Ser and Estar:
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Ser and estar can both be translated as "to be." Here is the English verb, fully conjugated:
to be
I am
you are
he/she is
we are
you-all are
they are
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Notice that these two sentences can have different meanings in English.
The apple is green.
(Meaning the apple is not ripe.)
The apple is green.
(Meaning the color of the apple is green.)
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In the first case, our example speaks of the condition of the apple. The apple is green because it has not yet ripened. When the condition of the apple changes, that is, when it has ripened, it will no longer be green.
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In the second case, our example speaks of the essential characteristics of the apple. The apple is green in color. This particular apple remains green even after it has ripened.
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In English, the verb "to be" can be used to tell how something is (the condition) and what something is (the essence).
How is the apple?
It is unripe.
What color is the apple?
It is green.
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In Spanish, a different verb is used to express "to be" depending on whether the speaker intends to address a condition or an essential quality.
La manzana está verde.
The apple is green. (condition)
La manzana es verde.
The apple is green. (essence)
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Note how the adjective "verde" actually changes meaning, depending upon whether it is used with ser or estar.
La manzana está verde.
(condition: unripe)
La manzana es verde.
(essential characteristic: color green)
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To address condition, use estar. Estar is an irregular verb. It does not follow the standard rules of conjugation for regular -ar verbs. Therefore, you must memorize it.
estar
estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están
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To address an essential quality, use ser. Ser is also irregular and must be memorized.
ser
soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son
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If you are talking about what something is, use ser; if you are talking about how something is, use estar.
What is she like?
She is quiet.
Use ser:
Ella es callada.
How is she acting?
She is being quiet.
Use estar:
Ella está callada.
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Let's add the two important verbs ser and estar to our set of verb flashcards:
Verb Flashcards
ser (to be)
soy
eres
es
somos
sois
son
estar (to be)
estoy
estás
está
estamos
estáis
están
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When the verb "to be" is followed by a noun, the verb ser is always used. In this instance, it might be helpful to think of the verb as equivalent to an "equal" sign, such as a = b. This type of sentence is always referring to essential characteristics, since the verb is "linking" what comes before the verb to what comes after the verb.
John is a doctor.
John = doctor.
Juan es médico.
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When the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective, the verb used depends upon the meaning. When referring to an essential characteristic, use ser. When referring to a state or condition, use estar.
La sopa está fría.
The soup is cold.
Los elefantes son grandes.
The elephants are big.
Note: It is also correct to say "La sopa está excelente." This would indicate that on this particular occasion, the soup is excellent.
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When the verb "to be" is followed by an adjective, the verb can actually change the meaning of the adjective.
El profesor está aburrido.
The professor is bored.
El profesor es aburrido.
The professor is boring.
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Distinguishing between origin, location, and "to take place." To describe origin, or where something is from, use ser. To describe location, or where something is located right now, use estar. To tell where an event is taking place, use ser.
Mónica es de España.
Mónica está en Venezuela.
La fiesta es en la casa de Mónica.
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review.
When a noun follows the verb, use ser
When an adjective follows the verb, decide between "essence" and "condition"
To tell where something is from, use ser
To tell where something is located right now, use estar
To tell where an event is taking place, use ser
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Ser and estar (contrasting uses)
When a noun follows the verb, use ser
When an adjective follows the verb, decide between "essence" and "condition"
To tell where something is from, use ser
To tell where something is located right now, use estar
To tell where an event is taking place, use ser
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Direct Object Pronouns:
The object that directly receives the action of the verb is called the direct object.
Bill hit the ball.
"Ball" receives the action of the verb "hit."
Sherry reads the book.
"Book" receives the action of the verb "reads."
The direct object can also be a person.
Sherry hit Bill. (DO=Bill)
The direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?" with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.
Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what?
Bill hit the ball.
Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom?
Sherry hit Bill.
Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.
Example 1
Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.
Example 2
Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.
When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns:
me (me)
te (you-familiar)
lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal)
nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
los, las (them, you-all-formal)
In an affirmative statement with one verb, the direct object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.
Tengo = I have
Tengo la pluma. = I have the pen.
La tengo. = I have it.
The pronoun (la) comes immediately before the verb (tengo).
Notice that if the subject of the sentence changes, this does not affect the direct object pronoun.
Juan la tiene.
Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.
and
María la tiene.
María tiene = Mary has
María tiene la pluma. = Mary has the pen.
María la tiene. = Mary has it.
However, if the direct object of the sentence changes to a masculine noun, the masculine pronoun must be used.
Juan lo tiene.
Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.
but
Juan la tiene.
Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene la pluma. = John has the pen.
Juan la tiene. = John has it.
Likewise, if the direct object of the sentence changes from singular to plural, the plural pronoun must be used.
Juan lo tiene.
Juan tiene = John has
Juan tiene el libro. = John has the book.
Juan lo tiene. = John has it.
but
María los tiene.
María tiene = Mary has
María tiene los libros. = Mary has the books.
María los tiene. = Mary has them.
Look at how Spanish and English are different.
"Lo tengo" and "La tengo" BOTH mean "I have it."
Differences:
"It" has two forms in Spanish: lo, la
"Tengo" one word in Spanish = two words in English (I have)
The word order is different. In Spanish, the pronoun (lo, la) comes before the verb; in English, the pronoun (it) comes after the verb.
When you try to translate literally from English to Spanish, sometimes it works very well:
John eats the soup.
John = Juan
John eats = Juan come
John eats the = Juan come la
John eats the soup = Juan come la sopa.
Other times, direct translation doesn't work so well:
I eat the soup.
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat the = Yo como la
I eat the soup = Yo como la sopa.
Because "como" means "I eat," the word "yo" is redundant. A better translation might be:
I eat the soup.
Como la sopa.
Sometimes, when you try to translate literally, you run into much bigger problems:
I eat it. (the soup - la sopa)
I = Yo
I eat = Yo como
I eat it. = Yo como la.
This is completely incorrect!
The correct translation would be:
I eat it. (the soup)
La como.
As you can see, directly translating sentences with direct object pronouns doesn't work, so ... don't do it! There is a better, easier way.
Learn to translate groups of words, rather than individual words. The first step is to learn to view two Spanish words as a single phrase.
Try to think of each line as a single phrase, not two separate words:
la como
lo como
la leo
lo leo
la veo
lo veo
la tengo
lo tengo
la compro
lo compro
Read each line again. Before you do, glance at the translation beneath it. Then, read each line thinking of it as a phrase that has the same meaning as the English phrase below it.
la como
I eat it (feminine DO - la sopa, la comida, etc.)
lo como
I eat it (masculine DO - el pollo, el arroz, etc.)
la leo
I read it
lo leo
I read it
la veo
I see it
lo veo
I see it
la tengo
I have it
lo tengo
I have it
la compro
I buy it
lo compro
I buy it
In the previous examples, it is clear that the subject of the sentence is "I" because the verbs are all conjugated in the "yo" form. With other verb forms, it is often desirable to add a word to clarify the subject.
Juan la come. (la comida)
Juan eats it.
María lo tiene. (el libro)
María has it.
El chico la compra. (la pluma)
The boy buys it.
La chica lo ve. (el edificio)
The girl sees it.
Ustedes lo leen. (el periódico)
You-all read it.
Now, some examples of plural direct objects.
Juan come dos sándwiches.
Los come. or Juan los come.
María tiene tres libros.
Los tiene. or María los tiene.
El chico compra dos revistas.
Las compra. or El chico las compra.
La chica ve dos coches.
Los ve. or La chica los ve.
Ella compra dos televisiones.
Las compra. or Ella las compra.
Tenemos dos mesas.
Las tenemos. or Nosotros las tenemos.
Now, some examples where the direct object is a person.
I know you.
Te conozco.
She loves him.
Ella lo ama.
She loves me.
Ella me ama.
Juan sees her.
Juan la ve.
They call us.
Ellos nos llaman.
We call them.
Los llamamos.
Remember, a direct object receives the action of the verb.
Bill hit the ball.
"Ball" receives the action of the verb "hit."
Sherry reads the book.
"Book" receives the action of the verb "reads."
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And, the direct object can also be a person.
Sherry hit Bill. (DO=Bill)
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Also, the direct object answers the question "what?" or "whom?" with regard to what the subject of the sentence is doing.
Bill hit the ball.
Bill hit what? The ball.
Sherry hit Bill.
Sherry hit whom? Bill.
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Often, it is desirable to replace the name of the direct object with a pronoun.
Example 1
Paul bought the flowers. He took the flowers home and gave the flowers to his wife.
Example 2
Paul bought the flowers. He took them home and gave them to his wife.
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When the pronoun replaces the name of the direct object, use the following pronouns:
me (me)
te (you-familiar)
lo, la (him, her, it, you-formal)
nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
los, las (them, you-all-formal)
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In a negative sentence with one verb, the direct object pronoun is placed between the negative word and the conjugated verb.
Affirmative Sentence
I buy the books.
Compro los libros.
Los compro. (I buy them.)
Negative Sentence
I don't buy the books.
No compro los libros.
No los compro. (I don't buy them.)
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Compare the following affirmative statements with their negative counterparts.
Los compras.
No los compras.
Guadalupe siempre lo estudia.
Guadalupe nunca lo estudia.
Ellos nos conocen.
Ellos no nos conocen.
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Remember, don't try to translate word-for-word. Instead, think in terms of phrases, or concepts. For example, the sentence "No los compras" contains two concepts:
1. los compras (you buy them)
2. no (makes the whole sentence negative)
Remember, the indirect object answers the question "To whom?" or "For whom?" the action of the verb is performed.
He gives María the book.
To whom does he give the book?
To María.
IO=María
He buys me flowers.
For whom does he buy the flowers?
For me.
IO=me
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To identify the indirect object use our two guidelines:
The IO tells us where the DO is going.
The IO answers the question "to whom?" or "for whom" the action of the verb is performed.
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When a pronoun takes the place of the name of the indirect object, use the following pronouns:
me (me)
te (you-familiar)
le (him, her, you-formal)
nos (us)
os (you-all-familiar)
les (them, you-all-formal)
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In an affirmative statement with one verb, the indirect object pronoun comes immediately before the conjugated verb.
Juan me compra un regalo.
John buys me a gift.
John buys a gift for me.
Juan nos compra un regalo.
John buys us a gift.
John buys a gift for us.
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When a sentence has two verbs, the first verb is conjugated and the second verb remains in the infinitive form.
poder
to be able
pagar
to pay
Puedo pagar diez pesos.
I am able to pay 10 pesos.
preferir
to prefer
hablar
to speak
Elena prefiere hablar español.
Elena prefers to speak Spanish.
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In sentences with two verbs, there are two options regarding the placement of the indirect object pronoun.
1. Place it immediately before the conjugated verb
2. Attach it directly to the infinitive
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Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun placed before the conjugated verb:
Me necesitas dar un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.
Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.
Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.
María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.
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Here are examples of the indirect object pronoun attached directly to the infinitive:
Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.
Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.
Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.
María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.
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Here are the two methods side by side. Neither method is "better" than the other.
Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Necesitas darme un regalo.
You need to give me a gift.
Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
I need to buy you a hat.
Juan nos debe prestar el dinero.
Juan debe prestarnos el dinero.
Juan must lend us the money.
María le quiere alquilar a Juan el apartamento.
María quiere alquilarle a Juan el apartamento.
María wants to rent the apartment to Juan.
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When reading or hearing sentences like these, you must learn to recognize whole groups of words, rather than inspecting each word independently.
Me necesitas dar un regalo.
Me necesitas dar = You need to give me
Necesitas darme un regalo.
Necesitas darme = You need to give me
Te necesito comprar un sombrero.
Te necesito comprar = I need to buy you
Necesito comprarte un sombrero.
Necesito comprarte = I need to buy you
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Your success in being able to recognize these groups is largely dependent upon having learned previous material -- namely verb conjugation.
You need to be able to quickly recognize a conjugated verb and an infinitive. You need to automatically recognize "necesito comprar" as "I need to buy."
If you can do that, it is just one small step to recognize "te necesito comprar" as "I need to buy for you." From there, the final step is easy: "Te necesito comprar un regalo."
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Preterite and Imperfect: Part IV
Here are all three regular preterite verb forms together:
hablar
hablé
hablaste
habló
hablamos
hablasteis
hablaron comer
comí
comiste
comió
comimos
comisteis
comieron vivir
viví
viviste
vivió
vivimos
vivisteis
vivieron
Note: The nosotros forms for -ar and -ir verbs are the same in both preterite and present tenses: hablamos, vivimos.
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Here are all three regular imperfect verb forms together:
hablar
hablaba
hablabas
hablaba
hablábamos
hablabais
hablaban comer
comía
comías
comía
comíamos
comíais
comían vivir
vivía
vivías
vivía
vivíamos
vivíais
vivían
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Generally speaking, the preterite is used for actions in the past that are seen as completed, while the imperfect tense is used for past actions that did not have a definite beginning or a definite end.
Juan habló dos horas.
Juan spoke two hours.
(action completed)
Las chicas hablaban en inglés.
The girls used to speak in English.
(no definite beginning or end)
Another way to view this is that the preterite tells us specifically when an action took place, while the imperfect tells us in general when an action took place.
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The preterite is used in the following situations:
For actions that can be viewed as single events
For actions that were repeated a specific number of times
For actions that occurred during a specific period of time
For actions that were part of a chain of events
To state the beginning or the end of an action
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The imperfect is used in the following situations:
For actions that were repeated habitually
For actions that "set the stage" for another past action
For telling time
For stating one's age
For mental states (usually)
For physical sensations (usually)
To describe the characteristics of people, things or conditions
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Ser, ir, dar and hacer are irregular in the preterite:
ser ir
fui fui
fuiste fuiste
fue fue
fuimos fuimos
fuisteis fuisteis
fueron fueron
dar hacer
di hice
diste hiciste
dio hizo
dimos hicimos
disteis hicisteis
dieron hicieron
Note: This is not a typo; ser and ir do have identical conjugations in the preterite!
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There are only three irregular verbs in the imperfect:
ser
era
eras
era
éramos
erais
eran ir
iba
ibas
iba
íbamos
ibais
iban ver
veía
veías
veía
veíamos
veíais
veían
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Some words and phrases indicate specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the preterite.
ayer (yesterday)
anteayer (the day before yesterday)
anoche (last night)
desde el primer momento (from the first moment)
durante dos siglos (for two centuries)
el otro día (the other day)
en ese momento (at that moment)
entonces (then)
esta mañana (this morning)
esta tarde (this afternoon)
la semana pasada (last week)
el mes pasado (last month)
el año pasado (last year)
hace dos días, años (two days, years ago)
ayer por la mañana (yesterday morning)
ayer por la tarde (yesterday afternoon)
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Other words and phrases indicate repetitive, vague or non-specific time frames, and therefore signal the use of the imperfect.
a menudo (often)
a veces (sometimes)
cada día (every day)
cada semana (every week)
cada mes (every month)
cada año (every year)
con frecuencia (frequently)
de vez en cuando (from time to time)
en aquella época (at that time)
frecuentemente (frequently)
generalmente (usually)
muchas veces (many times)
mucho (a lot)
nunca (never)
por un rato (for awhile)
siempre (always)
tantas veces (so many times)
todas las semanas (every week)
todos los días (every day)
todo el tiempo (all the time)
varias veces (several times)
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-ar and -er verbs that change their stem in the present tense do not change in the preterite. They are conjugated just like other regular preterite verbs.
Present
cerrar
cierro
cierras
cierra
cerramos
cerráis
cierran Preterite
cerrar
cerré
cerraste
cerró
cerramos
cerrasteis
cerraron
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-ir verbs that change their stem in the present tense do change in the preterite, but in a different way. They change e:i and o:u in the third person, singular and plural.
Present
preferir
prefiero
prefieres
prefiere
preferimos
preferís
prefieren
Preterite
preferir
preferí
preferiste
prefirió
preferimos
preferisteis
prefirieron
Present
dormir
duermo
duermes
duerme
dormimos
dormís
duermen
Preterite
dormir
dormí
dormiste
durmió
dormimos
dormisteis
durmieron
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There are a number of orthographic changing verbs in the preterite:
Verbs that end in -gar change g to gu
Verbs that end in -car change c to qu
Verbs that end in -zar change z to c
Verbs that end in -aer, -eer, -oír, -oer, and uir change ió to yo and ieron to yeron
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Here are three more verbs that are irregular in the preterite:
decir traer ver
dije traje vi
dijiste trajiste viste
dijo trajo vio
dijimos trajimos vimos
dijisteis trajisteis visteis
dijeron trajeron vieron
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Verbs that end in -ucir are irregular and conjugated as follows:
producir
produje
produjiste
produjo
produjimos
produjisteis
produjeron
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There are a number of verbs that are irregular in the preterite that follow a particular pattern. The pattern is that while their stems change, they all take the following endings:
-e
-iste
-o
-imos
-isteis
-ieron
Here are the verbs, along with their corresponding stem changes:
Infinitive
andar
estar
tener
caber
haber
poder
poner
saber
hacer
querer
venir Stem Change
anduv-
estuv-
tuv-
cup-
hub-
pud-
pus-
sup-
hic-
quis-
vin-
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Some verbs actually change meaning, depending upon whether they are used in the preterite or the imperfect. This is not surprising, since the difference in meaning can be traced back to the different way in which these two past tenses are used.
conocer
Conocí a Juan hace cinco años.
I met Juan five years ago.
(completed action)
En aquella época conocíamos muy bien la ciudad.
At that time we knew the city very well.
(no definite beginning or end)
querer
María quiso comprar la casa.
Maria tried to buy the house.
(completed action)
Juan quería comprar la casa.
Juan wanted to buy the house.
(no definite beginning or end)
no querer
María no quiso comprar la casa.
Maria refused to buy the house.
(completed action)
Juan no quería comprar la casa.
Juan did not want to buy the house.
(no definite beginning or end)
saber
María lo supo ayer.
Maria found out yesterday.
(completed action)
Juan sabía que María venía.
Juan knew that Maria was coming.
(no definite beginning or end)
poder
María pudo levantar la mesa.
Maria succeeded in lifting the table.
(completed action)
Juan podía participar en la manifestación.
Juan was able to participate in the demonstration.
(no definite beginning or end)
tener
María tuvo una carta de su mamá.
Maria received a letter from her mom.
(completed action)
Juan tenía un coche nuevo.
Juan used to have a new car.
(no definite beginning or end)
______________________________________________________________
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership.
mi libro
my book
tu pluma
your pen
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There are five possessive adjectives.
mi
tu
su
nuestro
vuestro
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Three possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) have only two forms, singular and plural.
mi
mis
tu
tus
su
sus
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Possessive adjectives agree with the nouns they modify. That is, they agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor.
mi libro
my book
mis libros
my books
tu pluma
your pen
tus plumas
your pens
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Mi, tu and su do not have masculine and feminine forms. They stay the same, regardless of the gender of the nouns they modify.
mi amigo
mi amiga
tus hermanos
tus hermanas
su libro
sus plumas
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Mi means "my" ; tu means "your."
Mi casa es tu casa.
My house is your house.
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Su, like tu, can mean "your." The difference between your (tu) and your (su) lies in the degree of formality the speaker wishes to convey.
Mi casa es tu casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as "tú")
Mi casa es su casa.
(speaking to someone you would address as "usted")
Note: The two words "tu" and "tú" are pronounced the same. Tú (with the written accent) is the subject pronoun meaning "you" (informal). Tu (without the written accent) is the possessive adjective meaning "your" (informal).
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Su has four meanings: his, her, their and your (formal).
María busca su cuaderno.
María is looking for her notebook.
Juan busca su cuaderno.
Juan is looking for his notebook.
Ellos buscan su cuaderno.
They are looking for their notebook.
Su madre busca su cuaderno.
Your mother is looking for your notebook.
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If the meaning of su is not clear from the context of the sentence, a prepositional phrase is used in place of su.
María busca el cuaderno de él.
María looks for his book.
El hombre busca las llaves de ella.
The man looks for her keys.
María busca el cuaderno de Juan.
María looks for Juan's notebook.
El hombre busca las llaves de Samanta.
The man looks for Samanta's keys.
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Two possessive adjectives (nuestro and vuestro) have four forms.
nuestro
nuestra
nuestros
nuestras
vuestro
vuestra
vuestros
vuestras
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Nuestro means "our."
nuestro hermano
our brother
nuestra hermana
our sister
nuestros hermanos
our brothers
nuestras hermanas
our sisters
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Vuestro means "your" (familiar, plural). Like vosotros, vuestro is only used in Spain.
vuestro libro
your book
vuestra pluma
your pen
vuestros libros
your books
vuestras plumas
your pens
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Here are all of the possessive adjectives:
mi(s)
my
tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)
su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their
nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our
vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)
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Note that these possessive adjectives are not used with articles of clothing or body parts. Rather, the definite article is used.
Me gusta el vestido nuevo.
I like my new dress
Me duele el brazo.
My arm hurts.
_________________________________________________________________________
Verbs like Gustar
This is a good time to discuss the verb "gustar" because using it requires use of the IO pronouns.
Me gusta el cuarto.
I like the room.
Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.
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In English, the following sentences are correct:
I like the room.
We like the books.
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Examine the same sentences more closely.
I like the room.
I = subject of sentence
like = verb
the room = direct object
We like the books.
We = subject of sentence
like = verb
the books = direct object
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In English, it is correct to construct a sentence that has the subject "liking" a direct object. In Spanish, this never occurs. In Spanish, a different construction is used.
English: I like the room.
Spanish: The room is pleasing to me.
English: We like the books.
Spanish: The books are pleasing to us.
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The first thing you need to notice is that both versions really mean the same thing. They are merely different expressions of the same idea.
Idea: My feelings with regard to the book are positive.
English Way: I like the book.
Spanish Way: The book is pleasing to me.
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The second thing to notice is that in English, the subject of the sentence is the person (I, we) while in Spanish the subject of the sentence is the object (room, books).
The room is pleasing to me.
Subject: The room
I like the room.
Subject: I
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Finally notice that while the English sentence has a direct object, the Spanish sentence has an indirect object.
The room is pleasing to me.
me = Indirect Object
I like the room.
room = Direct Object
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Let's study the following example:
Me gustan los libros.
Literal Translation: To me are pleasing the books.
Actual Translation: I like the books.
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Notice that gustar is conjugated as "gustan" not "gusto." A common mistake is to say "Me gusto los libros." This is incorrect because the subject of the sentence is "los libros" even though it comes at the end. Remember, the verb is conjugated to agree with the subject of the sentence.
Me gustan los libros. (I like the books.)
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Notice that the conjugation of gustar changes to "gusta" when the subject of the sentence is singular.
Me gusta el libro. (I like the book.)
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Since the subject of the sentence must be either singular (book) or plural (books), the only forms of gustar you will use are "gusta" and "gustan." This is true regardless of what IO pronoun appears in the sentence.
Me gusta el libro.
I like the book.
Te gusta el libro.
You like the book.
Nos gusta el libro.
We like the book.
Me gustan los libros.
I like the books.
Te gustan los libros.
You like the books.
Nos gustan los libros.
We like the books.
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Remember, gustar becomes either gusta or gustan, depending upon whether the subject of the sentence is singular or plural. It has nothing to do with which IO pronoun is used.
Subject is singular - use gusta
Me gusta el libro.
Te gusta el libro.
Subject is plural - use gustan
Me gustan los libros.
Te gustan los libros.
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Remember, the IO pronoun is not the subject of the sentence!
Nos gustamos ... incorrect!
Te gustas ... incorrect!
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Here are some examples of the correct use of gustar. Notice that the only forms of gustar that appear are gusta and gustan, even though each of the IO pronouns is used.
Singular Subject Plural Subject
Me gusta la casa. Me gustan las casas.
Te gusta el cuarto. Te gustan los cuartos.
Le gusta la silla. Le gustan las sillas.
Nos gusta el hotel. Nos gustan los hoteles.
Os gusta la comida. Os gustan las comidas.
Les gusta el reloj. Les gustan los relojes.
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Look more closely at one example:
Le gusta la silla.
It is impossible to tell whether this means:
1. He likes the chair.
2. She likes the chair.
3. You (usted) like the chair.
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For purposes of clarification, the sentence will often begin with a prepositional phrase that clarifies just who the IO pronoun refers to.
A él le gusta la silla.
He likes the chair.
A Juan le gusta la silla.
John likes the chair.
A ella le gusta la silla.
She likes the chair.
A María le gusta la silla.
Mary likes the chair.
A usted le gusta la silla.
You (formal) like the chair.
As you can see, by adding a prepositional phrase, we remove the ambiguity of the "le" form.
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You can also use a prepositional phrase to add emphasis, even if there is no ambiguity.
1. A Juan le gusta el café.
John likes coffee.
2. A mí me gusta el té.
I like tea.
In the first example, "a Juan" clarifies the ambiguous pronoun "le." In the second example, there is no ambiguity. "Me gusta el té" can only mean "I like tea." In this case, "a mí" adds emphasis, drawing attention to the fact that tea is what I like (as contrasted with what Juan likes).
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Another way to look at it:
John likes coffee. Me, I like tea.
A Juan le gusta el café. A mí me gusta el té.
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Now that you know how to correctly use the verb gustar, here is a list of verbs that operate in the same manner:
aburrir
to bore fascinar
To be fascinating to
bastar
to be sufficient importar
to be important to
caer bien (mal)
to (not) suit interesar
to be interesting to
dar asco
to be loathsome molestar
to be a bother
disgustar
to hate something parecer
to appear to be
doler (o:ue)
to be painful picar
to itch
encantar
to "love" something
quedar
to be left over, remain
faltar
to be lacking something
volver (o:ue) loco
to be crazy about
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The first practice exercise and test will focus on 5 useful verbs:
gustar
faltar
molestar
parecer
disgustar
Practice exercises 2-4 and test 2 will use examples of all of the verbs covered in this lesson.
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Let's add a flashcard for the special verb "gustar":
Verb Flashcards
A Juan le gusta el libro.
A Juan le gustan los libros.
To "like" something
___________________________________________________________________________
Possessive Pronouns
We begin this lesson with a review of the difference between an adjective and a pronoun.
adjective
describes a noun
pronoun
takes the place of a noun
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Look at the following sentence pairs. One has an adjective, while the other has a pronoun.
My book is large. (adjective, describes book)
Yours is small. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)
Your car is green. (adjective, describes car)
Mine is red. (pronoun, takes the place of noun)
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Now, let's look at each sentence a little more closely.
My book is large.
My is an adjective because it modifies, or describes the noun "book." Furthermore, it is a "possessive" adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the book.
Yours is small.
Yours is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that "yours" is replacing the noun "book." Furthermore, it is a "possessive" pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.
Your car is green.
Your is an adjective because it modifies the noun "car." Furthermore, it is a "possessive" adjective because it tells who owns, or possesses, the car.
Mine is red.
Mine is a pronoun, because it replaces or takes the place of a noun. In this case, the previous sentence tells us that "mine" is replacing the noun "car." Furthermore, it is a "possessive" pronoun because it tells who owns, or possesses, the noun it is replacing.
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So far, we have been talking about the difference between the possessive adjective and the possessive pronoun. You will recall that in a previous lesson, you already learned about the possessive adjectives.
mi(s)
my
mi libro
mis plumas
tu(s)
your (fam. sing.)
tu libro
tus plumas
su(s)
his, her, your (formal), their
su libro
sus plumas
nuestro(-a, -os, -as)
our
nuestro libro
nuestras plumas
vuestro(-a, -os, -as)
your (fam. pl.)
vuestro libro
vuestras plumas
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The possessive pronouns are similar to the possessive adjectives, but they are normally used with the definite article.
mine
el mío / la mía
los míos / las mías
yours (familiar)
el tuyo / la tuya
los tuyos / las tuyas
your (formal), his, hers
el suyo / la suya
los suyos / las suyas
ours
el nuestro / la nuestra
los nuestros / las nuestras
yours (familiar)
el vuestro / la vuestra
los vuestros / las vuestras
yours (formal), theirs
el suyo / la suya
los suyos / las suyas
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Now let's translate our model sentences:
Mi libro es grande.
My book is large.
El tuyo es pequeño.
Yours is small.
Tu carro es verde.
Your car is green.
El mío es rojo.
Mine is red.
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The previous translations assume that you are talking to a friend, or someone you know well, and are using the informal "tú" form of speech. But remember, Spanish also has a more formal form of speech. Notice how the same sentences change if we assume that you are talking to someone in a position of authority, using the more formal "usted" form of speech.
Mi libro es grande. (no change)
My book is large.
El suyo es pequeño. (formal)
Yours (formal) is small.
Su carro es verde. (formal)
Your (formal) car is green.
El mío es rojo. (no change)
Mine is red.
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The definite article is usually omitted when the possessive pronoun comes after the verb ser:
El carro grande es mío.
The big car is mine.
El carro pequeño es suyo.
The small car is hers.
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Notice the following ambiguity:
El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his.
El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is hers.
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El suyo, la suya, los suyos, las suyas can be clarified as follows:
El carro grande es suyo.
The big car is his. (unclarified)
El carro grande es de él.
The big car is his. (clarified)
La casa pequeña es suya.
The small house is hers. (unclarified)
La casa pequeña es de ella.
The small house is hers. (clarified)
Los carros grandes son suyos.
The big cars are theirs. (unclarified)
Los carros grandes son de ellas.
The big cars are theirs. (clarified)
Las casas pequeñas son suyas.
The small houses are theirs. (unclarified)
Las casas pequeñas son de ellos.
The small houses are theirs. (clarified)
Note: de + el are contracted to form "del," however, de + él are not contracted.
_________________________________________________________________
Por y para
Por and para have a variety of meanings, and they are often confused because they can each be translated as "for."
Gracias por la información.
Thanks for the information.
Este regalo es para Juan.
This gift is for Juan.
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To learn to use por and para correctly, you need to do two things:
Learn the rules for how por and para are used.
Memorize model sentences.
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Por has many uses, and so it is the more problematic of the two.
Rule: to express gratitude or apology
Model: Gracias por la ayuda.
(Thanks for the help.)
Rule: for multiplication and division
Model: Dos por dos son cuatro.
(Two times two equals four.)
Rule: for velocity, frequency and proportion
Model: Voy al restaurante cinco veces por semana.
(I go to the restaurant five times per week.)
Rule: meaning "through," "along," "by" or "in the area of"
Model: Andamos por el parque.
(We walk through the park.)
Rule: when talking about exchange, including sales
Model: Él me dió diez dólares por el libro.
(He gave me ten dollars for the book.)
Rule: to mean "on behalf of," or "in favor of,"
Model: No voté por nadie.
(I didn't vote for anyone.)
Rule: to express a length of time
Model: Yo estudié por dos horas.
(I studied for two hours.)
Rule: to express an undetermined, or general time, meaning "during"
Model: Se puede ver las estrellas por la noche.
(One can see the stars during the night.)
Rule: for means of communication or transportation
Model: Prefiero viajar por tren y hablar por teléfono.
(I prefer to travel by train and speak by phone.)
Rule: in cases of mistaken identity, or meaning "to be seen as"
Model: Me tienen por loco.
(They take me for crazy.)
Rule: to show the reason for an errand (with ir, venir, pasar, mandar, volver, and preguntar)
Model: Paso por ti a las ocho.
(I'll come by for you at eight o'clock.)
Rule: when followed by an infinitive, to express an action that remains to be completed, use por + infinitive
Model: La cena está por cocinar.
(Dinner has yet to be cooked.)
Rule: to express cause or reason
Model: El hombre murió por falta de agua.
The man died for lack of water.
Rule: "estar por" means to be in the mood, or inclined to do something
Model: Estoy por tomar café.
(I'm in the mood for drinking coffee.)
Rule: in passive constructions
Model: El libro fue escrito por Octavio Paz.
(The book was written by Octavio Paz.)
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Por also appears in many idiomatic expressions:
por adelantado
in advance por lo visto
apparently
por ahora
for now por medio de
by means of
por allí
around there; that way
por lo menos
at least
por amor de Dios
for the love of God por lo tanto
consequently
por aquí
around here; this way por mi parte
as for me
por casualidad
by chance por ningún lado
nowhere
por ciento
percent por otra parte
on the other hand
por cierto
certainly palabra por palabra
word for word
por completo
completely por primera vez
for the first time
por dentro
inside por separado
separately
por desgracia
unfortunately por supuesto
of course
por ejemplo
for example por suerte
fortunately
por eso
therefore
por todas partes
everywhere
por favor
please por todos lados
on all sides
por fin
finally por último
finally
por lo general
generally
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Para, in contrast, has relatively fewer uses.
Rule: to indicate destination
Model: El hombre salió para Madrid.
(The man left for Madrid.)
Rule: to show the use or purpose of a thing
Model: El vaso es para agua.
(The glass is for water.)
Rule: to mean "in order to" or "for the purpose of"
Model: Para hacer una paella, primero dore las carnes.
To make a paella, first sauté the meats.
Rule: to indicate a recipient
Model: Este regalo es para ti.
(This gift is for you.)
Rule: to express a deadline or specific time
Model: Necesito el vestido para el lunes.
(I need the dress by Monday.)
Rule: to express a contrast from what is expected
Model: Para un niño lee muy bien.
(For a child, he reads very well.)
Rule: "estar para" to express an action that will soon be completed
Model: El tren está para salir.
(The train is about to leave.)
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It is quite important to learn to use these two prepositions correctly, because if you inadvertantly substitute one for the other, you might end up saying something altogether different from what you had intended. Study the two examples:
Juan compró el regalo para María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it to give to her)
Juan compró el regalo por María.
Juan bought the gift for Maria.
(he bought it because she could not)
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Por and para can also be used in questions. "¿Por qué?" means "Why? (for what reason)" while "¿Para qué?" means "Why? (for what purpose)."
¿Por qué estudias español?
For what reason do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Porque es un requisito.
Because it's required.
¿Para qué estudias español?
For what purpose do you study Spanish?
Possible answer:
Para ser profesor de español.
In order to become a Spanish teacher.
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