Sunday, April 6, 2008
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Spanish III Tutorial
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| Hay | There is/are |
| Había | There was/were |
| Hay que + infinitive | It is necessary to + infinitive |
| Tener que + infinitive | To have to + infinitive |
| Ir a + infinitive | To go to + infinitive |
| Acabar de + infinitive | To have just + past participle |
| Hace + time | time + ago |
The progressive tense indicates an action that is ongoing. It is formed
by using estar (in any tense) with a present participle. Present
participles are formed by dropping the ending of the verb, and adding the
following endings to the stem:
| -ar | -ando |
| -er | -iendo |
| -ir | -iendo |
Juan está hablando. Josh is talking.
Estaban cantando. They were singing.
Estuve escribiendo una carta. I was writing a letter.
A few irregular present participles: poder - pudiendo, dormir - durmiendo, sentir - sintiendo, venir - viniendo, pedir - pidiendo, leer - leyendo, ir - yendo, reír - riendo.
| he has ha |
hemos habéis han |
This verb does not mean to possess (that is tener); but it is used in past tenses as an auxiliary verb.
The present perfect tense is a compound tense using haber with a past participle. (Haber is only used as a helping verb; it is never used to show possession.) This tense can be translated as have or has done something. Please note that the preterite tense is used more often than this tense when expressing the past.
Past participles are formed by dropping the infinitive ending, and adding these endings:
| -ar -er -ir |
-ado -ido -ido |
The following verbs have irregular past participles: abrir (to open) - abierto (opened); escribir (to write) - escrito (written); morir (to die) - muerto (died); poner (to put) - puesto (put); ver (to see) - visto (seen); volver (to return) - vuelto (returned); decir (to say) - dicho (said); hacer (to do) - hecho (done).
No han vendido la casa. They have not sold the house.
Dónde ha puesto Ud. la llave? Where have you put the
key?
Hemos gastado mucho dinero. We have spent a lot of money.
Qué ha dicho Ud.? What did you say?
| airport | el aeropuerto | embassy | la embajada | pier | el muelle |
| bakery | la panadería | factory | la fábrica | police station | la comisaría |
| bank | el banco | farm | la granja | port | el puerto |
| bar | el bar | fire hydrant | la boca de agua | prison | la prisión |
| barn | el granero | fountain | la fuente | restaurant | el restaurante |
| barracks | el cuartel | garage | el garaje | road (highway) | la carretera / la vía |
| bench | el banco | grocery store | el supermercado | school | la escuela |
| bridge | el puente | hospital | el hospital | sidewalk | la acera |
| bookstore | la librería | hotel | el hotel | square | la plaza |
| building | el edificio | house | la casa | stable | la cuadra |
| butcher's | la carnicería | hut | la cabaña | stadium | el estadio |
| castle | el castillo | inn | la posada | stop sign | la señal de alto |
| cathedral | la catedral | lane (town) | la calleja | store | la tienda |
| cemetery | el cementerio | library | la biblioteca | street | la calle |
| church | la iglesia | market | el mercado | suburb | el barro residencial |
| cinema | el cine | ministry | el ministerio | theater | el teatro |
| consulate | el consulado | monument | el monumento | tower | la torre |
| corner | la esquina | museum | el museo | town | la ciudad |
| courtyard | el patio | palace | el palacio | town hall | el ayuntamiento |
| crosswalk | el cruce peatonal | path | la senda | traffic light | el semáforo |
| dock | la dársena | pavement | la acera | university | la universidad |
| dry cleaner's | la tintorería | pharmacy | la farmacia | village | el pueblo |
| by bus | en autobús |
| by bicycle | en bicicleta |
| by car | en coche |
| by motorcycle | en motocicleta |
| by subway | en metro |
| by taxi | en taxi |
| by plane | en avión |
| by train | en tren |
| by boat | en barco |
| on foot | a pie |
47. To Want, to Be Able to, to Have to
| querer-to want | poder-to be able to, can | deber-to have to, must | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| quiero | queremos | puedo | podemos | debo | debemos | ||||
| quieres | queréis | puedes | podéis | debes | debéis | ||||
| quiere | quieren | puede | pueden | debe | deben | ||||
The past perfect tense corresponds to the English "had + past participle." It indicates an event that happened prior to another event in the past. It consists of the imperfect of haber and a past participle. Sometimes the preterite of haber is used, but the imperfect is more common.
Carlos había vivido en México. Carlos
had lived in Mexico.
Habíamos aprendido el español. We had learned Spanish.
| alarm clock | el despertador | drawer | el cajón | pipe | la pipa |
| armchair | el sillón | dresser | el tocador | pipe (water) | el tubo |
| ashtray | el cenicero | driveway | la entrada del garaje | poker | el atizador |
| attic | el desván | DVD player | el lector de DVD | radio | la radio |
| balcony | el balcón | fence | la cerca | record | el disco |
| basement | el sótano | film | la película | refrigerator | el refrigerador |
| basket | la cesta | fire | el fuego | roof | el tejado |
| bathroom | el baño | flame | la llama | room | el cuarto |
| bathtub | la bañera | flashlight | la linterna | rug | la alfombra |
| batteries | las pilas | flat | el apartamento | sheet | la sábana |
| bed | la cama | floor | el suelo | shelf | el estante |
| bedroom | la alcoba / el dormitorio | floor (levels) | el piso / la planta | shovel | la pala |
| bell (door) | la campanilla | flower | la flor | shower | la ducha |
| blanket | la cobija | freezer | el congelador | sideboard | el aparador |
| blinds | la persiana | front walk | la vereda | sink | el fregadero |
| bookcase | la librería | furniture | los muebles | sink (bathroom) | el lavabo |
| box | la caja | garage | el garaje | sitting room | la sala |
| broom | la escoba | garden | el jardín | smoke | el humo |
| bucket | el balde | ground floor | la planta baja | sofa | el sofá |
| camcorder | la cámara | hearth | la chimenea | stairs | las escaleras |
| camera | la máquina de fotos | hook | el gancho | steps | los escalones |
| candle | la vela | house | la casa | story | el piso |
| carpet | la alfombra | iron (flat) | la plancha | stove | la estufa |
| cassette | la cinta | kerosene | el petróleo | study | el estudio |
| CD player | el lector de CD | key | la llave | switch | el conmutador |
| ceiling | el techo | kitchen | la cocina | table | la mesa |
| chair | la silla | ladder | la escalera | tap (faucet) | el grifo |
| chimney | la chimenea | lamp | la lámpara | telephone | el teléfono |
| cigar | el puro / el cigarro | lawn | el césped | television | el televisor |
| cigarette | el cigarrillo | light bulb | la bombilla | toaster | la tostadora |
| clock | el reloj | living room | la sala | toilet (WC) | el inodoro |
| closet | el armario | lock | la cerradura | towel | la toalla |
| compact disc | el disco compacto | mailbox | el buzón | vacuum cleaner | el aspirador |
| computer | la computadora | matches | las cerillas | vase | el jarrón |
| corner | el rincón | mattress | el colchón | VCR | el magnetoscopio |
| cupboard | la alacena | microwave oven | el horno microondas | wall (house) | el muro |
| curtain | la cortina | mirror | el espejo | wall (room) | la pared |
| cushion | el cojín | oven | el horno | window | la ventana |
| desk | el escritorio | pantry | la despensa | yard | el jardín |
| dining room | el comedor | picture | el cuadro | ||
| door | la puerta | pillow | la almohada |
50. Comparative and Superlative
Comparisons are expressed as follows:
| más [adjective] que menos [adjective] que tan [adjective] como tanto(-a, -os, -as) [noun] como |
more [adjective] than less [adjective] than as [adjective] as as much/many [noun] as |
El gato es menos inteligente que el perro. The cat is less
intelligent than the dog.
Mi prima tiene más discos que nadie. My cousin has more
records than anyone.
No tengo tanto dinero como ustedes. I don't have as much money
as you.
To form comparatives, just add más or menos before the adjective or adverb. To form the superlative, place the definite article before the comparative. Note that de is used to express in after a superlative.
más alta taller
la más alta the tallest
Rosa es la niña más alta de la clase. Rosa is
the tallest girl in the class.
Some adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative and superlative forms. The most common are:
| Adjective/Adverb | Comparative | Superlative | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| good bad great small well badly much little |
bueno malo grande pequeño bien mal mucho poco |
better worse greater less better worse more less |
mejor peor mayor menor mejor peor más menos |
the best the worst the greatest the least best worst most least |
el mejor el peor el mayor el menor el mejor el peor el más el menos |
Note that the bueno and malo change according to gender and number while grande and pequeño change according to gender. The adverbs (the last four) do not agree with the noun.
| apron | el delantal | pants | los pantalones |
| barrette | el pasador | pin | el alfiler |
| bathrobe | la bata | el bolsillo | |
| belt | el cinturón | purse | el bolso |
| blouse | la blusa | raincoat | el impermeable |
| boot | la bota | ring | el anillo |
| bracelet | la pulsera | sandals | las sandalias |
| brush | un cepillo del pelo | scarf | la bufanda |
| buckle | la hebilla | shirt | la camisa |
| button | el botón | shoe | el zapato |
| cap | el gorro | shoelace | el cordón |
| clothes | la ropa | shorts | los pantalones cortos |
| coat | el abrigo | silk | la seda |
| collar | el cuello | skirt | la falda |
| comb | el peine | sleeve | la manga |
| cotton | el algodón | slippers | las pantuflas |
| dress | el vestido | soap | el jabón |
| earmuffs | las orejaras | sock | los calcetines |
| earrings | el arete | stocking | la media |
| fashion | la moda | suit | el traje |
| glasses | los lentes | sunglasses | las gafas de sol |
| glove | el guante | suspenders | los tirantes |
| handbag | el bolso | sweater | el jersey |
| handkerchief | el pañuelo | sweatsuit | el chándal |
| hat | el sombrero | swimsuit | el traje de baño |
| jacket | la cazadora | tie | la corbata |
| jeans | los vaqueros | T-shirt | la camiseta |
| mittens | los mitones | umbrella | el paraguas |
| necklace | el collar | underwear | la ropa interior |
| nightgown | el camisón | waistcoat | el chaleco |
| overcoat | el sobretodo | watch | el reloj |
| pajamas | los pijamas | wool | la lana |
| llevar - to wear | ponerse - to put on | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| llevo llevas lleva |
llevamos lleváis llevan |
me pongo te pones se pone |
nos ponemos os ponéis so ponen |
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Note: You don't use possessive pronouns when referring to parts of the body or clothing, but you do use the definite article.
The future of regular verbs is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive:
| -é -ás -á |
-emos -éis -án |
Many verbs use irregular stems in the future tense, but they still use the regular endings from above:
| caber (to fit) | cabr- |
| decir (to say, tell) | dir- |
| haber (to have) | habr- |
| hacer (to do, make) | har- |
| poder (to be able) | podr- |
| poner (to put, place) | pondr- |
| querer (to want) | querr- |
| saber (to know) | sabr- |
| salir (to leave, go out) | saldr- |
| tener (to have, to own) | tendr- |
| valer (to be worth) | valdr- |
| venir (to come) | vendr- |
Adjectives must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they describe, and they are placed after the noun. In general, masculine adjectives end in -o and feminine adjectives end in -a: blanco and blanca (white). Adjectives that end in -ín, -án, -ón, -dor, -tor and -sor in the masculine will add an -a for the feminine. Adjectives that end in -ete for the masculine will end in -eta for the feminine. Adjectives of nationality add -a to the masculine to form the feminine: francés - francesa (French). Notice that when you add -a, the adjective is no longer written with an accent. To form the plural of adjectives, follow the same rules for forming the plural of nouns.
Most adjectives follow the noun they describe, but the following adjectives drop the final -o if placed before a masculine noun in the singular: bueno - good; malo - bad; alguno - some; ninguno - no, any; uno - one; primero - first; tercero - third
When grande means great, it precedes the noun and drops the -de before a singular noun of either gender. Santo (saint) drops the -to before all masculine nouns, except those beginning with Do- or To-.
| large | grande | high, tall | alto |
| small | pequeño | low, short | bajo |
| long | largo | pretty | lindo, bonito |
| short | corto | beautiful | hermoso |
| good | bueno | ugly | feo |
| bad | malo | wide | ancho |
| rich | rico | narrow | estrecho |
| poor | pobre | heavy | pesado |
| strong | fuerte | light | ligero |
| weak | débil | hard | duro |
| easy | fácil | soft | blando |
| difficult | difícil | sweet | dulce |
| fat | gordo | sour | agrio |
| thin | delgado | bitter | amargo |
When any form of the definite article is placed before an adjective, then the adjective becomes a noun.
pobre - poor; el pobre - the poor man
If the neuter article lo is placed before a singular masculine adjective, the latter becomes an abstract noun.
bueno - good; lo bueno - the good (everything that is good)
| ball | la pelota | pool | la piscina | |
| game | el juego | basketball | el baloncesto | |
| match | el partido | tennis | el tenis | |
| team | el equipo | swimming | la natación | |
| player | el jugador | boxing | el boxeo | |
| soccer | el fútbol | wrestling | la lucha | |
| football | el fútbol americano | hockey | el hockey | |
| baseball | el béisbol | volleyball | el vóleibol |
| racket | una raqueta | net | una red | |
| ball (small) | una pelota | cleats | unos zapatos de fútbol | |
| bat | un bate | skis | unos esquís | |
| glove | un guante | ski poles | unos bastones | |
| ball | un balón | boots | unas botas | |
| basketball hoop | una canasta | helmet | el casco |
| air | el aire | grass | la hierba | sea | el mar |
| archipelago | el archipiélago | gulf | el golfo | shadow | la sombra |
| bank | la orilla | hail | el granizo | sky | el cielo |
| bay | la bahía | hay | el heno | snow | la nieve |
| barn | el granero | high tide | la marea alta | soil | el suelo |
| beach | la playa | hill | la colina | south | el sur |
| branch | la rama | ice | el hielo | spring (water) | la fuente |
| bridge | el puente | island | la isla | star | la estrella |
| bud | el capullo | isthmus | el istmo | stem | el tallo |
| bush | el arbusto | jungle | la jungla | storm | la tormenta |
| cape | el cabo | lake | el lago | strait | el aprieto |
| cave | la cueva | leaf | la hoja | stream | el arroyo |
| city | la ciudad | light | la luz | street | el calle |
| climate | el clima | lightning | el relámpago | sun | el sol |
| cloud | la nube | lily | la azucena | sunflower | el girasol |
| coast | la costa | low tide | la marea baja | thaw | el deshielo |
| comet | el cometa | meadow | el prado | thunder | el trueno |
| constellation | la constelación | moon | la luna | tornado | el tornado |
| country | el país | mountain | la montaña | tree | el árbol |
| country(side) | el campo | mountain range | la sierra | trunk | el tronco |
| current | la corriente | mouth (river) | la desembocadura | tulip | el tulipán |
| daffodil | el narciso | mud | el barro | valley | el valle |
| daisy | la margarita | nature | la naturaleza | view | la vista |
| darkness | la obscuridad | north | el norte | water | el agua (f) |
| desert | el desierto | peninsula | la península | fresh water | el agua dulce |
| dew | el rocío | plain | el llano | salt water | el agua salada |
| dust | el polvo | planet | el planeta | watering can | la regadera |
| earth | la tierra | plant | la planta | waterfall | la cascada |
| east | el este | pond | el estanque | wave | la ola |
| farm | la granja | pot (for plants) | la maceta | weather | el tiempo |
| field | el campo | rain | la lluvia | west | el oeste |
| flower | la flor | rainbow | el arco iris | wind | el viento |
| foam | la espuma | river | el río | world | el mundo |
| fog | le niebla | rock | la roca | ||
| foliage | el follaje | root | la raíz | ||
| forest | el bosque | rose | la rosa | ||
| frost | el helada | sand | la arena |
| decir - to say | salir - to go out | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| digo dices dice |
decimos decís dicen |
salgo sales sale |
salimos salís salen |
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60. Para vs. Por and Pero vs. Sino
Para is used to express: use or destination (for), purpose (in order to); point of future time (for, by) and to be about to (estar para + infinitive.)
La carta es para Concha. The letter is for Concha.
Estudia para aprender. He studies in order to learn.
Lo tendré para el martes. I will have it by Tuesday.
Juan está para salir. John is about to leave.
Por is used to express: a place through or along which; expressions of time (in, during, at); exchange, price (for); unit of measure (by, per); way or means (by); because of, on account of, for; to go for, to send for; on behalf of, for the sake of; motive, reason. It is also used after a passive verb to indicate the agent (by) and estar por + infinitive indicates what remains to be done or to be in favor of.
por el pueblo through the town
por la mañana in the morning
Pagó un peso por el libro. He paid a dollar for the
book.
Se vende por libras. It's sold by the pound.
Voy por tren. I'm going by train.
Voy por Alicia. I'm going for Alice.
Voté por Juanita. I voted for Juanita.
Fue escrito por Cervantes. It was written by Cervantes.
La carta está por escribir. The letter is yet to be
written.
Estoy por escribirla. I am in favor of writing it.
Pero (but) usually follows an affirmative expression, but may follow a negative statement if the verb of the first clause is repeated, or if another verb follows.
Bebe leche pero no bebe café. He drinks milk, but he does not drink coffee.
Sino (but) is only used in negative sentences of contrasting statements when the verb of the first clause is understood but not repeated.
No bebe café sino leche. He does not drink coffee, but milk.
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