Basic Spanish Guide PDF

Spanish
Learners Guide
Berlitz Publishing/APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG

Singapore Branch, Singapore
SPANISH
LEARNERS GUIDE
NO part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted in any form or means electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior
written permission from Apa Publications.
Contacting the Editors
Every effort has been made to provide accurate information in
this publication, but changes are inevitable. The publisher
cannot be responsible for any resulting loss, inconvenience or
injury. We would appreciate it if readers would call our attention
to any errors or outdated information by contacting Berlitz
Publishing, 95 Progress Street, Union, NJ 07083, USA.
Fax: 1-908-206-1103, email: comments@berlitzbooks.com
All Rights Reserved
2003 Berlitz Publishing/APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag
KG, Singapore Branch, Singapore
Berlitz Trademark Reg. U.S. Patent Office and other countries.
Marca Registrada. Used under license from Berlitz Investment
Corporation
Contents
Overview of the Course and Study Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Whats in it and how to get the most out of it
Grammar Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Handy reference with all the rules and lots of examples
Spanish-English Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Look up the meaning of any word that appears in the program
Overview of the Course and Study Tips

Whos It For?
Its designed for adult learners with no previous knowledge of Spanish, but is also
useful for people who have studied Spanish in the past and want to brush up their
skills. Whether youre studying in preparation for foreign travel, for your job, for an
exam, or just for pleasure, this course will fit the bill.
Whats the Approach?
The focus is on spoken conversation, and the goal is to bring you to the point
where youll be able to function in a wide variety of everyday situations. Youll be
working on all of the four most important skills in language learning:
understanding whats being said, speaking, reading, and writing.
Course Book and Audio
The course book is the primary tool. It will tell you when to work with the audio.
The presenters on the audio will give additional instructions. At times youll be
asked to simply listen, at other times to listen and repeat or to answer orally, and at
other times to write your answers in the course book.
How Is the Material Structured?
The course is divided into units and each unit deals with a different theme. Each
unit is in turn divided into three short lessons, so youll never feel overwhelmed.
Berlitz Publishing/APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG Singapore Branch, Singapore
Introduction
Recurring Features
Word Bank
Each lesson opens with a Word Bank that contains all the new words for that lesson
together with their English translations. Dont worry, theres a comprehensive
glossary beginning on page 22 of this booklet that contains all the terms covered in
the course, so youll never be at a loss for words. Spend a few minutes reviewing the
Word Bank before beginning each lesson, but dont try to learn all the meanings at
once. Theyll come up in context one by one, and thats when the real learning will
take place.
Close-Up
These brief segments each address a different aspect of grammar, spelling, or
punctuation. Generally, a rule is stated with examples, together with any major
exceptions.
Pronunciation
These segments, which are always accompanied by a recorded exercise, provide tips
on correct pronunciation. Remember to take advantage of the native Spanish voices
on the audio and try to imitate exactly what you hear. Heres a trick: everyone
knows how to put on a Spanish accent. When youre speaking Spanish with the
audio, try to impersonate a Spanish or Latin American person speaking the Spanish
words. Youll be amazed how much it helps.
Did You Know?
These segments focus on cultural aspects of the major Spanish-speaking countries.
Weve kept it very practical, discussing such things as levels of formality, business
hours, and so on.
Checkpoints
This segment comes at the very end of each unit, and is designed to give you an
opportunity to test yourself on what youve learned. All the major points of the unit
are included, and if you pass the test, youre ready to move on to the next unit.
Extra!
This material is designed to give you the opportunity to take on an additional
challenge to expand beyond the level of the unit youve just completed. But
dont worry, its entirely optional. With this in mind, weve carefully separated this
material from the rest of the unit, placing it at the very back of the course book.
2 Spanish
How to Get the Most Out of the Course

Learning Styles
One of the advantages of self study is that you can work at your own pace and in
the way that suits you best. If youre visually oriented, the illustrated course book
will provide excellent support. Or maybe you learn best by listening (thats our
favorite part!). You can immerse yourself in Spanish using the audio recordings. If
you feel more comfortable when you know the rules, youll find weve
accommodated you in this regard as well.
Discipline Yourself!
Self study has a lot to offer, but it does make one important demand on you:
discipline. You can set your own pace, but you must set aside a regular block of
time, at least twice a week (preferably more often) to work with the material. Its
more important to set a steady pace than an intensive one. Try to work with the
material for at least 30 minutes each timewithout interruption. You should do
this at a time of day when you can best concentrate, and this varies for each person.
Choose a location where you will not be interrupted (even if its in your car), and
where you can feel free to speak out loud.
Other Study Tips
Work with the recordings.
In order to learn to speak you must first hear the language spoken. The recordings
contain a wide range of authentic native speakers. Listen carefully and try to
imitate exactly what you hear. After looking over the Word Bank youll be asked to
listen to a portion of the audio. This should be done with the course book closed.
The presenters on the audio will lead you through a series of activities. They will
announce the purpose of each activity and tell you what you should do. Sometimes
youll be asked to simply listen, but it will be for some specific purpose. At other
times youll be asked to repeat what you hear, to answer questions, or to assume the
role of one of the characters in a dialog. For some activities youll be asked to open
your course book to refer to an illustration or map, or to complete a written
exercise.
Speak out loud.
Listening alone is not enough. You have to repeat what you hear, and then answer
the questionsout loud. Learning to speak a language is as much a physical as an
intellectual activity. Your vocal chords have to be trained to do things they arent
used to doing. Remember: you learn to speak by speaking!
Dont be afraid to make mistakes.
Dont be afraid to sound silly. To a Spanish-speaking person it sounds a lot sillier if
you dont speak the way they do. Try to throw yourself completely into the sounds
and rhythms of the language.
Introduction
Keep an open mind.

Dont expect your new language to work the same as your own, and dont look for a
neat set of rules. Accept the differences. Much of the charm of a foreign language is
that it can permit us to see the world from a different perspective.
Review frequently.
Go back over the material as many times as necessary until you feel comfortable
with it. And its always a good idea to go back over previously covered material.
One good way is to go back over the Checkpoints page at the end of each
unit to see if you can still perform at the same level as when you had just completed
the unit.
Enjoy yourself!
Treat this as an exciting adventure. The more you allow yourself to enjoy the
program, the faster youll improve your learning rate.
4 Spanish
Grammar
Section
In this section, youll find all the grammar from this course plus additional grammar
explanations. It fills in details not explained to give you a more comprehensive overview of
the fundamentals of Spanish grammar. However, you do not need to refer to this section
in order to begin or complete the units sucessfully.
Letters of the Alphabet

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
ah
be
ce
de
eh
efe
ge
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
ache
i
jota
ka
ele
eme
ene
O
P
Q
R
S
T
ee
o
pe
cu
ere
ese
te
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
u
uve
doble ve
equis
i griega
zeta
Until 1994, ch and ll were regarded as separate letters and had their own sections in the
dictionary. Although most dictionaries published since then will have made the change,
there will still be some that use the old format. The letter is still treated as a separate
letter; for example, soar, to dream follows sonar, to sound.
1. Spelling
The spelling of Spanish corresponds quite closely to its pronunciation. Pronunciation
sections at the end of each unit in the course book provide detailed guidance.
Stress and Accents

Three rules govern the way a word is stressed:
Words that end in a vowel, -n, or -s are stressed on the next-to-last syllable: agua, hombre,
hombres, queso, como, comes, come, comen.
Words that end in a consonant other than -n or -s are stressed on the last syllable: llegar,
beber, vivir, ciudad, reloj, principal, arroz.
Words that do not conform to either of those rules have an acute accent () on the vowel
that is stressed.
Verbs in the preterite and future tenses have an accent on the final vowel: llegu, lleg,
llegar, llegars, llegar, llegarn
Words that end in -n, -n, -n, and -s also have an accent on the final vowel: estacin,
caimn, sartn, ingls. However, these words do not have accents in the plural (or in the
feminine, where this form exists), because they conform to the first rule: estaciones,
caimanes, sartenes, ingleses, inglesa.
Words that are stressed two syllables from the end carry an accent: poltico, malsimo,
often require an accent when pronouns are attached to them: escribindole.
Crdoba. Verbs
Grammar
Interrogative (question) words have accents: Qu? Cuntos? Por qu? De quin es?
Accents are also used to distinguish words that are otherwise spelled the same way:
si = if, s = yes, mi = my, m = me; el = the, l = he/him.
The other diacritical marks that are used in Spanish are:
the tilde on the letter , as in seor and Espaa.
the diaresis, or umlaut, that indicates that the u is pronounced in
the combinations ge and gi: antigedades.
2. Nouns
Nouns are words that name something. A noun can be an idea, a person, a place,
a quality, or a thing.
Gender
In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminineeven if they are concepts or
inanimate objects.
In general, nouns referring to male beings are masculine (el hombre, el chico, el toro) and
those referring to female beings are feminine (la mujer, la chica, la vaca). However, some
nouns that might seem to have a particular gender are the same for both sexes. For
example, una persona is a grammatically feminine noun regardless of the sex of the person
you are referring to: Juan es una persona amable.
Most nouns that end in -o are masculine: el libro, el cuarto. Exceptions include la mano,
la foto, and la moto.
Most nouns that end in -a are feminine: la silla, la mesa. Exceptions include:
nouns that end in -ista that refer to a human male: el taxista, el comunista,
el deportista.
some nouns that end in -ma: el problema, el programa, el pijama.

In general, nouns that end in -in (except el avin and el camin) and -dad, or -tad are
feminine: la nacin, la estacin, la ciudad, la libertad.
Plurals
Nouns that end in a vowel add -s; those that end in a consonant add -es: libro/libros,
cine/cines, casa/casas, ciudad/ciudades, catedral/catedrales, mes/meses.
However:
singular nouns that end in -z change the -z to -ces in the plural: vez/veces.
singular nouns that end in -n, -n, or -n lose their accents in the plural:
estacin/estaciones.
days of the week that end in -es do not change in the plural: el lunes/los lunes.
last names do not change in the plural: los Gmez.
6 Spanish
3. Deter miners
This is a general term for some of the words that place nouns in a context. Some articles
indicate that the speaker assumes that the listener knows the person, thing, or idea referred
to. Other articles show to whom the person, thing, or idea belongs, how many there are,
and so on.
DEFINITE ARTICLE (the)
Masculine
Feminine
Singular
Plural
el
los
la
las
INDEFINITE ARTICLE (a, an)

Masculine
Feminine
un
unos
una
unas
Exceptions: The masculine forms el and un are used before feminine nouns that begin
with stressed a or ha: el agua/las aguas. The words de and el combine to become del, while
a and el become al.
Def inite Ar ticles

In Spanish, the definite article is used with the name of a language, except after hablar:
Me gusta el espaol.
I like Spanish.
No me gusta hablar italiano.
I dont like to speak Italian.
with dates and days of the week when the word on is understood:
El sbado juego al tenis.
On Saturday Im playing tennis.
Juego al tenis todos los sbados.
I play tennis every Saturday.
Vamos a Mxico el 9 de noviembre. Were going to Mexico on November 9.
with titles, such as Mr. or Mrs., and when talking about, but not to, somebody:
Has visto a la seora Surez?
Have you seen Mrs. Surez?
Buenos das, seora Surez.
Good morning, Mrs. Surez.
El rey Juan Carlos de Espaa.
King Juan Carlos of Spain.
Indef inite Ar ticles

The singular indefinite article emphasizes the type of thing or person being referred to,
rather than a specific individual or object: un hombre, una mujer, un peridico, una revista.
The plural indefinite articles, unos and unas, mean some:
Voy a visitar a unos amigos.
Im going to visit some friends.
However, this is often not expressed when it would refer to a singular noun:
Quieres caf?
Would you like some coffee?
Grammar
4. Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns. In Spanish, adjectives must agree in both gender and
number with the nouns they describe.
un chico alto
a tall boy
unos chicos altos
some tall boys
unas chicas altas
some tall girls
Adjectives that end in -o have four forms:
MASCULINE
SINGULAR
PLURAL
SINGULAR
PLURAL
nuevo
nueva
nuevas
nuevos
FEMININE
Adjectives that end in -e or in a consonant have different singular and plural forms, but
the masculine and feminine forms are the same: verde/verdes, gris/grises.
Adjectives denoting nationality have four forms, regardless of the ending:
espaol
espaoles
espaola
espaolas
ingls
ingleses
inglesa
inglesas
Note that the accent is lost when singular nouns that end in -s become plural nouns.
Adjectives that end in -dor, -n, and -n also have four forms:
encantador
encantadores
encantadora
encantadoras
Position of Adjectives
In Spanish, adjectives usually come after a noun:
El Orinoco es un ro ancho.
The Orinoco is a wide river.
There are a few common adjectives that can precede the noun, especially ordinal numbers
(primero, segundo, tercero) and these pairs: bueno/malo and alguno/ninguno.
Qu mal ejemplo!
What a bad example!
Vivimos en el tercer piso.
We live on the third floor.
No hay ningn problema.
Theres no problem.
Note that all of these words have shortened forms when used with masculine singular
nouns (for example, mal, not malo). Grande is shortened to gran before singular nouns.
ste es mi gran amigo Juanito.
This is my good friend Johnny.
Es una gran tradicin.
Its a great tradition.
8 Spanish
Comparatives
There are three ways to compare things:
ms . . . que
more... than:
La Argentina es ms grande que Paraguay.
menos . . . que
less...than:
Paraguay es menos grande que la Argentina.

(no) tan . . . como
Argentina is larger than Paraguay.
Paraguay is smaller (less large) than

Argentina.
(not) as... as:
Paraguay no es tan grande como la Argentina.
Paraguay is not as large as Argentina.
Note that the following comparative words are used without ms:
mejor
better
un piso mejor
a better apartment
peor
worse
es peor que . . .
its worse than...
mayor older, bigger
es el mayor de todos its the biggest of all
menor younger, smaller
mi hermana menor
my younger sister
Superlatives
Use ms and menos to indicate the most and the least:
Es la tienda ms grande de la ciudad.
Its the biggest store in the city.
Es la revista menos interesante.
Its the least interesting magazine.
Use mejor or peor and mayor or menor in a similar way:
Es el peor aeropuerto del mundo.
Its the worst airport in the world.
Note that de, not en, is used after a superlative.
To indicate that something is extremely good, bad, and so on, add -simo or sima
to the adjective:
La pelcula fue malsima.
The movie was very, very bad.
Demonstratives
There are three ways to say this, that, or those in Spanish (demonstrative adjectives):
este
ese
aquel
this (here, near me)

that (there, near you)
that (over there, away from both of us)
Grammar
Each must agree with the noun it refers to:

este libro
esta revista
ese libro
esa revista
aquel libro
aquella revista
this book
this magazine
that book
that magazine
that book
that magazine
estos libros
estas revistas
esos libros
esas revistas
aquellos libros
aquellas revistas
these books
these magazines
those books
those magazines
those books
those magazines
There are also neuter formsesto, eso, and aquellothat are used when the gender
is not known:
Qu es esto/eso/aquello?
Whats this/that?
5. Possession
Spanish does not have the equivalent of the apostrophe s. To say that something
belongs to someone, you must use de + noun:
De quin es este bolso? Es de Rosa. Es el bolso de Rosa.
Whose bag is this? Its Rosas. Its Rosas bag.
Possessive Adjectives
Remember that these words must agree with the objects possessed, not with the persons
or things that possess them:
mi, mis
tu, tus
su, sus
my
your
his, her, its, your
nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras

vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras
su, sus
Es mi bolso. Son mis gafas.
Its my bag. Theyre my glasses.
Es sta su chaqueta, Sra. Blanes?
Is this your jacket, Mrs. Blanes?
our
your
their, your
The ambiguity of su and sus can create problems. How do we know if it indicates the
words his, her, it, yours, or theirs? The meaning is often obvious from the
context, as in the example above. However, if there is the possibility of misunderstanding,
you can use de and a pronoun. For example, de usted or de ella.
Es sta la chaqueta de su hijo?
Is this your sons jacket?
Possessive Pronouns
el mo
el tuyo
el suyo
el nuestro
el vuestro
el suyo
10 Spanish
la ma
la tuya
la suya
la nuestra
la vuestra
la suya
los mos
los tuyos
los suyos
los nuestros
los vuestros
los suyos
las mas
las tuyas
las suyas
las nuestras
las vuestras
las suyas
mine
yours (t)
his/hers/yours (usted)
ours
yours (vosotros)
theirs/yours (ustedes)
6. Pronouns
Pronouns take the place of, or stand in for, nouns. As in English, Spanish pronouns vary
depending on their grammatical function.
Personal Pronouns
SUBJECT
DIRECT
OBJECT
INDIRECT
OBJECT
REFLEXIVE
PREPOSITIONAL
yo
t
l
ella
usted
me
te
lo
la
lo/la
me
te
le
le
le
me
te
se
se
se
m
ti
l
ella
usted
I
you
he/him
she/her
you
nosotros/as
vosotros/as
ellos
ellas
ustedes
nos
os
los
las
los/las
nos
os
les
les
les
nos
os
se
se
se
nosotros/as
vosotros/as
ellos
ellas
ustedes
we/us
you
they/them (m)
they/them (f)
you (pl)
Subject Pronouns
In Spanish, one can usually identify the doer of an action by the verb ending. Subject
pronouns are used with a verb only for emphasis or for clarity.
Bueno. Yo ir de compras y t limpiars la casa.
Okay. Ill go shopping and youll clean the house.

The forms usted and ustedes tend to be used more often because of the possible
ambiguity of third person verb endings:
Viene usted?
Are you coming?
Y Nati, viene?
And Nati, is she coming?
These pronouns can be used without a verb:
Quin dijo eso? Yo!
Who said that? I did!
Direct Object Pronouns

The direct object is the person or thing that is on the receiving end of the verb. For
example, in the sentence I see it, the pronoun it is what is being seen.
Ves a Juan? S lo veo.
Do you see Juan? Yes, I see him.
S, te oigo.
Yes, I hear you.
Grammar
11
Lo is
usually used for him, la for her:

Pedro? No lo conozco.
Elena? No la conozco.
I dont know him.

I dont know her.
Lo and la correspond
to it and los or las to them, and each must agree with the
gender of the object being referred to:
El buzn? Ah, s, lo veo.
The mailbox? Oh, yes, I see it.
La msica? No, no la oigo.
The music? No, I dont hear it.
Indirect Object Pronouns

The indirect object is the recipient of the action. It is often used with verbs that have to do
with telling, sending, giving, and similar activities. In the sentence I gave it to them,
them receives the thing that was given. In English the indirect object is oftenbut not
alwayspreceded by to.
Me mandaste el fax?
Te lo dar maana.
No le dije nada.
Voy a escribirles.
Voy a escribirles a ellas.
Did you send the fax to me?

Ill give it to you tomorrow.
I didnt say anything to him/her.
I am going to write to them.
I am going to write to them (fem.)
Note that le means both to him and to her. Les means to them, and is used to
refer to both genders.
When a direct and indirect object occur together, the indirect always comes first:
Me lo mandaste?
Did you send it to me?
In Spanish, two pronouns beginning with the letter l are not used together: the first
(the indirect) is always changed to se:
S, seor, se lo mand.
Yes, sir, I sent it to you. (le lo would be incorrect)
Because usted and ustedes are third person pronouns, the direct objects are lo and los
(masculine) and la and las (feminine). The indirect objects are le and les:
Ya la conozco, verdad?
I know you, dont I?
Qu les pas?
What happened to you?
Le escribiremos pronto.
Well write to you soon.
Se lo mandaremos.
Well send it to you.
12 Spanish
Ref lexive Pronouns

These are used when the subject of the verb does the action to himself or herself. There are
many more reflexive verbs in Spanish than in English.
Me lav las manos.
I washed my hands.
Te quitaste el suter.
You took off your sweater.
Se hicieron dao.
They hurt themselves.
Position of Object and Ref lexive Pronouns

Object and reflexive pronouns are usually placed directly before the verbs they modify:
Me torc el pie.
I twisted my foot.
Se lo mandar.
Ill send it to you.
But they can also be attached to the end of:
infinitives:
Voy a mandrselo.
Were going to send it to you.
Tienes que baarte.
You have to take a bath.
gerunds:
Estamos escribindola.
Estoy afeitndome.
Were writing it.

Im shaving.
positive imperatives:
Hgalo ahora mismo!
Sintese!
Do it right now!
Sit down!
But not to negative imperatives:

No lo hagas! No se siente!
Dont do it! Dont sit down!
Prepositional Pronouns
These are pronouns that are used after prepositions. Except for m and ti, they are
the same as the subject pronouns.
Esto es para usted.
This is for you.
No vayan sin m!
Dont go without me!
Note the special forms conmigo meaning with me and contigo meaning with you:
Vienes conmigo?
Are you coming with me?
S, voy contigo.
Yes, Ill go with you.
Grammar
13
Prepositional pronouns are also used to emphasize or clarify object pronouns:

Me lo dio a m!
He gave it to me!
Se lo mandar a usted.
Ill send it to you.
7.
Negatives
To make a verb negative, simply place no before it:
Voy al supermercado.
Im going to the supermarket.
No voy al supermercado. Im not going to the supermarket.
Other negative words are:
nada
nothing
nadie
nobody, no one
nunca
never
jams
never
ninguno (ningn)
none, not any
ni . . . ni . . .
neither... nor...
tampoco
neither, no... either
Double negatives are the correct form in Spanish, but not in English.
No veo nada.
I cannot see anything. (Not: I cannot see nothing.)
Aqu no hay nadie.
Theres nobody here.
There isnt anybody here.
If the negative word follows the verb in Spanish, no must be placed before the verb as a
kind of warning that a negative is coming:
Nadie contesta. or No contesta nadie.
Nobody answers.
Nunca como carne.
I never eat meat.
Ellos no comen ni pescado ni carne.
They eat neither fish nor meat.
Tampoco is
the negative form of tambin:
Yo tambin como carne.

Yo tampoco como carne.
I eat meat as well.

I dont eat meat either.
A negative can be used without a verb:

Tienes dinero? No, nada.
14 Spanish
Do you have any money? No, none.
8. Adverbs
Adverbs are words that modify verbs and adjectives. Just as English adds -ly to an adjective
to make an adverb, so in Spanish you add -mente to the word. (Note that Spanish adds
this suffix to the feminine form of the adjective if one exists.)
lento/lenta slow
lentamente
slowly
nacional
national
nacionalmente
nationally
9. Prepositions
A preposition is a connecting word. It permits speakers to indicate relationships between
people, objects, and various combinations of both.
The Pr incipal Prepositions

a
a la derecha de
a la izquierda de
al final de
al lado de
al otro lado de
alrededor de
antes de
cerca de
con
contra
de
debajo de
delante de
dentro de
desde
despus de
detrs de
to
on the right of
on the left of
at the end of
next to, beside
on the other side of
around
before
near
with
against
of, from
under, beneath
in front of
inside, within
since, from
after
behind
durante
en
en lugar de
en medio de
en vez de
encima de
enfrente de
entre
fuera de
hacia
hasta
junto a
lejos de
para
por
segn
sin
sobre
during
in, on
in place of
in the middle of
instead of
over, above
opposite
between, among
outside
toward
as far as, until
next to
far from
for, in order to
by, through
according to
without
on, regarding
p a ra and p or
Para means
(intended) for:
Esto es para usted.
This is for you.
When it comes before an infinitive, para means in order to.

Estudiamos para saber ms.
We study in order to know more.
Grammar
15
Por means
by or through:
La pelcula fue hecha por nios.

Pasamos por Nicaragua.
The film was made by children.

We passed through Nicaragua.
In some circumstances, por can also mean for or in exchange for.

Pagu demasiado por los pantalones. I paid too much for the pants.
Gracias por tu ayuda.
Thanks for your help.
It is also used in a wide range of idioms:
por ahora
for now
por la maana
in the morning
por si acaso
just in case
Por Dios!
For heavens sake!
The Personal A:
When a specific person is the direct object of a verb, his or her name or title is
preceded by the word a.
S, conozco a Gerardo Aparicio.
Yes, I know Gerardo Aparicio.
Vimos al jugador de ftbol Jos Arza.
We saw the soccer player Jos Arza.
10. Verbs
Verbs are used to say what is happening, tell how someone feels, or to describe a
particular situation.
Juana no est, Corina tiene dolor de cabeza y es hora de cenar.
Juana isnt here, Corina has a headache, and its time for supper.
In English, the infinitive form of a verb is composed of two words, to and the verb. In
Spanish, infinitives end in -ar, -er, or -ir. The stem of a Spanish verb is the part that
remains when you remove the two-letter ending (though in some cases the stem may have
a special form). Verbs that behave according to the typical pattern of their group are called
regular; those that vary are called irregular.
Verb endings reflect the person or persons they refer to. Yo or I is the first person
singular, t or you the second, and l, ella, or he, she, and it are the third person
singular. Nosotros/as, vosotros/as, and ellos/as, or we, you, they are called the first,
second, and third person plural forms. The singular and plural polite forms of you in
Spanish, usted and ustedes, use the third person forms of the verb; the familiar form of
you, t, uses the second person singular. The second person plural form, vosotros/as, is
used in Spain but not in Latin America.
16 Spanish
The Inf initive

The infinitive is used after:
general words or phrases like es posible:
Es posible mandar un fax desde aqu?
Is it possible to send a fax from here?
other verbs, with or without a preposition:

What are we going to do?
Qu vamos a hacer?
all prepositions:
I dont want to go without seeing Luisa.
Necesito dinero para comprar un coche. I need money in order to buy a car.
No quiero ir sin ver a Luisa.
The Ger und

The endings for gerunds are:
-ando for verbs that end with -ar.
-iendo for verbs that end with -er or -ir.
Note that the -er/-ir ending is spelled -yendo if

leyendo, oyendo, cayendo, creyendo, and so on.
the stem ends with a vowel:
The gerund is sometimes called the present participle. It corresponds more or less to the
-ing ending in English, when this means while or by doing.
Me torc el pie bajando del autobs.
I twisted my foot (while) getting
off the bus.
No te vas a ganar la vida tocando
Youre not going to earn a living (by)
la guitarra.
playing the guitar.
The gerund is also used to form the continuous tenses (see the following pages).
Verb Tenses
Present Tense (Present Indicative)
Endings:
-ar:
-o
-as
-a
-amos
-is
-an
-er
-ir:
-o
-o
-es
-es
-e
-e
-emos*
-imos
-is*
-s*
-en
-en
*Apart from these endings, -er and -ir verbs have identical endings in this and other tenses.
The present tense is used to indicate things that happen regularly or repeatedly:
Cada ao vamos a Venezuela.
Every year we go to Venezuela.
Marta visita a su madre a menudo.
Marta visits her mother often.
It also indicates what is happening at the moment:
Yo leo una novela. Y t qu haces? Im reading a novel. What are you doing?
Escribo una carta.
Im writing a letter.
Grammar
17
It can also be used, as in English, to say what is going to be happening soon:

Qu hacen ustedes esta noche?
What are you doing this evening?
Vamos al cine.
Were going to the movies.
The present tense is also used with desde or desde hace to indicate something someone has
been doing for a certain amount of time or since a particular time:
Roberto trabaja en Caracas desde hace un ao. Trabaja all desde abril.
Roberto has been working in Caracas for a year. Hes been working there since April.
Present Continuous
This tense consists of estar + a gerund, and it is used, as it is in English, to indicate what is
going on at a particular time:
Qu ests haciendo?
What are you doing?
Estoy estudiando.
Im studying.
Note that this tense cannot be used in phrases like What are you doing this evening?
This is because the action will be happening in the future, it is not happening right now.
Use the present indicative for this.
Simple Past
Endings:
-ar:
-er:
-ir:
-
-
-
-aste
-iste
-iste
-
-i
-i
-amos
-imos
-imos
-asteis
-isteis
-isteis
-aron
-ieron
-ieron
Note: after a stem that ends in j, use -eron: dijeron, trajeron.
Imper fect
Endings:
-ar:
-er/-ir:
-aba
-a
-abas
-as
-aba
-a
-bamos
-amos
-abais
-ais
-aban
-an
Note these exceptions: ver becomes vea, ser becomes era, and ir becomes iba.
This tense is used to say what was happening or what used to happen.
Qu hacas antes?
What were you doing before?
Estudiaba.
I used to study.
Cuando trabajaba en Chile, pasaba todos mis fines de semana en el campo.
When I was working in Chile, I used to spend all my weekends in the country.
18 Spanish
This tense is often used together with the simple past to describe what was going on at
the time that the event in the past occurred:
Me afeitaba cuando llegaste.
I was shaving when you arrived.
Imper fect Continuous

This tense is formed and used just like the present continuous, but with the imperfect of
estar and a gerund. It indicates what was happening at a specific moment:
Estaba cocinando cuando son el telfono. I was cooking when the phone rang.
Per fect
This tense is formed from the present tense of haber (he, has, ha, hemos, habis, han) and a
past participle. Regular past participles are formed by changing -ar to -ado, and -er/-ir to
-ido.
Some irregular past participles:

abrir
cubrir
decir
escribir
frer
abierto
cubierto
dicho
escrito
frito
hacer
poner
romper
ver
volver
hecho
puesto
roto
visto
vuelto
This tense tells you what has happened. It corresponds almost exactly to its English
equivalent:
Qu han hecho ustedes?
What have you done?
Hemos estado en el museo.
Weve been in the museum.
Future
All three conjugations have the same set of endings in the future tense: -, -s, -, -emos,
most cases, the infinitive serves as the stem (for example, visitar). These verbs
have irregular stems. Note, however, that all of the stems end in r:
-is, -n. In
decir
hacer
haber
poder
poner
dir
har
habr
podr
pondr
querer
saber
tener
valer
venir
querr
sabr
tendr
valdr
vendr
The future tense is used to say what will happen:

Maana estaremos en Guatemala.
Tomorrow we shall be in Guatemala.
Ana nos esperar en el aeropuerto. Ana will meet us at the airport.
Grammar
19
You can also say what you are going to do, by using ir a and an infinitive:
Qu vas a hacer?
What are you going to do?
Voy a llamar a la polica.
Im going to call the police.
There are also phrases like me gustara meaning I would like that express what might
happen.
Me gustara ver la catedral.
Id like to see the cathedral.
This is an example of the conditional tense, which uses the same stemsregular and
irregularas the future tense does.
Imperative or Command
Most of the commands in this book are given in the usted/ustedes form. For -ar verbs,
replace the ending with -e or -en. For -er and -ir verbs, replace the ending with -a or -an.
Singular:
Conteste estas preguntas.
Answer these questions.
No coma las zanahorias.
Dont eat the carrots.
Plural:
No contesten esas preguntas.
Coman las tapas.
Dont answer those questions.

Eat the tapas.
You will encounter positive commands that resemble the second person present form
but without the final -s. These are informal, or t, commands:
Contesta esas preguntas.
Come la torta.
The simplest way to say lets do something is to use vamos a and an infinitive:
Vamos a comer.
Lets eat.
s er and est a r
Although both of these verbs mean to be, they are not interchangeable. Each has
its own specific functions.
Ser is used:
to say who or what a person or a thing is:
Carmen is a student.
with adjectives, to talk about qualities that are innate or natural to the person or thing
being described:
El estado de Tejas es muy grande. The state of Texas is very large.
Carmen es estudiante.
to tell the time and the date:

What time is it? Its nine.
Qu fecha es? Es el dos de abril. Whats the date? Its April 2.
Qu hora es? Son las nueve.
20 Spanish
Estar is
used:
to say where somebody or something is:
Dnde est Sevilla?
Where is Seville?
to describe a usually temporary state or condition:

El jefe estaba muy contento ayer. The boss was very happy yesterday.
Mi reloj est roto.
My watch is broken.
11. Modal Auxiliar ies

Must is either deber or tener que:
We have to study.
We have to go back now.
Debemos estudiar.
Tenemos que volver ahora.
This can also be expressed by using hay que in an impersonal way:

Hay que volver ahora.
I/we/you must go back now.
Ought or should is debera:
You ought to go to the doctor.
Deberas ir al mdico.
Can is usually poder:

I cant go back today.
No puedo volver hoy.
When can involves an acquired skill, use saber:

Sabes conducir?
Can you (do you know how to) drive?
Could meaning would be able to is podra:
Usted podra tomar un taxi.
You could take a taxi.
12. Questions and Exclamations

All question words are accented.
Qu?
What?
Dnde?
Where?
Quin?
Who?
De dnde?
Where from?
Cul/Cules?
Which one/Which ones?
Cmo?
How?
De quin?
Whose?
Qu haces?
What are you doing?
Cunto/a?
How much?
Cul le gusta ms?
Which do you like more?
Cuntos/as?
How many?
De dnde eres?
Where are you from?
Cundo?
When?
Exclamations are also accented:

Qu hombre ms simptico!
What a nice man!
Qu ruido tan horrible!
What a horrible noise!
Qu buen chico!
What a good boy!
Grammar
21
Spanish-English
A
a la plancha grilled
a las tres de la maana at
3 oclock in the morning
a pie on foot
a todas partes everywhere
a veces sometimes
abierto/a open
abono a travelcard
el abrigo overcoat
abrir to open
el/la abuelo/a grandfather/
grandmother
aburrido boring
el accidente accident
el aceite oil
las aceitunas olives
aceptar to accept
acompaar to accompany
acordarse (ue) to remember
acostarse (ue) to go to bed
el actor actor
la actriz actress
actualmente at the moment
adelgazar to lose weight
Adnde? Where to?
el aeropuerto airport
el/la aficionado/a fan
afuera outside
las afueras suburbs
agradable pleasant
el agua mineral mineral water
ah there (by you)
ahora now
22 Spanish
el aire air
el archivo filing cabinet
al final at the end
la Argentina Argentina
al final de at the end of
arreglar to repair; to arrange, to tidy
al fondo at the end
arriba upstairs
al lado de next to, beside
el arte art
al otro lado de on the other side of
el artculo article
al vapor steamed
el ascensor elevator, lift
alemn/alemana German
el asiento seat
alguno/a some
la aspirina aspirin
all there
atlntico Atlantic
almorzar (ue) to have lunch
Australia Australia
alojarse to stay, to lodge
el autobs bus
el alpinismo climbing,
mountaineering
el autobs de lnea bus, coach
alquilar to hire, to rent
la avenida avenue
alrededor de around
la avera a breakdown
alto/a tall
el avin airplane
amarillo/a yellow
avisar to tell
ambos/as both
la avispa wasp
americano/a American
azteca Aztec
el/la amigo/a friend
el azcar sugar
andando on foot
azul blue
andar to walk
el azulejo tile
la autopista highway
el anillo de plata silver ring
actual current, present
el agujero hole
Glossary
las antigedades antiques
antiguo/a old, antique

los antojitos snacks
bajar (del autobs) to get off

(the bus)
el ao year
la baldosa floor tile
el ao pasado last year
el banco bank
un aparador sideboard
la bandeja tray
el aparcamiento parking lot
baarse to bathe
aparcar to park
la baera bath
aparte separate
barato/a cheap
el apellido last name
la barra de pan loaf of bread
el aperitivo aperitif
aqu here
el barrio neighborhood, district,

quarter
el rbol tree
bastante enough, quite
beige beige
el camin bus (Mex.)
claro que of course
la biblioteca library
la camisa shirt
la clase class
la bicicleta bicycle
la camiseta tee-shirt
clsico/a classical
bien hecho well cooked
el campo the country(side)
el clima climate
el billete ticket (Spain)
la caa de pesca fishing rod
la clnica clinic, hospital
el bistec steak
cansado/a tired
el coche car
blanco/a white
la cara face
el coche-restaurante dining car
la blusa blouse
cario darling, dear
el cocido a kind of stew
el bocadillo sandwich
la carne meat
la cocina kitchen
el boleto ticket (Latin America)
el carnet de conducir driver

license
la cocina elctrica electric cooker
el carnet (documento) de
identidad identity card
coleccionar to collect
el bolgrafo ballpoint pen

la bolsa bag
el bolso bag
bonito/a pretty, nice
caro/a expensive
la carretera road
el bonito tuna
el carro car (Latin America)
el bote jar
la carta menu
el boxeo boxing
Buenas tardes. Good
afternoon./Good evening.
la casa house
casado/a married
bueno/a good, OK
la catedral cathedral
Buenos das. Good morning.
la cazadora (sports) jacket
la butaca armchair
cenar to have dinner
el cdigo postal zip code

Colombia Colombia
el color color
el comedor dining room
comer to eat
la comida food
Cmo? How?
como siempre as usual
cmodo/a comfortable
el compact-disc compact disc
la cermica ceramic, pottery
la compaa (de importacin y

exportacin) (import and
export) company
cerca near
completamente completely
cerrado/a closed
comprender to understand
cada uno/a each one
cerrar to close
comprobar to check
caer to fall
la cerveza beer
la computadora computer
el caf con leche coffee with milk
la chaqueta jacket
con with
el caf solo black coffee
charlar to chat
la caja a box; cashiers window
el cheque de viajeros travelers

check
con/sin gas (agua) carbonated/

non-carbonated (water)
el centro comercial shopping center
C
caballeros (servicios de . . . ) mens
bathrooms
la caja de ahorros savings bank
el concierto concert
chileno/a Chilean
el concurso contest, competition
chino Chinese
el conjunto group (musical)
el calcetn sock
la chuleta chop
el consejo advice
la calidad quality
el ciclismo cycling
caliente hot, warm
el cine cinema
el consultorio consulting room,

doctors office
la calle street
circular circular
continuar to continue
la cama de matrimonio double

bed
la ciudad city, town
el corazn heart
Ciudad de Mxico Mexico City
la corbata tie
cambiar to change
claro light, clear, of course
el cordero lamb
el cajero automtico automatic

teller machine (ATM)
GlossaryVEC23
correos post office
demasiado/a too much
el cortado a coffee with a small

amount of milk
demasiados/as too many
divertirse to enjoy oneself, to amuse

oneself
divorciado/a divorced
cortarse to cut oneself
el/la dependiente/a (shop)

assistant
la cortina curtain, drape
el deporte sport
la docena dozen
corto/a short
el/la deportista sportsman/woman
el dlar dollar
la costa coast
el depsito tank
el dolor pain
la crema cream
la derecha right
la crema (bronceadora) (suntan)

cream
desaparecer to disappear
el dolor de
estmago stomachache
desayunar to have breakfast
el dolor de garanta sore throat
cruzar to cross
descansar to rest, to relax
domingo Sunday
el cuadro picture, painting
describir to describe
Dnde? Where?
Cul? What? Which?
el descuento discount, reduction
dormir to sleep
Cul? Which one?
desde from
dormirse (ue) to go to sleep
Cunto/a? How much?
el desempleo (paro) unemployment
la ducha shower
Cuntos/as? How many?
despacio slow
ducharse to shower
Cunto tiempo? How long?
despertarse (ie) to wake up
durante during
cuarto/a fourth
despus after
durar to last
el cuarto de bao bathroom
el destino destination
el cuarto quarter, room
el desvn attic
la cuchara spoon
los detalles details
echar to put
el cuchillo knife
el/la detective detective
la edad age
la cuenta bill, check
devolver (ue) to return, to give

back
el edificio building
cuidarse la salud to look after ones

health
el da day
el embarque boarding
la diarrea diarrhea
emocionado/a excited, thrilled
el cumpleaos birthday
el dibujo drawing
el empaste filling
curar to cure, to heal
el diccionario dictionary
empezar (ie) to begin
el diccionario de espaol
Spanish dictionary
en in, on
dar to give
los dientes teeth
en seguida immediately, at once
dar a to look on to, to lead on to
el dinero money
Encantado/a. Pleased to meet you.
dar una vuelta to make a tour
la direccin address; direction
de of, from
el/la director/a (de relaciones

pblicas) director (of Public
Relations)
la enchilada corn pancake filled

with meat or cheese
cuidado be careful
de ida y vuelta round trip

De nada. Youre welcome.
debajo de underneath
deber must, ought to
decidir to decide
dejar to leave
deletrear to spell out
24 Spanish
doble double
el ejercicio exercise
en lugar de instead of
encontrarse (ue) to meet,

to be found
la discoteca disco
encontrarse con to meet
distinto/a different
el/la enfermero/a nurse
la diversin entertainment
enfrente opposite; between
las diversiones entertainment
engancharse to get hooked
divertido/a funny, amusing
engordar to put on weight, to get fat
la ensalada mixta mixed salad
el estudio study
la ensaladilla rusa Russian salad
Estupendo! Wonderful!
la gasolina sin plomo unleaded

gasoline
la entrada way in; (entry) ticket
excepto except
general general
entre between
la excursin trip, excursion
generalmente generally, usually
los entremeses hors doeuvres
extranjero/a foreign
la gente people
envolver to wrap
extrao/a strange
el gimnasio gymnasium
el golf golf
el equipaje luggage
el equipaje de mano hand luggage
gordo/a fat (adj)
el equipo team
la facturacin check in (luggage)
Gracias. Thank you.
equivocado/a wrong
la falda skirt
el grado degree
la escalera staircase, stairs
la familia family
gramos grams
escocs/escocesa Scottish
la farmacia pharmacy
gran great, big
escoger to choose
la fiesta holiday, festival
grande big
escribir to write
el fin de semana weekend
el escritorio desk, bureau
el final end
los grandes almacenes department

stores
la escultura sculpture
firmar to sign
espacioso/a spacious
el flan pudding
Espaa Spain
flojo/a loose
espaol/a Spanish
la flor flower
especial special
la foto(grafa) photo(graph)
el espectculo show, spectacle
francamente frankly
el espejo mirror
francs/francesa French
esperar to wait
el francs French language
el/la esposo/a spouse

(husband/wife)
Francia France
el esqu ski, skiing
fro/a cold
esquiar to ski
frito/a fried
la habitacin room
la esquina corner
la fuente fountain
la estacin station
fumador smoker
la habitacin doble doubleoccupancy room
estacionado parked
el ftbol soccer, football
la fresa strawberry
estampado/a patterned
el estanco tabacco and stamp shop
las gafas de sol (a pair of)

sunglasses
el estante shelf
gals/galesa Welsh
estar to be (for position)
la galleta biscuit
estar de rgimen to be on a diet
la ganga bargain
estar roto to be broken
el garaje garage
ste/sta this
el gasleo fuel
el/la estudiante student
la gasolina gasoline/petrol
estudiar to study
la gripe flu
gris grey
la gra tow truck
el grupo group
guapo/a pretty, good-looking
el/la gua guide
la guitarra guitar
gustar to please, to like
hablar to speak
hacer to make/to do
Estados Unidos United States

estadounidense from the USA
la grasa fat (noun)
hacer footing to go jogging (Spain)

hacerse to become
hacerse dao to hurt oneself
la hamburguesa hamburger
hasta up to, until
Hasta luego. See you later.
Hasta maana. See you tomorrow.
el helado ice cream (noun)
el helado de chocolate chocolate
ice cream
GlossaryVEC25
el helado de fresa strawberry ice

cream
irse to go off, to leave
ligero/a light (adj.)
Italia Italy
el limn lemon
el helado de limn lemon ice

cream
la izquierda left
limpiar to clean
el helado de naranja orange ice

cream
la lnea line
el jamn ham
el litro liter
japons/japonesa Japanese
la llave key
el/la hermano/a brother/sister
el jardn garden
la llegada arrival
hermoso/a beautiful
el jarro jug, carafe
lleno/a full
el/la hijo/a child (son/daughter)
el jerez sherry
llevar to take, carry, lead; to wear
hinchado/a swollen
el jersey sweater
Lo siento. Im sorry.
el hogar home
jubilarse to retire
Hola. Hi.
jugar (ue) to play
la locin (bronceadora) (suntan)

lotion
el jugo juice
Londres London
la hora hour (time)
el jugo de papaya papaya (tropical

fruit) juice
el lugar place
el horario timetable
el jugo de toronja grapefruit juice
lunes Monday
el jugo de naranja orange juice
la luz light (n)
el kilo kilo
la madre mother
el kilmetro kilometer
Madrid Madrid
el kiosco a kiosk
la madrugada early morning
el helado de vainilla vanilla ice

cream
el hospital hospital
el hotel hotel
hoy today
el huevo egg
I
ida one way
la idea idea
limpio/a clean
la maleta suitcase
el idioma language
igual same
incluido/a included
la lmpara lamp
Inglaterra England
largo/a long
ingls English language
las/los the (plural)
ingls/inglesa English
la lata can
el inmueble building
el lavabo washbasin
el insecto insect
lavarse to wash
el instituto de segunda
enseanza secondary school
la leche milk
el inters pastime, hobby
leer to read
interesante interesting
lejos far
el invierno winter
levantarse to get up
invitar to invite
libre free
la inyeccin injection
la librera bookstore
ir to go
el licuado de fresa strawberry

shake
ir de compras to go shopping
26 Spanish
el lugar de trabajo workplace
la lechuga lettuce
maana tomorrow
la maana morning
manchego/a from La Mancha
la mano hand
la manta blanket
mantenerse en forma to keep fit
la manzana apple
el mapa map
la mquina fotogrfica camera
la maravilla marvel, wonderful
la marca brand, make
marcharse to leave
el marido husband
los mariscos seafood
marrn brown
martes Tuesday
ms more
muchos/as many, a lot
la oficina de turismo tourist office
ms bajo lower
muerto/a dead
oiga (pol) listen
la matrcula registration
la mujer woman/wife
la pera opera
mayor older
el museo museum
el ordenador computer
me encanta I love
la msica music (pop)
la orquesta orchestra
el/la mecnico/a mechanic
muy bien very good/well
oscuro dark
la media pensin bed and

breakfast
mediano/a average, in the middle,
medium
el medicamento medicine
el/la mdico/a doctor
medio kilo half a kilo
el Mediterrneo the Mediterranean
mejor better, best
los melocotones en
almbar peaches in syrup
la merluza hake/cod
la mermelada marmalade
la mesa table
la mesita de caf coffee table
el metro subway
el otoo autumn
N
la nacionalidad nationality
nadar to swim
naranja orange
el padre father
las natillas a kind of custard
los padres parents
necesitar to need
pagar en efectivo to pay in cash
los negocios business
la pgina page
negro/a black
el paisaje landscape, countryside
el/la nieto/a grandchild (grandson,

granddaughter)
el panecillo bread roll
No. No.
el pantaln/los pantalones pants
no funciona it doesnt work
los pantalones cortos shorts
No hay de qu. Youre welcome.
los pantalones vaqueros jeans
el nombre name
las papas fritas french fries

(Latin America)
el norte north
mexicano/a Mexican
oye (fam) listen
la pantalla screen
norteamericano/a (North)
American
la papelera stationery store
Mxico Mexico
mi my
nosotros/as we
para to, for
mientras while
el parabrisas windshield
mircoles Wednesday
el/la novio/a boyfriend, girlfriend,

bride, groom
el minibar minibar
la nube cloud
parar to stop
mirar to look, watch
nuestros/as our
la pared wall
la misa mass (in church)
Nueva York New York
mismo/a same
el nmero number
la parrillada grilled or barbecued

steak
moderno/a modern
el nmero de telfono telephone

number
el pasaporte passport
un momento just a moment

la montaa mountain
nunca never
pasearse to stroll, walk
el monumento monument
el paquete pack
la parada stop
pasar to spend (time)

el paseo boulevard, to walk, ride
morirse de hambre to be starving
el mostrador counter
o or
el pastel cake
el motor engine
o sea or rather, that is
Muchas gracias. Thank you very

much.
la obra work, play
las pastillas antibiticas antibiotic

tablets
Mucho gusto. Pleased to meet you.
la oferta offer
la oficina office
el pasillo corridor
las patatas fritas french fries, crisps

(Spain)
GlossaryVEC27
el patio yard
por la maana in the morning
quemarse to burn, to get burned
la pelcula film, movie
por lo general usually, generally
el queso cheese
la pelota soccer ball
por lo menos at least
Quin? Who?
pensar (ie) to think
por persona per person
quinto/a fifth
el pepino cucumber
por supuesto of course
quitar to take away, clear (table)
pequeo/a small
la porcelana porcelain
Perdone/a. Sorry, Excuse me.
la postal postcard
perfectamente perfectly
el postre dessert
rpido/a fast
la perfumera a store specializing in

perfumes and cosmetics
practicar to practice
la raqueta de tenis a tennis racket
el precio price
rayas, a rayas stripes, striped
el peridico newspaper
preferido/a favorite
rebajado/a reduced (in price)
pero but
preocupar to worry
las rebajas sales
el pescado fish
preparar to prepare
la receta prescription
las persianas blinds
previsto/a due
recibir to receive
pesar demasiado to be overweight
la prima cousin
el recibo receipt
la pesca fishing
la primavera spring
el recreo break, playtime
el peso peso (Mexican currency)
reducido/a reduced
la picadura sting, bite
primer first (before a masculine

word)
el pico peak
primero/a first
el regalo present
el pie foot
el/la primo/a cousin
la regin region
la piel skin
principalmente mainly
regular ordinary, so-so
el pinchazo puncture
procedente de . . . arriving from...
rellenar to fill in
pintar to paint
la profesin profession
la pintura painting
el/la profesor/a teacher, professor
relleno/a de queso filled with

cheese
la piscina swimming pool
el programa program
repetir to repeat
el piso floor
pronto early, soon
reponerse to recover
la plancha de viaje travel iron
la propina tip
reservar to reserve
el plano map (of the town)
propio/a (ones) own
el restaurante restaurant
la planta baja ground floor
el/la protagonista protagonist
el retraso delay
el plato plate; dish, course
el proyecto project, plan
reunirse con to meet
el plato de cermica ceramic plate
la puerta door
la revista magazine
el plato principal main course
rico/a rich; good (food)
la playa beach
la puerta-ventana French window,

patio door
la plaza square
pues well
rojo/a red
un poco a little
puro/a pure
el rollo roll (of film)
poder (ue) to be able to, can
el refresco soft drink
el ro river
la ropa clothes
la polica police
el polideportivo sports complex
Qu? What?
la rueda wheel
por ciento percent
la rueda de repuesto spare wheel
por eso therefore
Qu suerte tienes! Arent you

lucky!
Por favor. Please.
quemar to burn (up)
las ruinas ruins
28 Spanish
rosa pink
el ruido noise
ruso/a Russian
Sevilla Seville
el taxi taxi
la rutina diaria daily routine
S. Yes.
la taza cup
si if
el t (con limn) tea (with lemon)
siempre always
el teatro theater
sbado Saturday
sintense sit down (pl.)
el techo roof
la sbana sheet
el siglo century
el telfono telephone
saber to know
siguiente next
el televisor a television set
sacar (un billete) to buy (a ticket)
la silla chair
la temperatura temperature
sacar fotos to take photos
sin nubes cloudless
el templo temple
la sal salt
el sitio place, room
temprano early
la sala (exhibition) room
situado situated
el tenedor fork
la sala de estar living room, sitting

room
sobre todo above all, especially
el tenis tennis
el/la sobrino/a nephew, niece
la salchicha sausage
el sof sofa
tercer third (before a masculine

word)
la salida exit
soler (ue) to be accustomed to
tercero/a third
salir to leave
soltero/a single (unmarried)
la terraza terrace, balcony
salir de casa to leave home
el sombrero hat
la tienda shop
el salmn salmon
la sopa soup
la tienda de deportes sports shop
la sandalia sandal
la sopa de cebolla onion soup
la sangre blood
su your (formal)
la tienda de fotografa photo/

camera shop
la sangra drink made with wine,

soft drink, and fruit
el stano basement, cellar
el/la to/a uncle, aunt
subir to go up
tpico/a typical
la sardina sardine
subterrneo underground
el tipo/a type
el secador hair dryer
sucio/a dirty
secar la ropa to dry clothes
suficiente sufficient, enough
las tiritas adhesive strips,

Band-Aids
la seccin section
sufrir to suffer
el/la secretario/a secretary
super high octane
seguir (siga) to follow (follow)
el supermercado supermarket
segundo/a second
el sur south
la toalla de playa beach towel

tocar to play (instrument)
todo/a everything
todos juntos all together
todos los das every day
el sello a stamp
tomar el sol to sunbathe
el semforo traffic light
la semana week
sencillo/a simple
Talgo a type of fast intercity train in

Spain
el Sr. (seor) Mr.
la talla size
la Sra. (seora) Mrs./Ms.
el taller workshop, garage
la tortilla a kind of pancake

(Mexican)
seoras (servicios de . . . )
womens bathrooms
el tamao size
la tos cough
tambin also, as well
la Srta. (seorita) Miss/Ms.
trabajar to work
tardar to take time
sentarse (ie) to sit down
el trabajo job, work
la tarjeta card
sentirse bien/mal to feel well/ill
traer to bring
la tarjeta de crdito credit card
el servicio toilet; service
la tragedia tragedy
la tarta helada ice cream cake
torcerse el tobillo to twist ones

ankle
la tortilla omelet (Spain)
GlossaryVEC29
el traje suit
volver (ue) to return
el tranva kind of local train
vomitar to vomit
tratar de to try to
el vuelo flight
el tren train
la trucha trout
t you
el whisky whiskey
tu your
y and
un/una a
yo I
unas/unos some
las aceitunas olives
la universidad university
la zanahoria carrot
usted you (formal)
el zapato shoe
el zumo de naranja orange juice
V
las vacaciones vacations, holidays
Vale! OK!
la vainilla vanilla
variable variable
varios/as several
el vaso (de agua) glass (of water)
la venda bandage
venir (ie) to come
el ventilador fan
ver to see
el verano summer
verde green
el vestbulo entrance hall
veranear to go on vacation
la va platform
viajar to travel
el viaje journey, trip
el viajero passenger
la vida life
viernes Friday
el vino blanco white wine
el vino tinto red wine
visitar to visit
el/la viudo/a widower/widow
30 Spanish

Basic Spanish Guide PDF

Caricato da

Informazioni sul documento

Titolo originale

Copyright

Formati disponibili

Condividi questo documento

Condividi o incorpora il documento

Opzioni di condivisione

Hai trovato utile questo documento?

Questo contenuto è inappropriato?

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Basic Spanish Guide PDF

Caricato da

Copyright:

Formati disponibili

Spanish

Berlitz Publishing/APA Publications GmbH & Co. Verlag KG

NO part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

Overview of the Course and Study Tips

How to Get the Most Out of the Course

Keep an open mind.

Letters of the Alphabet

Stress and Accents

some nouns that end in -ma: el problema, el programa, el pijama.

INDEFINITE ARTICLE (a, an)

Def inite Ar ticles

Indef inite Ar ticles

Im going to visit some friends.

Paraguay es menos grande que la Argentina.

Argentina is larger than Paraguay.

Paraguay is smaller (less large) than

(not) as... as:

Paraguay no es tan grande como la Argentina.

Paraguay is not as large as Argentina.

this (here, near me)

Each must agree with the noun it refers to:

Whose bag is this? Its Rosas. Its Rosas bag.

nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras

Es mi bolso. Son mis gafas.

Its my bag. Theyre my glasses.

Es sta su chaqueta, Sra. Blanes?

Is this your jacket, Mrs. Blanes?

Okay. Ill go shopping and youll clean the house.

Direct Object Pronouns

usually used for him, la for her:

I dont know him.

Indirect Object Pronouns

Did you send the fax to me?

Ref lexive Pronouns

Position of Object and Ref lexive Pronouns

Were writing it.

But not to negative imperatives:

Dont do it! Dont sit down!

Prepositional pronouns are also used to emphasize or clarify object pronouns:

none, not any

neither, no... either

the negative form of tambin:

Yo tambin como carne.

I eat meat as well.

A negative can be used without a verb:

Do you have any money? No, none.

The Pr incipal Prepositions

Esto es para usted.

This is for you.

When it comes before an infinitive, para means in order to.

La pelcula fue hecha por nios.

The film was made by children.

In some circumstances, por can also mean for or in exchange for.

For heavens sake!

The Inf initive

Is it possible to send a fax from here?

other verbs, with or without a preposition:

The Ger und

Note that the -er/-ir ending is spelled -yendo if

the stem ends with a vowel:

It can also be used, as in English, to say what is going to be happening soon:

Note: after a stem that ends in j, use -eron: dijeron, trajeron.

Imper fect Continuous