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Are you familiar with gender in Spanish, which classifies Spanish nouns into masculine and feminine? If so, you might also know that Spanish grammatical agreement stipulates that nouns' definite and indefinite articles should agree with the nouns they accompany in terms of gender. That said, since the vast majority of Spanish nouns that end in -o are masculine and most that end in -a are feminine, why do we see the masculine singular indefinite article un next to a noun that ends in -a below?
¡Eres un egoísta!
You're a selfish person!
Caption 31, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 12 - Part 8
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The reason for this apparent discrepancy is that, when used as a noun, the word egoísta (selfish person) falls into a Spanish noun category that is sometimes called "common gender nouns" that describe people and can take either masculine or feminine articles depending upon whether the described entity is male or female. With this in mind, let's learn a plethora of such nouns in Spanish as well as several categories that they often fall into.
Below are several Spanish nouns that end in -ista. While we have selected ten, there are countless more, many of which refer to professions in Spanish or people who adhere to particular beliefs.
el/la artista (the artist)
el/la centrista (the centrist)
el/la colonialista (the colonialist)
el/la dentista (the dentist)
el/la derechista (the right-winger)
el/la futbolista (the soccer player)
el/la izquierdista (the leftist)
el/la novelista (the novelista)
el/la periodista (the journalist)
el/la vocalista (the vocalist)
Now, let's see two of these in context, noting how their articles change when describing males vs. females.
¿No oyó la periodista Yasmín?
Didn't you hear Yasmín the [female] journalist?
Caption 28, Kikirikí Agua - Part 3
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el periodista y el entrevistado llegaron a las manos, ¿hm?,
the [male] journalist and the interviewee came to blows, hmm?
Caption 51, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 5
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El dentista, la dentista.
The male dentist, the female dentist.
Caption 32, Isabel El Género Gramatical - Masculino y Femenino
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The genders of the following Spanish words that end in -crata (the equivalent of -crat in English) also vary according to real life gender:
el/la autócrata (the autocrat)
el/la burócrata (the bureaucrat)
el/la demócrata (the democrat)
el/la aristócrata (the aristocrat)
Let's look at an example that describes a male aristocrat:
Desde luego, será un aristócrata,
Of course, he'd be an aristocrat,
Caption 56, Beatriz Expresiones con colores
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Note how this sentence could be modified to describe a female aristocrat with the simple substitution of a feminine article:
Desde luego, será una aristócrata,
Of course, she'd be an aristocrat,
In addition to the aforementioned categories, here are several more Spanish nouns ending in -a whose articles reveal their gender:
el/la guía (the guide)
el/la policía (the police officer)
el/la psicópata (the psychopath)
el/la sociópata (the sociopath)
el/la terapeuta (the therapist)
While it may seem counterintuitive to call a female fashion model una modelo, that is indeed the correct way to say it, while a male model would be un modelo. Here are a few more common gender nouns in Spanish that end in -o with examples of the latter.
el/la miembro (the member)
el/la modelo (the model)
el/la soldado (the soldier)
el/la testigo (the witness)
Sí, tengo un testigo.
Yes, I have a [male] witness.
Caption 2, Los casos de Yabla El perrito malcriado - Part 2
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quisiera invitar a este estrado a una testigo que va a demostrar
I'd like to invite to this stand a [female] witness who is going to prove
Captions 63-64, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 4
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Although most Spanish nouns that end in -e are specifically masculine (e.g. el coche/the car) or feminine (e.g. la llave/the key) and thus require a masculine or feminine article, some can refer to either men or women with articles that vary accordingly. Let's see a list of several plus two examples describing both a male and a female "lover."
el/la amante (the lover)
el/la ayudante (the helper)
el/la cantante (the singer)
el/la estudiante (the student)
el/la integrante (the member)
el/la interprete (the interpreter)
el/la paciente (the patient)
el/la recipiente (the recipient)
Descubrí que Marcela tiene un amante.
I found out that Marcela has a [male] lover.
Caption 2, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 3
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¿Tiene una amante? Eso es lo que quiero saber.
Does he have a [female] lover? That is what I want to know.
Caption 9, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 7
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified one scenario in Spanish where you might see a masculine article with a word ending in -a, a feminine article with one that ends in -o or the very same noun with a masculine or feminine article. For more on Spanish nouns that are a bit nontraditional in terms of gender, be sure to read our lesson on epicene nouns in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Of Christian origin, Easter, or Pascua in Spanish, is celebrated by many around the world, including in Spanish-speaking countries. Regardless of religion, however, Easter has evolved into many fun traditions that may be observed by Christians and non-Christians alike. Let's talk about some religious and non-religious Easter customs in the Spanish-speaking world and beyond, along with some Spanish vocabulary to describe them.
Holy Week, or Semana Santa, is an important festive period for many Catholics and other Christians worldwide that commemorates the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Cristo (Jesus Christ) and is celebrated with particular fervor in Spain and Latin America. While there are variations among the different countries' festivities, common costumbres (customs) include attending church, the sharing of special foods, the blessing and distribution of palm leaves and days of elaborate procesiones with special floats and statues, as we can hear about and catch a glimpse of in the following clips:
más de cincuenta mil personas se visten de nazarenos para desfilar por las calles y para acompañar a las figuras religiosas.
more than fifty thousand people dress as Nazarenes to parade through the streets and to accompany the religious figures.
Captions 41-44, Raquel Fiestas de España
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Todo esto sin olvidar el sentimiento religioso; la Semana Santa de Málaga es la particular forma de los malagueños de vivir su fe.
All of this without forgetting the religious sentiment; Málaga's Holy Week is the people from Málaga's particular way of living their faith.
Captions 33-35, Málaga Semana Santa
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Now let's look at a list of useful Spanish vocabulary related to some of the days and customs of the Semana Santa season:
la Cuaresma: Lent
el Domingo de Ramos: Palm Sunday
el Miércoles de Ceniza: Ash Wednesday
el Miércoles Santo: Spy Wednesday
el Jueves Santo: Maundy Thursday
el Viernes Santo: Good Friday
El Domingo de Pascua/de Resurección/de Gloria: Easter Sunday
El Lunes de Pascua/de Resurección: Easter Monday
bendecir: to bless
los católicos: the Catholics
los cristianos: the Christians
el día de ayuno: the fasting day
las hojas de palmera: the palm leaves
la iglesia: the church
la imagen/el paso: the statue
el trono: the float/throne
Let's hear a couple of these pronounced:
Y el tambor se toca desde Miércoles Santo a las cuatro de la tarde hasta Domingo de Resurrección
And the drum is played from Holy Wednesday at four o'clock in the afternoon until Easter Sunday
Captions 48-49, Francisco Javier de España Su trabajo y su ciudad en La Mancha
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Interestingly, many of the non-religious Easter symbols and traditions that are celebrated around the world actually have religious origins. For example, eggs, chickens and rabbits are symbols of fertility, rebirth and new life that many associate with Jesus' resurrection. However, for many others, these objects and activities are merely fun and festive annual traditions. Let's learn some Spanish vocabulary to describe some of them:
la búsqueda/la caza de huevos de Pascua: the Easter egg hunt
la cesta de Pascua: the Easter basket
el chocolate: the chocolate
el conejo de Pascua: the Easter Bunny
el cordero: the lamb
las flores: the flowers
el huevo de Pascua: the Easter egg
el pollito: the chick
la primavera: the spring
el sombrero de primavera: the Easter bonnet
teñir/pintar huevos: to dye/color eggs
We can hear many of these together in Yabla's video on basic Easter vocabulary, some captions from which we can hear below:
Cinco, caza del huevo de Pascua.
Five, Easter egg hunt.
Caption 9, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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Uno, el conejo de Pascua.
One, the Easter Bunny.
Caption 5, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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Dos, la cesta de Pascua.
Two, the Easter basket.
Caption 6, Vocabulario básico Feliz Pascua
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To conclude this lesson, it would be behoove us to know how to wish someone a "Happy Easter" in Spanish:
"Felices fiestas" o "Felices Pascuas".
"Happy Holidays" or "Happy Easter."
Caption 13, Aprendiendo con Silvia Felicitar y expresar buenos deseos - Part 2
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Do you know the names of the shapes in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you what the most basic Spanish shapes are called as well as the words for more advanced Spanish shapes and figures. Let's get started!
Let's start with the basics! Listen to the following caption from the Yabla Spanish video library to hear how to say "shapes" in Spanish:
Puedes jugar con diferentes formas y colores
You can play with different shapes and colors
Caption 76, Manos a la obra Papel picado para Día de muertos
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Now, let's hear the Spanish word for the similar concept of "figures":
como los números o las figuras geométricas,
like numbers or geometric figures,
Caption 16, Carlos explica Vocabulario de las matemáticas - Part 1
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Next, we'll learn the Spanish names for the most classic shapes, including their definite articles, and hear them in context:
Vamos a marcar el círculo
We're going to mark the circle,
Caption 47, Maoli Calabaza de Halloween
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se presenta como un cuadrado de ocho por ocho
appears as an eight by eight square
Caption 18, Aprendiendo con Carlos El ajedrez - Part 1
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Puede ser un cuadrado, un rectángulo.
It can be a square, a rectangle.
Caption 41, María Fernanda Hacer un turbante
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Obtendrás un triángulo.
You will get a triangle.
Caption 39, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Let's move on to the Spanish words for some slightly more sophisticated shapes and hear them pronounced:
—podríamos decir que es un óvalo—
we could say that it's an oval—
Caption 49, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 2
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Lograrás un rombo como éste.
You will get a diamond like this one.
Caption 45, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Interestingly, this word also means "trapezius" (the muscle) in Spanish as well as "trapeze," as in the following example, which we've included for pronunciation purposes:
como un número de trapecio,
as a trapeze act,
Caption 18, Circo Berlín Jose - Part 2
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"semicírculo",
"semicírculo" [semicircle],
Caption 74, Carlos explica Los prefijos en español - Part 7
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Figures with at least three but typically five or more sides and angles are called los polígonos (the polygons) in Spanish. Let's learn their Spanish names along with their respective numbers of lados (sides) and ángulos (angles):
El pentágono (the pentagon): 5
El hexágono (the hexagon): 6
El hectágono (the hectagon): 7
El octógono (the octagon): 8
El nonógono (the nonagon): 9
El decágono (the decagon): 10
While not "official" geometric shapes, figures like the heart, cross, star, etc., are recognized universally as shapes and/or symbols. Let's learn how to say them in Spanish!
a hacer pancitos de corazón, pancitos decorados y este tipo de, de...
into making heart rolls, decorated rolls, and this kind of, of...
Caption 18, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Luis y el pan de muerto
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es la cruz de piedra.
is the stone cross.
Caption 16, Viajando con Carlos Popayán - Colombia - Part 2
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y la estrella.
and the star.
Caption 27, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad
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con la punta bien afilada en forma de flecha,
with a well-sharpened tip in the shape of an arrow
Caption 32, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
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Do you know how to say 3-D in Spanish? You could say tridimensional (three-dimensional) or simply use the Spanish pronuncation of 3-D, as we hear here:
Y las obras están sacadas de modelos 3-D del programa Google Earth.
And the works are taken from 3-D models from the Google Earth program.
Caption 24, El estudio De Julio Sarramián
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That said, we'll conclude this lesson with the names of several of the most common formas tridimensionales (3-D shapes):
¿podría ponerme un cono de chocolate por favor?
can you give me a chocolate cone please?
Caption 36, Málaga Calle Larios
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en forma de pirámide invertida.
in the shape of an inverted pyramid.
Caption 14, Víctor en Caracas Centro comercial
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That's all for today. We hope that you have found this lesson on the names of the shapes in Spanish useful, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments. ¡Hasta pronto!
Do you know how to express the idea of "instead" and "instead of" in Spanish? Today's brief lesson will teach you four common ways to do so, as always with examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.
Perhaps the most common way to say "instead of" in Spanish is en vez de. Alternative translations for en vez de are the English synonyms "rather than" or "in place of." Let's see this phrase in context:
cierran a las ocho y media en vez de a las nueve, ¿correcto?"
you close at eight-thirty instead of at nine, correct?"
Caption 47, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 4
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Sam compró seis melones en vez de seis limones.
Sam bought six melons instead of six lemons.
Caption 36, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 5
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En lugar de literally means "in place of" of and is another way to say "instead of" in Spanish. Let's see two examples:
En lugar de plumas amarillas, las suyas eran grises
Instead of yellow feathers, his were grey,
Captions 22-23, Cleer El patito feo
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No se olviden que en lugar de "finalmente" también podría decir "por último"
Don't forget that instead of "finally" I could also say "lastly"
Captions 32-33, Natalia de Ecuador Los adverbios de orden
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The Spanish phrase en cambio can be translated as "instead" in certain contexts (other possible translations include "however" and "whereas"). Let's take a look.
Si en cambio queremos usarlo para expresar una valoración, lo usamos con un verbo en modo subjuntivo.
If instead we want to use it to express a valuation, we use it with a verb in the subjunctive mood.
Captions 52-53, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 3
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Otras en cambio lo tiran o lo destruyen
Others instead throw it away or destroy it
Caption 39, Los Reporteros Sembrar, comer, tirar - Part 3
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Finally, although mejor is most commonly translated as "better" or "best," it can function like "instead" in certain contexts, as we see here:
Pero, vecino, mejor le recomiendo usar la opción de agua fría;
But, neighbor, I recommend using the cold water option instead;
Caption 27, Cristina Lavandería
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That's all for today. Now that you know four different ways to express the idea of "instead" in Spanish, we suggest you practice by coming up with your own sentences with each of them. And don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
Are you familiar with the Spanish word según? Did you know that it can function as a preposition, a conjunction or even an adverb? Let's explore six meanings of this common Spanish word.
As a preposition, the Spanish word según can mean "according to," "in agreement with" or "in accordance with," in the sense of following or abiding by something. Let's see an example of this usage:
Yo estoy actuando según la ley.
I'm acting in accordance with the law.
Caption 11, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 10
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As we see in the following captions, like "according to" in English, the Spanish preposition según can also appear before nouns or personal pronouns to describe what people or entities believe or say.
y según expertos es una de las más antiguas
and according to experts, it's one of the oldest ones,
Caption 25, Amaya Cata de vinos
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Las pirámides, según los abuelos Mayas, no son monumentos
The pyramids, according to the Mayan elders, are not monuments
Caption 47, Guillermo el chamán La tecnología maya
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This use of según as a preposition is often translated with the English phrase "depending on." In this case, según is often followed by a noun phrase that includes a verb in the subjunctive and describes some variable on which an outcome depends. Let's take a look:
que, según la manera en que respiremos, así va a ser nuestra vida.
as, depending upon the manner in which we breathe, that's how our life is going to be.
Captions 76-77, Ana Teresa La respiración
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Esta planta tiene diferentes nombres según el país en que se encuentre,
This plant has different names depending on the country in which it is found,
Caption 15, Fermín La plumeria - Part 1
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In this case, the Spanish word según is classified as a conjunction and is often followed immediately by a verb in the subjunctive mood. Typical translations include "depending on what" or "depending on how," as in the following example:
Según me sienta mañana, decidiré ir o no al evento.
Depending upon how I feel tomorrow, I'll decide whether or not to go to the event.
Let's see one more from the Yabla Spanish library:
Aquí se tira mucho o poco según se mire.
Here a lot or a little is thrown away depending on how you look at it.
Caption 20, Los Reporteros Sembrar, comer, tirar - Part 1
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There are two ways in which the Spanish conjunction según can function like the English word "as." Let's take a closer look.
The Spanish word según can be replaced with the English word "as" to say "in the way that," as we see here:
Que según entiendo tampoco estás haciendo con juicio.
Which, as I understand, you're not doing sensibly, either.
Caption 59, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 7
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según dicen algunos, que de ahí proviene el nombre de Coronil.
as some people say, from there comes the name Coronil.
Captions 10-11, Tecnópolis El Coronil
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Según can also be translated as "as" as to talk about something that is happening at the same time as something else:
según iba caminando, iba interactuando con los niños, hablando, y a la vez
as I was walking, I was interacting with the kids, talking, and, at the same time,
Caption 81, Circo Berlín Christian - Part 1
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Finally, as we see in the caption below, the word según in Spanish can stand alone as an adverb meaning "depending" or "it all depends."
Durante un año, según.
In a year, depending.
Caption 46, Edificio en Construcción Hablando con los trabajadores - Part 1
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to distinguish the many nuanced uses of the word según in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
Have you heard the word capaz in Spanish? Although this word is often translated with the English term "capable," it has several different nuances and additional translations that are worth exploring. In this lesson, we will highlight five different ways in which this useful Spanish adjective can be employed.
We can use the word capaz in Spanish when referring to "capacity," or the number or amount of something that can fit in a determined space. Let's see an example of this usage:
El salón de baile es capaz para 1,500 personas.
The capacity of this ballroom is 1,500 people.
The word capaz can additionally be used to indicate someone or something's "ability" to do something:
Roberto es capaz de conducir un auto.
Roberto is capable of driving a car.
Note that in this example, we are merely saying that Roberto is "able" to drive a car (rather than implying that he is an excellent driver!). Let's see another, similar example:
Quiero comprar un barco que sea capaz de... de hacer travesías largas.
I want to buy a boat that is capable of... of making long voyages.
Captions 72-73, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 20
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Contrary to the previous usage, the Spanish word capaz can also be used to emphasize someone's talent or ability. In this case, the person described actually excels at some task or is generally considered "qualified" or "efficient":
Ah, bueno, Juan Cruz es un muchacho muy capaz, un excelente muchacho.
Oh, well, Juan Cruz is a very capable guy, an excellent guy.
Caption 56, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 5
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Another meaning of the word capaz has to do with whether or not one "has it in them" or "would dare" to do something. Let's take a look at a couple of clips that illustrate this meaning:
¿Ah? ¡A ver! A ver si es capaz de decírmelo en mi cara.
Huh? Let's see! Let's see if you're capable of saying it to my face.
Captions 42-44, Tu Voz Estéreo Embalsamado - Part 12
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¡A que no eres capaz!
I bet you can't do it!
Caption 53, Guillermina y Candelario El Mar enamorado
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In the following clip, our friend Silvia shares with us an expression that fits into this use of capaz:
"No tener pelos en la lengua" quiere decir que esta persona es capaz de decir cualquier cosa de forma clara y directa, sin importarle lo que piensen los demás.
"Not to have hairs on one's tongue" means that this person is capable of saying anything clearly and directly, without what others think mattering to them.
Captions 13-16, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 4
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In many Latin American countries, the expression Es capaz que can be used to say that "It's possible that" or something "might" happen, as in the sentence Es capaz que nieve (It might snow). Similarly, the Spanish word capaz can also function as an adverb with que or on its own to express the idea of "perhaps" or "maybe," as in the following examples:
Y capaz que lo conozco.
And maybe I know him.
Caption 53, Yago 14 La peruana - Part 3
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capaz están cerca de un lugar para escalar
maybe you are near a place to climb
Caption 12, Buenos Aires Escalando en Buenos Aires
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In fact, you might even hear someone answer a question like "¿Vas a la fiesta?" with the simple word: "Capaz" (Maybe/I might).
That's all for today. Having learned several ways to use capaz in Spanish, we invite you to write ten sentences with this very useful word— and don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
This year, we have chosen a word that has already been named Word of the Year by other linguistic sources. In fact, it was FundeuRAE's Word of the Year last year. However, we believe that this word has gained new traction in the last twelve months, and, for this reason, have selected it as our Spanish Word of the Year 2023. Let's reveal it!
Is there anything more trendy than AI today? From ChatGPT to MidJourney and everything in between, the concept of AI is totally transforming the world around us. This is why we have chosen the term inteligencia artificial (artificial intelligence) as the Spanish Word of the Year 2023. Let's see how to pronounce this word in the definition that Carlos shares with us in his video about this topic:
la inteligencia artificial es la disciplina científica que se ocupa de crear programas informáticos que ejecutan operaciones comparables a las que realiza la mente humana, como el aprendizaje o el razonamiento lógico.
artificial intelligence is the scientific discipline that deals with creating computer programs that execute comparable operations to the ones that the human mind carries out, like learning or logical reasoning.
Captions 25-29, Aprendiendo con Carlos Inteligencia artificial - Part 1
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Now that the winner has been revealed, here are a couple of things to keep in mind about the term inteligencia artificial:
1. In Spanish as in English, the term inteligencia artificial should be written in lowercase.
2. If you wish to use the acronym for inteligencia artificial, remember to use the Spanish initials "IA" rather than the English version, "AI," which some people mistakenly use in Spanish.
There are several AI-related Spanish words that have been quite popular this year, and dato (data) has definitely been one of them.
La percepción del comerciante coincide con el dato que manejan algunos expertos.
The perception of the merchant coincides with the data that some experts work with.
Caption 6, Los Reporteros Crecen los robos en tiendas - Part 4
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Unfortunately, this word is still trending, especially after what has occurred this year in Israel.
La palabra más fea es guerra.
The ugliest word is war.
Caption 61, Karla e Isabel Palabras
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This year was full of deadly earthquakes. From Turkey and Morocco to Afghanistan and Nepal, the world was shaking far too much this year.
Este mes han muerto muchas personas en el terremoto.
This month many people have died in the earthquake.
Caption 26, Lecciones con Carolina Participios - Ejemplos de uso
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So, there you have it. What do you think of our Spanish Word of the Year 2023, and how do you feel towards AI in general? Can you think of any other word that is worthy of this title? Don't forget to send us your feedback!
Have you ever noticed that there are several types of words that are capitalized in English but not in Spanish? Today's lesson will point out nine such categories where there is a discrepancy in capitalization between English and Spanish.
While the names of the days of the week must be capitalized in English, the same is not so of the days of the week in Spanish, whose first letters are lowercase. Let's take a look:
Voy a una academia de baile los martes y los jueves.
I go to a dance academy on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Caption 15, Ariana Mi Semana
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The same can be said for the names of the months in Spanish, which are written in all lowercase letters in contrast to their capitalized English counterparts. This is demonstrated in the following clip:
sobre todo en los meses de diciembre, enero, febrero e incluso en mayo.
especially in the months of December, January, February, and even in May.
Caption 27, Mercado de San Miguel Misael
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Although English capitalizes the names of languages, Spanish does not:
Bueno, yo hablo español, inglés y estoy aprendiendo alemán.
Well, I speak Spanish, English, and I'm learning German.
Captions 19-20, Cleer y Lida ¿Qué idiomas hablas?
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Words that refer to someone or something's nationality do not start with a capital letter in Spanish as they do in English. Included in this category are both demonyms, or Spanish adjectives of nationality, and Spanish nouns that refer to the inhabitants of a particular nation. Let's see examples of each:
y puedas decir, "Este artista es colombiano, este es un artista brasilero", es decir,
and can say, "This artist is Colombian, this is a Brazilian artist," I mean,
Captions 69-70, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori Una vida como pintor - Part 5
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Antes de la llegada de los españoles, existían cientos de diferentes culturas.
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, there were hundreds of different cultures.
Caption 8, Historia mexicana Cultura y la unión de dos mundos
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As we see below, this group includes the names of religions, their respective adjectives, and the nouns that describe their adherents.
y que se utilizó para simbolizar el triunfo del cristianismo sobre la fe musulmana.
and was employed as a symbol of the triumph of Christianity over the Muslim faith.
Captions 61-62, Viajando con Fermín Sevilla - Part 2
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España recibió más de treinta y cinco mil judíos,
Spain received more than thirty-five thousand Jews,
Caption 27, Víctor en España El Hotel Palace de Barcelona
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When preceding a last name and/or addressing a specific person, English words like "mister" or "doctor" must be capitalized. The equivalent titles in Spanish, however, are written in all lowercase letters, as we see here:
Vamos a escuchar a la doctora Consejos y a su paciente Adrián
Let's listen to Doctor Advice and her patient Adrián
Caption 2, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Por y para
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Por supuesto, señora Castaño.
Of course, Ms. Castaño.
Caption 24, Cleer y Lida Recepción de hotel
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In English, most of the words of the titles of original compositions like books, films, songs, articles, or works of art are capitalized, with the notable exceptions of words like prepositions and coordinating conjunctions. In Spanish, on the other hand, only the first word of a title is capitalized, for example, the famed novel Cien años de soledad, which is written in English "One Hundred Years of Solitude." Let's see one more:
Para ello, el artista pintó un gran fresco titulado "El juicio final",
To do so, the artist painted a large fresco called "The Last Judgment,"
Caption 32, Aprendiendo con Carlos El microrrelato - Part 4
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All of the words of proper nouns for specific geographical place names in English, like the Andes Mountains or Lake Titicaca, must be capitalized. In Spanish, however, the first words of these proper nouns are lowercase, e.g., la cordillera de los Andes and el lago Titicaca. Let's look at more examples:
y es atravesada por el río Cauca.
and is crossed by the Cauca River.
Caption 17, Viajando con Carlos Popayán - Colombia - Part 1
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en el océano Pacífico y en el mar Caribe.
in the Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean Sea.
Caption 46, Instinto de conservación Parque Tayrona - Part 4
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Although the first person singular personal pronoun "I" is always written with a capital letter in English, its Spanish equivalent yo is not, as we can see here:
No, pueden llorar, pero yo tengo que trabajar.
No, you can cry, but I have to work.
Caption 9, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 2 - Part 8
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped to clarify several of the classes of words that should not be capitalized in Spanish, some of which might seem a bit counterintuitive to English speakers. Can you think of any additional cases in which Spanish and English capitalization are different? Feel free to write us with any questions or comments.
Since there is rarely an equivalent of the subjunctive in English, this grammatical mood can be extremely difficult for English speakers to understand. For this reason, the Yabla Spanish archive contains many lessons that deal with the plethora of scenarios in which the subjunctive is used in Spanish, and this lesson will address one more: the use of the subjunctive to describe either things we hope exist or things that definitely do not.
If we are "looking for," "seeking," "desiring," "needing" or "wanting" something or someone with certain characteristics but are not sure whether or not that person or thing exists, a subjunctive verb form should be utilized in Spanish. Let's see an example from the Yabla Spanish video library:
Por eso es que nosotros por lo regular buscamos trabajos que paguen a la semana,
That is why we usually look for jobs that pay weekly
Caption 35, La Banda Chilanguense El habla de México - Part 3
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On the other hand, if the person or thing does exist, for example, we actually have a job that pays weekly, we should use an indicative verb form, as we see here:
Por eso es que nosotros por lo regular tenemos trabajos que pagan a la semana,
That is why we usually have jobs that pay weekly,
A typical formula for this usage involves some type of "seeking" or "wishing" verb or phrase plus the conjunction que plus a verb conjugated in the subjunctive. Let's look at examples of such "wishful" words and phrases. Note that the personal a is included when what is sought or hoped for is a person:
Wishful Verbs and Phrases:
Querer (a): to want
Buscar (a): to look for
Necesitar (a): to need
Desear (a): to desire/wish for
Querer encontrar (a): to want to find
Esperar encontrar (a): to hope to find
We can see many instances of the aforementioned construction in the video La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y la persona ideal (Doctor Advice: Subjunctive and the Ideal Person). First, let's see an excerpt where the Doctor uses the indicative to describe a person who actually does exist:
Eh... No es tan joven como tú.
Um... She's not as young as you.
Caption 75, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y persona ideal
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In contrast, her patient employs the subjunctive in a similar sentence that describes the hypothetical person he seeks:
Es que yo busco a alguien que sea un poco más joven.
It's just that I'm looking for someone who's a bit younger.
Caption 76, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y persona ideal
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Note that this subjunctive formula can be frequently found in want ads since their very nature is to seek desired entities. Let's take a look at a couple of examples:
Se buscan cajeros que puedan trabajar el turno de la tarde.
Cashiers wanted who can work the afternoon shift.
Necesitamos a una persona que sea bilingüe.
We need a person who is bilingual.
Verbs that describe nonexistent people or things should also be conjugated in the subjunctive. The formula in this case includes some phrase that indicates nonexistence such as no hay nadie que (there's no one that), no hay nada que (there's nothing that) and no existe... (...doesn't exist) plus the conjunction que plus a verb in the subjunctive. Let's hear these in context:
No hay ninguna experiencia que sea cien por cien mala
There's no experience that's one hundred percent bad
Captions 69-70, Soledad El insomnio - Part 2
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No existe persona en el mundo que rechace una propuesta de Aldo Sirenio.
There isn't a person in this world who refuses an offer from Aldo Sirenio.
Caption 45, Yago 5 La ciudad - Part 8
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yo ya fui allá y no hay nadie que concuerde con la descripción que tenemos.
I already went there, and there isn't anyone who matches the description that we have.
Caption 42, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 3
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Taking this last example, remember that if such a person actually did exist, a similar sentence could be created with the indicative:
yo ya fui allá y hay alguien que concuerda con la descripción que tenemos.
I already went there, and there is someone who matches the description that we have.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified the use the Spanish subjunctive to describe things we hope exist or definitely don't... and don't forget to write us with your feedback.
You are probably familiar with the Spanish word ahí (not to be confused with hay or ay), which is one of the ways to say "there" in Spanish. However, you may have noticed that it seems to be used frequently by many native speakers with different meanings, which aren't always easy to intuit. Let's explore many of the possible meanings of the common Spanish word ahí.
Like the English word "there," the Spanish word ahí can mean "in that place," "to that place" or merely "that place." When referring to physical location, the word ahí technically describes the closest distance relative to the other Spanish words for "there," allí and allá, but is often used interchangeably with the others. Let's take a look at some examples.
y lo dejaremos ahí hasta que hierva.
and we'll leave it there until it boils.
Caption 19, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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Entonces no sé si vamos ahí.
So I don't know if we [can] go there.
Caption 34, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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In this usage, the word ahí is often preceded by a preposition, as we see here:
Y a veces, por ahí sale el calor del centro de la tierra.
And sometimes, the heat from the center of the earth comes out through there.
Caption 48, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Descubrimiento
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When paired specifically with the Spanish preposition de, de ahí literally means "from that place" and works like the English word "hence" to refer to something that was said previously:
recordando a la cabeza de un ave; de ahí su nombre no científico.
reminding one of a bird's head; hence its non scientific name.
Captions 63-64, Isabel Lavesa Especies vegetales
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In this usage, the Spanish word ahí also references something that was previously mentioned and might be translated with "there" or other phrases like "that's when," "that's where," etc. Let's see two examples in context:
y veía a ese grupo y decía: "Che, ¿y nosotros por qué no?" Y de ahí nace la idea de empezar a juntarse.
and I saw that group and said, "Hey, and why not us?" And, from there, the idea of starting to get together is born.
Captions 41-42, Tu Música El Ensamble Latino - Part 1
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Y ahí me vino la inspiración de hacer un vídeo sobre los medios de transporte.
And that's where the inspiration came to me to make a video about the means of transportation.
Captions 9-10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Medios de transporte - Part 1
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The word ahí in Spanish can also work like the English word "then" to refer to a specific moment in time:
Ahí vamos a agregar nuestra, eh... panela en almíbar, se podría decir, ¿no?, o panela derretida.
Then, we're going to add our, um... panela syrup, you might say, right? Or melted panela.
Captions 49-50, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 5
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Let's look at this usage in the context of common fixed expressions in both Spanish and English:
De ahí en adelante las cosas empezaron a suceder con rapidez.
From then on, things began to happen quickly.
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 4
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The word ahí can also work like the word "maybe" or "perhaps," as we see below:
Y ahí voy a la fiesta mañana; no estoy segura.
And maybe I'll go to the party tomorrow; I'm not sure.
In addition to the many uses we just covered, the word ahí is also part of many fixed expressions in Spanish. Below you will find several with example sentences.
Just this one Spanish construction can have many different meanings in different contexts, aside from the literal one, "through there," which we saw previously. Let's take a look at several of them.
Maybe, Might:
Por ahí se preparan un asadito... no sé.
They might prepare a barbecue... I don't know.
Caption 56, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 8
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"They," "People"
Por ahi can also be used similarly to the impersonal se construction in Spanish to describe what "people" generally do, say, etc. Alternative translations for the caption below thus include "As they say" or "As people say."
Como dicen por ahí, todo tiene su ciencia.
As the saying goes, there's a science to everything.
Caption 20, Guillermina y Candelario El Manglar
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Around (Physically)
O... "Por favor, no lo dejéis todo por ahí tirado.
Or... "Please, don't leave everything scattered around.
Caption 19, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 1
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Around (About/More or Less)
Él se hizo famoso por ahí de los años setentas
He became famous around the seventies
Caption 15, Guillermo el chamán La tecnología maya
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Vamos a cenar por ahí esta noche.
We're going to go out to dinner tonight.
¿Cómo está el proyecto? -Ahí va.
How's the project? It's coming along.
¿Cómo está tu hermano? Me dijeron que estaba enfermo. -Ahí va. Todavía no se encuentra muy bien.
How's your brother? I heard he was sick. -He's hanging in there. He's still not feeling very well.
This might be used when someone is at the door or calling you, for example, from another room.
A partir de ahí, comienza lo que serán veinticuatro horas de fiesta ininterrumpida,
From there, what will be twenty-four hours of uninterrupted partying begins
Captions 56-57, Días festivos La Tamborrada de San Sebastián
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Tenemos la Unidad Operativa de Punta Pirámide, que está ahí nomás de Puerto Pirámide
We have the Operational Unit of Punta Pirámide, which is very close to Puerto Pirámide,
Captions 21-22, Perdidos en la Patagonia Península Valdés
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y ahí mismo vamos a echar nuestra carne salpimentada.
and right there, we're going to put in our seasoned meat.
Caption 38, La cocina de María Estofado de ternera
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Quieta ahí.
Don't move.
Caption 28, Yago 2 El puma - Part 9
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That's all for this lesson on the many meanings of the Spanish word ahí, alone and in fixed expressions. We hope that it will help you to use it and understand it in different contexts, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments!
Surely you've heard the word hecho in Spanish. But did you know that this Spanish word can function as a noun, a verb, or an adjective, as well as being a part of countless fixed expressions? Let's look into the many uses of the word hecho in Spanish!
The masculine noun el hecho in Spanish can mean "the fact," "the incident," or "the event." Let's see some examples:
El hecho es que a mí Vargas me asignó ese caso
The fact is that Vargas assigned me that case
Caption 22, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 3
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el microrrelato tenía que estar basado en un hecho o personajes históricos.
the flash fiction story had to be based on a historical event or figures.
Caption 15, Aprendiendo con Carlos El microrrelato - Part 3
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Hecho is the participle form of the verb hacer, which means "to do" or "to make." Since participles are used with the auxiliary verb haber to form the perfect tenses (the equivalent of English sentences like "I have spoken," "I had eaten," etc.), the translations for hecho in this context would be "done" or "made." Let's listen to two examples where hecho accompanies haber as part of the present perfect tense:
Pero, ya he hecho un montón de cosas.
But, I've already done a ton of things.
Caption 22, Clase Aula Azul La segunda condicional - Part 1
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Han hecho un viaje bastante largo.
They've made quite a long journey.
Caption 6, Amaya Mis burras Lola y Canija
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The Spanish word hecho can also be an adjective that means "done" or "made." Let's take a look:
Pero todo hecho con el material o tejidos andinos.
But all made with Andean material or fabrics.
Caption 31, Otavalo Zapatos andinos
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Remember that adjectives in Spanish must agree with the nouns they modify in terms of number and gender. Therefore, alternative forms of the masculine singular adjective hecho include the singular feminine hecha and the masculine/feminine plural forms hechos and hechas. Let's listen to two of these:
Es una masa redonda, hecha con harina,
It's some round dough made of flour,
Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 3
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Quesos especiales hechos aquí en la región.
Special cheeses made here in the region.
Caption 32, Desayuno Puerto Escondido Frijoles Refritos
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The Spanish word hecho should not be confused with echo, which is the first person singular form of the verb echar (to throw, throw away, put in, etc.), as we hear in the following caption:
Primero echo casi más de la mitad.
First, I put in almost more than half [of the package].
Caption 45, Recetas de cocina Papa a la Huancaína
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Because the "h" in hecho is silent, the identical pronunciation of these two words lead even native Spanish speakers to confuse them. However, bear in mind that as there is no such verb as hechar in Spanish, echo in this context should always be spelled without an "h."
In its various incarnations, the word hecho also appears in too many Spanish fixed expressions to name! Below you will find a smattering of these, with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish video library. Can you figure out how the word hecho, or one of its variants, is functioning in each of them?
dar por hecho: to presume, to be a given, to take for granted
puesto que se da por hecho que cuando lo comunicamos es porque nos gusta
since it's presumed that when we communicate it it's because we like it
Captions 39-40, Raquel y Marisa Español Para Negocios - Introducción
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de hecho: in fact
De hecho, es un sitio bastante tranquilo y pintoresco que vale la pena visitar.
In fact, it's a quite calm and picturesque place that's worth visiting.
Caption 23, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - El Dorado
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quiero recalcar el hecho de que todo pasa,
I want to emphasize the fact that everything passes,
Captions 74-75, Soledad Refranes - Part 2
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estar hecho polvo: to be exhausted (literally "to be made into dust")
"yo ya estoy hecho polvo.
"I'm exhausted already.
Caption 24, Pigueldito y Federico El cielo
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hecho a mano: handmade
son todas hechas a mano; bordados hechos a mano,
they're all handmade, handmade embroidery,
Captions 40-41, Málaga Lourdes y la talabartería en Mijas Pueblo
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hechos reales: a true story
basada en hechos reales.
based on a true story.
Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Nacionalidades y adjetivos - Part 1
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trato hecho: it's a deal, done deal
Trato hecho, ¿sí o no? -¡Trato hecho!
It's a deal, yes or no? -It's a deal!
Caption 60, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 2 - Part 5
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped to give you a sense of the many ways that the word hecho can be used in Spanish, as well as the the one way in which it should not be. Don't forget to write us with your questions or comments.
Do you know how to say "to get" in Spanish? Due to the numerous ways in which this word can be used in English, there is no "one size fits all" translation for this term. That said, let's explore the many meanings of the verb "to get" in English and learn their Spanish equivalents.
Breaking down the verb "to get" in English into many of its possible definitions, let's find out which verbs are used to express these ideas in Spanish and hear them in context.
"Efectivamente. Acaba de conseguir otro trabajo".
"Indeed. He just got another job."
Caption 60, Carlos explica 20 formas de decir sí sin decir sí
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"Hoy recibí la carta".
"Today, I got the letter."
Caption 46, Carlos explica Los artículos en español - Part 2
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Note that while the verb tener typically means "to have," it is a word that sometimes changes meaning in the preterite tense. Hence "Tuve una noticia" could be translated as "I got some news."
lograr obtener un buen resultado en el examen.
to manage to get a good grade on the exam.
Caption 42, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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Este... Saqué el bachillerato
Um... I got my high school diploma,
Caption 50, Cleer Entrevista a Giluancar
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voy y te traigo la cerveza.
I'll go, and I'll get you the beer.
Caption 39, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 12 - Part 6
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es en el caso que se nos termine la pasta dental y no podamos salir a la tienda a comprar otra.
is in case we run out of toothpaste and we can't go to the store to get another one.
Captions 50-51, Otavalo Consejos de salud bucal
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Yo no entiendo por qué quieres actuar en esa obra.
I don't get why you want to act in that play.
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 9 - Part 3
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Candelario se puso triste.
Candelario got sad.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Rescate
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Keep in mind that a number of Spanish verbs intrinsically contain the idea of "to get" in the sense of "becoming." For example, the verb entristecerse also means "to get sad." Additional examples include mejorar (to get better), empeorar (to get worse), molestarse (to get annoyed), alegrarse (to get happy), and many more.
Todos pillamos el COVID y tuvimos que quedarnos en casa durante casi dos semanas.
We all got COVID and had to stay home for almost two weeks.
Regarding the use of the verb coger in this context, be aware that while it is extremely common in Spain, in many Latin American countries like Mexico, it has a vulgar connotation and should thus be exercised with caution.
El cuarto significado señala cuánto tiempo falta para llegar a un destino
The fourth meaning indicates how much time is left to get to a destination
Captions 3-4, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 2
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Incluso tuve la oportunidad de jugar a nivel competitivo.
I even got to play at a competitive level.
Caption 28, Club 10 Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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y logré que para este caso nombraran a una juez que es amiga mía.
and, for this case, I got them to appoint a judge who's a friend of mine.
Caption 19, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 11
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Remember that with all of these expressions, verbs that follow the conjunction que in Spanish should be conjugated in the subjunctive.
dónde la pueden mandar hacer o...
where you can get it made, or...
Caption 57, Rueda de la muerte Parte 1
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An alternative way to express this would be: dónde pueden hacer que la hagan.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to realize the numerous ways in which the English verb "to get" is used and that you now know which Spanish verbs to choose for similar situations. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
Are you familiar with the concept of grammatical agreement in Spanish? There are two main types of agreement in Spanish: noun agreement and verb agreement. Today's lesson will provide an introduction to each.
The concept of noun agreement is the following: Since Spanish nouns are either masculine or feminine and singular or plural, their definite or indefinite articles, adjectives, and other grammatical elements must correspond in terms of these attributes. Let's take a look at a chart that demonstrates this concept with masculine and feminine singular and plural nouns and their corresponding definite and indefinite articles.
| Singular: | Plural: | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine: | el chico (the boy) | los chicos (the boys) | |
| un chico (a boy) | unos chicos (some boys) | ||
| Feminine: | la chica (the girl) | las chicas (the girls) | |
| una chica (a girl) | unas chicas (some girls) |
The chart shows us the various ways to say "the" (el, los, la, las) and "a/an" (un, unos, una, unas), depending upon whether a noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. That said, let's keep a couple of additional points in mind regarding recognizing the number and gender of Spanish nouns and/or modifying them to achieve noun agreement.
1. Although many Spanish masculine singular nouns end in -o and many Spanish feminine nouns end in -a, this is not always the case. Therefore, less obvious nouns (e.g. el avión (the airplane) or la nube (the cloud)) require simply memorizing the gender of the noun, especially nouns that refer to inanimate objects. For this reason, Spanish students typically learn new nouns and their respective masculine or feminine definite articles simultaneously.
2. As a general rule, many nouns that end in a vowel require the addition of an -s to make them plural, while many nouns that end in a consonant become plural by adding -es. Applying this to the abovementioned nouns, el avión becomes los aviones while la nube changes to las nubes.
In addition to their articles, Spanish adjectives must also agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify, with the same general spelling guidelines that we mentioned for pluralizing nouns. Let's hear how this works via some examples from our Yabla Spanish library:
Un coche bonito, unos coches bonitos. Una casa roja, las casas rojas.
A nice car, some nice cars. A red house, the red houses.
Captions 28-29, Fundamentos del Español 3 - Le Estructura de las Frases
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unos ojos azules, inmensos...
some huge, blue eyes...
Caption 24, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 2
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As you delve further into more complex Spanish grammar such as direct object pronouns, you will see how the number and gender of Spanish nouns continue to exert their influence.
Verb agreement in Spanish refers to the fact that Spanish verbs need to be conjugated in accordance with their respective subjects or subject pronouns, agreeing in number (singular or plural) and person (first, second, or third). Although this concept exists in English, it is much simpler due to the fact that there are less subject pronouns in English (seven vs. thirteen in Spanish) and far less verb forms. For example, for all of the seven English subject pronouns, there are only two verb forms, as we see below:
Subject Pronoun:
I: speak
you: speak
he: speaks
she: speaks
we: speak
they: speak
it: speaks
In Spanish, on the other hand, there are thirteen subject pronouns and many corresponding conjugations. Additionally, the manner in which each verb is conjugated depends upon which of the three common verb categories (-ar, -er, and -ir) it falls into, and many verbs are irregular, making verb agreement in Spanish significantly more complex. With this in mind, let's take a look at a chart with the conjugations of three common regular verbs, one from each category, in the present indicative tense:
| Subject Pronoun: | hablar: | comer: | subir: |
|---|---|---|---|
| yo | hablo | como | subo |
| tú | hablas | comes | subes |
| vos | hablás | comés | subís |
| él/ella/usted | habla | come | sube |
| vosotros/vosotras | habláis | coméis | subís |
| nosotros/nosotras | hablamos | comemos | subimos |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | hablan | comen | suben |
If that doesn't seem nuanced enough, keep in mind that that was just one of the sixteen Spanish verb tenses, each of which has its own specific manner of conjugating verbs in order to ensure verb agreement.
We hope that these explanations have given you a better idea about the concept of noun and verb agreement in Spanish, which are essential to understanding Spanish sentences and constructing your own. Don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
To start this lesson, let's take a look at a couple of very similar sentences with the Spanish word cuando (when) plus the verb ir (to go) where one is conjugated in the present indicative and the other in the present subjunctive:
Present Indicative:
Cuando voy a Barcelona, voy a la playa mucho.
When I go to Barcelona, I go to the beach a lot.
Present Subjunctive:
Cuando vaya a Barcelona, pienso ir a la playa mucho.
When I go to Barcelona, I plan to go to the beach a lot.
Although the translation is the same for both Cuando voy and Cuando vaya (When I go), in the second Spanish sentence, the verb ir is conjugated in the present subjunctive for a specific reason. Let's find out what it is!
The word cuando is used in Spanish with verbs in the present indicative when speaking about habitual actions or general truths. Let's see a couple of examples:
Cuando están encendidos, dan luz.
When they're on, they give off light.
Caption 37, El Aula Azul Adivina qué es - Part 2
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Cuando lo hacemos con carne, podemos poner carne de cerdo, carne de ternera o pollo.
When we make it with meat, we can put in pork, beef, or chicken.
Captions 9-11, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 1
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The indicative is used in these examples because, in the first caption, it's a general fact that when the streetlights in question are turned on, they give off light. In the second example, the speaker describes the habitual action of preparing paella with different ingredients.
On the other hand, the word cuando is used with verbs in the present subjunctive when speaking about actions that will happen in the future, that may or may not happen, or that some other action depends upon. To illustrate this point, let's take a look at sentences with the same verbs used previously, this time conjugated in the present subjunctive.
Bueno, OK, eso lo hablamos cuando estés acá,
Well, OK, we'll talk about that when you're here,
Caption 3, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 3
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Cuando lo hagas correctamente, será verde.
When you do it correctly, it will be green.
Caption 26, Tutoriales de Yabla Consejos para usar Scribe
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The subjunctive is employed with cuando in these examples because they both describe future events that have not yet taken place and upon which other events depend.
It is worth noting that while the aforementioned examples quite clearly fall into the categories of habitual vs. future actions, there are some cases where either the indicative or the subjunctive could be used in the same sentence, giving it a slightly different nuance. Let's take an example where someone is teaching us to bake:
Present Indicative:
Cuando las galletas están doradas, las saco del horno.
When the cookies are golden brown, I take them out of the oven.
Nuanced Meaning: Habitually, when the cookies are golden brown, I always take them out of the oven.
Present Subjunctive:
Cuando las galletas estén doradas, las saco del horno.
When the cookies are golden brown, I'll take them out of the oven.
Nuanced Meaning: At the moment when the cookies turn golden brown, I'll then take them out of the oven.
Quite interestingly, while the English translations are nearly identical, the choice of the indicative vs. the subjunctive in Spanish gives the two sentences slightly different meanings.
With this food for thought (pun intended!), we hope that you now know the reason for the different conjugations of the verb ir in the two introductory sentences and you understand when to choose the present indicative or subjunctive with the word cuando. Don't forget to write us with your questions or suggestions.
Are you familiar with the Spanish present progressive tense that utilizes the formula estar (to be) + gerund (the equivalent of the -ing form in English) to talk about an action in progress? Let's see an example:
¡Lo estás haciendo genial!
You're doing it great!
Caption 47, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Piensa rápido - Part 1
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Now let's look at an example where the verb ir (to go) is used with the gerund in lieu of the verb estar:
tú vas haciendo y pasan dos horas y te dicen vale ya está.
you're doing it and two hours go by and they tell you OK, that's it.
Caption 55, Blanca y Mariona Proyectos para el verano
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What's the difference? Although both estás haciendo and vas haciendo are translated as "you're doing" in these examples, the construction ir + gerund is often employed to emphasize the fact that an action is, was, or will be evolving over time, gradually, or as part of a process. Let's explore this notion a bit further.
As the formula suggests, this construction is created by combining a conjugated form of the verb ir (to go) in any tense with the gerund, for example, cambiando (changing), aprendiendo (learning), or diciendo (saying), which you can learn to conjugate in the aforementioned lesson on the present perfect. Let's see some examples in the present, imperfect, and future tenses.
Vamos cocinando (We're cooking)
Iban creando (They were creating)
Iremos entendiendo (We'll be understanding)
As we mentioned in the introduction, ir + gerund typically describes actions that take place over time, bit by bit, or as part of a process. Therefore, while their translations are sometimes the exact same as they would be if the verb estar were to replace the verb ir, this implication is present within this structure. With this in mind, let's see a few examples of this construction.
y... fuimos creciendo juntos en ese momento.
and...we were growing together at that moment,
Caption 77, Biografía Natalia Oreiro - Part 6
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In this caption, the preterite tense of the verb ir is used to describe something that happened in the distant past. However, the formula ir + gerund was chosen to demonstrate that the "growing" being talked about was a process that was unfolding at that moment in time. Let's see another example:
Mientras la cebolla está pochando, en otra sartén vamos a ir haciendo la patata.
While the onion is sauteing, in another frying pan, we're going to be making the potato.
Captions 42-43, La cocina de María Tortilla de patatas
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Here, the formula ir + gerund is once again used to talk about the process of making the potato over time. For this reason, you will often find this construction in sentences that contain the word mientras (while) to talk about an action that is evolving while something else happens. Let's look at one more example:
"Y el consciente..." ¿Viste como tú misma vas cambiando en la medida que vas trabajando?
"And the Conscious"... Did you see how you yourself are changing as you are working?
Captions 18-19, Escribiendo un libro Algunos consejos sobre cómo comenzar - Part 3
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Once again, ir + gerund is utilized because "changing" and "working" are actions that aren't just in progress at some moment but are rather part of a bigger picture of evolution over time. So, the implication here is "Did you see how you yourself are (gradually) changing as you are working (over time)? In fact, words like "gradually" or "over time" may or may not be added to the translations of some instances of the ir + gerund construction, which is sometimes difficult to translate precisely.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to better understand the often seen but seldom talked about ir + gerund construction, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
In Spanish, nouns are categorized into two grammatical genders: masculine and feminine. While the grammatical gender of a noun that describes a living being sometimes gives away that being's real life gender, there is a special category of nouns known as "epicene nouns" where this is not the case. In this lesson, we will explore the concept of epicene nouns in Spanish and provide you with several examples to better understand them.
When indicating real life gender in Spanish, for some living beings, there are different words for the male and female versions, for example, la vaca (the cow) vs. el toro (the bull). Others nouns indicate real life gender with changes to their endings and/or articles, such as the fact that el maestro refers to a male teacher, while la maestra is a female teacher.
Grammatically speaking, epicene nouns, like all nouns, are either masculine or feminine. However, what makes Spanish epicene nouns unique is that they are used for both the males and females of the beings they describe. For example, the noun la hormiga (ant) is a feminine noun that can be used to talk about either a male or female insect. Considering this, if you wish to say that a male ant was defending the queen ant, you would need to add the word macho (male) after it for clarification:
La hormiga macho estaba defendiendo a la reina.
The male ant was defending the queen.
Therefore, if you wish to provide this type of precise information regarding the real life gender of the noun about which you are speaking, the following terms should be used to talk about animals and people.
| MASCULINE | FEMININE | |
|---|---|---|
| ANIMALS | macho (male) | hembra (female) |
| PEOPLE | varón (male) | mujer (female) |
| masculino (masculine) | femenino (feminine) | |
It is important to keep in mind that grammatical agreement in terms of number and gender with epicene nouns is determined by a noun's grammatical gender rather than the sex of the entity it refers to. Let's see what we mean in the following example:
Correct: El tiburón hembra es muy peligroso (The female shark is very dangerous).
Incorrect: El tiburón hembra es muy peligrosa (The female shark is very dangerous).
As you can see, the masculine singular adjective peligroso (dangerous) is used to modify the masculine singular noun el tiburón (the shark), despite the fact that the shark is female. It would be wrong to choose the feminine singular form peligrosa in attempts to correspond to the feminine adjective hembra (female). Now that we know these rules, let's take a look at some of the most common epicene nouns in the Spanish language.
The majority of Spanish epicene nouns are words for animals. In the following list, you can see several:
el búho (the owl)
el camaleón (the chameleon)
la cebra (the zebra)
la hiena (the hyena)
la hormiga (the ant)
la jirafa (the giraffe)
la mosca (the fly)
el tiburón (the shark)
Interestingly, some other nouns like el perro (the dog) and el gato (the cat) may also be considered epicene as they could refer to either gender of these animals. However, in some circles, words like la perra and la gata could be chosen to describe male or female cats.
Now let's look at some epicene nouns for people:
la persona (the person)
la autoridad (the authority)
el personaje (the character)
la víctima (the victim)
el especialista (the specialist)
Some additional epicene nouns for people such as el estudiante (the student), el dentista (the dentist), or el cliente (the customer) can also refer to either men or women. Over time, however, their feminine versions (la estudiante, la dentista, la clienta) have come to be used by some people when referring to females who fit these descriptions.
Now that you understand the concept of epicene nouns, let's see a couple of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. In the first one, you can see how the feminine epicene noun la víctima (the victim) is used to talk about a male victim, while in the second, the masculine noun el personaje describes a female "character":
¡él no es un asesino! Él, ante todo, es una víctima,
he's not a murderer! He, first and foremost, is a victim,
Captions 12-13, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 8
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el nombre del personaje mitológico mexicano de 'la Llorona'.
the name of the Mexican mythological character 'La Llorona' [The Weeping Woman].
Caption 51, Carlos explica Recursos para consultas del español - Part 8
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That's all for this lesson. We hope that you learned something new today, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
Do you know the difference between the Spanish prepositions por and para? Although both can be translated as "for" in certain instances, these two oft-confused words have different uses in Spanish and a wide variety of translations in different contexts. In the most general terms, por is used to indicate a cause or reason while para indicates a goal or purpose. If you need to learn or review the uses of por and para in greater detail, we recommend that you peruse Yabla's lesson entitled Por vs. Para: How to Use These Spanish Prepositions. Then, when you're ready, test your knowledge with this quiz!
In the following sentences, choose the preposition por or para that correctly completes each sentence.
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
a. por
b. para
Choose the correct combination of the prepositions por and para to make the sentences grammatically correct.
a. por, para
b. para, por
c. para, para
d. por, por
a. por, para
b. para, por
c. para, para
d. por, por
a. Por, por, por
b. Para, para, para
c. Por, para, para
d. Por, por, para
The following are the answers to all of the questions in this Por vs. Para Quiz as well as the translations and grammatical reasons for each.
1. Correct Answer: b. para
Las tijeras son para cortar.
The scissors are for cutting.
REASON: The Spanish preposition para is used to talk about the use of something.
2. Correct Answer: a. por
Vamos a viajar por Europa este verano.
We're going to travel in Europe this summer.
REASON: Use por when talking about approximate location.
3. Correct Answer: a. por
Yo voy al gimnasio cuatro veces por semana.
I go to the gym three times a week.
REASON: When referring to the frequency of an action, choose the preposition por. Note the alternative translation in the following example from the Yabla Spanish video library:
Serían trescientos euros por mes
It would be three hundred euros per month
Caption 55, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2
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4. Correct Answer: b. para
Noel tiene que entregar su trabajo para el lunes.
Noel has to turn in her project on Monday.
REASON: When talking about a future point in time or deadline, pick para.
5. Correct Answer: a. por
Lo hice por amor.
I did it for love.
REASON: The Spanish preposition por can be used to talk about the reason for something.
6. Correct Answer: b. para
Ellos prepararon una cena espectacular para mi familia.
They made an amazing dinner for my family.
REASON: When naming a recipient, go with para, as in the following clip:
Este libro es para ti.
This book is for you.
Caption 47, Carlos y Cyndy Uso del Voseo en Argentina
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7. Correct Answer: b. para
Para mí, Daniel es el mejor restaurante de Nueva York.
To me, Daniel is the best restaurant in New York.
REASON: Para in Spanish can be employed to express a personal opinion.
8. Correct Answer: a. por
A Guillermo le encanta caminar por la ribera.
Guillermo loves to walk along the riverbank.
REASON: The Spanish preposition por can be placed prior to place names to denote a course of movement within that location.
9. Correct Answer: b. para
Mi mamá vino para visitarme.
My mom came to visit me.
REASON: When talking about the purpose for something, opt for the preposition para.
10. Correct Answer: a. por
Nosotros solemos estar de muy mal humor por la mañana.
We tend to be in a very bad mood in the morning.
REASON: When referencing the time of day, use por.
11. Correct Answer: a. por
Juan esperó por cuatro horas en una fila para comprar las entradas.
Juan waited for in a line for four hours to buy the tickets.
REASON: The Spanish preposition por is correctly used in this sentence to describe duration, like in this similar example:
Por muchos años estuvo abandonado,
For many years, it was abandoned,
Caption 66, Amaya Teatro romano
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12. Correct answer: a. por
Orlando compró un auto nuevo por mucho dinero.
Orlando bought a new car for a lot of money.
REASON: Por should be used to speak about financial transactions.
13. Correct answer: b. para
Carla trabaja para una empresa muy famosa.
Carla works for a very famous company.
REASON: Para is the correct Spanish preposition for referring to employment.
14. Correct answer: a. por
Hay que subir por las escaleras para llegar al segundo piso
You have to go up [using/with] the stairs to get to the second floor.
REASON: Utilize por to describe the means used to do something.
15. Correct answer: a. por
El edificio fue construido por un arquitecto muy reconocido.
The building was built by a very famous architect.
REASON: In passive sentences in Spanish, the preposition por can be employed to designate who or what performed an action.
16. Correct answer: b. para
Los estudiantes van para la escuela.
The students are going to the school.
REASON: Para in Spanish can refer to the direction of or destination for some movement, as we see twice here:
Andrea, yo me voy para donde Amalia y usted salga para el hotel.
Andrea, I'll go to Amalia's and you go to the hotel.
Caption 42, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 9
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17. Correct answer: a. por
Por lo que veo, ella está enferma y no va a poder venir.
From what I can see, she's sick and isn't going to be able to come.
REASON: Por is the correct Spanish preposition for providing evidence that is used to form a conclusion.
18. Correct answer: a. por, para
Liliana está estudiando por cinco horas cada día para su examen.
Liliana is studying for five hours a day for her test.
REASON: Despite the fact that both por and para are translated into English as "for" in this sentence, it is necessary to choose por in Spanish to denote duration and para to state an objective.
19. Correct answer: b. para, por
El libro que compré para mi mamá fue escrito por su autor favorito.
The book that I bought for my mom was written by her favorite author.
REASON: Here, the word para refers to a recipient while por points to the agent of an action in a passive sentence.
20. Correct answer: d. por, por, para
Por la tarde, me gusta caminar por mi barrio para relajarme.
In the evening, I like to walk around my neighborhood in order to relax.
REASON: In this sentence, por refers to the time of day as well as a general location, and para states a purpose.
That's all for this quiz on the Spanish prepositions por vs. para. We hope you did well! For more on this topic, be sure to check out Yabla's three-part video series, Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' , and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Do you know vocabulary to talk about winter in Spanish? This lesson should get you up to speed on Spanish terms to talk about all things winter... depending upon what part of the world you are in, of course!
First off, do you know how to say "winter" in Spanish? Let's find out in a clip from our Yabla Spanish video library, which also mentions the name of the first of the winter months in Spanish:
En diciembre, empieza el invierno.
In December, winter starts.
Caption 25, El Aula Azul Estaciones y Meses
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Now let's hear the pronunciation of the next three winter months:
Enero. Febrero. Marzo.
January. February. March.
Captions 2-4, El Aula Azul Estaciones y Meses
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Having said that, bear in mind that in countries in the southern hemisphere of South America (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay), the colder, winter months are the opposite:
Junio. Julio. Agosto. Septiembre.
June. July. August. September.
Captions 7-10, El Aula Azul Estaciones y Meses
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Now that you know how to say "winter" in Spanish and the names of the various months in which it can fall, don't forget to learn or brush up on the terms for the additional seasons in Spanish.
Of course, since some countries are warm year-round, what constitutes "winter clothes" varies depending upon where one lives, as Ana Carolina explains in the following clip:
El Ecuador, al igual que el resto de países latinoamericanos, se encuentra en la zona tórrida, es decir, que acá nunca cae nieve.
Ecuador, just like the rest of Latin American countries, is located in the tropical zone; in other words, snow never falls here.
Captions 34-37, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad
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With this in mind, let's learn some vocabulary to describe Spanish articles of clothing in regions with colder winter climates:
el abrigo: the coat
las botas: the boots
la bufanda: the scarf
el gorro/el sombrero: the hat/cap
los guantes: the gloves
los mitones: the mittens
las orejeras: the earmuffs
el jersey/el suéter: the sweater
el traje de nieve: the snowsuit
Now, let's hear a few of these in a catchy proverb:
"En enero bufanda, abrigo y sombrero".
"In January, scarf, coat, and hat."
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Silvia Dichos populares - Part 1
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Next, let's go over several additional nouns that are often associated with the winter season:
la bola de nieve: the snowball
el carámbano/el témpano: the icicle
la chimenea/el hogar: the fireplace
el copo de nieve: the snowflake
el esquí: skiing
el frío: the cold
el hombre de nieve/el muñeco de nieve: the snowman
la nieve: the snow
el patinaje sobre hielo: ice skating
los patines de hielo: the ice skates
la pelea de bolas de nieve: the snowball fight
la pista de patinaje sobre hielo: the ice skating rink
la tabla de snowboard: the snowboard
la tormenta de nieve: the snowstorm
el trineo: the sled
Let's listen to a few of these pronounced in excerpts from Yabla Spanish videos:
Sin embargo, la nieve y los muñecos de nieve
However, snow and snowmen
Caption 38, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad
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Cuando tengo una pelea de bolas de nieve, tengo que llevar guantes.
When I have a snowball fight, I have to wear gloves.
Captions 13-14, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Piensa rápido - Part 1
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Up next are some winter verbs for talking about sports, activities, and weather phenomena:
andar en trineo: to sled
calentarse: to get warm
congelarse: to freeze
derretirse: to melt
deslizarse: to slip
encender una hoguera/un fuego: to build a fire
esquíar: to ski
hacer frío: to be cold
hacer snowboard: to snowboard
hacer un muñeco de nieve: to build a snowman
hibernar: to hibernate
lanzar bolas de nieve: to throw snowballs
nevar: to snow
patinar sobre hielo: to ice skate
resfriarse: to catch a cold
To learn more ways to talk about catching a cold in Spanish, check out our lesson on sickness and health in Spanish. In the meantime, let's hear a few of these winter verbs in context along with some of our previously mentioned winter nouns:
La nieve es muy molesta cuando se empieza a derretir, pero también es muy emocionante cuando empieza a nevar.
The snow is very annoying when it starts to melt, but it is also very exciting when it begins to snow.
Captions 39-40, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 2
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y por la tarde encendíamos un fuego en la chimenea.
and in the afternoon, we would light a fire in the fireplace.
Caption 55, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 3
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Let's conclude by learning some wintery adjectives!
blanco: white
brillante/reluciente: sparkling, glittering
gélido/glacial: icy, frosty
cubierto de nieve/nevado/níveo: snowy
congelado/helado: frozen, freezing, chilly, frosty
derretido: melted
encapotado/nublado/nubloso: cloudy
escurridizo/resbaladizo: slippery
frío: cold/chilly
fundente: melting
gris: gray, dreary
medio derretido: slushy
mojado: wet
neblinoso: misty, foggy
Let's hear two of these in context. Note that in the first caption, the singular masculine adjective níveo has been modified to the plural feminine form níveas to agree with the plural feminine noun las blancuras. This is due to the fact that there must be gender and number agreement in Spanish between adjectives and the nouns they modify.
Entre las blancuras níveas
Among the snowy whiteness
Caption 38, Acercándonos a la Literatura José Asunción Silva - "Nocturno III"
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Si el invierno se hace helado me prendo
If the winter gets freezing, I turn myself on
Caption 11, Jorge Celedón, Vicentico Si Me Dejan
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That's all for this lesson, which we hope has helped you to feel more confident to talk in Spanish about many things you might do, wear, feel, or see during the winter season. For more seasonal vocabulary, be sure to check out our lessons on Spanish vocabulary for autumn, expressions for summer, and words for spring! And don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
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