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Badly behaved Spanish!
Sometimes in Languages, you come across phrases that just don’t seem
translatable, or phrases whose meaning just doesn’t appear obvious to you.
Remember back when you started Spanish... learning that ‘tengo’ means ‘i
have’?
Remember a few weeks after that... discovering ‘Tengo ocho años’ means ‘I am
8 years old’ ? (I have 8 years?????) Confusing?
This presentation will help you to remember 100+ phrases like the one above
and hopefully give you some help in figuring things out for yourself when you
do reading exams or exercises.
Go into ‘slide show view’ on slide 2 and navigate your way around the
presentation in this way. Each mouse click on a slide will reveal the English
meaning BUT try to guess what the meaning is BEFORE you click.
The pumpkin will take you back to the title screen (slide 2)
I do not own Timbaland
Badly behaved
Spanish!
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1. Tener phrases – Part 1
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Tener normally means ‘to have’ so you may be forgiven for thinking that it’s a nice,
easy-to-understand verb. Unfortunately, tener is used in loads of phrases where we
would use ‘to be’ in English. See how many you can match up to the pics.
1. Tener hambre
To be hungry
2. Tener sed
To be thirsty
10
8
2
4
3. Tener siete años
To be 7 years old
4. Tener éxito
to be successful
5. Tener calor
to be hot
6
5
7
3
6. Tener frío
to be cold
7. Tener ganas de
vomitar
To want to be sick
8. Tener miedo
To be scared
9. Tener sueño
To be tired
11
9
1
10. Tener prisa
to be in a hurry
11. Tener razón
to be right/correct
Main menu
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2. Tener phrases – Part 2
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Blancanieves tenía mucho sueño
Juanita cree que siempre tiene razón
Snow White was very tired
Juanita thinks she is always right
No me pares, que tengo mucha prisa
Voy a tener seis años en noviembre
Don’t stop me, I’m in a rush
I’m going to be 6 years old in november
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3. Tener phrases – Part 3
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Las pirañas tienen hambre a menudo
Piranhas are often hungry
Cuando corren en el desierto, es
normal que los atletas tengan sed
When they run in the desert, it’s
normal for the athletes to be thirsty
Tengo calor – voy a quitarme la chaqueta
I’m hot – I’m going to take off my jacket
Ella no me quiere - tengo ganas de llorar
She doesn’t love me – I want to cry
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4. Ojalá
This phrase comes for an arabic religious word meaning ‘God willing’; although
you could also translate it as ‘I wish’ / ‘I hope’. It’s used with the subjunctive.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Ojalá pudiera volar
I wish i could fly
Ojalá sea algo caro
I hope it’s something expensive
Ojalá hubiera comprado una nueva taza
I wish i had bought a new cup
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5. Susan’s / The cat’s / Japan’s
In English we express possession by using apostrophe + s (Japan’s president / Susan’s
house); however in Spanish they always use ‘de’(belonging to) (El presidente de Japón)
(La casa de Susan).
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Las joyas de la reina de Sheba
The Queen of Sheba’s jewels
La gente del barrio se reúne en el parque
The neighbourhood’s people meet in the park
Cuatro camiones de cinco toneladas de capacidad
Four 5-tonne lorries
Los lagartos de la isla de Gran Canaria
The island of Gran Canaria’s lizards
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6. Passive use of ‘se’ Part 1
What’s the difference between ‘llama’ and ‘se llama’? ‘hace’ and ‘se hace’?
In Spanish, when you want to express the idea of something being done/being
called/being said, you would use SE + 3rd person singular or plural of a verb.
ACTIVE - CALLING
Llama a su madre cada noche
She calls her mother every night
ACTIVE - MAKING
En América hacen la tarta
con manzanas
In America they make the pie with
apples
PASSIVE – BEING CALLED
La niña se llama Beatriz
The girl is called Beatriz
PASSIVE – BEING MADE
La lasaña se hace con queso
Lasagne is made with cheese
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7. Passive use of ‘se’ part 2
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
En el pasado se sabía poco de la astronomía
Se dice que hay extraterrestres en el Marte
In the past, little was known about astronomy
It is said that there are aliens on Mars
Los españoles se consideran católicos
Spanish people are considered to be
catholic
‘Jirafa’ no se escribe con una g en español
‘Giraffe’ is not written with a g in Spanish
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8. Impersonal use of ‘se’
In Spanish, we also see an ‘impersonal’ use of ‘se’ with 3rd person singular/plural
verbs. It is very similar to the passive use and can be translated in English as ‘one
can’(se puede) ‘one must’ (se debe) ‘one has to’ (se tiene que)
No se permite fumar en los bars
Smoking is not allowed (one can’t smoke) in bars
Antes, se entraba por la puerta trasera
Before, one used to go in by the backdoor
No se debe comer con prisa
One shouldn’t eat too quickly
Se tiene que controlar las emociones
One has to control their emotions
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9. Verbs like ‘gustar’ & ‘encantar’
Normally verbs work like this….You begin with an infinitive… COMER – TO EAT. Then
you change the endings according to who is performing the action.
Como – I eat
Comes – You eat
Come – He/She eats
Comemos – We eat
Coméis – You (pl) eat
Comen – They eat
However, some verbs like gustar/encantar/interesar work a little differently. With these
verbs, it’s the thing being liked/loved/interesting that controls the verb ending. So
really the verb gustar means ‘to be likeable’, encantar means ‘to be lovable’
interesar means ‘to be interesting’.
Click the video beneath and listen to the lyrics of the song below. Notice that
although it is the same person doing all the ‘liking’, the verb still changes according
to what he likes/what is likeable.
Lyrics start at 0:24 of song. See the literal translation on the right (sounds silly doesn’t it)
Me gustan los aviones, me gustas tu.
Me gusta viajar, me gustas tu.
Me gusta la mañana, me gustas tu.
Me gusta el viento, me gustas tu.
Me gusta soñar, me gustas tu.
Me gusta la mar, me gustas tu.
Planes are likeable to me, you are likable to me
Travelling is likeable to me. you are likable to me
The morning is likeable to me, you are likeable to me
The wind is likeable to me, you are likeable to me
Sleeping is likeable to me, you are likeable to me
The sea is likeable to me, you are likeable to me
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10. Verbs like ‘gustar’ & ‘encantar’
So let’s have a look at 18 sentences, what do you think they mean?
Me gusta I like it
Te gusta You like it
Me gusto I like myself
Me gustan
Te gusto You like me
Te gustan
You like them
Le gusta
Le gusto He/She likes me
Le gustan
He/She likes them
He/She likes it
Nos gusta We like it
Os gusta
You(pl) like it
Les gusta
They like it
Nos gusto We like me????
Nos gustan
Os gusto You(pl) like me
Os gustan
Les gusto They like me
Les gustan
I like them
We like them
You(pl) like them
They like them
So, with verbs like gustar, it is not who is liking that changes
the verb...it is what is being liked.
What do you think these 3 sentences mean?
1.) Le encantan
He/She loves them
2.) Les gustamos
They like us
3.) Le gustas
He/She likes you
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11. Verbs like ‘gustar’ & ‘encantar’
Some of the other verbs that work like gustar are: ‘interesar’(to be interesting),
‘molestar’(to be annoying), ‘parecer’(to appear/to seem), ‘faltar’ (to be needed)
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
¿Te parece feo este vestido?
Does this dress look ugly to you?
Le molestó tener que comprar otra rueda
It annoyed him to have to buy a new wheel
No le interesan mucho los estudios
She’s not very interested in her studies
Nos falta otro coche
We need another car
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12. Al + infinitive
Al + an infinitive is used in Spanish to get across the idea of ‘when something
happens’/ ‘upon happening’ or ‘on happening’. It can be used with instructions
or descriptions of events.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Al oír el timbre, los estudiantes van a sus clases
Upon hearing the bell, the students go to classes
Al llegar al aeropuerto, alquila un coche
On arriving at the airport, hire a car
Al ver a su oponente, tenía mucho miedo
Upon seeing his opponent, he felt very scared
Al ver la factura, estaba chocado
When he saw the bill, he was shocked
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13. Expressing ‘each other’ using reflexives
Reflexive pronouns can be added to verbs to convey the idea of ‘each other’
Reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os and se.
EXAMPLE – Escribimos cartas de cuando en vez – We write letters sometimes
Nos escribimos cartas a veces – We write letters to each other sometimes
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Los gemelos se acompañan al trabajo
The twins accompany each other to work
Nos ayudamos con los muebles
We help each other with the furniture
Se conocieron en la oficina
They met each other in the office
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14. Use of indirect object pronouns
Indirect pronouns are ‘me’ ‘te’ ‘le’ ‘nos’ ‘os’ ‘les’
They can be used in lots of ways, for example ‘me’ can mean ‘me’ ‘to me’ ‘for
me’ ‘for my’ ‘my’ ‘on me’ ‘at me’ ‘at my’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Mis padres me pagaron la renta en la universidad
My parents paid for my rent at uni
Me estaban gastando una broma
They were playing a joke on me
Me van a mirar el coche en un taller
They’re going to look at my car in a garage
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15. Use of indirect object pronouns
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Le robaron el coche anoche
They stole his car last night
Gracias por pagarme el helado
Thanks for paying for my ice cream
Les van a quitar los instrumentos pronto
They’re going to take their instruments from them soon
Le prohibieron alojarse en el hotel
They banned her from staying at the hotel
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16. Past participles used as adjectives
Examples of past participles are ‘drawn’ from ‘draw’; ‘followed’ from ‘follow’ or
‘sold’ from ‘sell’.
In Spanish the past participle is usually made like this: tomado/comido/vivido
(taken/eaten/lived) It can also be used as an adjective.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Las personas encuestadas prefieren una
estrella a una hada
The people interviewed prefer a star to
a fairy
Uno de los detenidos se escapó
1 of those arrested escaped
Las alarmas instaladas emiten ruido si hay un fuego
The installed alarms make a noise if there is a fire
Uno de los atacados sigue en el hospital
One of those attacked is still in hospital
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17. Lo + past participle
‘Lo’ is a difficult thing to give a definite translation to. It can generally be
translated with an adjective as being ‘The...thing’ so ‘lo tonto’ = ‘the silly thing’
Used with a past participle it means ‘What was __’
‘Lo decidido’= ‘What was decided’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Lo ocurrido es una tragedía
What happened is a tragedy
No llores, lo hecho está hecho
Don’t cry, what’s done is done
Según lo reportado, la princesa está embarazada
According to what was reported, the princess is pregnant
Hay descuento de 50% sobre lo cotizado
There’s a discount of 50% on what is priced
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18. Lo + adjective
‘Lo’ is a difficult thing to give a definite translation to. It can generally be
translated with an adjective as being ‘The...thing’ so ‘lo tonto’ = ‘the silly thing’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Lo mejor es cuando salen los bailadores
The best thing is when the dancers come out
Lo raro es que llueva en el verano
The strange thing is that it rains in summer
Lo bueno es poder salir de paseo
The good thing is being able to go for a walk
Lo tonto es cuando ves una persona sin cinturón
The stupid thing is when you see someone
without a seatbelt
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19. Lo + adjective + que
This type of phrase means ‘how..’‘lo guapo que eres’=‘how handsome you are’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No sabes lo feliz que estoy
You don’t know how happy i am
¿No te das cuenta de lo ridículo que estás con esa ropa?
Don’t you realise how ridiculous you look with those clothes?
No sabes lo cómodo que es mi sillón
You don’t know how comfortable my chair is
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20. Dejar de
Although ‘dejar’ means ‘to leave/let’, dejar de means ‘to stop doing something’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Quiero dejar de fumar
I want to stop smoking
Los niños no dejaron de lanzar bolas de nieve todo el día
The children never stopped throwing snowballs all day
¿Cuándo vas a dejar de romper mi corazón?
When are you going to stop breaking my heart?
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21. Hace + time
Although the verb ‘hacer’ means ‘to do/make’ , hace is also used in time
expressions to mean ‘ago’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Hace 500 años, Enrique VIII era el rey
500 years ago, Henry Viii was the king
Se fue a vivir a Dubai hace poco
She went to live in Dubai a short time ago
Hace mucho mucho tiempo vivía un dragón
A long long time ago there lived a dragon
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22. Dejarse + infinitive
‘Dejarse’ means ‘to let oneself’ and it can be used with lots of infinitives in
phrases. For example ‘Dejarse
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
El chico se dejó besar por Isabella
The boy let himself be kissed by Isabella
No me dejo llevar por las tendencias de
moda
I don’t let myself get carried away with
fashion trends
No te dejes perder la oportunidad de
entrar al museo egipto
Don’t let yourself miss the opportunity of
going into the Egyptian museum
Se dejó engañar por su oponente
He let himself be tricked by his opponent
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23. Llevo + time
Llevar normally means ‘to carry’, ‘to wear’; however when used with a time, it
gives off the idea of ‘having spent X time doing something/being
somewhere/being something’.
Example – Llevo dos minutos de retraso – I am 2 minutes late
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Llevo cinco minutos esperando el autobús
I’ve been waiting 5 minutes for the bus
Lleva una eternidad buscando una novia
He’s spent an eternity looking for a girlfriend
Llevaba dos años allí cuando ocurrió el accidente
I’d been there two years when the accident happened
La cena me lleva una hora
The dinner takes me an hour
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24. Hacer caso
This verb means to ‘Pay attention to someone’ and is also used in the negative
sense to ‘ignore someone’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Se lo dije al árbitro pero no me hizo caso
I told the referee but he ignored me
Es importante que hagas caso a tu médico
It’s important you pay attention to your doctor
No te voy a hacer caso en la oficina
I’m going to ignore you in the office
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25. Querer decir
These two verbs are fairly common and mean ‘to want’ and ‘to say’; however
when they are put together they mean ‘to mean’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No sé lo que quiere decir el mensaje
I don’t know what this message means
¿Qué quiere decir ‘Alto’ en inglés?
What does ‘alto mean in English?
Esta señal quiere decir que hay una escuela a pocos metros
This sign means that there’s a school a few metres away
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26. Reflexive verbs
Reflexive verbs often express the idea of doing something to yourself (waking
up/washing/combing etc). For example ‘Lavo el coche’ - ‘I wash the car’ BUT
‘Me lavo’ - ‘I wash myself’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Miguel se dedica a arreglar el jardín los lunes
Miguel dedicates himself to sorting the
garden out on Mondays
Mi nieto se cortó la rodilla jugando al fútbol
My grandson cut his knee playing football
Tienes que organizarte un poco mejor
You have to organise yourself a bit better
Hay que afeitarte para una entrevista
You have to shave for an interview
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27. Producirse
This verb catches a lot of people out as it appears to look like a cognate ‘to
produce’; however when this verb is reflective, it actually means ‘to take place’
or ‘to happen’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Entre 1760 y 1830, en Gran Bretaña se produjo un gran crecimiento industrial
Between 1760 and 1830 a huge growth in industry took place in Great Britain
Se producirá un eclipse de sol hoy a las tres
El sarampión se produce durante la niñez
An eclipse of the sun will happen today at 3
Measles occurs during childhood
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28. Surgir
This verb is similar to ‘producirse’ in that it is used to say something happened. It
translates more as ‘to come up’ ‘to arise’ (a problem/an issue)
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Surgieron muchas nuevas ideas durante el concurso
Many new ideas arose during the competition
Unas peleas surgen como resultado del alcohol
Some fights arise as a result of alcohol
Me invitó pero algo surgió y no pude venir
He invited me but something came up and i couldn’t go
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29. Hay que
This is another phrase containing 2 very common words ‘Hay’ – ‘there is’ and
‘que’ – that; however when put together it means something completely
different: ‘You must’. It is used for giving orders and advice.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. There are 3 tenses included.
Click to reveal answers.
Hay que seguir una dieta equilibrada
You have to follow a balanced diet
No había que ser genio para entender a Einstein
You didn’t have to be a genius to understand Einstein
Habrá que cruzar el desierto
You will have to cross the desert
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30. Tener que
You should know that ‘tener’ means ‘to have’ ; however ‘tener que’ means ‘to
have to’. Like ‘Hay que’, it is used for commands and advice.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Tienes que ir a la fiesta en desfraz
You have to come to the party in disguise
Los novios tendrán que abrir el baile en la boda
The bride and groom will have to startthe
dancing at the wedding
¿Tuviste que pagar por un nuevo parachoques?
Did you have to pay for a new bumper?
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31. Echar part 1
‘Echar’ is a verb that has lots and lots of meanings. It can be used in lots of
phrases; however its main meanings are ‘to throw’, ‘to give’ and ‘to put’. Some
of the following examples have other different meanings!!
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Echó la cabeza hacia atrás
She threw her head back
Los pescadores echaron la red
The fishermen cast their net out
Simón fue echada de la casa de su novia
Simon was thrown out of his girlfriend’s house
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32. Echar part 2
These examples are a bit harder. Try to use the idea that ‘echar’ means ‘to
somehow affect something’ or ‘to put something in another place’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
¿Echas azúcar al café?
Do you take/put sugar in your coffee?
La bruja le echó una maldición
The witch put a curse on him
El hombre herido echó la culpa al joven conductor
The injured man put the blame on the young driver
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33. Dar part 1
‘Dar’ has even more uses than ‘echar’. Its main meaning is ‘to give’ but it is used
in many different phrases and constructions. The meaning of ‘dar a’ is often ‘to
open onto’ and ‘dar con’ often means ‘to hit on’/’to find’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
El dentista me dio hora para el viernes
The dentist gave me an appointment for Friday
Le dio mucha pena ver a los sin techo en su ciudad
It made him very sad to see homeless people in his city
Tenían un balcón que daba a una vista muy bonita
They had a balcony which looked onto a very pretty view
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34. Dar part 2
These are 3 more phrases which use ‘dar’. Although you know ‘dar’ means ‘to
give’, translate these into normal English you would use in everyday speech.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Creo que voy a dar un paseo por el parque
I think i’m going to take a walk around the park
Los científicos han dado con un antídoto para la enfermedad
The scientists have come across an antidote to the disease
Después de recibir la factura de teléfono, le dio una voz a su hijo
After receiving the phone bill, he shouted at his son
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35. A menos que
This is a phrase used with the subjunctive and it means ‘unless’ . Like other
phrases, it contains very common words but you need to learn the whole phrase
to understand the meaning.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A menos que vayamos en bicicleta, no podemos llegar
Unless we go by bike, we can’t get there
No me llames a menos que haya un fuego
Don’t call me unless there’s a fire
No habrá postre; a menos que comas las verduras
There will be no pudding; unless you eat your vegetables
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36. Personal a
This often confuses students who first come across it and many students forget to
put this into their written work – every time a person (or group of people) is the
object of a verb, you need to put ‘a’ before them.
This time try to translate from English to Spanish.
Conocimos a sus padres después del colegio
We met his parents after school
Jorge llamó a su fontanero
Jorge called his plumber
Tiene a su suegra en casa
He has his mother-in-law staying with him
A los niños les encantan las piñatas
Children love piñatas
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37. Personal a at beginning of sentence
Spanish has different word order in sentences so sometimes the personal a
appears at the beginning instead of in the middle. You may have noticed this in
the last example on the previous page.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A Marta y Juanita les encantan las manzanas
Marta and Juanita love apples
A mi novio le despidieron hace poco del trabajo
My boyfriend was made redundant a short time ago
A los mejicanos les gusta empezar el día con una sopa
Mexicans like to start the day with soup
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38. Noun/Verb order
In English, we almost always have the noun before the verb (John laughs’ The
train is leaving); however in Spanish, it is very common to find the verb phrase
coming before the noun.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Se quejan mucho las viejas generaciones
The older generations complain a lot
Han desaparecido dos cuadros de arte muy valiosos
Two very valuable works of art have disappeared
Iban y venían muchas personas durante la actuación
Lots of people came and went during the performance
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39. lo/la/los/las
Pronouns are words that replace nouns. In English they usually appear at the end
of a sentence (I saw it) , (I like them); however in Spanish they usually appear at
the start.
Pronouns refer back to something already mentioned but because Spanish has
masculine/feminine words the sentences I saw him & I saw her would be
different: Lo vi/La vi; just like I saw them could be Los vi/Las vi.
Try to choose the correct sentence 1-4 for each example.
¿Viste las hermanas de Rosa?
Did you see Rosa’s sisters?
Yes, I saw them yesterday
1. Sí, lo vi ayer
2. Sí, la vi ayer
¿Viste la nueva película 3D?
Did you see the new 3D film?
Yes, I saw it yesterday
3. Sí, los vi ayer
¿Viste a Simón en el pueblo?
Did you see Simon in town?
Yes I saw him yesterday
4. Sí, las vi ayer
¿Viste a Sara y su marido?
Did you see Sara and her husband?
Yes, I saw them yesterday
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40. Volverse
Volver is a common verb meaning ‘to return’ but when it is reflexive (volverse), it
means ‘to become’. You must be careful in exams to notice which version is
used. The verb ‘volverse’ is used to describe changes in mood/character.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Se volvió loco de repente
He went mad all of a sudden
A veces los niños pueden volverse melindrosos con la comida
Sometimes children can become picky with their food
Si practicas la meditación, te volverás más tranquila
If you practice meditaion, you’ll become more calm
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41. Ponerse
Poner is a very common verb meaning ‘to put’; however when it is reflexive
(ponerse) it also means ‘to become’. Like the previous verb, it is used to show
how people’s emotions/states change.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Se puso enferma después de un muerdo de mosquito
She became ill after a mosquito bite
No te pongas así
Don’t get like that
Mi padre se pondrá enfadado conmigo si le gano al ajedrez
My Dad will get angry with me if I beat him at chess
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42. Hacerse
Hacer normally means ‘to do/make’; however when it is reflexive (hacerse), it
also means ‘to become’. Unlike the 2 previous verbs, hacerse is used for more
permanent things (jobs/religion etc)
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Esos 2 actores se están haciendo viejos
Those 2 actors are getting old
Se hicieron amigos durante el verano
They became friends during the summer
Voy a hacerme socio del club de golf
I’m going to become a member of the golf club
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43. u & e
In Spanish the words ‘or’ & ‘and’ are normally translated by ‘o’ & ‘y’. However,
when ‘o’ appears before another o or ho and ‘y’ appears before e or he, these
change to ‘u’ & e’.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Los iglúes son construidos de nieve e hielo
Igloos are made of snow and ice
Los cazadores suelen buscar tigres u osos
The hunters usually look for tigers or bears
Vendemos productos de lujo e higiene
We sell cleaning and hygiene products
De una u otra manera, va a ganar
One way or another, he’s going to win
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44. - ísimo
In Spanish you can put the ending ‘ísimo’ onto adjectives to give the idea of
‘very’ / ‘extremely’. Often the adjective drops its final letter: pobre = poor but
pobrísimo = very poor
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Las temperaturas en Marruecas fueron altísimas
The temperatures in Morocco were very high
La cuenta va a ser carísima
The bill is going to be very expensive
Mi padre conduce un larguísimo camión rojo
My father drives an extremely long red lorry
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45. – azo
‘-azo’ is a painful suffix. It is added to words (usually body parts) to indicate a hit
with that object. It can also be added to increase the power/emphasis of words.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Puña = fist
Le dio un puñetazo impresionante
He gave him an impressive punch
Se pegó un martillazo en la mano
He hit himself in the hand with a hammer
Marcó un golazo en el final
El italiano sufrió un cabezazo del francés
The Italian suffered a headbutt from the
Frenchman
He scored a great goal in the final
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46. Una y otra vez
This phrase is used to mean ‘time and again’ so can be found when something is
repeatedly done.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Una y otra vez escapaba de la cárcel
Time and again he escaped from jail
Una y otra vez su ordenador se colgaba
Time and time again his computer crashed
Leyó la carta de amor una y otra vez
She read the love letter time and time again
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47. Ya
‘Ya’ has many uses and you need to look at the context carefully to choose
which one is correct. The most common translations are ‘already’ and ‘right
now’. It also means ‘yet’ as long as it is NOT in a negative sentence.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Preparados….listos….Ya!
Ready…Steady…Go!
Ya terminé la primera de mis tareas
I already finished the first of my tasks
Ya me tienes harta
I’m just about sick of you
¿Han llegado ya tus abuelos?
Have your grandparents arrived yet?
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48. Ya no
When these two words are used together, they mean ‘no longer’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Ya no queda espacio en el contenedor
There’s no space left in the recycling bin
Ya no quiero casarme contigo
I don’t want to marry you any more
Ya no soy tan joven como antes
I’m no longer as young as before
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49. Cada vez más/menos
These phrases are used to indicate that something is becoming ‘more and
more…’ or ‘less and less…’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
La chica esquió cada vez más rápido
The girl skiied faster and faster
Mis resultados son cada vez peores
My results are worse and worse
El pesista se hace cada vez más fuerte
The weightlifter is getting more and more strong
Cada vez menos gente usa una máquina
de escribir
Less and less people are using typewriters
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50. El que/La que/Los que/Las que
When Spanish people want to identify people/things that have done something
or are something, they use the phrases above. Their translations are normally ‘the
one(s) that’ or ‘those that’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Apoyo a los que se niegan a trabajar por él
I support those that refuse to work for him
Soy yo el que siempre llega tarde
I am the one who always arrives late
Las que tienen éxito son las que ahorran su dinero
The ones who are successful are those that save their money
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51. Ver /Oír + infinitive
Ver and oír are 2 common verbs meaning ‘to see’ and ‘to hear’. Sometimes
they appear with infinitives next to them. In this case, the infinitive is used to show
the action that was seen or heard.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Vimos cantar a Shakira en Madrid
We saw Shakira sing in Madrid
Le vi interrogar al testigo durante el juicio
I saw him interrogate the witness during the trial
Oigo acercarse el tren
I hear the train approaching
Les oí gritar por miedo
I heard them shout in fear
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52. Sí que
This phrase has 2 common words: ‘yes’ and ‘that’. However, when they are put
together they have the meaning of ‘of course’ or ‘really’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Sí que puedes fumar en tu despacho
Of course you can smoke in your office
Sí que aprobaste tu examen
Of course you passed your exam
Ahora sí que vas a poder defenderte
Now you’re really going to be able to defend yourself
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53. Lo que
This is a very common expression but lots of students still get confused by it. You
could translate it as ‘the thing that’ but it is better translated as just ‘what’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Siempre hacemos lo que quiere mi mujer
We always do what my wife wants
¿Has notado lo que ha ganado en autoestima?
Have you noticed what she’s gained in self esteem?
No entiendo lo que han puesto en el examen
I don’t understand what they’ve put in the exam
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54. Quedar part 1
Like ‘dar’, ‘echar’ and other verbs, ‘quedar’ is used for many different things. Its
meanings can include ‘to arrange’, ‘to agree’, ‘to end up’ and ‘to be left’, In
the following 2 slides, you will see 6 sentences which you need to try to translate
into English. Click to reveal answers.
Miles de familias quedaron sin hogar después
de las inundaciones
Thousands of families were left homeless after
the floods
Quedamos a las ocho a la casa
We’ll meet at 8 at the house
Le quedó una cicatriz después del accidente
He was left with a scar after the accident
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55. Quedar part 2
‘Quedar’ is used for many different things. Its meanings can include ‘to arrange’,
‘to agree’, ‘to end up’ and ‘to be left’ Try to translate these 3 sentences into
English. Click to reveal answers.
Quedaron en no decirle nada
They agreed not to tell him anything
Todavía nos quedan dos horas de clase – Qué rollazo!
We’ve still got two hours of class left – How boring!
El chico quedó en ridículo
The boy made a fool of himself
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56. Quedarse
The reflexive verb ‘quedarse’ also has lots of different uses. The most common is
‘to stay’ but it can also mean ‘to be going’ and ‘to end up’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Te estás quedando calvo
You’re going bald
Me voy a quedar en el hotel Waldorf
I’m going to stay in the Waldorf hotel
Se quedó dormido durante sus estudios
Quédate allí, no me hables!
She fell asleep during her studies
Stay there, don’t speak to me
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57. De manera que/De modo que
These 2 phrases are used with subjunctive & indicative. With the indicative they mean ‘with
the result that’ but with the subjunctive they mean ‘so that’. In English however, we’d
probably use ‘so’ for both phrases. Below there are 4 sentences. Translate them into English
and decide if they are indicative or subjunctive before you guess the correct translation.
Lo he explicado varias veces de
modo que lo entienden muy bien
Estaba disfrazada de manera que nadie
le reconociera
I’ve explained many times so (with the
result that) they understand it well.
She was in disguise so that nobody
recognised her
Algo en la mente de los hombres es distinto
de manera que juegan mejor al ajedrez
Something in men’s brains is different so (with
the result that) they play chess better
El líder puede educar a los miembros del
equipo de modo que sepan qué hacer
The leader can educate the team
members so that they know what to do.
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58. Resultar
This verb looks like it could be a cognate but it’s not really translated as ‘result’. It
usually means ‘to work out’, ‘to prove’ & ‘to turn out’ and is used with outcomes.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Resultó ser un malentendido
It turned out to be a misunderstanding
No te resulta muy favorecedor el vestido
The dress doesn’t really flatter you
Me resulta muy simpática
I think she’s very nice
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59. Seguir + gerund
You should know that ‘seguir’ means ‘to follow’ and ‘to continue’. A gerund is an
–ing word (doing/eating/running). You can use use seguir + gerund to give the
idea of ‘keeps doing something’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Londres sigue siendo la ciudad europea más cara
London continues to be the most expensive European city
Sigue creyendo que ganará las elecciones
He continues believing he’ll win the elections
Seguirán jugando a pesar del tiempo
They’ll continue playing despite the weather
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60. Un centenar /millar de
You’ve probably learnt that ‘cientos’ means 100s and ‘miles’ means 1000s. These
2 words are similar in meaning: ‘centenar’ = about 100 & millar = about 1000.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Había un millar de seguidores en la plaza
There were about a thousand supporters
in the square
Centenares de personas fueron rescatadas
Hundreds of people were rescued
La tormenta desplazó a millares en Méjico
The storm displaced thousands in Mexico
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61. Sea lo que sea…….
If you want to translate phrases that contain ‘whatever’ (whatever they say /
whatever they do), you can use the subjunctive with ‘lo que’ or ‘donde’...etc
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Diga lo que diga tu profesor, los romanos eran crueles y sanguinarios
Whatever your teacher says, the romans were cruel and bloodthirsty
Vaya donde vaya, no va a encontrar un sitio mejor
Wherever he goes, he won’t find a better place
Sea lo que sea el precio, debo comprar este vestido
Whatever the price is, I must buy this dress
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62. Sea lo que sea.. part 2
Using the information on the previous slide, try to figure out what these 3
sentences mean in English. Click to reveal answers.
Llegue como llegue, será un gran espectáculo
However she arrives, it will be a great sight
Hagas lo que hagas, no te rías de ella
Whatever you do, don’t laugh at her
Piensen lo que piensen, no les hago caso
Whatever they think, I ignore them
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63. Tener que ver con
You met lots of ‘tener phrases’ before but maybe not as long as this one. It
comes up a lot in texts and it means ‘to have to do with’ ‘to be related to’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No quiero tener nada ver con tu disputa
I don’t want to have anything to do with your argument
¿Qué tiene que ver que sólo tenga tres patos
What does it matter that it only has 3 legs
La película tenía que ver con la selva
The film was about the jungle
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64. A corto plazo / A largo plazo
The word ‘plazo’ means ‘a period of time’ and mustn’t be confused with ‘plaza’.
There are many phrases used with ‘plazo’ but the 2 above are very common. Try
to guess the meanings of the 3 following sentences. Click to reveal answers.
Nuestro objetivo a corto plazo es atacar el castillo
Our short term objective is to attack the castle
A largo plazo, el efecto invernadero causará mucho daño
In the long term. the green house effect will cause much damage
El plazo termina mañana
The deadline is tomorrow
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65. Phrases with body parts
Many phrases use body parts in them. Most of the time you can guess what they
might mean but other times they are a little harder to remember. El pelo
Los ojos
La nariz
La boca
Tiene ojo para los negocios
He has an eye for business
El brazo
La cabeza
La oreja
El cuello
La espalda
La mano
El estómago
Lo atacaron por la espalda
He was attacked from behind (the back)
La pierna
La rodilla
Los pies
No puedo tenerme en pie
I can hardly stand
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66. Phrases with body parts
Underneath are 3 more phrases with body parts in them.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Se puso de pie para aceptar el premio
He stood up to accept the prize
¿Me echas un ojo al perrito mientras salgo a fumar?
Will you keep an eye on my puppy while I go smoke?
La familia caminaron del brazo
The family walked arm in arm
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67. Soler
This verb has no direct English translation but it basically means ‘to normally do
something’. It is used very often in Spanish and will probably turn up in your exam
somewhere – try to remember it and pick it out when it appears.
No suelo comer los helados pero hoy es mi cumpleaños
I don’t normally eat ice creams but today is my birthday
Las tortugas suelen vivir para cién años
Tortoises normally live for a 100 years
El profesor solía meterse sobre una caja para hablar
The teacher always used to stand on a box to speak
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68. A eso de
This phrase is almost always used with time and is used to mean ‘about’.
Try to translate these 2 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A eso de las siete habrá un simulacro de incendio
At around 7 o’clock, there will be a fire drill
A eso de las cinco bajaron a desayunar
At about 5 o’clock, they went down to breakfast
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69. Volver a + infinitive
You’ve already seen ‘volver’ – ‘to return’ and ‘volverse’ – ‘to become’. There is
also the verb ‘volver a + infinitive’ which means ‘to do something again’ or ‘to
go back to doing something’.
Ha vuelto a tomar drogas
He has started taking drugs again
Volví a leer el libro porque era muy interesante
I read the book again because it was very interesting
No volveré a trabajar de noche
I won’t go back to working at night
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70. Para + infinitive (part 1)
An infinitive is a ‘to word’ (comer = to eat / levantarse = to get up..) We use them
in lots of phrases especially as the 2nd verb in a sentence. There are 3 examples
below.
Me gusta jugar al tenis.
I like to play tennis.
Necesito ver al médico.
I need to see the doctor.
Es más fácil ser hombre
It’s easier to be a man
However when the ‘to word’ (infinitive) is the purpose or reason for something, it
is used with ‘para’. Look at the differences between the 2 pairs of sentences
below. Which sentences have an infinitive as a purpose or reason?
Voy a comprar un regalo.
I’m going to buy a present
Entrar en este bar cuesta 10 euros.
Going into this bar costs 10 euros
Voy al centro para comprar un regalo.
I’m going to town to buy a present
Para entrar en un bar, necesitas tener 18 años
To go into a bar, you need to be 18 years old
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71 Para + infinitive (Part 2)
So remember that when an infinitive is a purpose/reason for something, it needs
to be used with para. A good way of remembering would be that you need to
use para for sentences where ‘in order to’ could be used (I’m going to town in
order to buy a gift)
This time try to translate these 4 phrases into Spanish. Click to reveal answers.
To be convincing, you’ll need a mask.
Para ser convincente, necesitarás una máscara
I love to go fishing
Me encanta ir de pesca
I work to pay for my studies
Trabajo para pagar mis estudios
You need a license to go fishing
Necesitas un permiso para pescar
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72. A partir de
This is a phrase used with time – it looks like a verb but as a whole phrase it
means ‘from’ in the sense of ‘from a certain point in time’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A partir de entonces no volvimos a hablarnos
From that moment on we didn’t speak to each other
A partir de hoy no se puede conducir en la ciudad
From today, you’re not able to drive in the city
A partir de junio de 2002, Bhutto era la primera ministra de Paquistán
From June 2002, Bhutto was the prime minister of Pakistan
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73. A través de
This phrase is very common but is sometimes difficult to understand as it has
many meanings. The 3 most common translations are ‘by’ ‘through’ and ‘across’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Pusieron barricadas a través de la calle
They put up barricades across the street
Me enteré a través del periódico
I learnt it from the newspaper
Escuché a través de la puerta
I listened through the door
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74. Un rato
This word has nothing to do with mice and rats; it’s actually a time phrase used
to mean ‘a while’ or ‘time. Often this appears in exams to catch you out so be
sure to notice.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Fue al cine hace un rato
He went to the cinema a while ago
Pasé un mal rato durante la fiesta
I had a bad time during the party
Me interrumpe a cada rato
He keeps interrupting me
En mis ratos libres hago la natación
In my spare time I go swimming
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75. Cuanto antes
This is another phrase which combines 2 common words: cuanto – how much &
antes – before. When these are used together they mean ‘as soon as possible’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
La nota dijo ‘Ven, cuanto antes’
The note said, ‘Come, as soon as possible’
Necesito un trabajo; cuanto antes, mejor
I need a job, the sooner the better
Te llamaré cuanto antes
I’ll call you as soon as possible
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76. Cuanto
You’ve come across ‘¿Cuánto?’ as a question word meaning ‘How much?’. On
its own without the accent however, it will mean ‘as much as’ or ‘as many’
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Llévate cuanta comida quieras
Take as much food as you want
Gasta cuanto tiene
He spends everything he has got
Grita cuanta quieras, nadie te va a hacer caso
Shout as much as you want, nobody will pay you
any attention
Cuanto más seamos, mejor
The more of us there are, the better
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77. Cuando/En cuanto + subjunctive
When we refer to something in the future that hasn’t happened yet in English we
use the present tense (When I get to the bank); however in Spanish the
subjunctive is used with any phrases like this.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Llámame en cuanto llegues a Japón
Call me as soon as you arrive in Japan
Cuando gane la lotería, voy a mudarme a China
When I win the lottery, I’m going to move to China
Tan pronto como termines en el jardín, ven a comer
As soon as you finish in the garden, come and eat
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78. De repente
This phrase has nothing to do with repenting. It is an adverb and it means
‘suddenly’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
De repente el pueblito quedó abandonado
Suddenly the village was left deserted
De repente surgió un nuevo estilo llamado Punk
All of a sudden a new style emerged called Punk
Oí un ruido de repente
I heard a sound suddenly
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79. Desde
‘Desde’ is used to mean ‘since’ or ‘from’ and can be used for places and time;
sometimes when you learn it with time 1st, the meaning isn’t clear when it’s used
with places.. It is also used in lots of phrases as well as on its own.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Estuvo en Londres desde el lunes hasta el jueves
She was in London from Monday and Thursday
No puedo comer desde que María se fue
I can’t eat since María left
Nos mudamos desde el centro hasta las afueras
We moved from the centre to the outskirts
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80. Echar de menos
You already came across ‘Echar’ and its many meanings before. When it is used
with ‘de menos’, it means ‘to miss’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Echo de menos a mi abuelo, se murió hace poco
I miss my grandfather, he died a short time ago
Vuelve pronto, te echamos de menos
Come back soon, we miss you
No voy a echar de menos a estos bichos
I’m not going to miss these bugs
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81. En cuanto a
You’ve already come across ‘en cuanto’ which means ‘as soon as’; however
‘en cuanto a’ means ‘as for’. Try to remember the slight difference.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
En cuanto a ir al cine, me lo pensaré más tarde
As for going to the cinema, I’ll think about it later
En cuanto a los coches, a mí me gusta el Fiat viejo
As cars go, I like the old Fiat
En cuanto a los animales, sólo admitimos los perros guía
As for animals, we only allow guide dogs in
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82. Me cae bien/mal...
You should have learnt the verb caer ‘to fall’. It is also used in giving opinions on
things so ‘me cae bien’ means ‘someone seems nice to you’. It is a verb which
works like ‘gustar’ & ‘encantar’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Tu primo me cae muy bien
I really like your cousin
Me caen un poco mal los escorpión
I don’t like Scorpios very much
Me cae muy antipática la jefa
The boss seems a bit mean to me
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83. Hace falta
‘Hace’ appears in lots of phrases (ago/weather…). It appears in the phrase
‘hace falta’ where it means something is needed/required.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Hacen falta dos vasos más para Marta y Juana
We need 2 more glasses for Marta and Juana
Hace falta que lleves un traje para la entrevista
It’s necessary for you to wear a suit to the interview
Para cocinar al estilo mejicano, hace falta usar pimientos
To cook in the mexican style, you need to use peppers
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84. Acaso
‘Acaso’ is used in several ways but it can be used to make phrases sarcastic or
rhetorical. For example, the simple question ‘Do you want cake?’ can be made
into ‘You want cake then’ by adding ‘acaso’. It can also be translated as
maybe or used in phrases ‘por si acaso’ – just in case & ‘si acaso’ – if.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
¿Acaso no te lo advertí ?
Didn’t i warn you?
¿ Acaso estás nervioso cobarde?
Are you nervous maybe, you wimp?
Llámame antes de venir por si acaso no estoy
Call me before you come just in case I’m out
Si acaso ves a Marta, dale estos flores
If by chance you see Marta, give her these flowers
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85. Primero que nada/ Sobre todo
This 1st phrase ‘primero que nada’ is quite common and means ‘First of all’ and
‘sobre todo’ means ‘above all’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Me gustan los cóctels: sobre todo los martinis
I like cocktails, especially martinis
Primero que nada, hay que esuchar a la azafata
First of all, you have to listen to the air hostess
Hay mucho paisaje bonito en Inglaterra, sobre todo en el norte
There’s lots of pretty countryside in England, above all in the North
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86. A la vez / Al mismo tiempo
These 2 phrases have the same meaning of ‘At the same time’. The 1st phrase ‘A
la vez’ is often a phrase that students don’t recognise or can’t work out.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Canta a la vez que toca la guitarra
He sings while he plays the guitar
Mujeres pueden hacer más cosas a la vez que hombres
Women can do more things at once than men
Leila y yo nos licenciamos al mismo tiempo
Leila and I graduated at the same time
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87. Acabar de
You should know that ‘acabar’ means ‘to finish’; however there is a common
verb ‘acabar de’ which means ‘to have just’. This is something that often
appears in exams as it is not easy to guess the meaning.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No gracias, acabo de desayunar
No thanks, I’ve just eaten
Acababa de meterme en la cama
cuando se me ocurrió una idea
I had just gone to bed when I had an idea
Mi novia acaba de llegar del aeropuerto
My girlfriend has just arrived from the airport
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88. Premiar/Regalar/Retratar…..
Sometimes you will find nouns can occur as verbs. If you’re unsure of a verb but it
looks like a noun you recognise, try to use this information to guess the maning of
the sentence. Premio = Prize
Regalo = Present
Retratar - Portrait
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Le premiaron por ayudar a los pobres
They gave her a prize for helping the poor
Regalaban globos en la playa
They used to gift free ballons in the beach
Retrató a su hermano durante las vacaciones
He painted a portrait of his brother during the holidays
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89. Sobrar
You’ve probably come across ‘sobre’ which means ‘above’ . This verb ‘sobrar’ is
linked to this word, it is the opposite of ‘faltar’ ‘to be necessary’. ‘Sobrar’ means
to be left over’
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A mí no me sobra dinero
I don’t have money to throw around
Nos sobra espacio en nuestra casa
We have plenty of space in our house
Sobró mucha comida después de navidad
There was lots of food left over after christmas
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90. Tan …. como
This is another common phrase used to compare things that are the same. It
translates as ‘as…as’ . The adjective in the middle should agree with the 1st thing
being compared.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Miguel no es tan inteligente como su hermano
Miguel is not as clever as his brother
No soy tan fuerte como pensaba
I’m not as strong as I thought
Motivar a los estudiantes es tan importante como enseñar bien
Motivating students is as important as teaching well
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91. Tanto como
‘Tanto como’ is similar to ‘tan como’ but its used with nouns and means ‘so
many…as’ or ‘so much…as’, or even ‘as much as’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No tengo tanto dinero como tú
I haven’t got as much money as you
Tanto los hombres como las mujeres pueden ser enfermeros
Men can be nurses just as much as women
A causa de la deforestación no hay tantas selvas como antes
Because of deforestation, there are not so many jungles as before
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92. Este/Ese/Aquel
Todavía no me
acuerdo de los
nombres de tus
tres amigas.
Bueno, esta mujer
aquí se llama
Beatriz, esa chica
cortando la tarta es
Marta y aquella
mujer con el bebé
se llama Jani.
These 3 words are called demonstrative adjectives and translate as ‘This’ ‘That’
and ‘That over there’. Each has feminine and plural forms.
Look at the 2 dialogues & pay attention to the positions of the women referred to.
I still don’t
remember the
names of your
friends.
Well, this woman
here is called Beatriz,
that girl cutting the
cake is Marta and
that woman over
there with the baby is
called Jani.
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93. A lo mejor
This is another phrase which is made of familiar words but means something
different together. ‘A lo mejor’ translates as ‘maybe’ or ‘perhaps’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
A lo mejor este verano vamos a Italia
Maybe this summer we’ll go to Italy
A lo mejor ha entrado un ladrón en la oficina
Perhaps a thief has come into the office
A lo mejor debería comprar un mapa
Maybe I should buy a map
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94. A no ser que
‘A no ser que’ means the same as ‘a menos que’ – unless. They both take the
subjunctive. Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Quedaremos en casa a no ser que haga sol
We’ll stay at home unless it’s sunny
A no ser que encuentre mi pasaporte, no puedo ir
Unless I can find my passport, I can’t go
A no ser que me descubran, me quedaré en el bosque
Unless they discover me, I will stay in the wood
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95. -ito
Have you noticed how women who are married are called ‘Señora’ Mrs but
unmarried women are called ‘Señorita’ Miss. Señorita is an example of a
dimunitive (something that is a smaller version) Just add ito/ita to nouns.
Try to translate these 4 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Tengo un perrito que se llama Boris
I have a puppy called Boris
Llevo a mi hijo en cochecito
I take my son around in a pram (little car)
Juanito lloró su primer día en el colegio
Little Juan cried on his 1st day at school
Es pequeñito pero es fortísimo
He’s absolutely tiny but he’s very strong
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96. Dondequiera/Cualquiera/Quienquiera
These 3 phrases are linked to question words ‘¿Dónde?’, ¿Cuál? and ‘¿Quién?
(where?/which?/who?) but are used to give the idea of something more vague
(wherever / whichever, any / whoever) . These phrases also take the subjunctive.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Dondequiera que vayas, estaré contigo.
Wherever you go, I will be with you
De cualquiera forma que se haga, te va a criticar
However you do it, he’s going to criticise you
Quienquiera que quiera probar ropa debe ir al probador
Whoever wants to try on clothes needs to go to the fitting room
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97. Tampoco
‘Tampoco’ means the opposite of ‘también’. It translates as ‘neither’ or ‘either’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No he estado en Roma ni tampoco en Paris
I’ve not been in Rome, or in Paris either
Ese idiota tampoco va a resolver el misterio
That idiot isn’t going to solve the mystery either
Ellos tampoco saben el secreto
They don’t know the secret either
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98. Todo el mundo / Todas las partes
These 2 phrases are very common but need to be understood as a whole
instead of 1 word at a time. ‘Todo el mundo’ means ‘everyone’ whereas ‘todas
las partes’ means ‘everywhere’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
No todo el mundo tiene gusto para vestirse
Not everyone has fashion sense
Llega la primavera y por todas partes se ven flores
Spring arrives and you see flowers everywhere
Todo el mundo tiene derecho a votar
Everyone has the right to vote
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99. Demás
‘Demás’ is used to mean ‘the rest’, ‘the remaining’ or ‘the others’.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
Me dio uno y se quedó con los demás
He gave me one and kept the rest
Me gusta la lámpara, todo lo demás es basura
I like the lamp, everything else is rubbish
Josefina habla y los demás tenemos que callarnos
Josefina speaks and the rest of us have to shut up
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100.
0.....0 / ni....ni
When you see o….o in sentences or ni…ni, they mean ‘either…or’ & neither...nor.
Try to translate these 3 phrases into English. Click to reveal answers.
O mañana o jueves, iremos al circo
Either tomorrow or Thursday, we’ll go to the circus
Para mi próximo quiero o un Porsche o un Ferrari
For my next car I want either a Porsche or a Ferrari
Ni me gusta, ni me desgusta
I neither like it nor dislike it
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And finally......
You can click on the box below (in slide show view) to
practise all the phrases you have learnt in this presentation.
Tener sed