The most common ending for dimunutives is ito/ita. However, in certain countries, you will also see ico/ica when the last letter of the affected word is a ‘t.’ Other endings include: illo/illa, ín/ina, ete/eta. The use of diminutives in Spanish often indicates that something is small. For example, gato is cat, so gatito is a […]
Real World Spanish: Street Slang Examples Using the Word TACO
When you hear the Spanish word taco the first thing that comes through your mind is a delicious tortilla with a spicy beef or chicken filling. Mmm yummy! Try to Google images of taco and you will see that 99.9% of the results are this traditional Mexican dish. But this word has a humongous variety […]
6 Grammar Hints to Speak Chilean Spanish
The following post is an excerpt from my book Speaking Chileno: A Guide to the Spanish of Chile. Launched in Chile in 2010, this book quickly became a bestseller. Now for the first time it is available outside of Chile in paperback and eBook Kindle. This is the first of three posts on How To […]
6 Earth Day Spanish Class Activities
Do your students enjoy cute animal videos on YouTube? Do they think parks and beaches are fun places to play games and hang out? Are they interested in doing their part to make the world a better place? If your students answer yes to any of these questions, Earth Day just might be an event […]
Dating Latinos It’s Different: SHOPPING
This is the third post in my series about dating Latinos and how it differs from dating North Americans. To catch up, you can also read the complete articles here: Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Machismo Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Public Displays of Affection Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Shopping [this post] Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Dancing […]
Present Perfect Subjunctive Spanish Class Activities
1. Lesson Plan – Present Perfect Subjunctive, Demonstrative Adjectives and Pronouns – Volunteer Activities [MEMBERS] – In this lesson, students learn volunteering vocabulary and use an email to discover the Present Perfect Subjunctive conjugation. Then, they learn about this form with an educational video. They will also learn about demonstrative adjectives and pronouns. The lesson ends with […]
Present vs. Past Subjunctive Spanish Class Activities
Lesson Plan – Present vs Past Subjunctive – Talking About Soccer – Students use an infographic to learn about the soccer vocabulary in Spanish and watch an authentic video about what could have happened if Messi (Argentine soccer star) would have been Mexican. Then, they study the presentation Present vs. Past Subjunctive and do an […]
Language Learning: Spanish for DRINKING STRAW
On a recent stroll through Puerto Limón, Costa Rica this street vendor’s marketing efforts caught my attention. For two reasons. The first reason is given away by this post title. For the second, take a stab to see if you know why. I’ll give you the answer at the end of this post. For any […]
Learn Spanish: When to Use the Spanish Preterite and Imperfect Tenses
One of the many confusing hurdles about the Spanish language is that it has certain rules that are often not clear when described to native English speakers since no equivalent exists. A good example of this would be the two different forms of the past tense, the preterite and the imperfect. While it is unfortunate […]
3 Words for TO GROW in Spanish
The words cultivar, crecer, and madurar all mean to grow in Spanish but are used in different contexts. Let’s take a look. • Cultivar is used for plants. For example, “En mi jardín, cultivo tomates, albahaca y cebollas” translates to “In my garden, I grow tomatoes, basil, and onions.” • Crecer, on the other hand, […]
English to Spanish Translations of 50 European Countries
I’ve never understood why the whole world doesn’t just call each country by the same word the natives use, but the fact of the matter is that every language has a different name for every country. This can be very frustrating when you are trying to talk about politics, sports, geography, etc. with country names […]
6 Classic Board Games With Their English Names in Spanish
The other day, I spent some time in a department store in Cozumel, Mexico. While wandering through the shelves, I stopped by the toy section where they had a great selection of board games… in Spanish! But don’t worry if you encounter a situation where you need to buy a game in a Spanish-speaking country, […]
Cinco de Mayo Spanish Class Activities: Vocabulary Builder and Mexican Traditions
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday that commemorates the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is celebrated throughout Mexico and in many other parts of the world, both as a patriotic holiday in Mexico and as an international symbol of Mexican culture. While Cinco de […]
Dating Latinos It’s Different: PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION (PDA)
This is the second post in my series about dating Latinos and how it differs from dating North Americans. To catch up, you can also read the complete articles here: Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Machismo Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Public Displays of Affection [this post] Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Shopping Dating Latinos… It’s Different: Dancing […]
Learn Spanish Quiz: Avon’s Basic Spanish Lesson on Accent Rules
After five years working for Avon, I’m definitely hooked on their products. So the other day I went to their store in Miami to stock up with some of my favorites. At the entrance there was this sign with their return and exchange policies. Guessing what’s wrong with this sign is easy. If you don’t […]
Tener Que + Infinitive Spanish Class Activities
1. Lesson Plan – Tener que + Infinitive – Parts of the House and Household Chores Vocabulary [MEMBERS] – This lesson uses the video images of a popular song performed by Rubén Blades and Diego Torres to review the rooms of the house. They also review the household chores vocabulary by listing the ones that they saw […]
Car Vocabulary: Translating Spanish to English Words and Phrases
Hopefully, you’ll never need to drive while abroad. Personally, I hate driving in my own country. However, I’ve found that even without renting/owning a car in another country, I’ve ended up in conversations that involved car vocabulary that, at the time, was just a bit over my head. Here are some useful car vocabulary words. […]
Future Tense Regular and Irregular Verbs Spanish Class Activities
1. Lesson Plan – The Future Tense [MEMBERS] – With this lesson, your students will also learn the professions vocabulary with two authentic videos in Spanish. Then it introduces the future tense and the students use photos to talk about the future. 2. Lesson Plan – Future Tense Regular and Irregular Verbs [MEMBERS] – The students learn about the future […]
Beauty Salon Vocabulary: Translating Spanish to English Words
Getting your haircut can be a scary experience anytime, but if you add in language barriers, it can be downright terrifying. If you find yourself in a Spanish speaking country in dire need of a trim, here are some helpful basic Spanish phrases that just might save you from a disastrous haircut. Beauty Salon Vocabulary […]
5 Tips to Maintain What You Learned in Your Spanish Course
While I do a lot of preaching against not speaking only textbook Spanish, I do think it’s really important. I spent 9 years studying in school, which set me up quite nicely for communicating on a daily basis. However, the lack of reading assignments and paper deadlines can be a little detrimental to that textbook […]
How to say CIGARETTE in Spanish (8+ ways)
For a quick answer to the question “How do you say cigarette in spanish?” the most common word understood in Spanish is cigarrillo. (Even if it’s not the word used in a specific country, everyone should understand you.) However, as you’ll see below there are different answers to the question “What is cigarette in Spanish […]
Spanish Language Study Tips: 4 Tricks to Read in Spanish without Going Crazy
If you are learning Spanish, I’m sure you have been given the advice to read in Spanish. I know I have told you to do it. Reading news, stories, magazines, and books in Spanish is an excellent way to keep your Spanish sharp and/or learn new words. Of course, it can also be incredibly frustrating […]
Gym and Exercise Vocabulary: Translating Spanish to English Words
When learning Spanish in school, the topic of working out is not paid enough attention to. While you get some basic words, it might not be enough for when you actually have to communicate with someone at the gym. We’re going to fix that – we gathered the most useful vocabulary for going to the […]
3 Spanish Language Study Tips: How to Write in Spanish
Taking the step into creative writing in a foreign language is difficult. I have been writing poetry for most of my life, but it took me 6 years of studying Spanish before I could write in Spanish a halfway decent poem. If you love to write in English, chances are you will want to learn […]
Pet Vocabulary: Translating Spanish to English Words
Pets, or mascotas, are a big part of any animal-lover’s life and thus tend to make their way into conversation quite often. Talking about your pet and buying the proper supplies when in a Spanish speaking country is an extra obstacle pet-lovers face. At the same time, it offers a fun opportunity to meet new […]
What is the Best English to Spanish Translation for EMBARRASSING?
What is the Best English to Spanish Translation for embarrassing? Check this out. You may know a little about false friends, words that look and/or sound like a word in English but actually mean something totally different. Embarazada is one of those words. Novice speakers often make mistakes when speaking and then quickly try to […]
Translating 75 Fruit and Vegetable Spanish Words to English
In the United States, produce is readily available in supermarkets. Generally, there are signs with the names of each type of produce and you can just walk up and grab whatever fruit or vegetable you want. In many Latin American countries, on the other hand, produce is found in produce stands where you will need […]
Present Subjunctive Spanish Class Activities (Regular and Irregular Verbs)
Regular Verbs Lesson Plan – Present Subjunctive: Traveling, Planning a Trip, the Airport – Students use the reading ¿Qué tipo de viajero eres? to learn about the Present Subjunctive of regular and irregular verbs. Irregular Verbs Lesson Plan – Subjunctive Irregular Verbs: Feelings and Emotions – Using a song, students learn vocabulary related to feelings, desires, and […]
3 Tips to Improve your Argentina Spanish Grammar
As with other local Spanish languages, Argentine Spanish includes some deviations from typical Spanish grammar. These rules will help you begin to better understand Argentinians. 1. Vos: In Argentina, the tu form of verbs is not used. Instead, vos is the term that is used to mean “you”. For instance, instead of the typical Spanish […]
Spanglish Words From The Back of a Cake Box
I recently wrote an article about baking in Spanish. I was pretty confident that I have covered the most important stuff. However, the other day I saw a cake mix box with Spanish instructions and a couple of Spanglish words surprised me. Look at the picture in the right: Never in my life have I […]