• The diphthong verbs are verbs with irregular conjugation whose vowel of the radical is transformed into diphthong to the three persons of the singular(yo, tú, él, ella, usted)and the third person of the plural (ustedes, ellos, ellas), with “nosotros” there is no change.
• The e becomes ie, as with the verb querer (want) quiero, quieres, quiere, queremos, quieren.
• The o becomes ue, as for example with the verb poder ( to be
able ): puedo, puedes, puede, podemos, pueden.
The i becomes ie, as for example with the verb adquirir (to
acquire): adquiero, adquieres, adquiere,
adquirimos, adquieren.
• The u becomes ue, as for example with the verb jugar (to
play): juego, juegas, juega, jugamos,
juegan.
The endings for stem-changing verbs are the same as for regular –AR, -ER, and -IR verbs, so you should make sure that you understand those conjugations before working on this lesson.
Check this video to learn how to conjugate!
Here is a table summarizing the main diphthong verbs.
I hope you enjoyed this post and got new tools to improve your learning. You can also check some recommendations to learn Spanish on Youtube. Click here.
We created this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
Hello guys! My name is Carlos and I created this post to explain you when to use imperfecto and indefinido in Spanish.
I know many of you have a difficult time understanding this, but I made it the easier possible.
I hope you enjoyed this post and got new tools to improve your learning. You can also check some recommendations to learn Spanish on Youtube. Click here.
We created this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
THE MOST COMMON INDIRECT OBJECT VERBS IN SPANISH FOR CONVERSATION
Today I am going to talk to you about Spanish indirect object complements (IOC) in order to continue learning Spanish in the best possible way. As in English indirect objects are very important and are usually used to answer questions to whom or what?
The particularity of the Spanish is that the indirect object complements (le) are slightly different from the direct object complements (lo, la).
As you can see the indirect object complement
«le» does not agree with the gender. Namely, whether the personal
pronoun él o ella, we will always use «le».
An indirect object is the person or thing for whom an action is being or has been performed, usually indicated in English by the words “to” or “for.”
For instance:
As you can see in the image above, when you use the indirect pronouns le or les, you could be referring to anyone: you, him, her, them!
To avoid confusion, I always use a verb + Something to Someone, so if this makes sense I know that this verbs it is an indirect object verb.
I created a list with the most common verbs in Spanish.
List of Verbs that Take an Indirect Object in Spanish
We created this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. We are Spanish teacher in Mexico City. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
THE MOST USEFUL SPANISH REFLEXIVE VERBS FOR CONVERSATION
What did
you do today?
Did you
wake up early?
Did you
take a shower?
Did you
have fun?
If you take a look there is nothing special about these verbs in English, but guess what? In Spanish these verbs belong to a category called Reflexive Verbs.
But what does Reflexive verbs mean in Spanish? and when to use it?
Check this out!
How to identify a reflexive verb?
All the reflexive verbs are follow for the ending SE in their infinitive form.
SE means «to oneself» and this action is reflected to the person who performs the action.
For example, the verb «levantar» y «levantarse»
The fist one, the action is referred to another person or thing.
Levanto mi computadora- I lift my computer
The second one shows that the action is happening to the self, not to another person or object.
Me levanto muy temprano- I wake up very early
But pay attention, do not try to translate every verb into «oneself», because some verbs also have the pronoun SE but the action does not reflect to itself, it is just the structure of the verb.
For example: sentarse- to sit down
burlarse- to make fun of
Let´s conjugate the reflexive verbs in present tense!
Acostarse– to go
to bed
yo me acuesto
tú te acuestas
él/ella/usted se acuesta
nosotros nos acostamos
vosotros os acostáis
ellos/ustedes se acuestan
Now I want to give you the list of reflexive verbs most commonly used!
We created this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
Hello, my name is Ricardo, and I am a Spanish teacher in Mexico City and I created this post to share my experiences with foreigners living in Mexico and learning Spanish. In this post I want to talk about some mexican series that will help you to improve your understand of Spanish. I have to say that I already watched them all and they got all my attention.
This series is not about football exclusively, it’s about what happens when power gets into the wrong hands. Football is only an excuse to talk about different topics that happen in Mexico such as corruption, politics, the relationship of soccer and media, family relations and power.
In Club de Cuervos it is used laughter as a persuasive tool to tell, sometimes explicitly, what Mexico is.
The new season of Narcos takes place in Mexico and explores the history, life and works of some of the most iconic, though infamous, characters in the twisted world of organized crime and drug trafficking.
Not everything you see on TV is real, you already know that very well. But some stories, like the one they chose to tell in Narcos Mexico, are based on characters and events that really happened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLcYJ7C4F0
The Netflix series marks the appearance of the Guadalajara cartel – located in the second largest city in Mexico.
The first lady of Mexico is a woman of convictions and ideals. But when she loses faith in her husband, she will need all her strength to discover the truth.
We created this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
Do you want to learn in a funny and interesting way? Work your accent without repeating 100 times the same silly phrases found in the dusty books of schoolchildren? Do you like to sing in the shower? Do you want to speak Spanish easily? Music is your BEST TOOL!
Music and memory are intrinsically linked. There is one thing that advertisers have made us remember, it’s their music!
The impact of melodies proves that listening / repeating the words of a song is the best way to remember them. Immerse yourself in Latin music to capture the warm and singing accent of the Spanish language.
We all have
songs that have marked us for life.
How are songs the key to learning Spanish? Music allows direct and dynamic interaction with language and culture.
5 steps to optimize your learning
Choose a song you like
Try to hear the song without looking at the text
Find and read the lyrics by searching for difficult words
Listen to the music with the lyrics
Listen again and sing!
Take time later to listen to the song once in a while. Repetition is one of the pillars of memorization.
Recently I discover some tools that help me to teach Spanish to my students.
Lyric Gaps offers songs classified according to the language and level of difficulty of the lyrics. Once you have selected the song, you will be able to preview its clip. Then you can choose from different exercises proposed (karaoke, filling holes in the text of the song or multiple choice questions), classified by levels.
At any
time, you can click on a word to get its translation (via Google Translation).
Teachers by registering for free on the site, can create personalized exercises or «flashcards» to help students memorize the vocabulary of the text.
The site works in a collaborative mode and everyone has the possibility to propose a new song, or to check the lyrics of a song deposited by another member on the site (the exercise being added only after three checks by different people).
So, do not hesitate to spend a few hours on your favorite songs to learn Spanish.
Finally, you will now spend a lot of time in the bathroom listening to your favorite songs and at the same time learn Spanish.
Feel free to continue your learning by revising your vocabulary on your favorite blog and leave me a comment if you have questions.
We are a Spanish Language School located in Mexico City, and we create this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
If you want to have a different experience it think you should!
Hello, my name is Ricardo, and I am a Spanish teacher and I created this post to share my experiences with foreigners living in Mexico and learning Spanish.
Over the years I´ve had several students from different nationalities, I always liked to learn languages and meet different people.
I traveled a couple of times in the south of Mexico, especially in Oaxaca and Quintana Roo, during these trips I met many travelers from different countries, what I liked about them was that they were always trying to say a few words in Spanish, and I think it was very cute and funny listen to a foreigner doing its best to connect with local people.
Now I´ve been living in Mexico City for almost 10 years, and during 3 years I´ve been teaching Spanish to foreigners.
I think what attracts foreigners to learn my mother tongue is that Spanish is a rich and beautiful language with sounds pleasant to your ears. Like other Latin languages, Spanish is as pleasant to talk and to listen.
Another reason to learn Spanish is that you can change your personality, for example when I speak French I feel that I am smart, elegant and sophisticated.
How do you feel when speaking Spanish?
I suppose Spanish sounds intense and emotional.
My students have different reasons to come to Mexico, I will list some of them:
They want to go out of their comfort zone
They want to live new experiences
Meet new people
Experience a different culture
Find love and romantic experiences
Immerse into the language
Enjoy the weather and save money
Eat tacos and taste new flavors
What are your reasons to learn Spanish?
I really like teaching to foreigners because all of these things listed above, so this year I decided to create my website and find more students that want to experience life in Mexico through the language.
We are a small size and warm Spanish School in Mexico City with a family-run atmosphere.
I´ve been teacher in other schools around the city but I was disappointed because of their impersonal attention, I felt bad for the students because they will only lose their money.
So I realized that I could offer a friendly, welcoming environment and highly personalized attention of a small school.
I like to see my beginner students starting to speak Spanish, sometimes we go out to the local market to negotiate prices and learn new vocabulary and expresions.
Also they can buy bus tickets or ask for other information. With Spanish in Mexico you can open doors, as people are usually open-minded, curious and not racist towards foreigners.
Also I created a Spanish Conversation Club for all foreigners learning Spanish in Mexico City, I organize it every week and it´s published on Meetup website, so if you are in Mexico and want to have a conversation come it is free!
The main goal is just to practice conversation in a fun and relaxed way.
How I teach and what strategies you can use
My aim is to use the language as quickly as possible with a real approach.
I focus in conversation, we have results because we have small groups
We do presentations of different topics
We emulate conversations
We learn to describe situations
We create stories
We read novels and listen to them
We write letters
What are the advantages of learning Spanish when traveling in Latin America?
I am convinced that learning Spanish for your travel to South America will pay off.
Many travelers
with whom I spoke, were already traveling in Asia, and they told me that is impossible
to prepare for the different languages.
In South America, however, that is different. Spanish is spoken almost everywhere. So it really makes sense to prepare for the trip to South America with Spanish.
Why choose Mexico as a first destination to learn Spanish?
If you plan a multi-month backpacker trip through Central or South America, then I recommend you to choose Mexico as a first location. Here are my thoughts:
Mexico has been a popular tourist destination for several years. Especially the Yucatan peninsula in the east, that has attracted visitors from all over the world. With Caribbean dream beaches and the enormous Chichen Itza Mayan Temple. But Mexico is much more. You will read in this article what the Latin American country has to offer you.
1. Food: the Mexican elixir of life
Do you like to cook? Do you like Spanish? Why not do both?
Tacos, burritos and tequila. Not for nothing Mexican cuisine was chosen by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Do you recognize names like Mole, Ceviche, Quesadillas or Tamales?
From the street stands to the award-winning kitchens: Mexican food is a mixture of traditional methods of prehispanic cultures such as Mayas and Aztecs and Spanish cuisine.
While in Mexico you can look for aSpanish Language School that offers lessons for cooking typical Mexican dishes! What a better way to immerse into the language and discover the secrets of the most famous recipes of Mexico!
2. The Popocatepetl & other volcanoes
Do you like hiking? What a better way to learn Spanish while doing one or your favorites activities?
In the center of Mexico is located the Popocatepetl volcano that means something like «strong smoking mountain». Due to its activity, however, its «twin sister» Iztaccíhuatl is more suitable for hiking, as this volcano is not active anymore. From the slopes of the neighboring volcano you can enjoy wonderful views of the smoking Popocatepetl. In addition to the two twin volcanoes, numerous other volcanoes characterize the landscape of Mexico.
So if you want to practice Spanish I recommend you to take a tour with locals or ask if your Spanish Language Schoolorganize a trip to the volcanoes!
3. Pyramids: Mayan & Aztec architectural arts
As already mentioned, the Mayan pyramid Chichen Itza in the north of the Yucatan peninsula is probably the largest and most famous pyramid in Mexico.
In addition, there are many other Mayan sites, just as impressive, but often less crowded. Like the jungle-covered Palenque, where you climb the pyramids while listening to the sound of the monkeys in the trees.
Another impressive Mayan city named Calakmul, these ruins represent one of the last discoveries of the Mayan civilization in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Unreal, magical, beautiful. This is how the legendary freshwater caves on the Yucatan Peninsula can be described in a few words. The cenotes invite you to dive, snorkel and cool down in the often muggy heat of eastern Mexico.
Take a tour, go alone or ask your Spanish Language Schoolif there are organized trips to these beautiful sites.
So now that you know some wonderful places in Mexico and activities to do for improving your Spanish, I want to talk about some advises for learning Spanish before going to Mexico and while being there.
Of course it is possible to find the Spanish Language School independently on the web. But you should keep in mind that not all schools are equally flexible and you may have to look for the one that better suits you.
Also you have to be aware if the Spanish Language School is really good for you. Some Schools can be contacted before your arrival to Mexico, so I recommend you to contact them via Skype and have a talk with them, so this way you will see if special attention is offered.
Spanish Language Schoolsoffer a variety of courses from one-to-one lessons to group courses. Ambitious students can also take the DELE exam course. And if the language is not enough, you will find interesting combination with cooking or dancing classes.
How long do you need to learn Spanish?
The minimum course length is two weeks and can be extended as desired. How long it takes you to reach your learning goal depends on your motivation, your previous knowledge and probably also your talent.
However, a
language course not only helps you to communicate while traveling but also has
a number of other benefits:
A language certificate looks good in your CV – at least much better than a backpacker trip of several months.
The importance of Spanish in the business world is not as big as that of English. Nevertheless, an additional qualification helps you to find a job.
Language is the key to culture. When you understand the logic of a language, you often realize why people in another culture are the way they are.
Many travelers visit a language school (mostly in Mexico or Guatemala) before their big trip to Latin America. If you are traveling alone, a Spanish language school is a good place to find a travel companion.
In general, attending a Spanish language schools will pay off because you will find a guide that will help you in your journey to learn the language.
How to improve your Spanish: only 10 minutes a day with this simple exercise!
Hello! My name is Carlos, and I’m a Spanish teacher in Mexico City, I speak several languages, over the past couple of years I tried different resources to learn a language by my own.
The following excercise is very useful when you don’t have someone with whom to practice a language.
I create small stories about someone’s daily life, you can also create your’s!
Try to translate atleast two paragraphs every day, this will help you to improve your confidence when speaking.
I recommend you to translate by your own, and then check it on google translate if it correspond to the actual text.
Let´s start…
Hi, my name is Tom. Tom Smith. I am from United States. Now I am living in Mexico City, currently I am learningSpanish in a School, also I use Duolingo, and I like to talk with locals.
I am an entrepreneur and digital nomad. I am starting my own company. I just moved to Mexico this month. My life is very interesting. My family says it’s not interesting, but I think it’s very good.
I am alone. I have no wife, no dog, no cat. I have an apartment. That’s not bad. And also I like to travel and dancing salsa. I am planning to travel to Colombia to improve my salsa moves.
In the morning I eat tamales and atole. I take a shower for ten minutes and get dress very quickly. I start working very early in the morning, about at 8 am.
I am so busy, I have to talk with clients in China and Japan. In the afternoon I have lunch in a cafe shop and talk. At 7pm I go to the park to work out. And sometimes at night, I eat pizza and have a drink with my friends.
In the evening at home I watch TV, football. Then I sleep. I like to live in Mexico, food it is so good and places are beautiful.
I hope this was useful for you. We are a Spanish School located in Mexico City, and we like to share and prepare materials for an effective learning. If you have further questions leave me a message.
I want to share a few sources to learn Spanish for beginners during your commute.
Your commute to and from work or school is the perfect time to Learn Spanish! Of course we know that because of our daily routine it seem impossible to find the right place and time to practice or study.
Here is a little guide with some practical tools that can be used either in your way to work or while doing multitasking (cooking, cleaning, working out, etc.).
Audio clips…..
«I would like to listen to Audios in Spanish but I do not understand anything»
Todo normal! Claro que no entiendes! It’s perfectly normal to understand nothing at first! But, how do you deal with that?
First, you will play your podcast or audio clip while doing other activities.
You will tell me «well pfff I do not understand anything so it’s useless», False! Certainly you have the impression that it is useless because you are in passive learning but your ear begins to get used to the sounds of the language.
Soon words will come out of your mouth and you’re going to ask, «where does that come from?» This moment is magic! You’re going to tell me this method is great, it’s simple! Yes it is simple but obviously, it is not enough.
Second, this time, you will pay attention to this podcast, even if you do not understand everything or even «nothing». Concentrate a little and find some words of vocabulary.
Write them down on a piece of paper, then look for the translation. I recommend you to use Translate by Speech of Google. This way you can learn more vocabulary.
I strongly recommend this one, this is very useful for beginners and it is free.
It offers 100 lessons, covering a broad range of topics such as: numbers, colors, travel situations, verb forms, and a small amount of business conversation.
Users can click any phrase to repeat it as needed. Users can also download audio files (MP3) containing one or two languages.
In the
app, learners can record their own voice for comparison with the recorded
voice.
In this website you can enjoy Spanish podcasts for all levels. You can even choose your podcast according to your level: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 or C2. They deal with various topics of daily life.
It’s up to you to choose your subject, the level and even the voice and accent. Also you can download the MP3 file.
I want to recommend this Audiobook that I found in Youtube, it is very good for beginners because the story it all happens in present tense. You can download this file by using this convert into mp3.
I hope you have found useful this recommendations. Tell me in the comments if you are ready to put podcasts in Spanish every moment of your life to progress even faster. Total immersion to have quick results and soon speak Spanish.
We are a Spanish Language School located in Mexico City, and we create this contect to spread to other students of Spanish around the world. Feel free to contact me , if you want me to talk about other material or ways to improve your Spanish leave a comment below!
Who said that learning a foreign language should be boring? Many students make the mistake of using only textbooks to learn a language. These books are useful, of course, but watching movies or youtube channels in their native language is just as effective and fun to improve your skills and listening skills.
Why are movies the best way to learn Spanish?
When you watch a movie, you are relaxed. In such a pleasant atmosphere, your brain is better able to capture information and memorize new words and phrases. That said, make sure you listen carefully. Watching movies in Spanish will also help you learn more about the cultural and societal aspects of the language.
Do you want
to watch a movie? Why not watch it in Spanish?
We have compiled a list of 6 movies to help you learn Spanish while having fun.
This award winning film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu portrays lives on the edge of society in Mexico City. Dog fighting, violence and poverty dominate the life of Octavio, and to make matters worse he’s fallen in love with his sister in law.
This film is about the ancestral traditions and strong family ties in Mexico. Nominated for a Golden Globe in the best foreign film category, this film received 10 Ariel Awards, the Mexican equivalent of the Caesars, and in 1992 became the most profitable Spanish film ever released in the United States. So it’s worth it to watch it.
The main character, Tita, feels devastated and lost because she cannot marry Pedro, the man she loves. When her older sister marries Pedro in her place, Tita must resign herself to living a life of suffering. Following the story of the family over more than twenty years, the film tells the life of different characters through time. You will certainly be touched by their stories, and it will also be an opportunity to learn some vocabulary words in Spanish.
Pan’s Labyrinth, it is an excellent film for those who love the fantastic genre infused with horror. Guillermo del Toro, who directed the film in 2006, describes it as «a fairy tale for adults«.
The story takes place in Spain, shortly after the Civil War, in 1944. Ofelia and her mother move to a small town where the girl does not want to live. His mother will soon have a baby, and her stepfather, a soldier, is trying to annihilate the enemy forces. That’s when little Ofelia discovers the forest and encounters a fauna that reveals something extraordinary.
Do you want to watch a good comedy? it’s the best way to spend a good evening while learning Spanish. This film is in Mexican Spanish, and very easy to understand for those who want to learn the language. There are also many dialogues in English, as the film takes place in the United States.
Co-written and directed by Eugenio Derbez- a very well known comedian in Mexico- in 2013. The film tells the story of Valentin, a man who finds himself obliged to take care of his daughter alone. This suddenly appears in her life, prompting her to find her mother and give him back the baby. Having no choice but to keep his daughter, he decides to raise her up as best she can and take care of her.
Inspired by Ernesto «Che» Guevara‘s notebooks, the movie «Diarios de motocicleta» («Travel Diaries«) tells the story of Che’s long journey on motorbikes and his friends across South America. This great adventure, full of encounters and experiences, will forever transform the young Che Guevara and push him to try to change things, until the revolution.
Watching this film is one of the best ways to learn Spanish for students of all levels. You will appreciate not only the beauty of South America, but also the accent and the Argentine slang.
This is an hilarious movie that shows the sad reality of Latin American politics. Particularly a satire about Mexico’s long-ruling political party, the PRI. If you want to understand mexican society and politics this is the perfect movie to watch.
I hope you enjoyed this post and got new tools to improve your learning. You can also check some recommendations to learn Spanish on Youtube. Click here.
