Thursday 28 May 2015

Tell Me, Who Was Going Very Slowly?

Introduction


This post is about verb conjugation -the imperfect tense, indicative mood of irregular verb ir.





SCENARIO


Imagine you are talking to a relative, friend or colleague. You are describing a traffic incident. Several of you, travelling in separate cars, were involved in it. Seeking some clarification, the other person says: "tell me, who was going very slowly?".

In Spanish, the other person could choose to be less formal and say:
Dime, ¿quién iba muy despacio?

On the other hand, he/ she could choose to be more formal and say:
Dígame, ¿quién iba muy despacio?


OUR TIP

Making a sentence which answers that question should be straightforward, but remember:



  • Make sure that you conjugate your verb correctly
  • Choose between formal or familiar options to suit the occasion -see examples below.

Typical answers could be:
  • Yo iba* muy despacio (I was going very slowly);
  • ibas* muy despacio, ¿no? (you -familiar were going very slowly, weren't you?);
  • Usted iba* muy despacio, ¿no? (you -formal were going very slowly, weren't you?);
  • Pedro iba* muy despacio (Pedro was going very slowly);
  • María iba* muy despacio (Maria was going very slowly);
  • Todos íbamos* muy despacio, ¿no? (we were all going very slowly, weren't we?);
  • Vosotros ibais* muy despacio, ¿no? (you people -familiar/ plural were going very slowly, weren't you?);
  • Ustedes iban* muy despacio, ¿no? (you people -formal/ plural were going very slowly, weren't you?);
  • Pedro y María iban* muy despacio (Pedro and María were going very slowly);

Now you should practise replying to someone who says to you:
Dime, ¿quién iba muy despacio?

*Please see grammar topic below, Verbs

Verbs
A verb is a 'doing' word which conveys:
  • What action takes place in a sentence
  • Who does that action
  • When that action occurs.
In addition, the verb may also convey the mood or feelings of the speaker toward the action which takes place. The verb may, for example, indicate whether the speaker is stating a fact, expressing a wish or indeed giving an order.

Irregular Verbs
Verb: ir
The Spanish verb ir is irregular* in some tenses, as shown in the table below:

Tense
Mood
Regular
Irregular
Present
Indicative

Imperfect
Indicative

Preterite
Indicative

Future
Indicative


Conditional
Indicative


Perfect
Indicative

Pluperfect
Indicative

Future Perfect
Indicative

Conditional Perfect
Indicative

Present
Subjunctive

Imperfect
Subjunctive

Perfect
Subjunctive

Pluperfect
Subjunctive


* NB:
  • Conjugate tenses in the regular column the same as other regular verbs ending in -ir
  • The imperfect tense conjugation/ indicative mood is shown below


Indicative Mood/ Imperfect Tense - Conjugation
    Verb: ir
Subject
IR
(TO GO)
I
Yo
IBA
You
IBAS
You Usted*

IBA
He Él
She
Ella
We
Nosotros
ÍBAMOS
You
Vosotros**
IBAIS
You
Ustedes***
IBAN
They
Ellos
They
Ellas

*NB More courteous/ polite form of 'you'
**NB 'You' plural
*** NB More courteous/ polite form of 'you' plural


Verb Conjugation Notes
It is worth remembering once more that in its basic form (infinitive), a Spanish verb is just a general 'doing' word. In that form, a verb simply indicates an action and nothing else. If we want a verb to be more specific about the action in a sentence, we need to conjugate it. It is only when conjugated that the verb indicates:
  • Who does the action
  • When the action takes place
  • The mood/ attitude of the speaker towards the action

The conjugation tables above refer to using conjugation to establish who does the action. What follows below are some notes on establishing when the action takes place and the mood/ attitude of the speaker towards the action.

Subjunctive Mood
The use of subjunctive mood is disappearing English. Nowadays is often viewed as an old and unfashionable form of the language.

In contrast, the use of subjunctive mood is very much alive and in everyday use in Spanish. This widespread use of subjunctive mood tends to be the bane of many a learner of Spanish from the English speaking world.

The concept of subjunctive mood is perhaps best illustrated by contrasting its use against the use of indicative mood with examples in English. The following are a couple of examples which should serve that purpose:
  • Indicative mood (“Peter eats an apple”).- Indicative mood is commonly used to make statements of facts or positive beliefs such as this one. As can be seen in the sample sentence (in quotes above), the speaker makes a clear and unambiguous statement of a fact (Peter eats an apple).
  • Subjunctive mood (“Peter would eat an apple if he were hungry”).- In contrast with indicative mood, subjunctive mood is commonly used to make statements indicating hypothetical or non-fact actions. As can be seen in the sample sentence (in quotes), in this case the speaker sees the action of eating an apple as something hypothetical, something which may or may not happen (Peter would eat an apple... if he were hungry).
Verb Tenses
Verb tenses relate to setting the time period (when) during which the action of the verb takes place. Basic times (periods) for Spanish verb actions are:
  • The past (before now)
  • The present (now)
  • The future (after now)
Each Spanish verb tense corresponds to one of those basic time periods. In other words choosing a verb tense places the action of the verb in one of those basic periods and determines when the action takes place.


Now you should practise the use of the imperfect tense of the irregular verb ir with some examples of your own.

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Wednesday 27 May 2015

Compañía

Today's word is: "compañía" = company
In Spanish, “compañía” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, which means company and is used as in:
  • Siempre me resultó muy agradable tu compañía (I always found your company very pleasant);
  • Trabajo en una compañía aérea (I work for an airline)
  • Una compañía de zapadores (a sappers' company)


The noun “compañero”/ “compañera” is a related word meaning partner/ colleague, schoolmate/ flat-mate/ room-mate/ apartment-mate/ team-mate, etc, and is used as in:
  • Un compañero de clase (a class-mate -male)
  • Una compañera de clase (a class-mate -female)


The action word/ verb “acompañar” is a related word meaning to accompany and is used as in:
  • Venga, acompáñame (go on, come with me)


Some Spanish expressions with the word “compañía” are:
  • Antigüedad en la compañía (years of work for a company -seniority)
    • Tengo diez años de antigüedad en la compañía (I have been working in this company for ten years)
  • Compañía aérea (airline)
  • Compañía de Jesús (Society of Jesus -the Jesuits)
    • Colegio de la Compañía de Jesús (Jesuits' college);
  • Dama de compañía (lady in waiting)
  • En buena compañía (in good company)

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "compañía" in the YouTube clip: POLVO DE ESTRELLAS - COMPAÑÌA ILIMITADA

For more on the word "compañía", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Compañía

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

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Tuesday 26 May 2015

Tuesday 26th Of May 2015

Question:

How do you say today's date in Spanish?

Answer:
Hoy es martes veintiséis
de mayo de dos mil quince.





Vocabulary notes:
  1. Today is = Hoy es
  2. Tuesday = martes
  3. The 26th = veintiséis
  4. Of May = de mayo
  5. 2015 = de dos mil quince
  6. In Spanish, we say "26" instead of "the 26th"
  7. In Spanish we literally say: "of 2015"



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    Monday 25 May 2015

    Is The Town Hall Near?

    Introduction


    This post deals with indicating how near/ far the town hall is in Spanish, and the distance from where you are to the town hall.





    SCENARIO


    Imagine you are with a relative, a friend, a work colleague or even a complete stranger who is looking for the town hall and asks you: "is the town hall near?"

    In Spanish, the other person could choose to say:
    ¿Queda cerca el ayuntamiento?


    OUR TIP

    The question is an invitation for you to say how far away the town hall is. A yes/no answer may be strictly sufficient. However, with little effort, your answer could be a lot more informative.


    Here are some examples of how you could reply:
    • El ayuntamiento queda a doscientos metros* (the town hall is 200 meters away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a trescientos metros* (the town hall is 300 meters away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a quinientos metros* (the town hall is 500 meters away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a más de un kilómetro* (the town hall is more than one kilometre away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda lejos (the town hall is far away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda bastante lejos (the town hall is quite far away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda muy lejos (the town hall is very far away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda cerca (the town hall is near)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a la vuelta de la esquina (the town hall is around the corner)
    • El ayuntamiento queda al final de la calle a la izquierda (the town hall is at the end of the street/ road on the left)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a dos manzanas (the town hall is two blocks away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a dos cuadras (the town hall is two blocks away)
    • El ayuntamiento queda a cinco minutos a pie (the town hall is five minutes away on foot)
    • El ayuntamiento queda en el centro (the town hall is in the town centre/ downtown)
    • El ayuntamiento no queda cerca (the town hall is not near)


    Now you should practise answering the question:
    ¿Queda cerca el ayuntamiento?

    *See some commonly used length in Spanish below

    *Spanish Lengths

    Some expressions of length/ distances commonly used in Spanish are shown below:

    Metros
    Kilómetros
    cien metros
    100m


    doscientos metros
    200m


    trescientos metros
    300m


    cuatrocientos metros
    400m


    quinientos metros
    500m
    1/2km
    seiscientos metros
    600m


    setecientos metros
    700m


    ochocientos metros
    800m


    novecientos metros
    900m


    mil metros/
    un kilómetro
    1000m
    1km



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    Friday 22 May 2015

    Fuerza

    Today's word is: "fuerza" = force

    In Spanish, “fuerza” is a feminine noun of Latin origin, which means force or strength and is used as in:
    • La fuerza del agua lo empujó contra las rocas (the force of the water pushed him against the rocks);
    • Se necesita fuerza para salir adelante (one needs strength to pull through)

    The describing word/ adjective “fuerte” is a related word meaning strong, and used as in:

    • Pedro es muy fuerte (Pedro is very strong)

    The action word/ verb “forzar* is a related word meaning to force, and used as in:
    • Nos forzaron a abandonar el local (they forced us to leave the premises)
    • El ladrón forzó la puerta (the thief forced the door open/ burst the door/ lock)


    Some Spanish expressions with the word “fuerza” are:
    • A fuerza de (as a result of <something done/ happening many times>/ by dint of)
      • Aprendí a fuerza de desengaños (I learned through disappointments);
    • A fuerza de trabajo (through sheer hard work/ effort)
      • A fuerza de mucho trabajo conseguimos salir a delante (through hard work we managed to succeed)
    • A fuerza de brazos = A fuerza de trabajo
    • A la fuerza (by force/ having no other option)
      • Nos vamos de aquí a la fuerza (we are being forced to leave/ have no other option but leaving)
    • A la fuerza ahorcan (idiom, meaning: sometimes you have to do things you would not do if you had a choice/ needs must when the devil drives)
    • Cobrar fuerzas (to gather strength)
      • Pedro ha estado bastante mal, pero afortunadamente ha comenzado a cobrar fuerzas (Pedro has been quite ill but fortunately, he's starting to gain some strength)
    • Camisa de fuerza (straight jacket)
    • Condensador de fuerza (battery -electrical)
    • Fuerza acelatriz (acceleration force/ accelerating force)
    • Fuerza aérea (air force -military)
    • Fuerza ascensional (buoyancy force)
    • Fuerza bruta (brute force/ brute strength)
    • Fuerza centrífuga (centrifuge force)
    • Fuerza centrípeta (centripetal force)
    • Fuerza de apoyo (back up force)
    • Fuerza de arrastre (pulling force)
    • Fuerza de choque (strike force)
    • Fuerza de disuasión nuclear (nuclear deterrent force)
    • Fuerza de inercia (inertial force)
    • Fuerza de intervención rápida (rapid intervention force)
    • Fuerza de la gravedad (gravity)
    • Fuerza de pacificación (peace-keeping force)
    • Fuerza de voluntad (will power)
    • Fuerza disuasoria (deterrent force)
    • Fuerza electromotriz (electromotive force)
    • Fuerza irresistible (irresistible force)
    • Fuerza magnetomotriz (magnetomotive force)
    • Fuerza mayor (force majeure)
    • Fuerza motriz (driving force/ motive force)
    • Fuerza pública (police/ police force/ law and order forces)
    • Fuerza viva (measure of kinetic energy of a body = kinetic energy multiplied by 2)
    • Fuerzas armadas (armed forces/ military forces)
    • Fuerzas del orden público (police/ police force/ law and order forces)
    • Fuerzas de seguridad (security forces)
    • Fuerzas vivas (community groups/ organisations which exercise power/ influence on society)
    • Hacer fuerza (to apply a force/ to push hard/ to pull hard/ to grip tightly)
    • Hacer uso de la fuerza (to use force)
    • Írsele a alguien la fuerza por la boca (to be all mouth/ to be all bark and no bite)
      • A Pedro se le va la fuerza por la boca (Pedro is all bark and no bite)
    • Kilogramo fuerza (kilogram-force)
    • La fuerza de la costumbre (the force of habit)
    • La fuerza de la rabia (the power of rage)
    • La fuerza del destino (the power of fate/ the force destiny)
    • La unión hace la fuerza (there is strength in numbers/ united we stand)
    • Momento de una fuerza (moment of a force/ moment)
    • Por fuerza (by force/ having no other option)
      • Por fuerza nos vamos de aquí (we are being forced to leave/ have no other option but leaving)
    • Sacar alguien fuerzas de flaqueza (to find strength out of own weakness -to dig deep in order to achieve something thought to be impossible)
    • Tener fuerza (to have strength/ to be strong)
      • Pedro tiene mucha fuerza (Pedro is very strong)
    • Tener fuerza de cara (to be shameless/ cheeky -Cuba colloquially)
    • Toma de fuerza (power take off -PTO)
    • Transformador de fuerza (power transformer)

    *Note


    The verb forzarmay also mean to rape, as in:
    • Después de amordazarla, la forzaron (after gagging her, they raped her)



    Love-Spanish.com loves the word "fuerza" in the YouTube clip: La fuerza del amor - Myriam Hernández

    For more on the word "fuerza", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Fuerza

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

    Spanish lessons online
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    © Copyright 2015 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.