mnemonic spanish basics Flashcards
Tengo
I have
Imagine a child saying, I have a video game and I have ten goes a day
Necesito
I need
Imagine saying, I need it because it’s a necessity.
Hay
eye
There is
Imagine a cyclopes says, there is something in my eye.
El centro
Downtown
The downtown area is usually in the center of the city.
Sombra
Shade
A sombrero gets its name because it gives shade.
Quiero
KEY AIR OWE
I want
Imagine a friend says, I want to help I care oh so much
Nuevo
New
Imagine you are bionic and have a new elbow
Tiene
You have
Imagine an Englishman in America desperate for a good cup of tea asking do you have good tea anywhere?
Mujer
moo hair
Woman
Imagine kids teasing the old woman and call her a cow and they Moo at her
Hombre
Man
Imagine a lazy man who is always on break
Con
With
Imagine a con man with a pack of cards
Mi Casa
My House
mi casa es su casa
Su
Your
mi casa es su casa
Es
Is
mi casa es su casa
Por
For
Imagine a poor turkey that’s going to be eaten for thanksgiving.
Traducción
Translation
think of needing to track down a translation
Explicación
Explanation
Think of a grumpy teacher saying I need an explanation because your behavior is inexplicable
Habitación
Room
Hotel rooms are the natural habitation of rock stars
Población
Population
(This is very close just change the second P to bl.
PoPulation población)
Decepción
Disappointment
If a friend were to play a deception on you that would be pretty disappointing.
Contaminación
Pollution
The pollution causes contamination of the city.
De
Of
Mucho / Mucha
A lot / many / much
Y
And
El / La
The
Para
For
Imagine a parrot saying for for for.
Comer
COM AIR
To Eat
Imagine your mum saying to you “come here to eat”.
AquÌ
A key
Here
Imagine coming to a big locked door, someone has a key and says, here is a key.
Qué
What
O.K. you know how to say what in Spanish now.
Suficiente
Enough
When you have had enough you have had sufficient.
Usted
You
you said you would speak Spanish and you will.
Comida
Food
Imagine an Italian restaurateur says, come eat a Italiana food ina mya Italiana restaurant.
Algo
Something
we don’t have any food I’ll go and get something.
Dónde esta
Where is
it’s Don’s birthday Where is Don, Don’s the star.
Maravillosa
Wonderful
Something wonderful is something marvelous
Feliz
FELL LEASE
Happy
Imagine Felix the cat with a happy face.
Navidad
Christmas
Imagine asking you father at Christmas “Where will we put the nativity scene, dad?”
Afuera
Outside
An agoraphobic has a fear of going outside.
Mesa
Table
Imagine a mess on a table.
Pan
Bread
Imagine cooking bread in a pan.
Porque
Because
Poor Kay suffered in Spanish class because she didn’t use mnemonics.
Me Gusta
I like
Imagine a cave man eating a goose and saying “Me like the goose today”.
Siempre
Always
Imagine going to a church on Sundays where you always see em pray.
Los Estados Unidos
The United States
Por qué
Why
Imagine a Canadian saying it tastes good that’s why I eat pork aye
Le Gusta
You Like
Imagine a Frenchman cooked a goose and asks you do you like “le goose”
Pero
But
Imagine someone eating a round Asian pear and saying “I though it was a pear oh but it looks like an apple”.
Gente
HENTAY
People
Imagine 20 people giving hens tea
Muy
moo ee
Very
Imagine a farmer’s cows mooing and he says, “The cows are very mooey today”
Raro
Strange
If something is strange it’s rare.
Polvo
Dust
Imagine pulverizing something into dust.
Bueno
Good
Buenos Aires is a good city
Pelicula
Film
Imagine a French man watching a movie about pelicans and saying oh la la
Seguro
Insurance
Imagine that you feel secure because you have insurance
Mañana
MUN YANA
Morning
(Your friend’s brain is slow to start in the morning and he keeps making mistakes you say, ‘man ya na good in the morning.’)
Como
I eat
I can’t eat with messy hair so I put a comb over my hair before I eat.
Lo mismo
The same
Imagine a monk chanting the same thing over and over lomm ismmo lomm ismmo
Nada
Nothing
You have probably already heard nada used in TV or in films to mean nothing in English
Solo
Only
If someone is a solo performer they are the only one performing
Está bien
All right
it’s all right for a star Ben Affleck to make an occasional bad movie like Gigli.
Mas
More
Arnold has more muscles than me
Carne
Meat
Even had chili con carne = chili with meat
Tengo que
I have to
Imagine a dance and a guy says, “I have to tango with kay.”
Hacer
To do
Imagine an army sergeant asking ìwho wants to do it and two guys say, ‘us sir’
Comprar
To buy
Imagine comparing prices when you want to buy something new
Playa
Ply a
Beach
Imagine going to play at the beach
Todo
All
Imagine putting all your toes in dough
Ahora
Now
Imagine a hippie saying now I see you have a auro
Tiene que
You have to
Ir
To go
Imagine saying I need to go to the doctor because I have a sore ear.
Norte Americano
American
Just think of those naughty Americans on spring break
Otro
Another
Yes, I ought to give you another Spanish word.
Abrir
To open
To drink a beer you have to open a beer
Maleta
Suitcase
Imagine hitting your suitcase with a mallet
Puedo
Pwed oh
I can
I can go to Puerto Rico
Ver
To see
Look at something on your desk you need to see it up very close
Grande
Big
The Rio Grande on the Texas/Mexico border is a big river
O
Either/or
I live in Mexico, the pace of life in this country is slow.
Hola
Hello
He’s a bit deaf so you have to holla when you say hello
Amigo
Friend
Hollywood and TV made sure you already knew this. Los three amigos were 3 friends
Puede
Pwed ay
You can
Imagine Winnie the Poo had a hard day and Tiger said ‘you can rest now’
Quiere
Key air ay
You want
Do you want to watch the Drew Carey show?
Pronto
Soon
I am sure you have heard people in movies say ‘do it pronto meaning do it soon’
Cuando
qu one doh
When
When are you going to start tae kwon do?
Esta noche
Tonight
Tonight I am going to get a star noche on my belt
Chico
Little
A chick is a little chicken
Así
ah see
Like that
Oh I see it is like that is it you so and so
esta
This
Remember you learned esta noche means tonight. Literally we could translate esta noche as this night.
Lo agradezco
I appreciate it
A student says to the teacher ‘low grades go to hell, give me good grades and I appreciate it.’
Cuantas
Quantas
How much
How much is a flight to Australia on qantas airlines
Sentir
To feel
I donít know how to feel about the fact you were sent here
Asegurar
To Insure
To insure your car makes for A secure car
Como se llama
What’s it called
A communists asks his mum what is it called, a como says ya ma whatís it called

si
If
Imagine someone trying to hit a baseball. He misses the ball and says, ‘if I could see the ball I would hit it.’
Él
He
Elvis he was a man
Días
Days
Oh happy days I just saw Cameron Diaz.
Casi
almost
A mother says to her son who drives fast, what are you a kamikaze you almost killed yourself.
Pienso
I think
I have a pen so I think I will scribble
Voy
Boy
I am going
Boy a party tonight I am going to really enjoy that.
Va
Ba
You are going
You are going so far away
Bien
Well
How is Ben. He is well
Tarde
Tardeh
Late
Some people say donít be tardy for donít be late
Cual
Which
Which is cuter the Koala or the kangaroo?
Aun
Ah oon
Still
Bill Gates still owns Microsoft and is still the richest man in the world.
Sé
Say
I know
I say I know how to say I know
Museo
Moo say oh
Museum
This is easy almost an instant Spanish vocabulary word just remember to pronounce it Moo say oh.
Quien
key en
Who
Someone left the key in the lock of your house you say ‘who left the key in the lock.’
Tiempo
Time
Music with a slow tempo has a slow time
Boleto
Ticket
Imagine a ticket with a bullet on it.
Antes de
ant es deh
Before
Your mom says, “You’d better put the sugar away before there are ants there”.
Como
How
Com on how easy is that?
Despues de
After
The people despise the president after what he has done
Primero
First
This is an easy one. Prime rib is first class.
Lugar
Loo gar
Place
Imagine you are backpacking. You lug a backpack from place to place.
Otra vez
Again
Imagine your friend has a bright red vest. You say, “please don’t wear that ultra red vest again.”
Año
An yo
Year
An ya know just like that there goes another year.
Nuestra
Our
This is a new strain on our eyes because your friend has a bright red vest
Cosa
Thing
This thing it’s causa you.
Vengo
I come
I come to work in the morning then go home in the evening
encontrar
To find
In close encounters of the third kind the army go to find the aliens
Ultimo
Last
Like an ultimtum is the last chance
Muchas veces
Often
Do you remember that veces is times. Therefore muchas veces = many times or often.
Debajo
Under
Imagine Santa Claus drinking too much, he falls under de bar singing ho ho ho
Amo
A mow
I love
I love to be among the trees.
Decir
To tell
Imagine an old man saying ìI am a little deaf you need to tell me in dis ear
Adiós
Goodbye
You’ve heard this in the movies I am sure goodbye adiós
La mayoría
The most
In most elections the person who gets the majority of votes wins
A veces
Sometimes
We learned that veces is times. A veces is at times or sometimes
Semejante
Such
A truck such as a semi has to turn carefully.
Arriba
Up
Imagine going up a river
Mano
Hand
Imagine that you hurt you hand and say, Man o man my hand is sore.
Durante
Over
The band duran duran have lasted over the years
Luego
Then
I drink coffee then to the loo I go
Dinero
din air oh
Money
Robert di nero has a lot of money
