I. Formation and use of reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns (pronombres reflexivos) are used with pronominal verbs such as: LAVARSE (to wash oneself), DORMIRSE (to go to bed), DESPERTARSE (to wake up), VESTIRSE (to get dressed), MAQUILLARSE (to put on make-up), etc.

In Spanish the reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se and identify who (or what) is performing the action of the verb.

Example with the pronominal verb LAVARSE (To wash):

– (Yo) me lavo ==> I wash myself
– (Tú) te lavas ==> You wash yourself
– (Él/Ella/Usted) se lava ==> He washes himself
– (Nosotros) nos lavamos ==> We wash ourselves
– (Vosotros) os laváis ==> You wash yourself
– (Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes) se lavan ==>  They wash themselves

II. Placement of the reflexive pronoun

Reflexive pronouns are usually placed BEFORE the conjugated verb.

Example :

– Te molesta la música ==> The music disturbs you.
– Nos vestimos de blanco para la boda ==> We dress in white for the wedding.
– Nos sentimos traicionados ==> We feel betrayed.

CAUTION, in some situations, the reflexive pronoun is attached after the verb:

* When the verb is in the INFINITIVE:

Example:

– Tengo que deciros ==> I must tell you.
– Tienes que llevarles a casa ==> You have to bring them home.

* When the verb is conjugated in the positive IMPERATIVE :

Example :

– Lávate las manos ==> Wash your hands.
– Sentaos por favor ==> Please sit down.

* When the verb is conjugated in the GERUND

With the structure: ESTAR + GERUND ==> In this situation we can either attach the reflexive pronoun after the verb or place the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb.

Example :

– Está comiéndose una manzana ==> Se está comiendo una manzana ==> He is eating an apple.
– Estamos divirtiéndonos con una película ==> Nos estamos divirtiendo con una película ==> We are having fun watching a movie.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Relative pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Possessive pronouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Personal pronouns as direct object complements

Direct object personal pronouns are used to replace a noun that the sentence is clearly about. They can be used to replace a proper noun or a common noun. The direct object personal pronouns are as follows:

• me 
• te 
• lo or la 
• nos 
• os 
• los or las 

Thus, in an affirmative sentence, when the subject is clearly identified by the speaker, it will be possible to replace the noun with a personal pronoun as a direct object complement.

Instead of writing “el gato come el ratón” (the cat eats the mouse), you can say “el gato lo come” (the cat eats it).

Examples:

• Tu hijo no me habla = Your son doesn’t talk to me
• Te quiero = I love you
• Paolo lo rompió = Paolo broke it
• Mi mamá nos trajó comida = My mother brought us food
• Sandra no os conoce = Sandra doesn’t know you
• Perdí mis anteojos. Los has visto ? = I lost my glasses. Have you seen them?

When the personal pronoun is the direct object of a verb in the infinitive or gerund, it can be stuck to the end of the verb.

Examples :

• Vinó a visitarme el lunes = He came to see me on Monday
• Puedes llamarlo ahora = You can call him now
• Estoy esperandolo = I’m waiting for it
• Estan superándonos = They are overtaking us

Les pronoms personnels compléments d’objet indirect

In Spanish, indirect object personal pronouns are useful to replace a noun that refers to a person.

They replace a person indirectly involved in the action. They give information about the person to whom or for whom the action described in the sentence is done.

Only third person indirect object personal pronouns differ from direct object personal pronouns. The indirect object personal pronouns are :

• me 
• te 
• le 
• nos 
• os 
• les 

In a sentence, it is therefore sufficient to identify the indirect object of the sentence in order to replace it with the corresponding indirect object personal pronoun.

In the statement “Pedro compró un regalo a Juan” (Pedro bought Juan a present), it is possible to replace the indirect object “a Juan” (to Juan) with the indirect object personal pronoun “le“.

We then obtain the sentence “Pedro le compró un regalo”.

Examples :

• Me envió una carta = He sent me a letter
• Gabriel te manda un paquete = Gabriel is sending you a package
• Le quiero decir algo importante = I want to tell him something important
• Nos quiere comprar la casa = He wants to buy us the house
• Maria os va a visitar jueves = Maria will come to see you on Thursday
• Les van a hablar primero = They will talk to them first

As in the case of the direct object personal pronoun, the indirect object personal pronoun can be placed at the end of the verb when it concerns a verb in the infinitive or gerund.

Examples :

• Voy a visitarle mañana = I will visit him tomorrow
• Quieres comprarle un regalo ahora ? = You want to buy You want to buy him a present now?a present now?
• Marco vinó a hablarles = Marco came to talk to Marco came to talk to them

Double pronoun

When a verb is accompanied by two personal pronouns as object complements, the personal pronoun as indirect object complement, relating to a person, is always placed before the personal pronoun as direct object complement, replacing a person or a thing.

The indirect object personal pronouns “le” and “les” become “se” when placed before the direct object personal pronouns “lo”, “la”, “los” or “las”.

Examples :

• Pablo me lo dió = Pablo gave it to me
• Maria nos lo a dicho = Maria told us
• Marcelo se los compra = Marcelo buys it for them
• Yo se las comparto = I share it with them

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Possessive pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Adding ‘lo’ to Spanish verbs

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

In Spanish, there is a grammatical phenomenon that is often found: it is characterized by the addition of one or two personal pronouns right after the conjugated verb.

The pronoun can be direct, indirect or reflexive and is joined to the end of the verb so that only one word is formed and the tonic accent remains unchanged.

Moreover, so that the accented syllable does not change, in most cases, a written accent must be added.

How do I place ‘lo’?

It can be formed by one or more pronouns.

In the following example there can be only one pronoun:

• Dílo. (Say it)

Different modes

There are three different ways to add ‘lo’. First, it’s found in the infinitive.

• Hay que tenerlo. (You must have it)

It also exists in the gerund.

• Puede pasar tiempo haciéndolo sin parar. (He can spend time doing it without stopping)

In this example, an accent has been added to the “e” so that the tonic accent is kept.

Finally, it also appears in the imperative:

The written accent

As we have seen, a written accent must be added when adding ‘lo’ so that the tonic syllable is unchanged.

In general, the tonic syllable of words that end with a consonant other than “n” or “s” are on the last syllable.

On the other hand, for words that end in a vowel, an “n” or an “s”, the tonic syllable is located on the second to last syllable.

For example, if we take the verb “enfrentarse” and conjugate it in the second person singular in the imperative, we get “enfrentate“.

The stress is normally on the penultimate syllable since the base of the verb is “enfrenta” and, since the personal pronoun “te” is added at the end, an accent is added on the “e” so that the stress is kept on the proper syllable.

Thus, adding ‘lo’ is often present in Spanish. It has some peculiarities regarding the order of the pronouns and the written accent.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Complement personal pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Subject personal pronouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Quién

“Quién” is used to ask about the identity of a person.

It is translated into English as “who” and is often used in the same way.

The only difference with the use of “who” in English is that “quién” is agreed in the plural when it refers to a group of people.

The use of the preposition “a” or “de” is also possible before “quién”.

Examples :

• ¿Quién es ese muchacho? =Who is this young man?
• ¿A quién llamaste? =Who did you call?
• ¿De quiénes son estos libros? =Whose books are these?
• ¿Quiénes han llegado primeros? =Who came first?

Qué

“Qué” refers to things or actions. It can be translated as “that” or “what” depending on the context. It is invariable, but can be preceded by a preposition.

Examples :

• ¿Qué haces? =What are you doing?
• ¿Qué está pasando? =What’s going on?
• ¿De qué hablaste con tu hermana? =What did you and your sister talk about?
• ¿En qué estás pensando? =What are you thinking about?

Por qué/Para qué

The interrogative pronoun “why” can be translated as “por qué” or “para qué“.

Examples :

• ¿Por qué haces eso? = Why are you doing this?
• ¿Por qué los gatos ronronean? = Why do cats purr?
• ¿Por qué te vas? = Why are you leaving?
• ¿Para qué ir a la escuela si ya sé todo? = Why go to school if I already know everything?

Cuál

“Cuál” is used to introduce a question that leaves a choice between two or more things.

“Cuál” is given in the plural when it refers to several choices in the same sentence or to the choice between two groups of objects.

It can be translated as “what” or “which one(s)”.

Examples :

• ¿Cuál es tu favorito? = Which one is your favorite?
• ¿Cuál es tu nombre? = What is your name?
• ¿Cuáles te gustan más? = Which ones do you like the most?
• ¿Cuáles son los síntomas? = What are the symptoms?

Cómo

“Cómo” is translated as “How”. It allows you to ask the person you are talking to about the state of a thing or a person or how it works.

Examples :

• ¿Cómo se escribe? = How do you spell it?
• ¿Cómo estás? = How are you?
• ¿Cómo es la vida en Cuba? = How is life in Cuba?
• ¿Cómo hacer para perder peso? = How do you lose weight?

Cuánto

“Cuánto” is the only interrogative pronoun that agrees in gender and number. It means “how many”.

The masculine form is the most used. However, if the objects referred to are grammatically feminine, “cuántas” should be used.

Examples :

• ¿Cuánto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
• ¿Cuánta plata tiene? = How much money do you have?
• ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you?
• ¿Cuántas personas van a ir? = How many people will go?

Cuándo

“Cuándo” translates to “when”. It is used to ask about the situation of events in time, whether they are future or past.

Some prepositions can be placed before “cuándo”.

This is the case of “hasta” (until) or “para” (for).

Examples :

• ¿Cuándo naciste? =  When were you born?
• ¿Cuándo vamos? = When are we leaving?
• ¿Hasta cuándo tenemos que dejarlo ? = Until when do we leave?

Dónde/Adónde

The interrogative pronouns “dónde” and “adónde” are used to ask about a place or direction.

Although “adónde” refers more specifically to a place to go, both forms of the interrogative pronoun are now accepted without distinction.

Examples :

• ¿Dónde estás? =  Where are you?
• ¿Adónde vas? = Where are you going?
• ¿Dónde empieza tu terreno? = Where does your land begin?
• ¿Adónde podemos ir para comer las mejores pizzas? = Where can we go to eat the best pizza?

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Subject personal pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Indefinite pronouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Indefinite pronouns are a small group of words that refer to a vague and imprecise quantity or quality.

They do not refer to specific persons or objects. They are always invariable in gender and number.

They are mostly used to express general ideas or approximations.

Algo/Alguien

“Algo” and “alguien” are the indefinite pronouns that translate to “something” and “someone” respectively. In Spanish, these two indefinite pronouns are sometimes introduced by the preposition “a”.

Examples :

• Comiste algo hoy ? = Did you eat something today?
• Tengo algo para ti = I have something for you
• He visto a alguien en la cas = I saw someone in the house
• Alguien me dijo = Someone told me

Nada/Nadie

“Nada” and “nadie” are indefinite pronouns that can be translated as “nothing” and “nobody”. They are also sometimes introduced by the preposition “a”.

Examples :

• No tengo más nada que hacer = I have nothing left to do
• No hay nada en mi casa = There is nothing in my hand
• Nadie sabe nada = Nobody knows anything
• No quiero ver a nadie ! = I don’t want to see anyone!

Cualquiera/Quienquiera

“Cualquiera” takes on the meaning of “any one” or “anyone”. “Quienquiera” is more rarely used, it often precedes “que” in some literary expressions.

Examples :

• Cualquiera lo puede hacer = Anyone can do it
• Aqui puede venir cualquiera = Here, anyone can come
• Quienquiera que sea = Whoever it is

Variable pronouns

Variable indefinite pronouns are used to replace a noun or a nominal group.

They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace. The most common are: mucho, todo, alguno, vario, ninguno.

Be careful, these words can also be used as indefinite determiners if they precede a noun in order to specify the quantity.

Examples :

• Muchos fueron al cine = Many went to the movies
• Muchas de las flores tienen lindos colores = Many of the flowers have beautiful colors
• Ha robado todo = He stole everything
• Estamos todos aqui = We are all here
• Algunos lo saben = Some know it
• Me gustaría tener algunos = I would like to have some
• Varios me gustan = There are several I like
• En el supermercado tienen varias = At the supermarket they have some
• No me queda ninguna = I have none left
• Ninguno fue eficaz = None were effective

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Interrogative pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Demonstrative pronouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

I. Forms of demonstrative pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns (pronombres demonstrativos) are used to replace a noun. They designate the object, the action or the person that is being talked about.

In the past, demonstrative pronouns were distinguished from demonstrative adjectives (este, ese, aquel) by the written accent (éste, ése, aquél).

However, since the last spelling reform published by the Real Academia in 2010, the diacritical accent on demonstrative pronouns has disappeared.

Therefore, there is no longer any spelling difference between demonstrative pronouns and adjectives.

The demonstrative pronouns are divided into three categories according to their gender: masculine, feminine or neuter.

* The masculine singular demonstrative pronouns are : Este, Ese, Aquel
* The masculine plural demonstrative pronouns are: Estos, Esos, Aquellos

* Feminine singular demonstrative pronouns are: Esta, Esa, Aquella
* Feminine demonstrative pronouns in the plural are: Estas, Esas, Aquellas

* The neutral demonstrative pronouns are:  Esto, Eso, Aquello

They are translated into English as this one, that one

II. Use and meaning

The choice of pronoun to use depends on the distance between the subject and what it refers to. There are three different forms in Spanish: este, ese and aquel, that allows us to situate, in different degrees, in time or space, the thing, person or action designated by the pronoun.

* ESTE designates an action, an object or a person close in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to the speaker (YO, NOSOTROS)

Example :

• Compré algunas verduras y esta es la más cara ==> I bought some vegetables and this is the most expensive one.
• Estas chicas que están aquí ==> Those girls over there.
• Este coche es mío, aquel es suyo ==> This car is mine, this one is his.

* ESE refers to an action, an object or a person not very far away in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to the interlocutors (TU, USTED(ES), VOSOTROS)

Example :

• Estos zapatos son míos, y esos son tuyos ==> These shoes are mine, and these are yours.
• Esas casas son modernas, en comparación con estas ==> These houses are modern, compared to those.
• Ese coche es tuyo y aquel es suyo==> This car is yours, and that one is his.

* AQUEL refers to an action, an object or a person far away in time or space. In relation to a person, this form refers to a third person (EL, ELLA, ELLOS, ELLAS)

Example :

• En aquella época, no había computadores ==> In those days, there were no computers.
• Aquel coche es suyo, este es vuestro ==> This car is his, this one is yours.

N.B :

* Aquel (and its derivatives) can also have an emphatic or laudatory value.

Example :

• Aquella mujer ==> This woman (expresses admiration).

* Ese (and its derivatives) can have a pejorative value.

Example :

• Ese pobre chico ==> This poor child

III. Neutral pronouns

Neutral pronouns do not refer to either a masculine or a feminine noun. They are invariable and are used for :

* Expressing a statement or enumeration:

Example :

• Todo esto es mío ==> All this is mine.

* Refer to a previously stated concept:

Example :

• Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con eso que me cuenta ==> I completely agree with what you are telling me.
• Eso es muy interesante ==> This is very interesting.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Indefinite pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Prepositions

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

The preposition “a”

This preposition can be used in different cases.

To give the exact time

The preposition “a” must always be used before giving the precise time.

Examples :

• Tengo una cita a las diez de la mañana. (I have an appointment at 10 a.m.).
• Patricia tiene que irse a las 4 de la tarde. (Patricia has to leave at 4pm)

Before a Direct Object Complement

The preposition “a” is also used in front of a person or a personified thing.

Examples :

• Franck quiere a su hermana. (Franck loves his sister).
• Paul invitará a sus amigos para su cumpleaños. (Paul will invite his friends to his birthday party.)

After a verb of movement

The preposition “a” is also placed after a verb of motion.

Examples :

• Voy a la playa. (I’m going to the beach.)
• Fanny regresa a su casa. (Fanny is going home.)

Warning: if the preposition precedes a masculine noun, we do not say “a el” but use the contraction “al”.

Example :

• Vamos al museo. (We are going to the museum.)

The preposition “con”

The preposition “con” means “with” and is generally used in the same way as in English.

Examples :

• Bob está con sus padres. (Bob is with his parents.)
• Fanny maneja con cuidado. (Fanny is driving carefully).
• Quiero venir contigo. (I want to come with you.)

Note :

While in English “with me” and “with you” translate into two words each time, there is really only one word in Spanish.

• Conmigo (with me)
• Contigo (with you)

There are also typical Spanish expressions that should not be translated word for word.

Examples :

• Anteayer soñé contigo. (The day before yesterday I dreamed of you).
• Vincent puede contar con su hermana para ayudarle. (Vincent can count on his sister to help him).

The preposition ‘de’

The preposition ‘de’ is not necessarily used in Spanish. 

– No “de” in Spanish before an infinitive Direct Object Complement

Example :

• Mi sueño es comprar una casa grande con un jardín. (My dream is to buy a big house with a garden).

– No “de” before an infinitive verb that indicates order / advice / prohibition

Example :

• Te aconsejo guardar distancia con los otros. (I advise you to keep your distance from the others).

– No “de” before the verb “be” followed by an adjective, itself followed by an infinitive Direct Object Complement

Example :

• Es increíble ver una persona tan hipócrita. (It’s incredible to see such a hypocritical person).

On the other hand, the preposition “de” can be used to indicate provenance / origin.

Example :

• Soy de Francia. (I am from France.)

It can also be used to indicate belonging / possession.

Examples :

• Carmén es la madre de Paul. (Carmén is Paul’s mother).
• Es el hijo del panadero de la ciudad. (He is the son of the town baker).

“De” can also be used to give an indication of composition or material.

Example :

• Es una mesa de madera. (This is a wooden table).

The preposition “en”

The preposition “en” is used to indicate the place where the action takes place.

Warning: if there is an idea of movement / displacement, the preposition “a” must be used.

Examples :

• Estamos en el museo. (We are in the museum / at the museum).
• Estoy en la tienda. (I am in the store / at the store).
• En 1955, Victor tenia 62 años. (In 1955, Victor was 62 years old.)

Prepositions of place

To express a place, several prepositions can be used. Here are some examples:

Al lado de (next to)
Estoy al lado de un coche. (I am next to a car)

Cerca de (near)
Viven cerca del mar. (They live near the sea)

Lejos de (far from)
No quiero vivir lejor de ti. (I don’t want to live far from you)

A la derecha / a la izquierda (to the right / to the left)
Pablo siempre se sienta a la derecha de su amigo Silvio. (Pablo always sits to the right of his friend Silvio.)

Enfrente de (facing)
Enfrente del parque, hay la escuela. (Facing the park, there is the school.)

Debajo (under)
Debajo de la mesa, encontrarás mi bolsa. (Under the table, you will find my bag.)

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time are used to place an action in time.

De…a (from…to)
De miércoles a viernes (from Wednesday to Friday)
De 4 a 6 (from 4 to 6)

Después de (after)
Si quieres ver el bebé, hay que regresar después de su siesta. (If you want to see the baby, you have to come back after his nap)

Durante (during)
Durante las vacaciones, Valerie no hace nada, ni siquiera sus deberes. (During the vacations, Valerie doesn’t do anything, not even her homework).

Desde (since / from)
Están casados desde 1990. (They have been married since 1990)

Desde hace (since a period that is not completed)
Trabaja en esa empresa desde hace 5 años. (He or she has been working at this company for 5 years)

Dentro de (after a period of)
Paula puede obtener su diploma dentro de 3 años. (Paula can graduate after a period of 3 years (in 3 years).

Antes de (before)
Antes de Navidad, no hay nieve aqui. (Before Christmas, there is no snow here.)

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Demonstrative pronouns

👉 Previous lesson: Ordinal numbers and calculations

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Ordinal numbers from 1st to 10th

1st : Primero
2nd : Segundo
3rd : Tercero
4th : Cuarto
5th : Quinto
6th : Sexto
7th : Séptimo
8th : Octavo
9th : Noveno
10th : Decimo

Examples :

• El lunes es el primero día de la semana. (Monday is the first day of the week).
• Es el noveno vuelo humanitario desde Francia. (It is the 9th humanitarian flight from France).

Ordinal numbers from the 11th to the 100th

11th : undécimo
12th : duodécimo
13th : decimotercero
14th : decimocuarto
15th : decimoquinto
16th : decimosexto
17th : decimoséptimo
18th : decimoctavo
19th : decimonoveno

20th : vigésimo
21th : vigésimo primero
22th : vigesimo segundo
23th : vigésimo tercero
24th : vigésimo cuarto
25th : vigésimo quinto

30th : trigésimo
40th : cuadragésimo
50th : quincuagésimo
60th : sexagésimo
70th : septuagésimo
80th : octogésimo
90th : nonagésimo
100th : centésimo

Examples :

• Lana celebra su centésimo aniversario el 18 de julio. (Lana celebrates her 100th birthday on July 18)
• Es la vigésimo tercera conferencia. (This is the 23rd conference.)

Spanish Calculations

Let’s see how to perform simple mathematical operations in Spanish.

Addition

To add in Spanish, we use “más” (plus).

4+4 = 8
cuatro más cuatro son ocho (four plus four is eight)

1+0 = 1
uno más cero es uno (one plus zero is one)

Subtraction

To make a subtraction, we use “menos” (minus).

10-6 = 4
diez menos seis son cuatro (ten minus six is four)

9-8 = 1
nueve menos ocho es uno (nine minus eight is one)

Multiplication

To multiply, we use “por” (multiplied by).

3×2 = 6
tres por dos son seis (three multiplied by two makes six)

9×5 = 45
nueve por cinco son cuaranta y cinco (nine multiplied by five makes forty-five)

Division

To divide, we use “entre” (divided by).

6/2 = 3
seis entre dos son tres (six divided by two makes three)

5/5 = 1
cinco entre cinco es uno (five divided by five is one)

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Prepositions

👉 Previous lesson: Cardinal numbers

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Diphthongation is very common in Spanish. It concerns mainly verbs, but also nouns, adjectives and adverbs. It consists in replacing the tonic vowel of a word by a double vowel pronounced in the same syllable.

Spanish diphthongation

Before tackling verb diphthongation (the most difficult part…), let’s see how other words behave when they diphthongate: nouns, adjectives and adverbs.

Nouns

Many Spanish nouns whose root vowel on the penultimate syllable under the tonic accent was originally e or o have undergone diphthongation, and are now written with ie and ue :

• puerta, sueldo, fuerza, cuerda, recuerdo
  door, salary (pay), strength, rope, memory (record);
• hierba (ou yerba), hierro, infierno, tierra
  grass, iron, hell, earth.

Adjectives and adverbs

This transformation is found in some adjectives and adverbs:

• caliente, bueno, fuerte, fuertemente, cierto, ciertamente
  hot, good, strong, strongly, true (certain), certainly.​

Diphthong and hiatus

Both are very common in Spanish, and easy to distinguish: the hiatus adds a syllable to the word, as in the following examples, while the diphthong does not:

• parque (2 syllables : par-que) –> parquear (3 syllables : par-que-ar)
  park                 to park ;

• aire (2 syllables : ai-re) –> aéreo (4 syllables : a-é-re-o)
  air              airborne

Diphthong verbs

What is a diphthong verb in Spanish? In the present indicative, but also in the subjunctive and imperative, some Spanish verbs diphthong when the vowel of the stem on the penultimate syllable is e or o. This results in ie and ue under the tonic accent.

• Entender: entiendo, entiendes, entiende, entendemos, entendéis, entienden.
  Understand: I understand, you understand, he understands, we understand, you understand, they understand.
• Poder: puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, podéis, pueden.
  Can: I can, you can, he can, we can, you can, they can.

Diphthongation is frequent, but not systematic, many verbs do not diphthongate, as in the following examples.

• Comer: como, comes, come…
  To eat: I eat, you eat, he eats…
• Aportar: aporto, aportas aporta…
  To contribute: I contribute, you contribute, he contributes…
• Rezar: rezo, rezas, reza…
  To pray: I pray, you pray, he prays…

Unfortunately, there is nothing to distinguish them a priori. Only by learning and practicing can you know if a verb has a diphthong or not.

A single verb in u diphthong. Since it is very common, it is useful and easy to remember.

• Jugar: juego, juegues, juegue, jugamos, jugáis, jueguan.
  To play: I play, you play, he plays, we play, you play, they play.

Verbs that diphthongize do so in the present tense of all modes (indicative, subjunctive and imperative), according to the same phonetic and orthographic transformation.

Subjunctive tense

• Que entienda, que entiendas, que entienda, que entiendan.
  That I understand, that you understand, that he understands, that they understand.
• Te lo digo para que te acuerdes.
  I’m telling you so that you remember.

Imperative

• Aprieta, apriete, aprieten, apriétalo.
  Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze it.
• ¡Entiéndeme bien!
  Understand me well!

Irregular verbs in with an ending in go in the first person singular do not diphthong in that person.

• Venir: vengo, vienes…
  To come: I come, you come…
• Tener: tengo, tienes…
  Have: I have, you have…

Spelling changes imposed by diphthonging verbs

When the root of a verb begins with the vowel that diphthongs, it undergoes a spelling change.

• Oler: huelo, hueles, huele, olemos, oléis, huelen, que no huelan.
  To smell: I smell, you smell, he smells, we smell, you smell, they smell, they do not smell.
• Errar: yerro, yerras, yerra, erramos, erráis, yerran, ¡no yerres!
  To make a mistake: I make a mistake, you make a mistake, he makes a mistake, we make a mistake, you make a mistake, they make a mistake, don’t make a mistake!

Several pronunciations and spellings are sometimes allowed.

• Erguir: yergo/irgo, yergues/irgues, yergue/irgue, yerguen/irguen.
  Erect: I erect, you erect, they erect.

If the consonant preceding the o that undergoes diphthongation is a g, an umlaut specifies that the following u must be pronounced. Otherwise, it would be silent, as in guerra.

• Degollar: degüello, degüellas, no lo degüelles, que no lo degüellen.
  To slaughter: I slaughter, you slaughter, do not slaughter, let them not slaughter.
• Regoldar: regüeldo, regüeldas, que no regüelden, ¡no regüeldes!
  To burp: I burp, you burp, don’t burp, don’t burp!
• Avergonzarse: me avergüenzo, te avergüenzas, que se avergüence, avergüéncense.
  To be ashamed: I am ashamed, you are ashamed, let him be ashamed, be ashamed.​

Verbs and other related words

The link between the diphthongation of a verb and that of other words built on the same root is not systematic, as the examples below show.

• Arrendar: arriendo; el arriendo.
  To rent: I rent; the rent.
• Encontrar: encuentro; un encuentro.
  To meet: I meet; a meeting.
• Calentar: caliento; caliente.
  To heat: I heat; hot.

• Costar: cuesto; el costo.
  To cost: I cost; the cost.
• Ascender: asciendo; el ascenso.
  To ascend: I ascend; the ascent; the promotion.

• Portar: porto; el puerto, la puerta.
  To carry: I carry; the port (harbour), the door.

Here again, only learning and use will help you find your way around.

Diphthongation is therefore very common in Spanish. It can be confusing at the beginning of the learning process, but it is not so difficult to master, because it almost always follows the same rules. 

The most important thing is to know when it occurs, without making mistakes. With practice, it becomes automatic and you don’t think about it anymore.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Diphtongs and spelling changes

👉 Previous lesson: Adverbs of time

_ 

©Spanishfornoobs.com