The Spanish Zone

10 Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:41:00 +0000

National Hispanic Heritage Month (Mes de la Herencia Hispana) began September 15, and lasts until October 14. Why does the month not follow a particular calendar month? Well, mid-September marks the commemoration of the independence of many Hispanic nations, so it was picked as a starting point. The holiday was made to celebrate Hispanic contributions to American culture. Even if you're not living in the U.S., though, there's no reason not to celebrate Hispanic culture wherever you are on the globe! Here are some ways you can celebrate wherever you are.

Read up! Discover what NHHM is all about at the Library of Congress National Hispanic Heritage Month website.
Attend a local celebration. Check your local newspaper to see how your community is celebrating. I will be attending a festival at my university on Wednesday. Nothing near you? Create your own event!
Attend a National Park event. If you live in the Southwest USA or plan on traveling there soon, the National Park Service has a number of events going on at various locations.
Read a piece of Hispanic literature. The Florida Department of Education has compiled a great list of books for all ages, from young children to adults.
Discover Hispanic music. iTunes has a hand-picked selection of music to browse.
Educate yourself: learn a thing or two at the Smithsonian Latino Center.
Borrow a movie in Spanish from your local library. AOL Latino has compiled a list of some standouts.
Watch videos in Spanish at TerraTV.
Join a Spanish-speaking community online. For ideas, read my post on social networking.
¡Habla español! What better way to celebrate this event than to speak Spanish, be it with native speakers, teachers, professors, students, or friends!

Photo by phxwebguy

An Interview with José Picardo of Box of Tricks and Así Se Hace

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:46:00 +0000

I recently interviewed José Picardo, a modern language teacher in England who authors a blog, Box of Tricks, about education and technology, and a great website called AsíSeHace, a learning resource for Spanish students. Both are very interesting and useful for teachers and students alike, and I highly recommend them both. Here's what Mr. Picardo had to say about Spanish and education:

What do you see as the most important reasons why students should take up learning Spanish?
Learning any language other than your own is an incredible useful ability to have. Not only can you communicate with people abroad but it also offers a window into the world as seen by other cultures. Spanish is a vibrant language with a thriving popular culture and it is spoken by almost 500 million people around the world. Spain shares an enormously rich cultural, artistic and musical heritage with countries in Latin America, as well as other enclaves around the world. Most of all, learning Spanish is fun. The Spanish speaking peoples of the world are friendly, welcoming and know how to throw a party. So, really, the question is: Why wouldn't you want to learn Spanish?

How can AsíSeHace help new Spanish students?
I originally envisaged AsíSeHace.net as a tool for my students, here in England. It's divided up into day-to-day topics such as personal relationships, travel, holidays or leisure activities. Although designed to compliment the English secondary curriculum, these topics are very accessible and would be of use to anyone who wishes to improve their Spanish. AsíSeHace has also launched a Podcast, to which you can subscribe in iTunes. There aren't many episodes yet, but I have big plans for it!

How can it help struggling Spanish students?
One of the main problems that language learners in schools around the world face is lack of motivation and engagement with the subject. AsíSeHace aims to present exercises, activities with sound and video which are fun and engaging. There are games as well as more complex reading and writing exercises, as well as clear explanations for those struggling with the grammar.

How is technology helping Spanish students in the classroom and on the internet?
I fervently believe in making education interactive, accessible and, above all else, more relevant to the needs and expectations of our students in the 21st century. I believe that technology can help teachers achieve this. Technology has been demonstrated to be a powerful motivator and to encourage learning.

What made you decide to be a Spanish teacher?
Although I haven't always been a teacher, I have always wanted to teach and grabbed the opportunity to become a teacher as soon as I was able. The reasons behind my desire to become a languages teacher (I teach Spanish and German) are very simple really: 1) I had very good experiences when I was a student and I admired my teachers for their dedication and ability to turn difficulty into achievable challenges. 2) I am absolutely passionate about languages and am convinced that the world would be a better place if the peoples inhabiting it understood each other better.

Social Networking for Spanish Speakers

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:34:00 +0000

I just made a similar post on my French blog, and I realized the topic would be equally relevant on this blog. With Spanish being one of the most spoken languages in the world (and growing), it's only natural that there be plenty of social networks out there specifically geared at Spanish-speakers. Joining one of these networks is a great way to practice your Spanish and connect with native speakers! There are so many, but some are better than others. I think it's most beneficial to devote your energy to a few high quality networks than spread yourself too thin. I tried to find networks that specifically were available (for the most part) only in Spanish, which increases the authenticity of your experience. Plenty of English-language social networks are available in Spanish, but it won't have the same feel of an original Spanish-language network. Before you make your foray into the "redes sociales," though, you'll want to brush up on some key vocabulary (further down is a list of Spanish social networks):

una red social=social network
un contacto=a contact
un contraseña=a password
un usuario=a user
un perfil=a profile
una comunidad=a community
compartir=to share
suscribirse=to subscribe
un commentaire=a comment
publicar=to publish (post)
un lector=a reader
registrarse=to sign up, to resister
enviar un mensaje=to send a message

And on to the redes !

Tuenti - A Spanish Facebook-like social network
Linkara - Another general network where you can meet with people and meet friends of friends
Todobebé - A great social network for moms to be, new moms, and even dads!
Menéame - Bears a striking resemblence to Digg (or Reddit or Furl, for that matter) in concept and layout
Bitácoras - A Spanish "Technorati"-type network
Terra - A Hispanic community, recently the center of some controversy regarding whether or not their purported relationship with Twitter was legitimate
QuePasa - A youthful latino community
Wamba - Another popular social network geared primarily at Spanish-speakers
Blogalaxia - A Spanish language blog directory
Fresqui - Another Digg-like network
eGrupos - Another very general network
Vostu - Although aslo available in English and Portuguese, you pretty much have to know Spanish to use Vostu, essentially a network of groups to connect like-minded people
Rojas - A community for Spanish language and culture lovers powered by Ning
Blogocosa - A network of Spanish-speaking bloggers that arranges user pictures according to size based on who is more popular
Wikio - Yet another Digg lookalike, in my opinion the most polished looking
Atrapalo - A Spanish language travel network

El entretenimiento / Entertainment

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 04:36:00 +0000

Photo by Lucy Nieto

La música / Music
un instrumento=an instrument
tocar=to play (an instrument)
el violín=the violin
la viola=the viola
el chelo=the cello
el contrabajo=the string bass
la fluta=the flute
el clarinete=the clarinet
el oboe=the oboe
el saxofón=the saxophone
la tuba=the tuba
la trompeta=the trumpet
el trombón=the trombone
la corneta francesa=the French horn
el tambor=the drum
la batería=the drumset
la tecla=the keyboard
el piano=the piano
la guitarra=the guitar
el banjo=the banjo
el arpa (f)=the harp
componer=to compose
un compositor=a composer
un director=a conductor
una orchesta=an orchestra
un conjunto de jazz=a jazz band
un grupo=a band
un concierto=a concert
un álbum=an album
una gira=a tour
un vídeo musical=a music video
una canción=a song
un gran éxito=a big hit
un cantante=a singer
la música clásica=classical music
la música pop=pop music
el rock=rock
la música country=country music

El cine, el teatro y la pantalla / Cinema, Stage & Screen
una película=a movie
un director=a director
un productor=a producer
rodar=to film
dirigir=to direct
un actor=an actor
una actriz=an actress
una obra de teatro=a play
un programa=a show
una serie=a series
un canal=a channel
un dramaturgo=a playwright
un guión=a script
representar=to portray
un papel=a role
un personaje=a character
una comedia=a comedy
une tragedia=a tragedy
una película de suspense=a thriller

La industria / The Industry
une celebridad=a celebrity
una estrella=a star
un famoso=a male celebrity
una famosa=a female celebrity
un rumor=a rumor
famoso/a=famous
un escándalo=a scandal
la prensa popular=the tabloids
una diva=a diva
un publicista=a publicist
la alfombra roja=the red carpet

Useful expressions

Antonio Banderas es un actor español muy famoso.
Antonio Banderas is a very famous Spanish actor.

La actriz española Penélope Cruz ha representado muchos papeles durante su carrera.
The Spanish actress Penelope Cruz has portrayed many roles during her career.

Gloria Estefan, de Cuba, ha tenido mucho éxito como cantante.
Gloria Estefan, from Cuba, has had much success as a singer.

Juanes es un joven cantante colombiano muy popular.
Juanes is a very popular young Columbian singer.

"Volver" fue una película española que tuvo éxito en los Estados Unidos también.
"Volver" was a Spanish film that had success in the United States as well.

La salud y la enfermedad / Health & Sickness

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:38:00 +0000

Vocab Words

La rutina cotidiana / The Daily Routine
despertarse=to wake up
levantarse=to get up
acostarse=to go to bed
dormirse=to fall asleep
madrugarse=to stay up all night
lavarse=to wash oneself
bañarse=to take a bath
ducharse=to take a shower
una bañera=a bathtub
lavarse los dientes=to brush one's teeth
el dentrífico=toothpaste
cepillarse el pelo=to brush one's hair
peinarse=to comb one's hair
vestirse=to get dressed
la ropa=clothes
la ropa interior=underwear
un pijama=pajamas
maquillarse=to put on makeup
el maquillaje=makeup

A la oficina del médico / At the Doctor's Office
una cita=an appointment
una enfermedad=a sickness
un estetoscopio=a stethoscope
recetar=to prescribe
el medicamento=medicine
las pastillas=pills
curar=to heal
me duele el/la=my ___ hurts
la gripe=the flu
la fiebre=a fever
enfermo/a=sick
estornudar=to sneeze
toser=to cough
vomitar=to vomit
estar resfriado/a=to have a cold
la farmacía=the pharmacy

Al hospital / At the Hospital
una ambulancia=an ambulance
una urgencia=an emergency
la sala de esperar=the waiting room
embarasada=pregnant
dar la luz=to give birth
herirse=to get wounded, injured
una herida=a wound, an injry
rompers=to break (a part of the body)
hinchado/a=swollen
distenderse=to sprain
un accidente=an accident
una escayola=a cast
una muleta=crutches
una silla de ruedas=a wheelchair
un cabestrillo=a sling
cuidados intensivos=intensive care
un enfermero=a nurse (m)
une enfermera=a nurse (f)

Pronouns & Articles

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:35:00 +0000

Pronouns take the place of nouns, and articles indicate what type of reference is being made to the noun. Some examples of pronouns in English: he, him, it, that, mine, us, they. Some examples of articles in English: the, some, our, their, my, several. You won't ever see articles and pronouns being used together, but I grouped them together on this page because several of the categories have very similar corresponding vocabulary, and I feel it's less confusing to learn them together. If you're a little confused, not to worry. Once we explore the different types of pronouns and articles you'll be on the right track.

Definite Articles
There are no definite pronouns, but definite articles are generally the first ones you learn, even if you aren't aware that's what they're called. The only definite article in English is "the." In Spanish, however, there are 5 definite articles (all of which mean "the") that correspond to the gender and number (single or plural) of the noun they modify.

el - when the noun is masculine singular
la - when the noun is feminine singular
los - when the noun is masculine plural
las - when the noun is feminine plural
lo - when the noun is a masculine singular abstract substantive (eg: lo importante - the important thing, lo mejor -the best thing)

Indefinite Articles, Adjectives and Pronouns
Indefinite articles describe a noun that isn't specifically being referred to. In English indefinite articles are: a, an, some, several, much, many, little, few, any, all, no. In Spanish, the indefinite articles are those below which mean "a, an" or "some." The rest are considered indefinite adjectives but their function is the same. See further below for indefinite pronouns.

un - a, an (when the noun is masculine singular)
una - an, an (when the noun is feminine singular)
unos - some (when the noun is masculine plural)
unas - some (when the noun is feminine plural)
mucho/a - much
muchos/as - many
algunos/as - some, any
poco/a - little (amount)
pocos/as - few
ningún/ninguna - no (quanitity)
ningunos/as - no (quantity - plural)
todo/a - all
todos/as - all (plural)
cada - each (used for masculine and feminine)
otro/a - another
otros/as - other

When many of the above articles and adjectives stand alone (meaning they do not modify a noun), they become indefinite pronouns. Some of them need an entirely different form however. Let's get to know the indefinite pronouns (you'll notice the translation is essentially the same):

uno/a - one
unos/unas - some
mucho/a - much, a lot
muchos/as - many
algo - something
alguien - someone
poco/a - little
pocos/as - few
ningún/ninguna - no one, nobody (of a group)
ningunos/as - none
nadie=no one
nada=nothing
todo - everything
todos/as - everyone
otro/a - another (one)
otros/as - others

Subject Pronouns
And now for a group of pronouns that have no corresponding set of articles. Subject pronouns are the most common, and, as the title would suggest, they replace the subject of a clause (the doer of the action), when the subject is a person. In English they are: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. In Spanish they are generally optional but are sometimes used for emphasis or clarification.

yo - I
tú - you (singular, friendly)
él - he
ella - she
se - can be used to mean "you" in general or "one"
Usted - you (singular, formal)
nosotros - we (masculine or mixed)
nosotras - we (all feminine)
vosotros/as - you (plural, used ONLY in Spain in place of Ustedes)
ellos - they (masculine or mixed)
ellas - they (all feminine)
Ustedes - you (plural)

Direct Object Pronouns
Just as subject pronouns replace the subject of a clause, object pronouns replace the direct object in a clause. Assuming there's a possibility you don't know what a direct object is, I'm going to explain that to you now. A direct object receives the action in a clause (which the subject does the action). If the object as a "to" in front of it in English, then it is probably an indirect object, so don't confuse these (see below for indirect object pronouns).
NB: Direct object pronouns in Spanish, unlike in English, go BEFORE the verb. An example: "Yo lo tengo" means "I have it."

me - me (example: Marta me invitó=Marta invited me)
te - you (example: Te entienden=They understand you)
lo - him, it, you(Usted) (example: Juan lo miró=Juan watched him/it)
la - her, it, you (Usted) (example: Cara la ve=Cara sees her)
nos - us (example: Nos conoció=He/she met us)
os - you (only used in Spain, plural familiar)
los - them (masculine or mixed plural), you(Ustedes) (example: Yo los conozco=I know them)
las - them (feminine plural), you(Ustedes) (example: Las amamos=We love them)

Indirect Object Pronouns
The concept of indirect object pronouns is a hard one to grasp, because in English they often look like direct object pronouns. Basically an indirect object receives the action, but there is a "to" (sometimes a "for") in front of it. A clause can have both a direct and indirect object. An example in English: I bought the gift for her (gift is the direct object, her is the indirect object). Indirect object pronouns replace indirect objects, as you might think, but in Spanish they are also used in the sentence even when the indirect object is specified. Why is this? Your guess is as good as mine, you just have to memorize this tidbit! Some of the words look identical to the direct object pronouns, but they have a different meaning.
NB: Indirect object pronouns in Spanish, unlike in English, go BEFORE the verb.

me - to/for me (example: Alicia me dio un regalo=Alicia gave [to] me a gift)
te - to/for you (example: Te diré=I will tell [to] you)
le - to/for him/her/you(Usted) (example: Le hablamos=We talk to him/her)
nos - to/for us (example: Nos dio la tarea=He/she gave [to] us the homework)
os - to/for you (only used in Spain, familiar plural)
les - to/for them/you(Usted) (example: Les compré un libro=I bought [for] them a book)

Prepositional Pronouns
Prepositional pronouns come after prepositions. Review the Prepositions page if you are unfamiliar with this term. Unlike direct object or indirect object pronouns, the prepositional pronouns go right after the preposition, just as in English. An example in English is "He came with me to the party," where "me" is a prepositional pronoun.

mí - me
conmigo - with me (an irregular form)
tí - you
contigo - with you (an irregular form)
él - him
ella - her
Usted - you
nosotros/as - us
vosotros/as - you [all] (Spain)
Ustedes - you (all)

Demonstrative Pronouns and Adjectives
Demonstrative indicate "this, that, these, those." Demonstrative pronouns stand alone ("I like this") and demonstrative adjective act as articles ("I like this book, etc."). There are more demonstrative pronouns and adjectives in Spanish than in English because Spanish is more precise than English in this sense. Here are the demonstrative adjectives (remember, they need a noun to follow them):

este - this (m.s.)
esta - this (f.s.)
estes - these (m.pl.)
estas - these (f.pl.)
ese - that (m.s.)
esa - that (f.s.)
eses - those (m.pl.)
esas - those (f.pl.)
aquel - that (over there) (m.s.)
aquella - that (over there) (f.s.)
aquellos - those (over there) (m.pl.)
aquellas - those (over there) (f.pl.)

And now for the demonstrative pronouns (remember, these stand alone and should not have a noun after them):

éste=this (m.s.)
ésta=this (f.s.)
éstos=these (m.pl.)
éstas=these (f.pl.)
ése=that (m.s.)
ésa=that (f.s.)
ésos=those (m.pl.)
ésas=those (f.pl.)
aquél=that (over there) (m.s.)
aquélla=that (over there) (f.s.)
aquéllos=those (over there) (m.s.)
aquéllas=those (over there) (f.pl.)
esto=this (concept/idea)
eso=that (concept/idea)
aquello=that (concept/idea far back)
éste=this one (m.s.)
ésta=this one (f.s.)
éstes=these ones (m.pl.)
éstas=these ones (f.pl.)
ése=that one (m.s.)
ésa=that one (f.s.)
ésos=those ones (m.pl.)
ésas=those ones (f.pl.)

Possessive Pronouns & Adjectives
Possessive pronouns and adjectives are used to indicate to whom or to what something belongs. Here are the possessive adjectives (which agree in gender and number with the noun they precede):

mi=my (s.)
mis=my (pl.)
tu=your (s.)
tus=your (pl.)
su=his/her/their/your(Usted) (s.)
sus=his/her/their/your(Usted) (pl.)
nuestro/a=our (s.)
nuestros/as=our (pl.)
vuestro/a=your (Spain) (s.)
vuestros/as=your (Spain) (pl.)

And the possessive pronouns:

el mío=mine (m.s.)
la mía=mine (f.s.)
los míos=mine (m.pl.)
las mías=mine (f.pl.)
el tuyo=yours (m.s.)
la tuya=yours (f.s.)
los tuyos=yours (m.pl.)
las tuyas=yours (f.pl.)
el suyo=his/hers/yours/theirs (m.s.)
la suya=his/hers/yours/theirs (f.s.)
los suyos=his/hers/yours/theirs (m.pl.)
las suyas/his/hers/yours/theirs (f.pl.)
el nuestro=ours (m.s.)
la nuestra=ours (f.s.)
los nuestros=ours (m.pl.)
las nuestras=ours (f.pl.)
el vuestro=yours (Spain) (m.s.)
la vuestra=yours (Spain) (f.s.)
los vuestros=yours (Spain) (m.pl.)
las vuestras=yours (Spain) (f.pl.)

Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns are used if the subject is doing something to itself. They are used in place of direct object or indirect object pronouns and go before the verb as well. An example: Me lavo=I wash myself.

me=myself
te=yourself
se=himself/herself/yourself/themselves
nos=ourselves
os=yourselves (Spain)

Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns only appear in subordinate clauses, clauses that cannot stand alone in a sentence (eg "which I like"). They mean "who, that, which, whom, etc." These are the most common relative pronouns:

quien=who (subject) (example: El profe quien me aprendió el español=The teacher who taught me Spanish)
quienes=who (plural subject) (example: Los clientes quienes vinieron al restaurante=The customers who came in the restaurant)
que=who/whom/that (subject or object) (example: La comida que preparé=The meal that I prepared)
donde=where (example: El lugar donde vivía=The place where I used to live)
cuyo/a=whose (example: El estudiante cuya nota no era buena=The student whose grade was not good) - This actually functions as a relative "article"

Interrogative Pronouns and Adjectives
Interrogative pronouns and adjectives are very similar to relative pronouns except they ask a question, they can appear in any type of clause, and they have accents. Interrogative pronouns and adjectives are generally all lumped together in one category:

quién/quiénes=who
qué=what
cuál/cuáles=which one(s)
cuánto(s)/a(s)=how much/many
dónde=when
cómo=how

Order of Pronouns
Sometimes you'll have a sentence with many different pronouns and you'll wonder what order to put them in. Well, order does matter, moreso than in English in this case. Remember this order when combining any of these parts:

Subject - indirect object - direct object - verb - prepositional phrase

NB: If you have a sentence with a third person indirect object pronoun and a third person direct object pronoun (it might look like "le lo" or something similar) change the indirect object pronoun to "se" (making it "se lo"). This makes the sentence sound smoother when you pronounce it, and you must make this change or the sentence will be incorrect.

Picture It: Photographic Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:01:00 +0000

Sevilla zaharra (Old Seville), originally uploaded by Iker

If you don't have the opportunity to travel to a Spanish-speaking country, you can still explore the natural beauty and culture through looking at photographs! Here are some of the best places online to see photographs of Spanish-speaking countries.

General - Latin America

Through the Eyes of the Condor - A National Geographic feature
Teyacapan - A Flickr user whose photos capture the modern indigenous cultures of Central & South America
Travel Stories: South America - A Lonely Planet photo feature with lots to look at
Travel Stories: Central America - Another Lonely Planet photo feature with lots of photos
Concierge.com: Central & South America - Browse thousands of user-submitted photos

Mexico

Muestra tu México - A Flickr group with tens of thousands of photos of Mexico
Travel Stories: Mexico - A Lonely Planet photo feature
Gwyn's Photoblog - Pictures of mostly Mexico, and some California

Spain

Spain - A Flickr group with tens of thousands of photos of Spain
Travel Stories: Spain - A Lonely Planet photo feature
Concierge.com: Spain - Browse thousands of photos submitted by users
Barcelona Photoblog - A new picture every day
Secret Tenerife - All about eh Canary Islands

Great Places to Find High-Quality Photos

Flickr - God's gift to photo-lovers!
Cool Photoblogs - Discover photoblogs around the world
Notes from the Road - Quite an impressive photoblog!
National Geographic - Breathtaking photos of nature, history, people, and animals around the world
Webshots - Not as good as Flickr, but worth a look
What's Your Trip? Travel Channel - User-submitted photos with interactive maps
Concierge.com - Another plethora of travel photos
TravBuddy - A great resource for learning about destination, and a decent database of user-submitted photos
Travel Blog - A collection of user-submitted photos from this social travel site

Indigenous Hispanic Cultures

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 22:17:00 +0000

Here's the place to begin learning about indigenous cultures, this page linking to a variety of resources on the web about indigenous Hispanic cultures throughout the world. Most of these cultures did not or do not speak standard Castilian Spanish, but many of their languages have had some influence on Spanish vocabulary and they are native to countries where Spanish is spoken today. For photographic resources, please see the Picture It page.

Aztec Calendar, originally uploaded by DelScorchoSauce

Aztecs
The Aztec empire in central Mexico existed from the 13th through the early 16th centuries. Their spoken language was called Nahuatl. The capital of the Aztec empire was Tenochtitlán, which today is Mexico City. The Aztecs were one of the three largest pre-Columbian civilizations of Central/South America. Although the Aztec empire fell after being conquered by the Spaniards, Aztec culture is still alive in much of Mexico today.

The Ancient Aztecs - A thorough introduction to the culture and history
Aztec Calendar - Learn about the Aztec calendar system!
In Search of History: The Aztec Empire - A documentary you can watch online!
Aztecs at Mexicolore - A UK-based organization dedicated to Aztec culture
Music and Poetry in the Aztec Empire - A great resource for anyone wishing to learn about this subject
Basic Nahuatl - An introduction to the Aztec language
Life in the Provinces of the Aztec Empire - A story originally printed in Scientific American

Incas
The Inca civilization spans the Western coast of South America. The Inca empire was active in the 15th and 16th centuries. One of the most easily recognizable works of the Incas is the city of Machu Picchu in Perú. The language of the Incas was Quechua.

Virtual Inca Trail - Take a hike through historical Perú without having to move an inch!
Mummies of the Inca - A feature on the 1996 expedition in Perú
Lost Cities of the Inca - A National Geographic documentary you can watch online
The Incredible Incas for Kids - A great resource for young learners
Ice Treasures of the Inca - An interactive adventure from National Geographic
Quechua Language - Learn about the language of the Incas

Mayas
The Mayan civilization, one of the earliest indigenous civilizations in Central America, was spread throughout southern Mexico and the Yucatán peninsula, and the rest of Central America. Unlike the Incas and Aztecs, the Mayas had a written language. The most widespread Mayan language is Yucatec.

Maya Rise & Fall - A National Geographic feature
Mundo Maya - A site all about Mayan culture and history
The Maya Ruins Page - An interactive map with information and photos of many sites
Mayan Hieroglyphic Script - A descriptive introduction to the topic
Mayan Kids - A great resource for young learners
Mayan Arithmetic - An introduction to how the Mayans used math
Mayan Mysteries - Scientists are stumped about how the Mayans used their landscape

General Resources - Latin America
There are many indigenous cultures in Latin America besides just the Aztec, Inca, and Maya. These resources may refer to any and all of the Latin American indigenous cultures.

Ancient Mexico - A beautifully designed site with lots of information and articles
Latin American Archeological Sites & Cultures - A great introduction to the different cultures
The Conquistadors - Learn about the Spaniards who conquered Central & South America on this PBS page
Ancient American Poets - Learn about the poetry of Aztecs, Incas, and Mayas

Basques
The basque people lived, and still live today, in Northern Spain and Southern France, in and near the Pyrenées mountains. Some basque people still peak a native basque language, while others speak the local language of their region. There is an autonomous Basque Community in Spain, in which Spanish is spoken along with Basque.

Ekaitzaldi - A Basque music blog
On Foot in Spain: Basque Country - Take a walking tour through the Basque country!
EITB - Basque media resources
An Online Basque Reader - Links to articles about Basque history and culture

Useful Sites for Students & Teachers

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:09:00 +0000

These links are sites in English about the Spanish language and culture.

Sí, Spain - A very thorough site on Spain's culture and language
IberiaNature - A great source of information on the natural environment of Spain
Spanish Phonetics - Learn about the phonetics of the Spanish language and improve your pronunciation.
WordReference - In my opinion, the best online multilingual dictionary!
National Hispanic Cultural Center - An organization dedicated to promoting the culture of Spanish-speaking countries
Abya Yala Net - A Wiki about the indigenous cultures of Central and South America
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese - A great resource for teachers and students
¡EspañOlé! - A site full of resources for Spanish teachers and students
ESAudio - YouTube videos to help you review Spanish
Así se hace - A great website with lots of resources for learning Spanish

Don't forget to visit the blogs in the blogroll at left too!

Fun Sites in Spanish

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:41:00 +0000

Enjoy practicing your Spanish by looking at these sites!

México para Niños - A fun way to learn about Mexico all in Spanish!
Yahoo! Telemundo - A Spanish version of Yahoo!
Univisión - A Spanish language TV station in the U.S. and Puerto Rico
Real Academía Española - A society dedicated to preserving the Spanish language
La Sagrada Família - Get a feel for the Catalan language (a dialect spoken in the Cataluña region of Spain) at this site about the famous unfinished church in Barcelona
Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales de Chile - Read about Chile's national monuments
Kokone - A site for kids about the indigenous cultures of Mexico
Zylom en Español - Try your hand at free online games in Spanish! Try the word games, which will really test your knowledge of the language.
Los Tebeos de Siempre - Learn about Spanish-language comic strips
El Mundo - A popular Spanish periodical
Spanish Tongue Twisters - You thought they were hard in your own language, try them in Spanish!
¡Hola! - The Spanish version of the popular British gossip magazine Hello!
Castellano - The site of the Castilian Spanish language (Castilian is the original Spanish as opposed to dialects)
Terra - An online Hispanic community, recently the center of some controversy regarding whether or not their purported relationship with Twitter was legitimate

Don't forget to visit the blogs on the blogroll at left; many of these blogs are in Spanish!

Las conjunciones / Conjunctions

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:20:00 +0000

Conjunctions are words that connect clauses. Some conjunctions in Spanish require the subjunctive after them, while others do not. See the subjunctive tense for when to use it. Here are the most common conjunctions:

pero=but
o=or
y=and
que=that
porque=because
antes de que=before
después de que=after
desde que=since
para que=so that, in order that
hasta que=until
cuando=when
tan...que=as...as
no sólo...sino=not only...but
aunque=although
entonces=then, so
mientras que=while
donde=where
a menos que=unless
caso que=in case that

Las postposiciones / Prepositions

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 04:31:00 +0000

Prepositions in any language are words like "at," "on," "through," "along," "to," etc., that in a sense modify the following noun. Prepositions are really important, and misusing them can result in the wrong meaning. Here are some of the most important prepositions in Spanish:

a=to, at
al=to the, at the (m.s. noun follows)
en=in
de=of, from
del=of the (m.s. noun follows)
hasta=until
con=with
conmigo=with me
contigo=with you
sin=without
*por=for, by
*para=for
sobre=on, about
encima de=on
hacia=towards
antes de=before
después de=after
durante=during
contra=against
desde=since
entre=between
cerca de=near
como=like
bajo=under
enfrente de=in front of
detrás de=behind
fuera de=outside
dentro de=inside
más alla de=beyond
según=according to
a través de=through
al lado de=beside, next to
en vez de=instead of
a causa de=because of
alrededor de=around

"Por" y "Para"
These two prepositions cause a lot of trouble for most students since they translate the same way into English, but they are not used interchangeably! You must memorize these rules, but if you practice your Spanish enough, you will get used to how they work and eventually you won't even have to think about when to use which.

Uses of "Por"

To mean "by" (Example: El libro escrito por mí, The book written by me)
To mean "per" (Example: Tomo tres comidas por día, I eat three meals per day)
To mean "through," "my means of," or "by way of" (Example: Manejamos por el barrio, We drove through the neighborhood)
To say "in the morning," "at night," etc. (Example: Lo vi ayer por la mañana, I saw him yesterday [in the] morning)
To mean "because of" (Example: Por eso, no pudimos ir a la fiesta; Because of that, we could not go to the party)
To mean "in exchange for," "instead of," or "on behalf of" (Example: Juan aceptó el regalo por su amigo, Juan accepted the gift on behalf of his friend)
To mean "for" in the sense of "in support of" (Example: Estoy por ese candidato, I am for that candidate)
In thanking someone for something (Example: Gracias por venir, Thanks for coming)
In specifying an a duration of time (Example: Duermo por siete horas, I sleep for seven hours) - Note that "para siempre," forever, is the one exception
To mean "for" in the sense of "despite being" (Example, Tienes un gran vocabulario para un joven, You have a large vocabulary for a young person)
In many idiomatic expressions!

Expressions using "por"

Por ejemplo=For example
Por supuesto=Of course
Por favor=Please
Por qué=Why
Por ahora=For now
Por lo menos=At least
Por fin=Finally
Por todas partes=Everywhere
Por lo tanto=Therefore
Por ciento=Percent
Por aquí=Around here
Por último=Finally
Por cierto=Indeed
Por allá=Around there, that way
Por lo general=In general

Uses of "para"

To mean "in order to" (Example: Necesito este curso para graduar, I need this course [in order] to graduate
To mean "intended for" (Example: Esta comida es para la cena, This food is for dinner)
To specify a deadline (Example: La tarea es para viernes, The homework is for Friday)
To mean "for" in the sense of "towards" (Example: Me voy para Madrid, I'm leaving for Madrid)

Verbs with prepositions built in
Quite a number of Spanish verbs, when translated into English, have a preposition built in, so to speak. That means when you use it in a Spanish sentence, you won't need to add the preposition as you would in English.

buscar=to look for
pedir=to ask for
esperar=to wait for
cuidar=to care for
pagar=to pay for
escuchar=to listen to
bajar=to go down
mirar=to look at
quitar=to take off
apagar=to turn off
sacar=to take out
salir=to go out

Spanish-Speaking Countries

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:56:00 +0000

Spanish is a great language to be learning these days, especially for those of us living in North America. The Spanish-speaking population in the U.S. keeps growing and speaking a second language, especially one like Spanish that can be very useful in many professions, is a great asset to bring with you to the job market. Now, for just the bare facts:

Countries where Spanish is an official language (21)

Argentina
Bolivia
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Ecuador
El Salvador
España
Guatemala
Guinea Ecuatorial
Honduras
México
Nicaragua
Paraguay
Panamá
Perú
Puerto Rico
República Dominicana
Uruguay
Venezuela

Countries With Spanish-Speaking Populations (4)

Andorra
Belize
Gilbraltar
United States

U.S. States With Highest Spanish-Speaking Populations (In Order)

California
Texas
New York
Florida

Source: Wikipedia,

Verb Conjugations

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:32:00 +0000

Verbs in almost any language are conjugated. They have different forms depending on the subject. Sometimes this is a hard concept for anglophones to grasp because the verb forms in English don't vary much. But in most verbs, it is "I speak" but "he speaks." In Spanish, the forms are more diverse. There are regular verbs and irregular verbs in Spanish just as in English. The three classes of verbs are -ar, -er, and -ir. All irregular and regular verbs fit into these categories. Regular verbs follow a specific pattern when they are conjugated, while irregular verbs don't. Below you will learn how to conjugate regular verbs in the present tense, and some irregular verbs as well. To learn how these verbs work in other tenses, consult the tense topics.

regular -ar verbs
Example verb: hablar, to talk

Drop the -ar from the infinitive.
Add the following endings:

yo: -o (yo hablo=I talk)
tú: -as (tú hablas=you talk)
él/ella/Usted: -a (él habla=he talks)
nosotros: -amos (nosotros hablamos=we talk)
[vosotros: -áis (vosotros habláis=you talk)]
ellors/ellas/Ustedes: -an (ellos hablan=they talk)

regular -er verbs
Example verb: leer, to read

Drop the -er from the infinitive.
Add the following endings:

yo: -o (yo leo=I read)
tú: -es (tú lees=you read)
él/ella/Usted: -e (él lee=he reads)
nosotros: -emos (nosotros leemos=we read)
[vosotros: -éis (vosotros leéis=you read)]
ellos/ella/Ustedes: -en (ellos leen=they read)

regular -ir verbs
Example verb: cumplir (to complete)

Drop the -ir from the infinitive.
Add the following endings:

yo: -o (yo cumplo=I complete)
tú: -es (tú cumples=you complete)
él/ella/Usted: -e (él cumple=he completes)
nosotros: -imos (nosotros cumplimos=we complete)
[vosotros: -ís (vosotros cumplís=you complete)]
ellos/ella/Ustedes: -en (ellos cumplen=they complete)

Stem-changing verbs
Some verbs have an irregular stem in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. The endings still correspond to the type of verb it is.

In verbs such as morir (to die), contar (to tell a story), dormir (to sleep), almorzar (to have lunch), volar (to fly), and almost any verb with an "o" as the last vowel in the stem (comer, to eat, is an exception), the "o" becomes "ue" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. For example, volar is conjugated: yo vuelo, tú vuelas, él vuela, nosotros volamos, vosotros voláis, ellos, vuelan.
In -ir verbs such as pedir (to ask for), medir (to measure), seguir (to follow), reír (to laugh), and almost any -ir verb where "e" is the last vowel in the stem, the "e" becomes "i" in all forms except the nosotros and vosotros. For example, pedir is conjugated: yo pido, tú pides, él pide, nosotros pedimos, vosotros pedís, ellos piden.
In -ar and -er verbs such as pensar (to think), perder (to lose), entender (to understand), cerrar (to close), and almost any -ar or -er verbs in which "e" is the last vowel in the stem, the "e" changes to"ie" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. For example, perder is conjugated: yo pierdo, tú pierdes, él pierde, nosotros perdemos, vosotros perdéis, ellos pierden.

Verbs with an irregular "yo" form
Quite a few verbs in Spanish have an irregular "yo" form, but the rest of the verb conjugates regularly or with stem change where applicable. In -er and -ir verbs whose stems end in "g," the "g" becomes a "j" in the "yo" form (for example, in eligir, to choose, it is yo elijo). Some more irregular "yo" forms:

salir (to go out) --> yo salgo
conocer (to know, to meet) --> yo conozco
saber (to know) --> yo sé
dar (to give) --> yo doy
ver (to see) --> yo veo
poner (to put) --> yo pongo
traer (to bring) --> yo traigo
hacer (to make) --> yo hago
caber (to fit) --> yo quepo
caer (to fall) --> yo caigo
valer (to be worth) --> yo valgo
decir (to say) --> yo digo
parecer (to appear) --> yo parezco
ofrecer (to offer) --> yo ofrezco

Completely irregular verbs
Some verbs are just completely irregular! The good news is, there aren't that many!

estar (to be): yo estoy, tú estás, él está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos están
ser (to be): yo soy, tú eres, él es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos son
haber (to have): yo he, tú has, él ha, nosotros hemos, vosotros habéis, ellos han
ir (to go): yo voy, tú vas, él va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos van
oír (to hear): yo oigo, tú oyes, él oye, nosotros oímos, vosotros oís, ellos oyen

Estar vs. Ser
You may have noticed above that hese two verbs mean the same thing in English (to be), but they are used in different situations. They are not interchangeable, but "ser" is used more often than estar.

Uses of "estar"

Mood (Example: Estoy feliz, I am happy)
State of being or temporary condition (Example: Está enfermo=He is sick, Etamos bien=We are well)
Location (Examples: Los niños están a la escuela=The children are at school, Barcelona está en España=Barcelona is in Spain)
Present progressive - Saying "ing" (Example: Estoy leyendo un buen libro, I am reading a good book)

Uses of "ser"
"Ser" is used more commonly than "estar," so if you are trying to determine which to use, if it does not fit into one of the categories for "estar," more than likely it will be "ser." Here are the most common uses of "ser":

Origin (Examples: Este libro es de la biblioteca=This book is from the library, Vino de Oaxaca=She came from Oaxaca)
Describing traits (Examples: Juanita es alta=Juanita is tall, La casa es bonita=The house is pretty, Ramón es cristiano=Ramón is Christian)
Time or date (Example: Son las siete horas, It is seven o'clock)

El subjuntivo del presente / Present Subjunctive

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:51:00 +0000

This is a very hard tense because the subjunctive mood is almost non-existent in English. It is used in Spanish to express doubt or emotion. Here are the most common uses:

Informal commands, requests, or recommendations. Examples: He wants that she study (He wants her to study), I recommend that we leave, She ordered that he stay.
Talking about something that doesn't exist. Example: I am looking for a person who can answer my question.
Expressing doubt or denial. Example: I doubt that they come (I doubt they will come).
Expressing emotion. Example: I am happy that you accompany us; my friend is disappointed that he can't join us too.
Impersonal expressions. Example: It's important that we avoid this area, It's interesting that he speaks Swahili.
Hypothetical or unrealized situations. Examples: I'll stay here while you go to the market, Until I see a change the rule stays.
There are certain conjunctions or phrases that take the subjunctive after them (see below). A verb in the subjunctive will never appear in a clause without a conjunction unless it is a command (which are not yet covered on this site).

The best way to learn subjunctive is to learn how to form it, and then see which conjunctions/phrases require it. To make it a little easier, some sentences have been provided below so you can see it in context. Its translation in English is often the same as the present indicative, which is why it is so difficult. You will want to review the other tenses and the verb conjugations before attempting to master this tense.

Most verbs get their subjunctive stem from taking the ending off the "yo" form. Some verbs, however, have irregular stems. Some verbs conjugate entirely irregularly. Not to worry! Examples follow! Here are the subjunctive endings, then we will get to irregular stems and conjugations:

Subjunctive endings for -ar verbs:

yo: -e
tú: -es
él/ella/Usted: -e
nosotros: -emos
(vosotros: -éis)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -en

Subjunctive endings for -er and -ir verbs:

yo: -a
tú: -as
él/ella/Usted: -a
nosotros: -amos
(vosotros: -áis)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -an

Here are some examples of verbs that conjugate regularly in the subjunctive.

hacer (to do, to make) - "yo" form is "hago"
que yo haga=that I make
que tú hagas=that you make
que él/ella/Usted haga=that he/she/you make
que nosotros hagamos=that we make
(que vosotros hagáis=that you make)
que ellos/ellas/Ustedes hagan=that they/you make

acabar (to turn off) - "yo" form is "acabo"
que yo acabe=that I turn off
que tú acabes=that you turn off
que él/ella/Usted acabe=that he/she/you turn off
que nosotros acabemos=that we turn off
(que vosotros acabéis=that you turn off)
que ellos/ellas/Ustedes acaben=that they/you turn off

NB: Stem-changing verbs, just as in the present indicative, do not change their stem in the "nosotros" and "vosotros" forms in the present subjunctive either. An example:

pensar (to think) - "yo" form is "pienso"
que yo piense=that I think
que tú pienses=that you think
que él/ella/Usted piense=that you think
que nosotros pensemos=that we think
(que vosotros penséis=that you think)
que ellos/ellas/Ustedes piensen=that they/you think

NB: Car/Gar/Zar verbs discussed in the Preterite tense use the stem change for the "yo" form as the subjunctive stem. (For example the subjunctive stem for "pagar" is "pagu-," for "sacar" it is "saqu-" and for "almorzar" it is "almorc-"). If the verb is stem changing, however, be sure to follow the stem-changing rules as well! (See above)

NB: -Ir verbs whose stems end in "g" (eligir for example) change the "g" to a "j" (elij-).

The following are irregular stems. They still follow the same rules for endings:

Irregular stems
saber (to know) --> sep-
haber (helping verb to have) --> hay-
ir (to go) --> vay-
ser (to be) --> se-

The following verbs have some irregularly placed accents:

estar (to be)
que yo esté=that I be
que tú estés=that you be
que él/ella/Usted esté=that he/she/you be
que nosotros estemos=that we be
(que vosotros estéis=that you be)
que ellos/ellas/Ustedes estén=that they/you be

dar (to give)
que yo dé=that I give
que tú des=that you give
que él/ella/Usted dé=that he/she/you give
que nosotros demos=that we give
(que vosotros deis=that you give)
que ellos/ellas/Ustedes den=that they/you give

Conjunctions/phrases that take the subjunctive:

ojalá que (hopefully)
siempre que (provided that)
para que (so that)
afin de que (so that)
quizás (maybe)
tal vez (perhaps)
puede que (it can be that)
menos que (unless)
hasta que (until)

Some sentences illustrating common uses of the subjunctive

Quiero que vengas conmigo.
I want you to come with me. [lit. I want that you come with me.]

Para que entiendas el concepto, lee el libro.
So that you understand the concept, read the book.

Duda que Juan vaya a la fiesta.
He doubts that Juan will go/is going to the party.

Necesito que compres esto.
I need you to buy that. [lit. I need that you buy that]

Ojalá que sepa hacerlo.
Hopefully he knows how to do it.

Busco una calculadora que funcione bien.
I am looking for a calculator that works well.

Es intereste que hable Swahili.
It's interesting that he speaks Swahili.

Me alegro de que nos acompañes.
I am happy that you come with us.

Roberto siente que su esposa no pueda asistir.
Roberto regrets that his wife can't attend.

Me quedo aquí hasta que regreses.
I'll stay until you return.

El condicional / Conditional

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:23:00 +0000

This tense basically describes and action that would happen, given certain condition. A clause beginning with if followed by a verb in the imperfect usually precedes the clause with the conditional verb. An example in English:

If I won the lottery, I would buy a mansion.

This tense is very easy to form. You take the future stem of the verb and add the imperfect endings for -er and -ir verbs (that's to say, even if the verb ends in -ar, still add the -er and -ir verb endings). Consult those two pages for help. Here are two verbs conjugated in the conditional:

hablar (to talk)
yo hablaría=I would talk
tú hablarías=you would talk
él/ella/Usted hablaría=he/she/you would talk
nosotros hablaríamos=we would talk
(vosotros hablaríais=you would talk)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes hablarían=they/you would talk

decir (to say)
yo diría=I would say
tú dirías=you would say
él/ella/Usted diría=he/she/you would say
nosotros diríamos=we would say
(vosotros diríais=you would say)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes dirían=they/you would say

Here's how it can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they would [verb].

El pasado perfecto / Past Perfect

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:14:00 +0000

The past perfect indicative (also known as the pluperfect) tense is used to express an action that had happened. An example in English:

He had gone out.

To form it, you need to be familiar with the imperfect and the present perfect, which you can review on this site. That said, you take the imperfect indicative form of your helping verb (haber, "to have"), conjugate it to fit your subject, and add the past participle. It's very much like the present perfect, only this time "haber" is conjugated in the imperfect instead of the present. Here is an example of a verb conjugated in the past perfect:

venir (to come)
había venido=I had come
habías venido=you had come
había venido=he/she/you had come
habíamos=we had come
(habíais venido=you had come)
habían venido=they/you had come

Here's how it can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they had [verb]ed

El perfecto de presente / Present Perfect

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:13:00 +0000

The present perfect, while it sounds like it is going to be about the present, is used to express a completed action using a helping verb "to have". It is sometimes referred to as just the perfect tense, but present perfect is a more precise term. Some examples in English:

I have been to France.
She has done the laundry.
You have been a good student.

Now, to form it, you conjugate your helping verb ("haber"), and add the past participle. Here are some examples of verbs conjugated in the present perfect:

venir (to come)
he venido=I have come
has venido=you have come
ha venido=he has come
hemos=we have come
(vosotros habéis venido=you have come)
han venido=they have come

lavarse (to wash oneself)
me he lavado=I have washed myself
te has lavado=you have washed yourself
se ha lavado=he have washed himself
nos hemos lavado=we have washed ourselves
(os habéis lavado=you have washed yourselves)
se han lavado=they have washed themselves

Now what's a past participle? It's the word that usually means ___ed in English. For -ar verbs, you drop the -ar and add -ado (example: pasar goes to pasado). For -ir and -er verbs, you drop the -ir or -er and add -ido (example: perder goes to perdido). For some verbs, the past pasrticiple is irregular, and you just have to memorize them. Here are the most common:

romper (to break) --> roto (broken)
volver (to return) --> vuelto (returned)
abrir (to open) --> abierto (opened)
cubrir (to cover) -- > cubierto (covered)
descubrir (to discover) --> descubierto (discovered)
decir (to say) --> dicho (said)
freír (to fry) --> frito (fried)
morir (to die) --> muerto (died)
poner (to put) --> puesto (put)
ver (to see) --> visto (seen)

Here's how it can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they have [verb]ed.

NB: The past participle of many verbs can be used as an adjective, just as in English. For instance "El juguete está roto" means "The toy is broken." Just as with all adjectives, don't forget to make it agree in gender and number!

El pretérito / Preterite

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:26:00 +0000

The preterite is used in Spanish to express a completed action. Some examples in English:

I went shopping on Saturday.
I did like that movie.

Don't confuse it with the present perfect tense, which uses "haber" and has a slightly different meaning.

The preterite is for many people the most difficult tense to form correctly in Spanish because there are so many irregular stems.

All you do to form the preterite is take the infinitive form of the verb, then drop the -ar/-er/-ir and add the following endings:

For -ar verbs:

yo: -é
tú: -aste
él/ella/Usted: -ó
nosotros: -amos
(vosotros: -asteis)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -aron

For -er and -ir verbs:

yo: -í
tú: -iste
él/ella/Usted: -ió
nosotros: -imos
(vosotros: -isteis)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -ieron

For verbs with irregular stems (see below):

yo: -i
tú: -iste
él/ella/Usted: -o
nosotros: -imos
(vosotros: isteis)
él/ella/Ustedes: -ieron ("-eron" if the stem ends in a "j")

Ir and Ser (to go and to be, respectively) have the same conjugation and it's unique:

yo fui=I went or I was
tú fuiste=you went or you were
él/ella/Usted fue=he/she/you went or he/she/you were
nosotros fuimos=we went or we were
(vosotros fuisteis=you went or you were)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes fueron=they/you went or they/you were

Hacer (to make, to do) also has a unique conjugation:

yo hice=I made
tú hiciste=you made
él/ella/Usted hizo=he/she/you made
nosotros hicimos=we made
(vosotros hicisteis=you made)
él/ella/Ustedes hicieron=they/you made

As you must have guessed, there are some more irregular stems you will have to memorize...

tener (to have) --> tuv-
poder (to be able) --> pud-
poner (to put) --> pus-
querer (to want) --> quis-
saber (to know) --> sup-
andar (to walk) --> anduv-
conducir (to drive) --> conduj-
dar (to give) --> d-
ver (to see) --> v-
decir (to say) --> dij-
traer (to bring) --> traj-
estar (to be) --> estuv-
caber (to fit) --> cup-
haber (helping verb to have) --> hub-
venir (to come) --> vin-

Here's one more hitch (as if there weren't enough things to remember!): Verbs that end in -car, -gar, or -zar (often called car/gar/zar verbs) change their stems in the "yo" form of the conjugation to accommodate pronunciation and common spelling. Let's take a look at an example of each type:

buscar (to look for)
yo busqué=I looked for
tú buscaste=you looked for
él/ella/Usted buscó=he/she/you looked for
nosotros buscamos=we looked for
(vosotros buscáis=you looked for)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes buscaron=they/you looked for

Notice the "c" becomes "qu" in the "yo" form to keep the hard /c/ sound

pagar (to pay)
yo pagué=I paid
tú pagaste=you paid
él/ella/Usted pagó=he/she/you paid
nosotros pagamos=we paid
(vosotros pagáis=you paid)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes pagaron=they/you paid

Notice the "g" becomes "gu" in the "yo" form to keep the hard /g/ sound

almorzar (to have lunch)
yo almorcé=I had lunch
tú almorzaste=you had lunch
él/ella/Usted almorzó=he/she/you had lunch
nosotros almorzamos=we had lunch
(vosotros almorzáis=you had lunch)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes almorzaron=they/you had lunch

Notice the "z" becomes a "c" in the "yo" form.

Here's how this tense can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they [verb]ed.
I/you/he/she/it/we/they did [verb].

Note: Sometimes the preterite and the imperfect are both translated the same way, but they are in different contexts. See the imperfect for information.

El futuro / Future

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 03:05:00 +0000

The future tense is used to express an idea that will happen. It's generally a little later in the future than the futuro próximo, but you shouldn't have trouble with it because it's used just like in English. An example in English:

I will do my homework on Sunday.

It is formed by taking the future stem (which we will get to in one moment) and adding the following endings:

yo: é
tú: -ás
él/ella/Usted: -á
nosotros: -emos
(vosotros: -éis)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -án

Now, what's the future stem? It is the part of the verb that tells you that it is in the future tense. It is just the infinitive of all regular verbs. Many irregular verbs use their infinitive as a future stem, but there are some irregular stems you should know. Here are the most common irregular stems. You may notice that all future stems end in r.

tener (to have): tendr-
hacer (to do, to make): har-
poder (to be able): podr-
saber (to know): sabr-
valer (to be worth): valdr-
querir (to want): querr-
caber (to fit): cabr-
venir (to come): vendr-
poner (to put): pondr-
decir (to say): dir-
haber (helping verb "to have"): habr-
salir (to go out): saldr-

Here is an example of a verb conjugated in the future tense:

ser (to be)
yo seré=I will be
tú serás=you will be
él/ella/Usted será=he/she/you will be
nosotros seremos=we will be
(vosotrosseréis=you will be)
ellos/ella/Ustedes serán=they/you will be

Here's how it can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they will [verb].
I/you/he/she/it/we/they shall [verb].

El futuro próximo / The Near Future

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:59:00 +0000

The near future is used to express when you are going to do something (not "will," that is the regular future tense). Do not confuse it with going to a location. You will know it is the near future in Spanish if there is a form of the verb "ir" (to go) in the present tense, followed directly by the word "a" and an infinitive. An example in English:

I'm going to watch a movie.

To form it, you take the form of "ir" (to go) that corresponds to your subject (person doing the action), and add an infinitive.

yo: voy + a + infinitivo
tú: vas + a + infinitivo
él/ella/Usted: va + a + infinitivo
nosotros: vamos + a + infinitivo
(vosotros: vais + a + infinitivo)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: van + a + infinitivo

Here's how it can be translated:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they am/are/is going to [verb].

Here is an example of a verb conjugated in the near future:

cantar (to sing)
yo voy a cantar=I am going to sing
tú vas a cantar=you are going to sing
él/ella/Usted va a cantar=he/she/you are going to sing
nosotros vamos a cantar=we are going to sing
(vosotros vais a cantar=you are going to sing)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes van a cantar=they/you are going to sing

NB: Another way to express something that is about to happen in both Spanish and English is to use "estar a punto de" (to be about to). Just use the present form of "estar" (see verb conjugations) which corresponds to your subject and add "a punto de" and then an infinitive directly after it. Constructions expressing the idea of the near future are called peraphrastics.

El indicativo del imperfecto / Imperfect Indicative

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:41:00 +0000

Imperfect indicative tense is used to express a repeated action in the past or an interrupted action in the past. Examples in English:

I used to play soccer. [repeated]
I was sleeping when it happened. [interrupted; referring to first verb]

All you do to form it is take the infinitive form of the verb, take off the -ar/-er/-ir and add the following endings:

For -ar verbs:

yo: -aba
tú: -abas
él/ella/Usted: -aba
nosotros: -ábamos
(vosotros: -abais)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -aban

For -er and -ir verbs:

yo: -ía
tú: -ías
él/ella: -ía
nosotros: -íamos
(vosotros: íais)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes: -ían

Here's how it can be translated (sometimes it depends on context):

I/you/he/she/it/we/they were [verb]ing
I/you/he/she/it/we/they used to [verb]
I/you/he/she/it/we/they [verb]ed

There are a few others, but they are very rare. These three are the most common, especially the first one. Do not confuse the last one with the preterite. Although they are sometimes translated the same into English, they mean two different things.

Here are two examples of verbs conjugated in the imperfect, one -ar and one -er:

sacar (to take out)
yo sacaba=I was taking out
tú sacabas=you were taking out
él/ella/Usted sacaba=he/she/you were taking out
nosotros sacábamos=we were taking out
(vosotros sacabais=you were taking out)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes sacaban=they/you were taking out

comer (to eat)
yo comía=I was eating
tú comías=you were eating
él/ella/Usted comía=he/she/you were eating
nosotros comíamos=we were eating
(vosotros comíais=you were eating)
ellos/ellas/Ustedes comían=they/you were eating

El indicativo de presente / Present Indicative

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:35:00 +0000

Present indicative tense is used to express an action that happens on a habitual basis or that is happening now. Examples in English:

I walk my dog every day [habitual]
I'm walking my dog right now. [happening right now]

Note: All the verb conjugations on this site are conjugated in the present indicative tense, so you can refer to the verb conjugations page to see how it is formed. The translations in English are as follows:

I/you/he/she/it/we/they [verb]
I/you/he/she/it/we/they are [verb]ing
I/you/he/she/it/we/they do [verb]

However, for the second one, a more accurate way to say it is with conjugating estar in the present and adding a gerund (-ando form of a verb)

Example:

Juega=He/she plays or does play
Está jugando=He/she is playing

For examples of fully conjugated verbs in the present tense, see the verb conjugations page.

El tiempo y las estaciones / Weather & the Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Vocab Words
el invierno=winter
la primavera=spring
el verano=summer
el otoño=autumn
qué tiempo hace=what's the weather like
afuera=outside
dentro=inside
hacer buen tiempo=to be nice out
hacer mal tiempo=to be bad out
llover=to rain
llueve=it's raining
la lluvia=rain
nevar=to snow
nieva=it's snowing
la nieves=snow
granizar=to hail
el granizo=it's hailing
el aguanieve (f)=sleet
caer aguanieve=to sleet
cae aguanieve=it's sleeting
el sol=the sun, sunshine
el viento=the wind
hacer viento=to be windy
hacer sol=to be sunny
hacer calor=to be hot out
faire frío=to be cold out
un bonhomme de neige=a snowman
une feuille=a leaf
un muñeco de nieve=a snowball
un banco de nieve=a snowbank
la temperatura=the temperature
la niebla=the fog
una tormenta=a storm
el pronóstico=the weather forecast
las previsiones=the predictions

Useful Expressions

Nieva en invierno.
It snows in winter.

Mi estación preferida es la primavera.
My favorite season is spring.

Hacía calor ayer.
It was hot out yesterday.

Lloverá probablemente mañana.
It will probably rain tomorrow.

¿Viste las previsiones? ¿Qué dicieron ?
Did you see the predictions? What did they say?

Miro el pronóstico a las seis cada noche.
I watch the weather forecast at 6 o'clock every night.

La temperatura se mide en Celsius en España.
The temperature is measured in Celsius in France.

Decir la hora / Telling Time

noreply@blogger.com (Samantha) — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:30:00 +0000

Vocab Words
medianoche=midnight
la una=one o'clock
las dos=two o'clock
las tres=three o'clock
las cuatro=four o'clock
las cinco=five o'clock
las seis=six o'clock
las siete=seven o'clock
las ocho=eight o'clock
las nueve=nine o'clock
las diez=ten o'clock
las once=eleven o'clock
las doce=twelve o'clock
mediodía=noon
las x y medio=x:30
las once y cinco=11:05
las tres menos cuarto=quarter of three
las seis de la mañana=6 o'clock in the morning
desptertarse=to get up
acostarse=to go to bed at night
¿A que hora es?=What time is it?
dar la hora=to give the time
un temporizador=a timer
un minuto=one minute
tarde=late
con x minutos de retraso=x minutes late
temprano=early
un reloj=a clock
une montre=a watch
el futuro=the future
el pasado=the past
el presente=the present
la hora=the hour, the time
a qué hora=At what time

Useful Expressions

¿A qué hora despertaste hoy?
What time did you get up today?

Me acosté a las diez y veinte.
I went to bed at 10:20.

Los relojes llevaban veinte minutos de retraso.
The clocks were twenty minutes late.

Llegué tarde a la clase.
I arrived to class late.

El reloj dio las ocho horas.
The clock struck 8.

A medianoche, la calesa se retransformó en una calabaza.
At midnight, the carriage turned itself back into a pumpkin.

¡Mi reloj me está dando la una hace unos días !
My watch has been telling me it's one o'clock for several days!