Unidad 1 - Capítulo 1 Flashcards
Study these words and practice using them in sentences.
el apellido
surname, last name
el apodo / sobrenombre
nickname
In Spanish many nicknames are formed by adding “ito” to the end of a boy’s name: Manuel + ito = Manuelito
Or “ita” to a girl’s name: Ana + ita = Anita
la billetera
wallet
la despedida
good-bye, farewell
Examples of informal despedidas are:
“Adiós”
“Ciao”
In Argentina people usually say “ciao ciao” to friends and family
despedirse
to say goodbye
This verb is reflexive. The reflexive pronoun “se” is attached to the end of the infinitive.
If I wanted to use the verb in a sentence I would say:
- Perdón, yo tengo que despedirme del Presidente.*
- Excuse me, I have to say goodbye to the President.*
materno/materna
maternal, mother’s side
(Remember, adjectives must change in gender and number according to the word it describes)
- Don Julio es mi abuelo materno.*
- Don Julio is my mother’s father / Don Julio is my grandfather on my mother’s side.*
nacer
to be born
el nacimiento
the birth
El nacimiento de mi hermano fue muy alegre.
The birth of my brother was very happy.
el nombre completo
full name (includes both first and last names)
- Mi nombre completo es Ana Moreno Rojas.*
- My full name is Ana Moreno Rojas.*
paterno/paterna
paternal, father’s side
- Mis tías paternas son muy amables.*
- My paternal aunts are very friendly/ My aunts on my dad’s side are very friendly.*
el primer nombre
first name
- Mi primer nombre es Luis.*
- My first name is Luis.*
segundo nombre
middle name
Middle names are not as common in Spanish speaking countries. Normally, a person has two last names (one from each parent).
saludar
to greet
“un saludo” is a greeting. An example of “un saludo” is “Hola”
Some greetings are shortened in informal situations:
Buenas tardes = “Buenas”
ser
to be
Ser is used to express:
Characteristics that don’t change (like the material something is made of; what religion you are; what your job is).
Soy maestra. / I am a teacher
encantado/encantada
“charmed”
You say this when you are meeting someone for the first time. It’s like saying “nice to meet you.”
If you are a man use: encantado
If you a woman use: encantada
conocer
to know (to be familiar with)
Conocer is used with people, places or things that you are familiar with.
Have you been to New York City? If so, tú conoces Nueva York.
encontrarse
to meet (reflexive verb)
Remember, this verb has a reflexive pronoun attached to the end of it. Always place the correct reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) before the verb.
- Nos encontramos en la cafetería.*
- Let’s meet in the cafeteria.*
llamarse
to call oneself, to be named
This verb is also reflexive. We use it to express what someone is called.
Me llamo Ms. Taylor.
Reunirse
to have a meeting, or to get together
Nos vamos a reunir en la Casa Blanca.
We are going to have a meeting in the White House.
(Notice that the reflexive pronoun went before the verb “vamos”. You can also say: Vamos a reunirnos.)
This construction: ir + a + verb means something is going to happen in the future.
saber
to know information
Use saber with things like phone numbers, scores, addresses or other numerical information.
If the teacher asks you a question in class and you DON’T know the answer… say “no sé” which means “I don’t know”
“verdad”
Right, True
Use this to ask whether or not your listener agrees with you.
sino
“but rather”
This is always used with a negative sentence.
- No compré la leche, sino la gaseosa.*
- I didn’t buy the milk, but rather I bought soda.*
ya
now, already
- Ya fui al doctor.*
- I already went to the doctor.*
a ver
Let’s see…
This is an expression that buys you time. Someone asks you to look somethign up on Google, for example, you can say: “a ver…” while you are looking.
