Do you know how to say "to get" in Spanish? Due to the numerous ways in which this word can be used in English, there is no "one size fits all" translation for this term. That said, let's explore the many meanings of the verb "to get" in English and learn their Spanish equivalents.
Breaking down the verb "to get" in English into many of its possible definitions, let's find out which verbs are used to express these ideas in Spanish and hear them in context.
"Efectivamente. Acaba de conseguir otro trabajo".
"Indeed. He just got another job."
Caption 60, Carlos explica 20 formas de decir sí sin decir sí
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"Hoy recibí la carta".
"Today, I got the letter."
Caption 46, Carlos explica Los artículos en español - Part 2
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Note that while the verb tener typically means "to have," it is a word that sometimes changes meaning in the preterite tense. Hence "Tuve una noticia" could be translated as "I got some news."
lograr obtener un buen resultado en el examen.
to manage to get a good grade on the exam.
Caption 42, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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Este... Saqué el bachillerato
Um... I got my high school diploma,
Caption 50, Cleer Entrevista a Giluancar
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voy y te traigo la cerveza.
I'll go, and I'll get you the beer.
Caption 39, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 12 - Part 6
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es en el caso que se nos termine la pasta dental y no podamos salir a la tienda a comprar otra.
is in case we run out of toothpaste and we can't go to the store to get another one.
Captions 50-51, Otavalo Consejos de salud bucal
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Yo no entiendo por qué quieres actuar en esa obra.
I don't get why you want to act in that play.
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 9 - Part 3
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Candelario se puso triste.
Candelario got sad.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Rescate
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Keep in mind that a number of Spanish verbs intrinsically contain the idea of "to get" in the sense of "becoming." For example, the verb entristecerse also means "to get sad." Additional examples include mejorar (to get better), empeorar (to get worse), molestarse (to get annoyed), alegrarse (to get happy), and many more.
Todos pillamos el COVID y tuvimos que quedarnos en casa durante casi dos semanas.
We all got COVID and had to stay home for almost two weeks.
Regarding the use of the verb coger in this context, be aware that while it is extremely common in Spain, in many Latin American countries like Mexico, it has a vulgar connotation and should thus be exercised with caution.
El cuarto significado señala cuánto tiempo falta para llegar a un destino
The fourth meaning indicates how much time is left to get to a destination
Captions 3-4, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 2
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Incluso tuve la oportunidad de jugar a nivel competitivo.
I even got to play at a competitive level.
Caption 28, Club 10 Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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y logré que para este caso nombraran a una juez que es amiga mía.
and, for this case, I got them to appoint a judge who's a friend of mine.
Caption 19, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 11
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Remember that with all of these expressions, verbs that follow the conjunction que in Spanish should be conjugated in the subjunctive.
dónde la pueden mandar hacer o...
where you can get it made, or...
Caption 57, Rueda de la muerte Parte 1
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An alternative way to express this would be: dónde pueden hacer que la hagan.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to realize the numerous ways in which the English verb "to get" is used and that you now know which Spanish verbs to choose for similar situations. Don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
The por vs. para dilemma is one of the biggest headaches for English speakers learning Spanish, especially since both are sometimes translated as "for." If you are still confused about the Spanish prepositions por and para, this lesson will explain how and when to use each. We hope that by the end of it, you will understand the difference between these two words and be able to use them with confidence.
Before we examine some specific uses of por and para in Spanish, we would like to invite you to think about these prepositions as opposites in the following terms:
Por: Indicates a cause or reason.
Para: Indicates a purpose, objective, or goal.
In a video from his series about the prepositions por and para, Carlos explains this difference by contrasting two sentences. Let's hear the first:
Estoy preocupado por el examen.
I'm worried about the exam.
Caption 35, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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In this sentence, the preposition por indicates that the exam is the cause or reason for Carlos' concern. Now, let's look at the other sentence:
María estudió tres días para el examen.
Maria studied for the exam for three days.
Caption 39, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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In this case, the preposition para indicates that the exam was María's goal and/or purpose for studying, most likely to try to achieve the best possible grade.
Now that we have highlighted this overarching difference between the prepositions por and para, let's explore a variety of more nuanced uses of each of these Spanish words.
Let's take a look at many of the most common uses of the preposition por in Spanish.
Si ese tipo vino aquí por dinero, pues... eso es lo único que quiere.
If that guy came here for money, well... that's the only thing he wants.
Captions 49-50, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 8
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Pero ¿sabéis lo que le gusta hacer a Lukas? Ir a correr por la playa.
But, do you know what does Lukas like to do? Go running on the beach.
Captions 58-59, Amaya Mi camper van
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Hoy he decidido hacer unas compras por el centro de la ciudad.
Today I've decided to do some shopping in the city's downtown.
Caption 2, Raquel Haciendo compras
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Las clases son normalmente por la tarde;
The classes are usually in the afternoon;
Caption 6, El Aula Azul Las actividades de la escuela - Part 2
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Fui jugador amateur por mucho tiempo,
I was an amateur player for a long time,
Caption 22, Víctor en Caracas El fútbol con Tony Carrasco
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Es de vital importancia que la tienda online se actualice. Deberíamos actualizar al menos dos veces por semana.
It's of vital importance that the online store is updated. We should update at least twice a week.
Captions 6-7, Raquel y Marisa Español Para Negocios - Nuestra tienda online
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Ayer llamé a mi cuñada por teléfono
Yesterday, I called my sister-in-law on the phone
Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 3
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¿Por cuánto lo has comprado?
For how much have you bought it?
Caption 17, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 16
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O: "El edificio ha sido diseñado por la arquitecta".
Or: "The building has been designed by the [female] architect."
Caption 34, Lecciones con Carolina La voz pasiva - Part 3
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Por lo que se ve, pues, no está quemado, no está dañado,
From what you [can] see, well, it's not burned, it's not damaged,
Captions 39-40, Aprendiendo con Priscilla Vocabulario de taller mecánico
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Now that we know how to use the preposition por in Spanish, let's see how to use the preposition para.
El veterinario vino ayer para comprobar que el bebé que lleva dentro está en buen estado,
The veterinarian came yesterday to check that the baby she's carrying is in good shape,
Captions 66-67, Amaya Apertura del refugio
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Este libro es para ti.
This book is for you.
Caption 47, Carlos y Cyndy Uso del Voseo en Argentina
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Tengo que terminar el trabajo para mañana.
I have to finish this work by tomorrow.
Caption 39, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 2
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Eh... voy para la casa. Si quiere, vamos juntos.
Um... I'm going home. If you want, we can go together.
Captions 7-8, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 14 - Part 9
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Tengo que tomar un medicamento para el dolor y otro para bajar la fiebre.
I have to take a medication for the pain and another one to lower the fever.
Captions 30-31, Ariana Cita médica
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Trabajo para una empresa francesa de electrónica
I work for a French electronics company
Caption 13, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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porque es una ciudad que, para mí, lo tiene todo.
because it's a city that, for me, has it all.
Caption 7, San Sebastián El rompeolas
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Now that we have learned how to use the Spanish prepositions por and para, we would like to take a moment to summarize the main differences between them in the following chart.
POR | PARA | |
---|---|---|
Key Difference: | Cause/Reason | Purpose/Goal |
Ana estudia japonés por placer (Ana studies Japanese for pleasure). | Ana estudia japonés para poder visitar Japón algún día (Ana is studying Japanese in order to be able to visit Japan someday). | |
Place: | Movement | Destination/Direction |
Juan camina por la playa (Juan walks on/along the beach). | Juan va para la playa (Juan is going to the beach). | |
Approximate Location | ||
Claudia vive por el centro (Claudia lives in the downtown area). | ||
Time: | Time of Day | Time Limit |
Me gusta correr por la mañana (I like to run in the morning). | Tengo que terminar el informe para el jueves (I have to finish the report by Thursday). | |
Duration | Future Point in Time | |
Luis habló por dos horas (Luis spoke for two hours). | Necesito un billete del metro para mañana (I need a subway ticket for tomorrow). | |
Frequency | ||
Susana va a la piscina tres veces por semana (Susana goes to the pool three times a/per week). | ||
Additional: | Conclusions | Opinions |
Por la cara que tenía, yo creo que Pedro estaba triste (From the look on his face, I think Pedro was sad). | Para mí, esta es la mejor pizza (To me, this is the best pizza). | |
Agents of Passive Sentences | Recipients | |
El Coliseo fue construido por los romanos (The Colosseum was built by the Romans). | El regalo es para María (The gift is for Maria). | |
Means/Tools | Employment | |
Juan habla por teléfono (Juan is talking on the phone). | Mario trabaja para una multinacional (Mario works for a multinational company). | |
Purchases/Transactions | ||
Compré la cámara por 200 dólares (I bought the camera for 200 dollars). |
Before we go, we would like to highlight a very common mistake among non-native Spanish speakers. Although your inclination might be to use the word para, remember that in order to express gratitude in Spanish, the preposition por should always be used, as in the sentence "Gracias por el regalo" (Thanks for the gift).
That's all for today. Although we know that this lesson did not touch on all of the possible uses of the prepositions por and para, we hope that it has helped you to better understand how and when to use each of them, and don't forget to send us your comments and suggestions. ¡Hasta la próxima!
Today's lesson will focus on the oft-used conjunction para que, which means "so that" or "in order for" in Spanish.
Beginning with a few sentences that contain the Spanish conjunction para que, see if you can identify elements that they all have in common.
y ahora colocaré esta mezcla en la refrigeradora, para que se enfríe un poco,
and now, I'll put this mixture in the refrigerator so that it cools down a bit,
Captions 33-34, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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¿Pueden dejar de llorar para que empecemos la competencia?
Can you stop crying so that we can start the competition?
Caption 53, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 5
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y los invito a que pongan en práctica todas estas reglas para que puedan usar correctamente estas preposiciones.
and I invite you to put all these rules into practice so that you can use these prepositions correctly.
Captions 70-71, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 3
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Did you come up with any commonalities? Let's lay down a couple of ground rules for using para que in Spanish.
In other words, one thing is done by one entity so that another entity "can" do something else.
Using the English translations, in the first example, "I" (the first subject) will put the mixture in the fridge so that "it" (the second subject) is able to cool down. In the second, "you guys" (the first subject) should stop crying so that "we" (the second subject) can commence the competition, and in the third, "I" (the first subject) am doing the inviting in order for you "you guys" (the second subject) to use the prepositions right.
* Note that in these Spanish sentences, the subjects are implied by their verb conjugations rather than explicitly stated (for example, as invito is the first person singular of the verb invitar (to invite), we know the subject is "I").
If we think of this in terms of our W.E.I.R.D.O. formula for when to use the subjunctive in Spanish, it makes sense since just because something "could" happen based on an initial action, we aren't sure if it will. You will note that two of three translations include the word "can," although this is not always the case, and there are often many ways to translate a Spanish that includes para que into English.
Although all of the examples we have seen thus far have included verbs in the present subjunctive tense, you might come across examples in other subjunctive tenses, such as the imperfect subjunctive when the action takes place in the past. Let's take a look at some examples:
Les dimos los juguetes, los bolígrafos, uno para cada uno para que pudieran escribir.
We gave them the toys, the pens, one for each one so that they could write.
Captions 8-9, Con ánimo de lucro Cortometraje - Part 4
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Lo que hice fue preparar todos los burros, para que estuviesen acostumbrados a recibir a visitas,
What I did was to prepare all the donkeys so they were used to getting visitors,
Captions 35-36, Amaya Apertura del refugio
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Alternative translations for this second example might be "so that they would be used to getting visitors" or "so that they could get used to getting visitors."
Although you might hear it done occasionally in spoken Spanish, remember that you should not use para que to connect clauses when there is no change of subject. For example, what if you wanted to say, "I'm going to call the restaurant as soon as possible so that I can get a table"? You shouldn't say Yo voy a llamar el restaurante lo antes posible para que (yo) pueda conseguir una mesa" but instead use para + the infinitive as follows:
Yo voy a llamar el restaurante lo antes posible para poder conseguir una mesa.
I'm going to call the restaurant as soon as possible so I can get a table (literally "to be able to get a table").
Let's see some more examples:
mis toallitas desmaquillantes, y mi espejo, donde me miro todas las mañanas para saber que estoy bien.
my makeup remover towelettes, and my mirror, where I look at myself every morning in order to know I look OK.
Captions 55-56, Amaya "Mi camper van"
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An alternative translation could be "so that I know I look OK."
Siempre hemos de asistir personalmente a la entidad bancaria para poder realizar la firma de todos los documentos originales.
We should always go personally to the banking entity in order to be able to do the signing of all the original documents.
Captions 13-14, Raquel Abrir una cuenta bancaria
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Another way to say this in English could be "so we can sign all of the original documents." In any case, because there is no change in subject in either of these examples (in the first one, it's yo/I and in the second one, it's nosotros/we), the formula para plus the infinitive was used in lieu of para que.
To conclude, remember that when para qué is used in question or implied question form, it has an accent and means "why?" or "what for?" Let's see some examples:
¿Y para qué lo necesito?
And what do I need it for?
Caption 6, Clase Aula Azul Planes para el futuro - Part 1
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¿Para qué fuiste al cine?
Why [for what purpose] did you go to the movies?
Caption 53, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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Keep in mind that although para qué can also be translated as "why" in some contexts, it has a slightly different meaning than por qué (which also means "why") in that it focuses on goal or purpose rather than strictly reason. For more on this subtle distinction, check out this video on the Spanish prepositions por vs. para.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has made the expression para que more clear para que la puedan usar bien (so that you can use it correctly) and sound like a native speaker. And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Today's lesson will examine Yabla's "Top 12" picks for the most useful verbs for having a conversation in Spanish. This time, we'll focus on the meanings of those verbs as well as giving you a lot of simple, conversational examples from Yabla's Spanish video library. Additionally, we'll provide you with conjugation tables for the "Top 3" most useful Spanish tenses: the simple present, the imperfect (which describes ongoing or continuous past actions), and the preterite (which describes completed past actions).
In addition to the aforementioned links, you can consult this lesson entitled Spanish Verb Tenses Explained if you need to brush up on those tenses and more! Although memorizing all of these conjugations might seem a bit intimidating, it could really help your ability to converse in Spanish.
The fact that there are two verbs that mean "to be" in Spanish, ser and estar, can feel quite confusing for non-native speakers. Generally speaking, the verb ser is employed to describe more permanent characteristics. The acronym DOCTOR (description, occupation, condition, time, origin, relationship) is very useful for helping us to remember some of the many situations in which this verb is used. Let's take a look at how this verb is conjugated as well as some examples:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | soy | era | fui |
Tú | eres | eras | fuiste |
Él, ella, usted | es | era | fue |
Nosotros, nosotras | somos | éramos | fuimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | sois | erais | fuisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | son | eran | fueron |
Soy profesor de fotografía.
I'm a photography teacher.
Caption 13, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 5
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Sus cuadros eran muy extraños.
His paintings were very strange.
Caption 25, El Aula Azul - Adivina personajes históricos
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También fuimos parte de todas estas, eh... mega empresas, pero...
We were also part of all these, um... mega companies, but...
Caption 22, Doctor Krápula - Entrevista
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Notably, although ser usually denotes permanence, while the preterite tense denotes that something had a definite ending point, the verb ser is used in the preterite to describe something that "was" in the past, but did come to a conclusive end.
The verb estar also means "to be" for traits that are variable/less permanent. The acronym PLACE (position, location, action, condition, emotion) might help you to remember some contexts in which the verb estar should be chosen. Let's take a look:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | estoy | estaba | estuve |
Tú | estás | estabas | estuviste |
Él, ella, usted | está | estaba | estuvo |
Nosotros, nosotras | estamos | estábamos | estuvimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | estáis | estabais | estuvisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | están | estaban | estuverion |
Sí... Vale, entonces, estamos aquí.
Yes... OK, then, we're here.
Caption 6, Curso de español - Disculpe, ¿hay un cine por aquí?
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Un poquito y ajá, y estaba triste porque
A little bit, and uh-huh, and I was sad because
dejaba mi familia y eso y ya.
I was leaving my family and all that and that's it.
Caption 70, Cleer - Entrevista a Lila
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Los árabes estuvieron en España más de seiscientos años.
The Arabs were in Spain for more than six hundred years.
Caption 23, Rosa - Antequera, Málaga
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Be sure to check out this lesson if you want to learn more about the difference between ser and estar.
The verb tener means "to have" in Spanish. Let's take a closer look:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | tengo | tenía | tuve |
Tú | tienes | tenías | tuviste |
Él, ella, usted | tiene | tenía | tuvo |
Nosotros, nosotras | tenemos | teníamos | tuvimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | tenéis | teníais | tuvisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | tienen | tenían | tuvieron |
¿Tienes plumones y tijeras?
You have markers and scissors?
Sí, tengo plumones y tijeras,
Yes, I have markers and scissors,
pero no tengo mi teléfono.
but I don't have my phone.
Captions 20-22, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 1: No tengo mi teléfono.
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Tenían mi mochila en la Oficina de Objetos Perdidos.
They had my backpack in the Lost and Found.
Caption 44, Raquel - Oficina de objetos perdidos
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La noche anterior a la rumba, tuve otro sueño.
The night before going out on the town, I had another dream.
Caption 1, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7
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Additionally, we invite you to explore some of the many idiomatic expressions with the verb tener.
And, we'll just take a second to mention that if you throw in the word que after the verb tener plus a verb's infinitive ("to" form), you'll have the very useful Spanish construction tener que that means, "to have to" (do something):
Hoy tengo que trabajar.
Today I have to work.
Caption 74, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Tuvimos que trasladarnos a esta nueva ciudad.
We had to move to this new city.
Caption 39, Ciudad de Panamá - Denisse introduce la ciudad
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The Spanish verb hacer can mean either "to make" or "to do." But, not to fear— typically, the context will let you know quite clearly which meaning is intended.
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | hago | hacía | hice |
Tú | haces | hacías | hiciste |
Él, ella, usted | hace | hacía | hizo |
Nosotros, nosotras | hacemos | hacíamos | hicimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | hacéis | hacíais | hicisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | hacen | hacían | hicieron |
Y ¿tú qué haces?
And what are you doing?
Caption 24, Guillermina y Candelario - Un pez mágico
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Y yo no hacía esto. Yo hago otro acto, que es con las motos.
And I didn't do this. I do another act, which is with motorcycles.
Caption 35, Rueda de la muerte - Parte 1
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También hizo alguna película.
He also made a movie.
Caption 28, El Aula Azul - Adivina personajes históricos
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The Spanish verb ir means "to go." Let's check out some of its conjugations and uses:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | voy | iba | fui |
Tú | vas | ibas | fuiste |
Él, ella, usted | va | iba | fue |
Nosotros, nosotras | vamos | íbamos | fuimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | vais | ibais | fuisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | van | iban | fueron |
Voy a la piscina los lunes y los miércoles.
I go to the pool on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Caption 7, Ariana - Mi Semana
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Iba mucho con mi padre al campo.
I used to go with my father to the countryside a lot.
Caption 56, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 10
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¿Por qué fuiste al cine?
Why did you go to the movies?
Caption 48, Carlos explica - Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para'
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You might have noticed that the preterite form of the verb ir is conjugated in the exact same way as the verb ser. However, in most cases, context should help you to easily identify which verb is in use.
Another great "trick" to be aware of is that adding an a plus a verb's infinitive to the verb ir is a very simple way of expressing what we are "going to" do and is, thus, an alternative to the future tense. Let's take a look:
Vamos a hablar de mi familia, ¿sí?
We are going to talk about my family, OK?
Caption 2, Curso de español - Vamos a hablar de la familia
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Porque las chicas iban a salir, para no dejarte sola.
Because the girls were going to go out, so you wouldn't be alone.
Caption 11, Muñeca Brava - 18 - La Apuesta
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If we're going to talk about ir (to go), we'd better mention venir (to come)! Let's look:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | vengo | venía | vine |
Tú | vienes | venías | viniste |
Él, ella, usted | viene | venía | vino |
Nosotros, nosotras | venimos | veníamos | vinimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | venís | veníais | vinisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | vienen | venían | vinieron |
Yo vengo del sur de España
I come from the South of Spain
Caption 10, Carolina - Acentos
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¿Qué venía después?
What came next?
Caption 23, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 8
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Los otros cisnes vinieron hacia él.
The other swans came toward him.
Caption 50, Cleer - El patito feo
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The Spanish verb decir means "to say" or "to tell."
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | digo | decía | dije |
Tú | dices | decías | dijiste |
Él, ella, usted | dice | decía | dijo |
Nosotros, nosotras | decimos | decíamos | dijimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | decís | decíais | dijisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | dicen | decían | dijeron |
Yo digo que Playa Balandra es el paraíso oficial.
I say that Balandra Beach is the official paradise.
Caption 67, Alan x el mundo - Mi playa favorita de México!
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Pero siempre me decía: ¡Mira! Mira eso allá.
But he always used to tell me: Look! Look at that over there.
Caption 42, Federico Kauffman Doig - Arqueólogo
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Y la señorita me dijo algo completamente diferente.
And the lady told me something totally different.
Caption 45, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 5
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Since we often say or tell things "to" others, you will notice that the verb decir is quite typically accompanied by indirect object pronouns like me (to me), te (to you), etc. to indicate the person to whom something is said or told. You can learn more about this and other aspects of this verb in our lesson entitled The Spanish Verb Decir.
The verb poder means "to be able." It can be used alone to say simply "I can," "you could," etc. but is often used in conjunction with an infinitive verb to express what it is one "is able" to do. Let see it in action:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | puedo | podía | pude |
Tú | puedes | podías | pudiste |
Él, ella, usted | puede | podía | pudo |
Nosotros, nosotras | podemos | podíamos | pudimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | podéis | podíais | pudisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | pueden | podían | pudieron |
¿Puedo ver el menú por favor?
Can I see the menu please?
Caption 12, Cata y Cleer - En el restaurante
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¿Por qué las cosas no podían ser sencillas?
Why couldn't things be easy?
Caption 31, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 10
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Gracias a su cola, pudieron volar.
Thanks to its tail, you were able to fly.
Caption 49, Guillermina y Candelario - Una aventura extrema
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To learn more about the verb poder and how it is used, we recommend the following lesson: The Verb Poder - Common Expressions.
This word means "to know," but, in its preterite form, can mean "to find out."
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | sé | sabía | supe |
Tú | sabes | sabías | supiste |
Él, ella, usted | sabe | sabía | supo |
Nosotros, nosotras | sabemos | sabíamos | supimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | sabéis | sabíais | supisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | saben | sabían | supieron |
Pero no sé dónde!
But I don't know where!
Caption 28, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso
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No sabía qué decirle.
I didn't know what to say to her.
Caption 12, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 1
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Nunca supe la verdad
I never found out the truth
Caption 2, Aleks Syntek - Intocable
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If we're going to converse in Spanish, we had better be able to say what we "want"! The verb querer can stand alone to express our desire for a particular thing or be used with an infinitive verb to say what we "want to do." Let's take a look:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | quiero | quería | quise |
Tú | quieres | querías | quisiste |
Él, ella, usted | quiere | quería | quiso |
Nosotros, nosotras | queremos | queríamos | quisimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | queréis | queríais | quisisteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | quieren | querían | quisieron |
Porque realmente quiero mi propio baño.
Because I really want my own bathroom.
Caption 37, Cleer y Lida - Reservando una habitación
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Y algunos querían volver a su casa.
And some wanted to go back to their home.
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario - El mundo de los juguetes perdidos
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No me quiso decir su nombre.
She wouldn't tell me her name.
Caption 8, Yago - 14 La peruana
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Keep in mind that when the verb querer is used with no in the preterite, it can convey the idea that someone "wouldn't" do something or "refused to."
One more important aspect of the Spanish verb querer is that, when speaking about actions that we "want" others to do or that we "want" to happen, the subjunctive form of the verb that follows is required (vuelvas instead of vuelves in the following example):
Quiero que... que vuelvas a New York.
I want for... for you to come back to New York.
Caption 23, Yago - 11 Prisión
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The Spanish verb dar means "to give." Let's look at some of its forms and examples:
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | doy | daba | di |
Tú | das | dabas | diste |
Él, ella, usted | da | daba | dio |
Nosotros, nosotras | damos | dábamos | dimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | dais | dabais | disteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | dan | daban | dieron |
Yo doy agua a mi gato.
I give water to my cat.
Caption 14, Lecciones con Carolina - Verbo - dar
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Adriana Espinel siempre daba unas respuestas tan profundas.
Adriana Espinel always gave such deep answers.
Caption 72, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 4
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Eh... Mi asistente me dio sus datos.
Um... My assistant gave me your information.
Caption 39, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 1
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Like the verb decir, the verb dar is often accompanied by indirect object pronouns to highlight the person to whom something is given.
And, to conclude our list of the Top 12 Spanish verbs for carrying on a conversation, we thought it would be a good idea to give you a verb to describe the things you observe!
Personal Pronoun | Present | Imperfect | Preterite |
Yo | veo | veía | vi |
Tú | ves | veías | viste |
Él, ella, usted | ve | veía | vio |
Nosotros, nosotras | vemos | veíamos | vimos |
Vosotros, vosotras | veis | veíais | visteis |
Ellos, ellas, ustedes | ven | veían | vieron |
Eh... ¿Cómo veo la vida?
Um... How do I see life?
Caption 79, Adícora, Venezuela - El tatuaje de Rosana
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¡Pero veíamos serpientes por todos lados!
But we saw snakes everywhere!
Caption 41, Guillermina y Candelario - La Isla de las Serpientes
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Vimos una película.
We saw a movie.
Caption 14, Zulbani - Trip to Merida
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Although it was certainly tough to narrow down the top 12 useful verbs in Spanish for carrying on a conversation, we hope you've enjoyed this lesson and that it helps you to hold a lot of stimulating conversations! Let us know with your suggestions and comments if there are any other verbs or topics you'd like to learn more about.