Useful Spanish expression: Lo + adjective
Lo + adjective = “The … thing”
Lo + adjective in Spanish is a really useful way to say “the …. thing”. This is a very typical Spanish way of speaking, making you sound more like a native speaker. Also, if you are studying for GCSE, A2 or A-level Spanish if you can use this type of more difficult structure, you will gain higher marks.
Here are some examples of ways to use this expression:
Lo importante es que …: The important thing is that …
Lo bueno es que …: The good thing is that …
Lo malo es que …: The bad thing is that …
Lo mejor de mi ciudad es que …: The best thing about my city is that …
Lo peor del hotel era que …: The worst thing about the hotel was that … Continue reading
Irreemplazable – Beyoncé (Spanish version with Spanish & English lyrics)
A fun way to learn a new language is by listening to songs – here is Beyonce’s “Irreplaceable” in Spanish – “Irreemplazable” with the lyrics below in Spanish with the English translation.
Note: The Spanish version is slightly different to the English version.
Ya lo ves, ya lo ves
Now you see, now you see
Te olvidé, te olvidé
I forgot you, I forgot you
Ya lo ves, ya lo ves
Now you see, now you see Continue reading
Where do you put adjectives in Spanish? Before or after nouns?
When you first start learning Spanish you are normally told that adjectives, (descriptive words) should be placed after the noun. As you become more advanced you realise that this is not always the case. You do sometimes see adjectives before nouns. The truth is that there are some cases when it is better to put the adjective before the noun and how it can sometimes change the meaning. Here we will look at where to place adjectives in different contexts: Continue reading
How to say things are “Hot” and “Cold” in Spanish
As many Spanish learners know, saying whether you are feeling hot or cold and talking about the weather in Spanish isn’t as straightforward as in English. In Spanish you tend to switch between the verbs “estar” and “hacer”. Without going too much into grammar, in this blog we will try to make it simple. Continue reading
Spanish idioms are a piece of cake
‘He’s let the cat out of the bag’, ‘she’s hit the nail on the head’ …
When foreign speakers of English hear these phrases in conversations which aren’t concerned with kidnapping pets or building a shed, they are probably a little confused. Well bad news Spanish learners! These bizarre frasas hechas (idioms) are even more common in Spanish and it’s important to get a handle on them early.
They’re so essential to Spanish communication that the most common way to say ‘give birth’ is ‘dar a luz’ (literally: give to light), but the real reason you should learn some is that they pop up in Shakira songs. In Tortura, my personal favourite, Shakira sings ‘a otro perro con ese hueso’ (to another dog with bone) which means “to go try that on someone else”. The sassy Columbian also sings ‘no puedo pedir a los olmos que entreguen peras’ a play on the phrase ‘no pidas peras al olmo’ (don’t ask the elm tree for pears). Continue reading
Pronunciation tips for Spanish beginners: Consonants
Here are the key sounds in Spanish to watch out for, helping you sound like a native-speaker. Part of learning a language is obviously learning new vocabulary, but if you don’t pronounce the words correctly you may not be understood.
B and V:
In Spanish, a “b” and “v” are the same sound. They are both pronounced like an English “b”. So, for example, when you say the word for “wine”, “vino” you should really pronounce it “bino”. See more about this sound in the previous post: “Spanish Pronunciation of B and V”.
C
The “c” in Spanish is usually pronounced as the “c” in “car”: “coche”, “acabar”, “caminar”.
However, when the “c” comes before an “e” or an “i” it changes sound. In most of Spain, a “ce” and a “ci” is pronounced as a “th” sound:
“gracias” (thank you) is pronounced as “grathias”.
“La cena” (dinner) is pronounced as “la thena”.
In southern Spain such as Andalucía and parts of South America it is pronounced as an “s”: “Grasias” Continue reading
Spanish pronunciation of “B” and “V”
In Spanish, the “b” and the “v” are almost the same sound. They are both pronounced like an English “b”. So, for example, when you say the word for “wine”, “vino” you should really pronounce it “bino”. The English “v” sound does not exist in Spanish.
If a word begins with a “v” it is identical to the English “b” sound. However, if the “v” occurs in the middle of a word, or after an “m” or “n”, it is a softer sound, which we do not have in English. It is more of a combination sound between a “v” and a “b”, a softer “b”. It is like an English “v” but with the two lips touching instead of the lower lip and teeth.
Spelling problems
Because the “b” and “v” sound the same in Spanish, this causes spelling problems for both Spanish people as well as people learning Spanish. Therefore you often see certain words spelt differently. For example, “cebiche” is sometimes spelt “ceviche”, (a shellfish dish).
So when spelling words out loud, to distinguish between the sounds you often hear the letter “b” “be alta” or “be larga” and the “v” as “be baja” or “be corta”.
Miscommunication
I know from experience that not pronouncing a word in the correct way can lead to misunderstandings. When I first started living in Spain, I remember not pronouncing a word spelt with “v” as a “b” sound and I was therefore not understood. However, as soon as I pronounced it with a “b” sound, I was understood straight away.
Why Spanish is THE language to learn!
According to Andrew Hall, Chief Executive of the AQA exam board, Spanish is set to become the “dominant language” taught in UK schools. He says, “I think more and more people are speaking Spanish. I think students recognize that it is a very important language to have.”
Reports from examiners have shown a rise in the number of students taking GCSE Spanish whereas numbers sitting French and German exams have dropped. According to The Telegraph, the number of pupils who sat GCSE Spanish this year increased by nearly 2,000 to a total of 93,000, a record high. This is a 50% increase over the past ten years and almost three times the number in the 80’s.
Reasons for the rise in popularity of Spanish:
Exposure to Hispanic culture
Colombian Spanish Slang
It´s always fun to learn a bit of slang when you go travelling to a new country! It is a great way to join in with the locals or at least to help follow what they are talking about!
Here is a bit of Colombian Spanish slang to try when you visit this beautiful country.
De una!: Let´s do it!(now!)
Bacano: Cool, awesome
Chévere: Cool awesome
Juepucha: Oh my god!
Que mas?: How are you?
Que hubo? Hello, what´s up?
Parar bolas: To pay attention
Estoy enguayabado: I´m hungover
Que pena!: Sorry
Está mamando gallo: He´s kidding
Se le corrió el champu!: He´s nuts!
Plata: money
La Berraquera: the best
Muy v. Mucho in Spanish
“Muy” and “mucho” in Spanish are often mixed up and people get confused as to when to use which one. They are not interchangeable, “muy” is the adverb meaning “very”, whereas “mucho” can be used as an adverb, an adjective or a pronoun and is normally translated as “many”, “much”, “a lot of” although in other contexts it is translated differently. Here we will compare the two and show you when to use each one.
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