Progressive constructions in Spanish Posted by Magda on Apr 28, 2010
Progressive constructions Most intermediate learners of Spanish are familiar with the present progressive tense (presente progresivo), which is the most common progressive construction. The present progressive tense is formed using the present tense of the verb ESTAR (to be) + the gerund (-ing form) of the main verb, called. If you need a reminder, this…
Luis Buñuel Posted by Magda on Apr 27, 2010
Ask anyone about a Spanish film director, and most people will think of Almodóvar first. However, one of the best and most influential film directors of all time was Luis Buñuel. If you haven’t seen any of his movies yet, you don’t know what you’re missing. Buñuel was born with the 20th century in Spain…
Homophones: same sound, different spelling Posted by Adir on Apr 26, 2010
Homophones (same sound) are words that have the same sound and sometimes are written with a little difference in spelling. To know which word the person is talking about you need to rely on the context. So, today let’s take a look at some common words that take on different meanings if you change one…
El Chupacabras Posted by Magda on Apr 21, 2010
There are several legendary creatures around the world which are part of local legends and lore. Scotland has “Nessie”, the Loch Ness monster; North America has Saasquatch, also known as Bigfoot; and in Asia a similar creature is called the Yeti. In Latin America, they have the scariest one of all: El Chupacabras. The difference…
Vocabulary: Art Posted by Adir on Apr 19, 2010
For those of you who are interested in learning vocabulary about art, here’s a very good list to start with. el aguafuerte – etching el artefacto – artifact el boceto, el esbozo – sketch el bodegón, la naturaleza muerta – still life el busto – bust el caballete – easel el carbón, el carboncillo –…
Spanish Numbers 1-100 Posted by Magda on Apr 14, 2010
One or the most basic skills we need to know when learning a language is how to count and use numbers, so here we go! I remember when I was a child, and I practiced my numbers everyday with El Conde Dracu (Count Von Count). I loved it! Next you can have a look at…
Useful Spanish: At the Drugstore Posted by Adir on Apr 12, 2010
Let’s learn some useful expressions to use in a drugstore in a Spanish-speaking country. ¿Puede prepararme esta receta en seguida? – Can you fill this prescription right away? ¿Tiene … – Do you have …? alcohol? – alcohol? algodón? – cotton? antiséptico? – antiseptic? aspirina? – aspirin? colorete? – rouge? crema de afeitar? – shaving…