1. Adjectives of quantity

In Spanish, adjectives agree with the noun they qualify.

List of adjectives used to express quantity (singular / plural) :

MASCULINE : Mucho / Muchos
FEMININE : Mucha / Muchas

MASCULINE : Poco / Pocos
FEMININE : Poca / Pocas

MASCULINE : Demasiado / Demasiados
FEMININE : Demasiada / Demasiadas

MASCULINE : Bastante / Bastante
FEMININE : Bastante / Bastantes

Examples :

– We ate very little sugar ==> Comimos poco azúcar.
– There is too much cream in this cake ==> Hay demasiada nata en este pastel.
– There are too many people in this town ==> Hay demasiado gente en esta cuidad.
– There is enough to drink for everyone ==> Hay bastante bebidas para todos.

2. Adverbs

Adverbs, unlike adjectives, are always invariable.

List of the most commonly used adverbs to express quantity:

Mucho ==> Many
Poco ==> A little
Bastante ==> Enough
Demasiado / Harto ==> Too much
Muy ==> Very much
Más ==> More
Menos ==> Less
Tan… como ==> If, too
Tanto ==> As much
Algo ==> A little
Apenas ==> Barely
Medio ==> Half
Nada ==> Not at all, nothing
Cuan, Cuanto ==> How much

Examples :

– El tema de la película te interesa mucho ==> The theme of the film interests me a lot.
– Hemos visto poco sol esos últimos días ==> We haven’t seen much sunshine in the last few days.
– Él juega bastante bien al tenis ==> He plays tennis quite well.
– Estoy demasiado cansado para hacer deporte ==> I’m too tired to play sports
– Es una pintura muy interesante ==> This painting is very interesting.
– Mi vecina es más agradable que mi vecino ==> My (female) neighbor is nicer than my (male) neighbor.
– Compré menos frutas que la última vez ==> I bought less fruit than last time.
– La prevención es tan importante como la represión ==> Prevention is as important as punishment.
– No quiero tanto azúcar en elcafé ==> I don’t want so much sugar in the coffee.
– Juan sabe algo de francés ==> Juan speaks a little French.
– Hace apenas una semana fui a Francia ==> I’ve only been in France for a week.
– Compré media piña en el supermercado ==> I bought half a pineapple at the supermarket.
– No hay nada que ver ==> There is nothing to see
– No sabes cuan alto es ==> You don’t know how big it is

3. Adverbial phrases

An adverbial phrase is a sequence of words that is equivalent to an adverb. Like the latter, it is invariable.

The most common locutions to express quantity are :

Cada vez más ==> More and more
Cada vez menos ==> Less and less
Cuando más / A lo sumo ==> At most
Cuando menos / A lo menos ==> At the very least
Más o menos ==> More or less
Poco a poco ==> Little by little
Poquito a poquito ==> Little by little
Al por mayor ==> Roughly
Al por menor ==> In detail

Examples :

– El calor se siente cada vez más ==> The heat is felt more and more
– El jefe nos pidió un resumen al por mayor de la situación actual ==> The boss asked us for an outline of the current situation.
– Estoy más o menos atento ==> I am more or less attentive
– A lo sumo me puede hacer un descuento de diez euros ==> He can give me a discount of 10 euros maximum

4. Particular turns of phrase

* When Medio precedes an adjective or a past participle, it remains invariable in Spanish.

• Esta chica es medio loca ==> This girl is half crazy.

* When Más or Menos are followed by a numeral that expresses quantity, the preposition “de” is used.

• No quiere menos de veinte dólares ==> he doesn’t want less than twenty dollars.

* The expression “CAN’T STAND” ==> To translate this expression, the following structure is used:  Ya no + verb + más + noun

• Ya no suporto más el calor ==> I can’t stand the heat anymore.

* “NO MORE” in elliptical sentences : here, “No more…” translates into “No más…” or “Nada de…”

• No more lies! ==> ¡ No más mentiras ! // No racism! ==> ¡ Nada de racismo !

 

_ 

©Spanishfornoobs.com

1. SOLER + INFINITIVE

A. Structure

To express habit in English, we use the expression: USED TO + infinitive
For example: “I am used to eating” or “we are used to walking”.

In Spanish, there is a verb that can express the whole expression “Have the habit of”. It is the verb SOLER.

We use the structure: SOLER + INFINITVE

Be careful, Soler is a diphthong verb.
In the present tense, it is conjugated as follows:

– Yo Suelo
– Tu Sueles
– Él/Ella/ Usted Suele
– Nosotros Solemos
– Vosotros Soléis
– Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Suelen

Examples:

– I’m used to sleeping a lot ==> Suelo dormir mucho tiempo.
– You used to run every week ==> Sueles correr cada semana.
– He is used to going to work on his motorcycle ==> Suele ir a trabajar en moto.
– You are used to going on vacation to Italy ==> Soléis ir de vacaciones en Italia.
– We are used to eating with our family ==> Solemos comer en familia.

B. Adding ‘lo’ (Check the full lesson)

To express the habit with pronominal verbs (lavarse, dormirse, levantarse, cuidarse, etc.), we conjugate the verb SOLER and we place, at the end of the pronominal verb, the reflexive pronoun corresponding to the person. It is therefore necessary to use and know the reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se).

Example with the verb LAVARSE (to wash oneself):

– Suelo lavarme
– Sueles lavarte
– Suele lavarse
– Solemos lavarnos
– Soléis lavaros
– Suelen lavarse

Note that it is not obligatory to use the enclose with pronominal verbs. In this case, we simply place the reflexive pronoun before the verb soler: yo me suelo lavar, tu te sueles lavar, el se suele lavar,etc.

2. OTHER TURNS OF PHRASE

There are other ways of expressing habit, without using the verb soler:

* Estar acostumbrado a + infinitif ==> Being used to…
* Acostumbrar a + infinitif ==> To be used to…

Examples:

– Estoy acostumbrado a levantarme temprano ==> I am used to getting up early.
– Yo acostumbro a levantarme temprano ==> I am used to getting up early.

* Tener por costumbre + infinitif ==> Have the habit of + infinitive 
* Tener por hábito + infinitif ==> To be used to + infinitive

Examples:

– Tengo por costumbre caminar cada día ==> I have the habit of walking every day.
– Tengo por hábito desayunar cuando me levante ==> I usually eat breakfast when I get up.

_ 

©Spanishfornoobs.com

In Spanish, we can express our agreement or disagreement through multiple formulas:

*(NO) ESTAR CONFORME… ==> (Do not) Agree…

Estoy conforme con mi calificación ==> I agree with my grade.
No estas conforme con ese presupuesto ==> You don’t agree with this estimate.

*(NO) ESTAR DE ACUERDO CON… ==> (Do not) agree

La chica esta de acuerda con su papa ==> The daughter agrees with her father.
No están de acuerdos contigo ==> They don’t agree with you.

*(NO) COMPARTIR EL PUNTO DE VISTA/LA OPINION… ==> (Do not) share the view/opinion

Compartís el mismo punto de vista en esta polémica ==> You share the same point of view in this controversy.
No comparto tu opinión sobre la situación política del país ==> I don’t share your point of view on the political situation in the country.

*(NO) COINCIDIR SOBRE… ==> (Do not) agree with…

Coicides conmigo sobre esta cuestión ==> You agree with me on this.
No coincidimos sobre el horario de la cita ==> We disagree about the time of the meeting.

* (NO) DAR RAZON A… ==> (Do not) agree with…

Damos la razón al periodista que escribió ese artículo puesto que es experto en este tema ==> We agree with the journalist who wrote this article because he is an expert in the field.
No doy la razón a su argumento por que no es basado en hecho científicos ==> I don’t agree with his argument because it is not based on scientific facts.

* (NO) OPONERSE A… ==> (Do not) oppose…

Me opongo a la actitud agresiva de mi amiga ==> I object to my friend’s aggressive attitude.
No se opone a la injusticia de la situación ==> He does not object to the unfairness of the situation.

II. Expressing your opinion

The following structures and verbs are used to express an opinion, and thus, in a more relative way, agreement or disagreement.

– CREER + QUE
– PENSAR + QUE
– TENER LA IMPRESION + QUE
– PARECER + QUE
– ESTAR CONVENCIDO DE + QUE

WARNING: all these structures are followed by the subjunctive.

Examples:

– No me parece que el español sea más difícil que otra lengua ==> I don’t feel that Spanish is more complicated than any other language.

– Tengo la impresión que este sacando conclusiones apresuradas ==> I feel like you are jumping to conclusions.

– No pienso que compartamos las mismas ideas que ellos ==> I don’t think we share the same ideas as they do.

– Creo que te equivoques en tu análisis ==> I think you are wrong in your analysis.

III. General vocabulary

Yo también ==> Me too
Vale ==> Agree / OK
! Por supuesto ! ==> Of course!
Sin (ninguna) duda ==> Without (any) doubt
Sin (ningún) problema ==> Without (any) problem
! Desde luego ! ==> Of course!
Claro ==> Of course
Seguro que si / cierto que si ==> Yes, certainly
Yo tampoco ==> Me neither
! Ni hablar ! ==> No way!
En cambio ==> On the other hand
Sin embargo ==> However
Al contrario ==> On the contrary
A pesar de todo ==> Despite everything
Es discutible ==> It is debatable
Pienso que te equivocas ==> I think you are wrong
Formular un juicio distinto ==> To formulate a different judgment
Es verdad que … ==> It is true that…

👉 Next lesson: Expressing obligation

👉 Previous lesson: Auxiliary verbs (Haber, Ser, Estar)

 

©Spanishfornoobs.com

First of all, the article is a word that precedes a noun in a sentence. Its function is to add meaning to the noun.

In Spanish, there are several types of articles, including neutral articles. A neutral article is an article that has neither gender nor number.

Specifically, “lo” is a neuter article that can be used in many ways for different meanings.

Why is the neutral article “lo” used?

The article “lo” is mainly used to transform other words, especially adjectives and adverbs, into nouns.

It is used, more specifically, to express abstract ideas or objects that are not defined with certainty.

• Lo malo es que no podemos ir allá. (The bad thing is that we can’t go there).
• Lo interesante es que no trabajas mucho pero tienes mucho dinero. (La chose intéressante, c’est que tu ne travailles pas beaucoup mais tu as beaucoup d’argent.)

Be careful, however: do not confuse the neuter article “lo” with the third person singular pronoun “lo” which is always accompanied by a verb.

The different functions of the neutral article “lo”

We have seen that the article “lo” is not accompanied by a verb; it is always part of a nominal phrase.

On the other hand, it is never accompanied by a noun. When the article is associated with a verb, it will have a function of direct object complement (DOC). In this case, ” lo ” can be associated with :

A qualifying adjective :

• Lo importante es que todo pasa muy bien. (The important thing is that everything goes well)

A relative adjective:

• Quiero vivir solo, lo cual da miedo a mis padres. (I want to live alone, which scares my parents)

A possessive determiner:

• Lo tio es mejor. (Yours is better)

A numerical ordinal determiner:

• Lo primero es hacer la tarea primordial antes las otras. (The first thing is to do the primary task before the others)

A prepositional phrase:

• A mi me gusta lo de siempre. (I like the usual)

A past participle:

• Podemos pensar en lo reflexionado. (We can think about what we have thought about)

The use of the article “lo”

The article is used in different forms. Each form has a specific function and meaning.

First, there is the form “lo + adjective” which allows for the generalization of concepts and is equivalent to things and parts:

• Lo pequeño. (The small thing)

Secondly, we also find the form “lo + de + substantive” which refers, in this case, to a subject/theme:

• Ahora, he entendido lo del curso. (Now I have understood the subject/theme of the course)

This form can also refer to a house:

• He pasado todo el fin de semana en lo de mi amigo. (I spent the whole weekend at my friend’s house)

Secondly, the form “lo + más + adjective” or “lo + mejor/peor/único/principal” also exists and has an absolute superlative value:

• Lo peor es cambiar de actitud únicamente para plaer a la gente. (The worst thing is to change your attitude just to please the people)

Finally, “de + lo + más + adjective/adverb” is also used. This form intensifies the meaning of the sentence. In other words, this form can be associated with “muy + adjective/adverb”:

• Mi trabajo es de lo más duro. (My work is very hard)

Finally, the neutral article “lo” is used in different ways and the meaning changes depending on the form of its use.

👉 Practice! 

👉 Next lesson: Auxiliary verbs (Haber, Ser, Estar)

👉 Previous lesson: Indefinite articles

When not accompanied by a definite article, Spanish nouns are often preceded by an indefinite article.

The indefinite article is used to refer to a non-specific object, place or person.

The 4 forms of indefinite article that exist in Spanish are: un, una, unos and unas.

How can I avoid making a mistake? You just need to know these few essential rules.

Gender of nouns and indefinite articles

To know which indefinite article will be used, it is essential to start by finding out the gender of the words. To do this, you will have to learn them by heart!

• un mar, un diente, una mañana, una cama…

Check the lesson about genders of nouns

Know how to use the indefinite singular article

Un : the masculine singular article

To know if a word is masculine, it is possible to rely on the ending of the word.

If the word ends with an “o”, “or” or “aje”, it is probably masculine. In this case, the indefinite article to be used before this noun will be “un”:

• Quiero un perro negro = I want a black dog
• Voy a elegir un color para mi casa = I will choose a color for my house

Be carfeul! There are some exceptions related to word endings. Indeed, some words ending with “o” are feminine, like mano, radio or moto. Words ending in “or” are also feminine: flor, labor, etc.

Una : the feminine singular article

There is a wider variety of endings for feminine words.

Although most end with the sound “a”, others end in “z”, “ción”, “sión”, “umbre”, “triz”, “cis”, “tad” and “dad”.

In all these cases, the indefinite article to choose if the noun does not designate something specific is “una”:

• Estoy haciendo una mesa = I am making a table
• España es una nación fuerte = Spain is a strong nation
• Tiene una cicatriz en la cara = He has a scar on his face
• El mundo vive una crisis económica = The world is in an economic crisis

Exceptions for endings also exist in the feminine. For example, the words corazón, día, planeta or mapa are masculine.

Omission of the indefinite singular article

The indefinite article can be omitted before a manner complement and before the words “tal”, “igual”, “cierto”, “tanto”, “otro” and “medio” :

• Hoy lo veo de otra forma = Today I see it in a different way (manner complement)
• Me habló con cierta alegría = He spoke to me with a certain joy
• Nunca había visto tal edificio = I had never seen such a building
• Voy a comprar medio kilo de pomelo = I’m going to buy half a kilo of grapefruit

Use the indefinite plural article

The Spanish plural indefinite article is mostly used to express a small indeterminate quantity, a pair or an approximation. As in English, it is not necessary to put it.

• Hay perros en la calle = There are dogs in the street
• Voy a leer libros en la bilblioteca = I go to the library to read books
• Tengo soluciones para tus problemas = I have solutions for your problems
• Compré manzanas en el mercado = I bought apples at the market

Unos : the masculine plural article

In Spanish, the plural indefinite article agrees with the gender of the noun. For a masculine plural noun, it is appropriate to use “unos”. The masculine takes precedence over the feminine.

Examples :

• Compré unos zapatos en el mercado = I bought some pairs of shoes at the market
• Voy a la biblioteca para leer unos libros = I go to the library to read some books
• Veo unos perros en la calle = There are some dogs in the street

Unas : the feminine plural article

The indefinite article “unas” is used for feminine plural nouns:

• Compré unas ropas nuevas = I bought some new clothes
• Voy a visitar unas casas = I’m going to visit some houses
• Necesitamos unas herramientas para trabajar = We need some tools to work with

👉 Practice! Check the exercise about Indefinite Articles

👉 Next lesson: The neutral article: lo

👉 Previous lesson: Definite articles

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

In Spanish, nouns don’t like to be alone. They are always accompanied by an article that agrees in gender and number with the noun to which it refers.

The definite article is used when referring to a particular object, place or person. There are 4 main forms of the definite article: el, la, los and las.

How do you know which one to use? Here’s everything you need to know to avoid using the wrong definite article in your Spanish sentences.

Gender of Spanish words

Before using an article, make sure you know the gender of the word in Spanish.

Among the main differences between the two languages are:

• el coche (masculine) = the car (feminine)
• el mar (masculine) = the sea (feminine)
• el mapa (masculine) = the map (feminine)
• la nariz (feminine) = the nose (masculine)
• la sal (feminine) = the salt (masculine)
• la leche (feminine) = the milk (masculine)

Use of definite articles

El : the masculine singular article

All words ending with the “o” sound are masculine, with very few exceptions.

Words ending in “or”, except “flor”, are also masculine. “El” is the definite article to be used before a masculine singular noun:

• The black cat = El gato negro
• El rey de España =  The king of Spain

Be careful! The article “el” is also used before some feminine words in the singular for phonetic reasons.

Indeed, when a feminine word begins with the sound “a”, whether it is spelled “a” or “ha”, the article “el” must be used. This exception avoids a repetition of the “a” sound.

Examples :

• El agua está fría = The water is cold
• El hacha afilada = The axe is sharp

There are a few exceptions : la abuela, la avispa, etc.

La = the feminine singular article

All feminine words ending in “a” are feminine in Spanish.

There are a few well-known exceptions such as “el problema” or “el idioma”.

Nouns ending in “z”, “ción”, “sión”, “tad” and “dad” are generally feminine. The definite article to be used before a feminine singular word is “la”:

• La silla de madera = The wooden chair
• La madre de mi amigo = My friend’s mother
• La fidelidad es una cualidad importante = Loyalty is an important quality
• No encuentro la solución = I can’t find the solution

Los = the masculine plural article

The article “los” is used before all Spanish masculine nouns when they are in the plural:

• Me gustan los animales = I love animals
• Los padres de mis amigos = My friends’ parents

In Spanish, the masculine gender prevails when pluralizing. However, the use of “los” has an even more global meaning.

Examples :

• Los niños juegan en el parque = Children are playing in the park
• Los hermanos de mi amigo son mayores que el = My friend’s brothers and sisters are older than him

Las = the feminine plural article

In Spanish, feminine nouns have their own definite article: las.

Even feminine nouns that take the masculine article “el” in the singular for phonetic reasons, find the feminine article when they become plural.

• Las aguas son profundas = The waters are deep
• Me gustan las canciones de amor = I like love songs

Contraction and omission of the definite article

The masculine definite article “el” contracts when used after “a” or “de”:

• A + el = AL : Voy al ciné = I go to the cinema
• De + el = Del : Vengo del mar = I come from the sea

It is sometimes necessary to omit the definite article:

• Before the names of countries : El año próximo, visitaremos Francia = Next year, we will visit France
• Before the words casa, caza, pesca, misa, palacio, when used as a complement of place : Voy a casa = I’m going home
• Before the names of school subjects : Estudio inglés = I am learning English
• In some expressions to know : Tengo tiempo = I have time

👉 Practice – Exercise on definite articles

👉 Next lesson: Indefinite articles

👉 Previous lesson: Countable and uncountable nouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

Countable nouns

Countable nouns can be used in singular or plural form. Many everyday objects are countable:

• una manzana, dos manzanas, varias manzanas, pocas manzanas
  one apple, two apples, several apples, few apples ;
• un teléfono, tres teléfonos, muchos teléfonos, el teléfono
  one phone, three phones, many phones, the phone.

In a sentence, they are always preceded by a definite or indefinite article, a number, a demonstrative or quantity adjective.

• Las manzanas caen de los árboles.
  Apples fall from trees.
• Los pájaros huyen volando por culpa de la gata.
  The birds fly away because of the cat.
• Unos pájaros huyen volando por culpa de esa gata.
  Some birds fly away because of the cat.
• Un árbol se cayó encima de la casa.
  A tree fell on the house.
• Varios árboles se cayeron encima de esta casa.
  Several trees fell on this house.

Uncountable nouns

Uncountable nouns are usually used in the singular. They designate ideas, abstract notions or substances. If they follow a verb in a sentence and are its direct complement, they are usually not preceded by an article.

• Tengo sed, dame agua.
  I am thirsty, give me water.
• La vida requiere paciencia y coraje.
  Life requires patience and courage.
• Queda vino en la botella.
  There is still wine in the bottle.

They can be preceded by a demonstrative or quantity adjective that brings precision.

• Tengo mucha sed, dame de esta agua.
  I am very thirsty, give me this water.
• La vida requiere bastante paciencia y abnegación.
  Life requires a lot of patience and self-sacrifice.
• Queda poco vino en la botella.
  There is not much wine left in the bottle.

When they are the subject of a sentence, uncountable verbs are preceded by a definite article in the absence of a more precise qualification. This is particularly the case with very common verbs of appreciation like gustar, encantar.

• Me gusta la música. I like music.
• Me encanta la sopa. I love soup.
• No me disgusta el café. I don’t mind coffee.

When they are the object of certain verbs like apreciar, odiar, ignorar, often with the expression of an appreciation, the uncountable ones are preceded by a definite article for lack of more precise qualification.

• Aprecio el valor de los combatientes. I appreciate the courage of the fighters.
• Odia la sopa. He hates soup.
• Ignoramos el miedo. We ignore fear.
• Buscamos la virtud. We seek virtue.

Some uncountable nouns are only used in the plural.

• Tengo agujetas.
  I have aches and pains.
• Lo que le conté hizo añicos su mundo.
  What I told him reduced his world to rubble.
• ¡No me hagas cosquillas!.
  Don’t tickle me!
• El camión lleva comestibles.
  The truck is carrying foodstuffs.
• Dicen que estás en serios apuros.
  They say you are in serious trouble.
• La gente siente muchos celos.
  People are very jealous.

The expression of the presence or absence of an uncountable quantity is very simple.

• Hay agua en el rio. There is water in the river.
• No hay agua en el rio. There is no water in the river.

Expression of countable and uncountable quantity

Todo, la mitad are used exclusively with uncountable nouns:

• la mitad del agua,  half of the water ;
• toda la harina,  all the flour.

Entero, medio are used exclusively with countable nouns:

• la media botella, half of the bottle;
• el pueblo entero, the whole village.

Poco, mucho, varios are used indifferently with countable or uncountable nouns:

• poca gente, few people;
• pocos cuartos libres, few free rooms;
• muchos celos, a lot of jealousy;
• muchos escombros, a lot of waste ;
• varios comestibles, several foodstuffs;
• varias botellas, several bottles.

Countable use of an uncountable noun

An uncountable noun can, in some cases, be used in a countable and quantifiable way. In this case, a quantity adjective is often used.

• Navega entre dos aguas.
  He navigates between two waters.
• ¡Dos cafés con leche y tres cervezas por favor!
  Two coffees with milk and three beers please!
• Esta playa tiene una arena preciosa.
  This beach has beautiful sand.

Uncountable use of a countable noun

A countable noun can, in some cases, be used in an uncountable way, without article.

• Me gusta la pasta con tomate.
  I like pasta with tomato (meaning tomato sauce).

Although there are many similarities with English, it is clear that many common constructions and expressions are unique to Spanish.

👉 Next lesson: Definite articles

👉 Previous lesson: Compound nouns & words

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com

A compound noun is a word formed from at least two other words. They are very common in the Spanish language. They allow you to create new nouns to express an idea while using words that already exist.

In many ways, the formation of compound nouns in Spanish is similar to that of English. However, it’s best to know the specifics of this type of word to make sure you’re using them correctly.

Characteristics of compound nouns in Spanish

In Spanish, compound nouns are always written as one word (without hyphens). The vast majority are in the masculine form, even if one of the nouns that form it is feminine.

If this compound noun refers to a person or an occupation, it will have the same masculine and feminine form.

• Un paraguas = An umbrella
• El bienestar = Wellness
• Un guardaespaldas / Una guardaespaldas = A bodyguard

Formation of compound nouns

To form a compound noun in Spanish, it is possible to assemble different types of words. However, the majority of compound words are created by combining a verb and a common noun to designate a specific object.

Verb + common noun

In order to create this type of compound word, all you have to do is combine a third person singular verb in the present indicative with a common noun written in the plural. This is why compound words always end with an “s”, even when they are in the singular. This kind of compound word is often used to designate an object that has a specific use or a profession.

• Guardar (keep/protect) + barro (mud) = Un guardabarros (a mudguard)
• Parar (Stop) + rayo (lightning) = Un pararrayos (a lightning rod)
• Romper (Break) + cabeza (head) = Un rombecabezas (a puzzle)

However, there are some exceptions of compound nouns that do not end with an “s”.

• Parar (Stop) + sol (sun) = Un parasol (an umbrella)
• Pasar (Pass) + tiempo (time) = Un pasatiempo (a hobby)

Adjective + noun

Some compound nouns are composed of an adjective and a noun. The adjective can be placed before the noun or after it. It agrees with the noun with which it forms the compound word.

Example :

• Cara (face) + dura (hard) = Caradura (stubborn)
• Alta (high) + voz (voice) = Altavoz (speaker)

Other forms

Many other kinds of words can be used to form a compound noun: adverbs, suffixes, prefixes, etc.

• Prefix + noun : Anti + terrorista (terrorist) = Antiterrorista (anti-terrorist)
• Adverb + noun : Mal (bad) + humor (mood) = Malhumor (bad mood)
• Adjective + adjective : Mal (mal) + educado (educated) = Maleducado (rude, unmannerly)
• Noun + noun : Medio (middle) + día (day) = Mediodía (noon)

List of compound nouns in Spanish

It is impossible to make an exhaustive list of Spanish compound nouns. The most common of them are the following:

• Un abrelatas = A can opener
• Los anteojos = A pair of glasses
• Un ciempiés = A centipede
• Un cumpleaños = A birthday 
• Un guardarropas = A closet
• Un lavacoches = A car wash
• Un lavaplatos = A dishwasher
• Un limpiaparabrisas = A windshield wiper
• Un matafuegos = A fire extinguisher
• El mediodía = Noon
• La medianoche = Midnight
• Un paracaídas = A parachute
• Un parachoques = A bumper
• Un paraguas = An umbrella
• Un pararrayos = A lightning rod
• Un parasol = A parasol
• Un pasatiempo = A hobby
• Un rascacielos = A skyscraper
• Un rompecabezas = A puzzle
• Un salvavidas = A life jacket
• Una telaraña = A spider’s web

 

👉 Practice! Exercise on Compound Nouns

👉 Next lesson: Countable and uncountable nouns

👉 Previous lesson: Plural of nouns

_

©Spanishfornoobs.com