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Spanish 101 - Basic Skills

1. Some Basic Phrases
¡Buenos días!
bway-nohs dee-ahs
Hello! / Good morning!		 ¡Buenas tardes!
bway-nahs tard-ays
Good afternoon!		 ¡Buenas noches!
bway-nahs noh-chays
Good evening! / Good night!
¡Hola! / ¡Chao!
oh-lah / chow
Hi! / Bye!		 Adiós.
ah-dee-ohs
Good bye.		 Por favor.
por fah-bor
Please.
Hasta la vista / Hasta luego.
ah-stah lah vees-tah / ah-stah loo-ay-go
See you / See you later.		 Hasta pronto.
ah-stah prohn-toh
See you soon.		 Hasta mañana.
ah-stah mahn-yahn-ah
See you tomorrow.
(Muchas) Gracias.
(moo-chahs) grah-see-ahs
Thank you (very much).		 De nada.
day nah-dah
You’re welcome.		 Bienvenidos
byen-veh-nee-dohs
Welcome
Lo siento
loh see-ehn-toh
I’m sorry		 Con permiso / Perdón
kohn pehr-mee-soh / pehr-dohn
Excuse me / Pardon		 ¡Vamos!
bah-mohs
Let’s go!
¿Cómo está usted?
koh-moh ay-stah oo-sted
How are you? (formal)		 ¿Cómo estás?
koh-moh ay-stahs
How are you? (informal)		 ¿Qué tal?
kay tahl
How’s it going?
Bien / Muy bien
bee-ehn / moy bee-ehn
Good / Very good		 Mal / Muy mal / Más o menos
mahl / moy mahl / mahs oh may-nohs
Bad / Very bad / OK		 Sí / No
see / noh
Yes / No
¿Cómo se llama usted?
koh-moh say yah-mah oo-sted
What is your name? (formal)		 ¿Cómo te llamas?
koh-moh tay yah-mahs
What is your name? (informal)		 Me llamo...
may yah-moh
My name is...
Mucho gusto. / Encantado.
moo-choh goo-stoh / en-cahn-tah-doh
Nice to meet you.		 Igualmente.
ee-guahl-mehn-tay
Same here.		 Señor / Señora / Señorita
sayn-yor / sayn-yor-ah / sayn-yor-ee-tah
Mister / Mrs. / Miss
¿De dónde es usted?
day dohn-day ehs oo-sted
Where are you from? (formal)		 ¿De dónde eres?
day dohn-day eh-rehs
Where are you from? (informal)		 Yo soy de...
yoh soy day
I’m from...
¿Cuántos años tiene usted?
quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-ay-nay oo-sted
How old are you? (formal)		 ¿Cuántos años tienes?
quahn-tohs ahn-yohs tee-ayn-ays
How old are you? (informal)		 Yo tengo _____ años.
yoh tayn-goh _____ ahn-yohs
I am _____ years old.
¿Habla usted español?
ah-blah oo-sted eh-spahn-yol
Do you speak Spanish? (formal)		 ¿Hablas ingles?
ah-blahs een-glehs
Do you speak English? (informal)		 (No) Hablo...
noh ah-bloh
I (don’t) speak...
¿Entiende usted? / ¿Entiendes?
ehn-tyen-deh oo-sted / ehn-tyen-dehs
Do you understand? (formal / informal)		 (No) Entiendo.
noh ehn-tyen-doh
I (don’t) understand.		 Yo (no lo) se.
yoh noh loh seh
I (don’t) know.
¿Puede ayudarme?
pweh-deh ah-yoo-dar-meh
Can you help me?		 Claro que sí
klah-roh keh see
Of course		 ¿Cómo?
koh-moh
What? Pardon me?
¿Dónde está / Dónde están... ?
dohn-deh eh-stah / dohn-deh eh-stahn
Where is ... / Where are ... ?		 Aquí
ah-kee
Here.		 Hay / Había...
eye / ah-bee-ah
There is / are... / There was / were...
Cómo se dice ____ en español?
koh-moh seh dee-ceh ___ on eh-spahn-yol
How do you say ____ in Spanish?		 Qué es esto?
keh ehs ehs-toh
What is that?		 ¿Qué te pasa?
keh teh pah-sah
What’s the matter (with you)?
No importa.
noh eem-por-tah
It doesn’t matter.		 Qué pasa?
keh pah-sah
What’s happening?		 No tengo ninguna idea.
noh tehn-goh neen-goo-nah ee-deh-ah
I have no idea.
Estoy cansado / enfermo.
eh-stoy kahn-sah-doh / ehn-fehr-moh
I’m tired / sick.		 Tengo hambre / sed.
tehn-goh ahm-breh / sed
I’m hungry / thirsty.		 Tengo calor / frío.
tehn-goh kah-lohr / free-oh
I’m hot / cold.
Estoy aburrido.
eh-stoy ah-boo-ree-doh
I’m bored.		 No me importa.
noh meh eem-por-tah
I don’t care.		 No se preocupe.
noh seh preh-oh-koo-peh
Don’t worry
Está bien.
ehs-tah bee-ehn
That’s alright.		 Me olvidé.
meh ohl-vee-deh
I forgot.		 Tengo que ir ahora.
tehn-goh keh eer ah-oh-rah
I must go now.
¡Salud!
sah-lood
Bless you!		 ¡Felicitaciones!
feh-lee-see-tah-see-oh-nehs
Congratulations! 		¡Buena suerte!
bweh-nah swehr-teh
Good luck!
Te toca a ti.
teh toh-kah ah tee
It’s your turn. (informal)		 ¡Callate!
kah-yah-teh
Shut up!		 Te amo.
tay ah-moh
I love you. (informal and singular)

Notice that Spanish has informal and formal ways of saying things. This is because there is more than one meaning to “you” in Spanish (as well as in many other languages.) The informal you is used when talking to close friends, relatives, animals or children. The formal you is used when talking to someone you just met, do not know well, or someone for whom you would like to show respect (a professor, for example.) There are also two ways to say you in the plural, used when speaking to more than one person.
Encantado, cansado, enfermo, and aburrido are the masculine forms of the words. If the words refer to a woman or are spoken by a woman, then the o changes to a.

2. Pronunciation
Spanish Letter English Sound
a ah
e ay
i ee
o oh
u oo
ll y
v b at beginning of word, real soft b between 2 vowels
ñ ny (as in canyon)
r almost like a d when in between 2 vowels
rr r w/ a roll of the tongue
d almost like a th when in between 2 vowels
j hard h
g g, sometimes a h
qu k
ai / all / ay eye
z s
z, ce, ci th (in most parts of Spain)


3. Alphabet
a ah j hoh-tah r air-ay
b bay k kah rr airr-ay
c say l ay-lay s ay-say
ch chay ll ay-yay t tay
d day m ay-may u oo
e ay n ay-nay v oo-bay
f ay-fay ñ ayn-yay w doh-blay-bay
g hey o oh x ah-kees
h ah-chay p pay y ee-gree-ay-gah
i ee q koo z say-tah
Note: The Spanish language academy no longer considers the ch, ll or rr to be separate letters of the alphabet.
4. Definite and Indefinite Articles and Demonstratives

Masc. Singular Fem. Singular

Masc. Plural Fem. Plural
the el (ail) la (lah)
the los (lohs) las (lahs)
a, an un (oon) una (oon-ah)
some unos (oon-ohs) unas (oon-ahs)
this este esta
these estos estas
that ese esa
those esos esas
that aquel aquella
those aquellos aquellas
Note: El is also used with feminine nouns beginning with a or ha when the accent is on the first syllable. Use the ese forms to mean that when what you are talking about is near the person you are addressing. Use the aquel forms when what you are talking about is far from both you and the person you are addressing. Esto and eso are the neuter forms of this and that. They can be used in general and abstract ways.
5. Subject Pronouns
yo yoh I nosotros(as) noh-soh-trohs we
tú too you (informal) vosotros(as) boh-soh-trohs you all
él / ella /
usted		 ail / ay-yah /
oo-sted		 he / she /
you (formal)		 ellos / ellas /
ustedes		 ay-yohs / ay-yahs /
oo-sted-ays		 they / they /
you (plural)
Note: Vosotros is used only in Spain when speaking to more than one person with whom you know well. Nosotras and vosotras refer to a group of all females, as well as ellas. Ustedes is almost always used for saying “you all” in all Spanish speaking countries. Usted can be abbreviated to Ud. Ustedes can also be abbreviated to Uds. Please note that the subject pronouns are rarely used before verbs.
6. To Be and to Have
ser - to be
estar - to be
tener - to have
soy somos
estoy estamos
tengo tenemos
eres sois
estás estáis
tienes tenéis
es son
está están
tiene tienen
Note: Ser is used to identify or describe. It tells what something is, its basic characteristics, or its origin. Estar is used to tell the location of something or how someone feels. Uses of Ser
Identify person/object
Inherent characteristics
or qualities
Nationality/Occupation
Telling time
Express ownership
Impersonal expressions
Passive voice		 El edificio es un templo.
La casa es grande.
Carlos es pobre.
Es carpintero.
Son las tres.
Los libros son de Juan.
Es necesario.
El teléfono fue inventado por Bell.		 The building is a temple.
The house is large.
Charles is poor.
He is a carpenter.
It’s three o’clock.
The books are John’s.
It is necessary.
The telephone was invented by Bell.
Uses of Estar
Location/position
Temporary condition/state
State of health
Form progressive tense		 El libro está en la mesa.
La ventana está abierta.
Juan está enfermo.
Miguel está estudiando.		 The book is on the table.
The window is open.
John is sick.
Michael is studying.
Common Expressions with “to be”
to be afraid - tener miedo
to be against - estar en contra
to be at fault - tener la culpa
to be careful - tener cuidado
to be cold - tener frío
to be curious - ser curioso (a)
to be happy - estar contento (a)
to be hot - tener calor
to be hungry - tener hambre
to be in a hurry - tener prisa, estar de prisa
to be jealous - tener celos
to be lucky - tener suerte
to be patient - tener paciencia
to be successful - tener éxito
to be thirsty - tener sed
to be tired - estar cansado (a)
7. Question Words
what qué
which cuál(es)
who quién(es)
how much cuánto (-a)
how cómo
how many cuántos (-as)
when cuándo
whom a quién(es)
where dónde
whose de quién(es)
why por qué


8. Numbers / Ordinals
0 cero cay-roh

1 uno oo-noh first primero
2 dos dohs second segundo
3 tres trays third tercero
4 cuatro kuah-troh fourth cuarto
5 cinco seen-koh fifth quinto
6 seis says sixth sexto
7 siete see-ay-tay seventh séptimo
8 ocho oh-choh eighth octavo
9 nueve new-ay-vay ninth noveno
10 diez dee-ays tenth décimo
11 once ohn-say eleventh undécimo
12 doce doh-say twelfth duodécimo
13 trece tray-say thirteenth décimo tercero
14 catorce kah-tor-say fourteenth décimo cuarto
15 quince keen-say fifteenth décimo quinto
16 diez y seis dee-ays ee says sixteenth décimo sexto
17 diez y siete dee-ays ee see-ay-tay seventeenth décimo séptimo
18 diez y ocho dee-ays ee oh-choh eighteenth décimo octavo
19 diez y nueve dee-ays ee new-ay-vay nineteenth décimo noveno
20 veinte bayn-tay twentieth vigésimo
21 veinte y uno bayn-tay ee oo-noh twenty-first vigésimo primero
22 veinte y dos bayn-tay ee dohs twenty-second vigésimo segundo
30 treinta trayn-tah thirtieth trigésimo
40 cuarenta kuar-ain-tah fortieth cuadragésimo
50 cincuenta seen-kuain-tah fiftieth quincuagésimo
60 sesenta say-sain-tah sixtieth sexagésimo
70 setenta say-tain-tah seventieth septuagésimo
80 ochenta oh-chain-tah eightieth octogésimo
90 noventa noh-bain-tah ninetieth nonagésimo
100 cien(to) see-ain-(toh) hundredth centésimo
1000 mil meel thousandth milésimo
Note: If you are just saying 100, you use just cien. If it’s over 100, you use ciento. So 101 is ciento uno. And 156 would be ciento cincuenta y seis. Also you can also use dieciséis, diecisiete, dieciocho, and diecinueve for 16, 17, 18, and 19, respectively. They are pronounced the same but are combined into one word.
9. Days of the Week
Monday lunes loo-nays
Tuesday martes mar-tays
Wednesday miércoles mee-air-coh-lays
Thursday jueves hway-bays
Friday viernes bee-air-nays
Saturday sábado sah-bah-doh
Sunday domingo doh-ming-oh
the day el día ail dee-ah
the week la semana lah say-mahn-ah
the weekend el fin de semana ail feen day say-mahn-ah
today hoy oy
tomorrow mañana mahn-yahn-ah
my birthday mi cumpleaños mee coom-play-ahn-yohs
10. Months of the Year
January enero ay-nair-oh
February febrero fay-bray-roh
March marzo mar-soh
April abril ah-breel
May mayo mi-oh
June junio hoo-nee-oh
July julio hoo-lee-oh
August agosto ah-gohs-toh
September septiembre sayp-tee-aim-bray
October octubre ohk-too-bray
November noviembre noh-bee-aim-bray
December diciembre dee-see-aim-bray
the month el mes ail mais
the first of [a month] el primero de [month] ail pree-mair-oh day _____
the year el año ail ahn-yoh
11. Seasons
spring la primavera
winter el invierno
summer el verano
autumn el otoño
Note: To say in the summer, spring, etc. use en and the season. En verano means in the summer.
12. Directions
north el norte
east el este
south el sur
west el oeste
13. Colors
red rojo
violet violeta
pink rosado
brown marrón
orange anaranjado
dark brown café
yellow amarillo
black negro
green verde
gray gris
blue azul
white blanco
light blue celeste
gold dorado
purple morado
silver plateado
14. Time
Qué hora es? What time is it?
Es la una. It’s one.
Son las dos/tres/cuatro... It’s two/three/four...
Es mediodía. It’s noon.
Es medianoche. It’s midnight.
Son las cinco y cinco. It’s 5:05
Son las ocho y cuarto. It’s 8:15
Son las diez menos cuarto. It’s 9:45
Son cuarto para las diez It’s 9:45 (common in Mexico)
Son las nueve menos diez. It’s 8:50
Son diez para las nueve It’s 8:50 (common in Mexico)
Son las tres y media. It’s 3:30
15. Weather
Qué tiempo hace? What’s the weather like?
Hace buen tiempo. The weather’s nice.
Hace mal tiempo. The weather’s bad.
Hace frío. It’s cold.
Hace calor. It’s hot.
Hace sol. It’s sunny.
Hace viento. It’s windy.
Llueve. It’s raining.
Nieva. It’s snowing.
Está nublado. It’s cloudy.
16. Prepositions
a at
al lado de beside
con with
alrededor de around
contra against
cerca de near
de of, from
lejos de far from
en in, on
delante de in front of
entre between, among
debajo de below, under
hacia towards, about
en frente de opposite
para for, in order, by
detrás de behind
por for, through, along, via
encima de above
sobre on, over
hasta till, until
sin without
desde from, since
Note: There are two prepositional contractions with definite articles. A and el combine to form al, and de and el combine to form del.
17. Family and Animals
family la familia
grandfather el abuelo
dog el perro
parents los padres
grandmother la abuela
cat el gato
husband el esposo
grandson el nieto
bird el pájaro
wife la esposa
granddaughter la nieta
fish el pez
father el padre
uncle el tío
horse el caballo
mother la madre
aunt la tía
goat la cabra
son el hijo
nephew el sobrino
pig el cerdo
daughter la hija
niece la sobrina
cow la vaca
children los hijos
cousin (m) el primo
rabbit el conejo
sister la hermana
cousin (f) la prima
turtle la tortuga
brother el hermano
relatives los parientes
mouse el ratón
18. To Know People and Facts
conocer - to know people
saber - to know facts
conozco conocemos
sé sabemos
conoces conocéis
sabes sabéis
conoce conocen
sabe saben
19. Formation of Plural Nouns If a word ends in an -ción, -tad, -dad, or -tud, it’ll be feminine. Also, if you are talking about a female, you will use the feminine articles (la señora). Words ending in an -o are masculine. Days of the week are also masculine. And if you’re talking about a male, use the masculine articles. There are some exceptions to these rules and you just have to memorize them. To make words ending in a vowel plural, add an -s (libro = libros). Add an -es to make words ending in a consonant plural (papel = papeles). If a word ends in a -z, change the z to a c and add -es (cruz = cruces). After making the word plural, you must make the articles plural also. There are very few exceptions to making words plural.
20. Possessive Adjectives





Terminal Forms
Singular Plural
Singular Plural
my
mi mis
mío (a) míos (as)
your
tu tus
tuyo (a) tuyos (as)
your/his/her/its
su sus
suyo (a) suyos (as)
our
nuestro (a) nuestros (as)
nuestro (a) nuestros (as)
your
vuestro (a) vuestros (as)
vuestro (a) vuestros (as)
your/their
su sus
suyo (a) suyos (as)
Because su and sus can have so many meanings, the definite article may be used with the definite article may be used instead of su with the following forms: de Ud., de él, de ella, de Uds., de ellos and de ellas. los libros de ellos their books The terminal forms are placed after the noun, and must be preceded by the definite article, except in direct address. When used with the indefinite article, it corresponds to the English “of mine, of yours,” etc. el libro mío my book
Qué haces, hijo mío? What are you doing, my son?
un amigo mío a friend of mine
21. To Do or Make
hacer - to do or make
hago hacemos
haces hacéis
hace hacen
22. Work and School

doctor el médico
pilot el piloto
dentist el dentista
secretary la secretaria
lawyer el abogado
typist la mecanógrafo
professor el profesor
nurse la enfermera
teacher el maestro
history la historia
engineer el ingeniero
math las matemáticas
architect el arquitecto
algebra el álgebra
writer el escritor
geometry la geometría
journalist el periodista
science la ciencia
musician el músico
physics la fisica
painter el pintor
chemistry la química
pharmacist el farmacéutico
zoology la zoología
banker el banquero
botany la botánica
carpenter el carpintero
geography la geografía
barber el barbero
music la música
mechanic el mecánico
art el arte
salesman el vendedor
drawing el dibujo
electrician el electricista
painting la pintura
postman el cartero
linguistics la lingüística
policeman el agente de policía
languages las lenguas / idiomas
soldier el soldado



23. Countries and Nationalities

Country Masculine (Feminine) Nationality
Germany Alemania alemán (alemana)
Argentina Argentina argentino(a)
Australia Australia australiano(a)
Bolivia Bolivia boliviano(a)
Canada Canadá canadiense
Columbia Colombia colombiano(a)
Costa Rica Costa Rica costarricense
Cuba Cuba cubano(a)
Chile Chile chileno(a)
China China chino(a)
Ecuador Ecuador ecuatoriano(a)
Egypt Egipto egipcio(a)
Spain España español(a)
United States los Estados Unidos (norte)americano(a)
France Francia francés (francesa)
India India indio(a)
England Inglaterra inglés (inglesa)
Italy Italia italiano(a)
Japan Japón japonés (japonesa)
Mexico México mexicano(a)
Poland Polonia polaco(a)
Portugal Portugal portugués (portuguesa)
Russia Rusia ruso(a)
South Africa Sudáfrica sudafricano(a)
24. To / In and From
to a
from de
in en
Remember to use the prepositional contractions when a noun with an article follows the preposition.
25. To Come and to Go
venir - to come
ir - to go
vengo venimos
voy vamos
vienes venís
vas vais
viene vienen
va van
26. Misc. Words
a lot mucho
always siempre
very much muchísimo
everyday todos los días
a little poco
now ahora
very little muy poco
usually usualmente
sometimes a veces
there ahí
well bien
over there allí
after después
too bad qué malo
poorly mal


27. Conjugating Regular Verbs Verbs in Spanish end in -ar, -er or -ir. Before a verb is conjugated, it is called the infinitive. Removing the last two letters gives you the stem of the verb (cantar is to sing, cant- is the stem.) To conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, add these endings to the stems:
-ar
-er
-ir
o amos
o emos
o imos
as áis
es éis
es ís
a an
e en
e en
Remember that verbs do not require the subject pronouns, so just canto means I sing. Here are some more regular verbs:
-ar verbs
-er verbs
-ir verbs
bailar to dance
aprender to learn
vivir to live
desear to want
comer to eat
escribir to write
escuchar to listen
correr to run
compartir to share
estudiar to study
leer to read
recibir to receive
hablar to speak
vender to sell


practicar to practice
beber to drink


tomar to take
comprender to understand


viajar to travel






To make sentences negative, simply put no in front of the verb.
28. Reflexive Verbs
The subject and the object are the same with reflexive verbs - the subject acts upon itself. A reflexive verb in Spanish will be marked with se attached to the end of the infinitive. These verbs are conjugated like regular verbs, except the reflexive pronoun agrees with case and gender and precedes the verb when not used in the infinitive form. Reciprocal verbs are the same as reflexive except the action passes from one person to another. It can only be used in the first and third person plural forms. Reflexive verbs sometimes use the “-self” forms in English, while the reciprocal verbs use “each other.”
Reflexive Pronouns
me
te
se		 nos
os
se
Some common reflexive verbs:
acostarse - to go to bed
bañarse - to bathe oneself
casarse - to get married
despertarse - to wake up
irse - to go away
levantarse - to rise
sentarse - to sit down
vestirse - to dress oneself
atreverse - to dare
quejarse - to complain
29. Irregular Conugations
Some verbs have vowel changes in the present tense for all forms except first and second person plural. After dropping the endings (-ar, -er, or -ir), the e of the last syllable changes to ie, and o in the last syllable changes to ue. Some -ir verbs change the e to i.
e to ie o to ue e to i
pensar - to think
querer - to want, like, love
cerrar - to close
comenzar - to begin
despertar - to awaken
empezar - to begin
entender - to understand
perder - to lose
preferir - to prefer
sentar - to seat
sentir - to regret, feel		 contar - to count
poder - to be able
costar - to cost
dormir - to sleep
encontrar - to find, meet
jugar - to play
morir - to die
mostrar - to show
volar - to fly
volver - to return		 pedir - to ask (for)
repetir - to repeat
seguir - to follow
servir - to serve
vestir - to dress





pensar
contar
pedir
pienso
piensas
piensa		 pensamos
pensáis
piensan
cuento
cuentas
cuenta		 contamos
contáis
cuentan
pido
pides
pide		 pedimos
pedís
piden






30. Impersonal “a”
When the object of a verb (except tener) is a definite person, it is preceded by a. It isn’t used if a number precedes the object though. The pronouns alguien (somebody), alguno (someone), nadie (nobody), and ninguno (no one) require a as well, when used as the direct object. It is also used before geographical names that are not already preceded by an article.
Veo a Juan. I see John.
Veo a alguien. I see somebody.
Describe a Chile. Describe Chile.
31. Preterite Tense
The preterite tense expresses an action in the past. It is used to describe events that are finished or complete. It is formed by adding these endings to the infinitive stem.
-ar verbs
-er and -ir verbs
-é
-aste
-ó		 -amos
-asteis
-aron
-í
-iste
-ió		 -imos
-isteis
-ieron



Viví en España dos años. I lived in Spain for two years.
Ellos hablaron con los niños. They spoke with the children.
Quién comió la fruta? Who ate the fruit?
32. Irregular Preterite Tense
A few verbs are irregular in the preterite tense. The following are the most common:
dar - to give
decir - to say, tell
estar - to be
di
diste
dio		 dimos
disteis
dieron
dije
dijiste
dijo		 dijimos
dijisteis
dijeron
estuve
estuviste
estuvo		 estuvimos
estuvisteis
estuvieron
hacer - to do, make
ir - to go / ser- to be
poner - to put, place
hice
hiciste
hizo		 hicimos
hicisteis
hicieron
fui
fuiste
fue		 fuimos
fuisteis
fueron
puse
pusiste
puso		 pusimos
pusisteis
pusieron
tener - to have
traer - to bring
venir - to come
tuve
tuviste
tuvo		 tuvimos
tuvisteis
tuvieron
traje
trajiste
trajo		 trajimos
trajisteis
trajeron
vine
viniste
vino		 vinimos
vinisteis
vinieron
Ir and ser have the same forms in the preterite tense. Context will make the meaning clear.
33. Imperfect Tense
The imperfect is another past tense that is used to express an action as going on in the past, as repeated or habitual. It is also used with mental and physical conditions and for descriptions. The preterite tense is used much more often than the imperfect tense though, except with these verbs: querer, creer, pueder, esperar, tener, and saber. It is formed by adding these endings to the infinitive stem.
-ar verbs
-er and -ir verbs
-aba
-abas
-aba		 -ábamos
-abais
-aban
-ía
-ías
-ía		 -íamos
-íais
-ían



Yo vivía en España. I used to live in Spain.
Luisa estaba triste. Louise was sad.
El vendía radios. He was selling radios.
Only a few verbs are irregular in the imperfect tense:
ser - to be
ir - to go
ver - to see
era
eras
era		 éramos
erais
eran
iba
ibas
iba		 íbamos
ibais
iban
veía
veías
veía		 veíamos
veíais
veían






34. Food and Meals
breakfast
lunch
supper
dinner
meal
food
bread
roll
butter
meat
fish
vegetables
fruit
cheese
crackers
candy
sandwich
ice cream		 el desayuno
el almuerzo
la cena
la comida
la comida
el alimento
el pan
el panecillo
la mantequilla
la carne
el pescado
las legumbres
la fruta
el queso
la galleta
los dulces
el sándwich
el helado
tablecloth
napkin
fork
knife
spoon
plate, dish
glass
cup
salt
saltshaker
pepper
pepper shaker
sugar
sugar bowl
vinegar
coffeepot
teapot
tray		 el mantel
la servilleta
el tenedor
el cuchillo
la cuchara
el plato
el vaso
la taza
la sal
el salero
la pimienta
el pimentero
el azúcar
el azucarero
el vinagre
la cafetera
la tetera
la bandeja
35. Gustar Gustar plus a noun means to like something. Literally, it means to please and takes an indirect object, so the construction of the sentence will be different than that of English.
Me gusta(n) I like
Nos gusta(n) we like
Te gusta(n) you like
Os gusta(n) you like
Le gusta(n) you/he/she likes
Les gusta(n) you/they like
Gusta is used with singular nouns, while gustan is used with plural nouns. With le and les, you can add a Ud., a él, a ella, a Uds., a ellos and a ellas to make the meaning clear.
Me gustan las flores. I like the flowers. (Literally: To me are pleasing the flowers or the flowers are pleasing to me.)
Nos gusta la casa. We like the house.
No me gusta. I don’t like it.
Le gusta a Ud.? Do you like it?
Le gustan a ella. She likes them.
36. Fruits, Vegetables and Meats
apple
orange
banana
grapefruit
lemon
lime
peach
apricot
fig
grapes
pear
plum
cherry
pineapple
melon
watermelon
strawberry
raspberry
blackberry		 la manzana
la naranja
la banana
la toronja
el limón
la lima
el melocotón
el albaricoque
el higo
unas uvas
la pera
la ciruela
la cereza
la piña
el melón
la sandía
la fresa
la frambuesa
la zarzamora
lettuce
cabbage
cauliflower
green peas
asparagus
green been
spinach
tomato
carrot
turnip
beet
celery
onion
cucumber
parsley
squash
artichoke
eggplant
rhubarb		 la lechuga
la col
la coliflor
los guisantes
los espárragos
la habichuela
la espinaca
el tomate
la zanahoria
el nabo
la remolacha
el apio
la cebolla
el pepino
el perejil
la calabaza
la alcachofa
la berenjena
el ruibarbo
broccoli
corn on the cob
radish
pepper
garlic
potato
sweet potato
beans
beef
lamb
pork
sausage
ham
bacon
goose
duck
chicken
turkey
lobster		 el brócoli
el elote / la mazorca
el rábano
el pimiento
el ajo
la patata
la batata
los frijoles / las judías
la carne de vaca
el cordero
el cerdo
la salchicha
el jamón
el tocino
el ganso
el pato
el pollo
el pavo
la langosta
37. To Take or Drink
tomar - to take or drink
tomo
tomas
toma		 tomamos
tomáis
toman

When tomar means to drink, it usually refers to alcohol. In Mexico, tomar can be intransitive, as beber is almost never used. In Spain, tomar is always transitive, such as tomar una copa- to have a drink and tomar un café - to have a coffee.
38. Commands To form familiar commands, regular -ar verbs end in -a, and -er and -ir verbs end in -e for the tú form. Change the final -r to -d for the vosotros form. Negative familiar commands use the subjunctive forms, so -ar verbs end in -es and -éis, while -er and -ir verbs end in -as and -áis for the tú and vosotros forms.

Affirmative
Negative

 -ar -er or -ir
-ar -er or -ir
tú -a -e
-es -as
vosotros -ad -ed
-éis -áis
Habla! = Speak! (tú form)
Comed! = Eat! (vosotros form)
No comáis! = Don’t eat! (negative vosotros form)
Irregular Familiar Commands

tú vosotros
decir
hacer
ir
irse
poner
salir
ser
tener
venir		 di
haz
ve
vete
pon
sal
sé
ten
ven		 decid
haced
id
idos
poned
salid
sed
tened
venid
To form formal commands of verbs, drop the -o ending of the yo form, and add the opposite vowel ending. This means -ar verbs will add -e for the Usted form and -en for the Ustedes form; while -er and -ir verbs will add -a for Usted and -an for Ustedes. To make a command negative, just add no before it.

-ar -er or -ir
Usted -e -a
Ustedes -en -an
Beba! = Drink! (Usted form)
Coman! = Eat (Ustedes form)
No beban! = Don’t drink! (negative Ustedes form) Ir and ser have irregular forms as formal commands: vaya and vayan for ir and sea and sean for ser. Verbs that end in -car, -gar and -zar have the following changes in commands as well: c becomes qu, g becomes gu, and z becomes c.
39. More Negatives
To make sentences negative, you place no before the verb. Other negatives may precede or follow the verb, but if they follow, they must follow a negative verb (a double negative). The word order is no + verb + negative.
nada
nadie
ninguno (a)
tampoco
ni
ni...ni
ni siquiera
nunca, jamás		 nothing, (not) anything
nobody, (not) anybody
no, none
neither, either
nor
neither... nor
not even
never, ever
Nunca means ever when it follows a comparative; jamás means ever when it follows an affirmative verb.
40. Holiday Phrases
Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas
Feliz Año Nuevo Happy New Year
Feliz Cumpleaños Happy Birthday
Spanish National Anthem: Marcha Real
Viva España !
Alzad los brazos hijos del pueblo español
que vuelve a resurgir
gloria a la patria que supo seguir sobre el azul del mar
el caminar del sol.
Mexican National Anthem: Mexicanos, al Grito de Guerra
by Francisco González Bocanegra

Mexicanos, al grito de guerra
 Mexicans, at the cry of battle
El acero aprestad y el bridón; lend your swords and bridle;
y retiemble en sus centros la tierra and let the earth tremble at its center
Al sonoro rugir del cañón. upon the roar of the cannon.
Ciña ¡oh patria! tus sienes de oliva Your forehead shall be girded, oh fatherland, with olive garlands
De la Paz el arcángel divino, by the divine archangel of peace,
Que en el cielo tu eterno destino For in heaven your eternal destiny
Por el dedo de Dios se escribió. has been written by the hand of God.
Mas si osare un extraño enemigo But should a foreign enemy
Profanar con su planta tu suelo, Profane your land with his sole,
Piensa ¡oh patria querida! que el cielo Think, beloved fatherland, that heaven
Un soldado en cada hijo te dio. gave you a soldier in each son.
¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente War, war without truce against who would attempt
De la patria manchar los blasones! to blemish the honor of the fatherland!
¡Guerra, guerra! Los patrios pendones War, war! The patriotic banners
En las olas de sangre empapad. saturate in waves of blood.
¡Guerra, guerra! En el monte, en el valle War, war! On the mount, in the vale
Los cañones horrísonos truenen The terrifying cannon thunder
Y los ecos sonoros resuenen and the echoes nobly resound
Con las voces de ¡Unión! ¡Libertad! to the cries of union! liberty!
Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos Fatherland, before your children become unarmed
Bajo el yugo su cuello dobleguen, Beneath the yoke their necks in sway,
Tus campiñas con sangre se rieguen, May your countryside be watered with blood,
Sobre sangre se estampe su pie. On blood their feet trample.
Y tus templos, palacios y torres And may your temples, palaces and towers
Se derrumben con hórrido estruendo, crumble in horrid crash,
Y sus ruinas existan diciendo: and their ruins exist saying:
De mil héroes la patria aquí fue. The fatherland was made of one thousand heroes here.
¡Patria! ¡patria! Tus hijos te juran Fatherland, fatherland, your children swear
Exhalar en tus aras su aliento, to exhale their breath in your cause,
Si el clarín con su bélico acento If the bugle in its belligerent tone
Los convoca a lidiar con valor. should call upon them to struggle with bravery.
¡Para ti las guirnaldas de oliva! For you the olive garlands!
¡Un recuerdo para ellos de gloria! For them a memory of glory!
¡Un laurel para ti de victoria! For you a laurel of victory!
¡Un sepulcro para ellos de honor! For them a tomb of honor!
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra Mexicans, at the cry of battle
El acero aprestad y el bridón, lend your swords and bridle;
y retiemble en sus centros la tierra and let the earth tremble at its center
Al sonoro rugir del cañón. upon the roar of the cannon

Spanish 201


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