Actions and Possession Flashcards
Spanish Demystifed
Subject Pronouns
Subject pronouns (I, you, we, they, etc.) refer to the person or people who are doing the action in a sentence. These pronouns are important for conjugating verbs. When speaking to or about a gender-mixed group, use the masculine form even if there is only one man in the mix.
Tú is used in informal situations to address one person. In general, it is safe to use tú with a relative (especially one younger than you), a friend, or a child. Some social settings in Latin America are extremely formal and the usted form is more customary. Usted is the formal way to say you and can be used to address a person you want to show a degree of respect to: someone older than you, a boss, a taxi driver, an official, a police officer, etc. Ustedes, the plural of usted, is most common in Latin America where it is used exclusively to address two or more people, of either gender, in both formal and informal situations.
I - yo
you (sg, inf) - tú
he - él
she - ella
you (sg, fml) - usted
we - nosotros/as
they - ellos/as
you (pl, fml & inf) – ustedes
An Introduction to Verbs
In Spanish, the infinitive of a verb is signaled by its ending: -ar, -er, or -ir: andar (to walk), dormir (to sleep), ser (to be). In English we always use the subject pronouns (I, you, she, we, they, etc.) to identify which conjugated form the verb takes: I walk, you walk, she walks, etc.
In Spanish subject pronouns are almost unnecessary and are often left out. For instance, you can just as easily say ando (I walk) as yo ando (I walk). This is because the verb’s ending largely tells you to whom the verb is referring: ando (I walk), andas (you walk), andamos (we walk).
In addition, the tense or mood (future, past, conditional, etc.) is also indicated through the verb ending, for instance: ando (I walk), andaré (I will walk), anduve (I walked).
The Verb Ser
There are two verbs in Spanish that mean to be: ser and estar. Ser is used to express the essence of something or someone, the intrinsic qualities. Think, for example, of a person’s gender, nationality, faith, or profession, or an object’s characteristics such as classification, color, material, owner, or style.
Ser: Present Tense
l am - yo soy
you are (sg inf) - tú eres
he, she, it is, you are (sg fm) - él/ella/usted es
we are - nosotros/nosotras somos
they, you are (plural) - ellos/ellas/ustedes son
Veronica is Venezuelan.
Verónica es venezolana.
Carla and Carlos are Catholic.
Carla y Carlos son católicos.
You are a firefighter. (formal)
Usted es bombero.
The house is small.
La casa es pequeña.
Are the books Juan’s?
¿Los libros son de Juan?
I’m a man/woman.
Soy un hombre/una mujer.
I’m from the United States.
Soy de Estados Unidos.
I’m a student / teacher / doctor / server.
Soy estudiante / profesor(a) / médico(a) / camarero(a).
My house is small/big.
Mi casa es pequeña/grande.
Spanish is easy/difficult.
El español es fácil/difícil.
My friends are nice, strange, fun.
Mis amigos son simpáticos, extraños, divertidos.
You are my (male) friend, colleague, relative.
Tú eres mi amigo, colega, pariente.
You (pl) are from Latin America.
Ustedes son de América Latina.
Ser - Countries and Nationalities
The verb ser is used when describing country of origin and nationality. When talking about place of origin, use ser + de. Nationalities are not capitalized in Spanish.
I am from Argentina.
Yo soy de Argentina.
I am Argentinean.
Soy argentino/argentina.
You (inf) are from Spain.
Tú eres de España.
You (inf) are Spanish.
Eres español/española.
She is from Colombia.
Ella es de Colombia.
She is Colombian.
Es colombiana.
