In a previous lesson, we focused on the relative pronouns el que, la que, los que and las que, which usually mean "the one" or "ones that" or "who." This time, we will introduce the remaining relative pronouns in Spanish, learning their English equivalents and how to use them in context.
Relative pronouns in English include "that," "which," "who," etc. in phrases like "the girl who is wearing black," "the house that we bought" and "the truck, which is brand new, broke down already." As we see, these words connect relative clauses like "is wearing black," "we bought" and "is brand new" to let the listener know what or whom specifically is being referred to and/or reveal qualities about them. Let's take a look at the equivalents of these terms in Spanish.
The relative pronoun que is the most commonly seen relative pronoun. It can refer to people or things and mean that, which, who or whom. Regardless of the number and gender of the antecedent (what the pronoun refers to), the relative pronoun que remains the same. Let's look at several examples from the Yabla Spanish video library that describe both objects and people and are translated in some of the aforementioned ways.
Hoy os quiero contar un poquito sobre el último libro que he leído.
Today, I want to tell you a little bit about the last book that I've read.
Caption 8, Adriana La lectura - Part 2
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y me inclino bastante por trabajar el realismo mágico, que es un género.
and I'm quite inclined to work in magic realism, which is a genre.
Caption 4, Julia Silva Su cortometraje "Crisálida"
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Necesito información sobre la mujer que acaba de entrar.
I need information about the woman who just went in.
Caption 32, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 11
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Refer to this lesson on the many uses of the word que in Spanish to hear this usage contrasted with many others.
Like el que, la que, los que and las que, the relative pronouns el cual, la cual, los cuales and las cuales must agree with their antecedent in terms of number and gender. Since this set of pronouns can refer to objects or people, they can be translated as which or who. Let's examine an example of each one, noting the agreement between the relative pronoun and its antecedent.
El tercer sentido es el sentido del gusto, con el cual podemos percibir el sabor de las cosas
The third sense is the sense of taste with which we can perceive the flavor of the things
Captions 33-34, Carlos explica Los cinco sentidos - Part 2
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Conocí a mi... la mamá de mis hijos, la cual tenía familia en Alemania
I met my... the mother of my children, who had family in Germany,
Captions 10-11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Fernando y el mariachi
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y también los Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez, los cuales son muy famosos
and also, the Cecilio Rodríguez Gardens, which are very famous
Captions 27-28, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Visitando Madrid
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es decir, de opiniones en las cuales emitimos un juicio de valor sobre algo o alguien.
in other words, about opinions in which we cast a value judgment about something or someone.
Captions 11-12, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 3
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Were you able to pick out the antecedents in each sentence and see how their corresponding relative pronouns agree in number and gender? They are: el gusto/el cual (masculine singular), la mamá de mis hijos/la cual (feminine singular), los Jardines de Cecilio Rodríguez/los cuales (masculine plural) and (las) opiniones/las cuales (feminine singular).
In contrast to the relative pronouns we have seen thus far, quien and quienes can only refer to people. While gender does not matter, quien must be used for just one person whereas quienes is used for more than one. As we see below, the English equivalents of quien and quienes are who and whom.
La una que es la persona quien conduce el bote, que se le dice el lanchero,
[Number] one is the person who drives the boat, who is called the boatman,
Caption 13, Instinto de conservación Gorgona - Part 7
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Los corsarios eran marinos en su mayoría respetables a quienes los monarcas otorgaban las patentes de corso,
The corsairs were, for the most part, respectable sailors to whom the monarchs granted letters of marque,
Captions 57-58, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 3
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Note that this use differs from the use of the word quién (with an accent) as a Spanish question word.
In contrast to the relative pronouns we have seen thus far, lo que (what, that, which, that which) and lo cual (which) refer not to an antecedent noun but to an entire antecedent clause. Since these clauses include nouns and verbs and entail concepts and situations, gender is not applicable. Keep in mind that while lo que may refer to something stated explicitly in the sentence or something that is not, el cual must refer to something within the sentence. With this in mind, let's see a few examples:
Pero realmente, lo que hice fue dedicarme a buscar la tierra perfecta.
But really, what I did was devote myself to looking for the perfect land.
Captions 56-57, Amaya Recordando - Part 2
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¿Qué era lo que decía, mamita?
What was it that it said, Mommy?
Caption 16, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 11
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podrán ver objetos colgados por todos lados, lo cual crea un ambiente bastante colorido y surreal.
you'll be able to see objects hanging everywhere, which creates a quite colorful and surreal atmosphere.
Captions 54-55, Viajando con Carlos Andrés Carne de Res
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Just when you thought you'd memorized the meanings of a bunch of infinitive verbs (their "to" forms, like saber (to know), poder (to be able), etc.), you find out that there are some verbs that actually change meanings from one tense to another! Verbs that mean one thing in tenses like the Spanish present indicative tense and the imperfect tense in Spanish but change meaning in the Spanish preterite tense will be the focus of today's lesson.
In a nutshell, there are two "main" past tenses in Spanish: the imperfect tense in Spanish, which is used to describe past actions that were ongoing, in progress, or interrupted, and the Spanish preterite tense, which describes completed past actions. As we mentioned, as the meaning of some Spanish verbs actually changes in the preterite tense in Spanish, let's take a look at some examples of several of these verbs and their translations in the present, the imperfect, and, finally, the preterite, via examples from Yabla Spanish's video library.
Let's take a look at some examples of the Spanish verb conocer in the present and imperfect tenses:
Present Tense:
porque conozco un sitio muy bueno y podemos ir.
because I know a very good place and we can go.
Caption 67, Cleer Entrevista a Giluancar
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Imperfect Tense:
Pablo Escobar conocía La Catedral como la palma de la mano,
Pablo Escobar knew La Cathedral like the back of his hand
Caption 42, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 2 - Part 6
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In both the Spanish present indicative and the imperfect tense, the Spanish verb conocer means "to know" in the sense of "being familiar with." However, in the preterite tense, the Spanish verb conocer has a different meaning. Let's take a look:
Preterite Tense:
Cuando yo conocí a mi esposa, hace nueve años, la primera cosa yo le dije a ella, te... tú vas a ser la mamá de mis hijas.
When I met my wife, nine years ago, the first thing I said to her, you... you are going to be the mom of my daughters.
Captions 52-54, La Sub30 Familias - Part 4
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As you can see in this example, as the preterite tense in Spanish limits an action to a specific moment in time, the meaning of the Spanish verb conocer changes to "to meet" in the Spanish preterite tense.
The Spanish verb poder means "to be able," in the sense of "can" in the present or "could" in the past. Let's see some examples:
Present Tense:
Detrás de mí podemos observar la ciudad antigua
Behind me, we can observe the old city
Caption 11, Ciudad de Panamá Denisse introduce la ciudad
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Imperfect Tense:
Yo pensé que podía saltar muy alto.
I thought I could jump really high.
Caption 14, Guillermina y Candelario Una Amiga muy Presumida - Part 2
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So, how does the meaning of the Spanish verb poder transform in the preterite?
Preterite Tense:
Es que no entiendo cómo pudo entrar aquí.
It's just that I don't understand how he managed to get in here.
Caption 20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 8
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Although "It's just that I don't understand how he was able to get in here" could also be a viable translation, in some contexts, this English rendition would not make it clear whether someone actually did something or merely had the ability to do so. Hence, the important thing to remember when the Spanish verb poder is conjugated in the Spanish preterite tense is that it ceases to describe merely the potential for something to happen and states that it actually did. "To manage" (to do something) is thus a common translation for the Spanish verb poder in the preterite tense that makes this distinction clear.
The meaning of no poder in both the present and imperfect tenses in Spanish is pretty straightforward: "to not be able to," in other words, "can't" in the present and "couldn't" in the (imperfect) past:
Present Tense:
¿Cómo que no pueden hacer nada? ¿Cómo que no pueden hacer nada más?
What do you mean you can't do anything? What do you mean you can't do anything else?
Caption 17, Yago 3 La foto - Part 2
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Imperfect Tense:
Y no podía estudiar.
And I couldn't study.
Caption 1, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 3
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So, what about the preterite? If we know that the preterite form of the Spanish verb poder means "to manage to" do something, it follows that the preterite form of no poder can mean "to not manage to," or, better yet, "to fail to" to do something.
Preterite Tense:
Si usted no pudo controlar su matrimonio ¿cómo va a controlar y dirigir y manejar el interés público?
If you failed to control your marriage, how are you going to control and direct and manage public interest?
Captions 58-59, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 3
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While we might alternatively translate "si usted no pudo controlar su matrimonio" as "you couldn't control your marriage" or "you weren't able to control your marriage," the important thing to remember is that the verb poder in the preterite means that something in the past was attempted but did not come to fruition.
The Spanish verb saber typically means "to know" (in the sense of facts or information) in the present, imperfect, etc.:
Present Tense:
No es información nueva, y ellas lo saben.
It's not new information, and they know it.
Caption 7, Clase Aula Azul Información con subjuntivo e indicativo - Part 3
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Imperfect Tense:
Sí. Si algo sabíamos era que la plata no crece en los árboles.
Yes. If we knew anything, it was that money didn't grow on trees.
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 10 - Part 2
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However, because the preterite tense in Spanish narrows the timeline of such "knowing" down to a specific moment, the meaning of the Spanish verb saber transforms, in the preterite tense, from "to know" to "to find out":
Preterite Tense:
A tal punto que yo me alegré mucho, mucho, cuando supe que ibas a pasar veinticinco años en la cárcel.
To the point that I was very happy, very, when I found out you were going to spend twenty-five years in prison.
Captions 56-57, Yago 14 La peruana - Part 1
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The verb tener in Spanish means "to have" in most tenses, as in the following excerpts:
Present Tense:
Todas las estaciones tienen sus ventajas.
All of the seasons have their advantages.
Caption 42, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 2
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Imperfect Tense:
Tenía una casa pues, amueblada de cuatrocientos metros
I had a, well, furnished, four-hundred meter house,
Caption 79, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 8
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And, although the meaning of the Spanish verb tener doesn't always change in the preterite, it sometimes takes on the meaning of "to receive" or "to get," as in the case of: Tuve una carta (I got a letter). Let's look at an additional example:
Preterite Tense:
Y bueno, ahí tuve otras proposiciones, que no eran tampoco un sueño, pero eran mucho más interesantes que lo que tenía en Cuba,
And well, there, I got other proposals, which weren't a dream either, but they were much more interesting than what I had in Cuba,
Captions 49-51, Orishas Entrevista Canal Plus
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6. Querer (to want)
The verb querer in Spanish most often means "to want." Let's see it in action:
Present Tense:
Amigos de Yabla, hoy los queremos invitar a aprender español
Friends of Yabla, today we want to invite you to learn Spanish
Captions 1-2, El Hatillo, Caracas, Venezuela El cuatro
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Imperfect Tense:
Yo de niña pensaba que quería ser bailarina. ¿Qué pensabas tú?
As a little girl I thought that I wanted to be a dancer. What did you think?
Caption 20, Conjugación El verbo 'pensar'
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In the preterite tense, however, the Spanish verb querer "puts a limit" on this past "wanting" and becomes a manner of saying that someone "tried" to do something:
Preterite Tense:
Yo quise ser su amiga, pero no me dejó.
I tried to be his friend, but he didn't let me.
Caption 38, Guillermina y Candelario Un marciano en la playa - Part 1
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In our first two tenses, the Spanish verb phrase no querer means exactly what it sounds like: "to not want." Let's examine some clips that demonstrate this construction in the present and imperfect:
Present Tense:
Es que yo no quiero vivir en el centro.
The thing is, I don't want to live in the downtown area.
Caption 71, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y persona ideal
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Imperfect Tense:
y en un principio le dije que no quería tener un gato en casa.
and at first, I told her I didn't want to have a cat in my home.
Caption 32, Fermín y los gatos Mi gata Poeska
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The preterite form of the Spanish verb querer, on the other hand, means that someone not only "didn't want" to do something at a specific point in the past, they actually didn't (or "wouldn't"):
mi otra hermana, Zoraida Zárraga, mi sobrino, Harold Blanco, que no quisieron presentarse por temor a cámara.
my other sister, Zoraida Zarraga, my nephew, Harold Blanco, who refused to appear due to camera shyness.
Captions 11-13, Coro, Venezuela Relaciones familiares
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So, we see that the meaning of the verb no querer in Spanish can sometimes become to "to refuse" in the preterite tense.
We hope that this lesson has edified you regarding the alternative meanings of some Spanish verbs when they are conjugated in the preterite tense. Can you think of any we missed? Don't forget to tell us with your suggestions and comments.
Si no or sino? That is the question of today's lesson. Do you know when to write one or the other? Both expressions seem very similar but they don’t necessarily mean the same thing. Although even native speakers make mistakes when writing these words, the truth is they are used in specific cases that are easily recognizable. Let's start this lesson with a little quiz:
Which one would you use in the following sentence?:
Amalia no ha llegado al apartamento; ____ ya me hubiera llamado.
Amalia hasn't arrived at the apartment; otherwise she would have called me already.
What about in this one?:
No solamente cubre la ciudad de Bogotá, ____ varios municipios alrededor de... de Bogotá.
It doesn't just cover the city of Bogota, but rather several municipalities around... Bogota.
We will unveil the answers at the end of this lesson. Now, let's dive into the difference between si no and sino.
Si no is made of two parts. The conditinal conjunction 'si' and the negation 'no'. We use si no to introduce a negative conditional sentence. In particular, we use si no when it works as "otherwise" to imply the idea of "on the contrary". Let's see a couple of examples:
Porque todos son amantes de los animales, si no, no vendrían a vernos.
Because they are all animal lovers, otherwise, they wouldn't come to see us.
Captions 45-46, Santuario para burros - Voluntarios
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¿Grabó esto sin su permiso?
Did you record this without her permission?
Claro que sí. Si no, no la habría descubierto.
Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't have discovered it.
Captions 52-54, Los casos de Yabla - El perrito malcriado
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In Spanish, the word sino is a conjunction that usually works as the English equivalent "but" or "but rather". Generally speaking, we use it to create a contrast between and affirmative statement that is placed right after a negative one. Let's see a couple of examples:
Que no es una chica, sino un chico. -Oh...
That's it's not a girl, but rather a boy. -Oh...
Caption 40, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam
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Por esta razón, no decimos "uno libro", sino "un libro".
For this reason, we don't say "uno libro," but rather "un libro" ["a book"].
Caption 39, Carlos explica - Los Números: Números Cardinales
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Sometimes, we also use sino when we want to state an exception:
Nadie lo sabe sino tu padre.
Nobody except your father knows it.
And finally, we use sino when we want to add more elements to a single statement, usually with the formula 'no solo... sino también' (not only... but also):
Unas de las bandas más importantes de Latinoamérica,
One the most important bands in Latin America,
este... no sólo por su trabajo musical,
um... not only because of their musical work,
sino también por su trabajo social y activismo ambiental.
but also because of their social work and environmental activism.
Captions 10-12, Doctor Krápula - Entrevista
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Considering all of the above, it is time to solve the questions we posed at the beginning of this lesson. Let's unveil the answers:
Amalia no ha llegado al apartamento; si no ya me hubiera llamado.
Amalia hasn't arrived at the apartment; otherwise she would have called me already.
Caption 19, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capitulo 4
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No solamente cubre la ciudad de Bogotá, sino varios municipios alrededor de... de Bogotá.
It doesn't just cover the city of Bogota, but rather several municipalities around... Bogota.
Captions 57-58, Bogotá - Chorro de Quevedo
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That's it for today. We hope this lesson helped you to understand when to write sino and si no. And don't forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
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