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Semana Santa: Celebrating Holy Week in Spain

Semana Santa, or Holy Week in Spain, is a Christian holiday season widely celebrated throughout the country. This holiday has a long history in Spain, and traditions today are a mix of the old and new.

In this article, you’ll learn what the most important holy days of this week represent, how the Spanish celebrate Holy Week as a whole, and more facts about Spanish Holy Week.

Let’s get started!

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1. What is Holy Week?

In Spain, Holy Week is a major celebration period that starts on Palm Sunday and ends the day before Easter. Thus, this week is composed of six very important days for Christian Catholics in the country. However, four of these days tend to be more fervently celebrated than the others:

  • Palm Sunday (Domingo de Ramos). This holy day is observed in celebration of Jesus’ arrival into Jerusalem a week before his Resurrection from the dead (Easter).
  • Holy Wednesday (Miercoles Santo). People observe this holy day in commemoration of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.
  • Good Friday (Viernes Santo). On this holy day, people in Spain commemorate the passion and death of Jesus.
  • Easter Sunday (Domingo de Pascua). This is the day on which Jesus is said to have been resurrected.

Later in this article, we’ll go over what Holy Week traditions in Spain look like for each of these holy days.

2. When is Holy Week in Spain?

A Silhouette of a Man Kneeling and Praying in Front of a Cross

The start and end dates for Holy Week vary from year to year. For your convenience, here’s a table of this holiday’s start and end dates for the next ten years.

Start Date End Date
2020 April 5 April 11
2021 March 28 April 3
2022 April 10 April 16
2023 April 2 April 8
2024 March 24 March 30
2025 April 13 April 19
2026 March 29 April 4
2027 March 21 March 27
2028 April 9 April 15
2029 March 25 March 31

3. How is Holy Week Celebrated in Spain?

A Large Easter Sunday Meal

The Four Most Important Days and Traditions

As mentioned earlier, there are four days during the week which are considered the most important. Thus, most of the major celebrations take place on these days.

On Palm Sunday, people bring palm or olive branches to the church to be blessed in commemoration of Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem. Because Holy Wednesday commemorates Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, citizens in some parts of Spain wear black robes and hoods, carrying percussion instruments to fill the day and night with the sound of drums. On Good Friday, the day of Jesus’ passion and death, people put on representations of the Vía Crucis, or “Stations of the Cross.” Further, meat consumption is forbidden on this day.

The most important of these holy days is that of Easter, or Pascua. In some regions of Spain, people paint colorful eggs, while others perform more traditional rituals such as burning straw dolls.

Food and Cuisine for Holy Week

For Holy Week in Spain, traditions often involve food. The traditional Holy Week cuisine is known for its austerity, though there are a few common dishes such as garlic soup or salted cod. Cod is used to make croquettes, doughnuts, and fritters; another popular dessert is the Easter cake.

Holy Week Parades and Processions

Perhaps the most spectacular celebrations for Holy Week take place in southern Spain. This is where massive, well-funded parades are put on by the brotherhoods for all to see. If you happen to watch one of these parades, the big conical-shaped hats may get your attention right away. These are called capirotes, and they originated in the Inquisition. The Catholic Church used to put a similar type of hat on the condemned during the Middle Ages, except it had paintings on it that denoted a person’s crime or punishment.

Another thing you can expect to see is a Spanish Holy Week procession. During such a procession, Nazarenes, bearers, and penitents go forth. The Nazarenes are believers who wear robes that denote the color of their brotherhood, the bearers are those who carry the heavy figures on their shoulders and neck, and the penitents are believers who mortify themselves in some way in order to remove themselves from guilt or to ask favor.

4. Good Luck

For Holy Week, Spain has a fascinating trick for getting good luck. Do you know what it is?

Wear something new! This is a very well-known custom, and there’s even a proverb that says: “On Palm Sunday, he who does not wear something new, does not have hands.”

It doesn’t matter so much what type of clothing you wear, as long as it’s new.

5. Essential Holy Week Vocabulary

A Procession for Holy Week

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important Spanish words and phrases for Holy Week!

  • Viernes Santo — “Good Friday”
  • Pascua — “Easter”
  • Semana Santa — “Holy Week”
  • Procesión — “Procession”
  • Vía Crucis — “Stations of the Cross”
  • Resurrección — “Resurrection”
  • Domingo de Ramos — “Palm Sunday”
  • Jueves Santo — “Holy Thursday”
  • Sábado Santo — “Holy Saturday”
  • Domingo de Pascua — “Easter Sunday”
  • Crucifixión — “Crucifixion”
  • Palmón — “Palm”

To hear the pronunciation of each word, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Spanish Holy Week vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Spain’s Holy Week with us, and that you took away some valuable cultural information.

Do you celebrate Holy Week in your country? If so, are celebrations similar or quite different from those in Spain? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

If you’re fascinated with Spanish culture and just can’t get enough, we recommend that you check out the following pages on SpanishPod101.com:

That should be enough to quench your thirst for cultural knowledge for a little while, but for even more great learning resources, create your free lifetime account today. SpanishPod101.com has tons of fun and effective lessons for learners at every level, so there’s something for everyone.

We look forward to having you! 🙂

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Spanish Adjectives Guide & Top 100 Spanish Adjectives List

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Is it possible to speak a language without using any adjectives? Well, it is, but if you did, you would lose so much meaning. It would be like eating a flavorless meal; sure, you ingest food and all of its nutrients, but do you actually enjoy it? Not much, surely. Adjectives might not be essential for all kinds of communication, but they’re still very important and bring more meaning to your words.

In this article, you’ll find 100 of the most-used Spanish adjectives, as well as how to use them. Rest assured this will help you spice up your Spanish!

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Table of Contents

  1. How Do Spanish Adjectives Work?
  2. Common Spanish Adjectives for Dimensions, Sizes, Distance, etc.
  3. Essential Spanish Adjectives for Describing Value
  4. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Feeling & Sense
  5. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Personalities and Behaviors
  6. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Speed, Difficulty, Importance, etc.
  7. Describing Colors in Spanish
  8. Describing Weather
  9. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Taste
  10. Best Spanish Adjectives for Describing Situations
  11. Describing Physical Traits or Physical Condition
  12. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Appearance & Condition
  13. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn More Spanish

1. How Do Spanish Adjectives Work?

Before we continue on with our top 100 list, it’s prudent that we go over the basic Spanish adjectives rules. Understanding Spanish adjectives is far more important than knowing them only by rote!

Spanish Adjectives Placement

In Spanish, we generally find adjectives after a noun, the opposite of where you find them in English. For example, un coche verde means “a green car,” but if we translated it literally, it would be “a car green,” which sounds really weird in English.

However, there are exceptions, for various reasons. For example, it’s common in literature to find the adjective before the noun, and you can also do this yourself when you want to emphasize the noun: una bonita flor is “a beautiful flower.”

Another common way of using an adjective works the same way as in English, and that is when it follows this structure: noun + “to be” verb + adjective. For example: El coche es verde means “The car is green.” Nevertheless, as you might already know, Spanish has two different verbs that can translate to the English verb “to be,” which are ser and estar. A true nightmare for a Spanish learner, as some might say.

We’re going to make it simple here, though. If the adjective you’re using is something perceived as permanent, use the verb ser. If it’s something temporary, use the verb estar.

Let’s see some examples:

When you tell a girl she’s pretty, you’re not thinking of it as a temporary state, but as a permanent thing. This means you’ll tell her something like Eres muy guapa, or “You’re very pretty.”

Man Talking to Woman through an Open Window

However, if what you want to tell her is that she looks good in that moment, perhaps because she’s wearing a nice dress, you might say: ¡Qué guapa estás!, which would translate to “You look so pretty!” Of course, there are exceptions, but don’t worry about that for now. We’ll see them shortly.

Spanish Adjectives Agreement

There’s something else you need to keep in mind: While adjectives in English only have one form and never change, in Spanish, they can change in a few ways. The most important variation is related to the fact that nouns can be either feminine or masculine. Because an adjective accompanies a noun, it also has a gender, and most of the important Spanish adjectives change a little bit according to its gender.

As you’ll see in the examples below, all the adjectives that end in -o in their masculine form, will end in -a in their feminine form. However, there are many that end in -e (and a few others that end in different letters) that have the same form whether they’re masculine or feminine. In this Spanish adjectives review, we’ve marked all the adjectives that do change, but you can also check this brief article on Invariable Adjectives in Spanish.

Spanish adjectives can also be singular or plural, depending on the noun they accompany, so one adjective might have up to four different forms. For example, guapo, or “handsome,” has the following forms: guapo, guapa, guapos, guapas.

There’s another variation that most adjectives can have, and this is something that doesn’t exist in English, or at least not in the same way. When you want to emphasize an adjective, instead of saying muy (“very” ) in front of it, you can add -ísimo or -ísima at the end. If you see a very tall building, you can say it’s altísimo, instead of just alto, or muy alto. If you’re very very happy, you might want to say that you’re contentísimo, instead of contento.

Now that you’ve refreshed your knowledge, it’s time for our Spanish adjectives list! But if you do still need some Spanish adjectives help, why not give our MyTeacher program a try or drop us a comment below?

2. Common Spanish Adjectives for Dimensions, Sizes, Distance, etc.

Adjectives

Let’s start with some basic adjectives, such as those to describe sizes, among others.

1- grande

Meaning: “big”
Example: Esta camiseta me va grande.
Translation: “This shirt is too big for me.”
Note: This adjective also has the form gran, which is only found in front of the noun and changes its meaning to “great.” It’s not the same to say una mujer grande (“a big woman” ) as it is to say una gran mujer (“a great woman” ). There are also some nouns that can only have this adjective in front of it. For example, “a great idea” is una gran idea.

2- pequeño

Meaning: “small”
Example: Mi hermana tiene los pies pequeños.
Translation: “My sister has small feet.”

3- ancho/a

Meaning: “wide”
Example: Es una habitación muy ancha.
Translation: “It’s quite a wide room.”

4- estrecho/a

Meaning: “narrow”
Example: Hemos pasado por una calle muy estrecha.
Translation: “We passed through a very narrow street.”

Narrow Passage

5- alto/a

Meaning: “tall”
Example: ¡Qué alto eres!
Translation: “You’re so tall!”

6- bajo/a

Meaning: “short”
Example: El techo es muy bajo.
Translation: “The ceiling is very low.”

7- pesado/a

Meaning: “heavy”
Example: Esta caja es demasiado pesada para mí.
Translation: “This box is too heavy for me.”

8- ligero/a

Meaning: “light”
Example: Coge este libro, es más ligero de lo que parece.
Translation: “Grab this book, it’s lighter than it looks.”

9- lejano/a

Meaning: “far”
Example: Ese bar es muy lejano. ¿Podemos ir a otro?
Translation: “That bar is too far. Can we go to a different one?”

10- cercano/a

Meaning: “close”
Example: Nací en un pueblo cercano.
Translation: “I was born in a close town.”

11- lleno/a

Meaning: “full”
Example: El vaso está lleno.
Translation: “The glass is full.”

12- vacío/a/

Meaning: “empty”
Example: Tengo el monedero vacío.
Translation: “My wallet is empty.”

Empty Wallet

3. Essential Spanish Adjectives for Describing Value

We tend to say that things are good or bad, but sometimes they might be better or worse. They could be amazing, they could be wonderful, or they could be awful… Let’s learn some of these adjectives!

13- bueno/a

Meaning: “good”
Example: Mi primo es una buena persona.
Translation:My cousin is a good person.”

14- genial

Meaning: “great”
Example: ¡Eres genial!
Translation: “You’re great!”

15- maravilloso/a

Meaning: “wonderful”
Example: Tu abuela es maravillosa.
Translation: “Your grandmother is wonderful.”

16- increíble

Meaning: “incredible”
Example: Me ha regalado un videojuego increíble.
Translation: “He gave me an incredible video game.”

17- malo/a

Meaning: “bad”
Example: Esta película es muy mala.
Translation: “This movie is really bad.”

18- malísimo/a

Meaning: “awful”
Example: Ese actor es malísimo.
Translation: “That’s an awful actor.”
Note: Okay, we realize that here we only added the -ísimo ending to malo, but it’s just to show you that there’s nothing worse than this. However, when something really sucks, we don’t use an adjective; we say it’s una mierda, which means “a sh*t.” We might also add some swear words to that, but this isn’t the right time for that.

4. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Feeling & Sense

You might also want to know how to describe how it feels to touch something. Whether it’s smooth or rough, hot or cold… These adjectives always come in handy.

19- frío/a

Meaning: “cold”
Example: La sopa se ha quedado fría.
Translation: “The soup went cold.”

20- helado/a

Meaning: “ice cold”
Example: Siempre se me quedan las manos heladas.
Translation: “My hands always get ice cold.”
Note: helado also means “ice cream.”

Little Girl Eating Ice Cream

21- caliente

Meaning: “hot”
Example: Cuidado, el café está muy caliente.
Translation: “Be careful, the coffee is really hot.”

22- ardiente

Meaning: “burning”
Example: No toques eso, está ardiente.
Translation: “Don’t touch that, it’s burning hot.”

23- suave

Meaning: “smooth”
Example: Siempre he tenido la piel suave.
Translation: “I’ve always had smooth skin.”

24- áspero

Meaning: “rough”
Example: Tienes las manos ásperas.
Translation: “Your hands are rough.”

25- rugoso

Meaning: “rugged”
Example: Esta pared es muy rugosa.
Translation: “This wall is very rugged.”

26- blando

Meaning: “soft”
Example: Esta almohada es muy blanda.
Translation: “This pillow is very soft.”

27- duro

Meaning: “hard”
Example: Esta tarta no se puede comer, está durísima.
Translation: “I can’t eat this cake, it’s really hard.”

5. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Personalities and Behaviors

Improve Pronunciation

We couldn’t write an article about adjectives without talking about how to describe someone’s personality. In this section, we’ve decided it would be a good idea to classify these words between positive and negative words. Some of these words aren’t that easy to classify, so we realize that not all of these words are entirely negative, but we hope that’s okay with you! Here are the top Spanish adjectives for personality.

Positive words

28- agradable

Meaning: “nice” and “friendly”
Example: He pasado una tarde muy agradable.
Translation: “I’ve had a very nice afternoon.”

29- amable

Meaning: “kind”
Example: Gracias, eres muy amable.
Translation: “Thank you, you’re very kind.”

30- contento/a

Meaning: “happy”
Example: Hoy estoy muy contento.
Translation: “I’m really happy today.”

31- educado/a

Meaning: “polite”
Example: Tu hijo es muy educado.
Translation: “Your son is very polite.”

32- extrovertido/a

Meaning: “extroverted”
Example: No soy demasiado extrovertida.
Translation: “I’m not too extroverted.”

33- feliz

Meaning: “happy”
Example: Nadie me hace tan feliz como mi gato.
Translation: “Nobody makes me as happy as my cat.”

Happy Kid

34- gracioso/a

Meaning: “funny” (but it can also be used ironically)
Example: ¿Te crees gracioso?
Translation: “Do you think you’re funny?”

35- listo/a

Meaning: “smart”
Example: Tengo alumnos muy listos.
Translation: “I have very smart students.”

36- sincero/a

Meaning: “sincere”
Example: Gracias por ser sincero.
Translation: “Thank you for being sincere.”

37- valiente

Meaning: “brave”
Example: Tienes que ser valiente.
Translation: “You need to be brave.”

Check out our Top 20 Spanish Words for Positive Emotions!

Negative words

38- cansado/a

Meaning: “tired”
Example: Mi madre siempre está cansada.
Translation: “My mom is always tired.”

39- enfadado/a

Meaning: “angry”
Example: Sé que estás enfadado, pero escúchame.
Translation: “I know you’re angry, but listen to me.”

40- ingenuo/a

Meaning: “naïve”
Example: Mira que eres ingenua.
Translation: “You’re so naïve.”

41- loco/a

Meaning: “crazy”
Example: ¡Estás loco!
Translation: “You’re crazy!”

42- maleducado/a

Meaning: “rude”
Example: De pequeña era bastante maleducada.
Translation: “When I was little I was quite rude.”

43- malvado/a

Meaning: “evil”
Example: He soñado con una bruja malvada.
Translation: “I dreamed of an evil witch.”

44- serio/a

Meaning: “serious”
Example: Mi hermano es un chico serio.
Translation: “My brother is a serious boy.”

45- solitario/a

Meaning: “lonely”
Example: Siempre he sido algo solitario.
Translation: “I’ve always been somewhat lonely.”

46- tímido/a

Meaning: “shy”
Example: Mi amiga es un poco tímida.
Translation: “My friend is a little shy.”

47- torpe

Meaning: “clumsy”
Example: Es verdad que soy un poco torpe.
Translation: “It’s true that I’m a little clumsy.”

48- triste

Meaning: “sad”
Example: Me pone triste verte así.
Translation: “Seeing you like this makes me sad.”

49- vago/a

Meaning: “lazy”
Example: Hoy tengo un día vago.
Translation: “I’m having a lazy day today.”

Lazy Man Taking a Nap

For a few more words to describe personality, you can check out our list of Spanish adjectives.

6. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Speed, Difficulty, Importance, etc.

50- rápido/a

Meaning: “fast”
Example: Eres demasiado rápido para mí.
Translation: “You’re too fast for me.”

51- lento/a

Meaning: “slow”
Example: Qué lento es este coche.
Translation: “This car is so slow.”

52- fácil

Meaning: “easy”
Example: El examen me ha parecido fácil.
Translation: “I found the test easy.”

53- difícil

Meaning: “difficult”
Example: Es una pregunta difícil.
Translation: “That’s a difficult question.”

54- importante

Meaning: “important”
Example: Sé que este collar es importante para ti.
Translation: “I know this necklace is important to you.”

55- simple

Meaning: “simple”
Example: No es tan simple.
Translation: “It’s not so simple.”

56- complicado

Meaning: “complicated”
Example: Me gustaría que la vida no fuese tan complicada.
Translation: “I wish life wasn’t so complicated.”

7. Describing Colors in Spanish

No list of adjectives would be complete without a list of colors. Here we have selected some of the most basic Spanish colors as adjectives:

57- amarillo/a

Meaning: “yellow”
Example: Tengo un coche amarillo.
Translation: “I have a yellow car.”

58- azul

Meaning: “blue”
Example: Mi lámpara es azul.
Translation: “My lamp is blue.”

59- blanco/a

Meaning: “white”
Example: Me he comprado un vestido blanco.
Translation: “I bought a white dress.”

Girl Trying on a Dress

60- marrón

Meaning: “brown”
Example: No me había fijado en que tenías los ojos marrones.
Translation: “I didn’t notice you had brown eyes.”

61- negro/a

Meaning: “black”
Example: Mi primer perro era de color negro.
Translation: “My first dog was black.”

62- rojo/a

Meaning: “red”
Example: ¿Te gusta mi nuevo pintalabios rojo?
Translation: “Do you like my new red lipstick?”

63- verde

Meaning: “green”
Example: Me encantan los árboles, son tan verdes.
Translation: “I love trees, they’re so green.”

64- claro/a

Meaning: “light”
Example: Tengo la piel muy clara.
Translation: “I have really light skin.”

65- oscuro/a

Meaning: “dark”
Example: ¿Puedes encender la luz? Está muy oscuro.
Translation: “Can you turn on the lights? It’s really dark.”

8. Describing Weather

In general, there aren’t very many Spanish weather adjectives. As we saw before, we do say something is hot or cold, but not when we’re talking about us feeling hot. Instead, what we say is Tengo calor (literally, “I have heat” ) or Tengo frío (“I have cold” ). If you said Estoy caliente (“I’m hot” ) you would actually be saying that you’re horny, so that could be quite confusing to the person you’re talking to.

On a similar note, when you want to say that the weather is hot, you won’t use an adjective. You’ll have to say Hace calor, which literally translates to something like “It makes heat,” and you’ll say Hace frío when it’s cold.

Even if it’s not that common, we do use some adjectives. For example, if it’s a cloudy day, we can say Está nublado.

For more weather words in Spanish, check out our Spanish weather article.

9. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Taste

We now know how to describe the feeling of touching something, so now it’s time to see how to describe taste. When you eat Spanish food, we’re sure you’ll want to tell your host how delicious you think it is!

Cookies

66- dulce

Meaning: “sweet”
Example: Estas galletas son muy dulces.
Translation: “These cookies are very sweet.”

67- salado/a

Meaning: “salty”
Example: La tortilla está demasiado salada.
Translation: “The omelette is too salty.”

68- agrio/a

Meaning: “sour”
Example: Creo que la leche tiene un sabor agrio.
Translation: “I think this milk has a sour flavor.”

69- picante

Meaning: “spicy”
Example: ¿Este plato es picante?
Translation: “Is this dish spicy?”

70- asqueroso/a

Meaning: “disgusting”
Example: Esta fruta tiene un sabor asqueroso.
Translation: “This fruit has a disgusting taste.”

71- delicioso/a

Meaning: “delicious”
Example: Las fresas son deliciosas.
Translation: “Strawberries are delicious.”

72- amargo/a

Meaning: “bitter”
Example: El café es demasiado amargo para mí.
Translation: “Coffee is too bitter for me.”

To explore taste while you’re traveling in Spain, here’s a list of the 20 best restaurants in Spain.

10. Best Spanish Adjectives for Describing Situations

Reading

73- peligroso/a

Meaning: “dangerous”
Example: ¡No vayas! ¡Es peligroso!
Translation: “Don’t go! It’s dangerous!”

74- seguro/a

Meaning: “safe”
Example: Esta casa es completamente segura.
Translation: “This house is completely safe.”

75- divertido/a

Meaning: “fun” or “funny”
Example: Esta película es tan divertida.
Translation: “This movie is so funny.”

76- aburrido/a

Meaning: “boring”
Example: Esta clase es aburridísima.
Translation: “This lesson is so boring.”

Bored Kid

77- imposible

Meaning: “impossible”
Example: Este examen es imposible.
Translation: “This exam is impossible.”

78- posible

Meaning: “possible”
Example: Esa chica es una posible asesina.
Translation: “That girl is a possible killer.”

11. Describing Physical Traits or Physical Condition

79- viejo/a

Meaning: “old”
Example: Es solo un reloj viejo.
Translation: “It’s just an old watch.”

80- joven

Meaning: “young”
Example: Eres demasiado joven para entenderlo.
Translation: “You’re too young to understand it.”
Note: Even though being young isn’t permanent and it’s only temporary, we wouldn’t use the verb estar here: we use ser.

81- fuerte

Meaning: “strong”
Example: Tienes los brazos muy fuertes.
Translation: “You have really strong arms.”

82- débil

Meaning: “weak”
Example: Juan no es tan débil como parece.
Translation: “Juan isn’t as weak as he looks.”

83- enfermo/a

Meaning: “sick”
Example: Mi abuelo está enfermo.
Translation: “My grandfather is sick.”

84- nuevo/a

Meaning: “new”
Example: Me he comprado un anillo nuevo.
Translation: “I bought myself a new ring.”

12. Spanish Adjectives for Describing Appearance & Condition

And finally, another very common group of adjectives. These are the top Spanish adjectives to describe people’s appearance.

85- atractivo/a

Meaning: “attractive”
Example: Mi madre de joven era muy atractiva.
Translation: “When my mom was young, she was very attractive.”

86- bonito/a

Meaning: “beautiful”
Example: Me parece un cuadro muy bonito.
Translation: “I think it’s a very beautiful painting.”
Note: We can say a girl is bonita, or a thing, or a landscape, but we don’t use it to describe a boy. If we want to say a boy is good-looking, we’ll use the following adjective, guapo.

87- guapo/a

Meaning: “handsome” or “pretty”
Example: Mi novio es guapísimo.
Translation: “My boyfriend is so handsome.”

88- feo/a

Meaning: “ugly”
Example: Qué paisaje tan feo.
Translation: “It’s such an ugly landscape.”

89- calvo/a

Meaning: “bald”
Example: Mi padre ha sido calvo desde que nací.
Translation: “My father has been bald since I was born.”

90- peludo/a

Meaning: “hairy”
Example: No me gusta tener las piernas tan peludas.
Translation: “I don’t like having such hairy legs.”

91- rubio/a

Meaning: “blond”
Example: De pequeña tenía el pelo rubio.
Translation: “When I was little, I had blond hair.”

92- moreno/a

Meaning: “tanned” or “brown-haired”
Example: ¿Has visto qué morena me he puesto?
Translation: “Did you see how tan I got?”

93- pelirrojo/a

Meaning: “red-haired”
Example: Me gustan mucho las chicas pelirrojas.
Translation: “I really like red-haired girls.”

Red-Haired Girl

94- delgado/a

Meaning: “thin”
Example: Te has puesto muy delgada, ¿no?
Translation: “You got really thin, didn’t you?”

95- gordo/a

Meaning: “fat”
Example: Marta está un poco gorda.
Translation: “Marta is a little fat.”

96- obeso/a

Meaning: “obese”
Example: Si no te pones a dieta ahora, te vas a poner obesa.
Translation: “If you don’t go on a diet now, you’re going to become obese.”

97- mono/a

Meaning: “cute”
Example: Qué mona eres.
Translation: “You’re so cute.”

98- pobre

Meaning: “poor”
Example: Soy pobre, pero tengo orgullo.
Translation: “I’m poor, but I have pride.”

99- rico/a

Meaning: “rich”
Example: A veces pienso que me tendría que buscar un novio rico.
Translation: “Sometimes I think I should get a rich boyfriend.”

100- tatuado/a

Meaning: “tattooed”
Example: Mi hermano está todo tatuado.
Translation: “My brother is all tattooed.”

13. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn More Spanish

Do you feel more confident now using Spanish adjectives? Are there any Spanish adjectives you still want to know? Let us know in the comments! We always enjoy hearing from you!

We’re sure that these 100 Spanish adjectives will help you improve your level of conversation in Spanish. But let’s not stop there! There’s so much more to learn, so many new words to explore, so many friends to make! At SpanishPod101.com, you can learn so much more and really become fluent in Spanish.

You might want to take a look at our very useful vocabulary list of Spanish Adverbs and Phrases for Connecting Thoughts, or now that we’ve looked at Spanish adjectives, it might be good to check out these 25 Most Commonly Used Verbs.

If you’re here, you might be interested in moving to Spain. Why not read our article on How to Find Jobs in Spain?

Until next time, happy learning!

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Learn Spanish with Spanish Shows on Netflix

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Learning Spanish by watching Spanish movies on Netflix and Spanish TV shows on Netflix is fun and easy. You can improve your listening skills, get a better understanding of the Spanish language in everyday conversation, and learn about the cultures where this language is spoken.

When watching Spanish TV shows on Netflix, you can learn Spanish-language expressions and jokes without even realizing that you’re improving your understanding of the language. How will you know? If you laugh at the joke, you got it!

Watching the best Spanish movies on Netflix is one of the best ways of learning Spanish because you not only have access to all the Spanish and Latin American shows, but you can also choose from any Spanish accent!

  • If you’ve just started Spanish lessons, Netflix Spanish subtitles are recommended when watching Netflix Spanish language content. Or if you’re confident enough, you can choose Spanish audio as well. This way, you set your brain to the Spanish sounds you find easy and enjoy the most.
  • If you’re a complete beginner, watch a show that you’ve already seen, but this time choose Netflix Spanish subtitles. However, if you would rather watch something new, start with sound in Spanish and watch Spanish Netflix shows with English subtitles (or subtitles in your native language). This way, your brain will associate the Spanish words in your own language.
  • If you’re an advanced level language-learner, the next step is to set up subtitles in Spanish as well. As you progress, you can choose to watch good Spanish movies on Netflix without Spanish subtitles.

Netflix offers you the chance to see the TV shows’ location. Choose the one you prefer, adjust your ears to the accent, and prepare to learn and enjoy. If you watch, for example, many of the Colombian Telenovelas (soap operas), Netflix will display all the TV series from the same country and the same genre. These are very useful tips for new Spanish learners who prefer to learn a specific Spanish accent.

Ready to learn Spanish using Netflix, but wondering what to watch to learn? Enjoy our guide to the best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish-language learners! We’ve included Spanish Netflix shows for beginners, as well as shows that more advanced learners are likely to enjoy and benefit from. Let’s get started!

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Table of Contents

  1. Las Chicas del Cable: Cable Girls
  2. La Casa de Papel: Money Heist
  3. Paquita Salas
  4. La Reina del Flow: The Queen of Flow
  5. La Casa de las Flores: The House of Flowers
  6. La Niña: The Girl
  7. Élite
  8. Pablo Escobar, el Patrón del Mal: Pablo Escobar, the Boss of Evil
  9. El Puntero
  10. El Club de la Comedia: The Comedy Club
  11. Final Thoughts

1. Las Chicas del Cable: Cable Girls

This Spanish series on Netflix is set around 1920 in Madrid, a time when women were starting to fight for equality in Spain. This Spanish Netflix show is about four women who work in the first national telephone company, hence the name Cable Girls. The storyline revolves around what they have in common: their families, their husbands, and their memories.

This series features some famous Spanish actors such as Blanca Suarez, who also appears in the movies Perdiendo el Norte and El bar. Nadia de Santiago and Yon Gonzalez are in this as well. Fun fact: This is also one of the first Spanish Netflix shows.

Although it’s based in 1928, this show is one of our picks because its language is fresh and pure colloquial feminism. What kinds of situations did our grandmothers live through? How did they fight during a dictatorship, where men were at the top of everything: in the home, at work, and in political environments?

Watching this show, you’ll be able to learn a European Spanish accent. Assuming you’re an intermediate-level language-learner, you should know all the expressions used. If this isn’t the case, you should still be able to enjoy the subject matter, so we recommend using subtitles in your mother tongue if you’re just starting with Spanish. Later, you can switch the audio to Spanish to start getting used to it.

Some famous sentences of the show include:

  • ¿Pensar o dejarse llevar? Ese siempre es el dilema. El corazón nos hace soñar, pero es la cabeza la que convierte los sueños en realidad.
    “Think or let it be? This is always a dilemma. The heart makes us dream, but it is our heads that make our dreams come true.”
  • Hacen falta muchos golpes para que los ojos dejen de mirar a través del corazón.
    “It takes a lot of blows for the eyes to stop looking through the heart.”
  • La confianza se gana día a día, pero se pierde en un instante, como un vaso de agua que se derrama en el suelo.
    “Trust is gained day by day, but it is lost in an instant, like a glass of water spilling on the ground.”
  • Uno no elige de quien se enamora… pero elige con quién se queda.
    “You do not choose who you fall in love with…but you choose who you stay with.”
  • Diez años no son suficientes para olvidarte.
    “Ten years is not enough to forget about you.”

2. La Casa de Papel: Money Heist

One of the most-watched Spanish shows on Netflix, this show is about a robbery. A group of highly experienced criminals, eight thieves to be exact, take people hostage and lock themselves in the Royal Mint of Spain. The leader of this heist is the mysterious “Professor” who manipulates the national police to carry out this plan. The show has plenty of head-spinning twists and turns, psychological games, hostage situations, and political messages throughout.

Úrsula Corberó stars in this series, a well-known actress from the Spanish show Física o Química. Alba Flores takes part in the cast as well. She’s known for her role as Saray in the popular Vis a Vis series which Spanish Netflix no longer offers.

This show has a lot of hidden swearing. So, subtitles are highly recommended. It doesn’t matter if you have a high level of Spanish, because you don’t only need the translation, you also need the context to get these expressions. Through watching this Spanish Netflix thriller, you’ll be able to learn some Spanish slang. Here are some examples:

  • Soy la puta ama.
    “I’m f*cking God.”
  • Me has cortado el rollo.
    “You cut my mood.”
  • Me he sobao.
    “I fell asleep.”
  • Qué pachorra
    “Such laziness.”
  • Me he pasado la vida siendo un poco hijo de puta, pero hoy creo que me apetece morir con dignidad.
    “I’ve spent my whole life being a son of a b*tch, but today I think I prefer to die with dignity.”
  • Solo vemos las consecuencias cuando están delante de nuestras narices.
    “We only see the consequences when they are in front of us.”
  • Las cosas se van a poner muy feas y no soy de quedarme quieta, soy más de ponerme a disparar.
    “Things are going to get worse and I can’t be still, I’m the one who starts shooting.”

3. Paquita Salas

Paquita Salas is one of the best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish language learners. Why? Because you will not only learn, but laugh as well. This show is about her life as an artist manager in the 90s, more particularly about her misfortune. Watch how her career falls apart while she refuses to let it go.

This series was created, written, and directed by a young and well-known gay couple in Spain: Javier Calvo & Javier Ambrossi. Javier Calvo’s first hit was on Física y Química. Then, together they participated in Operación Triunfo, the singer’s reality show where both are interpretation teachers. If you want to know more about these two artists, they also appear in some of the best Spanish movies on Netflix, such as La Llamada, a great comedy musical.

Produced by Apache Films, this show has three seasons. It’s full of actors who are pretty well-known, starring Brays Efe and Belén Cuesta. Other appearances include Yolanda Ramos, Anna Castillo, and Lidia San José.

You should watch this Spanish Netflix series from Spain because you can learn easy, common Spanish language with a European accent, as well as a lot of Spanish idioms based on the entertainment business in Spain. If you find yourself laughing at these Spanish idioms, you can be sure that you’re improving your Spanish skills. You can use the subtitles to internalize these advanced idioms even further.

  • Que ella es actriz, que se ha hecho cursos.
    “She’s an actress, she has taken courses.”
  • El teatro lo tienes que ver de lejos, como si fuera un primer plano. Si eres buen actor es un primer plano de lejos.
    “You have to see the theatre from far away like it was a close-up. If you’re a good actor, it is a close-up from a distance.”
  • Una gorda vale para cualquier época si lo hace bien. Véndelo.
    “A fat woman is worth any season if she does it right. Sell it.”
  • Buscamos a la actriz 360.
    “We are looking for actress 360.”
  • La carrera no se la sacó, pero las prácticas se las hizo todas.
    “She did not finish her college degree, but she did all her placements.”

Improve Pronunciation

4. La Reina del Flow: The Queen of Flow

This show is another easy pick. It follows the life of a teenager named Yeimy, who loves music. She falls in love with a musician who steals her music and puts her in jail. You should watch this Colombian TV series if you’re a fan of soap operas. Why? Because it has all the drama of a South American Telenovela, and is one of the best telenovelas to learn Spanish on Netflix. This show is recommended for beginners, especially if you’re interested in learning a more Latino accent.

In this show, you’ll learn other ways to say hello: ¿Qué hubo pues? and ¿Qué más pues? The pues is a pet word used excessively by paisas, but this is because of the city where this show is set: Medellin.

Some new Spanish learners find it easy to listen to South American accents because of the pronunciation, but you have to take into account that the words and meanings are different than those in other Spanish-speaking countries. However, if you’re an advanced learner, you’ll find this type of show very useful for improving your understanding.

Watch the trailer and see if the accent helps you learn faster!

5. La Casa de las Flores: The House of Flowers

Another pick for one of the best telenovelas to learn Spanish on Netflix is La Casa de las Flores. This show is a dark comedy, which means you’ll laugh till you pee yourself. Why? Well, you’ll find out by watching this dysfunctional Mexican family Los Mora.

A mother tries to keep her family together after her husband’s affair was discovered while she takes refuge in weed. To further complicate things, her daughter has a crush on her new sister’s brother, and her son has an identity crisis.

If you’re a beginner Spanish learner, this show is perfect for you. Unlike the slang language in other Mexican TV shows on Netflix, this type of Spanish Mexican accent is a little posh. The famous actress Cecilia Suarez speaks so slowly, which is great for Spanish learners (but be patient, and you’ll find out why she speaks like that by episode ten). If you like Mexican Spanish accents, you should also watch one of the best Spanish movies on Netflix, Roma.

6. La Niña: The Girl

This show, one of the best shows on Netflix to learn Spanish, follows the life of a former guerrilla fighter who faces challenges as she tries to reintegrate into society and overcome her traumatic past memories.

The Spanish language used in this TV show is mostly slang, but it’s very useful for intermediate learners because of the Colombian accent. Some Spanish learners may find this accent very understandable and clear.

In this series, you’ll learn to say “friend,” “mate,” or “buddy” the Colombian way: mijo and mano. These are basically the union of mi hijo (mijo) meaning “my son,” and a shortened version of hermano (mano), meaning “brother,” respectively. These two ways of saying “my friend” are very common in the region where this series is set: The Colombian jungle.

If you’re still interested in shows that follow subjects like Narcos and Breaking Bad, this show is for you. But, be careful; you’ll find yourself watching one episode after another, since this Colombian telenovela is meant for that. In other words, a great excuse to stay home all day on Sunday.

7. Élite

Elite is the last international push that Netflix in Spain made of a non-English language show. This show is a teen drama based in an exclusive school in Spain, Las Encinas, where three working-class students are awarded scholarships to study.

Elite makes our list of best TV shows on Netflix for Spanish language learners because of its drama, which is being compared to shows such as Gossip Girl or 13 Reasons Why. You’ll get hooked on this teenage drama and the great mystery of a murder! You’ll want to know who died and who did it while you improve your Spanish.

This TV show makes our list of great Netflix shows to learn Spanish. It uses teen language that’s all about drugs, immigration, and discrimination in Spain.

You’ll get hooked with their flashbacks, and at the same time learn with a very neutral European accent from the start. Famous Spanish actors take part in this show such as Maria Pedraza, Itzan Escamilla, and Miguel Bernardeau. One of the best students, Lucrecia, is a Mexican actress and singer; her accent and idioms will enrich the language that appears on the show. Can you spot the difference between accents?

Some famous sentences from the show:

  • Bájate de ahí de una vez, porque necesito abrazarte.
    “Get out of there, because I need to hug you.”
  • Nosotros siempre nos hemos apoyado, en las buenas y en las malas.
    “We’ve always leaned on each other, in good and bad times.”
  • Me gusta mucho pero no voy a poder estar con él nunca.
    “I like him a lot but I can never be with him.”
  • Vamos a por ellos.
    “Let’s go and get them.”

8. Pablo Escobar, el Patrón del Mal: Pablo Escobar, the Boss of Evil

If you watched Narcos, you’ll probably enjoy watching Pablo Escobar, the Boss of Evil. It may feel like too much at first, I understand, since this type of series has become very popular on Netflix. Oh, there are too many to choose from.

Unlike the famous Narcos, this Pablo Escobar series is based on the real life of the drug dealer, and is produced in his homeland: Medellin, Colombia. What’s more, all the actors, including Andres Parra and Angie Cepeda, are Colombians, so you’ll get your Latino accent right.

You should watch this Spanish Netflix TV series if you want to improve your understanding of the language and set your ears to it. The main Colombian expression of this series is: Plata o plomo, meaning “Money or death.” Although it uses a lot of Latino slang, this show is very useful for beginners because the Colombian accent is neutral and the actors articulate very well.

You should watch the trailer to get a real sense of Colombian drug culture during Pablo Escobar’s life.

9. El Puntero

This TV series follows the life of a social leader in a conflicting neighborhood. The main character, played by Julio Chavez, will try everything to have more power and negotiate the needs of his people.

You should watch this show on Netflix if you want to take your Spanish to the next level: an advanced level. Why? This Argentinian TV show has so much slang.

You may have learned all the Mexican and Colombian slang from Narcos., In this show, you’ll learn Argentinian slang which is influenced by Italian. Can you spot the difference between Spanish accents yet?

In this show, you can learn the Argentinian use of vos instead of tu (both meaning “you”).

Watch the trailer to learn more about this Argentinian accent.

10. El Club de la Comedia: The Comedy Club

Spanish Netflix offers two seasons of this stand-up comedy show, ten episodes which are about seventy-five minutes long. It includes all of the best comedians from all around Spain. This Netflix series contains European Spanish from many places. Dani Rovira from Malaga, Eva Hace from Central Spain, Dani Mateo from Catalunia, and Ernesto Sevilla from Albacete.

With these stand-ups, you’ll learn (as Ernesto Sevilla usually says): A partirnos el culo. This expression means that you’ll laugh till you pee yourself.

This Spanish comedy program is the type of show that will speed up your learning. You may find it hard at the beginning, but once your ears get used to it, you’ll find yourself laughing.

This type of TV show will definitely improve your level of understanding. Once you understand a joke, you come to realize how much you understand the language and the culture where the language is spoken.

This is certainly one of our Netflix shows to learn Spanish that we highly recommend for all our advanced learners.

11. Final Thoughts

Best Ways to Learn

In this article, we’ve introduced you to the concept of how to learn Spanish with Netflix, and provided you with a Netflix Spanish TV shows list. We firmly believe that watching any of these good Spanish series can significantly improve your language skills and enhance your cultural knowledge!

If you liked this top ten, then feel free to find more resources, lessons, and videos from our website SpanishPod101. There are more than 2,000 lessons made for you to learn and improve your Spanish.

Let us know which of these Netflix shows you plan on watching first and why! On SpanishPod101, we have a lively community forum that can help you with your Spanish needs in a fun and easy manner! We’d love to hear from you.

Know that your hard work will pay off, and you’ll soon be speaking like a native!

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Día de la Bandera: Celebrating Mexican Flag Day

D�a de la Bandera: Celebrating Mexican Flag Day

On Mexican Flag Day (Dia de la Bandera), the people of Mexico celebrate their country’s flag and the aspects of independence it depicts. This is a significant holiday in Mexico, and one draped in colorful symbolism.

In this article, you’ll learn about National Flag Day, Mexico’s gradual victory toward independence from Spain, and more fun facts about the Flag of Mexico. Let’s get started!

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1. What is National Flag’s Day in Mexico?

In Mexico, National Flag Day is a day set aside to honor the Mexican Flag. This holiday has its origins in 1935, when a Bank of Mexico employee (Benito Ramírez) set up a special honor guard to celebrate the Flag of Mexico. Five years later, in 1940, National Flag’s Day became an official holiday at the bidding of then-President Lázaro Cárdenas.

In addition to the Flag of Mexico itself, people commemorate the events leading up to Mexico’s independence from Spain and the Plan of Three Guarantees that came along with this independence. The Mexican Flag is central to these themes, with each of its three colors representing one of the guarantees and other aspects of Mexico’s freedom. (We’ll go more into detail about Mexico’s flag later!)

2. Mexican Flag Day’s Date

Mexican Flag Waving in the Air

Each year, Mexicans honor their country’s flag on February 24, which is the date in 1821 that the Iguala Plan came into effect and the end of the War of Independence was signed.

3. The Mexican Flag Day Celebration

People Holding Hands in Unity

In Mexico, Flag Day celebrations aren’t very elaborate, and because this is not a public holiday, many people still need to go to work and school on this day. While there aren’t many Mexican Flag Day activities, some people are still able to enjoy watching the military raise a giant Mexican Flag in celebration.

If you happen to be in the country on February 24, Mexican Flag Day, expect to see the streets and buildings decorated with a sea of Mexican Flag colors.

    → Interested in learning more about celebrations and festivities in Spanish-speaking countries? Check out this lesson by SpanishPod101!

4. The Mexican Flag – Colors and Symbolism

As you probably know, the Mexican Flag colors are green, white, and red. Do you know what they stand for, though?

Well, when the flag was first created, the meanings were a little bit different than they are today.

1821 Today
Green (Verde) Independence from Spain Hope (Esperanza)
White (Blanco) Catholicism Purity (Pureza)
Red (Rojo) Unity and Equality Blood (Sangre)

The first set of color meanings directly relates to the Three Guarantees mentioned earlier. These guarantees were that Mexico would: be independent of Spain, claim Catholicism as its religion, and live in unity and equality with each other (and with the Spaniards in Mexico).

Curious about the design? The Mexican Flag’s design features an eagle standing on top of a cactus while eating a snake. It might sound pretty weird, but it’s based on a story about Aztecs who stumbled upon a similar scene and, believing it to be a sign from the gods, decided to build their empire in that very spot.

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Dia de la Bandera

Mexico’s National Coat of Arms

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words from this article? Here’s a list of the most important words for Mexican Flag Day!

  • Sangre — “Blood”
  • Águila — “Eagle”
  • Día de la Bandera — “National Flag’s Day”
  • Verde — “Green”
  • Blanco — “White”
  • Rojo — “Red”
  • Esperanza — “Hope”
  • Bandera — “Flag”
  • Escudo de armas — “National coat of arms”
  • Unidad — “Unity”
  • Símbolo — “Symbol”

To hear each of these vocabulary words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Mexican National Flag’s Day vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Dia de la Bandera with us, and that you learned something new today. What does Flag Day look like in your country? What does your country’s flag mean? Tell us about it in the comments!

Mexican culture is colorful and unique. If you’re interested in learning even more about it, check out the following pages on SpanishPod101.com:

Whatever your reasons for developing an interest in Mexican culture or the Spanish language, know that SpanishPod101.com is the best way to expand your knowledge and improve your skills. With tons of fun lessons for beginners, intermediate learners, and more advanced students, there’s something for everyone!

Create your free lifetime account today, and start learning Spanish like never before.

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Spanish Conjunctions Guide: Link Your Thoughts Together

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Conjunctions in Spanish are a crucial part of learning Spanish. They allow you to connect your thoughts, make comparisons, and put sentences together.

Clarity is very important when you’re learning a new language. Not only because the other person will understand what you’re saying, but also because it will build your confidence.

Do you remember when you first decided to learn Spanish? You may still remember how frustrating it was to try having a fluid conversation with a native speaker. You were trying to find the small words to express yourself properly.

We all find ourselves saying: “I have a brother. I have a sister. I have a mother. I do not have a father.”

Well, this is what Spanish conjunctions will do for you. Learning Spanish conjunctions will help you string sentences together: “I have a brother and a sister and a mother, but I do not have a father.”

In this article, you’ll find our Spanish conjunctions list that will show you what small Spanish conjunction words can do for you.

Your thoughts will come out nicely, you’ll be easily understood, and your confidence will increase much faster since you’ll sound like, at the least, an upper-intermediate Spanish learner.

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Table of Contents

  1. Spanish Conjunctions Review: What are Spanish Conjunctions?
  2. Spanish Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts
  3. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Condition
  4. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Cause
  5. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Opposition
  6. Spanish Adverbial Conjunctions
  7. Spanish Conjunctions that Offer Alternatives
  8. Spanish Subordinating Conjunctions
  9. Spanish Conjunctions that Allow You to Give Reasons
  10. Spanish Subjunctive Conjunctions
  11. Conclusion

1. Spanish Conjunctions Review: What are Spanish Conjunctions?

The first thing we do when trying to learn a new language is to put simple sentences together: “I want a coffee.” Now, it’s time for you to learn how to put these simple sentences together: “I want a coffee and a muffin,” or “I like muffins, but I prefer a cookie.” That’s what Spanish conjunctions are, and how they can help you.

Coffee and Pastries

A conjunction in Spanish is a word that helps you create relationships between words, phrases, clauses, and sentences.

Keep in mind that some conjunctions in Spanish may not have meaning by themselves. They have a different meaning in different contexts, which is why it’s important to know what their functions are and how to use them. Throughout this article, we’ll go over some Spanish conjunctions rules to give you a better idea about their use.

So let’s see some of them in our Spanish conjunctions list!

2. Spanish Conjunctions to Correlate Similar Thoughts

This is the most important—and easy—conjunction in Spanish: y, meaning “and.” It allows you to add more than one sentence together.

We actually overdo this Spanish conjunction quite often. Take a look at what we mean:

  • Me gusta la comida española y la italiana y la francesa y la griega.
    “I like Spanish food and Italian food and French food and Greek food.”

Selection of Different Type of Foods

  • Santiago pidió de comer y pagó toda la cuenta.
    “Santiago ordered the food and paid the whole bill.”
  • El policía me pidió el carné, anotó mis datos y me puso una multa.
    “The police officer asked for my licence, wrote down my information, and I got a fine.”

This use of this Spanish conjunction has an exception where you have to use e instead of y. They mean exactly the same thing, but if your next word or sentence starts with the vowel –i-, you have to use e instead of y.

Why? Well, –i– and –y– in Spanish sound the same, so you have to use –e– to emphasize that you’re adding more information. Let’s see how:

  • María es guapa e interesante.
    “Maria is beautiful and interesting.”
  • Daniel e Isabela se acaban de conocer.
    “Daniel and Isabela just met each other.”

However, if the next word starts with –h-, although this letter has no sound in Spanish, you can use –y-.

  • He comprado agua y hielo.
    “I bought water and ice.”
  • El puente es de acero y hierro.
    “The bridge is from steel and iron.”

3. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Condition

Sentence Patterns

This is our English-Spanish conjunctions list for conjunctions that are used to express a condition. When you use these Spanish conjunctions, you’re expressing a specific condition that must be met for the rest of the sentence to be true or possible.

  • Si: “If”

Si vas a ir al supermercado, compra leche.
“If you are going to the supermarket, buy milk.”

  • En caso de que: “If”; “in case of”

This Spanish conjunction has the same meaning as the English word “if,” but in Spanish it’s used at the beginning of the sentence.

En caso de que decidas venir a la fiesta, compra más cervezas.
“If you decide to come to the party, buy more beers.”

  • Como: “If”

We included this word to our conjunctions in Spanish list because in English, you can just use “if,” but in Spanish this word has a different meaning that the phrase above. You use como if you want to warn someone about something. Let’s see how:

Como no vengas a casa temprano, no sales mañana otra vez.
“If you don’t come home early, you won’t go out again tomorrow.”

  • Siempre que: “If”; “provided”

Siempre que seas honrado todo te saldrá bien.
“Provided you are honest, everything will be fine.”

4. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Cause

Improve Listening

These should be on your Spanish conjunctions worksheets because you need them to express the results and consequences of what you’ve said or done.

  • Así que: “So”

Acabo de llegar a casa así que te llamo luego.
“I have just arrived home, so I will call you back later.”

  • Luego: “So”

This Spanish conjunction may mean the same as Así que, but it’s less common. You’ll see it more in books or literary articles than in speech.

No tengo efectivo, luego no podré comprarme un café.
“I do not have cash on me, so I can’t buy myself a coffee.”

  • De modo que: “So”; “so that”

Salgamos de casa ya, de modo que lleguemos temprano al cine.
“Let’s leave home now so we can arrive early for the movie.”

5. Spanish Conjunctions to Express Opposition

Improve Listening Part 2

This conjunction list will help you express contrast.

  • Pero: “But”

Voy a ir a tu fiesta pero primero tengo que ir a casa.
“I am going to your party, but I have to go home first.”

  • Aunque: “Although”; “even though”

Seguiré buscando trabajo aunque sea difícil
“I will carry on looking for a job, even though it’s still difficult.”

  • Sin embargo: “However”

Me gusta el helado, sin embargo prefiero el yogur cuando estoy en casa.
“I like ice cream; however, I prefer yogurt when I am home.”

  • No obstante: “However”; “nevertheless”

Nos lo pasamos bien en la primera cita, no obstante, no la volví a ver.
“We had a good time on our first date; however, I didn’t see her again.”

  • Por lo demás: “Otherwise”; “apart from that”

No creo que la conclusión esté bien; por lo demás, el ensayo está muy bien.
“I don’t think the conclusion was good; apart from the conclusion, the essay is fine.”

  • Excepto: “Except for”

Me gustan todas las verduras excepto la patatas.
“I like all vegetables except for potatoes.”

6. Spanish Adverbial Conjunctions

Spanish adverbial conjunctions are also known as conjunctive adverbs. They’re adverbs with the characteristics and functions of conjunctions. They join two or more words together, and are used when you want to express the result, purpose, or consequences of something.

Adverbial conjunctions show continuity, joined under casual or situational dependence. The most-used adverbial conjunctions in Spanish are:

  • Cuando: “When”; “if”; “as”; “whenever”

Toda la comida estaba preparada cuando tú llegaste.
“All the food was prepared when you arrived.”

  • Mientras: “While”

Puedes ir comprando palomitas mientras compro las entradas.
“You can buy the popcorn while I’m buying the tickets.”

  • Donde: “Where”

Vivo muy cerca de donde tú trabajas.
“I live pretty close to where you work.”

  • Como: “As”; “like”

Tengo el pelo rizado como tu madre.
“I have curly hair just like your mom.”

7. Spanish Conjunctions that Offer Alternatives

These conjunctions in Spanish help you choose between different alternatives.

  • O: “Or”

¿Quieres café o té?
“Would you like tea or coffee?”

  • U: “Or”

U has the same function that o does, but it’s used whenever the next word starts with –o. This is just like the –e to –y rule from earlier in this article. They sound the same, so you have to change the Spanish conjunction to hear the alternative given.

¿Quieres ir a California u Orlando?
“Do you want to go to California or to Orlando?”

California Car's Plate

¿A qué hora comienza la película, siete u ocho?
“What time does the movie start, at seven or eight?”

8. Spanish Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions in Spanish allow you to join an independent sentence with a dependent sentence.

A dependent sentence alone wouldn’t make any sense without the independent one, thus these Spanish subordinating conjunctions will help you make sense of the whole sentence, situation, or event.

  • Porque: “Because”

No voy a ir al gimnasio porque me siento muy enferma.
“I am not going to the gym because I am not feeling well.”

  • Pues: “Since”

Deberíamos ir a cine el miércoles, pues creo que es más barato que el sábado.
“We should go to the movies on Wednesday since I think it’s cheaper than Saturday.”

  • Ya que: “Since”; “seeing that”

Voy a ir al mercadillo, ya que tengo que comprar verduras.
“I am going to the street market, since I have to buy vegetables.”

There are other synonyms with the same use as the ones above: dado que, por cuanto, a causa de que, por lo cual… They would be the same translations in English: “because,” “therefore,” “since…”

9. Spanish Conjunctions that Allow You to Give Reasons

This type of conjunction in Spanish allows you to give a reason for why something happens the way it does.

These useful Spanish conjunctions can help you answer the question ¿Por qué?, or “Why?” As for the first one on the list, you’ll simply use the two words together without the accent.

  • Porque: “Because”

No voy a la fiesta porque tengo que trabajar mañana en la mañana.
“I am not going to the party because I am working tomorrow morning.”

  • Ya que; puesto que; en vista de que: “Since”; “because”

No me he comprado un coche ya que no tengo dinero.
“I did not buy myself a car because I do not have any money.”

No vamos a ir al parque puesto que está lloviendo.
“We are not going to the park because it is raining.”

En vista de que no quieres comer nada, no te daré el helado tampoco.
“Since you haven’t eaten anything, I won’t give you ice cream either.”

Ice Cream

  • Pues: “Because”; “since”; “for”

Hemos decidido vender el coche, pues nos vamos a Inglaterra.
“We have decided to sell the car because we are going to England.”

  • Como: “Since”

Es mejor que cambies de profesión, como has pensado empezar de nuevo.
“It’s better to change your profession since you’ve thought to start again.”

10. Spanish Subjunctive Conjunctions

With some Spanish conjunctions, the subjunctive is needed to express a hypothetical uncertainty as to whether an action or event will take place, or whether or not a situation will happen.

  • A menos que: “Unless”

El gato se quedará dormido a menos que el ratón salga de su escondite.
“The cat will fall asleep unless the mouse gets out of its hideaway.”

  • En caso (de) que: “In case”

Voy a dejar las llaves del coche en caso de que quieras usarlo.
“I am going to leave the car keys in case you want to use them.”

  • Antes de que: “Before”

Antes de que salgas corriendo, déjame la comida preparada.
“Before you run out, leave the food ready for me.”

  • Con tal de que: “So that”

Limpié la casa con tal de que no discutiéramos.
“I cleaned the house so that we wouldn’t fight.”

  • Para que: “So that”

Voy a ir a supermercado para que tengas pan para mañana.
“I am going to the supermarket so that you have bread for tomorrow.”

  • Sin que: “Without”

Habían pasado tres semanas sin que Juan viera a Silvia.
“It had been three weeks without Juan seeing Silvia.”

11. Conclusion

Do you want to sound like a confident Spanish speaker? After this article, and lots of practice with important Spanish conjunctions, you will! These basic Spanish conjunctions will help you link different parts of sentences together. You can use them to include ideas in your sentences, or to exclude them. You have to be very clear about that; after this post, you get it, right?

Here at SpanishPod101, you can find many resources, forums, and even a Spanish conjunctions worksheet for extra Spanish conjunctions practice to help you learn at your own speed. Why don’t you give it a try? You lose nothing and gain more knowledge about our Spanish conjunctions list.

Happy learning!

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Why Spanish Speaking Countries Are Popular Study Abroad Destinations

Why Spanish Speaking Countries Are Popular Study Abroad Destinations

A recent study has indicated that Spanish speaking countries are rising in popularity as study abroad destinations for international students. From Spain to Mexico to Costa Rica if you’re looking to study abroad, Spanish speaking countries are proving to be the ultimate destinations.

Second only to Mandarin Chinese, Spanish has one of the largest numbers of native speakers in the world. Native Spanish speakers span countries and continents, and learning Spanish will give you linguistic access to a huge portion of the world’s population, as well as a window into a diverse medley of cultures across the Americas and Europe.

As globalization continues to bring the world closer together, it’s clear that students are recognizing the importance of learning new languages by studying abroad. In a recent survey from educations.com, of the 33,000 students surveyed a whopping 31% revealed that language learning was a top priority when they considered their destination options for studying abroad. Of those most concerned with language learning, nearly one-fifth were going abroad specifically to learn a new language.

Being so widespread, learning Spanish by studying in a Spanish-speaking country is an effective way not only to gain invaluable cultural understanding of your destination country, but also to make your resume stand out for potential future employers. A study by Korn/Ferry indicated that 79% of North American recruiters listed Spanish as the most-valued additional language by employers. Furthermore, Spanish is considered one of the six best languages for the workplace as we settle into the new decade.

Given the ubiquity of Spanish as a global language, how is it impacting where students are choosing to study abroad? The proof is in the pudding, as Spanish-speaking countries ranked in both the list of the 2019 Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations in Europe, and around the world! Spain alone was ranked as #1 in Europe and #2 in the world ,while Mexico and Costa Rica were ranked as #5 and #6 respectively on the list of 2019 Top 10 Global Study Abroad Destinations.

With such impressive rankings across the board, we decided to explore the common denominator behind these study abroad destinations – the Spanish language – and find out why students from around the world are seeing the value of learning a new language through studying abroad, and the particular value of choosing to learn Spanish.

But Why Spanish?

Languages

English forms a part of many students’ everyday life, from popular culture, interacting with tourists, or you may even be from an English-speaking country! No matter the circumstances, it’s hard to deny the linguistic monolith that English has become.

Despite the undeniable presence of English around the world, other languages like Spanish have actually been growing both in terms of native speakers and second-language learners. To understand the popularity of learning Spanish through studying abroad, however, we should take a closer look at the language itself.

A member of the romance language family, Spanish is a close cousin to Italian, Portuguese, French, and Romanian. That’s not to say that all these languages are mutually intelligible, but they all have roots in Vulgar Latin and share some common characteristics both in terms of vocabulary and grammatical structure. With these close connections, if you already have some basic competency in a romance language the structure of Spanish will feel a lot more familiar.

On the flipside, once you have a romance language like Spanish in your back pocket you’ll have a significant advantage if you decide to learn another language in the same family. Furthermore, Spanish is one of the easiest languages for individuals already proficient in English to pick up. It’s not hard to see why studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country is one of the best ways to get on the road to fluency.

An important thing to remember, however, is that given the numerous benefits of learning a new language, there’s no time like the present to start your language learning journey! Spanish’s linguistic ubiquity means that there are a massive variety of language-learning resources to take advantage of before you set off on your study abroad adventure. By at least beginning to learn Spanish before heading to Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica or any of the other Spanish-speaking study abroad destinations, you’ll be well-equipped to ease into life as an international student from the moment you land. By being able to make yourself understood, communicate with locals, and have an immediate relative understanding of the culture, the transition to study abroad life will be significantly smoother.

Now that we have a better understanding of why Spanish is such a popular language to learn by studying abroad, let’s explore the top-ranked destinations for learning Spanish abroad.

Study Abroad in Spain

Spain

Ranked number one amongst the Top 10 Study Abroad Destinations in Europe and ranked second in the world, low cost-of-living, mild climate, top rated education and Mediterranean culture all combine to make Spain an irresistible study abroad destination. Learning Spanish by studying abroad in Spain will give you access to some of Southern Europe’s most exciting cities, world-renowned cuisine and thriving nightlife. Ranked first in Europe for adventure and third for culture, studying abroad in Spain is an immersive experience you’ll be unlikely to forget. Like with any language, the variety of Spanish spoken in Spain differs significantly from the Spanish you’ll find spoken across the Americas, but adjusting to the difference in dialects is as simple as gaining exposure, and putting your skills and knowledge into practice.

Study Abroad In Mexico

Mexico

Mexico’s impressive fifth-best worldwide study abroad destination shouldn’t be outflanked by its number one ranking for making friends, and number three ranking for adventure. Learning Spanish by studying in Mexico is sure to be a sociable adventure! With a rich Mayan and Aztec history, temperate climate and whopping 35 UNESCO world heritage sites, anything and everything is up for exploration in Mexico. The variety of Spanish spoken in Mexico is largely defined on a regional level, and outside the classroom you should expect to get comfortable with a significant amount of slang specific to Mexico. Language is a window into local culture, and getting a hang of Mexican Spanish is a natural progression towards understanding Mexican culture.

Study Abroad In Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Taking a strong #6 spot amongst the world’s best study abroad destinations, Costa Rica is an oft unexplored study abroad option for international students hoping to learn Spanish. A small country in the heart of Central America, Costa Rica also ranks number one in the world on the Happy Planet Index, which measures life expectancy, well-being, ecological footprint, and inequality. Choosing Costa Rica to study abroad will offer you the once in a lifetime opportunity to experience pura vida first-hand, the incredible Costa Rican Jungle, and staggering biodiversity considering Costa Rica’s small geographic area. Like all varieties of Spanish, Tiquismos (Costa Rican Spanish) has a multitude of particularities, like it’s use of vos and usted as opposed to .

SpanishPod101’s Guide to Etiquette in Spanish-Speaking Countries

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When learning about etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries, keep in mind that every culture is different, and even neighboring countries might have very different customs from one another. Sometimes, what might seem normal or even polite to you could be interpreted as weird or rude in another country. In the same way, something you find rude might seem common to someone else. Don’t worry, though. We’re here to help you not make the same mistakes other people have made!

Maybe one of the first things you need to know here is that “etiquette” in Spanish is called protocolo or etiqueta. Even though protocolo is a bit more common, etiqueta is equally valid, so you can stick to whichever word you prefer!

Another thing you might want to do when trying to find out about Spanish etiquette is to do some online research on it, which is completely understandable. However, we did some reading too, and we want to warn you that if you do so, you might find Spanish “rules” of etiquette that are very outdated and not appropriate anymore.

For example, we read that women aren’t allowed to cross their legs or wear shorts, which is completely false nowadays. Trust us, you definitely can. Maybe not for formal occasions, but if you want to survive a Spanish summer, you might want to wear shorts when you go out with friends or family.

Here’s our practical, relevant guide on etiquette in Spanish-speaking countries. Read up and wow your hosts with your Spanish social etiquette!

Table of Contents

  1. Do’s and Don’ts for Dining
  2. Do’s and Don’ts for Sightseeing
  3. Do’s and Don’ts for Greetings
  4. Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting a House
  5. Do’s and Don’ts When Riding Public Means of Transportation
  6. Do’s and Don’ts for Business
  7. Do’s and Don’ts for Celebrations
  8. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn Spanish

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1. Do’s and Don’ts for Dining

Hygiene

Eating is an important part of any culture, but dining etiquette can be really different from one country to another. This makes knowing the most basic Spanish meal time etiquette essential. Here are the most basic Spanish dining etiquette rules to keep in mind.

  • No sorbas (Don’t slurp): While in other countries such as Japan, this is considered polite, it’s rude to slurp in Spain.
  • No eructes (Don’t burp): Just like slurping your food, burping is considered rude in Spain. Some people definitely burp in public, but trust us, no one likes those people.
  • No pongas los codos encima de la mesa (Don’t rest your elbows on the table): It’s allowed for your arms to be on the table, as long as your elbows aren’t touching it.
  • No insultes la comida española (Don’t insult Spanish cuisine): While this might sound obvious, there are ways of insulting Spanish cuisine that you might not realize are offensive to Spaniards. Take this example: In 2016, Jamie Oliver made the mistake of adding chorizo to a paella and posting it online. To save you from reading the entire article, we all went mad! In case you’re wondering, chorizo doesn’t go in paella. To this day, we still haven’t forgiven him. We could give you more examples, but they’re all quite similar: someone decides to cook a Spanish recipe, but gets a little too creative and makes the entire country of Spain go berserk. Just stick to our recipes; they’re already amazing and don’t need changes!

Family Celebration

  • Deberías esperar hasta que todos estén sentados y con comida en sus platos (You should wait until everyone is seated and has food on their plates): It’s considered rude to start eating if there are people at the table who haven’t been served their food. Or, in the case of dining in someone’s house, wait until everyone, including the guest, is sitting down.
  • Siempre deberías tener las manos visibles (Your hands should always be visible): While your elbows shouldn’t be on the table, as we mentioned before, hands should be.

When you’re dining at a restaurant, there are some other specific Spanish restaurant etiquette rules you need to know. For instance, is tipping expected in Spain?

  • Dejar propina es opcional (Tipping is optional): Spain isn’t like other countries such as the USA, where tipping is compulsory even if your server didn’t do a good job—and not only that, but you actually need to know math to know how much you need to tip! Tipping in Spain is seen as a nice gesture, but people usually only do it when they feel like they need to reward their server for a good job. And when you do so, you don’t need to think of what percentage is appropriate. Rather, it’s more about just giving them a couple of coins, whatever you have in your wallet, as you see fit.

If you’re dining in someone’s house, however, this is what you should keep in mind:

  • Deberías esperar a que alguien te muestre tu asiento o a que el resto de gente empiece a sentarse (You should wait until someone shows you to your seat or until people start to sit down): The host will often let you know where you can sit.
  • Deberías ofrecer tu ayuda al anfitrión (You should offer to help the host): This is considered polite, even though most of the time they’ll tell you not to worry and ask you to take a seat.

2. Do’s and Don’ts for Sightseeing

Bad Phrases

We don’t think we need to teach you basic Spanish protocol and etiquette when it comes to sightseeing, such as not cutting in line and respecting other people’s cultures, but some things might not be exactly the same everywhere.

For example, here’s something you should always keep in mind when you’re on an escalator. They normally have signs that explain what is prohibited, such as wearing flip-flops, but there’s one unspoken rule that’s never included on the signs but that everyone knows:

  • Siempre deberías quedarte en el lado derecho (You should always stand on the right side): Unless you’re walking, you should always stay on your right whenever you’re on an escalator. It doesn’t matter if you’re going up or down: the left side is only for walking. Don’t use an escalator like the man in the picture, he’s doing it wrong!

Man Standing on the Escalator

Another matter that can be a little bit complicated if you’re not familiar with it is visiting a church. Here are a few Spanish culture and etiquette tips you should know if you want to visit a church or cathedral in Spain:

  • No lleves pantalones cortos ni sandalias (Don’t wear shorts or sandals): This is common in most places of worship, but it’s good to remember.
  • Deberías apagar o poner en silencio el móvil (You should turn off or silence your phone): Again, this is quite normal and shouldn’t surprise you.
  • Deberías prestar atención a los carteles (You should pay attention to the posters): Churches usually have posters with signs that you should follow. For example, sometimes they’ll ask you not to take photos, or if you do, to always take them without flash.

3. Do’s and Don’ts for Greetings

What is Spanish greeting etiquette? We already taught you pretty much everything you need to know about greeting someone in Spanish in different situations in our article titled How to Say “Hello” in Spanish. But we thought we should remind you of a few non-verbal gestures you should or shouldn’t do when greeting someone. (If you’re wondering about Spanish phone etiquette, though, you’ll also find this in the above-mentioned article.)

  • Deberías hacer contacto visual (You should make eye contact): Unlike in some other cultures, in Spain, eye contact is seen as a symbol of confidence. However, keep in mind that while we advise you to make eye contact, you shouldn’t make it extreme. Remember to blink and don’t have your eyes wide open like a crazy person. You want to look confident, not creepy!
  • Si no estás seguro de qué deberías hacer, espera unos segundos (If you’re unsure what you should do, wait a few seconds): We don’t want this greeting to become an awkward encounter, but waiting a few seconds until the other person starts the greeting won’t hurt anyone.

4. Do’s and Don’ts for Visiting a House

Thank You

Etiquette when visiting a house also tends to change from country to country. Here are a few Spanish etiquette tips that you’ll find helpful when you’re invited to someone’s house:

  • No te quites los zapatos a menos que te digan lo contrario (Don’t take your shoes off unless told otherwise): In many cultures, it’s common to take off your shoes when you enter a house, and sometimes even other kinds of buildings. In Spain, this isn’t very common, but it still might be preferred in certain households. So what we recommend is that you don’t take them off unless they specifically ask you to do so. If you’re unsure, you can always ask them, just in case!
  • Deberías llevar un detalle (You should bring a small present): It’s common to bring something, such as a bottle of wine or some sort of sweets, especially if you’ve been invited for a meal. The word we used in Spanish is detalle, which literally means “detail,” and refers to something small yet thoughtful.
  • Deberías hacer un cumplido a su hogar (You should compliment their home): The classic “You have a lovely home” should do the trick. To say this in Spanish, you could go for Tienes (if you’re visiting someone who lives alone) or Tenéis (if you’re visiting someone who lives with other people) una casa preciosa.

5. Do’s and Don’ts When Riding Public Means of Transportation

We think there are not that many rules when it comes to public transportation that differ from other countries, but we’ll remind you of a few of them. Here’s some practical information on Spanish taxi etiquette and how to act when on other means of transportation.

  • Deberías saludar al conductor (You should greet the driver): Either on a bus or on a taxi, it’s considered polite to greet the driver when you get in—and of course, in the case of a taxi, also when you get out. In most public buses in Spain, the exit is only through the back, so you don’t see the driver again and therefore you don’t necessarily need to say goodbye. Of course, if you’re taking the train or the metro, you won’t see the driver, so you don’t have to greet anyone.
  • Deberías ofrecer tu asiento a alguien que lo necesite más que tú (You should offer your seat to someone who needs it more than you): If you’re sitting down and someone enters who might need to sit down more than you do, you should offer them your seat. We’re referring, for example, to old people, handicapped people, pregnant women, among others. Out of politeness, they might refuse it sometimes, but it’s common and considered polite to insist a little bit more.
  • Debes comprar un billete (You must buy a ticket): We don’t think we need to say this, but just in case, don’t forget to pay for your ticket! Or the ride, if you’re taking a taxi.

6. Do’s and Don’ts for Business

Business

If you work in Spain or travel there for work, you might need a couple of tips, even though Spanish business etiquette is quite international.

  • Deberías dar la mano (You should shake their hand): This is the basic rule for greeting someone in a business environment, but there is an exception. As we explained in our article about greetings, it’s common in Spain to kiss someone twice when greeting them. While in this context a handshake would be the usual greeting, if you’re greeting a woman who’s offering you her cheek, you should kiss her on her cheeks; if you’re a woman and you’re greeting a man who looks like he’s about to kiss you, don’t shy out and offer him your cheek. If you ignore this greeting, it might look like you want to avoid them, and we’re sure you don’t want to do that.
  • No lleves ropa informal a menos que te digan lo contrario (Don’t wear casual clothes unless told otherwise): More often than not, you should wear formal yet simple clothes.

People Shaking Hands

7. Do’s and Don’ts for Celebrations

Often, celebrations have more rules than we wish they had. We’ll show you a few basic Spanish etiquette and customs for celebrations, but sometimes these rules depend on the specific event, so you might have to ask whoever invited you to the event. For example, whether you should wear formal or casual clothes, or whether you can bring your kids or not.

Something that’s applicable to different kinds of celebrations is the act of making a toast. In Spanish, this is called brindar, and there are a couple of ways of saying “Cheers.” One of them is ¡Salud! and another one, which people tend to find interesting, is ¡Chinchín! Many people think this is an onomatopoeia that resembles the clashing of glasses, but as it turns out, it actually isn’t; it comes from Chinese. In some families, it’s considered bad luck for people to drink water in these cases, but it’s nothing you need to worry about if you don’t feel like drinking alcohol.

Spanish Wedding Etiquette

  • Deberías comprar un regalo (You should buy a present): It’s common to get presents for the bride and groom, but remember that you’re not meant to bring it to the wedding. Sometimes, instead of getting them a present, you can transfer some money to a bank account that they will provide.
  • No vayas de blanco (Don’t wear white): The only person who’s allowed to wear white is the bride.

Bride and Groom While People Throw Petals

Spanish Etiquette for Birthdays

If it’s your birthday:

  • Invita a tus amigos a una comida (Invite your friends for a meal): Either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or something in between, it’s common to invite your friends (and/or family) to have a meal, and to pay for all of them. This can be at a restaurant or at your place, and it doesn’t need to be fancy or a big celebration. We’ll leave this up to you.

If it’s someone else’s birthday:

  • Deberías llevar un regalo (You should bring a present): We guess this is common in most cultures, but it’s customary to bring a present for the person who’s celebrating their birthday.

Etiquette for Births

  • Deberías llevar un regalo (You should bring a present): It’s common to bring a present for the new parents, either to the hospital if they’re family or close friends, or whenever you see them. The present is normally something for the newborn, but it can be something for the parents as well.

Spanish Funeral Etiquette

  • Deberías dar el pésame (You should give your condolences): It’s common to say Lo siento (I’m sorry), but if you knew this person really well, their family might appreciate it if you said something slightly more personal, yet brief. Let them know you cared about them.
  • Deberías presentarte (You should introduce yourself): If the family of the deceased person never met you before, you should introduce yourself to them and let them know how you knew him or her.
  • No es necesario vestir de negro (It’s not necessary to wear black): Even though it’s still rather common, it’s not compulsory to wear black clothes anymore.

Something else you should know is that it’s common to bring flowers, and sometimes even flower crowns, as a group present.

For other celebrations and festivities, such as New Year’s Eve, you can check out our lesson on Spain’s New Year’s traditions, or another lesson on how to celebrate Christmas in Spain that might be interesting to know if you’re in Spain for the holidays.

8. How SpanishPod101.com Can Help You Learn Spanish

Keep in mind that no one will judge you if you don’t remember all of these rules we just listed. If you’re ever unsure what you can and can’t do, don’t hesitate to ask someone. They will perfectly understand that you’re foreign and not completely familiar with our traditions and customs yet. This is especially true in very specific celebrations, such as weddings, that don’t happen everyday.

Are any of the customs we went over similar to those in your country? We look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

At SpanishPod101.com, you can learn everything you need to know about Spain, its culture, and its language. From vocabulary lists to lessons, we have anything you might need. Join us and learn Spanish like never before!

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Epifanía: Celebrating Epiphany Day in Spain

Epiphany Day in Spain is one of the most popular Christian holidays in the country. Each year, it’s met with an abundance of enthusiasm and many colorful traditions. In this article, you’ll learn about the Epiphany celebration in Spain as well as the stories behind the holiday.

At SpanishPod101.com, it’s our goal to ensure that every aspect of your language-learning journey is both fun and informative—starting with this article!

Ready? Let’s dive in.

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1. What is Epiphany in Spain?

On Epiphany Day, Spain celebrates the visit of the Reyes Magos, or “Biblical Magi,” from the Orient to the newborn Baby Jesus. They brought him gold, incense, and myrrh as gifts.

Some people also celebrate Epiphany as the day on which Jesus was baptized, thus “revealing” the Holy Trinity. Hence the name “Epiphany.”

Both of these events are essential aspects of the Christian faith and gospel, making Epiphany a major religious holiday around the world. However, the Epiphany holiday in Spain does tend to focus more on the wise men.

2. Epiphany Date

Biblical Magi Figurines

Each year, the Feast of Epiphany in Spain is celebrated on January 6. The night before is called Epiphany Eve, the night when children in Spain have difficulty sleeping due to their excitement over the presents they’ll soon open!

3. How Do They Celebrate Epiphany in Spain?

A Parade

During the late evening, in many towns and cities, the Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos, or “Magic Kings Parade,” makes its way through the streets. These are made up of carriages where both children and adults in costumes participate. The most important carriages are always the ones in which we see the three wise men. Candy and even some small toys are thrown from all the carriages. Children and others who are not so young try to grab as much as they can.

Once the desfile, or “parade,” is over, the children return home. On that night, children go to bed early because if the three wise men see that the child is awake, they won’t leave any gifts. Before going to sleep, it’s important to prepare something to drink and some pastry or candy for the three wise men, who arrive tired after the long trip. It’s also good to leave some water for the camellos, or “camels.” And after a night where many children can barely get any sleep because of the anticipation…it’s time to open the regalos, or “presents!”

The parade of the three wise men in Granada is the oldest Epiphany parade in Spain. The tradition dates back 100 years, and a total of ten tons of candy are given out during the parade.

4. They Know if You’ve Been Bad or Good…

Do you know what children who behaved badly during the year normally get on Epiphany Eve?

It seems that Santa Claus and the three wise men agreed on this because they also give coal to children who misbehave. But receiving it doesn’t seem to bother the children. Most of the time, it tastes like candy. 🙂

5. Must-Know Vocabulary for Epiphany in Spain

A Camel

Ready to review some of the vocabulary words we saw in this article? Here’s the essential Spanish vocabulary for Epiphany!

  • Regalo — “Present”
  • Familia — “Family”
  • Epifanía — “Epiphany”
  • Camello — “Camel”
  • Desfile — “Parade”
  • Paje — “Page boy”
  • Melchor — “Melchor”
  • Cabalgata de los Reyes Magos — “Magic Kings parade”
  • Tarta de Reyes — “King cake”
  • Gaspar — “Gaspar”
  • Carbón — “Carbon”
  • Baltasar — “Baltasar”
  • Reyes Magos — “Biblical Magi”

To hear each of these words pronounced, and to read them alongside relevant images, be sure to check out our Spanish Epiphany vocabulary list!

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed learning about Epiphany in Spain with us!

Do you celebrate Epiphany in your country? If so, are celebrations similar or very different from those in Spain? Let us know in the comments!

If you’re interested in learning more about the culture in Spanish-speaking countries, or if you want to learn some wintery words to get you through the next couple of months, you may find the following pages useful:

Learning Spanish doesn’t have to be overwhelming or boring—with SpanishPod101.com, it can even be fun! If you’re serious about mastering the language, create your free lifetime account today.

Happy Spanish learning! 🙂

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Spanish Dates: Days of the Week in Spanish and More

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Writing and saying dates in Spanish is a must when trying to improve your understanding of the language. In today’s world, you may want to write an email, book your next holiday to a Spanish-speaking destination, or set up a date. Or maybe you’re just having trouble reading dates in Spanish. No matter your reasons for learning Spanish, learning how to write dates in Spanish correctly could help you avoid some hassle.

It’s time to learn the dates in Spanish.

Maybe you think it’s enough to translate the numbers and the months…but let me tell you that expressing dates in Spanish is different than doing so in English ( U.K. English or U.S. English).

In this article, you’ll learn the rules for writing dates in Spanish, useful phrases for asking for and telling dates in Spanish, and much, much more about Spanish dates!

Let’s start with the basics.

Table of Contents

  1. Days of the Week in Spanish
  2. Days of the Month in Spanish
  3. Months in Spanish
  4. How to Say Dates in Spanish: Years
  5. How to Write the Date in Spanish
  6. Spanish Vocabulary for Setting Up a Date
  7. Must-Know Phrases to Talk about the Date in Spanish
  8. Using Prepositions When Learning Spanish Dates
  9. Spanish Expressions about Dates
  10. Conclusion: How SpanishPod101 Can Help You Master Spanish Dates

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1. Days of the Week in Spanish

Weekdays

Before getting into writing dates in Spanish format and how to say calendar dates in Spanish, you need to learn the days of the week in Spanish. The first thing you need to know is that in Spanish, the week starts on Monday instead of Sunday. You may have noticed that in the Spanish calendar, the first day is an L, for lunes; this is “Monday.” Unlike some countries, Spain and many other European countries consider Sunday to be the last day of the week, rather than the first.

Sunday is the day of prayer, and the day to go to church. This is also why on most Sundays everything is closed in Spain. Today, in the modern world, things have changed, and Sundays are just a day off for people who work a nine-to-five schedule. Sundays continue to be a day off because of Catholic tradition.

Catholic Church Interior

What are the rest of the days of the week in Spanish?

  • Lunes = “Monday”

Example:
Los lunes han empezado a ser mi día favorito de la semana.
“Mondays are now my favorite day of the week.”

  • Martes = “Tuesday”

Example:
Los martes tengo ensayo con mi grupo de percusión.
“On Tuesdays, I have a rehearsal with my percussion group.”

  • Miércoles = “Wednesday”

Example:
El día que más me cuesta seguir con mi entrenamiento es el miércoles.
“The day that I find most difficult to continue with my training is Wednesday.”

  • Jueves = “Thursday”

Example:
Los jueves empiezo a trabajar a las 8 de la mañana.
“I start working at 8 a.m. on Thursdays.”

  • Viernes = “Friday”

Example:
¡Por fin es viernes!
“Thank God it’s Friday!”

  • Sábado = “Saturday”

Example:
Los sábados aprovecho para salir de fiesta con mis amigos.
“I go out on Saturdays with my friends.”

  • Domingo = “Sunday”

Example:
El domingo es el día del Señor.
“Sunday is God’s day.”

The days of the week in Spanish are all masculine, so you say el lunes for “Monday.” Unlike in English, in Spanish, you don’t need to capitalize the days.

The first five days of the week in Spanish: lunes, martes, miércoles, jueves, and viernes are called días de la semana: “weekdays.” Sábado and domingo are the fines de semana: “the weekend.”

Calendar with Pages Flipping

When learning the days in Spanish, you’ll also notice that in the Spanish calendar, the days of the week are written L M X J V S D. This is because martes, “Tuesday” and miércoles, “Wednesday,” start with M. To avoid confusion, miércoles will always appear as an X.

If you want a fun way to learn about them, you can also sing the days of the week in Spanish with a song!

2. Days of the Month in Spanish

In English, you must use ordinal numbers to say the date. But to say the days of the month in Spanish, you can use cardinal numbers. Uno de marzo: “First of March.”

In some Latin American countries, you may hear: Primero de mayo for “First of May.”

Here’s a list of the cardinal numbers you’ll need for months and dates in Spanish, from one to ten.

  • Uno = “First
  • Dos = “Second
  • Tres = “Third
  • Cuatro = “Fourth
  • Cinco = “Fifth
  • Seis = “Sixth
  • Siete = “Seventh
  • Ocho = “Eighth
  • Nueve = “Ninth
  • Diez = “Tenth

More examples:
Dos de mayo.
“Second of May.”

Note that while in English you must use “1st of May,” when giving dates in Spanish, you don’t need to use 1ero de mayo.

Example:
1 de mayo.
“1st of May.”

3. Months in Spanish

Months

Learning the months of the year in Spanish can be easy because they’re almost the same as in English. Here are the names of the twelve months of the year in Spanish. It’s only Enero meaning “January” that doesn’t start with the same letter.

Another important thing to know when you’re learning the dates in Spanish is that when writing the date in Spanish, you don’t need to capitalize the month. Some may find this an informal way to write dates in Spanish, but it’s not. It’s acceptable.

  • Enero = “January”
  • Febrero = “February”
  • Marzo = “March”
  • Abril = “April”
  • Mayo = “May”
  • Junio = “June”
  • Julio = “July”
  • Agosto = “August”
  • Septiembre = “September”
  • Octubre = “October”
  • Noviembre = “November”
  • Diciembre = “December”

4. How to Say Dates in Spanish: Years

When pronouncing the years in Spanish, you can find one difference.

In English, you can say “twenty-nineteen” (2019) instead of “two-thousand nineteen.” In Spanish, you have to say dos mil diecinueve, instead of veinte diecinueve. This is one of the most common mistakes that English speakers make when learning how to write the date in Spanish. But once you get this down, learning dates in Spanish will be much simpler.

In Spanish, you can still find the use of Roman numerals when writing about centuries. As you may understand them in English, here’s a reminder of the Roman numerals from one to ten: I-II-III-IV-V-VI-VII-VIII-IX-X.

Examples:

  • Esto es el Siglo XX.
    “This is the 20th century.”
  • El carbón fue descubierto en el Siglo II.
    “Carbon was discovered in the 2nd century.”

Another common form to use for an important date in Spanish is by using the acronyms “B.C. (before Christ),” which is a.C (antes de Cristo) in Spanish, and “A.C (after Christ)” or d.C (después de Cristo) in Spanish.

Example:

  • El oro fue descubierto 6000 a.C.
    “Gold was discovered in 6000 B.C.”

5. How to Write the Date in Spanish

Numbers

Now, how are dates in Spanish written out?

When learning how to write the date in Spanish, here’s the formula of how to do it right. Once you know this formula, you’ll never do it wrong again.

                              El+[day of the week]+de+[month]+de+[year]
                                        El 22 de junio de 2019

In Spanish is just the opposite of U.S. English; we use the DD/MM/YY format. A more formal way to say the date in Spanish is:

                    [day of the week], el [day of the month in number] de [month] de [year]
                              Sábado, 22 de junio de 2019

The examples above are the most common way to say the date in Spanish. However, if you want to write about the date in Spanish, there are many different ways you can do this. Also, keep in mind that writing the date varies among Spanish-speaking countries. In Spanish, these are the most popular ways:

1- Numeric

The formula for writing the date in Spanish is Day+Month+Year. However, you can divide the date in different ways:

You can divide them with dots: 12.03.2019; with slashes 12/03/2019; and with hyphens 12-03-2019. You can even omit the zero: 12/3/2019, although it’s more formal to keep the zero.

When writing the year in Spanish, you can also omit the first two numbers instead of writing out the whole of “2019.” You can just write 12/03/19, as long as the shortened year is the current year.

Calendar with Date Highlighted

2- Words and Numbers

Writing the date in Spanish by mixing the numerals with words is very common, especially in setting future dates, since you may want the other person to remember the month. The formula is the same as the numerical one.

                    (number of the day)+de+(name of the month)+de+(numeral of the year)
                              22 de junio de 2019

Example:

  • Nos vemos entonces el 23 de septiembre, 2019.
    “We should see, then, on the 23rd of September, 2019.”

You can also write the whole date as veintidós de junio de dos mil diecinueve or “twenty-two of June of two-thousand and nineteen.” But this is less common.

6. Spanish Vocabulary for Setting Up a Date:

  • Fecha = “Date”
  • Hoy = “Today”
  • Fin de semana = “Weekend”
  • Ayer = “Yesterday”
  • Próxima semana = “Next week”
  • Anteayer o antes de ayer = “The day before yesterday”
  • Mañana = “Tomorrow”
  • Pasado mañana = “The day after tomorrow”
  • Día = “Day”
  • Semana = “Week”
  • Día de la semana = “Weekday”
  • Mes = “Month”
  • Estación = “Season”
  • Año = “Year”
  • Año bisiesto = “Leap year”
  • Siglo = “Century”
  • Milenio = “Millennium”
  • Década = “Decade”

7. Must-Know Phrases to Talk about the Date in Spanish

Time is constantly and consistently present in our lives. We live in a world where we arrange the time for everything. The time to work, the time to study, the time to exercise, and the time to travel. It’s also the number-one topic of conversation topic, because when you’re learning a new language, you’ll always try to set dates to meet others so that you can talk and improve your skills. If you’re trying to break the ice, here are some questions you may ask:

  • ¿Cuándo empieza el verano?
    “When does the summer start?”
  • ¿Cuándo empieza la escuela?
    “When does your school start?”
  • ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños?
    “When is your birthday?”
  • ¿Tienes planes para el 14 de febrero?
    “Do you have any plans on the 14th of February?”
  • ¿Qué día es hoy?
    “What day is it today?”

Note that the last phrase is only used as a reminder of the day of the week, because in Spanish it’s also used to ask the day of the month or the completion date.

You’ll also hear questions like: ¿A cuánto estamos hoy? meaning “How far are we today?” or ¿A qué día estamos hoy? meaning “What day are we on today?”

When someone asks the last question, it always refers to the day and also the current month: Hoy es veinticinco de enero meaning “Today is the 25th of January.”

8. Using Prepositions When Learning Spanish Dates

When writing and speaking about the date in Spanish, it’s essential to understand how to use the prepositions correctly. In English, you use “on” when referring to something that happened (or will happen) on a specific date: “The meeting was on Tuesday.” In Spanish, you can use el: La reunión fue el martes. “On” can be translated as en, but you need to learn how to use it appropriately.

Example:

  • Estamos en marzo
    “It’s March.”

Example:

  • Te veo el sabado
    “I will see you on Saturday.”

The prepositions desde-hasta and de-al are normally used to talk about date intervals. Unlike in English, where you just need to use “from” or “to.”

Example:

  • El verano es desde junio hasta septiembre.
    “Summer is from June until September.”

Example:

  • Estaré de vacaciones del 2 al 20 de agosto.
    “I will be on vacation from 2nd to 20th August.”

The use of the preposition del in Spanish is the union of de + el= del.

Example:

  • Hoy es 14 de abril del 2019.
    “Today is the 14th of April of 2019.”

Another important preposition to learn is durante. Durante means “during” and “throughout.” In Spanish, you can use durante whenever you want to talk about a date occurring during a certain timeframe.

Examples:

  • La globalización habrá empezado durante el siglo XIX.
    “Globalization may have started during the 19th century.”
  • Sarah ha estado en forma durante toda su vida.
    “Sarah was very fit throughout her life.”

9. Spanish Expressions about Dates

Understanding an expression when learning a new language is the best way to know if you’re improving. Keep these Spanish expressions in mind. Make jokes while learning and leveling up!

Woman Having an Idea

  • Gracias al mundial de fútbol, los hoteles están haciendo su agosto.
    “Thanks to the FIFA World Cup, hotels are having a field day.”

This expression means that August is one of the most touristic months. In Spain, this is when everyone takes holidays, so the tourist companies are having a field day.

  • Siempre estás en medio como los jueves.
    “You’re always in between like Thursdays!”

This expression may not need any explanation. But basically, Thursdays are in the middle of the week (no one likes the middle of the week!), so when someone’s disturbing you, you can tell them this.

  • En abril aguas mil.
    “In April it rains a lot.”

This expression is about the weather. April is a rainy month in Spain.

  • Cuando en marzo mayea, en mayo marcea.
    “If in March mayea, in May marcea.”

This expression is also about the weather. It means that if March is like the weather in May, May will be like the weather in March.

  • Como agua de mayo.
    “Like May’s water.”

This expression comes from the life in the countryside. April and May are rainy months which are perfect for the plantations. The rain allows the fruit trees to bloom in their greatest splendor. So, if someone says Como agua de mayo, it means that something has come perfectly and at the right time.

Example:

  • La paga extra de verano me viene como agua de mayo!
    “The summer extra pay comes like May’s water!”

10. Conclusion: How SpanishPod101 Can Help You Master Spanish Dates

So next time you’re planning a trip with your fellow Spanish friends, you can be certain that your date matches theirs. This way, you can enjoy planning events, holidays, and days out, while also ensuring that you’ll be there at the right time.

What did you find most useful in this article? What are you still struggling with? Let us know in the comments! Remember that when it comes to dates in Spanish, practice is essential. Why not leave us a comment with today’s date in Spanish too? 🙂

You can also download our dates vocabulary sheet for free and have it on hand for any questions you may have.

SpanishPod101 has many free vocabulary lists about the Spanish days of the week, months in Spanish, and how to write the date in Spanish. Get cracking!

With enough studying, practice, and determination, you’ll be speaking Spanish like a native! And SpanishPod101 will be here for every step of your language-learning journey.

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The Best Guide to Naming Your Family in Spanish

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Do you know the top reasons for learning Spanish? In today’s world, you’re very likely to have a friend, family member, or a loved one who speaks Spanish. Learning to name the family members in Spanish is the best place to start when seeking to learn their language, because family in Spanish-speaking countries is a strong institution. That’s also why these cultures are so welcoming.

Learn the different ways to say “mother” in Spanish and “father” in Spanish. No matter the reasons you want to learn Spanish, practice how to say family member names in Spanish so next time you’re invited to spend your summer holiday with your lover’s family, you can impress them with your conversation comprehension.

So how do you talk about the family in Spanish? If you’ve ever visited Spain or stayed in Spain for a lengthy period of time, you’ve probably noticed the use of diminutives quite often: Tita, Abuelita, and even Andreita. This is one of the most common ways that family in Spanish cultures speaks to each other. It often means that you have a close relationship with your family members.

In Spain, it’s very common for the whole family to gather on Sundays to have lunch, and if you ever get invited to one, you’ll notice how they name family members in Spanish. You may feel confused as to why they use so many terms for “mother” in Spanish or “father” in Spanish, especially in terms of these diminutives. But don’t worry. If you’re called Pablito, that means they’re getting to know you better and they consider you part of the family as well.

In this article, you’ll learn how to talk about the Spanish family tree, go over some family in Spanish vocabulary, and read some Spanish sentences about family members to help you understand how it’s used! Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

  1. Gender and Family Members in Spanish
  2. Family Tree in Spanish
  3. Terms for Relatives
  4. Family Member Terms as a Married Person
  5. Endearment Terms to Name Family Members in Spanish
  6. Spanish Idioms about Family Members
  7. Fun Facts to Help You Learn Spanish
  8. Polysemy of Words in the Spanish Language
  9. Conclusion: Let SpanishPod101 Help You Master Spanish!

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1. Gender and Family Members in Spanish

Parents Phrases

When learning Spanish, it’s vital to know that Spanish is a phonetic language: every single letter is pronounced. Like English, Spanish may be considered an easy language to learn. As a beginner, you may be surprised to find that there are rarely any surprises in spelling or pronunciation. Spanish is also considered the second most spoken language in the world because it’s spoken in about twenty-one countries today; it has millions of native speakers in the Americas and Spain.

So before we begin talking about things like how to describe family in Spanish, we’ll go over some basic rules you should know.

1- O and A

Knowing how to correctly name family members in Spanish begins with realizing that Spanish is grammatically gendered. Spanish nouns are classified as either masculine (often ending in –o) or feminine (often ending in –a).

One example of this difference between English and Spanish is when you use the masculine and the feminine primo and prima. In English, “cousin” is used for both male and female cousins, whereas in Spanish they differ by the ending vowel (-o or –a).

Example:

  • Primo = “Male cousin”
    • Yo tengo un primo que se llama Alejandro.
    • “I have a cousin named Alejandro.”
  • Prima = “Female cousin”
    • Mi prima se llama Andrea.
    • “I have a cousin named Andrea.”

An exception is:

  • Marido = “Husband”
  • Esposa = “Wife”

Note that its feminine form is not marida.

Another difference between English and Spanish is how you refer to both male and female siblings. The masculine-sounding Los hermanos in Spanish refers to both your brothers and sisters, whereas “siblings” is a gender-neutral word.

Example:
Yo tengo dos hermanos: José y Mónica.
“I have two siblings: José and Mónica.”

2- Masculine and Feminine Articles

The use of articles when you’re talking about a family member in Spanish also helps new learners understand gender use in Spanish.

Female articles: La, las, una, unas.
Male articles: El, los, un, unos.

Example:
La prima de Juan se llama Andrea.
“Juan’s cousin is Andrea.”

Example:
Juana es la nuera de mi madre.
“Juana is my mother’s daughter-in-law.”

2. Family Tree in Spanish

Family Words

If you’re a beginner in Spanish, one of the best ways to practice is by talking about your family (and extended family) in Spanish. Family reunions in Spain and Latin-America are a strong part of their culture, so if you’re ever invited to a family party, here are some questions you may ask when practicing your Spanish. But first, some must-know terms for family members in Spanish and other Spanish family vocabulary.

  • Mi familia = “My family”
  • Abuela = “Grandmother”
    • Example:
      ¿Cómo se llama tu abuela?
      “What is your grandmother’s name?”
  • Abuelo = “Grandfather”
    • Example:
      ¿En qué trabaja tu abuelo?
      “What does your grandfather do?”
  • Madre = “Mother”
    • Example:
      ¿Cuántos años tiene tu madre?
      “How old is your mother?”
  • Padre = “Father”
    • Example:
      ¿Dónde vive tu padre?
      “Where does your father live?”
  • Hermano = “Brother”
    • Example:
      ¿Tu hermano tiene hijos?
      “Does your brother have any children?”
  • Hermana = “Sister”
      Example:
      ¿A qué se dedica tu hermana?
      “What does your sister do for a living?”

3. Terms for Relatives

Once you’ve got the family tree in Spanish, including its vocabulary and Spanish use of gender, you can continue the conversation. Here are some questions your may be asked by “relatives” (parientes or familiares), and some more family vocabulary:

  • Tío = “Uncle”
    • Example:
      ¿Tu cuántos tíos tienes por parte de tu madre?
      “How many uncles do you have on your mother’s side?”
  • Tía = “Aunt”
    • Example:
      ¿Es Miryam la tía más joven que tiene Abigail?
      “Is Miryam the youngest aunt that Abigail has?”
  • Primo = “Male cousin”
    • Example:
      ¿Cuántos años tiene tu primo Alejandro?
      “How old is your cousin Alejandro?”
  • Prima = “Female cousin”
    • Example:
      Yo tengo una prima que se llama Andrea.
      “I have a cousin named Andrea.”
  • Sobrina = “Niece”
  • Sobrino = “Nephew”
    • Example:
      ¿Tú tienes sobrinos?
      “Do you have any nieces or nephews?”

4. Family Member Terms as a Married Person

Newlywed Couple

  • La familia política = “The in-laws.” It refers to the people that one is related to through marriage.
  • Cuñado = “Brother-in-law”
    • Example:
      Mi cuñado me ha prestado su coche.
      “My brother-in-law lent me his car.”
  • Cuñada = “Sister-in-law”
    • Example:
      Mi cuñada está muy enamorada de mi hermano.
      “My sister-in-law is very much in love with my brother.”
  • Yerno = “Son-in-law”
    • Example:
      Mi yerno es abogado.
      “My son-in-law is a lawyer.”
  • Nuera = “Daughter-in-law”
    • Example:
      ¿Cómo se dice nuera en Español?
      “How do you say daughter-in-law in Spanish?”
  • Suegra = “Mother-in-law”
    • Example:
      Mi suegra cocina muy bien.
      “My mother-in-law is a great cook.”
  • Suegro = “Father-in-law”
    • Example:
      El suegro de mi hermana es muy amable.
      “My sister’s father-in-law is very kind.”

Unlike in English, in Spanish there are two terms to name the mother-/father-in-law of your son: consuegra or consuegro, respectively.

  • Consuegra = “Mother-in-law of your son”
    • Example:
      Mi consuegra cocina muy bien.
      “My son’s mother-in-law is a great cook.”
  • Consuegro = “Father-in-law of my son”
    • Example:
      Mi consuegro es un funcionario público.
      “My son’s father-in-law is a public officer.”

5. Endearment Terms to Name Family Members in Spanish

Family Quotes

Your Spanish family members vocabulary won’t be complete until you know some of the most common endearment terms for different family members.

In Spanish, we use diminutive terms to name our loved ones. When learning Spanish, it’s very interesting to know that the use of diminutive words may mean that the relationship is very close. You just need to add the suffix –ito to the end of the word.

Example:

  • Abuelito instead of abuelo (or “grandpa” in English)
  • Tita instead of tía (or “aunt” in English).

Some relatives can be named in two ways. For example, you can use padre/papá for “father” in Spanish and madre/mamá for “mother” in Spanish. Generally, kids name their mother mamá and their father papá. Mamá and papá should have an accent on the last vowel, otherwise they mean something different.

Ways to name your mother with affection:
Ma
Mamá
Amá

Ways to name your father with affection:
Pa
Papá
Apá

Ways to name your grandfather with affection:
Yayo
Abuelito
Abu

Ways to name your grandmother with affection:
Yaya
Nana
Abuelita
Abu

6. Spanish Idioms about Family Members

Family at the Mall

If you’ve been learning Spanish for some time now, and you would like to take your learning to the next level, we’ll present you with the most common Spanish idioms that involve family members.

If you take the English expression “like father, like son,” note that in Spanish, you can use the expression de tal palo tal astilla which means exactly the same thing. Expressions in the Spanish language are based on culture; they should never be translated literally, so be careful because they vary among all native Spanish speakers.

Idioms like the ones below always give a fresh and different touch to the conversation, and are a great sign that you’re ready for the next level of learning. Enjoy the ride!

1- Parece que no tienes abuela

Literal translation:
“It seems that you don’t have a grandmother.”

Meaning:
When someone has a high opinion of themselves, you can say: Parece que no tienes abuela. Why? Grandmothers normally praise their grandchildren, so this expression is used to say that someone doesn’t need a grandmother because they praise themselves instead.

Example:
A: La noche del viernes me corté el pelo de tal manera que todas las chicas a mi alrededor iban girándose por la calle y admirando mi melena.

B: Vaya Juan… ¡parece que no tienes abuela!

—–

A: “Friday night I got a haircut in such a way that all the girls around me were doing double takes on the street and admiring my beautiful hair.”

B: “Waoo Juan…it seems that you don’t need a grandmother!”

2- Salirse de madre

Literal translation:
“To get out of mother.”

Meaning:
This phrase is used when excess of something is involved. “Do you know when is enough?” could be a rough English equivalent. In fact, its origin goes back to when it rained so much that the rivers overflowed.

Example:
La fiesta en casa de Alberto empezó bien hasta que nos bebimos 3 copas y se salió de madre
“The party at Alberto’s house was fine till we had three drinks and it got out of mother.”

3- Ciento y la madre

Literal translation:
“A hundred and the mother.”

Meaning:
This expression is used when an area is very crowded, so you don’t know how many people there are.

Example:
Vinieron todos los amigos de Lorenzo y eran ciento y la madre.
“When all of Lorenzo’s friends came, they were a hundred and the mother.”

4- Cuando seas padre, comerás huevos

Literal translation:
“When you are a father you will eat eggs.”

Meaning:
In Spain, you can use this expression when someone doesn’t have enough experience in something; perhaps he/she is too young or just lacks knowledge. This expression relates to the past, when eggs were a very appreciated food. In fact, the father was the only one who was able to have eggs at all, so when his children asked for eggs, the mother used to say: “When you’re a father, you’ll eat eggs.”

Example:
A: Mami, mañana me gustaría volver a las tres de la mañana con el resto de mis amigos.
B: No hijo, a la una como siempre. Cuando seas padre comerás huevos.

A: “Mum, I would like to come back home tomorrow at three a.m. with the rest of my friends.”
B: “No dear, at one a.m. as always. When you are a father you will eat eggs.”

5- Éramos pocos y parió la abuela

Literal translation:
“We were few and the grandmother gave birth.”

Meaning:
This is the Spanish translation of Murphy’s Law. When everything is going wrong, and suddenly even more bad things happen, you can say: Éramos pocos y parió la abuela.

Example:
¡Éramos pocos y parió la abuela! No tuve suficiente con que se me rompiera el coche sino que además también tuve que cambiar la cerradura de casa porque me dejé las llaves dentro.

“We were few and the grandmother gave birth! It wasn’t enough when my car broke down, I also had to change my house’s lock because I left my keys inside.”

7. Fun Facts to Help You Learn Spanish

Father and Son

Terms like amigovio or follamigo are allowed by the Spanish Royal Academy (RAE). However, keep in mind that they’re used colloquially to refer to a person with whom one has a romantic or sexual relationship. It’s not formal. In English, this would be a “friend with benefits.” Amigovios is used more in Latin- American countries, and follamigo in Spain.

Amigo (friend) + Novio (boyfriend) = Amigovio
Follar (“f***) + Amigo (friend) = Follamigo

Example:
Somos amigovios.
“We are just friends with benefits.”

8. Polysemy of Words in the Spanish Language

When learning Spanish, polysemic words are a common problem for beginners who are discovering new vocabulary, because a word with several meanings is normally used for context-specific purposes. We have to admit that when learning a new language, it’s very funny when understanding that esposas means both “wives” and “handcuffs.”

  • Esposas = “Handcuffs”
    • Example:
      El policía tiene un par de esposas.
      “The police officer has a pair of handcuffs.”
  • Esposa = “Wife”
    • Example:
      Los cristianos no pueden tener muchas esposas.
      “Christians cannot have multiple wives.”
  • Gemelos = “Twin”
    • Example:
      Mi amigo Andrés tiene un gemelo.
      “My friend Andres has a twin.”
  • Gemelo = “Calf muscle”
    • Example:
      Me duelen los gemelos después de ir al gimnasio.
      “My calf muscles hurt after the gym.”
  • Gemelos = “Opera glasses”
    • Example:
      Para ir a ver ópera hay que llevar gemelos sino no podrás ver nada.
      “To go to the opera you must bring your binoculars, otherwise you will not see anything.”
  • Gemelos = “Cufflinks”
    • Example:
      Voy a comprarle a mi padre un par de gemelos para su cumpleaños.
      “I am going to buy my father a pair of cufflinks for his birthday.”

9. Conclusion: Let SpanishPod101 Help You Master Spanish!

So next time you’re at a party and encounter a Spanish speaker, you should ask about their family; there’s no better ice breaker, don’t you agree? They enjoy talking about their extended families. You can also download our Family and Relatives Cheat Sheet for free and have it on hand for any questions you may have!

SpanishPod101 has prepared a list of useful Spanish gender pronouns to help you establish a conversation about family members for your studies.

SpanishPod101 has many vocabulary lists available on our website for you to consult for free, and of course our Spanish Resource Corner for any other questions you may have. Why don’t you prepare a self-introduction, including your family members, in the comment section below?

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