Friday 30 November 2012

Ducha


Today's WOTD is: "ducha" = shower

In Spanish, “ducha” is a feminine noun of French origin, which in turn originates from Italian and means shower.

The Spanish word “ducha” may also be the feminine form of a describing word/ adjective meaning adept/ well versed in/ experienced in something. The masculine form of that adjective is “ducho”.

Related Spanish action words/ verbs are “ducharse” (to take a shower) and “duchar” (to shower - someone else).

Some commonly used expressions with the words “ducha”, “ducharse” or “duchar” are:
  • Darse una ducha (to have/ to take a shower);
  • Como una ducha de agua fría (like a bolt from the blue);
  • Ducha de teléfono (hand-held shower head);
  • Ducha escocesa (Scottish shower);
  • Pegarse una ducha (to have/ to take a bath- colloquial);

Some examples of the use of the word "ducha" and related words are:
  • Ahora voy a darme una ducha (now I am going to have/ take a shower);
  • Más tarde voy a pegarme una ducha (later on I am going to have/ take a shower);
  • La ducha de teléfono es muy práctica (a hand-held shower head is very practical);
  • La ducha escocesa puede ser revitalizante y relajante (a Scottish shower can be re-vitalising and relaxing);
  • Pedro es ducho en meterse de líos (Pedro is very adept at getting himself into a lot of trouble);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "ducha" in the YouTube clip: La Ducha Sprite

For more on the word "ducha", visit: Wordreference.com/es/ Ducha

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “ducha” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

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© Copyright 2012 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.

Thursday 29 November 2012

In Whose Name, Please?

SCENARIO

Imagine you are talking to a hotel receptionist at the reception desk. After exchanging the customary pleasantries, you say that you have a reservation. The receptionist wants to know in whose name the reservation was made. He/ she says to you something like: "in whose name, please?"

In Spanish, the other person would more likely say:
¿A nombre de quién?


OUR TIP
The question is an invitation for you to state the name of the person on whose name the reservation was made. Whether the reservation is in your name or in someone else's name, the simple answer would be a person' name. However, you could easily be more informative with very little additional effort.

Assuming the reservation was made in the name of Pedro Botero, you could reply:
  • A nombre de Pedro Botero (in Pedro Botero's name);
  • A nombre de don Pedro Botero (in Mr. Pedro Botero's name);
  • A nombre del señor Botero (in Mister Botero's name);


Now you should practise answering the question:

¿A nombre de quién?

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

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© Copyright 2012 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved.

Wednesday 28 November 2012

Tell Me, Is That A Fur Coat?


SCENARIO
Imagine you are with a relative, a friend or a colleague. You are talking about clothing/ garments. The other person points to the coat you are wearing and says to you something like: "tell me, is that a fur coat?".

In Spanish, he/ she could choose to be less formal and say to you:
Dime, ¿ese abrigo es de piel?

On the other hand, he/ she could choose to be more formal and say to you:
Dígame, ¿ese abrigo es de piel?


OUR TIP
The question is an invitation for you to state the material an item of clothing is made of. When you say what an item of clothing is made of, you DO NOT need to be concerned about the level of formality in the other person's question. Your main concern should be about communicating what material the item in question is made of. In this particular case, your answer could be a straightforward yes/ no. However, with little additional effort your answer could be much more informative.

Here are some examples of how you could reply:
  • Sí, este abrigo es de* piel (yes, this is a fur coat);
  • No, este abrigo no es de* piel (no, this is not a fur coat);
  • No, este abrigo no es de* piel, es de* piel sintética (no, this is not a fur coat, it is a fake fur/ faux fur coat);


Now you should practise replying to someone who says to you:
Dime, ¿ese abrigo es de piel?

*Please see grammar below

Grammar-”Ser”
The English verb to be has two corresponding verbs in Spanish, “ser” and “estar”. When to use “ser” and when to use “estar” often causes some confusion amongst learners of Spanish. This post deals with the uses of “ser”. A separate series of blog posts is dedicated to the uses of “estar”.

In this post we look at a number of situations in which “ser” is commonly used. “ser” is commonly used in the following cases:

    1. Generic Characteristics
We commonly use “ser” with generic describing words/ adjectives. That is, “ser” is used to refer to characteristics which are considered an inseparable part of the nature of a person or thing. It is perhaps for this reason why it is often said that “ser” should be used to describe permanent* features of a person or thing.

  • Some of the features or characteristics in this category are:
    • Nationality;
    • Religion;
    • Gender ;
    • Colour;
    • Race/ ethnicity;
    • Other general characteristics, such as large, small, tall, short, ugly, beautiful, heavy, light, easy, difficult, etc;


  • Some examples of the use of “ser” with characteristics like these are:
    • Soy español (I am Spanish);
    • ¿La palabra casa es de género femenino? (is the word 'casa' is feminine?);
    • María es guapa (Maria is pretty);
    • La montaña es alta (the mountain is tall);
    • El español es fácil (Spanish is easy);
    • El coche es rojo (the car is red);
    • La casa es grande (the house is big);
    • Somos todos indígenas (we are all natives);
    • Sois todos muy altos (you are all very tall);
    • John y Ann son escoceses (John and Ann are Scottish);

*NB It should be noted that permanent does not mean unchangeable. A good example of this is a person's nationality. A person's nationality may change with time. In some cases you may even end up with more than one nationality. What permanent means is that a nationality is something that you will always have. Something similar can be said about other generic characteristics such as: gender, colour, religion, race/ ethnicity, and other general characteristics such as the ones referred to by adjectives such as large, small, tall, short, etc.


    2. Origin
We commonly use “ser” to indicate the origin of someone or something. That is, “ser” is used to refer to the place someone or something originates/ comes from.

  • Origin may be indicated by using expressions of form “ser de”, with:
    • Proper nouns (names of countries/ regions/ cities/ etc.);
    • Common nouns, such as: mar (sea), río (river), etc. ;
    • Adverbs of place, such as: aquí (here), ahí (there), allí (there), etc.;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser de” to indicate origin are:
    • Soy de aquí (I am/ come from here);
    • ¿Eres de Barcelona? (are you from Barcelona?);
    • El pescado es de río (the fish is a river fish);
    • El pollo es de granja (the chicken is farmed);
    • Somos de Andalucía (we are/ come from Andalucía);
    • ¿Sois todos de Cádiz? (are you all from Cadiz?);
    • John y Ann son de Glasgow (John and Ann are/ come from Glasgow);



    3. Professions/ Occupations
We commonly use “ser” with describing words/ adjectives which indicate the profession/ occupation of someone. That is, “ser” is used to describe what someone does by way of occupation/ profession/ other activities.

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” in expressions of this type are:
    • Soy enfermero (I am a* nurse- male);
    • ¿Eres enfermera? (are you a* nurse- female?);
    • Pedro es abogado (Pedro is a* lawyer/ solicitor/ attorney);
    • María es abogada (María is a* lawyer/ solicitor/ attorney);
    • Somos estudiantes (we are students);
    • ¿Sois todos gerentes? (are you all managers?);
    • John y Ann son arquitectos (John and Ann are architects);

*NB Please note that the English preposition “a” is omitted in Spanish.

4. Ownership/ Possession
We commonly use “ser” to indicate ownership/ possession. That is, “ser” is used to link owners to their possessions.

  • Ownership may typically be indicated by using expressions of form “ser”, with either:
    • A possessive, such as: mío (my/ mine), tuyo (your/ yours), suyo (his/ her/ it's), etc.;
    • Preposition “de” with a noun;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” to indicate ownership/ possession are:
    • Esta casa es mía (this house is mine);
    • Ese coche es de Pedro (that car is Pedro's);
    • Los libros son de George? (the books belong to George);


5. Support/ Following
We commonly use “ser” to indicate following/ support. That is, “ser” is commonly used to indicate the team someone supports.

  • Support/ following may be indicated using expressions of form “ser del”, with:
    • The name of a team/ club/ or similar;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser del” to indicate support/ following are:
    • Soy del Barcelona (I support Barcelona FC);
    • ¿Eres del Liverpool? (do you support Liverpool FC?);
    • Pedro es del Madrid (Pedro supports Real Madrid FC);
    • No todos somos del mismo equipo (we don't all support the same team);
    • Vosotros sois del Chelsea, ¿no? (you support Chelsea, don't you?);
    • John y Ann son del Arsenal (John and Ann support Arsenal);



6. Material
We commonly use “ser” to indicate the material something is made of. That is, “ser” is commonly used to describe things in terms of the material they are made of.

  • What things are made of may be indicated by using expressions of form “ser de”, with a noun:
    • Typically, the name of a material, such as plástico (plastic), cuero (leather), oro (gold), etc.;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser de” to indicate what things are made of are:
    • No soy de piedra (I am not made of stone/ I also have feelings);
    • Este reloj es de oro (this is a gold watch);
    • El vestido es de algodón (the dress is cotton );
    • La chaqueta es de piel (the jacket is leather);
    • Somos de carne y hueso (we are flesh and bone/ like everybody else/ we have feelings);
    • Los cubiertos son de plástico (the cutlery is plastic);


7. The Time
We commonly use “ser” to ask and give the time.

  • A common expression used to ask the time is:
    • ¿Qué hora es?

  • Common expressions used to give the time begin with:
    • Es la...
    • Son las...

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” to give the time are:
    • Es la una y veinte (it is twenty past one);
    • Es la una menos cinco (it is five to one);
    • Son las tres y media (it is half past three);
    • Son las siete menos diez (it is ten to seven);


8. Passive Voice Constructions
Passive voice constructions, although perhaps less common in Spanish than they are in English, are nonetheless very similar in both languages. In Spanish, “ser” is used as an auxiliary verb in some passive voice constructions.

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” in passive voice constructions are:
    • Fui multado por la policía de tráfico (I was fined by the traffic police);
    • ¿Fuiste despachado por esa dependienta? (were you attended by that sales assistant?);
    • El Quijote fue escrito por Miguel de Cervantes (Don Quixote was written by Miguel de Cervantes);
    • ¿Fuisteis llamados por la empresa? (were you called by your employer?);
    • Esos libros fueron comprados por mi padre (those books were bought by my father);


9. Where
We commonly use “ser” to indicate the whereabouts of an event. That is, “ser” is commonly used to indicate where something takes place.

  • The whereabouts of an event may typically be indicated using expressions involving “ser”, with:
    • Preposition “en” and the names of places;
    • Adverbs of place, such as: aquí (here), ahí (there), allí (there), etc.;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” to indicate what things are made of are:
    • La reunión es en mi despacho (the meeting is in my office);
    • La fiesta era en tu casa (the party was in your house);
    • El estreno será en Nueva York (the premiere will be in New York);
    • El baile será aquí (the dance will be here);


10. When
We commonly use “ser” to indicate the time of an event. That is, “ser” is commonly used to indicate when something takes place.

  • The time of an event may typically be indicated using expressions involving “ser”, with:
    • Preposition “en” and a month/ year/ season/ etc;
    • Definite article “el” and a day of the week/ day of the month/ a date;
    • Expressions such as “la semana que viene”/ “la semana pasada”/ etc.;
    • a la... ” and an hour (one);
    • a las... and any hour, other than one;
    • por la mañana/ tarde/ noche
    • Adverbs of time, such as: ahora (now), mañana (tomorrow), después (later), etc.;

  • Some examples of the use of “ser” to indicate the time of an event:
    • Mi cumpleaños es en febrero (my birthday is in February);
    • La fiesta fue el domingo (the party was on Sunday);
    • La fiesta es la semana que viene (the party is next week);
    • Viernes Santo fue el seis de abril (Good Friday was on April the sixth);
    • La salida es a la una menos diez (the departure is at ten to one);
    • La llegada es a la una y media (the arrival is at half past one);
    • La reunión es a las tres (the meeting is at three o'clock);
    • El baile es por la noche (the dance is in the evening);
    • El cumpleaños de Pedro es hoy (Pedro's birthday is today);

Now you should practise the uses of “ser” with some examples of your own.


This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

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Tuesday 27 November 2012

Baño


Today's WOTD is: "baño" = bath

In Spanish, “baño” is a masculine noun of Latin origin which means bath.

The Spanish noun “baño” is also commonly used to refer to:
  • A swim (in the sea/ a river/ a swimming pool/ or similar);
  • The bathroom in the home or a public toilet/ rest room;

Related Spanish action words/ verbs are “bañarse” (to take a bath/ to have a swim) and “bañar” (to bathe – to wash, except as above).

Some commonly used expressions with the words “baño”, “bañarse” or “bañar” are:
  • Baño (de) María (bain-marie);
  • Baño de sangre (bloodbath);
  • Baño turco (Turkish bath);
  • Baños romanos (Roman baths);
  • Casa de baños (public baths);
  • Cuarto de baño (bathroom);
  • Dar un baño (to thrash- colloquially);
  • Darse baños de pureza (to try to look not guilty- Mexico);
  • Darse un baño (to have/ to take a bath);
  • Darse un baño (to go for a swim);
  • Darse un baño de sol (to sunbathe);
  • Darse un baño de multitudes (to bask in crowd adulation)
  • Prohibido bañarse (no bathing/ swimming);
  • Tomar un baño de sol (to sunbathe);
  • Tomarse un baño (to have/ to take a bath);
  • Tomarse un baño (to go for a swim);
  • Traje de baño (swimwear);


Some examples of the use of the word "baño" are:
  • En mi pueblo había una casa de baños (in my town, there used to be public baths);
  • Un piso con tres cuartos de baño (a flat with three bathrooms);
  • A mi equipo le dieron un baño en el partido del sábado (my team was thrashed in Saturday's game);
  • Pedro se pasa la vida dando baños de pureza (Pedro does nothing else but try to look not guilty);
  • Voy a darme un baño (I am going to have/ to take a bath);
  • Voy a darme un baño en la piscina (I am going for a swim in the pool);
  • Voy a darme un baño de sol (I am going to do a bit of sunbathing);
  • Shakira se da un baño de multitudes en Barcelona (Shakira basks in crowd adulation in Barcelona);
  • Calentar a baño María (place on a bain-marie and heat);
  • Aquello fue un baño de sangre (that was a bloodbath);
  • Me apetece un baño turco (I feel like having a Turkish bath);
  • Prohibido bañarse después de la puesta del sol (no swimming after dark);
  • Voy a tomar un baño de sol (I am going to do a bit of sunbathing);
  • Voy a tomarme un baño (I am going for a bath);
  • Voy a tomarme un baño en la piscina (I am going for a swim in the pool);
  • Hace falta traje de baño para bañarse en la playa (you need swimwear to go to swimming in the sea);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "baño" in the YouTube clip: Baños romanos 

For more on the word "baño", visit: Wordreference.com/es/ Baño

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “baño” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

For more Free Spanish:
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© Copyright 2012 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.

Monday 26 November 2012

Are Those Wooden Blinds?


SCENARIO
Imagine you are talking to a relative, a friend or colleague. You are in your home and talking about decorations/ furnishings. The other person points to the window blinds and says to you something like: "are those wooden blinds?"

In Spanish, the other person would more likely say:
¿Esas persianas son de madera?


OUR TIP
The question refers to a feminine multiple item word and is a straightforward invitation for you to state if those items, the blinds in question are wooden blinds. The answer could be a simple yes/ no. However, you could easily be more informative with very little additional effort.

Have a look at some examples of how you could reply:
  • Sí, estas persianas son de madera (yes, these are wooden blinds);
  • No, estas persianas no son de madera (no, these are not wooden blinds);
  • No, estas persianas no son de madera, son de plástico (no, these are not wooden blinds, they are plastic blinds);

Now you should practise answering the question:
¿Esas persianas son de madera?

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

For more Free Spanish:
Follow us on:
© Copyright 2012 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved.