Spanish 2 Final Grammar Practice Package
Know the following verb forms for the following verbs:
ser, estar, tener, hacer, poder, decir, ir ver, dar, saber, querer, llegar, pasar, deber, poner, parecer, quedar, creer, hablar, llevar, dejar, seguir, encontrar, llamar, venir, pensar, salir, volver, tomar, conocer, vivir, sentir, tartar, mirar, contar, empezar.
Past Tense
Imperfect
Pretérito
Presente Tense
Future Tense
Future
Condicional
Progressive Tense
Formal/Informal Commands
Perfect Tense
Singular/Plural
Nouns that end in an unstressed vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or é, add -s
la pera -> las peras
la bota -> las botas
el sonido -> los sonidos
el mono -> los monos
el café -> los cafés
el hincapié -> los hincapiés
Nouns that end in a consonant, -y, or a stressed vowel (á, í, ó, ú) that isn´t é, add -es
el botón -> los botones
el rey -> los reyes
When Do I Use the Tilde?
Nouns that end in é, í, or ú retain their tildes in the plural form. Nouns that end in á or ó drop the tildes.
The exceptions:
When the noun ends in -c, you must change the -c to -qu. When the noun ends in -g, change it to -gu and add -es.
el frac -> los fraques
el zigzag -> los zigzagues
When the noun ends in an -s or -x and the last syllable is unstressed, only the article changes to plural. The object stays the same.
el análisis -> los análisis
el jueves -> los jueves
el tórax -> los tórax
Directions: Add the correct ending to the following nouns to make them plural.
El borrador: ____________
El lápiz: ____________
La cuidad: ____________
La voz: ____________
El profesor: ____________
El libro: __________
La señora: ____________
La actriz: ____________
La pluma: ____________
El chico: ____________
Directions: From the following nouns, determine whether they are singular or plural, then add the correct articles.
_______ cuidades.
_______ borrador.
_______ lápices.
_______ libros.
_______ voz.
_______ plumas.
_______ actriz.
_______ chico.
_______ profesores.
_______ señora.
For each noun, write the plural form with its article.
la mesa → ______________________
el diccionario → ______________________
el viernes → ______________________
la nación → ______________________
el médico → ______________________
el coche → ______________________
la luz → ______________________
el botón → ______________________
el sofá → ______________________
el caribú → ______________________
Write the nouns in the plural.
En este barrio (la casa) ______________________ son todas iguales.
Por la noche vienen (el jabalí) ______________________ a comer.
(el altavoz) ______________________ estan rotos.
Me gustan (la televisión) ______________________ de plasma.
Tenemos que aprobar todos (el examen) ______________________ .
C1. Formal Commands: Negative, Positive
To form an informal negativecommand in Spanish, we take the yo form of the verb, drop the “o”and for “–AR” verbs add “-es” and for “-ER” and “-IR” verbs add “-as”. This particularlyaffects irregular yo verbs.
Formula: No + yo drop o + add opposite ending
hablar
no hablo
drop “o”
¡No hables! = Don’t speak
Correr
no corro
drop “o”
¡No corras! = Don’t run
Vivir
no vivo
drop “o”
¡No vivas! = Don’t live
Tener
no tengo
drop “o”
¡No tengas! = Don’t have!
mirar __________
venir __________
comprar __________
salir __________
escribir __________
caer __________
abrir __________
conocer __________
comenzar __________
beber __________
To form an informal positive command in Spanish, we simply take the tú form of a verb, and drop the “-s”.
hablar
hablas
drop “s”
¡Habla! = Speak!
Correr
corres
drop “s”
¡Corre! = Run!
Vivir
vives
drop “s”
¡Vive! = Live!
mirar __________
comprar __________
escribir __________
abrir __________
comenzar __________
beber __________
limpiar __________
tomar __________
leer __________
cantar __________
Commands with reflexive verbs:
Take the reflexive pronoun (se) and modify it to the audience (me, te, se, nos, os, se). example: ¡Comete el pollo!
Luisa, ¡___________________________(levantarse) ahora mismo.
¡No ___________________________ (dormir) más.
2. Rogelio, ¡ ___________________________ (irse) a la biblioteca!
¡No ___________________________ (quedarse) en tu cuarto!
3. Juan, ¡ ___________________________ (divertirse) en las vacaciones!
¡No ___________________________ (preocuparse) por el trabajo!
4. Julio, ¡ ___________________________ (buscar) una ganga!
¡No ___________________________ (pagar) demasiado!
5. Paco, ¡ ___________________________ (sentarse) aquí conmigo!
No ¡ ___________________________ (salir) todavía!
C 2: Informal Commands
Affirmative informal (tú) commands
Tú commands are the singular form of informal commands. To tell a friend, family member, classmate, child, or pet to do something, use the affirmative tú command. To tell one of those same people not to do something, use the negative tú command. This article covers the affirmative informal command (informal imperative) in all its forms.
Compra (tú) los libros. (Buy the books.) – affirmative
No camines (tú) en el césped. (Don’t walk on the grass.) – negative
Affirmative Informal Tú Command Forms
For the familiar affirmative commands, you will simply use the 3rd person singular form of the present indicative.
-AR verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -a to the stem
(Comprar) Compra la camisa. (Buy the shirt.)
-ER verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -e to the stem
(Aprender) ¡Aprende español! (Learn Spanish!)
-IR verbs: Add the 3rd person singular ending -e to the stem
(Escribir) ¡Escribe el ensayo! (Write the essay!)
For verbs with stem changes or spelling changes in the present tense, the stem or spelling change still applies.
(Cerrar) Cierra la puerta. (Close the door.)
(Mover) Mueve esas sillas. (Move those chairs.)
(Incluir) Incluye tu información aquí. (Include your information here.)
Irregular Affirmative Informal Tú Commands
All irregular 3rd person singular present indicative verbs keep that same irregularity in the affirmative informal command except the following 8 verbs which have a special irregular form in the affirmative command.
decir
di
salir
sal
hacer
haz
ser
sé
ir
ve
tener
ten
poner
pon
venir
ven
Pronoun Placement with Commands
Pronoun placement: the pronoun is attached to the end of affirmative commands and the verb carries a tilde to maintain its original stress.
Tráemelo. (Bring it to me.)
Díselo. (Tell it to her.)
Cómpraselo. (Buy it for him.)
Ponte los zapatos. (Put on your shoes.)
Punctuation to the Rescue!
Because the informal tú command (imperative) is the same conjugation form as the 3rd person singular, it is helpful to include exclamation points to indicate urgency or the name of the person you are commanding followed by a comma. Without the comma, your sentence is just the 3rd person singular present indicative. Compare the following sentences written with different punctuation:
Comprala camisa. (She buys the shirt.) – present indicative
• ¡Compra la camisa! (Buy the shirt!) – informal imperative
• Alicia compra la camisa. (Alicia buys the shirt.) – present indicative
• Alicia, compra la camisa. (Alicia, buy the shirt.) – informal imperative
Negative Tú Commands
Negative informal commands (negative informal imperative forms) are very different from affirmative informal commands. They are actually more similar to the formal commands in that they use the tú form of the present subjunctive of each verb.
No compres la camisa. (Do not buy the shirt.)
No aprendas español. (Do not learn Spanish!)
¡No escribas el ensayo! (Do not write the essay!)
Always make sure you have a no or another negative word in front of the verb. This is what makes it negative.
Another way to form the negative informal command if you already know your formal commands, is to add an -s to the end of the negative formal command.
infinitive
negative formal command
negative informal command
comprar
no compre
no compres
aprender
no aprenda
no aprendas
escribir
no escriba
no escribas
Irregular Negative Informal Commands
There are no irregular negative informal commands. If a verb is irregular in the present subjunctive, it maintains the same irregular form in the negative informal command as well.
Pronoun Placement
Pronoun placement: the pronoun precedes (goes before) the verb in negative commands and after the negative word.
No te levantes antes de comer tu calabaza. (Don’t get up before you eat your squash.)
Nunca les compres dulces a los niños. (Never buy candy for the children.)
Nunca se los compres. (Never buy it for them.)
Articles
Fill in each of the blanks below with the correct indefinite article (“un”,”una”,”unas”,or “unos”):
some trays = ____________bandejas
a library = ____________biblioteca
a billboard = ____________letrero
a sign = ____________señal
a skyscraper = ____________rascacielos
some fountains = ____________fuentes
some bridges = ____________puentes
a tunnel = ____________túnel
a city block = ____________cuadra(LA)/manzana(SP)
some parks = ____________parques
Fill in each of the blanks below with the correct definite article (“el”,”la”,”las”,or “los”):
1. the tunnels = ____________túneles
2. the museum = ____________ museo
3. the parking meter = ____________ parquímetro
4. the candles = ___________ velas
5. the leg = ____________pierna
6. the crime = ___________ crimen
7. the themes = ___________ temas
8. the problems = ____________problemas
9. the garbage = ____________ basura
10. the jail = ____________cárcel
Fill in the blanks below with the correct definite article (el, la, los, or las) to answer each of the questions:
Q: ¿Cuáles libros? A:________ de tu papá
2. Q: ¿Cuál pan? A: ________que compramos ayer
3. Q: ¿Cuáles sábanas? A: ________que nos dio tu mamá
4. Q: ¿Cuál ropa? A: ________ de tu hermana
5. Q: ¿Cuáles elefantes? A: ________de Africa
6. Q: ¿Cuáles zapatos? A: ________de tu tío
7. Q: ¿Cuál camisa? A: ________de Daniel
8. Q: ¿Cuáles sillas? A: ________de Pedro
9. Q: ¿Cuáles pájaros? A: ________que no están en jaulas
10. Q: ¿Cuál habitación? A: ________de tus abuelos
Numbers
Be familiar with numbers 0-1 million.
Examples:
un cartel con (22) ___________________ mariposas
una bolsa de (72) __________________ canicas
una botella con (15) __________________ arañas
un acuario con (66) __________________ peces
12+ 12 =_________________
3 x 7 = _________________
60/5 = ________________
14 – 5 = ________________
100
1 million
1 billion
999
10 percent
0
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16, 17, 18, 19, 20
Time
To tell the time in Spanish you state: “Son las” + the hour and minutes.
For example:
It is 3:00 = Son las tres.
It is 9:05 = Son las nueve y cinco.
The only exception to this is when you state the time when it is 1:00. In this case you use “Es la…”.
For example:
It is 1:00. = Es la una.
It is 1:24. = Es la una y veinticuatro.
To state the half hour you can use “media” instead of saying the actual number of minutes.
For example:
It is 2:30. = Son las dos y media.
To state quarter past the hour you could use “cuarto” instead of stating the number.
For example:
It is 3:15. = Son las tres y cuarto.
When it is after the half hour Spanish speakers will go to the next hour and subtract to state the time.
For example:
It is 4:35. = Son las cinco menos veinticinco.
It is 10:40. = Son las once menos veinte.
The following terms can be used with telling the time in Spanish to specify what time of day it is:
de la mañana = in the morning
de la tarde = in the afternoon
de la noche = in the night
It is 9:12 AM. = Son las nueve y doce de la mañana.
It is 9:12 PM. = Son las nueve y doce de la noche.
To state at what time a specific event happens you would say “Es a las ….” as opposed to “Son las…”
¿Qué hora es? = What time is it?
(possible response) Son las tres y media.
A qué hora es la clase? = What time is the class?
(possible response) Es a las tres y media.
¿Qué hora es? (12:10 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (3:35 AM)
¿Qué hora es? (9:12 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (7:02 AM)
¿Qué hora es? (8:41 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (1:29 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (12:35 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (5:17 AM)
¿Qué hora es? (2:50 PM)
¿Qué hora es? (6:19 AM)
Ser and Estar:
1.El profesor no ________ en la escuela.
2.El libro _________ encima de la mesa.
3.El señor Gómez _________ de Bélgica.
4.Caracas _________ en Venezuela.
5.Mi prima _________trabajando en la oficina.
6.Mis hermanos _________ estudiando español.
7.________ la una y treinta
8.¿Dónde ________ los chicos?
9.Mi padre ________ enfermo.
10.Catalina y Lina ________ hermanas.
11.Victoria y yo ________ cocinando pollo
12.Nosotros _________ tristes.
13.¿Dónde _______ el museo de arte?
14.El 30 de abril _______ el cumpleaños de la señorita.
15.La bandera _______ delante de la ventana.
16.Gabriel y Enrique _________ inteligentes.
17.Paola _______ cansada.
18._________ las dos y quince.
19.La señora Rodríguez ________ delgada.
20.Carmen _______ en la iglesia.
21.El Señor Salazar ________ un médico.
22.María _______ alta, no ____
Select the correct verb and explain why (ser = characteristic; estar = physical place/condition)
Diego ( es, está ) de Madrid pero ahora ( es, está ) estudiando en Salamanca.
El jefe ( es, está ) furioso porque su asistente ( es, está ) muy desorganizado hoy.
( Es, Está ) nevando. Juan ( es, está ) congelado porque su ropa ( es, está ) de nilón.
El concierto va a ( ser, estar ) mañana. Los músicos ( son, están ) peruanos.
Mi abuela tiene ochenta años pero hoy ( es, está ) muy joven y tiene mucha energía.
Por and Para
“POR” – Rules, Uses & Examples
In Spanish, we use the word “por” in the following ways:
to express movement along, through, around, by or about
Example: Dimos una vuelta por la ciudad. (We took a walk through the city.)
to indicate some sort of exchange
Gracias por el regalo. (Thank you for the present.)
Te doy 20 euros por el collar. (I’ll give you 20 euros for the necklace.)
to indicate a time or duration when something occurs
Example: Me gusta tomar un café por la mañana. (I like to have a coffee in the morning.)
to express the cause or reason for an action
Example: Se engordó por falta de ejercicio. (He got fat for lack of exercise.)
to mean “in favor of”, “on behalf of”, “supporting”
Example: Apuesta por el candidato demócrata. He supports the democratic candidate.
to express a means of communication or transportation
Example: Habló con su abuela por teléfono. (She spoke with her grandmother on the phone.)
to express a general time, meaning “during”
Example: Me gusta tomar un café por la mañana. (I like to have a coffee in the morning.)
“estar por” meaning to be in the mood or inclined to do something
Example: Estoy por ir al cine. (I’m in the mood for going to the movies.)
“PARA” – Rules, Uses & Examples
In Spanish, we use the word “para” in the following ways:
to indicate destination
Example: Voy para Nueva York. (I’m leaving for New York.)
to indicate an object’s use or purpose
Example: El plato es para la hamburguesa. (The plate is for the hamburger.)
to mean “in order to” or “for the purpose of”
Example: Para hacer la tarta, hace falta 2 huevos. (To make the cake, you need 2 eggs)
to indicate a recipient or beneficiary
Example: Este libro es para mi padre. (This book is for my father.)
to express a deadline or specific time
Example: Mi ensayo es para el viernes. (My essay is due on Friday.)
“estar para” to express an action that is about to be completed
Example: Estamos para salir. (We are about to go out.)
Saber and Conocer
Saber
We use the verb “saber” to express “to know” in the following situations:
to express knowledge, or lack thereof, of information about something
No sé donde está. (I don’t know where it is.)
Sabe la verdad. (He knows the truth.)
¿Sabes cuántas estrellas hay en el cielo? (Do you know how many stars are in the sky?)
Sé que no quieres ir. (I know that you don’t want to go.)
to express knowledge, or lack thereof, of how to do something or perform a skill (saber + infinitive)
Sabe encontrar buenos precios. (He knows how find good prices.)
No sabe conducir bien. (He does not know how to drive well.)
Sé cocinar como un chef. (I know how to cook like a chef.)
No sabemos llegar a tu casa. (We don’t know how to get to your house.)
to express that one knows, or doesn’t know, something thoroughly
Sabe todas las reglas de ser y estar. (He knows all of the rules for ser and estar.)
Sé todo el alfabeto en español. (I know the whole alphabet in Spanish.)
Conocer
We use the verb “conocer” to express “I know” in the following situations:
to express familiarity with a person, place, or object
Conozco muy bien este barrio. (I know this neighborhood really well.)
¿Conoces a mi hermana? (Do you know my sister?)
Nos conocemos desde siempre. (We have known each other forever.)
Conoce la filosofía alemana. (He is familiar with German philosophy.)
Practice Questions: Answer correctly and tell why?
Ellos no ________________ las detalles (details).
Nosotros ________________ a Roberto.
Yo ________________ que tú tienes razón (are right).
¿________________ Ud. la hora?
Raúl y yo no ________________ a tu hermana Isabel.
Raúl y yo no ________________ el nombre de tu hermana.
¿Quiénes ________________ tocar el piano?
¿________________ tú que no hay nada de comer en la casa?
Los alumnos ________________ a un chico ruso.
Los alumnos ________________ hablar ruso.
Negatives and Indefinite
nadie
nobody
nada
nothing
ni
nor
ni…ni
neither…nor
ningún(-o, -a, -os, -as)
no, no one, none, any
no
no
nunca, jamás
never
tampoco
neither, not either
todavía no
not yet
ya no
no longer
Examples
No hay nadie en este club. (There is nobody in this club.)
No quiero ni pizza ni pasta. (I want neither pizza nor pasta.)
No hablo mucho tampoco. (I don´t talk a lot either.)
¿Comes espinaca? No, no como nunca espinaca. (Do you eat spinach? No, I never eat spinach.)
Indefinite Words
Indefinite words are the opposites of negative words. Below you will find a list of the most common indefinite words. See if you can match them to the negative words above.
Indefinite Words
alguien
somebody
algo
something
algún(-o, -a, -os, -as)
some, something
alguna vez
ever
siempre
always
también
also
todavía, aún
still
ya
already
o
or
o…o
either…or
Examples
¿Conoces a alguien guapo? (Do you know anyone cute?)
¿Hay algún problema? (Is there any problem?)
Voy a pedir o la pizza o la pasta. (I am going to order either the pizza or the pasta.)
¿Corres siempre por la mañana? (Do you always run in the morning?)
Exercises
1) Rewrite each affirmative sentence so that it is negative. You may need to use more than one negative word.
Example: Yo voy a ir al cine también. -> Yo no voy a ir al cine tampoco.
Siempre estudio el español.
Hay alguien en mi casa.
Hay algunos problemas con la computadora.
Quiero o un perro o un gato.
¿Alguna vez has ido a España?
If you don’t know the correct answer, type ‘?’ to reveal it.
I do not have anything in my backpack. – No tengo ____________________________ en mi mochila.
I always eat spaghetti. – Yo ____________________________ como spaghetti.
I never drive a Ferrari. – Yo ____________________________ conduzco una Ferrari.
Nobody is dancing. – ____________________________ está bailando.
Someone is knocking on the door. – ____________________________ está golpeando la puerta.
I like ice-cream and I also like chocolate. Me gusta el helado y ____________________________ me gusta el chocolate.
I have some books on the shelf. – Tengo ____________________________ libros en el estante.
I don’t have a blue car. – ____________________________ tengo un auto azul.
– Me neither. – Yo ____________________________
Interrogatives
Cómo how
Cuál which one
Cuáles which ones
Cuándo when
Cuánto(a) how much/many
Dónde where
Adónde (to) where
De dónde (from) where
Por qué why
Quién who
Con quién (with) whom
De quién (from) whom
Qué what
A qué (at) what
De qué (of) what
1. ¿
2. ¿
3. ¿
4. ¿
5. ¿
6. ¿
7. ¿
8. ¿
9. ¿
Reflexive Verbs
Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns work with a reflexive verb to indicate that a person is performing the action toward or for him- or herself. These types of verbs are not very common in English, but are used frequently in Spanish. Many actions related to personal care or daily routines are reflexive, but other verbs can be reflexive as well.
Me ducho cada mañana. (I shower (myself) every morning.)
Te peinas el pelo. (You brush your hair (yourself).)
Se hablaba. (He was talking to himself.)
Me veo en el espejo. (I see myself in the mirror.)
The subject is performing the action on him- or herself, making the object of the verb, the same as the subject. Compare two sentences in which one is reflexive and one is not.
I wash myself. (Me lavo.) – myself is the object of wash
I wash the dog. (Lavo el perro.) – the dog is the object of wash
When the object of the verb is the same person as the subject, you will need to use a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject of the verb in both number (singular, plural) and person (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Me lavo. (I wash myself.)
Te lavas. (You wash yourself.)
Se lava. (He washes himself./She washes herself./It washes itself./You wash yourself.)
Nos lavamos. (We wash ourselves.)
Os laváis. (You wash yourselves.)
Se lavan. (They wash themselves./You wash yourselves.)
Reflexive Pronouns
Reflexive pronouns have almost the same forms as indirect object pronouns except se is used in place of le and les for the third person. The reflexive pronoun will always be the same person (1st, 2nd, 3rd) and number (singular, plural) as the subject of the sentence.
Reflexive Pronoun Forms
Singular
Plural
1st person
me (to, for, from, or off myself)
nos (to, for, from, or off ourselves)
2nd person
te (to, for, from, or off yourself)
os (to, for, from, or off yourselves)
3rd person
se (to, for, from, or off himself, herself, itself, yourself)
se (to, for, from, or off themselves, yourselves)
Reflexive Pronoun Uses
Reflexive verbs will require the use of reflexive pronouns to indicate that the direct object of the verb is also the subject, that the subject is performing the action on him- or her-self. Notice that the reflexive pronoun has the same person as the verb ending.
lavarse (to wash one’s self) – Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands.)
sacarse (to take something off one’s self) – Nos sacamos los guantes. (We our gloves off (ourselves).)
despertarse (to wake up) – Se despiertan a las seis cada mañana. (They wake themselves up at six o’clock every morning.)
As mentioned before, you can also add reflexive pronouns to verbs not regularly reflexive verbs in order to make them reflexive.
verse (to see one’s self)
hablarse (to talk to one’s self)
escribirse (to write to one’s self)
comprarse (to buy (something) for one’s self)
Reflexive verbs can also be used to indicate an emotional response to something. When a person becomes angry, sad, happy, etc., you can express this by using reflexive verbs.
Me enojé rápidamente. (I got angry quickly.)
Te alegras de hablar español. (It makes you happy to speak Spanish.)
Se aburre en la clase de matemáticas. (He gets bored in Math class.)
Reflexive pronouns can also be used to add emphasis to a seemingly regular situation. The pronouns are not normally translated directly into English, but the sense of something extra is there in Spanish.
Comí el pastel. (I ate the cake.)
Me comí el pastel. (I ate up the cake/I ate the whole cake.)
Estúdialo. (Study it.)
Estúdiatelo. (Really study it./Study it thoroughly.)
Reflexive Pronoun Placement
Reflexive pronouns are placed immediately before simple conjugated verbs and negative commands.
sacarse – Yo me saco los guantes. (I take off my gloves.)
afeitarse – Tú te afeitas la cara. (You shave your face.)
acostarse – Ellas se acuestan. (They go to bed.)
escribirse – No se escriba notas. (Don’t write notes to yourself.)
Reflexive Pronouns are attached to affirmative commands and in the case of compound verbs (present progressive, ir+a+infinitive, etc.) the pronoun can either be attached to the infinitive or present participle or go before the conjugated verb.
ducharhse – Estoy duchándome. / Me estoy duchando. (I am showering (myself).)
quitarse – Quítate el sombrero. (Take off your hat.)
sentarse – Voy a sentarme. / Me voy a sentar. (I am going to sit (myself) down.)
Reflexive Verb Examples
EXERCISE: Write “I will/am (verb)”. Example: Aburrirse = yo me aburro (I am bored).
aburrirse (de) (to get bored with)
despertarse (to wake up)
enojarse (con) (to get mad about)
quitarse (to take off)
acordarse (de) (to remember)
destaparse (to uncover)
irse (to leave)
reponerse (to get better)
acostarse (to go to bed)
desvestirse (to get undressed)
limarse (las uñas) (to file)
secarse (to dry off)
afeitarse (to shave)
disgustarse (de) (to become upset about)
maquillarse (to put on makeup)
sentarse (to sit down)
alegrarse (de) (to be glad about)
distraerse (to distract oneself)
mirarse (to look at oneself)
sostenerse (to support)
bañarse (to bathe)
divertirse (con) (to enjoy oneself with)
olvidarse (de) (to forget about)
subirse (to get up)
cepillarse (to brush)
dormirse (to go to sleep)
peinarse (to comb one’s hair)
taparse (to cover up oneself)
convertirse (en) (to become)
ducharse (to shower)
pintarse (los labios) (to put on lipstick)
torcerse (to twist)
desayunarse (to eat breakfast)
enfermarse (to become ill)
probarse (to try on)
vestirse (to get dressed)
despedirse (to say good-bye)
enloquecerse (to go crazy)
ponerse (to put on)
volverse (to become)
Reflexive Verbs with Meaning Changes
Making a verb reflexive can change its meaning in ways that you wouldn’t find very logical. Some are more subtle than others, while some are quite different. Some of these verbs are listed below.
abonar
to pay money
abonarse
to subscribe to (a magazine, newspaper, etc.)
abrir
to open
abrirse
to open up (confide in someone)
acordar
to agree/to decide
acordarse
to remember
acusar
to accuse
acusarse
to confess
callar
to be quiet
callarse
to become quiet
cerrar
to close
cerrarse
to close oneself off emotionally
combinar
to combine
combinarse
to take turns
dormir
to sleep
dormirse
to fall asleep
ir
to go
irse
to go away
llevar
to carry
llevarse
to take away
poner
to put
ponerse
to put on/to wear
salir
to leave
salirse
to leave unexpectedly/to leak
Prepositions
Prepositions are used to indicate a relationship between two words, linking them together. These words usually show location, direction, or time. As preposition suggests, these words precede the word or words it links. There are simple prepositions, which consist of only one word, and compound prepositions, which consist of multiple words.
Below you will find a list of the most common simple prepositions in Spanish.
a
to, at
desde
from, since
detrás de
behind
ante
before, in the presence of
en
in, on, at
según
according to
bajo
under
entre
between, among
sin
without
con
with
hacia
until, toward
sobre
about, on, upon, above, over, around
contra
against
hasta
until, toward
tras
after, behind
de
of, from
por
for, by
para
for, in order to
See the article on por vs. para for more information on these similar prepositions
Uses
In most cases, prepositions are used the same way in Spanish as they are used in English and you will find their placements fairly logical. There are a few, however, that warrant a little extra attention. For each preposition below you will find the occasions it is used most commonly as well as several examples with translations since one preposition in Spanish can have many different translations in English.
A
This is a very common preposition that can mean to, at, by, or for depending on the manner it is used. It can be used to:
indicate motion (to)
Fuimos a España. (We went to Spain.)
Iremos al museo el martes. (We will go to the museum on Tuesday.)
connect one verb to an infinitive (not translated directly)
Vamos a bailar. (We are going to dance.)
Empecé a leer. (I began to read.)
indicate manner, how something is done (on, by, with)
Vamos a pie. (We went on foot.)
Lo hice a mano. (I did it by hand.)
Escribe a lápiz. (He writes with a pencil.)
introduce a person as a direct object – “Personal a” (not translated directly)
¿Conoces a Isabela? (Do you know Isabela?)
Veo a mi madre. (I see my mother.)
introduce an indirect object (to, for)
Le di el regalo a Celia. (I gave the gift to Celia.)
Compré los tomates a Anita. (I bought the tomatoes for Anita.)
express time (at, is)
Cenamos a las seis. (We eat dinner at six o’clock.)
Estamos a martes. (It is Tuesday.)
De
This preposition can mean of or from, depending on the use. It can be used to:
indicate possession (of)
Atlanta es la capital de Georgia. (Atlanta is the capitol of Georgia.)
El café de Manuel (Manuel’s cafe)
indicate cause (from, with)
Estoy cansada de correr. (I am tired from running.)
Estamos contentos de nuestro hijo. (We are happy with our son.)
indicate origin (from, of)
Ella es de Uruguay. (She is from Uruguay.)
Sonia es la más inteligente de la familia. (Sonia is the most intelligent of the family.)
describe a noun with another noun or infinitive (of)
Un vaso de vino (A glass of wine)
El jugo de naranja (Orange juice)
compare (than)
Juan es el más grande de todos los estudiantes del quinto grado. (Juan is the biggest of all 5th grade students.)
Hay más de 10 personas en la clase de historia. (There are more than 10 people in the history class.
and also in idioms
De ahora en adelante (From now on)
De pie (Standing)
En
This common preposition can mean in, on, at, about, or by depending on the context. It can be used to:
indicate location (in, on, at)
Está en mi mochila. (It is in my backpack.)
Pon el cuadro en la pared. (Put the painting on the wall.)
Ellos están en la iglesia. (They are at church.)
to indicate time (in)
Fui a Perú en el verano. (I went to Peru in the summer.)
Vienen en una hora. (They are arriving in one hour.)
to indicate manner, how something is done (by)
Vamos a Italia en tren. (We go to Italia by train.)
Me voy al doctor en coche. (I go to the doctor by car.)
idioms (see compound prepositions below)
En broma (As a joke)
En serio (Seriously)
En vivo (Live)
Object and Personal Pronouns
A. Direct Object Pronouns
Direct objects are nouns which receive the action of a verb in a sentence. Direct object pronouns replace that noun (and also noun phrases and nominalized clauses). Just like personal (subject) pronouns replace the subject noun in a sentence, direct object pronouns replace the direct object noun in a sentence which can be a person or a thing.
Singular
Plural
1st person
me (me)
nos (us)
2nd person
te (you, familiar)
os (you, familiar plural)
3rd person
lo, la (it, him, her, you formal)
los, las (them, you, formal plural)
The direct object of a sentence can be an object:
– Sandra tiró la pelota. – Sandra threw the ball.
“La pelota” receives the action of “tiró.” “La pelota” is the direct object of the sentence. It is singular and feminine, and since it represents an inanimate object, it is in the 3rd person, therefore, you can replace it with the direct object pronoun “la.”
Sandra la tiró. – Sandra threw it.
– Los niños leen muchos libros. – The boys read lots of books.
“Muchos libros” receives the action of “leen.” It is plural, masculine, and 3rd person, so it can be replaced with the direct object pronoun “los.”
Los niños los leen.
The direct object of a sentence can also be a person:
They called us – Nos llamaron.
I love you. – Te quiero.
B. Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect objects tell “to whom” or “for whom” something is done. Just like direct object pronouns replace direct objects, indirect object pronouns are the replacements for indirect objects, which are always personal nouns.
Below you can find the chart which separates the indirect object pronouns into 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person as well as singular or plural. Notice that the English definition for each indirect object includes “to/for” since they always indicate where the object is going.
Singular
Plural
1st person
me (to/for me)
nos (to/for us)
2nd person
te (to/for you informal)
os (to/for you informal)
3rd person
le (to/for you formal, him, her, it)
les (to/for them, you formal)
Notice that the 1st and 2nd person pronouns are the same as the direct object pronouns and that the 3rd person pronouns, “le” and “les” do not indicate any gender.
In general the indirect object of a sentence will ALWAYS use an indirect object pronoun whether or not there is also an indirect object noun phrase. To find the indirect object phrase in a sentence, ask “to whom?,” “for whom?”
Le tiró la pelota a Juan. (He threw the ball to Juan.)
A Juan is the indirect object phrase and the indirect object pronoun le is also used, but is not translated directly.
Le tiró la pelota. (He threw the ball to him.)
Even without a Juan, Le still indicates to whom the direct object (the ball) is thrown, and is translated as to him. However, because 3rd person indirect object pronouns do not indicate gender, this sentence could also mean:
He threw the ball to her.
He threw the ball to it.
He threw the ball to you. (singular, formal)
Because the 3rd person indirect object pronoun is gender neutral, it is common to maintain the indirect object phrase in the sentence for clarification.
Me compró una rosa a mí. (He bought a rose for me.)
He bought a rose for whom? For me. So you will use the indirect object pronoun me. You can also write this sentence without the prepositional phrase a mí and it means the same thing.
Me compró una rosa. (He bought a rose for me.)
Nos contaron la historia a nosotros. (They told the story to us.)
They told the story to whom? To us. So you will use the indirect object pronoun nos. You can write this sentence without the prepositional phrase para nosotros and it will mean the same thing as well.
Nos contaron la historia. (They told the story to us.)
Common Verbs
Below is a list of words that often take a person as an indirect object in Spanish.
comprar(le) algo
to buy something for someone
contar(le) algo
to tell something to someone
dar(le) algo
to give something to someone
decir(le) algo
to say something to someone
escribir(le) algo
to write something to someone
mandar(le) algo
to send something to someone
mostrar(le) algo
to show something to someone
pedir(le) algo
to ask something of someone
regalar(le) algo
to give (a gift) to someone
servir(le) algo
to serve something to someone
traer(le) algo
to bring something to someone