Hello!! If you are reading this, it’s NOT too late, it means you want to learn Spanish and at Hello Salamanca, we are more than happy to help you out in this great learning journey!
We will try to clarify common pain points for the Spanish learner through some videos that we made to educate, but also to entertain you, when learning Spanish, a beautiful language.
¿Empezamos? Welcome to Hello Salamanca!!
1. Learn how to differentiate between SER and ESTAR
- Hola, soy Beatriz. Estoy en Salamanca.
Yes, both ser and estar mean «to be» in Spanish, so how can we know when to use one or the other? Let’s go briefly over how to conjugate them:
[table td1=»PRONOUN» td2=»SER» td3=»ESTAR»]
[td1]yo[/td1]
[td2]soy[/td2]
[td3]estoy[/td3]
[td1]tú[/td1]
[td2]eres[/td2]
[td3]estás[/td3]
[td1]él/ella/usted[/td1]
[td2]es[/td2]
[td3]está[/td3]
[td1]nosotros/nosotras[/td1]
[td2]somos[/td2]
[td3]estamos[/td3]
[td1]vosotros/vosotras[/td1]
[td2]sois[/td2]
[td3]estáis[/td3]
[td1]ellos/ellas/ustedes[/td1]
[td2]son[/td2]
[td3]están[/td3]
[/table]
While SER is used to express things that are permanent, ESTAR is used for temporary situations.
We use «ser» to describe nationality, time, relationships, occupation and personal attributes.
On the contrary, «estar» is used for locations, emotions and temporary conditions.
So, when having to use «to be» in Spanish, ask yourself first: Do I want to express something permanent or a personal attribute, or is it rather something temporary or related to emotions?
Soy optimista. Estoy contenta.
2. Start asking the right questions — ask questions correctly!
Like in every language, there are also a few Spanish question words that you will have to learn in order to ask pretty much everything. These words are:
[table td1=»SPANISH» td2=»ENGLISH»]
[td1]qué[/td1]
[td2]what[/td2]
[td1]quién[/td1]
[td2]who[/td2]
[td1]dónde[/td1]
[td2]where[/td2]
[td1]cuándo[/td1]
[td2]when[/td2]
[td1]cómo[/td1]
[td2]how[/td2]
[td1]cuánto/cuántos[/td1]
[td2]how much/how many[/td2]
[/table]
cuánto/cuántos how much/how many
From asking when and where you’re meeting friends to how much a pair of sunglasses cost, all you need are these words combined with the right verbs.
3. Expressing how you feel will get you talking
Equally as important as learning your questions, is knowing your answers. Spanish native speakers are usually very talkative, so after you say your name and exchange a couple of words in Spanish, you’ll probably be asked a bunch of stuff, starting with:
- ¿Cómo estás? ¿Qué tal? (How are you? How is it going?)
Sharing and expressing your feelings is something «very Spanish» to do. People are not afraid of oversharing, so, not only will they ask, they will definitely tell you all about how they feel:
[table td1=»SPANISH» td2=»ENGLISH»]
[td1]Estoy muy bien.[/td1]
[td2]I am very well.[/td2]
[td1]Bien, gracias.[/td1]
[td2]Good, thank you.[/td2]
[td1]Estoy muy emocionado.[/td1]
[td2]I am very excited (masc).[/td2]
[td1]Me siento un poco triste.[/td1]
[td2]I feel a bit sad.[/td2]
[td1]Estoy enfadada.[/td1]
[td2]I am angry (fem).[/td2]
[td1]Estoy fatal.[/td1]
[td2]I feel awful.[/td1]
[/table]
As you’ve already learned, the verb «estar» can mean «to be» and, in this case, also «to feel». ¿Estás aprendiendo? (Are you learning?)
4. Learn how to say NO & use negative expressions When expressing a negation in Spanish, «no» is placed before the verb.
- ¿Vamos al cine? (Shall we go to the movies?) – No, no puedo. (No, I can’t.)
Even if we would always like to stay positive and say yes to everything, sometimes we need deny or reject things, and for those occasions the Spanish negative expressions will definitely come in handy. And yes, as you’ll see – the double negative is grammatically correct in Spanish!
[table td1=»SPANISH» td2=»ENGLISH»]
[td1]nadie – alguien – todos[/td1]
[td2]nobody – somebody – everybody[/td2]
[td1]nada – algo – todo[/td1]
[td2]nothing – something – everything[/td2]
[td1]nunca – siempre[/td1]
[td2]never – always[/td2]
[/table]
- ¿Quieres venir a la fiesta? (Do you want to come to the party?)
- No tengo tiempo para nada. (I don’t have time for anything.)
- Nunca tengo tiempo. (I never have time.)
- Nadie tiene tiempo. (Nobody has time.)
5. Master the ultimate rule for POR or PARA (once and por all)
Dearest Spanish learner, I know you struggle a lot with the words por and para and when to use them. POR ese motivo (because of that) I want to try and clarify this for you, PARA que no cometas más errores (so you won’t make more mistakes).
When to use PARA: to talk about goals, purposes or destinations.
When to use POR: for causes or reasons for something, and for time and prices.
Now let’s see some examples:
- Leo por las noches.
- Este regalo es para mi madre.
- Estudio mucho para tener un buen trabajo.
- Por este precio puedes comprarte otra cosa.
- Para ir a Argentina tengo que ir en avión.
Any questions? Please use the Spanish question words… At Hello Salamanca, we will be happy to answer all of them!
