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Some Verbs Followed by En and Infinitive

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:36:26 +0000

Although infinitives can stand alone when they function as nouns, they are often linked to other verbs with a preposition.

In our earlier lessons, for example, we looked how infinitives can be connected with other verbs using de and a. In our newest lesson, we look at how to follow a verb with en and an infinitive, a sentence construction that has no direct equivalent in English.

Years Pronounced As Regular Numbers

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:57:17 +0000

From the mailbox:

veinte doce

Hoy es _____, el _____ de _____ de _____.

Hoy es miércoles, el quince de febrero de dos mil doce.

Hoy es miercoles, el quince de febrero de veinte doce

You have a good memory for grammar — your students should listen to you! According to what's heard in real life as well as to the Royal Spanish Academy, years are pronounced the same as other cardinal numbers.

So 2012 is pronounced as "dos mil doce," and that's just as quick to say as what your students want. Spanish speakers simply don't break up the years into two two-digit sections like we frequently do in English.

Dicho, Tal Used To Refer to What Was Said Earlier

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:42:49 +0000

There are at least two common adjectives in Spanish that are used to refer to something that was said earlier. One of them is dicho, which as the past participle of decir literally means "said." (Example: Los documentos deben apoyar dicha idea. The documents should support said idea.) Tal is another such word, and can often be translated as "such." (Example: No puedo apoyar tal idea. I can't support such an idea.)

Tal can also be used in other ways, such as part of a greeting. Tal is further explained in a new lesson on using tal.

Impersonal Es Phrases Often Trigger the Subjunctive Mood

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 03:14:29 +0000

The subjunctive mood can be intimidating when you first start to learn it, but don't let that deter you — although the subjunctive mood is often neglected in English, it's an essential feature of Spanish. One way to ease yourself into using the subjunctive is by studying our list of phrases such as "Es posible que" and "Es necesario que" and learning which ones can trigger the use of the subjunctive mood. That list is featured in our newest grammar lesson, on es phrases and the subjunctive.

¡Feliz Día de San Valentín!

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:31:58 +0000

If you're celebrating St. Valentine's Day today, you might assume that people in Spanish-speaking countries are celebrating el Día de San Valentín. Indeed that's the case — although it is also known in some areas as el Día de los Enamorados (Day of Those in Love), el Día del Amor y la Amistad (Day of Love and Friendship) and/or el Día del Cariño (Sweetheart's Day or Affection Day).

If you're looking for something appropriate with regard to learning Spanish today, I'd suggest a look at a 4-year-old blog post that has become one of the most popular on this site, and it still gets occasional comments: "'Te Quiero' or 'Te Amo'?" (I'll warn you, though, that you can't believe all the comments you read.) For a more formal explanation of the difference been two verbs for love, querer and amar, see the lesson on saying "I love you" in Spanish.

Expand Your Vocabulary With Suffixes

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:26:48 +0000

In Spanish, a tabla is a board (among other things). By changing its ending, you can come up with new words and meanings: A tablado is a platform, a tablero can be a game board (such as for chess), a tableta is a tablet or a candy bar, and a tablón is a plank or a bulletin board. These endings added to tabl- are known as suffixes, and in Spanish they can be used with great versatility to add nuances of meaning or to come up with new words entirely.

Although most suffixes are different enough from those in English that you might not be able to guess their meanings, that's not so with Spanish prefixes, which overlap substantially with those of English.

How Do You Say 'It' in Spanish?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:42:21 +0000

If you've learned Spanish for more than a few weeks, you probably know that él typically means "he" (or sometimes "him") and ella means "she." But did you also know that both of these words are sometimes used to say "it"? Other words such as lo, la and ello are also used at times to mean "it." But more often than not, as explained in our lesson about "it," no word is used at all.

Spanish Has Single Sound for L

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:21:15 +0000

Beginning Spanish students are often told that the L of Spanish is pronounced pretty much like it is in English. But that isn't necessarily true. While the English word "low" and the Spanish lo are pronounced very much alike, "tall" and tal are not. Although you may not have noticed, English has two "L" sounds that are quite different — and, as explained in our lesson on pronouncing the L, only one of them is used in Spanish.

What's Your Job?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:09:57 +0000

What do you do for a living? Or what do you want to be when you're through with school? At least in the culture where most of us live, those questions are among the first you may ask or be asked upon getting to know someone. If you're asked the same question in Spanish, our lesson on Spanish words for occupations may help you come up with the answer.

Also, keep in mind that, as explained in our lesson on omitting the indefinite article, when you're saying something like "I am a student" in Spanish, you don't need to translate the "a": Soy estudiante.

Chico y Rita To Debut in U.S. Next Week

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 14:52:57 +0000

Chico y Rita, the only Spanish-language film to receive an Oscar nomination this year, will have its U.S. opening weekend starting Feb. 10, according to the website Box Office Mojo. The film was nominated for best animated feature.

Chico y Rita, directed by Spaniards Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal, is aimed at adults and tells the story of a singer and songwriter who meet in Havana in the late 1940s and follow each other and their dreams to Europe and the United States. It has been praised for its retro-style animation as well as its music. Much of the animation was based on live filming done in Havana in 2007.

The film played in

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Chico y Rita To Debut in U.S. Next Week originally appeared on About.com Spanish Language on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 14:52:57.

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