Englisch
Französisch
Italienisch
DeutschYabla Spanisch
Let's see a few examples to learn the proper use of the Spanish word falta, a false friend of the English word fault.
First of all, falta does mean "fault" in the context of sports:
El árbitro no vio la falta
The umpire didn't see the fault
The word falta in Spanish is also used in legal contexts. Una falta means "an offense" (the word ofensa also exists):
Que una misma persona cometiera distintas faltas de hurto.
That one person committed different robbery offenses.
Caption 49, Los Reporteros - Crecen los robos en tiendas
Play Caption
Also, in academic or laboral contexts, una falta means "an absence." If you don't go to school tu maestro te pone falta (your teacher marks you absent). Generally speaking una falta means "a lack" or "a shortage" and the verb faltar means "to lack," "to need" or "to be absent." Study the following examples:
Me hace falta un aguacate que voy a hacer una ensalada, eh.
I need one avocado and I'll make a salad, uh.
Caption 43, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
Hoy estamos protestando por la falta de agua.
Today we are protesting because of the water shortage.
Caption 49, Kikirikí - Agua - Part 2
Play Caption
It's interesting the way Spanish uses the word falta in expressions of time:
¿Qué será? Que falta un mes para la boda, ¿eh?
What would it be? That there is a month until the wedding, huh?
Caption 27, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
Play Caption
You can also use the word falta with a pinch of sarcasm:
Lo único que me falta es que a los diez meses empiece a caminar...
The only thing I need now is that at ten months old she starts walking...
Caption 44, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
Play Caption
In fact, the expression lo único que me falta (or lo único que me faltaba) alone, also exists, and it's commonly used sarcastically:
¡Lo único que me falta!
Just what I needed!
Caption 5, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
Play Caption
Check out the following use of falta combined with the verb hacer and negation. It's a very common way to express that something is not needed or necessary:
¡No hace falta un abogado!
A lawyer is not necessary!
Caption 81, Adícora - Venezuela - Darío y el Kitesurfing
Play Caption
And, of course, you can use falta + hacer without negation:
Eres Lo que a mi vida le hace falta si no vienes
You are what my life lacks if you don't come
Captions 6-7, Café Tacuba - Eres
Play Caption
Finally, a useful tip. How do you say in Spanish "It's your fault?" Unless you are playing soccer with your friends, you shouldn't say "es tu falta." For that, Spanish uses the word culpa (guilt, blame). It may sound really extreme and weird to say "it's your guilt" in English, but es tu culpa is common in Spanish:
Soy el hombre al que iban a enterrar vivo por tu culpa.
I am the man who they were going to bury alive because of you.
Caption 35, El Ausente - Acto 4
Play Caption
You can use es tu culpa in the most trivial situations:
Por tu culpa perdimos el avión, querido.
It's your fault we missed the plane, dear.
Caption 16, Yago - 4 El secreto
Play Caption
Finally, another use of the word falta is in the expression faltas de ortografía (orthographic mistakes). You can combine it with the verb tener (to have) as in el ensayo tiene muchas faltas de ortografía (the essay has many orthographic mistakes), or with the verb cometer (to commit, to make) as in tú cometes muchas faltas de ortografía (you make a lot of ortographic mistakes). Thank you for reading!
The Spanish verb dar (to give) is very useful, especially to ask and receive good things in life. It can be used in a very literal way to express the idea of giving all sort of things, concrete or abstract, and it's also used in many idiomatic expressions. Let's analyze a few examples:
Let's start with the basic meaning of dar. The imperative mode is a big favorite:
Señorita, la foto es suya. -¡Dame, dame la foto!
Miss, the picture is yours. -Give me, give me the photo!
Caption 56, Yago - 3 La foto
Play Caption
Remember that the actual conjugated form of the verb here is only da (you give). However, in the imperative form it is very common to attach object pronouns to the verb forms, in effect using them as suffixes. In this case the pronoun me (to me) functions as the indirect object of the verb. It's also very common to also attach more than one pronoun, for example to substitute the direct object as well. In this case the direct object is la foto, a feminine noun. So Morena could have also simply said dámela (give it to me). If there were many fotos it would be dámelas (give them to me), and if we were talking about, let's say, zapatos (shoes), then it would be dámelos (give them to me). You know, it's just an important thing to learn. There is a saying in Spanish that goes, al que no habla, Dios no lo oye (he who doesn't speak, God won't hear).
The verb dar is also used to deal with abstract ideas of giving. For example, just as in English we can say something like "you give me a headache," a Spanish speakers would say me das dolor de cabeza. Spanish extends the use of dar even more, though, to express ideas for which English instead uses verbs such as "to produce," "to yield," or "to bear."
Mil seiscientos cincuenta da el kilo y nos pesamos.
The kilo yields one thousand six hundred fifty and we weigh it.
Caption 8, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
Digamos en la costa, también da buenas frutas.
Let's say in the coast, it also produces good fruit.
Caption 18, Rafael T. - Guatemala Hermosa
Play Caption
In fact, the list of uses of dar is quite extensive. You can learn many here and maybe try to find examples in our videos. We'll focus now on the use of dar in idiomatic expressions, where the meaning of dar (to give) is completely transformed into something very different. For example, dar is used to express that something happens:
No sé, se dio así.
I don't know, it happened that way.
Caption 24, Yago - 9 Recuperación
Play Caption
There is also the expression darse cuenta (to realize):
Mirala bien y te das cuenta que es una minita.
Look at her closely and you'll realize that it's a chick.
Caption 10, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
Play Caption
The expression se me da por is used to express the idea of getting into the habit or liking of doing something. For example:
Papá, mira la casualidad,
Dad, look what a coincidence,
ahora que se me da por caminar te encuentro siempre.
now that I got into the habit of walking, I always run into you.
Captions 56-57, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
Play Caption
On the other hand, when someone says that something se le da, it means that something comes natural to the person, that it is a natural talent he or she has:
Que se me dan bastante bien los idiomas.
That I'm pretty good at learning languages.
Caption 4, Club de las ideas - Pasión por el golf
Play Caption
Or not...
A mí no se me da eso de andar en reversa
I'm not good at driving in reverse
Caption 5, Gloria Trevi - Cinco minutos
Play Caption
One last example. From the expression darse por vencido (to give up, literally "to give oneself as defeated") comes the useful question-and-answer pair, ¿Te das? - Me doy. You must learn both if you like adivinanzas (riddles). This is how you use them:
-Oro parece, plata no es. ¿Qué fruta es? / -It looks like gold, it's not silver. What fruit it is?
-No sé. Me doy. / -I don't know. I give up.
-¿Te das? / -Do you give up?
-¡Sí, me doy! / -Yes, I give up!
- Fácil. Es el pláta-no. / Easy. It's the banana.
While watching one of our new videos we came across an interesting and common expression:
¿Y eso qué tiene que ver?
And what does that have to do with anything?
Yo también fui al velorio del obrero.
I also went to the worker's wake.
Caption 26, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
Play Caption
As always, our video captions contain a translation that is as literal as possible. We translated tiene que ver as "have to do" because the expression tener que ver (literally "to have to see") actually means "to have to do" or "to relate to" in Spanish. For example:
Creemos que el espíritu de las canciones
We believe that the spirit of the songs
tiene que ver con esos personajes.
has to do with those characters.
Captions 66-67, Bersuit Vergarabat - EPK
Play Caption
The expression is also used in the negative form by adding the words no and nada (nothing):
¡No me interesa!
I don't care!
Me voy.
I'm leaving.
Tú y yo no tenemos nada que ver, ¿OK?
You and I don't have anything to do with each other, OK?
Captions 77-79, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
Play Caption
This last example is also interesting because it shows how the expression tener que ver doesn't always need a complement such as el uno con el otro (with each other), which is something you absolutely need in English. But in Spanish, leaving the expression as it is implies that tener que ver by itself means "to have to do with each other". However, we could add a different complement to the same expression, changing the meaning of what we are saying. We could say, for example: Tú y yo no tenemos nada que ver con el robo (You and I have nothing to do with the robbery). Here is another example:
Volvemos con la Sub30 y este tema que
We're back with the Sub30 and this topic that
no tiene nada que ver con tribus urbanas.
has nothing to do with urban tribes.
Caption 1, La Sub30 - Familias
Play Caption
By the way, this also explains why, in the first example of this lesson, we can't translate ¿y eso qué tiene que ver? simply as "and what does that have to do?" since this is an incomplete phrase in English.
Now, by extension, no tener que ver also means no importar (to not matter). However, since the use of the expression no importa (it doesn't matter) prevails in Spanish, people don't really use no tener que ver to express the same idea. What people do use is the rhetorical question ¿qué tiene que ver? to express that something doesn't matter. Yes, just as English uses the rhetorical question "what does it matter?" to mean "it doesn't matter," Spanish uses the question ¿Qué tiene que ver? to mean no tiene (nada) que ver (= no importa).
So, going back to our first example, another valid, shorter, and perhaps more common way to translate the caption is:
¿Y eso qué tiene que ver? Yo también fui al velorio del obrero.
And what does does it matter? I also went to the worker's wake.
Caption 26, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
Play Caption
To finish this lesson we want to share two more expressions that are used in Spanish to express that something doesn't matter (or rather, that it's beside the point). The first one is no venir al caso, (literally "it doesn't come to the case"). Here's an example:
¿Por qué crees que el amor justifica tus actos? Eso no viene al caso.
Why do you think love justifies your actions? That is irrelevant.
The other expression is no venir al cuento, which is very similar to no venir al caso but substitutes caso (case) with cuento (story, tale). If it's true that "literature is life, and life is literature" it makes a lot of sense, don't you think? Here is an example:
Ya no viene al cuento recordar el pasado.
It's beside the point to remember the past.
Over the last few weeks you have seen a few video lessons about adjectives as part of our series Lecciones con Carolina. So you probably know by now that one of the most challenging aspects of Spanish adjectives is that they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Having this in mind, we have prepared for you a brief review on how adjectives are built in Spanish.
In Spanish, adjectives that end in -o have four forms. We have singular masculine adjectives ending in -o, and singular feminine ending in -a:
Es un gasto económico muy alto para la fundación.
Is a very high economic expense for the foundation.
Caption 28, Animales en familia - Adopta a Pino
Play Caption
¡Qué casa más bonita tienen tus abuelos! ¿eh?
What a beautiful house your grandparents have! huh?
Caption 47, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
The corresponding plural adjectives end in -os, for the masculine:
En el bulevar de los sueños rotos
On the boulevard of broken dreams
Caption 1, Joaquin Sabina - Por el Boulevar de los Sueños Rotos
Play Caption
and in -as, for the feminine:
Es una tonta ésa,
She's a dumb, that one,
como todas las tontas que se meten con Ivo.
like all the dumb ones who get involved with Ivo.
Captions 38-39, Muñeca Brava - 45 El secreto
Play Caption
We also have Spanish adjectives that end in -e. They only have two forms, -e for singular and -es for plural. Here is an example of an adjective ending in -e in the singular form that is used to modify the feminine noun fuerza (strength):
...anatómicamente y tienen fuerza física suficiente.
...anatomically when they already have enough physical strength.
Caption 42, Centro de Recuperación de la Fauna Salvaje - Veterinario Jesús López
Play Caption
And here is an example of an adjective ending in -e in the plural form that is used to modify the masculine nouns vinos (nouns) and paisajes (landscapes), but also the feminine noun cervezas (beers):
En España tenemos de todos. Grandes vinos...
In Spain, we have them all. Great wines...
grandes cervezas y grandes paisajes.
great beers, and great landscapes.
Captions 41-42, Casa Pancho - vinos y pinchos
Play Caption
On the other hand, some Spanish adjectives end in a consonant, like popular (popular),voraz (voracious), and fácil (easy). These are similar to the ones ending in -e: they only have two forms. The singular form is invariable for feminine and masculine nouns:
La tarea fácil / The easy homework.
El curso fácil / The easy course.
El actor popular / The popular actor.
La actriz popular / The popular actress.
El lobo voraz / The voracious (male) wolf.
La loba voraz / The voracious (female) wolf.
And the plural form uses -es for both feminine and masculine nouns. Notice how you may learn to substitute z for c in some cases:
Las tareas fáciles / The easy homeworks.
Los curso fáciles / The easy courses.
Los actores populares / The popular actors.
Las actrices populares / The popular actresses.
Los lobos voraces / The voracious (male) wolves.
Las lobas voraces / The voracious (female) wolves.
Finally, there is a group of adjectives in Spanish that end in a consonant but don't follow the previous rule exactly. These are adjectives ending in -án, -ón, and -or. For these, the feminine adds -a for the singular, and -as for the plural. The masculine uses -es for the plural form. The good news is there are not many adjectives in this group. Some examples are:
El hombre haragán / The lazy man.
La mujer haragana / The lazy woman.
El maestro fanfarrón / The boastful (male) teacher.
La maestra fanfarrona / The boastful (female) teacher.
El policía abusador / The abusive policeman.
La policía abusadora / The abusive policewoman.
Can you figure out the corresponding plural forms? They are as follows:
Los hombres haraganes / The lazy men.
Las mujeres haraganas / The lazy women.
Los maestros fanfarrones / The braggart (male) teachers.
La maestra fanfarrona / The braggart (female) teachers.
Los policías abusadores / The abusive policemen.
Las policías abusadoras / The abusive policewomen.
The Spanish verbs tener (to have), haber (especially the impersonal verb form hay), ser and estar (both "to be") can sometimes be interchanged or used in similar ways to express the same idea. Recently, one of our subscribers asked us to tackle the subject. Since these verbs are indeed among the list of the most useful, versatile, and difficult verbs in the Spanish lexicon, we thought... What are we waiting for?!
In Spanish we use hay, the impersonal form of the verb haber (to have) to express a necessity. The formula is always hay que:
Es decir, hay que compartir.
I mean, it's necessary to share.
Caption 20, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
However, it's also possible to use the verbs tener (to have) or ser (to be) to express the same idea. Here's what the phrases would look like:
With tener: Es decir, se tiene que compartir.
With ser (you can't use estar): Es decir, es necesario compartir.
Is there a difference between them? Not really. OK, maybe a very subtle one, practically inexistent: it could be argued that the level of urgency in which the necessity is expressed is different for each sentence. Hay que is more pressing, se tiene is a little less, and es necesario is even lesser. It's really a negligible and debatable difference, so feel free to use them indistinctly.
Another case. We can use hay to express the concept of "there are/there is."
Creo que hay muchas personas haciendo "circuit bending"
I believe that there are many people doing circuit bending
Caption 70, Lo que no sabías - Arte electrónico
Play Caption
Can we use the other verbs to express the same idea? Well, this is a tricky matter. Of course, the following sentences are all possible in Spanish:
With tener:
Creo que tenemos muchas personas haciendo "circuit bending" / I believe we have a lot of people doing circuit bending.
With estar:
Creo que están muchas personas haciendo "circuit bending" / I believe a lot of people are doing circuit bending.
In fact, the usual order would be: Creo que muchas personas están haciendo "circuit bending."
With ser:
Creo que son muchas personas haciendo "circuit bending" / I believe they are many, the people doing circuit bending.
Take note that saying Creo que muchas personas son haciendo circuit bending is totally incorrect.
You can see that the first sentence using tener (to have) is very similar to the example using hay even though they are not exactly the same. The second example using estar is, however, the closer to the original one that uses hay. The only difference is they employ different verbs, haber (to have) and estar (to be). The third one is the really tricky one, because the subtle difference between the use of ser and estar (both "to be") gets lost in English. Maybe, in this particular context, you could use son muchas personas instead of hay muchas personas.
Just remember that in Spanish the use of the verb ser (to be) implies a more fundamental situation, while the use of estar implies a more temporal one, one that might change, one that depends on external factors like time and space. Ser is more about the essence of things and situations. Its meaning is broad and less determined by context. Therefore, using ser results in a shift of the sentence's focus from the action of doing circuit bending to the nature or state of being many, which is something we tried to mimic in our translation. In fact, that's the reason why the sentence only works using exactly that word order; so the verb son (ser/to be) modifies muchas personas. But you can't use ser to modify the verb haciendo, that is, to talk about an action that may be happening now, but may or may not happen tomorrow. For that you must use the verb están (estar/to be): están haciendo. Let's put it with apples:
Hay manzanas en la mesa / There are apples on the table.
Tenemos manzanas en la mesa / We have apples on the table.
Las manzanas están en la mesa / The apples are on the table.
Las manzanas son en la mesa /
This last example can't be used instead of any of the previous ones. In fact, it can't really be used at all, unless you are taking part in some kind of philosophical discussion. Saying this in Spanish would mean something like "The apples exists on the table."
Let's now see an example where you can use ser but not estar:
Pero siempre vamos a encontrar que hay una gran similitud.
But we are always going to find that there is a great similarity.
Caption 40, Beatriz Noguera - Exposición de Arte
Play Caption
The following sentences are not exactly the same; however, in some contexts they may be used to express the same idea, with subtle differences. Please note that in the following examples we have added possible contexts in parentheses.
With tener:
Pero siempre vamos a encontrar que tenemos una gran similitud (entre chabacanos y duraznos) / But we are always going to find that we have a great similarity (between apricots and peaches).
The sentence may mean something different in a different context, though. For example:
Tenemos una gran similitud (entre nosotros) / We have a great similarity (between each other).
With ser:
Pero siempre vamos a encontrar que es una gran similitud (la que existe entre chabacanos y duraznos) / But we are always going to find that there is a great similarity (that exists between apricots and peaches).
Notice how the verb ser here modifies similitud (the similarity is fundamentally great), and we need to use existe (to exist)—we could also use hay (there are)—in a complicated circunloquio (circumlocution) so we can convey the idea of the first example. You can't ever say something like es una gran similitud entre chabacanos y duraznos.
With estar:
It's not possible to use the verb estar (to be) to express this idea. You can't ever say something like está una gran similitud entre chabacanos y duraznos. This is wrong because you use estar to express non intrinsic situations, and when we talk about the similarity of apricots and peaches we are necessarily comparing their fundamental way of being, their intrinsic nature, what makes them what they are and not, let's say, bananas and apples.
Ok. Keeping all this in mind, let's put you to the test: Are the following sentences possible in Spanish? If they are, do they mean the same thing?
Los gemelos son igualitos.
Los gemelos están igualitos.
The answer is yes, both sentences are possible in Spanish. What's the difference between them, then?
Well, the first sentence is either talking about the fundamental similarity that exists between twins, any twins in general (Twins are identical), or it's talking about a particular couple of twins, which we refer to as "the twins," and the idea would translate as "The twins are identical." Using ser here stresses the idea that they are identical because they are identical in something that is intrinsic to them, not because they are wearing the same outfit or have the same haircut, for example. On the contrary, the second sentence, using estar, can't be used to talk about any twins in general. It can only be used to refer to a certain couple of twins. The translation is then, "The twins are identical."
By the way, fun fact: the diminutive igualito (from igual = same) paradoxically functions as a kind of augmentative: igualito means "very same," "identical."
Many languages, Spanish and English included, use the same words for both questions and exclamations. Words like qué (what), cómo (how), and cuánto (how many) may primarily be interrogative words, but they are also exclamatory words that are used to simply state an idea or opinion with surprise or amazement. Frequently, phrases containing these words use exclamation marks (don't forget Spanish uses an additional initial upside down exclamation mark), but sometimes that's not even necessary, because the meaning of these expressions can be easily inferred from the context. Let's do a quick review.
Cómo (how) is used exactly the same way in Spanish and English. In one of our videos, Sor Angelica expresses how much she missed the bakery goods served at the convent:
Mmm... Ay, Padre Manuel, cómo extrañaba este pancito casero.
Mmm... Oh, Father Manuel, how I missed this homemade bread.
Caption 1, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
Play Caption
Qué (what) is also used as an exclamatory word in both languages. One important difference between Spanish and English here is that Spanish never uses an article between the word qué and the noun or adjetive it modifies:
Qué grandísimo músico.
What a great musician.
Caption 49, David Bisbal - Haciendo Premonición Live
Play Caption
Another difference is that Spanish allows the use of qué in many more cases than English, which must resort to the use of "how" instead, as you can see in the following examples:
¡Pero qué inteligente!
But how smart!
Caption 6, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
Play Caption
Bueno, qué grande la tienda, ¿eh?
Well, how big the store is, huh?
Caption 81, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
When used as an exclamatory word, qué can be replaced by a fancy word: cuán (how). This, however, is less common than qué, and it's mostly used in literary works. So, in the previous examples you can also use: cuán grandísimo músico, cuán inteligente, cuán grande, etc. Here is an example of cuán in one of our videos. Speaking of grandísimos músicos, here is an example of cuán in the lyrics of a song interpreted by the famous Chilean singer Chico Trujillo:
Para que te cuenten cuán grande es mi dolor
So they tell you how big my pain is
Caption 10, Chico Trujillo - Quémame los ojos
Play Caption
Cuánto (how much) can be used in front of nouns and verbs to express surprise at an amount of something. To modify a verb, one must always use the singular masculine form: cuánto.
¡Ay, señora Angélica,
Ah, Madame Angelica,
cuánto hacía que no bajaba por aquí!
it's been so long since you last came down here!
Caption 54, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro
Play Caption
To modify a noun, cuánto must match the noun in gender and number:
¡Cuántos frijoles hubiéramos hecho!
How many beans we would have produced!
Caption 28, Con ánimo de lucro - Cortometraje
Play Caption
¡Cuántas penurias pasamos el año pasado!
How many scarcities we had last year!
¡Cuánto dolor te he causado!
How much pain I've inflicted upon you!
To end this lesson we want to share something that may be new to you. In Spanish you can combine the use of exclamation and interrogation marks when an expression is both a question and an exclamation. According to the Real Academia Española, there are three possible ways to do it correctly. See below. Bet you didn't know the first two were even possible!
¡Cómo te atreves?
¿Cómo te atreves!
¿¡Cómo te atreves!?
How dare you!?
¡Cuánto hemos aprendido hoy, verdad? (How much we learned today, right?!)
Let's continue our lesson on the use of verbal periphrases. In the first part of this lesson, we reviewed examples that combine conjugated verbs with infinitives. Now it's time to learn periphrases that combine conjugated verbs with the Spanish forms of the verb known as gerundios and participios.
Verbal periphrases that use the gerundio are used to express the passing of an action. They combine a conjugated auxiliary verb and a gerundio. Remember, the English gerund is the -ing form of the verb, but the Spanish gerundio is the -ndo form. Perhaps the easiest and most common example of these periphrases is the one that uses the verb estar (to be) as the auxiliary verb:
Estoy cursando las últimas dos materias del último trimestre.
I am taking the last two courses of the last trimester.
Caption 4, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Viviana Reyes
Play Caption
Y con esta blusa, vamos a ver,
And with this blouse, let's see,
ya estamos armando el... el disfraz.
we're already putting together the... the costume.
Captions 22-23, Un disfraz - En el mercado
Play Caption
However, you can use other verbs as well. The most used are the verbs andar (to go),empezar (to start), llevar (to carry), salir (to go out), etc. Here's an interesting example using the reflexive verb quedarse (to stay, to remain):
No, él se queda aquí trabajando.
No, he stays here working.
Caption 11, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
Here is an example with the verb salir (to go out):
Y además salió diciendo
And he also appeared saying
que para él era un orgullo que yo estuviera en el país.
that he was very proud that I was in the country.
Caption 62, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
Play Caption
Ya después me pasé a otra banda en la que...
Later on, I changed to another band in which...
en la que volvimos a hacer covers.
in which we did covers again.
Captions 49-50, Willy - Entrevista - Part 3
Play Caption
On the other hand, periphrases that use the participio are usually meant to express the result of an action. They combine a conjugated auxiliary verb with a participio. Remember that the Spanish participio is the -ado, -ido, -to, -so, -cho forms of the verb (and their feminine and plural counterparts). Here is our first example using the auxiliary verb quedarse (to stay):
Se queda perfectamente pegado.
It remains perfectly stuck.
Caption 32, Tecnópolis - Ciencia en casa
Play Caption
Compare this example using the verb quedarse and participio with the previous one that uses quedarse and gerundio. Do you get the difference in use and meaning between the two?
Let's review a few more examples of periphrases using participio. You can use the verb tener (to have) as auxiliary verb:
Es verdad que nosotros tenemos instaladas videocámaras
It's true that we have video cameras installed
en los pasillos.
in the hallways.
Caption 12, Club de las ideas - Si yo fuera director
Play Caption
Or you can use the verb llevar (to carry):
Estos paquetes ...
These packagages ...
llevan puestos desde el miércoles pasado.
have been set since last Wednesday.
Captions 3-6, La Champiñonera - El cultivo de champiñón
Play Caption
Or the verb dejar (to leave):
Y le dejo esto puesto, ¿eh?
And I leave this on, huh?
Caption 46, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
To finish this lesson, compare these two examples of periphrases: one uses the gerundio and the other uses the participio. Which is which? Can you understand the difference in meaning? We are sure you do!
Me tengo que ir. Te dejo escrita la lista de invitados. | I have to go. I leave written the guest list for you [I'm leaving the guest list written out for you].
Me tengo que ir. Te dejo escribiendo la lista de invitados. | I have to go. I leave you writing the guest list [I'm leaving you to write the guest list].
Thank you for reading!
In Spanish, many useful expressions are formed by combining two verbs. This type of expression is called a perífrasis verbal (verbal periphrasis) and is formed by combining a conjugated verb with a verb in the infinitive (or a gerund or participle), sometimes with a linking word between the two. A verbal periphrasis helps us to express subtle aspects of a verb's action, for example, its beginning, ending, duration, progression, etc. Let's review some examples:
In one of our videos, Leire, the lead singer of the Spanish pop band, La Oreja de Van Gogh, uses a periphrasis to express the ending of an action with the verb acabar (to finish), the preposition de, and the verb llegar (to arrive):
Acabamos de llegar al hotel.
We just arrived at the hotel.
Caption 3, La Oreja de Van Gogh - Recién llegados a México tras 12 horas de avión...
Play Caption
Therefore, you can use acabar de + a wide variety of verbs to express the ending of an action. Some examples (for the first person singular) are acabo de comer (I just ate), acabo de salir (I just went out), acabo de decir (I just said), etc.
Similarly, you can combine the verb empezar (to begin), the preposition a, and a verb in the infinitive to express the beginning of an action:
Si nos comemos una seta de éstas,
If we eat one of these mushrooms,
empezamos a ver aquí pitufos de colores
we start to see colorful smurfs here
Captions 47-48, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
To express repetition, you can use the verb volver (to go back), the preposition a, and a verb in the infinitive:
Si no te resulta, vuelve a empezar.
If it doesn't work for you, start over.
Caption 37, Alex Sandunga - Déjala
Play Caption
Ya después me pasé a otra banda en la que...
Later on, I changed to another band in which...
en la que volvimos a hacer covers.
in which we did covers again.
Captions 49-50, Willy - Entrevista
Play Caption
To express intention, you can use querer (to want) and a verb in the infinitive:
Pero nosotros al decir en tu casa,
But we, in saying at your house,
nosotros queremos decir en la nuestra.
we mean at ours.
Caption 43, La Banda Chilanguense - El habla de México
Play Caption
The verb estar (to be), the preposition para, and a verb in the infinitive can be used to express intention as well:
No estoy para perder todo el día, ¿me entendiste?
I'm not up for wasting the whole day, do you get it?
Captions 41-42, Yago - 6 Mentiras
Play Caption
Pues claro, aquí estamos para ayudarte a encontrar
Well of course, we're here to help you find
lo que tú necesitas.
what you need.
Captions 11-12, Raquel y Marisa - Agente del concesionario
Play Caption
In previous lessons, we explored the use of verbs like deber (to have to, must), tener (to have), and haber (to have) to express duty, necessity, or obligation. These are additional examples of verbal periphrases that sometimes employ prepositions or pronouns such as de or que as a link and other times stand on their own. Plenty more examples of verbal periphrases can be found in the lessons Deber / Deber De + Infinitive, Haber + De + Infinitive: Something You Should Learn, and Imperative Constructions.
To conclude, we'll leave you with one more example that utilizes the verb tener (to have), the preposition que, and the infinitive buscar (to look for):
Tenía que buscarme la vida, ¿sabes?
I had to make a living, you know?
Caption 56, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
That's all for today. Thank you for reading this lesson, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions.
The use of reflexive verbs in Spanish can be very challenging for English speakers. A verb is used reflexively when the subject of the verb is also its object. In other words, when the subject is acting on itself.
Of course, English also uses reflexive verbs. However, while English makes use of expressions like "to himself," "to herself," etc., Spanish uses reflexive pronouns. Let's compare the use of reflexive verbs in Spanish and English in the following examples:
Es que con su electricidad se defiende.
The thing is that with her electricity, she defends herself.
Caption 22, Guillermina y Candelario - Un pez mágico
Play Caption
One of the most challenging aspects of the use of reflexive verbs in Spanish is the different ways in which reflexive pronouns and verbs are combined. You can use the pronoun as in the first example: ella se defiende (she defends herself), but adding the reflexive pronoun as a suffix to the verb is also correct (though kind of poetic), ella defiéndese (she defends herself).
Here's another example that even combines two reflexive verbs in such a way:
Ella está dedicándose a relajarse pintando.
She's dedicating herself to relaxing [herself] by painting.
Caption 21, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
And there is even a different way to express the exact same idea:
Ella se está dedicando a relajarse pintando.
It's also very common to use more than one verb in reflexive expressions in Spanish. Usually one verb is conjugated and the other one is an infinitive. Here is an example that combines the verbs saber (to know) and cuidar (to take care):
No le teme a nada, él se sabe cuidar
He's not afraid of anything, he knows how to take care of himself
Caption 42, Alberto Barros - Mano a mano
Play Caption
There is another way to express the same idea. Can you guess it now? Let's take a look:
él sabe cuidarse.
Remember we said that Spanish uses reflexive pronouns while English uses expressions such as "to himself," "to herself," etc.? Well, that doesn't mean that Spanish doesn't have similar expressions. Let's see what those expressions are:
- mí mismo (myself)
- sí misma (herself)
- sí mismo (himself, itself)
- sí mismos (themselves), and
- nosotros mismos (ourselves)
It may seem repetitive, but it's correct and very common to use them altogether with reflexive pronouns and verbs:
De crecer, de vivir, de ver, de realizarse a sí mismos.
To grow, to live, to make themselves [to come into their own].
Captions 14-15, Horno San Onofre - La Historia de la Pastelería
Play Caption
Another confusing aspect of reflexive verbs in Spanish is that they are not always used in the same situations in English. A classic example is the use of the reflexive bañarse to describe the action of taking a bath. You wouldn't normally say "I'm bathing myself" in English, but rather "I'm bathing" or "I'm taking a bath." Or take, for example, the verb arrepentir[se]:
Quisiera arrepentirme, ser el mismo, y no decirte eso
I would like to repent, to be the same, and to not tell you that
Caption 19, Camila - Aléjate de mi
Play Caption
Sometimes things get even more confusing. Expressions like la sopa se quema or el plato se rompió (literally "the soup burns itself" and "the dish broke itself") don't seem to make much sense, right? How can inanimate objects act on themselves? However, these expressions are correct in Spanish, and they are commonly used as some kind of passive voice. That's how they usually translate to English:
...pero no muy oscuro porque si no, se quema la arepa.
...but not very dark because if not, the arepa gets burned.
Caption 41, Dany - Arepas
Play Caption
To end this lesson we want to share with you a Spanish saying that uses reflexive verbs. It may come in handy if you are thinking reflexive Spanish verbs are way too confusing. It goes like this:
No te preocupes, mejor ocúpate (Don't worry yourself, it's better to occupy yourself).
We hope you enjoyed this lesson about reflexive verbs in Spanish and please send us your comments and suggestions.
The Spanish verb hacer primarily means "to do" or "to make." This verb is used in a wide range of expressions, which makes it one of the most versatile verbs in Spanish. However, and maybe for the same reason, the meanings and uses of hacer are not always easy to grasp. The fact that this is an irregular verb doesn't make it any easier either. So, to successfully master the verb hacer, the first step would be to memorize its conjugation (the past tense is especially challenging). After that, we recommend that you study it using a case-by-case approach. Luckily, the use of hacer is extremely common, so our catalog of videos offers you plenty of examples.
Let's quickly review the two basic meanings of the word hacer. The first meaning is "to make":
Vamos a hacer un arroz.
We're going to make rice.
Caption 74, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
Play Caption
The second basic meaning of hacer is "to do":
¿Y ahora qué hacemos?
And now what do we do?
Caption 12, Guillermina y Candelario - Una película de terror
Play Caption
Keep in mind that these meanings of the verb hacer as "to do" or "to make" can be used in many different situations that don't necessarily correspond to the uses of "to make" and "to do" in English. For example, in Spanish you can use the verb hacer to say quiero hacer una llamada (I want to make a call), and hazme un favor (do me a favor). But you can also use it in expressions like me haces daño (you hurt me), and ella hizo una pregunta (she asked a question). Here's another example:
Tú me hiciste brujería.
You put a spell on me.
Caption 38, Calle 13 - Un Beso De Desayuno
Play Caption
Hacer is also extensively used in Spanish to express time or duration. It can be used to express for how long you have been doing something:
Tengo veinte años y estoy hace dos años acá en Buenos Aires.
I'm twenty years old and I've been here in Buenos Aires for two years.
Caption 40, Buenos Aires - Heladería Cumelen
Play Caption
Or to express the concept of "ago":
Hace unos días me olvidé la mochila en el tren.
A few days ago I forgot my backpack on the train.
Caption 22, Raquel - Oficina de objetos perdidos
Play Caption
Hacer is also used in weather expressions:
Hoy hace tanto viento que casi me deja caer.
Today it is so windy that it almost makes me fall [over].
Caption 22, Clara explica - El tiempo
Play Caption
And other impersonal expressions, such as hacer falta (to need/be lacking):
Se puede poner entero, no hace falta quitar corteza.
It can be put in whole; it's not necessary to remove the crust.
Caption 84, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
Play Caption
To indicate taking on a role:
Siempre quieres que haga el papel de villana.
You always want me to play the role of the villain.
Or to indicate that someone is pretending to be something:
Digo si pasa algo con mi hijo, no te hagas la ingenua.
I'm saying if something is happening with my son, don't play dumb.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 5
Play Caption
The reflexive form hacerse is commonly used in this way in many expressions such as hacerse el loco (to pretend to be crazy), hacerse la mosquita muerta (to look as if butter wouldn't melt in one's mouth, literally "to pretend to be a dead fly"), hacerse el muerto (to play dead), etc. Here is another example:
Mira, no te hagas la viva.
Look, don't play smart.
Caption 3, Yago - 3 La foto
Play Caption
Hacer can also express the idea of getting used to something:
No hacerme a la idea de que esto está bien
Not to get used to the idea that this is OK
Caption 32, Xóchitl - Vida en Monterrey
Play Caption
Hacer is also used to express that something doesn't matter in expressions such as no le hace (it doesn't matter), or no hace al caso (it doesn't pertain to the matter). Or it can mean "to refer to": Por lo que hace al dinero, tú no te preocupes (Concerning money, you don't worry). The list of its possible uses goes on and on! Let's see one last use of hacer, which was sent to us by one of our subscribers:
The expression hacer caso means "to pay attention," "to obey," or "to believe":
Nada, hay que hacerle caso al médico.
No way, you have to pay attention to the doctor.
Caption 63, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
Play Caption
Hazme caso que tú eres perfecta.
Believe me that you are perfect.
Caption 58, Biografía - Enrique Iglesias
Play Caption
Pero yo siempre, siempre, siempre le hago caso a Sor Cachete.
But I always, always, always, do as Sister Cachete says.
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro - Part 2
Play Caption
Thank you for reading and sending your suggestions.
Our previous lesson explored the use of the verbs haber and deber to express obligation, requirement, or necessity. Let's now see how we can used them to express possibility or supposition instead.
We learned that the construction haber + de + infinitive is used to express obligation or necessity. The following example, however, shows that it's also possible to use it to express possibility:
Si mi vida ha de continuar... será por ti
If my life should continue... it will be for you
Captions 7-10, Belanova - Por ti
Play Caption
Of course, as you may have noticed, the use of the conditional si (if) plays an important role here. By using it, a sentence that would otherwise express a certain necessity, like mi vida ha de continuar (my life should continue), is transformed into one that expresses possibility. We can also use other words or phrases besides the conditional, for example, words typically used to express possibility, supposition, conjecture, or doubt. Here is an example using tal vez (maybe):
Tal vez ha de haber sido... un intento de mi parte.
Maybe it must have been... an attempt on my part.
Captions 24-25, Arturo Vega - Entrevista
Play Caption
However, sometimes we have to figure it out by the context. See for example this fragment of the song Marciano (Martian) by Mexican band Molotov:
No es el cuerpo marrano que solía tener, ni la cara, mi reina, que tú has de querer.
It's not the fat body I used to have, nor the face, my queen, that you probably want.
In fact, English is not unfamiliar with the use of "should" and "must" to express probability in sentences that rely on context for interpretation. Here are two examples:
Ha de tener hambre. | She must be hungry.
Has de querer que te de dinero. | You must want me to give you money.
You must also know that the expression ha de ser by itself means "perhaps" or "maybe":
Creo que ella es la ladrona. -Sí. Ha de ser.
I believe she is the thief. -Yes. Perhaps.
More interesting yet is the use of the verb deber (which is also a noun meaning "duty") to express possibility in Spanish. In our previous lesson you learned that deber + infinitive is used to express obligation. You also learned that it's grammatically incorrect, though common, to use deber + de + infinitive for the same purposes: you mustn't say debes de hacer la tarea, you must say debes hacer la tarea (you must do your homework). This is because deber + de + infinitive is reserved in Spanish to express possibility. Here are some examples:
Ah el... Este debe de ser el contrato.
Oh the... This must be the contract.
Caption 15, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
Play Caption
So, in the case of the verb deber, Spanish uses two slightly different constructions: debe + de + infinitive for possibility, and debe + infinitive for obligation. Compare the previous example with the following:
Yo insisto en que éste debe ser el contrato.
I insist that this must be the contract.
Here is another example where debe de is correctly used to express possibility:
Así que creo que le debe de haber sido muy difícil.
So I believe that it must have been very hard for her.
Caption 47, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
Play Caption
But, as we mentioned before, the use of debe + de + infinitive instead of debe + infinitive to express obligation is a very common mistake. We should avoid doing it, especially in written or formal Spanish. Not that it's a big deal, but below is one example (and you can find many more similar cases by searching our catalog):
Y esto lo debe de pagar* el cliente porque es de otro siniestro.
And this must be paid by the customer because it's from another accident.
Captions 17-18, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
*Y esto lo debe pagar el cliente is the correct expression.
The Spanish constructions haber + de, tener + que, hay + que, and deber + infinitive are all used to express that something demands attention or action: an obligation, requirement, or necessity. Let's review some examples to learn the subtle differences between them and how to properly use them.
The construction haber + de + infinitive is used to express a mild sense of obligation or necessity (in some contexts it could be just a possibility). Its use is, therefore, preferred when you want to give an instruction in a very polite way, making it sound more like a suggestion than an order. For example, in one of our new videos Raquel uses haber + de + infinitive repeatedly to share some entrepreneurial tips:
En primer lugar, hemos de definir nuestra estrategia.
In the first place, we have to define our strategy.
Caption 5, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Introducción
Play Caption
Básicamente, en esta parte, hemos de definir
Basically, in this part, we have to define
qué vamos a publicar en cada red social.
what we are going to publish on each social network.
Captions 8-9, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Introducción
Play Caption
Additionally, by using the first person plural, hemos, Raquel gives a subtle aura of consensus to her advice, which stresses the idea that even when she is using an imperative expression, she is not giving an order but rather sharing advice. If she were to use, for example, the second person, the expression would have a bit more pressing or demanding tone:
Lo primero que has de hacer al reservar en un restaurante es...
The first thing that you have to do upon reserving at a restaurant is...
Caption 3, Raquel - Reserva de Restaurante
Play Caption
Here's another example with a twist, using negation:
Y no ha de faltarle nunca
And you should never lack
un sanconcho de ñato pa' rematar.
a snub-nosed fish stew to add the finishing touch.
Caption 14, Mary Grueso Romero - Platonera en la plaza del mercado
Play Caption
You could also add the word uno (one), to talk impersonally. For example:
Uno ha de hacer aquello que desea.
One must do whatever one wants.
Incidentally, there is one Spanish imperative construction that only uses the impersonal form to express needs, obligations, or requirements in a more generalized way: hay + que infinitive.
¡Eres una víbora a la que hay que quitarle la ponzoña!
You're a snake from which it's necessary to remove the venom!
Caption 27, El Ausente - Acto 3
Play Caption
Or for everyday tasks at hand:
Pues hay que diseñar unos 'flyers'.
So, we have to design some flyers.
Caption 58, Arturo Vega - Entrevista
Play Caption
On the other hand, to convey a higher grade or urgency, necessity, or imperativeness, the expressions tener + que + infinitive and deber + infinitive* come in handy. The difference between deber and tener is subtle: the use of deber confers a sense of duty or moral imperativeness to the expression, while tener is better suited to talk about more practical matters.
You can also use these constructions in an impersonal way, adding the word uno (one):
Ya, cuando a uno le toca ser papá, pues,
Then, when it's time for one to be a dad, well,
uno tiene que reflexionar sobre eso.
one has to reflect on that.
Caption 8, La Sub30 - Familias
Play Caption
[If you want to use the verb deber you would say: uno debe reflexionar (one must reflect)]
Or you can use the first person for more particular and pressing needs:
Ahora tenemos que hablar de precio.
Now we have to talk about price.
Caption 74, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
[If you were to use the verb deber: debemos hablar de precio (we must talk about price)]
*By the way, the use of deber + de + infinitive in imperative statements (such as debes de comer, meaning "you must eat") is common but grammatically incorrect. The use of deber + de + infinitive is correct when used to express probability.
One of the most common prefixes used in Spanish is a. This prefix is very interesting because when coming from the Latin prefix ab- or abs-, a- denotes separation or privation, but when coming from the Latin prefix ad-, a- denotes approximation or presence. Another interesting and useful aspect of this prefix is that it can be added to certain nouns and adjectives to form verbs.
Let's compare the different uses of the prefix a-. Take the word ausente (absent). This is a perfect example of the use of the prefix a- to indicate separation. We have a full movie titled El Ausente:
Ya llegó el que andaba ausente
Now he arrived, the one who was absent
y éste no consiente nada...
and this one does not allow anything...
Captions 9-10, El Ausente - Acto 3
Play Caption
Strikingly enough, the prefix a- can also mean approximation or presence. A good example is the verb asistir meaning "to attend":
Siempre hemos de asistir personalmente a la entidad bancaria.
We should always go personally to the banking entity.
Caption 13, Raquel - Abrir una cuenta bancaria
Play Caption
Much more practically useful is to know that we can add the prefix a- to other words, like nouns and adjectives, to form verbs. Below is an example from a video published this week. The verb acostumbrar (to get used to) is formed with the prefix a and the noun costumbre (custom, use):
Vea, Pepino, hay sitios donde les enseñan a los animales
Look, Pepino [Cucumber], there are places where they teach animals
a que se vuelvan a acostumbrar a su hábitat.
to become used to their habitat again.
Captions 10-11, Kikirikí - Animales
Play Caption
Now, using the noun tormento (torment) we get the verb atormentar (to torment):
Eso seguro era algo que podía atormentarlos.
That surely was something that could torment them.
Caption 46, La Sub30 - Familias
Play Caption
There are so many! From susto (fright) you get asustar (to scare):
¡Ay no, Candelario! No me asustes.
Oh no, Candelario! Don't scare me.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario - La Isla de las Serpientes
Play Caption
You can also use adjectives. For example, lejos (far) and cerca (close) give us alejar (to put or to go far away), and acercar (to put or to get close):
Después me alejaré
Then I will go away
Caption 22, Reyli - Qué nos pasó
Play Caption
Ella trataba de acercarse a mí.
She tried to get close to me.
Caption 9, Biografía - Pablo Echarri
Play Caption
Here is a list with more examples. Maybe you can find them in our Spanish catalog.
Tonto (fool) - atontar (to fool or become a fool)
Plano (flat) - aplanar (to flatten)
Grande (big) - agrandar (to make bigger)
Pasión (passion) - apasionar (to become passionate)
Nido (nest) - anidar (to form a nest)
Morado (purple) - amoratar (to get or give bruises)
Francés (French) - afrancesar (to become French-like)
Grieta (crack) - agrietar (to crack)
The Spanish -azo/aza suffix is mostly used as an augmentative, an affix that reinforces the original word. It may also be used to denote a hit or blow given with (or to) the object to which the suffix is attached. Let's find some examples in our Spanish videos.
In an installment of the Argentinian telenovela Yago, we hear the protagonist using the -azo/aza suffix as an augmentative, by far its most common use:
Fue un gustazo, Lucio.
It was a great pleasure, Lucio.
-El gusto fue mío.
-The pleasure was mine.
Captions 74-75, Yago - 8 Descubrimiento
Play Caption
Other common examples of this use are solazo (harsh sun), golpanazo (big hit), and cuerpazo (big body, mostly used figuratively as "great body").
On the other hand, a puñetazo is a hit given with a puño (fist):
Yo digo que es como un puñetazo en el estómago.
I say it's like a punch in the stomach.
Caption 33, Festivaliando - Mono Núñez
Play Caption
In the same fashion, a porrazo is a hit given with a porra (club, baton). Probably due to its unfortunate frequent use, porrazo has come to mean any kind of hit, even a self-inflicted one or one not precisely administered with a club:
Me di un porrazo en la cabeza.
I gave myself a thump on the head.
Some other common examples of this use of the -azo/aza suffix are manazo (a hit given with the hand), cabezazo (a hit given with the head), trancazo (a hit given with a bar, or any hit by extension), cañonazo (a canyon shot), latigazo (a hit given with a whip), and codazo (a hit given with the elbow).
Now, as we previously said, the -azo/aza suffix is also used to express a hit given to the object represented by the word to which the suffix is appended. A good example is espaldarazo (a hit given to the back), which is only used figuratively to mean "support," as in te doy el espaldarazo (I give you my support). In Mexico and El Salvador, you will also hear the expression dar un madrazo (to hit the mother of something or someone, that is to hit really hard). Of course, as with many slang expressions that refer figuratively to motherhood, madrazo is not a polite expression, but extremely common:
A madrazos, en una palabra grosera.
With blows, to use a bad word.
Caption 37, ¡Tierra, Sí! - Atenco
Play Caption
By extension madrazos are also insults, harsh words:
... sino que nos dice un madrazo.
... but rather he says something harsh to us.
Caption 5, Región mundo - Paso a paso
Play Caption
How can we express the idea of "maybe" or "perhaps" in Spanish? Although a lo mejor, quizá(s), and tal vez are often used interchangeably, let's take a look at some of the nuances of each as well as exploring some additional options.
Despite its literal translation ("at the best"), the Spanish expression a lo mejor is used colloquially to express the idea of "perhaps" or "maybe." A lo mejor can fall anywhere in a sentence, and the verb that follows it is always conjugated in the indicative rather than the subjunctive. Let's take a look:
He pensado que como tú tienes más experiencia en estos temas,
I've thought that since you have more experience in these matters,
a lo mejor me puedes ayudar.
maybe you can help me.
Captions 7-8, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Nuestro perfil profesional en la red
Play Caption
Quién sabe,
Who knows?
a lo mejor a partir de ahora confías un poquito más en ella.
Maybe from now on, you'll trust it a little bit more.
Caption 72, Club de las ideas - Intuición
Play Caption
Tal vez is more typically (but not always) placed at the beginning of a sentence and can be used with either the indicative or the subjunctive.
Tal vez cure el tiempo las heridas
Perhaps time will cure the wounds
que dejaste en mi vida y que marcaste en mi alma
that you left in my life and you marked on my soul
Captions 20-21, Reik - No desaparecerá
Play Caption
Y ahora, en tiempos de pandemia,
And now, in this period of pandemic,
tal vez es mejor
perhaps it's better
tenerla tapada para cualquier tipo de contacto con otras personas.
to keep it covered for any type of contact with other people.
Captions 80-82, Ana Carolina - Gérmenes
Play Caption
In the first example, the verb curar (to heal) has been conjugated in the subjunctive, while in the second passage, ser (to be) is in the indicative. Although the use of either the subjunctive or the indicative in a sentence may or may not affect its translation into English, the subjunctive gives the idea of additional doubt. For example, the substitution of the indicative form cura in the first example would convey greater hope on the part of the speaker about the prospect of time healing his wounds whereas the use of the subjunctive form, sea, in the second example would convey less certainty on Ana Carolina's part.
Quizá(s) also tends to fall at the beginning of a sentence and can be used in either the indicative or subjunctive, also depending upon the degree of doubt. Let's look a couple of examples, with the first one in indicative and the second one in subjunctive:
Quizás esa persona ya sabe
Perhaps that person already knows
que en San Sebastián hay tres playas,
that there are three beaches in San Sebastian,
Captions 80-81, Clase Aula Azul - Información con subjuntivo e indicativo
Play Caption
Este... y... y quizás me atropelle un carro, ¿verdad?
Um... and... and maybe I could be hit by a car, right?
Caption 13, Seva Vive - 5. La historia se da cuenta
Play Caption
Y tal vez me atropelle un carro, ¿verdad?And maybe I could be hit by a car, right?Y a lo mejor me atropella un carro, ¿verdad?And maybe I could be hit by a car, right?
Note that while the translations for all three sentences are identical, with the substitution of tal vez, the sentence is otherwise unaltered. In order to employ a lo mejor correctly, on the other hand, the sentence's verb must be changed to indicative.
Yet another Spanish expression, puede ser, can also be used in lieu of quizá(s) and tal vez. While this literally means "it can be," alternative translations include "it could be," "it's possible" and even "perhaps" or "maybe."
Probablemente tengas gripe. Puede ser.
You probably have the flu. It's possible.
Captions 21-22, Ariana - Cita médica
Play Caption
Alternatively, the construction puede ser que employs the subjunctive to introduce a possibility in a similar way to the English idea of "might":
Hasta puede ser que entonces podamos entender a Joan.
We might even be able to then understand Joan.
Caption 55, Con ánimo de lucro - Cortometraje
Play Caption
Acaso also means "perhaps" or "maybe" and can be used with either the indicative or the subjunctive. Let's see an example with the verb creer (to think) in the indicative mood:
¿O acaso usted cree que las azafatas somos millonarias?
Or maybe you think that we flight attendants are millionaires?
Caption 43, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 2
Play Caption
Armed with these possibilities for expressing the idea of "maybe" in Spanish, a lo mejor (perhaps) it's time to say goodbye for the time being. Don't hesitate to contact us with your suggestions and comments.
In one of Yabla's videos, Spanish veterinarian, Jesús López, uses two interesting and very similar words:
Cualquiera puede traer cualquier animal.
Anyone can bring any animal.
Caption 8, Centro de Recuperación de la Fauna Salvaje - Veterinario Jesús López
Play Caption
The Spanish words, cualquiera (anyone) and cualquier (any), may look very much alike, but their functions happen to be very different. While cualquiera is an indefinite pronoun, cualquier is an indefinite adjective.
For that reason, whenever the adjective, cualquier, is used, it must be accompanied by a noun, e.g. cualquier animal (any animal). Let's take a look at these examples:
En cualquier caso, los datos de España no son nada alentadores.
In any case, the data from Spain is not encouraging at all.
Captions 27-28, 3R - Campaña de reciclaje
Play Caption
Mira los niños, juegan con globos de cualquier color
Look at the kids, they play with balloons of any color
Caption 9, Café Tacuba - Mediodía
Play Caption
¿Puede venir cualquier persona aquí? -Sí.
Can any person come here? -Yes.
Caption 5, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
Play Caption
On the other hand, the pronoun, cualquiera (anyone), should not be used to accompany a noun, but rather to substitute it, as cualquiera means "anyone." For example, you can use the pronoun, cualquiera, to substitute the phrase, cualquier persona, in the previous example:
¿Puede venir cualquiera aquí? -Sí.
Can anyone come here? -Yes.
Here is another example containing the pronoun, cualquiera:
No cualquiera podía ser caballero. O sea...
Not just anyone could be a knight. I mean...
Caption 17, Antonio Vargas - Artista - ilustración
Play Caption
Now, to further complicate the matter, Spanish has a common plural form for both the adjective, cualquier, and the pronoun, cualquiera, which is cualesquiera. Although the use of this plural form for both the adjective and the pronoun is uncommon in everyday speech, let's go ahead and transform the previous examples into their plural forms as an excercise. You will note that their English translations are identical to their singular equivalents.
For the adjective, cualquier:
¿Pueden venir cualesquiera personas aquí? -Sí.*
Can any person come here? -Yes.
For the pronoun, cualquiera:
No cualesquiera podían ser caballeros.
Not just anyone could be a knight.
* As a side note, a shorter version for the adjective, cualesquier, also exists, but this is even less common and can generally only be found in old literature.
Finally, and very interestingly, there is one instance in which the word, cualquiera (and its plural, cualesquiera), can be used as a qualitative adjective meaning "insignificant" or "irrelevant." When used in this manner, the adjective always comes after the noun rather than before it. This use is equivalent to the English expression "any old" or "just any." Let's see an example.
Sólo espera, que hoy no será un día cualquiera
Just wait, because today won't be any old day
Caption 49, Cuarto poder - Aquí no se está jugando
Play Caption
This adjective is most commonly used in negative phrases:
Este no es un perro cualquiera; es el perro de mi padre.
This is not just any dog. It's my father's dog.
No era un tipo cualquiera; era el jefe de la tribu.
He wasn't just any guy. He was the tribe's chief.
By extension, however unfairly, the expressions, un cualquiera and una cualquiera, can mean "a nobody" and "a prostitute" (or low class or sexually promiscous woman), respectively. You can find an example in our Argentinian telenovela, Muñeca Brava:
Pero a mí no me va a ofender porque yo no soy una cualquiera.
But you're not going to disrespect me because I am not a floozy.
Captions 83-84, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
Play Caption
This is the end of the lesson. Thank you for reading, and don't forget to send us you comments and suggestions.
In one of our videos we hear a chef using the Spanish expression ante todo:
Yo espero que el estudiante que pretenda ser un chef profesional,
I hope that the student who is trying to be a professional chef,
ante todo que sea un buen cocinero.
first and foremost is a good cook.
Captions 55-56, Misión Chef - 2 - Pruebas
Play Caption
A close translation of ante todo is "above all." As you can see in the previous example, this expression is also commonly translated as "first and foremost." Similar expressions in Spanish are: en primer lugar (in the first place), ante todas las cosas (above all things), primero (first), primeramente (primarily), principalmente (mainly), etc. Let's see another example:
Y ante todo sos una chica que tenés derecho a soñar
And above all you're a girl who has the right to dream
con todo lo que quieras.
about everything you want.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro
Play Caption
More interesting than these phrases are other Spanish expressions that are also synonyms of ante todo, and yet make use of the word nada (nothing, anything), which means exactly the opposite of todo (everything). These expressions are primero que nada and antes que nada or antes de nada, and they can be translated as "first and foremost." You can use them to replace ante todo in the previous examples:
Yo espero que el estudiante que pretenda ser un chef profesional,
I hope that the student who is trying to be a professional chef,
primero que nada que sea un buen cocinero.
first and foremost is a good cook.
Y antes que nada sos una chica que tenés derecho a soñar con todo lo que quieras.
And above all you're a girl who has the right to dream about everything you want.
Just be careful, because these expressions containing the word nada (nothing) can also have a different use, which is not really equivalent to ante todo (above all). Depending on the context, both phrases antes de nada (or antes que nada) and primero que nada are adverbs of time that can mean "before anything":
Pero antes, antes de nada,
But before, before anything,
[vamos a] conocer nuestro destino de hoy.
[let's] get to know our destination for today.
Captions 18-19, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
Play Caption
Primero que nada also means "before anything," although a more literal translation is "first of anything else," which is a rather uncommon phrase in English. We used that literal translation in the following example:
Entonces este...
Well then...
primero que nada queremos saber
first of anything else [before we do anything] we want to know
... de dónde eres.
... where you're from.
Captions 6-8, Arturo Vega - Entrevista
Play Caption
Spanish also uses primero que todo (first of all) and antes de todo (before all), as equivalents of primero que nada (first of anything else / before anything else) and antes de nada (before anything else). Of course, in English you can alternate between the use of "before all" and "before anything," as well. The interesting thing here is that Spanish makes use of the antonyms todo (everything) and nada (nothing, anything) for phrases that are equivalent.
And now you know why in Spanish sometimes nada (nothing, anything) is todo (everything). Thank you for reading!
Do you know how to say "cool" in Spanish as in, "That video is so cool!"? What is the best equivalent of this slangy English word that can have such meanings as "good," "nice," "great," "OK," or "in fashion"? Let's find out.
Any translator knows well that translating the word "cool" into Spanish poses a big challenge. In fact, there are many Spanish words for "cool" depending upon the speaker's country or origin. In the following sections, we'll provide you with some of those terms.
In Mexico, many people use padre and chido. While the use of padre is more generalized, chido is typically more popular among younger generations:
Y, y en cuanto la vi... No, ésta tiene que ser mía.
And, and as soon as I saw it... No, this one has to be mine.
-¡Qué padre!
-How cool!
Caption 34, Sergio en Monterrey - El ámbar mexicano
Play Caption
Muy padre, porque la escalera viene así,
Very cool, because the staircase comes down like this,
después tiene un descanso.
afterwards it has a landing.
Caption 50, El teatro. - Conversación con un doble de acción.
Play Caption
...que está chido que estemos en Estados Unidos.
...it's cool that we're in the United States.
Caption 47, Belanova - Entrevista
Play Caption
Of course, since Mexico has such diverse people living across a vast territory, you'll find other, similar expressions as well. Conmadre (literally, "with mother") and suave (smooth) are good examples. You can hear suave in one of our videos from Monterrey, Mexico. However, it is worth noting that this expression is not very common in that particular city, and the student who utilizes it is from another state.
Aunque a veces sí está pesado,
Although sometimes it is hard,
está muy suave porque se te van volando.
it's very cool because they go flying by for you.
Captions 28-29, Yo estudio en el Tec - de Monterrey
Play Caption
Many people in countries like Colombia, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador use the word chévere:
¡Súper chévere que la... el hijo de uno diga
Very cool for one's child to say,
"No, mi mamá es una chef"!
"No, my mom is a chef!"
Caption 13, Misión Chef - 2 - Pruebas
Play Caption
In Colombia, a newer alternative to chévere is bacano (and bacán in Cuba, Peru, and Chile):
Mi papá era un médico muy bacano, muy interesante.
My father was a very cool doctor, very interesting.
Caption 13, La Sub30 - Familias
Play Caption
In Argentina, people tend to use words like copado, masa, and groso:
Podemos sacar algo copado esta noche.
We can get something cool tonight.
Caption 87, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema - Part 3
Play Caption
¡Soy una masa!
I'm so cool!
Caption 69, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema - Part 1
Play Caption
In Spain, you'll often hear guay:
Y realmente la improvisación fue... fue la clave. Era muy guay.
And really the improvisation was... was the key. It was very cool.
Captions 31-32, Blanca y Mariona - Proyectos para el verano
Play Caption
Sam, tengo esta ropa para ti. Vas a estar guay.
Sam, I have these clothes for you. You're going to look cool.
Caption 23, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2 - Sam va de compras
Play Caption
In the following clip, Carlos (from Colombia) and Xavi (from Spain) talk about how they say the word "cool" in their countries. You will see that the word chulo is used in Spain as an alternative term for the more common guay:
¿Qué significa guay?
What does "guay" mean?
Guay es bueno, chulo, divertido.
"Guay" is good, cool, fun.
OK. En Colombia nosotros diríamos chévere o bacano.
OK. In Colombia, we'd say "chévere" or "bacano."
Captions 39-41, Carlos y Xavi - Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
Play Caption
While the multitude of terms we've provided as equivalents for "cool" by no means constitute an exhaustive list, they should definitely get you started on your journey to express or understand this idea in many Spanish-speaking countries.
We want to remind you that, regardless of the culture, country, or language, slang words are inextricably linked to the cultural or individual identity of the people who use them, and one can never be too respectful of this. In that spirit, it's always wise to learn more "neutral" alternatives to slang. Genial, estupendo, and, to a certain extent, bárbaro are a good fit to express the idea of "cool" or its equivalents (and be cool in Spanish as well!).
¿Te parece que tus patrones se enojarán? -¡No, está bárbaro!
Do you think that your bosses would get mad? -No, it's cool!
Caption 16, Muñeca Brava - 30 Revelaciones
Play Caption
¡Este grupo está genial!
This group is great!
Caption 27, Raquel - Expresiones para un festival de música.
Play Caption
¡Muy bien, estupendo!
Very good, great!
Caption 11, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam
Play Caption
The superlative of bueno (good), buenísimo, is also a good alternative:
Bueno, buenísimo, como anillo al dedo.
Well, very good, it fits like a glove [literally: like a ring to a finger].
Caption 69, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
Play Caption
In other contexts, the non-slang expression, está bien, might be used in a case in which an English speaker might say "that's fine" or "that's cool," while está de moda might be used to indicate that a certain trend, for example, is currently "cool" or in fashion.
By the way, unless you're a purist, you could even go with "cool" in English as many Spanish speakers do frequently these days:
El estilo es súper vanguardista. Un estilo muy cool.
The style is super avant-garde. A very cool style.
Captions 12-13, Arume - Barcelona
Play Caption
Las chicas visten cool para impresionar
The girls dress cool to impress
Caption 25, Dhira - La Noche
Play Caption
That's all for for today. We hope you've enjoyed this lesson, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. And of course, stay cool!
English
Français
Deutsch 
Español
Italiano
Português