NationStates Jolt Archive

Yeah, I've got a problem (again). Amazing how I always come to you people with my problems. So anyway, if you know my previous threads, I talked about how stupid the Spanish teachers and students are. So, I figure that I should jump ahead. So I go to the office and ask to test out of Spanish 5-6, which I would take next year. But they won't tell me what's on the test. So, does anyone know anything about that High School class, or have any tips, 'cause there are like 50 conjugations for the verbs, and I can't memorize it. Anyone?

Yo se nada.

I'm taking Spanish, but more to get credits than to actually hold an interseting conversation.

Falla Ud.

Wow, thanks guys. You're a world of help...

Lo siento, me no pablo Español.

Did I get that right? ;-)

No hay de que.

Some pointers:
adjectives come after nouns
if the noun is plural, then so is the adjective
masculine nouns usually end in "o"
femenine ends in "a"
there are four forms of "the" and which one to use depends on "gender" and number.
el and los are masculine
la and las are feminine
el and la are singular
los and las are plural

If you have a list of the months, then you should be able to tell which is which if you know them in English.

general rule: English borrows words from Spanish. Gasolina means gasoline. Cero means zero.

y means "and" if it is alone.

study. Read your notes every night like a book before you go to bed. This is what got my dad through college.

iam trying to learn

To actually be useful, Sinuhue posted a whole series of spanish lessons here (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=438943).

I learned enough while in Arizona to hop over the border and shop, but had to learn more last year to help immigrants to do thier tax returns.

so basically I know
How much is this?
Can I have a discount if I buy more than 1?


Where do you work?
Did you work anywhere else this year?
Do you own a house?
Do your children have social security numbers?
your tax liability is
your refund is

sign here


don't ask me to spell it, I can only say it. I understand a whole lot more than I can speak.

Does anybody need help? ¿Necesitais ayuda?

The verbs are divided by their termination: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd conjugation depending on if the end in '-ar' [bailar]; '-er'[comer]; '-ir' [vivir]

And every verb is divided in

-INFINITIVE (bailar, comer, vivir)
-GERUND (bailaNDO, comIENDO, vivIENDO)
-PARTICIPLE (bailaDO, comIDO, vivIDO)

INDICATIVE (which is composed of present, imperfect past, perfect past, future, and conditional, both in simple and composed forms, and forms the capital way to speak spanish)

SUBJUNTIVE (which is more advanced; and has another kind of presents, pasts and future)

IMPERATIVE (which is just a way to express orders: baila tú, baile usted; but the pronoun is always ommitted)


I am far from being a teacher, but if you ask me I may be helpful.

And if you want some quick lessons, see my (still incomplete) Spanish Lessons for NSers thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=9475344#post9475344).

Does anybody need help? ¿Necesitais ayuda?

The verbs are divided by their termination: 1st, 2nd, or 3rd conjugation depending on if the end in '-ar' ; '-er'[comer]; '-ir' [vivir]

And every verb is divided in

-INFINITIVE (bailar, comer, vivir)
-GERUND (bailaNDO, comIENDO, vivIENDO)
-PARTICIPLE (bailaDO, comIDO, vivIDO)

INDICATIVE (which is composed of present, imperfect past, perfect past, future, and conditional, both in simple and composed forms, and forms the capital way to speak spanish)

SUBJUNTIVE (which is more advanced; and has another kind of presents, pasts and future)

IMPERATIVE (which is just a way to express orders: baila tú, [B]baile usted; but the pronoun is always ommitted)


I am far from being a teacher, but if you ask me I may be helpful.

The bolded word is a subjunctive conjugation. As to the OP, Iwould suggest Sinuhue's thread. If you would like something more specific, ask a more specific question. It would also help to know the regional spanish that you are learning. Chilean spanish, mexican spanish, and the spanish spoken in Spain are all slightly different.

The bolded word is a subjunctive conjugation. As to the OP, Iwould suggest Sinuhue's thread. If you would like something more specific, ask a more specific question. It would also help to know the regional spanish that you are learning. Chilean spanish, mexican spanish, and the spanish spoken in Spain are all slightly different.


As you can see below my name, i live in Spain, so my language is the spain's spanish. I am native spanish.

"baile", you are true, is a Simple Present of subjunctive conjugation, but it is also used as imperative; that's why I specified "usted".

The subjunctive "baile" is used in the first and third singular person (I, He; Yo, Él), and never with "Tú" or "Usted", when it is "bailes".

EDITED: I recommend Sinihue's lessons, too.

The bolded word is a subjunctive conjugation. Baile is also the imperative conjugation for usted.

As to the OP, Iwould suggest Sinuhue's thread. If you would like something more specific, ask a more specific question. It would also help to know the regional spanish that you are learning. Chilean spanish, mexican spanish, and the spanish spoken in Spain are all slightly different.Thanks for the vote of confidence:) Dialect is relatively unimportant...the basic grammatical structure is the same.

I refuse to learn Spanish.

Good day.

I refuse to learn Spanish.

Good day.
Good for you:confused:

No me gusta espanol.

I refuse to learn Spanish.

Good day.

Salga ahora.:upyours:

No me gusta espanol.

Peor para tí. Acabas de perder 500 millones de contactos del Messenger. :D

Peor para tí. Acabas de perder 500 millones de contactos del Messenger. :D
Y más encima, le va a faltar toda la música linda en español...y las mujeres latinas les gustam más los hombres gringos que TRATAN a hablar español...

Salga ahora.:upyours:

Fick dich, untermensch.

Y más encima, le va a faltar toda la música linda en español...y las mujeres latinas les gustam más los hombres gringos que TRATAN a hablar español...

El pobre masoca ha decidido perderse Shakira, Paulina Rubio y "Leño". XD

As you can see below my name, i live in Spain, so my language is the spain's spanish. I am native spanish.

"baile", you are true, is a Simple Present of subjunctive conjugation, but it is also used as imperative; that's why I specified "usted".

The subjunctive "baile" is used in the first and third singular person (I, He; Yo, Él), and never with "Tú" or "Usted", when it is "bailes".

EDITED: I recommend Sinihue's lessons, too.

That explains it. I speak 'Chilean'. The inperative for Usted would be baila, for ustedes, would be bailan. The subjunctive would be baile and bailen respectively.

That explains it. I speak 'Chilean'. The inperative for Usted would be baila, for ustedes, would be bailan. The subjunctive would be baile and bailen respectively.

So, you're from Chile? Nice place...

Supongo que sabrás que Chile está en el Quinteto contra el Hambre...

That explains it. I speak 'Chilean'. The inperative for Usted would be baila, for ustedes, would be bailan. The subjunctive would be baile and bailen respectively.
Sorry..but Chilean Spanish still follows the same formal grammatical rules as Spanish Spanish...I know that the official language of Chile is not español, but castellano..and yet the third person, formal imperative uses the third person formal subjunctive. So, you might say 'baila' for usted, but it isn't correct. People will understand you of course, but it isn't grammatically proper.

Baile is also the imperative conjugation for usted.

Thanks for the vote of confidence:) Dialect is relatively unimportant...the basic grammatical structure is the same.

To be honest, I suck at grammar. I just say it in my head. But Chileans do conjugate somewaht differently, e.g. we don't use vos or vosotros, or the -ais ending for some conjugations except when we use our infamous 'cachais'.

To be honest, I suck at grammar. I just say it in my head. But Chileans do conjugate somewaht differently, e.g. we don't use vos or vosotros, or the -ais ending for some conjugations except when we use our infamous 'cachais'.
The only formal difference between Chilean Spanish and Spanish from Spain is that you don't use vosotros/as (but that is fairly recent...read some poems by Gabriela Mistral or Pablo Neruda or Violeta Parra song lyrics and you see vosotros being used) However, your informal speech is VERY different. Things I've noticed:

You've standardised your second and third person singular endings:

For IR/ER verbs:

- í
¿queri? (For quieres or quiere)

For AR verbs:

-ai

estai

You also drop your 's's constantly or shorten them into a sort of soft 'h' sound...e'toy segura de e'to

You drop your 'd's in the participles...pasa'o, pesa'a

None of it is proper, but it's the way people speak:)

1. Los cojones.

2. Hasta la vista, baby!

3.Todos bienvenidos al encuentro de la dignidad/
todos con Zapata, rebeldía, solidaridad!

4. El pueblo unido jamas serà vencido!

5. Que pasa?

You also drop your 's's constantly or shorten them into a sort of soft 'h' sound...e'toy segura de e'to

You drop your 'd's in the participles...pasa'o, pesa'a

None of it is proper, but it's the way people speak:)

That happens to us with the words ending in -do like "pescado", "tostado", "avisado"... In the cities it is well pronounced, but in towns and villages it is said "pescao", "tostao", "avisao"...

1. Los cojones.

3.Todos bienvenidos al encuentro de la dignidad/
todos con Zapata, rebeldía, solidaridad!

4. El pueblo unido jamas serà vencido!




:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

1. Los cojones.

2. Hasta la vista, baby!

3.Todos bienvenidos al encuentro de la dignidad/
todos con Zapata, rebeldía, solidaridad!

4. El pueblo unido jamas serà vencido!

5. Que pasa?

Y botellita de jerez, todo lo que digas será al revés :)

Y botellita de jerez, todo lo que digas será al revés :)

And that means...? :rolleyes:

Hablo espanol (sorry about the lack of the "nye"), but I've taken the equivalent of three years of college Spanish and much of my dad's family is from Cuba...

Hablo espanol (sorry about the lack of the "nye"), but I've taken the equivalent of three years of college Spanish and much of my dad's family is from Cuba...

My knowledge comes from hollywood movies, pro-Che posters my friends have at their walls and Ska-P songs :D

And that means...? :rolleyes:

It means you haven't studied enough Spanish. :p

Hablo espanol (sorry about the lack of the "nye"), but I've taken the equivalent of three years of college Spanish and much of my dad's family is from Cuba...

My knowledge comes from hollywood movies, pro-Che posters my friends have at their walls and Ska-P songs, but I have 5 sentences and you, Sarz, only one! Pwned! :D

Y más encima, le va a faltar toda la música linda en español...y las mujeres latinas les gustam más los hombres gringos que TRATAN a hablar español...
Es bueno saberlo.

También, ustedes no están en mi liga. O es mejor decir que no estoy en la liga suya. Probablemente ya lo han reconocida, pero tengo un vocabulario pequeño y comprensión limitada del español.

Pero yo trato, no?...

Viva La Libertad!

And that means...? :rolleyes:
It's just very useful when someone speaks to you in Spanish. It's not rude... not really.

¿Y qué tal si hacemos de esto un hilo en español?

Madnestan... buen estilo de música... :D

Y, Olara, se te entiende bastante bien... :)

Ya que nadie sigue el hilo... vamos a divertirnos un poco con política.

El Estatuto de Cataluña fue admitido ayer a trámite; con la sola oposición del PP. ¿Qué os parece? :D

¿Y qué tal si hacemos de esto un hilo en español?

Madnestan... buen estilo de música... :D

Y, Olara, se te entiende bastante bien... :)
Bueno, de que podemos hablar entonces....

Da igual. De cualquier cosa. De que en el hilo "your country is fascist" el gobierno de Aznar coincide en 11 puntos, y Zapatero en 0...

De que Aznar es un rencoroso que se dedica a hablar mal de su ropio país fuera, en EEUU, en México, en Europa...

Dirás que soy un poco "monotema" pero es que a los españoles nos absorben dos temas: la política y el fútbol; y como no parece que haya nada más de qué hablar... quizá de lo bien que lo han hecho los equipos españoles en Europa esta semana...

:D No sé, propón tú algo...

No se...de verdad, no tengo na' que decir:(

Es un poco triste un hilo para dos...

Pongamos links del hilo por todo Jolt :D

Quizá a los del foro "1936" les guste... o salgan corriendo...

Es un poco triste un hilo para dos...

Pongamos links del hilo por todo Jolt :D

Quizá a los del foro "1936" les guste... o salgan corriendo...
Yo trataré participar, también, pero no puedo prometir que voy a entender todo.

Y porque ustedes sabrían, si quiero decir "I speak Spanish," debo decir "Hablo español," o "Hablo el español?" Creí que la forma correcta es "Hablo el español" porque "español" en este caso es un concepto abstracto, pero alguien me dijo que la correcta es "Hablo español." No sé.

Gracias.

Olara']Yo trataré participar, también, pero no puedo prometir que

voy a entender todo.

Y porque ustedes sabrían, si quiero decir "I speak Spanish," debo decir "Hablo español," o "Hablo el español?" Creí que la forma correcta es "Hablo el español" porque "español" en este caso es un concepto abstracto, pero alguien me dijo que la correcta es "Hablo español." No sé.

Gracias.

"español" en este caso es un concepto abstracto, por lo que se dice "hablo español". Siempre que el concepto sea abstracto, "el" se omite.

Y si no entiendes algo, pregunta... que estás hablando con una profesora y un "nativo". :)

"español" en este caso es un concepto abstracto, por lo que se dice "hablo español". Siempre que el concepto sea abstracto, "el" se omite.

Y si no entiendes algo, pregunta... que estás hablando con una profesora y un "nativo". :)
Muchas gracias. Parece que no puedo recordar nada. Asistí a mi clase de español final hace 10 or 11 meses. Me da vergüenza.

Mucho hermoso senhorita.

Olara']Muchas gracias. Parece que no puedo recordar nada. Asistí a mi clase de español final hace 10 or 11 meses. Me da vergüenza.

¿De dónde eres?

As much as I love the Spanish speaking here, some tips would be useful...

Oh, don't care about that, just go with the flow!

Legalegalización ¡CANNABIS!,
de calidad y barato,
Legalegalización ¡CANNABIS!,
basta de prohibición!

(Copypasting Ska-P lyrics ;) )

As much as I love the Spanish speaking here, some tips would be useful...

Questions? Doubts?

Yeah, I have a question:
Can people on NS not read?

I need to memorize the stuff. I'm testing out of the class. I need to remember the stuff. So, if you're taking American High School Spanish 5-6, please tell me what you learn. If you have ways to memorize the conjugations, that would also be useful.

I hope this cleared up what I was asking.