Author: noobvoyage

Sequence of Tenses in Spanish Grammar

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 Sequence of Tenses in Spanish Grammar

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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Knowing how to conjugate verbs correctly is essential when learning a new language. In Spanish, sentence coherence is ensured through tense concordance.

This precise rule allows you to know which tense to put the verb of a subordinate sentence according to the tense of the main sentence.

If the tenses of the verbs do not coincide, it will be impossible to express an idea clearly.

In order to apply the tense concordance, it is essential to know the present and imperfect subjunctive conjugations of all verbs.

Use of the subjunctive

The use of the subjunctive in a subordinate sentence is mainly done with verbs of will.

When a verb expressing this idea is present in the main sentence, the construction of the sentence is often as follows: main verb conjugated + that + subordinate verb in the subjunctive.

The main verbs of will are the following:

  • Aconsejar = to advise
  • Decir = to say
  • Desear = to desire
  • Esperar = to wait
  • Imaginar = to imagine
  • Mandar = to order
  • Pedir = to ask
  • Prohibir = to forbid
  • Querer = to want
  • Rogar = to pray
  • Temer = to fear

Please note that although most verbs have a regular subjunctive conjugation (present or imperfect), it is important to know which verbs have irregularities.

This is the case with the following verbs: dar (to give), estar (to be), haber (to have), ir (to go), saber (to know), ser (to be), ver (to see).

Concordance of tenses with the present subjunctive

In Spanish, the verb tense of the subordinate sentence is to be conjugated in the present subjunctive if the verb of the main sentence is :

  • in the present tense of the indicative
  • in the future tense of the indicative
  • in the past tense
  • in the imperative

The concordance of the tenses with the present subjunctive is not difficult if you know how to recognize these four tenses and if you know the conjugations of the present subjunctive.

It is then sufficient to construct these sentences as follows:

  • Tememos (present tense) que salga (present subjunctive) de la casa = We fear that he will leave the house
  • Le prohibiré (future) que vaya (present subjunctive) al mercado = I would forbid him to go to the market
  • Sandra le ha pedido (present perfect) que llegue (present subjunctive) más temprano = Sandra asked him to arrive earlier
  • Espere (imperative) que coma (present subjunctive) antes de ir = Wait for him to eat before going

It is possible to use the past tense of the subjunctive instead of the present tense to express an idea that has already ended:

  • Tememos (présent) que haya salido (present perfect subjunctive) de la casa = We fear that he has left the house

Concordance of tenses with the imperfect subjunctive

The verb of the subordinate sentence is to be conjugated in the imperfect subjunctive if the verb tense of the main sentence is one of the following:

  • the imperfect tense
  • the past simple
  • the past perfect
  • the present conditional

To apply the tense concordance with the imperfect subjunctive, you must know when to use the past tense and the present conditional.

It is also necessary to know the conjugations of the verbs in the imperfect subjunctive.

The construction of the sentences then follows that of the following examples:

  • Temíamos (imperfect tense) que saliera (imperfect subjunctive) de la casa = We were afraid he would leave the house
  • Le había prohibido (past perfect) que fuera (imperfect subjunctive) al mercado = I had forbidden him to go to the market
  • Sandra le pidió (past simple) que llegara (imperfect subjunctive) más temprano = Sandra asked him to arrive earlier
  • Yo esperaría (present conditional) que comiera (present subjunctive) antes de ir = I would wait for him to eat before going

It is also possible to put the verb of the subordinate in the past perfect subjunctive to change the meaning of the sentence.

With the past perfect subjunctive, you can express something that has already ended in the past:

  • Temíamos (imperfect tense) que hubiera salido (past perfect subjunctive) de la casa = We were afraid that he had left the house.

👉 Practice online now!

👉 Next lesson: Conjunctions

👉 Previous lesson: Imperative (negative form)

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How To Form And Use Spanish Superlatives

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👉 Superlative Adjectives in Spanish: how to form and use them?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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In both Spanish and English, we like to take certain adjectives to the extreme. This can be useful for comparing one thing or person to all others in the same category.

It can also be used to express a very high degree of comparison.

This is where the superlative comes in. Superlatives are generally divided into two categories.

The relative superlatives

Regular forms

A relative superlative is used to compare someone or something with a larger group. The basic construction is: definite article + más or menos + adjective.

Sometimes the noun to which the adjective refers can be inserted between the definite article and “más” or “menos”. It appears only once in Spanish (el muchacho más guapo).

Examples (with más):

  • Esta mujer es la más inteligente = This woman is the most intelligent
  • Mi marido est el más trabajador = My husband is the hardest worker
  • Es el edificio más alto del mundo = This is the tallest building in the world
  • Es la camisa más linda de la tienda = This is the nicest shirt in the store

Examples (withmenos):

  • Este producto es el menos caro = This product is the cheapest
  • Pedro es el menos responsable = Pedro is the least responsible
  • Soy el hombre menos rico de la familia = I am the least rich man in the family
  • El colibrí es el ave menos pesado del mundo = The hummingbird is the least heavy bird in the world

Irregular shapes

Some adjectives do not need “más” or “menos” to express the absolute superlative.

Four main adjectives have this irregularity: mejor, peor, menor and mayor. “Mayor” and “menor” are both used to express a difference in height or age. They are used in the following way: definite article + adjective + noun.

Examples :

  • Esta comida es la mejor que existe = This dish is the best there is
  • Es el peor libro que he leido = This is the worst book I have ever read
  • Mi hermano Juan es el menor = My brother Juan is the youngest
  • La Gran Muralla de China es el mayor muro del mundo = The Great Wall of China is the biggest wall in the world

The absolute superlatives

An absolute superlative allows you to increase the value of an adjective without making a comparison.

Several methods can be used to increase the value of an adjective. One can place “muy” (very) or “sumamente” (extremely) before the adjective.

Examples :

  • Eres muy inteligente = You are very intelligent
  • Es muy amable = He is very nice
  • Este tren es sumamente rápido = This train is extremely fast
  • Escalar el monte Everest es sumamente difícil = Climbing Mount Everest is extremely difficult

The most common way to amplify the impact of an adjective is to use the suffix –ísimo at the end of the adjective, agreeing it in gender and number with the noun.

Examples :

  • Las chicas argentinas son bellísimas = Argentinean girls are incredibly beautiful
  • Ha cometido un grandísimo error = He made an extremely big mistake

Be careful, however, as many adjectives have an irregular form with the suffix -ísimo.

If they end in -co, -go, ble or z, their endings in the superlative absolute will be respectively: quisimo, guisimo, bilísimo and císimo.

Examples :

  • La familia Rothschild es riquisima (rico) = The Rothschild family is really rich
  • Este viaje es larguisimo (largo) = This trip is really very long
  • Eres una persona agradabilísima (agradable) = You are a really nice person
  • Pedrito es un niño felicísimo (feliz) = Pedrito is a really happy child

Other irregularities exist:

  • joven (young) = jovencísimo
  • celebre (famous) = celebérrimo
  • fuerte (strong) = fortísimo
  • simple (simple) = simplicísimo
  • fiel (loyal) = fidelísimo
  • sabio (wise) = sapientísimo

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Reported speech

👉 Previous lesson: Comparative Sentences

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How to Say and Write Dates and Times in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 How to write and say the dates and times in Spanish?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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In this course you will learn how to give the date and time (“la fecha y la hora”) in Spanish.

How to say the date in Spanish?

To give the date, you must already know the days of the week and the months of the year.

The days of the week

Lunes (Monday)
Martes (Tuesday)
Miércoles (Wednesday)
Jueves (Thursday)
Viernes (Friday)
Sábado (Saturday)
Domingo (Sunday)

The months of the year

Enero (January)
Febrero (February)
Marzo (March)
Abril (April)
Mayo (May)
Junio (June)
Julio (July)
Agosto (August)
Septiembre (September)
Octubre (October)
Noviembre (November)
Deciembre (December)

How to give the date

We can express the date by giving:

the day + “a” + a cardinal number + “de” + the month + “de” + the year :

  • Jueves a 23 de Julio de 2020 (Thursday 23 July 2020)

Here is also another way to give the date:

day + “,” + cardinal number + “de” + month + “de” + year:

  • Jueves, 23 de Julio de 2020

How to tell the time in Spanish?

To answer the question “¿Qué hora es?” (What time is it?) in Spanish, we use the formula :

Es la (or son las) + the time

Note 1 : Whether it is 4:00 in the morning or 4:00 in the afternoon, the translation of the date is the same: “Son las cuatro”.

However, the sentence must be clarified by using one of the following formulas:

“de la mañana” (of the morning)

OR

“de la tarde” (afternoon)

OR

“de la noche” (evening)

  • Son las cuatro de la mañana. (It’s 4 a.m.)
  • Son las cuatro de la tarde. (It’s 4:00 p.m.)

Note 2 : “Es la” is only used for 1:00 pm.

  • Es la una. (It’s 1:00 p.m.)
  • Es la una de la tarde. (It’s 1:00 p.m.)
  • Es la una de la mañana. (It’s 1 a.m.)

Now let’s see how to express the minutes.

If the time is right, we will use the expression “en punto” :

  • Son las cuatro en punto. (It is 4:00 am or 4:00 pm sharp).

For the rest, it is enough to identify on a clock the position of the minute hand (i.e. whether it is on the right side (between 0 and 6 o’clock) or on the left side (between 6 and 12)).

Between 0 and 6 hours, “y” is used:

  • Son las tres y diez. (It is 3:10 am/pm)
  • Es la una y cuarto. (It is 1:15 am/pm)
  • Son las cinco y media. (It is 5:30 am/pm)

Between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., we use “menos”:

  • Son las tres menos veinte. (It is twenty minutes to three = 14:40).
  • Es la una menos cuarto. (It’s a quarter to one = 12:45).

Here are also two useful expressions:

  • Es mediodía. (It’s noon).
  • Es medianoche. (It’s midnight).

 

👉 Next lesson: Comparative Sentences

👉 Previous lesson: Conjunctions

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Negative Imperative in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 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, i.e. by taking the conjugation of the present indicative and replacing the “a” by an “e“.

Example :

  • (tù) llamas / No llames

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

Radical + -es / -e / -emos / -éis / -en

Examples :

PENSAR (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 :

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

Examples :

CREER (believe/think)

(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 that I don’t give anything in return).

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 :

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

Examples :

MENTIR (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 (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 foolish).

TENER (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 (put/wear)

(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 (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 (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 rolling over on you).

DECIR

(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 (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 therefore linked to a reflexive pronoun.

Here are some examples:

Regular pronominal verbs :

PREPARARSE (prepare/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 (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’ve seen you).
  • No se escondan de mí. (Don’t hide).

VESTIRSE (dress up)

(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 (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 (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! Exercise online

👉 Next lesson: Sequence of Tenses

👉 Previous lesson: Imperative (affirmative form)

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The Imperative in Spanish (Affirmative Form)

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 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 some 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 politely 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 (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 the 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 (eat)

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

  • Come tu sopa. (Eat your soup)
  • ¡Comamos al restaurante! (Let’s eat at the 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 (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

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

HACER (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 (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 (be)

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

  • Sé valiente.(Be brave).
  • Seamos humildes. (Let’s be humble).

IR (Go)

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

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

TENER (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 (Come)

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

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

SALIR (go out)

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

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

DECIR (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

For the pronominal verbs conjugated in the imperative in Spanish, they 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 (make an effort)

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

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

VOLVERSE (turn around/go back)

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

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

ABRIRSE (Open)

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

  • Ábrete sésamo. (Open Sesame)
  • Ábranse a Dios. (Open yourselves to God).

Irregular pronominal verbs

IRSE (leave/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! Imperative in Spanish (Affirmative Form) – Exercice

👉 Next lesson: Imperative (negative form)

👉 Previous lesson: Verbs like Gustar

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Qualifying Adjectives in Spanish

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 Spanish Qualifying Adjectives

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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What is a qualifying adjective?

In both English and Spanish, adjectives indicate the properties of a noun.

They define how something or someone is. They describe several types of characteristics:

  • a quality (for example: una ciudad gris / a grey city; una playa privada / a private beach) ;
  • a local reference (for example: una isla mediterránea / a Mediterranean island);
  • a temporal reference (for example: un evento veraniego / a summer event);
  • a relationship (for example: la política marítima / the maritime policy).

Qualifying adjectives (“adjetivos calificativos” in Spanish) indicate the physical characteristics (size, color, etc.) and mental states (mood, personality, etc.) of a person or object.

Where to place the qualifying adjective in the Spanish sentence?

In the Spanish sentence the qualifying adjective is usually placed after the noun that it completes. When they are placed before the noun they can have a different meaning.

Adjectives placed before the noun

Placed before the noun, qualifying adjectives can be used to emphasize a quality. This order allows to express a personal and therefore subjective opinion. This order is generally used in literary texts.

  • Example : La bonita flor que adorna la mesa. The pretty flower that decorates the table.

Some qualifying adjectives change their meaning when placed before the noun.

Examples :

  • Mi amiga es una mujer grande. My friend is a tall woman.
  • Aquella reina fue una gran mujer. This queen was a great lady. 

Numeral adjectives

As a general rule, numeral adjectives are placed before the noun. They are sometimes found after the noun. When they are placed after the noun their meaning does not change.

Examples :

  • Ayer leí el primer capítulo del libro. Yesterday I read the first chapter of the book.
  • El capítulo primero trata de la Reconquista. The first chapter is about the Reconquest.

How do qualifying adjectives agree in Spanish?

In Spanish, qualifying adjectives agree in gender (feminine or masculine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they qualify.

Gender agreement

When an adjective qualifies a feminine noun, it agrees in the feminine.

Regular adjectives

Adjectives that end in “-o” in the masculine, change to “-a” when qualifying a feminine noun.

Examples :

  • Un libro blanco. A white book.
  • Una casa blanca. A white house.

Qualifying adjectives ending in a consonant

Adjectives ending with a consonant are invariable in gender. This means that they are written in the same way whatever the gender of the noun they qualify.

Examples :

  • Un chico inteligente. An intelligent boy.
  • Una chica inteligente. An intelligent girl.
Exceptions

Qualifying adjectives ending in “-or”, “-ol”, “-ón”, “-án”, “-ín” and “-és” (except for “cortés”) have a final “-a” added when they qualify a feminine noun.

Examples :

  • Jean es un nombre francés. Jean is a French name.
  • Josefina lee poesía española. Josefina reads Spanish poetry.
  • Martina no fue cortés contigo. Martina was not courteous to you.

Adjectives that end in « -e »

Qualifying adjectives ending in “-e” are invariable in gender.

Examples :

  • Un traje verde. A green suit.
  • Una chaqueta verde. A green jacket.

Agreement in number

When an adjective qualifies a noun in the plural it takes the plural mark.

Regular qualifying adjectives

In the feminine and masculine, the plural of qualifying adjectives is formed with the ending “-s”.

Examples :

  • Carlos cocina postres muy ricos. Carlos cooks very good desserts.
  • Juan escribe cartas románticas. Juan writes romantic letters.

Adjectives that end in a consonant, “- í” or “-ú”

When a qualifying adjective ends with a consonant, “- í” or “-ú”, add “-es” at the end of the word.

Examples :

  • Me gusta el vino francés. → Me gustan los vinos franceses. I like French wine. → I like French wines.
  • Me encanta la música hindú. → Me encantan las músicas hindúes. I love Hindu music. → I love Hindu musics.

Adjectives that end in “-z”

For qualifying adjectives that end in “-z”, the plural is constructed as “-ces”.

Example :

  • Juan es un niño feliz. → Juan y Roberto son niños felices. Juan est un enfant heureux. → Juan et Roberto sont des enfants heureux.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Adverbs of affirmation, negation and doubt

👉 Previous lesson: Possessive adjectives

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Spanish Possessive Adjectives

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👉 Possessive adjectives in Spanish

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

 

When to use possessive adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are used to designate the relationship between the possessor and the object possessed.

How do possessive adjectives agree?

In Spanish possessive adjectives agree in gender (feminine or masculine), number (singular or plural) and person (depending on the relationship between the speaker, the possessed object and its owner) with the noun that follows.

Examples :

  • Nuestras tortas son deliciosas. Our pies are delicious.
  • Nuestros hijos son muy altos. Our children are very tall.

Where do possessive adjectives go in the sentence?

Possessive adjectives are placed before the noun. They can be separated from the object they refer to by a qualifying adjective.

Examples :

  • Te regalo mi vaso. I offer you my glass.
  • Te regalo mi gran vaso. I’m giving you my big glass.

What are the possessive adjectives in Spanish?

In the following table we have listed the different possessive adjectives in the Spanish language.

Masculine Feminine
Singular Mi Mi
Tu Tu
Su Su
Nuestro Nuestra
Vuestro Vuestra
Su Su
Plural Mis Mis
Tus Tus
Sus Sus
Nuestros Nuestras
Vuestros Vuestras
Sus Sus

Which possessive adjectives should be used in the case of polite and informal forms of address?

Note that English uses the same pronouns (you) and possessive adjectives (your, yours) for formal and informal forms of address.

In the example “Your father is Australian” we cannot know if the speaker is addressing one person, several people or several people.

On the other hand, this distinction is possible in Spanish thanks to the possessive adjectives “su”/”sus”. Su”/”sus” correspond to the third person singular and plural (in English “his”, “her”, “their”) as well as to “vous” (in English “your”, “yours”).

  • If the speaker is polite to one or more people, the possessive adjectives “su”/”sus” are used.
  • If the speaker wants to use the informal speech with several people, he will use the possessive adjectives “vuestro”/”vuestros” (male) or “vuestra”/”vuestras” (female).

Examples :

  • Su padre es Francés. Your father is French. -> formal address
  • Vuestro padre es Francés. Your father is French. -> informal address for several people

Is it necessary to put an accent (tilde) on “mi”?

Be careful not to confuse the possessive adjective “mi” (“my”) and the personal pronoun “mí” (“me”). Only the personal pronoun “mí” has an accent (tilde). This is what allows us not to confuse it with the possessive adjective.

Example :

  • A mí me encanta mi chaqueta. I love my jacket.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Qualifying adjectives

👉 Previous lesson: Demonstrative adjectives

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Spanish Demonstrative Adjectives (Este, Ese, Aquel…)

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👉 Demonstrative Adjectives in Spanish

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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What is a demonstrative adjective?

Demonstrative adjectives are used to designate things or people. In Spanish, demonstrative adjectives are placed before the noun they designate. They agree in number and gender with the designated object.

Examples :

  • Mi tío compró esta casa. My uncle bought this house.
  • ¿Me podrías pasar esos libros por favor? Could you please give me these books?
  • Aquellas chicas juegan football. These girls play soccer.

How are demonstrative adjectives classified in Spanish

In English there is only one type of demonstrative adjective (this/that/that/those), whereas in Spanish there are several.

In Spanish they vary according to the degree of distance in time and space between the person speaking (the speaker) and the things he/she is talking about (the designated object). They can therefore be associated with adverbs of place.

Demonstrative adjectives can be classified into three categories:

  • the speaker is close to the objects he/she is talking about;
  • the speaker is relatively close to the objects he/she is talking about;
  • the speaker is far from the objects he or she is talking about.

The three categories of demonstrative adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives close to the speaker

The demonstrative adjectives of the first category are used to designate an object close in time and/or space to the speaker.

The referent adverb of place is “aquí”/”acá” (here, very close).

As a rule, these adjectives are used in sentences constructed in the present tense.

Singular Plural
Masculine Este  Estos 
Feminine Esta  Estas 
Neutral Esto 

Examples :

  • Este perro es muy tierno. (This dog is very cute).
  • Estas hojas no son mías. (These leaves are not mine).

Demonstrative adjectives slightly distant from the speaker

The demonstrative adjectives of the second category are used to designate an object relatively close to the speaker.

They take us slightly away from the speaker but bring us closer to the interlocutor.

The referent adverb of place is “ahí” (there, not very far).

Singular Plural
Masculine Ese  Esos 
Féminine Esa  Esas 
Neutral Eso 

Examples :

  • Me encantan esos vestidos. I love these dresses.
  • Esas joyas son preciosas. These jewels are beautiful.

Placed after the noun the demonstrative adjective “ese” can induce a pejorative notion.

  • ¡Odio el libro ese! I hate this book!

Demonstrative adjectives far from the speaker

The demonstrative adjectives of the third category are used to designate an object or a person distant from the speaker in space and/or time.

The referent adverb of place is “allí”/”allá” (there, far away).

Singular Plural
Masculine Aquel  Aquellos 
Feminine Aquella  Aquellas 
Neutral Aquello  Aquellos 

Examples :

  • Aquella noche celebramos su titulación. That night we celebrated his graduation.
  • Aquellos niños son muy inquietos. These children are very restless.

The importance of conjugation with demonstrative adjectives

In Spanish, conjugation can be used to reinforce the notion of spatial and temporal distance of demonstrative adjectives.

Indeed, the past and future tenses support the notion of distance. In the sentence “Aquella noche celebramos su titulación”, the speaker understands that the action took place several weeks, months or years ago.

The near future tense allows the speaker to note a relatively close distance. By using it with demonstrative adjectives of the second category, the speaker marks a slight temporal distance.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Possessive adjectives

👉 Previous lesson: Indefinite adjectives (Alguno, Ninguno, Cada, Mismo…)

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Spanish Indefinite Adjectives

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👉 Spanish Indefinite Adjectives

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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Indefinite adjectives (determinantes indefinidos) are always placed directly before the noun they determine.
Indefinites are used as adjectives, pronouns or even adverbs. They express quantitative, qualitative, collective or distributive values.

I. Quantitative indefinite adjectives

* ALGUNO (Some)

Alguno cannot be used in a negative sentence after “sin” (without)

Like adjectives, ALGUNO agrees in gender and number with the noun it determines (except in the masculine singular): alguna (feminine singular), algunas (feminine plural), algunos (masculine plural).

Alguno s’apocope devant un nom masculin singulier, c’est-à-dire qu’il perd le –o final, devenant algún.

Alguno loses the final -o in front of a masculine singular noun, becoming algún.

Examples :

– Hace algún tiempo que ya no hace deporte ==> He hasn’t played sports for a while.
– He conocido algunas mujeres ==> I met some women.
– Algunos chicos me hablaron ==> A few men talked to me.

N.B : In a negative sentence, when ALGUN is placed after the noun, it is translated as “no”.

Example : No siente felicidad alguna ==> He feels no joy.

* NINGUNO (None)

This adjective is often used in a negative sentence after “sin” (without).

NINGUNO agrees in gender and number with the noun it determines (except in the masculine singular): ninguna (feminine singular), ningunas (feminine plural), ningunos (masculine plural).

Ninguno is apocopied before a masculine singular noun, before ningún.

Example :

– No hay ninguna solución ==> There is no solution.
– Ningún problema ==> No problem.
– Ninguno quiere frutas por aquí ==> No one wants fruit around here.

N.B: When NINGUNO is placed before the verb of a negative sentence, the negation “no” disappears:

– Ningún chico quiere seducirla ==> No boy wants to seduce her.

* CADA (Every)

CADA is an invariable indefinite adjective.

Used in structures like CADA UNO/CADA UNA, it can be translated as “Every(one)“.

Examples :

– Cada uno quiere estar en paz ==> Everyone wants to be at peace.
– Cada día, conduzco mis hijos a la escuela ==> Every day I take my children to school.

* TODO (All)

TODO agrees in gender and number with the noun it determines, it cannot be used with a numeral.

Example :

– Caminamos todo el día ==> We walked all day.
– Fueron contratados los dos ==> They were both hired.

(Note the absence of “todos” in the Spanish version, due to the presence of the numeral “dos”)

* DEMASIADO – BASTANTE – MUCHO & POCO

In Spanish, these words are adjectives or pronouns. Therefore, they agree in gender and number with the noun to which they are attached:

Poco/Poca/Pocos/Pocas ==> A little of…
Mucho/Mucha/Muchos/Muchas ==> A lot of…
Bastante / Bastantes ==> Enough…
Demasiado / Demasiada / Demasiados / Demasiadas ==> Too many…

Example :

– Hoy, hay poca gente en la calle ==> There are few people in the street today.
– He comido mucho chocolate ==> I ate a lot of chocolate.
– Tengo bastante dinero para cómprame un coche ==> I have enough money to buy a car.
– Hay demasiado ruido en este bar ==> There is too much noise in this bar.

II. Qualitative indefinite adjectives

* CUALQUIERA (Any)

Cualquiera agrees in gender and number with the noun to which it is attached and is apocopied in front of a masculine singular noun.

When used as a noun, cualquiera can be translated as “everyone”, “anyone” or “anybody”.

On the other hand, if it is placed before the noun (masculine or feminine), it changes to cualquier.

Example :

– Cualquier sitio me conviene ==> Any place is good for me.
– Cualquiera puede tener éxito trabajando duro ==> Anyone can be successful if they work hard.
– No es mujer cualquiera ==> It’s not just any woman.

* OTRO (Another)

The adjective OTRO has the specificity of always being used without an indefinite article.

It also agrees in gender and number with the noun to which it is attached.

Example :

– Quiero otra taza de café ==> I want another cup of coffee.
– Voy a tener otro pero ==> I’m going to get another dog.

* MISMO (Same/Himself-Herself)

MISMO agrees in gender and number with the noun to which it is attached.

This indefinite can be translated as “same” but also as the pronouns “himself”, “herself”, “themselves”.

Example :

– Nos entrevistamos con el comandante mismo ==> We had an interview with the commander himself (in person).
– Tienen los mismos pantalones ==> They have the same pants.
– Lo hizo el mismo ==> He made them himself.

* TAL – SEMEJANTE – IGUAL

These adjectives are never preceded by an indefinite article.

They are respectively translated as “such”, “similar” and “equal/identical”.

If followed by a proper noun or a first name, “Tal” can be translated by “a certain” or by the locution “in question”.

Example :

– Tal día como hoy empecé a trabajar ==> I started working on a day like this.
– El tal Juan se cree muy listo ==> The Juan in question thinks he is very intelligent.
– Su voz es semejante a la de su padre ==> His voice is similar to his father’s.
– Estos autos son aparentemente iguales ==> These cars are apparently identical.

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Demonstrative adjectives

👉 Previous lesson: Reported speech

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Spanish Reported Speech

Posted on by in Spanish Grammar

👉 How to use reported / indirect speech in Spanish?

– Spanish Grammar Basics for Beginners –

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The indirect style is used to report someone’s words. As in English, we use a verb followed by a subordinate clause to introduce the person’s speech.

Construction of a sentence in indirect style

(Subject) + Verb + subordinate clause

Examples :

  • Mis amigas dicen que soy muy buena persona. (My friends say I am a good person).
  • Elena dice que lo siente mucho. (Elena says she is very sorry.)

Depending on the context, we will use either declarative verbs or verbs of opinion, wish, order, or prohibition.

Use of a declarative verb

If the verb used to introduce the speech is a declarative verb, we will use the indicative in the subordinate clause.

The most common declarative verbs in Spanish are : decir, contar, afirmar, explicar, declarar, exclamar.

Use of the verb “decir” in indirect style

Present tense:

– When the speech is reported in the present tense and the action is taking place as we speak:

Declarative verb (present tense) + subordinate proposition verb (present tense)

Example :

  • Pablo: “El gato está en el jardín”. (The cat is in the garden.)
  • Pablo dice dice el gato está en el jardín. (Pablo says the cat is in the garden.)

– When reporting speech in the present tense for an action that took place before the moment of speaking:

Declarative verb (present tense) + subordinate proposition verb (past simple/present perfect)

Example:

  • Miguel : “Mi hermano vino a casa esta mañana.”
  • Miguel dice que su hermano ha venido/vino a casa esta mañana.

Past tense

– When the speech is reported later and the action was taking place at the time the person was making the speech:

Declarative verb (past simple) + subordinate proposition verb (imperfect)

Example :

  • Pablo dijo que el gato estaba en el jardín. (Pablo said that the cat was in the garden.)

– When the speech is reported later and the action took place before the person was saying the speech:

Declarative verb (past simple) + subordinate proposition verb (more than perfect)

Example :

  • Miguel dijo que su hermano había venido a casa por la mañana.

Conditional:

In the case where the speech is reported later and the words were stated in the future tense:

Declarative verb (simple past tense) + subordinate proposition verb (conditional)

Example :

  • Pablo : « El gato estará en el jardín.” (The cat will be in the garden.)
  • Pablo dijo que el gato estaría en el jardín. (Pablo says that the cat will be in the garden.)

Use of the verb “declarar” in indirect style

Examples :

The suspect: “I have nothing to declare. “

  • El sospechoso declara que no tiene nada que esconder. (The suspect declares that he has nothing to hide.)
  • El sospechoso declaró que no tenía nada que esconder. (The suspect said he had nothing to hide).

Use of a verb expressing a command, prayer or advice

If the verb used to introduce the speech is a verb of order, prayer, advice or prohibition, the subjunctive should be used in the subordinate clause.

Verbs expressing a command

The most common verbs to express an order in Spanish are: pedir and ordenar.

Use of the verb “pedir” in indirect style

Present tense:

Ordering verb (present tense) + subordinate proposition verb (present subjunctive)

Examples :

  • Maria: “Dame una respuesta esta tarde.” (Give me an answer this afternoon.)
  • Maria me pide que le dé una respuesta esta tarde. (Maria asks me to give her an answer this afternoon.)

Past tense:

Order verb (past tense) + subordinate proposition verb (imperfect subjunctive).

Remember that the imperfect subjunctive (pretérito imperfecto) is conjugated in 2 different forms in Spanish.

Example :

  • Maria me pidió que le diera/diese una respuesta esta tarde. (Maria asked me to give her an answer in the afternoon).

Use of the verb “ordenar” in indirect style

Examples :

  • Miguel : “Ayudame a limpiar.” (Help me clean up).
  • Miguel me ordona que le ayude a limpiar. (Miguel orders me to help him clean.)
  • Miguel me ordonó que le ayudará/ayudase a limpiar. (Miguel ordered me to help him clean up.)

Verbs expressing prayer

The most common verbs in Spanish to express a prayer are rogar y suplicar.

Use of “suplicar” in indirect style

Examples :

  • Juan : « Por favor hermano, no me pegues. » (Please my brother, don’t hit me).
  • Juan suplica su hermano que no le pegue. (Juan begs his brother not to hit him).
  • Juan suplicó su hermano que no le pegara/pegase. (Juan begged his brother not to hit him).

Use of the verb “rogar” in indirect style

Examples :

  • El conductor : “Por favor que vuelvan inmediatamente a sus asientos. (Please return to your seats immediately.)
  • El conductor les ruega que vuelvan inmediatamente a sus asientos. (The driver asks them to return to their seats immediately.)
  • El conductor les rogó que volvieran/volviesen inmediatamente a sus asientos. (The driver asked them to return to their seats immediately.)

Verbs expressing advice

The most common verbs in Spanish to express advice are aconsejar and sugerir.

Use of the verb “aconsejar” in indirect style

Examples :

  • Angel : « Deberías hacer más deporte. » (You should do more sports).
  • Angel me aconseja que haga más deporte. (Angel advises me to do more sports).
  • Angel me aconsejó que hiciera/hiciese más deporte. (Angel advised me to do more sports.)

Use of the verb “sugerir” in indirect style

Examples :

  • Lucia : « Tendrías que tomar este camino porque es más corto.»
  • Lucia me sugiere que tome este camino porque es más corto.
  • Lucia me sugirió que tomara/tomase este camino porque era más corto.

Verb expressing a prohibition.

The verb used in Spanish to express an interdiction is “prohibir“.

Use of the verb “prohibir” in indirect style

Example :

  • Diego: « No le hables. » (Don’t talk to him.)
  • Diego me prohíbe que le hable. (Diego forbids me to talk to him.)
  • Diego me prohíbio que le hablara/hablase. (Diego forbids me to talk to him.)

👉 Practice now!

👉 Next lesson: Indefinite adjectives (Alguno, Ninguno, Cada, Mismo…)

👉 Previous lesson: Superlative adjectives

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