Vocabulary Course 4 Flashcards
don’t get dressed
no se vista
(vestirse → to get dressed)
I was dressing myself when Roberta called
(right at that moment)
estaba vistiéndome cuando Roberta llamó
I was asking for more money
(right at that moment)
estaba pidiendo más dinero
(pedir → to ask for)
I was serving the dinner
(right at that moment)
estaba sirviendo la cena
(servir → to serve)
serve the dinner right here
sirva la cena aquí mismo
they served the dinner right here
sirvieron la cena aquí mismo
I repeat, don’t look at me that way
repito, no me mire así
(repetir → to repeat)
I’m repeating it right now
estoy repitiéndolo ahora mismo
they would repeat it
lo repetirían
they repeated it
(dot in the past)
lo repitieron
let’s eat right now
comamos ahora mismo
(use the imperative)
let’s change
cambiemos
(cambiar → to change)
tell it to me
dígamelo
put them here
(books)
póngalos aquí
don’t put them here
(books)
no los ponga aquí
by the way, I want you to come tonight
a propósito, quiero que venga esta noche
(triggers the present subjunctive)
I prefer that you come tonight Roberta
prefiero que vengas esta noche Roberta
(triggers the present subjunctive)
we propose that you come tonight Roberta
proponemos que vengas esta noche Roberta
(triggers the present subjunctive)
eat it, it’s good for you
(to a friend; referring to an orange)
cómela, es buena para tí
don’t eat it, it’s bad for you
(to a friend; referring to an orange)
no la comas, es mala para tí
(always switch tracks with negative commands)
I don’t permit that you come tonight
no permito que venga esta noche
(other verbs that trigger the present subjunctive: approve, prohibit, allow, prevent)
I’m afraid that you can’t come tonight
temo que no pueda venir esta noche
(any type of emotion triggers the present subjunctive)
I’m happy that you can come tonight
me alegro de que pueda venir esta noche
(alegrarse de → to be happy with; to be glad about)
we doubt that they can come tonight
dudamos que puedan venir esta noche
(expressing an opinion triggers the present subjunctive)
it’s ridiculous that they’re coming tonight
es ridículo que vengan esta noche
I’m sorry that you can’t come tonight
siento que no pueda venir esta noche
it’s a shame that you can’t come tonight Roberta
es una lástima que no puedas venir esta noche Roberta
it’s necessary that you come tonight Roberto
es necesario que vengas esta noche Roberto
(triggers the present subjunctive)
it’s necessary to study tonight
es necessario estudiar esta noche
(the present subjunctive is not used unless somebody esle is being asked to do something)
it was impossible that he could come tonight
fue imposible que pudiera venir esta noche
(triggers the imperfect subjunctive)
it’s improbable that Roberto can come tonight
es improbable que Roberto pueda venir esta noche
it’s good that Roberta can’t come tonight
es bueno que Roberta no pueda venir esta noche
I would like to travel with a woman
(using querer)
quisiera viajar con una mujer
I wanted you to do it
quería que usted lo hiciera
(triggers the imperfect subjunctive)
I doubt that Pablo has eaten
dudo que Pablo haya comido
(triggers the present perfect subjunctive)
I’m happy that Pablo has eaten
me alegro de que Pablo haya comido
I doubted that you would come
dudaba que viniera
(triggers the imperfect subjunctive)
I doubted that you would come
(to a friend)
dudaba que vinieras
we’ve just finished eating
acabamos de comer
they’ve just finished reading this book
acaban de leer este libro
I’ve just finished studying
acabo de estudiar
he had just finished eating when you arrived
acababa de comer cuando usted llegó
they had just finished cleaning the house when you arrived
acababan de limpiar la casa cuando usted llegó
I had just finished reading the book when you called
(to a friend)
acababa de leer el libro cuando llamaste
I had just finished cleaning my car when you returned
(to a friend; using volver)
acababa de limpiar mi coche cuando volviste
my mother stopped singing
mi madre dejó de cantar
(dejar de → to stop; to give up)
we stopped eating and left the restaurant
dejamos de comer y salimos del restaurante
he returned to his work
volvió a su trabajo
(volver a → to return to doing something)
we returned to our work early
volvimos a nuestro trabajo temprano
we had returned home late
habíamos vuelto a casa tarde
(volver a casa → to return home)
{always use había to express ‘had done something’}
why don’t you take advantage of this opportunity Roberta?
(to a friend)
¿por qué no te aprovechas de esta oportunidad Roberta?
(aprovecharse de → to take advantage of)
we ought to take advantage of this opportunity
debemos aprovecharnos de esta oportunidad
I will not change my opinion
no cambiaré de opinion
(cambiar de → to change something, e.g. one’s mind)
{‘my, your, his, her’ is not necessary)
I can count on you, I know that you won’t change your opinion
puedo contar con usted, sé que no cambiará de opinion
(contar con → to count on; to rely on)
simple past for:
I gave
you gave
(he/she/you) gave
we gave
you all gave
they gave
di
diste
dio
dimos
disteis
dieron
I did not realise this
no me di cuenta de esto
(darse cuenta de → to notice; to realise)
I realised that you were able to come with me
me di cuenta de que podía venir conmigo
I don’t agree with you
no estoy de acuerdo con usted
(estar de acuerdo con → to agree with)
I never agree with you
nunca estoy de acuerdo con usted
this means that I know how to use this expression
esto quiere decir que sé usar esta expresión
(not necessary to use ‘how’)
this means that I can use this new expression
esto quiere decir que puedo usar esta expresión nueva
it’s worth it to think before answering
(using responder)
vale la pena pensar antes de responder
(antes de + infinitiv → before)
when we were students, it was worth it to think before answering
(using contestar)
cuando éramos estudiantes, valía la pena pensar antes de contestar
he ate three days ago
comió hace tres días
it’s three days since we ate
hace tres días que comimos
I ate it an hour ago
(with ‘ago’ up front)
hace una hora lo comí
I did it a short time ago
hace poco tiempo lo hice
he did it a long time ago
hace mucho tiempo lo hizo
it’s been three years since Juan has been living in Spain
hace tres años que Juan vive en España
(present tense is used since it is an ongoing event)
we’ve been studying for ten hours
(using ‘since’)
hace diez horas que estudiamos
Juan had been living in Spain for two years
hacía dos años que Juan vivía en España
(use the ‘wing’ tense for ‘had been’)
Juan has been living in Spain for two years
hace dos años que Juan vive en España
it’s very windy here
hace mucho viento aquí
it was very windy yesterday
hacía mucho viento ayer
the weather is good now
hace buen tiempo ahora
the weather was bad yesterday and we didn’t go to the beach
hizo mal tiempo ayer y no fuimos a la playa
(‘dot’ in the past since it was only one occasion)
it’s dusty today
hay polvo hoy
(for visible weather conditions e.g. it’s sunny; the moon is out; use hay)
I asked him a question
le hice una pregunta
(hacer una pregunta → to ask a question)
I would like to take a trip to Madrid
(using querer)
quisiera hacer un viaje a Madrid
I don’t want to hurt myself
no quiero hacer me daño
(hacer se daño → to hurt oneself)
we have to arrive early
tenemos que llegar temprano
I’m cold, can you close the window?
tengo frío, ¿puede cerrar la ventana?
we were cold, therefore we closed the window
teníamos frío, por lo tanto cerramos la ventana
we were hot, therefore we opened the window
teníamos calor, por lo tanto abrimos la ventana
are you thirsty Roberto?
are you hungry?
(to a friend)
¿tienes sed Roberto?
¿tienes hambre?
he’s very lucky
tiene buena suerte
we have very bad luck
tenemos muy mala suerte
I have to be careful when I drive my car
(Latin American)
tengo que tener cuidado cuando manejo mi coche
(in Spain, ‘I drive’ is conduzco)
Roberto was sleepy
Roberto tenía sueño
(tener sueño → to be sleepy; to feel sleepy)
I’m sleepy and I’m not in a hurry
tengo sueño y no tengo prisa
(tener prisa → to be in a hurry)
I’m sorry, but you are wrong
lo siento pero no tiene razón
(tener razón → to be right)
I’m not to blame
no tengo la culpa
(tener la culpa → to bear the blame; to be at fault)
I’m sure that they’re not to blame
estoy sugura que no tienen la culpa
(estar seguro → to be sure)
I feel like eating pizza
tengo ganas de comer una pizza
(tener ganas de → to feel like; to be in the mood for)
we weren’t in the mood to eat dinner here
no teníamos ganas de cenar aquí
my dog is two years old
mi perro tiene dos años
my daughter is ten years old
mi hija tiene diez años
how old is your son?
¿cuántos años tiene su hijo?
the meeting takes place right here
la reunión tiene lugar aquí mismo
(tener lugar → to take place)
the meeting will take place next week
la reunión tendrá lugar la semana que viene
you’re patient
tiene paciencia
this situation doesn’t make sense and there’s no way around it
esta situación no tiene lógica y no tiene remedio
(tener lógico → to make sense)
I feel like practicing these expressions
tengo ganas de practicar estas expresiones
it’s not for you
no es para usted
the letter is for Roberto, but the package is for me
la carta es para Roberto pero el paquete es para mí
in order to be able to speak well, I ought to practice a lot
para poder hablar bien, debo practicar mucho
by when do you want to have it?
¿para cuándo quiere tenerlo?
(para is used to indicate a deadline or time frame)
how many inventions?
¿cuántas invenciones?
is he arriving on Saturday?
¿llega el sábado?
he arrived on Thursday
llegó el jueves
you all read
(a command)
lean ustedes
for tomorrow, read this book
(to several people)
para mañana, lean ustedes este libro
(para is used to indicate an assignment)
we will be back
estarémos de vuelta
(estar de vuelta → to be back; to have returned)
we will be back by next week
estarémos de vuelta para la semana que viene
they have to do it by Sunday
tienen que hacerlo antes del domingo
(antes de → by a certain dated)
they completed it after Friday
lo completaron después del viernes
(después de → later than; after)
I want to attend summer school
quiero asistir a la escuela de verano
I prefer the winter climate
prefiero el clima del invierno
it’s cold in December
hace frío en diciembre
the rite
el rito
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring
el rito de la primavera de Stravinsky
can you prepare it for me before autumn?
¿puede prepararlo para mí antes del otoño?
