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Let's start this lesson off with a quote that refers to a very important and oft-mentioned concept in Spanish:
Veamos el verbo en infinitivo
Let's look at the verb in infinitive
Caption 13, Carlos explica El modo imperativo 2: Irregulares, Usted + plurales
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Most simply put, the infinitive is the impersonal, unconjugated, or "to" form of a verb, such as "to swim," "to see," or "to dance" in English. Let's take a closer look at Spanish infinitives and learn many of their potential uses.
Do you know how many types of infinitive verbs there are in Spanish? Let's hear the answer from Yabla's popular teacher Carolina:
Con infinitivo tenemos tres tipos de verbos: verbos que terminan en "ar", como "cantar", verbos que terminan en "er", como "comer" y verbos que terminan en "ir", como "salir".
With infinitive we have three types of verbs: verbs that end in "ar," like "cantar" [to sing], verbs that end in "er," like "comer" [to eat] and verbs that end in "ir," like "salir" [to leave].
Captions 11-14, Lecciones con Carolina El gerundio - Part 1
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These three categories of infinitive verbs determine the patterns according to which regular verbs are conjugated in all of the various verb tenses in Spanish. Although there are far too many to name, we have provided below ten of the most common Spanish infinitives in each category. The bold print indicates some irregular or stem-changing verbs whose conjugations deviate from the norm.
| -AR Verbs | -ER Verbs | -IR Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| dar (to give) | aprender (to learn) | abrir (to open) |
| estar (to be) | comer (to eat) | decir (to tell) |
| hablar (to talk) | creer (to believe) | describir (to describe) |
| llamar (to call) | hacer (to make/do) | escribir (to write) |
| llegar (to arrive) | poder (to be able) | pedir (to ask) |
| llevar (to take/carry) | querer (to want) | recibir (to receive) |
| pasar (to spend) | saber (to know) | salir (to leave) |
| quedar (to remain) | ser (to be) | sentir (to feel) |
| tomar (to take) | tener (to have) | venir (to come) |
| trabajar (to work) | vender (to sell) | vivir (to live) |
Now that we understand what an infinitive verb is, let's learn some of the ways in which these non-conjugated verbs can be employed in Spanish.
Many specific conjugated verbs in Spanish can be followed immediately by an infinitive verb. In this case, the infinitive may be translated into English with either the "to" or present participle (-ing) form, depending upon the specific verb and context. Let's see a couple of examples with querer (to want) and evitar (to avoid), which are often followed by infinitive verbs:
Perfecto. Yo quiero viajar a Japón. ¿Sí?
Perfect. I want to travel to Japan. Right?
Caption 77, Clase Aula Azul Pedir deseos - Part 1
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"Evita beber desde media tarde bebidas estimulantes
"Avoid drinking, starting from mid-afternoon, stimulant drinks
Caption 24, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 1
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Although the list of these tverbs that are frequently followed by the infinitive is quite long, some additional common ones include buscar (to seek), deber (to have to/must), esperar (to hope), intentar (to try), necesitar (to need), soler (to usually), tener que (to have to), and temer (to fear).
When a verb follows a preposition in Spanish, it should be in the infinitive form. In these cases, Spanish infinitive verbs will be translated with the -ing form of the verb. Let's look at some examples:
Antes de empezar, necesito mis anteojos.
Before starting, I need my glasses.
Caption 19, Natalia de Ecuador Los adverbios de orden
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¡Perdónalo! Lo dijo sin pensar.
Forgive him! He said it without thinking.
Caption 34, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 10 - Part 4
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Some other prepositions after which infinitive Spanish verbs are often found include, but aren't limited to: a (to, at), con (with), de (from, of), después de (after), and en (at/in/on).
There are many common fixed expressions in Spanish that include prepositions and thus require the infinitive, including the near future tense, ir a + infinitive ("to be going to" do something), pensar en + infinitive ("to think about" doing something), dejar de + infinitive ("to stop" or "quit" doing something), tener ganas de + infinitive ("to feel like" doing something), haber que + infinitive (for some action "to be necessary"), estar por + infinitive ("to be about to" do something), and countless more! Let's see a few of these in action:
que tengo ganas de saltar y bailar.
that I feel like jumping and dancing.
Caption 4, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 6
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Había que pagar el precio.
One had to pay the price.
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 5
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¡Ya deje de hablar de esa niña!
Stop talking about that girl already!
Caption 7, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 2
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Sometimes, like in English, Spanish infinitive verbs can function like nouns, as in the following excerpt:
Me encanta comprar.
I love shopping.
Caption 40, Ariana Mi Semana
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Note that in such cases, while the article is not required, it may be added for emphasis as follows:
Ahora hasta de hablar,
Now even about talking,
los muchachos les da pena el hablar maya.
the young kids are embarrassed about speaking Maya.
Caption 54, Yabla en Yucatán - Don Salo - Part 1
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In certain situations, such as explaining how to do something step by step in a manual, cookbook, show, etc., or telling the public on a sign or some other medium what they can and cannot do, Spanish verbs in the infinitive can be construed as commands. Let's take a look:
"No fumar. Esto produce la muerte".
"Don't smoke. This causes death."
Caption 56, Los médicos explican - Las migrañas
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An alternative translation on a sign might be: "No smoking."
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand what infinitive verbs are and many of their possible uses. Can you think of any more? Don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
Do you know how to write the names of famous people such as Michelangelo or Jules Verne in Spanish? While keeping the name in its original language is today's rule of thumb, there are a couple of exceptions to this rule. Let's take a look.
Even if today, the preferred choice is to simply transfer the original name, there are several names of famous historical figures that are usually translated. The following is a list of some of them:
Thomas Moore - Tomás Moro
Albrecht Dürer - Alberto Durero
Hieronymus Bosch - Jerónimo Bosco; el Bosco
Michelangelo Buonarotti - Miguel Ángel
Miguel Ángel, el gran artista italiano.
Michelangelo, the great Italian artist.
Caption 19, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
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Jeanne d’Arc - Juana de Arco
Karl Marx - Carlos Marx
Niccolo Machiavelli - Nicolás Maquiavelo
Jules Verne - Julio Verne
Johann Sebastian Bach - Juan Sebastián Bach
Alexandre Dumas - Alejandro Dumas
Martin Luther - Martín Lutero
This is another exception to the rule. Let's see a couple of examples:
Queen Elizabeth II - reina Isabel II
Prince Philip - príncipe Felipe
Su marido es el príncipe Felipe, duque de Edimburgo.
Her husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Captions 25-26, El Aula Azul - Adivina personajes famosos
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Pope Ioannes Paulus II (Latin); John Paul II (English) - Juan Pablo II
Fuimos a la beatificación del Papa Juan Pablo Segundo.
We went to the beatification of Pope John Paul the Second.
Caption 9, Latinos por el mundo - Chilenas en Venecia
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In order to preserve their semantic connotations, the nicknames of famous historical figures are also translated into Spanish:
Ivan Vasilyevich; Ivan the Terrible (English) - Iván el Terrible
Pépin le Bref (French); Pepin the Short (English) - Pepino el Breve
Considering all of the above, the important thing to keep in mind is this: Although the current trend is in favor of the original form, there are some famous names that currently alternate the use of the transferred form and its translation. For example, instead of using the original Catalan name Antoni Gaudí, you could use its Spanish version (Antonio Gaudí), just as our friend Víctor does in his series about this famous architect:
Antonio Gaudí era catalán y lo decía con mucho orgullo.
Antoni Gaudí was Catalan, and he said it with great pride.
Caption 16, Víctor en España - Vida y legado de Antonio Gaudí
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And that's all for today. By the way, do you know what the Spanish equivalent of your name is? Find out and let us know, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
Do you know how to give advice in Spanish? Today's lesson will give you some advice... on ways to give advice in Spanish!
While the noun for "advice" in Spanish is consejo, in contrast to the English equivalent (an uncountable noun that does not change forms in the plural), the concept of general "advice" in Spanish can be conveyed with either the singular consejo or the plural form, consejos. Let's look at an example of each:
Entonces como consejo sano, ¿verdad? Tú mismo decir...
So as sound advice, right? You yourself saying...
Caption 54, Cuentas claras - Sobreviviendo enero
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¿Qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?
What advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?
Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi - Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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That said, when a definite or indefinite article (el, un, unos or los) or quantifying term like a number appears before this noun to refer to specific advice, the word consejo can sometimes be interpreted as a "piece of advice" or "tip," as in the following captions:
Es como un consejo de sentido común de la vida.
It's like a piece of common sense advice in life.
Caption 49, Verónica - "Reprogramación psicocorporal"
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Pues, hoy les traemos cuatro consejos muy sencillos.
Well, today we bring you four very simple tips.
Caption 6, Natalia de Ecuador - Consejos: haciendo amigos como adultos
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The verb that means "to give advice" in Spanish is aconsejar, which, when addressed to a specific person or people, can also mean "to advise" or "recommend":
Así que les aconsejo que aprendan los primeros diez ordinales
So, I advise you to learn the first ten ordinals,
ya que son muy útiles.
as they are very useful.
Caption 51, Carlos explica - Los Números: Números Ordinales
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les sugiero que visiten el sugestivo Museo del oro.
I suggest that you visit the intriguing Gold Museum.
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
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Yo te recomiendo leer mucho en español para mejorar tu nivel.
I recommend you read a lot in Spanish to improve your level.
Captions 64-65, El Aula Azul - Mis libros preferidos
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os propongo que vengáis a visitar Genalguacil.
I suggest you come to visit Genalguacil.
Caption 67, Viajando con Fermín - Genalguacil
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Now that you are familiar with these terms, here are a few rules of thumb for "advice verbs" like the ones we have just seen:
Since giving advice in Spanish is all about telling someone your opinion about what they "should" (or shouldn't) or "must" (or mustn't) do, let's now examine a few additional "advice verbs" in Spanish that express just that! Keep in mind that while our initial "advice verbs" were conjugated in the first person, the conjugations in this group will correspond to the many Spanish ways to say "you."
The verb deber + the infinitive tells someone what they "must" or "have to" do and is thus useful for giving advice in Spanish.
Ustedes deben permanecer juntos, felices.
You have to stay together, happy.
Caption 44, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 2
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Note that when the verb deber is conjugated in the Spanish conditional form, it is the equivalent of the English "should":
Adrián, deberías tomar las pastillas que te di.
Adrian, you should take the pills that I gave you.
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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Since the Spanish verb tener que also means "to have to," it is often used along with the infinitive to give advice in Spanish:
Tienes que saber siempre muy bien cuál es tu límite.
You always have to know very well what your limit is.
Caption 56, Ana Teresa - Yoga y surf
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Yet another way to give advice in Spanish is through fixed expressions, whose English translations are the exact equivalents of some English advice-giving phrases with which you are probably familiar. Let's take a look!
"Por qué no aprendes a tocar guitarra?"
"Why don't you learn to play the guitar?"
Caption 67, Alberto Jiménez - Causalidad
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Bueno, si yo fuera tú, hablaría con él.
Well, if I were you, I would speak with him.
Caption 24, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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By the way, this utterance falls into the category of the second conditional in Spanish that employs the imperfect subjunctive and conditional tenses to describe what "would" happen if some condition "were" in place.
¡Hay que probarla! No, yo creo que sí.
You have to try it! No, I think so.
Caption 22, Cleer y Lida - El regreso de Lida
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Por ahora lo mejor es que descanse.
For now, the best thing is for you to rest.
Caption 18, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1
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Por eso es mejor evitar que la ira tome el control.
That's why it's better to avoid [letting] anger take control.
Caption 42, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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As with our first set of "advice verbs," the verb that follows these impersonal expressions in the last two examples will be either in the infinitive or subjunctive, depending upon whether or not it follows the conjunction que.
And finally, another method for giving advice in Spanish is simply telling someone what to do! For this purpose, we recommend that you learn or review the Spanish imperative mood, which includes both informal commands and formal commands. For now, let's take a look at a pair of examples of familiar commands in Spanish, one negative and one positive, that are used to give advice in Spanish in the following captions:
No tengas miedo de tomar la iniciativa.
Don't be afraid to take the initiative.
Caption 20, Natalia de Ecuador - Consejos: haciendo amigos como adultos
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Evita beber desde media tarde bebidas estimulantes
Avoid drinking, starting from mid-afternoon, stimulant drinks
como el café, el té o bebidas con cola. Mm-hm.
like coffee, tea, or cola drinks. Mm-hmm.
Captions 24-25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Consejos para dormir mejor
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has given you a lot of ideas about how to give advice in Spanish. Can you think of any more? Don't forget to write us with your suggestions, comments... or advice!
Do you know when to use the future perfect in Spanish? Known in Spanish as the futuro compuesto or antefuturo, the future perfect tense in Spanish works very similarly to its English counterpart to speak about things that "will have" happened at a given point of time in the future. However, despite its name, it can also be used to describe or ask about things that "must" or "would have" happened in the past! Let's take a look at how to conjugate the future perfect in Spanish as well examples of these usages.
Just like the Spanish present perfect tense, which is used to express things one "has done" in utterances like Yo he comido (I have eaten), the future perfect in Spanish employs the verb haber (an auxiliary, or helping, verb that means "have") plus the past participle (whose regular forms end in -ado or -ido and correspond to English participles ending in -ed or -en such as "danced," "taken," etc.). However, in contrast to the present perfect, where haber is conjugated in the present tense, the future perfect in Spanish employs the future tense of this verb. With this in mind, let's see the formula for conjugating the future perfect in Spanish:
Future tense of haber + past participle
Now, let's look at the future tense conjugations of the verb haber then hear how they are pronounced:
| Personal Pronoun: | Future Conjugation of Haber: |
|---|---|
| yo | habré (I will have) |
| tú | habrás (you will have) |
| él/ella/usted | habrá (he/she/you will have) |
| nosotros/as | habremos (we will have) |
| vosotros/as | habréis (you will have) |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | habrán (they/you will have) |
Habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán.
I will have, you will have, he/she/you will have, we will have, you all will have, they/you all will have.
Caption 81, Escuela BCNLIP - Clase con Javi: el futuro
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And finally, we will examine some examples of this formula in action:
ya que entonces el hechizo habrá terminado.
because then the spell will have finished.
Caption 56, Cuentos de hadas - Cenicienta
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Habréis visto que sobre la mesa tengo también un trozo de limón.
You'll have seen that on the table, I also have a piece of lemon.
Captions 33-34, Soledad - Ensalada de alcachofa
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You may have noticed that, as we indicated in the introduction, while the first example refers to something that "will happen" in the future, the second describes something that the speaker's audience probably saw in the past! Let's examine more closely these two different ways to employ the future perfect tense in Spanish.
The following examples illustrate the use of the Spanish future perfect tense to describe what "will have" happened in the future, which the context indicates quite clearly:
todavía estará más bueno,
it will be even better
ya que habrá cogido más cuerpo y más sabor.
since it will have gotten more body and more flavor.
Captions 69-70, Fermín - Ensalada de tomate
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Dentro de cinco años, los ingenieros habrán terminado de construir el puente.
Within five years, the engineers will have finished building the bridge.
Para el año 2030, yo habré ahorrado mucho dinero.
By the year 2030, I will have saved a lot of money.
Let's conclude by looking at examples of the future perfect tense in Spanish that depict what "will" or "must" have happened in the past or speculate about what "would" or "could have" taken place:
Si pusieron atención,
If you paid attention,
se habrán dado cuenta que Kevin y Leo, que son hermanos,
you will have noticed that Kevin and Leo, who are brothers,
Captions 50-51, Carlos comenta - Los Años Maravillosos - Forma de hablar
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Bueno, querido, pero algo habrás hecho.
Well, dear, but you must have done something.
Caption 25, Muñeca Brava - 39 Verdades - Part 4
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¿Lo buscó bien?
Did you look for him well?
Lo buscó... -¿Pero dónde se habrá ido?
You looked for him... -But where would he have gone?
Caption 36, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 3
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Although the translations for each of these examples vary slightly, what they all have in common is the fact that the action being described requires an educated guess about something that has already happened.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand when to use future perfect in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Although there aren't many words that start with the letter Y in Spanish, this letter is quite important, particularly if we think in terms of the conjunction and pronoun that are formed with it. Let's hear some clips from our popular beginner series Conversaciones en el parque:
Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.
Yes, I like the plants and the flowers and the trees.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Yo tengo dos naranjas.
I have two oranges.
Caption 29, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Aside from these two important uses, there are a few additional words in Spanish that start with Y, and we will mention some of the most common. First, however, let's learn a couple of things about the letter Y in Spanish.
The letter Y is the 26th letter of the Spanish alphabet and has two names: "i griega," which literally means "Greek i," and "ye."
In terms of pronunciation, the letter "Y" in Spanish has the same sound as the vowel "I" when it stands alone, as in the conjunction y, or at the end of a word, following another vowel. Let's hear this in a few clips:
Como veis, estoy rodeada de paja, ¿vale?
As you can see, I'm surrounded by straw, right?
Caption 5, Amaya - Donkey Dreamland
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se siente muy enfadada, muy enojada,
they feel very angry, very mad,
Caption 25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas
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o a la palabra "Uruguay".
or in the word "Uruguay."
En ese caso, la "i griega" del final hace las veces de una vocal "i".
In that case, the letter "y" at the end acts as an "i" vowel.
Captions 27-28, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato
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For all other instances, the letter Y adopts the consonant sound you can hear in the following words:
cuando el ciclista cayó al asfalto.
when the cyclist fell on the asphalt.
Caption 72, Carlos explica - Vocabulario de las matemáticas
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la papaya,
papaya,
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de colores
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¿Estás de acuerdo con Susana
Do you agree with Susana
en que el video apoya las conversaciones de paz?
that the video supports the peace talks?
Caption 27, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 9
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Now that we know its names and pronunciation, let's dive into our list of words in Spanish that start with the letter Y.
Right behind the conjunction y and the pronoun yo, this adverb is probably one of the most frequently used words that start with Y in Spanish.
ya es un gran logro personal.
it's already a great personal achievement.
Caption 52, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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empezaron a excavar y encontraron este gran yacimiento.
they began to excavate and found this great site.
Caption 59, Amaya - Teatro romano
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contra siglos de explotación por el imperialismo yanqui.
against centuries of exploitation by Yankee imperialism.
Caption 2, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 1
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Me he comprado un yate.
I've bought myself a yacht.
Caption 23, Clase Aula Azul - La segunda condicional
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también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
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Así separamos la clara de la yema.
This is how we separate the white from the yolk.
Caption 52, El Aula Azul - Receta de natillas
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Keep in mind that this word can also be written with "h" (hierba).
Y me pidió mate de bombilla
And he asked me for mate with a bombilla
y no tengo yerba.
and I don't have the [mate] herb.
Caption 50, Yago - 5 La ciudad
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Es el yerno de mi abuelo Juan.
He's my Grandpa Juan's son-in-law.
Caption 15, Curso de español - ¿Qué relación hay entre ellos?
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sin tener que poner un yeso
without having to put on a cast
o algo que le limite mucho más.
or something that would limit him much more.
Caption 46, Los médicos explican - El tratamiento de las fracturas
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cuatro ladrillos de esos estuvieran pegados con yeso.
four of those bricks were glued with plaster.
Caption 55, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 2
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Me creen. Me creen. Me creen un yoyó.
They believe me. They believe me. They believe I am a yo-yo.
Me tienen pa'rriba y pa'bajo.
They've got me [going] up and down.
Captions 68-69, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
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Cuando trabajamos en yoga las posturas,
When we work in yoga, on the postures,
Caption 5, Ana Teresa - El yoga y la columna vertebral
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Me encanta comer cereal con yogur de cerezas. -OK.
I love to eat cereal with cherry yogurt. -OK.
Caption 15, Carlos y Xavi - Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia
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La yuca es una raíz... que crece en la selva,
Yucca is a root... that grows in the jungle,
Caption 66, Otavalo - Julia nos muestra las verduras
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In addition to these words, there are other Spanish words of foreign origin that start with the letter Y, such as yen (yen), yudo (judo), and yihad (jihad), just to name a few. And let's not forget one word that is hopefully helping you a lot with your Spanish: Yabla!
With this last familiar word, we have come to the end of this lesson. Did we leave out any important Spanish words that start with the letter Y? If so, please let us know so we can add them to this list... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Do you know the names of articles of clothing in Spanish? Knowing what clothing items in Spanish are called might help you on your next Spanish quiz or, better yet, on that shopping spree on your next vacation to a Spanish-speaking country! Let's explore some clothing vocabulary in Spanish with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
First, let's note that the most common way to talk about clothing in English is with the less formal noun "clothes," which is always plural. That said, the Spanish equivalent for "clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish is the noun la ropa, which is almost always used in the singular! Let's take a look:
Bueno, si tienes mucha ropa.
Well, if you have a lot of clothes.
Me encanta la ropa y soy adicta a los zapatos.
I love clothes and, I'm a shoe addict.
Captions 19-20, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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However, on some, less formal occasions, primarily in Latin America, you may come across the plural form las ropas:
vestidos básicamente con ropas de seda,
dressed basically in silk clothing,
Caption 33, Días festivos - La diablada pillareña
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Additional nouns for saying "the clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish in a general fashion include both la vestimenta and la indumentaria, whereas the noun la prenda (de vestir) describes an individual clothing "item" or "garment":
a esta prenda la llamamos "chompa",
we call this garment a "chompa" [jacket],
Caption 18, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
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Now, let's learn the names of some of the most common articles of clothing in Spanish, hearing most of them pronounced via clips from our Yabla Spanish library. For some items, we will provide several Spanish names since there is a lot of variation in how these items are said from country to country.
A mí, el vestido de baño porque ya saben, me gusta la playa.
For me, my bathing suit because, you already know, I like the beach.
Caption 41, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
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Note that the term la malla refers to a women's swimsuit and is most commonly heard in Argentina:
Ay, Mili, pará, no tengo malla.
Oh Mili stop, I don't have a swimsuit.
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
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Of course, the word "bikini" remains the same in Spanish:
Si hace calor... el bikini.
If it's warm... the bikini.
Caption 14, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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Esta es una blusa que tiene estampado.
This is a blouse that has a print.
Captions 36-37, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
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Both the masculine form el gorro and the feminine form la gorra can be used to describe a "cap" such as a baseball cap or snow hat/cap.
Esta parte de la gorra es azul.
This part of the cap is blue.
Caption 16, Luana explica - Los colores
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Un gorro de lana de color blanco.
A white wool hat.
Caption 16, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
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Este vestido puede salir sobre unos cincuenta, sesenta euros.
This dress could go for about fifty, sixty euros.
Caption 84, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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Los guantes, unos guantes rosaditos... -Sí.
The gloves, some pink gloves... -Yes.
Caption 52, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
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El sombrero is a more general term for all types of hats.
¡Mira qué bonito este sombrero!
Look how pretty this hat is!
Caption 46, Ariana - Mi Semana
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y unos vaqueros grises.
and some grey jeans.
Caption 41, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
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que cuando te mides un jean en un almacén dicen,
that when you try on some jeans at a store they say,
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 8
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Notice the alternative spellings for the nouns for "pajamas" in Spanish (one with a y and one with a j), and while both versions are used with the masculine article in Spain and South America, the feminine article is employed in the rest of Latin America. Furthermore, although it is prevalent to see them in singular, you may also run into their plural forms (pijamas/piyamas).
A la ropa de dormir en Latinoamérica la llamamos con el anglicismo piyama,
In Latin America, we call sleepwear the anglicism "piyama" [pajamas],
Caption 11, Ana Carolina - Arreglando el dormitorio
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Interestingly, either the singular plural form of this noun can be used to refer to a pair of pants or simply "pants," as in the following two examples:
Necesito un pantalón negro. -OK.
I need some black pants. -OK.
Caption 8, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
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"Se me han roto los pantalones", por ejemplo.
"Se me han roto los pantalones" [My pants have ripped], for example.
Caption 69, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario
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While la bufanda usually describes the type of scarf one might wear to keep warm in the snow, el pañuelo refers to more of a bandana-type scarf:
Menos mal que llevaba una bufanda.
Thank God I was wearing a scarf.
Caption 21, Aprendiendo con Zulbany - Piensa rápido
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¡Oh! ¿Y este pañuelo tan bonito?
Oh! And this really beautiful scarf?
Caption 66, Clase Aula Azul - La posesión
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Me gusta la camisa.
I like the shirt.
Caption 4, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
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Algunos clubs permiten el uso de pantalones cortos o bermudas.
Some clubs allow the use of shorts or bermudas.
Caption 64, Montserrat - El golf
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Esta falda está muy larga.
This skirt is too long.
Caption 46, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 3
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As you may have guessed, the Spanish word for "miniskirt" is la minifalda:
Ya admití suficiente con que se pusiera la corrompisiña esa de la minifalda.
I permitted enough with you putting on that corrupt miniskirt.
Caption 15, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
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Let's hear the terms for "socks" in Colombia and other parts of Latin America vs. Spain:
Lo que acabamos de ver, en Colombia
What we just saw, in Colombia,
lo llamamos "medias", las "medias".
we call "medias" [socks], "medias."
¿En España? Son los "calcetines". -Los "calcetines".
In Spain? They're "calcetines" [socks]. -"Calcetines."
Captions 39-41, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
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If you are interested in more such differences, check out this series on pronunciation and vocabulary differences between Spain and Colombia.
Entonces no podemos olvidar el chándal tampoco.
Then we can't forget a tracksuit either.
Caption 62, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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Andrea lleva una camiseta de manga corta de color blanco
Andrea is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
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se vistió con su mejor traje,
put on his best suit,
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
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Te creo. -Bueno, me dio la musculosa para salir.
I believe you. -Well, he gave me the tank top to go out.
Caption 51, Yago - 1 La llegada - Part 5
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Qué linda corbata.
What a nice tie.
Caption 2, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 5 - Part 5
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Although the term la corbata typically refers to a necktie, there are many words to describe a bow tie in Spanish, including el moño, el corbatín, la pajarita, la lacita, la corbata de moño, and la corbata de lazo.
tenemos que llevar siempre un chaleco reflectante
we must always wear a reflective vest
Caption 56, Raquel y Marisa - Aprender a conducir
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There are so many different Spanish words for "sweaters," "sweatshirts," "jackets," "coats," and other outerwear, and every country has their own way to talk about these articles of clothing in Spanish. In fact, some of the same Spanish terms are used to describe different items in different countries. Let's take a look.
Even within the English language, it is sometimes a fine line between what constitutes a "jacket" vs. a "coat," which some people view as synonymous. That said, the above-referenced Spanish terms generally refer to something more sporty, casual, and/or lighter weight.
¡Una chaqueta de cuero!
A leather jacket!
Caption 48, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 2
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The Spanish terms for "coat" might generally be thought of as describing a heavier/warmer garment:
Después me voy a poner el abrigo porque va a hacer frío.
Later, I'm going to put on my coat because it's going to be cold.
Captions 22-23, Cristina - Naturaleza
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y así con, con saco y con corbata, ¿te imaginás el calor?
and like that with, with a blazer and tie, can you imagine the heat?
Caption 37, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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Los días de lluvia llevábamos un chubasquero y botas de agua.
On rainy days, we wore a raincoat and rain boots.
Captions 54-55, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Recuerdos de infancia
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Let's hear how to say "sweater" in both Spain and Colombia:
Eh... Se llama "jersey". -"Jersey".
Um... It's called a "jersey" [sweater]. -"Jersey."
Nosotros le decimos "suéter".
We call it "suéter" [sweater].
Captions 44-45, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
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mandé a hacer uniformes, sudadera y todo; ¿qué tal?
I got uniforms made, a sweatshirt and everything; what do you think?
Caption 114, Club 10 - Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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Now, let's hear how to say the general term for "underwear" or "undergarments" in Spanish before moving on to the many words for the more specific articles of clothing in Spanish in this category:
No, no es bombachitas. En todo caso es ropa interior.
No, it's not panties. In any case, it's underwear.
Caption 68, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
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¿Van a dejar de usar brasier, ah?
Are you going to stop wearing a bra, huh?
Caption 18, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
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entonces, ahí estaba yo, de nuevo en la clase de matemáticas,
[and] then, there I was, in math class again,
¡y esta vez en calzoncillos!
and this time, in my underwear!
Captions 48-51, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7
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Así que ya te veo desfilando, en cualquier momento, con bombacha y corpiño.
So I see you modeling, any minute now, in panties and bra.
Caption 43, Muñeca Brava - 18 La Apuesta
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To conclude this lesson, we'll examine how to say the words for the more general "footwear" and "shoes" in Spanish prior to learning some more specific vocabulary:
Yo me dedicaba a vender calzado; tenía un almacén.
My job was selling footwear; I had a shop.
Captions 55-56, Imbabura - Paramédicos
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se convirtieron en un par de zapatos nuevos y relucientes.
changed into a new, shiny pair of shoes.
Caption 29, Cleer - El cuento de los cuatro hermanos
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Y unas botas altas. -Sí.
And some tall boots. -Yes.
Caption 23, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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unas chanclas,
some flip flops,
Caption 12, Ariana - Mi Semana
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Me encantan los tacones.
I love high heels.
Caption 57, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Y por aquí, no pueden faltar las pantuflas o babuchas,
And over here, you can't do without slippers or house shoes,
Caption 88, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
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Interestingly, the word for "slippers" in many Spanish-speaking countries, las zapatillas, means "the sneakers" in Spain. Now, let's listen to another word for "sneakers" or "athletic shoes" in Spanish:
y los tenis.
and tennis shoes.
Caption 38, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
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That's all for today. To review clothing terms in Spanish, we recommend videos like Marta de Madrid - Prendas de ropa, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir, and Ana Carolina's Lavandería and Salir de compras. We hope that this lesson has helped you to learn a lot of articles of clothing in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Are you familiar with the names of animals in Spanish? Do you know the Spanish equivalents of nouns like "dog," "lion," or "chicken"? Do you know the words for farm animals in Spanish? What about the names of wild animals in Spanish? If you need to improve your vocabulary on these topics, please feel free to explore the following list of animals in Spanish!
As you read along, keep in mind that while this list is in alphabetical order, not all of the letters appear since they don't all correspond with the names of the well-known animals in Spanish that we opted to include. We have additionally added some video clips that will help you to hear how to say the names of most of the animals on this list.
Las abejas reinas vuelan,
The queen bees fly around,
Caption 34, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 6
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*Note: "abeja" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the bee" in singular form.
Veamos un ejemplo más
Let's see another example
utilizando otra palabra femenina singular
using another feminine singular word
que inicia con "a" tónica:
that begins with a stressed "a":
"águila".
"águila" [eagle].
Captions 38-41, Carlos explica - Los artículos en español
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*Note: Although "águila" is feminine, it uses "el" due to the stressed "a" at the beginning, so it's "el águila" in singular.
Una boa, una anaconda, ¡ay no!
A boa, an anaconda, oh, no!
Caption 49, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
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*Note: "anaconda" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the anaconda" in singular form.
Llegó la araña que el idioma daña
It's arrived, the spider that damages the language
Caption 53, Calle 13 - Tango del pecado
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Y la pobre ardilla cayó muerta.
And the poor squirrel dropped dead.
Caption 48, Cleer - El cuento de los cuatro hermanos
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*Note: "ardilla" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the squirrel" in singular form.
Although there are many more animals in Spanish that start with the letter a, we would like to stop here with two more animals: armadillo (armadillo) and avestruz (ostrich). Both of them are masculine nouns, so we use "el" for "the armadillo" and "the ostrich."
¡La ballena! -¡La ballena!
The whale! -The whale!
Caption 9, Guillermina y Candelario - La competencia de baile
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el búfalo,
the buffalo,
Caption 20, Graciela - Los animales
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El Quebrantahuesos
The Bearded Vulture [the name in Spanish means "shatter bones"]
es un buitre excepcionalmente distinto
is an exceptionally distinct vulture
Caption 20, Club de las ideas - Batería de breves
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*Note: "buitre" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the vulture" in singular form.
también tienen hiato palabras como "cohete" o "búho".
words like "cohete" [rocket] or "búho" [owl] also have a hiatus.
Caption 42, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato
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*Note: "búho" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the owl" in singular form.
porque es el burro más simpático
because he's the nicest donkey
que os vais a encontrar en vuestra vida.
that you're going to encounter in your life.
Captions 38-39, Amaya - El burrito Luz
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Que el buey solo bien se lava.
That the ox alone washes itself well.
Caption 49, Yago - 12 Fianza
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The letter c is quite generous in terms of names of animals in Spanish. Let's look at several of them.
Algunos ejemplos de palabras con dígrafos
Some examples of words with digraphs
incluyen las palabras "caballo".
include the words "caballo" [horse].
Caption 39, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 3: La división en sílabas
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*Note: "caballo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the horse" in singular form.
Productos típicos de la zona
Typical products of the area
son el queso de cabra y el aceite de oliva.
are goat cheese and olive oil.
Captions 74-76, Rosa - Antequera, Málaga
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*Note: "cabra" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the goat" in singular form.
que ha sido seleccionada desde cachorro
who has been selected since she was a puppy
para ayudar a personas que lo necesitan.
to help people who need it.
Captions 52-53, Isabel Lavesa - Terapia asistida con animales
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*Note: "cachorro" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the puppy" in singular form.
¿Es un cangrejo?
Is it a crab?
Caption 29, Guillermina y Candelario - Un marciano en la playa
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*Note: "cangrejo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the crab" in singular form.*
¡Nuestro continente con forma de camello!
Our continent in the shape of a camel!
Caption 25, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 12
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*Note: "camello" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the camel" in singular form.
Y... Es muy famoso porque tiene canguros
And... It's very famous because it has kangaroos
Caption 27, El Aula Azul - Piensa rápido - Part 2
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*Note: "canguro" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the kangaroo" in singular form.
Es que el caracol se mueve como un gusanito
It's just that the snail moves like a worm
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - La Casa de Muñecas
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La cebra.
The zebra.
Caption 17, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 1
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el cerdo,
the pig,
Caption 13, Graciela - Los animales
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There are multiple names for some animals in Spanish, which is the case of the pig. Some alternative terms include chancho, puerco and marrano.
pero puede cazar incluso un ciervo.
but it can even hunt a deer.
Caption 68, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 2
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*Note: "ciervo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the deer" in singular form.
Sí! El cocodrilo.
Yes! The crocodile.
Caption 39, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 2
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"compás" o "colibrí".
"compás" [compass] or "colibrí" [hummingbird].
Caption 30, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 4: Clasificación de las palabras según el acento
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*Note: "colibrí" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the hummingbird" in singular form.
Ustedes saben que el cóndor
You know that the condor
Caption 33, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Virginia y el cóndor
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tengo a otro perro y un conejo.
I have another dog, and a rabbit.
Caption 8, Amaya - Apertura del refugio
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*Note: "conejo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the rabbit" in singular form.
Esa cucaracha, la aplasto yo.
I´ll crush that cockroach.
Caption 27, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 7
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*Note: "cucaracha" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the cockroach" in singular form.
*Note: "dragón" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the dragon" in singular form.
Es que el delfín era muy fuerte.
It's just that the dolphin was very strong.
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - El Festival de Verano
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*Note: "dromedario" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the dromedary" in singular form.
un elefante,
an elephant,
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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*Note: "elefante" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the elephant" in singular form.
y dejaría de ser una estrella de mar.
and it wouldn't be a starfish anymore.
Caption 42, Guillermina y Candelario - Un regalo de Estrellas
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*Note: "estrella" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the starfish" in singular form.
un flamenco,
a flamingo,
Caption 30, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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*Note: "flamenco" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the flamingo" in singular form.
siete, la foca,
seven, the seal,
Caption 17, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
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la gallina,
the hen,
Caption 11, Graciela - Los animales
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*Note: "ganso" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the goose" in singular form.
"...el gato,..."
"...el gato" [the cat]...
Caption 8, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario - Part 3
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By the way, if you like cats, we would like to invite you to take a look at one of our more popular series: Fermín y los gatos!
uno, el gorila,
one, the gorilla,
Caption 11, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
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No matamos a ningún gusano.
We didn't kill any worm.
Caption 48, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas
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*Note: "gusano" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the worm" in singular form.
Por ejemplo, no el hámster,
For example, not "el hámster" [the hamster],
Caption 51, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario - Part 4
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la hiena,
the hyena,
Caption 24, Graciela - Los animales
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un hipopótamo,
a hippopotamus,
Caption 27, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 6
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*Note: "hipopótamo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the hippopotamus" in singular form.
Iguana.
"Iguana" [Iguana].
Caption 17, Español para principiantes - Las vocales
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*Note: "iguana" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the iguana" in singular form.
Y un día nos sorprendió un jabalí.
And one day, a wild boar surprised us.
Caption 53, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Recuerdos de infancia
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*Note: "jabalí" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the boar" in singular form.
y una jirafa.
and a giraffe.
Caption 31, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
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*Note: "jirafa" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the giraffe" in singular form.
*Note: "koala" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the koala" in singular form.
El león.
The lion.
Caption 31, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 1
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el cachorrito de leopardo
the leopard cub
Caption 31, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo
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*Note: "leopardo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the leopard" in singular form.
Yo quiero un lobo domesticado
I want a domesticated wolf
Caption 8, Shakira - Loba
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*Note: "lobo" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the wolf" in singular form.
el loro,
the parrot,
Caption 7, Graciela - Los animales
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*Note: "manatí" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the manatee" in singular form.
Ya a continuación tenemos el mapache sudamericano.
Next, we have the South American raccoon.
Caption 23, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
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Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma,
Dream butterfly, you look like my soul,
Caption 18, Chus recita poemas - Neruda y Pizarnik
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*Note: "mariposa" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the butterfly" in singular form.
La Medusa.
The Jellyfish.
Caption 18, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 2
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un mono,
a monkey,
Caption 28, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
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*Note: "mono" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the monkey" in singular form.
podría ser la mosca verde de la carne
could be the green flesh fly
Caption 34, Estepona - Orquidario
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La palabra más larga es murciélago. ¿Por qué? Pues porque tiene las cinco vocales dentro de la palabra.
The longest word is bat. Why? Well because it has the five vowels within the word.
Captions 43-45, Karla e Isabel Palabras
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*Note: "murciélago" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the bat" in singular form.
*Note: "narval" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the narwhal" in singular form.
*Note: "nutria" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the otter" in singular form.
*Note: "ñandú" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the rheas" in singular form.
cuatro, el oso gris,
four, the grey bear,
Caption 14, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
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¿Qué crees que pasaba antes de que la oveja empezara a tejer?
What do you think was happening before the sheep began to knit?
Caption 42, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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el pájaro,
the bird,
Caption 16, Graciela - Los animales
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También es el color de la pantera de los dibujos animados
It's also the color of the cartoon panther
Caption 37, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de colores - Part 1
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el pato,
the duck,
Caption 9, Graciela - Los animales
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el pavo,
the turkey,
Caption 10, Graciela - Los animales
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Sí, mi amigo el pelícano nos ayudó.
Yes, my friend the pelican helped us.
Caption 36, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Descubrimiento
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tres, el perro,
three, the dog,
Caption 13, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
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¡Es un pez! -¡Un pez mágico!
It's a fish! -A magic fish!
Caption 37, Guillermina y Candelario - Un pez mágico
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*Note: "pez" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the fish" in singular form.
¿Un pingüino?
A penguin?
Caption 19, Guillermina y Candelario - Nuestro Amigo Pinguino
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*Note: "pingüino" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the penguin" in singular form
el pollo,
the chicken,
Caption 12, Graciela - Los animales
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¡El pulpo!
The Octopus!
Caption 26, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo
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Seguro que canta como una rana.
I'm sure she sings like a frog.
Caption 20, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 5
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*Note: "rana" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the frog" in singular form.
¡Eso es para que aprenda a respetar a mi hermana,
That is for you to learn to respect my sister,
rata de alcantarilla!
sewer rat!
Caption 11, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4
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*Note: "rata" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the rat" in singular form.
¡Un ratón!
A mouse!
Caption 76, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso
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*Note: "ratón" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the mouse" in singular form.
el rinoceronte,
the rhinoceros,
Caption 19, Graciela - Los animales
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¿Por qué el sapo va agarrado a un globo?
Why is the toad holding on to a balloon?
Caption 14, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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la serpiente,
the snake,
Caption 27, Graciela Los animales
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*Note: "serpiente" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the snake" in singular form.
El tiburón ballena, que es el más grande de todos,
The whale shark, which is the biggest of them all,
sólo come plancton.
only eats plankton.
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - La Lleva
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el tigre,
the tiger,
Caption 23, Graciela - Los animales
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el toro,
the bull,
Caption 8, Graciela - Los animales
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Yo estaba cansada y me senté en la tortuga de mar.
I was tired and sat down on the sea turtle.
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario - La Abuela Marina
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un tucán,
a toucan,
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
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*Note: "tucán" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the toucan" in singular form.
y diez, la vaca.
and ten, the cow.
Caption 20, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
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también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
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*Note: "yegua" is a feminine noun, so we use "la" for "the mare" in singular form.
Observa detenidamente al zorro
Observe carefully the fox
Caption 37, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 5
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*Note: "zorro" is a masculine noun, so we use "el" for "the fox" in singular form.
And that's all for our list of animals in Spanish. Do you know more animals in Spanish that you think we should include in this list? If so, don't hesitate to send us your suggestions and comments!
Do you know the difference between the Spanish verbs ser and estar? Although both mean "to be," the two verbs have different uses in Spanish. In very general terms, ser is used for more permanent characteristics while estar is used for fleeting conditions. If you need to learn or review the uses of these verbs in more detail, we recommend this lesson from the Yabla Spanish archives entitled Ser and Estar: An Easy Trick for Using These Verbs. Then, when you feel prepared, test yourself out with this quiz!
In the following sentences, choose the correct conjugation of ser or estar to fill in the blank.
a. es
b. está
a. son
b. están
a. es
b. está
a. es
b. está
a. soy
b. estoy
a. somos
b. estamos
a. estoy
b. soy
a. sois
b. estáis
a. son
b. están
a. eres
b. estás
a. son
b. están
a. sois
b. estáis
The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Ser vs. Estar Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical reasons for each.
1. Correct Answer: a. es (ser)
Diego es una persona amable y inteligente.
Diego is a kind and intelligent person.
REASON: The Spanish verb ser is used to describe fixed characteristics of a person, place, or thing.
2. Correct Answer: a. son (ser)
Son las diez y media de la mañana.
It's ten thirty in the morning.
REASON: Always use the verb ser when talking about time. Let's look at another example from Yabla's video library:
Hoy es viernes. Son las siete de la tarde
Today is Friday. It's seven in the evening
Caption 4, Los Reporteros - Crecen los robos en tiendas
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3. Correct Answer: b. está (estar)
Mi vecino está en Colombia ahora.
My neighbor is in Colombia now.
REASON: When referring to something or someone's location, choose the verb estar.
4. Correct Answer: a. es (ser)
Mi vecino es de Colombia.
My neighbor is from Colombia.
REASON: Although this example might initially seem similar to the previous one, the word de (from) in this one tips us off that it is referring to origin, which requires the verb ser. Let's see another example:
Eh... Soy argentino y español; mi madre es catalana.
Um... I'm Argentinean and Spanish; my mother is Catalonian.
Caption 3, World Travel Market en Londres - Raúl nos habla de México
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5. Correct Answer: b. estoy (estar)
Yo estoy hablando por teléfono en este momento.
I'm talking on the phone right now.
REASON: The key word to remember this use of the verb estar is action. In fact, the verb estar is an integral part of the Spanish present progressive tense, which consists of the verb estar plus the present participle form (equivalent to -ing verbs in English). This tense describes actions unfolding in the present moment, as in the following example:
"¿Qué estás pensando, Aminata?"
"What are you thinking about, Aminata?"
Caption 58, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
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6. Correct Answer: b. estamos (estar)
Nosotros estamos sentados en el auditorio.
We're seated in the auditorium.
REASON: Employ the verb estar to talk about position.
7. Correct Answer: a. estoy (estar)
Yo estoy muy contenta porque mi amiga me viene a visitar.
I'm very happy because my friend is coming to visit me.
REASON: When talking about emotions, which tend to be fleeting, it's necessary to use the verb estar.
8. Correct Answer: a. sois (ser)
Vosotros sois altos y flacos.
You guys are tall and thin.
REASON: To provide descriptions, utilize the verb ser along with the pertinent adjectives.
9. Correct Answer: b. están
Casi todos los alumnos están enfermos.
Almost all of the students are sick.
REASON: When describing temporary conditions, such as illness, stress, business, etc., pick the veb estar.
10. Correct Answer: a. eres (ser)
Tú eres maestro de inglés.
You're an English teacher.
REASON: Occupations should be spoken about with the verb ser.
11. Correct Answer: a. son (ser)
Francisco y Eliana son primos.
Francisco and Eliana are cousins.
REASON: The verb ser is the correct choice when describing relationships.
12. Correct answer: b. estáis (estar)
¿Cómo estáis vosotros hoy?
How are you today?
REASON: Since how one "is" changes from moment to moment, this common question might evoke answers that include conditions or emotions. It thus employs the verb estar, as do its potential responses:
Yo estoy bien,
I'm well,
Caption 8, Cleer y Lida - Llegando a una nueva ciudad
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Estoy muy enfadada.
I am very angry.
Caption 31, El Aula Azul - Estados de ánimo
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That's all for this quiz on the Spanish verbs ser vs. estar. We hope you did well, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Do you know the difference between the present indicative and the present subjunctive moods in Spanish? Most simply put, the indicative depicts certainty and objectivity while the subjunctive describes doubt and subjectivity. If you would like to learn about or brush up on these concepts, we suggest lessons from Yabla's Spanish lesson archives on how to use the Spanish present indicative and when to use the Spanish subjunctive, and when you feel ready, test your knowledge with this quiz!
In the following sentences, choose the correct present indicative or subjunctive verb to fill in the blank.
a. va
b. vaya
a. viene
b. venga
a. estás
b. estés
a. viene
b. venga
a. saca
b. saque
a. llueve
b. llueva
a. llamo
b. llame
a. giran
b. giren
a. practicas
b. practiques
a. visitamos
b. visitemos
These tougher bonus round questions include more than one verb in the present indicative and/or subjunctive mood(s), as well more options. Are you ready?!
a. quiero, invita
b. quiera, invite
c. quiero, invite
d. quiera, invita
a. tiene, viaja
b. tenga, viaje
c. tiene, viaje
d. tenga, viaja
a. asistimos, estamos
b. asistamos, estemos
c. asistimos, estemos
d. asistamos, estamos
a. Estamos, vemos
b. Estemos, veamos
c. Estamos, veamos
d. Estemos, vemos
a. pido, dices, eres
b. pida, digas, seas
c. pido, digas, seas
d. pida, dices, seas
The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical justifications for each.
1. Correct Answer: a. va (indicative)
David va al gimnasio todos los días.
David goes to the gym every day.
REASON: The indicative mood is used to describe routines and repetitive actions in the present.
2. Correct Answer: b. venga (subjunctive)
Espero que María venga a la fiesta; hace mucho que no la veo.
I hope that Maria comes to the party; I haven't seen her for a long time.
REASON: The subjunctive mood should be employed in a sentence's dependent clause following que (that) or some other subordinating conjunction when the main clause, in this case espero que (I hope that), expresses some wish, hope, or desire. In other words, although the speaker "hopes" that Maria will come to the party, we don't know if she will.
3. Correct Answer: b. estés (subjunctive)
Nos alegra mucho de que estés aquí.
We're really happy that you're here.
REASON: Although the speaker is certain of the person to whom they are speaking's presence, the subjunctive is utilized in dependent clauses that follow a subject's emotional or subjective reaction. Let's take a look at a similar example where emotion in the main clause triggers the subjunctive in the dependent one:
me da miedo que mis seres queridos sufran
it scares me for my loved ones to [potentially] suffer
o que les pasen cosas malas.
or for bad things to happen to them.
Caption 41, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y sentimientos
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4. Correct Answer: a. viene
Juan viene ahora mismo.
Juan is coming right now.
REASON: The present indicative is used to portray actions that are unfolding at the present moment.
5. Correct Answer: b. saque (subjunctive)
Juan estudió muy poco para el examen. Dudo que saque una buena nota.
Juan studied very little for the exam. I doubt that he'll get a good grade.
REASON: When doubt or disbelief is expressed in a Spanish sentence's main clause, the verb in the dependent clause must be in the subjunctive.
6. Correct Answer: b. llueva (subjunctive)
Todos nos vemos afectados por la sequía. Ojalá que llueva pronto.
We're all affected by the drought. Hopefully it will rain soon.
REASON: When a verb follows the word Ojalá, which means roughly "hopefully," it will be always be conjugated in the subjunctive. Let's see another example:
y ojalá disfruten del aprendizaje de nuestro idioma.
and I hope you enjoy learning our language.
Caption 56, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Manuel y El barrilito
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7. Correct Answer: a. llamo
Yo te llamo mañana.
I'll call you tomorrow.
REASON: Sometimes, actions that will happen in the near future are expressed with the present indicative in Spanish.
8. Correct Answer: a. giran
Los planetas giran alrededor del sol.
The planets revolve around the sun.
REASON: Facts and universal truths are described with the Spanish present indicative, as in the following caption:
Ámsterdam cuenta con setenta y cinco kilómetros de canales
Amsterdam has seventy-five kilometers of canals
y tiene más de mil puentes.
and has more than a thousand bridges.
Captions 60-61, Viajando con Fermín - Ámsterdam
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9. Correct Answer: b. practiques (subjunctive)
Si quieres ser músico profesional, es muy importante que practiques mucho.
If you want to be a professional musician, it's very important that you practice a lot.
REASON: Unless they express certainty, impersonal expressions such as es importante que (it's important that), es raro que (it's strange that), es bueno/malo que (it's good/bad that), etc. are followed by a verb in the subjunctive.
10. Correct Answer: b. visitemos (subjunctive)
Recomiendo que visitemos Barcelona durante nuestro viaje a España.
I recommend that we visit Barcelona during our trip tp Spain.
REASON: When making recommendations to others, the verb that follows must be in subjunctive, like in the following clip:
les aconsejo que vayan a Zipaquirá,
I advise you to go to Zipaquira,
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
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11. Correct Answer: c. quiero (indicative), invite (subjunctive)
Yo quiero que Manuel me invite a la fiesta.
I want Manuel to invite me to the party.
REASON: The indicative verb in the main clause (quiero) expresses a wish or desire, which triggers the subjunctive in the dependent clause.
12. Correct Answer: a. tiene (indicative), viaja (indicative)
Mariela tiene muchas ganas de conocer Brazil. Es seguro que viaja allá este verano.
Mariela really wants to go to Brazil. She'll surely travel there this summer.
REASON: Since it's a fact that Mariela wants to go to Brazil, the first verb (tiene) is in the indicative. The second verb (viaja) is also in the indicative because it follows an impersonal expression that expresses certainty.
13. Correct Answer: d. asistamos (subjunctive), estamos (indicative)
No creo que asistamos al evento. Todos estamos muy enfermos.
I don't think we'll attend the event. We're all really sick.
REASON: In the first sentence, the main clause No creo que (I don't think that) expresses disbelief, triggering the subjunctive in the dependent clause. In the second sentence, estamos (we're) is in the indicative because it's a fact that "we're all sick."
14. Correct Answer: a. Estamos (indicative), vemos (indicative)
Estamos en contacto. Nos vemos pronto.
We'll be in touch. See you soon.
REASON: These common expressions are examples of how the Spanish present indicative can be used to talk about actions to take place in the near future.
15. Correct Answer: c. pido (indicative), digas (subjunctive), seas (subjunctive)
Te pido que me digas la verdad, que siempre seas sincero conmigo.
I ask you to tell me the truth, to always be honest with me.
REASON: Once again, the verb in the main clause, pido (I ask), is in the indicative, and since it indicates a desire, the following verbs in the dependent clause, digas (to tell) and seas (to be), are in the subjunctive.
That's all for this quiz. How did you do?! To better understand the various uses of the Spanish present indicative and subjunctive, we have a plethora of lessons and videos in our archives to assist you! For starters, try Clase Aula Azul's series Pedir deseos (Making Wishes) and Información con subjuntivo e indicativo (Information with Subjunctive and Indicative), Ana Carolina's El modo subjuntivo (The Subjunctive Mood), and Doctora Consejos (Doctor Advice) videos like Subjuntivo y sentimientos (Subjunctive and Feelings) and Subjuntivo y persona ideal (Subjunctive and Ideal Person). In the meantime, we hope you've enjoyed this Present Indicative vs. Subjunctive Quiz, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Do you know the difference between the Spanish preterite and imperfect tenses? In a nutshell, the preterite describes completed past actions, while the imperfect describes conditions or qualities, or actions that were not yet completed or in progress at a specific moment in the past. Can you insert the correct choices in different contexts, and do you know the grammatical reasons for doing so? Test your knowledge of these two different Spanish past tenses with the following quiz!
In the following sentences, choose the correct preterite or imperfect verb(s) to fill in the blank(s).
a. nacía
b. nací
a. preparaba
b. preparó
a. Eran
b. Fueron
a. salía
b. salió
a. era, Tenía
b. fue, Tuvo
a. visitaban
b. visitaron
a. obtenía
b. obtuvo
a. tenían
b. tuvieron
a. Nos levantamos, nos arreglamos, nos fuimos
b. Nos levantábamos, nos arreglábamos, nos íbamos
a. Estuvimos
b. Estábamos
All of our trickier bonus round questions will involve more than one verb in the preterite and/or imperfect tense(s), as well more choices. Are you up for the challenge?!
a. bailó, se tropezó
b. bailaba, se tropezaba
c. bailó, se tropezaba
d. bailaba, se tropezó
a. estuvo, fue
b. estaba, era
c. estuvo, era
d. estaba, fue
a. conocí, conocí
b. conocía, conocía
c. conocí, conocía
d. conocía, conocí
a. empezó, estuvimos
b. empezaba, estábamos
c. empezó, estábamos
d. empezaba, estuvimos
a. fue, se casó, duró
b. era, se casaba, duraba
c. era, se casó, duraba
d. era, se casó, duró
The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Preterite vs. Imperfect Quiz, as well as the translations and grammatical reasons for each.
1. Correct Answer: b. nací (preterite)
Yo nací en Madrid en el año mil novecientos ochenta y cuatro.
I was born in Madrid in nineteen eighty-four.
REASON: The preterite is used for actions that took place at a determined moment in the past. Certain verbs, such as nacer (to be born), are most commonly seen in the preterite.
2. Correct Answer: a. preparaba (imperfect)
Ella todavía preparaba la cena cuando los invitados llegaron.
She was still making dinner when the guests arrived.
REASON: Use the imperfect tense to describe past actions in progress that were interrupted by another action. Interrupting actions, on the other hand, should be in the preterite, as is llegaron in this example.
3. Correct Answer: a. Eran (imperfect)
Eran las cuatro de la tarde y ya se oscurecía.
It was four in the afternoon, and it was already getting dark.
REASON: Past dates and times in Spanish are described with the imperfect tense. Let's see an example:
aunque todavía era el mes de junio,
despite the fact that it was still the month of June,
Caption 39, Fermín y los gatos - Mi gata Poeska
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4. Correct Answer: b. salió (preterite)
David estaba en la ducha cuando su esposa salió de la casa para ir a trabajar.
David was in the shower when his wife left the house to go to work.
REASON: The verb salir (to leave) is conjugated in the preterite in this sentence because it interrupts an action in progress. The action in progress, estaba (was), is in the imperfect.
5. Correct Answer: a. era, Tenía (imperfect)
El chico era muy alto. Tenía el pelo negro y los ojos verdes.
The boy was very tall. He had black hair and green eyes.
REASON: Both verbs in this sentence are in the imperfect tense, which is used to describe past conditions and characteristics. Let's hear this use of the imperfect in action:
En lugar de plumas amarillas,
Instead of yellow feathers,
las suyas eran grises
his were grey,
y respecto a sus patas
and regarding his legs,
ellas eran increíblemente grandes y feas.
they were incredibly big and ugly.
Captions 22-25, Cleer - El patito feo
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6. Correct Answer: a. visitaban (imperfect)
Los hermanos visitaban a sus abuelos en New Hampshire todos los veranos.
The brothers used to visit their grandparents in New Hampshire every summer.
REASON: The imperfect visitaban is used here because habitual past actions are described with the imperfect.
7. Correct Answer: b. obtuvo (preterite)
La gimnasta rumana Nadia Comaneci obtuvo siete veces una calificacción perfecta durante su carrera.
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci earned a perfect score seven times during her career.
REASON: Actions that are completed a specific number of times in the past are conveyed with the preterite.
8. Correct Answer: a. tenían (imperfect)
Los gemelos empezaron la escuela cuando tenían tres años.
The twins started school when they were three years old.
REASON: When talking about age in the past, choose the imperfect tense.
9. Correct Answer: a. Nos levantamos, nos arreglamos, nos fuimos (preterite)
Nos levantamos por la mañana, nos arreglamos y nos fuimos a trabajar.
We got up in the morning, we got ready, and we went to work.
REASON: The preterite tense in Spanish should be used to relay a series of completed actions in the past, like in the following caption:
Un día el sol volvió a salir,
One day the sun came out again,
se oyó un ruido atronador
a thunderous noise was heard
y apareció un bello arco de colores en el cielo.
and a beautiful colorful arch appeared in the sky.
Captions 42-44, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - El mito de Bochica
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10. Correct Answer: b. Estábamos (imperfect)
Estábamos muy emocionados porque nuestra tía nos venía a visitar.
We were very excited because our aunt was coming to visit us.
REASON: When speaking about past emotional states, the imperfect is most often employed. An exception to this rule might be when one suddenly feels an emotion in a particular moment.
11. Correct answer: d. bailaba (imperfect), se tropezó (preterite)
Carla bailaba su solo en el recital cuando de repente se tropezó.
Carla was dancing her solo in the recital when she suddenly tripped.
REASON: The first verb (bailaba) is in the imperfect because it was the action that was interrupted by the second, interrupting action, in the preterite (tropezó). We hope you are getting the hang of this concept!
12. Correct Answer: b. estaba (imperfect), era (imperfect)
Diego estaba muy emocionado porque era el once de enero: el día de su cumpleaños.
Diego was very excited because it was January eleventh: his birthday.
REASON: Both verbs are in the imperfect, the first because it describes a past emotional state, and the second because it refers to a date.
13. Correct Answer: d. conocía (imperfect), conocí (preterite)
Aunque ya conocía a algunas personas en mi escuela, no conocí a mi mejor amigo hasta mi segundo año.
Although I already knew some people at my new school, I didn't meet my best friend until my sophomore year.
REASON: This one is tricky! While both are conjugations of the verb conocer (to meet), the first one is imperfect since it talks about "knowing" people over an extended period of time in the past, whereas the second incidence, in preterite, refers to "meeting" someone at a particular past moment. To learn more such verbs, check out this lesson on verbs that change meaning in the preterite.
14. Correct Answer: c. empezó (preterite), estábamos (imperfect)
En el momento en que empezó a nevar, estábamos en camino a la playa.
At the moment it started to snow, we were on our way to the beach.
REASON: While this is yet another example of a verb in preterite (empezó) that interrupts a past action in progress in the imperfect (estábamos), note that in contrast with the previous examples, the interrupting verb comes first in this example.
15. Correct Answer: d. era (imperfect), se casó (preterite), duró (preterite)
La chica, que era muy guapa y joven, se casó con su novio el día tres de septiembre en una boda que duró más de cinco horas.
The girl, who was very pretty and young, married her boyfriend on September third in a wedding that lasted more than five hours.
REASON: In this example, era (was) is in the imperfect because it describes past traits/characteristics, while se casó (married) and duró are in the preterite because they describe actions with concrete starts/finishes in the past. The verb casarse (to get married) is yet another example of a verb that, when in the past, is most typically seen in the preterite tense, as in the following caption:
Cuando mis papás se casaron, estaba de moda Lucho Bermúdez,
When my parents got married, Lucho Bermudez was in fashion,
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4
Play Caption
That's all for this lesson. How many answers did you get right?! To better understand these verbs tenses, we recommend the videos from our popular series Carlos Explica (Carlos Explains) on the Spanish preterite tense as well as the Spanish imperfect. In the meantime, we hope you've enjoyed this Preterite vs. Imperfect Quiz, and don't forget to leave us your questions and comments.
Are you familiar with the Spanish preposition contra? In most cases, the Spanish preposition contra can be translated as "against" and functions very similarly to many uses of its English counterpart. Occasionally, however, this Spanish preposition can be used to depict situations in which a different English preposition could be utilized. Let's explore some uses and nuances of this Spanish preposition.
The first meaning of the Spanish preposition contra refers to the opposition of two or more things, in which case it is typically translated as "against." Let's take a look at a couple of examples that describe entities facing off "against" one another:
una batalla ocurrida en mil setecientos dos que enfrentó a ingleses y holandeses contra españoles y franceses,
a battle that took place in seventeen oh two, which pitted the English and Dutch against the Spanish and French,
Captions 56-57, Adrián en Galicia Vigo
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¿Cómo ves el Mundial? ¿Cómo ves esto? -Yo lo veo que vamos a ser España contra Argentina.
How do you see the World Cup? How do you see this? -I see it as we're going to be Spain against Argentina.
Captions 55-56, Víctor en España El Mundial de Catar 2022 - Part 2
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Similarly, the Spanish preposition contra can reference the literal or figurative fight "against" something specific, such as a disease or cause:
pero la lucha contra el narcotráfico continúa
but the fight against narco-trafficking continues,
Caption 41, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 11
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Busco un remedio contra el dolor de cabeza.
I'm looking for some headache medicine.
Note that in this last example, while the word "contra" implies combatting pain, it is not explicitly translated into English.
Like the English word "against," the Spanish preposition contra can indicate a sentiment of disagreement, disapproval, or opposition, for example, to a particular cause, notion, or person. Let's examine some examples of this meaning of contra:
¡Y contra eso estamos!
And we're against that!
Caption 58, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 13
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In this context, the word contra often appears within the construction en contra de, which means "against" or "in opposition to":
Los diferentes sistemas o soluciones constructivas, eh... No estoy a favor o en contra de ninguno.
The different systems or constructive solutions, um... I'm not in favor of or against any one.
Captions 7-8, Leif El Arquitecto Español y su Arte - Part 2
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This third use of the Spanish preposition contra denotes the direction of a movement "towards" something or someone. Although the word "against" can sometimes act as an English equivalent of this usage, in other cases, different English prepositions may be more common translations. For example, if you said "Reboté mi pelota contra la pared," a common translation would be "I bounced my ball off the wall." Let's see a few more examples:
El coche chocó contra la pared
The car crashed into the wall
Bochica lanzó su báculo contra la montaña,
Bochica threw his staff at the mountain,
Caption 51, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - El mito de Bochica
Play Caption
se percuten contra el piso. Otras veces, esos instrumentos se percuten... madera contra madera.
are struck against the floor. Other times, those instruments are struck... reed to reed.
Captions 29-31, Sonido Babel Los quitiplás
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This meaning of the Spanish preposition contra typically describes things that are leaning "on" or "(up) against" something else, or facing it, as in the following examples:
El niño apoyó su patinete contra la pared.
The child leaned his scooter on/against the wall.
Arrimaron los tablones contra el muro.
They put the boards up against the wall.
In common expressions like "entrega contra reembolso" (delivery on/upon payment) or "pago contra entrega" (payment on/upon receipt), the Spanish preposition contra conveys that one thing happens in exchange for another and/or cannot happen until something else has occurred:
Recibirán el dinero contra entrega de la factura.
You'll receive the money when you submit the invoice.
Interestingly, the securities industry uses a similar term, versus, in expressions like Delivery Versus Payment (DVP) to say that payment must take place in order for the delivery to happen. However, most of the time, the English words "on," "upon," or "when" convey this notion.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified for you the different uses of the Spanish preposition contra. Can you think of any additional examples and/or their English translations? We'd love for you to write us with you insights and questions.
Let's get ready for the end of the year with the following five tips regarding some of this period's most commonly used Spanish words and phrases.
While the most standard way to say "Happy New Year" in Spanish is simply Feliz Año Nuevo, you may also hear the following alternatives:
Feliz Año (short for Happy New Year)
Próspero Año Nuevo (Prosperous New Year)
Feliz 2023 (Happy 2023)
If you're writing to someone, there's a difference between writing Feliz Año Nuevo (with all three words capitalized) and Feliz año nuevo (with the second two words in lowercase). In fact, while the former is a good wish for the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day holidays, the latter is a more general good wish for the new year ahead.
Nochevieja (literally "old night") is the last night of the year, or New Year's Eve. Just keep in mind that it is preferable to write the name of this special day as one single word (Nochevieja), rather than as two words (Noche Vieja).
In some parts of Latin America, people burn human-size dolls called años viejos (literally "old years") stuffed with old clothes, newspaper, and firecrackers as a symbolic act to cast off the old year and welcome the new one, as we can see and hear about in the following clip (check out the full video to learn more)!
Un saludo para todos los fabricantes de años viejos y los compradores
A greeting to all the makers of "años viejos" [dolls] and the buyers
Captions 74-75, Otavalo Artesano de monigotes de Año Viejo
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It is difficult to imagine the end of the year in many Spanish-speaking countries without fireworks. But do you know how to say "fireworks" in Spanish? The following are the two acceptable terms:
Fuegos artificiales
Juegos pirotécnicos
Regarding the second term, be careful not to mix it with the first and say "fuegos pirotécnicos" instead of "juegos pirotécnicos." This mistake is quite common, even among native Spanish speakers! Let's hear how to pronounce the first term:
Sí, fuegos artificiales con un fondo de violines, me encanta, ¿eh?
Yes, fireworks with a background of violin [music]; I love it, huh?
Caption 39, Yago 6 Mentiras - Part 2
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And that's all for this year! We wish you a stellar 2023, and don't hesitate to write us with your questions and comments. ¡Feliz año!
One of our Yabla Spanish users recently asked us about the difference between the words cualidad and calidad in Spanish. Since both of these words can be translated as "quality," they are, indeed, a bit confusing for English speakers. That said, we would like to share with you the following explanation about how to use cualidad vs. calidad in Spanish. Let's take a look!
Generally, speaking, the word cualidad means "quality" in the sense of an inherent feature of something. You can therefore treat cualidad in Spanish as a synonym of words like "feature," "trait," "characteristic," or "property." Let's look at a few examples:
Hay ocasiones en las que el adjetivo se coloca delante del sustantivo para enfatizar una cualidad
There are times when the adjective is placed before the noun to emphasize a quality
Captions 21-22, Ana Carolina El uso correcto de los adjetivos
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Una de las cualidades de nuestro café es que, eh, cada semana estamos tostando; es café fresco cada vez.
One of the qualities of our coffee is that, um, every week we're roasting; it's fresh coffee every time.
Captions 8-10, Baja Beans Café 3- Los granos de café y la máquina tostadora
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Tiene grandes cualidades sanadoras.
It has great healing properties.
Caption 18, Melyna El aguacate
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Sometimes, the word cualidad can refer more specifically to someone's positive trait(s). In this context, the word cualidad can be used as a synonym of words such as "strength" or "attribute." Let's see that use in action:
Eso es normal, Guillermina. Cada persona tiene una cualidad. Si no corres muy rápido, con seguridad bailas muy bien.
That's normal, Guillermina. Every person has a strength. If you don't run very fast, you surely dance very well.
Captions 36-37, Guillermina y Candelario La Ciudad de los Cangrejos
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Casas saca músculos de aquí, y tiene una fila de niñas suspirando por él. ¡Suficiente! ¡A mí, las cualidades de Casas me tienen sin cuidado!
Casas has got muscles here, and he's got girls lined up yearning for him. Enough! I couldn't care less about Casas' attributes!
Captions 7-10, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 11 - Part 3
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Even though the word calidad in Spanish can also be translated as "quality," its meaning is a totally different. In fact, calidad can be used to convey the following two things:
This use of the word calidad is a synonym for "standard," as you can see in the following examples:
Al principio, la guitarra la fabricaban con materiales de madera de muy baja calidad
At first, they made the guitar with very low-quality wood materials,
Captions 7-8, Música andina Los orígenes de la guitarra
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y así seguramente mejoraremos nuestra calidad de vida
and in that way surely we will improve our quality of life
Caption 59, Los médicos explican Consejos para dormir
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Así, nuestro cliente podrá comparar empresas, diferentes servicios, diferentes calidades y diferentes precios.
In that way, our customer will be able to compare businesses, different services, different qualities and different prices.
Captions 54-55, Raquel y Marisa Español Para Negocios - Nuestra tienda online
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Whether used with an adjective such as alta (high) or on its own, this meaning of calidad denotes high quality.
Estos productos tienen una calidad y frescura inmejorable.
These products have unbeatable quality and freshness.
Caption 20, Fermín Mercado ecológico
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para ofrecer un programa de estudio de alta calidad
to offer a high-quality study program
Caption 20, Europa Abierta Bruselas impulsa estudios en el extranjero
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A mí me gusta trabajar con calidad.
I like to work with quality.
Caption 32, Otavalo Dea Flor
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Before we go, we would like to share with you a little tip. One of the best manners to choose between either cualidad or calidad in a sentence is by trying both options. For instance, if you tried to exchange these two words in the examples we used throughout this lesson, you will see that replacing one term with the other would be nonsensical.
With this final tip, we have arrived at the end of this lesson. Are you now clear about when to use cualidad vs. calidad? We hope so, but don't hesitate to send us your comments and questions about any remaining doubts!
Are you a football/soccer fan? Are you enjoying the World Cup Qatar 2022? In this lesson, we'll share with you some of the most important Qatar 2022-related Spanish vocabulary!
First things first: Do you know how to say the name of the host country of the 2022 World Cup in Spanish? If you think it's Qatar, think again! As in Spanish, the name of this country is spelled with the letter c, the correct spelling is Catar. Now, let's see how to say it:
estamos en pleno Mundial de Fútbol de Catar,
we're in the middle of the Qatar soccer World Cup,
Caption 3, Víctor en España El Mundial de Catar 2022 - Part 1
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However, it's important to mention that when talking about this year's tournament in any language, including Spanish, you will need to spell it with the official name of the tournament, which is Qatar 2022.
Another interesting thing to mention about the name of this country is that it's also a Spanish verb! Do you know what the verb catar means in Spanish? If you don't, let's find out by listening to the following clip:
Lo primero que hacemos cuando catamos un vino es mirar el color.
The first thing we do when we taste a wine is to look at the color.
Captions 37-38, Montserrat Cata de vinos - Part 2
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Now that we know that Qatar is Catar in Spanish, can you guess what adjectives you should use when talking about people or things from Catar? The answer is simple: catarí in singular and cataríes in plural (for both masculine and feminine nouns) .
If you're familiar with the World Cup, you know that this tournament is played in different fases (stages). Let's learn how to say their names in Spanish:
la fase de grupos (the Group Stage)
los octavos de final (the Round of 16)
los cuartos de final (the Quarter-finals)
la semifinal (the Semi-finals)
el tercer puesto (the Third Place Playoff)
la final (the Final)
During the group stage, each team plays three games. Afterwards, however, all matches are played in the so-called knockout stage (la fase de eliminación directa), which means that the losing team is immediately out of the competition. Let's learn some additional terms:
el campeón (the winner)
la copa (the cup)
el equipo (the team)
el mejor jugador (the best player)
el Mundial (the World Cup)
el partido (the match/game)
el primer tiempo (the first half)
el segundo tiempo (the second half)
el VAR, videoarbitraje (the VAR, video assistant referee)
If you wish to familiarize yourself with a lot of additional terms from this sport, we'd like to invite you to check out our lesson about football/soccer vocabulary words in Spanish.
That's all for now. Who do you think will be the winner of the World Cup 2022? Don't forget to write us with your predictions and questions!
Although the Spanish pronoun se is most typically associated with reflexive verbs or passive or impersonal constructions, there is a case in which the indirect object pronoun le actually converts to a se! Let's find out what it is.
While a lot can be said about the topic of direct and indirect object pronouns, we'll provide you with a very brief overview.
Direct object pronouns (me, te, lo, la, nos, os, los, las) replace a direct object to convey the idea of "me, "you," "it," "we," and "them." Their form depends upon whether what is being replaced is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. For example, if instead of saying "I have the apples" (Tengo las manzanas), you wanted to say simply "I have them," you'd use the feminine plural las to agree with las manzanas to say, "Yo las tengo."
Indirect object pronouns let us know "to whom" an action happens. If you wished to say, for example, "I gave the apple to him," you'd say Yo le di la manzana since le is the indirect object pronoun that corresponds to the subject pronoun él (he). The indirect object pronouns and their corresponding subject pronouns are: me (yo), te (tú), le (él, ella, usted), nos (nosotros/as), os (vosotros/as), and les (ellos/as, ustedes).
So, what if you want to both replace a direct object and indicate "to whom" something happens? You'd then use both a direct and an indirect object pronoun, starting with the latter. Let's see a couple of examples from our Yabla Spanish library:
Y tengo acá las revistas. Si quieres te las enseño después. Y...
And I have the magazines here. If you want I'll show them to you later. And...
Captions 77-78, Gonzalo el Pintor Vida - Part 2
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Here, Gonzalo uses las to replace the feminine plural noun las revistas (the magazines) and te to indicate that he will show them "to you." Let's see one more example.
Y yo voy a la huerta a buscar los tomatitos ya que nadie me los trae.
And I'm going to go to the garden to look for the tomatoes since no one's bringing them to me.
Caption 32, Muñeca Brava 41 La Fiesta - Part 5
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In this case, the speaker uses the masculine plural los to replace the masculine plural los tomatitos (the tomatoes), and the indirect object pronoun me (to me) to reflect that "no one's bringing them to me."
It seems pretty simple, right? The "problem" arises when the required indirect object pronoun is le or les. For example, if you wish to say, "I'm giving it to them," referring to el lapiz (the pencil), would you say: "Yo les lo doy"? The rules of the Spanish language state that whenever the indirect object pronoun in question is le or les, those words change to se to avoid the awkwardness of having two words that begin with "l" in a row. The correct manner of saying this would thus be Yo se lo doy. Let's look at a few more examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
Voy a escribirle una carta y se la mando con el Señor Viento.
I'm going to write her a letter and I'll send it to her with Mister Wind.
Captions 56-58, Guillermina y Candelario El Mar enamorado
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Él... él se los dio a mi marido
He... he gave them to my husband,
Caption 76, Málaga Lourdes y la talabartería en Mijas Pueblo
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La quiero ver... con moñito y todo se lo regalo. -Bueno...
I want to see you... with a bow and everything, I'll give him to you. -Well...
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 7
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Remember that, as with all direct and indirect object pronouns, se lo, etc. are typically placed directly before the verb. However, in the case of infinitive verbs, they are attached to the end of the infinitive to form a new word (with the appropriate placement of a written tilde according to the Spanish accent rules). Let's see a couple of examples:
Señor, esa información no puedo dársela yo.
Sir, I can't give you that information.
Caption 60, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 1 - Part 8
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El problema es que no era capaz de decírselo.
The problem is that I wasn't capable of telling it to him.
Caption 44, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 5
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We hope that this lesson has shed a bit of light on those cases in which the indirect object pronouns le and les change to se. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
Unfortunately, this year that is about to end wasn't the brightest. From the Ukraine war and the never-ending COVID-19 pandemic to global economic woes and the ongoing climate change crisis, this year's Word of the Year summarizes, in just six letters, all of these unfortunate events. With that being said, let's reveal Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year 2022.
The word crisis (with the same spelling as in English) is our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. Let's see how to pronounce this word in Spanish with a sentence we could easily apply to the present times:
Vivimos en tiempos de crisis.
We live in times of crisis.
Caption 3, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 2 - Part 1
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By the way, the word crisis in Spanish doesn't necessarily mean something negative, but rather a drastic change in a particular situation. However, for the context of this lesson, we are using the following definition from the Diccionario de la lengua española:
Situación mala o difícil (Bad or difficult situation)
Do you know what the plural of the word crisis is in Spanish? Let's find out with the following clip:
por las crisis que genera,
for the crises it generates,
Caption 40, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 6
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Yes, the plural of the Spanish word crisis is... crisis! Why? Because words that have the accent on the second-to-last syllable and end in "s" don't change in the plural. In addition to crisis, words like virus and apocalipsis also follow this rule. For more information about this topic, check out our lesson about Rules for Forming the Plural of Nouns in Spanish.
Considering the coverage that the war in Ukraine received this year, we were tempted to choose the word guerra (war) as our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. However, we opted for a word that takes into consideration all of the other problems affecting our world. Let's take a look at some of this year's runner-up terms.
Yo soy "antiguerra", no me gusta la guerra.
I'm "antiguerra" [antiwar], I don't like war.
Captions 52-53, Ana Carolina Prefijos y sufijos - Part 1
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creo que debido a la incertidumbre que teníamos todas las personas,
due, I think, to all of our uncertainty
Caption 46, El coronavirus Confinamiento en España - Part 1
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La inflación en América Latina será más alta que la media.
Inflation in Latin America will be higher than average
Durante la invasión francesa en mil ochocientos ocho,
During the French invasion in eighteen o-eight,
Caption 60, Marisa en Madrid Parque de El Retiro
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Did you notice anything? That was a lot of words that start with the letter i, which even appears twice in the word crisis! That said, i is definitely the Spanish letter of the year!
And that wraps up Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year for 2022. What do you think of our choice? Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us, and here's to hoping that 2023 will be a better year!
Do you know the difference between sinnúmero (one word) and sin número (two separate words)? Do you know how to use them? While sinnúmero and sin número are somewhat similar, they're not quite the same. In this lesson, we'll give you a brief explanation of each, as well as some practical advice for using them.
From a grammatical standpoint, there's a big difference between sinnúmero and sin número. On one hand, sinnúmero is a masculine noun that, on its own, is used to refer to a "myriad," "plethora," or "abundance" of something. Most often, however, it is employed within the following formula to refer to something "countless" or "endless."
the indefinite article un + the noun sinnúmero + the preposition de
Let's see a couple of examples.
Hay un sinnúmero de especies de aves
There are countless bird species
Caption 48, Bogotá El cerro de Monserrate
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Cuando nosotros utilizamos este objeto, podemos crear un sinnúmero de movimientos
When we use this object, we can create an endless array of movements
Captions 15-16, Melyna Los beneficios de hula
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As you may have noticed, while the formula un sinnúmero de is sometimes translated with an English noun phrase like "a countless number" or "an endless array," other times, this formula is instead conveyed with an English adjective like "countless," as in the first example.
Let's now move on to sin número, which is an adjective phrase that is generally placed after a noun to mean "numerous" or "abundant. Let's look at an example:
Los soldados temían que las decisiones del capitán pudieran generar desgracias sin número.
The soldiers feared that the captain's decisions might generate numerous difficulties.
Finally, we should also say that sin número can be intended more literally when talking about something that has no number, as in the following sentence:
Marco vivió por mucho tiempo en una casa sin número.
Marco lived for a long time in a house without a number.
Although there's a fine line between sinnúmero and sin número, when you want to convey ideas like "countless," "innumerable," or "numerous," the one-word option sinnúmero is your safest bet since the adjective phrase sin número is only rarely used in that context.
Before we go, let's look at one more example of the Spanish noun sinnúmero within the formula we've learned today:
y un sinnúmero de rituales donde se adoraba al sol.
and countless rituals where the sun was worshiped.
Caption 42, Viajando con Priscilla Turismo en Quito
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That's all for this lesson. We hope you've learned something new, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
Do you know how to read una receta (a recipe) in Spanish and/or talk about the various actions one must perform to prepare una comida (a meal)? In order to help you do so, we've taken fifty of the most popular cooking verbs in English, then given you the equivalent Spanish term(s) for each, along with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library. Let's get started!
When talking about "adding" in an ingredient, there are various choices! While the first two mean "to add," the second two literally mean "to put" or "place" but are frequently seen in recipes to describe the same action:
Una vez sudado los ingredientes, le colocamos: salsa inglesa,
Once the ingredients are stewed, we add in: Worcestershire sauce,
Captions 50-51, Recetas de cocina Pabellón criollo
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El siguiente paso es batir ocho o nueve huevos.
The next step is to beat eight or nine eggs.
Captions 37-38, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
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And speaking of eggs, you have "to break" or "crack" them, which is described with the Spanish verb romper (to break):
Rompe los huevos contra una superficie plana.
Break the eggs on a flat surface.
Ahora llena una cazuela de agua y luego ponla a hervir.
Now, fill a pot with water, and then, bring it to a boil.
Captions 37-38, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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There are many ways to describe the action of "blending" in Spanish. While the first four options we have listed are more likely to refer to simply "mixing thoroughly," batir and licuar tend to describe more vigorous actions and perhaps even some instrument like a una/a batidor/a (whisk) or licuadora (blender).
Todo esto vamos a llevar a licuar, a dar vueltas
All of this, we're going to blend, to spin around,
Caption 29, Mónica Batido
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y se hornea
and you bake it
Caption 78, Viajando con Fermín Restaurante La Viña - Part 2
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y vamos a asar dos tiempos la parte de la grasa
and we're going to barbecue the part with the fat two times
Caption 49, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
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Vamos a cortar en pedazos pequeños también la lechuga,
Let's also cut the lettuce into small pieces,
Caption 16, Ana Carolina Receta para una picada
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The verb cubrir might refer to covering something with una tapa (a cover/lid) or something else, like water:
Vamos a cubrirlo y vamos a subirle el fuego.
We're going to cover it, and we're going to increase the heat.
Caption 37, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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La papa es fácil de cocinar,
Potatoes are easy to cook,
Caption 14, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 3
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Luego, pones el papel encerado por encima y dejas que enfríe.
Then, you put the wax paper on top and you let it cool.
Captions 26-27, Manos a la obra Postres de Minecraft
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Picamos todo; todo se tiene que picar muy, muy pequeño.
We chop everything; everything has to be chopped very, very small.
Caption 13, Cleer y Lida Ají
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The Spanish word dados literally means "dice," as in the dice you play games with. Cortar en dados (literally "to cut in dice") is thus one of the ways to talk about the "dicing" action in Spanish:
Cortarlo en dados y freírlos hasta dorar.
Dice it, and fry them until browned.
Caption 50, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 5
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Although the verbs escurrir and colar can both mean "to drain," as in simply getting rid of excess liquid, they can also mean "to strain," as in running something through a colador (colander, sieve, etc.) to separate the solid from the liquid:
Ahora cuela los garbanzos con un colador. Escúrrelos bien.
Now, strain the chickpeas with a strainer. Drain them well.
Captions 40-41, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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En la sartén, un poco de aceite y fríes la mezcla.
In the frying pan, a little bit of oil, and you fry the mixture.
Caption 35, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 1
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la volteamos y hacemos lo mismo y podemos ir volteándola hasta que esté totalmente cocinada.
we flip it, and we do the same thing, and we can keep flipping it until it's totally cooked.
Captions 34-35, Dany Arepas - Part 2
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Note that these words can also be used as equivalents of the English "to crush."
y después de eso procederemos a molerla.
and after that we will proceed to grind it.
Caption 51, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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¿Qué, sos un queso pa' que te ralle?
What, are you some cheese for me to grate?
Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 39 Verdades - Part 10
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You might have noticed that the terms for "to grill" and "to barbecue" in Spanish are similar, and people often confuse these actions ("barbecuing" tends to describe cooking something for longer over a lower heat, and perhaps on an actual "barbecue"). Most of the time, context should let you know which meaning is intended.
Ahora vamos a asar las arepas.
Now we are going to grill the arepas.
Caption 31, Recetas de cocina Arepas colombianas
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Lo ponemos en la estufa... y lo vamos a calentar a un fuego medio o bajo.
We put it on the stove... and we're going to heat it over medium or low heat.
Caption 18, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 1
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Entonces, tenemos que amasarla bien.
Then, we have to knead it well.
Caption 66, Recetas de cocina Carimañolas
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es que, si cada persona en el cuarto enciende un fósforo al mismo tiempo,
is that, if every person in the room lights a match at the same time,
Captions 52-53, Eljuri Hablamos Con La Artista Sobre Su Nuevo Álbum
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Similarly, the verb encender can also mean "to turn on."
¿Y medís la grasa que tiene,
And you measure the fat that it has,
Caption 17, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 14
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eh, que sea grande y espacioso para poder mezclar.
um, which is large and spacious to be able to mix.
Caption 25, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Ahora voy a cocinar en microondas las palomitas.
Now, I'm going to microwave the popcorn.
"Haz puré con un aplastador de papas" means "Mash with a potato masher." Now, let's look at a clip that describes the result of this action!
Ella va a hacer un puré de papa y yo voy a hacer la pechuga.
She is going to make some mashed potatoes, and I am going to make the chicken breast.
Caption 27, Misión Chef 2 - Pruebas - Part 7
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Derrítalo en agua caliente. Eh... derretirlo... eh...
Melt it in hot water. Um... melt it... um...
Captions 29-30, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 7
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Lo vamos a picar como en una crema.
We're going to mince it like in a cream.
Caption 77, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 2
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Lo dejamos marinar una hora en el refrigerador
We let it marinate for one hour in the refrigerator
Caption 9, Osos en la cocina Pollo asiático
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El primer paso es pelar las patatas,
The first step is to peel the potatoes,
Caption 23, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
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y vierte un poco de aceite.
and pour in a bit of oil.
Caption 55, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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Take note that in addition to "grill" and "barbecue," the Spanish verb asar can also mean "to roast," or "cook in an oven or open fire." When talking about "roasting" coffee beans, nuts, or seeds, however, the verb tostar (literally "to toast") is commonly employed to describe the "roasting" action:
El café se tuesta entre doscientos y doscientos cincuenta grados centígrados.
Coffee is roasted at between two hundred and two hundred fifty degrees centigrade.
Caption 7, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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Refrigera la torta por dos horas antes de servir.
Refrigerate cake for two hours prior to serving.
The verb estirar, which usually means "to stretch," can also refer to "rolling out" dough, for example, with a rolling pin:
el rulero, empezar a estirar la empanada.
the rolling pin, start to roll out the empanada.
Caption 37, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Lalo y la receta de la empanada
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Although enjuagar is the most common verb meaning "to rinse," sometimes the verb desinfectar can be used when referring to "rinsing" food items.
las frutas, lo... las lavamos, las desinfectamos,
the fruit, we... we wash it, we rinse it,
Caption 15, Otavalo Mali Tea
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Have you ever heard of "false friends," or false cognates in Spanish? While remover sounds like "to remove" and revolver resembles "to revolve," both of these verbs mean "to stir" in Spanish (the latter making a bit more sense!). Meanwhile, the false friend estirar, which looks and sounds more like "to stir," means "to stretch" (or "roll out," as we learned earlier).
Recordad: remover bien la mezcla.
Remember: Stir the mixture well.
Caption 65, El Aula Azul Receta de natillas
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In addition to "to stir," the Spanish verb revolver can also mean "to scramble."
Revuelve los huevos en una sartén de acero inoxidable.
Scramble the eggs in a stainless steel frying pan.
Espolvorea con azúcar y canela.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Exprimimos medio limón por cada trozo de carne.
We squeeze half a lemon for each piece of meat.
Caption 36, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
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con queso y mantequilla que puedes untar sobre el pan.
with cheese and butter that you can spread on the bread.
Captions 40-41, Natalia de Ecuador Alimentos para el desayuno
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Al vapor, el brócoli conserva su textura, su sabor y sus propiedades.
Steamed, broccoli keeps its texture, its flavor, and its properties.
Captions 58-59, Soledad Ensaladilla de brócoli
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This Spanish verb literally means "to boil at low heat," which is what "simmering" refers to:
Hierve el guiso a fuego lento por tres a cuatro horas.
Simmer the stew for three to four hours.
Picamos en rebanadas.
We slice [them].
Caption 15, Recetas de cocina Ensalada de pepino
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le echo... lo salteo con aceite y le echo una guindilla.
I put it in... I sauté it with oil and I add a chili pepper to it.
Caption 27, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 3
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De un litro, hay que cogerle y cernirle
From one liter, you have to take it and sift it,
Caption 102, Comunidad Tsáchila Ayahuasca y plantas curativas
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Notice that the Spanish words for "tossing" a salad are not the literal translations for the word "toss" as in "throw," but rather mean "to mix" (mezclar) and "to stir" (revolver, remover).
Verter el aderezo en la ensalada y revolver poco antes de servir.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss just before serving.
La uso para tostar el pan del desayuno por las mañanas.
I use it to toast the breakfast bread in the morning.
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Piensa rápido
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Para cada jarra de café debo pesar siempre la misma cantidad
For each mug of coffee I must always weigh out the same amount,
Captions 53-54, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
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The previously discussed Spanish verb batir can also be used for the action of "whisking." To be more specific, you might also mention the name of the "whisk" instrument:
Usando una batidora de varillas, bate la mezcla hasta que esté uniforme.
Using a wire whisk, blend mixture until it is uniform.
A much simpler translation with the same meaning would be simply: "Whisk mixture until uniform."
Mientras lavamos el tomate y vamos preparando la ensalada,
While we wash the tomato and we're making the salad,
Caption 28, Fermín Ensalada de tomate
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We hope that this lesson on the top Spanish verbs for cooking has brought to light a lot of new cooking vocabulary as well as making you aware of a multitude of Yabla videos you might not have seen with a ton of scrumptious recipes to try! And if you do, we would love for you to write us with your experiences and comments!
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