How do you say "never" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach us a couple of different ways to say "never" in Spanish as well as some simple formulas and rules for using them. Are you ready?
The most common way to say "never" in Spanish is with the word nunca. Let's hear it in action:
¿Pero pantaloncitos calientes? ¡No, nunca!
But hot pants? No, never!
Caption 16, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1
Play Caption
Now that we know that nunca is the most common word for "never" in Spanish, let's learn a couple of formulas for using it.
Let's see some examples of this construction from our Yabla Spanish library:
Nunca he estado en China.
I have never been in China.
Caption 27, Carlos explica - El pretérito Cap 3: Perfecto compuesto II
Play Caption
Juan nunca pone atención en clase.
Juan never pays attention in class.
Caption 20, Carlos explica - Los cinco sentidos
Play Caption
This way of saying "never" in Spanish entails a "double negative," which, in contrast to English, in Spanish is grammatically correct. Taking our previous two examples, we will now convert them to this double negative formula to express exactly the same thing:
Nunca he estado en China.
No he estado en China nunca.
Both mean: "I have never been to China."
Juan nunca pone atención en clase.
Juan no pone atención en clase nunca.
Both mean: "Juan never pays attention in class."
Now, let's look at a couple of additional examples of this double negative formula, noting that within this construction, the word nunca can go pretty much anywhere as long as it comes after the verb.
Creo que este momento no lo voy a olvidar nunca.
I think I'll never forget this moment.
Caption 10, Tu Voz Estéreo - Laura
Play Caption
Él todavía no ha salido nunca afuera.
He has still never gone outside [of it].
Caption 39, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo
Play Caption
Just like nunca, the Spanish word jamás also means "never" in Spanish but is generally considered more emphatic. To remember how to use this word correctly, we can simply substitute the word jamás for nunca in our aforementioned formulas, utilizing the same parameters. Let's see some examples:
Yo jamás te mentiría.
I would never lie to you.
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7
Play Caption
No se me hubiera ocurrido jamás.
It never would have occurred to me.
Caption 21, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 12
Play Caption
If you want to be even more emphatic, you can combine nunca and jamás to get nunca jamás, which means something like "never ever" and is commonly seen in songs, telenovelas (Spanish soap operas), and other dramatic scenarios. Let's take a look:
Nunca jamás sentí tanto dolor. -No, no, no, no
I have never ever felt so much pain. -No, no, no, no
Es un puñal clavado aquí en mi corazón
It's a dagger stabbed here in my heart
Captions 15-16, Victor Manuelle - Nunca Habia Llorado Así
Play Caption
Que quedaste embarazada y nunca jamás lo volviste a ver.
That you ended up pregnant and you never ever saw him again.
Caption 50, Yago - 10 Enfrentamientos
Play Caption
With these melodramatic examples, we hope that this lesson has helped you feel more confident expressing the idea of "never" in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
In order to answer the question asked in the title of this lesson, the first thing we need to know is how to say "sugar" in Spanish. Do you know how to say "sugar" in Spanish? Let's listen to the answer in the following clip:
Con media taza de azúcar
With half a cup of sugar
Caption 25, Ana Carolina - Ponche navideño
Play Caption
Now that we know how to say "sugar" in Spanish, let's go back to our initial question: Is the word for "sugar" masculine or feminine in Spanish? Do you say el azúcar or la azúcar? Let's find out.
When it comes to gender, the word azúcar is an ambiguous Spanish noun, which means that it can be either masculine or feminine. Both are valid! Let's look at a couple of examples:
Los ingredientes principales de la torta son la piña y el azúcar moreno de caña.
The main ingredients of the cake are pineapple and brown cane sugar.
Notice how, in the example above, the word azúcar is preceded by the masculine article el and followed by the masculine adjective moreno.
La industria de la azúcar morena juega un papel muy importante en este país.
The brown sugar industry plays a very important role in this country.
In this case, the word azúcar is preceded by the feminine article la and followed by the feminine adjective morena.
Taking this ambiguity into account, it should be mentioned that if there isn't any adjective next to the word azúcar, it is more often employed as a masculine noun. Let's take a look:
Lía, por favor, cuando yo te diga
Lia, please, when I tell you,
me echas el azúcar poco a poco. -Sí.
add the sugar for me little by little. -OK.
Captions 22-23, Cleer y Lía - El día de la madre
Play Caption
However, if there is an adjective next to the word, the feminine form tends to prevail, as we can see in the following clip from our friend María Fernanda:
Una vez mezclado, colocamos dos cucharadas de azúcar,
Once mixed, we add two tablespoons of sugar,
blanca o morena; en este caso yo conseguí azúcar morena.
white or brown; in this case I got brown sugar.
Captions 30-32, María Fernanda - Mascarilla de aguacate
Play Caption
Azúcar isn't the only word in Spanish that is ambiguous in terms of gender. In fact, there are several additional ambiguous Spanish nouns, such as the following:
el armazón / la armazón (the frame)
el cochambre / la cochambre (the grime)
el enzima / la enzima (the enzyme)
el mar / la mar (the sea)
el vodka / la vodka (the vodka)
Unlike nouns that change meaning with gender, the unusual thing about ambiguous nouns is that they maintain the same meaning in both their masculine and feminine forms. In other words, both el azúcar and la azúcar mean "sugar."
With this final explanation, we've reached the end of this lesson. We hope that you've learned something new today, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
Do you know how to give advice in Spanish? Today's lesson will give you some advice... on ways to give advice in Spanish!
While the noun for "advice" in Spanish is consejo, in contrast to the English equivalent (an uncountable noun that does not change forms in the plural), the concept of general "advice" in Spanish can be conveyed with either the singular consejo or the plural form, consejos. Let's look at an example of each:
Entonces como consejo sano, ¿verdad? Tú mismo decir...
So as sound advice, right? You yourself saying...
Caption 54, Cuentas claras - Sobreviviendo enero
Play Caption
¿Qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?
What advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?
Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi - Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
Play Caption
That said, when a definite or indefinite article (el, un, unos or los) or quantifying term like a number appears before this noun to refer to specific advice, the word consejo can sometimes be interpreted as a "piece of advice" or "tip," as in the following captions:
Es como un consejo de sentido común de la vida.
It's like a piece of common sense advice in life.
Caption 49, Verónica - "Reprogramación psicocorporal"
Play Caption
Pues, hoy les traemos cuatro consejos muy sencillos.
Well, today we bring you four very simple tips.
Caption 6, Natalia de Ecuador - Consejos: haciendo amigos como adultos
Play Caption
The verb that means "to give advice" in Spanish is aconsejar, which, when addressed to a specific person or people, can also mean "to advise" or "recommend":
Así que les aconsejo que aprendan los primeros diez ordinales
So, I advise you to learn the first ten ordinals,
ya que son muy útiles.
as they are very useful.
Caption 51, Carlos explica - Los Números: Números Ordinales
Play Caption
les sugiero que visiten el sugestivo Museo del oro.
I suggest that you visit the intriguing Gold Museum.
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos - América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
Play Caption
Yo te recomiendo leer mucho en español para mejorar tu nivel.
I recommend you read a lot in Spanish to improve your level.
Captions 64-65, El Aula Azul - Mis libros preferidos
Play Caption
os propongo que vengáis a visitar Genalguacil.
I suggest you come to visit Genalguacil.
Caption 67, Viajando con Fermín - Genalguacil
Play Caption
Now that you are familiar with these terms, here are a few rules of thumb for "advice verbs" like the ones we have just seen:
Since giving advice in Spanish is all about telling someone your opinion about what they "should" (or shouldn't) or "must" (or mustn't) do, let's now examine a few additional "advice verbs" in Spanish that express just that! Keep in mind that while our initial "advice verbs" were conjugated in the first person, the conjugations in this group will correspond to the many Spanish ways to say "you."
The verb deber + the infinitive tells someone what they "must" or "have to" do and is thus useful for giving advice in Spanish.
Ustedes deben permanecer juntos, felices.
You have to stay together, happy.
Caption 44, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 2
Play Caption
Note that when the verb deber is conjugated in the Spanish conditional form, it is the equivalent of the English "should":
Adrián, deberías tomar las pastillas que te di.
Adrian, you should take the pills that I gave you.
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
Play Caption
Since the Spanish verb tener que also means "to have to," it is often used along with the infinitive to give advice in Spanish:
Tienes que saber siempre muy bien cuál es tu límite.
You always have to know very well what your limit is.
Caption 56, Ana Teresa - Yoga y surf
Play Caption
Yet another way to give advice in Spanish is through fixed expressions, whose English translations are the exact equivalents of some English advice-giving phrases with which you are probably familiar. Let's take a look!
"Por qué no aprendes a tocar guitarra?"
"Why don't you learn to play the guitar?"
Caption 67, Alberto Jiménez - Causalidad
Play Caption
Bueno, si yo fuera tú, hablaría con él.
Well, if I were you, I would speak with him.
Caption 24, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
Play Caption
By the way, this utterance falls into the category of the second conditional in Spanish that employs the imperfect subjunctive and conditional tenses to describe what "would" happen if some condition "were" in place.
¡Hay que probarla! No, yo creo que sí.
You have to try it! No, I think so.
Caption 22, Cleer y Lida - El regreso de Lida
Play Caption
Por ahora lo mejor es que descanse.
For now, the best thing is for you to rest.
Caption 18, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1
Play Caption
Por eso es mejor evitar que la ira tome el control.
That's why it's better to avoid [letting] anger take control.
Caption 42, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
As with our first set of "advice verbs," the verb that follows these impersonal expressions in the last two examples will be either in the infinitive or subjunctive, depending upon whether or not it follows the conjunction que.
And finally, another method for giving advice in Spanish is simply telling someone what to do! For this purpose, we recommend that you learn or review the Spanish imperative mood, which includes both informal commands and formal commands. For now, let's take a look at a pair of examples of familiar commands in Spanish, one negative and one positive, that are used to give advice in Spanish in the following captions:
No tengas miedo de tomar la iniciativa.
Don't be afraid to take the initiative.
Caption 20, Natalia de Ecuador - Consejos: haciendo amigos como adultos
Play Caption
Evita beber desde media tarde bebidas estimulantes
Avoid drinking, starting from mid-afternoon, stimulant drinks
como el café, el té o bebidas con cola. Mm-hm.
like coffee, tea, or cola drinks. Mm-hmm.
Captions 24-25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Consejos para dormir mejor
Play Caption
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has given you a lot of ideas about how to give advice in Spanish. Can you think of any more? Don't forget to write us with your suggestions, comments... or advice!
Although there aren't many words that start with the letter Y in Spanish, this letter is quite important, particularly if we think in terms of the conjunction and pronoun that are formed with it. Let's hear some clips from our popular beginner series Conversaciones en el parque:
Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.
Yes, I like the plants and the flowers and the trees.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
Play Caption
Yo tengo dos naranjas.
I have two oranges.
Caption 29, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
Play Caption
Aside from these two important uses, there are a few additional words in Spanish that start with Y, and we will mention some of the most common. First, however, let's learn a couple of things about the letter Y in Spanish.
The letter Y is the 26th letter of the Spanish alphabet and has two names: "i griega," which literally means "Greek i," and "ye."
In terms of pronunciation, the letter "Y" in Spanish has the same sound as the vowel "I" when it stands alone, as in the conjunction y, or at the end of a word, following another vowel. Let's hear this in a few clips:
Como veis, estoy rodeada de paja, ¿vale?
As you can see, I'm surrounded by straw, right?
Caption 5, Amaya - Donkey Dreamland
Play Caption
se siente muy enfadada, muy enojada,
they feel very angry, very mad,
Caption 25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas
Play Caption
o a la palabra "Uruguay".
or in the word "Uruguay."
En ese caso, la "i griega" del final hace las veces de una vocal "i".
In that case, the letter "y" at the end acts as an "i" vowel.
Captions 27-28, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato
Play Caption
For all other instances, the letter Y adopts the consonant sound you can hear in the following words:
cuando el ciclista cayó al asfalto.
when the cyclist fell on the asphalt.
Caption 72, Carlos explica - Vocabulario de las matemáticas
Play Caption
la papaya,
papaya,
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de colores
Play Caption
¿Estás de acuerdo con Susana
Do you agree with Susana
en que el video apoya las conversaciones de paz?
that the video supports the peace talks?
Caption 27, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 9
Play Caption
Now that we know its names and pronunciation, let's dive into our list of words in Spanish that start with the letter Y.
Right behind the conjunction y and the pronoun yo, this adverb is probably one of the most frequently used words that start with Y in Spanish.
ya es un gran logro personal.
it's already a great personal achievement.
Caption 52, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
empezaron a excavar y encontraron este gran yacimiento.
they began to excavate and found this great site.
Caption 59, Amaya - Teatro romano
Play Caption
contra siglos de explotación por el imperialismo yanqui.
against centuries of exploitation by Yankee imperialism.
Caption 2, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 1
Play Caption
Me he comprado un yate.
I've bought myself a yacht.
Caption 23, Clase Aula Azul - La segunda condicional
Play Caption
también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
Play Caption
Así separamos la clara de la yema.
This is how we separate the white from the yolk.
Caption 52, El Aula Azul - Receta de natillas
Play Caption
Keep in mind that this word can also be written with "h" (hierba).
Y me pidió mate de bombilla
And he asked me for mate with a bombilla
y no tengo yerba.
and I don't have the [mate] herb.
Caption 50, Yago - 5 La ciudad
Play Caption
Es el yerno de mi abuelo Juan.
He's my Grandpa Juan's son-in-law.
Caption 15, Curso de español - ¿Qué relación hay entre ellos?
Play Caption
sin tener que poner un yeso
without having to put on a cast
o algo que le limite mucho más.
or something that would limit him much more.
Caption 46, Los médicos explican - El tratamiento de las fracturas
Play Caption
cuatro ladrillos de esos estuvieran pegados con yeso.
four of those bricks were glued with plaster.
Caption 55, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 2
Play Caption
Me creen. Me creen. Me creen un yoyó.
They believe me. They believe me. They believe I am a yo-yo.
Me tienen pa'rriba y pa'bajo.
They've got me [going] up and down.
Captions 68-69, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
Play Caption
Cuando trabajamos en yoga las posturas,
When we work in yoga, on the postures,
Caption 5, Ana Teresa - El yoga y la columna vertebral
Play Caption
Me encanta comer cereal con yogur de cerezas. -OK.
I love to eat cereal with cherry yogurt. -OK.
Caption 15, Carlos y Xavi - Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia
Play Caption
La yuca es una raíz... que crece en la selva,
Yucca is a root... that grows in the jungle,
Caption 66, Otavalo - Julia nos muestra las verduras
Play Caption
In addition to these words, there are other Spanish words of foreign origin that start with the letter Y, such as yen (yen), yudo (judo), and yihad (jihad), just to name a few. And let's not forget one word that is hopefully helping you a lot with your Spanish: Yabla!
With this last familiar word, we have come to the end of this lesson. Did we leave out any important Spanish words that start with the letter Y? If so, please let us know so we can add them to this list... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Do you know the names of articles of clothing in Spanish? Knowing what clothing items in Spanish are called might help you on your next Spanish quiz or, better yet, on that shopping spree on your next vacation to a Spanish-speaking country! Let's explore some clothing vocabulary in Spanish with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
First, let's note that the most common way to talk about clothing in English is with the less formal noun "clothes," which is always plural. That said, the Spanish equivalent for "clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish is the noun la ropa, which is almost always used in the singular! Let's take a look:
Bueno, si tienes mucha ropa.
Well, if you have a lot of clothes.
Me encanta la ropa y soy adicta a los zapatos.
I love clothes and, I'm a shoe addict.
Captions 19-20, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
Play Caption
However, on some, less formal occasions, primarily in Latin America, you may come across the plural form las ropas:
vestidos básicamente con ropas de seda,
dressed basically in silk clothing,
Caption 33, Días festivos - La diablada pillareña
Play Caption
Additional nouns for saying "the clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish in a general fashion include both la vestimenta and la indumentaria, whereas the noun la prenda (de vestir) describes an individual clothing "item" or "garment":
a esta prenda la llamamos "chompa",
we call this garment a "chompa" [jacket],
Caption 18, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
Play Caption
Now, let's learn the names of some of the most common articles of clothing in Spanish, hearing most of them pronounced via clips from our Yabla Spanish library. For some items, we will provide several Spanish names since there is a lot of variation in how these items are said from country to country.
A mí, el vestido de baño porque ya saben, me gusta la playa.
For me, my bathing suit because, you already know, I like the beach.
Caption 41, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
Play Caption
Note that the term la malla refers to a women's swimsuit and is most commonly heard in Argentina:
Ay, Mili, pará, no tengo malla.
Oh Mili stop, I don't have a swimsuit.
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
Play Caption
Of course, the word "bikini" remains the same in Spanish:
Si hace calor... el bikini.
If it's warm... the bikini.
Caption 14, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
Play Caption
Esta es una blusa que tiene estampado.
This is a blouse that has a print.
Captions 36-37, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
Play Caption
Both the masculine form el gorro and the feminine form la gorra can be used to describe a "cap" such as a baseball cap or snow hat/cap.
Esta parte de la gorra es azul.
This part of the cap is blue.
Caption 16, Luana explica - Los colores
Play Caption
Un gorro de lana de color blanco.
A white wool hat.
Caption 16, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
Play Caption
Este vestido puede salir sobre unos cincuenta, sesenta euros.
This dress could go for about fifty, sixty euros.
Caption 84, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 15
Play Caption
Los guantes, unos guantes rosaditos... -Sí.
The gloves, some pink gloves... -Yes.
Caption 52, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
Play Caption
El sombrero is a more general term for all types of hats.
¡Mira qué bonito este sombrero!
Look how pretty this hat is!
Caption 46, Ariana - Mi Semana
Play Caption
y unos vaqueros grises.
and some grey jeans.
Caption 41, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
Play Caption
que cuando te mides un jean en un almacén dicen,
that when you try on some jeans at a store they say,
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 8
Play Caption
Notice the alternative spellings for the nouns for "pajamas" in Spanish (one with a y and one with a j), and while both versions are used with the masculine article in Spain and South America, the feminine article is employed in the rest of Latin America. Furthermore, although it is prevalent to see them in singular, you may also run into their plural forms (pijamas/piyamas).
A la ropa de dormir en Latinoamérica la llamamos con el anglicismo piyama,
In Latin America, we call sleepwear the anglicism "piyama" [pajamas],
Caption 11, Ana Carolina - Arreglando el dormitorio
Play Caption
Interestingly, either the singular plural form of this noun can be used to refer to a pair of pants or simply "pants," as in the following two examples:
Necesito un pantalón negro. -OK.
I need some black pants. -OK.
Caption 8, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
Play Caption
"Se me han roto los pantalones", por ejemplo.
"Se me han roto los pantalones" [My pants have ripped], for example.
Caption 69, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario
Play Caption
While la bufanda usually describes the type of scarf one might wear to keep warm in the snow, el pañuelo refers to more of a bandana-type scarf:
Menos mal que llevaba una bufanda.
Thank God I was wearing a scarf.
Caption 21, Aprendiendo con Zulbany - Piensa rápido
Play Caption
¡Oh! ¿Y este pañuelo tan bonito?
Oh! And this really beautiful scarf?
Caption 66, Clase Aula Azul - La posesión
Play Caption
Me gusta la camisa.
I like the shirt.
Caption 4, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
Play Caption
Algunos clubs permiten el uso de pantalones cortos o bermudas.
Some clubs allow the use of shorts or bermudas.
Caption 64, Montserrat - El golf
Play Caption
Esta falda está muy larga.
This skirt is too long.
Caption 46, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 3
Play Caption
As you may have guessed, the Spanish word for "miniskirt" is la minifalda:
Ya admití suficiente con que se pusiera la corrompisiña esa de la minifalda.
I permitted enough with you putting on that corrupt miniskirt.
Caption 15, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
Play Caption
Let's hear the terms for "socks" in Colombia and other parts of Latin America vs. Spain:
Lo que acabamos de ver, en Colombia
What we just saw, in Colombia,
lo llamamos "medias", las "medias".
we call "medias" [socks], "medias."
¿En España? Son los "calcetines". -Los "calcetines".
In Spain? They're "calcetines" [socks]. -"Calcetines."
Captions 39-41, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
Play Caption
If you are interested in more such differences, check out this series on pronunciation and vocabulary differences between Spain and Colombia.
Entonces no podemos olvidar el chándal tampoco.
Then we can't forget a tracksuit either.
Caption 62, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
Play Caption
Andrea lleva una camiseta de manga corta de color blanco
Andrea is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
Play Caption
se vistió con su mejor traje,
put on his best suit,
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
Play Caption
Te creo. -Bueno, me dio la musculosa para salir.
I believe you. -Well, he gave me the tank top to go out.
Caption 51, Yago - 1 La llegada - Part 5
Play Caption
Qué linda corbata.
What a nice tie.
Caption 2, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 5 - Part 5
Play Caption
Although the term la corbata typically refers to a necktie, there are many words to describe a bow tie in Spanish, including el moño, el corbatín, la pajarita, la lacita, la corbata de moño, and la corbata de lazo.
tenemos que llevar siempre un chaleco reflectante
we must always wear a reflective vest
Caption 56, Raquel y Marisa - Aprender a conducir
Play Caption
There are so many different Spanish words for "sweaters," "sweatshirts," "jackets," "coats," and other outerwear, and every country has their own way to talk about these articles of clothing in Spanish. In fact, some of the same Spanish terms are used to describe different items in different countries. Let's take a look.
Even within the English language, it is sometimes a fine line between what constitutes a "jacket" vs. a "coat," which some people view as synonymous. That said, the above-referenced Spanish terms generally refer to something more sporty, casual, and/or lighter weight.
¡Una chaqueta de cuero!
A leather jacket!
Caption 48, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 2
Play Caption
The Spanish terms for "coat" might generally be thought of as describing a heavier/warmer garment:
Después me voy a poner el abrigo porque va a hacer frío.
Later, I'm going to put on my coat because it's going to be cold.
Captions 22-23, Cristina - Naturaleza
Play Caption
y así con, con saco y con corbata, ¿te imaginás el calor?
and like that with, with a blazer and tie, can you imagine the heat?
Caption 37, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 2 - Part 2
Play Caption
Los días de lluvia llevábamos un chubasquero y botas de agua.
On rainy days, we wore a raincoat and rain boots.
Captions 54-55, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Recuerdos de infancia
Play Caption
Let's hear how to say "sweater" in both Spain and Colombia:
Eh... Se llama "jersey". -"Jersey".
Um... It's called a "jersey" [sweater]. -"Jersey."
Nosotros le decimos "suéter".
We call it "suéter" [sweater].
Captions 44-45, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
Play Caption
mandé a hacer uniformes, sudadera y todo; ¿qué tal?
I got uniforms made, a sweatshirt and everything; what do you think?
Caption 114, Club 10 - Capítulo 1 - Part 3
Play Caption
Now, let's hear how to say the general term for "underwear" or "undergarments" in Spanish before moving on to the many words for the more specific articles of clothing in Spanish in this category:
No, no es bombachitas. En todo caso es ropa interior.
No, it's not panties. In any case, it's underwear.
Caption 68, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
Play Caption
¿Van a dejar de usar brasier, ah?
Are you going to stop wearing a bra, huh?
Caption 18, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
Play Caption
entonces, ahí estaba yo, de nuevo en la clase de matemáticas,
[and] then, there I was, in math class again,
¡y esta vez en calzoncillos!
and this time, in my underwear!
Captions 48-51, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7
Play Caption
Así que ya te veo desfilando, en cualquier momento, con bombacha y corpiño.
So I see you modeling, any minute now, in panties and bra.
Caption 43, Muñeca Brava - 18 La Apuesta
Play Caption
To conclude this lesson, we'll examine how to say the words for the more general "footwear" and "shoes" in Spanish prior to learning some more specific vocabulary:
Yo me dedicaba a vender calzado; tenía un almacén.
My job was selling footwear; I had a shop.
Captions 55-56, Imbabura - Paramédicos
Play Caption
se convirtieron en un par de zapatos nuevos y relucientes.
changed into a new, shiny pair of shoes.
Caption 29, Cleer - El cuento de los cuatro hermanos
Play Caption
Y unas botas altas. -Sí.
And some tall boots. -Yes.
Caption 23, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
Play Caption
unas chanclas,
some flip flops,
Caption 12, Ariana - Mi Semana
Play Caption
Me encantan los tacones.
I love high heels.
Caption 57, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
Play Caption
Y por aquí, no pueden faltar las pantuflas o babuchas,
And over here, you can't do without slippers or house shoes,
Caption 88, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
Play Caption
Interestingly, the word for "slippers" in many Spanish-speaking countries, las zapatillas, means "the sneakers" in Spain. Now, let's listen to another word for "sneakers" or "athletic shoes" in Spanish:
y los tenis.
and tennis shoes.
Caption 38, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
Play Caption
That's all for today. To review clothing terms in Spanish, we recommend videos like Marta de Madrid - Prendas de ropa, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir, and Ana Carolina's Lavandería and Salir de compras. We hope that this lesson has helped you to learn a lot of articles of clothing in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Are you familiar with the names of animals in Spanish? Do you know the Spanish equivalents of nouns like "dog," "lion," or "chicken"? Do you know the words for farm animals in Spanish? What about the names of wild animals in Spanish? If you need to improve your vocabulary on these topics, please feel free to explore the following list of animals in Spanish!
As you read along, keep in mind that while this list is in alphabetical order, not all of the letters appear since they don't all correspond with the names of the well-known animals in Spanish that we opted to include. We have additionally added some video clips that will help you to hear how to say the names of most of the animals on this list.
Las abejas reinas vuelan,
The queen bees fly around,
Caption 34, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 6
Play Caption
Veamos un ejemplo más
Let's see another example
utilizando otra palabra femenina singular
using another feminine singular word
que inicia con "a" tónica:
that begins with a stressed "a":
"águila".
"águila" [eagle].
Captions 38-41, Carlos explica - Los artículos en español
Play Caption
Una boa, una anaconda, ¡ay no!
A boa, an anaconda, oh, no!
Caption 49, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
Play Caption
Llegó la araña que el idioma daña
It's arrived, the spider that damages the language
Caption 53, Calle 13 - Tango del pecado
Play Caption
Y la pobre ardilla cayó muerta.
And the poor squirrel dropped dead.
Caption 48, Cleer - El cuento de los cuatro hermanos
Play Caption
Although there are many more animals in Spanish that start with the letter a, we would like to stop here with two more animals: armadillo (armadillo) and avestruz (ostrich).
¡La ballena! -¡La ballena!
The whale! -The whale!
Caption 9, Guillermina y Candelario - La competencia de baile
Play Caption
el búfalo,
the buffalo,
Caption 20, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
El Quebrantahuesos
The Bearded Vulture [the name in Spanish means "shatter bones"]
es un buitre excepcionalmente distinto
is an exceptionally distinct vulture
Caption 20, Club de las ideas - Batería de breves
Play Caption
también tienen hiato palabras como "cohete" o "búho".
words like "cohete" [rocket] or "búho" [owl] also have a hiatus.
Caption 42, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato
Play Caption
porque es el burro más simpático
because he's the nicest donkey
que os vais a encontrar en vuestra vida.
that you're going to encounter in your life.
Captions 38-39, Amaya - El burrito Luz
Play Caption
Que el buey solo bien se lava.
That the ox alone washes itself well.
Caption 49, Yago - 12 Fianza
Play Caption
The letter c is quite generous in terms of names of animals in Spanish. Let's look at several of them.
Algunos ejemplos de palabras con dígrafos
Some examples of words with digraphs
incluyen las palabras "caballo".
include the words "caballo" [horse].
Caption 39, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 3: La división en sílabas
Play Caption
Productos típicos de la zona
Typical products of the area
son el queso de cabra y el aceite de oliva.
are goat cheese and olive oil.
Captions 74-76, Rosa - Antequera, Málaga
Play Caption
que ha sido seleccionada desde cachorro
who has been selected since she was a puppy
para ayudar a personas que lo necesitan.
to help people who need it.
Captions 52-53, Isabel Lavesa - Terapia asistida con animales
Play Caption
¿Es un cangrejo?
Is it a crab?
Caption 29, Guillermina y Candelario - Un marciano en la playa
Play Caption
¡Nuestro continente con forma de camello!
Our continent in the shape of a camel!
Caption 25, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 12
Play Caption
Y... Es muy famoso porque tiene canguros
And... It's very famous because it has kangaroos
Caption 27, El Aula Azul - Piensa rápido - Part 2
Play Caption
Es que el caracol se mueve como un gusanito
It's just that the snail moves like a worm
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - La Casa de Muñecas
Play Caption
La cebra.
The zebra.
Caption 17, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 1
Play Caption
el cerdo,
the pig,
Caption 13, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
There are multiple names for some animals in Spanish, which is the case of the pig. Some alternative terms include chancho, puerco and marrano.
pero puede cazar incluso un ciervo.
but it can even hunt a deer.
Caption 68, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 2
Play Caption
Sí! El cocodrilo.
Yes! The crocodile.
Caption 39, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 2
Play Caption
"compás" o "colibrí".
"compás" [compass] or "colibrí" [hummingbird].
Caption 30, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 4: Clasificación de las palabras según el acento
Play Caption
Ustedes saben que el cóndor
You know that the condor
Caption 33, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín - Virginia y el cóndor
Play Caption
tengo a otro perro y un conejo.
I have another dog, and a rabbit.
Caption 8, Amaya - Apertura del refugio
Play Caption
Esa cucaracha, la aplasto yo.
I'll crush that cockroach.
Caption 27, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
Play Caption
Es que el delfín era muy fuerte.
It's just that the dolphin was very strong.
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - El Festival de Verano
Play Caption
un elefante,
an elephant,
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
y dejaría de ser una estrella de mar.
and it wouldn't be a starfish anymore.
Caption 42, Guillermina y Candelario - Un regalo de Estrellas
Play Caption
un flamenco,
a flamingo,
Caption 30, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
siete, la foca,
seven, the seal,
Caption 17, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
Play Caption
la gallina,
the hen,
Caption 11, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
"...el gato,..."
"...el gato" [the cat]...
Caption 8, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario - Part 3
Play Caption
By the way, if you like cats, we would like to invite you to take a look at one of our more popular series: Fermín y los gatos!
uno, el gorila,
one, the gorilla,
Caption 11, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
Play Caption
No matamos a ningún gusano.
We didn't kill any worm.
Caption 48, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas
Play Caption
Por ejemplo, no el hámster,
For example, not "el hámster" [the hamster],
Caption 51, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario - Part 4
Play Caption
la hiena,
the hyena,
Caption 24, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
un hipopótamo,
a hippopotamus,
Caption 27, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
Play Caption
Iguana.
"Iguana" [Iguana].
Caption 17, Español para principiantes - Las vocales
Play Caption
Y un día nos sorprendió un jabalí.
And one day, a wild boar surprised us.
Caption 53, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Recuerdos de infancia
Play Caption
y una jirafa.
and a giraffe.
Caption 31, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
Play Caption
El león.
The lion.
Caption 31, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de animales - Part 1
Play Caption
el cachorrito de leopardo
the leopard cub
Caption 31, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Cachorro de leopardo
Play Caption
Yo quiero un lobo domesticado
I want a domesticated wolf
Caption 8, Shakira - Loba
Play Caption
el loro,
the parrot,
Caption 7, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
Ya a continuación tenemos el mapache sudamericano.
Next, we have the South American raccoon.
Caption 23, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
Play Caption
Mariposa de sueño, te pareces a mi alma,
Dream butterfly, you look like my soul,
Caption 18, Chus recita poemas - Neruda y Pizarnik
Play Caption
La Medusa.
The Jellyfish.
Caption 18, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 2
Play Caption
un mono,
a monkey,
Caption 28, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
Play Caption
podría ser la mosca verde de la carne
could be the green flesh fly
Caption 34, Estepona - Orquidario
Play Caption
La palabra más larga es murciélago.
The longest word is bat.
¿Por qué?
Why?
Pues porque tiene las cinco vocales dentro de la palabra.
Well because it has the five vowels within the word.
Captions 43-45, Karla e Isabel - Palabras
Play Caption
cuatro, el oso gris,
four, the grey bear,
Caption 14, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
Play Caption
¿Qué crees que pasaba antes de que la oveja empezara a tejer?
What do you think was happening before the sheep began to knit?
Caption 42, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
el pájaro,
the bird,
Caption 16, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
el pavo,
the turkey,
Caption 10, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
el pato,
the duck,
Caption 9, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
tres, el perro,
three, the dog,
Caption 13, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
Play Caption
¡Es un pez! -¡Un pez mágico!
It's a fish! -A magic fish!
Caption 37, Guillermina y Candelario - Un pez mágico
Play Caption
¿Un pingüino?
A penguin?
Caption 19, Guillermina y Candelario - Nuestro Amigo Pinguino
Play Caption
el pollo,
the chicken,
Caption 12, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
¡El pulpo!
The Octopus!
Caption 26, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo
Play Caption
Seguro que canta como una rana.
I'm sure she sings like a frog.
Caption 20, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 5
Play Caption
¡Eso es para que aprenda a respetar a mi hermana,
That is for you to learn to respect my sister,
rata de alcantarilla!
sewer rat!
Caption 11, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4
Play Caption
¡Un ratón!
A mouse!
Caption 76, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso
Play Caption
el rinoceronte,
the rhinoceros,
Caption 19, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
¿Por qué el sapo va agarrado a un globo?
Why is the toad holding on to a balloon?
Caption 14, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
Play Caption
y una serpiente alrededor del cuerpo.
and a snake around my body.
Caption 30, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
Play Caption
El tiburón ballena, que es el más grande de todos,
The whale shark, which is the biggest of them all,
sólo come plancton.
only eats plankton.
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario - La Lleva
Play Caption
el tigre,
the tiger,
Caption 23, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
el toro,
the bull,
Caption 8, Graciela - Los animales
Play Caption
Yo estaba cansada y me senté en la tortuga de mar.
I was tired and sat down on the sea turtle.
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario - La Abuela Marina
Play Caption
un tucán,
a toucan,
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 6
Play Caption
y diez, la vaca.
and ten, the cow.
Caption 20, Luis Guitarra - Aprendiendo a contar
Play Caption
también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
Play Caption
Observa detenidamente al zorro
Observe carefully the fox
Caption 37, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones - Part 5
Play Caption
And that's all for our list of animals in Spanish. Do you know more animals in Spanish that you think we should include in this list? If so, don't hesitate to send us your suggestions and comments!
Let's get ready for the end of the year with the following five tips regarding some of this period's most commonly used Spanish words and phrases.
While the most standard way to say "Happy New Year" in Spanish is simply Feliz Año Nuevo, you may also hear the following alternatives:
Feliz Año (short for Happy New Year)
Próspero Año Nuevo (Prosperous New Year)
Feliz 2023 (Happy 2023)
If you're writing to someone, there's a difference between writing Feliz Año Nuevo (with all three words capitalized) and Feliz año nuevo (with the second two words in lowercase). In fact, while the former is a good wish for the New Year's Eve and New Year's Day holidays, the latter is a more general good wish for the new year ahead.
Nochevieja (literally "old night") is the last night of the year, or New Year's Eve. Just keep in mind that it is preferable to write the name of this special day as one single word (Nochevieja), rather than as two words (Noche Vieja).
In some parts of Latin America, people burn human-size dolls called años viejos (literally "old years") stuffed with old clothes, newspaper, and firecrackers as a symbolic act to cast off the old year and welcome the new one, as we can see and hear about in the following clip (check out the full video to learn more)!
Un saludo para todos los fabricantes de años viejos y los compradores
A greeting to all the makers of "años viejos" [dolls] and the buyers
Captions 74-75, Otavalo Artesano de monigotes de Año Viejo
Play Caption
It is difficult to imagine the end of the year in many Spanish-speaking countries without fireworks. But do you know how to say "fireworks" in Spanish? The following are the two acceptable terms:
Fuegos artificiales
Juegos pirotécnicos
Regarding the second term, be careful not to mix it with the first and say "fuegos pirotécnicos" instead of "juegos pirotécnicos." This mistake is quite common, even among native Spanish speakers! Let's hear how to pronounce the first term:
Sí, fuegos artificiales con un fondo de violines, me encanta, ¿eh?
Yes, fireworks with a background of violin [music]; I love it, huh?
Caption 39, Yago 6 Mentiras - Part 2
Play Caption
And that's all for this year! We wish you a stellar 2023, and don't hesitate to write us with your questions and comments. ¡Feliz año!
One of our Yabla Spanish users recently asked us about the difference between the words cualidad and calidad in Spanish. Since both of these words can be translated as "quality," they are, indeed, a bit confusing for English speakers. That said, we would like to share with you the following explanation about how to use cualidad vs. calidad in Spanish. Let's take a look!
Generally, speaking, the word cualidad means "quality" in the sense of an inherent feature of something. You can therefore treat cualidad in Spanish as a synonym of words like "feature," "trait," "characteristic," or "property." Let's look at a few examples:
Hay ocasiones en las que el adjetivo se coloca delante del sustantivo para enfatizar una cualidad
There are times when the adjective is placed before the noun to emphasize a quality
Captions 21-22, Ana Carolina El uso correcto de los adjetivos
Play Caption
Una de las cualidades de nuestro café es que, eh, cada semana estamos tostando; es café fresco cada vez.
One of the qualities of our coffee is that, um, every week we're roasting; it's fresh coffee every time.
Captions 8-10, Baja Beans Café 3- Los granos de café y la máquina tostadora
Play Caption
Tiene grandes cualidades sanadoras.
It has great healing properties.
Caption 18, Melyna El aguacate
Play Caption
Sometimes, the word cualidad can refer more specifically to someone's positive trait(s). In this context, the word cualidad can be used as a synonym of words such as "strength" or "attribute." Let's see that use in action:
Eso es normal, Guillermina. Cada persona tiene una cualidad. Si no corres muy rápido, con seguridad bailas muy bien.
That's normal, Guillermina. Every person has a strength. If you don't run very fast, you surely dance very well.
Captions 36-37, Guillermina y Candelario La Ciudad de los Cangrejos
Play Caption
Casas saca músculos de aquí, y tiene una fila de niñas suspirando por él. ¡Suficiente! ¡A mí, las cualidades de Casas me tienen sin cuidado!
Casas has got muscles here, and he's got girls lined up yearning for him. Enough! I couldn't care less about Casas' attributes!
Captions 7-10, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 11 - Part 3
Play Caption
Even though the word calidad in Spanish can also be translated as "quality," its meaning is a totally different. In fact, calidad can be used to convey the following two things:
This use of the word calidad is a synonym for "standard," as you can see in the following examples:
Al principio, la guitarra la fabricaban con materiales de madera de muy baja calidad
At first, they made the guitar with very low-quality wood materials,
Captions 7-8, Música andina Los orígenes de la guitarra
Play Caption
y así seguramente mejoraremos nuestra calidad de vida
and in that way surely we will improve our quality of life
Caption 59, Los médicos explican Consejos para dormir
Play Caption
Así, nuestro cliente podrá comparar empresas, diferentes servicios, diferentes calidades y diferentes precios.
In that way, our customer will be able to compare businesses, different services, different qualities and different prices.
Captions 54-55, Raquel y Marisa Español Para Negocios - Nuestra tienda online
Play Caption
Whether used with an adjective such as alta (high) or on its own, this meaning of calidad denotes high quality.
Estos productos tienen una calidad y frescura inmejorable.
These products have unbeatable quality and freshness.
Caption 20, Fermín Mercado ecológico
Play Caption
para ofrecer un programa de estudio de alta calidad
to offer a high-quality study program
Caption 20, Europa Abierta Bruselas impulsa estudios en el extranjero
Play Caption
A mí me gusta trabajar con calidad.
I like to work with quality.
Caption 32, Otavalo Dea Flor
Play Caption
Before we go, we would like to share with you a little tip. One of the best manners to choose between either cualidad or calidad in a sentence is by trying both options. For instance, if you tried to exchange these two words in the examples we used throughout this lesson, you will see that replacing one term with the other would be nonsensical.
With this final tip, we have arrived at the end of this lesson. Are you now clear about when to use cualidad vs. calidad? We hope so, but don't hesitate to send us your comments and questions about any remaining doubts!
Are you a football/soccer fan? Are you enjoying the World Cup Qatar 2022? In this lesson, we'll share with you some of the most important Qatar 2022-related Spanish vocabulary!
First things first: Do you know how to say the name of the host country of the 2022 World Cup in Spanish? If you think it's Qatar, think again! As in Spanish, the name of this country is spelled with the letter c, the correct spelling is Catar. Now, let's see how to say it:
estamos en pleno Mundial de Fútbol de Catar,
we're in the middle of the Qatar soccer World Cup,
Caption 3, Víctor en España El Mundial de Catar 2022 - Part 1
Play Caption
However, it's important to mention that when talking about this year's tournament in any language, including Spanish, you will need to spell it with the official name of the tournament, which is Qatar 2022.
Another interesting thing to mention about the name of this country is that it's also a Spanish verb! Do you know what the verb catar means in Spanish? If you don't, let's find out by listening to the following clip:
Lo primero que hacemos cuando catamos un vino es mirar el color.
The first thing we do when we taste a wine is to look at the color.
Captions 37-38, Montserrat Cata de vinos - Part 2
Play Caption
Now that we know that Qatar is Catar in Spanish, can you guess what adjectives you should use when talking about people or things from Catar? The answer is simple: catarí in singular and cataríes in plural (for both masculine and feminine nouns) .
If you're familiar with the World Cup, you know that this tournament is played in different fases (stages). Let's learn how to say their names in Spanish:
la fase de grupos (the Group Stage)
los octavos de final (the Round of 16)
los cuartos de final (the Quarter-finals)
la semifinal (the Semi-finals)
el tercer puesto (the Third Place Playoff)
la final (the Final)
During the group stage, each team plays three games. Afterwards, however, all matches are played in the so-called knockout stage (la fase de eliminación directa), which means that the losing team is immediately out of the competition. Let's learn some additional terms:
el campeón (the winner)
la copa (the cup)
el equipo (the team)
el mejor jugador (the best player)
el Mundial (the World Cup)
el partido (the match/game)
el primer tiempo (the first half)
el segundo tiempo (the second half)
el VAR, videoarbitraje (the VAR, video assistant referee)
If you wish to familiarize yourself with a lot of additional terms from this sport, we'd like to invite you to check out our lesson about football/soccer vocabulary words in Spanish.
That's all for now. Who do you think will be the winner of the World Cup 2022? Don't forget to write us with your predictions and questions!
Unfortunately, this year that is about to end wasn't the brightest. From the Ukraine war and the never-ending COVID-19 pandemic to global economic woes and the ongoing climate change crisis, this year's Word of the Year summarizes, in just six letters, all of these unfortunate events. With that being said, let's reveal Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year 2022.
The word crisis (with the same spelling as in English) is our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. Let's see how to pronounce this word in Spanish with a sentence we could easily apply to the present times:
Vivimos en tiempos de crisis.
We live in times of crisis.
Caption 3, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 2 - Part 1
Play Caption
By the way, the word crisis in Spanish doesn't necessarily mean something negative, but rather a drastic change in a particular situation. However, for the context of this lesson, we are using the following definition from the Diccionario de la lengua española:
Situación mala o difícil (Bad or difficult situation)
Do you know what the plural of the word crisis is in Spanish? Let's find out with the following clip:
por las crisis que genera,
for the crises it generates,
Caption 40, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 6
Play Caption
Yes, the plural of the Spanish word crisis is... crisis! Why? Because words that have the accent on the second-to-last syllable and end in "s" don't change in the plural. In addition to crisis, words like virus and apocalipsis also follow this rule. For more information about this topic, check out our lesson about Rules for Forming the Plural of Nouns in Spanish.
Considering the coverage that the war in Ukraine received this year, we were tempted to choose the word guerra (war) as our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. However, we opted for a word that takes into consideration all of the other problems affecting our world. Let's take a look at some of this year's runner-up terms.
Yo soy "antiguerra", no me gusta la guerra.
I'm "antiguerra" [antiwar], I don't like war.
Captions 52-53, Ana Carolina Prefijos y sufijos - Part 1
Play Caption
creo que debido a la incertidumbre que teníamos todas las personas,
due, I think, to all of our uncertainty
Caption 46, El coronavirus Confinamiento en España - Part 1
Play Caption
La inflación en América Latina será más alta que la media.
Inflation in Latin America will be higher than average
Durante la invasión francesa en mil ochocientos ocho,
During the French invasion in eighteen o-eight,
Caption 60, Marisa en Madrid Parque de El Retiro
Play Caption
Did you notice anything? That was a lot of words that start with the letter i, which even appears twice in the word crisis! That said, i is definitely the Spanish letter of the year!
And that wraps up Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year for 2022. What do you think of our choice? Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us, and here's to hoping that 2023 will be a better year!
Do you know how to read una receta (a recipe) in Spanish and/or talk about the various actions one must perform to prepare una comida (a meal)? In order to help you do so, we've taken fifty of the most popular cooking verbs in English, then given you the equivalent Spanish term(s) for each, along with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library. Let's get started!
When talking about "adding" in an ingredient, there are various choices! While the first two mean "to add," the second two literally mean "to put" or "place" but are frequently seen in recipes to describe the same action:
Una vez sudado los ingredientes, le colocamos: salsa inglesa,
Once the ingredients are stewed, we add in: Worcestershire sauce,
Captions 50-51, Recetas de cocina Pabellón criollo
Play Caption
El siguiente paso es batir ocho o nueve huevos.
The next step is to beat eight or nine eggs.
Captions 37-38, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
Play Caption
And speaking of eggs, you have "to break" or "crack" them, which is described with the Spanish verb romper (to break):
Rompe los huevos contra una superficie plana.
Break the eggs on a flat surface.
Ahora llena una cazuela de agua y luego ponla a hervir.
Now, fill a pot with water, and then, bring it to a boil.
Captions 37-38, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
Play Caption
There are many ways to describe the action of "blending" in Spanish. While the first four options we have listed are more likely to refer to simply "mixing thoroughly," batir and licuar tend to describe more vigorous actions and perhaps even some instrument like a una/a batidor/a (whisk) or licuadora (blender).
Todo esto vamos a llevar a licuar, a dar vueltas
All of this, we're going to blend, to spin around,
Caption 29, Mónica Batido
Play Caption
y se hornea
and you bake it
Caption 78, Viajando con Fermín Restaurante La Viña - Part 2
Play Caption
y vamos a asar dos tiempos la parte de la grasa
and we're going to barbecue the part with the fat two times
Caption 49, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
Play Caption
Vamos a cortar en pedazos pequeños también la lechuga,
Let's also cut the lettuce into small pieces,
Caption 16, Ana Carolina Receta para una picada
Play Caption
The verb cubrir might refer to covering something with una tapa (a cover/lid) or something else, like water:
Vamos a cubrirlo y vamos a subirle el fuego.
We're going to cover it, and we're going to increase the heat.
Caption 37, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
Play Caption
La papa es fácil de cocinar,
Potatoes are easy to cook,
Caption 14, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 3
Play Caption
Luego, pones el papel encerado por encima y dejas que enfríe.
Then, you put the wax paper on top and you let it cool.
Captions 26-27, Manos a la obra Postres de Minecraft
Play Caption
Picamos todo; todo se tiene que picar muy, muy pequeño.
We chop everything; everything has to be chopped very, very small.
Caption 13, Cleer y Lida Ají
Play Caption
The Spanish word dados literally means "dice," as in the dice you play games with. Cortar en dados (literally "to cut in dice") is thus one of the ways to talk about the "dicing" action in Spanish:
Cortarlo en dados y freírlos hasta dorar.
Dice it, and fry them until browned.
Caption 50, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 5
Play Caption
Although the verbs escurrir and colar can both mean "to drain," as in simply getting rid of excess liquid, they can also mean "to strain," as in running something through a colador (colander, sieve, etc.) to separate the solid from the liquid:
Ahora cuela los garbanzos con un colador. Escúrrelos bien.
Now, strain the chickpeas with a strainer. Drain them well.
Captions 40-41, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
Play Caption
En la sartén, un poco de aceite y fríes la mezcla.
In the frying pan, a little bit of oil, and you fry the mixture.
Caption 35, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 1
Play Caption
la volteamos y hacemos lo mismo y podemos ir volteándola hasta que esté totalmente cocinada.
we flip it, and we do the same thing, and we can keep flipping it until it's totally cooked.
Captions 34-35, Dany Arepas - Part 2
Play Caption
Note that these words can also be used as equivalents of the English "to crush."
y después de eso procederemos a molerla.
and after that we will proceed to grind it.
Caption 51, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
Play Caption
¿Qué, sos un queso pa' que te ralle?
What, are you some cheese for me to grate?
Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 39 Verdades - Part 10
Play Caption
You might have noticed that the terms for "to grill" and "to barbecue" in Spanish are similar, and people often confuse these actions ("barbecuing" tends to describe cooking something for longer over a lower heat, and perhaps on an actual "barbecue"). Most of the time, context should let you know which meaning is intended.
Ahora vamos a asar las arepas.
Now we are going to grill the arepas.
Caption 31, Recetas de cocina Arepas colombianas
Play Caption
Lo ponemos en la estufa... y lo vamos a calentar a un fuego medio o bajo.
We put it on the stove... and we're going to heat it over medium or low heat.
Caption 18, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 1
Play Caption
Entonces, tenemos que amasarla bien.
Then, we have to knead it well.
Caption 66, Recetas de cocina Carimañolas
Play Caption
es que, si cada persona en el cuarto enciende un fósforo al mismo tiempo,
is that, if every person in the room lights a match at the same time,
Captions 52-53, Eljuri Hablamos Con La Artista Sobre Su Nuevo Álbum
Play Caption
Similarly, the verb encender can also mean "to turn on."
¿Y medís la grasa que tiene,
And you measure the fat that it has,
Caption 17, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 14
Play Caption
eh, que sea grande y espacioso para poder mezclar.
um, which is large and spacious to be able to mix.
Caption 25, Dany Arepas - Part 1
Play Caption
Ahora voy a cocinar en microondas las palomitas.
Now, I'm going to microwave the popcorn.
"Haz puré con un aplastador de papas" means "Mash with a potato masher." Now, let's look at a clip that describes the result of this action!
Ella va a hacer un puré de papa y yo voy a hacer la pechuga.
She is going to make some mashed potatoes, and I am going to make the chicken breast.
Caption 27, Misión Chef 2 - Pruebas - Part 7
Play Caption
Derrítalo en agua caliente. Eh... derretirlo... eh...
Melt it in hot water. Um... melt it... um...
Captions 29-30, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 7
Play Caption
Lo vamos a picar como en una crema.
We're going to mince it like in a cream.
Caption 77, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 2
Play Caption
Lo dejamos marinar una hora en el refrigerador
We let it marinate for one hour in the refrigerator
Caption 9, Osos en la cocina Pollo asiático
Play Caption
El primer paso es pelar las patatas,
The first step is to peel the potatoes,
Caption 23, Clara cocina Una tortilla española
Play Caption
y vierte un poco de aceite.
and pour in a bit of oil.
Caption 55, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
Play Caption
Take note that in addition to "grill" and "barbecue," the Spanish verb asar can also mean "to roast," or "cook in an oven or open fire." When talking about "roasting" coffee beans, nuts, or seeds, however, the verb tostar (literally "to toast") is commonly employed to describe the "roasting" action:
El café se tuesta entre doscientos y doscientos cincuenta grados centígrados.
Coffee is roasted at between two hundred and two hundred fifty degrees centigrade.
Caption 7, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
Play Caption
Refrigera la torta por dos horas antes de servir.
Refrigerate cake for two hours prior to serving.
The verb estirar, which usually means "to stretch," can also refer to "rolling out" dough, for example, with a rolling pin:
el rulero, empezar a estirar la empanada.
the rolling pin, start to roll out the empanada.
Caption 37, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Lalo y la receta de la empanada
Play Caption
Although enjuagar is the most common verb meaning "to rinse," sometimes the verb desinfectar can be used when referring to "rinsing" food items.
las frutas, lo... las lavamos, las desinfectamos,
the fruit, we... we wash it, we rinse it,
Caption 15, Otavalo Mali Tea
Play Caption
Have you ever heard of "false friends," or false cognates in Spanish? While remover sounds like "to remove" and revolver resembles "to revolve," both of these verbs mean "to stir" in Spanish (the latter making a bit more sense!). Meanwhile, the false friend estirar, which looks and sounds more like "to stir," means "to stretch" (or "roll out," as we learned earlier).
Recordad: remover bien la mezcla.
Remember: Stir the mixture well.
Caption 65, El Aula Azul Receta de natillas
Play Caption
In addition to "to stir," the Spanish verb revolver can also mean "to scramble."
Revuelve los huevos en una sartén de acero inoxidable.
Scramble the eggs in a stainless steel frying pan.
Espolvorea con azúcar y canela.
Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Exprimimos medio limón por cada trozo de carne.
We squeeze half a lemon for each piece of meat.
Caption 36, Osos en la cocina Carne asada
Play Caption
con queso y mantequilla que puedes untar sobre el pan.
with cheese and butter that you can spread on the bread.
Captions 40-41, Natalia de Ecuador Alimentos para el desayuno
Play Caption
Al vapor, el brócoli conserva su textura, su sabor y sus propiedades.
Steamed, broccoli keeps its texture, its flavor, and its properties.
Captions 58-59, Soledad Ensaladilla de brócoli
Play Caption
This Spanish verb literally means "to boil at low heat," which is what "simmering" refers to:
Hierve el guiso a fuego lento por tres a cuatro horas.
Simmer the stew for three to four hours.
Picamos en rebanadas.
We slice [them].
Caption 15, Recetas de cocina Ensalada de pepino
Play Caption
le echo... lo salteo con aceite y le echo una guindilla.
I put it in... I sauté it with oil and I add a chili pepper to it.
Caption 27, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 3
Play Caption
De un litro, hay que cogerle y cernirle
From one liter, you have to take it and sift it,
Caption 102, Comunidad Tsáchila Ayahuasca y plantas curativas
Play Caption
Notice that the Spanish words for "tossing" a salad are not the literal translations for the word "toss" as in "throw," but rather mean "to mix" (mezclar) and "to stir" (revolver, remover).
Verter el aderezo en la ensalada y revolver poco antes de servir.
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss just before serving.
La uso para tostar el pan del desayuno por las mañanas.
I use it to toast the breakfast bread in the morning.
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Piensa rápido
Play Caption
Para cada jarra de café debo pesar siempre la misma cantidad
For each mug of coffee I must always weigh out the same amount,
Captions 53-54, Una Historia de Café La Tostión
Play Caption
The previously discussed Spanish verb batir can also be used for the action of "whisking." To be more specific, you might also mention the name of the "whisk" instrument:
Usando una batidora de varillas, bate la mezcla hasta que esté uniforme.
Using a wire whisk, blend mixture until it is uniform.
A much simpler translation with the same meaning would be simply: "Whisk mixture until uniform."
Mientras lavamos el tomate y vamos preparando la ensalada,
While we wash the tomato and we're making the salad,
Caption 28, Fermín Ensalada de tomate
Play Caption
We hope that this lesson on the top Spanish verbs for cooking has brought to light a lot of new cooking vocabulary as well as making you aware of a multitude of Yabla videos you might not have seen with a ton of scrumptious recipes to try! And if you do, we would love for you to write us with your experiences and comments!
The news has been dominated by the death of Queen Elizabeth II. If you are wondering how to say words like "queen" or "kingdom" in Spanish, this lesson will teach you how to say and spell the most important royal terms.
hasta que por fin la reina Isabel le concedió audiencia
until Queen Isabel finally granted him an audience,
Caption 18, Viajando con Fermín Patios de Córdoba - Part 3
Play Caption
Notice that even when used as part of a proper name like la reina Isabel (Queen Isabel), la reina and its male counterpart el rey (the king) are lowercase in Spanish.
Miren, hablando del rey de Roma.
Look, speak of the devil [literally "the King of Rome"].
Caption 60, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 4
Play Caption
Keep in mind that the masculine plural form of el rey, los reyes, is used to describe "the King and Queen" (although it could also mean "the kings" in different contexts).
Actualmente es la residencia oficial de los reyes de España,
Currently, it's the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain,
Caption 24, Madrid Un recorrido por la capital de España
Play Caption
Corona imperial española.
Imperial Spanish Crown.
Caption 18, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 3
Play Caption
era para el alto clero, la monarquía y la burguesía de Barcelona
was for Barcelona's high clergy, monarchy, and middle class
Caption 58, Víctor en España La Catedral del Mar en Barcelona
Play Caption
a quienes los monarcas otorgaban las patentes de corso,
to whom the monarchs granted letters of marque,
Caption 58, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 3
Play Caption
Remember that the article el is used to describe a male monarch, and la is used for a female, while los monarcas could be a group of males or a mixed group.
Una noche conocí en un casino al príncipe este, Rainiero.
One night I met at a casino this prince, Rainiero.
Caption 9, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 1 - Part 4
Play Caption
The above clip is from our popular Colombian series Confidencial: El rey de la estafa. In the following clip, you can hear how that word is pronounced by a speaker from Spain. Notice the difference in pronunciation, especially when it comes to the letter "c":
come como un príncipe,
eat the main meal of the day like a prince,
Caption 36, Raquel Presentaciones
Play Caption
se casaba con una princesa de España.
he was marrying a princess from Spain.
Caption 26, Leyendas urbanas La Llorona
Play Caption
Su marido es el príncipe Felipe, duque de Edimburgo.
Her husband is Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Captions 25-26, El Aula Azul Adivina personajes famosos - Part 2
Play Caption
Note that the feminine form of el duque, la duquesa, means "duchess."
Por consejo del cuerpo de seguridad de la familia real,
Under the advisement of the security forces of the royal family,
Caption 29, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 5
Play Caption
Érase una vez en un lejano reino,
Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom,
Caption 1, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 1
Play Caption
y la subida al trono del nuevo cacique
and the ascension to the throne of the new cacique
Caption 18, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - El Dorado
Play Caption
A Su Majestad, la reina, le ha interesado mucho,
It has interested Her Majesty, the Queen, a lot,
Caption 23, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 4
Play Caption
Su Alteza Real el príncipe se casará con la mujer cuyo pie encaje en este zapato de cristal.
His Royal Highness the Prince will marry the woman whose foot fits into this glass slipper.
Captions 25-26, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 2
Play Caption
That's all for now. We hope you have learned some "royally" useful words in this lesson, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
How do you say "just" in Spanish? To answer that question, we should first examine some of the many meanings of the word "just" in English. We could, for example, have "just" completed some action or might speak about something being "just" right... all while working for a "just" cause. With this in mind, let's explore many of the most common meanings of the English word "just," then find out how to express them in Spanish.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English adjective "just" can mean "Based or behaving according to what is morally right or fair." One Spanish equivalent of this meaning of the word "just" sounds very much like its English counterpart: justo/a. Let's see an example:
Y una ciudad, un pueblo, una sociedad más sensible es una socied'... una sociedad mucho más justa.
And a city, a town, a more sensitive society is a societ'... a much more just society.
Captions 37-38, Otavalo Claudia y sus pinturas
Play Caption
Other Spanish adjectives that share similar meanings and can sometimes be translated as "just" in different contexts include justificado/a, legítimo/a, razonado/a, lógico/a, exacto/a, and preciso/a.
The English word "just" can also function as an adverb meaning "exactly" or "precisely." To convey this meaning, Spanish adverbs like justo, justamente, and precisamente can be utilized. Let's look at some examples:
Precisamente es lo que iba a mencionar.
That's just what I was going to mention.
Caption 80, Arturo Vega Entrevista - Part 1
Play Caption
Justo lo que yo necesitaba,
Just what I needed,
Caption 27, X6 1 - La banda - Part 11
Play Caption
By extension, like the English word "just," the aforementioned Spanish words can also mean "exactly" or "almost exactly at that moment," as in the following examples:
Precisamente le iba a contar a Amalia que por cierto, vaya novia más guapa tienes,
I was just about to tell Amalia that indeed, what a beautiful girlfriend you have;
Captions 56-57, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 10
Play Caption
"Justo antes de ir a acostarte,
"Just before you go to bed,
Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 2
Play Caption
In English, we often use the word "just" to describe something that happened in the immediate past. One way to convey this meaning of the word "just" in Spanish is with the formula acabar de + infinitive. Let's look at two examples of this construction, one in the present tense and one in the preterite:
Acabo de llegar a Barcelona
I just got to Barcelona
Caption 7, Raquel Oficina de Turismo
Play Caption
La azafata acabó de salir del hotel y Zárate va tras ella.
The flight attendant just left the hotel, and Zarate is behind her.
Caption 21, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 10
Play Caption
An alternative way to get across this meaning of the English word "just" in Spanish is with the word recién:
¿Vos no estuviste en la oficina recién?
Weren't you just at the office?
Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 6
Play Caption
The word "just" can also communicate the idea of "barely" or "by a narrow margin," for which Spanish phrases like por poco or the colloquial por un pelo function similarly:
Perdimos el avión por poco/por un pelo.
We just missed the bus.
In certain cases, the Spanish phrase un poco may also communicate this idea of "just" as in a slim margin, as in the following example:
con un poco más de tres millones de habitantes.
with just over three million inhabitants.
Caption 7, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Visitando Madrid
Play Caption
The English word "just" can also function like "simply" or "only," for which the Spanish words solo and solamente are viable translations:
No solo practico kitesurf, también tengo un hobby de ser DJ;
I don't just do kitesurfing, I also have a hobby of being a DJ;
Caption 56, Adícora, Venezuela La Posada Sea Club - Part 1
Play Caption
Es una oportunidad de entrenar no solamente en nuestro cuerpo, sino también en nuestra mente,
It's an opportunity to train, not just our bodies, but also our minds,
Captions 26-27, Víctor en Caracas La natación
Play Caption
The Spanish word apenas, whose translations include "barely" and "scarcely," can also be used to say "just" in the sense of "only":
No tienes. ¿Y cuánto tiempo tienes con tu esposo o tu pareja? Un año. Un año apenas. -Apenas.
You don't have. And how long have you have been with your husband or your boyfriend? A year. Just a year. -Just.
Captions 88-90, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana
Play Caption
And finally, Spanish adverbs like realmente and simplemente can get across the idea of the English word "just" with the meaning of "positively":
Realmente me encanta ser profesor, me encanta mi...
I just love being a teacher, I love my...
Caption 35, Profesor de matemática Entrevista
Play Caption
No sé, mamá, simplemente me... me mató, me mató...
I don't know, Mom, it just... it killed me, it killed me...
Captions 5-6, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 8
Play Caption
As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all translation for the English word "just" since it can mean so many different things, most of which are said in different ways in Spanish. Can you think of any additional meanings of the word "just" in English and/or ways to express them in Spanish? Let us know with your comments and suggestions!
According to Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: "I'd never yell, 'Good luck!' at anybody. It sounds terrible, when you think about it." Well... whether or not you agree with this somewhat cynical viewpoint, most of us can concur that everyone could use a little extra luck, and every culture employs different expressions to wish others well. In fact, Spanish-speakers are very likely to use many of these daily! So... how do you say "good luck" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a plethora of ways.
The most literal translation for "good luck" in Spanish is buena suerte. Let's hear it in action:
¡Buena suerte!
Good luck!
Caption 91, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
Play Caption
There are many variations of (buena) suerte, including mucha suerte (lots of luck), which are often used with the subjunctive form of the verb tener (to have) in expressions like Que tengas mucha suerte (I hope you have a lot of luck) or the verb desear (to wish) as in Te deseo mucha/buena suerte (I wish you a lot of/good luck).
Another way to say "good luck" in Spanish is to say simply "Suerte," which literally means just "Luck."
Suerte, Fernando.
Good luck, Fernando.
Caption 23, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 8
Play Caption
Another common expression to wish someone "the best of luck" in Spanish is La mejor de las suertes, which could be said alone or with the verb desear :
te deseamos la mejor de las suertes, ¿oís?
we wish you the best of luck, you hear?
Caption 47, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 1 - Part 5
Play Caption
Saying ¡Éxito! (Success!) to someone in the singular or plural is another way of wishing someone "good luck" in Spanish, which could also be used with the verb desear:
Les deseamos muchos éxitos, ehm...
We wish you a lot of success, um...
Caption 68, Doctor Krápula Entrevista
Play Caption
Así que les deseo lo mejor, éxito en todo
So I wish you the best, [I wish you] success with everything
Caption 66, Outward Bound Danny
Play Caption
Note that this second example contains yet another way of wishing someone well in Spanish: desear(le a alguien) lo mejor, or "wishing (someone) the best." Another alternative to this manner of wishing someone good luck and best wishes in Spanish is to say simply Mis mejores deseos (My best wishes).
Que te vaya bien is yet another expression that friends and strangers alike often utter to wish you good luck and best wishes in Spanish. It's literal meaning is "(I hope) everything goes well for you," but it might sometimes be translated with the similarly well-wishing English phrase "Take care":
¡Qué te vaya bien! -¡Qué te vaya bien! ¡Qué tengas suerte! -¡Chao! -¡Chao! ¡Suerte! ¡Chao!
Take care! -Take care! Good luck! -Bye! -Bye! Good luck! Bye!
Captions 67-69, Salvando el planeta Palabra Llegada - Part 5
Play Caption
Just like English-speakers, Spanish speakers sometimes use the phrase cruzar los dedos (to cross one's fingers) to describe a superstitious action thought to promote good luck.
Bueno pues, crucemos los dedos para que todo salga bien
Well then, let's cross our fingers for everything to go well
Caption 17, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 12
Play Caption
Yep, you read that right! Although it literally means "crap" or "shit," telling someone ¡Mierda! or ¡Mucha mierda! (A lot of crap) is one to say "good luck" in Spanish slang and can be thought of as an equivalent expression to the English "Break a leg!" Interestingly, in the theater world, Spanish speakers often use the French version, merde.
Now that you know how to say "Good luck" in Spanish, we'd like to leave you with the following:
OK, buena suerte al aprender español.
Okay, good luck learning Spanish.
Caption 29, Cabarete Escuela de trapecio
Play Caption
And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments!
How do you talk about having fun and enjoying yourself in Spanish? Today's lesson will cover several ways!
There are several Spanish verbs that mean "to have fun," "have a good time," "enjoy oneself," etc. Let's take look.
The Spanish verb pasarlo bien can be translated as "to have fun" or "to have a good time." By extension, pasarlo muy bien is "to have a lot of fun" or "a great" or "really good time." Let's see these in action:
Mucho calor, pero lo pasamos muy bien.
Very hot, but we had a really good time.
Caption 24, Blanca y Mariona Proyectos para el verano
Play Caption
Sometimes we hear the reflexive version:
Nos lo pasamos muy bien. -Ah.
We have a great time. -Oh.
Caption 31, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2
Play Caption
Other times, we might hear the alternative version pasarla bien:
la pasamos bien y pudimos avanzar.
we had a good time and we were able to move forward.
Caption 56, Eduardo y Luciana de Argentina Historia del Rio
Play Caption
While all of our examples thus far have been in the preterite tense, now, let's see how we can use this verb to tell one or more people to "Have fun!" using either the command form or the present subjunctive form with que, as in the following captions:
pásenlo bien, hagan del mundo un mundo más bonito y
have a good time, make the world a nicer world, and
Caption 41, Víctor en Caracas Santa Claus
Play Caption
Por supuesto que no. ¡Qué lo paséis bien!
Of course not. Have fun!
Caption 38, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 6
Play Caption
By the way, there are many, more slangy verbs to say you had a lot of fun in Spanish that involve the verb pasar and might be thought of as similar to the English expression "to have a blast." These include, but probably aren't limited to: pasarlo re bien, pasarlo super (bien), pasarlo bomba, and pasarlo de diez.
The Spanish verb divertirse also means "to have fun" or "have a good time." Let's see a couple of examples, one in the infinitive and another in the preterite:
Recuerda que lo importante es divertirse.
Remember that the important thing is to have fun.
Caption 79, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
Play Caption
¡Nosotros nos divertimos un montón!
We had a ton of fun!
Caption 6, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1
Play Caption
Now, let's see the informal singular command form of this verb:
Eso es: Diviértete.
That is: Have fun.
Caption 39, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 1
Play Caption
The Spanish verb disfrutar means "to enjoy." Let's take a look at it in action in its present indicative and subjunctive forms:
Disfruto tanto dibujando en acuarela o bocetando,
I enjoy watercolor painting or sketching so much
Caption 8, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
Play Caption
Pues, que disfruten su estancia,
Well, [I hope] that you enjoy your stay,
Caption 68, Yabla en Yucatán Vicente
Play Caption
Note that the Spanish verb disfrutar will often be accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed:
nos vamos a disfrutar de la fiesta.
we are going to enjoy the party.
Caption 19, Marta Vocabulario de Cumpleaños
Play Caption
The Spanish verb gozar also means "to enjoy" or "have a good time." Let's take a look at an example in the present indicative:
Lloran, se ríen, gozan;
They cry, they laugh, they enjoy;
Caption 34, Mariachi El amor de la música mexicana
Play Caption
Like disfrutar, the verb gozar in Spanish is often accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed, as in the sentence "Gozamos mucho del tiempo que pasamos en la costa" (We really enjoyed the time we spent on the coast).
Now, let's look at a couple of nouns that mean "fun" in Spanish. Note their similarity to some aforementioned Spanish verbs.
Pero a veces, la diversión no les dura ni diez minutos.
But sometimes, the fun doesn't last even ten minutes for them.
Caption 34, Ana Carolina Bebés y medio ambiente
Play Caption
El placer es una sensación de goce o satisfacción
Pleasure is a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction
Caption 10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Pequeños grandes placeres - Part 1
Play Caption
Let's conclude with some Spanish adjectives that mean "fun" or "entertaining." Remember that adjectives must agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify.
¡Guau! Eso sí que era divertido
Wow! That really was fun,
Caption 36, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 2
Play Caption
pero en los libros vas a encontrar palabras nuevas en historias muy divertidas y entretenidas.
but in books, you're going to find new words in very amusing and entertaining stories.
Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Mis libros preferidos - Part 1
Play Caption
On that note, esperamos que hayan disfrutado de esta lección (we hope you've enjoyed this lesson), and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions.
How do you say "no" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a multitude of ways!
If you are wondering how to say "no" in Spanish, like in English, there are many different ways. For starters, we could just say "no" like we do in English (with a slightly different pronunciation, of course)!
Elena, por favor, ¿te sentís bien? No.
Elena, please, do you feel alright? No.
Captions 1-2, Yago 13 La verdad - Part 5
Play Caption
For a more polite choice, use the Spanish equivalent of "No, thank you":
¿Quieres? No, gracias. Tengo unas galletas aquí.
Do you want [some]? No, thank you. I have some cookies here.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
Play Caption
To answer with a more emphatic "no," try one of the many expressions that mean "No way" in Spanish. The first one can be translated quite literally:
No, de ninguna manera.
No, no way.
Caption 45, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 6
Play Caption
¿No muerde, no, Suso? -No, qué va.
He doesn't bite, right, Suso? -Right, no way.
Caption 22, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
Play Caption
Eh... Entonces de hablar, ni hablar.
Um... Then about talking, no way.
Caption 85, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 10
Play Caption
¿Quieres salir conmigo? -¡Ni de broma!
Do you want to go out with me? -No way!
¡No te escapas ni de broma! -¡El arma secreta del grupo! -¡Hombre!
There's no way you'll get out of this! -The secret weapon of the band! -Man!
Caption 56, Orishas Entrevista Canal Plus
Play Caption
To remember how to say "Of course not" in Spanish, let's first recall two ways to say "Of course," claro and por supuesto, then look at their negative versions:
¡Por supuesto que no! ¡No! ¿Mm?
Of course not! No! Hmm?
Caption 44, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 3
Play Caption
No, no, no, claro que no. Además...
No, no, no, of course not. Besides...
Caption 37, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 11
Play Caption
While the first, most literal way to say "Don't even think about it" in Spanish is Ni lo pienses, there are several others, such as Ni se te ocurra, which literally means "Don't even let it occur to you":
Si yo dejé mi departamento... -Ni se te ocurra.
If I left my apartment... -Don't even think about it.
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 6
Play Caption
Let's see one more:
¡Ni lo sueñes!
Don't even think about it [literally "Don't even dream about it"]!
Caption 19, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 5
Play Caption
An alternative variation would be: ¡Ni en tus sueños! In English, of course, we would merely say "In your dreams" (as opposed to the literal translation "Not in your dreams").
In Spanish, a common way to say you're just not in the mood (to do something) is no tener ganas de + infinitive, as follows
Dale. -Sí. -Sí. -Te toca. Gracias, Merycita, pero no tengo ganas de jugar.
Go ahead. -Yes. -Yes. -It's your turn. Thank you, Merycita, but I don't feel like playing.
Captions 57-58, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 3
Play Caption
To say simply "I don't feel like it," you might choose No tengo ganas or the alternative expression No me da la gana.
Let's look at a few more common Spanish expressions that make abundantly clear that one's answer is negative:
No, no, no, para nada, no, ¿cómo se te ocurre?
No, no, no, not at all, no, how can you think that?
Caption 12, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 8
Play Caption
De eso nada. ¡Es mía, sólo mía!
None of that. It's mine, just mine!
Caption 21, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 1
Play Caption
No, en absoluto.
No, absolutely not.
Caption 76, Muñeca Brava 7 El poema - Part 8
Play Caption
And, let's conclude with the most dramatic option of all:
¡¿Estás loco o qué?!
Are you crazy or what?!
Caption 34, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 1
Play Caption
We hope you've enjoyed this lesson on how to say "no" in Spanish. Can you think of any additional Spanish ways to say "no"? Don't forget to let us know!
There are many words in English that start with the letter W. But, what about Spanish? How many Spanish words that start with W do you know? If you can't think of any, we would like to invite you to read this lesson, where we will unveil some of the most commonly used words that start with W in Spanish.
To begin with, the letter W is one of the letters of the Spanish alphabet. However, since this letter wasn't part of the Latin language, its adoption into the Spanish language came from terms and words that are original to other languages (extranjerismos).
In terms of the name and pronunciation of this consonant, as there are many ways of referring to the letter W in Spanish, you can use any the following four options:
1. uve doble
2. ve doble
3. doble ve
4. doble u
Let's hear the pronunciation of the recommended option uve doble:
te, u, uve, uve doble,
t, u, v, w,
Caption 23, Fundamentos del Español 1 - El Alfabeto
Play Caption
And let's see how to pronounce the alternative option doble ve:
ve, doble ve, equis, ye, zeta.
v, w, x, y, z.
Caption 11, Graciela Alfabeto y formación de sílabas
Play Caption
Now that we know the various names for this letter and the type of words that contain it, let's take a look at some of the most common words that start with the letter W in Spanish.
There are several technology-related words in Spanish that start with W. Please keep in mind that most of them are terms that have been borrowed from the English language with the same spelling. Let's look at a few:
Even though the Spanish term vatio is the recommended one for its English equivalent, the word watt is also accepted.
The word "web" is used in Spanish in the same way as in English. However, this term can also be employed when talking about a single website or web page:
Más información en esta web.
More information on this website.
Caption 9, Tecnópolis Viaje por la red
Play Caption
Keep in mind that you can also use the term seminario web when talking about a webinar in Spanish.
Tenemos también wifi y hay ordenadores disponibles.
We also have Wi-Fi and there are computers available.
Caption 20, El Aula Azul Las actividades de la escuela - Part 1
Play Caption
As we saw in the previous section, there are many Spanish W words that come from the English language. Let's see some more:
You might also see the term waterpolista to describe a water polo player.
English is not the only language that has given Spanish some of its W words. There are numerous words in Spanish that start with W that come from other languages. Let's take a look.
de salsa de soja o wasabi
with soy sauce or wasabi,
Caption 32, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 2
Play Caption
As you can see, there are some easy Spanish words that start with W as well as some more challenging ones. Can you think of any additional words that start with W in Spanish? Be sure to let us know, and don't forget to leave us your questions and comments.
What is el Zodiaco (the zodiac)? In la astronomía (astronomy) and la astrología (astrology), this word (or its alternative spelling, Zodíaco) refers to a band in el cielo (the sky) that los cuerpos celestes (celestial bodies) like el Sol (the Sun), la Luna (the Moon), and los planetas (the planets) appear to move through when viewed from la Tierra (the Earth). This band includes twelve constelaciones (constellations) named for los signos del Zodiaco (the zodiac signs), which said celestial bodies are said to be "in" when moving into the portion of this band that includes them. One's zodiac sign is thus determined by the constellation the sun was in on his or her fecha de nacimiento (birthdate in Spanish).
Armed with this understanding, let's take a look at the Spanish names for the twelve signs of the zodiac, as well as the date ranges for each (you might want to review this lesson on the months in Spanish):
Aries: 21 de marzo al 19 de abril
(Aries: March 21st to April 19th)
Tauro: 20 de abril al 20 de mayo
(Taurus: April 20th to May 20th)
Géminis: 21 de mayo al 20 de junio
(Gemini: May 21st to June 20th)
Cáncer: 21 de junio al 22 de julio
(Cancer: June 21st to July 22nd)
Leo: 23 de julio al 22 de agosto
(Leo: July 23rd to August 22nd)
Virgo: 23 de agosto al 22 de septiembre
(Virgo: August 23rd to September 22nd)
Libra: 23 de septiembre al 22 de octubre
(Libra: September 23rd to October 22nd)
Escorpio/Escorpión: 23 de octubre al 21 de noviembre
(Scorpio: October 23rd to November 21st)
Sagitario: 22 de noviembre al 21 de diciembre
(Sagittarius: November 21st to December 19th)
Capricornio: 22 de diciembre al 19 de enero
(Capricorn: December 22nd to January 19th)
Acuario: 20 de enero al 18 de febrero
(Aquarius: January 20th to February 18th)
Piscis: 19 de febrero al 20 de marzo
(Pisces: February 19th to March 20th)
The twelve zodiac signs are furthermore grouped into four elementos (elements): aire (air), agua (water), fuego (fire), and tierra (earth). Let's take a look at which signs fall into each of these categories:
Los signos de fuego (The Fire Signs): Aries, Leo, Sagitario
Los signos de aire (The Air Signs): Géminis, Libra, Acuario
Los signos de agua (The Water Signs): Cáncer, Escorpio, Piscis
Los signos de tierra (The Earth Signs): Tauro, Virgo, Capricornio
So, how do you ask someone what his or her sign is in Spanish? The most common way is "¿Qué signo eres/es?" or "What sign are you?" with tú (informal "you") or usted (formal "you"). The answer might be Yo soy Tauro (I'm a Taurus), etc. However, you might notice that in some countries like Argentina, they tend to use the preposition de (of/from) to ask and answer this question, as in the following examples:
¿Y de qué signo sos? Yo, de Sagitario.
And what is your sign? Me, Sagittarius.
Captions 82-83, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 8
Play Caption
Sí, la madre superiora es de Aries ¡y la verdad que tiene un humor! Es re agreta.
Yes, the Mother Superior is Aries and the truth is that she has a temper! She is so grumpy.
Captions 80-81, Muñeca Brava 36 La pesquisa - Part 10
Play Caption
As we can see from the second quote above, specific astrological signs and elements tend to be associated with certain rasgos de personalidad (character traits). Of course, as not all members of a particular sign can be exactly alike, a tool for predecir (predicting) a person's personality in a more detailed fashion is una carta astral (astrological chart):
Nos valemos de la carta astral, que es la fotografía que se toma del cielo en el momento en que alguien nace, para ver la ubicación que tenían los planetas en ese momento
We use the astrological chart, which is the photograph that is taken of the sky at the moment in which someone is born, to see the location that the planets had at that moment
Captions 5-7, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
Play Caption
And, in addition to predicting a person's character, one's future is thought, by proponents of astrology, to be predecible (predictable) based on his or her chart. Said predictions are called los horóscopos (horoscopes), and more generalized versions for the twelve signs can often be seen in newspapers and magazines:
Cáncer: Hoy habrá problemas en casa.
Cancer: Today there will be problems at home.
Caption 1, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 5
Play Caption
However, just like you can't generalize about personalities, you certainly can't predict con exactitud (accurately) what's in store for each sign:
Los horóscopos son una aproximación a una predicción signo por signo pero no son tan precisos puesto que no hay una carta específica de una persona, sino es en general para los signos.
Horoscopes are an approximation of a prediction sign-by-sign, but they are not so accurate since there isn't a chart specific to a person, but rather it is in general for the signs.
Captions 30-32, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
Play Caption
All that said, whether you view astrology as a reliable science or a fun hobby, we hope you've learned some useful vocabulary to be able to converse about it in Spanish. And don't forget leave us your suggestions and comments.