Spanish 2 Unidad 3 Etapa 2
Talking About Playing a Sport or Game with jugar
The forms of jugar are unique. In some of them the u changes to ue. When you
use jugar with the name of a sport, use jugar + a + sport: Juego al béisbol.
JUGAR
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Stem-Changing Verbs (E --> IE)
When you learn one of these "stem-changing verbs" the change is indicated in
parentheses after the verb. For example: cerrar (ie) - to close. In stemchanging verbs it is always the next-to-last syllable that changes, but only when
the STRESS falls on that syllable. For example with cerrar, yo cIErro, but nosotros
cerrAmos. These are sometimes called "boot" verbs, because when you look at
the conjugation chart, the forms that have a spelling change would look like a
boot if you drew a line around them:
CERRAR
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Stem-Changing (e-->ie) Verbs in This Lesson:
cerrar
empezar
entender
merendar
perder
preferir
querer
pensar
Saying What You Know with saber You already know how to say "I know (a
person or place):" Conozco a (person). Saber is used when you want to say "I
know (facts, information or how to...)." Like conocer, it has an irregular yo form.
SABER - to know (facts, info, how to)
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Using Two Verbs Together To say that someone knows how to do something,
use saber + infinitive: Yo sé patinar - I know how to skate. Notice that when
two verbs are used together, the first verb is conjugated and the second is in its
infinitive form. Usually this is obvious from the English meaning of "to...." as in the
sentence "I want to eat. = Yo quiero comer."
Phrases for Making Comparisons
MORE THAN
There are several phrases for making comparisons.
LESS THAN
AS...AS (EQUAL)
_______+_________+____ _______+_________+____
_______+_________+_______as tall
___
___
as = tan alto como
more tall than = más alto que
less tall than = menos alto que
_______+_________+____ _______+_________+____
___more than 50 = más de 50
___less than 50 = menos de 50
_______+_________+____ _______+_________+____
___There are more boys than girls = ___There are less boys than girls =
Hay más chicos que chicas
Hay menos chicos que chicas
IRREGULAR
IRREGULAR
older = mayor
younger = menor
better = mejor
worse = peor
_______+_________+_______+___
________
There are as many boys as girls = Hay tantos
chicos como chicas
tanto + como + noun
I like soccer as much as baseball= Me gusta
futbol tanto como beisbol
Spanish 2 Unidad 3 Etapa 3 Describing the
Weather
A. To talk about the weather in Spanish, we often use the verb hacer:
Hace (mucho) calor
Hace (mucho) fresco
Hace (mucho) frío
Hace (mucho) sol
Hace (mucho) viento
Hace (muy) buen tiempo
Hace (muy) mal tiempo
B. When you talk about the sun or the wind, you can also use hay:
Hay sol y hay viento = It's sunny and it's windy
C. To talk about raining and snowing, use the verbs llover (o-->ue) - to rain and
nevar (e --> ie) - to snow: Llueve mucho en el oeste del estado de
Washington. Nieva mucho en la montaña Rainier.
D. To say that it's cloudy, use the expression está nublado. (TRIVIA
QUESTION: Why is it está nublado and not es nublado? See the answer at the
bottom of the page.)
Special Expressions Using tener
You have already learned that someone is hungry or thirsty and to tell a person's
age using the verb tener. It is also used in many other "idiomatic expressions."
I'm hungry =
I'm thirsty =
I'm 16 years old =
I'm hot =
I'm careful =
I'm cold =
I'm afraid =
I'm in a hurry =
I'm right =
I'm sleepy =
I'm lucky =
I feel like dancing =
Direct Object Pronouns
A "direct object" is a word that receives the action of a verb directly. (In the
sentence "Paco buys shoes" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the
shoes.) An "indirect object" is a word that indirectly receives the action of a
verb. (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes for us" the action of buying goes
directly from Paco to the shoes and then indirectly to us, because we end up
wearing them!) Right now we are concerned only with direct objects.
A direct object answers the questions "Whom?" or "What?" as in "Whom do you
see?" or "What did you buy?" Nouns used as direct objects can be replaced by
direct object pronouns:
SINGULAR
PLURAL
me =
us =
you (fam.) =
you (fam. pl.) =
him, it, you (formal)(Masculine)=
them, you (pl) (Masculine) =
her, it, you (formal) Feminine) =
them, you (pl) (Feminine) =
The direct object noun is placed after the conjugated verb, but a direct object
pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb OR after the infinitive if there is
one: Yo compro la blusa. Yo la compro. Yo la voy a comprar/Yo voy a
comprarla.
Saying What is Happening 'Right Now': Present
Progressive
The Present Progressive is the equivalent of using -ing in English when you want
to talk about what is happening "right now." ("We can't play baseball right
now. It's raining!") The Present Progressive is a two-part construction, using the
present indicative tense of estar + the present participle of a verb. To form the
present participle, drop the infinitive ending of the verb and add -ando for -AR
verbs and -iendo for -ER/-IR verbs. When the stem of an -ER/IR verb ends in a
vowel, the spelling of -iendo changes to -yendo. (leer - leyendo, oir - oyendo,
creer - creyendo)
-AR Verbs like MIRAR
I'm watching =
We're watching =
You (fam.) are watching -
You (fam. pl.) are watching =
He, she, it, You (formal) is (are)
watching =
They, you (pl.) are watching =
-ER Verbs like COMER
I'm eating =
We're eating
You (fam.) are eating -
You (fam. pl.) are eating =
He, she, it, You (formal) is (are) eating = They, you (pl.) are eating =
-IR Verbs like ESCRIBIR
I'm writing =
We're writing =
You (fam.) are writing -
You (fam. pl.) are writing
He, she, it, You (formal) is (are) writing = They, you (pl.) are writing =
ANSWER TO THE TRIVIA QUESTION: It's está nublado because estar is used for
temporary conditions. Even in Washington state cloudy skies are only
temporary!
Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 1
The Verb decir - to say, to tell
Decir is an irregular verb, with many spelling changes. Note that decir que (que
has no accent mark) means to say that (Digo que mi novia es más bonita - I say
that my girlfriend is prettier.)
DECIR - to say, to tell
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Using Prepositional Phrases to Express Location
When you talk about where things are located use prepositions. Use de when
the preposition is followed by a specific location.
cerca (de)
delante (de)
a la derecha (de)
detrás (de)
enfrente (de)
entre
a la izquierda (de)
al lado (de)
lejos (de)
Regular Affirmative tú Commands
To tell a person to do something, use an affirmative command. Tú commands
are used with family and friends (anyone you would speak to as "tú"). The
regular affirmative tú command is the same as the él/ella form of the Present
Indicative Tense: ¡Habla! You could also think of it as being the same as the tú
form, but without the "s."
Walk! = ¡Camina!
Eat! = ¡Come!
Open! = ¡Abre!
If you use an affirmative command with a direct object pronoun, attach the
pronoun to the end of the command: ¡Abre la puerta --> ¡Abrela!
If needed, add an accent mark when you attach a pronoun in order retain the
original stress. (Remember that if not marked with an accent, a word that ends
in a vowel or the consonants n or s is stressed on the next-to-last
syllable.) ¡Escribe! ¡Escríbelo!
Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 2
Stem-Changing Verbs (o --> ue)
Remember "boot" verbs like pensar, where the spelling in the stem alternates
between e and ie? There is also a group of verbs in which the spelling alternates
between o and ue.
ALMORZAR (o--> ue) - to eat lunch
I eat lunch =
We eat lunch =
You (fam.) eat lunch =
You (fam.pl.) eat lunch =
He, she, you (formal) eat(s) lunch =
They, you (pl.) eat lunch =
Other (o--> ue) verbs in this unit are: devolver - to return an item, encontrar - to
find, to meet, recordar - to remember, poder - to be able to, can, volver - to
return, to go back
Indirect Object Pronouns
A "direct object" is a word that receives
the action of a verb directly. (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes" the action of
buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes.) An "indirect object" is a word that
indirectly receives the action of a verb. (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes for
us" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes and then indirectly
to us, because we end up wearing them!) You have already learned about
direct object pronouns. In this unit you learn how to use indirect object
pronouns.
An indirect object tells "to whom/what" or "for whom/what" an action is
performed. Notice that indirect object pronouns use the same words as direct
object pronouns, except for le and les. (Trivia question: What are the direct
object pronoun equivalents of le and les? See the answer at the bottom of the
page)
Indirect Object Pronouns
(to/for) me =
(to/for) us =
(to/for) you (fam.) =
(to/for) you (fam.pl.) =
(to/for) him, her, you (formal) =
(to/for) them, you (pl.) =
An indirect object pronoun can replace or accompany an indirect object noun.
Accompanies
Replaces
Rosa le compra una olla a su madre.
Rosa le compra una olla.
Rosa buys her mother a pot.
Rosa buys her a pot.
Since the pronouns le and les can refer to different indirect objects (him, her,
you) they are often accompanied by a + name, noun, or pronoun in order to
clarify the meaning: Yo le compro flores=I buy her flowers. Yo le compro flores
a mi novia= I buy my girlfriend flowers (and not that other girl-big trouble if the
meaning is not clear!)
To add emphasis, you can add the phrase a + pronoun to a sentence that uses
an indirect object pronoun: A mi me compro un carro rojo = I'm buying myself
a red car.
Placement of Indirect Object Pronouns
How do you know where indirect object pronouns go in a sentence? They work
just like direct object pronouns.
The indirect object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb OR after the
infinitive if there is one: Yo me compro la blusa. Yo voy a comprarme la
blusa/Yo me voy a comprar la blusa. If there are both an indirect and a direct
object pronoun, the indirect object pronoun goes first. Yo me la compro. Yo
voy a comprármela/ Yo me la voy a comprar.
TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWER: The direct object equivalents of le are lo or la and
the equivalents of les are los or las.
Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 3
Using gustar to Talk About Things (nouns) You Like
You've already learned how to say you like to do
something:
Indirect Object Pronoun+gustar+infinitive
verb Me gusta patinar
To say someone likes a thing or things (noun), use the same construction, but
remember that the thing one likes is the subject of the sentence ("French fries
please me") and so control the conjugation of the verb gustar: Me gustan las
papas fritas. If the thing you like is singular, use the singular form of the verb Me gusta la salsa. But if the thing you like is plural, use gustan.
Affirmative and Negative Words When you want to talk about an
indefinite or negative situation, you use an affirmative or a negative word:
AFFIRMATIVE WORDS
NEGATIVE WORDS
algo -
nada -
alguien -
nadie -
algún/alguno(a) -
ningún/ninguno(a) -
siempre -
nunca -
también -
tampoco -
Notice that alguno(a) and ninguno(a) must match the gender of the noun they
replace or modify. Alguno and ninguno have different forms when used before
a masculine singular noun. La chica quiere algún postre, (postre is a masculine
singular noun) pero el chico no quiere ningúno. (the word postre is omitted, so
the form remains ninguno).
When a verb is preceded by no, words that follow it must also be negative. A
double negative is required in Spanish when no comes before the
verb:
No quiero nada - I don't want anything (I not want
nothing). However, if a negative word, such as nunca or nadie, comes before
the verb, a second negative is not needed: Nadie quiere postre. Las chicas
nunca comen postre.
Stem-changing Verbs (e-->i) You have already learned about verbs that
have a spelling change in the stem from e to ie, or from o to ue. These (e-->i) verbs change in a
similar pattern:
Verbs like pedir (e-->i)
I order =
We order =
You (fam.) order =
You (fam.pl.) order =
He, she, you(formal) order(s) =
They, you (pl.) order =
Verbs like pedir in this lesson are: servir - to serve, repetir - to repeat, seguir - to follow or to
continue (seguir changes its spelling because of Spanish spelling rules: The yo form drops the "u"
because he sound "go" is spelled sigo. the other forms retain the "u" because the sounds "geh"
and "gui" (as in "guitar) are spelled with a "u": sigues, sigue, seguimos, siguen.
Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 1
Describing Actions That Involve Oneself: Reflexive Verbs
To describe people doing things for or to themselves, use reflexive
verbs. Examples of reflexive verbs are brushing one's teeth or combing one's
hair. Reflexive verbs are used with a reflexive pronoun to indicate that the
subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb. When a reflexive verb is
conjugated, the reflexive pronouns go before the verb. For example, with the
verb lavarse - to wash oneself
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Notice that the people say they wash themselves "the face" and not "my face"
or "your face," etc. This is because reflexive pronouns already include the
concept of possession.
When you use the infinitive form of a reflexive verb after a conjugated verb,
there are two options for where to place the reflexive pronoun. It can go either
before the conjugated verb or after (and attached to) the infinitive:
Before the Conjugated Verb
After the Infinitive
Some verbs have different meanings when used reflexively:
Non-reflexive
dormir - to sleep
ir - to go
poner - to put
Reflexive
Irregular Affirmative Tú Commands
Remember how to form regular affirmative tú commands? You use the present
indicative tense tú form, but drop off the "s": ¡Habla! ¡Come! ¡Abre! Some
verbs have irregular affirmative tú command forms:
Infinitive
Affirmative tú command
decir
hacer
ir
poner
salir
ser
tener
venir
Remember that when you use a pronoun with an affirmative tú command, you
attach the pronoun to the end of the command: ¡Hazlo ahora!
Negative Tú Commands
When you tell someone what not to do, use a negative command. Negative
commands are formed by starting with the yo form of the present tense,
dropping the o and adding the appropriate ending:
Infinitive
Yo form Present Tense
Negative Tú Command
hablar
comer
venir
Notice that the vowel in the ending changes to the "opposite" of that of the
infinitive. An -AR verb's vowel changes from "a" to "e" and -ER/IR verbs change
from "e" or "i" to "a."
There are a few irregular negative tú command verbs:
Infinitive (yo form)
Negative Tú Command
dar (doy)
estar (estoy)
ir (voy)
ser (soy)
With negative tú commands, pronouns are always placed before the verb
Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 2
Using Pronouns with the Present Progressive
Remember how you use the present progressive to describe actions in
progress? When you use pronouns with the present participle, you can put them
in one of two places:
Before the Conjugated estar
After the Present Participle
lo estoy esperando
estoy esperándolo
Remember that when you attach pronouns to the end of a verb form, you may
have to add an accent mark in order to retain the original stress of the verb (as
in the example above).
Some verbs you know have irregular present participle forms:
Verb Infinitive
When the stem of an -er or -ir verb
ends in a vowel, change the iendo to -yendo
e-->i stem-changing verbs have a
vowel change in the stem of the
present participle
Irregular Present
Participle
leer
oir
traer
pedir
servir
decir
Some other verbs also have a
vowel change in the stem
dormir
venir
Using the Verb deber to Say What You Should or Ought to Do:
Use the conjugated form of deber with the infinitive of another verb:
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
Using Adverbs That End in -mente
To describe how something is done, use an adverb. Many adverbs in Spanish
are made by changing an existing adjective and adding the ending -mente,
which is the equivalent of adding -ly in English.
Adjective
When an adjective ends
in e, l, or z, simply add mente to the end
reciente
frecuente
fácil
normal
especial
feliz
For adjectives with -o or a endings, add -mente to
the feminine form
cuidadoso(a)
rápido(a)
lento(a)
tranquilo(a)
When you use two adverbs, drop the -mente from the first one:
Ella entra en la clase lenta y tranquilamente.
Adverb
Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 3
Talking About Extremes: Superlatives
When you want to say that something has the most or least of a certain quality,
use a superlative. The most common way to make an superlative in Spanish is to
add the words más or menos to the word that describes the quality.
The Most...
The Least...
When you refer to an idea or concept,
which has no gender, use the neuter
article lo:
Remember that these irregular froms are used when referring to the best, worst,
oldest and youngest:
el mejor, el peor, el mayor, el menor
Talk About the Past Using Regular -AR Preterite Verbs
The preterite tense tells what happened or what you did. it is used
when the action described has already been completed. Regular
preterite verbs, like present indicative tense verbs, are formed by
adding tense endings to the stem:
-AR Verbs
yo
tú
él, ella, usted
nosotros(as)
vosotros(as)
ellos, ellas, ustedes
Spanish-2 Unidad 6 Etapa 1
Talking About the Past: The Preterite of -er and -ir Verbs
Notice that -er and -ir verb endings are the same in the preterite:
Comer: Yo
Comer: Nosotros
Vivir: Yo
Vivir: Nosotros
Comer: Tú
Comer: Vosotros
Vivir: Tú
Vivir: Vosotros
Comer: Él, ella, Ud.
Comer: Ellos, Uds.
Vivir: Él, ella, Ud.
Vivir: Ellos, Uds.
Preterite Verbs with a Spelling Change and Irregular Verbs in the
Preterite: hacer, ir, ser
hacer
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
ir
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas
ser
yo
nosotros
tú
ustedes
él,ella,ud
Ellos,ellas