SPANISHABQ

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Mini-Spanish-Lesson.html?soid=1101518095266&aid=EnTgSX4rfnA

2011-02-23T05:41:00.000-08:00

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Mini-Spanish-Lesson.html?soid=1101518095266&aid=EnTgSX4rfnA

When to Use Estar

2009-07-12T10:58:00.001-07:00

How you feel and where you are, that is when you use ESTAR
(not the only time, of course...)
Hope it helps you decide when to use estar....

How to pronounce Words ending in "TY" in English

2009-07-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

Words that end in "ty" in English, will usually end in "dad" en Spanish. They will also be female words.
La..
University= universidad
creativity: creatividad
city: ciudad
relativity; relatividad
pity: piedad

Echar de menos

2009-06-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

La expression del día es:
Echar de Menos
Verbo: Extrañar.
To miss someone.

Te echo de menos (I miss you) = Te extraño
Echo de menos la comida de mi país. Extraño la comida de mi país.

Y tú, que echas de menos?

Arrepentirse

2009-06-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Have you ever regret something? Alguna vez te has arrenpentido de algo?
Today's verb is: TO REGRET. El verbo de hoy es: arrepentirse
Note that it is a reflexive... Yo me..... Tu te.... El se.... etc...

ARREPENTIRSE (TO REGRET)

Presente (Pretérito)

Yo me arrepiento (arrepentí)
Tú te arrepientes (arrepentiste)
El se arrepiente (arrepintió)
Ellos se arrepienten (arrepintieron)
nosotros nos arrepentimos (arrepentimos)

A "tip" to help you remember:
La serpiente (serpent) se arrepiente
...it makes no sense but it rimes and it may help you remember the verb.. :-)

Aqui te envio un enlace para que veas un video con la letra y el sonido de dos canciones, Uno se llama: "Me arrepiento" y al otro: "No me arrepiento"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DfdNeMlIK4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7MPJpR2TjE

Aqui otro dicho (saying)
"Vale más hacer y arrepentirse, que no hacer y arrepentirse"

Y tu, te arrepientes de algo? or, No regrets? :

2009-03-29T20:03:00.000-07:00

Other ways to Say Hello: Hola!

Cómo estás? “bien”

Qué hay de nuevo? “nada” or “no mucho”

Quiubo”? (shorten from: Qué hubo?)

Qué tal? “bien”, “mas o menos”

Cómo andas? “bien,” “mas o menos”

Cómo van las cosas? “bien,” “mas o menos”

If you are really having a bad day: “mal”, pésimo, “ni te cuento”

"TENER QUE" AND "HAY QUE"

2009-03-14T13:22:00.001-07:00

"TENER QUE" AND "HAY QUE"

Tener que + infinitive is one way to express obligation or necessity.

This expression can be translated as "someone has to do something."
I have to...., You have to..., he has to...., etc..
Tener is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence.

Tengo que ahorrar dinero.
I have to save money.

El tiene que leer el periódico.
He has to read the newspaper.

Ellos tienen que comprar una revista.
They have to buy a magazine

Hay que + infinitive is used to express the idea of "one must do something" or, "it is necessary to do something." It is a more general expression and since there is no subject, the verb form hay is always used.

Hay que tomar un taxi.
It is necessary to take a taxi.

Hay que estudiar mucho.
One must study a lot.

Speaking about the past and the present

2009-03-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Many times instead of saying "I talk", you can say: "I am talking", or instead of saying "I spoke", you can say: "I was talking". In Spanish, sometimes it is easier to remember these tenses because you only have to remember the conjugation of "estar" in present and the imperfect and add a verb that ends in "ando" for "ar" ending verbs and "endo" (for "er" ending verbs). Here are some examples:
Examples:
Yesterday...........Now:
I was talking,..... ............I am talking
Estaba hablando............Estoy Hablando

I was thinking................I am thinking
Estaba pensando............Estoy pensando

I was writing..................I am writing
Estaba escribiendo.......Estoy escribiendo

I was watching..............I am watching
Estaba mirando.............Estoy mirando

Estar/Imperfect Estar/Present
Yo estaba.......................Yo estoy
Tu estabas......................Tu estás
El Estaba.........................El está
Nosotros estábamos......Nosotros estamos
Ellos estaban...................Ellos están

Use of Estar/Ser

2009-03-14T13:13:00.001-07:00

Very short lesson but very wise:
"How you feel and where you are, that is when you use estar." (however, not the only time.... of course)

Estoy cansado
Estoy triste
Estoy en la clase
estoy con mi amigo
Estaba ocupado

Other uses of ser/estar to be careful:
Estoy (bien) bueno(a): quiere decir que tengo un cuerpo maravilloso y soy guapo o bellisima.
Soy (bien) bueno(a): quiere decir que soy bondadoso(a)

Estoy malo= estoy enfermo
Soy malo= soy perverso, pésimo, inepto, etc.

EJEMPLOS:

I am sick: Estoy enfermo(a) or malo(a)

She feels fine/she is fine: Ella esta bien

They are in the class: ellos estan en la clase

She is here: Ella esta aqui

More situations where the gerund is NOT translated as such.

2009-01-30T18:50:00.000-08:00

More situations where the gerund is NOT translated as such.

Más Situaciones donde el gerundio (la terminación “ing”) no se traduce lo mismo en español.

In English we say: thank you for doing that, or thank you for telling me..

Basically: THANK YOU FOR + verb ending in "ing".

In Spanish is a bit different, you just say THANK YOU FOR + "verb in the infinitive"

Gracias por decir(me), Thank you for telling me..... NOT: Gracias por diciendo!!

Gracias por llevar(lo), Thank you for carrying it

Gracias por escribir(lo), Thank you for writing it

Gracias por hacer(lo), Thank you for doing it

Facil, no?

Uses of Gerund vs. Infinitive

2009-01-16T16:42:00.001-08:00

La Expresion del Dia:Use of Gerund ("endo", "ando" ending) vs. Infinitive (R ending)
Many people think that the "ing" ending always translates into "endo" 'ando" ending but that is NOT the case. Some verbs that end in "ing" in English, need to be translated into infinite form in Spanish.
Use the Infinitive (R ending) when you want to express "to do something".
I like dancing ( I like to dance), Me gusta bailar, NOT: Me gusta bailando...NO, bad Spanish!!
I like singing (I like to sing): me gusta cantar
I love writing (I love to write): me gusta escribir
I like fishing (I like to fish): Me gusta pescar
I don't like doing that: (I don't like to do that). No me gusta hacer eso.Use the Gerund (The ING ending, "ENDO", "ANDO") with conjugated versions of "to be" - In other words, there is a person DOING something right now.
I am Dancing: Estoy Bailando
I am singing: Estoy Cantando
He is fishing: El esta pescando
she is doing that: Ella esta haciendo eso.

Siento

2008-12-18T21:50:00.001-08:00

La Expresion del Dia: SIENTO

"sentir" means to feel
Me siento bien, (I am fine, I feel fine)
Lo siento, I am sorry.

A more "advanced" use of this verb:

I case you need to apologize/explain something, you can add the ver "HABER" and a past participle (drop the "lo" at the beginning of the sentence)

Siento Haber llegado tarde (I am sorry I am late.... literally: I am sorry I have arrived late)

Other verbs to try on the "past participle form": estudiado (studied), hablado (spoken) hecho (made, done), pensado (thought)

He estado and he sido

2008-12-18T21:21:00.000-08:00

La Expresion del Dia: He estado (I have been:estar) He sido (I have been: ser)

Eres uno de esos estudiantes que se siente confundido con los verbos "ser" y "estar"?
Are you one of those students who feel confused with "ser" and "estar"?
Here is more to add to the confusion. :-) No, solo estoy bromeando :-) I am just kidding.. espero que la siguiente explicacion te ayude. I hope the following explanation helps you.

In the present tense you can say: Yo estoy ocupado (NEVER say "yo soy ocupado" No, No, BAD SPANISH!
Therefore, to say this sentence in the the present perfect tense: He estado ocupado. (I have been busy.)

In the present tense you can say: Yo soy una buena persona (NEVER say: Yo "estoy" una buena persona) BAD SPANISH!
Therefore, to say this sentence in the present perfect tense: He sido una buena persona (I have been a good person)

If you use the "ser" in the present form, then use "sido". If you use estar, then use "estado". ("estado"/"sido" doesn't change no matter who you are talking about) Yo he estado, Tu has estado, el ha estado...etc...... Yo he sido, tu has sido, el ha sido, etc...

Yo he estado/sido
Tu has
El ha
Nosotros hemos
Ellos han

18 irregular verbs you must master

2008-12-18T21:19:00.000-08:00

18 "non-conforming" verbs you must master 18 verbos "inconformes" con los cuales deber ser un experto.
Think of it as sort of a "club" that accepts only peculiar verbs as members. If a verb dares to be different this is the group to belong to. Here they are in their infinitive and preterite (1st person) Once you now the first person, you will know the rest. For the first 11 verbs Just follow the ending: E/O/ISTE/IMOS/IERON with only 2 exceptions: They said and they brought. (dijeron and trajeron) No "i" before the "e"1) TENER. tuve 2) ESTAR. estuve 3)ANDAR anduve. 4) PONER. Puse. 5) PODER. Pude. 6) SABER. supe 7) VENIR. vine. 8) HACER. Hice. 9) QUERER. Quise. 10) DECIR. Dije. 11) TRAER Traje. 12) SALIR, sal.. .13) VER vi... They are regular in the preterite but have other idyosincracies14) OIR oi, oyo, oiste, oimos, oyeron 15) CAER cai, cayo, caiste, caimos, cayeron ("i" changes to "y" when between vowels)16) DAR di, dio, dimos, dieron (DAR is an "AR" verb but decided to use the ER/IR endings in the preterite)17) IR 18) SER fui, fue, fuimos, fueron These 2 are identical but different meaning :-) Y eso es todo!! Si te conviertes en un experto en estos verbos, vas a avanzar mucho!

2008-11-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

La Expresion del Dia: -CY and CE ending words

Many words that end in: "cy" or "ce" are translated into Spanish by changing the ending "cy" or "ce" into "cia" in Spanish. Agency: agenciaTendency: Tendencia Democracy: Democracia The entonation (accent) goes on the next-to-last sillable: aGENcia. tenDENcia,demoCRAcia. and... MANY of them are FEMALE... La agencia, la tendencia, la democracia.There are a few that are not (-ce). They end in :"cio" like: divorcio, servicio, vicio.

Can you figure out what these are?
Emergencia,tendencia eficacia,Diplomacia, inteligencia. Distancia, Justicia, arrogancia, experiencia

Cual es la IMPORTANCIA de esta leccion?

Palabras que terminan en "ENT" & "ANT"

2008-10-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Most words that end in "ENT" or "ANT" in English, are translated into Spanish by just adding The letter "e" at the end... so: isntead of ENT, it would be "ENTE" and instead of "ANT": "Ante"...
Examples:
President: Presidente
Instant: Instante
Excellent: Excelente!!
Convenient: Conveniente

Esto es muy conveniente!! This is very convenient!

Useful expression: PUES....

2008-10-23T15:02:00.001-07:00

PUES: It is similar to well, then, ummm..., let's see...

You can use it when you are thinking what to say and would like a few seconds to make up your answer :-)

Let's say someone asks you if you want to baby-sit ... and you say
"Pues... (insert your thoughts here)... no se, tengo que ver..." mmm.. I don't know, I have to see..

- Quieres ir al cine conmigo?
-pues... si, esta bien, vamos.

-Como te parece ese chico?
-pues.... no se... me parece un poco tímido

-Como se dice: "I know"?
-Pues....(while you search your brain) no me acuerdo :-) .. Ah si! Yo se!

If you know English, You Know Spanish

2008-10-20T10:06:00.003-07:00

There are some words that are often identical in Spanish and English (works about 95% of the time). Here is an easy way to increase your vocabulary in just minutes:

1. Words that end in "OR", for example: doctor, color, error, favor, exterior, superior
Same in Spanish (make sure you stress out the last syllable... for example: doc-TOR, faVOR, etc)

2. Words that end in "AL" for example: animal, natural, social (again, stress the last syllable)

3. Words that end in "BLE", for example: formidable, inevitable, flexible (the stress goes on the next to last syllable! : formiDAble, ineviTAble, etc.)

Espero que esta informacion le ayude a recordar mas palabras.

Words that end in "tion" in English

2008-10-20T10:06:00.001-07:00

Words that end in “tion” will end in ción” in Spanish (this rules works about 95% of the time) as you probably know by now, there are many exceptions to the rules in Spanish

Construction: Construcción
Instruction: Instrucción
Exception : excepción
Imagination: imaginación

Be careful with translation.. because it is NOT translacion it is: traducción

Spanish "quiero"

2008-10-19T14:57:00.000-07:00

Quiero+ verb in infinite form.
Quiero saber= I want to know
Quiero comprar = I want to buy
Quiero ir= I want to go
Quiero comer = I want to eat
Quiero decir= I want to say (or I mean to say)

In addition, if you want to say: I want to know it, or I want to buy it.... or I want to (infinitive verb)it... just add "lo":
Quiero saberlo (I want to know it)
Quiero Comprarlo (I want to buy it)
Quiero decirlo (I want to say it)