Author: noobvoyage

Learning the Spanish Conditional Tense

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 What is the spanish conditional tense used for?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the conditional

To form the conditional, we use the infinitive verb to which we add the conditional endings:

INFINITIVE + ENDINGS (-ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían)

The conditional endings are IDENTICAL for all verb groups.

Example with the verb CANTAR (To sing):

– Yo cantaría
– Tú cantarías
– Él/Ella/Usted cantaría
– Nosotros cantaríamos
– Vosotros cantaríais
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes cantarían

II. Irregular verbs

Irregular verbs undergo changes in the stem. They are the same verbs that are irregular in the future tense. They can be grouped into different categories:

* LOSS OF THE “E” IN THE INFINITIVE :

HABER (To have) ==> Habría, Habrías, Habría, etc.
SABER (To know) ==> Sabría, Sabrías, Sabría, etc.
PODER (Can) ==> Podría, Podrías, Podría, etc.
QUERRER (Want) ==> Querría, Querrías, Querría, etc.
CABER (Hold/return) ==> Cabría, Cabrías, Cabría, etc.

* ADDING A “D” TO THE INFINITIVE :

TENER (To have) ==> Tendría, Tendrías, Tendría, etc.
PONER (To put) ==> Pondría, Pondrías, Pondría, etc.
VALER (To be worth) ==> Valdría, Valdrías, Valdría, etc.
VENIR (To come) ==> Vendría, Vendrías, Vendría, etc.
SALIR (To go out) ==> Saldría, Saldrías, Saldría, etc.

* OTHER ALTERATIONS :

DECIR (To say) ==> Diría, Dirías, Diría, etc.
HACER (To do) ==> Haría, Harías, Haría, etc.

III. Use of the conditional

The conditional tense expresses an action that would take place if the precondition to which it is subject is met:

Si pudiera, iría a Argentina y visitaría Buenos Aires ==> If I could, I would go to Argentina and visit Buenos Aires.

The conditional is also used to:

* Express a desire

– Me gustaría comer en un buen restaurante ==> I would like to eat in a good restaurant.
– Me encantaría ==> I will be delighted.

* Make requests, suggestions

– No deberías conducir tan rápido ==> You shouldn’t drive so fast.
– Quería comprar una tarta ==> I would like to buy a cake.

* Express a doubt or uncertainty in the past

Pensaba que no llegarías a tiempo ==> I thought you wouldn’t make it in time.

* Express a conjecture

El otro día, casi tuvo un accidente. Pasaría mucho miedo ¿ no ? ==> The other day, he almost had an accident. He must have been very scared.

* Express the future in the past (a future action considered in relation to a past action)

Cuando era pequeño, decía que de grande, sería bombero ==> When he was little, he said that when he grew up he would become a fireman.

* Express an invitation, a polite request:

¿ Querías venir a las 10 para cenar ? ==> Would you like to come at ten o’clock for dinner?

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The present subjunctive

👉 Previous lesson: The future with ‘ir + a + infinitive’

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©Spanishfornoobs.com

Learning the Spanish Imperfect Subjunctive

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 How to form the imperfect subjunctive in spanish?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the imperfect subjunctive

* For verbs of the first group, ending in -AR, the endings are :

-ara, -aras, -ara, -áramos, -arais, -aran
OU –ase, -ases, -ase, -ásemos, -aseis, -asen

Example with the verb HABLAR (To speak):

-Yo hablara / hablase
– Tú hablaras / hablases
– Él/Ella/Usted hablara / hablase
– Nosotros habláramos / hablásemos
– Vosotros hablarais / hablaseis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes hablaran / hablasen

* For the verbs of the 2nd and 3rd group, ending in -IR or -ER, the endings are:

-iera, -ieras, -iera, -iéramos, -ierais, -ieran
OR –iese, -ieses, -iese, -iésemos, -ieseis, iesen

Example with the verb COMER (To eat):

– Yo comiera / comiese
– Tú comieras / comieses
– Él/Ella/Usted comiera / comiese
– Nosotros comiéramos / comiésemos
– Vosotros comierais / comieseis
– Ellos /Ellas/Ustedes comieran / comiesen

N.B : There are two forms of the imperfect subjunctive, the -ra form and the -se form. Although the -ra form is more common, both forms can be used interchangeably.

II. Irregular verbs

Be careful, there are many irregular verbs in the imperfect subjunctive. These irregular verbs can be constructed from the conjugation of the third person plural in the simple past.

Examples :

DAR (To give) ==> Dieron (3rd person past simple) ==> diera, dieras, diera, diéramos, dierais, dieran
SABER (To know) ==> Supieron (3rd person past simple) ==> supiera, supieras, supiera, supiéramos, supierais, supieran
DECIR (To say) ==> Dijeron (3rd person simple past tense) ==> dijera, dijeras, dijera, dijéramos, dijerais, dijeran
TRAER (To bring) ==> Trajeron (3rd person simple past tense) ==> trajera, trajeras, trajera, trajéramos, trajerais, trajeran

III. Use of the imperfect subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive is used a lot in Spanish and it is important to respect the concordance of the tenses… If the main proposition is in the simple past, imperfect, plus-perfect or conditional; THEN the imperfect subjunctive is used in the subordinate proposition.

Example :

– La profesora nos dio libros para que aprendiéramos inglés ==> The teacher gave us books to learn English.
– Me gustaría que mis amigos vinieran al cine conmigo==> I’d like my friends to come to the movies with me.

In general, the imperfect subjunctive is used with the same logical connectors as the present subjunctive except that the sentence must be in the past tense to respect the concordance of tenses:

* To express doubt about past events

Example : Dudaba que viniera ==> I doubted he would come.

* To express a wish or a regret with the locution “Ojalá que”

Example : Ojalá que hiciera calor en invierno ==> If only it were warm in winter.

* In subordinates indicating the goal

Example : Me dio 5 euros para que pudiera comer ==> He gave me 5 euros so that I could eat.

* After a verb expressing desire, fear, will, wish, need

Example : La profesora deseaba que los alumnos sacaran buenas notas ==> The teacher wanted the students to get good grades.

* To express a hyposthesis: acaso, tal vez, quizás (maybe)

Example : Tal vez me compraría un coche si tuviera más dinero ==> Maybe I would buy a car if I had more money.

* To express a possibility: como si + imperfect subjunctive (as if)

Example :Gastabas mucho dinero, como si fueses milionario ==> You spent a lot of money as if you were a millionaire.

* To express the hypothetical or unattainable condition in the present or future

Example : Si hiciera más calor, iríamos a la playa ==> If it were warmer, we would go to the beach.

* After a verb expressing a request, a prayer, an order or a prohibition

Example : Exigió que lo hiciera ==> He demanded that you did it.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : Regular verbs

👉 Previous lesson: The negative imperative (defense)

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©Spanishfornoobs.com

Learning the Preterite Tense in Spanish (Simple Past)

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 The preterite tense in Spanish (= el pretérito)

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the past simple


1. Regular verbs

* For the 1st group verbs ending in – AR, the endings are: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, asteis, aron.

Example with the verb CANTAR (To sing):

– Yo canté
– Tú cantaste
– Él/Ella/Usted cantó
– Nosotros cantamos
– Vosotros cantasteis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes cantaron

* For verbs of the 2nd and 3rd group ending in -IR or -ER, the endings are : -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.

Example with the verb VIVIR (To live):

– Yo viví
– Tú viviste
– Él/Ella/Usted vivió
– Nosotros vivimos
– Vosotros vivisteis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes vivieron

* For verbs ending in -UIR, -OIR, -AER, -EER, OER: the “i” in the 3rd person (singular and plural) becomes “y”.

Example :

  • CONCLUIR (To conclude) ==> concluí, concluiste, concluyó, concluimos, concluisteis, concluyeron.
  • LEER (To read) ==> leí, leíste, leyó, leímos, leísteis, leyeron.

2. Essential irregular verbs

There are many irregular verbs in the simple past tense, the most common of which are

ANDAR (To walk) ==> anduve, anduviste, anduvo, anduvimos, anduvisteis, anduvieron.
IR (To go) ==> fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron.
VENIR (To come) ==> vine, viniste, vino, vinimos, vinisteis, vinieron.
DAR (To give) ==> di, diste, dio, dimos, disteis, dieron.
HABER (To have) ==> hube, hubiste, hubo, hubimos, hubisteis, hubieron.
HACER (To do) ==> hice, hiciste, hizo, hicimos, hicisteis, hicieron.
QUERER (To want/love) ==> quise, quisiste, quiso, quisimos, quisisteis, quisieron.
SER (To be) ==> fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron.
TENER (To have/possess) ==> tuve, tuviste, tuvo, tuvimos, tuvisteis, tuvieron.
TRAER (To bring) ==> traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron.
PODER (Can) ==> pude, pudiste, pudo, pudimos, pudisteis, pudieron.
DECIR (To tell) ==> dije, dijiste, dijo, dijimos, dijisteis, dijeron.
ESTAR (To be) ==> estuve, estuviste, estuvo, estuvimos, estuvisteis, estuvieron.
SABER (To know) ==> supe, supiste, supo, supimos, supisteis, supieron.
CABER (To hold/return) ==> cupe, cupiste, cupo, cupimos, cupisteis, cupieron.
PONER (To put) ==> puse, pusiste, puso, pusimos, pusisteis, pusieron.

N.B : These irregular verbs have no written accent.

II. Use of the preterite

In Spanish, the preterite is used a lot when speaking:

The preterite (pretérito perfecto) is used to talk about a past action that is completely finished.

Example :

– La semana pasada, comí con mi amigo Pablo ==> Last week, I ate with my friend Pablo.
– Cantó una canción ==> He sang a song.
– Tuvimos un problema durante el viaje ==> We had a problem during the trip.
– Hace 5 años, fui a vivir a Italia ==> 5 years ago, I went to live in Italy.

N.B: We notice that the preterite in Spanish is very often translated into English using the simple past tense.

Reminder: in Spanish, the past tense is used to talk about a past action that is not finished, or an action that took place today.

Example :

Hoy he hecho deporte con mi amigo ==> Today I played sports with my friend
El año pasado, he empezado las clases de español ==> Last year, I started Spanish classes.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The Present Perfect

👉 Previous lesson: The past perfect

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©Spanishfornoobs.com

Learning the Spanish Imperative negative form

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 What is the Spanish Imperative negative form?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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The negative imperative is used to express a prohibition or an advice. In Spanish we will use the same conjugation as the present subjunctive to form the negative imperative.

Regular verbs in the negative imperative

Regular verbs in AR :

For regular verbs in -AR, we use the same conjugation as the present subjunctive to conjugate the imperative in the negative form, that is, taking the conjugation of the present indicative and replacing the “a” with an “e“.

Example :

  • (tù) llamas / No llames

Construction of the negative imperative for regular verbs in -AR :

Root + -es / -e / -emos / -éis / -en

Examples :

PENSAR (to think)

(tù) no pienses
(usted) no piense
(nosotros) no pensemos
(vosotros) no penséis
(ustedes) no piensen

  • No pienses en eso. (Don’t think about it).
  • No piensen mal de él. (Don’t think badly of him).

Regular verbs in ER:

For regular verbs in -ER, the present subjunctive conjugation is also used. The “e” will be replaced by an “a“.

Example :

  • (tù) respondes / No respondas

Construction of the negative imperative for regular verbs in -ER :

Rootl + -as / -a / -amos / -áis / -an.

Examples :

CREER (to believe)

(tù) no creas
(usted) no crea
(nosotros) no creamos
(vosotros) no creáis
(ustedes) no crean

  • No creas todo lo que oyes. (Don’t believe everything you hear).
  • No crean que no doy nada en cambio. (Don’t think I don’t give anything back).

Regular verbs in IR :

For regular verbs in -IR, as for verbs in -AR and -ER the present subjunctive conjugation is used. The “e” will be replaced by an “a“.

Example :

  • (tù) sufres / No sufras

Construction of the negative imperative for regular verbs in -IR :

Root + -as / -a / -amos / -áis / -an.

Examples :

MENTIR (to lie)

(tù) no mientas
(usted) no mienta
(nosotros) no mientamos
(vosotros) no mintáis
(ustedes) no mientan

  • Responde a mi pregunta y no mientas. (Answer my question and don’t lie).
  • No mientan al juez. (Don’t lie to the judge).

Irregular verbs in the negative imperative

As for the affirmative imperative, some verbs are irregular. They are also conjugated using the present subjunctive.

Examples :

HACER (to do)

(tù) no hagas
(usted) no haga
(nosotros) no hagamos
(vosotros) no hagáis
(ustedes) no hagan

  • No hagas esto por favor. (Please don’t do this).
  • No hagáis tonterías. (Don’t do anything stupid.)

TENER (to hold)

(tù) no tengas
(usted) no tenga
(nosotros) no tengamos
(vosotros) no tengáis
(ustedes) no tengan

  • No tengas miedo. (Don’t be afraid.)
  • No tengáis tantos escrúpulos. (Don’t have so many scruples)

PONER (to put)

(tù) no pongas
(usted) no ponga
(nosotros) no pongamos
(vosotros) no pongáis
(ustedes) no pongan

  • No pongas este vestido. (Don’t wear that dress.)
  • No pongan en riesgo la seguridad de nuestros niños. (Don’t jeopardize the safety of our children).

SER (to be)

(tù) no seas
(usted) no sea
(nosotros) no seamos
(vosotros) no seáis
(ustedes) no sean

  • No sea tan timido. (Don’t be so shy).
  • No sean groseros. (Don’t be rude.)

IR (to go)

(tù) no vayas
(usted) no vaya
(nosotros) no vayamos
(vosotros) no vayáis
(ustedes) no vayan

  • No vayas allí. (Don’t go there.)
  • No vayáis a pensar que os engaño. (Don’t think I’m cheating on you).

DECIR (to say/tell)

(tù) no digas
(usted) no diga
(nosotros) no digamos
(vosotros) no digáis
(ustedes) no digan

  • No diga mentiras. (Don’t tell lies).
  • No digan una palabra. (Don’t say a word.)

SALIR (to go out)

(tù) no salgas
(usted) no salga
(nosotros) no salgamos
(vosotros) no salgáis
(ustedes) no salgan

  • No salgas después del anochecer. (Don’t go out after dark).
  • No salgáis solos. (Don’t go out alone).

Pronominal verbs in the negative imperative in Spanish

Some verbs are conjugated in a pronominal form. They are linked to a reflexive pronoun.

Here are some examples:

Regular pronominal verbs:

PREPARARSE (to get ready)

(tù) no te prepares
(usted) no se prepare
(nosotros) no nos preparemos
(vosotros) no os preparéis
(ustedes) no se preparen

  • No te prepares aún, no vamos a salir ahora. (Don’t get ready yet, we’re not going out right away).
  • No os preparéis un sándwich, vamos a cenar dentro de media hora. (Don’t make yourself a sandwich. We’re going to have dinner in half an hour).

ESCONDERSE (to hide)

(tù) no te escondas
(usted) no se esconda
(nosotros) no nos escondamos
(vosotros) no os escondáis
(ustedes) no se escondan

  • No te escondas, ya te ví. (No need to hide, I saw you).
  • No se escondan de mí. (Don’t hide.)

VESTIRSE (to get dressed)

(tù) no te vistas
(usted) no se vista
(nosotros) no nos vistamos
(vosotros) no os vistáis
(ustedes) no se vistan

  • No te vistas como un chico. (Don’t dress like a girl.)
  • No se vistan de negro. (Don’t dress in black.)

Irregular verbs :

CAERSE (to fall)

(tù) no te caigas
(usted) no se caiga
(nosotros) no nos caigamos
(vosotros) no os caigáis
(ustedes) no se caigan

  • Cuidado, no te caigas.(Be careful, don’t fall).
  • ¡No se caigan al agua! (Don’t fall in the water)

IRSE (to go/leave)

(tù) no te vayas
(usted) no se vaya
(nosotros) no nos vayamos
(vosotros) no os vayáis
(ustedes) no se vayan

  • No te vayas sin mí. (Don’t leave without me).
  • No os vayáis por mí. (Don’t leave because of me.)

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson :The negative imperative (defense)

👉 Previous lesson: The present subjunctive

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©Spanishfornoobs.com

Learning the Spanish Imperative affirmative form

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 What is the Spanish Imperative affirmative form?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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The imperative is used to express an order, an advice or a suggestion. Therefore, as in English, the 2nd person singular “tú” and the 2nd person plural “vosotros” are mainly used.

Examples :

  • (tú) Haz tus tareas. (Do your homework.)
  • (vosotros) Preparad la comida. (Prepare the food.)

We can also use the 1st person plural “nosotros” in some cases.

Example :

  • (nosotros) ¡Vayamos a bailar! (Let’s dance!)

In Spanish, the third person singular “usted” is used when addressing one person and the third person plural “ustedes” when addressing several people.

The use of “usted” and “ustedes” is very common in South American countries.

Examples :

  • (usted) Tomese un asiento. (Sit down.)
  • (ustedes) !Chicos, vengan conmigo! (Boys, come with me!)

Formation of the affirmative imperative for regular verbs

Regular verbs in AR :

For regular verbs in -AR, with “tú” we write the verb conjugated in the third person of the present indicative, that is to say that the verbs end in “a“.

With “Usted“, “ustedes” and “nosotros” we write the verb conjugated in the present subjunctive, that is to say, putting an “e” instead of the “a“: -e / -emos.

There is a special case of “Vosotros” which is proper to the imperative. The 2nd person plural is conjugated using “ad“.

Examples :

BAILAR (to dance)

(tù) baila
(usted) baile
(nosotros) bailemos
(vosotros) bailad
(ustedes) bailen

  • Baila conmigo. (Dance with me.)
  • Bailemos al ritmo de la canción. (Let’s dance to the rhythm of the song.)

Regular verbs in -ER :

For regular verbs in -ER, again with “tú” we write the verb conjugated in the third person of the present indicative, that is, the verbs end in “e“.

With “Usted“, “ustedes” and “nosotros” we write the verb conjugated in the present subjunctive, that is to say, putting an “a” in place of the “e“: -a /-amos.

For “vosotros” we conjugate the verb using “ed“.

Example :

COMER (to eat)

(tú) come
(usted) coma
(nosotros) comamos
(vosotros) comed
(ustedes) coman

  • Come tu sopa. (Eat your soup)
  • ¡Comamos al restaurante! (Let’s eat in a restaurant!)

Regular verbs in -IR

For regular verbs in -IR, as for verbs in -AR and -ER, with “tú” we write the verb conjugated in the third person of the present indicative, i.e. the verbs end in “e“.

With “usted“, “ustedes” and “nosotros” we write the verb conjugated in the present subjunctive, i.e. putting an “a” instead of the “e“: -a / -amos.

In the case of “vosotros” we conjugate the verb using “id“.

Example :

ABRIR (to open)

(tú) abre
(usted) abra
(nosotros) abramos
(vosotros) abrid
(ustedes) abran

  • Abre la puerta. (Open the door).
  • Abrid su libro de inglés a la página 10. (Open your English book to page 10).

Formation of the affirmative imperative for irregular verbs

As in English, Spanish has its share of irregular verbs. We will mention the main ones. Note that “usted“, “nosotros” and “ustedes” are conjugated as the present subjunctive and that “vosotros” is never irregular.

HACER (to do)

(tú) haz
(usted) haga
(nosotros) hagamos
(vosotros) haced
(ustedes) hagan

  • Haz lo que te digo. (Do as I say).
  • ¡Hagamos la fiesta! (Let’s have a party!)

PONER (to put)

(tú) pon
(usted) ponga
(nosotros) pongamos
(vosotros) poned
(ustedes) pongan

  • Poned la mesa. (Set the table.)
  • Pon tu ropa sucia en el baño. (Put your dirty laundry in the bathroom).

SER (to be)

(tú) sé
(usted) sea
(nosotros) seamos
(vosotros) sed
(ustedes) sean

  • Sé valiente. (Be brave.)
  • Seamos humildes. (Be humble.)

IR (to go)

(tú) ve
(usted) vaya
(nosotros) vayamos
(vosotros) id
(ustedes) vayan

  • Ahora vayamos al grano. (Now let’s get back to the point).

TENER (to hold)

(tú) ten
(usted) tenga
(nosotros) tengamos
(vosotros) tenid
(ustedes) tengan

  • Ten cuidado. (Be careful.)
  • Por favor, tenga en cuenta que necesitamos 5 días hábiles para hacer su vestido. (Please note that it takes us 5 business days to make your dress.)

VENIR (to come)

(tú) Ven
(usted) Venga
(nosotros) Vengamos
(vosotros) Venid
(ustedes) Vengan

  • Ven aquí. (Come here.)
  • Vengan conmigo por favor. (Come with me please)

SALIR (to go out)

(tú) Sal
(usted) Salga
(nosotros) Salgamos
(vosotros) Salid
(ustedes) Salgan

  • Sal conmigo esta noche. (Come out with me tonight).
  • ¡Salgan de mi casa! (Get out of my house)

DECIR (to say / tell)

(tú) Di
(usted) Diga
(nosotros) Digamos
(vosotros) Decid
(ustedes) Digan

  • Dime la verdad. (Tell me the truth).
  • Digamos solo que tenemos amigos en común. (Let’s just say we have friends in common.)

Pronominal verbs in the imperative

Pronominal verbs conjugated in the imperative in Spanish are linked to a reflexive pronoun. The conjugation rule is the same as for regular verbs except for “vosotros” where the “d” is removed.

Let’s see some examples:

Regular pronominal verbs

ESFORZARSE (to try/do your best)

(tú) Esfuérzate
(usted) Esfuércese
(nosotros) Esforcémonos
(vosotros) Esforzaos
(ustedes) Esfuércense

  • Esfuércese por tener una diete equilibrada. (Try to have a balanced diet).
  • Esforzaos en ser màs responsables. (Do everything you can to be more responsible)

VOLVERSE (turn around/become)

(tú) Vuélvete
(usted) Vuelváse
(nosotros) volvamonos
(vosotros) volveos
(ustedes) vuélvanse

  • Vuélvete a dormir. (Go back to sleep).
  • Vuélvanse hacia acá por favor. (Turn to me please)

ABRIRSE (to open)

(tú) ábrete
(usted) ábrase
(nosotros) abrámonos
(vosotros) abríos
(ustedes) ábranse

  • Ábrete sésamo. (Open sesame.)
  • Ábranse a Dios. (Open yourself to God)

Irregular pronominal verbs

IRSE (to go)

(tú) vete
(usted) vayáse
(nosotros) vayámonos
(vosotros) idos
(ustedes) váyanse

  • ¡Vayámonos! (Let’s go!)
  • Váyanse de mi casa. (Get out of my house)
  • Vete a comprar pan. (Go buy some bread)

PONERSE (to put on/become)

(tú) ponte
(usted) pongase
(nosotros) pongámonos
(vosotros) pongaos
(ustedes) poneos

  • Ponte esa falda. (Put on this skirt).
  • Poneos tapones si hay demasiado ruido. (Put earplugs in if it’s too loud.)
  • Ponte guapa esta noche.(Make yourself beautiful tonight.)
  • Vamos, ponte serio. (Come on, be serious.)

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The Positive/Affirmative Imperative (order)

👉 Previous lesson: The conditional

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©Spanishfornoobs.com

El imperfecto: The imperfect tense in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 What is the imperfect tense in Spanish

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the imperfect tense of the indicative

1. Regular verbs

* For verbs ending in -AR, the endings are:-aba, -abas, -aba, -ábamos, abais, aban

Example with the verb HABLAR (To speak):

Yo hablaba
Tu hablabas
Él/Ella/Usted Hablaba
Nosotros Hablábamos
Vosotros Hablabais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Hablaban

* For verbs ending in -IR and -ER, the endings are: -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían

Example with the verb COMER (to eat):

Yo comía
Tu comías
Él/Ella/Usted comía
Nosotros comíamos
Vosotros comíais
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comían

2. Irregular verbs

There are only 3 irregular verbs in the imperfect tense of the indicative. These verbs are :

SER (To be) ==> Era, Eras, Era, Éramos, Erais, Eran
IR (T o go) ==> Iba, Ibas, Iba, Íbamos, Ibais, Iban
VER (To see) ==> Veía, Veías, Veía, Veíamos, Veíais, Veían

II. Use of the imperfect tense of the indicative

Exactly as in English, the imperfect tense is used to :

* Talk about repetitive actions in the past

Example :

Cada domingo iba a jugar el tenis ==> Every Sunday I went to play tennis.

* Narrate and describe past events

Example :

Había una vez, un príncipe y una princesa que vivían en un castillo grande… ==> Once upon a time, there was a prince and a princess who lived in a big castle…

* Describe an action that is interrupted by another

Example :

Cuando estaba en clase, entró una persona ==> When I was in class, a person came in.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : Future simple tense

👉 Previous lesson: The Present Perfect

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Spanish Regular Verbs (How to Conjugate Them)

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 How to Conjugate Regular Spanish Verbs

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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What is a regular verb?

In English, as in Spanish, there are several types of verbs. Some are regular while others are not. A verb is regular when it is conjugated in a uniform way.

This means that whatever the world (infinitive, indicative, imperative, subjunctive or conditional) and the tense (past, present or future), the verb adopts the corresponding endings without changing its stem.

To conjugate a regular verb, all you have to do is keep its root and add the ending that corresponds to the desired tense and mode.

What are the regular verbs in Spanish?

There are three groups of verbs in Spanish.

They can be recognized by the ending of their infinitive.

  • The verbs in the first group end in “-ar” (for example: cantar: to sing; bailar: to dance; amar: to love).
  • The verbs of the second group end in “-er” (for example: comer: to eat; beber: to drink; saber: to know).
  • Third group verbs end in “-ir” (e.g. escribir: to write; morir: to die; vivir: to live).

How to conjugate regular verbs?

The simple tenses

The present tense of the indicative

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cant– o beb-o escrib-o
Tú cant-as beb-es escrib-es
Él / ella / lo / usted cant-a beb-e escrib-e
Nosotros / nosotras cant-amos beb-emos escrib-imos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-áis beb-éis escrib-ís
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cant-an beb-en escrib-en

The imperfect tense

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cant-aba beb-ía escrib-ía
Tú cant-abas beb-ías escrib-ías
Él / ella / lo / usted cant-aba beb-ía escrib-ía
Nosotros / nosotras cant-ábamos beb-íamos escrib-íamos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-abais beb-íais escrib-íais
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cant-aban beb-ían escrib-ían

The past simple

It is used in everyday conversations to talk about a short past action.

Example : Me quemé la lengua. I burned my tongue.

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cant-é beb-í escrib-í
Tú cant-aste beb-iste escrib-iste
Él / ella / lo / usted cant-ó beb-ió escrib-ió
Nosotros / nosotras cant-amos beb-imos escrib-imos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-asteis beb-isteis escrib-isteis
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cant-aron beb-ieron escrib-ieron

The present subjunctive

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cant-e beb-a escrib-a
Tú cant-es beb-as escrib-as
Él / ella / lo / usted cant-e beb-a escrib-a
Nosotros / nosotras cant-emos beb-amos escrib-amos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-éis beb-áis escrib-áis
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cant-en beb-an escrib-an

The imperfect subjunctive

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cant-ara beb-iera escrib-iera
Tú cant-aras beb-ieras escrib-ieras
Él / ella / lo / usted cant-ara beb-iera escrib-iera
Nosotros / nosotras cant-áramos beb-iéramos escrib-iéramos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-arais beb-ierais escrib-ierais
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cant-aran beb-ieran escrib-ieran

The imperative

In Spanish, the imperative is conjugated with five persons:

  • Tú → you (informal)
  • Usted → you of politeness for a single speaker (singular)
  • Nosotros → we
  • Vosotros → you
  • Ustedes → you of politeness for several speakers (plural)

The imperative is conjugated in two different ways depending on whether it is in the affirmative or negative form.

The imperative: affirmative form

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Tú cant-a beb-e escrib-e
Usted cant-e beb-a escrib-a
Nosotros / nosotras cant-emos beb-amos escrib-amos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-ad beb-ed escrib-id
Ustedes cant-en beb-an escrib-an

The imperative: negative form

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Tú No cant-es No beb-as No escrib-as
Usted No cant-e No beb-a No escrib-a
Nosotros / nosotras cant-emos beb-amos escrib-amos
Vosotros / vosotras cant-éis beb-áis escrib-áis
Ustedes cant-en beb-an escrib-an

The future tense

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cantar-é beber-é escribir-é
Tú cantar-ás beber-ás escribir-ás
Él / ella / lo / usted cantar-á beber-á escribir-á
Nosotros / nosotras cantar-emos beber-emos escribir-emos
Vosotros / vosotras cantar-éis beber-éis escribir-éis
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cantar-án beber-án escribir-án

The conditional

First group as cantar Second group like beber Third group as escribir
Yo cantar-ía beber-ía escribir-ía
Tú cantar-ías beber-ías escribir-ías
Él / ella / lo / usted cantar-ía beber-ía escribir-ía
Nosotros / nosotras cantar-íamos beber-íamos escribir-íamos
Vosotros / vosotras cantar-íais beber-íais escribir-íais
Ellos / ellas / ustedes cantar-ían beber-ían escribir-ían

The compound tenses

For the compound tenses, the auxiliary “haber” (to have) is used, conjugated in the appropriate tense + the past participle of the verb in question. It should be noted that in Spanish the past participle is invariable in the compound tenses.

Pronominal verbs

In Spanish there are pronominal verbs. In the infinitive they end with “-se”. To know to which group a pronominal verb belongs, it is necessary to look at the ending of the verb. This is the last syllable before the “-se” ending.

Examples :

  • llamarse → llamar-se → first group (to call oneself);
  • accostarse → accostar-se → first group (to lie down).

When conjugating a pronominal verb, regardless of its group, the reflexive pronoun precedes the verb.

Example: “Llamarse” in the present tense

Llamarse
Yo me llamo
Tú te llamas
Él / ella / usted se llama
Nosotros / nosotras nos llamamos
Vosotros / vosotras os llamáis
Ellos / ellas / ustedes se llaman

In the affirmative imperative, the reflexive pronoun is attached to the conjugated verb.

Example : « Peinarse » (to comb one’s hair) in the imperative

Peinarse
Tú peínate
Usted peínese
Nosotros / nosotras peinémonos
Vosotros / vosotras peinaos
Ustedes peínense

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👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : Irregular verbs

👉 Previous lesson: The imperfect subjunctive

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The Present Subjunctive in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 What is the Spanish Subjunctive? : Rules, conjugation, endings…

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the present subjunctive

1. Regular verbs in -AR:

It is formed in the following way: RADICAL + (e-es-e-emos-éis-en)

Example with the verb SALTAR (To jump) :

Yo salte
Tu saltes
Él/Ella/Usted salte
Nosotros saltemos
Vosotros saltéis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes salten

2. Regular verbs in -ER and -IR:

The present subjunctive is formed as follows: RADICAL + (a-as-a-amos-áis-an)

Example with the verb COMER (To eat) :

Yo coma
Tu comas
Él/Ella/Usted coma
Nosotros comamos
Vosotros comáis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes coman

N.B:Note that verbs in -AR have an ending in -e while verbs in -IR and -ER have an ending in -a. The endings are therefore identical to the present indicative, but reversed!

II. Use of the present subjunctive

In Spanish, the present subjunctive is used to construct certain forms of the imperative and to express a wish, a doubt, a personal opinion, a negation, an order, a possibility or a feeling.

In general, we can say that the subjunctive is an expression of the unreal or the unaccomplished (unlike the present indicative which expresses things that are accomplished and real).

Example :

Nicolás mira la télévision ==> Nicolas is watching TV.

Present tense – real situation

Es probable que Nicolás mire la televisión ==> It is likely that Nicolas is watching TV.

The present subjunctive is used because it expresses a probability, something uncertain.

The present subjunctive is used in the following cases:

* Expressing NEGATION about the present or the future with the locutions

No + CREER/PENSAR/PARECER/CONSIDERAR/PERMITIR + QUE

Example :

No me parece que sea correcto ==> I don’t think it is right.
No consideramos que estés uno de nuestros ==> We don’t consider you to be one of us.

* HYPOTHETICAL or CONSEQUENTIAL conditions with locutions:

Como, aunque, a pesar de que, por màs que, cuanto, de modo que…

Example :

– Aunque esté lloviendo, vamos de excursión ==> Although it is raining, we are going on a trip.
– A pesar de que odia madrugar, se levanta temprano ==> Although he hates the morning, he gets up early.

* Indicate a PROBABILITY with an adverb like :

Quizá(s), tal vez, probablemente, seguramente, ojalá…

Example :

– Quizás Pedro coma con nosotros el domingo ==> Maybe Pedro will eat with us on Sunday.
– Tal vez llueva, está nublado ==> Maybe it will rain, there are clouds.

* With the following expressions:

antes de que, sin que, cuando, apenas, después (de), en cuanto, hasta que, mientras, tan pronto como…

Example :

– Hasta que la muerte los separe ==> Until death do you part.
– Sin que se dé cuenta, la dañó ==> He hurt her, without realizing it.

* Expressing WISHES (QUERER +QUE)

– Quiero que venga ==> I want him to come.
– Queremos que pare esto ==> We want it to stop.

* Expressing an ORDER (imperative)

– Dile que limpie los cristales ==> Tell him to wash the windows 
– ¡ Hable ! ==> Speak!

* Expressing an INTENTION

– Le doy mi número para que me llame ==> I give him my number so that he calls me.

N.B : The present subjunctive MUST be used in the following cases:

* When the verb in the main sentence is in the present, past compound, future or imperative tense.

Iré a buscarte con el coche para que no tengas que caminar ==> I’ll pick you up in the car so you don’t have to walk.

(Here, the verb in the main sentence IR is conjugated in the future tense ==> iré. The present subjunctive is therefore used in the relative ==> tengas)

* the verb of the subordinate refers to an action that happens at the same time or after the action of the main clause.

Estaba caminando en la calle cuando me encuentre con tu hijo ==> I was walking down the street when I met your son.

Here, the verb of the subordinate (Encontrase ==> me encuentre) occurs after the action of the main clause (caminar en la calle), so the subjunctive is used.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The Positive/Affirmative Imperative (order)

👉 Previous lesson: The conditional

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The present tense of Spanish verbs

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 The present tense of Spanish verbs: How do you make a present tense sentence in Spanish?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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I. Formation of the present tense

* For first group verbs ending in – AR, the endings are : -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an.

Example with the verb CAMINAR (To walk):

– Yo camino
– Tú caminas
– Él/Ella/Usted Camina
– Nosotros caminamos
– Vosotros camináis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes caminan

* For verbs of the second or third group ending in -ER or -IR, the endings are : -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en.

Example with the verb COMER (To eat):

– Yo como
– Tú comes
– Él/Ella/Usted come
– Nosotros comemos
– Vosotros coméis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen

II. Irregular verbs

* There are ten irregular verbs where ONLY THE FIRST PERSON undergoes a change.

These verbs are:

CABER (To hold/enter) ==> Quepo, Cabes, Cabe, etc.
CAER (To fall) ==> Caigo, Caes, Cae, etc.
DAR (To give) ==> Doy, Das, Da, etc.
HACER (To do) ==> Hago, Haces, Hace, etc.
PONER (To put) ==> Pongo, Pones, Pone, etc.
SABER (To know) ==> Sé, Sabes, Sabe, etc.
SALIR (To go out) ==> Salgo, Sales, Sale, etc.
TRAER (To bring) ==> Traigo, Traes, Trae, etc.
VALER (To value/be worth) ==> Valgo, Vales, Vale, etc.
VER (To see) ==> Veo, Ves, Ve, etc.

* Some irregular verbs undergo a change on several persons (not only on the Yo).

These verbs are :

DECIR (To tell) ==> Digo, Dices, Dice, Decimos, Decís, Dicen (Only the 4th and 5th persons are regular).
ESTAR (To be) ==> Estoy, Estás, Está, Estamos, Estáis, Están (Only the 4th and 5th persons are regular).
HABER (To have) ==> He, Has, Ha, Hemos, Habéis, Han (Only the 2nd person plural is regular).
IR (To go) ==> Voy, Vas, Va, Vamos, Vais, Van (This verb is irregular in all persons).
OIR (To hear) ==> Oigo, Oyes, Oye, Oímos, Oís, Oyen (Only the 4th and 5th persons are regular).
PODER (Can) ==> Puedo, Puedes, Puede, Podemos, Podéis, Pueden
QUERER (To want/love) ==> Quiero, Quieres, Quiere, Queremos, Queréis, Quieren
SER (To be) ==> Soy, Eres, Es, Somos, Sois, Son
TENER (To have/possess) ==> Tengo, Tienes, Tiene, Tenemos, Tenéis, Tienen (Only the 4th and 5th persons are regular).
VENIR (To come) ==> Vengo, Vienes, Viene, Venimos, Venís, Vienen (Only the 4th and 5th persons are regular).

* Irregular verbs whose infinitive endings end in : -ACER, -OCER, -ECER, -UCIR

All verbs with this ending are conjugated in a particular way in the present tense.

In the first person singular, in front of the -O of the ending, the C (part of the radical) is transformed into ZC for pronunciation reasons.

Examples :

NACER (To be born) ==> Yo nazco, Tú naces, etc.
CONOCER (To know) ==> Yo conozco, Tú conoces, etc.
TRADUCIR (To translate) ==> Yo traduzco, Tú traduces, etc.

* Irregular verbs whose infinitive ends in : -UIR

When these verbs are conjugated in the present tense, they undergo a spelling change in the first three persons of the singular and in the last person of the plural.

The -i in the stem of these verbs becomes -y to facilitate pronunciation.

Examples:

CONCLUIR (To conclude) ==> Yo concluyo, Tú concluyes, Él/Ella/Usted concluye, Nosotros concluimos, Vosotros concluís, Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes concluyen.
CONTRIBUIR (To contribute) ==> Yo contribuyo, Tu contribuyes, Él/ella/usted contribuye, Nosotros contribuimos, Vosotros contribuís, Ellos/Ella/Ustedes contribuyen.

III. Verbs with diphthongation

A diphthong is a spelling change in the stem of a verb when it is conjugated.

The diphthong occurs because there is a change in the tonic accent when we conjugate the verb.

Be careful, it only occurs on the three persons of the singular and the last person of the plural.

* Verbs with diphthong: -E ==> -IE

For these verbs, the -E of the stem changes into -IE when the verb is conjugated.

Example with the verb PENSAR (To think):

– Yo pienso
– Tú piensas
– Él/Ella/Usted piensa
– Nosotros pensamos
– Vosotros pensáis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes piensan

* Verbs with diphthong: -O ==> -UE

For these verbs, the -O of the stem changes to -UE when the verb is conjugated.

Example with the verb ALMOZAR (Lunch):

– Yo almuerzo
– Tú almuerzas
– Él/Ella/Usted almuerza
– Nosotros almorzamos
– Vosotros almorzáis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes almuerzan

IV. Use of the present tense

The present tense is used to indicate an action in progress, or to express the duration of an action that is ongoing at the time of the speech.

Examples :

– Juega al tenis desde hace 5 años ==> He has been playing tennis for 5 years.
– Camina bajo la lluvia ==> He walks in the rain.

* The present tense is also used to talk about an action that will take place in the near future. In this case, we use a temporal marker.

Examples :

– La próxima semana su equipo participa a un campeonato ==> Next week, his team is playing in a championship.
– Mañana vienes ==> You are coming tomorrow.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The present participle

👉 Previous lesson: Tomar, llevar or Traer

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El futuro Simplo: the future tense in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Tenses

👉 The Simple future tense in Spanish (El Futuro Simplo)

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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The future tense is often considered one of the simplest tenses in Spanish. In fact, there are very few irregular verbs and the endings are the same for all verb groups.

I. Formation of the future tense

1. Regular verbs

To form the future tense we use the following structure

INFINITIVE OF THE VERB + FUTURE ENDINGS

The endings of the future tense are : – é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án

These endings are identical for all groups (verbs in -AR, -ER and -IR)

Example with the verb HABLAR (to speak):

Yo hablaré
Tu hablarás
Él/Ella/Usted Hablará
Nosotros Hablaremos
Vosotros Hablaréis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Hablarán

2. Irregular verbs

There are few irregular verbs in the future tense, here they are:

CABER (Tenir/Rentrer)==> Cabré, Cabrás, Cabrá…
PONER (Mettre)==> Pondré, Pondrás, Pondrá…
SALIR (Sortir)==> Saldré, Saldrás, Saldrá…
VALER (Valoir) ==> Valdré, Valdrás, Valdrá…
VENIR (Venir) ==> Vendré, Vendrás, Vendrá…
HABER (Avoir) ==> Habré, Habrás, Habrá…
HACER (Faire)==> Haré, Harás, Hará…
PODER (Pouvoir) ==> Podré, Podrás, Podrá…
SABER (Savoir) ==> Sabré, Sabrás, Sabrá…
TENER (Avoir) ==> Tendré, Tendrás, Tendrá…
QUERER (Vouloir) ==> Querré, Querrás, Querrá…
DECIR (Dire) ==> Diré, Dirás, Dirá…

N.B: We notice that for these irregular verbs, only the root changes. The ending remains the same.

II. Use of the future tense

As in English, the future tense is used to talk about an action that has not yet been carried out but that will be carried out with certainty.

Examples:

– Mañana iré a buscarte a la escuela ==> Tomorrow I will pick you up from school.
– A los 18 años, podré conducir coche ==> When I am 18, I will be able to drive a car.
– Tendrán veinte año mañana ==> They will be 20 years old tomorrow.

In addition, the future tense can also be used in Spanish to express a hypothesis, a probability.

Examples:

– Juan no me contesta al telefono, estará enfadado ==> Juan doesn’t answer the phone, he must be angry.

==> ==> It is assumed that Juan does not answer the phone because he is angry, so the future tense is used.

– No han llegado todavía, tendrán un problema ==> They haven’t arrived yet, they must have a problem.

==> The hypothesis is that they haven’t arrived yet because they have a problem, so we use the future tense.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson : The future with ‘ir + a + infinitive’

👉 Previous lesson: Imperfect tense

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