Are you familiar with the word entonces in Spanish? While the common Spanish word entonces is often translated with equivalent English words like "then" or "so," the numerous meanings of this word are actually quite nuanced. Let's take a look at several of them.
Like the English word "then," in this usage, the Spanish word entonces could generally be replaced with the English phrase "at that moment" to refer to an occurrence at a specific point in time. Let's see some examples.
Y entonces se escaparon.
And then you guys escaped.
Caption 35, Guillermina y Candelario El mundo de los juguetes perdidos - Part 2
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When talking about the past, it is common to use some of the following expressions, which are usually translated as "at that time" or "back then":
en aquel entonces
por aquel entonces
en ese entonces
por ese entonces
Let's listen to some of these in context:
Lo que vivió Colombia en aquel entonces era realmente aterrador.
What Colombia experienced at that time was really terrifying.
Caption 50, Los Tiempos de Pablo Escobar Capítulo 1 - Part 14
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En aquel entonces los niños todavía podían salir solos
Back then children could still go out alone
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 9
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En mi urbanización, junto a la piscina, vive una amiga que por aquel entonces tenía una gata totalmente blanca y con un pelo precioso.
In my housing complex, next to the pool, a female friend lives who back then, had a totally white cat with beautiful fur.
Captions 26-27, Fermín y los gatos Mi gata Poeska
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entonces sabremos que hemos hecho un buen trabajo.
then we'll know that we've done a good job.
Caption 77, Ana Carolina La meditación
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Notably, entonces may be used along with the preposition solo (only) to describe a moment in time as the equivalent of the English expression "only then":
Solo entonces se sabrá quiénes son los mejores.
Only then it will be known who are the best ones.
Caption 76, Región mundo Paso a paso - Part 5
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In this second usage, entonces is placed right after some preposition to refer to a period of time in the past. Let's examine how entonces can be used with a couple of prepositions.
In the following example, we see the preposition de combined with entonces to mean "(from) back then":
Yo me imagino que los artistas de entonces
I imagine that the artists back then
Caption 40, Leonardo Rodriguez Sirtori Una vida como pintor - Part 5
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The preposition desde can be combined with entonces to form the expression desde entonces, or "ever since" in English:
y esa es la razón por la cual resido aquí desde entonces.
and that's the reason I've been living here ever since.
Caption 19, Adriana Mi historia con el café
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Let's explore how the Spanish word entonces can also be used similarly to the English words "then" and "so" with various, more specific meanings.
In this scenario, entonces is used to describe what might happen if something else takes place first.
Si vienes, entonces te invito a comer.
If you come, then I'll treat you to a meal.
Caption 22, Ana Carolina Condicionales
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Eh... No tenía muchos órganos, no estaban desarrollados, porque había tenido poco espacio en el útero de la madre. Entonces, fue un bebé prematuro,
Um... He didn't have a lot of organs, they weren't developed because he had had little space in the mother's womb. So, he was a premature baby,
Captions 46-48, Amaya El burrito Luz - Part 2
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Yo voy a decir unas frases, y... utilizando ustedes, y tú vas a decir la misma frase utilizando vosotros. ¿OK? Entonces comenzamos con la primera frase.
I'm going to say some sentences, and... using "ustedes," and you are going to say the same sentence using "vosotros." OK? So, let's start with the first sentence.
Captions 52-54, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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¿no es cierto? -No, tampoco es lugar para mí. Entonces ¿por qué vas? Porque estoy loco.
isn't that right? -No, it's not a place for me either. Then, why do you go? Because I'm crazy.
Captions 63-65, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 1
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In this usage, the word entonces often appears within the expression pues entonces (well then).
"¡Esto está superfrío y de todas formas no sé nadar". "Pues entonces no podemos ir allí, donde comienza el cielo",
"This is super cold, and anyway, I don't know how to swim." "Well then, we can't go there, where the sky begins,"
Captions 40-42, Pigueldito y Federico El cielo
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With this use of the Spanish word entonces, we have reached the end of this lesson. We hope that you now feel more confident about using the word entonces in Spanish, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
What a difference an accent makes! Did you know that the meanings of several Spanish words vary depending upon whether or not they have a written accent? Today, we'll learn ten such pairs of words, providing examples of each in context. Are you ready?!
The adverb aun in Spanish, without an accent, is the equivalent of the English word "even":
Aun así, me hubiera gustado tener algo más de luz.
Even so, I'd have liked to have had a bit more light.
Caption 63, Viajando con Fermín La Cueva de Nerja - Part 2
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The adverb aún, on the other hand, with an accent, means "yet" or "still" in Spanish:
Aún no tengo hijos, eh...
I don't have kids yet, um...
Caption 29, La Sub30 Familias - Part 9
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The preposition de in Spanish is an extremely common word that can mean "of" or "from":
Yo soy de Barcelona, nací aquí,
I'm from Barcelona, I was born here,
Caption 23, Carlos y Xavi Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia - Part 1
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The word dé with an accent, however, is a conjugated form of the verb dar (to give) in Spanish. It could be either the present subjunctive form that corresponds to the subject pronouns él (he), ella (she), or usted (formal "you") or the formal imperative. Let's look at an example of each:
Present Subjunctive:
que me dé una explicación.
for him to give me an explanation.
Caption 60, Yago 13 La verdad - Part 5
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Formal Imperative:
Démela, no se va a dar cuenta.
Give it to me, she won't realize.
Caption 42, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 7 - Part 2
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Without an accent, esta is the singular feminine demonstrative adjective that means "this":
Esta pasión empezó cuando yo era muy pequeña
This passion started when I was really little,
Caption 5, Adriana La lectura
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With an accent, está is the third person singular and formal second person singular conjugation of the verb estar (to be).
y el mar está muy agitado.
and the sea is very choppy.
Caption 40, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 8
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The word el in Spanish is the masculine singular definite article that means "the":
En el parque hay árboles,
At the park there are trees,
Caption 15, El Aula Azul Mi Barrio
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Él with an accent is a subject pronoun that means "he" or "it":
Él tiene una responsabilidad con ustedes,
He has a responsibility to you guys,
Caption 41, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 4
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The Spanish word mas without an accent is a conjunction that is used similarly to the word pero in Spanish and also means "but":
"Te dije que me hicieras caso, mas no escuchaste".
"I told you to pay attention to me, but you didn't listen."
Caption 21, Aprendiendo con Priscilla La palabra "más"
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Meanwhile, the word más with an accent is the Spanish equivalent of the word "more":
"Necesito comprar más carros".
"I need to buy more cars."
Caption 15, Aprendiendo con Priscilla La palabra "más"
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For more on the difference between these two words, take a look the video from which these two examples were taken: Aprendiendo con Priscilla- La palabra "más."
The non-accented word mi in Spanish is a short form possessive adjective that means "my" when referring to singular nouns:
Mi casa es pequeña.
My house is small.
Caption 10, Ariana Mi Casa
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The accented version of this word is a prepositional pronoun that can be used after any preposition (except the preposition con) to mean "me":
Para mí, el mejor jugador de fútbol es Leo Messi.
For me, the best soccer player is Leo Messi.
Caption 52, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 3
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The pronoun se in Spanish has many uses, including in impersonal and passive se constructions, in the no fault construction, to say "each other" in phrases like se abrazaron (they hugged each other), and as the reflexive pronoun that accompanies reflexive verbs with él, ella, usted, and ustedes. The following example includes se in both an impersonal and a reflexive construction.
y, como se dice en España: "Hay que saberse bañar
and, as they say in Spain: "You have to know how to bathe yourself
Caption 77, Soledad Amistades
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The accented version of the word sé is the first person conjugation of the verb saber (to know) in the present indicative:
yo sé que Ríos está aquí, hermano.
I know that Rios is here, brother.
Caption 58, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 6
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Si without an accent in Spanish means "if":
Si vienes, entonces te invito a comer.
If you come, then I'll treat you to a meal.
Caption 22, Ana Carolina Condicionales
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And, as you surely already know, sí with an accent in Spanish means "yes":
Sí. -Sí, señor.
Yes. -Yes, sir.
Caption 94, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 1
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Carolina sums up this difference well:
Entonces, "sí" es una palabra afirmativa cuando queremos algo, mientras que "si" es una palabra condicional.
So, "sí" is an affirmative word when we want something, while "si" is a conditional word.
Captions 38-40, Lecciones con Carolina Haber vs. A Ver / Si vs. Sí
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Te with no accent can be either a direct or indirect object pronoun or a reflexive pronoun that corresponds to the informal second person singular subject pronoun tú. Let's see it in use as a direct object pronoun:
Te voy a llevar a los mejores restaurantes.
I am going to take you to the best restaurants.
Caption 23, Clara y Cristina Hablan de actividades
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The accented version of té refers to the beverage "tea":
Si querés tomar té tomalo en tu escritorio... -Ah, está bien...
If you want to have tea, have it at your desk... -Oh, OK...
Caption 29, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 7
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Tu (no accent!) is the informal second person singular possessive adjective that means "your":
¿Cómo se llama tu mamá?
What's your mom's name?
Caption 26, Ana Carolina Preguntas básicas con su hijo
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As we mentioned previously, tú with an accent is a subject pronoun that informally means "you" in Spanish.
¿Y tú? Que tampoco me has vuelto a llamar.
And you? You haven't called me again either.
Caption 18, Cleer y Lida Conversación telefónica - Part 1
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified the difference between words in Spanish that, while pronounced identically, have different meanings depending upon whether or not they have an accent. Don't hesitate to write us with any questions, suggestions, or comments.
What are grammatical "moods"? Many definitions of grammatical moods in linguistics explain them as features of verbs that describe "modality." But, what is "modality"?
In a nutshell, "modality" refers to a speaker's attitude toward what he or she is saying, which might entail such concepts as possibility, probability, certainty or doubt. "Moods" are not the same as tenses, which convey when things happen, and each of the sixteen Spanish tenses fall into one of the three mood categories. That said, let's delve deeper into the three grammatical moods in Spanish: the indicative, the subjunctive, and the imperative.
Most simply put, the indicative mood describes facts, things about which the speaker is certain, or "the objective truth." Let's take a look at some examples of sentences with verbs in the indicative mood.
Estoy seguro que voy a poder ayudarla en algo.
I'm sure that I am going to be able to help you with something.
Caption 7, Yago 9 Recuperación - Part 7
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This speaker says in the Spanish present indicative tense that he's seguro (sure) that he will be able to help the person to whom he's speaking. Such phrases referring to certainty like Estoy seguro que (I'm sure that) or even Yo creo que (I believe that) are tip-offs that the verb(s) that follow(s) will be in the indicative because they indicate conviction. However, many examples of verbs in the indicative mood in Spanish won't be quite so straightforward.
Hablaremos sobre el candombe.
We'll talk about candombe.
Caption 11, Sonido Babel El candombe de Uruguay
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In this example of the future indicative tense in Spanish, the speaker states (with certainty) what it is he will talk about. Let's take a look at an additional example.
¡Sí! Fuimos a buscar conchas pero no fue fácil encontrarlas.
Yes! We went to look for shells but it wasn't easy to find them.
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario El Manglar
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In this final example in the Spanish preterite tense, the speaker clearly states the objective truth about what happened in the past: Fuimos a buscar (We went to look for) seashells, and no fue (it wasn't) easy. Although whether or not something is easy is a subjective concept, it is important to remember that it is the speaker's attitude or belief about what he or she is stating that determines the mood.
There are ten verb tenses in the Spanish indicative mood: the present, the imperfect, the preterite, the future, the simple conditional, the present perfect, the pluperfect, the past anterior, the conditional perfect, and the future perfect. For a closer look at each of these tenses with examples, we recommend this lesson on the Spanish indicative tenses.
While the indicative conveys certainty and objectivity, the subjunctive conveys such opposing concepts as subjectivity, doubt, wishful thinking, hypothetical situations, and more. Let's take a look at some examples:
No, no, no. No creo que sea muy peligroso
No, no, no. I don't think he's very dangerous,
Caption 55, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 8
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Just like the expression Creo que (I believe that) lets you know that the following verb will be conjugated in the indicative, the phrase No creo que (I don't believe that) is an indicator for the subjunctive. Although we won't enter into verb conjugation in this lesson, we will say that verbs in the subjunctive mood are conjugated differently than in the indicative: for example, sea is the subjunctive conjugation of ser (to be) in third person singular and is thus used in place of the indicative form es. Let's take a look at another example:
de verdad, esperamos que te hayamos podido devolver la alegría.
we really hope that we've been able to give you back your joy.
Caption 58, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 17
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Here, the indicative present perfect form hemos podido (we've been able) has been replaced with the subjunctive present perfect, hayamos podido, because the speaker is expressing a hope that something has happened rather than stating that it actually has. Let's look at another example of the subjunctive mood in Spanish:
Si yo fuera un hombre, yo pensaría que las mujeres son complicadas.
If I were a man, I would think that women are complicated.
Caption 28, Conjugación El verbo 'pensar'
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This sentence employs a common construction that combines the imperfect subjunctive with the Spanish conditional tense to talk about what "would" happen "were" a hypothetical situation in place.
Learning all of the situations and/or constructions that require the subjunctive mood in Spanish can be quite challenging for native English speakers since verbs in the subjunctive mood in English rarely change. As a guideline, statements in which the second verb in a construction changes to the subjunctive include wishes like deseo que (I wish that...), emotions like me alegro de que (I'm happy that...), impersonal expressions like es importante que (it's important that...), recommendations like sugiero que (I suggest that...), and doubts like dudo que (I doubt that...), just to name a few.
The Spanish subjunctive mood encompasses six tenses: the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive, the future subjunctive, the present perfect subjunctive, the pluperfect subjunctive, and the future perfect subjunctive, which are explained in greater detail in this lesson on the subjunctive tenses in Spanish that also touches on our third and final Spanish mood.
Understanding the speaker's "attitude" in the imperative mood is less nuanced: one is "ordering" or "commanding" someone else to do something:
¡Hazlo todo de nuevo!
Do it all over again!
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 3 - Part 7
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This is an example of a positive, informal command (with tú, or the singular, informal "you") in Spanish. Let's see another example:
Chicos, no me hagan esta broma tan pesada.
Guys, don't play this very annoying joke on me.
Caption 49, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 1
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Here, we see the negative command that corresponds to the pronoun ustedes (plural "you"). Let's check out one more:
Empecemos por la forma, luego iremos al contenido.
Let's start with the form, then we'll go on to the content.
Caption 6, Ana Carolina Condicionales
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This "less commanding" sentence reflects the imperative form that goes with nosotros/as, or "we," which you can learn more about in the lesson Let's Learn Spanish Commands with Nosotros/as.
We can group Spanish commands into eight categories: positive commands with tú, negative commands with tú, (positive or negative) commands with usted (formal "you"), (positive or negative) commands with ustedes (plural "you"), positive commands with vos (informal "you" in certain regions), positive commands with vosotros/as (informal plural "you" in Spain), negative commands with vosotros/as, and (positive or negative) commands with nosotros/as (we). For a more in-depth look at the various types of commands in Spanish, we recommend the following four-part series on El modo imperativo.
We hope that this lesson has shed some light on the concept of the three grammatical "moods" in Spanish and would like to conclude it with an imperative sentence: No te olvides de dejarnos tus sugerencias y comentarios (Don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments).
Do you want to know how to form 'if clauses' in Spanish? The first thing you need to know is that the word "si" is the Spanish term we use for the English word "if". So, from now on, think of 'si clauses' as 'if clauses'. Let's dive into some of the grammar rules and different uses that define 'si clauses' in Spanish.
We use 'si clauses' when we want to form conditional sentences. In fact, all conditional sentences in Spanish have the following two parts:
1. The condition, expressed (in a subordinate or dependant clause) with the conditional "si" (the actual si clause/if clause), and
2. The main clause, which is the sentence that tells us what the result or consequence will be if the condition expressed by the si clause occurs.
Let's see an example:
Si llueve, nos mojamos.
If it rains, we get wet.
Caption 47, Ana Carolina - Condicionales
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In we take this example, we can easily see the two parts of that conditional sentence:
1. The condition with the si clause: Si llueve (If it rains)
2. The result clause: nos mojamos (we get wet)
Just like with 'if clauses' in English, we use 'si clauses' in Spanish to talk about possibilities. Moreover, in Spanish, we have three different kinds of conditional sentences.
We use these sentences to express things that are very likely to happen. In other words, if the condition occurs, the result will also occur. Let's see an example:
Si trabajas, tendrás dinero.
If you work, you'll have money.
Caption 56, Ana Carolina - Condicionales
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We use this kind of 'si clauses' when the speaker has serious doubts about the condition and its potential result. Let's see an example:
Si me tocara la lotería, viajaría por todo el mundo,
If I won the lottery, I'd travel around the whole world,
y me alojaría en los hoteles más lujosos.
and I'd stay at the most luxurious hotels.
Captions 26-27, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional
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Finally, we use these conditional sentences when we talk about a condition in the past that didn't occur, which means that it is impossible for the result to happen. Let's see an example:
Si hubiera estado sobrio, no me hubiera animado.
If I had been sober, I wouldn't have dared.
Caption 5, Yago - 12 Fianza
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Now that we know the three main types of 'if clauses' in Spanish, let's see how to form each one of these types of conditional clauses.
Condition: Si + present indicative
Result: present indicative OR future OR imperative
Let's look at an example:
Si sales, regresa temprano.
If you go out, come back early.
Caption 61, Ana Carolina - Condicionales
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Notice that the result is expressed using the imperative form regresa (come back).
Condition: Si + past (imperfect) subjunctive
Result: Simple conditional
Let's see the following example:
Si me encontrara un sobre con cincuenta mil euros,
If I found an envelope with fifty thousand euros,
lo cogería, claro. Y me compraría un coche descapotable.
I'd take it, of course. And I'd buy a convertible car.
Captions 21-23, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: La segunda condicional
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Notice that in this caption the result is expressed with the conditional forms cogería (I'd take it) and compraría (I'd buy).
Condition: Si + pluperfect subjunctive
Result: Past conditional
Let's see an example:
Si hubiera leído más, habría terminado el libro
If I had read more, I would have finished the book.
However, sometimes when the result clause refers to something that is still valid in the present, you can use the simple conditional instead of the past conditional. Let's see an example:
Es una pena; si hubiéramos firmado el contrato la semana pasada,
It's a shame; If we had signed the contract last week,
todo seguiría igual.
everything would stay the same.
Captions 22-23, Negocios - Problemas laborales
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Furthermore, in spoken Spanish it is common to use the pluperfect subjunctive in the result clause just like in the example we previously mentioned:
Si hubiera estado sobrio, no me hubiera animado.
If I had been sober, I wouldn't have dared.
Caption 5, Yago - 12 Fianza
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That's it for today. Are you ready to write some 'si clauses' in Spanish? We encourage you to write a couple of sentences for each one of the three types of conditional sentences we have covered in this lesson. And don't forget to send us your comments and questions.
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