Tag Archives: Spanish Grammar
The verb “gustar” (to like) Posted by Adir on Apr 5, 2010
The verb “gustar” (to like) in Spanish is a little different from the other verbs because it needs an indirect object to be conjugated. Another peculiarity is that if you like something in the singular, it has one form, and if you like something in the plural, another one. This is because, in Spanish, what…
Las conjunciones O and U, Y and E Posted by Adir on Apr 1, 2010
O and U mean “or”, but their use follows some rules. 1. When O comes before words that start with an O or HO it must be replaced by U. plata u oro (silver or gold) minutos u horas (minutes or hours) 2. When O comes between numbers, we must replace it by Ó (with…
Ser vs Estar Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 26, 2010
One challenge for Spanish learners is distinguishing when to use ser or estar, both of which translate into “to be” in English. Generally, ser is used with adjectives expressing permanent characteristics (including nationality, physical appearance and personality) while estar is used for temporary states or conditions, such as emotions. Sometimes learners believe that a given…
Dequeísmo Posted by Magda on Mar 24, 2010
“Dequeísmo” It is becoming increasingly more common to hear incorrect expressions in Spanish such as: Pienso de que… Creo de que… Opino de que… Dije de que… Not only among students of the language, but also native speakers. There are certain verbs that require the preposition “de”, but to do so when it is not…
Verbs in -ducir Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 18, 2008
We know that a suffix is often added to a word stem to create new words, but that isn’t always the case. Let’s take the example of the suffix –ducir in Spanish and some verbs formed with it: conducir, reducir, deducir, etc. Such verbs are derived from Latin ducere, which meant “to lead”. The examples…
The Imperative Posted by Transparent Language on Jun 16, 2008
The imperative mode is used to give orders, instructions, suggestions, and commands. Formal commands (using the pronouns usted and ustedes) are formed with the subjunctive form of the verb. Note that the vowel of the subjunctive ending is the reverse of that usually associated with the particular conjugation: -ar verbs have the vowel –e and…