- 1 -Grammar Summary

Spanish 2 Unidad 3 Etapa 3

Describing the Weather

A. To talk about the weather in Spanish, we often use the verb hacer:

Hace (mucho) calor It's (very) hotHace (mucho) fresco It's (very) coolHace (mucho) frío It's (very) coldHace (mucho) sol It's (very) sunnyHace (mucho) viento It's (very) windyHace (muy) buen tiempo It's (very) nice weatherHace (muy) mal tiempo It's (very) bad weather

B. When you talk about the sun or the wind, you can also use hay:

Hay sol y hay viento = It's sunny and it's windy

C. To talk about raining and snowing, use the verbs llover (o-->ue) - to rain and nevar (e --> ie) - to snow:  Llueve mucho en el oeste del estado de Washington.  Nieva mucho en la montaña Rainier.

D. To say that it's cloudy, use the expression está nublado.  (TRIVIA QUESTION:  Why is it está nublado and not es nublado?  See the answer at the bottom of the page.)

Special Expressions Using tener

You have already learned that someone is hungry or thirsty and to tell a person's age using the verb tener.  It is also used in many other "idiomatic expressions."

I'm hungry = Tengo hambreI'm thirsty = Tengo sed

I'm 16 years old = Tengo 16 añosI'm hot = Tengo calor

I'm careful = Tengo cuidadoI'm cold = Tengo frío

I'm afraid = Tengo miedoI'm in a hurry = Tengo prisa

I'm right = Tengo razónI'm sleepy = Tengo sueñoI'm lucky = Tengo suerte

I feel like dancing = Tengo ganas de bailar

Direct Object Pronouns

- 2 -A "direct object" is a word that receives the action of a verb directly.  (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes.)   An "indirect object" is a word that indirectly receives the action of a verb.  (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes for us" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes and then indirectly to us, because we end up wearing them!)  Right now we are concerned only with direct objects.

A direct object answers the questions "Whom?" or "What?" as in "Whom do you see?" or "What did you buy?"   Nouns used as direct objects can be replaced by direct object pronouns:

SINGULAR PLURALme = me us = nos

you (fam.) = te you (fam. pl.) = oshim, it, you (formal)(Masculine)= lo them, you (pl) (Masculine) = losher, it, you (formal) Feminine) = la them, you (pl) (Feminine) = las

The direct object noun is placed after the conjugated verb, but a direct object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb OR after the infinitive if there is one:    Yo compro la blusa.   Yo la compro.  Yo la voy a comprar/Yo voy a comprarla.

Saying What is Happening 'Right Now':   Present Progressive

The Present Progressive is the equivalent of using -ing in English when you want to talk about what is happening "right now."   ("We can't play baseball right now.  It's raining!")   The Present Progressive is a two-part construction, using the present indicative tense of estar + the present participle of a verb.  To form the present participle, drop the infinitive ending of the verb and add -ando for -AR verbs and -iendo for -ER/-IR verbs.  When the stem of an -ER/IR verb ends in a vowel, the spelling of -iendo changes to -yendo. (leer - leyendo, oir - oyendo, creer - creyendo)

-AR Verbs like MIRARI'm watching = Estoy mirando We're watching = Estamos mirando

You (fam.) are watching - Estás mirando You (fam. pl.) are watching = Estáis mirando

He, she, it, You (formal) is (are) watching = está mirando

They, you (pl.) are watching = están mirando

-ER Verbs like COMERI'm eating = Estoy comiendo We're eating = Estamos comiendo

You (fam.) are eating - Estás comiendo You (fam. pl.) are eating = Estáis comiendo

He, she, it, You (formal) is (are) eating = está comiendo

They, you (pl.) are eating = están comiendo

 

-IR Verbs like ESCRIBIR

- 3 -I'm writing = Estoy escribiendo We're writing = Estamos escribiendoYou (fam.) are writing - Estás

escribiendoYou (fam. pl.) are writing = Estáis

escribiendoHe, she, it, You (formal) is (are) writing =

está escribiendoThey, you (pl.) are writing = están

escribiendo

ANSWER TO THE TRIVIA QUESTION:  It's está nublado because estar is used for temporary conditions.   Even in Washington state cloudy skies are only

temporary!

- 4 -Spanish 2 Unidad 3 Etapa 3

- 5 -¿Qué tiempo hace? What is the weather like?

Está nublado It's cloudyHace buen tiempo It's good weather

Hace calor It's hotHace fresco It's cool

Hace frío It's coldHace mal tiempo It's bad weather

Hace sol It's sunnyHace viento It's windy

Hay sol It's sunny (there is sun)Hay viento I'ts windy (there is wind)

las estaciones seasonsel invierno winterel otoño fall, autumn

la primavera springel verano summer

tener calor to be hot ("to have heat")tener cuidado to be careful ("to have care")

tener frío to be cold ("to have cold")tener miedo to be afraid ("to have fear")tener prisa to be in a hurrytener razón to be righttener sueño to be sleepytener suerte to be lucky

tener ganas de...(+ infinitive verb) to feel like...

creer to think, to believeCreo que sí/no I think so/I don't think so

el abrigo coat, overcoatla bufanda scarf

el gorro capel impermeable raincoat

los shorts shortsel traje de baño bathing suit

con rayas stripedde cuadros plaid, checked

el bronceador suntan lotionlas gafas de sol sunglasses

el paraguas umbrella

- 6 -sacar fotos to take picturestomar el sol to sunbatheel bosque forestel desierto desert

el lago lakeel mar sea

la montaña mountainla playa beach

el río riverel árbol treela flor flower

la planta plant

 

Grammar Summary

Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 1

- 7 -The Verb decir - to say, to tell

Decir is an irregular verb, with many spelling changes.  Note that decir que (que has no accent mark) means to say that (Digo que mi novia es más bonita - I say that my girlfriend is prettier.)

DECIR - to say, to tell  I say = Digo We say = decimos

You (fam.) say = dices You (fam.pl.) say = decísHe, she, you (formal) say(s) = dice They, you (pl.) say = dicen

Using Prepositional Phrases to Express Location

When you talk about where things are located use prepositions.   Use de when the preposition is followed by a specific location.

cerca (de) near (to)delante (de) in front (of)

a la derecha (de) to the right (0f)detrás (de) behind

enfrente (de) facing, across (from)entre between

a la izquierda (de) to the left (of)al lado (de) beside, next to, to the side (of)lejos (de) far (from)

Regular Affirmative tú Commands

To tell a person to do something, use an affirmative command.   Tú commands are used with family and friends (anyone you would speak to as "tú").  The regular affirmative tú command is the same as the él/ella form of the Present Indicative Tense:  ¡Habla!  You could also think of it as being the same as the tú form, but without the "s."

Walk! = ¡Camina!    Eat! = ¡Come!    Open! = ¡Abre!

If you use an affirmative command with a direct object pronoun, attach the pronoun to the end of the command:    ¡Abre la puerta  -->  ¡Abrela!

If needed, add an accent mark when you attach a pronoun in order retain the original stress.  (Remember that if not marked with an accent, a word that ends in a vowel or the

consonants n or s is stressed on the next-to-last syllable.)  ¡Escribe!  ¡Escríbelo!

Spanish 1 Unidad 4 Etapa 1el aeropuerto airportel banco bank

- 8 -la carnicería butcher's shopel centro center, downtownel centro comercial shopping centerel correo post officela estación de autobuses bus stationla farmacia pharmacy, drugstoreel hotel hotella iglesia churchla joyería jewelry storela librería book storela panadería bread bakeryla papelería stationery storela pastelería pastry shopla plaza town squarela tienda de música y videos music and video storela zapatería shoe storela avenida avenuela calle streetel camino roadla dirección direction, addressa pie on footel autobús busel avión airplaneel barco shipel carro carel metro subwayla moto(cicleta) motorcycleel taxi taxi, cabel tren trainPerdona(e), ¿cómo llego a...? Pardon, how do I get to...?¿Puedes (Puede usted) decirme dónde queda...? Could you tell me where...is?

¿Queda lejos? Is it far?acá / aquí here  (over here, around here / here)allá / allí there (over there, around there / there)¡Cómo no! Of courseLo siento... I'm sorry...cerca (de) near (to)cruzar to crossla cuadra city blockdelante (de) in front (of)a la derecha (de) to the right (of)

- 9 -derecho straight aheaddesde fromdetrás (de) behinddoblar to turnenfrente (de) facing, across fromentre betweenla esquina cornerhasta until, as far asa la izquierda (de) to the left (of)al lado (de) beside, next tolejos (de) far (from)quedar (en) to be (in a specific place, to agree on)la cosa thingdecir to say, to tellmanejar to driveel mapa mappor for, by, aroundsalir to go out, to leaveviajar to travelel viaje trip

 

Grammar Summary

Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 2

- 10 -Stem-Changing Verbs (o --> ue)

Remember "boot" verbs like pensar, where the spelling in the stem alternates between e and ie?  There is also a group of verbs in which the spelling alternates between o and ue.

ALMORZAR (o--> ue) - to eat lunch  I eat lunch = Almuerzo We eat lunch = Almorzamos

You (fam.) eat lunch = Almuerzas You (fam.pl.) eat lunch = AlmorzáisHe, she, you (formal) eat(s) lunch =

Almuerza They, you (pl.) eat lunch = Almuerzan

Other (o--> ue) verbs in this unit are:  devolver - to return an item, encontrar - to find, to meet,  recordar - to remember, poder - to be able to, can, volver - to return, to go back

Indirect Object Pronouns

A "direct object" is a word that receives the action of a verb directly.  (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes.)   An "indirect object" is a word that indirectly receives the action of a verb.  (In the sentence "Paco buys shoes for us" the action of buying goes directly from Paco to the shoes and then indirectly to us, because we end up wearing them!)  You have already learned about direct object pronouns.  In this unit you learn how to use indirect object pronouns.

An indirect object tells "to whom/what" or "for whom/what" an action is performed.  Notice that indirect object pronouns use the same words as direct object pronouns, except for le and les.  (Trivia question:  What are the direct object pronoun equivalents of  le and les?  See the answer at the bottom of the page)

Indirect Object Pronouns  (to/for) me = me (to/for) us = nos

(to/for) you (fam.) = te (to/for) you (fam.pl.) = os(to/for) him, her, you (formal) = le (to/for) them, you (pl.) = les

An indirect object pronoun can replace or accompany an indirect object noun.

Accompanies ReplacesRosa le compra una olla a su madre.

Rosa buys her mother a pot.Rosa le compra una olla.

Rosa buys her a pot.

Since the pronouns le and les can refer to different indirect objects (him, her, you) they are often accompanied by a + name, noun, or pronoun in order to clarify the meaning:    Yo le compro flores=I buy her flowers.  Yo le compro flores a mi novia=  I buy my girlfriend flowers (and not that other girl-big trouble if the meaning is not clear!)

To add emphasis, you can add the phrase a + pronoun to a sentence that uses an indirect object pronoun:    A mi me compro un carro rojo = I'm buying myself a red car.

Placement of Indirect Object Pronouns

How do you know where indirect object pronouns go in a sentence?  They work just like direct object pronouns.

- 11 -The indirect object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb OR after the infinitive if there is one:    Yo me compro la blusa.     Yo voy a comprarme la blusa/Yo me voy a comprar la blusa. If there are both an indirect and a direct object pronoun, the indirect object pronoun goes first.  Yo me la compro.  Yo voy a comprármela/ Yo me la voy a comprar.

 

TRIVIA QUESTION ANSWER:  The direct object equivalents of le are lo or la and the equivalents of les are los or las.

Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 2el anillo ringel arete earring

- 12 -el collar necklacelas joyas jewelryel oro goldla plata silverla pulsera braceletel casete cassetteel disco compacto compact disc (CD)el radio radioel radiocasete radio-tape playerel video videola videograbadora VCRel videojuego video gamela artesanía handicraftlos artículos de cuero leather goodsla bolsa handbaglas botas bootsla cartera walletla cerámica ceramicsel cinturón beltla jarra pitcher (to hold liquids)la olla potel plato plate¿Cuánto cuesta(n) How much does it (they) cost?¡Es muy caro! It's very expensive!Le dejo...en... I'll give ... to you for ...Le puedo ofrecer... I can offer you...¿Me deja ver... May I see...?regatear to bargaindar to giveel regalo giftbarato(a) cheap, inexpensivela calidad qualitycambiar to change, to exchangecaro(a) expensivedemasiado(a) too muchel mercado marketperfecto(a) perfectel cambio change, money exchangeel dinero moneyel dólar dollarel efectivo cashpagar to pay

- 13 -el precio pricela tarjeta de crédito credit cardjuntos togetherpara for, in order toalmorzar (o-->ue) to eat lunchcontar (o-->ue) to count, to tell or retellcostar (o-->ue) to costdevolver (o-->ue) to return an itemdormir (o-->ue) to sleepencontrar (o-->ue) to find, to meetpoder (o-->ue) to be able to, canrecordar (o-->ue) to remembervolver (o-->ue) to return

Grammar Summary

Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 3

- 14 -Using gustar to Talk About Things (nouns) You Like

You've already learned how to say you like to do something:                              Indirect Object Pronoun+gustar+infinitive verb    Me gusta patinar

To say someone likes a thing or things (noun), use the same construction, but remember that the thing one likes is the subject of the sentence ("French fries please me") and so control the conjugation of the verb gustar: Me gustan las papas fritas.  If the thing you like is singular, use the singular form of the verb -  Me gusta la salsa.  But if the thing you like is plural, use gustan.

Affirmative and Negative Words

When you want to talk about an indefinite or negative situation, you use an affirmative or a negative word:

AFFIRMATIVE WORDS NEGATIVE WORDSalgo - something nada - nothing

alguien - someone nadie - no onealgún/alguno(a) - some ningún/ninguno(a) - none, not any

siempre - always nunca - nevertambién - also tampoco - neither, either

Notice that alguno(a) and ninguno(a) must match the gender of the noun they replace or modify.  Alguno and ninguno have different forms when used before a masculine singular noun.  La chica quiere algún postre, (postre is a masculine singular noun) pero el chico no quiere ningúno. (the word postre is omitted, so the form remains ninguno).

When a verb is preceded by no, words that follow it must also be negative.  A double negative is required in Spanish when no comes before the verb:               No quiero nada - I don't want anything (I not want nothing).  However, if a negative word, such as nunca or nadie, comes before the verb, a second negative is not needed:  Nadie quiere postre.  Las chicas nunca comen postre.

Stem-changing Verbs (e-->i)

You have already learned about verbs that have a spelling change in the stem from e to ie, or from o to ue.   These (e-->i) verbs change in a similar pattern:

Verbs like pedir (e-->i)  I order = Pido We order = pedimos

You (fam.) order = pides You (fam.pl.) order = pedísHe, she, you(formal) order(s) = pide They, you (pl.) order = piden

Verbs like pedir in this lesson are:    servir - to serve, repetir - to repeat, seguir - to follow or to continue  (seguir changes its spelling because of Spanish spelling rules:  The yo form drops the "u" because he sound "go" is spelled sigo.  the other forms retain the "u" because the sounds "geh" and "gui" (as in "guitar) are spelled with a "u": sigues, sigue, seguimos, siguen.Spanish 2 Unidad 4 Etapa 3¿Me ayuda a pedir? Could you help me to order?¿Me trae...? Could you bring me...?

- 15 -el menú menupedir (e-->i) to ask for, to order, to requestQuisiera... I would likeel (la) mesero(a) waiter (waitress)el restaurante restaurantservir (e-->i) to servetraer to bringla cuchara spoonel cuchillo knifela taza cupel tenedor forkriquísimo very tasty, very rich¿Cuánto es? How much is it?¿Cuánto le doy de propina? How much do I tip?la cuenta bill, checkLa cuenta, por favor The check pleaseEs aparte Separate checks¿Está incluido(a)...? Is...included?la propina tipFui.../Fuiste... I went.../you went...caliente hot, warmdelicioso(a) deliciousdulce sweetpicante spicyrico(a) tasty, richvegetariano(a) vegetarianel arroz riceel azúcar sugarel bistec steakla carne meatla enchilada enchiladala ensalada saladla lechuga lettuceel pan breadel pollo chickenel queso cheesela salsa salsa, saucela sopa soupla bebida beverage, drinkel café coffeela limonada lemonadeel té tea

- 16 -el flan caramel custard dessertel pan dulce sweet rollel pastel cakeel postre dessertalgo somethingalguien someone, somebodyalguno(a) somedesayunar to have breakfastel desayuno breakfastla lengua languagelisto(a) readynada nothingnadie no one, nobodyninguno(a) none, not anyponer to putponer la mesa to set the tableel pueblo town, villagesin withouttampoco neither, eithertodavía still, yet 

Grammar Summary

Spanish-1 Unidad 5 Etapa 1

- 17 -Describing Actions That Involve Oneself:   Reflexive Verbs

To describe people doing things for or to themselves, use reflexive verbs.  Examples of reflexive verbs are brushing one's teeth or combing one's hair.  Reflexive verbs are used with a reflexive pronoun to indicate that the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb.  When a reflexive verb is conjugated, the reflexive pronouns go before the verb.   For example, with the verb lavarse - to wash oneself

yo me lavo la cara nosotros nos lavamos las carastú te lavas la cara vosotros os lavais las caras

él, ella, Ud. se lava cara ellos, Uds. se lavan las caras

Notice that the people say they wash themselves "the face" and not "my face" or "your face," etc.  This is because reflexive pronouns already include the concept of possession.

When you use the infinitive form of a reflexive verb after a conjugated verb, there are two options for where to place the reflexive pronoun.  It can go either before the conjugated verb or after (and attached to) the infinitive:

Before the Conjugated Verb After the InfinitiveMe quiero lavar la cara Quiero lavarme la cara

Some verbs have different meanings when used reflexively:

Non-reflexive Reflexivedormir - to sleep dormirse - to fall asleep

ir - to go irse - to leave, to go awayponer - to put ponerse - to put on (clothes)

Irregular Affirmative Tú Commands

Remember how to form regular affirmative tú commands?  You use the present indicative tense tú form, but drop off the "s":  ¡Habla!   ¡Come!  ¡Abre!  Some verbs have irregular affirmative tú command forms:

Infinitive Affirmative tú commanddecir dihacer haz

ir veponer ponsalir salser sé

tener tenvenir ven

Remember that when you use a pronoun with an affirmative tú command, you attach the pronoun to the end of the command:  ¡Hazlo ahora!

- 18 -Negative Tú Commands

When you tell someone what not to do, use a negative command.  Negative commands are formed by starting with the yo form of the present tense, dropping the o and adding the appropriate ending:

Infinitive Yo form Present Tense Negative Tú Commandhablar hablo ¡No hables!comer como ¡No comas!venir vengo ¡No vengas!

Notice that the vowel in the ending changes to the "opposite" of that of the infinitive.  An -AR verb's vowel changes from "a" to "e" and -ER/IR verbs change from "e" or "i" to "a."

There are a few irregular negative tú command verbs:

Infinitive (yo form) Negative Tú Commanddar (doy) ¡No des!

estar (estoy) ¡No estés!ir (voy) ¡No vayas!

ser (soy) ¡No seas!

With negative tú commands, pronouns are always placed before the verb:

¡No lo uses!   ¡No la escribas!

Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 1acostarse (o-->ue) to go to bed

- 19 -afeitarse to shave oneselfdespertarse (e-->ie) to wake updormirse (o-->ue) to fall asleepducharse to take a showerlavarse to wash oneselflavarse la cabeza to wash one's hairlavarse los dientes to brush one's teethlevantarse to get upmaquillarse to put on makeuppeinarse to comb one's hairponerse la ropa to get dressedsecarse to dry oneselfel cepillo (de dientes) toothbrushel champú shampooel espejo mirrorel jabón soapla pasta de dientes toothpasteel peine combel secador de pelo hair dryerla toalla towella boca mouthel brazo armla cabeza headla cara faceel cuerpo bodyel diente toothel estómago stomachla mano handla nariz nosela oreja earel pie footla pierna leghacer la cama to make the bedlavar los platos to wash the disheslimpiar el cuarto to clean the roomlimpio(a) cleanlos quehaceres choresquitar la mesa to clear the tablesucio(a) dirtyla cama bedel despertador alarm clockduro(a) hard, tough

- 20 -irse to leave, to go awayla manta blanketponerse (ropa) to put on (clothes) 

Grammar Summary

Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 2

- 21 -Using Pronouns with the Present Progressive

Remember how you use the present progressive to describe actions in progress?  When you use pronouns with the present participle, you can put them in one of two places:

Before the Conjugated estar After the Present Participlelo estoy esperando estoy esperándolo

Remember that when you attach pronouns to the end of a verb form, you may have to add an accent mark in order to retain the original stress of the verb (as in the example above).

Some verbs you know have irregular present participle forms:

  Verb InfinitiveIrregular Present

Participle

When the stem of an -er or -ir verb ends in a vowel, change the -iendo

to -yendo

leer

oir

traer

leyendo

oyendo

trayendoe-->i stem-changing verbs have a vowel change in the stem of the

present participlepedir servir

pidiendo sirviendo

Some other verbs also have a vowel change in the stem

decir

dormir

venir

diciendo

durmiendo

viniendo

Using the Verb deber to Say What You Should or Ought to Do:

Use the conjugated form of deber with the infinitive of another verb:

Yo debo barrer el suelo Nosotros debemos ir a escuelaTú debes estudiar Vosotros debéis comer

Él, ella, Ud.  debe venir Ellos, ustedes deben hablar

Using Adverbs That End in -mente

To describe how something is done, use an adverb.  Many adverbs in Spanish are made by changing an existing adjective and adding the ending -mente, which is the equivalent of adding -ly in English.

  Adjective AdverbWhen an adjective ends in

e, l, or z, simply add -mente to the end

reciente recientemente

  frecuente frecuentemente

- 22 -  fácil fácilmente  normal normalmente  especial especialmente  feliz felizmente

For adjectives with -o or -a endings, add -mente to the

feminine formcuidadoso(a) cuidadosamente

  rápido(a) rápidamente  lento(a) lentamente  tranquilo(a) tranquilamente

When you use two adverbs, drop the -mente from the first one:

Ella entra en la clase lenta y tranquilamente.

Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 2cuidadosamente carefully

- 23 -cuidadoso(a) carefuldeber should, ought toespecial specialepecialmente especiallyfacilmente easilyfelizmente happilyfrecuente frequentfrecuentemente frequently, oftenlentamente slowlylento(a) slownormal normalrapidamente quickly, rapidlyrápido(a) quick, fastrecientemente recently, latelytranquilamente calmlyel baño bathroomla cocina kitchenel comedor dining roomla habitación bedroomel jardín gardenla pared wallla puerta doorla sala living roomel suelo floorla ventana windowel armario closetla lámpara lampla mesa tablelos muebles furniturela silla chairel sillón armchairel sofá sofa, couchel televisor TV setbarrer el suelo to sweep the floormover (o-->ue) los muebles to move the furnitureordenar (las flores, los libros) to arrange (the flowers, the books)pasar la aspiradora to vacuumplanchar la ropa to iron (the clothes)quitar el polvo to dustsacar la basura to take out the trashabierto(a) opencerrado(a) closed

- 24 -la llave keyolvidar to forgetsi iflas aceitunas oliveslos calamares squidel chorizo sausageel jamón hamlas tapas appetizersla tortilla española potato omeletla fiesta partyla invitación invitationsorpender to surprisela sorpresa surprise 

Grammar Summary

Spanish-2 Unidad 5 Etapa 3

- 25 -Talking About Extremes:   Superlatives

When you want to say that something has the most or least of a certain quality, use a superlative.  The most common way to make an superlative in Spanish is to add the words más or menos to the word that describes the quality.

The Most... The Least...el más famoso

el chico  más famosoel menos famoso

el chico menos famosolos más cómicos

los hombres  más comicoslos menos  cómicos

los hombres menos cómicosla  más bonita

la chica más bonitala menos bonita

la chica menos bonitalas  más feas

las  blusas más feaslas menos feas

las blusas menos feasWhen you refer to an idea or concept, which has no gender, use the neuter

article lo: Lo más increíble

Lo menos creíble

Remember that these irregular froms are used when referring to the best, worst, oldest and youngest:

el mejor, el peor, el mayor, el menor

 

Talk About the Past Using Regular -AR Preterite Verbs

The preterite tense tells what happened or what you did.  it is used when the action described has already been completed.   Regular preterite verbs, like present indicative tense verbs, are formed by adding tense endings to the stem:

  -AR Verbsyo hablétú hablaste

él, ella, usted hablónosotros(as) hablamosvosotros(as) hablasteis

ellos, ellas, ustedes hablaron

Be sure to include accent marks where necessary, as they are important to the meaning and to avoid confusion with other verb tense forms.!

Preterite Tense Verbs and Spelling Rules

The sounds "kay" and "gay" are spelled "que" and "gue" in Spanish.  Therefore when you spell the preterite yo form of -AR verbs (that have an "eh" sounding ending) you must watch your spelling.  Also verbs whose stem ends in the letter "z " change the "z" to a "c" before the letter "e":

- 26 -   

sacar yo saquéjugar yo jugué

almorzar almorcé

Some verbs like this are: buscar, practicar, tocar, llegar, pagar, empezar, comenzar

Irregular Preterite Verbs ir , ser , hacer , dar , and ver

These irregular verbs do not follow the regular ending pattern.   Sometimes the stem of the verb changes a little bit, and sometimes it changes a lot.  There are several other irregular preterite verbs you will learn later that are like hacer, and they all have the same ending pattern as hacer.

ir-to go ser-to be hacer-to do dar-to give ver-to seefui fui hice di vi

fuiste fuiste hiciste diste vistefue fue hizo dio vio

fuimos fuimos hicimos dimos vimosfuisteis fuisteis hicisteis disteis visteisfueron fueron hicieron dieron vieron

No, it's not a mistake.  Ir and ser do have the same preterite forms!  Use context to tell the difference between the two.

Spanish- 2 Unidad 5 Etapa 3apagar la luz to turn off the light¡Cállate! Be quiet!¿A Cuánto está(n)? How much is (are)...?el aceite oilla carne de res beefla cebolla onion

- 27 -el cereal cerealla crema creamla galleta cookie, crackerla harina flourel helado ice creamel huevo eggla leche milkla mantequilla butterla pasta pastala patata potatoel pescado fishla pimienta pepperel puerco porkla sal saltla salchicha sausageel tomate tomatola verdura vegetableel yogur yogurtla zanahoria carrotel zumo juicela botella bottlela lata canel paquete packagecuarto(a) quarterla docena dozenel gramo gramel kilo kilogramel litro litermedio(a) halfel pedazo piecedoscientos(as) two hundredtrescientos(as) three hundredcuatrocientos(as) four hundredquinientos(as) five hundredseiscientos(as) six hundredsetecientos(as) seven hundredochocientos(as) eight hundrednovecientos(as) nine hundredmil one thousandun millón one millionanoche last nightanteayer day before yesterday

- 28 -el año pasado last yearayer yesterdayel mes pasado last monthla semana pasada last weekla estrella starsabroso(a) tastycocinar to cookel congelador freezerla estufa stoveel frigorífico refrigeratorel horno ovenel lavaplatos dishwasherel microondas microwave 

Grammar Summary

Spanish-2 Unidad 6 Etapa 1

Talking About the Past:   The Preterite of -er and -ir Verbs

Notice that -er and -ir verb endings are the same in the preterite:

- 29 -Comer:  Yo comí

Vivir:  Yo vivíComer:  Nosotros comimos

Vivir: Nosotros vivimosComer:  Tú comiste

Vivir:  Tú vivisteComer:  Vosotros comisteis Vivir:   Vosotros vivisteis

Comer:  Él, ella, Ud. comió Vivir:   Él, ella, Ud. vivió

Comer:  Ellos, Uds. comieron Vivir:  Ellos, Uds. vivieron

Preterite Verbs with a Spelling Change and Irregular Verbs in the Preterite:   hacer, ir, ser

Spanish-2 Unidad 6 Etapa 1ancho(a) wideantiguo(a) old, ancientel edificio building, edificeenorme huge, enormousestrecho(a) narrowformal formalinformal informallujoso(a) luxuriousmoderno(a) modern

- 30 -ordinario(a) ordinarysencillo(a) simpletradicional traditionalel (la) arquitecto(a) architectla arquitectura architectureel (la) bombero(a) firefighterel (la) cartero(a) mail carrierla cámara camerala compañía companyel (la) contador(a) accountantel (la) editor(a) editorel (la) fotógrafo(a) photographerel (la) gerente managerel (la) escritor(a) writerla grabadora tape recorderel hombre de negocios businessmanla mujer de negocios business womanel (la) operador(a) operatorel (la) periodista journalistla profesión professionel (la) recepcionista receptionistel (la) secretario(a) secretaryel (la) taxista taxi driverVamos a... Let's...la contaminación del aire air pollutiondecidir to decideestar de acuerdo to agree, to be in agreementel (la) ganador(a) winnerofrecer to offerel tráfico traffic

 

Grammar Summary

Spanish-2 Unidad 6 Etapa 2

Pointing Out Specific Things Using Demonstratives

A demonstrative adjective or demonstrative pronoun are used to point out specific things.  A demonstrative adjective describes the location of a noun in relation to a person you are talking to.  A demonstrative pronoun refers to the same noun, but without mentioning it.

Masculine Demonstrative Adjectives Feminine Demonstrative Adjectives

- 31 -Singular Plural Singular Plural

este cerdo this pig

estos cerdos these pigs

esta mesa this table

estas mesas these tables

ese cerdo that pig

esos cerdos those pigs

esa mesa that table

esas mesas those tables

aquel cerdo that pig over there

aquellos cerdos those pigs over

thereaquella mesa

that table over thereaquellas mesas

those tables over there

Notice that the only difference between the demonstrative adjective and the demonstrative pronoun is that the pronoun has an accent.

Masculine Demonstrative Pronouns Feminine Demonstrative Pronouns

Singular Plural Singular Pluraléste

this (one)éstos these

ésta this (one)

éstas these

ése that(one)

ésos those

ésa that (one)

ésas those

aquél that (one) over there

aquéllos those  over there

aquélla that (one) over

thereaquéllas

those  over there

Ordinal Numbers

When you talk about the order of items, use ordinal numbers.  When used with nouns, they must agree in number and gender, just like an adjective.  But unlike most adjectives, ordinals are placed before nouns.  Primero and tercero drop the o before a masculine singular noun.

El primer año     La última vez     El tercer piso    La quinta chica

Irregular Preterite Verbs

dar - to give decir - to say, to tell venir - to come

di dimos dije dijimos vine vinimosdiste disteis dijiste dijisteis viniste vinisteisdio dieron dijo dijeron vino vinieron

 

tener - to have estar - to be

tuve tuvimos estuve estuvimostuviste tuvisteis estuviste estuvisteis

tuvo tuvieron estuvo estuvieron

NOTE:  Do not use the preterite of estar to talk about feelings in the past.   You will use the Imperfect Tense for that.

- 32 -

Spanish-2 Unidad 6 Etapa 2aquel(la) that (+noun) over thereaquél(la) that one over there (no noun mentioned)aquello that over there (gender undetermined)ese(a) that (+noun)ése(a) that one there (no noun mentioned)eso that (gender undetermined)este(a) this (+noun)éste(a) this one (no noun mentioned)esto this (gender undetermined)primero(a) firstsegundo(a) secondtercero(a) thirdcuarto(a) fourth

- 33 -quinto(a) fifthsexto(a) sixthséptimo(a) seventhoctavo(a) eighthnoveno(a) ninthdécimo(a) tenthel (la) artesano(a) artisan, crafts personel (la) ganadero(a) farmerel (la) pastor(a) shepherd(ess)el caballo horsela cerca fenceel cerdo pigel corral corral, penla gallina henel gallo roosterla granja farmla llama llamael toro bullla vaca cowabajo downarriba updebajo (de) underneath, underdentro (de) inside (of)encima (de) on top (of)fuera (de) outside (of)el campo countryside, the countrydarle(s) de comer to feedla lana woolel taller workshoplas tijeras scissorsúltimo(a) last