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21. To Come & to Go (Vos present conjugation and preterite, imperfect and future tenses not recorded)
venir - to come | ||||
present: come(s) | preterite: came | imperfect: came | future: will come | |
(yo) | vengo | vine | venía | vendré |
(tú / vos) | vienes / venís | viniste | venías | vendrás |
(él / ella / usted) | viene | vino | venía | vendrá |
(nosotros / nosotras) | venimos | vinimos | veníamos | vendremos |
(vosotros / vosotras ) | venís | vinisteis | veníais | vendréis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
vienen | vinieron | venían | vendrán |
ir - to go | ||||
present: go(es) | preterite: went | imperfect: went | future: will go | |
(yo) | voy | fui | iba | iré |
(tú / vos) | vas | fuiste | ibas | irás |
(él / ella / usted) | va | fue | iba | irá |
(nosotros / nosotras) | vamos | fuimos | íbamos | iremos |
(vosotros / vosotras ) | vais | fuisteis | ibais | iréis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
van | fueron | iban | irán |
The vos conjugation for venir (venís) is different from the tú conjugation (vienes) and identical to the vosotros form in the present tense, but the tú and vos conjugations are identical for ir (vas). Notice that the preterite of ir is the same as the preterite of ser. Context will indicate whether the meaning is was/were or went.
You can also use ir to express to be going to + an infinitive. You just need to insert a between the conjugation of ir and the infinitive.
Voy a estudiar más. I'm going to study more.
Vamos a empezar de nuevo. We're going to start again.
to | a |
---|---|
from | de |
in | en |
Remember to use the prepositional contractions (a + el = al and de + el = del) when a noun with an article follows the preposition.
Vengo de los Estados Unidos. I come from the US.
Africa | el Africa | Indonesia | Indonesia |
African | africano/a | Indonesian | indonesio/a |
Albania | Albania | Ireland | la Irlanda |
Albanian | albano/a | Irishman | irlandés/esa |
America | la América | Israel | Israel |
American | americano/a | Israeli | israelí |
Argentina | la Argentina | Hebrew | hebreo/a |
Argentine | argentino/a | Italy | Italia |
Asia | el Asia (f) | Italian | italiano/a |
Asian | asiático/a | Japan | Japón |
Australia | Australia | Japanese | japonés/esa |
Australian | australiano/a | Latvia | Letonia |
Austria | el Austria (f) | Latvian | letón/ona |
Austrian | austríaco/a | Lithuania | Lituania |
Belgium | la Bélgica | Lithuanian | lituano/a |
Belgian | belga | Luxembourg | Luxemburgo |
Bolivia | la Bolivia | Luxembourger | luxemburgués/esa |
Bolivian | boliviano(a) | Macedonia | Macedonia |
Bosnia | la Bosnia | Macedonian | macedonio/a |
Bosnian | bosnio/a | Malta | Malta |
Brazil | el Brasil | Maltese | maltés/esa |
Brazilian | brasileño/a | Mexico | México |
Bulgaria | la Bulgaria | Mexican | mexicano/a |
Bulgarian | búlgaro/a | Netherlands | los Países Bajos |
Canada | Canadá | Dutch | holandés/esa |
Canadian | canadiense | New Zealand | Nueva Zelanda |
China | China | New Zealander | neozelandés/esa |
Chinese | chino/a | Nicaragua | Nicaragua |
Chile | la Chile | Nicaraguan | nicaragüense |
Chilean | chileno/a | Norway | Noruega |
Colombia | Colombia | Norwegian | noruego/a |
Colombian | colombiano/a | Panama | Panama |
Costa Rica | la Costa Rica | Panamanian | panameño/a |
Costa Rican | costarricense | Paraguay | Paraguay |
Croatia | la Croacia | Paraguayan | paraguayo/a |
Croatian | croata | Peru | Perú |
Cuba | la Cuba | Peruvian | peruano/a |
Cuban | cubano/a | Poland | la Polonia |
Czech Republic | la República Checa | Polish | polaco/a |
Czech | checo/a | Portugal | Portugal |
Denmark | Dinamarca | Portuguese | portugués/esa |
Danish | danés/esa | Romania | Rumania |
Dominican Republic | República Dominicana | Romanian | rumano/a |
Dominican | dominicano/a | Russia | Rusia |
Ecuador | Ecuador | Russian | ruso/a |
Ecuadorian | ecuatoriano/a | Scotland | la Escocia |
Egypt | Egipto | Scottish | escocés/esa |
Egyptian | egipcio/a | Serbia | Serbia |
El Salvador | El Salvador | Serbian | serbio/a |
Salvadorean | salvadoreño | Slovakia | la República Eslovaca |
England | la Inglaterra | Slovak | eslovaco/a |
English | inglés/esa | Slovenia | Eslovenia |
Estonia | Estonia | Slovene | esloveno/a |
Estonian | estonio/a | South Africa | Sudáfrica |
Europe | la Europa | South African | sudafricano/a |
European | europeo/a | Spain | España |
Finland | Finlandia | Spanish | español/a |
Finnish | finlandés/esa | Sweden | Suecia |
France | Francia | Swedish | sueco/a |
French | francés/esa | Switzerland | la Suiza |
Germany | Alemania | Swiss | suizo/a |
German | alemán/ana | Turkey | la Turquía |
Great Britain | la Gran Bretaña | Turk | turco/a |
British | británico/a | Ukraine | Ucrania |
Greece | Grecia | Ukrainian | ucraniano/a |
Greek | griego/a | United Kingdom | Reino Unido |
Guatemala | Guatemala | United States | Estados Unidos |
Guatemalan | guatemalteco/a | Uruguay | Uruguay |
Honduras | Honduras | Uruguayan | uruguayo/a |
Honduran | hondureño/a | Venezuela | Venezuela |
Hungary | Hungría | Venezuelan | venezolano/a |
Hungarian | húngaro/a | Wales | el país de Gales |
Iceland | Islandia | Welsh | galés/esa |
Icelandic | islandés/esa | ||
India | India | ||
Indian | indio/a |
accountant | el contador | musician | el músico |
actor / actress | el actor / la actriz | nurse | el enfermero |
architect | el arquitecto | official / civil servant | el funcionario |
author | el autor | optician | el óptico |
baker | el panadero | painter | el pintor |
banker | el banquero | pharmacist (chemist) | el químico |
barber | el barbero | pharmacist | el farmacéutico |
bookseller | el librero | photographer | el fotógrafo |
businessman | el comerciante | pilot | el piloto |
butcher | el carnicero | plumber | el fontanero |
carpenter | el carpintero | policeman | el agente de policía |
computer programmer | el programador | postman | el cartero |
cook | el cocinero | priest | el cura |
customer | el cliente | professor | el profesor |
dentist | el dentista | publisher | el editor |
doctor | el médico / el doctor | salesman | el vendedor |
electrician | el electricista | scientist | el científico |
employee | el empleado | secretary | la secretaria |
engineer | el ingeniero | servant | el criado |
firefighter | el bombero | shoemaker | el zapatero |
fisherman | el pescador | singer | el cantante |
gardener | el jardinero | soldier | el soldado |
grocer | el dependiente | student | el estudiante |
hair stylist | el peluquero | surgeon | el cirujano |
jeweler | el joyero | tailor | el sastre |
journalist | el periodista | teacher | el profesor |
judge | el juez | teacher (grade school) | el maestro |
lawyer | el abogado | typist | el mecanógrafo |
librarian | el bibliotecario | waiter / server | el camarero |
mason | el albañil | watchmaker | el relojero |
mechanic | el mecánico | worker (blue-collar) | el obrero |
model | el modelo | writer | el escritor |
accounting | la contabilidad | law | el derecho |
algebra | el álgebra | linguistics | la lingüística |
architecture | la arquitectura | literature | la literatura |
art | el arte | mathematics | la matématica |
astronomy | la astronomía | medicine | la medicina |
biology | la biología | modern languages | las lenguas modernas |
botany | la botánica | music | la música |
business | el comercio | natural science | las ciencias naturales |
chemistry | la química | painting | la pintura |
computing (IT) | la informática | philosophy | la filosofía |
drawing | el dibujo | physical education | la educación física |
earth science | la ciencia terrestre | physical science | las ciencias físicas |
economics | la economía | physics | la física |
engineering | la ingeniería | political science | las ciencias políticas |
English | el inglés | Portuguese | el portugués |
French | el francés | psychology | la psicología |
geography | la geografía | religious education | la enseñanza religiosa |
geometry | la geometría | science | la ciencia |
German | el alemán | sociology | la sociología |
Greek | el griego | Spanish | el español |
history | la historia | technology | la tecnología |
Italian | el italiano | zoology | la zoología |
Latin | el latín |
25. To Know People & Facts (Vos present conjugation and preterite, imperfect and future tenses not recorded yet)
conocer - to know people | ||||
present: know(s) | preterite: knew | imperfect: knew | future: will know | |
(yo) | conozco | conocí | conocía | conoceré |
(tú / vos) | conoces / conocés | conociste | conocías | conocerás |
(él / ella / usted) | conoce | conoció | conocía | conocerá |
(nosotros / nosotras) | conocemos | conocimos | conocíamos | conoceremos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | conocéis | conocisteis | conocíais | conoceréis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
conocen | conocieron | conocían | conocerán |
saber - to know facts | ||||
present: know(s) | preterite: knew | imperfect: knew | future: will know | |
(yo) | sé | supe | sabía | sabré |
(tú / vos) | sabes / sabés | supiste | sabías | sabrás |
(él / ella / usted) | sabe | supo | sabía | sabrá |
(nosotros) | sabemos | supimos | sabíamos | sabremos |
(vosotros) | sabéis | supisteis | sabíais | sabréis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
saben | supieron | sabían | sabrán |
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 | demasiado malo |
poorly | mal |
27. Conjugating Regular Verbs: Present tense
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 the infinitive to sing, while cant- is the stem.) To conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, add these endings to the stems:
-ar | -er | -ir | |
---|---|---|---|
(yo) | -o | -o | -o |
(tú / vos) | -as / -ás | -es / -és | -es / -és |
(él / ella / usted) | -a | -e | -e |
(nosotros / nosotras) | -amos | -emos | -imos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | -áis | -éis | -ís |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
-an | -en | -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 | subir | to go/come up |
practicar | to practice | beber | to drink | ||
tomar | to take / drink | comprender | to understand | ||
viajar | to travel |
Conjugations of regular verbs: (not recorded yet)
hablar | aprender | vivir | |
---|---|---|---|
(yo) | hablo | aprendo | vivo |
(tú / vos) | hablas / hablás | aprendes / aprendés | vives / vivés |
(él / ella / usted) | habla | aprende | vive |
(nosotros / nosotras) | hablamos | aprendemos | vivimos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | habláis | aprendéis | vivís |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
hablan | aprenden | viven |
To make sentences negative, simply put no in front of the verb.
No hablo bien el español. I don't speak Spanish well.
To indicate that something just happened, you can use acabar de + an infinitive. Acabar (to finish) is a regular verb.
Acaba de comer. He just ate.
28. Vowel changes in present tense
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 of the last syllable changes to ue. Some -ir verbs change e of the last syllable to i, while verbs ending in -uir change the i to y for all forms except first and second plural. Note that these irregularities do NOT apply to vos conjugations.
e to ie | o to ue | e to i | ui to uy |
---|---|---|---|
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, go on servir - to serve vestir - to dress |
construir - to build |
(Vos present conjugation and preterite, imperfect and future tenses not recorded yet)
pensar | contar | pedir | construir | |
(yo) | pienso |
cuento |
pido
|
construyo |
(tú / vos) | piensas / pensás | cuentas / cuentás | pides / pedís | construyes / construís |
(él / ella / usted) | piensa | cuenta | pide | construye |
(nosotros / nosotras) | pensamos |
contamos |
pedimos |
construimos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | pensáis | contáis | pedís | construís |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
piensan | cuentan | piden | construyen |
A few other verbs are irregular only in the first person singular form. The rest of the forms tend to follow the regular pattern:
traer | to carry | traigo | I carry |
salir | to go out | salgo | I go out |
hacer | to do | hago | I do |
saber | to know | sé | I know |
dar | to give | doy | I give |
ver | to see | veo | I see |
tener | to have | tengo | I have |
poner | to put | pongo | I put |
decir | to say | digo | I say |
valer | to be worth | valgo | I am worth |
caer | to fall | caigo | I fall |
conocer | to know | conozco | I know |
deducir | to deduce | deduzco | I deduce |
caber | to fit | quepo | I fit |
Generally, verbs that end in -cer and -cir add z before the first person singular ending.
We have already seen verbs that are irregular in all conjugations in the present tense, such as ir and ser. Another irregular verb is haber - to have or the impersonal there is/are; however, it is different from tener (which also means to have) because it is not used to show possession. It is only used in compound tenses as a helping verb, i.e. I have seen that movie, which will be covered in Spanish III.
The three completely irregular verbs in the present tense are: (not recorded yet)
ser - to be | ir - to go | haber - to have | |
(yo) | soy | voy | he |
(tú / vos) | eres / sos | vas | has |
(él / ella / usted) | es | va | ha |
(nosotros / nosotras) | somos | vamos | hemos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | sois | vais | habéis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
son | van | han |
An impersonal conjugation of haber, hay, is used to mean there is/are in English.
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 gender and number and precedes the verb when it is conjugated. Reciprocal verbs are conjugated the same as reflexive except the action passes from one person to another. Reflexive verbs sometimes use the "-self" forms in English, while the reciprocal verbs use "each other."
acordarse - to remember | dormirse - to fall asleep |
acostarse - to go to bed | irse - to go away/leave |
atreverse - to dare | levantarse - to get/stand up |
bañarse - to take a bath | sentarse - to sit down |
casarse - to get married | quedarse - to stay/remain |
despertarse - to wake up | quejarse - to complain |
desvestirse - to get undressed | vestirse - to get dressed |
The reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os and se and they are placed before the conjugated verb:
(yo) | me acuerdo | I remember |
(tú / vos) | te acuerdas / te acordás | you remember |
(él / ella / usted) | se acuerda | he/she/you remember |
(nosotros / nosotras) | nos acordamos | we remember |
(vosotros / vosotras) | os acordáis | you remember |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
se acuerdan | they/you remember |
However, when the reflexive verb is in the infinitive and used with another verb, the reflexive pronoun must still agree with the subject of the conjugated verb. It is either attached to the end of the reflexive verb or placed before the conjugated verb:
Vamos a casarnos. / Nos vamos a casar. We're going to get married.
Tengo que irme. / Me tengo que ir. I have to go.
Puede quedarse contigo? / Se puede quedar contigo? Can he stay with you?
The verb contarse is used colloquially to ask how's it going (with you)? ¿Qué te cuentas ?
When the direct object of a verb (except tener) is a person, it is preceded by a. It isn't used if a number precedes the object. The pronouns alguien (somebody), alguno (someone), nadie (nobody), and ninguno (no one) require a as well, when used as the direct object.
Veo a Juan. I see John.
Conozco a tu amiga. I know your friend.
Veo a alguien. I see somebody.
The preterite tense expresses an action in the past and is also called the simple past in English. It is used to describe events that have completely finished and are not still happening or that do not indicate repeated actions. It is formed by adding the following endings to the verb stem. For the vos conjugation, an -s may or may not be added to the end of the tú conjugation.
-ar | -er / -ir | |
---|---|---|
(yo) | -é
|
-í |
(tú / vos) | -aste | -iste |
(él / ella / usted) | -ó | -ió |
(nosotros / nosotras) | -amos |
-imos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | -asteis | -isteis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
-aron | -ieron |
Conjugations of regular verbs in the preterite:
hablar | aprender | vivir | |
---|---|---|---|
(yo) | hablé | aprendí | viví |
(tú / vos) | hablaste | aprendiste | viviste |
(él / ella / usted) | habló | aprendió | vivió |
(nosotros / nosotras) | hablamos | aprendimos | vivimos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | hablasteis | aprendisteis | vivisteis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) | hablaron | aprendieron | vivieron |
Notice that the nosotros forms of -ar and -ir verbs are the same in the present and preterite tenses.
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?
A few verbs are irregular in the preterite tense. Depending on which variety is used, the vos conjugation may or may not add -s to the tú conjugations listed below.
caber - to fit cupe cupiste cupo cupimos cupisteis cupieron |
caer - to fall caí caíste cayó caímos caísteis cayeron |
conducir - to drive conduje condujiste condujo condujimos condujisteis condujeron |
dar - to give di diste dio dimos disteis dieron |
decir - to say / tell dije dijiste dijo dijimos dijisteis dijeron |
estar - to be estuve estuviste estuvo estuvimos estuvisteis estuvieron |
haber - to have hube hubiste hubo hubimos hubisteis hubieron |
hacer - to do / make hice hiciste hizo hicimos hicisteis hicieron |
ir - to go / ser - to be fui fuiste fue fuimos fuisteis fueron |
oír - to hear oí oíste oyó oímos oísteis oyeron |
poder - to be able to / can pude pudiste pudo pudimos pudisteis pudieron |
poner - to put / place puse pusiste puso pusimos pusisteis pusieron |
querer - to want quise quisiste quiso quisimos quisisteis quisieron |
saber - to know facts supe supiste supo supimos supisteis supieron |
tener - to have tuve tuviste tuvo tuvimos tuvisteis tuvieron |
traer - to carry traje trajiste trajo trajimos trajisteis trajeron |
venir - to come vine viniste vino vinimos vinisteis vinieron |
ver - to see vi viste vio vimos visteis vieron |
Ir and ser have the same forms in the preterite tense. Context will make the meaning clear.
The imperfect is another past tense that is used to express an action as going on in the past, as repeated or habitual, or to translate the English "used to + infinitive." It is also used with mental and physical conditions and for descriptions. The imperfect tends to be used more often than the preterite with these verbs: querer, creer, poder, esperar, tener, and saber.
The imperfect is formed by adding these endings to the infinitive stem:
-ar | -er / -ir | |
---|---|---|
(yo) | -aba |
-ía |
(tú / vos) | -abas | -ías |
(él / ella / usted) | -aba | -ía |
(nosotros / nosotras) | -ábamos |
-íamos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | -abais | -íais |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
-aban | -ían |
Regular imperfect tense conjugations:
estar - to be | tener - to have | decir - to say / tell | |
(yo) | estaba | tenía | decía |
(tú / vos) | estabas | tenías | decías |
(él / ella / usted) | estaba | tenía | decía |
(nosotros / nosotras) | estábamos | teníamos | decíamos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | estabais | teníais | decíais |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
estaban | tenían | decían |
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 | |
(yo) | era | iba
|
veía |
(tú / vos) | eras | ibas | veías |
(él / ella / usted) | era | iba | veía |
(nosotros / nosotras) | éramos | íbamos | veíamos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | erais | ibais | veíais |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
eran | iban | veían |
You can use ir in the imperfect tense to express "was/were going to + infinitive" similar to its use in the present tense:
Iba a decir "no." I was going to say "no."
bacon | el tocino | salad | la ensalada |
beef | la carne de vaca | salami | el salchichón |
beer | la cerveza | salt | la sal |
beverage | la bebida | sandwich | el bocadillo |
biscuit | el bizcocho | sauce | la salsa |
bread | el pan | sausage | la salchicha |
breakfast | el desayuno | soft drink | el refresco gaseoso |
butter | la mantequilla | soup | la sopa |
cake | la torta | sour cream | la crema agria |
candy | los dulces | steak | el bistec |
cheese | el queso | stew | el guisado |
chicken | el pollo | sugar | el azúcar |
chocolate | el chocolate | supper | la cena |
chop | la chuleta | tea (iced) | el té (helado) |
coffee | el café | toast | las tostadas |
cookie | la galleta | turkey | el pavo |
cottage cheese | el requesón | veal | la ternera |
cotton candy | el algodón de azúcar | vegetable | la legumbre |
cream | la crema | vinegar | el vinagre |
custard | las natillas | water | el agua |
dessert | el postre | whipped cream | la nata montada |
dinner | la comida | wine | el vino |
duck | el pato | yogurt | el yogur |
egg | el huevo | bag | la bolsa |
fat | la grasa | bowl | el tázon |
flour | la harina | bottle | la botella |
fried eggs | los huevos fritos | box | la caja |
goose | el ganso | can | la lata |
ham | el jamón | can opener | abrelatas |
hamburger | la hamburguesa | carton | el tetrabrik |
honey | la miel | chopsticks | los palillos |
hot dog | el perro caliente | coffee pot | la cafetera |
ice | el hielo | colander | el colador |
ice cream | el helado | corkscrew | el sacacorchos |
jam | la jalea | cup | la taza |
juice | el jugo / el zumo | dish | el plato |
lamb | el cordero | fork | el tenedor |
lobster | la langosta | frying pan | la sartén |
lollipop | el chupete | glass | el vaso |
lunch | el almuerzo | jar | el tarro |
meal | la comida | jug | la jarra |
meat | la carne | kettle | la caldera |
milk | la leche | knife | el cuchillo |
milkshake | la malteada | lid | la tapa |
mustard | la mostaza | napkin | la servilleta |
mutton | la carne de carnero | plate | el plato |
oil | el aceite | saucer | el platillo |
omelet | la tortilla | saucepan | la cacerola / el cazo |
pepper | la pimienta | spoon | la cuchara |
pie | el pastel | spray can | el spray |
pork | el cerdo | table | la mesa |
rice | el arroz | tablecloth | el mantel |
roast | el asado | teapot | la tetera |
roll | el panecillo | tube | el tubo |
El zumo is used in Spain to refer to fruit juice, while el jugo only refers to juice from meat. In Latin America, el jugo refers to fruit juice.
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. The verb will most likely only be conjugated in the third person singular or plural because it is agreeing with the noun or infinitive that follows it.*
Me gusta(n) | I like | Nos gusta(n) | we like |
Te gusta(n) | you like | Os gusta(n) | you like |
Le gusta(n) | he / she / you like(s) | Les gusta(n) | they / you like |
Gusta is used with singular nouns or an infinitive, while gustan is used with plural nouns. It is also possible to add a + pronoun to emphasize the subject, but this is not necessary. These pronouns are the same as the suject pronouns except a mí and a ti.
Me gustan las flores. I like the flowers. (Literally:
To me are pleasing the flowers or the flowers are pleasing to me.)
A nosotros nos gusta la casa. We like the house.
No me gusta. I don't like it.
Le gusta a Ud.? Do you like it?
A ellos les gustan los caballos. They like the horses.
As a regular -ar verb, conjugating gustar in the preterite tense is easy:
Me gustaron las flores. I liked the flowers.
No me gustó. I didn't like it.
* It is possible to conjugate gustar with a first or second person pronoun/noun, such as in the Manu Chao song Me gustas tú which means I like you (you are pleasing to me) and could also be written as tú me gustas.
almond | la almendra | barley | la cebada |
apple | la manzana | beans | los frijoles / las judías |
apricot | el albaricoque | beet | la remolacha |
avocado | el aguacate | broccoli | el brócoli |
banana | el plátano / el cambur | cabbage | la col |
berry | la baya | carrot | la zanahoria |
blackberry | la zarzamora | cauliflower | la coliflor |
blueberry | el arándano | celery | el apio |
cherry | la cereza | chives | la cebollana |
chestnut | la castaña | corn | el maíz |
coconut | el coco | cucumber | el pepino |
currant | la grosella | eggplant | la berenjena |
date | el dátil | garlic | el ajo |
fig | el higo | green bean | la habichuela |
fruit | la fruta | herbs | le hierba |
grapefruit | el pomelo | horse-radish | el rabano picante |
grapes | la uva | leek | el puerro |
hazelnut | la avellana | lentil | la lenteja |
kiwi | el kiwi | lettuce | la lechuga |
lemon | el limón | mint | la menta |
lime | la lima | mushroom | el hongo / la seta |
lychee | el lichi | oats | la avena |
mango | el mango | onion | la cebolla |
melon | el melón | parsley | el perejil |
olive | la aceituna | pea | el guisante |
orange | la naranja | pepper | el pimiento |
papaya | la papaya | potato | la papa / la patata |
peach | el melocotón | pumpkin | la calabaza |
pear | la pera | radish | el rábano |
pineapple | la piña | rhubarb | el ruibarbo |
plum | la ciruela | rice | el arroz |
prune | la ciruela pasa | rye | el centeno |
raisin | la uva pasa | sage | la salvia |
raspberry | la frambuesa | seed | la semilla |
starfruit | la carambola | spinach | la espinaca |
strawberry | la fresa | sweet potato | el camote / la batata |
walnut | la nuez | tomato | el tomate |
watermelon | la sandía | turnip | el nabo |
artichoke | la alcachofa | wheat | el trigo |
asparagus | el espárrago | zucchini | el calabacín |
Los frijoles, la papa, and el hongo are used in Latin America, whereas las judías, la patata, and la seta are used in Spain. El champiñón is also used everywhere for a round, white mushroom. La callampa is only used in Chile for mushroom.
El cambur is used in Venezuela, where el plátano means plantain instead of banana.
El camote is mostly used in Mexico and the Andes.
37. To Take or Drink (Vos present conjugation and preterite, imperfect and future tenses not recorded yet)
tomar - to take / drink | ||||
present: take(s) | preterite: took | imperfect: took | future: will take | |
(yo) | tomo | tomé | tomaba | tomaré |
(tú / vos) | tomas / tomás | tomaste | tomabas | tomarás |
(él / ella / usted) | toma | tomó | tomaba | tomará |
(nosotros / nosotras) | tomamos | tomamos | tomábamos | tomaremos |
(vosotros / vosotras) | tomáis | tomasteis | tomabais | tomaréis |
(ellos / ellas / ustedes) |
toman | tomaron | tomaban | tomarán |
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.
To form commands, drop the final -s on the present tense conjugation for the tú form, drop the final -s and accent the vowel for the vos form, and change the final -r of the infinitive to -d for the vosotros form. The other imperative conjugations (for Usted, Ustedes, and nosotros) use the present subjunctive forms. (More about the Subjunctive at #70.) Use the nosotros form to mean Let's + infinitive. Negative commands use no + the present subjunctive conjugations for all forms, except vos may either be identical to the tú form or add an accent to the vowel. The only forms that differ between affirmative and negative commands are tú, vos and vosotros. Verbs that end in -car, -gar and -zar have the following changes as well: c becomes qu, g becomes gu, and z becomes c.
Affirmative | Negative (Don't...) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
-ar | -er or -ir | -ar | -er or -ir | |
tú | -a | -e | -es | -as |
vos | -á | -é / -í | -es (or -és) | -as (or -ás) |
usted | -e | -a | -e | -a |
nosotros / nosotras | -emos | -amos | -emos | -amos |
vosotros / vosotras | -ad | -ed / -id | -éis | -áis |
ustedes | -en | -an | -en | -an |
¡Habla! = Speak! (tú form)
¡Comed! = Eat! (vosotros form)
¡No comáis! = Don't eat! (negative vosotros form)
¡Beba! = Drink! (Usted form)
¡Coman! = Eat (Ustedes form)
¡No beban! = Don't drink! (negative Ustedes form)
Irregular Imperative (not recorded yet)
Some verbs have irregular tú forms while the other forms use a different stem from the regular verb stem when forming the imperative. These stems are also found in the subjunctive mood, which will be covered later. Negative imperatives only differ from the affirmative for tú, vos and vosotros forms. (Note that the nosotros forms are actually translated as let's / let's not + verb in English since the implied subject is we instead of you.)
dar | decir | estar | haber | hacer | |
give / don't give | say / don't say | be / don't be | have / don't have | do / don't do | |
tú | da / no des | di / no digas | está / no estés | hé / no hayas | haz / no hagas |
vos | dá / no des | decí / no digas | está / no estés | habé / no hayas | hacé / no hagas |
usted | dé / no dé | diga / no diga | esté / no esté | haya / no haya | haga / no haga |
nosotros | demos / no demos | digamos / no digamos | estemos / no estemos | hayamos / no hayamos | hagamos / no hagamos |
vosotros | dad / no deis | decid / no digáis | estad / no estéis | habed / no hayáis | haced / no hagáis |
ustedes | den / no den | digan / no digan | estén / no estén | hayan / no hayan | hagan / no hagan |
ir | poder | poner | querer | saber | |
go / don't go | may you / may you not | put / don't put | want / don't want | know / don't know | |
tú | ve / no vayas | puede / no puedas | pon / no pongas | quiere / no quieras | sabe / no sepas |
vos | andá / no vayas | podé / no puedas | poné / no pongas | queré / no quieras | sabé / no sepas |
usted | vaya / no vaya | pueda / no pueda | ponga / no ponga | quiera / no quiera | sepa / no sepa |
nosotros | vamos / no vayamos | podamos / no podamos | pongamos / no pongamos | queramos / no queramos | sepamos / no sepamos |
vosotros | id / no vayáis | poded / no podáis | poned / no pongáis | quered / no queráis | sabed / no sepáis |
ustedes | vayan / no vayan | puedan / no puedan | pongan / no pongan | quieran / no quieran | sepan / no sepan |
salir | ser | tener | traer | venir | |
leave / don't leave | be / don't be | have / don't have | carry / don't carry | come / don't come | |
tú | sal / no salgas | sé / no seas | ten / no tengas | trae / no traigas | ven / no vengas |
vos | salí / no salgas | sé / no seas | tené / no tengas | traé / no traigas | vení / no vengas |
usted | salga / no salga | sea / no sea | tenga / no tenga | traiga / no traiga | venga / no venga |
nosotros | salgamos / no salgamos | seamos / no seamos | tengamos / no tengamos | traigamos / no traigamos | vengamos / no vengamos |
vosotros | salid / no salgáis | sed / no seáis | tened / no tengáis | traed / no traigáis | venid / no vengáis |
ustedes | salgan / no salgan | sean / no sean | tengan / no tengan | traigan / no traigan | vengan / no vengan |
To make sentences negative, 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 either no + verb + negative or negative + verb. Nunca means ever when it follows a comparative; jamás means ever when it follows an affirmative verb. Ya no + verb means the same thing as no + verb + más (no more, no longer).
más | no more, no longer |
nada | nothing, (not) anything |
nadie | nobody, (not) anybody |
ninguno (a) | no, none |
tampoco | neither, either |
ni | nor |
ni...ni | neither... nor |
ni siquiera | not even |
nunca, jamás | never, ever |
No bailas nunca. = Nunca bailas. You never dance.
No juego más. = Ya no juego. I no longer play.
Spanish National Anthem: Marcha Real
There are no words to the Spanish national anthem; it is completely instrumental.
Mexican National Anthem: Mexicanos, al Grito de Guerra
by Francisco González Bocanegra
Mexicanos, al grito de guerra Ciña ¡oh patria! tus sienes de oliva ¡Guerra, guerra sin tregua al que intente Antes, patria, que inermes tus hijos ¡Patria! ¡patria! Tus hijos te juran Mexicanos, al grito de guerra |
Mexicans, at the cry of battle Your forehead shall be girded, oh fatherland, with olive garlands War, war without truce against who would attempt Fatherland, before your children become unarmed Fatherland, fatherland, your children swear Mexicans, at the cry of battle |
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