Do you know the names of articles of clothing in Spanish? Knowing what clothing items in Spanish are called might help you on your next Spanish quiz or, better yet, on that shopping spree on your next vacation to a Spanish-speaking country! Let's explore some clothing vocabulary in Spanish with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
First, let's note that the most common way to talk about clothing in English is with the less formal noun "clothes," which is always plural. That said, the Spanish equivalent for "clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish is the noun la ropa, which is almost always used in the singular! Let's take a look:
Bueno, si tienes mucha ropa.
Well, if you have a lot of clothes.
Me encanta la ropa y soy adicta a los zapatos.
I love clothes and, I'm a shoe addict.
Captions 19-20, Ricardo - La compañera de casa
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However, on some, less formal occasions, primarily in Latin America, you may come across the plural form las ropas:
vestidos básicamente con ropas de seda,
dressed basically in silk clothing,
Caption 33, Días festivos - La diablada pillareña
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Additional nouns for saying "the clothes" or "clothing" in Spanish in a general fashion include both la vestimenta and la indumentaria, whereas the noun la prenda (de vestir) describes an individual clothing "item" or "garment":
a esta prenda la llamamos "chompa",
we call this garment a "chompa" [jacket],
Caption 18, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
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Now, let's learn the names of some of the most common articles of clothing in Spanish, hearing most of them pronounced via clips from our Yabla Spanish library. For some items, we will provide several Spanish names since there is a lot of variation in how these items are said from country to country.
A mí, el vestido de baño porque ya saben, me gusta la playa.
For me, my bathing suit because, you already know, I like the beach.
Caption 41, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
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Note that the term la malla refers to a women's swimsuit and is most commonly heard in Argentina:
Ay, Mili, pará, no tengo malla.
Oh Mili stop, I don't have a swimsuit.
Caption 35, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
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Of course, the word "bikini" remains the same in Spanish:
Si hace calor... el bikini.
If it's warm... the bikini.
Caption 14, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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Esta es una blusa que tiene estampado.
This is a blouse that has a print.
Captions 36-37, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
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Both the masculine form el gorro and the feminine form la gorra can be used to describe a "cap" such as a baseball cap or snow hat/cap.
Esta parte de la gorra es azul.
This part of the cap is blue.
Caption 16, Luana explica - Los colores
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Un gorro de lana de color blanco.
A white wool hat.
Caption 16, Ana Carolina - Lavandería
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Este vestido puede salir sobre unos cincuenta, sesenta euros.
This dress could go for about fifty, sixty euros.
Caption 84, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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Los guantes, unos guantes rosaditos... -Sí.
The gloves, some pink gloves... -Yes.
Caption 52, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
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El sombrero is a more general term for all types of hats.
¡Mira qué bonito este sombrero!
Look how pretty this hat is!
Caption 46, Ariana - Mi Semana
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y unos vaqueros grises.
and some grey jeans.
Caption 41, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
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que cuando te mides un jean en un almacén dicen,
that when you try on some jeans at a store they say,
Caption 28, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 8
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Notice the alternative spellings for the nouns for "pajamas" in Spanish (one with a y and one with a j), and while both versions are used with the masculine article in Spain and South America, the feminine article is employed in the rest of Latin America. Furthermore, although it is prevalent to see them in singular, you may also run into their plural forms (pijamas/piyamas).
A la ropa de dormir en Latinoamérica la llamamos con el anglicismo piyama,
In Latin America, we call sleepwear the anglicism "piyama" [pajamas],
Caption 11, Ana Carolina - Arreglando el dormitorio
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Interestingly, either the singular plural form of this noun can be used to refer to a pair of pants or simply "pants," as in the following two examples:
Necesito un pantalón negro. -OK.
I need some black pants. -OK.
Caption 8, Cleer y Carolina - De compras
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"Se me han roto los pantalones", por ejemplo.
"Se me han roto los pantalones" [My pants have ripped], for example.
Caption 69, Clase Aula Azul - Se involuntario
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While la bufanda usually describes the type of scarf one might wear to keep warm in the snow, el pañuelo refers to more of a bandana-type scarf:
Menos mal que llevaba una bufanda.
Thank God I was wearing a scarf.
Caption 21, Aprendiendo con Zulbany - Piensa rápido
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¡Oh! ¿Y este pañuelo tan bonito?
Oh! And this really beautiful scarf?
Caption 66, Clase Aula Azul - La posesión
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Me gusta la camisa.
I like the shirt.
Caption 4, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
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Algunos clubs permiten el uso de pantalones cortos o bermudas.
Some clubs allow the use of shorts or bermudas.
Caption 64, Montserrat - El golf
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Esta falda está muy larga.
This skirt is too long.
Caption 46, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 3
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As you may have guessed, the Spanish word for "miniskirt" is la minifalda:
Ya admití suficiente con que se pusiera la corrompisiña esa de la minifalda.
I permitted enough with you putting on that corrupt miniskirt.
Caption 15, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
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Let's hear the terms for "socks" in Colombia and other parts of Latin America vs. Spain:
Lo que acabamos de ver, en Colombia
What we just saw, in Colombia,
lo llamamos "medias", las "medias".
we call "medias" [socks], "medias."
¿En España? Son los "calcetines". -Los "calcetines".
In Spain? They're "calcetines" [socks]. -"Calcetines."
Captions 39-41, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
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If you are interested in more such differences, check out this series on pronunciation and vocabulary differences between Spain and Colombia.
Entonces no podemos olvidar el chándal tampoco.
Then we can't forget a tracksuit either.
Caption 62, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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Andrea lleva una camiseta de manga corta de color blanco
Andrea is wearing a white short-sleeved t-shirt
Caption 40, El Aula Azul - Conversaciones sobre fotos
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se vistió con su mejor traje,
put on his best suit,
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Carlos - El microrrelato
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Te creo. -Bueno, me dio la musculosa para salir.
I believe you. -Well, he gave me the tank top to go out.
Caption 51, Yago - 1 La llegada - Part 5
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Qué linda corbata.
What a nice tie.
Caption 2, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa - Capítulo 5 - Part 5
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Although the term la corbata typically refers to a necktie, there are many words to describe a bow tie in Spanish, including el moño, el corbatín, la pajarita, la lacita, la corbata de moño, and la corbata de lazo.
tenemos que llevar siempre un chaleco reflectante
we must always wear a reflective vest
Caption 56, Raquel y Marisa - Aprender a conducir
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There are so many different Spanish words for "sweaters," "sweatshirts," "jackets," "coats," and other outerwear, and every country has their own way to talk about these articles of clothing in Spanish. In fact, some of the same Spanish terms are used to describe different items in different countries. Let's take a look.
Even within the English language, it is sometimes a fine line between what constitutes a "jacket" vs. a "coat," which some people view as synonymous. That said, the above-referenced Spanish terms generally refer to something more sporty, casual, and/or lighter weight.
¡Una chaqueta de cuero!
A leather jacket!
Caption 48, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 2
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The Spanish terms for "coat" might generally be thought of as describing a heavier/warmer garment:
Después me voy a poner el abrigo porque va a hacer frío.
Later, I'm going to put on my coat because it's going to be cold.
Captions 22-23, Cristina - Naturaleza
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y así con, con saco y con corbata, ¿te imaginás el calor?
and like that with, with a blazer and tie, can you imagine the heat?
Caption 37, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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Los días de lluvia llevábamos un chubasquero y botas de agua.
On rainy days, we wore a raincoat and rain boots.
Captions 54-55, Aprendiendo con Silvia - Recuerdos de infancia
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Let's hear how to say "sweater" in both Spain and Colombia:
Eh... Se llama "jersey". -"Jersey".
Um... It's called a "jersey" [sweater]. -"Jersey."
Nosotros le decimos "suéter".
We call it "suéter" [sweater].
Captions 44-45, Carlos y Xavi - Part 3 Diferencias de vocabulario entre España y Colombia
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mandé a hacer uniformes, sudadera y todo; ¿qué tal?
I got uniforms made, a sweatshirt and everything; what do you think?
Caption 114, Club 10 - Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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Now, let's hear how to say the general term for "underwear" or "undergarments" in Spanish before moving on to the many words for the more specific articles of clothing in Spanish in this category:
No, no es bombachitas. En todo caso es ropa interior.
No, it's not panties. In any case, it's underwear.
Caption 68, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
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¿Van a dejar de usar brasier, ah?
Are you going to stop wearing a bra, huh?
Caption 18, La Sucursal del Cielo - Capítulo 1 - Part 10
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entonces, ahí estaba yo, de nuevo en la clase de matemáticas,
[and] then, there I was, in math class again,
¡y esta vez en calzoncillos!
and this time, in my underwear!
Captions 48-51, Los Años Maravillosos - Capítulo 7
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Así que ya te veo desfilando, en cualquier momento, con bombacha y corpiño.
So I see you modeling, any minute now, in panties and bra.
Caption 43, Muñeca Brava - 18 La Apuesta
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To conclude this lesson, we'll examine how to say the words for the more general "footwear" and "shoes" in Spanish prior to learning some more specific vocabulary:
Yo me dedicaba a vender calzado; tenía un almacén.
My job was selling footwear; I had a shop.
Captions 55-56, Imbabura - Paramédicos
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se convirtieron en un par de zapatos nuevos y relucientes.
changed into a new, shiny pair of shoes.
Caption 29, Cleer - El cuento de los cuatro hermanos
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Y unas botas altas. -Sí.
And some tall boots. -Yes.
Caption 23, Un Viaje a Mallorca - Planificando el viaje
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unas chanclas,
some flip flops,
Caption 12, Ariana - Mi Semana
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Me encantan los tacones.
I love high heels.
Caption 57, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Y por aquí, no pueden faltar las pantuflas o babuchas,
And over here, you can't do without slippers or house shoes,
Caption 88, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir
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Interestingly, the word for "slippers" in many Spanish-speaking countries, las zapatillas, means "the sneakers" in Spain. Now, let's listen to another word for "sneakers" or "athletic shoes" in Spanish:
y los tenis.
and tennis shoes.
Caption 38, Cleer y Lida - Juego de preguntas y respuestas
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That's all for today. To review clothing terms in Spanish, we recommend videos like Marta de Madrid - Prendas de ropa, Natalia de Ecuador - Vocabulario de prendas de vestir, and Ana Carolina's Lavandería and Salir de compras. We hope that this lesson has helped you to learn a lot of articles of clothing in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
The Royal Spanish Academy's Dictionary of the Spanish Language lists 25 different meanings for the Spanish verb pegar, whose English translations range from "to stick" to "to hit"! Although we won't cover all of them, today's lesson will touch on many of the most common ones, backed by lots of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. Are you ready?!
The Spanish verb pegar is often used to describe attaching one thing to another. While this could involve some substance like glue or paste, in other cases, it might simply entail "sticking" one thing onto another via another means, like sewing (as in the example pegar un bóton, or "sew on a button"). Let's take a look at a couple more examples:
Después pegamos los ojos que le hicimos a nuestro personaje.
Afterwards we glue the eyes that we made for him onto our character.
Caption 65, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Repartía volantes, pegaba carteles...
I used to give out pamphlets, put up posters...
Caption 42, Felipe Calderón Publicidad - Part 1
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Similarly, the reflexive form of pegar, pegarse, is used to talk about things that "stick to" other things and might even be translated as "to burn" or "stick to the pan" in the context of cooking.
Y queremos que la harina no esté muy seca y no muy mojada para que no se pegue a las manos
And, we want for the flour to not be very dry and not very moist so that it doesn't stick to one's hands
Captions 43-44, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Bueno, entonces vemos que esto se está empezando a pegar al fondo.
Well, so we see that this is starting to stick to the bottom.
Caption 1, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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In contrast to the former meanings, the Spanish verb pegar can also mean to "hit" someone, as in physically striking them:
Ella era muy amorosa, ella nunca... nunca me pegó, ni una palmada ni nada.
She was very loving. She never... never hit me, not a spank or anything.
Caption 2, La Sub30 Familias - Part 11
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Hermanito, ¿te pegaste?
Little brother, did you get hurt?
Caption 10, Guillermina y Candelario Una película de terror - Part 3
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The verb pegar often appears with specific nouns like tiro (shot), bofetón (slap), patada (kick), etc., to talk about specific types of "striking." For example, you might hear that a soccer player le pegó una patada fuerte a la pelota ("gave the ball a good kick") or that someone le pegó un bofetón ("slapped him" or "gave him a slap"). Let's see an example with un tiro:
Calme ese perro o le pego un tiro.
Calm down that dog or I'll shoot him.
Caption 40, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 6
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The verb pegar in Spanish might be employed to talk about sun, light, or even wind that falls upon (or is particularly frequent in) a particular surface or area:
Porque aquí esta zona, aquí pega mucho viento.
Because this area here, it's very windy here.
Caption 21, Playa Adícora Francisco - Part 3
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The Spanish verb pegar can additionally be utilized to talk about either "giving," in the sense of "transmitting" an illness or habit to someone, or "picking" it "up." Let's look at an example where pegar means "to give":
Traté de evitarlo, pero al final mi novio me ha pegado el COVID.
I tried to avoid it, but in the end, my boyfriend gave me COVID.
Now, let's see an example of the Spanish verb pegar within a no fault se construction to talk about something one "got."
Parece que se te pegó todo lo malo de ese títere de peluche, ¿no?
It seems like everything bad about that stuffed puppet rubbed off on you, right?
Caption 20, La Familia Cheveroni Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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An alternative translation for this sentence might be: "It seems like you picked up everything bad about that stuffed puppet, right?"
The verb pegar in Spanish can entail "pulling" something "up" to something else or "moving (it) closer." For example, you might say: "Pegué la cama a la pared" (I pulled up the bed up to the wall). Let's see one more example:
Puedes pegar un poco el brazo hacia ti.
You can bring your arm a bit closer to you.
Caption 21, Bienestar con Elizabeth Activar las articulaciones
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Antiguamente el mar pegaba a la muralla.
Previously, the sea touched the wall.
Caption 8, Viajando en Colombia Cartagena en coche - Part 2
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Esa camisa no pega con ese pantalón.
That shirt doesn't match those pants.
In addition to its more traditional uses, the verb pegar can be found in lots of idiomatic expressions and may be used differently in different countries and regions. In the Dominican Republic, for example, it is common to use the Spanish verb pegar to talk about actions that began suddenly, as in the case of "Pegó a correr" (He took off running). In other regions, you might hear expressions like "Me pegó la depresión" (I got depressed) to give us a sense that the speaker was "stricken" by depression, while "Me pegué una siesta" is another way to say "I took a nap."
While the less textbook meanings of the verb pegar can seem endless, here are a smattering of examples whose meanings feel like logical extensions of some of the more traditional definitions we covered:
Era lo que yo había aprendido y entonces, eh, me pegué con ellos
It was what I had learned and so, um, I hooked up with them
Captions 28-29, Willy Entrevista - Part 2
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hoy le pego a ese duraznito de Amalia Durango, ¿oyó?
today I'll hit it with that peach Amalia Durango, you hear?
Caption 11, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 9
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Esto te pega a ti. ¿A ti te gusta?
This one gets your attention. You like it?
Caption 87, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Yo sólo quiero pegar en la radio
I just want to catch on on the radio
Caption 1, Bacilos Mi Primer Millón
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Although these examples of the many meanings of the Spanish verb pegar are by no means exhaustive, we hope that this lesson has given you insight into many of them and their uses in different contexts. Let us know with your suggestions and comments if you can think of any more!
Now that you've learned how to introduce yourself in Spanish, let's go over some basic questions and answers when telling others about ourselves or asking about them.
Asking someone where they are from might be a common introductory question when getting to know someone. Let's take a look at both the tú (informal "you") and usted (formal "you") forms of this question:
O, ¿de dónde eres? ¿De dónde es?
Or, where are you from? [with "tú"]. Where are you from? [with "usted"].
Captions 13-14, Karla e Isabel Tú y Usted
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And, what if someone asks you this question? You might use the construction Yo soy de (I'm from) to say the city, country, etc. you come from. Let's see some examples:
Yo soy de San Fernando, Cádiz.
I am from San Fernando, Cádiz.
Caption 27, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 21
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Yo soy de Argentina, de la provincia de Córdoba, eh... exactamente de un pueblito que se llama Río Ceballos,
I'm from Argentina, from the province of Córdoba, um... precisely from a little town called Río Ceballos;
Captions 8-9, Luana y Fede Viajes
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Alternatively, you might say your nationality, particularly when talking about yourself in a foreign country:
Yo soy argentina.
I'm Argentine.
Caption 53, Carlos y Cyndy Uso del Voseo en Argentina
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soy español,
I'm Spanish,
Caption 2, Madrid Un recorrido por la capital de España
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To learn more about how to talk about nationalities in Spanish, check out this lesson on Adjectives of Nationality in Spanish. Let's explore some additional common questions/answers when getting acquainted with someone in Spanish.
Another is common question you might ask or get asked is, "What do you do (for a living)"? Let's explore a few ways to ask this question:
Bueno, perdón. ¿Tú a qué te dedicas?
Well, sorry. What do you do?
Caption 48, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 9
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¿En qué trabajas tú, Inmaculada?
In what [field] do you work, Inmaculada?
Caption 31, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 12
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The usted versions would be "¿Usted a qué se dedica?" and "¿En qué trabaja usted?" Another possible way to ask this question is:
¿Cuál es tu/su trabajo?
What's your job?
Now, let's look at some possible responses.
Me dedico a vender la leche.
I sell milk for a living.
Caption 2, Milkman Milk Seller, Nicaragua
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Yo trabajo en una tienda de ropa de segunda mano... -Ah...
I work at a second hand clothing store... -Oh...
Caption 69, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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No, yo soy azafata.
No, I'm a flight attendant.
Caption 49, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 9
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Note that when talking about your profession in Spanish, the appropriate verb is ser ("to be" for fixed characteristics) rather than estar ("to be" for more temporary states) and that, in Spanish, unlike English, you don't include the article. For that reason, the aforementioned example reads soy azafata rather than soy una azafata.
The ways to say "How old are you?" in Spanish are "¿Cuántos años tienes?" when using tú and "¿Cuántos años tiene?" with addressing someone with usted. Let's hear the tú version in action:
¿Tú cuántos años tienes, Mariano?
How old are you, Mariano?
Caption 69, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 6
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To answer this question, we use the verb tener años, which literally means "to have years," inserting the correct number of years between these two words. This is the Spanish equivalent of "being (a certain number) of years old." Let's take a look:
Tengo dieciséis años.
I'm sixteen years old.
Caption 7, Cleer Entrevista a Lila
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If you'd like to learn or refresh your Spanish numbers, check out the lesson The Numbers from One to One Hundred in Spanish.
In this caption, you will hear both the question and answer to this question.
¿Y eres casado o soltero? Estoy casado con una mujer italiana de Nápoles.
And are you married or single? I'm married to an Italian woman from Naples.
Captions 8-9, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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You might notice that in the example above, the first speaker uses the verb ser, saying "¿Y eres casado...?" instead of "¿Y estás casado?" while the second speaker uses the verb estar to answer. Although the adjective casado/a (married) is traditionally used with the verb estar, you might hear it used with ser in some Spanish-speaking regions. For more on the nuances of these two verbs, check out Ser vs. Estar- Yo Soy and Ser vs. Estar- Yo Estoy.
We ask both of these questions with the Spanish verb tener (to have), which is conjugated as tiene with usted and tienes with tú. Let's hear how to ask these two questions with tú:
¿Tienes hijos? -No.
Do you have children? -No.
Caption 87, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana
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¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas?
Do you have brothers or sisters?
Caption 5, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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It is worth noting that, as the plural masculine noun los hermanos could refer to either just "brothers" or to both "brothers and sisters" or "siblings," you could simply say "¿Tienes hermanos?" when asking if someone has brothers and/or sisters. Similarly, los hijos could specifically mean "sons" or include both male and female "children." The singular and plural feminine nouns la(s) hermana(s) and la(s) hijas, on the other hand, refer to specifically female "sister(s)" and "daughter(s)." With that in mind, let's look at some potential answers to these questions:
Yo tengo dos hijos pequeños y...
I have two small children, and...
Caption 66, El Aula Azul Un día de surf
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Y, bueno, eh... tengo una hija de ocho años, ya sabéis.
And, well, um... I have an eight-year-old daughter, you already know.
Caption 26, Clase Aula Azul La segunda condicional - Part 1
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Sí, tengo una hermana más pequeña que tiene tres años menos.
Yes, I have a younger sister who is three years younger.
Caption 6, Carlos y Xavi Part 2 Ustedes y Vosotros
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Let's move on to our last common question when getting to know someone in Spanish.
Here are some possible ways to broach the topic of what people like to do when they aren't working.
¿qué te gusta hacer?
what do you like to do?
Caption 24, Cleer Entrevista a Lila
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¿Qué cosas te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?
What do you like to do in your free time?
Caption 15, El Aula Azul Los profesores de la escuela - Part 1
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Or, you could simply say: "¿Qué te gusta hacer en tu tiempo libre?" A good formula for answering what you like to do is to say (a mí) me gusta (I like) or (a mí) me encanta (I love) plus a verb in the infinitive. Let's see some examples:
Me gusta salir a rumbear...
I like to go out dancing...
Caption 15, Zoraida Lo que gusta hacer
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Pues, me gusta escuchar música, eh... pintar, y me gusta viajar mucho.
Well, I like to listen to music, um... paint, and I like to travel a lot.
Captions 25-26, Cleer Entrevista a Lila
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y me encanta ir a la playa con mis amigos.
and I love going to the beach with my friends.
Caption 39, Clara y Cristina Saludar
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We hope that this lesson has helped you learn some basic questions/answers for getting to know someone and telling them about yourself. Can you think of any other preliminary question you would like to learn to ask or answer in Spanish? Feel free to let us know with your suggestions and comments.
Should you use mucho or muy? Do you know how to say the Spanish words muy and mucho in English? What is the difference between muy vs. mucho in Spanish?
Simply put, muy in English would be "very" or "really," while mucho in English means "many," "much," or "a lot." However, as these words can wear muchos sombreros (a lot of hats), muy vs. mucho can be un concepto muy difícil (a very difficult concept) for many English speakers.
When muy is accompanied by an adjective, the adjective that modifies the noun must agree with that noun in terms of gender and number. The "good news," however, is that the word muy itself always stays the same, regardless of whether the noun it modifies is singular or plural or masculine or feminine. Let's take a look:
es un artista plástico español muy reconocido.
is a very famous fine art artist.
Caption 14, Amaya - Vínculo: un mural muy especial
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¡estos plátanos son muy pequeños!
these bananas are very small!
Caption 30, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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Es una ciudad muy linda que tiene un cri'... clima primaveral.
It's a very beautiful city that has a spri'... spring-like climate.
Caption 47, Cleer - Entrevista con Jacky
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Las ranas son definitivamente las mejores maestras en salto.
Frogs are definitely the best jumping masters.
Pero son muy vanidosas.
But they're very full of themselves.
Captions 22-23, Guillermina y Candelario - Una Amiga muy Presumida
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Just to reiterate, although the adjectives are singular or plural and masculine or feminine, in agreement with their corresponding nouns, the word muy always remains the same.
The word muy in Spanish also remains the same when accompanying an adverb, which modifies a verb, as in the following examples:
Con un poco de práctica, podremos aprender estas reglas muy fácilmente.
With a bit of practice, we will be able to learn these rules very easily.
Caption 55, Carlos explica - Acentuación Cap. 3: La división en sílabas
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Kristen, por ejemplo, tú has dicho, muy rápidamente,
Kristen, for example, you've said, very quickly,
Caption 11, Clase Aula Azul - Pedir deseos
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When constructing or understanding sentences with muy in Spanish, how will you know whether you are contending with an adjective or an adverb? When you see a word that ends with the suffix -mente (equivalent to -ly in English), as in the examples above, you can be sure you have an adverb. However, as not all adverbs take this form and some words can function as either adjectives or adverbs, depending upon the context, it can sometimes be tough to tell the difference. Let's take a look at an example with the word rápido, which may be used as an adverb in lieu of rápidamente:
porque lo hacen muy rápido.
because they do it very quickly.
Caption 46, Animales en familia - Señales de calma y cosquillas en los perros
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Like the English word "fast," rápido can function as an adjective when describing a noun (e.g. un carro rápido/a fast car) or an adverb when describing an action (el carro va rápido/the car goes fast) to talk about something that happens "fast" or "quickly." The tricky aspect of this is that, while rápido would need to agree in terms of gender and number when employed as an adjective (e.g. unos carros rápidos), as an adverb, it remains the same (in its masculine singular form) regardless of the number of people or objects performing the action. Let's see one more example:
Vamos a trabajar muy fuerte.
We're going to work very hard.
Caption 29, Documental de Alejandro Fernandez - Viento A Favor
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Note that as always, the word muy is unchanging, and because fuerte (strong, hard, etc.) works as an adverb here, it remains unchanged, in its singular form, as well. Were it an adjective, on the other hand, gender and number would need to be taken into account, as in the example "Somos muy fuertes" (We are very strong).
Moving on to the word mucho in Spanish, taking into account what we have learned thus far regarding adjectives and adverbs, let's examine how this word can function as either of these parts of speech. To start, when mucho functions as an adjective, it must agree in terms of number and gender with the noun it modifies. Let's look:
¿Sí? No tengo mucho tiempo libre ahora.
Right? I don't have a lot of free time now.
Caption 20, Clase Aula Azul - Pedir deseos
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La verdad es que yo he tenido muchos perros,
The truth is that I've had many dogs,
Caption 50, Tu Voz Estéreo - Laura
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En Málaga, hay mucha gente con tus mismos síntomas.
In Malaga, there are a lot of people with your same symptoms.
Caption 20, Ariana - Cita médica
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A muchas personas les gusta ir de vacaciones allí
A lot of people like to go on vacation there
Caption 22, El Aula Azul - Adivina el país
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As you can see in these examples that employ masculine singular/plural and feminine singular/plural nouns, the form mucho takes (mucho, muchos, mucha, or muchas) changes in accordance with the noun it modifies.
In contrast, when mucho functions as an adverb, modifying a verb, it is always mucho in the singular/masculine form, and the gender/quantity of the noun or verb has no effect on it. Let's look at some examples:
¿Se utiliza mucho el ajo en los platos peruanos?
Is garlic used a lot in Peruvian dishes?
Caption 19, Recetas de cocina - Papa a la Huancaína
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Estos ejercicios ayudan mucho
These exercises really help
Caption 59, Bienestar con Elizabeth - Relajación
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Me gusta mucho este parque.
I really like this park.
Caption 9, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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Sí, me gustan mucho las uvas.
Yes, I like grapes a lot.
Caption 21, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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To conclude our discussion on muy vs. mucho, note that the word mucho and its corresponding feminine/plural alternatives can be used as pronouns to replace nouns that have been mentioned or implied. Notice that the pronoun forms of mucho must agree in gender and number with the nouns they replace, as follows:
¿Se encuentran aquí buenas cositas o no,
Can you find good stuff here or not,
buenas gangas? -Sí, sí, sí. -¿Sí? -Muchas.
good bargains? -Yes, yes, yes. -Yes? -Many.
Captions 102-103, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Sí. -¿Que mucha más gente viene ahora?
Yes. -That a lot more people come now?
Sí, mucha. -Yo tengo un niño pequeño entonces...
Yes, a lot. -I have a small child so...
Captions 43-44, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 16
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Puedes ver que no tenemos muchos
You can see that we don't have many
porque hemos vendido últimamente bastantes.
because we have sold quite a few lately.
Captions 46-47, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 11
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While you can clearly see in the first two examples that the word mucho changes forms (to mucha and muchas) to agree with the feminine singular and plural nouns it replaces (cositas/gangas and gente), the third example is notable because the noun being replaced by the masculine plural form muchos is not immediately apparent. However, since the conversation in question, which began several captions earlier, involves cars (the masculine plural noun, los coches), the masculine plural form muchos must be utilized to express the idea of "many" in this context.
We hope that this lesson has helped to clarify the difference between muy vs. mucho in Spanish since sus muchos usos y matices pueden resultar muy difíciles (their many uses and nuances can be very difficult) for English speakers. We welcome any insight you might have on mucho vs. muy in Spanish, 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.
We all know that mastering irregular verbs like ser (to be) and ir (to go) can be tricky. Very often, however, we can take advantage of those special rules that make the learning process a bit easier. In this lesson, we will explore one of them: the ser and ir preterite conjugation!
First of all, the good news: the verbs ser and ir share the same simple past conjugation! By simple past, we are referring to what is known in Spanish as pretérito perfecto simple or just pretérito (preterite). That being said, let’s review the ser and ir preterite conjugation of these two verbs.
Yo fui | I was
Tú fuiste | You were
Él/Ella fue | He/She was
Nosotros fuimos | We were
Vosotros fuisteis | You were
Ellos fueron | They were
Let's see a couple of examples:
Pensar que un día fui la respuesta
To think that one day I was the answer
Caption 15, Belanova - Tal vez
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Aprendí que los primeros en hacer cómic fueron los aztecas.
I learned that the first ones to make comics were the Aztecs.
Captions 47-48, Antonio Vargas - Artista - Comic
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Yo fui | I went
Tú fuiste | You went
Él/Ella fue | He/She went
Nosotros fuimos | We went
Vosotros fuisteis | You went
Ellos fueron | They went
Did you see that? The ser and ir preterite conjugation is the same! Now, let's see a couple of examples with the verb ir:
Y sí, definitivamente fuimos a tomar un café, fuimos a cenar.
And yes, we definitely went for a coffee, went to dinner.
Caption 18, Enanitos Verdes - Luz de día
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¿Y te fuiste a vivir con tu novio con cuánto?
And you went to live with your boyfriend when you were how old?
-Con diecisiete.
-I was seventeen.
Caption 92, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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We also use the simple past conjugation of the verb ir for the reflexive form irse (to leave):
Yo me fui de la casa cuando tenía nueve años.
I left home when I was nine years old.
Caption 41, La Sub30 - Familias - Part 5
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Desde aquel día que te fuiste, supe que eras para mí
From that day on which you left, I knew you were for me
Caption 1, Andy Andy - Maldito Amor
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That's all for now. But before we leave, a short exercise for you: Write 10 sentences using the preterite of the verb ser and 10 sentences using the preterite of the verb ir. and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Many languages, Spanish and English included, use the same words for both questions and exclamations. Words like qué (what), cómo (how), and cuánto (how many) may primarily be interrogative words, but they are also exclamatory words that are used to simply state an idea or opinion with surprise or amazement. Frequently, phrases containing these words use exclamation marks (don't forget Spanish uses an additional initial upside down exclamation mark), but sometimes that's not even necessary, because the meaning of these expressions can be easily inferred from the context. Let's do a quick review.
Cómo (how) is used exactly the same way in Spanish and English. In one of our videos, Sor Angelica expresses how much she missed the bakery goods served at the convent:
Mmm... Ay, Padre Manuel, cómo extrañaba este pancito casero.
Mmm... Oh, Father Manuel, how I missed this homemade bread.
Caption 1, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
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Qué (what) is also used as an exclamatory word in both languages. One important difference between Spanish and English here is that Spanish never uses an article between the word qué and the noun or adjetive it modifies:
Qué grandísimo músico.
What a great musician.
Caption 49, David Bisbal - Haciendo Premonición Live
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Another difference is that Spanish allows the use of qué in many more cases than English, which must resort to the use of "how" instead, as you can see in the following examples:
¡Pero qué inteligente!
But how smart!
Caption 6, Muñeca Brava - 43 La reunión
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Bueno, qué grande la tienda, ¿eh?
Well, how big the store is, huh?
Caption 81, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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When used as an exclamatory word, qué can be replaced by a fancy word: cuán (how). This, however, is less common than qué, and it's mostly used in literary works. So, in the previous examples you can also use: cuán grandísimo músico, cuán inteligente, cuán grande, etc. Here is an example of cuán in one of our videos. Speaking of grandísimos músicos, here is an example of cuán in the lyrics of a song interpreted by the famous Chilean singer Chico Trujillo:
Para que te cuenten cuán grande es mi dolor
So they tell you how big my pain is
Caption 10, Chico Trujillo - Quémame los ojos
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Cuánto (how much) can be used in front of nouns and verbs to express surprise at an amount of something. To modify a verb, one must always use the singular masculine form: cuánto.
¡Ay, señora Angélica,
Ah, Madame Angelica,
cuánto hacía que no bajaba por aquí!
it's been so long since you last came down here!
Caption 54, Muñeca Brava - 44 El encuentro
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To modify a noun, cuánto must match the noun in gender and number:
¡Cuántos frijoles hubiéramos hecho!
How many beans we would have produced!
Caption 28, Con ánimo de lucro - Cortometraje
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¡Cuántas penurias pasamos el año pasado!
How many scarcities we had last year!
¡Cuánto dolor te he causado!
How much pain I've inflicted upon you!
To end this lesson we want to share something that may be new to you. In Spanish you can combine the use of exclamation and interrogation marks when an expression is both a question and an exclamation. According to the Real Academia Española, there are three possible ways to do it correctly. See below. Bet you didn't know the first two were even possible!
¡Cómo te atreves?
¿Cómo te atreves!
¿¡Cómo te atreves!?
How dare you!?
¡Cuánto hemos aprendido hoy, verdad? (How much we learned today, right?!)
In a previous lesson we explored the use of conditional si clauses in questions. Since one of our new videos for the week focuses on the Spanish conditional, we think it's a great opportunity to continue exploring the topic, reviewing a couple of examples where si clauses are used in a more orthodox way.
As you know, conditional si clauses always have two parts: the condition, or si (if) clause, and the followup, which indicates what will happen if the condition is met. In these examples, the subjunctive is used in the si clauses, while the conditional (underlined) is reserved for the followup:
Bueno, si yo fuera tú, hablaría con él.
Well, if I were you, I would speak with him.
Caption 24, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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Creo que si fuera consciente me...
I think that if I were paying attention I...
me volvería loca porque es así como muy fuerte.
I would go crazy because it's kind of really intense.
Captions 115-116, Biografía - Natalia Oreiro
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Si tuviera otra oportunidad
If I had another chance
De empezar de cero otra vez,
To start from zero again,
De vivir una nueva vida más
To live one more new life
Yo volvería a repetir
I would repeat
Y volvería a nacer
And would be born again
Captions 2-6, La habitación roja - La segunda oportunidad
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More frequently though, you will hear that speakers use the indicative for both the main clause and the si clause:
Y si le caes mal, es su problema entonces.
And if he doesn't like you, it's his problem then.
Captions 30-31, El Aula Azul - La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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It is as if the speaker assumes that the condition has, in fact, been met, and therefore uses the indicative to state both, the si clause and the main clause, as facts. Can you tell how this example would look if we were to use the conditional and the subjunctive instead of the indicative? It would look like this:
Y si le cayeras mal, sería su problema entonces.
And if he didn't like you, that would be his problem then.
Interesting, right? Let's review a few more examples using indicative:
Yo, si me los pongo, lo aguanto.
Me, if I put them on, I deal with it.
Caption 60, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Así que si quieres me esperas, si no comprendo
So, if you want, you wait for me, if not, I understand
Caption 16, Karamelo Santo - Que no digan nunca
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¡Ay, chicos, si quieren les hago tostadas!
Hey, guys, if you want, I'll make toast for you!
Caption 41, Muñeca Brava - 2 Venganza
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The word lo can either be used as a neuter article, or as a pronoun. In this lesson we will focus on its use as an article.
Neuter articles are used to express abstract ideas or give extra emphasis to a certain adjective. As a neuter article, lo is the easiest of all the articles as there is only one form: lo. It can be placed in front of just about any adjective that expresses an abstraction or a quality (or extreme degree of quantity), something that's not a concrete object or person.
Here are some phrases that take lo before different types of adjectives:
lo bueno = "the good part, what's good"
lo fácil = "the easy part, what's easy"
lo mío = "(that which is) mine"
lo nuestro = "(that which is) ours"
Lo + adjective can be translated in English as "the" + adjective + the word "thing" or "part":
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así.
And well, it's the bad thing about living in a country like this.
Caption 68, Amigos D.F. - El secuestrar
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Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía.
That is the nice thing about gastronomy.
Caption 29, Cómetelo - Crema de brócoli
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In fact, lo + adjective generates the syntactic equivalent of a noun phrase. That's why it's also common to translate it as "what is + adjective." In the previous examples, we would have:
Y pues, es lo malo de vivir en un país así / And well, it's what is bad about living in a country like this.
Eso es lo bonito de la gastronomía / That's what is nice about gastronomy.
The use of lo before a relative clause has a similar effect:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice
There are people who correct what they say
Caption 39, Calle 13 - No hay nadie como tú
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Lucio, tengo que contarte que por lo que me adelantó Morena...
Lucio, I have to tell you that from what Morena told me in advance...
Caption 57, Yago - 7 Encuentros - Part 14
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In fact, lo can often be taken to mean roughly la cosa or las cosas:
Hay gente que rectifica lo que dice. → There are people who correct what they say.
Hay gente que rectifica (las cosas) que dice. → There are people who correct (the things) they say.
...por lo que me adelantó Morena. → ...from what Morena told me.
...por (las cosas) que me adelantó Morena. → ...from (the things) that Morena told me.
By the way, lo can be used before a series of adjetives too:
Pero encontrar lo bueno, bonito y barato
But finding the good, [the] nice and [the] cheap
a veces es muy complicado.
is sometimes very complicated.
Captions 2-3, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Of course, in order to help our subscribers with their learning process, we have made the translation here as parallel as possible. But you already know what would make a more natural translation, right?
→ But finding what's good, nice, and cheap is sometimes complicated.
→ But finding the good, nice, and cheap things is sometimes complicated.
There is yet one more use of lo as a neuter article and it's rather interesting. Lo is used to express the extreme degree or nature of a given concept or idea. Here it's best to review some examples:
¿Es que no eres todo lo feliz que desearías?
Is it that you are not as happy as you would like?
Caption 26, De consumidor a persona - Short Film
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Sometimes this lo equates to using the word “how”:
Si supieras lo mucho que te amo
If you knew how much I love you
Caption 15, Ozomatli - Jardinero
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Porque ves las gradas llenas, eh,
Because you see the packed bleachers, um,
la gente lo bien que se lo pasa con la música.
how much fun the people have with the music.
Captions 11-12, Los Juegos Olímpicos - Adrián Gavira
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¿Pero cómo voy a perder mis maletas de vista
But how am I going to lose sight of my suitcases
con lo grandes que son?
with how big they are?
Captions 29-30, Raquel - Avisos de Megafonía
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Read more about the use of the neuter gender here.
The verb gustar, or Spanish equivalent of "to like," tends to confuse English speakers because, in terms of the relationship between a sentence's subject and object, it functions in exactly the opposite way. To better understand this, let's define these two terms:
Generally speaking, the subject of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that performs an action.
The object of a sentence is the person, place, thing, or idea that receives the action of the sentence's verb.
A very simple example of this concept would be: "I threw the ball," where "I" is the subject, or performer of the action, and "the ball" is the object, or recipient of the action.
That said, with the English verb "to like," it is the subject of the sentence that "does the liking." Let's look at a few simple examples:
She likes pizza ("She" is the subject who performs the action of liking onto the object, "pizza").
Anna and John like dogs ("Anna and John" is the subject; they perform the action of liking onto the object, "dogs").
We like you ("We" is the subject that performs the action of liking onto the object, "you").
In Spanish, on the other hand, the subject, or performer of the action, is the person, place, or thing that, in English, is "being liked." To see this in action, let's take a look at some captions from a Yabla video on this very topic:
Me gusta mucho este parque. A ti también te gusta ¿verdad? Sí, me gustan las plantas. Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.
I really like this park. You like it too, right? Yes, I like the plants. Yes, I like the plants and the flowers and the trees.
Captions 9-13, Conversaciones en el parque - Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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In Spanish, este parque (this park), las plantas (the plants), and las plantas y las flores y los árboles (the plants and the flowers and the trees) are the subjects of these sentences, as they are thought to "cause" the implied objects yo (I) and tú (you) to like them. In their English translations, on the other hand, "I" and "you" are the subjects of the sentences, whereas "this park," "it," "the plants," and "the plants and the flowers and the trees" are the objects that receive the action of liking.
While this difference in perception may confuse English speakers, it is useful to note that the English verb "to please" functions similarly to "gustar" in terms of the subject-object relationship. Therefore, it may be a good exercise to substitute this verb for "to like" when translating Spanish sentences with "gustar" or attempting to formulate new ones. Let's take a look at our previous example, this time translated with the verb "to please":
Me gusta mucho este parque. A ti también te gusta ¿verdad? Sí, me gustan las plantas. Sí, a mí me gustan las plantas y las flores y los árboles.
This park really pleases me. It also pleases you, right? Yes, the plants please me. Yes, the plants and the flowers and the trees please me.
To reiterate this concept, let's take a look at some additional examples where the verb gustar has been translated as "to like" while providing their alternative translations with "to please":
1.
Me gustan mucho las chaquetas de piel.
I really like leather jackets.
Caption 32, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION:
Me gustan mucho las chaquetas de piel.
Leather jackets really please me.
2.
Yo te quiero así y me gustas porque eres diferente
I love you like that, and I like you because you're different
Caption 12, Carlos Vives, Shakira - La Bicicleta
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION:
Yo te quiero así y me gustas porque eres diferente
I love you like that, and you please me because you're different
3.
¿Te gusta trabajar aquí, te gusta? -No, no me gusta, no.
Do you like working here, do you like it? -No, I don't like it, no.
Caption 77, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa - Part 12
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ALTERNATIVE TRANSLATION:
¿Te gusta trabajar aquí, te gusta? -No, no me gusta, no.
Does working here please you, does it please you? -No, it doesn't please me, no.
Note that while the alternative translations are grammatically correct, their primary purpose here is to help us to understand how the Spanish verb "gustar" functions. As in everyday speech, it would be far less common to hear someone say "You please me" than "I like you," the translations with "to like" are preferable in most cases.
Now that we are familiar with the different manners in which the English and Spanish languages express the concept of "liking," it's time to learn how to conjugate the verb "gustar," which we'll cover in the next lesson. That's all for today, and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions.