I. Spelling changes in nouns, adjectives or adverbs

Some words also undergo transformations, especially when diminutives or superlatives are added.

Examples :

Mosca (Fly) ==> Mosquito (Mosquito)
Rico (Rich) ==> Riquísimo (Very rich)
Cerca (Close) ==> Cerquita (Very close)
Amigo (Friend) ==> Amiguito (Boyfriend)

II. Spelling changes in diphthongs

* Some verbs diphthong at the first vowel. The diphthongs -ie and -ue at the beginning of the word become -ye and -hue respectively

Example :

ERGUIRSE (Straighten up) ==> Me yergo, OLER (Smell) ==> Huelo

* Many verbs have their root modified (a diphthong appears) when they are conjugated.

– For some of them, the -e of the stem becomes -ie as with the verbs MANIFESTAR, CONFESAR, SENTAR, etc.

Example :

CERRAR (Close) ==> Cierro (1st person Ind. Present)
ENTENDER (Understand) ==> Entiendo (1st person Ind. Present)
PODER (Can) ==> Puedo (1st person Ind. Present)

– For some, the -o of the radical becomes -ue (e.g: ALMORZAR, CONTAR, PROBAR, etc.)

Example :

DOLER (To have pain) ==> Duelo (1st person Ind. Present)
PODER (Can) ==> Puedo (1st person Ind. Present)

– There is only one verb in -u that diphthongs: the verb JUGAR ==> Juego (Ind.Present)

* With nouns, two spellings are possible:

Examples :

La hierba ==> La yerba ==> The grass.
La hierda ==> La Yedra ==> The ivy.

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Adverbs of time in Spanish are used to position an action/event in temporal space.

Ahora (now):
Ahora estoy escribiendo una postal para mi abuelo. (I am now writing a postcard for my grandfather.)
Ahora es hora de dormir. (Now it’s time to sleep.)

Ayer (yesterday):
Ayer, Cristiano se cayó de su bicicleta. (Yesterday Cristiano fell off his bike.)

Anoche (last night):
Anoche, se le hinchó el tobillo. (Last night, his ankle swelled up.)

Anteayer (day before yesterday):
Anteayer, Valentina no tenía nada. Hoy es rica. (The day before yesterday, Valentina had nothing. Today she is rich.)

Anteanoche (night before last):
Anteanoche, ella se enteró de que había ganado la lotería. (The night before last, she realized that she had won the lottery).

Mañana (tomorrow):
Mañana, Paul nadará en la piscina. (Tomorrow, Paul will swim in the pool.)

Mañana por la mañana (tomorrow morning):
Mañana por la mañana, Ana tiene que ir en el banco. (Tomorrow morning, Ana must go to the bank.)

Mañana por la noche (tomorrow night):
Mañana por la noche, Victor y Carol irán al restaurante. (Tomorrow night, Victor and Carol will go to the restaurant.)

De mañana por la noche (early morning):
Hector recoge setas de mañana por la noche. (Hector picks mushrooms early in the morning.)

Temprano (early):
El futuro pertenece a los que se levantan temprano. (The future belongs to those who get up early.)

Antaño (long ago, in the past, in years past):
Antaño, la televisión no existía. (In the past, television did not exist.)

Antes (before):
Antes, ella era rubia. Ahora es castaña. (Before, she was blonde. Now she is brown.)

Hoy (en) día (nowadays):
Hoy en día, casi todo el mundo tiene una laptop. (Nowadays, almost everyone has a laptop.)

Después (then / after):
Se siente mejor después de dormir. (He feels better after sleeping.)

Luego (then / later):
Luego, Dan se dio cuenta de que había perdido su billetera. (Later, Dan realized that he had lost his wallet.)

Enseguida / ahora mismo (right away):
Necesito una persona para ayudarme enseguida. (I need someone to help me right away.)

Desde ahora (from now on):
Desde ahora, es prohibido fumar dentro de un edificio. (From now on, smoking is not allowed inside a building.)

Por ahora (for now):
Por ahora, no es necesario. (For now, it is not necessary.)

A mediodía (at noon):
A mediodía, Charlotte y David van a comer juntos. (At noon, Charlotte and David will eat together.)

A medianoche (at midnight):
A medianoche, esa tienda está cerrada. (At midnight, this store is closed.)

De madrugada (at dawn):
Raul sale de madrugada para poder ver faisanes. (Raul goes out at dawn to see the pheasants.)

Ya (already / now):
Ya sabe leer y escribir. (He already knows how to read and write.)

Día siguiente (next day):
El día siguiente, Lana se fue al colegio. (The next day, Lana went to school.)

Siempre (always):
Siempre quiere comer helados. (He or she always wants to eat ice cream.)

Rápidamente (quickly):
Es una emergencia. Tengo que ir al hospital rápidamente. (It’s an emergency. I have to go to the hospital quickly.)

Pronto (soon / quickly):
Te prometo que iremos pronto al cine. (I promise you that we will go to the cinema soon.)

Pasado mañana (tomorrow morning):
Pasado mañana, iremos a comprar un nuevo teléfono móvil. (Tomorrow morning, we will go to buy a new cell phone.)

Todavía, aún (again):
Todavía están en el parque (They are still (still) in the park.)

Nunca (never):
Nunca te olvidaré. (I will never forget you.)

De hoy en adelante (from now on):
De hoy en adelante, nadie puede entrar en un avión sin pasar el control de seguridad (From now on, no one can enter an airplane without passing the security checkpoint.)

Entretanto (in the meantime):
Entretanto, la demanda ha aumentado y los precios también. (In the meantime, demand has increased and so have the prices).

Mientras tanto (meanwhile):
Barbara está occupada con una cliente. Mientras tanto, un hombre, bien escondido, trata de robar una bolsa de compras ya pagada. (Barbara is busy with a client. Meanwhile, a man, well hidden, is trying to steal a shopping bag that has already been paid for).

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👉 Previous lesson: Adverbs of quantity

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In Spanish, there are different adverbs to express a quantity. They allow you to give more precision to the sentence.

Menos (less / less of):
Hoy he comprado menos manzanas. (Today I bought fewer apples.)
Aquí es menos caro. (Here it’s cheaper.)
El viento sopla menos fuerte. (The wind is blowing less strongly.)

Más (more / more):
Diego corre más rápido. (Diego runs faster.)
El bebé debería comer más verduras. (The baby should eat more vegetables.)
Un bolígrafo es más útil para escribir que una regla. (A pen is more useful for writing than a ruler.)

Muy (very):
El curso de inglés es muy interesante. (The English course is very interesting.)
Este insecto es muy pequeño. (This insect is very small.)
Estoy muy agradecido por todo lo que tengo. (I am very grateful for everything I have.)

Mucho (much):
Ese documental me interesa mucho. (This documentary interests me a lot.)
Me gusta mucho. (I like it a lot.)
Llueve mucho hoy. (It is raining a lot today.)

Poco (little / few):
Trabajan con poco margen de error. (They work with little margin for error.)
Hay poca gente en parques en invierno. (There are few people in the parks in winter.)
Martin bebe poca agua. (Martin drinks little water.)

Nada (nothing):
No quiere saber nada. (He or she does not want to know anything.)
No hay nada concreto. (There is nothing concrete.)
Hay que venir pronto, si no ya no queda nada. (You have to come early, otherwise there is nothing left.)

Bastante (enough):
Es bastante preocupante. (It is quite worrying.)
Representa una disminución bastante importante. (This represents a fairly significant decrease.)
Es un cambio bastante grande. (This is a fairly large change.)

Demasiado (too much):
Es demasiado caro. (It is too expensive.)
El tiempo pasa demasiado rápido en vacaciones. (Time passes too quickly on vacation.)
Ahora es demasiado tarde. (Now it’s too late.)

Algo (a little / enough):
Carolina está algo occupada y no podrá venir con nosotros. (Carolina is a bit busy and won’t be able to come with us.)

Absolutamente (absolutely):
Estoy absolutamente de acuerdo contigo. (I agree totally with you.)
Beber agua es absolutamente necesario. (Drinking water is absolutely necessary.)
Ella está absolutamente en contra. (She is absolutely against it.)

Infinitamente (infinitely):
Quisiera agradecer infinitamente a Georges. (I would like to thank George infinitely.)
Ese nuevo producto es infinitamente más barato que todos los productos equivalentes en el mercado (This new product is infinitely cheaper than all the equivalent products on the market.)

Extremadamente (extremely):
La tormenta es extremadamente violenta. (The storm is extremely violent.)
Es extremadamente frustrante. (It is extremely frustrating.)

Tanto (so much / so much / so much):
Antes no apreciaba tanto a Maria. (Before, I didn’t appreciate Maria so much.)
No puedo comer tanto pan. (I can’t eat so much bread.)
Hay tantas cosas que no conocemos en el mundo. (There are so many things we don’t know in the world.)

Apenas (barely):
Apenas puede caminar. = No puede caminar apenas. (He can hardly walk.)
Apenas cuesta 10 euros. = Cuesta 10 euros apenas. (It barely costs 10 euros.)
Apenas saben leer y escribir. (They can barely read and write.)

Casi (almost):
Es casi la hora de dormir. (It is almost time to sleep.)
Ya tiene casi un millón de seguidores en las redes sociales (He or she already has almost a million people following him or her on social networks.)
Casi la mitad de los alumnos vienen de la zona rural. (Almost half of the students come from the rural area.)

Como (about / about):
Hay como cinco o seis niños en esta casa. (There are about five or six children in this house.)
Cuesta como 150 euros. (It costs about 150 euros.)

Medio (half/half):
Silvia estaba medio dormida. (Silvia was half asleep.)
Paul prefiere ver el vaso medio lleno. (Paul prefers to see the vase half full.)

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👉 Next lesson: Adverbs of time

👉 Previous lesson: Adverbs of manners

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Adverbs of manner make it possible to describe an action a little better. This makes the sentence more precise and clear.

Adverbs of manner – Classic construction

Adverbs of manner can end in -mente. To build the adverb, it’s usually enough to take the adjective corresponding to the feminine and add the suffix -mente. This is only valid if the masculine adjective ends in o and the feminine adjective ends in a.

Correcta + mente = correctamente (correctly):
Después de la operación de cadera, le enseñaremos a moverse correctamente. (After the hip operation, we will teach you to move correctly.)

Cómoda + mente = cómodamente (comfortably) :
Está cómodamente sentado en su sillón. (He is sitting comfortably in his chair.)

Ciega + mente = ciegamente (blindly):
La ama ciegamente. (He loves her blindly).

Diaria + mente = diariamente (daily):
Pablo controla su diabetes diariamente. (Pablo controls his diabetes daily.)

Diestra + mente = diestramente (skillfully / dexterously):
El cirujano la operó diestramente. (The surgeon operated on her with skill.)

Lastimosa + mente = lastimosamente (sadly):
Lastimosamente se registraron tres fallecimientos. (Unfortunately, three deaths were registered.)

Escasa + mente = escasamente (occasionally):
El cielo estará escasamente nublado. (The sky will occasionally be cloudy.)

If the adjective is invariable (= identical in the feminine and masculine), the adverb of manner is formed by simply adding the suffix -mente.

Libre + mente = libremente (freely) :
Las cabras se mueven libremente en el parque. (The goats move freely in the park.)

Probable + mente = probablemente (probably):
Molly y Frederic viven probablemente cerca del mar. (Molly and Frederic probably live near the sea.)

Total + mente = totalmente (totally):
Estoy totalmente de acuerdo contigo. (I totally agree with you.)

Torpe + mente = torpemente (clumsily):
Victoria intentó de disimular torpemente la realidad. (Victoria clumsily tried to conceal reality.)

Other adverbs of manner

Below you will also find other adverbs of manner that do not end in -mente.

Así (like this / so) :
Es así. (That’s how it is.)

Bien (well):
No está bien afeitado. (He is not well shaved.)

Mal (bad):
Lo siento, he mal entendido la pregunta. (Sorry, I misunderstood the question.)

Despacio (slowly):
El caracol se mueve despacio. (The snail moves slowly.)

Pronto (quickly / in a short time):
Victor llega pronto. (Victor arrives in a short time.)

Apenas (barely):
Se puede hacer ese pastel con apenas cuatro ingredientes. (This cake can be made with just four ingredients.)

Casi (almost):
La vacuna contra el virus X está casi lista. (The vaccine against virus X is almost ready.)

Adverbial phrases

In addition, there are also adverbial phrases to express the way in which an action takes place.

Boca abajo (on the stomach):
Dormir boca abajo es peligroso para un bebé. (Sleeping on your stomach is dangerous for a baby.)

Boca arriba (on your back):
El perro de Miguel duerme boca arriba. (Miguel’s dog sleeps on his back.)

A gatas (on all fours):
Es más fácil para un bebé ponerse a gatas que caminar sobre sus dos piernas. (It is easier for a baby to get on all fours than to walk on two legs.)

A ciegas (blindly):
Sin los ojos, se avanza a ciegas. (Without eyes, one advances blindly.)

De prisa (in a hurry / quickly):
Silvia se fue de prisa al hospital. (Silvia went to the hospital quickly.)

De broma (to laugh):
Lo digo de broma. (I say it as a joke.)

Adrede (on purpose):
No lo ha hecho adrede. (He or she didn’t do it on purpose.)

De antemano (in advance):
Nada está ganado de antemano. (Nothing is won in advance.)

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👉 Next lesson: Adverbs of quantity

👉 Previous lesson: Adverbs of place

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Adverbs of place give an indication of the place where the action takes place.

aquí / acá (here):
Aquí (acá), hay muchas tiendas de ropa. (Here, there are many clothing stores.)

Note: “acá” has the same meaning as “aquí” but is used more in Latin America.

ahí (there):
Ahí puedes ver el zoo. (There you can see the zoo.)

allí / allá (there):
Allí (allá) es la estación de autobuses. (Over there is the bus station.)

Note: “allá” has the same meaning as “allí” but is used more in Latin America.

abajo (below / down):
Símbolo de la suerte, la herradura de caballo se coloca hacia abajo. (Symbol of good luck, the horseshoe is positioned downwards).

debajo (underneath):
El gato está debajo de la mesa (The cat is under (below) the table.)

encima (above):
La taza de cafe está encima de la mesa (The coffee cup is above (on) the table.)

arriba (up / up there):
La mira de arriba abajo. (He looks at it from above.)
Se esperan temperaturas por arriba de los 30 grados para este lunes. (Temperatures above 30 degrees are expected for this Monday.)
Más arriba en el cielo, se puede ver una estrella. (Higher in the sky, you can see a star.)

atrás (backwards):
No hay que mirar atrás en la vida. (You should not look back in life.)
No vamos a dar un paso atrás. (We are not going to go backwards.)
El ruido viene de atrás. (The noise comes from behind.)

detrás (behind):
La casa está detrás de la montaña. (The house is located behind the mountain.)
El apellido se pone detrás del nombre. (The family name is placed after the first name.)

adelante (forward):
¡ Adelante! (Forward!)
Hay que seguir adelante. (You have to go forward.)
Juan camina hacia adelante. (Juan walks forward.)

delante (in front):
El perro espera delante de la casa. (The dog is waiting in front of the house.)

enfrente (in front):
Enfrente de la escuela hay una panadería. (In front of the school there is a bakery.)

al lado (next door):
Juan está al lado de Pablo. (Juan is next to Pablo.)

cerca (near):
Cerca del mar, se puede ver pescadores. (Near the sea, you can see fishermen.)
No hay nadie cerca de nuestra casa. (There is no one near our house.)
Si quieres visitar algo interesante, deberías ir cerca del museo. (If you want to visit something interesting, you should go near the museum.)

lejos (far):
La casa de Miguel no está tan lejos. (Miguel’s house is not so far away.)
La enfermedad está muy lejos de ser vencida. (The disease is far from being defeated.)
Estámos lejos de la ciudad. (We are far from the city)

dentro (inside):
Veronica estaba dentro de la casa. (Veronica was inside the house.)

adentro (inside / inside):
Nos fuimos adentro. (We went inside.)

Note: “adentro” has the same meaning as “dentro” but is used with a verb of movement.

fuera (outside / out of a place) :
Estaba fuera del edificio. (He or she was outside the building.)

afuera (outside / outside):
Vengo de afuera. (I am coming from outside.)
Me voy afuera. (I am going outside.)

Note: “afuera” has the same meaning as “fuera” but is used with a verb of movement.

alrededor (around):
Hay una pista para bicicletas alrededor del lago. (There is a bicycle path around the lake.)

en algún lugar / en algúna parte (somewhere):
En algún lugar hay un testigo del accidente. (There is a witness to the accident somewhere.)
El bebé ha perdido su osito de peluche. Está en algún lugar de su habitación. (The baby has lost his teddy bear. He is somewhere in his room.)

en cualquier lugar (anywhere) :
El teletrabajo permite trabajar en cualquier lugar. (Telecommuting allows you to work from anywhere.)

por todas partes (everywhere):
Se puede encontrar belleza en todas partes. (Beauty can be found everywhere.)

por ninguna parte / en ningún lado (nowhere):
Este libro no está disponible en ningún lado. (This book is not available anywhere.)
No hay flores en ninguna parte. (There are no flowers anywhere.)

por aqui cerca (near here):
Por aqui cerca, una fábrica produce jabón ecológico. (Near here, a factory produces ecological soap.)

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👉 Previous lesson: Adverbs of affirmation, negation and doubt

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Here you will learn the main spanish adverbs that can be used in the case of an affirmation, a negation or a doubt.

Adverbs of affirmation

Si (yes) :
“¿ Estás cansado ?
– Si, me levanté pronto para ir a trabajar.”
(“Are you tired?
– Yes, I got up early to go to work.”)

De verdad (really) :
“Maria está esperando gemelos.
– ¿ De verdad ?”
(“Maria is expecting twins.
– Really?”)

Por supuesto (of course) :
“¿ Clara vendrá con su marido y sus hijos ?
– Por supuesto.”
(“Clara will come with her husband and children?
– Of course.”)

Claro que si (of course / Certainly! / By all means!) :
“¿ Fanny ha aprobado su examen ?
– Claro que si.”
(“Did Fanny pass her exam?
– Of course she did.”)

Seguro (for sure) :
“Nunca acceptará viajar sin su perro.
– Es seguro.”
(“She will never agree to travel without her dog.
– That’s for sure.”)

También (too) :
“Voy a hacer deporte este fin de semana.
– Yo también.”
(“I’m going to go work out this weekend.
– Me too.”

Bueno (fine / okay) :
“No me parece buena idea que salgas ahora.
– Te prometo que seré prudente.
– Bueno…”
(“You going out now doesn’t seem like a good idea.
– I promise I’ll be careful.
– Well, okay…”)

Claro (Exactly! Right! Of course!) :
“Ese hombre debería cuidar más a sus animales. No parecen estar sanos.
– Claro.”
(“This man should take better care of his animals. They don’t look healthy.
– Exactly.”)

Verdaderamente (truly) :
“La realidad es verdaderamente preocupante.” (“The reality is truly concerning.”)

Adverbs of negation

No (no) :
“Debes hacer tus deberes.
– No, no tengo ganas mamá.
– No me importa que no tengas ganas. Debes hacerlos.”
(“You have to do your homework.
– No, I don’t want to, Mom.
– It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like it. You have to do it.”)

En absoluto (not at all) :
“¿ Te gusta esta canción ?
– No… en absoluto.”
(Do you like this song?
– No…not at all.”)

Nunca (never) :
“¿ Ya has jugado fútbol ?
– Nunca.”
(“Have you ever played soccer?
– Never.”)

Note: “Nunca” is used when an action has never happened but could happen in the future.

Jamás (never) :
“¡ Vas a poder bailar el flamenco con tus amigas !
– ¡ Jamás !”
(“You will be able to dance flamenco with your friends!
– Never!”)

Note: “Jamás” is used when an action has never happened and will never happen.

Tampoco (neither) :
“Yo no sé que hacer en este caso.
– Yo tampoco”.
(“I don’t know what to do in this case.
– Neither do I.”)

Adverbs of doubt

Quizá(s)/ tal vez / acaso (maybe) :
These forms are used with the subjunctive.

“Quizás venga.” (“Maybe it will come.”)
“Acaso esté cansado” (“Maybe he’s tired.”)

Note: these three adverbs can also be used to express a lighter doubt. In this case, we use the indicative.

“Quizás tienen razón.” (“They may be right” (in the sense of “They are surely right” since the doubt is very slight).

Probablemente (probably) :
“Probablemente nunca has visto de verdad un oso.” (“You’ve probably never seen a real bear.”)

Posiblemente (maybe / possibly) :
“El contacto, y posiblemente el aire, serían las vías de transmisión de ese virus.” (Touch, and perhaps air, would be the routes of transmission for this virus.”)

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👉 Next lesson: Adverbs of place

👉 Previous lesson: Qualifying adjectives

I. Structures expressing the hypothesis in the present

The hypothesis can be expressed by using verbal structures such as :

* PUEDE QUE + Subjunctive
* ES POSIBLE QUE + Subjunctive
* PUEDE SER QUE + Subjunctive
* A LO MEJOR + INDICATIVE

These phrases can be translated into English as “Perhaps…” or “It is possible that…”

Examples :

• – Es posible que este enfermo ==> It is possible that he is ill.
• – Puede que no me haya escuchado ==> It is possible that he did not listen to me.
• – Puede ser que tu padre haya salido un rato ==> It is possible that your father went out for a while.
• – A lo mejor está cansado ==> Maybe he is tired.

II. Locutions and adverbs

The hypothesis can also be expressed with an adverb or a phrase such as: Acaso, quizá(s), or tal vez.
CAUTION: If the adverb is placed before the verb, the latter is conjugated in the subjunctive. If it is placed after the verb, the indicative is used.

Example :

– Quizás tenga vergüenza ==> Perhaps he is ashamed.
==> Quizás is placed before the verb, the subjunctive is used

– Tiene quizás vergüenza ==> Perhaps he is ashamed.
==> Quizás is placed after the verb, the indicative is used

III. Hypothesis with “si”

In Spanish, we can also express the hypothesis (and the condition) using a subordinate introduced by “si”.

ATTENTION to respect the concordance of the tenses:
==> If the structure SI + present indicative is used in the subordinate, the verb of the main subject will be in the present or future indicative.

• Si viene, le recibiremos ==> If he comes, we will receive him.

==> If the structure SI + imperfect indicative is used in the subordinate, the verb of the main sentence will be in the present conditional.

• Si pensaba en mi futuro, me sentía optimista ==> If I thought about the future, I felt optimistic.

==> If we use SI + past perfect in the subordinate, the verb of the main text will be in the past conditional.

• Si hubiera venido, le habríamos recibido ==> If he had come, we would have received him.

IV. Use of the future tense to express the hypothesis

Use of the future tense to express the hypothesis

Examples :

• Maria ha sido recibida en la mejor escuela de arte, estará contenta ==> Maria got into the best art school, she must be happy. (Hypothesis in the present tense)
• Nos llegaron todavía, ¿ Que habrá sucedido ? ==> They haven’t arrived yet, what could have happened? (Hypothesis in the present tense)
• Está cansado hoy, habrá tenido un fin de semana agitado ==> He’s tired today, he must have had an eventful weekend. (Hypothesis in the past)
• No vino a la cita, estará ocupado con otra cosa ==> He didn’t come to the appointment, he must have been busy with something else. (Hypothesis in the past tense).

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Coordinating conjunctions

They are used to link words, groups of words, propositions or sentences.

They are used to express an opposition, an addition or an enumeration, a consequence or a cause.

The different forms :

Copulatives

They express an addition or an enumeration: y, e, ni…ni, no solo…sino también;

• Juan y Sofia son hermanos. (Juan and Sofia are brother and sister.)
• Vincente e Ilaria se casaron el año pasado. (Vincente and Ilaria got married last year.)
• Ni Lucia, ni yo queremos novio. (Neither Lucia nor I want a boyfriend.)
• A Miguel le gusta no solo bailar pero sino también cantar.(Miguel doesn’t only like to dance, he also likes to sing)

Adversatives

They express opposition : pero, aunque, sin embargo, a pesar de, al contrario, en cambio;

• Italia es un país muy bonito pero me gusta más España. (Italy is a very beautiful country but I prefer Spain.)
• Iré a pasear aunque este lloviendo. (I’ll go for a walk even though it’s raining)
• Nos separamos hace mucho tiempo, sin embargo le sigo queriendo. (It’s been a long time since we parted, but I still love him.)
• A pesar de su juventud, es un chico muy responsable. (Even though he’s young, he’s a very responsible boy)

Disjunctives

They express a choice or an alternative: o, u, o bien;

• Prefieres leer o ver la televisión ? (Would you rather read or watch television? )
• Cual te gusta más : Pablo u Oscar ? (Which do you like better: Pablo or Oscar? )
• Podemos ir al cine o bien quedarnos en casa ? (We can go to the movies or stay home. )

Subordinating conjunctions

These are used to link the subordinate conjunctive clause to the main clause.

There are several types of subordinating conjunctions that introduce different subordinate clauses:

Complements

They introduce subordinate clauses that can have the function of direct or indirect object complement and attribute: que, si ;

• Cristina quiere saber si vas a ir a su fiesta. (Cristina wants to know if you are going to her party).
• He puesto el vestido que me regalaste. (I put on the dress you bought me).
• El vecino, que vive en la casa de frente, es muy simpático. (The neighbor, who lives in the house across the street, is very nice).

Causals

They introduce a cause or reason: porque, como, ya que, dado que, puesto que…

• Tengo mucha suerte porque tengo una casa con jardín. (I am lucky because I have a house with a garden).
• Como llegamos tarde, no pudimos asistir a la representación. (Since we arrived late, we could not attend the performance).
• Me voy a ir a dormir temprano ya que mañana trabajo. (I’m going to go to sleep since I have to work tomorrow).

Consecutives

They express a consequence: entonces, por eso, asi que, de modo que, de manera que…

• Volví a casa muy tarde ayer entonces no tuve tiempo para llamarte (I got home very late yesterday so I didn’t have time to call you).
• Ahorraron mucho dinero de modo que pudieron viajar un año entero. (They saved a lot of money and were able to travel for a whole year).
• Me gusta mucha esta ciudad por eso decidí quedarme unos días más. (I like this city very much, that’s why I decided to stay a few more days)

Concessives

They express a concession: aunque, por mucho que, por más que…

• Aunque no sepa nadar, le gusta ir a la playa. (Although he can’t swim, he likes to go to the beach).
• Por mucho que me duela admitirlo, tienes razón. (As much as it pains me to admit it, you’re right).
• Por más que intente olvidarte, no lo consigo. (No matter how hard I try to forget you, I can’t.)

Temporal

They express a notion of time: cuando, mientras, luego que, antes de que, después de que, siempre que, hasta que, apenas, desde que…

• Te llamo cuando salga del trabajo. (I call you when I get off work).
• Mi vida empezó a cambiar desde que te conocí. (My life has started to change since I met you)
• Quiero verte antes de que te vayas. (I want to see you before you leave)

Endings

They introduce a purpose: para, para que, a fin de que…

• Hablo despacio para que puedan entender. (I speak slowly so they can understand).
• Pedro estudia mucho para aprobar su examen. (Pedro is studying hard to pass his exam).
• La cooperación entre los países europeos es necesaria a fin de que puedamos salir de esa crisis. (Cooperation between European countries is necessary to get out of this crisis).

Conditionals

They express a condition or a hypothesis: si, a menos que, a condición de que, a no ser que, a menos que, en caso de que, siempre que…

• Si ahorro bastante dinero, podre ir a viajar. (If I save enough money, I can travel).
• Prepararé tu habitación en caso de que te quedes a dormir. (I will prepare your room in case you stay over.)
• Mañana iremos a bucear a no ser que las condiciones meteorológicas no lo permitan. (Tomorrow we will go diving, except if the weather conditions do not allow it.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Dates and times

👉 Previous lesson: Sequence of Tenses

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In life, not all things are equal. Some are better or worse than others.

In all languages, this difference in appreciation is expressed through the use of comparatives. In Spanish, the use of comparatives is similar to the way we use them in English.

What are the rules for being a master of comparatives in Spanish?

Comparative of superiority

Comparatives of superiority are useful for saying that one thing is better than another or that one person has something more than another.

In Spanish, this idea is expressed by the use of more … than: más … que. You just have to fill in the blanks with the adjective that fits the situation.

Examples of adjective of comparisons:

• Mi hermana es más linda que yo = My sister is more beautiful than me
• Mi vecino es más fuerte que yo = My neighbor is stronger than me
• Ese coche es más rápido que el tuyo = This car is faster than yours
• Esta casa es más alta que aquella = This house is higher than that one

The superiority comparison is not limited to adjectives. With the same formula, it is also possible to compare nouns or adverbs:

Examples of noun comparisons:

• En verano hay más sol que en invierno = In summer there is more sun than in winter
• Este edificio tiene más ventanas que aquel = This building has more windows than that one

Examples of adverb comparisons:

• Marcos trabaja más lentamente que Pedro = Marcos works more slowly than Pedro
• Silvia habla más amablemente que Dolores = Silvia speaks more kindly than Dolores

Inferiority comparisons

Comparative inferiority is used to show that one thing is less good than another or that one person has something less than another.

To express this, we use the expression less … than: menos … que. As with the comparative of inferiority, this formula can be used with an adjective, an adverb or a noun.

Simply place the element of comparison between “menos” and “que” :

• Mi gato es menos gordo que el tuyo = My cat is less fat than yours (adjective)
• Las zanahorias son menos caras que las berenjenas = Carrots are cheaper than eggplants (adjective)
• En España hay menos lluvia que en Inglaterra = In Spain, there is less rain than in England (noun)
• Pablo actuó menos sabiamente que Juan = Pablo acted less wisely than John (adverb)

Equality comparisons

To say that two things are equal or that two people have the same characteristic, we use a comparative of equality.

This type of comparison is formed in the following way: tanto … como. “If the point of comparison is expressed by an adverb or adjective, only “tan” followed by “como” is used:

• Tenemos que solucionar tanto los problemas políticos como los económicos = We need to solve the political problems as well as the economic ones
• Este coche es tan caro como aquel = This car is as expensive as that one
• Este edificio es tan sucio por dentro como por fuera = This building is as dirty inside as it is outside

Irregular comparatives

In English, some words directly include the idea of a comparison. This is the case of “better” or “worse” which is used instead of “more best” or “less better”.

In Spanish, the same rule applies. A similar formula is used to translate the expressions “older” or “younger”.

The four most common irregular comparatives are: mejor, peor, mayor et menor :

• Mi médico es mejor que el tuyo = My doctor is better than yours
• Tu salario es peor que el suyo = Your salary is worse than his
• Soy mayor que mi hermano = I am older than my brother
• Mi madre es menor que mi padre = My mother is younger than my father

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Superlative adjectives

👉 Previous lesson: Dates and times

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I. Formation of affective phrases with GUSTAR

Some verbs expressing tastes or feelings are constructed with a particular syntax. This is the case of the verbs GUSTAR (to like), ENCANTAR (to adore), APETECER (to crave), DAR ASCO (to disgust), etc.

In affective constructions (construcciones valorativas), the subject is placed after the verb (contrary to the usual syntax) and the verb agrees with the element that follows it.

==> When the element that follows the verb is singular (or if it is an infinitive verb) then the verb is conjugated in the third person singular (GUSTA).
==> When the element that follows the verb is plural, the verb is conjugated in the third person plural (GUSTAN).

Examples:

• I love the sea (subject = el mar = singular noun) ==> A mí me gusta el mar
• A ti te gusta el deporte ==> You like sports (subject = el deporte = singular noun)
• Me gustan las frutas ==> I like fruit (subject = las frutas = plural noun)
• Te gusta caminar en la mañana ==> You like to walk in the morning (subject = infinitive verb = caminar)

II. Syntax of the sentence in affective phrases

To build an affective phrase we use the following structure:

COMPLEMENT introduced by a preposition (Optional) ==> A mí, a ti, a él, etc.
+
Negation (if sentence is negative)
+
Indirect complement (Required) ==> me, te, se, le, nos, os, les
+
Affective verb

Example:

• (A mí) me gustan los deportes colectivos ==> I like team sports.
• (A ellos) no les gusta el centro de la ciudad ==> They don’t like the city center.
• (A nosotros) nos gusta ir de vacaciones ==> We like to go on vacation.

N.B : The use of the proposition (a mí, a ti, a nosotros, etc.) serves to emphasize.

III. The main verbs used in affective phrases

The most used verb in affective turns is the verb GUSTAR. However, there are many verbs that are conjugated in the same way:

– AGRADAR (to please)
– APETECER (To want)
– ENCANTAR (To enchant/love)
– FASCINAR (To fascinate)
– ENTUSIASMAR (To enthuse)
– MARAVILLAR (To amaze)
– DOLER (To have pain)
– AVERGONZAR (To be ashamed)
– MOLESTAR (To disturb)
– PREOCUPAR (To worry)

Examples :

• A nosotros nos encantan las vacaciones ==> We love the vacations.
• A ti te molestan los vecinos ==> The neighbors are bothering you.
• Me duelen los pies ==> My feet hurt.
• Me fascinan los caballos ==> Horses fascinate me

IV. Affective phrases

Among the most common affective locutions, we find:

– DAR GANAS DE (To give desire to)
– DAR VERGUENZA (To shame)
– DAR PENA (To make feel sorry)
– DAR ASCO (To disgust)
– DAR LASTIMA (To make pity)
– DAR MIEDO (To scare)

Examples :

• El buen tiempo me da ganas de ir a pasear ==> The nice weather makes me want to go for a walk.
• Me da pena el divorcio de tus padres ==> I feel sorry for your parents’ divorce.

👉 Next lesson: Imperative (affirmative form)

👉 Previous lesson: Expressing hypothesis

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