Gasto

Today's WOTD is: "gasto" = expense

1. In Spanish, “gasto” is a masculine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is expense, as in:

• Ese es un gasto necesario (that is a necessary expense);

2. A related word is the action word/ verb “gastar”, to spend, as in:

• Hemos gastado mucho en este viaje (we have spent a lot in this trip);

3. The related describing word/ adjective “gastado”/ “gastada” means worn out, as in:

• Esos zapatos están gastados del todo (those shoes are completely worn out);

4. Some Spanish expressions with the word “gasto” are:

• Cubrir gastos (to cover costs);
  • El negocio va tan mal que ni cubrimos los gastos (business is so bad that we don't even cover costs);
• Gasto público (public spending);
• Gastos bancarios (bank charges);
• Gastos de comunidad (communal/ condominium charges);
• Gastos de correo (postage/ postal charges);
• Gastos de defensa (defence spending);
• Gastos de envío (post & packing charges);
• Gastos de explotación (operating costs);
• Gastos de mantenimiento (maintenance costs);
• Gastos de representación (expenses);
• Gastos de viaje (travel expenses);
• Gastos del juicio (the legal costs);
  • Tuvimos que pagar los gastos del juicio (we had to pay the legal costs)
• Gastos de estructurales (overheads);
• Gastos fijos (overheads);
• Gastos generales (general expenses);
• Gastos varios (sundries);
• Meterse en gastos (to incur expense);
  • Nos hemos metido en muchos gastos (we have incurred a lot of expense);
• Restringir gastos (to limit/ cut expenditure);
  • Tenemos que restringir gastos (we have to cut expenditure);
• Suponer un gasto (to cost);
  • La reparación de la caldera supondría un gasto de dos mil euros (it would cost 2000 Euro to repair the boiler);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "gasto" in the YouTube clip: Arcangel- Gastos Largos (La Formula) Audio Oficial

For more on the word "gasto", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Gasto

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “gasto” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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It Is Ten Minutes Past Ten

SCENARIO

Imagine a relative, a friend or a work colleague is asking you: "what time is it?"

In Spanish, the other person could say:

¿Qué hora es?

Now 'click' on the speaker icon below to listen to the other person's question.

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The Time is:

The question above is an invitation for you to say what time it is.

Looking at the clock, you see the time is ten minutes past ten, so in Spanish you should say:


Son las diez y diez

Now 'click' on the speaker icon below to listen to the time in Spanish.

Now you should practise answering the question:

¿Qué hora es?

If your system/ device supports it, you may use the widget below to record and listen to your answers.

Powered by Vocaroo

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Tell Me, Who Is From Here?

Introduction

This post is about verb conjugation -the present tense, indicative mood of irregular verb ser.

SCENARIO

Imagine you are talking to a relative, a friend or a colleague about where people come from. At some point, the other person says: "tell me, who is from here?".

In Spanish, the other person could choose to be less formal and say:

Dime, ¿quién es de aquí?

On the other hand, he/ she could choose to be more formal and say:

Dígame, ¿quién es de aquí?

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OUR TIP

Answering should be straightforward, but remember:

• Use ser (not estar) in your answer.

• Make sure that you conjugate your verb correctly
• Choose between formal or familiar options to suit the occasion -see examples below.

Typical answers could be:

• Yo soy^* de aquí (I am from here);
• Tú eres^* de aquí, ¿no? (you -familiar are from here, aren't you?);
• Usted es^* de aquí, ¿no? (you -formal are from here, aren't you?);
• Pedro es^* de aquí (Pedro is from here);
• María es^* de aquí (Maria is from here);
• Todos mis amigos y yo somos^* de aquí (all my friends and I are from here);
• Vosotros sois^* todos de aquí, ¿no? (you -familiar/ plural are all from here, aren't you?);
• Ustedes son^* todos de aquí, ¿no? (you -formal/ plural are all from here, aren't you?);
• Pedro y María son^* de aquí (Pedro and María are from here);

Now you should practise replying to someone who says to you:

Dime, ¿quién es de aquí?

*Please see grammar topic below, Verbs

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Verbs

A verb is a 'doing' word which conveys:

• What action takes place in a sentence
• Who does that action
• When that action occurs.

In addition, the verb may also convey the mood or feelings of the speaker toward the action which takes place. The verb may, for example, indicate whether the speaker is stating a fact, expressing a wish or indeed giving an order.

Irregular Verbs

Verb: ser

The Spanish verb ser is irregular^* in some tenses, as shown in the table below:

Tense	Mood	Regular	Irregular
Present	Indicative		✓
Imperfect	Indicative		✓
Preterite	Indicative		✓
Future	Indicative	✓
Conditional	Indicative	✓
Perfect	Indicative	✓
Pluperfect	Indicative	✓
Future Perfect	Indicative	✓
Conditional Perfect	Indicative	✓
Present	Subjunctive		✓
Imperfect	Subjunctive		✓
Perfect	Subjunctive	✓
Pluperfect	Subjunctive	✓
	Imperative		✓

* NB:

• Conjugate tenses in the regular column the same as other regular verbs ending in -er
• The present tense conjugation/ indicative mood is shown below

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Indicative Mood/ Present Tense - Conjugation

Verb: ser

Subject		SER (TO BE)
I	Yo	SOY
You	Tú	ERES
You	Usted*	ES
He	Él
She	Ella
We	Nosotros	SOMOS
You	Vosotros**	SOIS
You	Ustedes***	SON
They	Ellos
They	Ellas

*NB More courteous/ polite form of 'you'

**NB 'You' plural

*** NB More courteous/ polite form of 'you' plural

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Verb Conjugation Notes

It is worth remembering once more that in its basic form (infinitive), a Spanish verb is just a general 'doing' word. In that form, a verb simply indicates an action and nothing else. If we want a verb to be more specific about the action in a sentence, we need to conjugate it. It is only when conjugated that the verb indicates:

• Who does the action
• When the action takes place
• The mood/ attitude of the speaker towards the action

The conjugation tables above refer to using conjugation to establish who does the action. What follows below are some notes on establishing when the action takes place and the mood/ attitude of the speaker towards the action.

Subjunctive Mood

The use of subjunctive mood is disappearing English. Nowadays is often viewed as an old and unfashionable form of the language.

In contrast, the use of subjunctive mood is very much alive and in everyday use in Spanish. This widespread use of subjunctive mood tends to be the bane of many a learner of Spanish from the English speaking world.

The concept of subjunctive mood is perhaps best illustrated by contrasting its use against the use of indicative mood with examples in English. The following are a couple of examples which should serve that purpose:

• Indicative mood (“Peter eats an apple”).- Indicative mood is commonly used to make statements of facts or positive beliefs such as this one. As can be seen in the sample sentence (in quotes above), the speaker makes a clear and unambiguous statement of a fact (Peter eats an apple).
• Subjunctive mood (“Peter would eat an apple if he were hungry”).- In contrast with indicative mood, subjunctive mood is commonly used to make statements indicating hypothetical or non-fact actions. As can be seen in the sample sentence (in quotes), in this case the speaker sees the action of eating an apple as something hypothetical, something which may or may not happen (Peter would eat an apple... if he were hungry).

Verb Tenses

Verb tenses relate to setting the time period (when) during which the action of the verb takes place. Basic times (periods) for Spanish verb actions are:

• The past (before now)
• The present (now)
• The future (after now)

Each Spanish verb tense corresponds to one of those basic time periods. In other words choosing a verb tense places the action of the verb in one of those basic periods and determines when the action takes place.

Now you should practise the use of the present tense of the irregular verb ser with some examples of your own.

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Golpe

Today's WOTD is: "golpe" = knock

1. In Spanish, “golpe” is a masculine noun of Latin origin, the main meaning of which is knock, a hit or a blow as in:

• Llevé un golpe en la cabeza (I got a blow in the head/ I was hit in the head);
• Nos dimos un golpe contra la pared (we knocked into the wall);
• Fue un golpe durísimo (it was as a terrible blow);

2. In the sport of golf, the word “golpe” means shot or stroke, as in:

• Hemos finalizado el recorrido con tres golpes bajo par (we finished the round three (strokes) under par);

3. The word “golpe” means also a witty remark, as in:

• ¡Tienes cada golpe! (you come out with some crackers!);

4. A related word is the action word/ verb “golpear” (to hit, to knock or to bang), as in:

• La piedra le golpeó en la cabeza (the stone hit him on the head);
• El granizo golpea contra la ventana (hailstones bang against the window);

5. A related word is “golpista”, used as in:

• En las fuerzas armadas existe una minoría golpista (within the forces there is a minority who would favour staging a coup);
• Los golpistas han sido condenados a cadena perpetua (those who participated in the coup have been sentenced to life in prison);
  

6. Some Spanish expressions with the word “golpe” are:

• Acabar a golpes (to end up fighting);
  • Una vez más, acabamos a golpes (once again, we ended up fighting);
• Andar a golpes (to fight);
  • Siempre andáis a golpes (you are forever fighting);
• Dar el golpe (to do the job/ pull the heist);
  • Dieron el golpe por la noche, cuando el banco estaba cerrado (they did the job at night when the bank was closed);
• Dar un golpe (to hit/ to knock);
  • Nos dimos un golpe contra la pared (we knocked into the wall);
• Darse golpes de pecho (to beat one's chest -show of repentance/ remorse);
• De golpe (suddenly);
• De golpe y porrazo (suddenly/ unexpectedly);
  • De golpe y porrazo, decidió irse (suddenly he/ she decided to leave);
• De un golpe (all at once/ snappily);
  • Cerró la puerta de un golpe (he/ she slammed the door shut);
• Golpe bajo (punch below the belt);
• Golpe de castigo (penalty);
• Golpe de efecto (dramatic effect/ outcome);
  • La forma de su partida causó el golpe de efecto que buscaba (the manner of his departure created the dramatic effect he was looking for);
• Golpe de estado (coup/ coup d'etat);
• Golpe de fortuna (stroke of luck);
• Golpe de gracia (coup de grace);
• Golpe de mar (large wave);
• Golpe de suerte (stroke of luck);
• Golpe de timón (change of direction);
• Golpe de vista (look/ glance);
• Golpe franco (free kick -football/ soccer);
• Golpe maestro (master stroke);
• Llevar un golpe (to get a knock/ hit/blow);
• No dar ni golpe (not to lift a finger/ not to do a thing);
  • Pedro no da ni golpe (Pedro doesn't do a thing -he is bone idle);
• No pegar ni golpe (not to lift a finger/ not to do a thing);
  • Pedro no pega ni golpe (Pedro doesn't do a thing -he is bone idle);
• Pegar un golpe (to hit/ to knock);
  • Nos pegamos un golpe contra la pared (we knocked into the wall);

Love-Spanish.com loves the word "golpe" in the YouTube clip: JoanManuel Serrat - Cantares

For more on the word "golpe", visit: Wordreference.com/es/en/ Golpe

*NB 'Click' on the speaker icon next to the word “golpe” in the link to hear the word pronounced.

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© Copyright 2014 Love-Spanish.com. by Jose M González. All Rights Reserved.