Saturday, 30 July 2011

I Don't Mind If It Rains, What About You?


SCENARIO
Imagine you are talking about the weather with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps it is raining. The other person wants to say that he/ she does not mind when it rains and ask you if you don't mind the rain either. He/ she could choose to be a little bit formal and ask you:
A mi no me importa que llueva ¿y a ti?

Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit less formal and say:
A mi no me importa que llueva ¿y a usted?

 

OUR TIP
You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
  • Don't mind if it rains (you agree with him/ her)
  • Do mind if it rains (you disagree with him/ her)

Here are a couple of examples which deal with those two basic possibilities:
  • A mi tampoco me importa que llueva (don't mind either)
  • A mi sí que me importa que llueva (do mind)

Now you should practice answering the question:
A mi no me importa que llueva ¿y a ti?


Grammar-Subjunctive

 Please note that expressions such as: "I don't mind if...", when translated as "A mi no me importa que..." are a classic example of subjunctive. Some examples of this generic type of expression are:
  • A mi no me importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A ti no te importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A él no le importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A ella no le importa que <subjunctive>
  • A nosotros no nos importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A vosotros no os importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A ellos no les importa que <subjuntive>...
  • A ellas no les importa que <sujunctive>...
You should practise using this form of the subjunctive, by completing sentences such as:
  • "A mi no me importa que..."
  •  "A ti no te importa que..."
  • Etc.

This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:
© Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved
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Friday, 29 July 2011

Coliflor

La palabra de hoy es: 'coliflor' = cauliflower.

The Spanish noun 'coliflor' is a feminine noun of Latin origin and is the name given to cauliflower in Spanish.

An example of the use of the noun 'coliflor' is:
  • La coliflor al horno está muy rica (baked cauliflower is very nice)

Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'coliflor' in the YouTube clip showing how to prepare: Coliflor rebozada
 
For more on the word 'coliflor', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Coliflor
 
*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “coliflor” in the link to hear the word pronounced.
This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

For more Free Spanish:
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Thursday, 28 July 2011

Buenas Noches...

Introduction
This post deals with greeting someone you don't know quite well in the evening.

  
SCENARIO
Imagine it is sometime in the evening and you find yourself in any one of the following situations:
  • You meet someone in the street, in a bar, at work, etc.
  • You call someone on the phone.

 The person in question is someone you don't know well and you are not on first name terms with that person (he/ she could be a relative, an acquaintance or a work colleague).

OUR TIP
Greeting someone in those circumstances should be quite straightforward. A simple "buenas noches"* (good evening) may be sufficient. However, it would be nice to include the name of the person you are saying good morning to. So, assuming you want to greet someone called Carlos Pérez you could say:

  • ¡Buenas noches, don Carlos!
  • ¡Buenas noches, señor Pérez!

If instead you wanted to greet someone called Ana Flores you could say:

  • ¡Buenas noches, doña Ana!
  • ¡Buenas noches, señora Flores!

    *NB Please note that "buenas noches" may also mean good night

    See more practical examples of greetings

    Now you should practise greeting other people
    This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

    For more Free Spanish:
    Follow us on:
    Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
    © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved
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    Wednesday, 27 July 2011

    Do You Not Like Going To The Cinema?

    SCENARIO
    Imagine you are talking about leisure activities with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps you are talking about leisure activities in general or going to the cinema in particular. You might have said something which gave the impression that perhaps you are not very keen on going to the cinema. The other person wants to ask you if you do not like going to the cinema.

    He/ she could choose to be less formal and ask you:
    ¿No te gusta ir al cine?

    Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit more formal and say:
    ¿(A usted) no le gusta ir al cine?

     

    OUR TIP
    You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
    • Do not like going to the cinema
    • Do like going to the cinema

    Here are a couple of examples which deal with those two basic possibilities:
    • No, no me gusta ir al cine (don't like it)
    • Sí, sí que me gusta ir al cine (do like it)

    Now you should practice answering the question:
    ¿No te gusta ir al cine?

    This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

    © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved
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    Tuesday, 26 July 2011

    Col

    La palabra de hoy es: 'col' = cabbage.

    The Spanish noun 'col' is a feminine noun of Latin origin and is one of the names given to cabbage in Spanish.

    Some common Spanish expressions with the noun 'col' are:
    • Col de Brsuelas (Brussels sprout)
    • Col lombarda (purple cabbage)
    • Col rizada (curly kale/ collard)

    An example of the use of the noun 'col' is:
    • El cocido madrileño lleva col (cababge is an ingredient of "Cocido Madrileño")

    Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'col' in the YouTube clip showing how to prepare: Cocido madrileño
     
    For more on the word 'col', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Col
     
    *NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “col” in the link to hear the word pronounced.
    This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

    For more Free Spanish:
    Follow us on:
    Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
    © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.
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    Monday, 25 July 2011

    Do You Not Like The Film?

    SCENARIO
    Imagine you are talking about leisure activities with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps you are talking about films in general or a specific film genre in particular. You might have said something which gave the impression that perhaps you are not very keen on a particular genre. The other person wants to ask you if you do not like the film genre in question.

    He/ she could choose to be less formal and ask you:
    ¿No te gusta ese tipo de películas?

    Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit more formal and say:
    ¿(A usted) no le gusta ese tipo de películas?

     

    OUR TIP
    You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
    • Do not like that film genre
    • Do like that film genre

    Here are a couple of examples which deal with those two basic possibilities:
    • No, no me gusta ese tipo de películas (don't like it)
    • Sí, sí que me gusta ese tipo de películas (do like it)

    Now you should practice answering the question:
    ¿No te gusta ese tipo de películas?

    This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

    © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved
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    Repollo

    La palabra de hoy es: 'repollo' = cabbage.

    The Spanish noun, 'repollo' is a masculine noun and is one of the names given to cabbage in Spanish.

    An example of the use of the noun 'repollo' is:
    • El repollo es una verdura muy rica (cabbabge is a very tasty vegetable)

    Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'repollo' in the YouTube clip showing how to prepare: Arrolladitos de Repoloo Crespo, Pecorino y Panceta
     
    For more on the word 'repollo', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Repollo

    This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

    For more Free Spanish:
    Follow us on:
    Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
    © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.
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    Sunday, 24 July 2011

    Buenas Noches

    Introduction



    This post deals with greeting someone you know quite well in the evening.





    SCENARIO
    Imagine it is sometime in the evening and you find yourself in any one of the following situations:
    • You meet someone in the street, in a bar, at work, etc.
    • You call someone on the phone.

    The person in question is someone  you know quite well (he/ she could be a relative, a friend or a work colleague) and you are on first name terms with that person.


    OUR TIP
    Greeting someone in those circumstances should be quite straightforward. A simple "buenas noches"* (good evening) may be sufficient. However, it would be nice to include the name of the person you are saying good morning to. So, assuming you want to greet someone called Carlos Flores you could say:

    • ¡Buenas noches, Carlos!

    If instead you wanted to greet someone called Ana Flores you could say:

    • ¡Buenas noches, Ana!

       *NB Please note that "buenas noches" may also mean good night

      See more practical examples of greetings

      Now you should practise greeting other people
      This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

      For more Free Spanish:
      Follow us on:
      Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
      © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved
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      Not Feeling Like Having An Ice Cream?

      SCENARIO
      Imagine you are talking about food with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps you are having a meal and it is time to choose a dessert, ice cream being an option... or even stopped at an ice cream parlour on the street. You might give the impression that you are having second thoughts about having an ice cream. The other person wants to ask you if you do not feel like having an ice cream.

      He/ she could choose to be less formal and ask you:
      ¿No te apetece un helado?

      Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit more formal and say:
      ¿(A usted) no le apetece un helado?

       

      OUR TIP
      You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
      • Do not feel like having an ice cream
      • Do feel like having an ice cream

      Here are a couple of examples which deal with those two basic possibilities:
      • No, no me apetece un helado (don't feel like it)
      • Sí, sí que me apetece un helado (do feel like it)

      Now you should practice answering the question:
      ¿No te apetece un helado?

      This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

      © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved
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      Judías

      La palabra de hoy es: 'judía'.

      The Spanish noun, 'judía' has two main meanings:
      1. As a feminine noun of unclear origin, the noun 'judías' is one of the names given in Spanish to beans and especially green beans. In many parts of Latin América, a more commonly used word for beans is 'fríjoles'.
      2. The nouns 'judía' and 'judío', of Latin origin, mean a Jewish person, i.e. a Jewess/ Jew (female and male respectively). As an adjective, 'judía' is the feminine form ('judío' being its masculine form) of the adjective which describes someone or something as being Jewish. The masculine form ('judío') is used to refer to someone as being tightfisted (colloquially).

      An example of the use of the noun 'judías' is:
      • Las judías con chorizo están muy ricas (green beans with chorizo are very tasty)

      Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'judías' in the YouTube clip telling the tale: Las Judías Mágicas (Cuentos Clásicos)
       
       
      For more on the word 'judías', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Judía
       
      *NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “judía” in the link to hear the word pronounced.
      This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

      For more Free Spanish:
      Follow us on:
      Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
      © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.
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      Saturday, 23 July 2011

      Adiós Buenas Tardes...

      Introduction



      This post deals with saying goodbye to someone you don't know quite well in the afternoon.





      SCENARIO
      Imagine that some time in the afternoon you find yourself in any one of the following situations:
      • You see someone on the street, but you don't stop to talk to him/ her
      • You meet someone in the street, in a shop, etc. After a chat you want to say goodbye
      • You call someone on the phone. After a chat, you want to say goodbye

       The person in question is someone  you don't know well and you are not on first name terms with that person (he/ she could be a relative, an acquaintance, a work colleague, etc.)

      OUR TIP
      Saying goodbye to someone in those circumstances should be quite straightforward. A simple "adiós" (goodbye) may be sufficient. Since it is in the afternoon, you could add a "buenas tardes" (good afternoon). It would also be nice to include the name of the person you are saying goodbye to. So, assuming you want to say goodbye to someone called Carlos Pérez you could say:
      • ¡Adiós, buenas tardes, don Carlos!
      • ¡Adiós, buenas tardes, señor Pérez!

      If instead you wanted to say goodbye to someone called Ana Flores you could say:

      • ¡Adiós, buenas tardes, doña Ana!
      • Adiós, buenas tardes, señora Flores!
        Now you should practise saying goodbye to other people
        This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct Spanish lessons online on a wide range of topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

        For more Free Spanish:
        Follow us on:
        Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
        © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved
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        Are You Not Having A Drink?

        SCENARIO
        Imagine you are talking about food/ drink with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps you are at a bar discussing what your order. You might have said something which gave the impression that perhaps you don't want anything to drink. The other person wants to ask you if you are not going to have a drink.

        He/ she could choose to be less formal and ask you:
        ¿No vas a tomar nada?

        Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit more formal and say:
        ¿(Usted) no va a tomar nada?

         

        OUR TIP
        You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
        • Do not want a drink
        • Do want a drink

        Here are a couple of examples which deal with those two basic possibilities:
        • No, no quiero tomar nada, gracias (don't want it)
        • Sí, voy a tomar un refresco (do want it)

        Now you should practice answering the question:
        ¿No vas a tomar nada?

        This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

        © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved
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        Rape

        rape
        La palabra de hoy es: 'rape' - to listen to pronunciation 'click' on link under the icon ->

        The Spanish noun 'rape' has two different groups of meanings, namely:
        1. 'rape' is a masculine noun related to the verb of Gothic origin 'rapar', which means: to shave someones beard... to crop someone's hair... or colloquially, to steal something using violence.
        2. 'rape' is also a masculine noun of Catalan origin and is the name given in Spanish to monkfish/ goosefish, both as fish species and food. Besides 'rape', monkfish/ goosefish is also known in Spanish as: 'sapo marino' and 'pejesapo'.
        The Spanish adjective 'rapado'/ 'rapada' describes someones hair as being cropped/ cut very short.

        Grammar-Spelling
        Please be aware that a similarly spelled Spanish noun is 'rapé' (please note the accent over the last vowel). This is the name by which snuff is known in Spanish.

        Some common Spanish expressions with the noun 'rape' or related words are:
        • Pelo cortado al rape (hair cropped/ cut very short)
        • Pelo rapado (cropped hair/ cut very short)
        • Cabeza rapada (skinhead)
        • Coco rapado (colloquially, hair cropped very short... even head shaven)

        Examples of the use of the noun 'rape' are:
        • A Manolo le dieron un buen rape (Manolo has had his hair cut really short)
        • Pedro lleva el coco rapado (Pedro's hair is very short... even head is shaven)
        • Antonio es un 'cabeza rapada' (Antonio is a skinhead)
        • El rape a la parrilla está muy rico (grilled monkfish/ goosefish is very tasty)

        Love-Spanish.com loves the word 'rape' in the YouTube clip showing how to prepare: Rape con almejas
         
        For more on the word 'rape', visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Rape
         
        *NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “rape” in the link to hear the word pronounced.
        This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

        For more Free Spanish:
        Follow us on:
        Twitter: @LoveSpanish_com
        © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.
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        Friday, 22 July 2011

        Are You Not Going To Tell Me?

        SCENARIO
        Imagine you are talking about day to day activities with a relative, a friend or a colleague.  Perhaps you are catching up with what has been happening over the last few days. Yesterday something seems to have happened and maybe you forgot to mention it. The other person wants to ask you if you are not going to tell him/ her what happened.

        He/ she could choose to be less formal and ask you:
        ¿No me vas a contar lo que pasó ayer?

        Alternatively, he/ she could choose to be a little bit more formal and say:
        ¿No me va a contar (usted) lo que pasó ayer?

         

        OUR TIP
        You DO NOT need be concerned about the degree of formality in the question you are asked. Whether the other person uses the more/ less formal question is irrelevant to your choice of answer. Your answer depends only on whether you want to say that you:
        • Cannot tell
        • Cannot to tell now, but will tell later
        • Will tell right away

        Here are some examples which deal with those basic possibilities:
        • No, no puedo contartelo (can't tell now)
        • No, ahora no puedo, después te cuento (can't now, will tell later)
        • Sí, ahora mismo te lo cuento (will tell right way)

        Now you should practice answering the question:
        ¿No me vas a contar lo que pasó ayer?

        This is another Free online Spanish lesson from Love-Spanish.com. We conduct lessons online on this and many other topics using the latest video conferencing facilities. Online lessons are the ideal way to improve listening and speaking skills. For more details on our lessons online and how to book them, please visit:

        © Copyright 2011 Love-Spanish.com. by JM González. All Rights Reserved
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