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One small rule per guide, explained in plain English, step by step, with a table and real lines from the Lexayo story. The guides follow the story’s chapters, so they run from first words to the harder points in the order you meet them. New to Spanish? Start with Hola, buenos días, adiós .
Chapters Arriving in Madrid A new flat, a nosy neighbour, first words
Hola, buenos días, adiós Greet people at any time of day Sí, no, por favor, gracias Say yes, no, please, thank you and sorry Numbers 1–5 Count from one to five Numbers 6–10 Count from six to ten ¿Cómo estás? — bien / mal / regular Ask how someone is and reply Ser: soy, eres, es Say who you are and where you are from Me llamo, te llamas, se llama Ask and say people's names Ser de + country Say where people are from El, la, un, una Name things around the house Plurals: -s, los, las Talk about more than one thing at home Está, están: where things are Ask and say where things are Hay vs está Say what there is and where it is En, encima de, debajo de, al lado de Say exactly where something is Adjectives after the noun Describe things using adjectives after the noun Rojo, roja, rojos: colour agreement Describe colours and match them to nouns Market & café life Tomás’s oranges, churros with Elena
Numbers and prices Count to ten and pay at a market Un kilo de, medio kilo de, una bolsa de Ask for quantities of food at the market Numbers 11-20 Use numbers from eleven to twenty Tens: treinta to cien Count in tens up to one hundred Quiero + noun; ¿algo más? Ask for things you want at the market Paying: tarjeta, efectivo, cambio Ask how to pay and understand change Quiero, quieres, quiere Order a drink and say what you want Para mí, para ti Order drinks for yourself and someone else La cuenta, ¿cuánto es todo? Ask for the bill and check the total Tengo hambre, tienes calor... Say you are hungry, thirsty, hot or cold Hay + food Ask what food there is and order something to eat Friends & family Photos, feelings, a very long day
Mi, tu, su Talk about your family using mi, tu, su Tener for family and age Talk about your brothers and sisters and say people's ages Tengo, tienes, tiene Say what you have and ask others Ser + adjective Describe what people look like and what they are like Estoy, estás + feeling Say how you feel: tired, happy, angry or nervous Ser vs estar Choose ser or estar: what someone is like vs how they feel now Es la una, son las dos Ask and tell the time Lunes, martes, miércoles... Name the days of the week Reflexive verbs: levantarse, ducharse Talk about your daily routine Present -ar verbs: trabajar, llegar, hablar, terminar Talk about your work day using -ar verbs -er / -ir verbs: vivir, comer, escribir Talk about where you live and daily habits Siempre, normalmente, a veces, nunca Say how often you do things Present -ar verbs: nosotros, vosotros, ellos Say what "we", "you all" and "they" do with -ar verbs Present -er / -ir verbs: nosotros, vosotros, ellos Say what "we", "you all" and "they" do with -er and -ir verbs Me gusta, me gustan Say what you like and don't like Me gusta + infinitive; también / tampoco Say what you like doing and agree or disagree Me encanta, odio, no... nada Say what you love and hate No + verb; no … nada Say no and refuse things politely Ir a + infinitive: talking about plans Talk about your plans ¿Quieres venir? Vale / no puedo Invite someone and accept or refuse Somos, vamos, tenemos: ser, ir, tener in the plural Use "we", "you all" and "they" with ser, ir and tener Out and about Lost in town, a bad day, a party
Giving directions Understand and give simple directions Cerca, lejos, a... minutos andando Ask if a place is near or far En metro, en autobús, en tren Say how you get around the city Ida, vuelta, andén, sale, llega Buy a train ticket and understand platform information Busco el andén, espero a Javi Say who or what you are looking for, waiting for or can see Hace calor, hace frío, llueve Talk about the weather Me duele, me duelen Say what hurts using me duele / me duelen Necesito, necesitas Ask for medicine at the pharmacy ¡Ayuda! ¡Llama a un médico! ¡Rápido! Ask for help in an emergency Puedo, puedes, puede Say what you can and cannot do Talla y número Buy clothes and give your size Este, ese, aquel Point out things near and far Muy, demasiado, bastante Say something is too expensive or quite cheap Probar, probador, queda bien Ask to try something on and say if it suits you Hago, haces: hacer Say what you do at the weekend Jugar: juego, juegas (u → ue) Talk about playing sports Salgo, veo, voy: yo irregulars Talk about going out using irregular yo verbs Stem changes: e → ie, o → ue Talk about your weekend with verbs like dormir, empezar, volver Mixing ser, tener, vivir, gustar Talk about yourself using ser, tener, vivir and gustar together All the question words Ask questions using all the question words Finale: everything together Follow a whole conversation using the language from the entire story so far The job hunt A terrible boss, a CV, an interview, a new office — and first pay day
The past: trabajé, trabajaste, trabajó Say what you did yesterday Hablamos, escucharon Say what "we" and "they" did -í, -iste, -ió Say what you did (-er / -ir verbs) anteayer, la semana pasada, hace... Say when something happened Fui, fuiste, fue Talk about a trip you took Fue + opinion Give your opinion about something that happened Hice, hiciste, hizo Say what you / someone made or did llegué, busqué, empecé Use "I" forms with spelling changes Primero... luego... al final Tell a story in order Estoy cocinando, estás haciendo, está durmiendo Say what is happening right now Leyendo, pidiendo, diciendo, durmiendo Say what is happening right now with irregular gerunds ¿A qué te dedicas? + jobs Ask and say what job someone does Me gustaría + infinitivo Talk politely about the job you would like Podría + infinitivo (polite requests) Make a polite phone call Tengo que, hay que, no hace falta Talk about what you have to do Acabar de + infinitivo (just did) Say what you have just done Llevo + tiempo; desde hace Say how long you have been doing something Deberías / ¿Por qué no…? (advice) Give someone friendly advice He comido, has visto, ha llegado Say what you have (or have not) done He, has, ha, hemos + participio Talk about your work experience Alguna vez, nunca, muchas veces Ask and answer about life experiences Roto, escrito, puesto, hecho, vuelto Use common irregular past participles Hoy he... / ayer + preterite Contrast today (perfect) with yesterday (preterite) Desde, hasta + meses Talk about periods of time using months Soy, es usted + adjetivo Describe your qualities for a job interview Porque / para + infinitivo Explain why you want a job Me ha ido bien / fatal Ask how something went and wish someone luck Tuve, tuvo, estuve, estuviste Say what you had and where / how you were, in the past Pude, pudo, puse, puso Say what you couldn't do and what you put somewhere, in the past Dije, dijo, vine, vino Report what someone said and who came, in the past Suelo, sueles, suele Talk about your usual routine with soler + infinitive Creo que, me parece que, para mí Give your opinion about something De acuerdo, razón, depende Agree and disagree with someone Banco, cuenta, firmar, DNI, nómina Open a bank account and handle the paperwork Lo, la, los, las Replace a thing already mentioned with lo / la / los / las Tuve, dije, estuvo, fue Tell what happened around pay day, mixing irregular past forms Christmas in Galicia Nuria takes Javi home: Mamá, the village, the food, a storm, the sea
Iré, irás, irá, iremos Talk about a future trip Hará, lloverá, habrá Talk about a weather forecast Más … que, menos … que Compare two things Tan … como, tanto como Say two things are equal El / la más … de Say something is the most/least of a group Jugaba, vivía, íbamos Talk about childhood habits Irregular future stems Talk about future plans using irregular verbs Vocabulario del tren Talk about seats, stops and delays on a journey El imperfecto: todas las personas Describe where and how you used to live as a child Ser, ir y ver en el imperfecto Describe what a place was like and what you used to do there Describir a alguien en el pasado Describe what someone looked like in old photos Tradiciones: todos los años + imperfecto Talk about food traditions you always had Órdenes con tú (regulares) Give simple instructions with regular tú commands Órdenes con tú (irregulares) Give instructions with irregular tú commands -ísimo: muy, muy... Say something is "extremely" good, tasty or tiring La familia extendida Talk about your extended family Le, les Say who you bought or are giving a present to Di, diste, dio, dimos, dieron Say who gave what to whom, in the past Se lo, se la, me lo, te lo Replace 'it' and 'to him / her' together with se lo / se la Tormenta, niebla, nublado, trueno, relámpago Describe bad weather Llovió, nevó, se fue la luz Talk about what happened in a storm Hay, está, es Describe a place with hay, está and es Echar de menos, tener ganas de, morriña Say what you miss and what you feel like doing Me ha regalado, le he regalado Say what someone has given you recently Side story: The Cíes Islands No ferries in winter, a cousin with a boat, wolves in the old days, and a very seasick Don Ramón
A mystery in the building Things vanish on Calle del Pez; Doña Elena investigates
Alguien, nadie Say that someone — or nobody — did something Algo, nada; faltar Say that something — or nothing — is missing Alguno / ninguno Say "some" or "none/not any" of something Estaba, era, había Describe how things were Mío, tuyo, suyo, nuestro Say what is mine, yours, his/hers, or ours El mío, la tuya, los suyos Say "mine", "yours" or "his/hers" instead of repeating the noun Han robado, ha desaparecido Report news using the perfect tense La persona que... Describe people and things using "que" (who / that / which) El sitio donde... Talk about the place where something is or happened Estaba, estábamos + -ando / -iendo Say what someone was doing at a point in the past Me acosté, me levanté, me dormí Say when you went to bed, got up, or fell asleep Eran las diez, era la una Give the time something happened in the past Estaba + -ndo… cuando + preterite Say what you were doing when something happened No toques, no digas, no te preocupes Tell someone not to do something Dime, mírame, cuéntamelo Give a command with a pronoun attached Llevaba, era, parecía, caminaba Describe someone you saw Creo que, no creo, seguro que, quizás Give an opinion about what happened Imperfect for the scene, preterite for the event Set the scene of a story in the past, then say what happened Todos los días vs una vez Contrast a habit in the past with one specific event Iba a + infinitive Say what you were going to do, and that you changed your mind Estoy harto, no es justo, la culpa Complain about something and blame someone Hace, desde hace, hasta, ya no Say how long ago something happened, and for how long Lo / la / los / las + preterite Say what you found, saw, left or lost, using lo / la / los / las Describing objects Describe an object: what it is made of, its shape, its condition Por: through, along, during Say which way or at what time of day something happened, using por Resulta que, de repente, por eso, mientras Tell a story using connectors that link events Quedamos, ¿a qué hora?, ¿qué tal si…? Make a plan with someone Estábamos + -ando / -iendo (nosotros) Say what you were doing when someone interrupted Es vs está: identity vs state Contrast a lasting trait with a temporary state Perdone, fue sin querer Apologise and explain something was not on purpose Se lo devolvió, me la devolvió Say who gave what back to whom, using double pronouns Mío, suyo, alguien, nadie Sort out whose things are whose Todo el mundo, todos, cada Talk about everyone, everything and each thing Summer in Andalucía Trains, a hotel from hell, the beach, a new accent, a flamenco night
Iremos, iré: future for plans Talk about future plans for a trip Para: destination, recipient, date Say who or what something is for, and by when AVE, clase, descuento, asiento Buy a long-distance train ticket: class, discount, seat Quería, querría: polite requests Book a hotel room politely on the phone Podría, sería, le importaría Make polite conditional requests -ísimo and más / menos … que Talk about extreme heat using -ísimo and comparatives Retraso, cancelado, reclamación Understand station announcements and complain politely Por: price, per, exchange, gracias por Talk about prices per night / person, swap things and thank someone A nombre de, la planta, la llave Check into a hotel No funciona, está roto, hay un problema Complain about problems in your room Andalusian speech; ¿cómo?, más despacio Cope with a strong Andalusian accent: ask to repeat, ask to slow down Me / nos puede traer Ask politely for something to be brought to you La más ruidosa del hotel Say something is the most / least … of a group ¿Cuánto cuesta alquilar…? Por día Ask the daily price of renting something Cruza, sube, baja, sigue Give and follow simple directions with tú commands Antigua, famosa, del siglo… Describe a famous sight: how old, how famous, which century He probado, has probado Talk about food you have or haven't tried Me he quemado: reflexive verbs in the perfect Say what has happened to your body today (burns, falls) Me picó, me dolió: accidents in the preterite Tell someone about an accident that happened yesterday Tengo fiebre desde… Describe symptoms and say how long you've had them Debes, no debes + infinitive Give someone advice about their health Mejor, peor, cada vez más Say how you're feeling compared to before Una ración, media ración, una tapa Order tapas and drinks at a beach bar ¿Qué te parece si…? Suggest plans and say what you feel like doing Me apetece, te apetece, le apetece Invite someone using te apetece / me apetece Gustó, gustaron, encantó, aburrió Say what you liked, loved or found boring, in the past Mejor que nadie, nunca, todo el mundo Make comparisons using nadie, nunca and todo el mundo Mientras + imperfect Describe two things happening at the same time in the past Lo mejor, lo peor, lo más + adjective Say what was the best, the worst and the most (adjective) thing Para + person Say who a gift is for, using para Ya, todavía, acabar de Talk about what has just happened and what is still going on Preterite + imperfect + perfect together Tell someone about a trip, mixing three past tenses Javi’s family comes to Madrid Parents from Medellín, twenty-two relatives on video call, culture clashes, one very big dinner
Present, perfect, preterite, ir a — all together Tell someone important news using the tenses you already know Quiero que + subjunctive (regular verbs) Tell someone what you want them to do Querer que + subjunctive Ask someone to do something Pedir / decir que + subjunctive (requests) Ask someone to do or not to do something Espero que + subjunctive; guste / gusten Say what you hope other people will like Ojalá + subjunctive Say what you hope will happen Irregular subjunctives: ser, ir, estar, saber, dar, haber Use six irregular subjunctive forms: sea, esté, vaya, sepa, dé, haya Same subject → infinitive; different subject → que + subjunctive Choose between the infinitive and que + subjunctive Stem-changing subjunctive: pierdan, puedan, duerman, pidan Use stem-changing subjunctive verbs to say what you hope happens Me alegra / me encanta que + subjunctive Say what makes you happy about other people Me molesta / me preocupa / me da miedo que + subjunctive Say what annoys or worries you about other people Qué pena / qué bien / qué raro que + subjunctive React to good and bad news about other people Es importante/necesario/mejor que + subjunctive Say what is important, necessary or better Es normal / lógico / una pena que + subjunctive Say what's normal, logical or a shame about someone's feelings Es verdad / está claro / es obvio que + indicative State facts and certainties about other people Me alegro de + infinitive / de que + subjunctive Say what you're glad to do, and what you're glad others do ¿Qué más, pues?; chévere, tinto, parce, mija — Colombian Spanish Understand and use everyday Colombian Spanish Caer bien / mal; llevarse bien con Say who you like and who you get along with Yo que tú… + conditional Give advice using yo que tú / yo en tu lugar + the conditional Irregular conditional stems Give advice with irregular conditionals: tendría, haría, diría, saldría, vendría Impersonal se Explain everyday customs with the impersonal se Usted/ustedes commands Give polite formal instructions with usted/ustedes commands Por vs para Choose between por and para correctly Por: cause, for someone's sake, means Explain reasons, whose sake, and how, using por Para: opinion, comparison, purpose Give opinions, comparisons and purpose using para Set wishes: que + subjunctive Wish someone well with que + subjunctive Para que + subjunctive vs para + infinitive Explain purpose for someone else with para que + subjunctive Creo que + indicative, no creo que + subjunctive Say what you do or don't believe, using creo que / no creo que Dudo que + subjunctive; no estoy seguro/a de que + subjunctive Express doubt, using dudar que / no estar seguro de que + subjunctive Quizás / tal vez + subjunctive; a lo mejor + indicative Talk about possibility, using quizás / tal vez + subjunctive and a lo mejor + indicative Me parece bien / mal / fatal que + subjunctive Give your opinion on what other people do, using me parece bien/mal/fatal que + subjunctive Busco un vino que les guste (not found yet) / es un vino que gusta (this one) Describe something you're looking for but haven't found yet, using busco un/a … que + subjunctive Conozco a alguien que cocina / no conozco a nadie que cocine Contrast people who exist (indicative) with no one (subjunctive) Estarán cansados = probably they are tired Guess how someone feels or what they are doing right now, using the future tense for probability Bienvenidos, están en su casa Welcome guests and host a meal, using bienvenidos, están en su casa, sírvanse, buen provecho and salud Tomás’s wedding A pastry-chef bride, a stag night nobody remembers, mariachis — and a missing ring
Casarse con (to get married to) Announce a wedding and use casarse con Cuando + subjunctive (future) Talk about what will happen once something happens Cuando + indicative vs + subjunctive Contrast cuando for the past (indicative) and cuando for the future (subjunctive) Antes de + infinitive vs antes de que + subjunctive Say "before" with the infinitive (same person) or que + subjunctive (someone else) En cuanto, hasta que, después de que + subjunctive Talk about things that haven't happened yet with en cuanto, hasta que, después de que Sin que + subjunctive (a secret) Plan a secret with sin que + subjunctive El que / la que / los que; quien (the one(s) who) Say "the one(s) who" and "whoever" with el que / la que / los que and quien Mexican Spanish: mande, ahorita, platicar, órale, carro Recognize and use everyday Mexican Spanish words Prefiero que / ¿te parece bien que…? + subjunctive Negotiate with preferir que and ¿te parece bien que…? Future for guessing (now): estará, tendrá, será Guess where someone probably is right now Conditional for guessing (past): serían, estaría, tendría Guess about times and events in the past Pluperfect: había + participle Say what had already happened before another past moment Pluperfect: nunca había… (before that moment) Say you had never seen or done something before that moment Cuando + preterite, ya + pluperfect Put two past events in order: what had already happened Se me olvidó / se me cayó (accidental se) Talk about things you accidentally forgot, dropped or broke Accidental se: se nos perdió, se nos acabó, se me ocurrió Talk about things that “happened to” you or others by accident Future perfect for guessing: habrá pasado Guess what has probably happened, using the future perfect Party idioms: pasarlo bomba, estar hecho polvo, no pegar ojo, ir de marcha Use idioms for a wild night and its aftermath No es que + subjunctive… es que / sino que Explain a worry by ruling out one reason and giving the real one Aunque + indicative vs + subjunctive Say something stays true even if something else happens Ser vs estar: listo, verde, rico, malo, aburrido Use ser and estar with adjectives that change meaning Con la que, a quien, con quien… Say 'that / who' after a preposition, using el que / la que / quien Lo que (what / the thing that) Say 'what' or 'the thing that' using lo que Telling an old story: imperfect, preterite, pluperfect Tell an old story mixing the imperfect, preterite and pluperfect Prometer / jurar que + future Make a strong promise using prometer / jurar que + future Si + present → present / future / command Talk about real possibilities using si + present Enamorarse de, soñar con, casarse con Tell how two people fell in love and got together Acordarse de, pensar en, confiar en, contar con Talk about remembering, thinking about, trusting and counting on someone Había + participle, and ¿quién habrá…? Say what had happened before, and guess what has happened Ojalá / espero que + haya + participle Say you hope something has already happened, using ojalá / espero que + haya Lo que pasó fue que… / el que… era… Explain what really happened, step by step En primer lugar, además, por último Give a short speech, in order, using en primer lugar, además and por último Desear que + subjunctive: vosotros vs ustedes Wish people well using desear que + subjunctive, in both vosotros and ustedes forms Ponerse + adjective / ponerse a + infinitive Describe a sudden change of mood, or suddenly starting to do something, with ponerse Moving in together Nuria and Javi hunt for a flat, dream big, argue, compromise — Don Ramón is the landlord
¿Y si...?, ¿Qué te parece si...? and ¿Te parece bien que...? Propose moving in together and check that the other person agrees Passive se: se alquila, se vende, se busca Understand and use rental, sale and wanted notices with the passive se Busco un piso que + subjunctive Describe the flat you are looking for, using an unknown antecedent No hay nada / ninguno que + subjunctive Say that none of the options please you, using no hay nada / ninguno que Cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas (whose) Talk about 'whose', using cuyo, cuya, cuyos, cuyas Fianza, contrato, gastos, inquilino, casero Talk about the practical side of renting: deposit, contract, bills, tenant, landlord Más / menos... de lo que; cuanto más..., más... Compare price and size against your own expectations Quisiera, me interesaría, le agradecería Make polite, formal requests using quisiera, me interesaría and le agradecería Si tuviera…, compraría… Talk about dreams and what you would do -ron → -ra: ganáramos, fuéramos, viviéramos, hablara Imagine unreal situations using the imperfect subjunctive Pudiera, hiciera, supiera, estuviera, dijera Say what you would do if you could, using irregular imperfect subjunctive forms Si llueve… vs si lloviera… Tell the difference between a real condition and a hypothetical one Ojalá + imperfect subjunctive vs + present subjunctive Wish for something unlikely or hope for something still possible, using ojalá Como si + imperfect subjunctive Describe something by comparing it to an imagined situation, using como si ¿Qué harías…? / Si yo fuera tú… Ask for and give hypothetical advice, using ¿qué harías…? and si yo fuera tú… Me gustaría que…, preferiría que…, sería mejor que… Say what you would like or prefer someone (or "we") to do, using the imperfect subjunctive Da a, el estado, hay que reformar Describe a flat: what it faces, its condition, and what needs doing Dice que…, pregunta si… (no tense change) Pass on what someone is saying or asking right now Dijo que…, preguntó si… Report what someone told you Preguntó dónde / cuándo / cuánto / qué + tense shift Report the questions someone asked you Dijo que + conditional (future → conditional) Report what someone said they would do Dijo que + había + participle (pluperfect) Report what someone said they had already done Pidió / dijo que + imperfect subjunctive Report what someone asked or told you to do Quería / esperaba / me molestó que + imperfect subjunctive Say what you wanted or hoped, and what bothered you Llevar / traer, ir / venir — whose point of view? Say whether you take, bring, go or come — from whose point of view Me he enterado de que, según, por lo visto, al parecer, dicen que Pass on gossip and rumours you have heard Tocar and encargarse de Divide household chores using tocar and encargarse de Pero, sin embargo, en cambio Contrast two ideas using pero, sin embargo and en cambio Por eso, así que, por lo tanto Explain a consequence using por eso, así que and por lo tanto A pesar de / a pesar de que Say what happens despite something, with a pesar de and a pesar de que Dejar de / volver a + infinitive Say you will stop or repeat an action, using dejar de and volver a A formal email Write a short formal email, requesting something politely No es aceptable, exijo que, en un plazo de Make a formal complaint, demanding something within a deadline Hagamos / pongamos + con tal de que Suggest doing something together and set conditions, using hagamos and con tal de que The film shoot A film crew takes over Calle del Pez: extras, the press, a star who quits, the premiere
Ser + participle: la calle será cortada Understand an official notice written in the passive Fue escrita / dirigida por… Say who wrote, directed or told something, using the passive with por Se busca / se buscan Understand and write "wanted / needed" notices with se busca / se buscan Se me da bien / mal, saber + infinitive Say what you are good or bad at, and what you know how to do Seguir / continuar + gerund, llevar + gerund Say how long something has been going on, and that you keep doing it Que + subjunctive: que se calle, que venga Pass on an order using que + subjunctive Volver a + infinitive; otra vez, de nuevo, repetir Talk about doing something again, using volver a + infinitive, otra vez, de nuevo, repetir Se rueda, se corta: film words with se Understand film-set words and announcements with se: se rueda, se corta, ¡acción!, ¡corten! Acento andaluz: cansao, seseo, quillo, ojú Recognise typical features of Andalusian Spanish: dropped d, seseo, quillo, ojú Morriña, -iño, retranca, ¿eh? Recognise Galician touches in Spanish: morriña, -iño diminutives, retranca, and ¿eh? at the end Habría + participle (would have…) Say what would have been better or different, using habría + participle Si lo hubiera sabido, habría... Say what would have happened if things had been different, using si + hubiera + participle, habría + participle Dicen que, se dice que, al parecer Pass on rumours, using dicen que, se dice que, al parecer, and the future for guesses ¡Qué...! ¡Cuánto...! ¡Menudo...! React to a mess, using ¡qué...!, ¡cuánto/a...! and ¡menudo/a...! En mi opinión, desde mi punto de vista, estoy de acuerdo con que Give an opinion and say whether you agree, using en mi opinión, desde mi punto de vista and estoy de acuerdo con que Por un lado, por otro, además, en cambio Weigh up advantages and disadvantages, using por un lado, por otro, además and en cambio No digo que + subjunctive, hasta cierto punto, eso depende Soften a disagreement, using no digo que + subjunctive, hasta cierto punto and eso depende ¿Podría contarnos...? ¿Cómo describiría...? Ask and answer formal interview questions, using ¿podría...? and ¿cómo describiría...? Según, and headline participles Read headlines and say where information comes from, using según and participles Lo que dije fue que..., lo que quería decir era... Correct a misquote, using eso no es lo que dije, lo que dije fue que... and lo que quería decir era... Estar en las nubes, ser pan comido, estar como una cabra, meter la pata Use four everyday idioms: estar en las nubes, ser pan comido, estar como una cabra and meter la pata Ha dicho vs. había dicho Tell apart what someone has said today from what they had said before Quien / el que / cualquiera que + subjunctive Talk about "whoever" and "anyone who" with quien, el que and cualquiera que + subjunctive Siempre que, con tal de que, a no ser que + subjunctive Set conditions with siempre que, con tal de que and a no ser que + subjunctive Que..., (who / which) and lo que (what) Add extra information about someone with a comma clause, and point back to a whole idea with lo que Por si acaso; estar para vs. estar por Say you do something just in case, and say what is about to happen or still to be done Accidental se: se ha borrado, se me cayó Talk about accidents without blaming anyone: se ha borrado, se me cayó Debería haber + participle; habría + participle Say what someone should (not) have done, and what you would never have done Menos mal que + indicative; qué suerte que / me alegro de que + subjunctive React with relief using menos mal que, qué suerte que and me alegro de que Ser and estar for looks: estás guapísima, es elegante Describe how someone looks tonight, and what something simply is Thanking: gracias a, si no fuera por ti, (te/le) debo una Thank someone properly, using gracias a, si no fuera por ti, and te/le debo una Acordarse de cuando + imperfect / preterite / pluperfect Ask and answer about shared memories using acordarse de cuando Set phrases with the subjunctive: pase lo que pase, sea como sea, digan lo que digan Reassure someone using pase lo que pase, sea como sea, digan lo que digan Reviewing a film: lo que más + perfect Say what you liked most about a film, using lo que más + perfect All past tenses together Tell a story that mixes the perfect, preterite, imperfect and pluperfect naturally Toasts: brindo por, que + subjunctive, ojalá + imperfect subjunctive Make a toast and express a wish, using brindo por, que + subjunctive, and ojalá + imperfect subjunctive Future plans: cuando + subjunctive, espero que Talk about future plans using cuando + subjunctive and espero que Save Calle del Pez A developer wants the building: letters, a campaign, a town-hall debate — and a poet in Elena’s flat
Recap: espero que + subjunctive, dicen que, no se vende Follow a story about a broken "lift" and an official letter, using the subjunctive you already know, reported speech and passive se The ser passive in any tense: ha sido / había sido / va a ser / puede ser + participle Understand and use the ser passive in any tense: ha sido, había sido, va a ser, puede ser + participle Ser + participle (the action) vs estar + participle (the result) Tell an action (fue cerrado) from the state it leaves behind (está cerrado) Se + a with people (se informa a los vecinos) vs passive se with things (se venden pisos) Understand official notices that use se with people (se informa a los vecinos) and with things (se venden pisos) "They" with no subject: han llamado, nos han ofrecido — and when to use se Talk about what unknown people did (han llamado, nos ofrecen) and choose between that and the written se Resultar, verse, quedar + participle Report accidents and decisions with resultar, verse and quedar + participle Nominalisation: vender → la venta, desalojar → el desalojo Understand official texts full of nouns made from verbs, and turn them back into everyday Spanish Formal letters: en relación con, adjunto/a, dicho/a, a la mayor brevedad, sin otro particular Write a formal letter with fixed phrases: en relación con, adjunto/a, dicho/a, a la mayor brevedad, sin otro particular Cause: ya que, puesto que, dado que + indicative Give a reason with ya que, puesto que and dado que Como (cause) at the start vs porque; es que for excuses Put the cause first with como, and make (or spot) an excuse with es que Cause + noun: debido a, a causa de, por culpa de, gracias a Give causes with nouns, in formal writing and in everyday speech Consequence: con lo cual, por consiguiente, de modo que, de manera que, así pues Link facts to their consequences, step by step Intensity + result: tan… que, tanto… que, tal… que, de tal forma que Say how intense something was and what happened as a result Purpose: a fin de (que), con el fin de, con el objetivo de; de modo que + subj. / + ind. State an aim formally, and tell purpose from result with de modo que Digital Spanish: compartir, etiquetar, hacerse viral, seguidores Talk about social media in Spanish: share, tag, followers, going viral Idioms of protest Talk about protest and resistance with everyday idioms Por mucho que / por más que + subjunctive or indicative Stand your ground with por mucho que / por más que Conceding: si bien, pese a (que), aun así, aun + gerund, y eso que Admit a point and still argue your case, formally and informally El hecho de que / que + subjunctive as the subject Argue about facts and what they do or don't prove Turn-taking: perdone que le interrumpa, déjeme terminar, si me permite… Take the floor, interrupt politely and hold on to your turn Hedging: yo no diría que, tengo la impresión de que, no sé hasta qué punto, en cierto modo, habría que Soften a strong claim so it sounds reasonable in public Counter-arguments: ¿y qué me dice de…?, ¿acaso…?, eso no quita que, lo cual no significa que Counter an argument: raise what it leaves out, and deny its conclusions Restating: o sea, es decir, dicho de otro modo, en otras palabras, hablando en plata Translate jargon into plain Spanish by restating it Idioms of trickery Say that someone is trying to trick you, with five everyday idioms Reporting verbs + indicative: aseguró, afirmó, admitió, reconoció, añadió Report exactly what someone stated, using asegurar, afirmar, admitir, reconocer, añadir and explicar Denying and doubting: negar que, no decir que, dudar que + subjunctive Deny a rumour and report denials and doubts, using negar, desmentir, no decir que and dudar que Aconsejar, sugerir, advertir, insistir en que + imperfect subjunctive; decir que + ind. / subj. Report advice, suggestions and warnings, and tell a reported fact from a reported order Reported speech shifts: mañana → al día siguiente, aquí → allí, hoy → aquel día Retell what people said on another day and in another place, shifting time and place words Press language: según fuentes, habría + participle, presuntamente, supuestamente Understand how the press reports unconfirmed news, and keep your distance from a claim Summing up: total que, en resumen, en definitiva, al fin y al cabo, lo que vino a decir Cut a long story short and give the gist of what someone said Telling history: vivió, había contado, fue escrito, fue declarada Tell a piece of history with the preterite, the pluperfect and the passive Intention and refusal: (no) pienso + inf., estar dispuesto / decidido a, negarse a State your intentions firmly and refuse, using pensar + infinitive, estar dispuesto a, estar decidido a and negarse a La Esquina opens Tomás and Marisa open a café: a business plan, hard bargaining, a flood, opening day — and twins on the way
Conditions for business plans: si + present vs si + imperfect subjunctive Talk about starting a business, with real and hypothetical conditions En caso de que + subjunctive; en caso de + noun / infinitive Plan for risks: say what happens in case something goes wrong Siempre y cuando, a menos que, salvo que + subjunctive; excepto si + indicative Understand a bank's conditions: as long as, unless, except if De + infinitive and the gerund as conditions Express conditions compactly with de + infinitive and with a gerund Como + subjunctive for threats; …que si no Make (half-joking) threats and warnings with como + subjunctive and que si no Money idioms Talk about money with common idioms Laying down terms: con la condición de que + subjunctive; solo si / únicamente si + indicative Lay down terms: on condition that, only if Tentative offers: estaríamos dispuestos a, podríamos plantearnos, nos vendría bien Make a tentative offer in a negotiation without sounding pushy Proposing: lo que propongo es que + subjunctive; ¿qué le parecería que + imperfect subjunctive? Put a concrete proposal on the table and float an idea politely Saying no politely: me temo que, lamentablemente, no nos es posible, no es lo que habíamos acordado Turn down terms firmly but politely, in writing or aloud Cualquier(a), sea cual sea, donde sea, lo que sea Say "any", "whatever", "wherever" and "whichever" when choosing a supplier Meeting halfway: ceder, un término medio, llegar a un acuerdo, ni tanto ni tan calvo, trato hecho Meet someone halfway and close a deal Job ads: se busca, se requiere, se valorará, imprescindible, incorporación inmediata Write and understand a job ad from the employer's side Covering yourself: que conste que, que quede claro que, por escrito, dejar constancia Put things on record and cover yourself in a deal Saying no informally: no me vengas con…, ¡venga ya!, ni hablar, ni de broma, ya veremos Resist pressure informally: refuse, brush off and stall Verbs of change I: volverse, quedarse vs ponerse Say how someone has changed, choosing between volverse, quedarse and ponerse Verbs of change II: hacerse, convertirse en, llegar a ser, pasar a ser Talk about becoming something: a job, a status, a transformation Ir, venir and andar + gerund Describe gradual progress, repeated complaints and gossip with ir, venir and andar + gerund Acabar / terminar + gerund, acabar por + infinitive, llegar a + infinitive Say how things ended up, and what someone even went as far as doing Estar a punto de, estar al + infinitive, echar a perder Say something is about to happen, nearly happened, or could ruin everything Tener / llevar + participle; dar por + participle Report results so far and declare something finished with tener / llevar + participle and dar por Es obligatorio / se exige / está prohibido que + subjunctive Understand and explain rules and regulations Stress idioms Talk about stress and pressure with common idioms Meaning change with se: ir / irse, quedar / quedarse, llevar / llevarse, dormir / dormirse Use verbs whose meaning changes with se: irse, quedarse, llevarse, dormirse Meaning change with se: parecerse a, negarse a, fijarse, despedirse Tell apart parecer / parecerse a, negar / negarse a, fijar / fijarse, despedir / despedirse Lo + adjective / adverb + que Stress how good, how much or how well, with lo + adjective / adverb + que Ceremonies: es un placer, tengo el honor de, declaro abierto, queda inaugurado Open an event formally: welcome people, introduce a guest, declare something open Online reviews: recomendable, pésimo, atento, relación calidad-precio, a mejorar Read and write a short online review of a café Fronted object + pronoun (esto lo escribió Ramón) Put the thing you are talking about first, with a pronoun to repeat it Reacting to news: ¡no me digas!, ¡qué fuerte!, enhorabuena / felicidades; cuando + subjunctive React to big news and talk about what will happen when it arrives Medellín The abuela’s ninetieth: vos and usted, a secret from 1965 shared with Elena, a coffee farm — and the abuela’s blessing
Nada más + infinitive, al + infinitive Say "as soon as" and "on doing" with nada más + infinitive and al + infinitive Tan pronto como, una vez que, apenas: subjunctive for the future, indicative for facts Sequence events with tan pronto como, una vez que and apenas, in the past and in the future A medida que, conforme; mientras + indicative or subjunctive Describe things changing together with a medida que / conforme, and set conditions with mientras Future seen from the past: conditional + cuando / en cuanto / hasta que + imperfect subjunctive Report someone's earlier plans: dijo que nos recogería cuando saliéramos Lost luggage: la cinta, el mostrador, el resguardo, facturar, extraviada Report lost luggage and make a claim at the airport Deber (must: obligation) vs deber de (must be: a guess) Answer passport-control questions, and tell obligation (deber) from a guess (deber de) Probability: puede que / es probable que + subjunctive; seguramente, probablemente; igual + indicative Guess how likely something is: puede que, es probable que, seguramente, probablemente, igual Colombian usted; ¡qué va!, no es para tanto Meet the in-laws on their ground: Colombian usted, and taking compliments gracefully Voseo: vos sos, tenés, querés · mirá, vení Recognise and use the vos forms heard in Medellín and Buenos Aires Usted, tú and vos in Colombia Understand who says usted, tú or vos to whom in a Colombian family Caribbean Spanish: ¿qué tú quieres?, dropped s, costeño words Understand Caribbean (costeño) Spanish: dropped s, tú before the verb, vaina, bacano, mamar gallo Colombian politeness: ¿me regala…?, a la orden, con mucho gusto, qué pena Order and serve politely the Colombian way Spain vs Latin America: coger / agarrar, zumo / jugo, coche / carro… Switch between Spain and Latin American everyday words Diminutives and augmentatives: -ito / -ico / -illo / -iño · -ón / -azo / -ote Recognise regional diminutives (-ito, -ico, -illo, -iño) and augmentatives (-ón, -azo, -ote) Leísmo: le vi (central Spain) vs lo vi (Latin America) Recognise leísmo (le vi, le conozco) and the Latin American lo Slang: Spain vs Colombia Understand everyday slang from Spain and Colombia side by side Si + pluperfect subjunctive → conditional perfect Imagine a different past: if something had (not) happened, something else would have happened Mixed conditional: si + hubiera + participle → conditional (ahora sería…) Say how the present would be different if the past had been different Mixed conditional: si + imperfect subjunctive → conditional perfect Explain a past result by a permanent trait: if I weren't so…, I would have… Past regret: ojalá + hubiera + participle; arrepentirse de (no) haber + participle Express regret about the past with ojalá and arrepentirse de Como si + pluperfect subjunctive; ¡ni que + imperfect subjunctive! Compare with an unreal past using como si, and protest with ¡ni que…! Sequence of tenses: past / conditional → imperfect or pluperfect subjunctive Match the subjunctive to a past or conditional main verb (sequence of tenses) The -se forms: estuviese, fuese, hubiese, dijese; spoken hubiera for habría Recognise the -se forms of the past subjunctive in letters and formal writing Sayings about time: agua pasada no mueve molino, lo hecho, hecho está, más vale tarde que nunca, el tiempo lo cura todo Use common sayings to put the past behind you Superlative + subjunctive: el mejor que haya probado nunca Talk about the best, the most beautiful, the tastiest thing you have ever known Past + unknown or non-existent person: no había nadie que supiera Talk about people or things that did not exist, or were not known yet, in the past El cual, la cual, los cuales, lo cual after prepositions Show someone round a place, linking facts with en el cual, debajo del cual, por lo cual Fixed subjunctive phrases: que yo sepa, que yo recuerde, que se sepa, que digamos Hedge what you say: as far as I know, as far as I remember, not exactly -quiera words + subjunctive; repeated verbs: vaya donde vaya, fuera donde fuera Say wherever, whoever and however, and "wherever I go" with a repeated verb No sea que / no vaya a ser que + subjunctive (just in case) Take precautions: do something "just in case" something else happens Speaking from the heart: desde que te conocí, nunca pensé que…, no me imagino la vida sin ti Say what someone means to you, in a speech from the heart Big news: ¡ya era hora!, ¡por fin!, ¡no me lo puedo creer! Share big news by phone, react to it and pass on what people say Elena’s memoirs Elena writes her life story: idioms, irony, a TV debate, a leaked chapter, the launch
Books and writing: memorias, editorial, borrador, capítulo, negro literario Talk about writing a book: memoirs, publishers, drafts and chapters Preterite changes the meaning: supe, conocí, quise, no quiso, no pude Tell when you found out, met, tried, refused or managed something, choosing preterite or imperfect for meaning The historical present and va y + verb Tell a funny story vividly with the present tense and va y… Narrative time markers Move a story forward in time with narrative time markers Había estado + gerund; llevaba + time + gerund Say what had been going on, and for how long, up to a moment in the past Me saca de quicio / no soporto / no aguanto que + subjunctive Say strongly what annoys you about what someone else does Adjective position changes the meaning Choose the position of gran, viejo, pobre, único, antiguo and mismo to say what you mean Reproaches: ¿cómo se te ocurre…?, no tenías por qué, ya podrías haber… Reproach someone for what they did, or didn't do Refranes: fixed sayings with a moral Recognise and use common Spanish sayings (refranes) Idioms about people Describe people with idioms: uña y carne, no tener pelos en la lengua, hablar por los codos, tener mala uva Irony and sarcasm Recognise and use irony: tone, ¡hombre!, ya, claro, ¡lo que faltaba! Intensifiers beyond muy Intensify adjectives with la mar de, de lo más, sumamente, requete- and pero que muy Understatement and softening Soften criticism and understate: no está nada mal, no es precisamente, más bien, un poco + negative Mexican colloquial: no manches, qué onda, chido, la neta, chamba, güey Understand everyday Mexican slang and know when not to use it Castizo Madrid Understand castizo Madrid expressions: ¡ande ya!, ¡toma ya!, chulapo, bocata, ¡a por ellos! Same idea, different picture Understand idioms whose English equivalent uses a different image Structuring a talk: a continuación, cabe destacar, por otra parte, conviene señalar, a modo de conclusión Give a short structured talk: announce, add, highlight and conclude Attributing views: hay quien / hay quienes, a juicio de, en palabras de, para quienes Present other people's views without making them your own Dodging questions: no me consta, prefiero no pronunciarme, eso habría que verlo, sin comentarios Dodge an awkward question politely, like a politician Rebutting on air: eso no es del todo cierto, le recuerdo que, permítame que + subj., se equivoca usted Contradict someone in public, politely but firmly Word formation: in-, re-, des-, sobre- + -ción, -ble Work out and build new words from prefixes and suffixes Alternatives: tanto si… como si + indicative, ya sea… ya sea, o bien… o bien, sea… o no Say that something happens whatever the alternative, and set out two options Apologising: no era mi intención, siento que / lamento que + subjunctive Apologise sincerely for something that upset someone Fame idioms: estar en boca de todos, dar que hablar, ser la comidilla, subírsele los humos Talk about sudden fame and gossip with idioms Everything in one scene: passive, connectors, subjunctive tenses Handle a busy event using the passive, connectors and the subjunctive tenses together Looking back: si + pluperfect subjunctive, and mixed conditionals Look back on the past and imagine how things could have turned out, with the full conditional system Negotiating: tanto si… como si, ya sea… ya sea, time clauses Negotiate a joint decision, weighing alternatives and future conditions Dedications: dedicado a, en memoria de, quisiera agradecer, sin cuya ayuda Write and read out dedications and acknowledgements Buying time: a ver, pues nada, es que, ¿cómo os diría?, vamos Improvise a short speech, buying time with natural fillers Conversation flow: por cierto, a propósito de, o sea, total, en fin, vamos Steer a conversation: change topic, link, rephrase and sum up Llevar + time + gerund, llevar + participle, acabar + gerund Talk about how long something has been going on and how much has been done so far Toasts and wishes: brindo por que + subjunctive, ojalá + every subjunctive tense Make toasts and wishes with every tense of the subjunctive, and round off a story Learn it in the story Every rule here belongs to a short scene on Calle del Pez. Watch it, answer as it plays, then say the lines yourself.
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