Have you ever heard the word venga in Spanish? If you have been studying Spanish for a while or have ever been to Spain, you have probably heard someone say this word. But, do you really know the meaning of the Spanish word venga? In this lesson, we will teach you seven different ways to employ this very useful colloquial term.
But first, let's establish three important things. First, the word venga is the conjugation of the verb venir in the formal imperative (for the second person singular pronoun usted, which means "you"). Let's take a look at this very simple example of the traditional use of this word:
¡Estoy hablando con usted, señor! ¡Venga aquí, por favor!
I'm talking to you, sir! Come here, please!
Second, in addition to its formal use, as venga is a word that is used colloquially in multiple ways throughout Spain, if you are planning a visit to that country, we recommend familiarizing yourself with as many of these uses as possible.
And third, much of the time, the Spanish word venga is roughly translated with the English expression "Come on." That said, let's take a look at the following uses of the colloquial term venga.
One of the most common uses of the Spanish word venga is to motivate or encourage someone to do something. We can see this use in the following clips from our popular series Extr@: Extra en español:
Venga, cuéntamelo, Sam. No pasa nada.
Come on, tell me, Sam. It's no big deal.
Caption 50, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 4
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Venga, díselo.
Come on, tell him.
Caption 5, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 1 - La llegada de Sam - Part 6
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In this context, you might also use venga to dare someone to do something:
No vas a atreverte. ¿Cómo que no? Venga.
You won't dare. What do you mean I won't? Go ahead.
Captions 1-3, Cortometraje Flechazos
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Sometimes, in the context of giving orders, the word venga can be used in a more decisive manner:
¿Hay alguien? Conteste, venga.
Is anyone there? Answer, come on.
Captions 28-29, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 4
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In this context, the word venga is usually used as a call to action to do something specific:
¿Sí? ¡Venga va! Vamos a corregir.
Yes? Come on! Let's correct [this].
Caption 91, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 6
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Venga, vámonos.
Come on, let's go.
Caption 60, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 3
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Similar to the previous use, the word venga can be used to express agreement between two people. In this case, venga would be equivalent to saying "OK" in English. Let's see an example:
La semana que viene sin falta, a cenar a mi casa. Vale, te llamo. -Venga,
Next week no matter what, dinner at my house. OK, I'll call you. -OK,
Captions 95-96, Blanca y Mariona Vida en general
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You may notice that this use of venga very often comes up at the end of spoken conversations, especially on the telephone when one person indicates the end of the conversation with this word and the other person repeats it:
Venga. -Venga. Hasta luego.
OK. -OK. Bye.
People tend to repeat the word venga when they want to encourage someone to do something quickly. Let's see this use in action:
Venga, venga que es noche y... y las castañas sin coger.
Come on, come on, as it's getting late and... and the chestnuts haven't been picked.
Caption 63, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 4
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Just like we use "come on" in English, we can use the word venga to ask someone to do something for us. Let's look:
Venga, Sam. Tienes que vestirte de basurero.
Come on, Sam. You have to dress as a garbage man.
Caption 37, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 5
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Just like the English expression "Come on," the Spanish word venga can additionally be used as an interjection to express astonishment, disbelief, or disapproval about something, as in the following example:
Pero venga, tío. Eso no tiene sentido.
But come on, man. That doesn't make sense.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand the many meanings of the Spanish word venga, and if you ever go to Spain, we encourage you to use it. And, ¡venga! Don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
Although the most common English translation for the Spanish preposition hasta is "until," like most Spanish prepositions, its meaning can vary in different contexts. Today's lesson will explore the four main definitions of the Spanish word hasta provided by Royal Spanish Academy as well as its various English translations.
According to the first definition, the Spanish preposition hasta can denote "a final limit in a trajectory of space or time." Possible translations for this use of hasta include "until," "up until," "up to," and "to." Let's take a look at this use via several subcategories.
The preposition hasta in Spanish can mean "up to" a certain point in time. Let's see some examples:
Eh... Trabajo hasta las dos
Um... I work until two,
Caption 47, Cleer y Lida Juego de preguntas y respuestas - Part 2
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Hasta el momento, ella ha probado zanahoria, brócoli y papa.
Up until now, she has tried carrots, broccoli, and potatoes.
Captions 37-38, Ana Carolina Ejercicio de adverbios de tiempo
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No llegaron hasta el final de la fiesta.They didn't arrive until the end of the party.
When used to talk about location, hasta means "up to that point" and might be translated with "up to" or simply "to":
Hay dos formas de llegar hasta Pasai Donibane: por mar o por tierra.
There are two ways to get to Pasai Donibane: by sea or by land.
Captions 29-30, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 2
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Aquí lo que tenemos que hacer es meter un hisopo, pues hasta su buche.
Here what we have to do is to place a Q-tip, well up to his throat.
Captions 53-54, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Microchip para Nacahué - Part 1
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The Spanish word hasta is often used along with que to form an adverbial phrase that means "until" (such moment as something else happens). Note that when the verb that follows hasta que refers to a habitual action or past event, it will be conjugated in an indicative tense. Let's see an example:
y lo tuvo con ella hasta que llegó la primavera.
and she had him with her until spring came.
Caption 41, Cleer El patito feo
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On the other hand, when the subordinate clause following hasta que refers to a potential future event or is a command, the verb that follows will be in the subjunctive:
y tenemos que dejar que poche hasta que se quede bien blandita.
and we have to let it saute until it gets very soft.
Caption 41, La cocina de María Tortilla de patatas
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For several more examples, check out Yabla's lesson on hasta que and hasta que no, which function similarly.
According to definition two, the Spanish preposition hasta can also describe a maximum quantity. Let's view a couple of examples:
En el mes me puedo gastar hasta doscientos euros...
During the month I can spend up to two hundred euros...
Caption 69, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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Pesan hasta siete kilos, ocho kilos los machos adultos.
They weigh up to seven kilograms, eight kilos for adult males.
Caption 95, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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This third and less common use of the Spanish preposition hasta to mean "not before" is primarily heard in Mexico and Central America. Let's take a look:
Terminará hasta mediodía.
He won't finish before noon.
In the fourth definition, the Spanish word hasta instead functions as an adverb to add emphasis or a feeling of surprise or disbelief, much like the English word "even":
¿Hamburguesas de aguacate? -Sí... Hasta miel de aguacate.
Avocado burgers? -Yes... Even avocado honey.
Captions 44-45, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 1
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Hasta se cree la mega estrella.
She even thinks she's the megastar.
Caption 54, X6 1 - La banda - Part 1
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Now that we know four different ways to use the Spanish word hasta, let's take a look at some of the many idiomatic expressions in which it appears, including at least five different ways to say goodbye in Spanish:
hasta luego: see you later
hasta pronto: see you soon
hasta la próxima: see you next time
hasta mañana: see you tomorrow
hasta la vista: until we meet again
A host of additional expressions with estar hasta mean "to be fed up":
estar hasta las narices (literally "to be up to one's noses")
estar hasta la gorra (literally "to be up to one's hat")
estar hasta arriba ("to have had it up to here")
estar hasta la coronilla (literally "to be up to one's crown")
Let's see this last one in context:
Muy bien, estaba hasta la coronilla.
Just great, I was fed up.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 4
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Meanwhile, estar hasta el cuello (literally "to be up to one's neck") is equivalent to the English "to be up to one's eyeballs," or overwhelmed, while estar hasta en la sopa ("to be even in the soup") describes something or someone that seems omnipresent. And finally, let's look at a Spanish expression with hasta that can mean "that's all" or "that's it":
hasta aquí el vídeo de hoy.
that's all for today's video.
Caption 68, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 1
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On that note, we hope that this lesson has helped you to understand the different uses of the Spanish word hasta and some idioms that include it. Can you think of any more? We invite you to let us know with your suggestions and comments. ¡Hasta pronto!
Although the preposition ante is not as "popular" as some others, such as the preposition a or the preposition en, it is still very useful. In fact, this lesson will explain 3 different ideas that the preposition ante can express. Let's get started!
One of the most common uses of the preposition ante is to mean "before" or "in front of." This includes physical position or location. Let's see a couple of examples from our library:
Hoy la luna pálida aparece ante mis ojos
Today the pale moon appears before my eyes
Caption 1, Festivaliando Mono Núñez - Part 17
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y ya a la edad de cinco años tocaba piano ante el público y daba conciertos.
and at the age of five was already playing piano in front of an audience and putting on concerts.
Captions 26-27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Mauricio y el maestro Arrau
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In addition to describing literal location, the preposition ante can also figuratively mean "before," particularly when used with nouns, verbs, and adjectives that entail a particular stance on something, or call to or withdrawal from action. In these cases, it is often translated with the less formal "to." Let's take a look:
Lo que usted tiene que hacer es quejarse ante una asociación protectora de animales.
What you have to do is complain to an animal protective association.
Captions 26-27, Kikirikí Animales - Part 5
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Sus llamativos trajes y su manera de bailar reflejan la resistencia ante la conquista española.
Their striking costumes and their manner of dancing reflect the resistance to the Spanish conquest.
Captions 17-18, Música andina Ritmos andinos con violín
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De ceder ante tu llanto No pienso abrir las heridas de haberte querido tanto
Of giving in to your crying I do not plan to open the wounds of having loved you so much
Captions 21-22, No te va a gustar Chau
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The preposition ante can also be used as the equivalent of English expressions like "in the face of," "in the presence of," or "faced with." Let's take a look at two examples, including one from our popular series Confidencial: Asesino al Volante:
Sabias palabras del padre Sarmiento ante la inmisericorde caza de brujas que se ha desatado en contra del Señor Jorge Castellanos.
Wise words from Father Sarmiento in the face of the merciless witch hunt that has been unleashed against Mister Jorge Castellanos.
Captions 60-62, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 1
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y, ante el temor de la mujer por un viaje tan largo a un lugar tan desconocido, la consoló con la promesa de regresar lo antes posible
and, faced with the wife's fear of such a long trip to such an unknown place, he consoled her with the promise of returning as soon as possible
Captions 11-13, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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The preposition ante can also be used like the English "(as) compared to" or "next to," as in the following examples:
Ante la belleza de su hermana mayor, la chica se creía muy ordinaria.
Compared to her older sister's beauty, the girl believed she was very ordinary.
Ante la personalidad exigente de su jefe previo, su jefe nuevo parecía muy tranquilo.
Next to her former boss' demanding personality, her new boss seemed very mellow.
You might also hear the Spanish preposition ante in idiomatic expressions, such as ante ello ("in light of that" or "considering that"), ante la duda ("in case of doubt" or "when in doubt"), ante todo ("above all" or "first of all"), and many more. Let's hear two of these in action:
Y ante todo sos una chica que tenés derecho a soñar con todo lo que quieras.
And above all you're a girl who has the right to dream about everything you want.
Caption 13, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 7
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Ante la duda... -Ninguna. -que no se coma.
In case of doubt... -None. -don't eat it.
Captions 85-86, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 11
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That's all for this lesson. As you can see, there are many ways to use the preposition ante, and we encourage you to try to write some additional sentences with each one of these uses. And, of course, don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
The Spanish near future tense is an alternative to the traditional future tense in Spanish. If you haven't yet learned to conjugate the future tense in Spanish or find it difficult, we recommend using the near future tense in Spanish, which is expressed with a simple formula that we'll teach you today.
Since the near future tense in Spanish is most commonly (but not always!) seen in the present indicative tense, it will behoove you to make sure you know the present indicative conjugation of the verb ir. Let's take a look:
Subject Pronoun | Present Conjugation of Ir |
yo | voy |
tú | vas |
él, ella, usted | va |
nosotros/as | vamos |
vosotros/as | vais |
ellos/as, ustedes | van |
Now that we've recalled the present indicative conjugation of ir, let's take a look at the formula for the Spanish near future tense, which is ir + a + infinitive. As ir means "to go," and a can mean "to," you can think of the Spanish near future tense as "to be going to" do something. Let's see some examples:
¡Abuelo, no vas a creer lo que te voy a contar!
Grandpa, you aren't going to believe what I'm going to tell you!
Caption 9, Guillermina y Candelario El Mejor Columpio
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y ellos nos van a dar un poco de información.
and they are going to give us a bit of information.
Caption 4, El Aula Azul Los profesores de la escuela - Part 2
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Entonces, hoy vamos a hablar de la familia.
So, today we are going to talk about family.
Caption 1, Curso de español Vamos a hablar de la familia
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Sidenote:
The first person plural form vamos a + infinitive can also be an alternative for the nosotros/as command form, which is the equivalent of "Let's" [do something] in English. We see this in the popular expression Vamos a ver (Let's see):
Así que, vamos a ver de qué se trata.
So, let's see what it is.
Caption 6, Ana Carolina Receta para una picada
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That said, although there may be some cases in which it is difficult to determine whether a Spanish sentence with vamos a + infinitive is intended to mean "we're going to" or "let's," in most cases, context should make this clear.
Technically, the Spanish near future tense is intended for events that are imminent rather than in the distant future, and for that reason, it is quite often accompanied by words like ahora (now) or hoy (today), as in the following examples:
y hoy les voy a dar siete consejos prácticos para mejorar su pronunciación en español.
and today I'm going to give you seven practical tips to improve your pronunciation in Spanish.
Captions 4-5, Ana Carolina Mejorando la pronunciación
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Muy bien. Pues ahora, vais a practicar más.
Very good. Well, now you're going to practice more.
Caption 39, Clase Aula Azul La segunda condicional - Part 7
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Having said that, the near future tense is extremely common to hear in spoken Spanish (probably more so than the traditional future tense) and will often be heard describing events with a vaguer or more distant timeline:
Y algún día voy a ser la voz líder de mi banda, los Equis seis.
And someday, I'm going to be the lead singer of my band, the X6 [Ex Six].
Caption 11, X6 1 - La banda - Part 1
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For this reason, as the traditional future and near future tenses are virtually equivalent in terms of meaning, you should feel free to use this near future tense "hack" in virtually any situation in which you wish to describe an action in the future.
So, what if, rather than saying you "are going to" do something, you wish to say that, at a certain moment in the past, you "were going to" perform an action? You would do so by using the near future tense, but conjugating the infinitive ir in the Spanish imperfect tense. Let's take a look at it:
Subject Pronoun | Imperfect Conjugation of Ir |
yo | iba |
tú | ibas |
él, ella, usted | iba |
nosotros/as | íbamos |
vosotros/as | ibais |
ellos/as, ustedes | iban |
Now, let's see some examples:
Llegué al examen muy contenta porque sabía que iba a aprobar.
I got to the exam very happy because I knew I was going to pass.
Captions 64-65, Los casos de Yabla El examen - Part 1
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Te dije que íbamos a hacer ejercicio.
I told you we were going to exercise.
Caption 67, Cleer y Lida Los números
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Sidenotes:
1. Be aware that this same construction could be used to indicate something one "used to go do" in the past, for example, "En el verano, yo iba a nadar a la piscina" ("In summer, I'd go to swim at the pool"). Context will usually tell you which meaning is intended.
2. For the past version of the near future tense, remember to use the imperfect, or ongoing past tense, rather than the Spanish preterite tense, which would indicate that something already happened (E.g. Yo fui a nadar a la piscina = I went to swim at the pool).
Let's conclude today's lesson with a little quiz. Taking a few examples of the traditional future tense from our library, see if you can convert them to the present indicative form of the near future tense. Try to do them yourself prior to looking at the answers.
Future Tense:
No, abuelito. ¡Hoy haré el salto más alto del mundo!
No, Grandpa. Today I'll do the world's highest jump!
Caption 12, Guillermina y Candelario Una Amiga muy Presumida - Part 1
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Near Future Tense:
No, abuelito. ¡Hoy voy a hacer el salto más alto del mundo!
No, Grandpa. Today I'm going to do the world's highest jump!)
Future Tense:
Sin embargo de esto hablaremos en la próxima lección.
However, we will talk about this in the next lesson.
Caption 51, Carlos explica Diminutivos y Aumentativos Cap 1: Los sufijos
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Near Future Tense:
Sin embargo de esto vamos a hablar en la próxima lección
However, we're going to talk about this in the next lesson.
Future Tense:
Verán que mañana el estadio estará lleno.
You guys will see that tomorrow the stadium will be full.
Caption 45, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Ustedes y vosotros
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Near Future Tense:
Van a ver que mañana el estadio va a estar lleno.
You guys are going to see that tomorrow the stadium is going to be full.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to feel more confident using the Spanish near future tense, which can come in quite handy when talking about your plans... and don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
In caption 8 of his electric press kit, Spanish artist Javier García uses the common Spanish verb dejar with the meaning "to leave":
Tú me quieres dejar, y yo no quiero sufrir
You want to leave me, and I don't want to suffer
Caption 8, Javier García - EPK
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However, twelve captions later, we find the imperative form of the very same verb being sung to a different tune:
Deja de correr, tranquila
Stop running, take it easy
Caption 20, Javier García - EPK
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How can the same verb mean such different things? Why, context, of course! Let's explore the many meanings and uses of the Spanish verb dejar.
One of the most common translations for the Spanish verb dejar is "to leave." However, just like the English verb "to leave," the Spanish verb dejar can describe many different types of "leaving." Let's take a look at several (ten, to be exact!) of the English meanings of the verb "to leave" and learn how to express these same ideas with dejar in Spanish.
The verb dejar in Spanish can mean "to abandon" or "give up" something. Let's take a look:
Si yo dejé mi departamento... -Ni se te ocurra.
If I left my apartment... -Don't even think about it.
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 6
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Another meaning of the Spanish verb dejar is "to leave" something or someone in a particular state, for example, in the sentence La pelicula me dejó sin palabras (The movie left me speechless). Let's see another example:
Esta rumba, yo te digo, que te deja por el suelo
This rumba, I'm telling you, leaves you on the floor
Captions 1-2, Javier García - La Rumba
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The verb dejar can additionally mean "to leave" in the sense of putting or placing something somewhere:
He dejado la bolsa enfrente a un niño.
I have left the bag in front of a little boy.
Caption 52, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 1
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However, since we may not have "put" or "placed" that something in that particular place on purpose, the Spanish verb dejar is often used to say we "forgot" something:
¿Dónde dejé mi billetera? -No se preocupe.
Where did I leave my wallet? -Don't worry about it.
Caption 19, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 3 - Part 5
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In English, we can "leave something" in a particular state or location, whether permanently or temporarily, and the Spanish verb dejar expresses this same idea. You might say, Yo voy a dejar mi pelo así (I'm going to leave my hair like this) or the following, both of which could be replaced with "to allow to remain":
Deja los garbanzos en el agua hirviendo aproximadamente media hora.
Leave the chickpeas in the boiling water for approximately half an hour.
Captions 65-66, El Aula Azul Receta de garbanzos
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Dejar in Spanish can also mean to "leave" someone or something somewhere in the sense of "dropping off" that person or thing:
¿Pero si me acabas de dejar, no?
But you just dropped me off, right?
Caption 38, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 7
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Yet another meaning of the verb dejar in Spanish is "to leave" as in "bequeathing" someone to someone.
tú tenías como algún tipo de auxilio, ¿un... un tipo de pensión que tus padres te dejaron?
you had like some kind of help, a... a kind of pension that your parents left you?
Captions 40-41, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 4
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On its own or within idioms, the verb dejar in Spanish can mean "to leave alone." Let's start with an example with just the verb dejar:
Déjelo, ¿o le gustaría que le hiciera lo mismo?
Leave him alone, or would you like me to do the same thing to you?
Caption 48, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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A couple of idioms that also mean to "leave alone" are dejar en paz (literally "leave in peace") or the more literal dejar solo. Let's hear them in context:
¿Por qué no me dejás en paz?
Why don't you leave me alone?
Caption 58, Muñeca Brava 8 Trampas - Part 12
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Dejame solo, tía. Por favor.
Leave me alone, Auntie. Please.
Caption 24, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 5
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The Spanish verb dejar can also mean "to leave" in the sense of "breaking up with," or "walking out on" someone. Let's take a look:
¿Qué pasa si la dejo a Andrea?
What if I leave Andrea?
Caption 104, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 10
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And finally (in this section!), you might notice that on the phone, Spanish speakers often say, "Bueno, te dejo" or something similar, which corresponds to the English, "I'll let you go." You might also notice this in many videos from our Yabla Spanish library:
de momento aquí os dejo.
for now, I'll leave you here.
Caption 54, Amaya La historia de Lukas
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In addition to the plethora of nuanced ways in which the Spanish verb dejar can be used to talk about "leaving," it can also have several additional translations. Let's explore some!
If you wish to give someone permission to do something, you might use the Spanish verb dejar, which can also mean "to let," "permit" or "allow."
Siempre me dejaban hacer lo que quise.
They always allowed me to do whatever I wanted.
Caption 8, Biografía Natalia Oreiro - Part 3
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Esperá, no me dejaste terminar.
Wait, you didn't let me finish.
Caption 37, Muñeca Brava 46 Recuperación - Part 7
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Dejar can additionally describe ceasing to do something temporarily or permanently, and the formula for using it in this context is dejar + de + infinitive. This gives us the equivalent of "stopping" or "quitting" an action depicted by the gerund, or "-ing," form in English. Let's take a look.
Pues que este señor dejó de trabajar.
Well, this gentleman stopped working.
Caption 17, Málaga Lourdes y la espartería en Mijas Pueblo
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Y tú, deja de sonreír, ¡que también es culpa tuya!
And you, quit smiling because it's your fault too!
Caption 37, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 4
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Perhaps a lesser-known meaning of the verb dejar in Spanish is "to lend":
Lola, ¿puedes dejarme algo de ropa?
Lola, can you lend me some clothes?
Caption 9, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 3
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And finally, the verb dejar in Spanish can also mean "to drop" as in a topic, as in the expression "Déjalo" (Drop it). This is sort of an intersection of dejar meaning "to stop" (talking about something) and "to leave" since "Dejémoslo ahí," for example, can sometimes be translated as "Let's leave it there," as in the following caption:
Dejémoslo ahí.
Let's leave it there.
Caption 62, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 5
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Let's conclude our lesson on the many uses of the Spanish verb dejar by mentioning its reflexive form, dejarse. The reflexive verb dejarse is used in two main ways.
This not-very-flattering use of the Spanish verb dejar is used to describe someone who neglects their health or appearance.
Juan realmente se dejó después de casarse y ha subido más de cincuenta libras.
Juan really let himself go after getting married and has gained more than fifty pounds.
The reflexive verb dejarse + infinitive is used to describe something one "allows him or herself" to experience, which could be negative or positive and is usually translated with "to be" or "to get" plus an English verb in the past participle (typically ending in -ed or -en). Let's see a couple of examples:
no se dejó influenciar por intereses personales, ni por presiones mediáticas en las que se ha visto envuelta últimamente.
she didn't allow herself to be influenced by personal interests or the media pressure she's been embroiled in lately.
Captions 7-8, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 4
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Mm... Déjate llevar al paraíso.
Mm... Let yourself get carried away to paradise.
Caption 40, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 2
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With all of that said, te dejamos por hoy (we'll leave you/say goodbye for today). We hope that this lesson te haya dejado (has left you) with a better understanding of the many meanings of the Spanish verb dejar, and for further explanation and examples, be sure to check out the videos Significados del verbo dejar (Meanings of the Verb Dejar)- Part 1 and Significados del verbo dejar- Part 2. And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Are you good with big numbers? How many zeros do you need to write one billion? What about one trillion? In this lesson, we will talk about big numbers in Spanish. Do you know how to say one billion in Spanish? Un billón, right? Well... not so fast! Let's learn how to say and write big numbers in Spanish.
Before we talk about big numbers in Spanish, let's review some of the most common big numbers in English. Let's take a look:
One million (1,000,000)- Six zeros
One billion (1,000,000,000)- Nine zeros
One trillion (1,000,000,000,000)- Twelve zeros
One quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000)- Fifteen zeros
One quintillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000)- Eighteen zeros
Now that we have reviewed big numbers in English, it is time to talk about big numbers in Spanish. One important thing to keep in mind: According to the Real Academia Española (RAE), like in English, numbers with more than four digits must be written out in groups of three starting from the right. However, if you want to write 2,450 in Spanish, the appropriate manner to do so would be 2 450 since spaces are used in lieu of commas in big numbers in Spanish. Keep in mind, however, that there are some exceptions to this rule, such as years, page numbers, zip codes, laws/decrees, etc. With that said, let's see the Spanish equivalents of the numbers we previously covered:
Un millón (1 000 000)- Six zeros
Un millardo (1 000 000 000)- Nine zeros
Un billón (1 000 000 000 000)- Twelve zeros
Mil billones (1 000 000 000 000 000)- Fifteen zeros
Un trillón (1 000 000 000 000 000 000)- Eighteen zeros
Note that for some of these numbers, there is one more than one acceptable Spanish term you might opt for:
Un millardo = mil millones
Un billón = un millón de millones
Un trillón = un milllón de billones = un millón de millón de millones
Did you notice anything unusual when comparing the Spanish and English lists? You may have realized that "one billion" in English is not un billón en Spanish, but rather un millardo, while the English "one trillion" is actually un billón in Spanish rather than un trillón. This is because the Spanish words billión and trillón come from the French words billion and trillion, which correspond to the numbers we indicated above (with 12 and 18 zeros, respectively).
To further clarify this somewhat confusing point, let's take a look at the following list featuring big numbers in English and their Spanish equivalents:
One million in English is un millón in Spanish.
One billion in English is un millardo or mil millones in Spanish.
One trillion in English is un billón or un millón de millones in Spanish.
One quadrillion in English is mil billones in Spanish.
One quintillion in English is un trillón or un millón de billones or un millón de millón de millones in Spanish.
No necesito un millón de euros.
I don't need a million euros.
Caption 38, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 5: Ha nacido una estrella - Part 6
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un millón de preguntas, ¡un billón!
a million questions, a trillion!
Caption 19, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 10 - Part 3
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If you've been paying attention, you've realized that the second translation, which you may have previously thought was a mistake, is actually the correct way to say one billion in Spanish! On that note, we hope that this lesson has helped you to say and write big numbers in Spanish, and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Do you "know" the difference between the Spanish verbs saber and conocer? Although they both mean "to know" in Spanish, there are subtle differences between them. Let's explore them!
The Spanish verb saber describes "knowing" something concrete, such as a fact, information, or skill. Let's take a look at each of these subcategories with examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
The verb saber in Spanish is used to talk about "knowing" (or not knowing!) specific facts:
¿Ya sabes que el pez globo es venenoso?
Do you know that the puffer fish is poisonous?
Caption 33, Guillermina y Candelario El paseo sobre el mar
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No sabía que estaba embarazada.
I didn't know she was pregnant.
Caption 75, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 11
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Note that the Spanish verb saber falls into the category of Spanish verbs that change meaning in the preterite tense, as its meaning changes in the preterite from "to know" to "to find out."
Así supe que su nombre era Lucía,
That's how I found out that her name was Lucía,
Caption 30, Luis Guitarra Historia de Lucía - Part 1
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The Spanish verb saber can also describe having knowledge of particular information:
¿Y sabes a qué hora abren?
And do you know what time they open?
Caption 25, Español para principiantes Hablando de ubicaciones
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¿Eh? Estoy seguro que ella sabe dónde está el Gringo.
Right? I am sure that she knows where the Gringo is.
Caption 44, Yago 3 La foto - Part 6
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When talking about skills, the formula saber + infinitive is used to say that someone "knows how" to do something. Let's take a look.
Pues yo quería mostrarle que también sé hacer muchas cosas.
Well, I wanted to show her that I know how to do a lot of things too.
Caption 37, Guillermina y Candelario Una Amiga muy Presumida - Part 1
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En la vida hay que saber relajarse,
In life, you need to know how to relax,
Caption 44, Ana Teresa 5 principios del yoga
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The Spanish verb conocer, on the other hand, refers to being familiar with or acquainted with something, which could be a person, place, or thing. Let's see some examples from each category.
The Spanish verb conocer is employed to talk about "knowing" people, in the sense of being acquainted with them.
Por ejemplo: Conozco a María.
For example: I know María.
Caption 11, Lecciones con Carolina Saber y conocer
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Y cuando pasó el tiempo conocí a Edgar, ¿no? Nos conocimos en la escuela.
And as time went by I met Edgar, right? We met at school.
Caption 14, Belanova Entrevista - Part 2
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Notice that, in both examples above, the Spanish pronoun a appears after the verb conocer and before the person. This so-called personal a is necessary when a person is the object of a Spanish sentence. Additionally, we see that the meaning of the verb conocer also changes meaning in the preterite from "to know" to "to meet."
Although it is sometimes translated as "to know," when used in reference to places, the Spanish verb conocer usually denotes having actually been somewhere rather than just awareness of its existence. That said, let's take a look at some alternative translations:
¿Conoces las Islas Canarias?
Have you been to the Canary Islands?
Caption 89, Clase Aula Azul El verbo gustar - Part 5
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Conocí las islas Barú de... de Colombia
I visited the Barú Islands in... in Colombia
Caption 89, Cleer y Lida Juego de preguntas y respuestas - Part 2
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The verb conocer in Spanish can also refer to familiarity with objects and might thus be translated with either "to know" or "to be familiar with":
Realmente son frases que vuestros compañeros no conocen, entonces es una información nueva para ellos.
They really are sentences that your classmates don't know, so it's new information for them.
Captions 45-46, Clase Aula Azul Información con subjuntivo e indicativo - Part 4
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¡Ah! Pues yo no conocía esta tablet.
Oh! Well, I wasn't familiar with this tablet.
Caption 74, El Aula Azul Ester y Paula
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Having seen these parameters and examples, we hope you now "know" the difference between saber and conocer in Spanish! To further explore this topic, check out Lecciones con Carolina: Saber y conocer. And, don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
The Royal Spanish Academy's Dictionary of the Spanish Language lists 25 different meanings for the Spanish verb pegar, whose English translations range from "to stick" to "to hit"! Although we won't cover all of them, today's lesson will touch on many of the most common ones, backed by lots of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. Are you ready?!
The Spanish verb pegar is often used to describe attaching one thing to another. While this could involve some substance like glue or paste, in other cases, it might simply entail "sticking" one thing onto another via another means, like sewing (as in the example pegar un bóton, or "sew on a button"). Let's take a look at a couple more examples:
Después pegamos los ojos que le hicimos a nuestro personaje.
Afterwards we glue the eyes that we made for him onto our character.
Caption 65, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Repartía volantes, pegaba carteles...
I used to give out pamphlets, put up posters...
Caption 42, Felipe Calderón Publicidad - Part 1
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Similarly, the reflexive form of pegar, pegarse, is used to talk about things that "stick to" other things and might even be translated as "to burn" or "stick to the pan" in the context of cooking.
Y queremos que la harina no esté muy seca y no muy mojada para que no se pegue a las manos
And, we want for the flour to not be very dry and not very moist so that it doesn't stick to one's hands
Captions 43-44, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Bueno, entonces vemos que esto se está empezando a pegar al fondo.
Well, so we see that this is starting to stick to the bottom.
Caption 1, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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In contrast to the former meanings, the Spanish verb pegar can also mean to "hit" someone, as in physically striking them:
Ella era muy amorosa, ella nunca... nunca me pegó, ni una palmada ni nada.
She was very loving. She never... never hit me, not a spank or anything.
Caption 2, La Sub30 Familias - Part 11
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Hermanito, ¿te pegaste?
Little brother, did you get hurt?
Caption 10, Guillermina y Candelario Una película de terror - Part 3
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The verb pegar often appears with specific nouns like tiro (shot), bofetón (slap), patada (kick), etc., to talk about specific types of "striking." For example, you might hear that a soccer player le pegó una patada fuerte a la pelota ("gave the ball a good kick") or that someone le pegó un bofetón ("slapped him" or "gave him a slap"). Let's see an example with un tiro:
Calme ese perro o le pego un tiro.
Calm down that dog or I'll shoot him.
Caption 40, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 6
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The verb pegar in Spanish might be employed to talk about sun, light, or even wind that falls upon (or is particularly frequent in) a particular surface or area:
Porque aquí esta zona, aquí pega mucho viento.
Because this area here, it's very windy here.
Caption 21, Playa Adícora Francisco - Part 3
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The Spanish verb pegar can additionally be utilized to talk about either "giving," in the sense of "transmitting" an illness or habit to someone, or "picking" it "up." Let's look at an example where pegar means "to give":
Traté de evitarlo, pero al final mi novio me ha pegado el COVID.
I tried to avoid it, but in the end, my boyfriend gave me COVID.
Now, let's see an example of the Spanish verb pegar within a no fault se construction to talk about something one "got."
Parece que se te pegó todo lo malo de ese títere de peluche, ¿no?
It seems like everything bad about that stuffed puppet rubbed off on you, right?
Caption 20, La Familia Cheveroni Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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An alternative translation for this sentence might be: "It seems like you picked up everything bad about that stuffed puppet, right?"
The verb pegar in Spanish can entail "pulling" something "up" to something else or "moving (it) closer." For example, you might say: "Pegué la cama a la pared" (I pulled up the bed up to the wall). Let's see one more example:
Puedes pegar un poco el brazo hacia ti.
You can bring your arm a bit closer to you.
Caption 21, Bienestar con Elizabeth Activar las articulaciones
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Antiguamente el mar pegaba a la muralla.
Previously, the sea touched the wall.
Caption 8, Viajando en Colombia Cartagena en coche - Part 2
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Esa camisa no pega con ese pantalón.
That shirt doesn't match those pants.
In addition to its more traditional uses, the verb pegar can be found in lots of idiomatic expressions and may be used differently in different countries and regions. In the Dominican Republic, for example, it is common to use the Spanish verb pegar to talk about actions that began suddenly, as in the case of "Pegó a correr" (He took off running). In other regions, you might hear expressions like "Me pegó la depresión" (I got depressed) to give us a sense that the speaker was "stricken" by depression, while "Me pegué una siesta" is another way to say "I took a nap."
While the less textbook meanings of the verb pegar can seem endless, here are a smattering of examples whose meanings feel like logical extensions of some of the more traditional definitions we covered:
Era lo que yo había aprendido y entonces, eh, me pegué con ellos
It was what I had learned and so, um, I hooked up with them
Captions 28-29, Willy Entrevista - Part 2
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hoy le pego a ese duraznito de Amalia Durango, ¿oyó?
today I'll hit it with that peach Amalia Durango, you hear?
Caption 11, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 9
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Esto te pega a ti. ¿A ti te gusta?
This one gets your attention. You like it?
Caption 87, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Yo sólo quiero pegar en la radio
I just want to catch on on the radio
Caption 1, Bacilos Mi Primer Millón
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Although these examples of the many meanings of the Spanish verb pegar are by no means exhaustive, we hope that this lesson has given you insight into many of them and their uses in different contexts. Let us know with your suggestions and comments if you can think of any more!
How do you say "just" in Spanish? To answer that question, we should first examine some of the many meanings of the word "just" in English. We could, for example, have "just" completed some action or might speak about something being "just" right... all while working for a "just" cause. With this in mind, let's explore many of the most common meanings of the English word "just," then find out how to express them in Spanish.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the English adjective "just" can mean "Based or behaving according to what is morally right or fair." One Spanish equivalent of this meaning of the word "just" sounds very much like its English counterpart: justo/a. Let's see an example:
Y una ciudad, un pueblo, una sociedad más sensible es una socied'... una sociedad mucho más justa.
And a city, a town, a more sensitive society is a societ'... a much more just society.
Captions 37-38, Otavalo Claudia y sus pinturas
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Other Spanish adjectives that share similar meanings and can sometimes be translated as "just" in different contexts include justificado/a, legítimo/a, razonado/a, lógico/a, exacto/a, and preciso/a.
The English word "just" can also function as an adverb meaning "exactly" or "precisely." To convey this meaning, Spanish adverbs like justo, justamente, and precisamente can be utilized. Let's look at some examples:
Precisamente es lo que iba a mencionar.
That's just what I was going to mention.
Caption 80, Arturo Vega Entrevista - Part 1
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Justo lo que yo necesitaba,
Just what I needed,
Caption 27, X6 1 - La banda - Part 11
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By extension, like the English word "just," the aforementioned Spanish words can also mean "exactly" or "almost exactly at that moment," as in the following examples:
Precisamente le iba a contar a Amalia que por cierto, vaya novia más guapa tienes,
I was just about to tell Amalia that indeed, what a beautiful girlfriend you have;
Captions 56-57, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 10
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"Justo antes de ir a acostarte,
"Just before you go to bed,
Caption 5, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 2
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In English, we often use the word "just" to describe something that happened in the immediate past. One way to convey this meaning of the word "just" in Spanish is with the formula acabar de + infinitive. Let's look at two examples of this construction, one in the present tense and one in the preterite:
Acabo de llegar a Barcelona
I just got to Barcelona
Caption 7, Raquel Oficina de Turismo
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La azafata acabó de salir del hotel y Zárate va tras ella.
The flight attendant just left the hotel, and Zarate is behind her.
Caption 21, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 10
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An alternative way to get across this meaning of the English word "just" in Spanish is with the word recién:
¿Vos no estuviste en la oficina recién?
Weren't you just at the office?
Caption 70, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 6
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The word "just" can also communicate the idea of "barely" or "by a narrow margin," for which Spanish phrases like por poco or the colloquial por un pelo function similarly:
Perdimos el avión por poco/por un pelo.
We just missed the bus.
In certain cases, the Spanish phrase un poco may also communicate this idea of "just" as in a slim margin, as in the following example:
con un poco más de tres millones de habitantes.
with just over three million inhabitants.
Caption 7, Aprendiendo con Zulbany Visitando Madrid
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The English word "just" can also function like "simply" or "only," for which the Spanish words solo and solamente are viable translations:
No solo practico kitesurf, también tengo un hobby de ser DJ;
I don't just do kitesurfing, I also have a hobby of being a DJ;
Caption 56, Adícora, Venezuela La Posada Sea Club - Part 1
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Es una oportunidad de entrenar no solamente en nuestro cuerpo, sino también en nuestra mente,
It's an opportunity to train, not just our bodies, but also our minds,
Captions 26-27, Víctor en Caracas La natación
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The Spanish word apenas, whose translations include "barely" and "scarcely," can also be used to say "just" in the sense of "only":
No tienes. ¿Y cuánto tiempo tienes con tu esposo o tu pareja? Un año. Un año apenas. -Apenas.
You don't have. And how long have you have been with your husband or your boyfriend? A year. Just a year. -Just.
Captions 88-90, Adícora, Venezuela El tatuaje de Rosana
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And finally, Spanish adverbs like realmente and simplemente can get across the idea of the English word "just" with the meaning of "positively":
Realmente me encanta ser profesor, me encanta mi...
I just love being a teacher, I love my...
Caption 35, Profesor de matemática Entrevista
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No sé, mamá, simplemente me... me mató, me mató...
I don't know, Mom, it just... it killed me, it killed me...
Captions 5-6, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 8
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As you can see, there is no one-size-fits-all translation for the English word "just" since it can mean so many different things, most of which are said in different ways in Spanish. Can you think of any additional meanings of the word "just" in English and/or ways to express them in Spanish? Let us know with your comments and suggestions!
According to Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: "I'd never yell, 'Good luck!' at anybody. It sounds terrible, when you think about it." Well... whether or not you agree with this somewhat cynical viewpoint, most of us can concur that everyone could use a little extra luck, and every culture employs different expressions to wish others well. In fact, Spanish-speakers are very likely to use many of these daily! So... how do you say "good luck" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a plethora of ways.
The most literal translation for "good luck" in Spanish is buena suerte. Let's hear it in action:
¡Buena suerte!
Good luck!
Caption 91, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
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There are many variations of (buena) suerte, including mucha suerte (lots of luck), which are often used with the subjunctive form of the verb tener (to have) in expressions like Que tengas mucha suerte (I hope you have a lot of luck) or the verb desear (to wish) as in Te deseo mucha/buena suerte (I wish you a lot of/good luck).
Another way to say "good luck" in Spanish is to say simply "Suerte," which literally means just "Luck."
Suerte, Fernando.
Good luck, Fernando.
Caption 23, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 8
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Another common expression to wish someone "the best of luck" in Spanish is La mejor de las suertes, which could be said alone or with the verb desear :
te deseamos la mejor de las suertes, ¿oís?
we wish you the best of luck, you hear?
Caption 47, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 1 - Part 5
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Saying ¡Éxito! (Success!) to someone in the singular or plural is another way of wishing someone "good luck" in Spanish, which could also be used with the verb desear:
Les deseamos muchos éxitos, ehm...
We wish you a lot of success, um...
Caption 68, Doctor Krápula Entrevista
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Así que les deseo lo mejor, éxito en todo
So I wish you the best, [I wish you] success with everything
Caption 66, Outward Bound Danny
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Note that this second example contains yet another way of wishing someone well in Spanish: desear(le a alguien) lo mejor, or "wishing (someone) the best." Another alternative to this manner of wishing someone good luck and best wishes in Spanish is to say simply Mis mejores deseos (My best wishes).
Que te vaya bien is yet another expression that friends and strangers alike often utter to wish you good luck and best wishes in Spanish. It's literal meaning is "(I hope) everything goes well for you," but it might sometimes be translated with the similarly well-wishing English phrase "Take care":
¡Qué te vaya bien! -¡Qué te vaya bien! ¡Qué tengas suerte! -¡Chao! -¡Chao! ¡Suerte! ¡Chao!
Take care! -Take care! Good luck! -Bye! -Bye! Good luck! Bye!
Captions 67-69, Salvando el planeta Palabra Llegada - Part 5
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Just like English-speakers, Spanish speakers sometimes use the phrase cruzar los dedos (to cross one's fingers) to describe a superstitious action thought to promote good luck.
Bueno pues, crucemos los dedos para que todo salga bien
Well then, let's cross our fingers for everything to go well
Caption 17, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 12
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Yep, you read that right! Although it literally means "crap" or "shit," telling someone ¡Mierda! or ¡Mucha mierda! (A lot of crap) is one to say "good luck" in Spanish slang and can be thought of as an equivalent expression to the English "Break a leg!" Interestingly, in the theater world, Spanish speakers often use the French version, merde.
Now that you know how to say "Good luck" in Spanish, we'd like to leave you with the following:
OK, buena suerte al aprender español.
Okay, good luck learning Spanish.
Caption 29, Cabarete Escuela de trapecio
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And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments!
How do you talk about having fun and enjoying yourself in Spanish? Today's lesson will cover several ways!
There are several Spanish verbs that mean "to have fun," "have a good time," "enjoy oneself," etc. Let's take look.
The Spanish verb pasarlo bien can be translated as "to have fun" or "to have a good time." By extension, pasarlo muy bien is "to have a lot of fun" or "a great" or "really good time." Let's see these in action:
Mucho calor, pero lo pasamos muy bien.
Very hot, but we had a really good time.
Caption 24, Blanca y Mariona Proyectos para el verano
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Sometimes we hear the reflexive version:
Nos lo pasamos muy bien. -Ah.
We have a great time. -Oh.
Caption 31, Karla e Isabel Alquilar una habitación - Part 2
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Other times, we might hear the alternative version pasarla bien:
la pasamos bien y pudimos avanzar.
we had a good time and we were able to move forward.
Caption 56, Eduardo y Luciana de Argentina Historia del Rio
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While all of our examples thus far have been in the preterite tense, now, let's see how we can use this verb to tell one or more people to "Have fun!" using either the command form or the present subjunctive form with que, as in the following captions:
pásenlo bien, hagan del mundo un mundo más bonito y
have a good time, make the world a nicer world, and
Caption 41, Víctor en Caracas Santa Claus
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Por supuesto que no. ¡Qué lo paséis bien!
Of course not. Have fun!
Caption 38, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 6
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By the way, there are many, more slangy verbs to say you had a lot of fun in Spanish that involve the verb pasar and might be thought of as similar to the English expression "to have a blast." These include, but probably aren't limited to: pasarlo re bien, pasarlo super (bien), pasarlo bomba, and pasarlo de diez.
The Spanish verb divertirse also means "to have fun" or "have a good time." Let's see a couple of examples, one in the infinitive and another in the preterite:
Recuerda que lo importante es divertirse.
Remember that the important thing is to have fun.
Caption 79, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
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¡Nosotros nos divertimos un montón!
We had a ton of fun!
Caption 6, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1
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Now, let's see the informal singular command form of this verb:
Eso es: Diviértete.
That is: Have fun.
Caption 39, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 1
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The Spanish verb disfrutar means "to enjoy." Let's take a look at it in action in its present indicative and subjunctive forms:
Disfruto tanto dibujando en acuarela o bocetando,
I enjoy watercolor painting or sketching so much
Caption 8, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
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Pues, que disfruten su estancia,
Well, [I hope] that you enjoy your stay,
Caption 68, Yabla en Yucatán Vicente
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Note that the Spanish verb disfrutar will often be accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed:
nos vamos a disfrutar de la fiesta.
we are going to enjoy the party.
Caption 19, Marta Vocabulario de Cumpleaños
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The Spanish verb gozar also means "to enjoy" or "have a good time." Let's take a look at an example in the present indicative:
Lloran, se ríen, gozan;
They cry, they laugh, they enjoy;
Caption 34, Mariachi El amor de la música mexicana
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Like disfrutar, the verb gozar in Spanish is often accompanied by the preposition de to indicate what's being enjoyed, as in the sentence "Gozamos mucho del tiempo que pasamos en la costa" (We really enjoyed the time we spent on the coast).
Now, let's look at a couple of nouns that mean "fun" in Spanish. Note their similarity to some aforementioned Spanish verbs.
Pero a veces, la diversión no les dura ni diez minutos.
But sometimes, the fun doesn't last even ten minutes for them.
Caption 34, Ana Carolina Bebés y medio ambiente
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El placer es una sensación de goce o satisfacción
Pleasure is a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction
Caption 10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Pequeños grandes placeres - Part 1
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Let's conclude with some Spanish adjectives that mean "fun" or "entertaining." Remember that adjectives must agree in terms of number and gender with the nouns they modify.
¡Guau! Eso sí que era divertido
Wow! That really was fun,
Caption 36, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 2
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pero en los libros vas a encontrar palabras nuevas en historias muy divertidas y entretenidas.
but in books, you're going to find new words in very amusing and entertaining stories.
Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Mis libros preferidos - Part 1
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On that note, esperamos que hayan disfrutado de esta lección (we hope you've enjoyed this lesson), and don't forget to leave us your comments and suggestions.
The Spanish verb echar can be used in many different ways and appears in a host of different Spanish idiomatic expressions. Let's explore the many meanings and uses of the Spanish verb echar.
While the first definition of echar in dictionaries is typically "to throw," it can refer to any literal or figurative movement from one point to another and can thus be translated in many fashions depending upon the context. Let's take a look at several of its most common meanings with examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
Although the Spanish verb echar can literally mean "to throw," "toss," or "hurl" something, it is probably more common to hear verbs like tirar, lanzar, or arrojar used with this meaning. That said, let's take a look at an example where echar means to physically throw something:
y le echas harina y se lo pones en el pelo y... ¡Chwak!
and you throw flour on her and you put it in her hair and... Bam!
Caption 17, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 1
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The Spanish verb echar can also be used in the way we use the verbs "to throw" something "out" or "away," whether literally or figuratively. Let's look at an example of each:
Por lo general, tenemos cuatro contenedores: el azul, donde echamos el papel, cartón, revistas,
Generally, we have four trash bins: the blue one, where we throw away paper, cardboard, magazines,
Captions 3-4, Rosa Reciclar
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Todo estaba tranquilo y lo echaste a la basura
Everything was calm and you threw it in the garbage
Caption 3, Sondulo Que te vaya mal
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The verb echar in Spanish often appears in recipes and other contexts when talking about "adding" or "putting in" some ingredient, etc. Let's take a look:
Le voy a echar un poco de nata...
I'm going to add a bit of cream to it...
Caption 47, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 9
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Bueno, también le podemos echar diferentes clases de condimentos.
Well, we can also put in different kinds of seasoning.
Caption 24, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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Along these same lines, echar can also be used to mean to pour something into something else:
Solo falta echarla en el molde
We just need to pour it into the mold
Caption 38, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre
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The verb echar in Spanish may also refer to getting rid of someone in the sense of throwing or kicking them out, temporarily or permanently:
No sé qué hace este señor todavía acá, lo eché esta misma tarde.
I don't know what this gentleman is still doing here. I threw him out this very afternoon.
Caption 33, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 4
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Se mueren por saber por qué echó a la chirusa.
They're dying to know why she fired the vulgar girl.
Caption 42, Carlos y Cyndy Comentario sobre Muñeca Brava
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And speaking of "expelling" and "fire," the verb echar in Spanish can also mean to "expel," "emit," "give off," or "spew" fire or smoke, for example:
Pero eso no lo iba a entender un dragón al que solo le interesaba rugir y echar fuego por la boca.
But a dragon who was only interested in roaring and spewing fire from his mouth wasn't going to get it.
Caption 49, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 7
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And, to conclude with our more standard uses of the Spanish verb echar, the formula echar + infinitive means "to start" [doing something]:
y ven la batidora, echan a correr.
and they see the blender, they start to run.
Caption 31, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 8
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This meaning might also be seen with the reflexive version of the verb, echarse.
Pero ya las lágrimas se echaban a correr
But the tears were starting to fall
Caption 8, Jeremías Uno y uno igual a tres
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Let's take a look at some additional uses of the reflexive verb echarse.
The reflexive verb echarse can be used to talk about "lying down" as in Me voy a echar en la cama (I'm going to lie down in bed) or generally "throwing oneself" or "getting down":
Los hombres que cuando se les dicen de echarse al suelo es que no quieren ninguno.
When men are told to get down on the ground, the thing is that no one wants to.
Captions 52-53, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 8
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The reflexive verb echarse can additionally have the connotation of moving from one place to another, as in the first example, and is therefore heard often in songs, as in the second, with various translations to tell people how they should move.
donde el pueblo se echa a la calle junto a miles de visitantes
where the town goes out onto the street along with thousands of visitors
Caption 57, Viajando con Fermín Frigiliana, Málaga
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Échate pa' un lado
Move aside
Caption 8, Javier García EPK - Part 2
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Now, let's look at several Spanish idioms that involve the Spanish verbs echar or echarse with examples in context:
¡Y me echó la culpa de todo!
And she blamed everything on me!
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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Después de haberse marchado todos, estaba sola en casa y se echó a llorar.
After everyone had left, she was alone in the house and burst out crying.
Captions 29-30, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 1
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Después de comer, solemos echar la siesta
After eating, we usually take a nap
Caption 20, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias
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Ahora cerramos la puerta, echamos la llave
Now we close the door, we lock it,
Caption 12, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 1
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De España echo mucho de menos el clima,
From Spain, I really miss the weather,
Caption 39, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres
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para que nos eche una mano y les vamos a dar
so that he can lend us a hand and we are going to give them
Caption 50, Club de las ideas Bioparc
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De acuerdo, deje que eche un vistazo.
OK, let me take a look.
Caption 63, Negocios Empezar en un nuevo trabajo - Part 2
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Así es y pues aquí mira, trabajando, echándole ganas y...
It's so, and well, [we] are here, [you] see, working, giving it my all and...
Caption 17, Edificio en Construcción Hablando con los trabajadores - Part 2
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No puedo, negrita, ya eché a perder como diez laburo'.
I can't, honey. I already messed up like ten jobs.
Caption 3, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 5
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¡Callate, Rufino! No eches más leña al fuego, ¿querés?
Shut up, Rufino! Don't put more wood into the fire [don't add fuel to the fire], will you?
Caption 23, Yago 8 Descubrimiento - Part 2
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Todavía no ha jugado el partido de fútbol y ya está "echando las campanas al vuelo",
He hasn't played the soccer match yet, and he's already "throwing the bells in the air,"
Captions 45-46, Aprendiendo con Silvia Campanas - Part 2
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Although the literal meaning is totally different, this Spanish expression is comparable to the English idiom about "counting one's chickens before they are hatched." For more such examples, check out this lesson on Spanish idioms and their (very different) English equivalents.
As there are so many standard and idiomatic ways to use the Spanish verb echar that it would be impossible to name them all, we've provided just a smattering! Don't hesitate to write to us with any more you come across, or with any ideas for future lessons. ¡Hasta la próxima!
How do you say "no" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a multitude of ways!
If you are wondering how to say "no" in Spanish, like in English, there are many different ways. For starters, we could just say "no" like we do in English (with a slightly different pronunciation, of course)!
Elena, por favor, ¿te sentís bien? No.
Elena, please, do you feel alright? No.
Captions 1-2, Yago 13 La verdad - Part 5
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For a more polite choice, use the Spanish equivalent of "No, thank you":
¿Quieres? No, gracias. Tengo unas galletas aquí.
Do you want [some]? No, thank you. I have some cookies here.
Captions 12-13, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 2: Cafe y bocadillos
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To answer with a more emphatic "no," try one of the many expressions that mean "No way" in Spanish. The first one can be translated quite literally:
No, de ninguna manera.
No, no way.
Caption 45, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 6
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¿No muerde, no, Suso? -No, qué va.
He doesn't bite, right, Suso? -Right, no way.
Caption 22, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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Eh... Entonces de hablar, ni hablar.
Um... Then about talking, no way.
Caption 85, Muñeca Brava 47 Esperanzas - Part 10
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¿Quieres salir conmigo? -¡Ni de broma!
Do you want to go out with me? -No way!
¡No te escapas ni de broma! -¡El arma secreta del grupo! -¡Hombre!
There's no way you'll get out of this! -The secret weapon of the band! -Man!
Caption 56, Orishas Entrevista Canal Plus
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To remember how to say "Of course not" in Spanish, let's first recall two ways to say "Of course," claro and por supuesto, then look at their negative versions:
¡Por supuesto que no! ¡No! ¿Mm?
Of course not! No! Hmm?
Caption 44, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 3
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No, no, no, claro que no. Además...
No, no, no, of course not. Besides...
Caption 37, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 11
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While the first, most literal way to say "Don't even think about it" in Spanish is Ni lo pienses, there are several others, such as Ni se te ocurra, which literally means "Don't even let it occur to you":
Si yo dejé mi departamento... -Ni se te ocurra.
If I left my apartment... -Don't even think about it.
Caption 14, Muñeca Brava 45 El secreto - Part 6
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Let's see one more:
¡Ni lo sueñes!
Don't even think about it [literally "Don't even dream about it"]!
Caption 19, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 5
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An alternative variation would be: ¡Ni en tus sueños! In English, of course, we would merely say "In your dreams" (as opposed to the literal translation "Not in your dreams").
In Spanish, a common way to say you're just not in the mood (to do something) is no tener ganas de + infinitive, as follows
Dale. -Sí. -Sí. -Te toca. Gracias, Merycita, pero no tengo ganas de jugar.
Go ahead. -Yes. -Yes. -It's your turn. Thank you, Merycita, but I don't feel like playing.
Captions 57-58, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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To say simply "I don't feel like it," you might choose No tengo ganas or the alternative expression No me da la gana.
Let's look at a few more common Spanish expressions that make abundantly clear that one's answer is negative:
No, no, no, para nada, no, ¿cómo se te ocurre?
No, no, no, not at all, no, how can you think that?
Caption 12, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 8
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De eso nada. ¡Es mía, sólo mía!
None of that. It's mine, just mine!
Caption 21, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 1
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No, en absoluto.
No, absolutely not.
Caption 76, Muñeca Brava 7 El poema - Part 8
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And, let's conclude with the most dramatic option of all:
¡¿Estás loco o qué?!
Are you crazy or what?!
Caption 34, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 4: Sam busca un trabajo - Part 1
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We hope you've enjoyed this lesson on how to say "no" in Spanish. Can you think of any additional Spanish ways to say "no"? Don't forget to let us know!
There are many words in English that start with the letter W. But, what about Spanish? How many Spanish words that start with W do you know? If you can't think of any, we would like to invite you to read this lesson, where we will unveil some of the most commonly used words that start with W in Spanish.
To begin with, the letter W is one of the letters of the Spanish alphabet. However, since this letter wasn't part of the Latin language, its adoption into the Spanish language came from terms and words that are original to other languages (extranjerismos).
In terms of the name and pronunciation of this consonant, as there are many ways of referring to the letter W in Spanish, you can use any the following four options:
1. uve doble
2. ve doble
3. doble ve
4. doble u
Let's hear the pronunciation of the recommended option uve doble:
te, u, uve, uve doble,
t, u, v, w,
Caption 23, Fundamentos del Español 1 - El Alfabeto
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And let's see how to pronounce the alternative option doble ve:
ve, doble ve, equis, ye, zeta.
v, w, x, y, z.
Caption 11, Graciela Alfabeto y formación de sílabas
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Now that we know the various names for this letter and the type of words that contain it, let's take a look at some of the most common words that start with the letter W in Spanish.
There are several technology-related words in Spanish that start with W. Please keep in mind that most of them are terms that have been borrowed from the English language with the same spelling. Let's look at a few:
Even though the Spanish term vatio is the recommended one for its English equivalent, the word watt is also accepted.
The word "web" is used in Spanish in the same way as in English. However, this term can also be employed when talking about a single website or web page:
Más información en esta web.
More information on this website.
Caption 9, Tecnópolis Viaje por la red
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Keep in mind that you can also use the term seminario web when talking about a webinar in Spanish.
Tenemos también wifi y hay ordenadores disponibles.
We also have Wi-Fi and there are computers available.
Caption 20, El Aula Azul Las actividades de la escuela - Part 1
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As we saw in the previous section, there are many Spanish W words that come from the English language. Let's see some more:
You might also see the term waterpolista to describe a water polo player.
English is not the only language that has given Spanish some of its W words. There are numerous words in Spanish that start with W that come from other languages. Let's take a look.
de salsa de soja o wasabi
with soy sauce or wasabi,
Caption 32, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 2
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As you can see, there are some easy Spanish words that start with W as well as some more challenging ones. Can you think of any additional words that start with W in Spanish? Be sure to let us know, and don't forget to leave us your questions and comments.
What is el Zodiaco (the zodiac)? In la astronomía (astronomy) and la astrología (astrology), this word (or its alternative spelling, Zodíaco) refers to a band in el cielo (the sky) that los cuerpos celestes (celestial bodies) like el Sol (the Sun), la Luna (the Moon), and los planetas (the planets) appear to move through when viewed from la Tierra (the Earth). This band includes twelve constelaciones (constellations) named for los signos del Zodiaco (the zodiac signs), which said celestial bodies are said to be "in" when moving into the portion of this band that includes them. One's zodiac sign is thus determined by the constellation the sun was in on his or her fecha de nacimiento (birthdate in Spanish).
Armed with this understanding, let's take a look at the Spanish names for the twelve signs of the zodiac, as well as the date ranges for each (you might want to review this lesson on the months in Spanish):
Aries: 21 de marzo al 19 de abril
(Aries: March 21st to April 19th)
Tauro: 20 de abril al 20 de mayo
(Taurus: April 20th to May 20th)
Géminis: 21 de mayo al 20 de junio
(Gemini: May 21st to June 20th)
Cáncer: 21 de junio al 22 de julio
(Cancer: June 21st to July 22nd)
Leo: 23 de julio al 22 de agosto
(Leo: July 23rd to August 22nd)
Virgo: 23 de agosto al 22 de septiembre
(Virgo: August 23rd to September 22nd)
Libra: 23 de septiembre al 22 de octubre
(Libra: September 23rd to October 22nd)
Escorpio/Escorpión: 23 de octubre al 21 de noviembre
(Scorpio: October 23rd to November 21st)
Sagitario: 22 de noviembre al 21 de diciembre
(Sagittarius: November 21st to December 19th)
Capricornio: 22 de diciembre al 19 de enero
(Capricorn: December 22nd to January 19th)
Acuario: 20 de enero al 18 de febrero
(Aquarius: January 20th to February 18th)
Piscis: 19 de febrero al 20 de marzo
(Pisces: February 19th to March 20th)
The twelve zodiac signs are furthermore grouped into four elementos (elements): aire (air), agua (water), fuego (fire), and tierra (earth). Let's take a look at which signs fall into each of these categories:
Los signos de fuego (The Fire Signs): Aries, Leo, Sagitario
Los signos de aire (The Air Signs): Géminis, Libra, Acuario
Los signos de agua (The Water Signs): Cáncer, Escorpio, Piscis
Los signos de tierra (The Earth Signs): Tauro, Virgo, Capricornio
So, how do you ask someone what his or her sign is in Spanish? The most common way is "¿Qué signo eres/es?" or "What sign are you?" with tú (informal "you") or usted (formal "you"). The answer might be Yo soy Tauro (I'm a Taurus), etc. However, you might notice that in some countries like Argentina, they tend to use the preposition de (of/from) to ask and answer this question, as in the following examples:
¿Y de qué signo sos? Yo, de Sagitario.
And what is your sign? Me, Sagittarius.
Captions 82-83, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 8
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Sí, la madre superiora es de Aries ¡y la verdad que tiene un humor! Es re agreta.
Yes, the Mother Superior is Aries and the truth is that she has a temper! She is so grumpy.
Captions 80-81, Muñeca Brava 36 La pesquisa - Part 10
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As we can see from the second quote above, specific astrological signs and elements tend to be associated with certain rasgos de personalidad (character traits). Of course, as not all members of a particular sign can be exactly alike, a tool for predecir (predicting) a person's personality in a more detailed fashion is una carta astral (astrological chart):
Nos valemos de la carta astral, que es la fotografía que se toma del cielo en el momento en que alguien nace, para ver la ubicación que tenían los planetas en ese momento
We use the astrological chart, which is the photograph that is taken of the sky at the moment in which someone is born, to see the location that the planets had at that moment
Captions 5-7, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
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And, in addition to predicting a person's character, one's future is thought, by proponents of astrology, to be predecible (predictable) based on his or her chart. Said predictions are called los horóscopos (horoscopes), and more generalized versions for the twelve signs can often be seen in newspapers and magazines:
Cáncer: Hoy habrá problemas en casa.
Cancer: Today there will be problems at home.
Caption 1, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 5
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However, just like you can't generalize about personalities, you certainly can't predict con exactitud (accurately) what's in store for each sign:
Los horóscopos son una aproximación a una predicción signo por signo pero no son tan precisos puesto que no hay una carta específica de una persona, sino es en general para los signos.
Horoscopes are an approximation of a prediction sign-by-sign, but they are not so accurate since there isn't a chart specific to a person, but rather it is in general for the signs.
Captions 30-32, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
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All that said, whether you view astrology as a reliable science or a fun hobby, we hope you've learned some useful vocabulary to be able to converse about it in Spanish. And don't forget leave us your suggestions and comments.
Today's lesson will focus on the oft-used conjunction para que, which means "so that" or "in order for" in Spanish.
Beginning with a few sentences that contain the Spanish conjunction para que, see if you can identify elements that they all have in common.
y ahora colocaré esta mezcla en la refrigeradora, para que se enfríe un poco,
and now, I'll put this mixture in the refrigerator so that it cools down a bit,
Captions 33-34, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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¿Pueden dejar de llorar para que empecemos la competencia?
Can you stop crying so that we can start the competition?
Caption 53, NPS No puede ser 1 - El concurso - Part 5
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y los invito a que pongan en práctica todas estas reglas para que puedan usar correctamente estas preposiciones.
and I invite you to put all these rules into practice so that you can use these prepositions correctly.
Captions 70-71, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 3
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Did you come up with any commonalities? Let's lay down a couple of ground rules for using para que in Spanish.
In other words, one thing is done by one entity so that another entity "can" do something else.
Using the English translations, in the first example, "I" (the first subject) will put the mixture in the fridge so that "it" (the second subject) is able to cool down. In the second, "you guys" (the first subject) should stop crying so that "we" (the second subject) can commence the competition, and in the third, "I" (the first subject) am doing the inviting in order for you "you guys" (the second subject) to use the prepositions right.
* Note that in these Spanish sentences, the subjects are implied by their verb conjugations rather than explicitly stated (for example, as invito is the first person singular of the verb invitar (to invite), we know the subject is "I").
If we think of this in terms of our W.E.I.R.D.O. formula for when to use the subjunctive in Spanish, it makes sense since just because something "could" happen based on an initial action, we aren't sure if it will. You will note that two of three translations include the word "can," although this is not always the case, and there are often many ways to translate a Spanish that includes para que into English.
Although all of the examples we have seen thus far have included verbs in the present subjunctive tense, you might come across examples in other subjunctive tenses, such as the imperfect subjunctive when the action takes place in the past. Let's take a look at some examples:
Les dimos los juguetes, los bolígrafos, uno para cada uno para que pudieran escribir.
We gave them the toys, the pens, one for each one so that they could write.
Captions 8-9, Con ánimo de lucro Cortometraje - Part 4
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Lo que hice fue preparar todos los burros, para que estuviesen acostumbrados a recibir a visitas,
What I did was to prepare all the donkeys so they were used to getting visitors,
Captions 35-36, Amaya Apertura del refugio
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Alternative translations for this second example might be "so that they would be used to getting visitors" or "so that they could get used to getting visitors."
Although you might hear it done occasionally in spoken Spanish, remember that you should not use para que to connect clauses when there is no change of subject. For example, what if you wanted to say, "I'm going to call the restaurant as soon as possible so that I can get a table"? You shouldn't say Yo voy a llamar el restaurante lo antes posible para que (yo) pueda conseguir una mesa" but instead use para + the infinitive as follows:
Yo voy a llamar el restaurante lo antes posible para poder conseguir una mesa.
I'm going to call the restaurant as soon as possible so I can get a table (literally "to be able to get a table").
Let's see some more examples:
mis toallitas desmaquillantes, y mi espejo, donde me miro todas las mañanas para saber que estoy bien.
my makeup remover towelettes, and my mirror, where I look at myself every morning in order to know I look OK.
Captions 55-56, Amaya "Mi camper van"
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An alternative translation could be "so that I know I look OK."
Siempre hemos de asistir personalmente a la entidad bancaria para poder realizar la firma de todos los documentos originales.
We should always go personally to the banking entity in order to be able to do the signing of all the original documents.
Captions 13-14, Raquel Abrir una cuenta bancaria
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Another way to say this in English could be "so we can sign all of the original documents." In any case, because there is no change in subject in either of these examples (in the first one, it's yo/I and in the second one, it's nosotros/we), the formula para plus the infinitive was used in lieu of para que.
To conclude, remember that when para qué is used in question or implied question form, it has an accent and means "why?" or "what for?" Let's see some examples:
¿Y para qué lo necesito?
And what do I need it for?
Caption 6, Clase Aula Azul Planes para el futuro - Part 1
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¿Para qué fuiste al cine?
Why [for what purpose] did you go to the movies?
Caption 53, Carlos explica Las preposiciones 'por' y 'para' - Part 1
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Keep in mind that although para qué can also be translated as "why" in some contexts, it has a slightly different meaning than por qué (which also means "why") in that it focuses on goal or purpose rather than strictly reason. For more on this subtle distinction, check out this video on the Spanish prepositions por vs. para.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has made the expression para que more clear para que la puedan usar bien (so that you can use it correctly) and sound like a native speaker. And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Are you familiar with the preposition desde in Spanish? In this lesson, we'll learn many of the various ways to use it. Let's take a look.
This is one of the most common uses of desde and includes three subcategories:
El autobús que va desde el aeropuerto a la Plaza de España
The bus that goes from the airport to the Plaza de España
Caption 10, Raquel Oficina de Turismo
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desde la Época Prehispánica hasta el siglo veinte.
from the Pre-Hispanic Era to the twentieth century.
Caption 11, Paseando con Karen Monterrey - Museo de Historia Mexicana
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Desde que llegué a Misiones, lo único que has hecho es estar encima mío.
Since I arrived at Misiones, all you have done is breathe down my neck.
Caption 12, Yago 6 Mentiras - Part 1
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This is another very common use of the Spanish preposition desde. Just like with the previous category, there are three different ways to use it to give a reference point.
Su interior mide, desde la pared interior hasta fuera, diecinueve con cinco metros,
Its inside measures, from the inside wall to the outside, nineteen point five meters,
Captions 22-23, Rosa Los Dólmenes de Antequera
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pero desde aquí, desde Hotel Kivir, vemos Triana. Triana es el barrio más conocido de Sevilla.
but from here, from the Hotel Kivir, we see Triana. Triana is the best-known neighborhood in Seville.
Captions 30-31, Sevilla, España Hotel Kivir - Part 1
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Los saludo desde Popayán, Colombia.
I greet you from Popayan, Colombia.
Caption 2, Viajando con Carlos Popayán - Colombia - Part 1
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One's opinion or point of view can be relayed by combining the preposition desde with terms like punto de vista (point of view), perspectiva (perspective), ángulo (angle), or enfoque (approach).
El arquitecto, eh... desde mi punto de vista, nace.
The architect, um... from my point of view, is born.
Caption 16, Leif El Arquitecto Español y su Arte - Part 1
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¿En qué marco describiría usted, desde la perspectiva del gobierno nicaragüense... el trabajo del desminado?
In what framework would you describe, from the perspective of the Nicaraguan government... mine-clearing work?
Captions 34-35, Tierra Envenenada Desminando - Part 3
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In rare cases, the preposition desde in Spanish can be used to express something's cause. Let's see an example:
Algo tan absurdo solo se puede decir desde la ignorancia.
Something so absurd can only be said from ignorance.
The Spanish preposition desde can be used with both a and hasta.
Quiero que recorramos juntos esa zona, desde Santa Marta hasta La Arenosa
I want to traverse that area together, from Santa Marta to La Arenosa
Caption 28, Carlos Vives, Shakira La Bicicleta
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desde la nota aguda a la nota grave
from the high note to the low note,
Caption 23, Música andina La zampoña
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On this note, we've reached the end of this lesson. We hope you learned something new today, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
What holiday falls on el segundo domingo de mayo (the second Sunday in May) in the United States?
Es el Día de las Madres.
It's Mother's Day.
Caption 3, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre
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Although the day on which se festeja (it is celebrated) varies from country to country in the Spanish-speaking world, many of las costumbres (the customs) overlap. That said, let's talk about some ideas for celebrating your mother while learning some pertinent vocabulary in Spanish!
Just like in English, there are many ways to refer to one's mother in Spanish! Let's take a look:
madre: mother
Tenía que comprar un regalo para mi madre.
I had to buy a gift for my mother.
Caption 9, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Por y para
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mamá: mom
Es que eran unas flores muy bonitas, y se las quería regalar a mi mamá.
It's just that they were some very beautiful flowers, and I wanted to give them to my mom.
Captions 12-13, Guillermina y Candelario El Rey de la Selva
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ma: ma/mom/mommy
Aquí estoy, ma.
Here I am, Mom.
Caption 45, X6 1 - La banda - Part 11
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mami: mommy
Ah. -Tú le diste el teléfono, ¿no, mami?
Oh. -You gave him the phone number, right, Mommy?
Caption 26, Yago 11 Prisión - Part 8
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However, note that in certain contexts, "mami" is a slang term for "baby":
Mami, te prometo que esto se va a arreglar
Baby, I promise you that this is going to get fixed
Caption 19, DJ Bitman El Diablo
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Another word that could be used to say either "mommy" or "baby" in Spanish is mamita (whereas mamacita would always refer to an attractive female rather than an actual mom).
You may have noticed in the examples above the Mother's Day-appropriate vocabulary words regalar (to give, as in a gift), el regalo (the present), and las flores (the flowers). What might be another typical item to give to your mother on Mother's Day?
Estoy leyendo mi tarjeta de felicitación.
I am reading my greeting card.
Caption 9, Marta Vocabulario de Cumpleaños
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While the speaker in this caption is referring to a birthday card, la tarjeta de felicitación could refer to any type of "greeting card" (if you'd like to brush up on your birthday vocabulary, check out this lesson on Todo sobre los cumpleaños (All About Birthdays) in Spanish). Other typical Mother's Day gifts, like una caja de chocolates (a box of chocolates) might overlap with your Spanish vocabulary for Valentine's Day.
What might be another way to sorprender (surprise) your mom (the noun for "a surprise" in Spanish is una sorpresa)?
Mi mamá es muy buena conmigo siempre y por eso decidí sorprenderla con una torta de chocolate
My mom is always very good to me, and that's why I decided to surprise her with a chocolate cake
Captions 5-6, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre
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As Cleer mentions, cocinar (cooking) or hornear (baking) something for her could be nice, as would servirle un desayuno en la cama (serving her breakfast in bed). And, if you want to include a scrumptious beverage in the equation, we recommend this tutorial on how to make mimosas.
Alternatively, you could invite your mom to salir a... (go out to...) desauynar (breakfast/brunch), almorzar (lunch/brunch), or the anglicism, brunchear (brunch).
A day at the spa or un tratamiento de belleza (beauty treatment) might be just what mom needs to relajarse (relax) and sentirse valorada (feel appreciated). Let's take a look at the names for some services she might enjoy:
Tenemos, eh... la facial de una hora que es la clásica
We have, um... the one-hour facial, which is the classic one,
Caption 10, Cleer y Lida Conversación telefónica - Part 2
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un largo y tierno masaje,
a long and tender massage,
Caption 23, Aprendiendo con Silvia Pequeños grandes placeres - Part 2
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También ofrecemos manicure y pedicure.
We also offer manicures and pedicures.
Caption 13, Cleer y Lida Conversación telefónica - Part 2
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Manicures and pedicures might also be referred to as la manicura/la pedicura in Spanish.
In addition to the aforementioned suggestions, pasar tiempo (spending time) with your mom in any capacity is bound to go over well. You could opt for the previously suggested meal together, or perhaps some outing to hacer senderismo (go hiking), ir al cine (go to the movies), or in the best of cases, ir de vacaciones (go on vacation). And, if you don't live near your mother, llamarla (calling her) would certainly make her day.
We'll conclude this lesson with a few nice things you might say to your mom on el Día de la Madre (another way to say "Mother's Day" in Spanish), or any day!
Te quiero/Te amo: I love you (Note that in some countries, the verb amar (to love) refers to only romantic love, while in others, it is appropriate for family members).
Eres la mejor mamá del mundo: You're the best mom in the world.
Gracias por todo lo que has hecho por mí: Thank you for everything you've done for me.
Estoy muy agradecido/a: I'm very grateful.
Another way to direct some kind words to your mother might be reciting a poem, such as this suitable one entitled A mamá (To Mom).
For more Mother's Day vocabulary (and a great chocolate cake recipe!), watch Cleer y Lía- El día de la madre, and don't forget to recognize your mom, grandma, or any other great mom you know on el Día de las Madres... and to leave us your suggestions and comments!