Intermediate Spanish Grammar

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Regular VerbsPreterite Tense Conjugation of Stem-Changing VerbsPreterite Tense Conjugation of Irregular VerbsExpressions of the Preterite TenseDirect Object PronounsPlacement of Direct Object PronounsCommon Reflexive VerbsUses of the Verbs Dar, Hacer, Poner, Echar, Tener and othersOrdinal NumbersImperfect Tense Conjugation of Regular VerbsImperfect Irregular VerbsExpressions of the Imperfect TenseDifference Between Preterit and Imperfect TensesSynonymsAntonymsIndirect Object PronounsFuture Tense Formation of Regular VerbsFuture Tense Formation of Irregular VerbsExpressions of the Future TenseUses of the Grammatical Future TenseComparative AdjectivesSuperlative AdjectivesAdverbs of PlaceAdverbs of TimeAdverbs of Method (Manner)Adverbs of QuantityAdverb Formation with the Ending "mente"Adverb Formation with the Preposition conUses of AdverbsPreterite Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

In Spanish, when we talk about things that happened in the past, the verb endings change. Just as in the present tense, when we had different endings depending on the subject, we have different endings for each subject in the preterite also. To change the ending, you must drop the “ar”, “er” or “ir” and replace it with the new ending.The Preterite Tense is used to express:

• What happened and was completed in the past.  For example, “I lived there for two years.”
• What happened a specific number of times in the past.  For example, “He ate there 3 times last week.”

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ar” ending.  These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “ar”

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Hablar (to speak)
Yo	hablé	I spoke
Tú	hablaste	You spoke
Usted/él/ella	habló	You (formal)/He/She spoke
Nosotros	hablamos	We spoke
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	hablaron	You (plural) spoke/They spoke

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “er” ending. These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “er”,

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Comer (to eat)
Yo	comí	I ate
Tú	comiste	You ate
Usted/él/ella	comió	You (formal)/He/She ate
Nosotros	comimos	We ate
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	comieron	You (plural) speak/They ate

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ir” ending. These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “ir”

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Vivir (to live)
Yo	viví	I lived
Tú	viviste	You lived
Usted/él/ella	vivió	You (formal)/He/She lived
Nosotros	vivimos	We lived
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	vivieron	You (plural) speak/They lived

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Stem-Changing Verbs

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Stem-Changing Verbs

When “regular verbs” are conjugated the ending changes and the front part (a.k.a. stem or root) doesn’t change. When “stem-changing verbs” are conjugated the stem changes. Most stem-changing verbs follow a few rules when conjugated, however, there are some verbs that don’t follow a consistent rule when they are conjugated, and these are called, “irregular verbs”. The verbs that change from “e” to “ie” and “o” to “ue” ending in “ar” and “er” are regular in the preterit tense as are the verbs ending in “cer”.Fortunately, most stem-changing verbs follow a few rules when they are conjugated.

1.      Change the “o” to “u” in the stem but only for the subjects “Usted/él/ella” and “Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Dormir	To sleep
Yo	Dormí	I slept
Tú	Dormiste	You slept
Usted/él/ella	Durmió	You (formal)/He/She slept
Nosotros	Dormimos	We slept
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Durmieron	You (plural)/They slept

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Dormir	To sleep
Morir	To die

2.      Change the “e” to “i” in the stem but only for the subjects “Usted/él/ella” and “Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Pedir	To ask
Yo	Pedí	I asked
Tú	Pediste	You asked
Usted/él/ella	Pidió	You (formal)/He/She asked
Nosotros	Pedimos	We asked
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Pidieron	You (plural)/They asked

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Mentir	To lie
Reír	To laugh
Sonreír	To smile
Servir	To serve
Seguir	To follow/to continue

3.      For verbs that end in “car” change “c” to “qu” but only for the subject “yo”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Buscar	To look for
Yo	Busqué	I looked for
Tú	Buscaste	You looked for
Usted/él/ella	Buscó	You (formal)/He/She looked for
Nosotros	Buscamos	We looked for
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Buscaron	You (plural) speak/They looked for

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Colocar	To put in place
Explicar	To explain
Practicar	To practice
Sacar	To take out
Tocar	To touch

4.      For verbs that end in “gar” change the “g” to “gu” but only for the subject “yo”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Llegar	To arrive
Yo	Llegué	I arrived
Tú	Llegaste	You arrived
Usted/él/ella	Llegó	You (formal)/He/She arrived
Nosotros	Llegamos	We arrived
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Llegaron	You (plural) speak/They arrived

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Castigar	To punish
Juzgar	To judge
Pagar	To pay

For verbs that end in “zar” change the “z” to “c” but only for the subject “yo”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Abrazar	To hug
Yo	Abracé	I hugged
Tú	Abrazaste	You hugged
Usted/él/ella	Abrazó	You (formal)/He/She hugged
Nosotros	Abrazamos	We hugged
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Abrazaron	You (plural) speak/They hugged

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Abrazar	To hug
Alcanzar	To reach
Alzar	To raise
Realizar	To realize (achieve a goal)
Tropezar	To trip

5.      For verbs that end in “uir” change the “i” to “y” but only for the subjects “Usted/él/ella” and “Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Construir	To construct
Yo	Construí	I constructed
Tú	Construiste	You constructed
Usted/él/ella	Construyó	You (formal)/He/She constructed
Nosotros	Construimos	We constructed
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Construyeron	You (plural) speak/They constructed

Here is a list of stem-changing verbs that follow this rule:

Spanish	English
Destruir	To destroy
Incluir	To include
Huir	To flee
Sustituir	To replace

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

Preterite Tense Conjugation of Irregular Verbs

When “regular verbs” are conjugated the ending changes and the front part (a.k.a. stem or root) doesn’t change. When “stem-changing verbs” are conjugated the stem changes. Most stem-changing verbs follow a few rules when conjugated, however, there are some verbs that don’t follow a consistent rule when they are conjugated, and these are called, “irregular verbs”. The verbs that change from “e” to “ie” and “o” to “ue” ending in “ar” and “er” are regular in the preterit tense as are the verbs ending in “cer”.Fortunately, there aren’t many irregular verbs. Unfortunately, some of the irregular verbs listed below are used frequently:

Infinitive		Yo	Tú	Usted/él/ella	Nosotros	Ustedes/ellos/ellas
Saber (to know)		Supe	Supiste	Supo	Supimos	Supieron
Estar (to be)		Estuve	Estuviste	Estuvo	Estuvimos	Estuvieron
Ser (to be)		Fui	Fuiste	Fue	Fuimos	Fueron
Ir (to go)		Fui	Fuiste	Fue	Fuimos	Fueron
Dar (to give)		Di	Diste	Dio	Dimos	Dieron
Traer (to bring)		Traje	Trajiste	Trajo	Trajimos	Trajeron
Decir (to say)		Dije	Dijiste	Dijo	Dijimos	Dijeron
Reducir (to reduce)		Reduje	Redujiste	Redujo	Redujimos	Redujeron
Hacer (to do)		Hice	Hiciste	Hizo	Hicimos	Hicieron
Poner (to put)		Puse	Pusiste	Puso	Pusimos	Pusieron
Poder (to be able)		Pude	Pudiste	Pudo	Pudimos	Pudieron
Caber (to fit)		Cupe	Cupiste	Cupo	Cupimos	Cupieron
Querer(to want)		Quise	Quisiste	Quiso	Quisimos	Quisieron
Tener (to have)		Tuve	Tuviste	Tuvo	Tuvimos	Tuvieron
Andar (to walk)		Anduvo	Anduviste	Anduvo	Anduvimos	Anduvieron
Venir (to come)		Vine	Viniste	Vino	Vinimos	Vinieron

These Irregular Verbs change the “i” to “y” but only for the subjects “Usted/él/ella” and “Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas”. The other subjects are conjugated as a regular verb. There is an accent over the “i” for the subjects “Yo”, “Tú” and “Ustedes/ellos/ellas”. For example:

Infinitive		Yo	Tú	Usted/él/ella	Nosotros	Ustedes/ellos/ellas
Caer (to fall)		Caí	Caíste	Cayó	Caímos	Cayeron
Creer(to believe)		Creí	Creíste	Creyó	Creímos	Creyeron
Leer(to read)		Leí	Leíste	Leyó	Leímos	Leyeron
Oír(to hear)		Oí	Oíste	Oyó	Oímos	Oyeron

Expressions of the Preterite Tense

Expressions of the Preterite Tense

In Spanish there are various phrases signifying something that happened in the past such as that which happened last night, last week, last year, etc. The terms “always” and “never” apply to the present and the past tense because something can “always” or “never” happen in the past. (i.e. John always lied. Joan never lied.)

Vocabulary – Spanish	Vocabulary – English
Ayer	Yesterday
Anteayer/antier	Day before yesterday
Anoche	Last night
Antenoche	The night before last
La semana pasada	Last week
El año pasado	Last year
El verano pasado	Last summer
Hace + tiempo + pretérito	Ago
En la mañana	In the morning
Por la mañana	In the morning
El otro día	The other day
El fin de semana pasado	Last weekend
Siempre	Always
Nunca	Never

Direct Object Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns – A direct object pronoun is used in place of person or thing that receives the action of the verb.The direct object can be found by asking the questions:

• Who receives the action of the verb?
• What receives the action of the verb?

For example:

• John sees Jane
• Who receives the action of “sees”?
• Answer: Jane was seen, therefore, Jane is the direct object

The direct object pronoun can replace the direct object, for example:

• John sees her
• “her” is the direct object pronoun

Direct object pronouns in Spanish are:

Spanish	English
Me	Me
Te	You
Lo/La	Him/her/you
Nos	Us
Los/Las	Them

Placement of Direct Object Pronouns

Placement of Direct Object Pronouns

Direct object pronouns typically are placed before a conjugated verb. However, the following exceptions apply:

• If there is a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive, the pronoun can be placed before the conjugated verb or at the end of the infinitive. For example, La prefiero tener or Prefiero tenerla (I prefer to have it).
• The pronoun is attached to the end of a positve command or a gerund. For example, Ponloaquí (Put it here). Estoy poniéndolo aquí.
• The pronoun precedes a negative command or gerund. For example, No lo pongas aquí (Don’t put it here).

Notice that when the pronoun is attached at the end of the infinitive, or a gerund or a command form (in the affirmative), the pronoun forms one word with the verb. For example, prefiero tenerla / estoy poniéndolo / ponlo.Common Reflexive Verbs

Common Reflexive Verbs

A reflexive verb is one where the same person does and receives the action, that is to say there are no outside forces. In English, this is similar to “myself” or “yourself”.1.  Reflexive Pronouns– The following pronouns are used with reflexive verbs:

Spanish	English
Me	Myself
Te	Yourself
Se	His/herself
Nos	Ourselves
Se	Themselves

Reflexive pronouns:

• Typically precede verbs – For example, Meacuesto (I’m going to bed).
• Follow positive commands – For example, Acuéstate (Go to bed).
• Are used after “no” and before the reflexive verb in a negative setence. For example, Yo no me lavé esta mañana (I didn’t wash myself this morning).

2.  Reflexive Verbs – Reflexive verbs are usually identified with “se” at the end of the infinitive (e.g., bañarse). Conjugation of reflexive verbs does not change. The only difference is the use of the reflexive pronoun. For example,

• Yome levanto para salir (I get up to leave).
• Tú te levantas para salir (He gets up to leave).
• Él se levanta para salir (He gets up to leave).
• Nosotros nos levantamos para salir(We get up to leave).
• Ustedes se levantan para salir
• Ellos se levantan para salir(They get up to leave).

Uses of the Verbs Dar, Hacer, Poner, Echar, Tener and others

Uses of the Verbs Dar, Hacer, Poner, Echar, Tener and others

Some verbs, when united with other phrases, convert into expressions with a different meaning and use than the normal verb.This lesson includes information on:

1. Acabar
2. Dar
3. Dejar
4. Echar
5. Haber
6. Hacer
7. Ponerse
8. Tener
9. Volver

1.  Acabar– “Acabar” translates in English as “to finish,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Acabar	To finish
Acabar de + infinitivo	To have just…
Acabar por + infinitivo	To finally

2.  Dar– “Dar” translates in English as “to give,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Dar	To give
Dar cara a	To face/confront
Dar la cara	To face the consequences
Dar la cara por	To defend
Dar un abrazo	To embrace
Dar con	To come upon, to run into, to find
Dar cuerda	To wind
Dar de beber (comer) a	To give a drink to/to feed
Dar en	To strike against, to hit
Dar las gracias	To thank
Dar gritos	To shout
Dar la hora	To strike the hour
Dar un paseo	To take a walk/to go for a ride
Dar por + participio pasado	To accept somethingas established
Dar recuerdos	To give regards to
Dar una vuelta	To take a stroll
Darse cuenta de	To realize
Darse la mano	To shake hands
Darse prisa	To hurry

3.  Dejar– “Dejar” translates in English as “to leave something or somebody behind- (not for a person) however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Dejar	To leave
Dejar de	To stop
Dejar caer	To drop

4.  Echar– “Echar” translates in English as “to throw,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Echar	To throw
Echar(se) a + infinitivo	To start to
Echar al correo	To mail
Echar la culpa	To blame
Echar de menos	To miss

5.  Haber– “Haber” translates in English as “to have,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Haber	To have
Hay	There is/There are
Hubo/Había	There was/There were
Habrá	There will be
Habría	There would be
Ha habido	There has (have) been
Haber + infinitivo	To be supposed to, to have to
Haber que + infinitivo	To be necessary
Haber (mucho) lodo	To be muddy
Haber luna	To have moonlight
Haber neblina	To be foggy/misty
Haber polvo	To be dusty
Haber sol	To be sunny

6.  Hacer– “Hacer” translates in English as “to make” or “to do,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Hacer	To make/do
Hacer + expresión de tiempo + que + preterito	It has been + length of time + sinceIt was + length of time + ago
Hace poco	A little while ago
Hacer buen (mal) tiempo	To be good (or bad) weather
Hacer frío	To be cold
Hacer calor	To be warm
Hacer viento	To be windy
Hacer caso	To pay attention, to notice
Hacer de	To work as, to act as
Hacer el papel de	To play the role of
Hacer pedazos/añicos	To break into pieces, to smash
Hacer una pregunta	To ask a question
Hacer una visita	To pay a visit
Hacer un viaje	To take a trip
Hacerse + sustantivo	To become
Hacerse tarde	To become late
Hacer(se) daño	To harm, damage, hurt (oneself)

7.  Ponerse– “Poner” translates in English as “to put,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Ponerse	To put
Ponerse + adjetivo	To become, to turn
Ponerse a + infinitivo	To begin to, to set about doing
Ponerse de acuerdo	To come to an agreement

8.  Tener– “Tener” translates in English as “to have,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Tener	To have
Tener calor	To be warm
Tener frío	To be cold
Tener cuidado	To be careful
Tener dolor de cabeza, estómago, etc.	To have a headache, stomache ache, etc.
Tener éxito	To be successful
Tener ganas de	To feel like
Tener hambre	To be hungry
Tener sed	To be thirsty
Tener la culpa	To be to blame for
Tener lugar	To take place
Tener miedo de	To be afraid of
Tener por	To consider
Tener prisa	To be in a hurry
Tener que ver con	To have to do with
Tener razón/No tener razón	To be right/To be wrong
Tener sueño	To be sleepy
Tener suerte	To be lucky
Tener vergüenza de + infinitivo	To be ashamed
Tener celos	To be jealous

9.  Volver– “Volver” translates in English as “to return,” however, it can have other meanings in Spanish usually when used with a preposition or as an idiomatic expression.

Spanish	English
Volver	To return
Volver a + infinitivo	To do something again
Volver en sí	To regain consciousness, to come to
Volverse + adjetivo	To become

Ordinal Numbers

Ordinal Numbers

In Spanish and English we have ordinal and cardinal numbers. Cardinal numbers are those we use for counting (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) and are covered in Lesson 2. Ordinal numbers are those that we use to rank things, name streets, give a position to something, etc. (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.).Ordinal numbers are the numbers we use to rank things, name streets, etc. (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.). The last letter of ordinal numbers will be an “o” or an “a” for masculine or feminine nouns, respectively. However, the “o” is dropped before masculine nouns for 1st & 3rd. Ordinal numbers are rarely used beyond 10. Note: the “o” is dropped for First (primer) and Third (Tercer) when it is followed by a masculine noun. For example:

Number	Ordinal	Example in Spanish	English
1st	Primero	·   el primer chico ·   la primera chica	·   the first boy ·   the first girl
2nd	Segundo	·   el segundo chico ·   la segunda chica	·   the second boy ·   the second girl
3rd	Tercero	·   el tercer chico ·   la tercera chica	·   the third boy ·   the third girl
4th	Cuarto	·   el cuarto chico ·   la cuarta chica	·   the forth boy ·   the forth girl
5th	Quinto	·   el quinto chico ·   la quinta chica	·   the fifth boy ·   the fifth girl
6th	Sexto	·   el sexto chico ·   la sexta chica	·   the sixth boy ·   the sixth girl
7th	Séptimo	·   el séptimo chico ·   la séptima chica	·   the seventh boy ·   the seventh girl
8th	Octavo	·   el octavo chico ·   la octava chica	·   the eighth boy ·   the eighth girl
9th	Noveno	·   el noveno chico ·   la novena chica	·   the ninth boy ·   the ninth girl
10th	Décimo	·   el  décimo chico ·   la décima chica	·   the tenth boy ·   the tenth girl

Vocabulary – Spanish	Vocabulary – English
Primero	First
Segundo	Second
Tercero	Third
Cuarto	Fourth
Quinto	Fifth
Sexto	Sixth
Séptimo	Seventh
Octavo	Eighth
Noveno	Nineth
Décimo	Tenth
Décimo primero	Eleventh
Décimo segundo	Twelfth
Décimo tercero	Thirteenth
Décimo cuarto	Fourteenth
Décimo quinto	Fifteenth
Décimo Sexto	Sixteenth
Décimo séptimo	Seventeenth
Décimo Octavo	Eighteenth
Décimo Noveno	Nineteenth
Vigésimo	Twentieth

Imperfect Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

Imperfect Tense Conjugation of Regular Verbs

In Spanish, there are two main ways to express actions in the past: the preterit and the imperfect.The Imperfect Tense is used to describe:

• Actions repeated in the past (i.e., used to).  For example, “I used to study Spanish every morning.”
• Hours, dates, ages and names in the past.  For example, “It was 8 o’clock when he came home” and “He was 10 years old last year.”
• Description in the past.  For example, “She had brown eyes.”
• Events that don’t have a beginning or an end.  For example, “She studied Spanish in Guatemala.”
• A substitution for the past progressive. For example: I was reading when you called.

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ar” ending.  These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “ar”,

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Hablar	To Speak
Yo	hablaba	I spoke
Tú	hablabas	You spoke
Usted/él/ella	hablaba	You (formal)/He/She spoke
Nosotros	hablábamos	We spoke
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	hablaban	You (plural) spoke/They spoke

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “er” ending. These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “er”,

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Comer	To Eat
Yo	comía	I ate
Tú	comías	You ate
Usted/él/ella	comía	You (formal)/He/She ate
Nosotros	comíamos	We ate
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	comían	You (plural) speak/They ate

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ir” ending. These same endings are used for all “regular verbs” that end in “ir”

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Vivir	To Live
Yo	vivía	I lived
Tú	vivías	You lived
Usted/él/ella	vivía	You (formal)/He/She lived
Nosotros	vivíamos	We lived
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	vivían	You (plural) speak/They lived

Imperfect Irregular Verbs

Imperfect Irregular Verbs

There are some verbs that don’t follow the rules of conjugation. In the imperfect tense there are only three irregular verbs: ser, ir, and ver.The first and third persons are identical so you should not drop the subject as easily as you do in the preterit, unless it is very clear who is the subject.

• “Ser” in the imperfect tense translates as “was” or “were” in English

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Ser	To be
Yo	Era	I was
Tú	Eras	You were
Usted/Él/Ella	Era	You (formal)/He/She were
Nosotros	Éramos	We were
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Eran	You (plural)/They were

• “Ir” in the imperfect tense translates as “went” in English

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitivo: Ir	To go
Yo	Iba	I went
Tú	Ibas	You went
Usted/Él/Ella	Iba	You (formal)/He/She went
Nosotros	Íbamos	We went
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Iban	You (plural)/They went

• “Ver” in the imperfect tense translates as “saw” in English

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Ver	To see
Yo	Veía	I saw
Tú	Veías	You saw
Usted/Él/Ella	Veía	You (formal)/He/She saw
Nosotros	Veíamos	We saw
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Veían	You (plural)/They saw

Expressions of the Imperfect Tense

Expressions of the Imperfect Tense

In Spanish, the following expressions are typically used in the imperfect tense to express an incomplete past.

Spanish	English
Antes	Before
Érase una vez	Once upon a time (used only in stories)
Generalmente	Generally
Frecuentemente	Frequently
A menudo	Often
Constantemente	Constantly
Siempre	Always
Cada día	Each day
Cada mes	Each month
Cada año	Each year
Raras veces	Rarely
Por lo general	In general
Todos los años	Every year
Todos los meses	Every month
Todos los días	Every day
De vez en cuando	Occasionally
Normalmente	Normally
Usualmente	Usually
Mientras	While

Difference Between Preterit and Imperfect Tenses

Difference Between Preterit and Imperfect Tenses

There are various differences between the uses of the preterit and the uses of the imperfect tenses and all uses are in the past.1.  When to use the Preterit Tense– The preterit tense is commonly used to express:

• An action that starts and ends in the past
• Actions that occur only one time
• Conclusions 

2.  When to use the Imperfect Tense– The imperfect is commonly used to express:

• Habits or customs in the past
• Describe people, animals, things, and with descriptive situations
• To tell age, dates, days, names and hours
• What had been happening – Usually expressed in Spanish,Hacía + time + que + imperfect.
• Temporary condition of being
• With nouns and the verb tener
• Actions in progress (imperfect) that are interrupted by another action (in the preterit)- Usually expressed in Spanish, Cuando + preterit + imperfect or vice versa
• To tell history or stories
• Intention of the actions – Usually expressed in Spanish, Ir + a + infinitive, Querer + infinitive.

Synonyms

Synonyms

Synonyms are words that are written differently but have the same meaning.

Spanish	English
Sinónimos	Synonyms
Demonio/Diablo	Devil
Desear/Querer	To want
Diferente/Distinto	Different
Enviar/Mandar	To send
Esposo/Marido	Husband
Idioma/Lengua	Language
Irse/Marcharse	To go away
Jamás/Nunca	Never
País/Nación	Country
Rogar/Suplicar	To beg
Tonto/Necio	Stupid
Volver/Regresar	To return
Acabar/Terminar	To end
Bello/Hermoso	Beautiful
Cabello/Pelo	Hair
Cara/Rostro	Face
Cura/Sacerdote	Priest
Delgado/Flaco	Skinny, thin

Antonyms

Antonyms

Antonyms are words that are written differently and have the opposite meaning.

Spanish	English
Antónimos:	Antonyms
Abajo/Arriba	Below/above
Abrir/Cerrar	To open/To close
Acercarse/Alejarse	To get close to/To distance from
Alegre/Triste	Happy/Sad
Algo/Nada	Something/Nothing
Alguien/Nadie	Someone/Nobody
Alto/Bajo	Tall/Short
Amar/Odiar	To love/To hate
Amigo/Enemigo	Friend/Enemy
Amargo/Dulce	Bitter/Sweet
Amo/Esclavo	Master/Slave
Ancho/Estrecho	Wide/Narrow
Antes/Después	Before/Alter
Antiguo/Moderno	Antique/Modern
Bajar/Subir	To go down/To go up
Barato/Caro	Cheap/Expensive
Bien/Mal	Good/Bad
Blanco/Negro	White/Black
Bueno/Malo	Good/Bad

Indirect Object Pronouns

Indirect Object Pronouns

The Indirect Object is the person who indirectly receives the action. The Indirect Object can be found with the question:

• To whom was the action of the verb indirectly made? For example:
  • John gave the book to Jane.
  • To whom was the action of the verb “gave” indirectly made?
  • Answer: Jane indirectly received the action of the “book” being “given”. Therefore, “Jane” is the Indirect Object.

• The Indirect Object Pronoun can replace the Indirect Object, for example:
  • John gave the book to her (John le dio el libro)
  • “to her” is the Indirect Object Pronoun (le)

• The Indirect Object Pronouns are:

Spanish	English
Me	To me
Te	To you
Le	To him/her/you
Nos	To us
Les	To them

• In Spanish, very often there is a repetition of the indirect object pronoun, it is called the “redundance” of the indirect object.  For example:
  • John le dio el libro a ella.

“A ella” is not necessary, it is called the “phrase of clarification”. The “le” is necessary.

Future Tense Formation of Regular Verbs

Future Tense Formation of Regular Verbs

In Spanish as in English, we express events that are going to happen using a specific form of the verb. There are two ways of expressing the future. The more colloquial form using the verb “to go”, which is the equivalent to the English “going to…” (Ex: I am going to study = yo voy a estudiar) and with the less colloquial future tense, the equivalent to the English verbs preceded by “will” (Ex. I will study later). This lesson explains the latter.The Future Tense is used to express:

• What will happen in the future. For example, “I will play soccer tomorrow.”
• What is uncertain or probable now. For example, “He is probably at the library.”

The future for regular verbs is formed with the infinitive + the ending.Differently from other tenses, the endings for future are the same, regardless of the infinitive ending in –ar, -er or -ir.Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ar” ending.

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Hablar (to speak)
Yo	hablaré	I will speak
Tú	hablarás	You will speak
Usted/él/ella	hablará	You (formal)/He/She will speak
Nosotros	hablaremos	We will speak
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	hablarán	You (plural) will speak/They will speak

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “er” ending.

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Comer (to eat)
Yo	comeré	I will eat
Tú	comerás	You will eat
Usted/él/ella	comerá	You (formal)/He/She will eat
Nosotros	comeremos	We will eat
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	comerán	You (plural) will eat/They will eat

Here is a conjugation example of a regular verb with an “ir” ending.

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Vivir (to live)
Yo	viviré	I will live
Tú	vivirás	You will live
Usted/él/ella	vivirá	You (formal)/He/She will live
Nosotros	viviremos	We will live
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	vivirán	You (plural) will live/They will live

“Future Tense Formation of Irregular Verbs

Future Tense Formation of Irregular Verbs

There are 12 verbs that don’t follow the same conjugation rules in the future tense:

Caber	Haber	Poder	Querer
Saber	Decir	Hacer	Poner
Salir	Tener	Valer	Venir

The Future Tense is used to express:

• What will happen in the future. For example, Pondré la mesa (I will set the table).
• What is uncertain or probable now. For example, Él sabrá la respuesta(He probably knows the answer).

Notice that the irregular verbs in the future coincide with some irregular verbs in the “yo” person in the present, mainly the ones ending in “go”, given in the first list, plus others such as:

• Decir  (digo) = diré
• Hacer (hago) = hare
• Saber (sé) = sabré

·         For the following verbs, replace the i or the e with d in the verb ending:

Spanish Subject “yo”	Spanish Infinitive	English
Pongo	Poner	To put
Salgo	Salir	To leave
Tengo	Tener	To have
Valgo	Valer	To be worth
Vengo	Venir	To come

For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Poner (to put)
Yo	Pondré	I will put
Tú	Pondrás	You will put
Usted/él/ella	Pondrá	You (formal)/He/She will put
Nosotros	Pondremos	We will put
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Pondrán	You (plural) will put/They will put

·         For the following verbs, leave out the vowel in the verb ending:

Spanish	English
Caber	To fit
Haber	To have
Poder	To be able to
Querer	To want
Saber	To know

For example:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Caber (to fit)
Yo	Cabré	I will fit
Tú	Cabrás	You will fit
Usted/él/ella	Cabrá	You (formal)/He/She will fit
Nosotros	Cabremos	We will fit
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Cabrán	You (plural) will fit/They will fit

·         The last 2 verbs in the group of 12 are stem-changing verbs:

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Decir (to say)
Yo	Diré	I will say
Tú	Dirás	You will say
Usted/él/ella	Dirá	You (formal)/He/She will say
Nosotros	Diremos	We will say
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Dirán	You (plural) will say/They will say

Spanish	Spanish	English
Subject	Infinitive: Hacer (to do, to make)
Yo	Haré	I will do (make)
Tú	Harás	You will do (make)
Usted/él/ella	Hará	You (formal)/He/She will do (make)
Nosotros	Haremos	We will do (make)
Ustedes/Ellos/Ellas	Harán	You (plural) will do (make)/They will do (make)

Expressions of the Future Tense

Expressions of the Future Tense

In Spanish as in English, we have expressions of the future tense. These expressions are used to give a sense or an idea of when something is going to happen in the future.  Tomorrow, next week, later and other similar words explain when something is going to happen. With these words, we use verbs in the future tense.In the Spanish language it is very common, in the colloquial language, to use present tense even when you are thinking about future.

• Coloquial form: Mañana voy a tu casa.
• Literal or formal form: Mañana iré a tu casa.

Spanish	English
Mañana	Tomorrow
Mañana por la mañana	Tomorrow morning
Mañana por la tarde	Tomorrow afternoon
Mañana por la noche	Tomorrow night
Mañana al medio día	Tomorrow at noon
La próxima vez	Next time
El próximo día	The next day
La próxima semana	The next week
El próximo mes	The next month
El próximo año	The next year
La semana que viene	Next week

Uses of the Grammatical Future Tense

Uses of the Grammatical Future Tense

There are various uses of the grammatical future tense in Spanish. The future tense expresses an action that is anticipated from the present moment. It also expresses a sense of command in the tú, usted, and ustedes forms. It expresses a probability in the present as well. Also, the formation ir a + infinitive exists to express the near future tense and the verb querer + infinitive is used to solicit something.This lesson includes information on:

1. Future Action
2. Command
3. Probability in the Present
4. Near Future Condition
5. Solicitation

1.  Future ActionThe future tense expresses an action or event that will take place in the future.  For example:

Spanish	English
Bailaré en un club mañana.	I will dance in a club tomorrow.

2.  CommandThe future tense can be used to express a command for the future in the tú, usted and ustedes forms.  For example:

Spanish	English
Irás conmigo mañana.	You will go with me tomorrow.
Harán su tarea esta noche.	You will do your homework tonight.
Llegará a tiempo.	You will arrive on time.

3.  Probability in the PresentThe future tense can be used to express probability in the present, or the question “…wonder if….  For example:

Spanish	English
¿Estará tu madre en la casa?	Is your mother home?I wonder if your mother is home

4.  The Use of the Colloquial     Ir + a + infinitiveSometimes called the Near Future Condition, this form expresses something that is going to happen soon,

Spanish	English
Voy a caminar.	I am going to walk.
Van a montar un caballo.	They are going horse back riding.

The Ir + a + infinitive expresses a suggestion when used in the “we” form:

Spanish	English
Vamos a limpiar la casa.	Let’s clean the house.

5.  SolicitationThe future tense can be used to express solicitation when the verb querer is followed by an infinitive in the following form:

Querer + infinitive

For example:

Spanish	English
¿Querrás acompañarme al parque?	Do you want to go with me to the park?

Comparative Adjectives

Comparative Adjectives

In Spanish as in English, we use comparatives to express comparisons of superiority, equality, and inferiority.  The comparisons of equality have their own formula.

a)      To express more… than…, one uses the following forms:

• When using an adjective, adverb or noun in a comparison, one uses the form:

Verb + más + adjective, adverb, noun + que

Spanish	English
Roberto es más energético que Pablo.	Robert is more energetic than Pablo.

• When comparing two things directly, one uses the form:

Verb + más + que

Spanish	English
Sara lee más que Lisa.	Sara reads more than Lisa.

• When using numbers, one uses the form:

Verb + más + de + number, quantity

Spanish	English
Juan tiene más de 2 perros.	John has more than 2 dogs.

*This form is only valid for affirmative sentences.

• When comparing two clauses, one uses the form:

Verb + más + adjective, adverb, noun + de lo (la,los,las) que

Spanish	English
Esa montaña es más peligrosa de lo que creemos.	This mountain is more dangerous than we think.

b)      To express less… than…, one uses the following forms:

• When using an adjective, adverb or noun in a comparison, one uses the form:

Verb + menos + adjective, adverb, noun + que

Spanish	English
Roberto es menos energético que Pablo.	Robert is less energetic than Pablo.

• When comparing two things directly, one uses the form:

Verb + menos + que

Spanish	English
Sara lee menos que Lisa.	Sara reads less than Lisa.

• When using numbers, one uses the form:

Verb + menos + de + number, quantity

Spanish	English
Juan tiene menos de 2 perros.	John has less than 2 dogs.

*This form is only valid in affirmative sentences.

• When comparing two clauses, one uses the form:

Verb + menos + adjective, adverb, noun + de lo (la,los,las) que

Spanish	English
Esa montaña es menos peligrosa de lo que creemos.	This mountain is less dangerous than we think.

c)      To express equality, one uses the following forms:

• When expressing equality regarding people and things, one uses the form:

Verb + tan + adjective, adverb, noun + como

Spanish	English
Sara es tan alta como Lisa.	Sara is as tall as Lisa.

• When expressing equality regarding quantity, one uses the form:

Verb + tanto + adjective, adverb, noun + como

Spanish	English
Tiene tanto dinero como su hermano.	He has as much money as his brother.

*When using tanto… como…, tanto is a modifier and must agree in gender and singular/plural with the noun.  For example, if there are as many cars as, the statement would be written: Hay tantos coches como….

d)      There are some irregular comparisons.

• With bueno (good) and bien(well) one uses mejor.  With malo (bad) and mal (bad) one uses peor.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
Bueno (a)	Good	Malo (a)	Bad
Mejor (que)	Better	Peor (que)	Worse
El (la) mejor (de)	Best	El (la) peor (de)	Worst

• With joven(young) and pequeño(small) one uses menor.  With Viejo (old) and grande(large) one uses mayor.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
Joven	Young	Viejo (a)	Old
Menor (que)	Younger	Mayor (que)	Older
El (la) menor (de)	Youngest	El (la) mayor (de)	Oldest

• Alto(high) and bajo(low)use different words for each level of comparison.

Spanish	English	Spanish	English
Bajo (a)	Low	Alto (a)	High
Inferior	Lower	Superior	Higher
Ínfimo (a)	Lowest	Supremo (a)	Highest

Superlative Adjectives

Superlative Adjectives

In Spanish as in English, we use superlatives to express the highest degree of comparisons.

a)      The superlatives that form the adjectives only add a definite article.  For example, valiente is the adjective, más valiente is the comparative, and el más valiente is the superlative.

• To express the most, one uses the form:

El (la) más+ adjective + (de)

Spanish	English
Lisa es la más bonita de la clase.	Lisa is the prettiest in the class.

*The superlative in relation to the other elements of the same type uses the superlative form followed by the preposition de.

• To express the least, one uses the form:

El (la) menos+ adjective + (de)

Spanish	English
Juan es el chico menos inteligente.	John is the least intelligent boy.

b)      The superlatives that form the adverbs do not use the article.  For example, claramente is the adverb, más claramente is the comparative, and más claramente is the superlative.

• To express the most using an adverb, one uses the form:

Más+ adverb

Spanish	English
Ella caminó más rápidamente.	She walked more/most quickly.

• To express the least using an adverb, one uses the form:

Menos+ adverb

Spanish	English
Él habla menos lentamente.	He speaks least slowly.

c)      The independent superlative can use:

muy, sumamente, extraordinariamente, extremadamente+ adjective or adverb

Spanish	English
Ana es sumamente inteligente.	Ana is extremely intelligent.

d)      The adjective + ísimo (a, os, as) is another independent superlative. The adverb + ísimo is used as an independent superlative.

Adjective/adverb + ísimo (a,os,as)

Spanish	English
La vida es hermosísima.	Life is really beautiful.
Él camina rapidísimo.	He walks really fast.

Some adjectives change their spelling when ísimo is added to the end.  The following is a list of those adjectives:

Spanish	-ísimo	English
Antiguo	Antiquísimo	Very old
Fuerte	Fortísimo	Very strong
Nuevo	Novísimo	Very new
Rico	Riquísimo	Very rich

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place describe where things or people are or where events happen.The following is a list of adverbs of place:

Spanish	English
De lugar	Of place
Aquí	Over here
Allí	Over there
Ahí	There (close to the person being spoken to)
Paraacá	This way
Paraallá	That way
Arriba	Upstairs
Abajo	Downstairs
En lo alto	Up there
Adelante/Delante	In front
Atrás	In back
Cerca	Nearby
Lejos	Far off
Al fondo	In back, at the bottom
A la izquierda	On the left
A la derecha	On the right
Al lado	Next to
Por algún lado	Somewhere
Por ningún lado	Nowhere
Por aquí	Around here
Por allí	Around there
Por ahí	Around there
Por allá	Around there (far)
Por arriba	Up there
Por abajo	Down there
Por delante	In front
Por atrás	In back
Por acá	Around here
Por al fondo	Around back
Por la izquierda	Around the left
Por la derecha	Around the right
Por un lado	On one hand

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time express when events happen.The following is a list of adverbs of time:

Spanish	English
De tiempo	Of time
Ya	Already, now, right now
Ya no	No longer
Recién	Newly, just, recently
Ahora	Now
Ahora mismo	Right now
Antes	Before
Mucho antes	A long time before
Anteriormente	Formerly
Apenas	Hardly, scarcely
Posteriormente	Subsequently
Luego	Then, afterwards
En seguida	Right away
Todavía	Still
Todavía no	Not yet
Siempre	Always
Aún	Still, yet
A veces	Sometimes
Después	After
Entonces	Then
Hoy	Today
Mañana	Tomorrow
Nunca	Never
Pronto	Soon
Tarde	Late
Temprano	Early

Adverbs of Method (Manner)

Adverbs of Method (Manner)

Adverbs of manner express how something is done.The following is a list of adverbs of Method (Manner):

Spanish	English
De modo	Of manner
Mal	Poor, bad
Bien	Good
Mejor	Better
Peor	Worse

Adverbs of Quantity

Adverbs of Quantity

Adverbs of quantity express how much there is of something.The following is a list of adverbs of quantity:

Spanish	English
De cantidad	Of quantity
Mucho	Many
Poco	Few
Más	More
Menos	Less
Muy	Very
Demasiado	Too much
Tanto	So much
Bastante	Enough

Adverb Formation with the Ending "mente"

Adverb Formation with the Ending “mente”

This changes the adjective to an adverb and changes the meaning.  Written accents on adjectives are also written on adverbs.

Feminine, singular adjective + -mente

For example:

Spanish Adjective	English Adjective	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
Triste	Sad	Tristemente	Sadly
Rápido	Quick	Rápidamente	Quickly
Amargo	Bitter	Amargamente	Bitterly

Adverb Formation with the Preposition con

Adverb Formation with the Preposition con

The adverbs with the preposition “con” (with) are formed with “con” (with) + a noun.

Con+ noun

For example:

Spanish Adjective	English Adjective	Spanish Adverb	English Adverb
Triste	Sad	Con tristeza	With sadness
Rápido	Quick	Con rapidez	With quickness
Amargo	Bitter	Con amargura	With bitterness

Uses of Adverbs

Uses of Adverbs

Adverbs are used to modify verbs, adverbs and adjectives.  They never change form regardless of gender or number of the verb, adverb or adjective they modify.

a)      When you can answer the question how with an adverb, it modifies a verb.

For example:

Spanish	English
Trabajo cuidadosamente.	I work carefully.

b)      When you are expressing the intensity degree of an adjective or adverb (really hot, extremely intelligent, etc.), the adverb is modifying an adjective or adverb.

For example:

Spanish	English
Mis hermanas son enormemente bonitas.	My sisters are tremendously beautiful.
Camina demasiado rápido.	She walks too quickly.