Spanish Articles

Article / Updated 05-09-2023

Dropping demonstrative adjectives into your Spanish vocabulary will help you express exactly what or whom you’re seeking. But first, you need to understand what demonstrative adjectives stand for and how they translate in Spanish. Then you’ll be ready to absorb the basics of their usage. Demonstrative adjectives indicate or point out the person, place, or thing to which a speaker is referring. For instance, “this shirt” or “that pair of pants.” They precede and agree in number and gender with the nouns they modify. In Spanish, you select the demonstrative adjective according to the distance of the noun from the speaker. The following table presents demonstrative adjectives and addresses this distance issue. Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives Number Masculine Feminine Meaning Distance Singular/Plural este/estos esta/estas this/these Near to or directly concerned with speaker Singular/Plural ese/esos esa/esas that/those Not particularly near to or directly concerned with speaker Singular/Plural aquel/aquellos aquella/aquellas that/those Far from and not directly concerned with speaker The following list shows these demonstrative adjectives in action: Estos pantalones son cortos y esta camisa es larga. (These pants are short and this shirt is large.) Tengo que hablar con esa muchacha y esos muchachos ahí. (I have to speak to that girl and those boys there.) Aquellos países son grandes y aquellas ciudades son pequeñas. (Those countries are large and those cities are small.) Here’s what you need to know about demonstrative adjectives in Spanish: You use them before each noun: este abogado y ese cliente (this lawyer and that client) You can use adverbs to reinforce location: esta casa aquí (this house here) esas casas ahí (those houses there) aquella casa allá (that house over there)

Article / Updated 05-09-2023

Demonstrative pronouns can make your Spanish flow more naturally in both writing and conversation. So how exactly can you go about forming sentences with demonstrative pronouns? First, you need to understand what they stand for and how they translate in Spanish. Then you’ll be ready to absorb the basics of their usage. Demonstrative pronouns, which replace demonstrative adjectives and their nouns, express this (one), that (one), these (ones), or those (ones). The only difference between a demonstrative adjective and a demonstrative pronoun in terms of writing is the addition of an accent to the pronoun, as you can see in the following table. Spanish Demonstrative Pronouns Number Masculine Feminine Meaning Distance Singular/Plural éste/éstos ésta/éstas this (one)/these (ones) Near to or directly concerned with speaker Singular/Plural ése/ésos ésa/ésas that (one)/those (ones) Not particularly near to or directly concerned with speaker Singular/Plural aquél/aquéllos aquélla/aquéllas that (one)/those (ones) Far from and not directly concerned with speaker The following list shows some examples of these demonstrative pronouns in action: Mire éstos y ésta también. (Look at these and this one, too.) Quiero ése y ésas. (I want that and those.) Aquél es viejo y aquélla es moderno. (That one is old and that one is modern.) Here’s what you need to know about demonstrative pronouns in Spanish: They agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace: Me gusta este coche y ésos. (I like this car and those.) You use a form of aquél to express the former and a form of éste to express the latter: Patricia es la hermana de Francisco; éste es rubio y aquélla es morena. (Patricia is the sister of Francisco; Francisco [the latter] is blond and Patricia [the former] is brunette.)

Article / Updated 05-09-2023

When speaking Spanish, the pronoun you use depends upon the person you’re speaking to and the person you’re speaking about. And, just as in English, you change pronouns according to person — I, you, he or she and we, you, they. The following table shows all the Spanish subject pronouns: Person Singular Plural 1st Person yo (I) nosotros/as (we [male or mixed group/female]) 2nd Person tœ (you 
[informal]); Ud. (you [formal]) vosotros/as (you [informal; male or mixed group/female]); Uds. 
(you [formal]) 3rd Person Žl (he); ella (she) ellos/as (they [male or mixed group/female])

Article / Updated 03-16-2023

Certain Spanish words allow you to describe where people or things are in relation to other people and things. Expressing these spatial directions in Spanish — and thus creating more accurate and engaging sentences — is pretty easy if you can memorize these words: al lado (ahl lah-doh) (beside, next to, at the side of) al frente (ahl frehn-teh) (in front of) dentro (dehn-troh) (inside) adentro (ah-dehn-troh) (inside; because dentro also means “inside,” adentro may express movement, as when someone or something moves toward an interior) fuera (fooeh-rah) (outside) afuera (ah-fooeh-rah) (outside; like adentro, the Spanish word afuera can be used to express movement — in this case, the movement of someone or something toward an exterior) bajo (bvah-Hoh) (under; below) debajo (deh-bvah-Hoh) (underneath) arriba (ah-ree-bvah) (above) Practicing these directions comes in handy. The sentences that follow show you how you can use spatial-direction terms in your day-to-day conversation: La pastelería está al lado del banco. (lah pahs-teh-leh-reeah ehs-tah ahl lah-doh dehl bvahn-koh) (The pastry shop is next to the bank.) Al frente del banco hay una zapatería. (ahl frehn-teh dehl bvahn-koh ahy oo-nah sah-pah-teh-reeah) (In front of the bank there is a shoe store.) Las mesas del café están afuera. (lahs meh-sahs dehl kah-feh ehs-tahn ah-fooeh-rah) (The tables of the cafe are outside.) Cuando llueve ponen las mesas adentro. (kooahn-doh yooeh-bveh poh-nehn lahs meh-sahs ah-dehn-troh) (When it rains, they put the tables inside.) Arriba hay cielo despejado. (ah-ree-bvah ahy see-eh-loh dehs-peh-Hah-doh) (Above, the sky is clear.) Hay agua bajo los pies de Carlos. (ahy ah-gooah bvah-Hoh lohs peeehs de kahr-lohs) (There’s water under Carlos’s feet.) Debajo de la calle corre el tren subterráneo. (deh-bvah-Hoh deh lah kah-yeh koh-rreh ehl trehn soobv-teh-rrah-neh-oh) (The subway runs under the street.) Este ascensor va arriba. (ehs-teh ah-sehn-sohr bvah ah-rree-bvah) (This elevator goes up.) Hay un gato dentro de la caja. (ahy oon gah-toh dehn-troh deh lah kah-Hah) (There’s a cat inside the box.)

Article / Updated 03-16-2023

The gender of nouns is always a stumbling point for people learning Spanish. In Spanish, nouns always take on a specific gender. This gender role is in addition to the traditional role nouns take on as the subject of a sentence or the direct object of a verb. Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine. Nouns that refer to males are always masculine, and nouns that refer to females are feminine, no matter their endings. You can’t always be sure when it comes to places or things, though. In Spanish, certain endings are good indications as to the gender (masculine or feminine designation) of nouns. For instance, nouns that end in -o (except la mano [lah mah-noh; the hand] and la radio [lah rah-deeoh; the radio]) are most often masculine. Nouns that end in -a, -ad (la ciudad [lah seeoo-dahd; city]), -ie (la serie [lah seh-reeeh; the series]), -ción (la canción [lah kahn-seeohn; the song]), -sión (la discusión [lah dees-koo-seeohn; discussion]), -ud (la salud [lah sah-lood; health]), and -umbre (la costumbre [lah kohs-toom-bvreh; custom]) generally are feminine. Certain nouns belonging to a theme are masculine, including Numbers (el cuatro [ehl kooah-troh; four]) Days of the week (el jueves [ehl Hooeh-bvehs; Thursday]) Compass points (el norte [ehl nohr-teh; north]) Names of trees (el manzano [ehl mahn-sah-noh; apple tree]) Compound nouns (el mediodía [ehl meh-deeoh-dee-ah; noon]) Names of rivers, lakes, mountains, straits, and seas (el Mediterráneo [ehl meh-dee-teh-rrah-neh-oh; the Mediterranean]) Certain nouns belonging to a theme are feminine, such as Many illnesses (la gripe [lah gree-peh; the flu], la apendicitis [lah ah-pehn-dee-see-tees; appendicitis]) Islands and provinces (la Córsega [lah kohr-seh-gah; Corsica]) If you’re not sure about a particular word’s gender, take a look at the article that precedes it for a hint. El and los are masculine forms of the, whereas la and las are feminine.

Article / Updated 02-09-2023

If you're traveling abroad, knowing a few Spanish hotel words and phrases can help you find good hotel accommodations in a Spanish-speaking area. The following dialogue shows what could be a common dialogue between a traveler and a hotel receptionist. Anita has just arrived in town, and she’s at the front desk of a large hotel. She asks for a room for the night. Anita: Necesito una habitación, con baño. neh-seh-see-toh oo-nah ah-bvee-tah-seeohn kohn bvah-nyoh I need a room, with bath. Receptionist: ¿Le gusta hacia la calle o hacia el patio? leh goos-tah ah-seeah lah kah-yeh oh ah-seeah ehl pah-teeoh Do you prefer a room facing the street or the patio? Anita: Prefiero hacia el patio. preh-feeeh-roh ah-seeah ehl pah-teeoh I prefer it toward the patio. Receptionist: Las del patio son muy tranquilas. Las habitaciones hacia el patio cuestan cuarenta pesos, sin desayuno. lahs dehl pah-teeoh sohn mooy trahn-kee-lahs lahs ah-bvee-tah-seeoh-nehs ah-seeah ehl pah-teeoh kooehs-tahn kooah-rehn-tah peh-sohs seen deh-sah-yoo-noh The patio rooms are very quiet. The rooms facing the patio cost forty pesos, without breakfast. Anita: En el primer piso? ehn ehl pree-mehr pee-soh On the first floor? Receptionist: No, las del segundo piso. Las del primero son a cincuenta pesos. noh lahs dehl seh-goon-doh pee-soh lahs dehl pree-meh-roh sohn a seen-kooehn-tah peh-sohs No, the second floor ones. The first floor rooms are priced at fifty pesos. Anita: Prefiero una en el primer piso. preh-feeeh-roh oo-nah ehn ehl pree-mehr pee-soh I prefer one on the first floor. Receptionist: Muy bien, señora. mooy bveeehn sey-nyoh-rah Very well. Receptionist: ¿Prefiere con cama matrimonial o con dos camas? preh-feeeh-reh kohn kah-mah mah-tree-moh-neeahl oh kohn dohs kah-mahs Do you prefer a double bed or two beds? Anita: Prefiero con dos camas. preh-feeeh-roh kohn dohs kah-mahs I prefer two beds. Receptionist: Tengo disponible en el primer piso la habitación número ciento diecinueve. Quiere verla? tehn-goh dees-poh-nee-bvleh ehn ehl pree-mehr pee-soh lah ah-bvee-tah-seeohn noo-meh-roh seeehn-toh-deeeh-see-nooeh-bveh keeeh-reh bvehr-lah Room 119 is available on the first floor. Do you want to see it? Anita: Sí, quiero verla. see keeeh-roh bvehr-lah Yes, I want to see it. Receptionist: Pedro, acompañe a la señora a la habitación ciento diecinueve. Aquí está la llave. peh-droh ah-kohm-pah-nyeh ah lah seh-nyoh-rah ah lah ah-bvee-tah-seeohn seeehn-toh-deeeh-see-nooeh-bveh. ah-kee ehs-tah lah yah-bveh Pedro, take the lady to room 119. Here’s the key. Anita likes the room. Now she needs to take care of the arrangements and check in. Anita: Me gusta la habitación ciento diecinueve. La voy a tomar. meh goos-tah lah ah-bvee-tah-seeohn seeehn-toh-deeeh-see-nooeh-bveh lah bvohy ah toh-mahr I like room 119. I’m going to take it. Receptionist: ¿Cuántos días desea quedarse? koo-ahn-tohs deeahs deh-seh-ah keh-dahr-she How many days do you want to stay? Anita: Me quedo por tres dias. meh keh-doh pohr trehs deeahs I’m staying three days. Receptionist: Haga el favor de registrarse. El desayuno no está incluído en el precio. ¿Va a hacer un depósito por la primera noche? ah-gah ehl fah-bvohr deh reh-Hees-trahr-she ehl deh-sah-yoo-noh noh ehs-tah een-klooee-doh ehn ehl preh-seeoh bvah ah ah-sehr oon deh-poh-see-toh pohr lah pree-meh-rah noh-cheh Please check in. Breakfast is not included in the price. Are you going to make a deposit for the first night? Anita: Sí, lo voy a hacer. ¿Con tarjeta o efectivo? see loh bvohy ah ah-sehr kohn tahr-Heh-tah oh eh-fehk-tee-bvoh Yes, I’ll make it. Cash or credit card? Receptionist: Como usted guste. koh-moh oos-tehd goos-the Whichever you like. Anita: ¿Me pueden despertar a las siete de la mañana? meh pooeh-dehn dehs-pehr-tahr ah lahs seeeh-teh deh lah mah-nyah-nah Can you wake me at seven in the morning? Receptionist: Como no. Que pase buenas noches. koh-moh noh keh pah-seh bvooeh-nahs noh-chehs Of course. Have a good night.

Article / Updated 12-27-2022

As in almost every language, in Spanish you have to conjugate verbs because you use a different form of the verb depending upon who you’re talking to, who you’re talking about, and when the action took place. Conjugating verbs in Spanish means giving them different endings. The following tables show the endings to change (they’re in boldface) for regular verbs ending in –ar and regular verbs ending in –er and –ir. -ar Verbs: hablar (to speak) Person Present Preterit Imperfect Future Conditional Present Subjunctive yo hablo hablé hablaba hablaré hablaría hable tú hablas hablaste hablabas hablarás hablarías hables él, ella, Ud. habla habló hablaba hablará hablaría hable nosotros hablamos hablamos hablábamos hablaremos hablaríamos hablemos vosotros habláis hablasteis hablábais hablaréis hablaríais habléis ellos, ellas, Uds. hablan hablaron hablaban hablarán hablarían hablen -er and -ir Verbs: beber (to drink) and subir (to go up) Person Present Preterit Imperfect Future Conditional Present Subjunctive yo bebo subo beb’ subí beb’a subía beberŽ subiré beber’a subiría beba suba tú bebes subes bebiste subiste bebías sub’as beberás subir‡s beber’as subirías bebas subas él, ella, Ud. bebe sube bebió subi— bebía sub’a beberá subir bebería subir’a beba suba nosotros bebemos subimos bebimos subimos beb’amos subíamos beberemos subiremos beber’amos subiríamos bebamos subamos vosotros bebŽis subís bebisteis subis beb’ais subíais beberŽis subiréis beber’ais subiríais beb‡is subáis ellos, ellas, Uds. beben suben bebieron subieron beb’an sub’an beberán subir‡n beberían subir’an beban suban

Step by Step / Updated 12-14-2022

Comparisons of equality show that two things or people are the same. In Spanish, whether you’re using an adjective or an adverb, you make the comparison the same way.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 11-16-2022

Speaking Spanish requires you to keep tabs on all sorts of topics: verb conjugation, irregular verbs, and parts of speech, to name a few. Plus, if you intend to travel, being able to ask for information is a must.

Article / Updated 09-29-2022

Maybe you would better understand Spanish verb tenses today if you had paid more attention in your high school Spanish classes. Would . . . that’s what the conditional tense is all about. If the conditions were appropriate, then the action should’ve, could’ve, or would’ve resulted . . . theoretically speaking. Simply put, you use the conditional tense to express a conditional action. But you can also use it to make a polite request or to subtly, or not so subtly, suggest that someone perform a certain action. Forming the regular conditional tense, if you really want to In English, the key word to forming the conditional tense is would. You or somebody else would do something if the conditions were right. In Spanish, you actually change the form of the verb to build the sense of would right into it. When conjugating Spanish verbs in the regular conditional tense, keep the following points in mind: The regular conditional tense is a combination of the imperfect and future tenses. The regular conditional tense requires no spelling or stem changes. When conjugating regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in the conditional tense, you simply take the entire verb infinitive (don’t drop anything) and then add the imperfect verb endings you use for -er and -ir verbs. Conditional Verb Endings Yo -ía Tú -ías él/ella/ello/uno -ía Usted -ía nosotros/nosotras -íamos vosotros/vosotras -íáis ellos/ellas -ían ustedes -ían Check out the following conjugation charts for each verb type. preparar = to prepare Prepararía prepararíamos Prepararías prepararíais Prepararía prepararían Ud. prepararía. = You (formal) would prepare. vender = to sell Vendería venderíamos Venderías venderíais Vendería venderían Vosotras venderíais. = You (plural, female, familiar) would sell. escribir = to write Escribiría escribiríamos Escribirías escribiríais Escribiría escribirían Ella escribiría. = She would write. Waffling with the conditional tense The conditional tense is great for waffling on issues. You can state any impossible condition or set of conditions you like and then say you would’ve done something if only that condition or set of conditions had been in place. It works in every language — English, Spanish, Italian, you name it — and you don’t even have to be a politician to use it. You often use the conditional tense in a sentence with two verbs, in which one verb states the condition or problem and then the second verb states, in the conditional, what you’d do under that condition or if faced with that problem. For example, in the sentence, “If I had a million dollars, I’d travel around the world,” the first verb states a situation or condition, and the second verb expresses what you would do if that situation or condition existed.