You are probably familiar with the Spanish word ahí (not to be confused with hay or ay), which is one of the ways to say "there" in Spanish. However, you may have noticed that it seems to be used frequently by many native speakers with different meanings, which aren't always easy to intuit. Let's explore many of the possible meanings of the common Spanish word ahí.
Like the English word "there," the Spanish word ahí can mean "in that place," "to that place" or merely "that place." When referring to physical location, the word ahí technically describes the closest distance relative to the other Spanish words for "there," allí and allá, but is often used interchangeably with the others. Let's take a look at some examples.
y lo dejaremos ahí hasta que hierva.
and we'll leave it there until it boils.
Caption 19, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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Entonces no sé si vamos ahí.
So I don't know if we [can] go there.
Caption 34, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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In this usage, the word ahí is often preceded by a preposition, as we see here:
Y a veces, por ahí sale el calor del centro de la tierra.
And sometimes, the heat from the center of the earth comes out through there.
Caption 48, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Descubrimiento
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When paired specifically with the Spanish preposition de, de ahí literally means "from that place" and works like the English word "hence" to refer to something that was said previously:
recordando a la cabeza de un ave; de ahí su nombre no científico.
reminding one of a bird's head; hence its non scientific name.
Captions 63-64, Isabel Lavesa Especies vegetales
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In this usage, the Spanish word ahí also references something that was previously mentioned and might be translated with "there" or other phrases like "that's when," "that's where," etc. Let's see two examples in context:
y veía a ese grupo y decía: "Che, ¿y nosotros por qué no?" Y de ahí nace la idea de empezar a juntarse.
and I saw that group and said, "Hey, and why not us?" And, from there, the idea of starting to get together is born.
Captions 41-42, Tu Música El Ensamble Latino - Part 1
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Y ahí me vino la inspiración de hacer un vídeo sobre los medios de transporte.
And that's where the inspiration came to me to make a video about the means of transportation.
Captions 9-10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Medios de transporte - Part 1
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The word ahí in Spanish can also work like the English word "then" to refer to a specific moment in time:
Ahí vamos a agregar nuestra, eh... panela en almíbar, se podría decir, ¿no?, o panela derretida.
Then, we're going to add our, um... panela syrup, you might say, right? Or melted panela.
Captions 49-50, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 5
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Let's look at this usage in the context of common fixed expressions in both Spanish and English:
De ahí en adelante las cosas empezaron a suceder con rapidez.
From then on, things began to happen quickly.
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 4
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The word ahí can also work like the word "maybe" or "perhaps," as we see below:
Y ahí voy a la fiesta mañana; no estoy segura.
And maybe I'll go to the party tomorrow; I'm not sure.
In addition to the many uses we just covered, the word ahí is also part of many fixed expressions in Spanish. Below you will find several with example sentences.
Just this one Spanish construction can have many different meanings in different contexts, aside from the literal one, "through there," which we saw previously. Let's take a look at several of them.
Maybe, Might:
Por ahí se preparan un asadito... no sé.
They might prepare a barbecue... I don't know.
Caption 56, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 8
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"They," "People"
Por ahi can also be used similarly to the impersonal se construction in Spanish to describe what "people" generally do, say, etc. Alternative translations for the caption below thus include "As they say" or "As people say."
Como dicen por ahí, todo tiene su ciencia.
As the saying goes, there's a science to everything.
Caption 20, Guillermina y Candelario El Manglar
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Around (Physically)
O... "Por favor, no lo dejéis todo por ahí tirado.
Or... "Please, don't leave everything scattered around.
Caption 19, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 1
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Around (About/More or Less)
Él se hizo famoso por ahí de los años setentas
He became famous around the seventies
Caption 15, Guillermo el chamán La tecnología maya
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Vamos a cenar por ahí esta noche.
We're going to go out to dinner tonight.
¿Cómo está el proyecto? -Ahí va.
How's the project? It's coming along.
¿Cómo está tu hermano? Me dijeron que estaba enfermo. -Ahí va. Todavía no se encuentra muy bien.
How's your brother? I heard he was sick. -He's hanging in there. He's still not feeling very well.
This might be used when someone is at the door or calling you, for example, from another room.
A partir de ahí, comienza lo que serán veinticuatro horas de fiesta ininterrumpida,
From there, what will be twenty-four hours of uninterrupted partying begins
Captions 56-57, Días festivos La Tamborrada de San Sebastián
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Tenemos la Unidad Operativa de Punta Pirámide, que está ahí nomás de Puerto Pirámide
We have the Operational Unit of Punta Pirámide, which is very close to Puerto Pirámide,
Captions 21-22, Perdidos en la Patagonia Península Valdés
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y ahí mismo vamos a echar nuestra carne salpimentada.
and right there, we're going to put in our seasoned meat.
Caption 38, La cocina de María Estofado de ternera
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Quieta ahí.
Don't move.
Caption 28, Yago 2 El puma - Part 9
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That's all for this lesson on the many meanings of the Spanish word ahí, alone and in fixed expressions. We hope that it will help you to use it and understand it in different contexts, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments!
To start this lesson, let's take a look at a couple of very similar sentences with the Spanish word cuando (when) plus the verb ir (to go) where one is conjugated in the present indicative and the other in the present subjunctive:
Present Indicative:
Cuando voy a Barcelona, voy a la playa mucho.
When I go to Barcelona, I go to the beach a lot.
Present Subjunctive:
Cuando vaya a Barcelona, pienso ir a la playa mucho.
When I go to Barcelona, I plan to go to the beach a lot.
Although the translation is the same for both Cuando voy and Cuando vaya (When I go), in the second Spanish sentence, the verb ir is conjugated in the present subjunctive for a specific reason. Let's find out what it is!
The word cuando is used in Spanish with verbs in the present indicative when speaking about habitual actions or general truths. Let's see a couple of examples:
Cuando están encendidos, dan luz.
When they're on, they give off light.
Caption 37, El Aula Azul Adivina qué es - Part 2
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Cuando lo hacemos con carne, podemos poner carne de cerdo, carne de ternera o pollo.
When we make it with meat, we can put in pork, beef, or chicken.
Captions 9-11, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 1
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The indicative is used in these examples because, in the first caption, it's a general fact that when the streetlights in question are turned on, they give off light. In the second example, the speaker describes the habitual action of preparing paella with different ingredients.
On the other hand, the word cuando is used with verbs in the present subjunctive when speaking about actions that will happen in the future, that may or may not happen, or that some other action depends upon. To illustrate this point, let's take a look at sentences with the same verbs used previously, this time conjugated in the present subjunctive.
Bueno, OK, eso lo hablamos cuando estés acá,
Well, OK, we'll talk about that when you're here,
Caption 3, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 3
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Cuando lo hagas correctamente, será verde.
When you do it correctly, it will be green.
Caption 26, Tutoriales de Yabla Consejos para usar Scribe
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The subjunctive is employed with cuando in these examples because they both describe future events that have not yet taken place and upon which other events depend.
It is worth noting that while the aforementioned examples quite clearly fall into the categories of habitual vs. future actions, there are some cases where either the indicative or the subjunctive could be used in the same sentence, giving it a slightly different nuance. Let's take an example where someone is teaching us to bake:
Present Indicative:
Cuando las galletas están doradas, las saco del horno.
When the cookies are golden brown, I take them out of the oven.
Nuanced Meaning: Habitually, when the cookies are golden brown, I always take them out of the oven.
Present Subjunctive:
Cuando las galletas estén doradas, las saco del horno.
When the cookies are golden brown, I'll take them out of the oven.
Nuanced Meaning: At the moment when the cookies turn golden brown, I'll then take them out of the oven.
Quite interestingly, while the English translations are nearly identical, the choice of the indicative vs. the subjunctive in Spanish gives the two sentences slightly different meanings.
With this food for thought (pun intended!), we hope that you now know the reason for the different conjugations of the verb ir in the two introductory sentences and you understand when to choose the present indicative or subjunctive with the word cuando. Don't forget to write us with your questions or suggestions.
Have you noticed that the Spanish expressions Es bueno and Está bien are often used in very similar contexts in which both are equivalents of "It's good"? The same can be said for Es malo and Está mal, which can both mean "It's bad." As this can be a bit confusing, today's lesson will point out some scenarios in which these phrases can function both similarly and differently.
One of the most challenging aspects of learning or mastering Spanish is understanding the difference between the verbs ser and estar, which both mean "to be." Put in the simplest of terms:
-Ser tends to be used for more permanent qualities and is accompanied by adjectives, which must agree grammatically with the nouns they modify in terms of number and gender.
-Estar describes more variable states like emotions and goes with adverbs, which do not change forms.
With this in mind, let's take a look at examples of es bueno/malo and está bien/mal, noting the difference in meaning.
Ella es muy buena.
She is very good.
Caption 30, Guillermina y Candelario La Señora Pulpo
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Ya, ya, tranquilos, tranquilos, ella está bien.
It's OK, it's OK, don't worry, don't worry, she's fine.
Caption 15, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 3 - Part 12
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While es buena refers to the girl's character being "good" in a more permanent sense, está bien is employed to express that, at that moment, the character is "fine," as in "safe" or "OK." We also commonly see this use of está bien to convey that a person is "doing" or feeling "fine" at a determined moment, or that a situation is "OK" or "alright":
Está bien, Luis.
It's OK, Luis.
Caption 27, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 5
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En español decimos: "Es que es muy malo".
In Spanish, we say: "Es que es muy malo" [It's just that he's very bad].
Caption 86, Amaya El burrito Luz - Part 2
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Y si ahora vuelvo a hablar del tema es porque su señora madre está mal.
And if now I talk about the issue again it's because your mother is ill.
Caption 37, Muñeca Brava 33 El partido - Part 3
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In these examples, we see es malo used, albeit ironically, to talk about the donkey's general "bad" character, while está mal expresses that the mother is currently "ill." Estar mal is also used frequently to say that people, animals, etc., are doing poorly at a specific point.
On the other hand, when es bueno/a and está bien are used to talk about certain things or concepts, they can function in a quite interchangeable manner. Let's explore two common scenarios in which this happens.
When describing quality, es bueno/a and está bien are often virtually synonymous. As an example, in response to the question ¿Qué tal esa película? (How's that movie?), to indicate that it is "very good," one could reply either Esa película es muy buena or Esa película está muy bien since both mean "That movie is very good." Let's look at some more examples where es bueno/a and está bien could potentially substitute one another.
Entonces, este mantra es muy bueno
So, this mantra is very good
Caption 69, Ana Teresa Introducción a los mantras
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In this case, Entonces, este mantra está muy bien could be used to express the same idea with no change in translation.
Pero está muy bien el metro.
But the subway is very good.
Caption 45, Isabel y Paula contigo Transporte público en Madrid - Part 3
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Here, one could also say Pero es muy bueno el metro and mean the same thing.
Note that, although you could use es malo/a to say that something is "bad," when using está, it would be more common to hear no está bien than está mal, for example, Ese libro no está muy bien (That book isn't very good).
Let's now examine examples where es bueno and está bien could substitute one another for the purpose of expressing judgment about what's good.
"Es bueno que vivas sola".
"It's good that you live alone."
Caption 57, Carlos comenta La sucursal del cielo - Part 2
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"Está bien que estudies para el examen de mañana"
"It's good for you to study for tomorrow's exam"
Caption 48, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 4
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Keep in mind that, due to the subjective nature of both sentences, the verbs that follow both es bueno and está bien are conjugated in the subjunctive. Now, let's see similar examples with es malo and está mal that are also quite interchangeable:
"Está mal que Roberto trabaje tanto".
"It's bad that Roberto works so much."
Caption 76, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 4
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Mis padres me dicen que eso es malo
My parents tell me that that is bad
Caption 25, Club de las ideas Seguridad en internet
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Take into account, however, that when what is being described entails a moral judgment about something or a statement about the correctness of information, está bien/mal would be preferable, as we see below, noting the change in translation.
Lo que usted hace está mal.
What you're doing is wrong.
Caption 87, Muñeca Brava 48 - Soluciones - Part 6
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Sin embargo, el artículo "los" es masculino plural, así que no está bien.
However, the article, "los" [the], is masculine plural, so it's incorrect.
Captions 77-78, Carlos explica La concordancia gramatical - Part 1
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While we have talked about ser accompanying bueno/a and estar going with bien/mal, and it would be totally incorrect to say es bien or es mal, there are cases in which está bueno/a or está malo/a are commonly used. Let's take a look at some common ones:
Está bueno.
It's good.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 12 - Part 1
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Está buena la casa, ¿eh?
The house is nice, huh?
Caption 26, Disputas La Extraña Dama - Part 10
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Que cante mi gente -Y está buena, pero qué buena está
Sing along, my people -And she is hot, but how hot she is
Caption 35, Héctor Lavoe Mi gente
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Juan se queda en casa hoy ya que está malo.
Juan is staying home today since he's sick.
You probably recall from earlier in the lesson that estar mal is another option for talking about sickness in Spanish, so keep your ears open for both.
On that note, we will conclude this lesson, which we hope has helped you to understand when the extremely common Spanish expressions es bueno/malo and está bien/mal can be used interchangeably and when one option is preferable... and don't forget to write us with your comments and questions.
You are surely familiar with the Spanish pronoun nada with the meaning of "nothing." But are you aware that it can have several additional meanings and translations? Let's explore many of them!
Before we learn several of the lesser-known meanings of the Spanish word nada, let's look at its most common usage. Like "nothing" in English, the pronoun nada in Spanish can mean an absence or lack of anything, as we see here:
Es una palabra que define todo y nada al mismo tiempo
It's a word that defines everything and nothing at the same time
Caption 55, Carlos comenta Confidencial - Jerga típica colombiana
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Now, let's move on to our 7 additional meanings of the Spanish word nada that may not initially come to mind.
When used with a double negative, the English equivalent of the pronoun nada in Spanish changes to "anything":
No, hoy no tengo nada qué hacer.
No, today I don't have anything to do.
Caption 42, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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For a more in depth explanation of this topic, check out Yabla's lesson entitled Nada: Nothing or Anything?
When the pronoun nada in Spanish is used to mean "none," it is typically accompanied by the preposition de, as we see below:
¿Por qué hace como si nada de esto estuviera pasando?
Why are you acting as if none of this were happening?
Caption 25, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 8
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Similarly to the manner in which nada can mean either "nothing," or "anything," its meaning also changes from "none" to "any" when used with the preposition de in a double negative sentence:
¡No, no... no! -No tiene que hacer nada de esto. -¡No, no, no, no, no!
No, no... no! -You don't have to do any of this. -No, no, no, no, no!
Caption 16, Tu Voz Estéreo Embalsamado - Part 17
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In this usage, nada functions as an adverb that can be translated with the English phrase "at all":
pero como no lo hago nada bien,
but since I don't do it well at all,
Caption 5, Beatriz Expresiones con colores
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Moving on to some uses of the Spanish word nada as a noun, let's see how la nada can mean "nowhere":
"¿La gente cómo puede vivir en medio de la nada, no?",
"How can people live in the middle of nowhere, right?"
Caption 3, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Irwin y la acuarela - Part 3
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Like the pronoun nada, the noun la nada can describe a complete lack of anything:
Era el frío de la nada
It was the cold of nothingness
Caption 41, Acercándonos a la Literatura José Asunción Silva - "Nocturno III"
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The Spanish noun la nada can additionally be translated as "the void" when referring either to empty space in a physical sense or one's feeling of emptiness:
Y mi papá miraba hacia la nada con una rabia feroz de la que no era muy consciente.
And my dad stared into the void with a ferocious rage he wasn't very conscious.
Caption 54, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 2 - Part 1
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Now that you have learned 7 alternative English translations for the Spanish word nada, let's look at some common Spanish fixed expressions that include it, noting their English equivalents:
Antes de nada, vamos a repasar algunos conceptos e información necesaria
Before anything else, we're going to review some concepts and necessary information
Caption 1, Raquel y Marisa Aprender a conducir - Part 1
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Pero antes que nada, lo básico:
But first of all, the basics:
Caption 2, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
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y que anda por ahí como si nada, entonces.
and that he's out there as if it were nothing then.
Caption 20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 4
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De nada. Estoy para servirle. Permiso.
You're welcome. I'm at your service. Excuse me.
Caption 61, Programación de oficina El dictado del jefe
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Bueno, ahora estoy haciendo, más que nada, un trabajo con los niños
Well, now, I'm doing, above all else, a project with children
Caption 28, Cleer Entrevista con Jacky
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no le importa nada más.
nothing else matters to them.
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 1
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pero que no tiene nada que ver con temas religiosos.
but which has nothing to do with religious themes.
Caption 25, Viajando con Fermín La Feria de Santo Tomás
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¿Entonces no importa si la llamo? Para nada. -¡Para nada!
Then it doesn't matter if I call her? Not at all. -Not at all!
Captions 43-44, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 7
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Primero que nada, pedirte perdón por lo de ayer.
First of all, to apologize for yesterday.
Caption 12, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 4
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Pues nada, espero que... hayáis conocido un poquito este deporte, esta escuela, a mí,
Anyway, I hope that... you've learned a little bit about this sport, this school, myself,
Captions 80-81, Escuela de Pádel Albacete Hablamos con José Luis
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand many of the meanings of the Spanish word nada beyond simply "nothing," and don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
Are you familiar with the word entonces in Spanish? While the Spanish word entonces is commonly translated as "then" or "so" in English, its meanings are actually quite nuanced. Let's explore several of them.
Like the English word "then," in this usage, the Spanish word entonces could generally be replaced with the English phrase "at that moment" to refer to an occurrence at a specific point in time. Let's see some examples.
Y entonces se escaparon.
And then you guys escaped.
Caption 35, Guillermina y Candelario El mundo de los juguetes perdidos - Part 2
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When talking about the past, it is common to use some of the following expressions, which are usually translated as "at that time" or "back then":
en aquel entonces
por aquel entonces
en ese entonces
por ese entonces
Let's listen to some of these in context:
Lo que vivió Colombia en aquel entonces era realmente aterrador.
What Colombia experienced at that time was really terrifying.
Caption 50, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 14
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En aquel entonces los niños todavía podían salir solos
Back then children could still go out alone
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 9
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En mi urbanización, junto a la piscina, vive una amiga que por aquel entonces tenía una gata totalmente blanca y con un pelo precioso.
In my housing complex, next to the pool, a female friend lives who back then, had a totally white cat with beautiful fur.
Captions 26-27, Fermín y los gatos Mi gata Poeska
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entonces sabremos que hemos hecho un buen trabajo.
then we'll know that we've done a good job.
Caption 77, Ana Carolina La meditación
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Notably, entonces may be used along with the preposition solo (only) to describe a moment in time as the equivalent of the English expression "only then":
Solo entonces se sabrá quiénes son los mejores.
Only then it will be known who are the best ones.
Caption 76, Región mundo Paso a paso - Part 5
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In this second usage, entonces is placed right after some preposition to refer to a period of time in the past. Let's examine how entonces can be used with a couple of prepositions.
In the following example, we see the preposition de combined with entonces to mean "(from) back then":
Yo me imagino que los artistas de entonces
I imagine that the artists back then
Caption 40, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori Una vida como pintor - Part 5
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The preposition desde can be combined with entonces to form the expression desde entonces, or "ever since" in English:
y esa es la razón por la cual resido aquí desde entonces.
and that's the reason I've been living here ever since.
Caption 19, Adriana Mi historia con el café
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Let's explore how the Spanish word entonces can also be used similarly to the English words "then" and "so" with various, more specific meanings.
In this scenario, entonces is used to describe what might happen if something else takes place first.
Si vienes, entonces te invito a comer.
If you come, then I'll treat you to a meal.
Caption 22, Ana Carolina Condicionales
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Eh... No tenía muchos órganos, no estaban desarrollados, porque había tenido poco espacio en el útero de la madre. Entonces, fue un bebé prematuro,
Um... He didn't have a lot of organs, they weren't developed because he had had little space in the mother's womb. So, he was a premature baby,
Captions 46-48, Amaya El burrito Luz - Part 2
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Yo voy a decir unas frases, y... utilizando ustedes, y tú vas a decir la misma frase utilizando vosotros. ¿OK? Entonces comenzamos con la primera frase.
I'm going to say some sentences, and... using "ustedes," and you are going to say the same sentence using "vosotros." OK? So, let's start with the first sentence.
Captions 52-54, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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¿no es cierto? -No, tampoco es lugar para mí. Entonces ¿por qué vas? Porque estoy loco.
isn't that right? -No, it's not a place for me either. Then, why do you go? Because I'm crazy.
Captions 63-65, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 1
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In this usage, the word entonces often appears within the expression pues entonces (well then).
"¡Esto está superfrío y de todas formas no sé nadar". "Pues entonces no podemos ir allí, donde comienza el cielo",
"This is super cold, and anyway, I don't know how to swim." "Well then, we can't go there, where the sky begins,"
Captions 40-42, Pigueldito y Federico El cielo
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With this use of the Spanish word entonces, we have reached the end of this lesson. We hope that you now feel more confident about using the word entonces in Spanish, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
Do you know how to say "there" in Spanish? There are three different ways: ahí, allí and allá. Today's lesson will explore the differences and similarities between them in both pronunciation and usage.
Let's learn how to pronounce the three ways to say "there" in Spanish.
When listening to this word, keep in mind that the letter h in Spanish is silent (see Spanish Alphabet: Letters and Pronunciation to review this and more). Let's hear it in context:
Ahí está.
There it is.
Caption 10, Animales en familia La operación de Yaki - Part 1
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Although the word allí in Spanish is often confused with words like hay, ay, and ahí, its pronunciation is actually different from ahí due to the double L (ll) sound in Spanish, which is equivalent to the letter y. Let's listen to it:
Allí, los productos son muy frescos.
There, the products are very fresh.
Caption 11, Ariana Cena especial
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Hence, the pronunciation difference between the words ahí and allí can be broken down as follows:
ahí = ah-ee
allí = ah-yee
That said, this difference can be very hard to hear for non-native speakers, especially with accents from Spain or other regions where the ll/y sound is quite subtle. This sound is, however, more distinct in other regions like the Dominican Republic, where it sounds like a soft g or j, and Argentina and Uruguay, where it sounds like "sh," as we hear in this caption:
Por allí, están los botones "hide".
Over there are the "hide" buttons.
Caption 34, Julieta Promo
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The difference in the final letter makes the word allá stand out even more from its predecessors. Let's hear it pronounced:
Aha... allá.
Uh-huh... there.
Caption 55, Aprendiendo con Priscilla Juego de palabras
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Now let's explore the difference in meaning between the different words for "there" in Spanish.
The RAE (Real Academia Española) defines the word ahí as "en" or "a ese lugar" ("in" or "to that place") or simply "ese lugar" (that place). Having said that, remember that ese in Spanish is the "nearer" version of "that" with definitions ranging from "near the speaker," "far from the speaker but near to the listener" or "close but not within reach." With this in mind, let's see a couple of examples of the word ahí in context.
¿Me puedo sentar ahí? -Claro.
Can I sit there? -Of course.
Caption 27, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 8
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Ahí está.
There it is.
Caption 41, Ana Carolina Recorrido por el parque
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While the English translation of the definition for allí is the same as for ahí ("in" or "to that place" or "that place"), the difference lies in the replacement of the word ese with aquel, which also means "that" but constitutes a further distance (as explained in this lesson on demonstrative adjectives) that might be thought of as "far from both the speaker and the listener." Its translation can thus be either "there" or "over there." Let's see two examples where the speakers refer to locations far from where they currently are:
Y allí existe una de las mayores huertas de España,
And there, there is one of the biggest vegetable gardens in Spain,
Caption 41, Soledad Ensaladilla de brócoli
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y allí estuve durante diez años;
And I was there for ten years,
Caption 23, Luis Guitarra Influencias musicales - Part 1
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According to the RAE, one definition of allá, which can also be translated as "there" or "over there," is "en aquel lugar o sus proximidades" (in that place or its vicinity), making the term a bit more vague. Let's see an example:
Sin embargo, uno de los ecosistemas más importantes de la zona está allá. En el mar.
However, one of the most important ecosystems of the area is over there. In the sea.
Caption 65, Instinto de conservación Parque Tayrona - Part 2
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Allá can also be used in lieu of allí to emphasize the distance of a particular place:
Y pues entré a hacer mi maestría allá en Moscú, de... de imagen.
And well, I went to do my master's degree there in Moscow in... in photography.
Caption 40, Bogotá Fotógrafo José Segundo Quinche Pérez
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Although we have explored the primary definitions for the Spanish terms ahí, allí and allá, note that if you scroll further down in the entry for ahí, the RAE actually lists allí and allá as synonyms! This is because, like the words for "here" in Spanish (aquí and acá), the use of the words for "there" varies vastly from region to region and person to person, leading many speakers to use these terms differently or interchangeably. Let's see a couple of examples that deviate from the parameters we have learned:
¡Oh, mira ese vestido allá!
Oh, look at that dress over there!
Caption 23, Cleer y Carolina De compras
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Y ahí, no es como Madrid que sales cuando te da la gana, es que allí, no paras.
And there, it's not like in Madrid where you go out when you feel like it, it's just that there, you never stop.
Captions 18-20, Arume Barcelona
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To conclude today's lesson, let's concisely sum up what we have learned:
1. Generally speaking, ahí describes something relatively close to the speaker and/or listener. It is most typically translated as "there."
2. Allí usually describes something further away from both the speaker and listener. It is most typically translated as "there" or "over there."
3. Allá is similar to allí, but less specific, and can also be employed to emphasize distance. Its translations are "there" or "over there."
4. There is a great deal of overlap in the manner in which these words for "there" are used in spoken Spanish, which is often influenced more by the individual or region than any strict parameter of distance or grammatical rule.
That's all for this lesson. We hope that it has helped you to understand the differences and similarities among the three different ways to say "there" in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
There are two Spanish equivalents of the word "here" in Spanish: aquí and acá. So, is there a difference between them? Let's find out!
The Royal Spanish Academy's initial definitions for the word aquí in Spanish are "at" or "to this place." Let's hear a couple of examples from Mexico and Spain:
No, gracias. Tengo unas galletas aquí.
No, thank you. I have some cookies here.
Caption 13, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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Hoy estamos aquí en la costa de Málaga.
Today we're here on the coast of Malaga.
Caption 2, Amaya Cata de vinos
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On the other hand, the Dictionary of the Spanish language defines acá as "at" or "to this place or nearby." Let's look at another example from Mexico and one from Argentina:
y eso es lo que trato de hacer mayormente acá en Alemania,
and that's what I try to do mostly here in Germany
Caption 9, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y el pozole - Part 1
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Acá es donde trabaja el alcalde de Buenos Aires.
Here is where the mayor of Buenos Aires works.
Caption 10, Yabla en Buenos Aires Plaza Mayo - Part 2
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Did you pick up on any difference? As you may have noted, the official definition for acá could entail a larger scope or distance from the speaker. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind regarding this nuance:
1. Certain regions, like Mexico, seem to observe this slight difference between the words aquí and acá more than others, which view the terms as completely interchangeable.
2. Even in regions that consider the terms to be slightly different, it is often diffcult to determine the exact scope that defines each one, and individual use varies widely.
3. Some regions use one term or another almost exclusively. For example, in Spain, aquí is almost always used to say "here," whereas it would be rare to hear it in Argentina, where acá is prevalent.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has brought to light how the Spanish words aquí and acá can be different... or exactly the same, depending upon the country, context, or person. Don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments!
Are you confused about the similar-sounding Spanish words hay, ahí, and ay? If that's the case, this brief lesson will help you to know how and when to use each of them. Let's take a look!
The word hay, an impersonal form of the Spanish verb haber, is used to express existence. In other words, hay is the Spanish equivalent of "there is" and "there are." Let's see a couple of clips that include it:
Encima de ella, hay una lámpara negra.
Above her, there's a black lamp.
Caption 18, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Hay y estar
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hay cosas muy interesantes,
there are very interesting things,
Caption 61, Aprendiendo con Silvia Campanas - Part 2
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Ahí, on the other hand, is an adverb meaning "in that place." It is one of the Spanish equivalents of the English word "there." Let's see some examples:
y lo dejaremos ahí hasta que hierva.
and we'll leave it there until it boils.
Caption 19, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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y Minos, con una cara que no era la suya, se quedó ahí para siempre.
and Minos, with a face that wasn't his own, stayed there forever.
Captions 43-44, Aprendiendo con Carlos El microrrelato - Part 3
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Last but not least, the Spanish word ay, which is often translated with the English interjection "oh," is used to express a range of different emotions like the following:
Ay, lentejas al almuerzo, lentejas a la comida... Ay, mamá, -Lentejitas. -¡qué pobreza tan asquerosa! -¡Mm!
Oh, lentils for lunch, lentils for dinner... Oh, Mom, -Lentils. -what revolting poverty! -Hmm!
Captions 17-18, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 6
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¡Ay! ¡Estoy horrible!
Oh! I look horrible!
Caption 44, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 4
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Es por ahí. ¡Ahí es! Ay... ¡ay!
It's around there. There it is! Oh... oh!
Caption 8, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 1 - Part 10
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You can also use the word ay to introduce a comment or response about something. Let's look at a couple of examples of this usage:
¿Qué? Ay, Kevin, nosotros no podemos esperarlo durante cuatro años.
What? Oh, Kevin, we can't wait for you for four years.
Captions 2-3, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 7
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Ay, mijo, hacele caso a tu mamá, ¿sí?
Oh, my son, listen to your mom, OK?
Caption 39, Carlos comenta La sucursal del cielo - Part 4
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Now that we know how to use these three words, we would like to invite you to remember the following sentence, which some teachers use to teach the difference between the aforementioned terms:
Ahí hay un hombre que dice ay.
There, there's a man who says oh.
That's all for this lesson. Do you now feel confident about using the words hay, ahí, and ay? We hope so, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
In a previous lesson, we learned various ways to say "never" in Spanish. But what about "ever"? Find out in today's lesson!
To start, note that two of the very same formulas that were used to say "never" in Spanish can also be used to say "ever." This is due to the fact that sometimes an idea in English can be expressed with either of these two words. Let's take a look at these formulas to understand better.
Let's look at this formula where nunca has been translated as "never":
Oh... ¡Nunca voy a tener un novio!
Oh... I'm never going to have a boyfriend!
Caption 28, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 3 - Sam aprende a ligar
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However, this very same formula can also mean "ever" because an alternative translation of the sentence above into English would be:
Oh... ¡Nunca voy a tener un novio!
Oh... I'm not ever going to have a boyfriend!
The same can be said for the formula no + sentence + nunca, as in the following example:
No te has equivocado nunca.
You've never made a mistake.
Once again, this very same construction can also be used to convey the idea of "ever" since an alternative English translation for this sentence would be: "You haven't ever made a mistake." Let's view this same sentence in question form:
¿No te has equivocado nunca?
Haven't you ever made a mistake?
Caption 73, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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In addition, negative commands with the word nunca can be used to say the equivalent of "ever" in Spanish:
Y por favor, no me lo dejes solo nunca.
And please, for me, don't ever leave him alone.
Caption 5, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1 - Part 14
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Let's examine some more ways to say the English word "ever" in Spanish in different contexts.
One of the most common and straightforward ways to say "ever" in Spanish in the sense of "at some point in time" is alguna vez, typically within a question with either the present perfect or preterite tense. Let's see some examples:
¿Se han preguntado alguna vez por qué es importante reír?
Have you ever wondered why it's important to laugh?
Caption 8, Mónica - La risa
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¿Alguna vez te pasó?
Has it ever happened to you?
Caption 32, Verano Eterno - Fiesta Grande
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De todos los tiempos is yet another way to say "ever" in Spanish when the meaning is "of all time," which is, in fact, the literal translation of this phrase and could replace "ever" in the following example:
Hoy tenemos la fortuna de tenerlo entre nosotros,
Today we have the fortune to have him amongst us,
al más grande exponente de todos los tiempos, ¡al Señor Gardel!
the greatest example ever, Mister Gardel!
Captions 44-45, Yago - 1 La llegada
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Finally, let's check out how many common English expressions with "ever" such as "more than ever," "never ever," etc. are said in Spanish.
Y yo te amé, como nunca jamás lo imaginé
And I loved you, as I never ever imagined it
Caption 8, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
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Ahora más que nunca, vas a hacer lo que yo te diga.
Now more than ever, you are going to do whatever I tell you.
Caption 10, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
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El tiempo ha estado mejor/peor que nunca.
The weather has been better/worse than ever.
In fact, any adjective or adverb can be used between más (more) and que nunca (than ever) to convey the equivalent of English phrases with "than ever." Let's see a few examples:
Hoy he corrido más rápido que nunca.
Today, I've run faster than ever.
En cambio vos no cambiaste nada;
On the other hand you haven't changed a bit;
estás más hermosa que nunca.
you're more beautiful than ever.
Caption 56, Yago - 11 Prisión
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¿No me quieres volver a ver nunca más?
You don't ever want to see me again?
Caption 2, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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Another translation for this sentence could be "You never want to see me again?"
y desde entonces se nos quedó adentro.
and it has remained within us ever since.
Caption 8, Región mundo - Paso a paso
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And speaking of "ever since," did you know that, in addition to Vivieron felices para siempre, one of the manners of saying the popular storybook line "They lived happily ever after" in Spanish is Vivieron felices y comieron perdices ("They lived happily and ate partridges")? On that note, we'll conclude this lesson, hoping that you've learned a lot of useful phrases for translating the concept of "ever" into Spanish. And don't forget to write us with any questions or suggestions.
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
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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
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Juan nunca pone atención en clase.
Juan never pays attention in class.
Caption 20, Carlos explica - Los cinco sentidos
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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
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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
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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
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No se me hubiera ocurrido jamás.
It never would have occurred to me.
Caption 21, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 12
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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
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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
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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.
Although the most common English translation for the Spanish preposition hasta is "until," like most Spanish prepositions, its meaning can vary in different contexts. Today's lesson will explore the four main definitions of the Spanish word hasta provided by Royal Spanish Academy as well as its various English translations.
According to the first definition, the Spanish preposition hasta can denote "a final limit in a trajectory of space or time." Possible translations for this use of hasta include "until," "up until," "up to," and "to." Let's take a look at this use via several subcategories.
The preposition hasta in Spanish can mean "up to" a certain point in time. Let's see some examples:
Eh... Trabajo hasta las dos
Um... I work until two,
Caption 47, Cleer y Lida Juego de preguntas y respuestas - Part 2
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Hasta el momento, ella ha probado zanahoria, brócoli y papa.
Up until now, she has tried carrots, broccoli, and potatoes.
Captions 37-38, Ana Carolina Ejercicio de adverbios de tiempo
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No llegaron hasta el final de la fiesta.They didn't arrive until the end of the party.
When used to talk about location, hasta means "up to that point" and might be translated with "up to" or simply "to":
Hay dos formas de llegar hasta Pasai Donibane: por mar o por tierra.
There are two ways to get to Pasai Donibane: by sea or by land.
Captions 29-30, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 2
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Aquí lo que tenemos que hacer es meter un hisopo, pues hasta su buche.
Here what we have to do is to place a Q-tip, well up to his throat.
Captions 53-54, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Microchip para Nacahué - Part 1
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The Spanish word hasta is often used along with que to form an adverbial phrase that means "until" (such moment as something else happens). Note that when the verb that follows hasta que refers to a habitual action or past event, it will be conjugated in an indicative tense. Let's see an example:
y lo tuvo con ella hasta que llegó la primavera.
and she had him with her until spring came.
Caption 41, Cleer El patito feo
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On the other hand, when the subordinate clause following hasta que refers to a potential future event or is a command, the verb that follows will be in the subjunctive:
y tenemos que dejar que poche hasta que se quede bien blandita.
and we have to let it saute until it gets very soft.
Caption 41, La cocina de María Tortilla de patatas
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For several more examples, check out Yabla's lesson on hasta que and hasta que no, which function similarly.
According to definition two, the Spanish preposition hasta can also describe a maximum quantity. Let's view a couple of examples:
En el mes me puedo gastar hasta doscientos euros...
During the month I can spend up to two hundred euros...
Caption 69, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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Pesan hasta siete kilos, ocho kilos los machos adultos.
They weigh up to seven kilograms, eight kilos for adult males.
Caption 95, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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This third and less common use of the Spanish preposition hasta to mean "not before" is primarily heard in Mexico and Central America. Let's take a look:
Terminará hasta mediodía.
He won't finish before noon.
In the fourth definition, the Spanish word hasta instead functions as an adverb to add emphasis or a feeling of surprise or disbelief, much like the English word "even":
¿Hamburguesas de aguacate? -Sí... Hasta miel de aguacate.
Avocado burgers? -Yes... Even avocado honey.
Captions 44-45, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 1
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Hasta se cree la mega estrella.
She even thinks she's the megastar.
Caption 54, X6 1 - La banda - Part 1
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Now that we know four different ways to use the Spanish word hasta, let's take a look at some of the many idiomatic expressions in which it appears, including at least five different ways to say goodbye in Spanish:
hasta luego: see you later
hasta pronto: see you soon
hasta la próxima: see you next time
hasta mañana: see you tomorrow
hasta la vista: until we meet again
A host of additional expressions with estar hasta mean "to be fed up":
estar hasta las narices (literally "to be up to one's noses")
estar hasta la gorra (literally "to be up to one's hat")
estar hasta arriba ("to have had it up to here")
estar hasta la coronilla (literally "to be up to one's crown")
Let's see this last one in context:
Muy bien, estaba hasta la coronilla.
Just great, I was fed up.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 4
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Meanwhile, estar hasta el cuello (literally "to be up to one's neck") is equivalent to the English "to be up to one's eyeballs," or overwhelmed, while estar hasta en la sopa ("to be even in the soup") describes something or someone that seems omnipresent. And finally, let's look at a Spanish expression with hasta that can mean "that's all" or "that's it":
hasta aquí el vídeo de hoy.
that's all for today's video.
Caption 68, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 1
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On that note, we hope that this lesson has helped you to understand the different uses of the Spanish word hasta and some idioms that include it. Can you think of any more? We invite you to let us know with your suggestions and comments. ¡Hasta pronto!
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
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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
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Justo lo que yo necesitaba,
Just what I needed,
Caption 27, X6 1 - La banda - Part 11
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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
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"Justo antes de ir a acostarte,
"Just before you go to bed,
Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 2
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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!
In this lesson, we're going to look at todos los usos y significados (all of the uses and meanings) of the word todo in Spanish. Well, maybe not all of them... but a lot!
Primero que todo (first of all), we'd like to say that the Spanish word todo and its feminine and plural equivalents have many meanings including "all," "whole," "every," "each," "everyone," and more, depending upon the context in which they are utilized. Actually, while todo and its alternate forms most commonly function as an adjective or a pronoun, they can also function as an adverb or even a noun. Let's examine how this word works in each of these cases, its various translations into English, and several idiomatic expressions that employ it.
Let's recall that an adjective modifies, or describes, a noun. When the word todo functions as an adjective, it must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies. We must thus choose between its masculine singular (todo), masculine plural (todos), feminine singular (toda) or feminine plural (todas) forms, placing it either directly in front of either a noun, a noun's direct article, or a possessive adjective. Let's look at some examples:
No, en España, el español se parece mucho en todo el país.
No, in Spain, Spanish is a lot alike in the whole country.
Captions 5-6, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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Although the literal translation of todo el país would be "all the country," common ways to say todo el in English include "the whole" or "the entire." Thus, an alternative translation for this sentence might be: "No, in Spain, Spanish is a lot alike in the entire country." Let's look at an additional example:
La asistente le dará una tarjeta con toda la información
The assistant will give you a card with all the information
Caption 42, Cita médica La cita médica de Cleer - Part 2
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Note that in this example, the feminine singular form toda has the more straightforward translation "all." Let's move on to some plural examples:
Invitamos a todos sus amigos al karaoke
We invite all her friends to karaoke
Caption 44, Blanca y Mariona Planificación de cena
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Note that while, in the sentence above, the plural form is translated to "all," in other cases, it can be translated as "every":
Salimos todas las noches.
We go out every night.
Caption 20, Clara y Cristina Hablan de actividades
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In other cases, either translation could suffice:
Feliz tarde, amigos de Yabla de todos los países del mundo.
Happy afternoon, Yabla friends from every country in the world.
Caption 2, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana
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An alternative translation could, of course, be: "Happy afternoon, Yabla friends from all the countries in the world."
The definition of a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Hence, when the word todo is used a pronoun in Spanish, it must match the number/gender of the noun to which it refers. Let's look at a simple example:
¿Cuánta torta comiste? -Me la comí toda.
How much cake did you eat? -I ate it all.
But:
¿Cuántos caramelos comiste? -Todos.
How much candies did you eat? -All of them.
Let's take a look at an example from the Yabla video library where todas replaces a plural feminine noun (las estaciones/the seasons):
Creo que es la mejor estación de todas.
I think that it's the best season of all.
Caption 22, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 1
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Todo on its own is also the equivalent of the English word "everything":
Sí, Lucio me cuenta todo.
Yes, Lucio tells me everything.
Caption 30, Yago 12 Fianza - Part 2
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The plural todos, on the other hand, means "everybody" or "everyone":
porque es información nueva para todos.
because it's new information for everyone.
Caption 60, Clase Aula Azul Información con subjuntivo e indicativo - Part 4
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In fact, the title of a recent Yabla video, Todo es de todos (Everything Belongs to Everyone) employs both of those terms. However, note the difference in translation for todos in the following example:
¿De ahí saldrá el aguacate que todos conocemos? -Claro.
The avocado that we all know will come from there? -Sure.
Caption 57, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 17
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Although "The avocado that everyone knows will come from there?" could be a viable translation, the fact that the verb conocer (to know) has been translated in the first person plural (nosotros/"we") form makes "we all" a legitimate (and perhaps more explanatory) translation.
When todo functions as an adverb, it is typically used to make emphatic statements. Possible translations include "really," "completely," "all," or "totally." For example, one might say: El chico se veía todo lindo (The guy looked really good) or Mi habitación está toda desordenada (My room is totally messy). Let's look at an example from the Yabla video library:
¡Yo te vi, yo te vi toda llena de barro!
I saw you! I saw you all covered in mud!
Caption 41, Yago 3 La foto - Part 5
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As a noun, el todo means "the whole" and can be seen in the translation for Aristotle's famous sentence:
El todo es más que la suma de las partes.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
And speaking of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, let's examine some common Spanish idioms that include forms of the word todo with meanings beyond their literal words.
While todo el mundo literally means "all the world" or "the whole/entire world," this phrase is an extremely common way of expressing the idea of "everybody" or "everyone" in Spanish:
Todo el mundo puede tocar el tambor donde, cuando y como quiera- mayores, niños, mujeres,
Everybody can play the drum wherever, whenever, and however they want- older people, children, women,
Captions 47-49, Viernes Santo en Tobarra ¡La Cuna del Tambor! - Part 1
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Literally "all the day," the notion of "all day" is encompassed by the Spanish expression todo el día:
¿Todo el día? El tiempo que quieras.
All day? As long as you want.
Captions 103-104, Alan x el mundo Mi playa favorita de México! - Part 2
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The plural form todos los días ("all the days"), on the other hand, means "every day":
Además, la vemos todos los días.
Besides, we see it every day.
Caption 11, Guillermina y Candelario Una aventura extrema - Part 2
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Like it sounds, the Spanish phrase sobre todo can indeed mean "above all" or "above everything." Additional, frequent translations include "mostly," "mainly," and "especially":
Primero, sobre todo si es tu primera tarjeta de crédito, eh... es recomendable que el... que el límite no sea mayor a tus ingresos.
First, especially if it is your first credit card, um... it is recommendable for the... for the limit not to be greater than your income.
Captions 51-52, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 3
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En todo caso, espero que a partir de hoy, se sientan más cómodos usando las redes sociales en español.
In any case, I hope that starting from today, you feel more comfortable using social networks in Spanish.
Captions 53-54, Carlos explica Internet y lenguaje digital: Redes sociales
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Por todos lados might seem to mean "around all sides," but it really means "everywhere":
Mili, ¿Dónde estabas? Te estuve buscando por todos lados.
Mili, where were you? I was looking for you everywhere.
Caption 16, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 10
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De todas formas in Spanish means not "of all shapes," but is rather a manner of saying "anyway":
Bueno, de todas formas, mire, el tipo se está haciendo pasar por Pierre Bernard.
Well, anyway, look, the guy is posing as Pierre Bernard.
Caption 7, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 1 - Part 8
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The similar Spanish expressions de todas maneras and de todos modos also mean "anyway," "anyhow," or "in any case."
The phrase de todo ("of everything") is another way to say "everything" in Spanish:
Aquí tiene de todo, perro, oveja...
Here, they have everything: [a] dog, sheep...
Caption 1, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 6
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Del todo ("of the whole"), on the other hand, means "completely" or "entirely"':
Quizás l'... la relación más equilibrada que yo he buscado no ha pasado del todo y ahora me siento un poquito sola
Maybe th'... the more balanced relationship that I've looked for hasn't completely happened, and now I feel a little bit lonely
Captions 19-20, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
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For additional examples of this expression and more, we recommend the lesson En absoluto, de ninguna manera, del todo.
And finally, if you want to tell someone to go "straight ahead," todo recto (literally "all straight") is the way to go in Spanish:
Tiene que ir todo recto. -Sí.
You have to go straight ahead. -Yes.
Caption 17, Curso de español ¿Hay una escuela por aquí?
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These are just a smattering of the many Spanish expressions that incorporate forms of todo that can be heard in everyday Spanish. ¡Sería imposible nombrarlos todos (It would be imposible to name them all)! That said:
Eso es todo por hoy, amigos.
That's all for today, friends.
Caption 56, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad
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For additional information on expressions that include the Spanish word todo, we recommend the additional lesson When Nada (Nothing) is Todo (Everything). In the meantime, gracias por todo (thanks for everything), and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Should you use mucho or muy? Do you know how to say the Spanish words muy and mucho in English? What is the difference between muy vs. mucho in Spanish?
Simply put, muy in English would be "very" or "really," while mucho in English means "many," "much," or "a lot." However, as these words can wear muchos sombreros (a lot of hats), muy vs. mucho can be un concepto muy difícil (a very difficult concept) for many English speakers.
When muy is accompanied by an adjective, the adjective that modifies the noun must agree with that noun in terms of gender and number. The "good news," however, is that the word muy itself always stays the same, regardless of whether the noun it modifies is singular or plural or masculine or feminine. Let's take a look:
es un artista plástico español muy reconocido.
is a very famous fine art artist.
Caption 14, Amaya - Vínculo: un mural muy especial
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¡estos plátanos son muy pequeños!
these bananas are very small!
Caption 30, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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Es una ciudad muy linda que tiene un cri'... clima primaveral.
It's a very beautiful city that has a spri'... spring-like climate.
Caption 47, Cleer - Entrevista con Jacky
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Las ranas son definitivamente las mejores maestras en salto.
Frogs are definitely the best jumping masters.
Pero son muy vanidosas.
But they're very full of themselves.
Captions 22-23, Guillermina y Candelario - Una Amiga muy Presumida
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Just to reiterate, although the adjectives are singular or plural and masculine or feminine, in agreement with their corresponding nouns, the word muy always remains the same.
The word muy in Spanish also remains the same when accompanying an adverb, which modifies a verb, as in the following examples:
Con un poco de práctica, podremos aprender estas reglas muy fácilmente.
With a bit of practice, we will be able to learn these rules very easily.
Caption 55, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 3: La división en sílabas
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Kristen, por ejemplo, tú has dicho, muy rápidamente,
Kristen, for example, you've said, very quickly,
Caption 11, Clase Aula Azul - Pedir deseos
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When constructing or understanding sentences with muy in Spanish, how will you know whether you are contending with an adjective or an adverb? When you see a word that ends with the suffix -mente (equivalent to -ly in English), as in the examples above, you can be sure you have an adverb. However, as not all adverbs take this form and some words can function as either adjectives or adverbs, depending upon the context, it can sometimes be tough to tell the difference. Let's take a look at an example with the word rápido, which may be used as an adverb in lieu of rápidamente:
porque lo hacen muy rápido.
because they do it very quickly.
Caption 46, Animales en familia - Señales de calma y cosquillas en los perros
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Like the English word "fast," rápido can function as an adjective when describing a noun (e.g. un carro rápido/a fast car) or an adverb when describing an action (el carro va rápido/the car goes fast) to talk about something that happens "fast" or "quickly." The tricky aspect of this is that, while rápido would need to agree in terms of gender and number when employed as an adjective (e.g. unos carros rápidos), as an adverb, it remains the same (in its masculine singular form) regardless of the number of people or objects performing the action. Let's see one more example:
Vamos a trabajar muy fuerte.
We're going to work very hard.
Caption 29, Documental de Alejandro Fernandez - Viento A Favor
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Note that as always, the word muy is unchanging, and because fuerte (strong, hard, etc.) works as an adverb here, it remains unchanged, in its singular form, as well. Were it an adjective, on the other hand, gender and number would need to be taken into account, as in the example "Somos muy fuertes" (We are very strong).
Moving on to the word mucho in Spanish, taking into account what we have learned thus far regarding adjectives and adverbs, let's examine how this word can function as either of these parts of speech. To start, when mucho functions as an adjective, it must agree in terms of number and gender with the noun it modifies. Let's look:
¿Sí? No tengo mucho tiempo libre ahora.
Right? I don't have a lot of free time now.
Caption 20, Clase Aula Azul - Pedir deseos
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La verdad es que yo he tenido muchos perros,
The truth is that I've had many dogs,
Caption 50, Tu Voz Estéreo - Laura
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En Málaga, hay mucha gente con tus mismos síntomas.
In Malaga, there are a lot of people with your same symptoms.
Caption 20, Ariana - Cita médica
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A muchas personas les gusta ir de vacaciones allí
A lot of people like to go on vacation there
Caption 22, El Aula Azul - Adivina el país
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As you can see in these examples that employ masculine singular/plural and feminine singular/plural nouns, the form mucho takes (mucho, muchos, mucha, or muchas) changes in accordance with the noun it modifies.
In contrast, when mucho functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, it is always mucho in the singular/masculine form, and the gender/quantity of the noun or verb has no effect on it. Let's look at some examples:
¿Se utiliza mucho el ajo en los platos peruanos?
Is garlic used a lot in Peruvian dishes?
Caption 19, Recetas de cocina - Papa a la Huancaína
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Estos ejercicios ayudan mucho
These exercises really help
Caption 59, Bienestar con Elizabeth - Relajación
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Me gusta mucho este parque.
I really like this park.
Caption 9, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Sí, me gustan mucho las uvas.
Yes, I like grapes a lot.
Caption 21, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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To conclude our discussion on muy vs. mucho, note that the word mucho and its corresponding feminine/plural alternatives can be used as pronouns to replace nouns that have been mentioned or implied. Notice that the pronoun forms of mucho must agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace, as follows:
¿Se encuentran aquí buenas cositas o no,
Can you find good stuff here or not,
buenas gangas? -Sí, sí, sí. -¿Sí? -Muchas.
good bargains? -Yes, yes, yes. -Yes? -Many.
Captions 102-103, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Sí. -¿Que mucha más gente viene ahora?
Yes. -That a lot more people come now?
Sí, mucha. -Yo tengo un niño pequeño entonces...
Yes, a lot. -I have a small child so...
Captions 43-44, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 16
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Puedes ver que no tenemos muchos
You can see that we don't have many
porque hemos vendido últimamente bastantes.
because we have sold quite a few lately.
Captions 46-47, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 11
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While you can clearly see in the first two examples that the word mucho changes forms (to mucha and muchas) to agree with the feminine singular and plural nouns it replaces (cositas/gangas and gente), the third example is notable because the noun being replaced by the masculine plural form muchos is not immediately apparent. However, since the conversation in question, which began several captions earlier, involves cars (the masculine plural noun, los coches), the masculine plural form muchos must be utilized to express the idea of "many" in this context.
We hope that this lesson has helped to clarify the difference between muy vs. mucho in Spanish since sus muchos usos y matices pueden resultar muy difíciles (their many uses and nuances can be very difficult) for English speakers. We welcome any insight you might have on mucho vs. muy in Spanish, and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
In this lesson, we will talk about adverbs and punctuation. Are you familiar with the word "aun" in Spanish? Do you know when to write that word with accent on the letter "ú"? Let's start this lesson with a little quiz. Which word would you use in the following sentences, aun or aún?:
____ si te digo la verdad, no me crees
Even if I tell you the truth, you don't believe me
Estamos ____ en la fase de entrevistas.
We are still in the interview phase.
Let's read the following explanation to find out the answer.
The adverb aun (without graphic accent) refers to the English adverb "even." Let's see a couple of examples:
Aun estudiando mucho, no pasó el examen
Even studying hard, he did not pass the exam
Yo hice aun más de lo que quería
I did even more than I wanted
he vivido demasiado
I have lived too much
aun con tanta historia
even with so much history
Captions 7-8, Kany Garcia - Estigma de amor
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Also, keep in mind that when aun is followed by así to mean "even so," it doesn't need an accent. Let's take a look:
Revolvimos los planetas
We stirred the planets
Y aun así te vas
And even so you leave
Captions 16-17, Belanova - Y aun así te vas
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When the word aun works as the English adverb "still", you need to need to put the accent on the letter "ú". Let's see some examples:
Para los que aún no me conocen, mi nombre es Natalia.
For those who still don't know me, my name is Natalia.
Caption 3, Natalia de Ecuador - Consejos: haciendo amigos como adultos
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Así que aún queda la pequeña esperanza.
So, there's still a little hope.
Caption 44, Rosa - Fuente de Piedra
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Durante este período, México aún tenía el nombre de la Nueva España.
During this period, Mexico still had the name New Spain.
Caption 16, Paseando con Karen - Monterrey - Museo de Historia Mexicana
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Considering the above, let's unveil the answer to our quiz:
Aun si te digo la verdad, no me crees
Even if I tell you the truth, you don't believe me
Estamos aún en la fase de entrevistas.
We are still in the interview phase.
Caption 19, Negocios - La solicitud de empleo
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And that's it for today. We hope you enjoyed this lesson and don't forget to send us your comments and questions.
Let's talk about adverbs! In this lesson, we have a big match: afuera vs. fuera. Do you know the meaning of these two words? Let's explore how to use and pronounce these frequently used Spanish adverbs.
As an adverb, afuera refers to a place that is outside of where you are:
Todo lo malo me pasa dentro de esta casa, no afuera.
All the bad things happen to me inside this house, not outside.
Caption 20, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta
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Similarly, the adverb fuera is used to talk about the exterior part of something:
Puedes ir a tomar café a una cafetería fuera de la escuela.
You can go to drink coffee at a cafe outside of the school.
Caption 17, El Aula Azul - Las actividades de la escuela
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If you want to indicate that someone is going outside, toward the exterior, or even abroad (with verbs of movement), you can use either afuera or fuera. Both forms are correct and are used indistinctly in both Spain and Latin America. Let's see some sentences:
Vení, vamos afuera.
Come, let's go outside.
Caption 28, Yago - 9 Recuperación
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Cuando los cuatro compañeros nos fuimos a estudiar fuera.
When we four friends went to study abroad.
Caption 7, Escuela de Pádel Albacete - Hablamos con José Luis
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When you want to indicate that someone or something is outside, or when you want to make a reference to the outside world, you use fuera in both Spain and Latin America. However, it is also very common to use afuera throughout the Americas. Let's hear the pronunciation of these two words one more time:
¡Qué lindo que está afuera! ¿No? El clima está divino.
How nice it is outside! No? The weather is divine.
Caption 15, Muñeca Brava - 1 Piloto
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Me doy una buena ducha aquí fuera.
I take a good shower here outside.
Caption 31, Amaya - "Mi camper van"
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Both afuera and fuera can be used as interjections. Generally speaking, you use these interjections when you ask someone to leave a place.
¡Suficiente, fuera de mi casa!
Enough, out of my house!
Caption 61, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4
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There are several useful idiomatic expressions with the word fuera. Let's see some of them:
Este hombre vive fuera de la realidad, Señoría.
This man lives outside of reality, Your Honor.
Caption 36, Los casos de Yabla - Problemas de convivencia
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Su ropa está fuera de moda.
His clothes are out of fashion.
Caption 8, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam
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No hay nada fuera de lo normal.
There isn't anything out of the ordinary.
Caption 38, Negocios - Empezar en un nuevo trabajo
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That's it for today. We hope this review helps you to use correctly the adverbs fuera and afuera. As you could see throughout this lesson, more than talking about afuera vs fuera, we should really treat this subject as afuera = fuera! Keep that in mind and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions.
Do you know how to use a punto as opposed to apunto? Do you know the meaning of the expression "estar a punto de"? Let's start this lesson with a little quiz. Which term would you use in the following sentences, a punto or apunto?:
Te ______ en la lista de pacientes.
I'll write you down on the patient list.
What about this one?:
En 1985, Colombia estuvo ______ de conseguir la paz.
In 1985, Colombia was about to achieve peace.
Let's review the meaning of a punto and apunto.
A punto is an adverbial phrase that can be used in the following two ways:
1. To indicate that something is ready for the end it has been prepared for.
2. As a synonym of "timely" or "on time".
Here's one example:
¿Esto lo hago hasta que quede a punto de nieve?
Shall I do this until it forms peaks [literally "until it looks like snow"]?
-Has'... Ah, no, eh... -Claro.
-Unt'... Oh, no, um... -Of course.
Caption 9, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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While the adverbial phrase a punto is used fairly often, the most common use of a punto is when it's part of the prepositional phrase a punto de + infinitive verb. In terms of its meaning, we use a punto de + infinitive verb when we want to say that something is or was about to happen. In fact, you can think of a punto de as the English equivalent "about to". Let's look at a couple of examples:
La señora pulpo me contó que tenía muchos hijitos a punto de nacer.
Lady octopus told me that she had many children about to be born.
Captions 21-22, Guillermina y Candelario - La Señora Pulpo
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Estoy súper emocionada, pues estoy a punto de ingresar
I'm super excited because I'm about to enter
a uno de los lugares más emblemáticos.
one of the most symbolic places.
Captions 10-12, Paseando con Karen - Barrio Antiguo
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Cuando estaba a punto de huir y regresar a mi casa,
When I was about to flee and go back home,
hubo un milagro que salvó mi bachillerato.
there was a miracle that saved my high school diploma.
Captions 18-19, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 1 - Part 5
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If you keep in mind the last two sentences, it is worth mentioning that most of the time in Spanish we use the verb estar (to be) before a punto de + infinitive verb. As we mentioned previously, we use this formula for sentences in the past as well as the present.
Now that you know how to use a punto and a punto de, we can say that apunto (one word) corresponds to the first person singular of the verb apuntar in the present tense. Apuntar can mean:
To point out something
To take notes or write down something
To subscribe to something
Let's see an example:
A cogerlos con la mano, me apunto.
For taking them with my hand, I'll sign up.
-Cógelo con las manos.
-Take it with your hands.
Caption 25, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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So, now that we have revealed the meanings and uses of both a punto and apunto, it's time to see the answers to the quiz we used to introduce this lesson:
Te apunto en la lista de pacientes.
I'll write you down on the patient list.
Caption 27, Ariana - Cita médica
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En mil novecientos ochenta y cinco, sucedieron muchas cosas buenas.
In nineteen eighty-five, many good things happened.
Colombia estuvo a punto de conseguir la paz.
Colombia was about to achieve peace.
Captions 2-3, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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And that's it for now. We hope you enjoyed this lesson and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Let’s talk about adverbs. Adverbs are very important in Spanish grammar and many of them are closely connected to adjectives. In fact, there are a good number of adverbs that can be easily formed if we are familiar with the original adjective. In this lesson, we will see how to use adjectives in order to form Spanish adverbs with the suffix -mente.
Let’s take a look at these very used adverbs in Spanish.
...pero principalmente cubanos que llegaron a este país hace cuarenta años.
...but mainly Cubans who arrived to this country forty years ago.
Caption 6, La Calle 8 - Un recorrido fascinante
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Además, este año hay una zona dedicada especialmente a la gastronomía.
Additionally, this year there is an area dedicated especially to gastronomy.
Caption 28, Fuengirola - Feria Internacional de los Pueblos
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Nos criamos completamente ciegos, sordos, mudos con respecto al dinero.
We grew up completely blind, deaf, dumb with respect to money.
Caption 70, Cuentas claras - Sobreviviendo enero
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As you can see, the suffix mente corresponds to the English suffix ‘ly’. But how do you form Spanish adverbs with -mente? Let’s take a look.
In order to build Spanish adverbs with -mente, you just have to follow this very simple formula:
Feminine form of the adjective + mente
For example, if we want to form an adverb with the adjective último (last), we just need to take the feminine form of that adjective (última) and add the suffix -mente, like this:
última + mente = últimamente (lastly).
Let’s look at some more examples:
Claro (clear): clara + mente = claramente (clearly)
Lento (slow): lenta + mente = lentamente (slowly)
Honesto (honest): honesta + mente = honestamente (honestly)
However, if an adjective doesn’t end in ‘o’, it means that it has one form that is used for both masculine and feminine. In that case, you just need to add the suffix -mente to the adjective in order to get the adverb. Let’s see some examples:
Alegre (happy): alegre + mente = alegremente (happily)
Triste (sad): triste + mente = tristemente (sadly)
Frecuente (frequent): frecuente + mente = frecuentemente (frequently)
Normal (normal): normal + mente = normalmente (normally)
It is also important to mention that if you have a sentence with two adverbs in a series, only the last one will have the suffix -mente at the end. The first one will keep the feminime form of the adjective:
Él camina rápida y alegremente
He walks quickly and happily
Ellos hablaron clara y concisamente
They spoke clearly and concisely
Finally, something important to keep in mind: If the original adjective has a graphic accent on it (tilde), the adverb will also have that accent. Some examples:
Creo que mi mamá comprendió su equivocación rápidamente.
I think that my mom understood her mistake quickly.
Caption 1, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 2
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Con un poco de práctica, podremos aprender estas reglas muy fácilmente.
With a bit of practice, we will be able to learn these rules very easily.
Caption 54, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 3: La división en sílabas
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That's it for this lesson. Now, here is your homework: Take 10 adjectives and try to form the corresponding adverbs using the suffix -mente. Can you write some sentences too? Have fun and don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
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