5 Ways to ask a favour in Spanish

17/02/202320/09/2021 by Amparo

Do you know how to ask for a favour in Spanish? Learn 5 ways to ask a favour in Spanish

If you live in a Spanish-speaking country, you will need to know how to ask others for help, but don’t worry because the structures are not very difficult. Read the examples and practice with exercises. … Ready?

1.Me podría(s)

¿Me podría(s)….?
Could you…?

¿Me podría(s) ayudar con los deberes, por favor?
Could you help me with my homework, please?

This is a formal way of asking for a favour.

Me podría… (usted) and Me podrías (tú).

2. Me puede(s)

¿Me puede(s)… ?
Can you… ?

¿Me puedes ayudar con el carrito, por favor?
Can you help me with the baby buggy, please?

This is a more direct and less formal way of asking for a favor.

Me puede (usted) y Me puedes (tú).

3. Me ayuda(s)

¿Me ayuda(s)?

Do you help me?

This is an informal and direct way to ask for help.

Me ayuda (usted), Me ayudas (tú)

4. Me echa(s) una mano

¿Me echa(s) una mano?

Can you give me a hand?

This is a very direct and informal way to ask for help.

Me echa (usted) Me echas (tú)

5. Te importa / Te importaría

¿Te importa pasar por casa esta tarde?
Do you mind stopping by this afternoon?

¿Te importaría tirar la basura?
Would you mind putting out the trash?

The first sentence, with the verb “importar” in the present tense followed by the infinitive, is more direct.

The second sentence, with the verb “importar” in conditional followed by infinitive, is more formal.

5 Ways to ask a favour in Spanish

EXERCISE

How do we ask another person?

a) Bajar el volumen (lower the volume)

b) Apagar la música (turn off the music)

c) Hablar más alto (speak louder)

Write your in the comments, and I’ll correct you.

That is all for now, I hope have found this article useful. If you liked it, feel free to share it with any friends or acquaintances who are also learning Spanish.

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How to describe people in Spanish: The physical appearance

25/03/202319/05/2021 by Amparo

In today’s lesson, we will introduce the basic vocabulary and expressions for making physical descriptions in Spanish in a very simple way. You will learn how to describe people in Spanish with a very few verbs and some common adjectives. There are helpful activities at the end of the lesson to practice as well. Ready?

Let’s see some examples of physical descriptions in Spanish first.

She is a very pretty girl. She is a brunette with curly hair and black eyes.

This boy is brown, has brown eyes, wears glasses and beard.

This girl is blond, she has blue eyes. She wears two braids, she wears a pink T-shirt.

As you can see in the examples, to describe physical appearance of people in Spanish we mainly use three verbs:

SER “to be” in English

TENER “to have” in English

LLEVAR “to wear” in English

Now let’s look at the possible combinations with each of these verbs.

How to describe people in Spanish

THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

SER

We use the verb SER, “to be” in English to talk about natural or permanent physical characteristics. The formula is: Tener (conjugated) + adjective.

Alto-a / Bajo-a	Short / Tall	Delgado-a / Gordo-a	Thin / fat
Feo-a / Guapo-a	Ugly / handsome – Pretty	Mayor / Joven	Old / Young
Calvo-a	bald	Moreno-a	dark-haired dark-skinned
Castaño-a	brown-haired	Rubio-a	blond
Pelirrojo-a	red-haired

Notice that these adjectives must agree with the person in gender (feminine and masculine) and number (singular or plural).

La chica es guapa / Las chicas son guapas.

El chico es guapo / Los chicos son guapos.

Usually to softer negative adjectives we place before the adjective : ” un poco” = “a bit”.

El chico es un poco feo.

La chica es un poco gorda /gordita.

TENER

To describe the hair, eyes, nose and other parts of the body of people in Spanish, we use the irregular verb TENER. The formula is: Tener (conjugated) + noun + adjective.

Pelo rizado	Curly hair	Pelo ondulado	Wavy hair	Pelo liso	Straight hair
Pelo corto	Short hair	Pelo largo	Long hair	Pelo recogido	hair up
Pelo suelto	hair down	Pelo moreno	dark hair	Pelo castaño	Brown hair
Pelo rubio	blond hair	Pelo pelirrojo	red hair	Pelo canoso / teñido	grey hair dyed hair

The word for hair (el pelo) is masculine and singular, so the adjectives to describe hair must agree with the word pelo by also being masculine and singular and not with the person you are describing.

EXAMPLES

Ella tiene el pelo pelirrojo.

Él tiene el pelo pelirrojo

Ojos negros	Black eyes	Ojos marrones	Brown eyes
Ojos verdes	Green eyes	Ojos azules	Blue eyes
Nariz grande / pequeña	Big / Small nose	Un lunar / Pecas	beauty mark / Freckles

The word for eyes (los ojos) is masculine and plural, so the adjectives to describe eyes must also be masculine and plural.

EXAMPLE

Ella tiene los ojos verdes

Notice that there are the two different words for brown: “marrón” and “castaño“

Use “marrones” when talking about eye colour and “castaño” when talking about hair colour.

EXAMPLES

Mi madre tiene los ojos marrones / My mother has brown eyes.

Yo tengo el pelo castaño / I have brown hair.

Would you like to practice the content of this article through a conversation class with me?

MORE INFO

LLEVAR

We use the verb “LLEVAR” to talk about physical characteristics that can change according to fashion or to talk about accessories and clothes that we can wear.

Coleta	ponytail	Trenzas	plaits
Perilla	goatee	Bigote	moustache
Barba	beard	Pendientes	earrings
Gafas	glasses	Collar	necklace
Camiseta	T-shirt	Pantalón	trousers

How to describe people in Spanish.

Let’s practice with interactive activities!

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

EXERCISE 4

How to describe people in Spanish

Practice at your own pace…

How to describe people in Spanish

Download and print out this infographic (PDF document) and practice at your own pace.

That is all! I hope you’ve learned a lot, and you enjoyed this lesson! If you Iiked it, maybe you could be interested in this article: How to describe people’s personality in Spanish

How to tell the time in Spanish

22/02/202325/02/2021 by Amparo

Do you know how to tell the time in Spanish? In today’s lesson you will learn to ask and tell the time, the parts of the day and to ask the time when you want to know when something is taking place. You can practice with interactive exercises at the end.

The time in English and Spanish

The first thing to know is that saying the time is very similar in English and in Spanish.

We can both use the 12 or the 24-hour clock (although the use of the 24-hour clock in Spanish is restricted mainly to timetables and schedules in airports, buses, and train stations).

In both languages we say how minutes are past or are left to the next hour when we use the 12-hour clock. The main difference is in the order we say this information and the elements we need to include in the sentence.

What time is it? – ¿Qué hora es?

We use ¿Qué hora es? when we want to know the time.

The answer is Es… when it is 1h /13h or Son for any other time.

– ¿Qué hora es?

– Es la una.

– ¿Qué hora es?

– Son las ocho.

To ask the time in a more formal way we can say:

Disculpe / Perdone, ¿tiene hora?

Disculpe /Perdone, ¿me podría decir la hora?

O’clock – En punto

We can use en punto to say o’clock.

Son las nueve en punto.

Half past – Y media

When we want to say that it is one hour and a half we say the hour as we have seen before but we add + y media.

Es/son + la/las + hora + y media

Son las seis y media.

Quarter past – Y cuarto

When we want to say an hour and a quarter, in Spanish we say…

Es/Son + la /las + hora + y + cuarto.

Son las siete y cuarto.

Quarter to – Menos cuarto

When want to say a quarter to an hour, in Spanish we say…

Es/Son + la/las + hora + menos cuarto.

Son las doce menos cuarto.

Other times – Otras horas

For all other hours we have two options:

1) Add minutes to the main time until you arrive at the next hour.

Es/son + la/las + hora + y + minutos.

2) From the half hour, count the remaining minutes to get to the next hour.

Es/Son + la/las + próxima hora + menos + minutos para llegar a la próxima hora.

Son las cuatro y veinte.

Son las diez y cuarenta.

Son las once menos veinte.

What time? – ¿A qué hora?

We use ¿A qué hora? when we want to know when something is taking place.

– ¿A qué hora es la clase?
– Es a las ocho y media

– ¿A qué hora llega el avión?
– Llega a las cuatro de la tarde.

AM / PM – de la mañana / tarde/noche

When we want to say if a time is am or pm, we say de la mañana or de la tarde / noche.

– ¿La reunión es a las ocho de la mañana o de la tarde?

– A las ocho de la mañana.

When we do not specify the time, but just say the part of the day, we use por

¿La clase es por la mañana o por la tarde?

Noon and midnight – Mediodía y medianoche

If you want to express that it is 12h you have two more options:

It is noon. Es mediodía.

It is midnight. Es medianoche.

How to tell the time in Spanish

To resume…

How to tell the time in Spanish. Let’s practice..

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

Fill in the blanks with the right time

How to tell the time in Spanish

Practice at your own pace…

How to tell the time in Spanish

Download infographic + 2 exercises + solutions in a PDF document (5 pages)

Congratulations! Now you know how to tell the time in Spanish.

As you can see, it is not difficult if you know well The numbers.

So, could you tell me at this exact moment, ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?

Saint Valentine’s Day: How to express love in Spanish

13/06/202408/02/2021 by Amparo

Love and relationship vocabulary in Spanish

Are you a romantic person? Are you in love? If the answer is yes, then this post is for you!

In Spain, and many other countries, on the 14th of February people celebrate el Día de San Valentín, also known as el Día de los enamorados. In today’s class we’re going to learn some vocabulary associated with this holiday as well as some verbs and phrases to express your love and surprise that special someone. Are you ready?

SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY VOCABULARY IN SPANISH

San Valentín is a very well-known celebration that some people love and believe is very romantic, while others think of it as yet another commercial holiday.

Those that enjoy celebrating San Valentín give their partner a small token of their love such as a bunch of flowers (un ramo de flores) or a box of chocolates (bombones). These are the most typical gifts (regalos) that men give to their partners on this day.

Many people also like to celebrate by having a romantic dinner (una cena romantica) with their partner at a special restaurant, going on a romantic weekend getaway (una escapada romántica), or giving expensive gifts such as jewellery or watches (joyas o relojes). In the end, it’s a matter of preferences; there are endless ways to have fun and surprise your partner on Valentine’s Day.

Did you know that in some regions of Spain, such as the Community of Valencia and Catalonia have their own lovers’ day?

The Community of Valencia’s día de los enamorados is on the 9th of October (Saint Denis’ Day) and, according to tradition, men give their lovers marzipan sweets wrapped in a handkerchief. In Catalonia, el día de los enamorados is on the 23rd of April (Saint George’s Day). On this day men give their partners a rose while women gift a book.

LOVE VOCABULARY AND VERBS IN SPANISH

Let’s take a look at some helpful words and phrases used to talk about love and relationships. This vocabulary will take you from love at first sight and first kisses to marriage and even divorce!

Tener una cita –> To have a date

Beso / besar –> Kiss / To kiss

Abrazo / abrazar –> Hug / To hug

Salir con alguien –> To date someone

¿Quieres salir conmigo? –> Do you wanna go out with me?

Pareja –> Couple

Amor a primera vista –> Love at first sight

Enamorarse –> To fall in love

Casarse –> To get married

If you want to propose, you can say:

¡Cásate conmigo! –> Marry me!

¿Quieres casarte conmigo? –> Will you marry me?

Isn’t it very romantic?

Separarse / divorciarse -> To split up / To get divorced

10 PHRASES OF LOVE IN SPANISH

Normally Valentine’s Day is all about flowers, chocolates and nice gifts.

This year, why don’t you surprise your other half by saying something in Spanish?

If you have a Spanish speaking partner, he/she will be very happy to hear these romantic phrases!

Also, your friends will be very impressed with your native-sounding Spanish vocabulary.

Do you want to download this? Click here!

Te quiero. vs. Te amo.

“Te quiero” (which can be literally translated as I want you) is the most common of these two phrases. You can use it with family members, pets, friends, or significant others.

“Te amo” is reserved for your media naranja (your other half or special someone). It is normally only used to profess romantic love.

And to finish up we have a beautiful love song by the Mexican artist, Julieta Venegas.

That is all 😉

Congratulations! Now you know how to express love in Spanish and surprise your Spanish-speaking boyfriend / girlfriend!

If this year you’d like to give your partner a present that’s a little different, considering offering them Spanish classes. It’s a gift they’ll remember forever and that won’t wilt like roses!

You can also learn Spanish with your partner using our special packs for partners and friends. Learning a language together will be a fun and motivating experience and, who knows, maybe next February 14th you can celebrate your progress with a romantic getaway to a Spanish speaking country!

Click here for more information.

Counting in Spanish from zero to 100

13/03/202420/01/2021 by Amparo

Hello! Do you know the numbers in Spanish? In today’s lesson I will teach you counting in Spanish from zero to 100. Learn the numbers in Spanish to talk about your age, phone number, time, money, to ask “how much is it?” and much more. Ready?

Numbers from 0 to 10

Let’s start with the basics. Here are the cardinal numbers in Spanish from 0 -10:

One (uno) if used to describe quantity or used as an article, it becomes “un” for masculine nouns and “una” for feminine nouns.

EXAMPLES

A cat / Un gato

A house/ Una casa

One box /Una caja,

One book/ Un libro.

EXERCISE 1

Practice the numbers in Spanish from 0 to 10

Numbers from 11 to 19

From 11 to 15 there’s no real pattern, you have to learn them.

For numbers from 16 to 19, take the rightmost digit and say “diez + y + (digit)”. E.g. 18 = “diez + y + ocho” = “diez y ocho”, which contracts to dieciocho. This is much like how in English 16 is “six-ten” i.e. “sixteen”.

……

EXERCISE 2

Practice the numbers in Spanish from 0 to 19

Numbers from 20 to 29

The numbers from 21 to 29 use a combination of veinti- and a number from 1-9 (with no space in between).

Numbers from 30 to 100

For numbers above twenty, simply take the “tens” number (treinta, cuarenta etc…) and the “ones” number (uno, dos, etc…) and stick y (“and”) in the middle.

E.g. 31 = “thirty and one” = treinta y uno.

(30 to 39)

(40 to 49)

(50 to 59)

(60 to 69)

(70 to 79)

(80 to 89)

(90 to 99)

EXERCISE 3

Practice the numbers in Spanish from 30 to 100

Practice the numbers from 30 to 100 with QUIZLET

Numbers in Spanish from 0 to 100

Do you want to download this infographic? Please click here!

Do you want to improve your conversation skills in Spanish? Check out my private Spanish lessons or join one of my Spanish conversation groups to practice with more people, become fluent and have fun! Contact for more info.

6 ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish

14/06/202417/11/2020 by Amparo

In today’s lesson, you will learn 6 ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish. This verb is important, not only because it is such a basic and often-used verb, but also because of its many uses. Moreover, in this lesson, you will learn its conjugation, and you will find interactive exercises at the end.

6 Ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish

YouTube Lesson

https://youtu.be/MNGiV35_I0k

6 Ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish

1. “Tener” to talk about age

In English, we use the verb to be to show age: I am twenty-four years old.

In Spanish, however, one has years: Tengo veinticuatro años.

When asking the age of someone (or something), you literally will ask how many years (or months, days, etc.) he, she, or it has:

2. “Tener” to talk about possessions or belongings

The simplest and most common use of tener is to show possession.

This one works the same as in English, to speak about things you have, you own, your belongings, pertenencias.

3. “Tener” with several expressions about states or needs

There are several phrases in Spanish that use “tener” where in English we use the verb “to be“.

For example, instead of being hungry (an adjective), one has hunger (a noun). Below there is an infographic with the most common of these expressions.

Would you like to practice this content through a conversation class with me?

MORE INFO

4. “Tener” to talk about illnesses or sickness

Quite similar to the way we express in English, too.

Do you want to know more about sickness in Spanish? Check out:

“How to express pain in Spanish”

5. “Tener” to express obligations and needs

In order to show obligation or needs in Spanish, we will use the following recipe

Tener (conjugated) + que + (verb in infinitive)

Tengo que ir al dentista, I have to go to the dentist

This expression can be translated as “someone has to do something.”

Tener is conjugated according to the subject of the sentence.

6. “Tener” to express “I feel like…”

To express “you feel like something” in Spanish we say “tener ganas de…”

EXAMPLES

Tengo ganas de helado – I am feeling like an ice cream

Tengo ganas de comida mexicana – I am feeling like having mexican food

But when we feel like a verb, in English we use the gerund (verb+ ing) in Spanish we use the infinitive instead.

EXAMPLE

Tengo ganas de ir al cine – I feel like going to the cinema

6 ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish

TENER: the conjugation (present tense)

Tener is an irregular verb, which means that its conjugations don’t follow a common pattern. Since we use this verb a lot in Spanish, it’s a good idea to practice the present tense conjugations so you can use them quickly.

If you click here, you can see all the verb conjugations of tener in the different forms.

6 ways to use Tener (to have) in Spanish

Interactive Exercises

EXERCISE 1

EXERCISE 2

EXERCISE 3

6 ways to use tener (to have) in Spanish

DOWNLOADABLE INFOGRAPHICS: EL VERBO TENER

PDF document of 2 pages