In this lesson, we will talk about the Spanish preposition sin, which usually translates to "without" in English. In the following lines, we will explore the various ways to use sin, providing different examples to illustrate its use in different contexts. Get ready!
Like the English preposition "without," the primary function of the Spanish preposition sin is to indicate the absence or lack of something. Let's take a look:
en la camioneta, una camioneta blanca sin, este, sin ventanas.
in a van, a white van without, um, without windows.
Caption 32, Amigos D.F. El secuestrar
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Y así acaba nuestro carnaval y la gente sin dinero pero contenta.
And that's how our carnival ends, and people [are left] without money but happy.
Captions 82-83, Cleer y Lida El Carnaval de Barranquilla - Part 2
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Of course, an alternative translation for sin in this second example would be "with no money," which conveys the same idea.
Note that, when used to talk about a lack of something, the preposition sin is the direct opposite of the preposition con. Let's see an example of each with the same noun:
Entonces, se recomienda, todas las mañanas, comer la mitad de una toronja o un pomelo; sin azúcar, no hagan trampa.
So, it's recommended, every morning, to eat half a grapefruit or a "pomelo;" without sugar, don't cheat.
Captions 67-69, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Es una bebida refrescante que se pone jugo de limón con azúcar y agua.
It's a refreshing drink in which one puts lemon juice with sugar and water.
Caption 24, Otavalo Julia nos muestra las verduras
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In certain cases, sin can convey opposition or contradiction between two elements. Let's take a look:
Sin embargo, muchas veces tenemos complementos que hacen las veces de adjetivo sin ser adjetivos necesariamente:
However, we often have complements that function as adjectives without necessarily being adjectives:
Captions 50-52, Ana Carolina El uso correcto de los adjetivos
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The preposition sin can also be used to talk about something that has not occurred during a specific period of time. Let's see this usage in action:
Cuéntame ¿qué ha pasado en estos siete años sin vernos? -Ay...
Tell me what has happened in these seven years without seeing each other? -Oh...
Caption 10, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
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A more colloquial way to express this in English might be "in these seven years we didn't see each other."
When used after the adverb no, the preposition sin helps to reinforce a message or emphasize something. Let's look at the following video clip:
Me despido de todos, no sin antes recordarles que estén pendiente[s] de nuestro siguiente video.
I'll say goodbye to everyone, not without first reminding you to be on the lookout for our next video.
Captions 32-33, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Pikachu
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When followed by an infinitive verb, the preposition sin can additionally be used to give orders! Let's see one last example:
¡Niños, todos a la cama y sin protestar!
Children, all to bed and without protest!
As you can see, the preposition sin allows for the expression of absence, opposition, and other related concepts. We encourage you to practice using it in different ways to solidify your understanding of this versatile preposition, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
Although there aren't many words that start with the letter Y in Spanish, this letter is quite important, particularly if we think in terms of the conjunction and pronoun that are formed with it. Let's hear some clips from our popular beginner series Conversaciones en el parque:
Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.
Yes, I like the plants and the flowers and the trees.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Yo tengo dos naranjas.
I have two oranges.
Caption 29, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Aside from these two important uses, there are a few additional words in Spanish that start with Y, and we will mention some of the most common. First, however, let's learn a couple of things about the letter Y in Spanish.
The letter Y is the 26th letter of the Spanish alphabet and has two names: "i griega," which literally means "Greek i," and "ye."
In terms of pronunciation, the letter "Y" in Spanish has the same sound as the vowel "I" when it stands alone, as in the conjunction y, or at the end of a word, following another vowel. Let's hear this in a few clips:
Como veis, estoy rodeada de paja, ¿vale?
As you can see, I'm surrounded by straw, right?
Caption 5, Amaya - Donkey Dreamland
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se siente muy enfadada, muy enojada,
they feel very angry, very mad,
Caption 25, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Frases hechas
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o a la palabra "Uruguay".
or in the word "Uruguay."
En ese caso, la "i griega" del final hace las veces de una vocal "i".
In that case, the letter "y" at the end acts as an "i" vowel.
Captions 27-28, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 5: Diptongo, triptongo, hiato
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For all other instances, the letter Y adopts the consonant sound you can hear in the following words:
cuando el ciclista cayó al asfalto.
when the cyclist fell on the asphalt.
Caption 72, Carlos explica - Vocabulario de las matemáticas
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la papaya,
papaya,
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Adivinanzas de colores
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¿Estás de acuerdo con Susana
Do you agree with Susana
en que el video apoya las conversaciones de paz?
that the video supports the peace talks?
Caption 27, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 9
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Now that we know its names and pronunciation, let's dive into our list of words in Spanish that start with the letter Y.
Right behind the conjunction y and the pronoun yo, this adverb is probably one of the most frequently used words that start with Y in Spanish.
ya es un gran logro personal.
it's already a great personal achievement.
Caption 52, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Las emociones
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empezaron a excavar y encontraron este gran yacimiento.
they began to excavate and found this great site.
Caption 59, Amaya - Teatro romano
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contra siglos de explotación por el imperialismo yanqui.
against centuries of exploitation by Yankee imperialism.
Caption 2, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 1
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Me he comprado un yate.
I've bought myself a yacht.
Caption 23, Clase Aula Azul - La segunda condicional
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también una yegua
a mare as well,
Caption 34, Quito - Zoológico de Guayllabamba
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Así separamos la clara de la yema.
This is how we separate the white from the yolk.
Caption 52, El Aula Azul - Receta de natillas
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Keep in mind that this word can also be written with "h" (hierba).
Y me pidió mate de bombilla
And he asked me for mate with a bombilla
y no tengo yerba.
and I don't have the [mate] herb.
Caption 50, Yago - 5 La ciudad
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Es el yerno de mi abuelo Juan.
He's my Grandpa Juan's son-in-law.
Caption 15, Curso de español - ¿Qué relación hay entre ellos?
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sin tener que poner un yeso
without having to put on a cast
o algo que le limite mucho más.
or something that would limit him much more.
Caption 46, Los médicos explican - El tratamiento de las fracturas
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cuatro ladrillos de esos estuvieran pegados con yeso.
four of those bricks were glued with plaster.
Caption 55, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar - Capítulo 2
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Me creen. Me creen. Me creen un yoyó.
They believe me. They believe me. They believe I am a yo-yo.
Me tienen pa'rriba y pa'bajo.
They've got me [going] up and down.
Captions 68-69, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
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Cuando trabajamos en yoga las posturas,
When we work in yoga, on the postures,
Caption 5, Ana Teresa - El yoga y la columna vertebral
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Me encanta comer cereal con yogur de cerezas. -OK.
I love to eat cereal with cherry yogurt. -OK.
Caption 15, Carlos y Xavi - Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia
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La yuca es una raíz... que crece en la selva,
Yucca is a root... that grows in the jungle,
Caption 66, Otavalo - Julia nos muestra las verduras
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In addition to these words, there are other Spanish words of foreign origin that start with the letter Y, such as yen (yen), yudo (judo), and yihad (jihad), just to name a few. And let's not forget one word that is hopefully helping you a lot with your Spanish: Yabla!
With this last familiar word, we have come to the end of this lesson. Did we leave out any important Spanish words that start with the letter Y? If so, please let us know so we can add them to this list... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Let's talk about the various types of fruits in Spanish. Do you know how to say the names of fruits like "apple" or "peach" in Spanish? If you don't know, don't worry! In this lesson, we will find out how to spell and say the names of different fruits in Spanish. Of course, we can't talk about all of the fruits of the world, but we will cover many of the most popular ones with the following list of fruits in Spanish and English. Let's take a look!
Una manzana roja.
A red apple.
Caption 32, Cleer y Lida Picnic
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La palabra "pera" tiene dos sílabas:
The word "pera" [pear] has two syllables:
Caption 11, Lara enseña Tildes - Part 1
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Lo único que, en vez de llevar mermelada de albaricoque,
The only one that, instead of having inside apricot jam,
Caption 29, Horno San Onofre El Chocolate
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A mí me recuerda... como si fuese una cereza.
It reminds me... as if it were a cherry.
Caption 58, Amaya Cata de vinos
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Me volvió a gustar la compota de durazno
I started liking peach baby food again
Caption 4, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 7 - Part 1
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It is important to say that another Spanish term for the word "peach" is melocotón. This term is the prevalent term in Spain:
Por ejemplo con melocotón.
For example with peach.
Caption 53, Recetas Tortilla
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una lima, y se utilizan mucho para una bebida
a lime, and are used a lot for a drink
Caption 21, Otavalo Julia nos muestra las verduras
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con un poco de sal y limón
with a bit of salt and lemon
Caption 14, Ana Carolina Receta para una picada
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Aquí están las mandarinas.
Here are tangerines.
Caption 75, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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saben a naranja.
taste like orange.
Caption 34, Ariana Cita médica
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Ahora le vamos a poner un poquito de melón.
Now we're going to add a little melon.
Caption 19, Desayuno Puerto Escondido Frutas
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Le vamos a poner... sandía,
We're going to put... watermelon,
Caption 3, Desayuno Puerto Escondido Frutas
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Y me comí un heladito de fresa porque me daba antojos.
And I ate a strawberry ice cream because I was craving it.
Caption 14, Los médicos explican Consulta con el médico: la diarrea
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lleva una mermelada natural de frambuesa
it has inside an organic raspberry jam
Caption 30, Horno San Onofre El Chocolate
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La mora es mi fruta favorita.
The blackberry is my favorite fruit.
Caption 59, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Estas son las uvas.
These are grapes.
Caption 22, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Esto es el banano o plátano.
This is the banana or plantain.
Caption 38, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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As you saw in the video clip, this fruit is also known in some regions as the plátano. However, keep in mind that the word plátano can also refer to the plantain:
Por último, procedemos a freír el tradicional plátano venezolano,
Lastly, we proceed to fry the traditional Venezuelan plantains,
Caption 75, Recetas de cocina Pabellón criollo
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El agua de coco es muy nutritiva y además te calma mucho la sed.
Coconut water is very nutritious and plus it quenches your thirst a lot.
Caption 84, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Esta es una granadilla.
This is a passion fruit.
Caption 40, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Se llama guanábana
It's called soursop
Caption 28, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Esto se llama guayaba.
This is called guava.
Caption 54, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Este es el mango.
This is mango.
Caption 21, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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Son unas papayas chiquitas
They are small papayas
Caption 11, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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piña en trocitos,
chunks of pineapple,
Caption 13, Cleer y Lida El regreso de Lida
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In addition to all of the fruits we have mentioned, we would like to add two more fruits that are often not treated as such:
Vamos a conocer un poco sobre la historia del aguacate y sus beneficios.
We're going to find out a bit about the history of the avocado and its benefits.
Caption 3, Melyna El aguacate
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Por lo tanto, botánicamente hablando, el tomate es una fruta,
Therefore, botanically speaking, the tomato is a fruit
Captions 33-34, Fermín Ensalada de tomate
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Now that we have seen how to write and pronounce the names of many important fruits in Spanish, we wanted to leave you with the following quick reference list of fruits in Spanish and English:
aguacate (avocado)
albaricoque (apricot)
banano (banana)
cereza (cherry)
ciruela (plum)
coco (coconut)
durazno (peach)
fresa (strawberry)
frambuesa (raspberry)
granadilla (passion fruit)
guanábana (soursop)
guayaba (guava)
kiwi (kiwi)
lima (lime)
limón (lemon)
mandarina (tangerine)
mango (mango)
manzana (apple)
melocotón (peach)
melón (melon)
mora (blackberry)
naranja (orange)
nectarina (nectarine)
papaya (papaya)
pera (pear)
piña (pineapple)
plátano (banana)
sandía (watermelon)
tomate (tomato)
uva (grape)
And that's all for this lesson. Before we go, we invite you to answer the following question: ¿Cuál es tu fruta preferida? We hope you've enjoyed this lesson, and we'd love for you to send us your suggestions and comments. ¡Hasta la próxima!
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