What a difference an accent makes! Did you know that the meanings of several Spanish words vary depending upon whether or not they have a written accent? Today, we'll learn ten such pairs of words, providing examples of each in context. Are you ready?!
The adverb aun in Spanish, without an accent, is the equivalent of the English word "even":
Aun así, me hubiera gustado tener algo más de luz.
Even so, I'd have liked to have had a bit more light.
Caption 63, Viajando con Fermín La Cueva de Nerja - Part 2
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The adverb aún, on the other hand, with an accent, means "yet" or "still" in Spanish:
Aún no tengo hijos, eh...
I don't have kids yet, um...
Caption 29, La Sub30 Familias - Part 9
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The preposition de in Spanish is an extremely common word that can mean "of" or "from":
Yo soy de Barcelona, nací aquí,
I'm from Barcelona, I was born here,
Caption 23, Carlos y Xavi Diferencia de pronunciación entre España y Colombia - Part 1
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The word dé with an accent, however, is a conjugated form of the verb dar (to give) in Spanish. It could be either the present subjunctive form that corresponds to the subject pronouns él (he), ella (she), or usted (formal "you") or the formal imperative. Let's look at an example of each:
Present Subjunctive:
que me dé una explicación.
for him to give me an explanation.
Caption 60, Yago 13 La verdad - Part 5
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Formal Imperative:
Démela, no se va a dar cuenta.
Give it to me, she won't realize.
Caption 42, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 7 - Part 2
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Without an accent, esta is the singular feminine demonstrative adjective that means "this":
Esta pasión empezó cuando yo era muy pequeña
This passion started when I was really little,
Caption 5, Adriana La lectura
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With an accent, está is the third person singular and formal second person singular conjugation of the verb estar (to be).
y el mar está muy agitado.
and the sea is very choppy.
Caption 40, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 8
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The word el in Spanish is the masculine singular definite article that means "the":
En el parque hay árboles,
At the park there are trees,
Caption 15, El Aula Azul Mi Barrio
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Él with an accent is a subject pronoun that means "he" or "it":
Él tiene una responsabilidad con ustedes,
He has a responsibility to you guys,
Caption 41, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 4
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The Spanish word mas without an accent is a conjunction that is used similarly to the word pero in Spanish and also means "but":
"Te dije que me hicieras caso, mas no escuchaste".
"I told you to pay attention to me, but you didn't listen."
Caption 21, Aprendiendo con Priscilla La palabra "más"
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Meanwhile, the word más with an accent is the Spanish equivalent of the word "more":
"Necesito comprar más carros".
"I need to buy more cars."
Caption 15, Aprendiendo con Priscilla La palabra "más"
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For more on the difference between these two words, take a look the video from which these two examples were taken: Aprendiendo con Priscilla- La palabra "más."
The non-accented word mi in Spanish is a short form possessive adjective that means "my" when referring to singular nouns:
Mi casa es pequeña.
My house is small.
Caption 10, Ariana Mi Casa
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The accented version of this word is a prepositional pronoun that can be used after any preposition (except the preposition con) to mean "me":
Para mí, el mejor jugador de fútbol es Leo Messi.
For me, the best soccer player is Leo Messi.
Caption 52, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 3
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The pronoun se in Spanish has many uses, including in impersonal and passive se constructions, in the no fault construction, to say "each other" in phrases like se abrazaron (they hugged each other), and as the reflexive pronoun that accompanies reflexive verbs with él, ella, usted, and ustedes. The following example includes se in both an impersonal and a reflexive construction.
y, como se dice en España: "Hay que saberse bañar
and, as they say in Spain: "You have to know how to bathe yourself
Caption 77, Soledad Amistades
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The accented version of the word sé is the first person conjugation of the verb saber (to know) in the present indicative:
yo sé que Ríos está aquí, hermano.
I know that Rios is here, brother.
Caption 58, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 6
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Si without an accent in Spanish means "if":
Si vienes, entonces te invito a comer.
If you come, then I'll treat you to a meal.
Caption 22, Ana Carolina Condicionales
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And, as you surely already know, sí with an accent in Spanish means "yes":
Sí. -Sí, señor.
Yes. -Yes, sir.
Caption 94, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 1
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Carolina sums up this difference well:
Entonces, "sí" es una palabra afirmativa cuando queremos algo, mientras que "si" es una palabra condicional.
So, "sí" is an affirmative word when we want something, while "si" is a conditional word.
Captions 38-40, Lecciones con Carolina Haber vs. A Ver / Si vs. Sí
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Te with no accent can be either a direct or indirect object pronoun or a reflexive pronoun that corresponds to the informal second person singular subject pronoun tú. Let's see it in use as a direct object pronoun:
Te voy a llevar a los mejores restaurantes.
I am going to take you to the best restaurants.
Caption 23, Clara y Cristina Hablan de actividades
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The accented version of té refers to the beverage "tea":
Si querés tomar té tomalo en tu escritorio... -Ah, está bien...
If you want to have tea, have it at your desk... -Oh, OK...
Caption 29, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 7
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Tu (no accent!) is the informal second person singular possessive adjective that means "your":
¿Cómo se llama tu mamá?
What's your mom's name?
Caption 26, Ana Carolina Preguntas básicas con su hijo
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As we mentioned previously, tú with an accent is a subject pronoun that informally means "you" in Spanish.
¿Y tú? Que tampoco me has vuelto a llamar.
And you? You haven't called me again either.
Caption 18, Cleer y Lida Conversación telefónica - Part 1
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has clarified the difference between words in Spanish that, while pronounced identically, have different meanings depending upon whether or not they have an accent. Don't hesitate to write us with any questions, suggestions, or comments.
Today's lesson will take us through some Spanish vocabulary that might come in handy to talk about el otoño (the autumn/fall) and some of the phenomena associated with esta estación (this season).
Let's start by taking a look at a quote from our Yabla Spanish library about el tiempo in autumn, which means "the weather" (rather than "the time") in this context:
Pero en primavera y en otoño, el tiempo es mucho mejor
But in spring and in fall, the weather is much better
Captions 16-17, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 1
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The fall season is typically characterized by more moderate temperaturas (temperatures) as well as viento (wind) and sometimes lluvia (rain) or niebla (fog) (although there might be some sol (sun) as well!). Let's look at these autumn weather words in context:
Pasame las llaves y llamá un taxi ante' que venga la lluvia.
Give me the keys and call a cab before the rain comes.
Caption 51, Yago 5 La ciudad - Part 9
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Ya está haciendo un poco de viento; ¿no te parece que hace frío? Sí, a pesar de que hace un hermoso sol.
It's a bit windy now; doesn't it seem like it's cold to you? Yes, in spite of the fact that it's beautifully sunny.
Captions 78-79, Sofy y Caro Entrevistar para un trabajo
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Ten cuidado cuando conduzcas hoy porque hay mucha niebla y no se puede ver bien.
Be careful when you drive today because there's a lot of fog, and you can't see well.
Captions 17-18, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 2
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The videos Clara explica el tiempo - Part 1 and Clara explica el tiempo- Part 2 (Clara Explains the Weather- Parts 1 and 2) as well as Aprendiendo con Karen- El tiempo (Learning with Karen- The Weather) can help you learn even more ways to talk about the weather in Spanish.
While some Spanish-speaking countries like Colombia and Ecuador have less climatic variation due to their proximity to the equator, others experience the autumn season in different months than North America. For example, fall in countries like Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, etc. takes place from approximately marzo a junio (March to June), while Spain experiences the fall in the same months as in the United States: septiembre a diciembre (September through December), as demonstrated in this video about the months and seasons in Spanish by El Aula Azul:
En septiembre, empieza el otoño. En octubre, caen las hojas.
In September, the fall begins. In October, the leaves fall.
Captions 22-23, El Aula Azul Estaciones y Meses
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And that brings us to las hojas (the leaves), which, along with their tendency to change colors, dry up, and fall off trees in the autumn, are arguably the most frequently-employed symbol of the fall season.
What other objects are associated with the fall? Let's take a look at a few:
¡Soy un espantapájaros!
I'm a scarecrow!
Caption 95, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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¿Cuánto puede costar una cesta así en el mercado?
How much can a basket like this cost at the market?
Caption 121, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 11
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¿Adivináis qué animal come esta paja y este heno?
Can you guess what animal eats this straw and this hay?
Caption 6, Amaya Donkey Dreamland
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Ahora, vamos con nuestro siguiente diseño de calabaza.
Now, we go on to our next pumpkin design.
Caption 64, Manos a la obra Papel picado para Día de muertos
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What other foods do we associate with the autumn season?
Es época de quinoa, de la cosecha, de las arvejas tiernas, del maíz, que también ya acabamos de cosechar.
It's the season for quinoa, the harvest, sweet peas, corn, which we also just finished harvesting.
Captions 27-28, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 2
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Si hay un olor típico en el otoño es el de las castañas asadas.
If there is a typical smell in autumn, it's that of the roasted chestnuts.
Caption 24, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 1
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Las manzanas puedes hacer dulce de manzana, pie de manzana, torta de manzana,
[With] apples you can make apple jam, apple pie, apple cake,
Caption 19, Otavalo Conozcamos el Mundo de las Frutas con Julia
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And speaking of apples, they can also be used to make sidra (cider) of both the alcoholic and non-alchoholic variety:
y la bebida más típica es la sidra de manzana.
and the most typical drink is hard apple cider.
Caption 57, Viajando con Fermín La Feria de Santo Tomás
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In this video, Fermín tells us in this about the Feria de Santo Tomás (Saint Tomas Fair), which takes place on the last day of autumn, December 21st, and is thought to be the first day of the Christmas season.
To continue on the theme of fiestas (holidays), let's talk about the Spanish terms for some fall celebrations in both the United States and Latin America:
Y en el interior le decimos, eh... Día de Muertos. Eh... Quizás tenga un poco de relación en la fecha con el Halloween de Estados Unidos,
And in [places] inside the country we call it, um... Day of the Dead. Um... Perhaps it's a little bit related with the United States's Halloween in respect to date,
Captions 69-70, Yabla en Yucatán Don Salo - Part 2
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And, in addition to Halloween and the Day of the Dead, we have, in November, the important North American holiday of Thanksgiving, which is called el Día de Acción de Gracias in Spanish.
Let's conclude today's lesson with a quick-reference review of the words we have learned:
el otoño (the autumn/fall)
la estación (the season)
el tiempo (the weather)
la temperatura (the temperture)
la lluvia (the rain)
el viento (the wind)
la niebla (the fog)
el sol (the sun)
hacer sol (to be sunny)
hacer viento (to be windy)
hacer frío (to be cold)
marzo (March)
abril (April)
mayo (May)
junio (June)
septiembre (September)
octubre (October)
noviembre (November)
diciembre (December)
las hojas (the leaves)
el espantapájaros (the scarecrow)
la cesta (the basket)
la paja (the straw)
el heno (the hay)
la calabaza (the pumpkin)
la quinoa (the quinoa)
la cosecha (the harvest)
cosechar (to harvest)
el maíz (the corn)
las castañas asadas (the roasted chestnuts)
la manzana (the apple)
la fiesta (the holiday)
el Día de Muertos/el Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)
el Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving)
And that brings us to the end of our lesson on useful Spanish vocabulary for the autumn season. We hope you've enjoyed it, and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
In this lesson, we're going to look at todos los usos y significados (all of the uses and meanings) of the word todo in Spanish. Well, maybe not all of them... but a lot!
Primero que todo (first of all), we'd like to say that the Spanish word todo and its feminine and plural equivalents have many meanings including "all," "whole," "every," "each," "everyone," and more, depending upon the context in which they are utilized. Actually, while todo and its alternate forms most commonly function as an adjective or a pronoun, they can also function as an adverb or even a noun. Let's examine how this word works in each of these cases, its various translations into English, and several idiomatic expressions that employ it.
Let's recall that an adjective modifies, or describes, a noun. When the word todo functions as an adjective, it must agree in number and gender with the noun it modifies. We must thus choose between its masculine singular (todo), masculine plural (todos), feminine singular (toda) or feminine plural (todas) forms, placing it either directly in front of either a noun, a noun's direct article, or a possessive adjective. Let's look at some examples:
No, en España, el español se parece mucho en todo el país.
No, in Spain, Spanish is a lot alike in the whole country.
Captions 5-6, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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Although the literal translation of todo el país would be "all the country," common ways to say todo el in English include "the whole" or "the entire." Thus, an alternative translation for this sentence might be: "No, in Spain, Spanish is a lot alike in the entire country." Let's look at an additional example:
La asistente le dará una tarjeta con toda la información
The assistant will give you a card with all the information
Caption 42, Cita médica La cita médica de Cleer - Part 2
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Note that in this example, the feminine singular form toda has the more straightforward translation "all." Let's move on to some plural examples:
Invitamos a todos sus amigos al karaoke
We invite all her friends to karaoke
Caption 44, Blanca y Mariona Planificación de cena
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Note that while, in the sentence above, the plural form is translated to "all," in other cases, it can be translated as "every":
Salimos todas las noches.
We go out every night.
Caption 20, Clara y Cristina Hablan de actividades
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In other cases, either translation could suffice:
Feliz tarde, amigos de Yabla de todos los países del mundo.
Happy afternoon, Yabla friends from every country in the world.
Caption 2, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana
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An alternative translation could, of course, be: "Happy afternoon, Yabla friends from all the countries in the world."
The definition of a pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Hence, when the word todo is used a pronoun in Spanish, it must match the number/gender of the noun to which it refers. Let's look at a simple example:
¿Cuánta torta comiste? -Me la comí toda.
How much cake did you eat? -I ate it all.
But:
¿Cuántos caramelos comiste? -Todos.
How much candies did you eat? -All of them.
Let's take a look at an example from the Yabla video library where todas replaces a plural feminine noun (las estaciones/the seasons):
Creo que es la mejor estación de todas.
I think that it's the best season of all.
Caption 22, Clara explica El tiempo - Part 1
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Todo on its own is also the equivalent of the English word "everything":
Sí, Lucio me cuenta todo.
Yes, Lucio tells me everything.
Caption 30, Yago 12 Fianza - Part 2
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The plural todos, on the other hand, means "everybody" or "everyone":
porque es información nueva para todos.
because it's new information for everyone.
Caption 60, Clase Aula Azul Información con subjuntivo e indicativo - Part 4
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In fact, the title of a recent Yabla video, Todo es de todos (Everything Belongs to Everyone) employs both of those terms. However, note the difference in translation for todos in the following example:
¿De ahí saldrá el aguacate que todos conocemos? -Claro.
The avocado that we all know will come from there? -Sure.
Caption 57, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 17
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Although "The avocado that everyone knows will come from there?" could be a viable translation, the fact that the verb conocer (to know) has been translated in the first person plural (nosotros/"we") form makes "we all" a legitimate (and perhaps more explanatory) translation.
When todo functions as an adverb, it is typically used to make emphatic statements. Possible translations include "really," "completely," "all," or "totally." For example, one might say: El chico se veía todo lindo (The guy looked really good) or Mi habitación está toda desordenada (My room is totally messy). Let's look at an example from the Yabla video library:
¡Yo te vi, yo te vi toda llena de barro!
I saw you! I saw you all covered in mud!
Caption 41, Yago 3 La foto - Part 5
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As a noun, el todo means "the whole" and can be seen in the translation for Aristotle's famous sentence:
El todo es más que la suma de las partes.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
And speaking of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, let's examine some common Spanish idioms that include forms of the word todo with meanings beyond their literal words.
While todo el mundo literally means "all the world" or "the whole/entire world," this phrase is an extremely common way of expressing the idea of "everybody" or "everyone" in Spanish:
Todo el mundo puede tocar el tambor donde, cuando y como quiera- mayores, niños, mujeres,
Everybody can play the drum wherever, whenever, and however they want- older people, children, women,
Captions 47-49, Viernes Santo en Tobarra ¡La Cuna del Tambor! - Part 1
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Literally "all the day," the notion of "all day" is encompassed by the Spanish expression todo el día:
¿Todo el día? El tiempo que quieras.
All day? As long as you want.
Captions 103-104, Alan x el mundo Mi playa favorita de México! - Part 2
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The plural form todos los días ("all the days"), on the other hand, means "every day":
Además, la vemos todos los días.
Besides, we see it every day.
Caption 11, Guillermina y Candelario Una aventura extrema - Part 2
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Like it sounds, the Spanish phrase sobre todo can indeed mean "above all" or "above everything." Additional, frequent translations include "mostly," "mainly," and "especially":
Primero, sobre todo si es tu primera tarjeta de crédito, eh... es recomendable que el... que el límite no sea mayor a tus ingresos.
First, especially if it is your first credit card, um... it is recommendable for the... for the limit not to be greater than your income.
Captions 51-52, Cuentas claras Sobreviviendo enero - Part 3
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En todo caso, espero que a partir de hoy, se sientan más cómodos usando las redes sociales en español.
In any case, I hope that starting from today, you feel more comfortable using social networks in Spanish.
Captions 53-54, Carlos explica Internet y lenguaje digital: Redes sociales
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Por todos lados might seem to mean "around all sides," but it really means "everywhere":
Mili, ¿Dónde estabas? Te estuve buscando por todos lados.
Mili, where were you? I was looking for you everywhere.
Caption 16, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 10
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De todas formas in Spanish means not "of all shapes," but is rather a manner of saying "anyway":
Bueno, de todas formas, mire, el tipo se está haciendo pasar por Pierre Bernard.
Well, anyway, look, the guy is posing as Pierre Bernard.
Caption 7, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 1 - Part 8
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The similar Spanish expressions de todas maneras and de todos modos also mean "anyway," "anyhow," or "in any case."
The phrase de todo ("of everything") is another way to say "everything" in Spanish:
Aquí tiene de todo, perro, oveja...
Here, they have everything: [a] dog, sheep...
Caption 1, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 6
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Del todo ("of the whole"), on the other hand, means "completely" or "entirely"':
Quizás l'... la relación más equilibrada que yo he buscado no ha pasado del todo y ahora me siento un poquito sola
Maybe th'... the more balanced relationship that I've looked for hasn't completely happened, and now I feel a little bit lonely
Captions 19-20, El reencuentro Las amigas hablan del trabajo y el amor.
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For additional examples of this expression and more, we recommend the lesson En absoluto, de ninguna manera, del todo.
And finally, if you want to tell someone to go "straight ahead," todo recto (literally "all straight") is the way to go in Spanish:
Tiene que ir todo recto. -Sí.
You have to go straight ahead. -Yes.
Caption 17, Curso de español ¿Hay una escuela por aquí?
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These are just a smattering of the many Spanish expressions that incorporate forms of todo that can be heard in everyday Spanish. ¡Sería imposible nombrarlos todos (It would be imposible to name them all)! That said:
Eso es todo por hoy, amigos.
That's all for today, friends.
Caption 56, Ana Carolina Símbolos de Navidad
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For additional information on expressions that include the Spanish word todo, we recommend the additional lesson When Nada (Nothing) is Todo (Everything). In the meantime, gracias por todo (thanks for everything), and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Do you know the names of the months in Spanish? Believe it or not, the names of the months in Spanish are quite similar to their English equivalents. Let's look at how to write and pronounce the months of the year in Spanish language.
The answer is mes. If you want to use the plural form, you need to use the term meses. Also, when talking about months in Spanish keep in mind the following:
One month: Un mes
Two months: Dos meses
Last month: El mes pasado
Next month: El próximo mes
Before we hear how to pronounce the names of the 12 months in Spanish, let's take a look at the following list featuring the months in Spanish and English:
January: enero
February: febrero
March: marzo
April: abril
May: mayo
June: junio
July: julio
August: agosto
September: septiembre
October: octubre
November: noviembre
December: diciembre
Let's hear the following sentences so you can practice the pronunciation of the 12 months in Spanish.
Estos son los meses del año. Enero.
These are the months of the year. January.
Captions 1-2, El Aula Azul - Estaciones y Meses
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Diecinueve de febrero.
February nineteenth.
-¡Oh! ¿Diecinueve de febrero?
-Oh! February nineteenth?
Captions 13-14, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam
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Las Fallas son unas fiestas que se celebran en Valencia durante el mes de marzo.
The Fallas is a festival celebrated in Valencia during the month of March.
Caption 25, Raquel - Fiestas de España
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Me gustaría reservar una cabaña para la primera semana de abril.
I would like to reserve a cabin for the first week of April.
Caption 4, Cleer y Lida - Reservando una habitación
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En mayo, salen las flores.
In May, the flowers come out.
Caption 18, El Aula Azul - Estaciones y Meses
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En junio, empieza el verano.
In June, the summer starts.
Caption 19, El Aula Azul - Estaciones y Meses
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En julio. Vendría el mes de julio entero.
In July. He'd come for the whole month of July.
Caption 27, El Aula Azul - Conversación: Los cursos de español
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En agosto, miles de voluntarios vienen a este sitio.
In August, thousands of volunteers come to this site.
Caption 53, Rosa - Laguna Fuente de Piedra
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Por ejemplo, durante el Festival de Cine
For example, during the Film Festival
que se celebra en San Sebastián en el mes de septiembre.
that is held in San Sebastian in the month of September.
Captions 13-14, San Sebastián - Palacio de Miramar
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Desde octubre se comienza la venta de los monigotes.
From October the selling of the dolls begins.
Caption 55, Otavalo - Artesano de monigotes de Año Viejo
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Fue inaugurado el treinta de noviembre de mil novecientos noventa y cuatro.
It was opened on November thirtieth nineteen ninety-four.
Caption 5, Paseando con Karen Monterrey - Museo de Historia Mexicana
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Normalmente, suele nevar en diciembre.
Normally, it typically snows in December.
Caption 69, Clara y Cristina - Hablan de actividades
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Finally, did you notice anything in particular in the previous sentences regarding the spelling of the names of the months in Spanish? Unlike English, in Spanish the names of the months don't have to be capitalized.
That's it for today. Try to write a couple of sentences with the months in Spanish and read them aloud so you can practice their pronunciation. And don’t forget to send us your feedback and suggestions.
Summer is a good time to take some time off... or learn how to properly use the Spanish word for vacation: vacaciones. Let’s do just that.
For starters, even though the Dictionary of the Spanish Language of the Royal Spanish Academy or DRAE includes the singular vacación, the plural vacaciones (vacation) is the only form people use:
Sí, se ha ido hasta de vacaciones a Italia con el zoquito.
Yes, she has even gone on vacation to Italy with the zoquito.
Caption 74, 75 minutos - Gangas para ricos
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Spanish also has the verb vacacionar (to vacation), but it's much more common to use expressions that involve the use of another verb combined with the word vacaciones, for example: ir de vacaciones (to go on vacation). This expression requires the use of a reflexive pronoun (se, in this case) and the preposition de (on). You must also be careful to conjugate the verb ir (to go) properly. In the example above, for example, you see the perfect tense ha ido de vacaciones (has gone on vacation). But you can also use other tenses. The following example includes the reflexive pronoun me, the preposition de, and the first-person singular form of the verb ir (to go) in present tense, which is voy (I go):
...me voy de vacaciones, compro regalos, tengo la cena.
...I go on vacation, I buy gifts, I have dinner.
Caption 63, Cuentas claras - Sobreviviendo enero
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But you can use other verbs too. You can use the verb estar (to be), for example, which doesn't need the use of reflexive pronouns:
Como todos sabemos, estamos de vacaciones.
As we all know, we're on vacation.
Caption 6, El bulevar - de Adícora
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Or the verb tomar (to take), which doesn't need the preposition de and can be used with or without a reflexive pronoun:
Tomó vacaciones de un mes.
She took a one-month vacation.
Regresó otra vez a Alemania.
Then she went back to Germany again.
Captions 24-25, Gonzalo el Pintor - Vida
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Yes, it's also correct to say: se tomó vacaciones de un mes (she took a one-month vacation).
Also very common is the use of the verb andar (literally "to walk"):
Genaro anda de vacaciones.
Genaro is on vacation.
Or venir (to come), which needs the preposition de and could take a reflexive pronoun:
Qué bien que te has venido aquí de vacaciones.
How nice that you have come here on vacation.
Caption 2, Clara y Cristina - Hablan de actividades
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or not:
Qué bien que has venido aquí de vacaciones.
How nice that you have come here on vacation.
Can you think of more verbs that can be combined with the word vacaciones? We can. One example is the verb salir (to go out): salimos de vacaciones (we go out on vacation, we leave on vacation). Try to find some more examples in our catalog!
Let's learn some Spanish expressions related to the summer season.
Hace, the impersonal form of the verb hacer (to do, to make) is essential to talk about the weather in Spanish. Do you want to know how to say "it's hot"?
Ferné, sopla esa gaita que hace calor.
Ferné, blow those bagpipes 'cuz it's hot.
Caption 75, Calle 13 - Cumbia de los Aburridos
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In Spanish you can talk about the sun as being caliente or caluroso (both words mean "hot") or fuerte (strong):
Y no es un sol tan fuerte y tan caluroso como en verano.
And it's not a sun as strong and as hot as during the summer.
Caption 23, Azotea Del Círculo de Bellas Artes - Andrés nos enseña una nueva perspectiva
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Of course, you can also talk about the sun as being radiante (radiant):
Como pueden ver es un sol radiante.
As you can see it's a radiant sun.
Caption 45, Cabarete - Charlie el taxista
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Check out how Spanish uses the verb tomar (to take) to express the action of getting sun:
Y también me alegra que esté tomando sol
And it also makes me happy that she is getting sun
porque últimamente está muy pálida.
because lately she's very pale.
Captions 24-25, Muñeca Brava - 33 El partido
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If you get sun te bronceas (you get a tan), and having una piel bronceada (a tan skin, the verb is derived from the word bronce) is nice.
Ir a tomar sol con ella y su bronceador
Go sunbathe with her and her suntan lotion
Caption 29, Enanitos Verdes - Cuánto Poder
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But if you get too much sun te quemas (you get sunburn)! Some people may even like this, but it's not really a healthy thing to do. You may hear some Spanish speakers use the expression estar quemado as a synonym of estar bronceado:
A mí me encanta estar quemada
I love being tan
pero este sol me recalienta la cabeza,
but this sun is overheating my head,
los sesos, así que me voy adentro.
my brains, so I'm going inside.
Captions 22-23, Muñeca Brava - 30 Revelaciones
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We say it's better to use bloqueador solar (sunscreen), don't you think? Did you notice the verb recalentar (to overheat)?
By the way, the word calor (heat) is one of those Spanish nouns of indeterminate gender, like el sartén/la sartén (the pan), la azúcar/el azúcar (the sugar), etc. This means that both forms of the noun, masculine and feminine, are considered correct by the DRAE. However, the use of one form or the other can tell you a lot about who the speaker is. For example, the use of la calor is common in the coastal regions of Peru and many small town across all Latin America, but it's still considered incorrect (even a sign of lack of education) by many Spanish speakers, who don't necessarily (and why would they) catch up with the many updates and revisions done to the DRAE by the Real Academia Española. Here are two examples:
Pero la calor en verano es un poco mala.
But the heat in summer is a bit bad.
Caption 43, Clara y Cristina - Hablan de actividades
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A ti como que el calor te está afectando las neuronas, ¿verdad?
For you [it's] like the heat is affecting your brain cells, right?
Caption 26, NPS No puede ser - 1 - El concurso
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What we do recommend is to stick to the use of only one form, whichever you prefer. If you like to say la calor always use the feminine, if you like to use el calor, well, stick to the masculine. Apply this advice to similar words like el sartén/la sartén (the pan), la azúcar/el azúcar (the sugar). As an exception, the noun la mar/el mar (the sea), a summer word for many indeed, comes to mind. Our take on this word is that you use el mar when talking about the sea in a very practical way, for example:
Bajando por todo el mar Mediterráneo
Going down along the whole Mediterranean Sea [coast]
Caption 49, Álvaro - Arquitecto Español en Londres
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And use la mar for when you want to get poetic:
Muchos son los talentos que se pierden en la mar
A lot of talents get lost in the sea
Caption 16, La Mala Rodriguez - La Niña
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