Download The Spanish Reference Guide

T H E
SPANISH
REFERENCE
GUIDE
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 1
The Spanish Alphabet
a
a
j
jota
r
ere
b
be, be larga
k
ka
rr
erre
c
ce
l
ele
s
ese
ch
che
ll
elle
t
te
d
de
m
eme
u
u
e
e
n
ene
v
ve, ve corta,uve
f
efe
ñ
eñe
w
doble ve, uve doble
g
ge
o
o
x
equis
h
hache
p
pe
y
i griega
i
i
q
cu
z
zeta
__________________________________________________________________
Titles Of Address
The definite articles, el or la, must precede a title when talking about someone.
Es la doctora Sánchez.
El profesor Díaz es bueno.
She is Dr. Sánchez.
Professor Díaz is good.
__________________________________________________________________
Spanish Numbers
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
cero
uno
dos
tres
cuatro
cinco
seis
siete
ocho
nueve
diez
once
doce
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
trece
catorce
quince
dieciséis
diecisiete
dieciocho
diecinueve
veinte
veintiuno
veintidós
veintitrés
veinticuatro
veinticinco
26
27
28
29
30
31
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
veintiséis
veintisiete
veintiocho
veintinueve
treinta
treinta y uno
cuarenta
cincuenta
sesenta
101
setenta
ochenta
154
noventa
cien
ciento y
uno
ciento
cincuenta
y cuatro
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 2
Notes:
1) The number uno, even if it is tacked on (as in veintiuno) becomes un before
masculine nouns and una before feminine nouns.
2) The numbers 16-29 are usually written as one word, but they may be written
as three: diez y ocho, veinte y cinco, etc.
3) The numbers 30-99 must be written as three words.
4) Cien is an even hundred. Numbers from 100-199 are written as ciento and
the remaining number: ciento y uno, ciento cincuenta y cuatro.
5) Mathematical Expressions:
y/mas (+) menos (-) es/son (=) por (x) dividido por (/)
__________________________________________________________________
Subject Pronouns
Notes:
1) Subject pronouns are usually omitted in Spanish but are often used for clarity,
emphasis, or contrast.
__________________________________________________________________
The Verb SER (to be) - A Beginning
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 3
Notes:
1) Ser is used to define or identify. It is always used to express nationality or
profession. Ser de is used to express origin.
Yo soy americano.
Él es de Panamá.
I am American.
He is from Panama.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Tense of -AR Verbs
Notes:
1) The present indicative of any Spanish verb has 3 possible English
equivalents:
Compro ropa nueva
{ I buy new clothes
{ I am buying new clothes.
{ I do buy new clothes.
2) As in English, a Spanish present-tense verb may have a future meaning.
__________________________________________________________________
Articles And Nouns : Gender And Number
Notes:
1) Articles must agree in number (singular/plural ) and gender
(masculine/feminine ) with the noun they accompany.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 4
2) Generally, nouns that end in -o are masculine, and those ending in -a, -dad,
and -cion are feminine.
el cepillo
la universidad
la camisa
la televisión
the brush
the university
the shirt
the television
Some important exceptions are:
la mano
el día
el problema
el programa
el drama
the hand
the day
the problem
the program
the drama
el sistema
el tema
el mapa
el poema
the system
the theme
the map
the poem
3) Sometimes, the same noun is used for both genders. In these cases, the gender
is determined by the article that is used before the noun.
el/la turista
el/la dentista
el/la periodista
el/la artista
4) Many nouns, especially those ending in -e or a consonant, do not have
predictable genders and must be memorized.
el suéter the sweater
el viaje the trip
el traje the suit
la tarde the afternoon
5) All plural nouns end in -s or -es. Plurals are formed as follows:
Singular nouns that end in a vowel form their plurals by adding -s.
Singular nouns that end in a consonant for their plurals by adding -es.
A final -z always changes to -c before adding -es.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Tense Of-ER And-IR Verbs
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 5
The Verb Hay
The verb hay, from haber, doesn't take personal subjects. In the present indicative, it means
there is or there are. In a question, ¿Hay?, it means Is there? or Are there?
__________________________________________________________________
Days Of The Week, Months, And Seasons
1) The days of the week aren't capitalized in Spanish and are considered
masculine :
lunes
Monday
viernes
martes
Tuesday
sábado
miércoles Wednesday
domingo Sunday
jueves
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
2) The months (los meses) are the same way :
enero
febrero
marzo
abril
mayo
junio
julio
agosto
septiembre
octubre
noviembre
dicembre
Note: Dates (las fechas) are given using the following formula :
el (numero) de (mes) de (año)
3) The seasons :
el otoño
el invierno
fall
winter
la primavera
el verano
spring
summer
4) To say something happens on a particular day, use a definite article. The
preposition en is used to say something happens in a particular month or
season.
No hay clases los sábados.
Hay una fiesta el lunes.
Hace frío en enero.
En verano, me gusta nadar.
There are no clases on Saturdays.
There is a party on Monday.
It's cold in January.
In the summer, I like to swim.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 6
Four Irregular Verbs : Tener, Salir, Ir, Dar
Notes:
1) When tener is followed by an infinitive, it becomes tener que and means
to have to or must :
Tengo que comprar un coche.
I have to (must) buy a car.
2) Ir a plus an infinitive has a future meaning :
Voy a hacerlo mañana.
I'm going to (will) do it tomorrow.
__________________________________________________________________
Telling Time
1) The word time in Spanish is hora, which is always feminine. To tell the hour,
es is used ONLY with la una; otherwise, son followed by the hour is used.
¿Qué hora es?
Es la una.
Son las doce.
What time is it?
It's one o'clock.
It's twelve o'clock.
2) Minutes from the hour to the half hour are connected with y. Between the half
hour and the next hour, minutes are subtracted from the hour and connected
with menos.
2:24
12:42
Son las dos y veinticuatro.
Es la una menos dieciocho.
3) Cuarto means quarter hour, and media means half past (thirty) :
Yo salgo a las tres y media y
vuelvo a las diez menos cuarto.
I leave at 3:30 and
return at quarter to ten.
4) To say something happens at a particular time, use a las (See #3 above).
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 7
5) The phrase de la mañana/tarde/noche is only used when stating a specific
time; otherwise use por in place of de.
Yo llego a las dos de la mañana.
Yo llego por la tarde.
I arrive at 2 am.
I arrive in the afternoon.
__________________________________________________________________
Verbs Of Motion
Verbs of motion always use a to indicate movement to or arrival at a place and de to indicate
movement from a particular place :
El lunes regreso de España a México.
Monday I return from Spain to Mexico.
__________________________________________________________________
Adjectives : Number, Gender, And Position
1) Masculine, singular adjectives ending in -o have four possible forms :
2) Neutral adjectives have only two possible forms :
3) Adjectives of nationality ending in a consonant add -a or -as to form the
feminine adjectives and -es to form the masculine plural :
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 8
4) The colors :
rojo, colorado
anaranjado
amarillo
verde
azul
blanco
red
orange
yellow
green
blue
white
negro
gris
morado
marrón, pardo
rosado
castaño
black
gray
purple
brown
pink
chestnut
Note: When colors function as adjectives, they follow the same rules as other
adjectives. When they function as nouns, the masculine, singular form is
used with the definite article.
El rojo es mi color favorito.
Red is my favorite color.
__________________________________________________________________
Demonstrative Adjectives
Demonstrative adjectives must agree in number and gender with the noun they describe.
Notes:
1) Less common demonstratives are aquel, aquella, aquellos, and aquellas
which mean that/those and are used when the object is seen as being far
away from the speaker.
2) By putting an accent over the first e in any of these changes the meaning. It's
sort of like saying this/these/that/those one(s) as when pointing at something.
3) The forms of éste are often user to mean the latter, and the forms of ése or
aquél mean the former.
4) You may also use esto, eso, and aquello as neuter demonstratives. They don't
refer to a specific noun, but to something already mentioned, a general idea, or
something unidentifiable to the speaker.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 9
Certain verbs undergo an e->ie, o->ue, or an e->ie vowel change in all forms, except nosotros
and vosotros, whenever the stem vowel is stressed.
Notes:
1) There is one verb in Spanish, JUGAR, that undergoes a u->ue change.
2) After a while, you will be able to tell which verbs should undergo a change
simply by sounding out the choices.
__________________________________________________________________
Numbers Above 200
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1.000
doscientos
1.207
mil dos cientos y siete
trescientos
2.000
dos mil
cuatrocientos
12.032
doce mil treinta y dos
quinientos
99.098
noventa y nueve mil noventa y ocho
seiscientos
130.032
ciento treinta mil treinta y dos
setecientos
500.000
quinientos mil
ochocientos
1.000.000
un millón
novecientos 12.000.000
doce millones
mil
25.100.200
veintiséis millones cien mil doscientos
Notes:
1) If the numbers 200-900 precede a feminine noun, they end in -as.
307 camisas
450 blusas
trescientas y siete camisas
cuatrocientas cincuenta blusas
2) Mil means one thousand or thousand. It is never preceded by un, and its
plural is never used when counting.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 10
3) An even million is always expressed as un millión and its plural is millones.
When a number above a million precedes a noun, it is always followed by de.
4.000.000 perros
cuatro millones de perros
4) As seen above, periods instead of commas set off sets of three numbers.
__________________________________________________________________
Comparisons Of Equality
Tanto (a,os,as)...como (as much/many...as ) is used to compare nouns. Tanto is the adjective
and always agrees with the noun being compared.
Pago tanto alquiler como tú, pero
no pagas tantas cuentas como yo.
I pay as much rent os you do, but
you don't pay as many bills as I do.
Tan...como (as...as ) is used to compare adjectives or adverbs.
Esta falda es tan cara como esa falda.
This skirt is as expensive as that skirt.
__________________________________________________________________
Tener Idioms
An idiom is a group of words with a clear meaning in one language that makes no sense when
translated into another.
This is a list of idioms with tener that are usually expressed with the verb to be in English.
tener calor
tener frío
tener hambre
tener miedo de
tener prisa
tener razón
no tener razón
tener sed
tener...años
tener sueño
tener que + infinitive
tener ganas de + infinitive
to be hot
to be cold
to be hungry
to be afraid of
to be in a hurry
to be right
to be wrong
to be thirsty
to be...years old
to be sleepy
to have to (do something)
to feel like (doing something)
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 11
Hacer In Time Expressions
To describe an action that began in the past and is still going on, use the following formula.
Hace + (time period) + que + (present tense verb)
Hace dos horas que trabajo. I have been working for 2 hours.
The English equivalent is:
to have been + (-ing verb) + (time period)
__________________________________________________________________
The Verb Estar
Estar is used to tell where someone or something is located and to describe how someone is
feeling or their condition. It's also used with the present participle to form the present
progressive tense.
__________________________________________________________________
Interrogative Words
¿Cómo?
¿Cuál(es)?
¿Cuándo?
¿Dónde?
¿Por qué?
How?, What?
Which one(s)?, What?
When?
Where?
Why?
¿Cuánto/a?
¿Cuántos/as?
¿Qué?
¿Quién(es)?
¿Adónde?
How much?
How many?
What?, Which?
Who?
To where?
Notes:
1) All interrogative words require a written accent. When they don't have one,
they function as conjunctions or relative pronouns.
No sé dónde vives
Escucho música cuando ando.
I don't know where you live.
I listen to music when I walk.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 12
2) ¿Cuál(es)? meaning what is used instead of qué before the verb ser when
the verb is followed by a noun, except when the definition of a word is being
asked for.
¿Cuál es tu dirección?
¿Qué es la bioligía?
What's your address?
What's biology?
__________________________________________________________________
Present Participles And The Present Progressive Tense
1) In English, the present participle is the -ing form of a verb. In Spanish, it is
formed by dropping the infinitive ending and adding -ando to -ar verbs
and -iendo to -er and -ir verbs.
estudiar : estudiando
correr : corriendo
studying
running
2) There are irregularities. The -iendo ending becomes -yendo whenever the
stem of the infinitive ends in a vowel.
leer : leyendo reading
traer : trayendo bringing
3) Present participles of stem-changing -ir verbs undergo a one-vowel change,
e to i or o to u.
durmiendo
muriendo
siguiendo
diciendo
repitiendo
sirviendo
pidiendo
vistiendo
4) The present progressive tense is formed with estar and a present
participle.
Ella está estudiando.
She is studying.
5) In Spanish, the present progressive tense is used to talk about something that is happening at
the moment. In English, it may be used to talk about the future: I am going tomorrow. In
Spanish, you would used the present indicative tense to say this: Voy mañana.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 13
Absolute Superlative
To express a high degree of something (extremely, exceptionally, or very, very), add the ending ísimo(a,os,as) to the singular form of an adjective. Final vowels are always dropped.
interesante
interesantísimo (a,os,as)
Whenever the singular form of an adjective ends in -co/a or -go/a, a spelling change occurs in the
superlative form: c becomes qu and g becomes gu.
rico
riquísimo
largo
larguisimo
__________________________________________________________________
Saber vs. Conocer
Notes:
1) Conocer is always used when speaking of knowing a person or being familiar
with a place or thing.
2) Saber is used when speaking of knowing factual information. When saber is
followed by an infinitive, it means to know how to do something.
__________________________________________________________________
Ser vs. Estar
Ser is used:
1) With adjectives to describe physical attributes, personality, and inherent
characteristics.
2) To identify people or things.
3) To express origin and nationality.
4) To tell what material something is made of.
5) To tell time.
6) With impersonal expressions.
7) To indicate location of events (meaning to take place ).
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 14
Estar is used:
1) With adjectives to describe temporal evaluation of states of being behavior, and
conditions.
2) To indicate location of people and things.
3) To form the progressive tense.
__________________________________________________________________
Comparisons Of Inequality
With the exception of four irregular forms, comparisons are made with más and menos. Más
is the comparative of superiority, and menos is the comparison of inferiority. The form is :
más/menos + (adjective/noun/adverb) + que
Mi hermana es más loca que tú.
Mi coche es menos caro que tú coche.
My sister is crazier than you.
My car is less expensive than your car.
The four irregular comparitives are:
mayor older
menor younger
mejor better
peor worse
¿Quién es mayor?
Soy menor que ella.
Who is older?
I am younger than her.
__________________________________________________________________
Prepositions
Simple
a
to, at
con
with
de
of, from
en
in, at
entre
between
por
for, by
para
for, by
sobre
on, above
Compound
antes de
before
cerca de
near
debajo de
under
detrás de
behind
delante de
in front of
en frente de
facing, opposite
lejos de
far from
al lado de
next to, beside
después de
after
a la derecha (de)
to the right (of)
a la izquierda (de)
to the left (of)
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 15
Possessive Adjectives
Unlike English, possessive adjectives in Spanish must agree in number with the person, place,
or thing possessed. Nuestro and vuestro must also agree in gender.
Usually the context will clarify any confusion that may result from using su/sus. If the context
still doesn't help, one of the following combinations of de + pronoun is used instead of su/sus:
de usted
de él
de ella
de ustedes
de ellos
de ellas
your
his
her
your
their
their
__________________________________________________________________
End of Part 1
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 16
Direct/Indirect Object Nouns And Pronouns
Direct object nouns and pronouns answer the question whom? or what? in relation to the verb
of the sentence. Direct object pronouns replace direct object nouns. The direct object pronouns
are:
me
you (tú )
him, it, you (ud., mas.)
her, it, you (uds., fem.)
Singular
me
te
lo
la
Plural
nos
os
los
las
us
you all (vosotros )
them, you (uds., mas.)
them, you (uds., fem.)
Indirect object pronouns answer the question to whom/what? or for whom/what? in relation to
the verb. The indirect object pronouns are:
to/for me
to/for you (tú )
to/for her, him, you (uds. )
Singular
me
te
os
le
Plural
nos
to/for us
to/for you all (vosotros )
les
to/for them, you (uds., fem.)
Notes:
1) Direct/indirect object pronouns must be placed directly in front of a
conjugated verb, however, it may follow and be attached to an infinitive
or a present participle.
2) Whenever the object is a specific person or persons, an a is always placed
before it. The a is never translated into English.
3) Both the indirect object noun and pronoun may be included in a sentence
for emphasis or clarity when using le or les. The preposition a always
precedes the indirect object noun, but isn't translated into English.
4) When object pronouns are used with affirmative commands, they also follow
and are attached to the verb.
5) When both a direct and an indirect object pronoun are in a sentence, the two
pronouns must always be together with the indirect preceding the direct.
Nothing can separate them! However, if both pronouns begin with the
letter 'l', the indirect pronoun changes to se.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 17
6) If an attached pronoun changes the accent of a word, a written accent is put
over where the accent would occur without the attachment. Ex: Sírvanosla
7) If a pronoun comes after most prepositions, the following demonstratives are
used:
mí
ti
él
ella
Ud.
sí
me
you (familiar)
him
her
you (formal)
himself/herself/yourself (formal)
nosotros/as
us
vosotros/as
you (familiar)
ellos
them
ellas
them
Uds.
you (formal)
sí
themselves/yourselves (formal)
8) After entre, come, and que, the subject pronouns are used. After con, the pronouns mí, ti,
and sí change form: con + mí/ti/sí=conmigo/contigo/consigo.
__________________________________________________________________
Irregular -go Verbs
Tener
Salir
Hacer
Traer
Poner
Decir
Venir
tengo
salgo
hago
traigo
pongo
digo
vengo
tienes
sales
haces
traes
pones
dices
vienes
tiene
sale
hace
trae
pone
dice
viene
tenemos
salimos
hacemos traemos
ponemos decimos
venimos
tenéis
salís
hacéis
traéis
ponéis
decís
venís
tienen
salen
hacen
traen
ponen
dicen
vienen
__________________________________________________________________
Oir
oígo
oyes
oye
oímos
oís
oyen
The Verb Gustar
The verb gustar means to be pleasing to and is equivalent to like in English. The forms of
gustar are always preceded by an indirect object pronoun. Gustar's form will be determined by
what is liked, not whom or what likes it.
__________________________________________________________________
Weather Expressions
1) Hacer, estar, and hay are commonly used to describe weather conditions.
Some examples are:
¿Qué tiempo hace?
Hace mucho frío.
Sí, pero no hace viento.
Está lloviendo.
Hay neblina hoy.
What's the weather like?
It's really cold.
Yes, but it's not windy.
It's raining.
There's fog today.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 18
2) The verb tener is used to describe how a person feels as a result of the
weather.
¿Tienes frío?
Tengo calor.
Are you cold?
I'm hot.
3) The verb estar is used to describe someone's condition as a result of the
weather.
Estoy sudando.
Está enfermo.
I am sweating.
He is sick.
__________________________________________________________________
Mucho And Poco
Mucho and poco can describe a noun or verb. When describing a noun, they act like
adjectives and have to agree in number and gender with the noun being described.
Hay muchas tiendas,
pero poco dinero.
There are many stores,
but little money.
When mucho and poco describe a verb, they are adverbs and their forms do not vary.
Ando mucho en mi casa. I walk a lot in my house.
Como poco en mi coche. I eat little in my car.
__________________________________________________________________
Reflexive Verbs
A verb is called reflexive if the subject gets the action of the verb. A reflexive pronoun, which
must agree in person and number with the subject of the verb, always accompanies the
reflexive verb.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 19
Notes:
1) Reflexive pronouns precede a conjugated verb and are attached to
infinitives, present participles, and affirmative commands.
2) Many verbs can be made reflexive by adding the pronoun se.
3) Accents may have to be added to keep stress on the right syllables.
__________________________________________________________________
Por and Para
The prepositions por and para have many English equivalents, but are not
synonymous.
POR
PARA
1. By, by means of
1. In order to
2. Through, along, on
2. For : compared with in relation to others
3. Because of
3. For : intended for, to be given to
4. During, in
4. For : in the direction of, toward
5. For : in place of, in exchange for 5. For : by a specified time
6. For : for a period of time 6. For : in one's opinion
__________________________________________________________________
Preterite Of Regular Verbs
The preterite is used to describe an act that has already occurred. It focuses
on the beginning, the end, or the completed aspect of an act. The preterite is
translated in English as the simple past or as did + verb.
Notes:
1) All stem-changing -ar and -er verbs in the present tense are regular in the
preterite.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 20
Preterite Of Verbs With Spelling Changes
To keep the constant sound of the infinitive, verbs that end in -car, -gar, and -zar undergo a
spelling change in the preterite, and actually in any situation where this occurs.
-car : c changes to qu in front of e
-gar : g changes to gu in front of e
-zar : z changes to c in front of e
Notes:
1) Whenever an unstressed i occurs between two vowels, it becomes y. NOT
leió -> leyó
__________________________________________________________________
Preterite of Ir, Ser, Decir and Hacer
__________________________________________________________________
Impersonal Se
In English, certain subjects such as you, one, and they are often used in a
general sense and don't refer to a specific person. These impersonal subjects
are expressed in Spanish with se and a verb in the third person singular. This
structure is common in ads, recipes, and on signs.
Se aquila apartamento.
Se necesita secretaria.
Se habla español.
Se prohibe fumar.
Apartment for rent
Secretary wanted
Spanish spoken
No smoking
Also, to say that something is done without mentioning by whom, use se plus the third person
singular or plural. This is the same as the passive in English.
Se venden manzanas.
Apples are sold there
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 21
Adverbs Derived From Adjectives
1) Adverbs are commonly made from adjectives by adding -mente to the
feminine form. This is equivalent to the -ly form in English. Written accents
are only required if they appear on the adjective form.
tranquilo/a
rapido/a
tranquilamente
rápidamente
tranquilly
rapidly
2) Adjectives that are neutral add -mente to the singular form.
igual
igualmente
equally
3) When two or more adverbs occur in a series, only the last one has the -mente
ending; the others use the feminine form of the adjectives.
4) Remember that adverbs are normally placed before the adjective or after
the verb they modify.
__________________________________________________________________
Negative And Indefinite Expressions
nada
nadie
ninguno
nunca
jamás
o...o
tampoco
nothing
no one, nobody
none, not any
never
never
either...or
neither
algo
alguien
alguno
alguna vez
también
ni...ni
something, anything
someone, anyone
some, any
some
also
neither...nor
Notes:
1) Alguno and ninguno are adjectives and must agree with the words they
modify. As with all numbers ending in -uno, the -uno becomes -un when it
precedes a masculine, singular noun : algún, ningún.
2) A double negative construction is often used in Spanish. Whenever a
negative word follows the verb, another negative, usually no, must precede
the verb.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 22
Irregular Verbs In The Preterite
i-stem verbs
hacer
querer
venir
hicquisvin-
-e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
anduvestuvhubpubpussuptuv-
-e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -ieron
dijprodujtraj-
-e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -eron
u-stem verbs
anadar
estar
haber
poder
poner
saber
tener
j-stem verbs
decir
producir
traer
Notes:
1) The preterite of hay is hubo (there was, there were ). As in the present
indicative, it has only one form for both singular and plural.
__________________________________________________________________
Preterite Of Stem-Changing -IR Verbs
-Ir verbs whose stem changes in the present indicative have a stem change in the third person
singular and plural forms of the preterite. The vowel changes: e ->i or o->u. For example,
dormir, which has a stem change, has the following third person preterite conjugation:
singular: durmió
plural: durmieron
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 23
Imperfect Of Regular And Irregular Verbs
There are no stem-changing verbs in the imperfect!!
The imperfect of hay is había (there was, there were, there used to be ),
from haber. Also, there are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect: ser, ir,
and ver.
The imperfect has several English equivalents:
Trabajaba todos los días.
I worked every day.
I was working every day.
I used to work every day.
I would work every day.
Notes:
1) Like the preterite, the imperfect is used to talk about something that has
already occurred. However, the imperfect focuses on the continuance of
an act or on an act in progress rather than a completed act. Continuance
includes repeated, habitual action; background action; actions in
progress; and certain physical, mental or emotional states.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 24
Preterite Vs. Imperfect
Preterite
Imperfect
Focus on beginning.
Focus on continuance.
Focus on ending.
Habitual or customary acts.
Focus on completed acts.
Series of habitual acts.
Series of completed acts.
Certain physical or mental states.
__________________________________________________________________
End of Part 2
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 25
Commands
Commands are used to order someone to do or not to do something. Tú commands are used
with people with whom you are familiar or whom you address as tú. In general, the affirmative
tú command is identical to the 3rd person singular of the present indicative. Object and
reflexive pronouns always follow and are attached to affirmative commands. The placement
follows this order : reflexive, indirect, direct. There are eight irregular affirmative tú forms.
decir di
venir ven
salir sal
hacer haz
tener ten
poner pon
ser sé
ir ve
Notes:
1) Accents may be needed to maintain the original stress
2) To form a negative tú command, drop the final -o from the 1st person
singular of the present indicative and add -es to -ar verbs and -as to -er
and -ir verbs. Reflexive and object pronouns must precede the verb in
negative commands.
3) To form usted and ustedes commands, use the 3rd person singular and
plural, respectively, in the subjunctive form (See pg. 26).
4) Nosotros commands use the subjunctive nosotros form.
5) Vosotros commands are formed by replacing the -r on an infinitive with -d.
6) The form ¡A + Infinitive! may be substituted for ANY command.
__________________________________________________________________
Past Participles Used As Adjectives
The past participle of most verbs in English is formed by adding -ed to the verb. In Spanish, they
are formed by adding -ado to the stem of -ar verbs and -ido to the stem of -er and -ir verbs.
caminar
salir
to walk
to leave
caminado
salido
walked
left
Frequently used irregular past participles include :
abrir
poner
escribir
ver
abierto
puesto
escrito
visto
morir
morido
decir
dicho
romper
roto
imprimir impreso
volver
cubrir
resolver
hacer
cubierto
resuelto
hecho
vuelto
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 26
Notes:
1) Verbs whose stem ends in -a, -e, or -o require a written accent : leer leído
2) Past pasticiples may be used as adjectives and must agree in gender and
number with the modified noun.
3) The past participle is often used as an adjective with the verb estar.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Perfect
As in English, the present perfect tense in Spanish is a compound past tense. It is formed by
combining the present indicative, present subjunctive, or imperfect of haber with the past
participle. You may also form other 'perfect' tenses by changing the tense of haber.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Subjunctive
The subjunctive tense is used for statements that reflect doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
The endings are as follows :
Notes:
1) The subjunctive tense usually occurs in a secondary clause which is often
introduced by que. The verb in the main clause is usually in the indicative.
Main Clause (Indicative) + QUE + Dependent Clause (Subjunctive)
2) The endings are added to the yo form of the verb minus the -o, so even verbs
whose yo forms end in -go follow the rule.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 27
3) Whenever the verb in the main clause expresses a request, a suggestion, a
command, or a judgement, the verb in the second, dependent clause is
expressed in the subjunctive, provided there is a subject change.
Expressions of certainty do not use the subjunctive.
4) The expressions ojalá, quizá(s), and tal vez are always followed by the
subjunctive when the speaker wishes to express doubt about something, and
que isn't necessary.
5) The verbs creer and pensar are followed by the indicative only when used
affirmatively.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Subjunctive Of Stem-Changing Verbs
Stem-changing -ar and -er verbs follow the same stem changes in the present subjunctive as in
the present indicative, so, the stems of nosotros and vosotros do not change. Stem-changing ir verbs follow the same pattern in the present subjunctive, except for nosotros and vosotros.
These change e->i or o->u.
__________________________________________________________________
Present Subjunctive Of Irregular Verbs
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 28
Comparatives And Superlatives
In English, the superlative is formed by adding -est to adjectives or by using the most or the
least to describe something. In Spanish, add the definite article el, la, los, or las before
más/menos, mayor/menor, and menor/peor.
__________________________________________________________________
Future Tense Of Regular Verbs
In English, the future is usually expressed with the auxillary verbs will or shall. The future tense
in Spanish is formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive of most verbs :
__________________________________________________________________
Future Tense Of Verbs With Irregular Stems
Instead of the infinitives, use the following stems for the associated verbs :
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 29
Subjunctive In Adverb Clauses
In Spanish, certain conjunctions are always followed by the subjunctive. Note that they are
used to relate events that may or may not happen, therefore, they require the subjunctive.
en caso (de) que
con tal (de) que
a fin de que
para que
a condición (de) que
in case
provided (that)
so that
so that
on the condition that
sin que
antes (de) que before
a no ser que
a menos que
a que
without
unless
unless
so that
Certain adverbial conjunctions may be followed by either the subjunctive or the indicative.
The subjunctive follows these expressions when describing a future or hypothetical action or
something that hasn't ocurred yet. The indicative is used to describe habitual or known facts.
aunque
although
en cuanto
as soon as
cuando
when
tan pronto como
as soon as
donde (adonde)
where
así que
as soon as
después (de) que
after
hasta que
until
mientras (que)
while
a la vez que
at the same time
como
as; however según
as; according to
__________________________________________________________________
Conditional Of Regular And Irregular Verbs
The conditional is used to state conditions under which an action may be completed. In
English, the conditional is expressed with would : I would go if... In Spanish, the conditional is
formed by adding the following endings to the infinitive of most verbs :
As far as irregular forms go, they are the same ones as in the future tense, except they use the
endings shown above.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 30
Past Subjunctive
The past subjunctive of all verbs is formed by removing the -ron ending from the ustedes form
of the preterite and adding the past subjunctive verb endings :
Note that the nosotros form requires a written accent on the vowel before the ending. You may
also see an alternative form of the past subjunctive endings :
These are mostly used in Spain and literary writing.
__________________________________________________________________
Conditional Sentences With Si-Clauses
In Spanish, as in English, conditional sentences that express hypothetical conditions usually
begin with an if-clause. Since the actions are hypothetical, the past subjunctive is used in the
if-clause.
Iría a México si tuviera el dinero.
I'd go to Mexico if I had the money.
Notes:
1) Never use the present subjunctive in an if-clause. Use either the present
indicative or future tense if you need to.
Se me invitas, iré contigo.
If you invite me, I'll go.
2) Use the past subjunctive whenever willing, emotion, or uncertainty are
expressed in the main clause of a sentence in the past tense. It is used in the
subordinate clause.
Yo dudé que él viniera.
I doubted that he would come.
The Spanish Reference Guide By Alan Watkins
Page 31
Present Subjunctive In Adjective Clauses
When a clause is used as an adjective to describe a person, place, or thing, the verb of that
clause may be in the subjunctive or in the indicative. If the person, place, or thing isn't known
to exist, the verb must be in the subjunctive. If the person, place, or thing is known to exist, the
verb in the adjective clause must be in the indicative.
Busco a alguien que hable ruso.
I'm looking for someone who speaks Russian.
(Not known to exist)
Contratamos a un secretario
que sabe taquigrafía.
We hired a secretary who knows shorthand.
Notes:
1) Since negative antecedents always refer to the nonexistant, the modifying
verb is always in the subjunctive.
No hay nadie que esté dispuesto a trabajar.
There isn't anyone who is willing to work.
2) In this context, the personal a isn't usually used before an indefinite object,
however, nadie and alguien always take the personal a when used as direct
objects.
__________________________________________________________________
Past Subjunctive In Adjective Clauses
When narrating in the past, adjective clauses describing indefinite or negative antecedents
require a verb in the past subjunctive. Those describing definite antecedents require one in an
indicative past tense (preterite or imperfect ).
Buscaba una persona
que me ayudara.
I was looking for a person who
would help me.
No encontré a nadie que
quisiera hacerlo.
I didn't find anyone who wanted
to do it.
Antes, la persona que me
ayudaba era ella.
Before, the person that helped
me was her.