More about Nouns

Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.

el profesor=professor
la profesora=professor

el doctor=doctor
la doctora=doctor

el señor=sir,mr.
la señora=madadam,mrs.

Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).

el estudiante=student
la estudiante=student

el pianista=pianist
la pianista=pianist

el artista=artist
la artista=artist

Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.

la televisión=television
la decisión=decision
la conversación=conversation
la habitación=room
la ciudad=city
la universidad=university
la dificultad=dificulty
la libertad=liberty
la actitud=actitude
la gratitud=gratitud
la certidumbre=certitude
la muchedumbre=crowd

Some nouns that end in -a are masculine.

el problema=problem
el telegrama=telegram
el programa=program
el mapa=map
el sistema=system
el poema=poem
el día=day
el tema=theme
el clima=climate
el idioma=language
el sofá=sofa
el planeta=planet

Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine. Notice that eight of the twelve nouns listed above end in -ma.

el telegrama=telegram
el programa=program
el problema=problem
el sistema=system
el poema=poem
el idioma=language
el clima=climate
el tema=theme

Note the exception: A few nouns that end in -ma are feminine, such as

la cama=bed

la pluma=pen

Four of the nouns that end in -a are masculine and must be memorized:

el día=day
el mapa=map
el planeta=planet
el sofá=sofa

EXCEPTION:A few nouns that end in -o are feminine.

la mano
la radio

Review of the rules learned so far:

1. Many nouns that denote living things have both a masculine and a feminine form.
2. Most nouns that end in -o are masculine.
3. A few nouns that end in -o are feminine- the exception to the rule
   
4. Most nouns that end in -a are feminine.
5. Many nouns that end in -ma are masculine.
6. Masculine nouns that end in a consonant often have a corresponding feminine form that ends in -a.
7. Some nouns that refer to people use the same form for both masculine and feminine. These nouns indicate gender by the article (el or la).
8. Nouns that end in -sión, -ción, -dad, -tad, -tud, -umbre are feminine.
   

Remember, whenever you learn a new noun, learn it complete with its definite article (el, la).

REVIEW:Nouns and Articles

Nouns are referred to in Spanish as sustantivos and articles are called artículos.
A NOUN can be a person, animal, idea or a thing. This are examples of nouns that you might know and if not you can add them to your list of vocabulary:

el profesor la profesora.............teacher,profesor
el morral la mochila................backpack,bookbag
la oficina.............................................office
el amor..............................................love

As you can see above all nouns are either masculine (masculino) or feminine (femenino) in gender.

el secretario la secretaria ............................. secretary
el niño la niña........................................ child

FEMININE NOUNS

The gender of the nouns must be memorized and if you use the article that will help you remember them. Another way to determine whether a noun is masculine or feminine is by looking at their ending. Most nouns ending in -a are feminine:

la oficina
la mochila
la secretaria

All nouns that end in -tad or -dad are feminine

la libertad..........................liberty
la universidad....................university

All nouns that end in -ión are feminine

la nación...................................nation
la comparación........................comparison
la combinación........................combination

the chart below shows you the articles that are placed before the nouns shown above. These are known as DEFINITE ARTICLES

	Singular	Plural
Masculine	el--the	los--the
Feminine	la--the	las--the

The definite articles are used when you are refering to a specific noun.


INDEFINITE ARTICLES

	Singular	Plural
Masculine	un---a,an	unos---some
Feminine	una---a,an	unas---some

Use the indefinite noun when referring to a non-specific noun.

el taco----specific taco .....chicken taco,beef taco
un taco----a taco

la secretaria.......la secretaria del doctor .....specific secretary
una secretaria... a secretary

el edificio....the building
un edificio...a building

MASCULINE NOUNS

Most nouns that end in -o are masculine:

el edificio......................building
el libro..........................book
el bolígrafo...................pen


EXCEPTIONS

el dia and el mapa
Words derive from Greek that end in -ma such as:

el sistema..........................the system
el programa......................the program
el problema.......................the problem

A common exception to this rule regarding masculine nouns ending in -o is

la mano


RULE # 1

If a nound ends in a vowel add a -s to make it plural

la mochila las mochilas
el edificio los edificios
el libro de texto........ los libros de texto

RULE #2

If a noun ends in a consonant add an -es

papel+ es= papeles
universidad+es=universidades

POR and PARA -Part One

Por" and "para" have many meanings, and to most non-Spanish Speaking people this is very confusing because they both mean "for". There are many examples that come to mind, but a simple statement is:

Gracias por el mapa.
Thanks for the map.

Este regalo es para Maria.
This gift is for Maria.



To learn to use "por" and "para" correctly, you need to do two things:

1. Learn the rules for how por and para are used.
2. Memorize some examples sentences to remind you how it is used.
Let's begin with "por" because it is the most difficult one of the two:


POR is:

1. It is used to express gratitude or to apologize.
example: Gracias por su ayuda. (Thanks for your help.)

2. It is also in math for multiplication and division
example: Dos por dos son cuatro. (Two times two equals four.)

3. It is used to mean "through," "along," "by" or "in the area of"
example: Caminamos por el parque. (Nosotros caminamos por el parque)
(We walk through the park.)

There are many other ways to use por but I'll get to that later.

On the other hand, PARA is used:

1. to indicate destination
example: El hombre sale para Madrid. (The man leaving to Madrid.)

2. to show the use or purpose of a thing
example: El vaso es para agua. (The glass is for water.)

3. to indicate a recipient
example: Este regalo es para ti. (This gift is for you.)

It is quite important to learn to use these two prepositions correctly, because if you inadvertently substitute one for the other, you might end up saying something altogether different from what you had intended. One example could be:

Voy a comprar un pastel para Alma. (I am going to buy a cake for Alma.)

Voy a comprar un pastel por Alma. (I am going to buy a cake for Alma because she wont be able to do it.)

Let me remind you that this is just a few rules and examples to help you understand the uses of POR and PARA. In future post, I'll talk about ways to use POR and PARA including asking questions.

¿Cuánto es? and more -ar verbs

After learning some numbers, it is always good to learn about finding the cost of things in the market. Therefore, the question ¿Cuánto es? will be the next thing you will learn today.
¿Cuánto es? means How much does it cost? This question is accompanied by the pointing at the item you are interested in at the store or the open market.
Next, we need to learn about verbs and words related to shopping or buying:

comprar=to buy

pagar= to pay

Did you notice that both verbs ended in -ar? Well, if you want to talk about yourself then you need to substitute the -ar for -o.

comprar---- yo compro (I buy)
pagar--------yo pago (I pay)

If you would like to talk about another person (you), then you need to substitute the -ar for a:

comprar------ compra (you buy)
pagar---------- paga (you pay)

As you can see the -o and -a tell us who does the action. So, now I am going to conjugate the verb so you can see how it changes depending on who does the action..

SUBJECT PRONOUNS WITH THE VERB COMPRAR 

Yo        compro            nosotros compramos       
tu         compras          vosotros  compráis
el          compra            ellos          compran
ella       compra            ellas          compran
usted  compra             ustedes    compran


 
If you are at a hotel you might want to know if you pay now or later, you say ¿Pago ahora? Do I pay now? Depending on the country you are visiting you will find different names for their money such as pesos for Mexico, Argentina and Colombia . In Spain, you will find pesetas and Euros (European currency that can be used in participating countries). In countries such as Venezuela you will now find Bolivar Fuerte (for more information visit latinwise)

The Verb GUSTAR and Nouns- Likes and Dislikes Part 1& 2

Me Gusta y No Me Gusta

Like and Dislikes

Me Gusta y No Me Gusta- Like and Dislike- In this video, we will learn about how to use the verb gustar to express what you like or dislike in Spanish.
0:33 If you would like to tell someone that you like something or someone, you use the verb GUSTAR (To like).
0:42 When you like something: Me gusta_______ ( I like_________).
0:57 When you do not like something: No me gusta_______ (I do not like________).
1:11 Let's start with some phrases using: me gusta + verb A mi me gusta + verb
NOTE: A mi is added for more clarification or emphasis.
1:51 me gusta + verb: practicar deportes (to practice sports) nadar (to swim) dibujar (to draw) jugar (to play) ir al cine (go to the movies) estudiar (to study) escuchar música (to listen to music) hablar por teléfono (to talk on the phone) tocar la guitarra (to play guitar) trabajar (to work) cantar (to sing) ver la televisión (to watch T.V.)

4:01 Let's put together some examples: Me gusta cantar. (I like to sing.) Me gusta escuchar música. (I like to listen to music.) Me gusta tocar la guitarra. (I like to play guitar.)

4:44 Me gusta tocar la guitarra, cantar y escuchar música. (I like to play guitar, sing and listen to music.)

5:21 No me gusta + verb hablar por teléfono (to talk on the phone) estudiar (to study) practicar deportes (to practice sports) dibujar ( to draw)
6:14 Remember: Me gusta + verb (I like + verb) A mi no me gusta + verb ( I do not like + verb) A mi is added for emphasis.

6:36 A mi no me gusta + verb cantar (to sing) ver la televisión (to watch T.V.) hablar por teléfono (to talk on the phone) trabajar (to work) (I do not like to work)
7:27 Me gusta A mi me gusta (Refers to you) Te gusta A ti te gusta

7:44 ¿Te gusta estudiar español? (Do you like to study Spanish?) Sí, a mí me gusta estudiar español No, a mí no me gusta estudiar español. ¿ A ti te gusta ir al cine? (Do you like to go to the movies? Sí, a mí me gusta ir al cine. No, a mí no me gusta ir al cine. ¿ A ti te gusta ir a trabajar? (Do you like to go to work?) Sí, a mí me gusta ir a trabajar. (Yes, I like to go to work) No, a mí no me gusta ir a trabajar. (No, I do not like to go to work.)

9:23 Te gusta can be: a question and a statement. In English: ‘do’,’did’,’could’,’would’. In Spanish, there are no extra words for questions. Te gusta = You like. ¿Te gusta? = Do you like? Te gusta = You like. ¿Te gusta? = Do you like? ¿Qué hay en Caracas que te guste? (What about in Caracas that you like?) Los museos de la ciudad. (Museums in the city.)

10:27 ¿Qué te gusta en Caracas? (What do you like in Caracas?) A mi me gustan los museos, los parques y las plazas. (I like the museums, parks and plazas.) ¿Qué hay que te guste? (What is there that pleases you? ) A mi me gusta la variedad de Arte en los museos. (It pleases me the variety of work of art in the museums.

Me Gusta y No Me Gusta- Parte 2

Likes And Dislikes- Part 2

Me Gusta y No Me Gusta Parte 2- In this video, There are more ways to use me gusta y no me gusta. Also, there is more vocabulary. There are other verbs like Gustar that will be introduced in later videos.
In this video, you will notice the changes of the verb GUSTAR with plural noun and when more than person is involve.
So let's begin with the video:

0:35 ¿Qué te gusta hacer? – What do you like to do?
         A mi me gusta caminar- I like to walk.
         A mi me gusta ir al cine. - I like to go to the movies or cinema.
         A mi me gusta mucho bailar. - I like to dance a lot.
        También, me gusta cantar y tocar la guitarra. - Also, I like to 
                                                                                  sing and play guitar.
1:40 A mi no me gusta hablar por teléfono. - I do not like to talk on
                                                                               the  phone.
        Tampoco me gusta ver la televisión.-Neither do I like to watch 
                                                                  television.
2:05 A mi no me gusta ni trabajar ni estudiar.- I do not like neither
                                                                                  work  nor study.
        Tampoco me gusta practicar deportes.- Neither do I like to 
                                                                                practice sports.
2:31 ¿Qué no te gusta hacer?
         A mi no me gusta hacer nada.- I do not like to do anything.
         A mi no me gusta nada los deportes- I do not like at all sports.
3:04 ¿Qué te gusta más ver la televisión  o hablar por teléfono? -    
          Which do you like more/prefer to watch television or talk on 
            the phone?
            A mi me gusta más ver la televisión .
            A mi me gusta más hablar por teléfono.
            A mi no me gusta ni  ver la televisión ni  hablar por teléfono.
4:01   ¿Te gusta escuchar música?
            Sí, a mi me gusta escuchar música. ¿y a ti? – and you?
            Sí, a mi me gusta escuchar música.
            Sí, a mi también me gusta escuchar música
            Sí, a mi también.
5:01  ¿Te gusta estudiar?
          No me gusta estudiar,  ¿y a ti?
          No me gusta tampoco.
          A mi tampoco.
5:48  Me gusta is a special verb:
          In the case of "I"
          yo= A mi me gusta
          In the case of "you"
          Tú=A ti te gusta
           In the case of "he"
           Él= A él le gusta
           In the case of "she"
           Ella= A ella le gusta
           In the case of "we"
           nosotros= A nosotros nos gusta
           In the case of "You" plural
           vosotros= A vosotros os gusta
           In the case of "they" male plural:
           Ellos= A ellos les gusta
           In the case of "they" female plural:
          Ellas= A ellas les gusta
          In the case of "you" plural formal:
          ustedes= A ustedes les gusta
7:00  Ejemplo:
         A ella le gusta Madrid.
         A ella le gustan las flores.
         Note: When the subject (las flores) is in plural so is the verb 
          gustar (gustan).
7:29 A ella le gustan las flores.
         As you can see, las flores is more than one flower (una  flor). 
          Therefore, a plural noun (las flores) needs a plural verb
           gustan. (Red Circles in the video).
8:04   A él le gusta el mango. (he likes a mango.)
           A él le gustan los mangos. (He likes mangos.)

          Some vocabulary:
¿(A ti) Te gusta _? – Do you like _?
(A mí) Me gusta _. – I like
Me gusta mucho _. – I like _ a lot.

me gusta más _. – I like _ more. / I prefer _.
pero – but
también – also, too
a mí también – me too (meaning “I like it too”)

(A mí) No me gusta _. –  I don’t like _.
No me gusta mucho _. – I don’t like _ much.
No me gusta nada _. – I don’t like _ at all.
No me gusta ni _ ni _. – I don’t like _ or _.
Ni… ni… – Neither… nor…
tampoco – neither / either
a mí tampoco – me neither (meaning “I don’t like it either”)
¿y a ti? – and you?

If you would like to tell someone that you like something or someone, you use the verb GUSTAR. = To like



In Spanish, when you like something :

Me gusta____________.  = I lke ________



 If you do not like someone or something then you say: no me gusta________________. = I don't like




If you would like to know if is someone likes something or someone then ask them, him or her.....

¿Te gusta______?.= Do you like....? (informal)



If it is someone you do not know well and would like to use the formal form of inquiring then you ask using

¿Le gusta __________?  = Do you like.....? (formal)



Also note that in Spanish there are masculine and feminine articles,nouns,adjectives. So, remember to use le with masculine nouns and la with feminine nouns.To make it easy on you remember the nouns with the articles in front of them. Few examples to help you practice would be:

La clase de español.= Spanish Class



La música de Oscar = Oscar's music..



El parque del Este.= East Park



La Universidad de los Andes. = University of the Andes.



El billete de México. = Mexican bill.



El billete de Venezuela. = Venezuelan bill



El billete de Bolivia. = Bolivian bill.



La casa de Maria. = Maria's house.



La escuela de Pedro. = Pedro's school.



La cerveza = beer



La comida del restaurante Don Pablo. = The food at Don Pablo's Restaurant

El Verbo Ser

It is hard to try to learn a language without those difficult verbs like the verb To Be (Ser). 
So, for now, I'll concentrate on the singular form of the verb To Be meaning in this instance Ser.




Yo soy = I am
Tú eres=You are (familiar)
Usted es=You are (formal)
él, ella es=He/She is

Examples:

¿Cómo es usted? = What kind of person are you? 




Yo soy.......=I am........



Yo no soy...........= I am not........




You can also use questions such as:

¿Eres generoso?= Are you generous?
 


Si, yo soy generoso (male) / Si,soy generoso.



Si, yo soy generosa (female) / Si,soy generosa.




Note that the verb soy implies the subject I am. Here, I am using yo soy to remind you of the correct conjugation of the verb To Be =ser. Once you are used to thinking in Spanish then you can omit the yo in the above sentences as shown.

The negative answer to the question above is:

No, yo no soy generoso.



No, yo no soy generosa.




Feel free to practice the Question and Answer above using adjectives like:

sincero/sincera



inteligente



liberal



impulsivo/impulsiva



So, go on and practice finding out what kind of person your friend is by using adjectives like those above.

Los Números del 0 al 30- Numbers from 0 to 30

We cannot go very far without running into numbers! As a result today we are going to count together from zero (cero) to thirty (treinta) according to La Real Academia Española (RAE).

1	uno	11	once	21	veintiuno
2	dos	12	doce	22	veintidós
3	tres	13	trece	23	veintitrés
4	cuatro	14	catorce	24	veinticuatro
5	cinco	15	quince	25	veinticinco
6	seis	16	dieciséis	26	veintiséis
7	siete	17	diecisiete	27	veintisiete
8	ocho	18	dieciocho	28	veintiocho
9	nueve	19	diecinueve	29	veintinueve
10	diez	20	veinte	30	treinta

The RAE discorages the other ways to write numbers 16 to 19 and 21 to 29 seen in very old books such as diez y seis (16);diez y nueve (19), etc.



For those of you young at heart, there is a version of a Spanish children's song with numbers. It is called Una Muñeca Vestida de Azul ( A Doll Wearing a Blue Dress)

 

 Tengo una muñeca vestida de azul, con su camisita y su canesú, la saqué a paseo y se me enfermó, la metí a la cama con mucho dolor, esta mañanita me dijo el doctor que le dé jarabe con el tenedor. Dos y dos son cuatro, cuatro y dos son seis, seis y dos son ocho, y ocho dieciséis, y ocho veinticuatro, y ocho treinta y dos, La medalla de oro me la llevo yo. 


For a continuation of the numbers from 31 to 1000, click on the following link:

 Numbers from 31 to 1000