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Spanish Demystified > Describing People and Things > Flashcards

Describing People and Things Flashcards

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1
Q

Adjectives in Spanish

A

An adjective in Spanish must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. You have seen examples of this with nationalities (alemán, alemana) and with possessive adjectives (nuestro, nuestros).

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2
Q

Descriptive Adjectives

A

Most descriptive adjectives in Spanish end in -o and have four forms: -o, -a, -os, -as. Notice how the endings of the adjectives often echo the endings of the nouns.

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3
Q

short (person)

A

bajo

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4
Q

tall

A

alto

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5
Q

the tall boy

A

el chico alto

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6
Q

the tall girl

A

la chica alta

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7
Q

the tall boys

A

los chicos altos

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8
Q

the tall girls

A

las chicas altas

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9
Q

cheap

A

barato

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10
Q

a cheap (inexpensive) book

A

un libro barato

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11
Q

some cheap (inexpensive) books

A

unos libros baratos

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12
Q

old, ‹city/civilization›

A

antiguo

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13
Q

old (not young - less polite), (not new) ‹clothes/car/custom›

A

viejo

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14
Q

an old house

A

una casa antigua

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15
Q

some old houses

A

unas casas antiguas

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16
Q

yellow

A

amarillo

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17
Q

attractive

A

atractivo

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18
Q

white

A

blanco

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19
Q

pretty

A

bonito, lindo

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20
Q

good

A

bueno

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21
Q

expensive

A

caro

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22
Q

comfortable

A

cómodo

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23
Q

short (of length, height, distance)

A

corto

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24
Q

thin

A

delgado

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25
Q

delicious

A

delicioso

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26
Q

fun

A

divertido

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27
Q

fat

A

gordo

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28
Q

beautiful

A

hermoso

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29
Q

long

A

largo

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30
Q

clean

A

limpio

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31
Q

crazy

A

loco

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32
Q

bad

A

malo

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33
Q

modern

A

moderno

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34
Q

black

A

negro

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35
Q

new

A

nuevo

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36
Q

small

A

pequeño, chico

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37
Q

rich (delicious, wealthy, lush)

A

rico

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38
Q

red

A

rojo

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39
Q

blond

A

rubio

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40
Q

nice

A

simpatico

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41
Q

sick, ill

A

enfermo

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42
Q

ugly

A

feo

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43
Q

cold

A

frío

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44
Q

dirty

A

sucio

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45
Q

shy

A

tímido

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46
Q

Adjectives ending in –e and –a.

A

Some adjectives are an exception to the rule in that they don’t change when they modify a masculine or feminine noun. These adjectives ending in -e or -a have only two forms: singular and plural. To make the plural, simply add an -s.

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47
Q

the elegant woman

A

la mujer elegante

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48
Q

the elegant women (pl)

A

las mujeres elegantes

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49
Q

the idealistic child (m.)

A

el niño idealista

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50
Q

the idealistic children

A

los niños idealistas

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51
Q

happy

A

alegre

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52
Q

friendly

A

amable

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53
Q

efficient

A

eficiente

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54
Q

elegant

A

elegante

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55
Q

enormous, huge

A

enorme

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56
Q

strong

A

fuerte

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57
Q

big

A

grande

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58
Q

humble

A

humilde

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59
Q

intelligent

A

inteligente

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60
Q

patient

A

paciente

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61
Q

poor

A

pobre

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62
Q

sad

A

triste

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63
Q

green

A

verde

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64
Q

selfish

A

egoísta

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65
Q

idealistic

A

idealista

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66
Q

hypocritical

A

hipócrita

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67
Q

materialistic

A

materialista

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68
Q

orange (fruit/color),
orangish,
orange tree

A

naranja,
anaranjado-a,
naranjo

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69
Q

pink

A

rosa

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70
Q

optimistic

A

optimista

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71
Q

pessimistic

A

pesimista

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72
Q

realistic

A

realista

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73
Q

violet (color)

A

violeta

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74
Q

Adjectives ending in a consonant

A

Most adjectives ending in a consonant also have only two forms, singular and plural. They do not change for masculine and feminine. To make these adjectives plural, simply add -es, unless the adjective ends in a -z, in which case the -z becomes a -c-. Note that adjectives of nationality, whether they end in a consonant or vowel, actually have four forms (m, f, m pl, f pl). A few adjectives that end in a consonant actually take on masculine and feminine forms as well as singular and plural.

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75
Q

The test is easy.

A

El examen es fácil.

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76
Q

The tests are easy.

A

Los exámenes son fáciles.

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77
Q

The student (f) is happy.

A

La alumna es feliz.

78
Q

The students (f) are happy.

A

Las alumnas son felices.

79
Q

blue

A

azul

80
Q

difficult

A

difícil

81
Q

easy

A

fácil

82
Q

happy

A

feliz

83
Q

gray

A

gris

84
Q

young

A

joven

85
Q

normal

A

normal

86
Q

popular

A

popular

87
Q

charming

A

encantador

88
Q

talkative

A

hablador

89
Q

hardworking

A

trabajador

90
Q

Mrs. Guzmán is charming.

A

La señora Guzmán es encantadora.

91
Q

My husband is very talkative.

A

Mi esposo es muy hablador.

92
Q

The waitresses are very hardworking.

A

Las camareras son muy trabajadoras.

93
Q

Adjective Placement

A

Adjective usually comes after the noun. This is the opposite of English syntax. Adjectives can also follow the verbs ser and estar, but they still must agree (in masculine, feminine, singular, and plural) with the nouns they are modifying. Sometimes adjectives can precede the noun. In Spanish the rules are not hard and fast, so it’s best to let your ear and eye get used to these constructions.

Adjectives of quantity, such as poco (little, few) and mucho (much, many, a lot) generally come before the noun. Sometimes the placement of adjectives before or after the noun implies subtle differences in meaning. The adjective grande (big) not only changes meaning according to its placement, but is shortened when used before a singular noun. A few adjectives can either follow or precede the noun. When they precede a masculine singular noun, the adjective is shortened, but the meaning stays the same.

94
Q

She’s a pretty girl.

A

Es una niña linda.

95
Q

The apples are delicious.

A

Las manzanas están deliciosas.

96
Q

Your friend is crazy.

A

Tu amigo está loco.

97
Q

little work

A

poco trabajo

98
Q

a lot of friendship (friends)

A

mucha(s) amistad (amistades)

99
Q

few friends

A

pocos amigos

100
Q

many women

A

muchas mujeres

101
Q

an old friend (a friend who is old in years)

A

un amigo viejo

102
Q

an old friend (a friend you have known for a long time)

A

un viejo amigo

103
Q

the poor boy (a boy with very little money)

A

el chico pobre

104
Q

the poor boy (a boy to be pitied, one feels sorry for him)

A

el pobre chico

105
Q

a big (tall) man

A

un hombre grande

106
Q

a great man (by deeds or reputation)

A

un gran hombre

107
Q

a big (tall) woman

A

una mujer grande

108
Q

a great woman

A

una gran mujer

109
Q

a good boy

A

un niño bueno, un buen niño

110
Q

a bad kid

A

un chico malo, un mal chico

111
Q

Ordinal numbers

A

Ordinal numbers (first, second, third, etc.) usually precede the noun they modify. Notice how primero (first) and tercero (third) shorten to primer and tercer before a masculine singular noun.

112
Q

the first floor

A

el primer piso

113
Q

the third day

A

el tercer día

114
Q

the third floor

A

la tercera planta

115
Q

Alguno and Ninguno

A

The adjectives alguno (some, any) and ninguno (no, not any) are also frequently placed before the noun. They take a written accent in the shortened form (before a masculine singular noun).

116
Q

some people

A

algunas personas

117
Q

some reason

A

algún motivo

118
Q

no doubt

A

ninguna duda

119
Q

no time, never

A

ningún momento

120
Q

Superlatives and diminutives of adjectives

A

There are various ways to either intensify or tone down your use of adjectives. One way to intensify or even exaggerate your description is to add the suffix -ísimo to the end of an adjective to make the superlative. This grammatical structure doesn’t exist in English, so the translation is a loose one, similar to very, extremely, or most in English. Note that your adjective with -ísimo still has to agree with the noun it modifies.

121
Q

The suffix -ito

A

The suffix -ito, which indicates the diminutive for nouns, can also be applied to adjectives to add shades of meaning, or to express familiarity or affection. Use this construction with care, however, because it can also come off as belittling or derogatory when used inappropriately.

122
Q

Muy, demasiado, bastante

A

The adverbs muy (very), demasiado (too), and bastante (quite, rather) can also be used to modify adjectives. They come before the adjective and do not change according to gender or number; they always stay the same.

123
Q

She is very nice.

A

Ella es muy simpática.

124
Q

He is too selfish.

A

Él es demasiado egoísta.

125
Q

The food is quite good.

A

La comida es bastante buena.

126
Q

The Question Words ¿Quién?, ¿Qué?, ¿Cuál?, and ¿Por qué?

A

To ask information questions, you will use question words, equivalent to the English who, where, what, when, why, and how. The question words ¿Quién? and ¿Cuál? in Spanish also have plural forms, ;.Quiénes? and ;Cuáles?.

All question words in Spanish have accents. The same words can also be used as connecting words when they appear without accents, as is the case with porque (= because—all one word), and que (= that). The accent denotes the interrogative use of the word and must be used every time you write a question.

Questions using a question word resemble English structure. Begin the question with the question word, followed by the verb. If there is also a noun subject, it follows the verb. When writing, remember to begin your question with ¿ and end it with ? When speaking, end your question with rising intonation.

127
Q

Who is it?

A

¿Quién es?

128
Q

Who works on Mondays?

A

¿Quién trabaja los lunes?

129
Q

What do you study?

A

¿Qué estudias?

130
Q

What does Pilar do?

A

¿Qué hace Pilar?

131
Q

What is your phone number?

A

¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?

132
Q

Which do you want?

A

¿Cuál quieres?

133
Q

Why do you all study Spanish?

A

¿Por qué estudian español?

134
Q

Why don’t you talk?

A

¿Por qué no hablas?

135
Q

Who are you (pl)?

A

¿Quiénes son ustedes?

136
Q

Who (all) is going to the party?

A

¿Quiénes van a la fiesta?

137
Q

What are your (inf) favorite movies?

A

¿Cuáles son tus películas preferidas?

138
Q

Which (ones) do you want?

A

¿Cuáles quieres?

139
Q

To say whom, for whom or to whom…

A

Use the construction ¿A quién? or ¿A quiénes?.

140
Q

To say: of, about, from or with whom

A

To say of whom, about whom, or from whom, use ¿De quién? or ¿De quiénes?, and to say with whom, use ¿Con quién? or ¿Con quiénes? Note that in many of these cases, saying who instead of whom has become common in colloquial English.

141
Q

Who(m) are you looking for? (For whom are you looking?)

A

¿A quién buscas?

142
Q

Who(m) are you speaking about? (About whom are you speaking?)

A

¿De quién hablas?

143
Q

Who(m) are you going to the party with? (With whom are you going to the party?)

A

¿Con quién vas a la fiesta?

144
Q

¿cuál? or ¿qué?

A

It is often difficult for English speakers to know when to use ¿Cuál? and when to use ¿Qué?, since both words can have the meaning What? or Which? Here are a few rules to guide you:

Use ¿Qué? before a singular or plural noun to ask Which? or What?

Use ¿Qué? to say What? when asking for a description or explanation.

Use ¿Qué? with the verb ser to ask for a definition.

Use ¿Cuál? before forms of the verb ser to ask What? or Which? and before other verbs and the preposition de to ask Which?, Which ones (out of a group)?

145
Q

What languages do you speak?

A

¿Qué idiomas hablas?

146
Q

Which book are you reading?

A

¿Qué libro estás leyendo?

147
Q

What does azulejo mean?

A

¿Qué significa azulejo? glazed ceramic tile

148
Q

What do you do (for a living)?

A

¿Qué haces?

149
Q

What is this?

A

¿Qué es esto?

150
Q

What is an avocado?

A

¿Qué es un aguacate?

151
Q

What is your name?

A

¿Cuál es tu nombre?

152
Q

Which of the bars do you prefer?

A

¿Cuál de los bares prefieres?

153
Q

Which ones are your children?

A

¿Cuáles son tus hijos?

154
Q

Which ones do you want?

A

¿Cuáles quieres?

155
Q

Which book do you want?

A

¿Qué libro quieres?

156
Q

Which of the books do you want (out of a group)?

A

¿Cuál de los libros quieres?

157
Q

Which books do you want?

A

¿Qué libros quieres?

158
Q

Which is the book that you want?

A

¿Cuál es el libro que quieres?

159
Q

Verbs Ending in -er: Present Tense

A

In order to conjugate -er verbs, simply drop the -er and add the following endings to the stem: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -en.

160
Q

They eat in a restaurant.

A

Comen en un restaurante.

161
Q

I don’t drink alcohol.

A

No bebo alcohol.

162
Q

We read the newspaper in the morning.

A

Leemos el periódico por la mañana.

163
Q

Does Pilar believe in aliens?

A

¿Pilar cree en extraterrestres?

164
Q

to learn

A

aprender

165
Q

to drink

A

beber

166
Q

to understand

A

comprender

167
Q

to run

A

correr

168
Q

to believe

A

creer

169
Q

to owe; to have to

A

deber

170
Q

to read

A

leer

171
Q

to put
to put [in]

A

poner: pongo, pones, pone, ponemos, ponen; meter (to put in)

172
Q

to sell

A

vender

173
Q

to see

A

ver

174
Q

Verbs Ending in -ir: Present Tense

A

In order to conjugate -ir verbs, simply drop the -ir and add the following endings to the stem: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -en.

175
Q

to accept; to allow; to admit (let in/mistake)

A

admitir

176
Q

to decide

A

decider

177
Q

to open

A

abrir

178
Q

to cover

A

cubrir

179
Q

to discuss, argue

A

discutir

180
Q

to write

A

escribir

181
Q

to receive

A

recibir

182
Q

to go up, climb, raise

A

subrir

183
Q

to suffer

A

sufrir

184
Q

to live

A

vivir

185
Q

We live in Canada.

A

Vivimos en Canadá.

186
Q

Hugo writes books.

A

Hugo escribe libros.

187
Q

Do you suffer from any illness?

A

¿Sufres de alguna enfermedad?

188
Q

My brother and I argue.

A

Mi hermano y yo discutimos.

189
Q

to say

A

decir; digo, dices, dice, decimos, dicen

190
Q

The Verb Estar

A

You will often see the question words ¿Dónde? and ¿Cómo? used with the verb estar. Ser talks about the intrinsic qualities of something, estar is used to express a state or condition. Think about transient qualities, such as how or where something is. Estar is irregular in the yo form. Otherwise, it follows the rules for -ar verbs in the present tense. It is used to describe a feeling, temporary state, or condition.

191
Q

She’s thin with short hair.

A

Es delgada con el cabello corto.

192
Q

She is intelligent and generous.

A

Es inteligente y generosa.

Spanish Demystified (13 decks)

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