Study Guide Flashcards
HACE + TIME + QUE
- The verb hacer with the present tense form of a verb indicates the length of time an action has been taking place.
- The verb hacer with the preterite tense form of a verb is used to mean “ago.”
- When asking a question about how long something has been going on or how long ago soething happened, use the construction: ¿Cuánto tiempo hace que + verb…?
Hace + time + que + present tense form of the verb
Hace un año que estudio español.
I have been studying Spanish for one year.
Hace + time + que + preterite tense form of the verb
Hace un año que estudié español.
I studied Spanish one year ago.
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que + verb…?
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que viven en California?
How long have they lived (been living) in California?
¿Cuánto tiempo hace que cruzaron la frontera?
How long ago did they cross the border?
Combining Verbs
Certain verbs can combine with another verb in the same clause (that is, not connected with and, but, or and so on.) There are three ways to do this, and you must memorize how each verb combines with another.
- conjugated verb + infinitive
Quiero volver a México
I want to go back to Mexico.
Olvidé renovar el pasaporte.
I forgot to renew my passport.
Debes hablar de eso con la familia
You must talk about that with your family
- conjugated verb + preposition (a, con, de, en, por) + infinitive
Mi abuela sueña con volver a México.
My grandmother dreams about returning to Mexico.
Me ayuda a preservar nuestras costumbres.
It helps me to preserve our customs
- conjugated verb + -ndo form
Están discriminando a muchos inmigrantes.
They are discriminating against lots of immigrants.
Siguen hablando español en casa.
They keep speaking Spanish at home. (They still speak Spanish at home.)
ADVERBS
Adverbs are words that describe, or modify, verbs, adjectives or other adverbs.
He ran quickly.
(“quickly” describes how he “ran”)
She spoke more slowly than he.
(“slowly” describes how she “spoke”)
(“more” modifies “slowly”)
Most Spanish adverbs are formed by adding -mente to the feminine singular form of the adjective. This ending corresponds to -ly in English.
Adjective Fem. Form Adverb
claro clara claramente
constante constante constantemente
difícil difícil difícilmente
Note: When an adjective has a written accent, the adverb retains it.
Another way to form an adverb is to use the preposition con + the singular form of the noun.
cuidadoso (carefully)
cuidadosamente or con cuidado
perfecto (perfectly)
perfectamente or con perfección
cariñoso (affectionately)
cariñosamente or con cariño
Some adverbs do not follow any pattern of origination, and must simply be memorized. Here is a list of some common ones:
- *bastante** = quite
- *demasiado** = too
- *mal** = badly
- *mucho** = a lot
- *muy** = very
- *nunca** = never
- *peor** = worse
- *poco** = little
- *siempre** = always
When two adverbs modify the same verb, only the second one uses the** -mente** ending. Note that the first adverb is the same as the feminine singular form of the adjective.
Juan trabaja lenta y cuidadosamente.
Juan works slowly and carefully.
El chico le habló clara y cortésmente.
The boy spoke to him clearly and courteously.
El autor escribió rápida y fácilmente.
The author wrote quickly and easily.
Formal Commands
Commands are used when ordering, or telling someone to do something. This is often referred to as the “imperative” form of the verb.
Compre Ud. el anillo.
(You) Buy the ring.
Haga Ud. la tarea.
(You) Do the homework.
Compren Uds. los libros.
(You-all) Buy the books.
Hagan Uds. el trabajo.
(You-all) Do the work.
By now, you are well acquainted with the fact that Spanish has both a formal and an informal style of speech (tú / Ud.). This distinction applies to commands.
Compre Ud. el anillo.
Buy the ring. (formal)
Compra (tú) los dulces.
Buy the candy. (familiar)
Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child. Formal speech is generally used to be polite or to express respect. For that reason, the formal commands are often referred to as polite commands.
The formal commands are formed the same way as the present subjunctive:
- Start with the yo form of the present indicative.
- Then drop the -o ending.
- Finally, add the following endings:
- *-ar verbs:**
- e (for Ud.), -en (for Uds.)
- *-er and -ir verbs:**
- a (for Ud.), -an (for Uds.)
The following examples of formal commands use three regular verbs: hablar, comer, and escribir.
Hable Ud. más lentamente.
Hablen Uds. más lentamente.
Speak more slowly.
Coma Ud. la cena.
Coman Uds. la cena.
Eat the dinner.
Escriba Ud. la carta.
Escriban Uds. la carta.
Write the letter.
Remember, if the first person singular (yo) form is irregular, that irregularity is carried over into the formation of the formal command.
Tengan Uds. un buen viaje. (yo tengo)
Have a good trip.
Traiga Ud. el dinero. (yo traigo)
Bring the money.
Venga Ud. conmigo. (yo vengo)
Come with me.
This also applies to stem-changing verbs.
Cuente Ud. sus beneficios. (yo cuento)
Count your blessings.
Vuelvan Uds. pronto. (yo vuelvo)
Return quickly.
Pida dinero. (yo pido)
Ask for money.
As with the present subjunctive, the following verbs are irregular:
dar
dé Ud.
den Uds.
estar
esté Ud.
estén Uds.
ir
vaya Ud.
vayan Uds.
ser
sea Ud.
sean Uds.
saber
sepa Ud.
sepan Uds.
Note that affirmative and negative commands use the same verb forms.
Hable Ud.
Speak.
No hable Ud.
Don’t speak.
Coma Ud.
Eat.
No coma Ud.
Don’t eat.
Escriba Ud.
Write.
No escriba Ud.
Don’t write.
Also note that the subject pronouns Ud. and Uds. may or may not be used. Using them adds a degree of formality or politeness to the command.
Hable.
Speak.
Hable Ud.
Speak (sir). (more respectful)
Coma.
Eat.
Coma Ud.
Eat (sir). (more polite)
Familiar Commands
Informal, or familiar, speech is used among friends, coworkers, relatives, or when addressing a child.
Remember, formal speech is generally used to be polite or to express respect.
Spanish has both a formal and an informal style of speech (tú/Ud.). This distinction applies to commands.
Compre Ud. el anillo.
Buy the ring. (formal)
Compra (tú) los dulces.
Buy the candy. (familiar)
The affirmative informal (tú) commands are formed the same way as the present indicative Ud. form:
(hablar - ar + a = habla)
(comer - er + e = come)
(escribir - ir + e = escribe)
Be sure to note that the “tú” commands use the usted form, not the tú form!
The following examples of commands use three regular verbs: hablar, comer, and escribir.
Habla (tú) más lentamente.
(You) Speak more slowly.
Come (tú) la cena.
(You) Eat the dinner.
Escribe (tú) la carta.
(You) Write the letter.
Note that the negative informal commands use the tú form of the present subjunctive.
No cuentes tus beneficios.
Don’t count your blessings.
No hables más lentamente.
Don’t speak more slowly.
Be sure to note that this is the tú form!
Compare the affirmative informal (tú) commands with the negative informal (tú) commands:
Cuenta tus beneficios.
Count your blessings.
No cuentes tus beneficios.
Don’t count your blessings.
Habla más lentamente.
Speak more slowly.
No hables más lentamente.
Don’t speak more slowly.
Also note that the subject pronoun tú is not normally used with imperative form.
Habla más lentamente.
(You) Speak more slowly.
Come la cena.
(You) Eat the dinner.
Escribe la carta.
(You) Write the letter.
Eight common verbs have irregular tú commands.
DECIR
¡Di la verdad!
Tell the truth!
HACER
Haz la tarea.
To the homework.
IR
¡Ve a la oficina.
Go to the office.
PONER
Pon los libros allí.
Put the books over there.
SALIR
¡Sal de aquí!
Get out of here!
SER
¡Sé eficiente.
Be efficient.
TENER
¡Ten cuidado!
Be Careful
VENIR
Ven a las 2:00.
Come at 2:00.
Just as with formals commands, object pronouns are attached to the end of affirmative familiar commands (adding an accent mark if necessary to indicate the original stress of the verb form). They precede and are separated from negative familiar commands. Remember that reflexive pronouns fall under this rule as well.
Tráeme el informe sobre ese proyecto.
Bring me the report on that project.
No me traigas ese informe hoy.
Don’t bring me that report today
Pídele más información.
Ask her for more information.
No le pidas más información.
Don’t ask her for more information.
Siéntate y ponte cómodo.
Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.
No te sientes allí, por favor.
Don’t sit there, please.
Díselo a mi secretario, por favor.
Tell (it to) my secretary, please.
No se lo digas a mi secretario.
Don’t tell (it to) my secretary.
No te pongas nervioso.
Don’t get nervous.
Reciprocal Actions
In Capítulo 6, you learned how to exprss reflexive actions: me visto, te preocupas, nos dormimos, and so on, in which the subject is doing something to himself or herself. It is also possible to use the plural reflexive pronouns (nos, os, se) to express reciprocal actions -what people do to/for each other.
Los empleados se saludan al llegar.
The employees greet each other upon arriving.
Mi jefe y yo siempre nos escribimos por correo electrónico.
My boss and I always write to each other through e-mail.
Ustedes tienen que conocerse bien para poder trabajar juntos.
You have to know each other well in order to work together.
Note that the last sentence is ambiguous: With a reciprocal reading conocerse means to know each other, but as a reflexive verv it could also mean to know yourselves (i.e., each person knows himself/herself well). In the first two examples, the reflexive meaning is possible but nonsensical.
The Present Subjunctive
The subjunctive is not a tense; rather, it is a mood. Tense refers when an action takes place (past, present, future), while mood merely reflects how the speaker feels about the action. The subjunctive mood is rarely used in English, but it is widely used in Spanish.
The subjunctive is used to reveal a speaker’s doubt, uncertainty, or negation of the reality of an action or state–a more subjective view of things. The subjunctive is not a tense, but it is rather a verbal mood: There are present, past, perfect and progressive subjunctive forms that allow you to express many of the subtleties of time frame and aspect that are possible in the indicative.
As with any aspect of language that allows for subtlety of meaning, the subjunctive is a tricky feature of Spanish that English speakers may spend many years trying to perfect. In some cases, there are specific words or expressions in a sentence that make the subjunctive absolutely necessary; at other times, a speaker can use either the indicative or the corresponding subjunctive form, depending on the exact nuance intended.
For most verbs, the present subjunctive is formed by following these three steps:
- Start with the yo form of the present indicative.
- Then drop the -o ending.
- Finally, add the following endings:
- *-ar verbs:**
- e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, en
- *-er and -ir verbs:**
- a, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an
Regular -ar verbs like hablar (yo hablo).
hablo - o = habl
habl + e = hable
habl + es = hables
habl + e = hable
habl + emos = hablemos
habl + éis = habléis
habl + en = hablen
Regular -er verbs like comer (yo como).
como - o = com
com + a = coma
com + as = comas
com + a = coma
com + amos = comamos
com + áis = comáis
com + an = coman
Regular -ir verbs like vivir (yo vivo).
vivo - o = viv
viv + a = viva
viv + as = vivas
viv + a = viva
viv + amos = vivamos
viv + áis = viváis
viv + an = vivan
The formula also works for verbs that have irregular “yo” forms in the present indicative. Study these examples:
- *conocer** (yo conozco)
- *conozco** - o = conozco
conozc + a = conozca
conozc + as = conozcas
conozc + a = conozca
conozc + amos = conozcamos
conozc + áis = conozcáis
conozc + an = conozcan
- *tener** (yo tengo)
- *tengo** - o = teng
teng + a = tenga
teng + as = tengas
teng + a = tenga
teng + amos = tengamos
teng + áis = tengáis
teng + an = tengan
- *salir** (yo salgo)
- *salgo** - o = salg
salg + a = salga
salg + as = salgas
salg + a = salga
salg + amos = salgamos
salg + áis = salgáis
salg + an = salgan
For -ar and -er stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that there is no stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms. Study these examples:
- *pensar** (yo pienso)
- *pienso** - o = piens
piens + e = piense
piens + es = pienses
piens + e = piense
pens + emos = pensemos
pens + éis = penséis
piens + en = piensen
- *perder** (yo pierdo)
- *pierdo** - o = pierd
pierd + a = pierda
pierd + as = pierdas
pierd + a = pierda
perd + amos = perdamos
perd + áis = perdáis
pierd + an = pierdan
- *contar** (yo cuento)
- *cuento** - o = cuent
cuent + e = cuente
cuent + es = cuentes
cuent + e = cuente
cont + emos = contemos
cont + éis = contéis
cuent + en = cuenten
- *volver** (yo vuelvo)
- *vuelvo** - o = vuelv
vuelv + a = vuelva
vuelv + as = vuelvas
vuelv + a = vuelva
volv + amos = volvamos
volv + áis = volváis
vuelv + an = vuelvan
For -ir stem-changing verbs, the formula applies except that the stem change in the nosotros and vosotros forms follows these patterns: o:ue verbs change o to u; e:ie verbs change e to i; e:i verbs change e to i. Study these examples:
- *dormir** (yo duermo)
- *duermo** - o = duerm
duerm + a = duerma
duerm + as = duermas
duerm + a = duerma
durm + amos = durmamos
durm + áis = durmáis
duerm + an = duerman
- *sentir** (yo siento)
- *siento** - o = sient
sient + a = sienta
sient + as = sientas
sient + a = sienta
sint + amos = sintamos
sint + áis = sintáis
sient + an = sientan
- *pedir** (yo pido)
- *pido** - o = pid
pid + a = pida
pid + as = pidas
pid + a = pida
pid + amos = pidamos
pid + áis = pidáis
pid + an = pidan
For verbs that end in -zar, the z changes to c when it comes before the letter e.
empezar (e:ie)
empiece
empieces
empiece
empecemos
empecéis
empiecen
For verbs that end in -car, the c changes to qu when it comes before the letter e.
buscar
busque
busques
busque
busquemos
busquéis
busquen
Here are the six verbs that are irregular in the present subjunctive:
dar - to give
dé
des
dé
demos
deis
den
estar - to be
esté
estés
esté
estemos
estéis
estén
haber - to have (auxiliary verb)
haya
hayas
haya
hayamos
hayáis
hayan
ir - to go
vaya
vayas
vaya
vayamos
vayáis
vayan
saber - to know
sepa
sepas
sepa
sepamos
sepáis
sepan
ser - to be
sea
seas
sea
seamos
seáis
sean
The Subjunctive With Expressions of Doubt
The Subjuntive With Expressions of Doubt
Statement (Indicative)
La gente prefiere a los artistas internacionales.
- *Statement Doubt/Uncertainty (Subjunctive)**
- *Es posible que** la gente prefiera a los artistas internacionales.
It’s possible that people prefer international artists.
Statement (Indicative)
Las telenovelas son los programas más populares.
- *Statement Doubt/Uncertainty (Subjunctive)**
- *Es probable que** las telenovelas sean los programas más populares.
It’s likely that soap operas are the most popular shows.
Statement (Indicative)
Los turistas aprecian los aspectos más finos de la cultura guatemalteca
- *Statement Doubt/Uncertainty (Subjunctive)**
- *Dudo que** los turistas aprecien los aspectos más finos de la cultura guatemalteca.
I doubt taht tourists appreciate the finer details of Guatemalan culture.
Subjunctive: creer and pensar used in questions and in the negative
- *Creo que** los medios de comunicación contribuyan al desarrollo de El Salvador.
- I think that the media contribute to the development of El Salvador*
Pues yo no creo que contribuyan al desarrollo de la cultura.
Well, I don’t think they contribute to the development of the culture.
¿Crees que los medios de comunicación contribuyan a la creación de la identidad nacional?
Do you think that the media contribute to the creation of the national identity?
Here is a list of common expressions that introduce an aspect of ignorance or doubt to the sentence, and therefore trigger the use of the subjunctive.
dudar que …
to doubt that …
es dudoso que …
it is doubtful that …
es improbable que …
it’s unlikely that …
es incierto que …
it’s uncertain that …
es posible que …
it’s possible that …
no creer que …
not to believe that …
no es cierto que …
it’s not certain that …
no estar convencido de que …
to not be convinced that …
no estar seguro de que …
to not be sure that …
no parecer que …
to not seem that …
no pensar que …
to not think that …
no suponer que …
to not suppose that …
puede ser que …
it may be that …
negar que …
to deny that …
no es verdad que …
it’s not true that …
no es cierto que …
it’s not certain that …
no imaginarse que …
to not imagine that …
temer que …
to suspect that …
Remember, there are also expressions that trigger the use of the indicative mood, since they introduce a quality of certainty. Here’s a partial list of such expressions that we will mix into the practice exercises for this lesson, just to keep you on your toes!
no dudo que …
to not doubt that …
estar seguro de que …
to be certain that …
creer que …
to think that …
no negar que …
to not deny that …
es verdad que …
it’s true that …
The Subjunctive With Noun Antecedents
When the dependent clause follows (and describes) a noun, if the speaker views theis noun as nonexistent or indefinite, Spanish uses a subjunctive verb form in the dependent clause to convey this nuance.
No hay costumbres (NOUN) que se remonten a los incas (DEPENDENT CLAUSE).
In the preceding sentence, the dependent clause que se remonten… describes the noun antecedent costumbres. The dependent-clause verb is in the subjunctive (se remonten, from remontarse) because the speaker used No hay in the main clause, thus declaring the noun antecedent as nonexistent in his/her mind.
The use of negative indefinite expressions such as nada, nadie and ningún/ninguna in a main clause will also trigger use of he subjunctive in a dependent clause, because these terms imply nonexistent entities.
No tengo ningún amigo que sepa hablar quechua.
I don’t have a single friend who knows how to speak Quechua.
No veo a nadie aquí que venga de la costa.
I don’t see anyone here who comes from the coast.
When the positive indefinite expressions algo, alguien, and algún/alguna appear in a main clause they may or may not trigger use of the subjunctive in a dependent clause. In general, if the speaker doubts or denies the existence of the indefinite entity (as in a question), the dependent verb is in teh subjunctive. Otherwise, the indicative is used.
¿Conoces a alguien que trabaje (subjunctive) en la sierra?
I don’t have a single friend who knows how to speak Quechua.
Sí, conozco a alguien que trabaja (indicative) en el Parque Nacional Manú.
Yes, I know someone who works in Manú National Park.
The personal a is always used when alguien and nadie are objects of the verb, but it is not used with indefinite or nonexistent direct object nouns
Busco un señor que sepa hablar quechua.
I’m lookin for a man who knows how to speak Quechua. (I’m not sure if such a person exists.)
Busco al señor que sabe hablar quechua.
I’m looking for the man who knows how to speak Quechua. (I know he exists.)
The Future Tense
From early on in your study of Spanish, you have been able to talk about future actions using either the present tense or the expression ir + a + infinitive. Los niños van a tener más acceso a la ensenañza. Spanish also has a future tense, which is normally the infinitive of the verb. Unlike other tenses, the future tense has only one set of endings for verbs of all theree conjugations (-ar, -er, and -ir).
The use of the future tense in Spanish corresponds closely to the English future: will/shall + verb. Just as in English the Spanish future often implies more force of will than the ir + a + infinitive construction.
- *Van a superar** las barreras económicas.
- They are going to overcome the economic obstacles.* (simple report of futrue action)
- *Superarán** las barreras económicas.
- They will overcome the economic obstacles.* (implies determination)
The future tense is used to tell what “will” happen, or what “shall” happen.
I will go to the beach next month.
I shall write the letter next week.
But, the future tense is not used to express a willingness to do something. For this, use the verb “querer.”
- *¿Quieres ir a la tienda?**
- Will you go to the store?*
The future tense is also used to express wonder or probability in the present state.
- *¿Quién será ella?**
- I wonder who she is? (Who could she be?)*
- *Estará viajando solo.**
- He is probably traveling alone.*
For actions that will occur in the near future, the present tense is more commonly used.
- *Esta noche voy al cine.**
- Tonight I’m going to the movies.*
Further in the future, use the future tense.
- *El año que viene iré a España.**
- Next year I’m going to Spain.*
Regular verbs in the future tense are conjugated by adding the following endings to the infinitive form of the verb: -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án.
- *hablar**é
- *hablar**ás
- *hablar**á
- *hablar**emos
- *hablar**éis
- *hablar**án
There are twelve common verbs that are irregular in the future tense. Their endings are regular, but their stems change. Since the endings are the same as all other future tense verbs, we show only the “yo” form, and have underlined the irregular stem. We have also grouped them according to their patterns of change.
caber (to fit)
yo _cabr_é
poner (to put, to get)
yo _pondr_é
decir (to say, to tell)
yo _dir_é
haber (have)
yo _habr_é
salir (to go out, leave)
yo _saldr_é
hacer (to do, to make)
yo _har_é
poder (to be able to)
yo _podr_é
tener (to have, to be, to stand up)
yo _tendr_é
querer (to want, to love)
yo _querr_é
valer (to cost, to be worth)
yo _valdr_é
saber (to know)
yo _sabr_é
venir (to come, to arrive)
yo _vendr_é
Note that compound verbs based on the irregular verbs inherit the same irregularities. Here are a few examples:
desquerer
yo _desquerr_é
resaber
yo _resabr_é
anteponer
yo _antepondr_é
mantener
yo _mantendr_é
prevaler
yo _prevaldr_é
The Subjunctive With Future Actions
Spanish requires the use of the subjunctive in any dependent clause that exresses an action that has not yet been carried out or is not yet true–that is, any future action.
Some expressions introduce dependent clauses that always imly future or as-yet-untrue actions and, therefore, always require the subjunctive. You should memorize them.
Expressions That Always Trigger Subjunctive In A Dependent Clause
- *a menos que**
- unless*
- *a no ser que**
- unless*
- *antes (de) que**
- before*
- *con tal (de) que**
- provided that*
- *en caso de que**
- in case*
- *para que**
- so that, in order that*
- *sin que**
- without*
Examples:
Muchos indígenas van a la ciudad para que sus hijos puedan tener acceso a una buena educación
Many indigenous people go to the city so that their children can have access to a good education.
Habrá muchos policías en caso de que la manifestación se ponga violenta.
There will be many police officers in case the demonstration turns violent.
- *Expressions That Sometimes Trigger Subjunctive In A Dependent Clause**
- (Implied Future = Subjunctive; Habitual or Completed = Indicative)*
Cuando llego a Lima, siempre me recoge mi tío Alberto.
When(ever) I arrive in Lima (habitual action: present indicative), my uncle Alberto always picks me up.
Cuando llegué a Machu Picchu, me impresionaron mucho las ruinas.
When I arrived i Machu Picchu (completed action: preterite), I was surprised by the ruins.
Cuando llegue a casa, estaré muy cansado del viaje.
When I get home (in the future: subjunctive), I will be very tired from the trip.
Comparisons
Unequal Comparisons
To make unequal comparisons of nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and verbs, use the constructions más… que and menos… que.
NOUNS
Hay más indígenas que europeos en Perú.
There are more indigenous people than Europeans in Peru.
Perú tiene menos chinos que japoneses.
Peru has fewer Chinese people than Japanese.
ADJECTIVES
Perú es más grande que Ecuador.
Peru is larger than Ecuador.
ADVERBS
Gustavo habla más rápidamente que tú.
Gustavo speaks more rapidly than you do.
VERBS
Pero habla menos que tú,
But he talks less than you do. (Note that when comparing verbs, nothing comes between más/menos and que.)
A few adjectives and adverbs have irregular comparative forms.
-mayor (older)
Mi hermana es mayor que you.
My sister is older than I am.
-menor (younger)
Mi tía es menor que mi madre.
My aunt is younger tha my mother.
-bueno (adj.) — mejor
Esta receta peruana es mejor que la otra.
This peruvian recipe is better than teh other one.
-bien (adv.) — mejor
Muchos niños indígenas hablan español mejor que sus padres.
Many indigenous children speak Spanish better than their parents.
-malo (adj.) — peor
La discriminación es peor en las grandes ciudades.
Discrimination is worse in large cities.
-mal (adv.) — peor
Esa quena suena peor que la otra.
Less than four percent of the population is of Asian orgin.
Use the expression más/menos de when a number follows.
Hay más de cinco grupos étnicos en nuestra ciudad.
There are more than five ethnic groups in our city.
- *Menos del cuatro** por ciento de la población es de origen asiático.
- Less than four percent of the population is of Asian origin.*
Equal Comparisons
To make equal comparisons of nouns, use the construction tanto/a/os/as… como.
No tienen tanto dinero como nosotros.
They don’t have as much money as we do.
No hay tantos problemas allí como aquí.
There aren’t as many problems there as here.
Este libro de cocina tiene tantas recetas como el otro.
This cookbook has as many recipes as the other one.
To make equal comparisons of verbs, use eh expression tanto como.
Los indígenas de la ciudad trabajan tanto como los de la sierra.
The indigenous people in the city work as much as theose in teh mountains.
- *¿Qué quiere decir?**
- What do you mean?*
You can use the following expressions to help explain or define an abstract concept.
- *Es lo mismo que…**
- It’s the same as…*
- *Es lo opuesto de…**
- It’s the opposite of..*
- *Tiene que ver con…**
- It has to do with…*
- *Parece que**
- It seems like…*
The Conditional
*The conditional is frequently used to express what someone would do if a given set of circumstances were true.
Frequently, the conditional is used to express probability, possibility, wonder or conjecture, and is usually translated as would, could, must have or probably.
*The student said that he would study one more hour. (probability, possibility)
*We were probably busy when you called. (probability, possibility)
What time could it have been? (wonder, conjecture)
He must have been at home. (wonder, conjecture)
Note: when “would” is used in the sense of a repeated action in the past, the imperfect is used.
To conjugate regular -ar, -er and -ir verbs in the conditional, simply add one of the following to the infintive:
ía
ías
ía
íamos
íais
ían
Here are all three regular conditional verb forms together:
hablar
hablar_ía_
hablar_ías_
hablar_ía_
hablar_íamos_
hablar_íais_
hablar_ían_
comer
comer_ía_
comer_ías_
comer_íamos_
comer_íais_
comer_ían_
vivir
vivir_ía_
vivir_ías_
vivir_ía_
vivir_íamos_
vivir_íais_
vivir_ían_
Here are the previous examples, translated to Spanish.
El alumno dijo que estudiaría una hora más.
The student said that he would study one more hour.
- *¿Qué hora sería?**
- What time could it have been?*
- *Estaría en su casa.**
- He must have been at home.*
- *Estaríamos ocupados cuando llamaste.**
- We were probably busy when you called.*
The same twelve common verbs that are irregular in the future tense are also irregular in the conditional tense. Their endings are regular, but their stems change in the same way they change in the future tense. Because the endings are the same as all other conditional tense verbs, we show only the “yo” form, and have underlined the irregular stem. We have also grouped them according to their patterns of change.
caber
yo _cabr_ía
poner
yo _pondr_ía
decir
yo _dir_ía
haber
yo _habr_ía
salir
yo _saldr_ía
hacer
yo _har_ía
poder
yo _podr_ía
tener
yo _tendr_ía
querer
yo _querr_ía
valer
yo valdría
saber
yo _sabr_ía
venir
yo _vendr_ía
