equality
tan... como
as... as
tanto... como
as much/many as
Notes
1. With ms and menos, the que + noun/pronoun construction is (optional).
With tan and tanto como, however, the noun/pronoun is required.
2. In comparatives of equality, tan is used with adjectives (tan guapo como) and
adverbs (tan rpidamente como), whiletanto (tanta, tantos, tantas) is used with
nouns (tanto dinero como) and verbs (trabajamos tanto como).
3. Bueno and malo have irregular comparative forms (see III, below).
T eres ms interesante (que
nosotros).
You are more interesting (than we are).
Ana es ms grande (que Lucas).
Ana is taller (than Lucas).
Sevilla es menos caro (que

Barcelona).
Sevilla is less/not as expensive (than/as

Barcelona).
Soy tan guapo como Jos.
I'm as handsome as Jos.
Tengo tanto dinero como Uds.
I have as much money as you.
II. Superlatives are formed with the definite article + noun + ms or menos +
adjective. Note that when the superlative uses "in" (e.g., the tallest in the world,
the happiest in the house), "in" is translated by de.
Carlos is the most intelligent person who works here.
It's the least interesting city in the world.
He is the nicest teacher in the school.
III. Exceptions: Bueno and malo have irregular forms for the comparative and
superlative.
Comparative
Superlative
Bueno
mejor(es)
lo(s)/la(s) mejor(es)
Malo
peor(es)
lo(s)/la(s) peor(es)
In the superlative, they are placed in front of the noun they modify.
Mi restaurante es mejor (que esto).
My restaurant is better (than this one).
Son los mejores profesores de la

escuela.
They are the best teachers in the

school.
El libro es peor (que la pelcula).
The book is worse (than the movie).
Es la peor idea del mundo.
It's the worst idea in the world.
Spanish Interrogative Adjectives ~ Adjetivos

interrogativos ~ Qu Cul Cunto
Qu, cul, and cunto are Spanish interrogative adjectives. An adjective is a
word that modifies a noun, and interrogative means questioning, so interrogative
adjectives are adjectives used to ask the questions what, which, and how
much/many. Note that all of these words have accents.
Qu means what or which and is used to refer to ideas or things.

Qu libros quiere?
What books does he want?
Qu parte no comprendes?
Which part don't you understand?
Qu coche te gusta?
Which car do you like?
Cul means what or which - it is used when distinguishing between two or

more things. It has the plural form cules.
Cules libros quiere?
What books does he want?
Cul parte no comprendes?
Which part don't you understand?
Cul coche te gusta?
Which car do you like?
Cunto means how much and its plural cuntos means how many.
Cunto dinero tienes?
How much money do you have?
Cuntos libros necesitamos?
How many books do we need?
Hay cuntas plumas?
How many pens are there?
Preguntas - Spanish Questions

Asking questions in Spanish is pretty straightforward. There are two main kinds of
questions:
General questions
Sometimes called yes/no questions, general questions are a simple request for
verification or denial. There are 3 ways to ask these questions:
1.
Form a sentence and put question marks around it (when writing) or raise
the intonation of your voice at the end (when speaking).
(T) tienes hambre?*
Mara est aqu?
2.
Invert the subject and verb.

Tienes (t) hambre?
Est Mara aqu?
3.
With a question that you're pretty sure will get a yes answer, you can use
one of the following tags at the end:
no?
verdad?
no es verdad?
no es cierto?
Tienes hambre, verdad?
You're hungry, right?
Mara est aqu, no?
Maria is here, isn't she?
Information questions
Information questions are more complicated; they ask for more information, such
as who, what, when, where, why, how, which, for what, etc.
Some common information question words:
quin
who
qu
what
cundo
when
dnde
where
por qu
why
cmo
how
Click on the Spanish word to hear it pronounced. Note that all question words
have an accent.
In order to make a question with quin, simply use it to replace the subject of the
sentence and use the third person singular form of the verb.
T tienes hambre.
You're hungry.
Quin tiene hambre?
Who is hungry?
Maria est aqu.
Maria is here.
Quin est aqu?
Who is here?
Making a question with the other question words is similar to #2 in general

questions: Say the question word, then invert the subject and verb.
Dnde ests?
Where are you?
Qu hacen ellos?
What are they doing?
Cundo vamos a comer?
When are we going to eat?
* Note that Spanish has a two-part question mark: an upside-down question

mark at the beginning of the question and ? at the end. See my accents page to
learn how to type this.
* Also note that the subject pronoun is optional.
Spanish Negative Adjectives ~ Adjetivos negativos

Spanish negative adjectives, sometimes called indefinite negative
adjectives, negate, refuse, or cast doubt on a existence of the noun that they
modify.
No... ninguno is the only Spanish negative adjective and means "no" or "not
any." Note that no precedes the verb whileninguno follows it.
No hay ningn dinero.
There's no money.
No tengo ninguna idea.
I have no idea.
Ayer no he visto ningn estudiante.
Yesterday I didn't see any students.
No hay ningn peligro.
There is no danger.
No veo ningunos anteojos.
I don't see any eyeglasses.
Note that ninguno changes to agree with the noun that it modifies:
singular
plural
masculine
ninguno
ningunos
feminine
ninguna
ningunas
However, when ninguno precedes a masculine singular noun, it changes

to ningn.
To stress the negation, the negative adjective can be placed after the noun:
No es problema ninguno.
It's no problem at all.
No tengo dinero ninguno.
I have absolutely no money.
Spanish Negation
To make a Spanish statement or question negative, place no in front of the

verb.
No tengo un lpiz.
I don't have a pencil.
Elena no est aqu.
Elena is not here.
No tienes hambre?
Aren't you hungry?
There are a number of negative expressions that work with no.

no... nunca
no... jams
never
no... nunca ms
never again
no... tampoco
neither, not either
no... nada
nothing
no... nadie
no one
no... en/por ninguna parte
nowhere
ya no*
no more
todavi no*
not yet
These negative words may be used in two different ways.

1
.
2
.
Two part usage: Place no in front of the verb and the negative word after
it.
No hay nadie a la fiesta.
There's no one at the party.
Juan no trabaja nunca los sbados.
Juan never works on Saturday.
No tengo tampoco un gato.
I don't have a cat either.
Todava no puedo salir.
I can't go out yet.
One part usage: Place the negative word in front of the verb and drop
the no (the negative expressions with * cannot be used this way).
Nadie est a la fiesta.
No one is at the party.
Juan nunca trabaja los sbados.
Juan never works on Saturday.
Tampoco tengo un gato.
I don't have a cat either.
Nada va a pasar.
Nothing is going to happen.
Spanish Negative Pronouns ~ Pronombres negativos

Spanish negative pronouns, sometimes called indefinite negative pronouns,
negate, refuse, or cast doubt on the existence of the noun that they replace.
Nadie lo quiere.
No one wants it.
No vi nada.
I didn't see anything.
Ninguno de los libros me interesa.
None of the books interests me.
The Spanish negative pronouns are:

(no...) ninguno (de)
none (of), not any (of)
(no...) nadie
no one
(no...) nada
nothing, not... anything
Negative pronouns have one or two parts, depending on their placement in the
sentence: before the verb (as the subject), Spanish negative pronouns are one
part, while after the verb (as the direct or indirect object), they have two
parts.
Nadie lo quiere.
No one wants it.
No vi a nadie.
I didn't see anyone.
Nada va a pasar.
Nothing is going to happen.
No hay nada en el coche.
There's nothing in the car.
Ninguno de los libros me interesa.
None of the books interests me.
No tengo ninguna de la ropa.
I don't have any of the clothes.
Note that ninguno changes to agree with the noun that it modifies:
singular
plural
masculine
ninguno
ningunos
feminine
ninguna
ningunas
Spanish Neither... Nor ~ Ni

The Spanish word ni is used in pairs to mean "neither... nor."
Ni Ana ni Pedro puede(n) venir.
Neither Ana nor Pedro can come
No puede(n) venir ni Ana ni Pedro.

Ni t ni yo tenemos dinero.
Neither you nor I have money.
No tenemos dinero ni t ni yo.

Ni fumo ni bebo / No fumo ni bebo.
I neither smoke nor drink.
Notes
1. When ni... ni precedes the verb, the verb is not negated. When ni...
ni follows the verb, it is negated.
2. When a group of people is joined by ni... ni and is the subject of the verb,
the verb may be singular or plural.
Ni can also be paired with sin.
Maneja sin permiso de conducir ni
seguro.
He drives without a license or insurance.
Lo hizo sin hacer preguntas ni

quejarse.
He did it without questioning or

complaining.
Ni by itself or followed by siquiera in front of a noun means "no" or "not a."

Adnde fue?
Ni idea.
Where did he go?

No idea.
Cunto dinero tienes?

Ni siquiera un cntimo.
How much money do you have?

Not a cent.
Ni (siquiera) can also mean "not even."

Ni siquiera me llamaste.
You didn't even call me.
No s ni dnde estamos.
I don't even know where we are.
Spanish Pronoun Lessons

Interested in learning some Spanish pronouns? Look no further!
Demonstrative Pronouns (se, ste, Aqul)
Demonstrative pronouns (this one, that one, the one[s], these, those) refer to a
previously-mentioned noun in a sentence. Learn the forms and uses.
Indefinite Pronouns
Spanish indefinite pronouns, sometimes called affirmative indefinite pronouns, are
unspecific and are used in place of nouns. They can be the subject of a sentence,
the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.
Interrogative Pronouns (Qu, Quin, Cul, Cunto, Dnde)

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask the questions who, what, which, and how
much/many.
Negative Pronouns (Ninguno, Nadie, Nada)
Spanish negative pronouns, sometimes called indefinite negative pronouns,
negate, refuse, or cast doubt on the existence of the noun that they replace.
Object Pronouns (Me, Te, La, Le...)
Lessons on direct and indirect object pronouns, the neuter object pronoun lo,
redundant pronouns, how to use two object pronouns, and where to put them.
Possessive Pronouns (Mo, Tuyo, Suyo...)
Possessive pronouns are the words which replace nouns modified by possessive
adjectives. In Spanish there are different forms of possessive pronouns
depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
Prepositional Pronouns (M, Ti, Conmigo...)

There are 11 forms of Spanish prepositional pronouns.
Reflexive Pronouns (Me, Te, Se...)
Reflexive pronouns are used with pronominal verbs. They always agree with the
subject of the sentence and are placed directly in front of the verb.
Reflexive Prepositional Pronouns (M, s mismo...)
Spanish reflexive prepositional pronouns are pronouns which refer back to the
subject and occur after prepositions, often in order to emphasize the noun they
replace.
Reflexive Se with Unplanned Occurrences
The reflexive construction, used mainly with pronominal verbs, can also be used
to describe accidental and unplanned occurrences.
Relative Pronouns (Que, Quien, El Cual, El Que, Donde)
Just like in English, a Spanish relative pronoun links a dependent/relative clause
(i.e., a clause that cannot stand alone) to a main clause. This lesson is a
comparative summary of the Spanish relative pronouns que, quien, el que, el
cual, and donde. Depending on context, the English equivalents are who, whom,
that, which, whose, or where.
Subject Pronouns (Yo, T, l...)
Subject pronouns indicate the person or thing which is performing the action of a
verb. You need to learn the Spanish subject pronouns even though they are not
usually required.
Neuter Subject Pronoun (Ello)
Ello is the Spanish neuter subject pronoun, used to mean "it" when referring to
something non-specific.
Todo
Learn how to "conjugate" and use the versatile Spanish word todo.
Spanish Indefinite Pronouns ~ Pronombres

indefinidos
Spanish indefinite pronouns, sometimes called affirmative indefinite pronouns,
are unspecific and are used in place of nouns. They can be the subject of a
sentence, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition.
Todo el mundo est aqu.
Everyone is here.
Compr algo.
He bought something.
Tengo un regalo para alguien.
I have a gift for someone.
The Spanish indefinite pronouns are
Notes
algo
something
alguien
someone
alguno, alguna
a certain one
1, 2
algunos, algunas
some, a few
2, 3
cada uno
each one
cualquiera
anyone, whoever
mucho(a)(s)
a lot, much, many
un otro, una otra
another one
otros, otras
others
s (mismo, misma)
one(self)
todo
everything
todo el mundo
everyone
uno
one
varios, varias
some, several
1, 2, 3
1, 2
1, 3, 5
2, 3
Notes:
1
These pronouns take the third person singular form of the verb.
Todo est bien?
Is everything ok?
Alguien debe saber.
Someone must know.
These pronouns must always have an antecedent (something they refer to

in the same or a preceding sentence).
Perd mi pluma, entonces tengo que
I lost my pen, so I have to buy
comprar una otra.
another one.
Tiene 50 libros y quiero leer cada uno.
He has 50 books and I want to

read each one.
These pronouns can be modified

with de + ellos, ellas, nosotros, vosotros, Uds., or a noun.
Uno de vosotros tiene que ayudarme.
One of you has to help me.
Algunos de los estudiantes estn aqu.
Some of the students are here.
S is the indefinite reflexive prepositional pronoun.
Uno is the indefinite subject pronoun.
Spanish Reflexive Prepositional Pronouns

Spanish reflexive prepositional pronouns are pronouns which refer back to
the subject and occur after prepositions, often in order to emphasize the noun
they replace.
There are 5 forms of reflexive prepositional pronouns in Spanish:
Singular
Plural
myself
ourselves
nosotros
yourself
ti
yourselves
vosotros
himself
herself
itself
yourself
yourselves
themselves
The first and second person singular and plural reflexive prepositional pronouns
are the same as the non-reflexive prepositional pronouns. However, the reflexive
pronoun for all of the third person singular and plural forms is s.
Compr un regalo para m.
I bought a present for myself.
Hablas nunca de ti.
You never talk about yourself.
Vamos a construir la casa para

nosotros.
We're going to build the house for

ourselves.
Lo quieren todo para s.
They want it all for themselves.
All of the reflexive prepositional pronouns can be followed by the

adjective mismo (or misma/mismos/mismas - depending on the gender and
number of the subject) in order to emphasize the reflexive aspect.
Quiero hacerlo para m mismo.
I want to do it for myself.
Ellas hablan mucho de s mismas.
They talk a lot about themselves.
S can mean yourself (with Ud.), yourselves (with Uds.), himself, herself, itself,
themselves, or oneself.
Uds. deben hacerlo por s.
You have do you it yourselves.
l lo quiere todo para s mismo.
He wants it all for himself.
Debe que mirar por s.
One has to look out for oneself.
Notes:
1. Con + s combine into consigo: Est contento consigo - He's happy with
himself.
2. If the subject and pronoun do not refer to the same person, use non-reflexive
prepositional pronouns.
More about pronominal and reflexive Spanish
Introduction to pronominal verbs
Reflexive pronouns
Reflexive prepositional pronouns
Spanish Prepositional Pronouns ~ Pronombres en

funcin de complemento con preposicin
There are 12 forms of prepositional pronouns in Spanish:
Singular
Plural
me
us
nosotros
you
ti
you
vosotros
him, it
them
ellos
her, it
ella
them
ellas
you
Ud.
you
Uds.
it
ello
oneself
Most of the above probably look familiar, since the third person singular and all of
the plurals are identical to Spanish subject pronouns. The new pronouns are m,
ti, and ello. M and ti are pretty easy - they are simply the prepositional form of
the first and second singular pronoun. Take a look at these examples.
Tengo un regalo para ti.
I have a present for you.
Vienes con nosotros?
Are you coming with us?
A m, no me gusta el pescado.
(Me,) I don't like fish.
Estoy al lado de ellas.
I'm next to them.
Quiero ir con l.
I want to go with him.
As you can see, it's pretty simple - you just use the prepositional pronoun to
replace a noun after a preposition. Now let's learn about the tricky ones - ello and
s.
Ello is the neuter prepositional pronoun, used when talking about something nonspecific or abstract (it). Remember that when talking about something specific,
even if it means "it" in English, the pronoun you use in Spanish depends on the
noun's gender - learn more.
No estoy listo para ello.
I'm not ready for this.
Tengo fro, y por ello no puedo

ayudarte.
I'm cold, and that's why I can't help

you.
Lesson on ello
Notes:
1. Con + m, ti, and s contract into the new words conmigo, contigo,
and consigo:
Voy contigo - I'm going with you.
2. In certain situations, subject pronouns are used instead of prepositional
pronouns:
After the
prepositions como (like), entre (between), excepto (except), incluso (inclu
ding), menos (except), salvo(except), and segn (according to).
When paired with another pronoun:

- para t y yo
- por ella o yo
Spanish Contractions - Las contracciones
1.
Contractions in Spanish and English are very different, because English

contractions, such as it is > it's, are considered somewhat informal and
are optional. In Spanish, however, contractions are required.
A and de plus definite article (lesson)
The prepositions a and de contract with the masculine singular definite

article el. They do not contract with the femininela or the plurals los and las.
2.
a + el
al
a + la
a la
a + los
a los
a + las
a las
de + el
del
de + la
de la
de + los
de los
de + las
de las
Con plus prepositional pronoun (lesson)
The preposition con contracts with the prepositional pronouns m, ti, and s,
and the suffix -go is added to each one.
3.
con + m
conmigo
con + ti
contigo
con + s
consigo
Certain verb forms plus object pronouns (lesson)
When object pronouns follow an imperative, infinitive, or present participle, they

all contract into a single word, and accents may need to be added to maintain
proper word stress.
ver + lo
verlo
mostrar + me + la
mostrrmela
ayuda + me
aydame
vaya + se
vyase
haciendo + lo
hacindolo
hablando + te
hablndote
Spanish Pronominal Verbs

Pronominal verbs are often incorrectly referred to as reflexive verbs, when in
fact the latter are just one type of pronominal verb. The defining characteristic of
pronominal verbs is that their subjects are acting upon themselves. Pronominal
verbs are much more common in Spanish than in English.
What sets pronominal verbs apart from non-pronominal verbs is that pronominals
must be must be conjugated with a reflexive pronoun, which always agrees with
the subject. Like object pronouns, the reflexive pronoun is placed directly in
front of the verb. Unlike subject pronouns, the reflexive pronoun is required in
Spanish.
There are two separate tasks when conjugating pronominal verbs. First, take off
the reflexive pronoun se, change it to agree with the subject of the verb, and
place it directly in front of the verb. Then, as with all verbs, you must conjugate
the infinitive according to whether it's an -ar, -er, -ir, stem-changing, or irregular
verb.
Me ducho.
I'm taking a shower.
Marco se pone una camisa.
Marco is putting a shirt on.
Te lavas la cara.
You're washing your face.
Nos quedamos aqu.
We're staying here.
Tengo que sentarme.
I need to sit down.
Nos casemos.
We got married.
You can recognize pronominal verbs by the reflexive pronoun se tacked on to the
infinitive: ducharse, ponerse, lavarse,quedarse, etc.
Types of pronominal verbs
Reflexive verbs
Reciprocal verbs
Idiomatic pronominal verbs
Spanish Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive verbs must be used with a reflexive pronoun in order to indicate that
the subject is performing the action of the verb upon itself. Reflexive verbs exist
in English, but they are much more common in Spanish.
Reflexive verbs usually have to do with parts of the body, clothing, or one's state
of mind. Here are some common reflexive verbs:
aburrirse
to get bored
acostarse
to go to bed
afeitarse
to shave
alegrarse
to be happy
animarse
to cheer up
arreglarse
to get ready
asustarse
to get scared
baarse
to bathe
calmarse
to calm down
caerse
to fall (down)
cansarse
to get tired
cepillarse
to brush (hair, teeth)
colocarse
to get a job
cortarse
to cut (hair, nails)
decidirse
to make up one's mind
despedirse
to say goodbye to
despertarse
to wake up
divertirse
to have a good time
dormirse
to fall asleep
ducharse
to take a shower
enfermarse
to get sick
enojarse
to get angry
lastimarse
to hurt oneself
lavarse
to wash (up)
levantarse
to get up
maquillarse
to put on makeup
peinarse
to comb (hair)
pintarse
to put on makeup
ponerse
to put on (clothes)
preocuparse
to worry
probarse
to try on
quebrarse
to break (arm, leg)
quedarse
to stay, remain
quemarse
to burn (oneself, one's body)
quitarse
to take off (clothes)
romperse
to tear (clothes);
to break (arm, leg)
sentarse
to sit down
sorprenderse
to be surprised
vestirse
to get dressed
Test on reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs are one category of pronominal verbs.

More about Spanish pronominal verbs
Reflexive verbs
Reciprocal verbs
Reflexive se with unplanned occurrences
Reflexive pronouns
Spanish Reciprocal Verbs

Reciprocal verbs are used to express the idea of reciprocity - doing something to
each other. In Spanish, the plural forms (nosotros, vosotros, and ellos) of
reflexive verbs are used to express this idea.
Nosotros nos escribimos todos los das.
We write to each other every day.
Vosotros os entendis?
Do you understand each other?
Ellos se hablan mucho.
They often talk to each other.
Uds. se quieren?
Do you love each other?
Some verbs can be used both reflexively and reciprocally, so the expressions el
uno al otro or uno a otro can be added to emphasize the reciprocity. Note that
these expressions are changed to agree with the subjects in gender and
(sometimes*) number.
Nosotras nos ayudamos.
We help ourselves.
Nosotras nos ayudamos una a otra.
We help each other.
Ellos se mataron.
They killed themselves.
Ellos se mataron los unos a los otros.
They killed each other.
*I'm honestly not sure when to use these expressions in the singular or plural. If
I find out, I'll update this lesson with the info. (If you know, please post on
the forum.)
When you want to say "each other" but the preposition is not a, the reciprocal
construction is not used; instead, the verb is used without a reflexive pronoun
and the appropriate preposition replaces a in the expressions el uno al otro / uno
a otro.
Ellos hablan bien el uno del otro.
They speak well of each other.
Uds. pueden estudiar el uno sin el otro?
Can you study without each other?
Reciprocal verbs are one category of pronominal verbs.

More about Spanish pronominal verbs:
Reflexive verbs
Reciprocal verbs
Reflexive se with unplanned occurrences
Reflexive pronouns
Pronombres posesivos ~ Spanish Possessive

Pronouns
Possessive pronouns are the words which replace nouns modified
by possessive adjectives. In Spanish there are different forms of possessive
pronouns depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or
plural.
Masculine
Feminine
mine
el mo
los mos
la ma
las mas
yours (t)
el tuyo
los tuyos
la tuya
las tuyas
his/hers/its/yours (Ud.)
el suyo
los suyos
la suya
las suyas
ours
el nuestro
los nuestros
la nuestra
las nuestras
yours (vosotros)
el vuestro
los vuestros
la vuestra
las vuestras
theirs/yours (Uds.)
el suyo
los suyos
la suya
las suyas
Note that the Spanish possessive pronouns for third person singular (l, ella, Ud.)
and plural (ellos, Uds.) are identical.
There are two important things to know about Spanish possessive pronouns:
1. The possessive pronoun must match the noun being replaced
in gender and number.
2. The appropriate definite article must be used.
Otherwise, Spanish and English possessive pronouns are very similar.
Mi hermano est aqu; dnde est el
tuyo?
My brother is here; where's yours?
Me gustan mis libros y ella prefiere los

suyos.
I like my books and she prefers

hers.
Tus ideas son buenas, pero las mas son

mejores.
Your ideas are good, but mine are

better.
Estas plumas, son las vuestras o las

nuestras?
These pens, are they yours or

ours?
When the masculine singular possessive pronoun is preceded by

the preposition a or de, the preposition contracts with the definite article (el):
Habla a tu padre; yo hablar al mo.
Talk to your dad; I'll talk to mine.
l disfruta de su curso, pero yo no

disfruto del mo.
He's enjoying his class, but I'm not

enjoying mine.
Note that Spanish possessive pronouns are identical to stressed form possessive
adjectives, but their usage is different: possessive pronouns replace nouns, while
possessive adjectives modify nouns.
There is also a neuter possessive pronoun which is used when the possessed
thing is abstract or unspecific, in the sense of one's part, share, things, task, etc.
The Spanish neuter possessive pronoun is formed with the neuter article lo plus
the masculine singular possessive pronoun (mo, to, suyo, nuestro, vuestro).
No quieren lo mo?
Don't you want mine (my work, my share...)?
Perdi lo suyo.
He lost his (his stuff, his things).
Cunto es lo nuestro?
How much is ours (our share)?
Spanish Possession
There are three ways to express possession in Spanish:

1. Possessive adjectives
2. Possessive pronouns
3. Possessive de
Possessive adjectives are used with nouns to explain who something or someone
belongs to.
Es mi coche.
It's my car.
Son las llaves tuyas?
Are these your keys?
Possessive pronouns replace possessive adjectives + nouns:

Es lo mo.
It's mine.
Son las tuyas?
Are these yours?
Aside from the fact that they have numerous forms for different grammatical
persons, gender, and number, possessive adjectives and pronouns are pretty
similar in Spanish and English.
However, to say that something is belongs to someone, where you would use 's or
s' in English, you have to use the preposition de. In addition, you have to invert
the possessor and the possessee and put de between them.
el coche de Pablo
Pablo's car (literally, the car of Pablo)
las llaves de mis padres
my parents' keys (literally, the keys of my parents)
Click these links to learn more about the three ways to express possession in
Spanish.
Possessive adjectives
Possessive de
Possessive pronouns
Spanish grammar
Adjetivos posesivos - Spanish Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are the words used in place of articles to indicate to
whom or to what something belongs. Their usage is similar to English, but there
are some differences in form. In Spanish there are different forms of possessive
adjectives depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or
plural. There are also two different sets of possessive adjectives:
short/unstressed forms (explained in this lesson) and long/stressed forms.
The following table shows the short forms of Spanish possessives. Don't worry I'll explain them all below.
Singular
Plural
masc
fem
masc
fem
my
mi
mis
your (t)
tu
tus
his, her, your (Ud.)
su
sus
our
nuestro
nuestra
your (vosotros)
vuestro
vuestra
their, your (Uds.)
nuestros
nuestras
vuestros
vuestras
sus
su
Spanish has many more possessives than English. For 2nd and 3rd person plural
subjects (nosotros, vosotros), there are four forms of the possessive.
The gender and number of the noun possessed determine which form to use.
OUR
YOUR
masc sing: pencil
nuestro lpiz
vuestro lpiz
fem sing: pen
nuestra pluma
vuestra pluma
masc plural: books
nuestros libros
vuestros libros
fem plural: tables
nuestras mesas
vuestras mesas
Singular subjects (I, you, he) and third person plural (they) have only two
forms: singularand plural.
MY
YOUR
HIS/HER/THEIR
sing: pencil
mi lpiz
tu lpiz
su lpiz
plural: tables
mis mesas
tus mesas
sus mesas
An important difference between Spanish and English is in the third person. In

English you have to choose between his, her, its, and their, whereas in Spanish
there is no distinction by gender, only by number. Su and sus can each mean his,
her, its, your, or their depending on the context.
Su cama can mean his bed, her bed, its bed (e.g., the dog's), your bed, or their
bed.
In order to clarify, the possessive de may be used.
Tengo su libro.
De quin?
El libro de Ana.
When describing two or more nouns, a possessive adjective must be used in front
of each one.
his brother and sister = su hermano y su hermana
Possessive De
The Spanish preposition de (of) is used to express possession, in place of

the 's or s' found in English.
To say that someone or something belongs to someone or something else, invert
the possessor and the thing possessed and put de between them.
el libro de Juan
Juan's book (literally, the book of Juan)
la abuela de Ana y Pablo
Pablo and Ana's grandmother
la idea de los nios
the kids' idea
la iglesia de Madrid
Madrid's church
Note that you must include the definite article in front of the thing possessed.
Position of Spanish Adjectives

Spanish adjectives may be found before or after the nouns they modify,
depending on various factors. Generally speaking, descriptive adjectives follow
nouns, while limiting adjectives (which includes all other kinds, such
as demonstrative, indefinite, etc.) precede nouns.
I.
Descriptive adjectives distinguish between different nouns of the same type

and follow the nouns they modify: el libro verde vs el libro rojo. Exceptions
and notes:
A.
When two descriptive adjectives modify the same noun, they may
1)
2)
B.
C.
II
be joined by y
la chica alta y bonita
the tall, beautiful girl
el libro emocionante e
interesante
the thrilling and interesting

book
surround the noun, with the shorter or less important adjective

preceding the noun.
el joven inmigrante marroqu
the young Moroccan immigrant
un tpico restaurante turstico
a typical tourist restaurant
When a descriptive adjective indicates an inherent quality of a noun, it

may precede
la blanca nieve
the white snow
los altos picos
the tall peaks
When a descriptive adjective expresses subjectivity, it precedes

el mejor restaurante
the best restaurant
Es una mala idea.
It's a bad idea.
Limiting adjectives specify which nouns are under discussion and precede
the nouns they modify: este libro vs ese libro. Exceptions:

A.
B.
The long forms of possessive adjectives always follow the nouns they
modify.
un amigo mo
a friend of mine
el libro tuyo
your book
Ordinal numbers may follow the noun in order to emphasize it.

la casa segunda
the second house
las fiestas primeras
the first parties
Cuyo - Spanish Relative Adjective

Cuyo is a relative adjective that means whose, of whom, or of which. Like other
Spanish adjectives, cuyo has masculine, feminine, singular, and plural forms:
cuyo
cuyos
cuya
cuyas
Cuyo is used to indicate the noun who or which is the object of the clause that
follows it. Cuyo is relative because it introduces a relative clause, and an
adjective because it must be followed by a noun. Note that cuyo has a possessive
value as well.
Examples:
Es el chico cuyo padre muri.
It's the boy whose father died.
Dnde est el profesor cuyas

clases comienzan a las ocho?
Where is the teacher whose classes

begin at 8?
El escritor cuyos libros Ana quiere

comprar vive en Mxico.
The writer whose books Ana wants to

buy lives in Mexico.
Esa casa, cuya puerta est abierta,

es muy bonita.
That house, whose door (or "the door of

which") is open, is very pretty.
Expressions:
en cuyo caso
in which case
por cuya razn
for this reason
Short Spanish Adjectives - Shortened Adjective Forms

There are several Spanish adjectives that have a shortened form when they
precede certain nouns.
I. The most common shortened adjectives are those that drop the final -o in front
of a masculine singular noun.
normal
shortened
meaning
alguno
algn
some
bueno
buen
good
malo
mal
bad
ninguno
ningn
no, none
postrero
postrer
last, final
primero
primer
first
tercero
tercer
third
uno
un
one, a
Note that algn and ningn require the addition of an accent in order to maintain
the proper word stress.
II. The adjective Santo is shortened to San when it precedes most masculine
saints' names.
exceptions:
San Diego
San Jos
San Juan
San Lus
San Miguel
San Tobas
Santo Domingo
Santo Toms
Santo Toribio
III. There are two adjectives which are shortened before a noun of either
gender:
grande
gran
big
cualquiera
cualquier
any
IV. Ciento is shortened to cien when it precedes a plural noun of either gender or
when it multiplies a number.
ciento veinte
120
cien euros
100 euros
cien mil
100,000
Todo, Toda, Todos, Todas

Todo is a very common and versatile word in Spanish. It can be used as an
adjective or as a pronoun.
Like other Spanish adjectives and pronouns, todo has to be "conjugated" so that
it agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies or replaces:
singular
plural
masculine
todo
todos
feminine
toda
todas
Todo is usually followed by a definite article or possessive adjective + noun and

means things like all, every, or the whole.
Todos los libros
All the books / Every book
Todo el mundo
Everyone (lit. "all the world")
Toda la clase
The whole class
Todas las chicas
Every girl / All the girls
Todos los das
Every day
Todos mis perros
All my dogs
When todo is used as a pronoun, it means everyone or everything.

Todo es importante.
Everything is important.
Todos estudian.
Everyone is studying.
Quiero comprar todo!
I want to buy everything!
Spanish Verbs - Regular -AR Verbs

There are 5 main kinds of verbs in Spanish: -AR, -ER, -IR, stem-changing,
and irregular. Once you've learned the rules of conjugation for each of the first
three kinds of verbs, you should have no problem conjugating regular verbs in
each of those categories. The biggest category of verbs is those that end in -AR.
Here are some of the many -AR verbs that you will soon be able to conjugate:
to love
to help
to dance
to change
to sing
to leave
to enter
to wait, hope
to express
to win, earn
to spend, waste
to speak
to wash
to clean
to call
to take, to wear
to order
to walk
to watch, look
to climb
to swim
to forget
to pay
to stop
to prepare
to stay
to pull, draw
to take, drink
to work
to travel
The verb form that ends in -AR is called the infinitive. -AR is the infinitive
ending. The English infinitive has the word "to" in front of the verb. The
verb without the -AR is called the stem or radical.
To conjugate an -AR verb, remove the infinitive ending and then add the
appropriate endings, as follows:
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
-o
nosotros
-amos
2nd person
-as
vosotros
-is
3rd person
-a
ellos
-an
Thus to conjugate hablar, you would remove the infinitive ending to find the
radical habl- and then add the appropriate endings:
HABLAR
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
hablo
nosotros
hablamos
2nd person
hablas
vosotros
hablis
3rd person
habla
ellos
hablan
Note that the conjugations for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs are very similar. Where AR verbs have an A, -ER verbs have an E.-IR verbs are identical to -ER verbs
except in the nosotros and vosotros forms.
Spanish Verbs - Regular -ER Verbs

each of those categories. The second biggest category of verbs is those that end
in -ER.
Here are some of the many -ER verbs that you will soon be able to conjugate:
to learn
to sweep
to drink
to eat
to understand
to run
to have to, should
to read
to put, insert
to catch, turn on
to break
to fear, dread
to cough
to sell
The verb form that ends in -ER is called the infinitive. -ER is the infinitive
verb without the -ER is called the stem or radical.
To conjugate an -ER verb, remove the infinitive ending and then add the
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
-o
nosotros
-emos
2nd person
-es
vosotros
-is
3rd person
-e
ellos
-en
Thus to conjugate aprender, you would remove the infinitive ending to find the
radical aprend- and then add the appropriate endings:
APRENDER
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
aprendo
nosotros
aprendemos
2nd person
aprendes
vosotros
aprendis
3rd person
aprende
ellos
aprenden
Note that the conjugations for -AR , -ER, and -IR verbs are very similar. Where AR verbs have an A, -ER verbs have an E.-IR verbs are identical to -ER verbs
Spanish Verbs - Regular -IR Verbs

each of those categories. The third biggest category of verbs is those that end
in -IR.
Here are some of the many -IR verbs that you will soon be able to conjugate:
to open
to add
to attend
to describe
to discuss
to write
to interrupt
to occur
to leave
to receive
to go up, climb
to suffer
to live
The verb form that ends in -IR is called the infinitive. -IR is the infinitive
verb without the -IR is called the stem or radical.
To conjugate an -IR verb, remove the infinitive ending and then add the
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
-o
nosotros
-imos
2nd person
-es
vosotros
-s
3rd person
-e
ellos
-en
Thus to conjugate abrir, you would remove the infinitive ending to find the
radical abr- and then add the appropriate endings:
ABRIR
Singular
Plural
1st person
yo
abro
nosotros
abrimos
2nd person
abres
vosotros
abrs
3rd person
abre
ellos
abren
Note that the conjugations for -AR , -ER, and -IR verbs are very similar. Where AR verbs have an A, -ER verbs have an E.-IR verbs are identical to -ER verbs
Spanish Verbs - Stem-Changing Verbs

Stem-changing verbs | Spelling change verbs
Spanish has two kinds of verbs that undergo spelling changes during conjugation.
Spelling change verbs undergo consonant changes in certain conjugations,
while stem-changing verbs are characterized by changes in vowels. Stemchanging verbs are those that have a vowel spelling change in the stem of all
forms except nosotros and vosotros.
The endings for stem-changing verbs are the same as for regular -AR, -ER, and IR verbs, so you should make sure that you understand those conjugations before
working on this lesson.
Spanish has three different stem-changing patterns:
1. E changes to IE
QUERER - to want
yo
quiero
nosotros
queremos
quieres
vosotros
queris
quiere
ellos
quieren
Similarly-conjugated verbs (note that there are -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs in this
category):
to warn
to go up
to cross
to close
to begin
to go down
to wake up
to have fun
to begin
to understand
to lie
to think
to lose
to prefer
to break
to want
to recommend
to sit down
to feel
2. O changes to UE
PODER - can, to be able to
yo
puedo
nosotros
podemos
puedes
vosotros
podis
puede
ellos
pueden
Similar verbs (there are -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs in this category):
to go to bed
to eat lunch
to count
to cost
to hurt
to sleep
to find
to play
to die
to show
to smell
to try
to remember
to be used to
to fly
to return
* In jugar, the U changes to UE (juego, juegas...)
** In oler, the O changes to HUE (huelo, hueles...)
3. E changes to I
REPETIR - to repeat
yo
repito
nosotros
repetimos
repites
vosotros
repets
repite
ellos
repiten
Similar verbs (only -IR verbs in this category):

despedirse
to say good-bye
gemir
to moan, groan
impedir
to prevent
medir
to measure
pedir
to ask for
rer
to laugh
seguir
to follow, continue
servir
to serve
sonrerse
to smile
vestirse
to dress

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Spanish Object Pronoun Position

Object Pronouns with Infinitive

Object Pronouns with Gerund

Object Pronouns with Imperative

La Tilde - Acute Accent - Spanish Pronunciation

Words that end in a vowel, S, or N have stress on the

c. Most two-vowel combinations diphthong* unless one

FAQ: How do I type Spanish accents?

International keyboard (Win XP)

1. Open your Control Panel (via Start menu or My Computer)

8. Tilde (), type ~ (shift + `) then n.

9. To type Spanish quotation marks use ctrl + alt + [ and ],

10. To type the Spanish punctuation marks and use right-alt + ?

Vocales - Hard and Soft Spanish Vowels

*The letter Z is a hard consonant, meaning that it Z has no "soft" pronunciation

sacar --> yo saqu

pagar --> yo pagu

jugar --> yo jugu

comenzar --> yo comenc

To make a soft sound in front of a hard vowel:

hacer --> l hizo

coger --> yo cojo

And + Or - Spanish Conjunctions

Jos and Ana speak French.

Me gustan las fresas y las frambuesas.

I like strawberries and raspberries.

Necesitamos sal y hielo.

We need salt and ice.

There are temples and churches on this

Todos mis hijos e hijas han ido a la

All of my sons and daughters have gone

Do you want coffee or tea?

Paco o David puede ayudarte.

Paco or David can help you.

There are seven or eight students in the

Spanish Dieresis - La Diresis -

Diptongos e hiato - Spanish Diphthongs and Hiatus

1. Two strong vowels

Pronounced as a hiatus* with normal rules of word stress

2. Strong vowel + weak vowel (most common)

3. Two weak vowels

Enlace - Encadenamiento - Spanish Linking

la escuela abra la puerta a las

la escue la bra la puer ta la sie te

b) When a word ending with a vowel is followed by a word beginning with a

ten gou nai deain te re san te

lo se o re so ner vio sos

u nac to re su nar ti sta

Silent letters ~ H and sometimes U

helado - ice cream

(However, note that, as in English, CH is a different sound than C).

For a U followed by E or I to be pronounced, you need a dieresis.

Tricky Spanish Pronunciation

beginning of word or after

beginning of word or after

Spanish Syllabification / Word Division

diez - soy - pie

fro - plato - estar

baile - fuerte - estoy

febrero - exacto - derecha

cuidado - abierto - ingenuo

empleado - estreo - carnicero

estudioso - europeo - televisin

I speak (a little) Spanish.