Do you know what a phrasal verb is? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, it is "an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element, typically either an adverb... a preposition... or a combination..." Some common examples of the countless English phrasal verbs are "break down," "break up, "put in," "put on," and so forth, and while there are far less phrasal verbs in Spanish, there are many common ones it would behoove you to know. For this purpose, we have comprised a list of 35 with examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.
While some Spanish phrasal verbs can be translated literally into English, others employ a different preposition than their English counterparts or have totally different literal translations. With this in mind, let's look at the list.
The verb acabar (to finish) plus the preposition de (from/of) plus an infinitive Spanish verb (the "to" or -ing form) means that one "has just" completed some action. Let's take a look:
Acabamos de disfrutar de Jarabe de Palo.
We just enjoyed Jarabe de Palo.
Caption 25, Tu Música Rock en español
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The reflexive verb acordarse de is a synonym for recordar (to remember) in Spanish. Both are used to talk about what one "remembers" or "remembers to" do:
Me acuerdo de estar aquí con mi perro,
I remember being here with my dog
Caption 53, Amaya Recordando - Part 1
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The reflexive verb acostumbrarse plus the preposition a means "to get used to" or "accustomed to" something:
y nos acostumbramos a ir a playas,
and we got used to going to beaches,
Caption 40, El coronavirus La cuarentena en Coro, Venezuela - Part 1
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Yet another reflexive verb, alegrarse de, is used to talk about one being happy or pleased about something. You will often see it alongside the conjunction que plus a verb in the subjunctive mood, as we see below:
Me alegro de que le guste.
I'm glad you like it.
Caption 15, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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Although caer bien literally means "to fall well," like the verb gustar, it is used to describe the idea of "liking." Like gustar and other verbs like gustar, it is usually employed with an indirect object pronoun in sentences where, grammatically speaking, it is the object of the sentence (what is liked) that performs the action. Let's see an example:
Creo que a Lola no le cae bien.
I think Lola doesn't like her.
Caption 60, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 6
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You might have guessed that caer mal (literally "to fall badly") means the opposite of caer bien and functions similarly to convey the idea that one does not like someone or something:
Creo que le caigo mal a mi jefe.
I think that my boss doesn't like me.
Caption 21, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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Interestingly, while we get married "to" someone in English, the Spanish verb for "to marry" contains the preposition con, making its translation "'to marry with":
El príncipe se casó con ella
The prince married her
Caption 61, Cleer La princesa y el guisante
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Whereas the Spanish verb contar by itself can have such diverse meanings as "to tell" and "to count," with the preposition con, it means "to count on" (not with!).
Sabes que puedes contar con todas en cualquier momento, en cualquier necesidad que tengamos.
You know that you can count on all of them at any time, for any need that we might have.
Captions 28-29, Mari Carmen La amistad
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As you can see, the phrasal verb dar con does not mean "to give with"! Let's see its correct translation in an example sentence:
Ayer di con mis zapatos.
Yesterday I found my shoes.
Caption 26, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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As our friend Carolina explains in her video on the verb dar, which means "to give" on its own, the phrasal verb dar por can mean different things when used with an adjective vs. a participle. Let's see an example of each:
A su marido lo dieron por muerto en la guerra.
Her husband was presumed dead in the war.
Caption 32, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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Doy la fiesta por terminada.
I consider the party finished.
Caption 30, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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In this case, the reflexive form of the verb dar is employed along with the noun prisa (hurry/rush) to mean "to hurry" or "hurry up":
Pues, dese prisa, se lo está llevando la grúa.
Well, hurry up, the tow truck is taking it.
Caption 38, Los casos de Yabla El perrito malcriado - Part 2
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The Spanish verb dejar plus de plus an infinitive verb means "to stop" or "quit" doing something:
"Mi marido dejó de fumar hace ya cuatro años".
"My husband quit smoking four years ago now."
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 2
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We should mention that the negative version of this phrasal verb, no dejar de, can be utilized to express the idea of "always," as we see here:
no deja de haber muchísima gente.
there are always a ton of people.
Caption 18, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 1
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The Spanish version of "to depend on" would be "to depend of" if translated literally:
depende de la porción que vayan a hacer;
it depends on the portion you're going to make;
Caption 27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y el pozole - Part 2
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Similarly, one falls in love "of" someone instead of "with" them in Spanish:
Me enamoré de un chico, que es el padre de mis hijos,
I fell in love with a guy, who is the father of my children,
Caption 11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 1
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While encontrarse con sounds like it would mean "to find oneself with," its actual meaning is "to get together" or "meet up with" (which is not too far off!):
Y "anteayer" me encontré con unas amigas,
And "the day before yesterday," I met up with some friends,
Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 3
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The Spanish verb echar can have different meanings from "to throw" to "to fire." In conjunction with the preposition a and a verb in the infinitive, however, it means "to start to" do something, usually in a sudden fashion. Let's see two examples:
Se asustó, echó a correr y no hubo manera de cogerlo.
It got scared, it took off running, and there was no way to get it.
Caption 62, Soledad Positivo y negativo
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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We bet you wouldn't guess that something that seems to mean "to throw of less" is a synonym for extrañar (to miss) in Spanish:
Ay, yo os he echado de menos.
Oh, I've missed you.
Caption 4, Con Marta por Madrid El Palacio Real y Doña Manolita - Part 1
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Estar para literally means "to be for," which is pretty close to its English equivalents "to be up for" or "in the mood" for something:
Es que ya no estoy para tantas vueltas y me siento cansado.
It's just that I am not up for so many rounds and I feel tired.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El parque de diversiones - Part 1
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Estar por, in contrast, typically means "to be in" or "around" some area or, when accompanied by an infinitive, becomes a phrasal verb that means "to be about to" do something. Let's see an example of each of these uses:
Yo estaba por ahí, todavía estaba caminando, ¿no?
I was around there, still walking, right?
Caption 21, Federico Kauffman Doig Arqueólogo - Part 3
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que todo está por... por... por empezar,
when everything is about to... to... to start,
Caption 65, Amaya Recordando - Part 3
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While hablar alone means "to speak" or "to talk," if you want to express the idea of "talking about" something, use the Spanish phrasal verb hablar de:
Mi amiga Amaya os habló de este lugar maravilloso
My friend Amaya talked to you about this wonderful place,
Caption 7, Montserrat El burrito Luz
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Since the Spanish phrasal verb llevar a cabo can be literally translated as "to take to the ending," it makes sense that its various English equivalents include "to carry out," "do," "perform" and "accomplish":
Para llevar a cabo estas funciones se necesitan tres figuras claves en el proceso terapéutico:
To carry out these roles, three key figures are needed in the therapeutic process:
Captions 35-36, Isabel Lavesa Terapia asistida con animales
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Although the idea of "forgetting" in Spanish is often expressed as a no fault construction (something more like "it slipped my mind"), the more straightforward way to say that one forgot something in Spanish is with the Spanish phrasal verb olvidarse de:
¡Ah! Me olvidé de estos dos elementos.
Oh! I forgot these two items.
Caption 63, Dayana Rutina de belleza y aseo
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Like the English "think of" or "about," the Spanish phrasal verb pensar de is used to talk about the belief or opinion one has of something or someone.
¿Qué piensas de tu nuevo jefe?
What do you think of your new boss?
Caption 77, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Conjugación
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Pensar en, on the other hand (literally "to think on") is used to talk about one's process of thinking "about" something:
pensamos en un país, en una época, en un pueblo.
we think about a country, an era, a people.
Caption 3, Silvina Una entrevista con la artista
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Similar to echar a, ponerse a plus an infinitive verb refers to "starting" an action.
y al verlas como antes se puso a bailar."
and when she saw them like before, she started to dance."
Caption 60, Cleer Rafael Pombo y "Pastorcita"
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If you wish to talk about what you "worry about," use the Spanish phrasal verb preocuparse por:
que sepan que hay personas que se preocupan por ellas.
so that they know that there are people who are concerned about them.
Caption 8, Transformación Estética
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In her video series on the verb quedar, Silvia mentions the phrasal verb quedarse con, which can have several different meanings including "to keep," "end up with" or "be left." Let's take a look at two captions that include it:
"Tras el divorcio, ella se quedó con el chalé
"After the divorce, she kept the chalet,
Caption 56, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 3
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Toda la familia "se quedó con la boca abierta".
The whole family "was left open-mouthed."
Caption 8, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 7
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As you might imagine, quedarse sin often means the opposite of quedarse con ("to be left" or "end up without"), but it can also mean "to run out of" something:
Nos quedamos sin guitarrista, sin banda y sin concurso; ¡no!
We are left without a guitarist, without a band and without a contest; no!
Caption 16, X6 1 - La banda - Part 6
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No, se quedó sin nafta. -¿Qué?
No, it ran out of gas. -What?
Caption 4, Yago 7 Encuentros - Part 11
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To talk about something or someone you "laughed at," use the Spanish phrasal verb reírse de:
Nos reímos de la muerte.
We laugh at death.
Caption 28, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 3
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As you probably know, salir by itself means "to leave." That said, when referring to leaving a particular place, salir de is the correct Spanish phrasal verb to choose.
Y cuando salimos de la iglesia me dice mi padre:
And when we left the church my father says to me:
Caption 52, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 1
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While it might seem strange to English speakers, the literal translation for this Spanish phrasal verb is "to dream with" (rather than "about"):
y muchas veces incluso sueño con aquellos tiempos.
and very often I even dream about those times.
Caption 49, Clara y Cristina Saludar
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Rather than meaning "to have that," the Spanish phrasal verb tener que plus an infinitive means "to have to" do something:
Todos tenemos que superarlo y tenemos que empeñarnos en ello.
We all have to overcome it, and we have to be set on doing it.
Captions 74-75, Soledad Compartir tus problemas
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When you want to describe something that you're "trying to" do, use the infinitive following the Spanish phrasal verb tratar de:
trato de alimentarme bien, de tomar agua,
I try to eat well, to drink water,
Caption 26, Otavalo Ejercicios
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When talking about "coming to" a place, use the phrasal verb venir a, which translates very literally to English.
¿qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?
what advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?
Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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And finally, when used with an infinitive, volver a (literally "to return to") means to perform some action again. Let's see two examples:
volvimos a revalidar el título
we locked in the title again
Caption 90, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey
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y mi mamá no se volvió a casar,
and my mother didn't remarry,
Caption 55, La Sub30 Familias - Part 2
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After perusing our list of 35 Spanish Phrasal Verbs, we have compiled a list of all of them along with their English translations so that you may study or review them at your leisure:
1. Acabar de: to have just (done something)
2. Acordarse de: to remember/remember to
3. Acostumbrarse a: to get used to/accustomed to
4. Alegrarse de: to be glad/happy/pleased about
5. Caer(le) bien (a alguien): to please (equivalent of "to like")
6. Caer(le) mal (a alguien): to displease (equivalent of "to not like")
7. Casarse con: to marry/get married to
8. Contar con: to count on
9. Dar con: to find
10. Dar por: to presume/consider
11. Darse prisa: to hurry/hurry up
12. Dejar de: to quit or stop (doing something)
13. Depender de: to depend on
14. Enamorarse de: to fall in love with
15. Encontrarse con: to meet up/get together with
16. Echar a: to suddenly start to (do something)
17. Echar de menos: to miss
18. Estar para: to be up for/in the mood for
19. Estar por: to be about to (do something)
20. Hablar de: to talk about
21. Llevar a cabo: to do/carry out/perform/accomplish
22. Olvidarse de: to forget
23. Pensar de: to think of/about (hold a belief)
24. Pensar en: to think about (the thought process)
25. Ponerse a: to start to (do something)
26. Preocuparse por: to worry/be concerned about
27. Quedarse con: to keep/end up with/be left with
28. Quedarse sin: to be left without/end up without/run out of
29. Reírse de: to laugh at
30. Salir de: to leave/leave from (a place)
31. Soñar con: to dream about
32. Tener que: to have to (do something)
33. Tratar de: to try to (do something)
34. Venir a: to come to (a place)
35. Volver a: to do (something) again
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to better navigate many of the most common phrasal verbs in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
Do you know how to say that something "is necessary" in Spanish? Do you like telling people what "has to" be done? We'll teach you a simple formula!
To say something "is necessary" in Spanish, you might use the literal phrase es necesario (it's necessary) plus a verb's infinitive, or "to" form:
Es necesario usar papel, carbón o madera para encenderlo.
It's necessary to use paper, charcoal, or wood to light it.
Caption 22, El Aula Azul Adivina qué es - Part 1
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And, to tell someone what they "have to" do, you could use verbs like tener que (to have to) or deber (must) plus the infinitive:
Tienes que mejorar esto.
You have to improve this.
Caption 28, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Hay y estar
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Bueno, primero debemos hacer la lista de invitados
Well, first, we must make the guest list
Caption 15, Cleer y Carolina Organizando la fiesta del abuelo
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However, if you are looking for a non-literal, conjugation-free alternative (to conjugate just the present indicative tense of tener que, for example, you have to memorize tengo que, tienes que, tiene que, tenemos que, tenéis que, and tienen que), we invite you to use the following, very simple formula, which can express the same thing as the previous three options in various contexts:
Hay que + infinitive
Don't get us wrong— you are going to have to learn those verb conjugations sooner or later! But, perhaps while you do, or as a viable alternative that native speakers often employ, you could opt for hay que + infinitive.
Hay comes from the Spanish verb haber, which is an auxiliary, or helping, verb that means "to have" or "to be" and appears in its conjugated forms as part of different verb tenses (e.g. the present perfect, pluperfect, etc.). Hay is haber's impersonal form, which never changes (it is always just hay in the present tense) and can mean "there is" or "there are." However, when hay is combined with que + infinitive, it becomes a fixed expression that means "it's necessary" (to do something). Let's see a couple of examples:
hay que darle la oportunidad de defenderse.
it's necessary to give him the opportunity to defend himself.
Caption 22, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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¡Hay que reclamar el premio antes de las diez de la noche!
You have to claim the prize before ten p.m.!
Caption 61, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 4
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Note that the second example has been translated with "you have to," a more colloquial equivalent of "it's necessary" that includes the "universal you," implying "people" or "everyone." "One has to" or "one must" would also be valid translations.
The construction hay que + infinitive can be used in basically any context in which you want to say that "it's necessary" to do a particular thing. That said, we have included below a few scenarios in which you are likely to come across it. When reading the translations, keep in mind that while this impersonal construction has no specific subject, in cases in which the context or sentence makes clear who the speaker feels "has to" or "must" act in a particular way, the construction is often translated as if the subject were explicitly stated.
Since the construction hay que + infinitive explains what "people have to do," it only makes sense that it is often heard when talking about perceived wisdom about life:
En la vida hay que saber relajarse,
In life, you need to know how to relax,
Caption 44, Ana Teresa 5 principios del yoga
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El pasado hay que olvidarlo, hay que enterrarlo,
The past, you have to forget it, you have to bury it,
Captions 38-39, Yago 2 El puma - Part 1
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As we mentioned earlier, you might use the expression hay que + infinitive to tell someone what to do without explicitly saying "you must," as in these two examples from the popular series Confidencial: Asesino al Volante:
Yo sé que les dijimos que no vinieran por acá pero hay que darles la buena noticia.
I know we told them not to come here, but we have to give them the good news.
Captions 65-66, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 11
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Hay que demostrar que tú no eres ningún criminal,
You have to show that you're no criminal,
Caption 61, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 10
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In other cases, one might give a suggestion as to what they generally feel that "people" should do:
pues, hay que ir a México.
well, you have to go to Mexico.
Caption 32, World Travel Market en Londres Raúl nos habla de México
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Since giving directions entails explaining what "has to be done," you will often hear the construction hay que + infinitive in this context:
Después hay que torcer la primera calle a la izquierda.
Then you have to turn to the left on the first street.
Caption 34, Curso de español Disculpe, ¿hay un cine por aquí?
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Primero hay que ir todo derecho, ¿sí?
First you have to go straight ahead, right?
Caption 23, Curso de español Direcciones en la ciudad
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Similarly, hay que + infinitive will often be heard in contexts where specific instructions are given, such as cooking a particular recipe or for some other process:
Hay que añadir el agua poco a poco y vamos amasando hasta obtener una mezcla homogénea.
It's necessary to add the water little by little and we start kneading until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
Captions 11-12, Recetas de cocina Arepas colombianas
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Cuando se bañan, hay que estar seguros de que no se mojen,
When they are bathed, you have to make sure they don't get wet,
Caption 39, La veterinaria "Huesos" visita a la doctora - Part 1
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These are, of course, just a few of the many situations in which you might use or encounter the construction hay que + infinitive.
While haber que + infinitive is probably most commonly seen the present indicative tense, it can also be found in other tenses. Let's see some examples in the imperfect tense , the preterite tense, and the future tense:
Definitivamente había que dejar el trabajo para dedicarme al restaurante.
I definitely had to leave my job to dedicate myself to the restaurant.
Caption 13, La Sub30 Familias - Part 9
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hubo que salir corriendo porque la Señora Di Carlo se moría.
we had to leave running because Mrs. Di Carlo was dying.
Caption 84, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 6
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En fin, supongo que habrá que esperar hasta el lunes.
Anyway, I guess that it will have to wait until Monday.
Caption 86, Negocios La solicitud de empleo - Part 2
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And remember that, just like for the present, you only have to remember one form of haber for each tense: había que for the imperfect, hubo que for the preterite, and habrá que in the future. Yabla's lesson entitled Había o habían muchos libros? elaborates further.
As you've probably surmised from our plethora of examples, the construction haber que + infinitive is extremely common and useful, and now that you're familiar with it: hay que practicarlo mucho (you have to practice it a lot)! And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
The use of the Spanish subjunctive can be a source of confusion for native English speakers. However, the easy-to-recall acronym W.E.I.R.D.O. can help you to understand when to use subjunctive in Spanish.
The subjunctive is one of the three "moods" in Spanish: the indicative, the subjunctive, and the imperative. Most simply put, the imperative encompasses commands, the indicative describes objective or certain actions, and verbs in the subjunctive reflect subjectivity, a lack of certainty, or emotion.
You can tell a Spanish verb is subjunctive because it is conjugated differently than "normal." For example, while Tú hablas means "You speak" in the indicative, if you wish to say, "I hope you speak," the verb changes to hables in the translation Espero que tú hables because the concept of "hoping" something happens is subjunctive. In contrast, while the English language is perfectly capable of expressing these same ideas, there is no difference in the form of the verbs in the equivalent sentences "You speak" and "I hope you speak."
Because the subjunctive is a mood rather than a tense, it might depict actions in the past, present, or future. For this reason, just like in the indicative mood, there are many subjunctive tenses in Spanish. That said, the examples in today's lesson will be in the present subjunctive, which you can learn how to formulate in this lesson on conjugating the present subjunctive in Spanish.
The Spanish subjunctive is used in dependent clauses that are often introduced by que or another conjunction. Subjunctive sentences typically involve more than one subject and more than one verb. For example, in our aforementioned sentence: Yo espero que tú hables, there are two subjects, Yo (I) and tú (you), and two verbs, espero (I hope) and hables (you speak), with the subjunctive verb hables appearing in the dependent clause that follows the word que.
The amusing acronym W.E.I.R.D.O., which stands for Wishes, Emotions, Impersonal Expressions, Recommendations, Doubt/Denial, and Ojalá, can help you to remember several contexts that require the subjunctive. In each subcategory, we will introduce you to several verbs that "trigger" the use of the subjunctive.
Just because one wishes or hopes things will happen doesn't mean they will, not to mention those actions we ask (or even order!) others to perform. Spanish employs the subjunctive mood to talk about such situations, often using the common formula of a "wishing" verb plus que plus a verb in the present subjunctive. Let's take a look at some examples:
Si queremos que nuestro café sea más dulce podemos añadir azúcar, nata, leche condensada, miel.
If we want for our coffee to be sweeter we can add sugar, cream, condensed milk, honey.
Captions 25-26, Karla e Isabel Como pedir un café
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Así que, esperamos que lo disfruten, que lo sepan gozar, pero eso sí de una manera muy sana.
So, we hope you enjoy it, that you know how to enjoy it, but mind you in a very healthy way.
Captions 25-26, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 1
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Solo te pido que me digas cuál de ellos es Triskas:
I'll just ask for you to tell me which of them is Triskas:
Captions 11-12, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 4
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Verbs that fall into this category of describing wishes or desires include desear (to want/wish/desire), esperar (to hope), exigir (to demand/require), insistir (to insist), mandar (to order), necesitar (to need), ordenar (to order), pedir (to ask), preferir (to prefer), and querer (to want).
Spanish also utilizes the subjunctive mood to talk about one's feeling regarding some action or state, even if it's objectively true. As an example, if you wanted to say "I'm very happy you have a new job," you might use the formula emotion verb plus a conjunction (e.g. que or de que) plus a subjunctive verb to get: Me alegro mucho de que tengas un trabajo nuevo. Let's see some more examples:
Me alegro de que le guste.
I'm glad you like it.
Caption 15, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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A mí lo que me molesta es que tú tengas la verdad de todo. -Loca...
What bothers me is that you have the truth about everything. -Girl...
Caption 54, Yago 9 Recuperación - Part 4
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Encantada [de] que estés aquí, Carolina, bienvenida. -Muchas gracias.
[I'm] delighted you're here, Carolina, welcome. -Thank you very much.
Caption 9, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
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Note that in this last example, the speaker omits the implied verb estar (to be), using only the adjective encantada to convey her delight as is often done in spoken Spanish.
Some common emotion verbs that invoke the subjunctive include alegrarse (to be happy/glad), enojarse (to be/get angry), encantar (to delight), lamentar (to regret), molestar (to bother), sentir (to be sorry), and sorpender (to surprise), among others. For more ways to talk about feelings in Spanish, we recommend this lesson on expressing emotions in Spanish.
Impersonal expressions in both Spanish and English are constructions that do not involve a particular person, for example, Hace viento (It's windy). Impersonal expressions in Spanish that involve the word Es (It's) plus almost any adjective plus the word que are indicators that the verb that follows should be conjugated in the Spanish subjunctive.
Although the adjectives in such impersonal expressions are innumerable, several popular ones include: agradable (nice), bueno (good), curioso (interesting), dudoso (doubtful), estupendo (great), extraño (strange), importante (important), increíble (amazing), necesario (necessary), probable (probable), raro (strange), urgente (urgent), and vergonzoso (embarrassing). Here are a few examples:
y es raro que todavía no haya nadie.
and it's strange that there's nobody [here] still.
Caption 38, Raquel Avisos de Megafonía
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Señor Di Carlo, es importante que hable con usted.
Mister DiCarlo, it's important that I talk to you.
Caption 78, Muñeca Brava 41 La Fiesta - Part 6
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No es necesario que mientas.
It's not necessary for you to lie.
Caption 17, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 12
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Although impersonal expressions can typically be positive or negative and still require the subjunctive, as in this last example (no es necesario in lieu of es necesario), the exception is when they state facts. Examples include es verdad que (it's true that), es cierto que (it's certain that), es seguro que (it's sure that) and es un hecho que (it's a fact that). However, the negative versions of these phrases do require the Spanish subjunctive, as we see in the following examples in which only the second sentence calls for the subjunctive switch:
Es un hecho que él está enfermo (It's a fact that he's sick) = INDICATIVE.
No es un hecho que él esté enfermo (It's not a fact that he's sick) = SUBJUNCTIVE.
As with wishes, the fact we can't be sure if the actions we suggest or recommend will come to fruition is expressed with the subjunctive in Spanish. Our formula would thus consist of a "recommending verb" plus que plus a verb in subjunctive. Such "recommending" verbs include but aren't limited to aconsejar (to advise), decir (to tell), dejar (to allow), exigir (to demand), hacer (to make/force), insistir (to insist), mandar (to order), ordenar (to order), prohibir (to forbid), proponer (to propose), recomendar (to recommend), rogar (to beg), sugerir (to suggest), and suplicar (to beg), some of which overlap with the "wishes" category. Let's see some examples:
les sugiero que visiten el sugestivo Museo del oro,
I suggest that you visit the intriguing Gold Museum,
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
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te recomiendo que muevas algunos muebles del salón a la cocina.
I recommend that you move some pieces of furniture from the living room to the kitchen.
Captions 32-33, Karla e Isabel Preparar una fiesta
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les aconsejo que vayan a Zipaquirá,
I advise you to go to Zipaquira,
Caption 29, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - Mitos y leyendas Muiscas
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The Yabla video Escuela Don Quijote- En el aula- Part 1 can teach you even more about using the Spanish subjunctive to give advice.
Sentences that express doubt and denial also call for the Spanish subjunctive via a similar formula: a doubt/denial verb plus que plus a verb in the subjunctive. Interestingly, although this includes the verb dudar (to doubt) in sentences like Dudo que venga (I doubt he'll come), most of the other verbs in this category are negative, in other words, consist of a verb with "no" in front of it. Examples include: no creer (to not believe), no estar seguro (to not be sure), no parecer (to not seem), no pensar (to not think), and no suponer (to not suppose). Let's see some of these in action:
No, no. No creo que haga falta; eso ya está aclarado.
No, no. I don't think it's necessary; that's already cleared up.
Caption 36, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 5
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No, no me parece que queden bien.
No, it doesn't seem like you fit together well to me.
Caption 41, Misión Chef 2 - Pruebas - Part 5
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On the other hand, the positive versions of these very same verbs (without no) trigger the indicative rather than the subjunctive:
Me parece que es la hora de terminar, ¿eh?
I think it's time to finish, huh?
Caption 76, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: parecer y parecerse
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Creo que necesito ir al médico.
I think I need to go to the doctor.
Caption 4, Ariana Cita médica
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Another construction that always goes with the subjunctive is ojalá que (or sometimes just ojalá), which can be translated with such expressions as "I hope," "Let's hope," "If only," and even "God willing." This can be seen in the title of the famous (and very catchy!) tune by Juan Luis Guerra, Ojalá que llueva café en el campo (I Hope it Rains Coffee on the Countryside). Let's watch another couple of examples from our Yabla video library:
Pues, ojalá que tengáis siempre abiertas las puertas de vuestras casas y de vuestros corazones
Well, I hope that you always have open the doors to your homes and your hearts
Captions 56-57, Luis Guitarra Llegaste tú
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Ojalá que todo siga así.
I hope everything keeps going like that.
Caption 60, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
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For more examples, check out Clase Aula Azul's video on the use of ojalá with the subjunctive in Spanish. Let's conclude with one last example:
Bueno, muchas gracias y... y ojalá nos veamos pronto.
Well, thank you very much and... and I hope we see each other soon.
Caption 36, Los Juegos Olímpicos Mario Mola
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Our sentiments exactly! On that note, we hope you've enjoyed this lesson on when to use the subjunctive in Spanish, and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
In this lesson, we will talk about the diaeresis or dieresis in Spanish. But, do you know what a diaeresis is to begin with? Let's take a look at the following clip:
El pueblo de Izamal fue un importante centro urbano maya en la antigüedad.
The town of Izamal was an important Mayan urban center in ancient times.
Caption 26, Mérida y sus alrededores Izamal Pueblo Mágico
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Did you find the dieresis in that clip? If not, please keep reading this lesson, as we are going to tell you how to use the dieresis in Spanish.
In English, a diaeresis is a mark placed over a vowel to indicate that the vowel is emphasized or pronounced separately from the other vowels (as in "naïve" or "Brontë"). In Spanish, a diaeresis is represented by the same symbol (two little dots above a letter). That said, we will now highlight the word that has the diaeresis in the previous clip:
El pueblo de Izamal fue un importante centro urbano maya en la antigüedad.
The town of Izamal was an important Mayan urban center in ancient times.
Caption 26, Mérida y sus alrededores Izamal Pueblo Mágico
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However, as using a dieresis in Spanish is slightly different than in English, let's learn the golden rule for employing this unique symbol.
The rule is quite simple: a diaeresis must be placed over the vowel "u" to indicate that said vowel must be pronounced in words that have the combinations -gue and -gui (since in most Spanish words with these letter combinations, the "u" is silent). For example, in words like guerra (war) and guerilla (guerrilla), the gue- is pronounced more like the English word "gay," while in words like guía (guide) and guisante (pea), gui- sounds like "ghee." The addition of the diaeresis, on the other hand, would transform the sound of the letters gue- to "gway" and -gui to "gwee." Let's take a look at a couple of examples:
todos bastante negativos, humillación, vergüenza, dolor,
all quite negative, humiliation, shame, pain,
Caption 55, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 8 - Part 3
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Los pingüinos se parecen a las gallinas
Penguins are like chickens
Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario Nuestro Amigo Pinguino
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Additionally, please keep in mind that the diaeresis must be used in words that are written in capital letters. Also, if you are wondering how to spell diaeresis in Spanish, it is written as follows: diéresis (an esdrújula word with the graphic accent on the third-to-last syllable).
Are there a lot of Spanish words that require a diaeresis? Although there are not that many, let's take a look at some of the most common palabras con diéresis (words with a diaeresis) in Spanish.
Me muevo mucho entre la ambigüedad.
I move a lot within ambiguity.
Caption 12, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 2
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Justo encima del diccionario bilingüe
Right above the bilingual dictionary,
Caption 5, Tutoriales de Yabla Características adicionales Yabla
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Más bien. ¿Quién se piensa que me trajo, la cigüeña de París?
Of course. Who do you think brought me, the stork from Paris?
Caption 16, Muñeca Brava 48 - Soluciones - Part 8
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o sea, programas de inmersión lingüística en Barcelona.
I mean, language immersion programs, in Barcelona.
Caption 10, Escuela BCNLIP Presentación de la directora - Part 2
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Mírelo tan sinvergüenza.
Look at how shameless he is.
Caption 27, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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And that's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand how to use the dieresis in Spanish. By the way, do you know more palabras con diéresis? Let us know, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments. ¡Hasta la próxima!
How do we talk about an action in progress in Spanish? We use the Spanish present progressive tense, which we'll explore in this lesson.
What is present progressive in Spanish? Simply put, the present progressive tense in Spanish describes actions that are unfolding as we speak, at this moment. Also called the present progressive, its English equivalent includes some form of the verb "to be" in present tense along with the gerund, or -ing form, of a verb. Some examples include: "I'm reading," "You are watching TV," or "We are eating dinner." The Spanish present progressive, which we'll learn to conjugate, takes a very similar form.
So, when exactly do we use the present progressive tense in Spanish? And, what's the difference between the simple present and the Spanish present progressive? This can be a bit confusing since there is some overlap in terms of their English translations at times. Let's take a look:
¿Qué hacés vos acá?
What are you doing here?
-¿Cómo qué hago? Corro.
-What do you mean, what am I doing? I'm running.
Captions 65-66, Cuatro Amigas - Piloto
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Although, much like the present progressive, the simple present tense in Spanish can sometimes be translated into English using the -ing form to say that one "is doing" something in the present, the Spanish simple present tense is also used to describe actions one does on a habitual basis:
¿Y los sábados y domingos, qué haces?
And on Saturdays and Sundays, what do you do?
Caption 19, Español para principiantes - Los días de la semana
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That said, if you really want to emphasize and/or remove any doubt that an action is in progress or happening at this moment, it's necessary to use the Spanish present progressive:
Silvia, ¿qué estás haciendo?
Silvia, what are you doing?
-Estoy cocinando.
-I'm cooking.
Captions 31-32, El Aula Azul - Actividades diarias: En casa con Silvia
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In fact, this last caption is from a video by El Aula Azul that simply and clearly demonstrates the difference between the simple present tense and the present progressive tense in Spanish.
Now that you know when to use the present progressive in Spanish, let's learn how to conjugate present progressive verbs in Spanish. To start, let's review (or learn!) the simple present conjugation of the verb estar (to be), which will convey the idea of "am" or "are":
Yo estoy (I am)
Tú estás (You are)
Él/ella/usted está (He, she is/you are)
Nosotros/nosotras estamos (We are)
Vosotros/vosotras estáis (You are [plural])
Ellos/ellas/ustedes están (They/you [plural] are)
Next, we'll need to break up infinitive Spanish verbs into two categories, verbs that end in -ar and verbs that end in either -er or -ir, in order to form their gerunds (gerundios).
To form the gerund for regular -ar verbs, we'll take the verb's stem (the part before the -ar) and add the suffix -ando. For example, for hablar (to talk), we take the stem habl- and add -ando to get hablando. Let's take a look at a few examples of regular -ar verbs in the present progressive tense in Spanish:
Entonces, en este momento, ¿veis?,
So, right now, you see?
está hablando con su madre por teléfono.
He's talking to his mom on the phone.
Captions 60-61, Clase Aula Azul - Información con subjuntivo e indicativo
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Eh... estoy buscando a Milagros.
Um... I am looking for Milagros.
Caption 6, Muñeca Brava - 39 Verdades
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Estamos caminando aquí en Bleeker Street
We are walking here on Bleeker Street
Caption 72, Eljuri - "Fuerte" EPK
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Conjugating regular -er and -ir verbs in the present progressive Spanish tense is just as easy! Simply take the stem (remove the -er or -ir) and add the suffix -iendo. Thus, for correr (to run), we have corr- plus -iendo to get corriendo, and for vivir (to live), we take viv- plus -iendo for viviendo. Let's look at a few more examples:
¿Por qué estás comiendo basura?
Why are you eating garbage?
Caption 9, Kikirikí - Agua
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Está subiendo, está subiendo la rama.
He's climbing, he's climbing the branch.
Caption 98, Animales en familia - Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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¿Dónde estáis vendiendo aceite?
Where are you selling oil?
Caption 1, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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Although the Spanish present progressive tense is arguably one of the easier verbs to learn to conjugate in Spanish, there are some irregular verbs, of course, which fall into a few categories. Let's examine those categories of verbs with irregular conjugations in the Spanish present progressive.
Verbs with the endings -aer, -eer, -oir, and -uir change from -iendo to -yendo in the Spanish present progressive. Here are some examples:
traer: trayendo (to bring/bringing)
caer: cayendo (to fall/falling)
leer: leyendo (to read/reading)
creer: creyendo (to believe/believing)
construir: construyendo (to build/building)
huir: huyendo (to escape/escaping)
oír: oyendo (to hear/hearing)
Interestingly, the present progressive form of the verb ir (to go) is also yendo:
Sí, me venía a despedir porque ya me estoy yendo.
Yes, I came to say goodbye because I'm leaving now.
Caption 90, Muñeca Brava - 39 Verdades
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Some verbs that change stems in the Spanish simple present tense also have an irregular form in the Spanish present progressive. Verbs whose stems change from -e to -ie (e.g. sentir becomes yo siento, tú sientes, etc.) or -e to -i (vestir changes to yo visto, tú vistes, etc.) tend to change stems from an -e to an -i in the Spanish present progressive as well, while maintaining the suffix -iendo. Let's take a look at some common examples:
sentir: sintiendo (to feel/feeling)
preferir: prefiriendo (to prefer/preferring)
mentir: mintiendo (to lie/lying)
vestir: vistiendo (to dress/dressing)
seguir: siguiendo (to follow/following)
conseguir: consiguiendo (to get/getting)
On the other hand, verbs that change from an -o to a -ue in the simple present often change from an -o to a -u in the Spanish present progressive while maintaining their regular ending (-iendo). Examples include poder ("to be able," which morphs into yo puedo, tú puedes, etc.), dormir ("to sleep," which becomes yo duermo, tú duermes, etc.), and morir ("to die," which transforms to yo muero, tú mueres, etc.). Let's look:
poder: pudiendo (to be able/being able)
dormir: durmiendo (to sleep/sleeping)
morir: muriendo (to die/dying)
Verbs in this fourth category also change from -e to -i in the simple present (e.g. reír, or "to laugh," becomes yo río, tú ríes, etc.) but also have an -e before the -ir ending. In this case, the -e is dropped, while the ending -iendo is maintained, as follows:
reír: riendo (to laugh/laughing)
sonreír: sonriendo (to smile/smiling)
freír: friendo (to fry/frying)
The aforementioned irregular verbs in the present progressive in Spanish by no means constitute an exhaustive list, and although the rules that dictate which verbs are irregular might seem daunting, with increased exposure to Spanish, conjugating such irregular verbs in the present progressive in Spanish should become intuitive in no time!
Let's conclude today's lesson by looking at an example from each of the aforementioned categories of irregular present progressive verbs in Spanish:
Ellos están construyendo la puerta de entrada al santuario de burros.
They're building the entry gate to the donkey sanctuary.
Caption 25, Amaya - Voluntarios
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Esa mujer nos está mintiendo y quiero saber por qué.
That woman is lying to us and I want to know why.
Caption 42, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 4
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¡Aldo, tu hermano se está muriendo
Aldo, your brother is dying,
y a vos lo único que te interesa es la herencia!
and the only thing that interests you is the inheritance!
Caption 63, Yago - 3 La foto
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Se está riendo de todos nosotros.
He's laughing at all of us.
Caption 28, Los casos de Yabla - Problemas de convivencia
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That's all for today. For more information on the present progressive Spanish tense, check out our latest video from El Aula Azul on that very topic! And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
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.
In this lesson, we talk about the plural in Spanish. In particular, we talk about the plural when it refers to nouns. Let's start this lesson with a little quiz. Do you know the plural form of the following nouns?:
1. Casa (house)
2. Perro (dog)
3. Universidad (university)
4. Lápiz (pencil)
5. Jabalí (wild boar)
6. Análisis (analysis)
If you are not sure about how to make a singular noun plural in Spanish, we invite you to take a look at the following simple rules. While going through these rules, we will be unveiling the plural form of the 6 nouns we included in our quiz. Let's take a look.
- Casa (house) - Casas (houses)
- Estudiante (student) - Estudiantes (students)
- Perro (perro) - Perros (dogs)
Se escucha un perro.
You can hear a dog.
Caption 43, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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Tus perros también son muy bonitos.
Your dogs are very beautiful too.
Caption 58, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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- Papá (dad) - Papás (dads)
- Dominó (domino) - Dominós (dominoes)
- Café (coffee) - Cafés (coffees)
Y les voy a mostrar el proceso de control de calidad de café de Colombia.
And I'm going to show you the quality-control process for coffee from Colombia.
Caption 5, Una Historia de Café - La Bodega
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Cada uno de estos cafés tiene distintas cualidades tanto físicas como sensoriales.
Each one of these coffees has different qualities both physically and sensorially.
Caption 14, Una Historia de Café - La Bodega
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- Bisturí (scalpel) - Bisturíes or bisturís (scalpels)
- Jabalí (wild boar) - Jabalíes or jabalís (wild boars)
- Tabú (taboo) - Tabúes or tabús (taboos)
Generally speaking, however, it is preferred to use the plural formed with 'ES'.
Also, this rule is very common when you are dealing with adjectives of nationality:
- Iraní (Iranian) - Iraníes or iranís (Iranians)
- Árbol (tree) - Árboles (trees)
- Profesor (teacher) - Profesores (teachers)
- Universidad (university) - Universidades (universities)
- Rey (king) - Reyes (kings)
La rata esta es el rey de la estafa por allá en Europa.
This rat is the king con artist over there in Europe.
Caption 45, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 1
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Actualmente es la residencia oficial de los reyes de España.
Currently, it's the official residence of the King and Queen of Spain.
Caption 23, Madrid - Un recorrido por la capital de España
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Notice that the singular noun árbol has a graphic accent in the second-to-last syllable (palabra grave). However, when you form the plural, the graphic accent moves to the third-to-last-syllable becoming a proparoxytone word (palabra esdrújula). Similarly, singular nouns like profesor and universidad that are stressed in the last syllable (palabras agudas) become paroxytone words (palabras graves) in the plural form.
- Lápiz (pencil) - Lápices (pencils)
- Raíz (root) - Raíces (roots)
- Voz (voice) - Voces (voices)
Tengo muy buena voz.
I have a very good voice.
Caption 91, Los casos de Yabla - Problemas de convivencia
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Vuelven esas voces a mi cabeza.
Those voices come back to my head.
Caption 37, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos - Subjuntivo y condicional
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Paroxytone or proparoxytone nouns ending in 's' or 'x' keep the same form in plural. Let's see some examples:
- Cactus (cactus) - Cactus (cactuses/cacti)
- Tórax (thorax) - Tórax (thoraxes/thoraces)
- Análisis (analysis) - Análisis (analyses/tests)
Y en un análisis de nuestras debilidades, oportunidades, fortalezas y amenazas.
And an analysis of our weaknesses, opportunities, strengths and threats.
Caption 37, Raquel y Marisa - Español Para Negocios - Crear una empresa
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...para hacerle los análisis de sangre, de heces.
...to do the blood tests, stool (tests).
Caption 54, Santuario para burros - Santuario
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That's it for now. We hope these rules help you to use the plural in Spanish. If you feel like practicing a little bit more, take 20 nouns and try to form their plural forms. And of course, don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
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