Hello, there!<\/p>\n
Linking words are extremely important when you’re reading a text or even listening to someone speak Spanish. They’re usually conjunctions and knowing them will make a major difference in your fluency; you will be able to understand better and speak better Spanish too.<\/p>\n
Check out the most common ones:<\/p>\n
1. y – e – ni<\/strong> Note: When y<\/strong> comes before a word that starts with i<\/strong> or hi<\/strong> (followed by a consonant) it has to be changed to e<\/strong>. This doesn’t happen before the hie<\/strong> cluster.<\/p>\n A\u00f1ade leche y<\/strong> hierve. [Add milk and<\/strong> boil it.]<\/em> Ni<\/strong> caf\u00e9, ni<\/strong> leche. Acepto un t\u00e9. [Neither<\/strong> coffee, nor<\/strong> milk. I’ll have some tea.]<\/em> 2. o – u<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00bfHierro o<\/strong> acero? [Iron or steel?]<\/em> When o<\/strong> comes before words that start with o<\/strong> or ho<\/strong> it must be replaced by u<\/strong>.<\/p>\n plata u<\/strong> oro [silver or gold]<\/em> When o<\/strong> comes between numbers, it must be replaced by \u00f3<\/strong> so it is not confused with the number zero. This doesn’t happen when numbers are written out.<\/p>\n 8 \u00f3<\/strong> 9 = ocho o<\/strong> nueve 3. bien … bien – uno … otro – ora … ora – ya … ya<\/strong><\/p>\n Bien<\/strong> para m\u00ed, bien<\/strong> para tu padre, tendr\u00e1s que contarlo todo. [Either<\/strong> to me or<\/strong> to your father, you will have to tell it all.]<\/em> 4. mas – pero<\/strong><\/p>\n Mas<\/strong> and pero<\/strong> both mean “but”. Mas<\/strong> is more formal.<\/p>\n Me encantar\u00eda ir, mas\/pero<\/strong> no tengo tiempo. [I’d love to go, but<\/strong> I don’t have time.]<\/em><\/p>\n 5. sino<\/strong><\/p>\n No quiero caf\u00e9 sino<\/strong> t\u00e9. [I don’t want coffee, but<\/strong> (I want) tea.]<\/em>
\nHay que comprar pan y<\/strong> leche. [We have to buy bread and<\/strong> milk.]<\/em>
\nC\u00f3mprame naranjas e<\/strong> higos. [Buy oranges and<\/strong> figs for me.]<\/em>
\nfabricantes e<\/strong> importadores [manufacturers and<\/strong> importers]<\/em><\/p>\n
\nflores y<\/strong> hierbas [flowers and<\/strong> herbs]<\/em><\/p>\n
\nNo me gustan ni<\/strong> \u00e9ste ni<\/strong> aqu\u00e9l. [I don’t<\/strong> like either<\/strong> this one or<\/strong> that one.]<\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u00bfAgua o<\/strong> vino? [Water or wine?]<\/em><\/p>\n
\nminutos u<\/strong> horas [minutes or hours]<\/em><\/p>\n
\n9 \u00f3<\/strong> 8 = nueve u<\/strong> ocho
\n12 \u00f3<\/strong> 15 = doce o<\/strong> quince
\n20 \u00f3<\/strong> 30 = veinte o<\/strong> treinta<\/p>\n
\nUno<\/strong> para m\u00ed, otro<\/strong> para ti. [One for me, another one for you.]<\/em>
\nOra<\/strong> por una cosa, ora<\/strong> por otra, nunca consigo llamarla. [Now<\/strong> for one thing, now<\/strong> for another, I can never call her.]<\/em>
\nYa<\/strong> por la autopista, ya<\/strong> por el camino de tierra, iremos igual. [Be<\/strong> it on the highway, be<\/strong> it or on the road, we’ll go anyway.]<\/em><\/p>\n
\nNo puede comer frutas sino<\/strong> pera. [He can’t eat fruits except for<\/strong> pears.]<\/em>
\nNunca fui a Bariloche sino<\/strong> en invierno. [I’ve been to Bariloche only<\/strong> in the winter.]<\/em>
\nEsta mujer no hace otra cosa sino<\/strong> reclamar. [This woman doesn’t do anything but<\/strong> complain.]<\/em>
\nNo s\u00f3lo aplaud\u00edan, sino<\/strong> que tambi\u00e9n taconeaban para expresar su admiraci\u00f3n. [They were not only applauding, (but)<\/strong> they were also stamping their heels to express their admiration.]<\/em><\/p>\n