Video Blog #3: Idioms with the verb "tener" (to have)

This “Probadita de Español” (a little taste in Spanish) is about idioms with the verb “tener” (to have)

After watching our video blog, reading our blog, reviewing our Quizlet and taking the test, you will have the tools to engage in a fluid dialogue with the idioms that use the verb “tener” (to have).

Spanish, just as English, has many idioms (idiomatic expressions) to convey a whole range of ideas. In this “probadita de español”, we will cover the most commonly used idioms in the Spanish language.

What’s an idiom? An idiom is an expression in any language whose meaning cannot be derived by translating word by word because the translation might not make sense in your native tongue. It’s preferable to learn an idiom as a whole expression that conveys an idea. For example, “Tengo hambre”, coveys the idea of “I am hungry”, however, it’s literal translation is “I have hunger” which would not make sense in English. So it’s better to learn “Tengo hambre”, as a whole idea rather than translate it word by word. We strongly encourage you to learn as many idioms as possible. Idioms are very powerful tools to engage in meaningful conversation and to understand nuances of the language. If you would like to enrich your knowledge of idioms in Spanish, we recommend that you get this book of idioms.

Here are our favorite idioms with the verb “tener” you. Please note that the adverb mucho/mucha indicates the gender of the noun that follows. After you have read the list, please review our Quizlet and take the test.

tener (mucha) hambre

to be (very) hungry

tener (mucha) sed

to be (very) thirsty

tener (mucho) frío

to be (very) cold

tener (mucho) calor

to be (very) hot

tener (mucho) miedo (a/de)

to be (very) afraid (of)

tener (mucha) suerte

to be (very) lucky

tener (mucha) prisa

to be in a (big) hurry

tener (mucho) sueño

to be (very) sleepy, tired

tener (mucho) cuidado

to be (very) careful

tener (mucha) curiosidad

to be (very) curious

tener (mucha) envidia

to be (very) envious

tener (mucha) ilusión de

to be (very) excited about (something that hasn’t happened)

tener (mucha) paciencia

to be (very) patient

tener (mucho) éxito

to be (very) successful

tener (mucha) razón

to be right

tener (mucha) comezón

to be itchy

He aquí la transcripción de nuestro video blog.

Here’s our video transcript.

D: Hola Nathalie, ¿cómo estás?

D: Hello, Nathalie, how are you?

N: Estoy bien. Gracias Deidre. ¿Y tú?

N: I'm fine. Thanks, Deidre.  And you?

D: De maravilla, gracias. ¡Qué bello esta el día!

D: Wonderful, thank you. What a beautiful day!

N: Sí.

N: Yes.

D: ¿Tienes frío hoy?

D: Are you cold today?

N: Hoy no tengo frío, pero tengo mucho calor. ¿Y tú?

N: I’m not cold, but I am hot. And you?

D: Tengo un poco de frío.

D: I am a little cold.

N: ¿Un poco de frío?

N: A little cold?

D: Y, ¿tienes hambre?

D: And, are you hungry?

N: No tengo hambre. ¿Y tú?

N: I am not hungry. And you?

D: Tengo mucha hambre.  Y, ¿tienes sed?

D: I’m very hungry. And are you thirsty?

N: Sí, tengo un poco de sed.

N: Yes, I’m a little thirsty.

D: Y,  Nathalie, ¿tienes sueño?

D: And, Nathalie, are you sleepy?

N: No tengo sueño ahora. ¿Y tú?

N: I’m not sleepy now. Are you?

D: Yo tampoco. ¿Tienes prisa en las mañanas?

D: Me neither. Were you in a hurry this morning?

N: Sí, todas las mañanas tengo mucha prisa. ¿Y tú?

N: Yes, every morning I’m in a big hurry. And you?

D: Tengo mucha prisa en las mañanas. ¿Y qué tienes ganas de hacer hoy?

D: I’m in a big hurry in the mornings. And what you feel like doing today?

N: Hoy tengo ganas de jugar con mi niño, Teo.  ¿Y tú?

N: Today I want to play with my son, Théo. And you?

D: Yo también.  Tengo ganas de jugar con mi hijo. ¿Y cuántos años tiene tu hijo?

D: Me too. I want to play with my son. How old is your son?

N: Teo tiene 8 años. ¿Y el tuyo?

N: Théo is 8. What about yours?

D: Nicolás tiene 12 años.  Y esto es todo por hoy.  Nathalie, muchas gracias.

D: Nicholas is 12. And that's all for today. Nathalie, thank you very much

Video Blog #2: The verb “gustar” (to like) (Part 1)

This “Probadita de Español” (a little taste in Spanish) is about my favorite verb in Spanish, the verb "gustar" (to like).
After watching our video blog, reading our blog, reviewing our Quizlet and taking the test, you will have the tools to engage in a fluid dialogue with the “verb” gustar (to like).

Verbs that behave like the verb "gustar” require the use of a Direct Object,  a thing or person that directly receives the action of the verb. The Direct Object answers the question “what?” or “whom?” with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing. For example:
A Alonzo le gustan los chocolates.

Alonzo likes chocolates.
What does Alonzo like? He likes chocolates.

“Chocolates” is receiving the action of the verb “gustar”. Therefore, “chocolates” is the direct object of the sentence. In a sentence with a verb like “gustar”, the thing being liked is ALSO the subject of the sentence. Therefore “chocolates” is both, the subject and the direct object of the sentence.  In Spanish when we say A Alonzo le gustan los chocolates, we are literally saying “Chocolates are pleasing to Alonzo.” This explains why the plural form of the verb “gustar”, “gustan” agrees with the plural subject “chocolates” and not with Alonzo who is doing the liking. Our connector for fluid conversation with verbs like “gustar” is “¿Y a ti? (literally "And to you?" Or “what about you?”) rather that “¿Y tú?” (Do you?).

Here’s an example:
Spanish: ¿Te gusta el chocolate? 

English:  Do you like chocolate? Literally “Is chocolate pleasing to you?”
Spanish: Sí me gusta el chocolate. ¿Y a ti?
English: Yes, I like chocolate. Do you? Or What about you? Literally “Yes, chocolate is pleasing to me. And to you?”
Spanish: A mí también.
English: Me too!. Literally “To me too.”
Spanish: ¿Te gusta el chocolate blanco? 
English:  Do you like white chocolate? Literally “Is white chocolate pleasing to you?”
Spanish: No me gusta el chocolate blanco. ¿Y a ti?
English: I don’t like white chocolate. Do you? Or What about you? Literally “White chocolate isn’t pleasing to me. And to you?”
Spanish: A mí tampoco.
English: Me neither!. Literally “To me neither.”

In this video blog we used the verb “gustar” (to like) and other verbs that behave like “gustar”, for example “encantar” (to love something), fascinar (also to love something but more powerful than “encantar”), and lastly “chocar” (to “hate” something or to severely dislike something). The verb “chocar” is colloquially used in place of “odiar” (to hate). In Mexico, we don’t use the verb “odiar” (to hate) lightly instead we use the verb “chocar” which literally means "to clash" or "to crash". We use "chocar" to express that we severely dislike something. If you ever listen to "Notes in Spanish" for inspired beginner by the wonderful Marina and Ben, you will hear that in Spain, speakers use the verb “odiar” as it’s used in the United States. For, example “Odio los chocolates.” “Me chocan los chocolates”. (“I hate chocolates.” Or I severely dislike chocolates. No es cierto, me encantan los chocolates. It’s not true. “I’m kidding, I love chocolates". Here’s the script for our video blog. Note that “ambas” and “las dos” mean “both" or two feminine items. Also “favorita” and “predilecta” mean “favorite” for a feminine noun.

Verbs that behave like the verb “Gustar” (Gustar-to like) (Part 1)

D: Hola mami. ¿Cómo estás? 
D: Hi Mom. How are you?
K: Yo muy bien. ¿Y tú? 

K: I'm very well. And you?
D:  De maravilla, gracias. Quisiera saber qué frutas te gustan.  ¿Te gusta la papaya?

D: Wonderfully, thank you. I would like to know what fruits you like. Do you like papaya?

K: ¿La Papaya? No me gusta, me encanta. ¿Y a ti? 

K: Papaya? I don’t like it, I love it. What about you?
D:  A mi también. ¿Te gusta el plátano? 

D: Me too. Do you like banana?
K: Los plátanos me chocan. ¿Y a ti? 

K: I “hate” bananas. What about you?
D:  Me encantan los plátanos.  ¿Te gusta el mango? 
D: I love bananas. Do you like mango?

K: El mango es mi fruta predilecta. ¿Y a ti te gusta? 
K: Mango is my “favorite” (preferred) fruit. Do you like it?

D:  A mí también. Me encanta.  ¿Te gusta la manzana? 
D: Me too. I love it. Do you like apples?

K:  La manzana me gusta mucho. ¿Y a ti? 
K: I like apples a lot. What about you?

D: Me encanta la manzana. ¿Te gusta la manzana roja o la manzana verde? 
D: I love apples. Do you like red or green apples?

K: ¿La manzana? Me gustan las dos. ¿Y a ti? 
K: Apples? I like them both. What about you?

D:  A mí también. Me gustan ambas. ¿Y, te gustan las naranjas? 
D: Me too. I like them both. And, do you like oranges?

K: Las naranjas me gustan mucho. ¿Y a ti?

K: I like oranges a lot. What about you?

D: A mi también. ¿Y te gusta la pera?
D: Me too. Do you like pear?

K:  La pera sí me gusta. ¿Y a ti?
K: Yes, I like pear. What about you?

D: A mí también. ¿Y te gusta la granada?
D: Me too. Do you like pomegranate?

K: La granada es una de mis frutas favoritas.  ¿Y a ti te gusta?
K: The pomegranate is one of my favorite fruits. Do you like it?

D: No me gusta, me fascina la granada.  Es mi fruta favorita.  Y esto es todo por hoy.
D: I don’t like it, I love pomegranate. It's my favorite fruit. And that's all for today.

Please review our Quizlet and don’t forget to take the test. This is all for this “probadita de español”. Come check out one of our classes in Austin, Texas, free of obligation. To schedule a class, please contact us at info@livethelanguage.org

Video Blog #1: Definite and Indefinite Articles

This “Probadita de Español” (a little taste in Spanish) is about definitte and indefinite articles.

Definite Articles:

The definite article “the” translates as “el, la, los, las”, depending on whether the noun, the article is qualifying, is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

el: the (masculine singular)          
la: the feminine singular
los: the (masculine plural)            
las: the feminine plural

For example:

la manzana 
the apple                               
el plátano                                  
the banana
las mandarinas
the tangerines                            
los chocolates                            
the chocolates

How do you decide which artcle to use? First you need to identify the gender of the noun. Nouns in Spanish are either masculine or feminine. Here’s an easy rule of thumb to determine the gender of nouns. If a singular noun ends in “a”, it is most likely a feminine word. If a singular noun ends in any other letter, most likely the noun is masculine. Of course there are plenty of exceptions to this rule and a few useful rules to remember. For example, words that end -nión, -ción, y -sión, are feminine: una reunión (a meeting or gathering), una opinión (an opinión), una canción (a song). In class we will go over more of these exceptions.

Indefinite Articles:

In Spanish, the indefinite article has 4 forms, depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, singular or plural. The indefinite articles in Spanish are equivalent to the English words "a," "an," or "some."

un: a or an (masculine singular)                         
una: a or an (feminine singular)

unos: some (masculine plural)                           
unas: some (feminine plural)
For example:

una manzana
an apple                               
un plátano                                        
a banana
unas mandarinas 
some tangerines                         
unos chocolates                          
some chocolates

Video Transcript:
D: Buenos días, Nathalie. ¿Cómo estás? 
D: Good morning, Nathalie. How are you?

N: Buenos días, Deidre.  Muy bien ¿Y tú? 
N: Good morning, Deidre. How are you?

D: Muy bien, gracias.  Nathalie, ¿Qué es esto? 
D: Very well, thank you. Nathalie, what’s this?

N: Es una manzana verde. 
N: It’s a green apple.

D: ¡Muy bien!  ¿Y esto? 
D: Very well! And this?

N: Son unas uvas moradas. 
N: They’re purple grapes.

D: ¡Muy bien!  ¿Y esto? 
D: Very well! And this?

N: Son unos plátanos. 
N: They’re bananas.

D: ¡Muy bien!  ¿Y esto? 
D: Very well! And this?

N: Es una manzana roja. 
N: It’s a red apple.

D: ¡Muy bien!  ¿Y esto? 
D: Very well! And this?

N: Son mandarinas—unas mandarinas. 
N: They’re tangerines- some tangerines.

D: ¡Muy bien!  ¿Y qué es esto? 
D: Very well! And this?

N: Son unos chocolates.  A mí me gustan mucho los chocolates. 
N: They’re chocolates. I like chocolates very much.

D: A mí me encantan los chocolates también. 
D: I love chocolates too.

In the context of this short dialogue we just used indefinite articles un, una, unos, unas

Notice that in una manzana roja  (a red apple); the adjective, descriptive word,  “rojo”, aslo agrees in number a gender with the word “manzana”, “rojo” becomes “roja” because “manzana” is a feminine noun. If we want to say “some red apples”, we would have say “unas manzanas rojas”. In this dialogue, we use a useful expression, “¿Qué es esto?”, (What’s this?) When you don’t know whether a noun is feminine or masculine, plural or singular, and want to know what something is, ask, “¿Qué es esto?”.

Video Transcript:

D: Y ahora quisiera saber, ¿qué te quieres llevar a tu casa? 
D: And now, I would like to know, What do you want o take home.
N: La manzana verde, por favor. 
N: The green apple, please.
D: Muy bien. 
D: Very well.
N: Las uvas moradas. 
N: The purple grapes.
D: Sí. 
D: Yes.
N: Las mandarinas, y los chocolates por favor. 
N: The tangerines and the chocolates, please.
D: Y pues, yo quiero la manzana verde, las manzanas rojas, y los plátanos.  Pero también quiero un chocolate. 
D: Then, I want the green apple, the red apples, and the bananas. But I also want a chocolate.
N: Okay, voy a compartir contigo. 
N: Okay, I am going to share with you. the green apple, the red apples, and the bananas. But I also want a chocolate.
D: Muy bien.  Muchas gracias, Nathalie. Y, Hasta luego.  ¡Chau!* 
D: Very well! Muchas gracias!  See you latter, ciao.

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*“Chau” comes from the Italian “Ciao” and is widely used in South America to say “bye”

In this section of our dialogue, we used the definite articles el, la, los y las to express what we wanted specifically. For example Nathalie wanted “la manzana verde”, “the green apple” not just any apple. Please review our Quizlet and don’t forget to take the test.

This is all for this “probadita de español”. Come check out one of our classes in Austin, Texas, free of obligation. To schedule a class, please contact us at info@livethelanguage.org

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