Grammar Flashcards
Yes. Yes there is.
Sí. Sí hay.
Is there a hotel downtown?
¿Hay un hotel en el centro?
No. No there aren’t.
No. No hay.
the tall girls
las chicas altas
the red pens
las plumas rojas
the smart girls
las chicas inteligentes
the popular boys
los chicos populares
When does an adjective come before the noun?
If the adjective is descriptive, but speaks of a quality that is inherent and usually taken for granted, the adjective comes first.
Ex: la blanca nieve
Ex: los altos picos
What time is it?
¿Qué hora es?
What day is today?
¿Qué día es hoy?
What’s the date today?
¿Qué fecha es hoy?
The party is at my house.
La fiesta es en mi casa.
*This is an exception to the usual rule that estar is used to express geographic or physical locations. Ser is used when discussing where an event is taking place.
John is a doctor.
John es médico.
The elephants are big.
Los elefantes son grandes.
The professor is boring.
El profesor es aburrido.
Do you speak Spanish? (formal)
¿Habla Ud. español?
Alfredo doesn’t dance either.
Alfredo tampoco baila.
No vacation to Alaska is complete without a trip to Mt. McKinley.
Ningunas vacaciones a Alaska son completas sin una excursión a Mt. McKinley.
What is liberty?
¿Qué es la libertad?
What is the pen made of?
¿De qué material es la pluma?
What are you-all talking about?
¿De qué hablan ustedes?
Who are those boys?
¿Quiénes son esos chicos?
For whom are you looking?
¿A quién buscas?
To whom are you going to give so many books?
¿A quiénes vas a dar tantos libros?
With whom am I speaking?
¿Con quién hablo?
With whom does Mario study?
¿Con quiénes estudia Mario?
Whose hat is that?
¿De quién es aquel sombrero?
Whose coins are these?
¿De quiénes son estas monedas?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?
¿Para qué estudias español?
our
nuestro
your pens (informal)
tus plumas
Juan is looking for his sister
Juan busca a su hermana.
I like my new dress.
Me gusta el vestido nuevo.
+possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing
My arm hurts.
Me duele el brazo.
+possessive adjectives are not used with body parts
we come
venimos
we have
tenemos
I come
vengo
you come
vienes
they come
vienen
They have to buy a magazine.
Ellos tienen que comprar una revista.
It is necessary to take a taxi.
Hay que tomar un taxi.
One must study a lot.
Hay que estudiar mucho.
It is very hot.
Hace mucho calor.
to be hungry
tener hambre
to be thirsty
tener sed
to be sleepy
tener sueño
to hurt or be sore, etc.
tener dolor de
to be in a hurry
tener prisa
to be afraid of something
tener miedo a/de + noun
to be confident
tener confianza
to be careful
tener cuidado
to be ashamed
tener vergüenza
to be right
tener razón
to be successful
tener éxito
to be lucky
tener suerte
to take place
tener lugar
to feel like (3)
tener ganas de
antojarse
apetecer
to take into account
tener en cuenta
What’s the weather like?
¿Qué tiempo hace?
It’s windy.
Hace viento.
It’s sunny.
Hace sol.
The weather is good.
Hace buen tiempo.
The weather is bad.
Hace mal tiempo.
It’s brisk.
Hace fresco.
It’s pouring.
Hay lluvias torrenciales.
It’s hailing.
Hay granizo.
Jorge calls Ana.
Jorge llama a Ana.
+In Spanish, when the direct object is a person, it is preceded by the preposition “a.” This word has no English translation.
The woman pets her dog.
La mujer acaricia a su perro.
+The personal “a” may also be used if the direct object is a domesticated animal, especially a pet, provided that the speaker attaches some sort of personal feelings towards the animal.
I look at the giraffe.
Miro la jirafa.
+No personal feelings are felt towards the giraffe, so the person “a” is not used.
I need a doctor.
Necesito médico.
+If the direct object is an indefinite person (any doctor will do), the personal “a” is not used. The result is that the person becomes “depersonalized.”
Are you taking Raul’s brother?
¿Llevas al hermano de Raúl?
No, I’m taking Pilar’s sisters.
No, llevo a las hermanas de Pilar.
I repeat (present)
repito
you repeat (present, informal)
repites
we repeat (present)
repetimos
they repeat (present)
repiten
I ask (present)
pido
we ask (present)
pedimos
you ask (present, formal)
pide
I give (present)
doy
they give (present)
dan
we give (present)
damos)
You have just eaten.
Tú acabas de comer.
I just took my sister to her house.
Acabo de llevar a mi hermana a su casa.
Christina has just spoken with my mom.
Cristina acaba de conversar con mi mamá.
We just read the book.
Nosotros acabamos de leer el libro.
They have just swum in the ocean.
Ellos acaban de nadar en el océano.
Christina speaks with my mom again.
Cristina vuelve a conversar con mi mamá.
I read the book again.
Vuelvo a leer el libro.
Monica speaks more slowly than Carmen.
Mónica habla más lentamente que Carmen.
I have fewer books than Arsenio.
Tengo menos libros que Arsenio.
There are fewer than twenty students in the class.
Hay menos de veinte alumnos en la clase.
He is more than ninety years old.
Él tiene más de noventa años.
I have more than five dollars.
I only have five dollars.
Tengo más de cinco dólares.
No tengo más que cinco dólares.
There are more than twenty students in the class.
There are only twenty students in the class.
Hay más de veinte estudiantes en la clase.
No hay más que veinte estudiantes en la clase.
The book is as good as the movie.
El libro es tan bueno como la película.
Juan has as much money as Isabel.
Juan tiene tanto dinero como Isabel.
He has as much patience as her.
Él tiene tanta paciencia como ella.
You (formal) have as many pens as her.
Tiene tantas plumas como ella.
Your students learn as much as my students.
Sus estudiantes aprenden tanto como mis estudiantes.
Rosario cooks as much as Josefina.
Rosario cocina tanto como Josefina.
The oranges cost as much as the apples.
Las naranjas cuestan tanto como las manzanas.
The boy plays as little as the girl.
El niño juega tan poco como la niña.
They sleep as little as her.
Ellos duermen tan poco como ella.
John is the smartest boy in the class.
Juan es el chico más inteligente de la clase.
Sara is the thinnest girl in the class.
Sara es la chica más delgada de la clase.
What are the three ways to say the superlative of guapo?
-muy guapo
-sumamente guapo
-guapísimo
Why don’t you come with me?
¿Por qué no vienes conmigo?
+Whenever mí follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form conmigo.
I’m not going with you, I’m going with them.
No voy contigo, voy con ellos.
+Whenever ti follows the preposition con, the two words combine to form contigo.
with him/her
consigo
He took the pens with him(self).
Él llevó las plumas consigo.
+Whenever you want to say “with him, with her, with you (formal), with them, with you-all (formal)” there are two possibilities. If the pronoun is referring to the subject of the sentence, use consigo. If the pronoun does not refer to the subject of the sentence, use con + the appropriate pronoun.
Juan has the pen. (with direct object pronoun)
Juan la tiene.
Juan has the books. (with direct object pronoun)
Juan los tiene.
I eat it (the soup).
La como.
What are two ways to write: Tenemos dos mesas.
Las tenemos.
Nosotros las tenemos
I know you (informal).
Te conozco.
She loves him.
Ella lo ama.
Juan sees her.
Juan la ve.
They call us.
Ellos nos llaman.
We call them.
Los llamamos.
I don’t buy them (the books).
No los compro.
I want to see it. (2)
Lo quiero ver.
Quiero verlo.
Susana should visit us. (2)
Susana nos debe visitar.
Susana debe visitarnos.
Juan needs to wash it. (2)
Juan lo necesita lavar.
Juan necesita lavarlo.
Should we buy it? (2)
¿Lo debemos comprar?
¿Debemos comprarlo?
Juan doesn’t need to wash it. (2)
Juan no lo necesita lavar.
Juan no necesita lavarlo.
John buys me a gift.
Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys her a gift.
Juan le compra un regalo.
John gives me the money.
John me da el dinero.
John gives ME the money. (with emphasis)
John me da a mí el dinero.
+a mi is used for emphasis
He doesn’t buy me anything.
Él no me compra nada.
They don’t buy us any gifts.
Ellos no nos compran ningún regalo.
She doesn’t write a letter to her parents.
Ella no les escribe a sus padres una carta.
Juan must lend us the money.
Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Alma wants to rent the apartment to Juan.
Alma quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
She sells it to you.
Ella te la vende.
I don’t have it for you.
No se lo tengo.
+Whenever both pronouns begin with the letter “l” change the first pronoun to “se.
I never buy them for her.
Nunca se los compro.
He tells it to him. (to Juan)
Él se lo dice a Juan.
She should explain it to me. (2)
Ella me lo debe explicar.
Ella debe explicármelo.
I want to tell it to you. (2)
Te lo quiero decir.
Quiero decírtelo.
You need to send it to them. (2)
Se la necesitas enviar a ellos.
Necesitas enviársela a ellos.
You like the books.
Te gustan los libros.
They like the watch.
Les gustan los relojes.
He likes the chair.
A él le gusta la silla.
+A el is used for clarification
The girl sees it (el edificio).
La chica lo ve.
Ways to say:
Juan come dos sándwiches.
Los come.
Juan los come.
Ways to say:
Tenemos dos mesas.
Las tenemos.
Nosotros las tenemos.
I know you.
Te conozco.
She loves him.
Ella lo ama.
Juan sees her.
Juan la ve.
dying
muriendo
sleeping
durmiendo
falling
cayendo
believing
creyendo
escaping
huyendo
going
yendo
influencing
influyendo
listening
oyendo
bringing
trayendo
reading
leyendo
following
siguiendo
yo caber (present) (to fit)
yo quepo
yo caer (present) (to fall)
yo caigo
yo conducir (to drive) (present)
yo conduzco
yo escoger (to choose) (present)
yo escojo
yo dirigir (to direct) (present)
yo dirijo
yo hacer (to do, to make) (present)
yo hago
yo poner (to put, to place) (present)
yo pongo
yo salir (to leave) (present)
yo salgo
yo seguir (to follow) (present)
yo sigo
yo traer (to bring) (present)
yo traigo
yo valer (to be worth) (present)
yo valgo
yo traducir (to translate) (present)
yo traduzco
yo crecer (to grow) (present)
yo crezco
yo dirigir (to direct) (present)
yo dirijo
yo fingir (to pretend) (present)
yo finjo
yo distinguir (to distinguish) (present)
yo distingo
Juan KNOWS how to drive.
Juan SABE conducir.
I don’t know how to swim very well.
No sé nadar muy bien.
She doesn’t know the words to that song.
Ella no sabe la letra de esa canción.
I ask what time it is.
Pregunto qué hora es.
142
ciento cuarenta y dos
375
trescientos setenta y cinco
612
seiscientos doce
907
novecientos siete
999
novecientos noventa y nueve
200 pens
doscientas plumas
400 women
cuatrocientas señoras
100 dogs
cien perros
It’s one o’clock.
Es la una.
It’s two o’clock.
Son las dos.
+The feminine article (la, las) is used before the hour because it refers to “la hora.”
It’s five minutes past one.
Es la una y cinco.
It’s twelve minutes past three.
Son las tres y doce.
It’s five minutes till one.
Es la una menos cinco.
It’s twelve minutes till three.
Son las tres menos doce.
It’s half past one.
Es la una y media.
It’s quarter past two.
Son las dos y cuarto.
It’s quarter till three.
Son las tres menos cuarto.
The party begins at nine o’clock.
La fiesta empieza a las nueve.
The bank opens at half past eight.
El banco abre a las ocho y media.
I always read the newspaper in the morning.
Siempre leo el periódico por las mañanas.
last year
el año pasado
at noon
al mediodía
at midnight
a la medianoche
on time
a tiempo
Two times two equals four.
Dos por dos son cuatro.
I go to the restaurant five times per week.
Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana.
We walk through the park.
Andamos por el parque.
He gave me ten dollars for the book.
Él me dio diez dólares por el libro.
I didn’t vote for anyone.
No voté por nadie.
One can see the stars during the night.
Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche.
+“por” is used to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning “during”
They take me for crazy.
Me tienen por loco.
+“por” is used in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning “to be seen as”
I’ll come by for you at eight o’clock.
Paso por ti a las ocho.
+“por” is used to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and preguntar)
Dinner has yet to be cooked
La cena está por cocinar.
+“por” is used when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be completed, use por + infinitive
The man died for lack of water.
El hombre murió por falta de agua.
+“por” is used to express cause or reason
I’m in the mood for drinking coffee. (use por or para)
Estoy por tomar café.
+“estar por” means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something
The book was written by Octavio Paz.
El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz.
for now
por ahora
around there
por allí
around here
por aquí
by chance
por casualidad
therefore (consequently)
por lo tanto
at least (2)
por lo menos
al menos
as for me (2)
respeto a mí
por mi parte
word for word
palabra por palabra
for the first time
por primera vez
everywhere (3)
en todas partes
por todas partes
por todos lados
The man left for Madrid.
El hombre salió para Madrid.
+para is used to indicate destination.
The glass is for water.
El vaso es para agua.
+Para is used to show the use or purpose of a thing