Spanish Gerunds: The Ultimate Guide to the Progressive Tenses
The Spanish gerunds (gerundios) are a special, invariable form of the verb that always end in -ndo. For example: Hablando – speakingComiendo – eatingViviendo – living As you can see, In English it translates to the -ing form of the verb. However, labeling Spanish gerunds as the “present participle” is a misnomer since they actually serve numerous purposes in...Read More
How to Use ‘Lo Que’ and ‘Lo De’ in Your Conversations
As a Spanish professor, I must admit that it surprised me the first time a student asked me about the difference between lo que and lo de. I hadn’t considered it a grammar dilemma but then I realized that it’s most likely a problem for native English-speaking students. Why? In both cases, you use them to replace other words without saying exactly what you mean and you can also...Read More
Llevarse vs llevar: What’s Their Difference in Meaning?
Do you know the difference between llevarse vs llevar? Both of these Spanish verbs generally refer to the action of carrying or taking someone or something somewhere. However, by digging a little deeper, we’ll see that Spanish speakers use them in a variety of ways. Due to the overlap between the two, it’s natural for Spanish learners to confuse llevarse vs llevar. Read this...Read More
Sinalefa: Why Spanish Isn’t Actually Pronounced as It’s Written
Why do you find yourself at first listen disoriented by native Spanish speakers? You have the sinalefa to thank for that. You think, “Wait! What happened? If I can read Cervantes in the original version, why can’t I understand the guy selling me a newspaper?” There’s a reason for that. When you hear a native person speaking Spanish, and especially if they are in a hurry, you...Read More
Aquí vs Acá: The Ultimate Guide to ‘Here’ in Spanish
Aquí vs acá, have you ever wondered what’s the difference between these two tiny words? Have you searched online for help to be able to distinguish the situations when you’ve got to use one versus the other? I’m sure you did. We all did. You came to the right place, and I promise to provide you with the ultimate guide to how to use “here” in Spanish. I will destroy some myths that teem on...Read More
85 Common Spanish Words You Already Know
Did you know that there are common Spanish words you already have in your vocabulary? I’m sure you’ve heard about cognates. They’re words in different languages with similar nature or descent from the same origin—and part of the reason why you already know lots of words in Spanish! Keep reading to discover 85 common Spanish words that you can start using right away in your...Read More
How to Say ‘Again’ in Spanish Using the Verb ‘Volver’
Have you ever wondered how to say “again” in Spanish? It may seem like an insignificant word, but when you think about it, it conveys an idea that we use a lot in our everyday life. There are different ways to say “again” in Spanish, and today we’ll see the most common ones—and especially using the Spanish verb volver. We’ll explore the qualities of this word as an irregular...Read More
How to Form and Use Past Participles in Spanish
Hands down, past participles are one of the most useful pieces of Spanish grammar you can learn. You may argue that you have no idea what a past participle is—and that’s fair, so I’ll make sure to start there—after which you’ll see how truly useful these functional words are. Past participles have many uses and by learning to use them properly, you’ll improve your Spanish speaking...Read More
18 Preterite Trigger Words in Spanish for Conversations in Past Tense
Let the preterite trigger words become your friends! Spanish past tenses can be tricky and you might find the possible choices making you feel a bit insecure. The biggest question on a seasoned Spanish learner’s mind is: Which past tense should I use to sound like a native in conversations with my Spanish friends? The good news is, the preterite tense becomes easier after you...Read More