One of our attentive users recently asked about an intriguing phrase he encountered in one of our videos: "nos va es a matar." He was curious about the use of "es" in this sentence. "Why is 'es' in this sentence? Two verbs in a row doesn’t seem correct," he commented. If you’ve come across a similar sentence and had similar thoughts, you’re not alone! Today, we're diving into a fascinating feature of Colombian Spanish: the emphatic "es."
The emphatic "es" (also known as "es enfático") is a grammatical structure used in Colombian Spanish to add emphasis to a particular part of a sentence. It's not actually two verbs in a row, as our user thought, but rather a special particle that highlights important information. Let's see an example with the phrase that confused our user:
pero ese man nos va a dar es en la jeta, nos va es a matar.
but that guy is going to punch us in the face, he's going to kill us.
Caption 47, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 13
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In this clip, you'll hear "nos va es a matar." A standard Spanish version would be "nos va a matar" (he's going to kill us), but the insertion of "es" adds emphasis, similar to saying "what he's going to do is kill us" in English.
The emphatic "es" can take three forms: es, fue, and era. These correspond to the present, simple past, and imperfect past tenses. The choice depends on the tense of the main verb in the sentence. For example:
- Present: Ella está estudiando es derecho. (She is studying law.)
- Simple past: Yo vi fue un poco de Deporte Gráfico. (I saw some Deporte Gráfico magazines.)
- Imperfect past: Ellos buscaban era dinero. (They were looking for money.)
Aquí yo vengo es a descansar.
I come here just to rest.
Caption 10, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 3 - Part 5
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The emphatic "es" has two main uses:
1. Contrastive Focus: It's used to highlight a contrasting element in the sentence. In this case, "es" appears immediately before the contrasting element.
Example: Tú tienes que decírselas es a ella. (You have to tell them to her [not someone else].)
2. New Information Focus: It's used to mark the entire predicate as new information. In this case, "es" appears as early as possible in the predicate.
Example: Me quiero es encerrar con mi tía allá. (What I want is to lock myself up with my aunt there.)
Vamos es a golpear, aquí traemos es todo el repertorio que es. -¡Eh, eh!
We are going to rock, here we bring all the repertoire. -Eh, eh!
Caption 97, ChocQuibTown De donde vengo yo
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Interestingly, although the emphatic "es" looks like a conjugated form of the verb "ser" (to be), it actually functions as a particle. This means:
- It doesn't create a new clause in the sentence.
- It can appear before words of almost any class (nouns, adjectives, adverbs, etc.).
- It's most commonly used before direct objects, but can also appear before indirect objects, adverbial phrases, and even between an auxiliary verb and a main verb.
That's it for today. Have you heard the emphatic "es" before? Try using it in your next conversation with Colombian friends and see how they react! Don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
Have you ever heard the word vaina while watching Spanish-language content or talking with Latin American friends? This seemingly simple word has a rich history and multiple uses in modern Spanish slang. Today, we'll explore the origins and various meanings of vaina, a term commonly used in countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic.
Before we dive into its slang uses, let's take a brief look at the origins of the word vaina:
The word vaina has its roots in the Latin term "vagina". During the times of ancient Rome, this word referred to the sheath warriors used to store their swords. As language evolved, the meaning of vaina broadened to encompass any cover or case designed for sharp objects.
Later on, Spanish botanists adopted the term vaina for use in their field. They applied it to describe the elongated shells or coverings that encase certain seeds and legumes. You might be familiar with some common examples, such as the pods that contain chickpeas and peas.
Now, let's explore how vaina is used in everyday speech in some Latin American countries:
In countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic, vaina can refer to almost anything. It's often used when:
1. You don't know or can't remember the name of something.
2. You're referring to a concept or situation in general.
Let's see some examples:
¡Cincuenta mil pesos vale el arreglo de esa vaina!
It costs fifty thousand pesos to fix that thing!
Caption 27, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 2 - Part 7
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Quiubo, pues... Deje esa vaina ahí y camine.
What's up then... Stop with that stuff there and walk.
Caption 73, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 5
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No se vaya a molestar, Jaime, pero es que esta vaina ya no es seria.
Don't go getting upset, Jaime, but it's just that this thing isn't serious anymore.
Caption 22, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 5 - Part 4
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As you can see, vaina is quite versatile and can replace many nouns in casual conversation.
The word vaina is also used in various idiomatic expressions. Here are some popular ones from Colombia:
- Meaning: "What a pity/shame!" or "That's too bad!"
- Used to express disappointment or frustration
¡Qué vaina! Todos los esfuerzos que estás haciendo para liberarte del asunto, se te acaban de ir al piso.
What a shame! All the efforts that you're putting in to absolve yourself from the issue have just gone down the drain [literally "to the floor"].
Captions 6-9, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 12
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- Meaning: "Stop messing around" or "Cut it out"
- Used to tell someone to be serious or stop causing problems
"¡Déjate de vainas!" "No te hagas problemas" o "No me vengas con cuentos".
"¡Déjate de vainas!" "Don't worry about it" or "Cut the crap."
Captions 38-40, Carlos explica Vocabulario: La palabra “vaina”
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- Meaning: "What's the problem?" or "What's going on?"
- Used to inquire about a situation or issue
¡Ay! -¿Qué es la vaina?
Oh! -What's going on?
Caption 48, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 7
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- Meaning: "No way" or "Not a chance"
- Used to strongly reject an idea or proposal
"Ni de vainas," que significa, "Ni lo sueñes" o "No lo haré".
"Ni de vainas" ["Don't even think about it" or "No way"], which means, "Don't even think about it" or "I won't do it."
Captions 44-45, Carlos explica Vocabulario: La palabra “vaina”
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To help you understand how vaina is used in real conversations, let's look at a few more examples:
1. "No entendí nada de esa vaina" (I didn't understand any of that stuff.)
2. "Pásame esa vaina, por favor" (Pass me that thing, please.)
3. "¿Cómo es que se llama esa vaina?" (What's that thing called?)
¿En efectivo? Ya vuelo a hacer esa vaina,
In cash? I'll get that thing done right away,
Caption 59, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 2 - Part 10
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Remember, while vaina is widely used in some countries, it may not be as common or have the same connotations in other Spanish-speaking regions. Always be mindful of the local context when using slang terms.
That's it for today's lesson on the versatile word vaina. Next time you're watching a Colombian telenovela or chatting with Venezuelan friends, keep an ear out for this useful slang term. And if you visit countries where it's commonly used, don't be afraid to try out esa vaina in your conversations!
Do you have any other Spanish slang terms you'd like to learn about? Please let us know, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
Do you know what a phrasal verb is? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, it is "an idiomatic phrase consisting of a verb and another element, typically either an adverb... a preposition... or a combination..." Some common examples of the countless English phrasal verbs are "break down," "break up, "put in," "put on," and so forth, and while there are far less phrasal verbs in Spanish, there are many common ones it would behoove you to know. For this purpose, we have comprised a list of 35 with examples from Yabla's Spanish video library.
While some Spanish phrasal verbs can be translated literally into English, others employ a different preposition than their English counterparts or have totally different literal translations. With this in mind, let's look at the list.
The verb acabar (to finish) plus the preposition de (from/of) plus an infinitive Spanish verb (the "to" or -ing form) means that one "has just" completed some action. Let's take a look:
Acabamos de disfrutar de Jarabe de Palo.
We just enjoyed Jarabe de Palo.
Caption 25, Tu Música Rock en español
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The reflexive verb acordarse de is a synonym for recordar (to remember) in Spanish. Both are used to talk about what one "remembers" or "remembers to" do:
Me acuerdo de estar aquí con mi perro,
I remember being here with my dog
Caption 53, Amaya Recordando - Part 1
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The reflexive verb acostumbrarse plus the preposition a means "to get used to" or "accustomed to" something:
y nos acostumbramos a ir a playas,
and we got used to going to beaches,
Caption 40, El coronavirus La cuarentena en Coro, Venezuela - Part 1
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Yet another reflexive verb, alegrarse de, is used to talk about one being happy or pleased about something. You will often see it alongside the conjunction que plus a verb in the subjunctive mood, as we see below:
Me alegro de que le guste.
I'm glad you like it.
Caption 15, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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Although caer bien literally means "to fall well," like the verb gustar, it is used to describe the idea of "liking." Like gustar and other verbs like gustar, it is usually employed with an indirect object pronoun in sentences where, grammatically speaking, it is the object of the sentence (what is liked) that performs the action. Let's see an example:
Creo que a Lola no le cae bien.
I think Lola doesn't like her.
Caption 60, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 6
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You might have guessed that caer mal (literally "to fall badly") means the opposite of caer bien and functions similarly to convey the idea that one does not like someone or something:
Creo que le caigo mal a mi jefe.
I think that my boss doesn't like me.
Caption 21, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Subjuntivo y condicional
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Interestingly, while we get married "to" someone in English, the Spanish verb for "to marry" contains the preposition con, making its translation "'to marry with":
El príncipe se casó con ella
The prince married her
Caption 61, Cleer La princesa y el guisante
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Whereas the Spanish verb contar by itself can have such diverse meanings as "to tell" and "to count," with the preposition con, it means "to count on" (not with!).
Sabes que puedes contar con todas en cualquier momento, en cualquier necesidad que tengamos.
You know that you can count on all of them at any time, for any need that we might have.
Captions 28-29, Mari Carmen La amistad
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As you can see, the phrasal verb dar con does not mean "to give with"! Let's see its correct translation in an example sentence:
Ayer di con mis zapatos.
Yesterday I found my shoes.
Caption 26, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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As our friend Carolina explains in her video on the verb dar, which means "to give" on its own, the phrasal verb dar por can mean different things when used with an adjective vs. a participle. Let's see an example of each:
A su marido lo dieron por muerto en la guerra.
Her husband was presumed dead in the war.
Caption 32, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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Doy la fiesta por terminada.
I consider the party finished.
Caption 30, Lecciones con Carolina Verbo - dar
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In this case, the reflexive form of the verb dar is employed along with the noun prisa (hurry/rush) to mean "to hurry" or "hurry up":
Pues, dese prisa, se lo está llevando la grúa.
Well, hurry up, the tow truck is taking it.
Caption 38, Los casos de Yabla El perrito malcriado - Part 2
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The Spanish verb dejar plus de plus an infinitive verb means "to stop" or "quit" doing something:
"Mi marido dejó de fumar hace ya cuatro años".
"My husband quit smoking four years ago now."
Caption 26, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 2
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We should mention that the negative version of this phrasal verb, no dejar de, can be utilized to express the idea of "always," as we see here:
no deja de haber muchísima gente.
there are always a ton of people.
Caption 18, Con Marta por Madrid La Plaza del Sol - Part 1
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The Spanish version of "to depend on" would be "to depend of" if translated literally:
depende de la porción que vayan a hacer;
it depends on the portion you're going to make;
Caption 27, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Karla y el pozole - Part 2
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Similarly, one falls in love "of" someone instead of "with" them in Spanish:
Me enamoré de un chico, que es el padre de mis hijos,
I fell in love with a guy, who is the father of my children,
Caption 11, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 1
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While encontrarse con sounds like it would mean "to find oneself with," its actual meaning is "to get together" or "meet up with" (which is not too far off!):
Y "anteayer" me encontré con unas amigas,
And "the day before yesterday," I met up with some friends,
Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Horas, fechas y períodos de tiempo - Part 3
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The Spanish verb echar can have different meanings from "to throw" to "to fire." In conjunction with the preposition a and a verb in the infinitive, however, it means "to start to" do something, usually in a sudden fashion. Let's see two examples:
Se asustó, echó a correr y no hubo manera de cogerlo.
It got scared, it took off running, and there was no way to get it.
Caption 62, Soledad Positivo y negativo
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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We bet you wouldn't guess that something that seems to mean "to throw of less" is a synonym for extrañar (to miss) in Spanish:
Ay, yo os he echado de menos.
Oh, I've missed you.
Caption 4, Con Marta por Madrid El Palacio Real y Doña Manolita - Part 1
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Estar para literally means "to be for," which is pretty close to its English equivalents "to be up for" or "in the mood" for something:
Es que ya no estoy para tantas vueltas y me siento cansado.
It's just that I am not up for so many rounds and I feel tired.
Caption 44, Guillermina y Candelario El parque de diversiones - Part 1
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Estar por, in contrast, typically means "to be in" or "around" some area or, when accompanied by an infinitive, becomes a phrasal verb that means "to be about to" do something. Let's see an example of each of these uses:
Yo estaba por ahí, todavía estaba caminando, ¿no?
I was around there, still walking, right?
Caption 21, Federico Kauffman Doig Arqueólogo - Part 3
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que todo está por... por... por empezar,
when everything is about to... to... to start,
Caption 65, Amaya Recordando - Part 3
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While hablar alone means "to speak" or "to talk," if you want to express the idea of "talking about" something, use the Spanish phrasal verb hablar de:
Mi amiga Amaya os habló de este lugar maravilloso
My friend Amaya talked to you about this wonderful place,
Caption 7, Montserrat El burrito Luz
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Since the Spanish phrasal verb llevar a cabo can be literally translated as "to take to the ending," it makes sense that its various English equivalents include "to carry out," "do," "perform" and "accomplish":
Para llevar a cabo estas funciones se necesitan tres figuras claves en el proceso terapéutico:
To carry out these roles, three key figures are needed in the therapeutic process:
Captions 35-36, Isabel Lavesa Terapia asistida con animales
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Although the idea of "forgetting" in Spanish is often expressed as a no fault construction (something more like "it slipped my mind"), the more straightforward way to say that one forgot something in Spanish is with the Spanish phrasal verb olvidarse de:
¡Ah! Me olvidé de estos dos elementos.
Oh! I forgot these two items.
Caption 63, Dayana Rutina de belleza y aseo
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Like the English "think of" or "about," the Spanish phrasal verb pensar de is used to talk about the belief or opinion one has of something or someone.
¿Qué piensas de tu nuevo jefe?
What do you think of your new boss?
Caption 77, Carlos explica Tuteo, ustedeo y voseo: Conjugación
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Pensar en, on the other hand (literally "to think on") is used to talk about one's process of thinking "about" something:
pensamos en un país, en una época, en un pueblo.
we think about a country, an era, a people.
Caption 3, Silvina Una entrevista con la artista
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Similar to echar a, ponerse a plus an infinitive verb refers to "starting" an action.
y al verlas como antes se puso a bailar."
and when she saw them like before, she started to dance."
Caption 60, Cleer Rafael Pombo y "Pastorcita"
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If you wish to talk about what you "worry about," use the Spanish phrasal verb preocuparse por:
que sepan que hay personas que se preocupan por ellas.
so that they know that there are people who are concerned about them.
Caption 8, Transformación Estética
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In her video series on the verb quedar, Silvia mentions the phrasal verb quedarse con, which can have several different meanings including "to keep," "end up with" or "be left." Let's take a look at two captions that include it:
"Tras el divorcio, ella se quedó con el chalé
"After the divorce, she kept the chalet,
Caption 56, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 3
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Toda la familia "se quedó con la boca abierta".
The whole family "was left open-mouthed."
Caption 8, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados, usos y expresiones con "quedar" - Part 7
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As you might imagine, quedarse sin often means the opposite of quedarse con ("to be left" or "end up without"), but it can also mean "to run out of" something:
Nos quedamos sin guitarrista, sin banda y sin concurso; ¡no!
We are left without a guitarist, without a band and without a contest; no!
Caption 16, X6 1 - La banda - Part 6
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No, se quedó sin nafta. -¿Qué?
No, it ran out of gas. -What?
Caption 4, Yago 7 Encuentros - Part 11
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To talk about something or someone you "laughed at," use the Spanish phrasal verb reírse de:
Nos reímos de la muerte.
We laugh at death.
Caption 28, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Adriana y la fiesta de los muertos - Part 3
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As you probably know, salir by itself means "to leave." That said, when referring to leaving a particular place, salir de is the correct Spanish phrasal verb to choose.
Y cuando salimos de la iglesia me dice mi padre:
And when we left the church my father says to me:
Caption 52, María Marí Su pasión por su arte - Part 1
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While it might seem strange to English speakers, the literal translation for this Spanish phrasal verb is "to dream with" (rather than "about"):
y muchas veces incluso sueño con aquellos tiempos.
and very often I even dream about those times.
Caption 49, Clara y Cristina Saludar
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Rather than meaning "to have that," the Spanish phrasal verb tener que plus an infinitive means "to have to" do something:
Todos tenemos que superarlo y tenemos que empeñarnos en ello.
We all have to overcome it, and we have to be set on doing it.
Captions 74-75, Soledad Compartir tus problemas
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When you want to describe something that you're "trying to" do, use the infinitive following the Spanish phrasal verb tratar de:
trato de alimentarme bien, de tomar agua,
I try to eat well, to drink water,
Caption 26, Otavalo Ejercicios
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When talking about "coming to" a place, use the phrasal verb venir a, which translates very literally to English.
¿qué consejos le darías a un turista que viene a Barcelona?
what advice would you give to a tourist who's coming to Barcelona?
Caption 51, Carlos y Xavi Part 4 Tradiciones y comida de Barcelona
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And finally, when used with an infinitive, volver a (literally "to return to") means to perform some action again. Let's see two examples:
volvimos a revalidar el título
we locked in the title again
Caption 90, Viajando con Fermín Final Copa del Rey
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y mi mamá no se volvió a casar,
and my mother didn't remarry,
Caption 55, La Sub30 Familias - Part 2
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After perusing our list of 35 Spanish Phrasal Verbs, we have compiled a list of all of them along with their English translations so that you may study or review them at your leisure:
1. Acabar de: to have just (done something)
2. Acordarse de: to remember/remember to
3. Acostumbrarse a: to get used to/accustomed to
4. Alegrarse de: to be glad/happy/pleased about
5. Caer(le) bien (a alguien): to please (equivalent of "to like")
6. Caer(le) mal (a alguien): to displease (equivalent of "to not like")
7. Casarse con: to marry/get married to
8. Contar con: to count on
9. Dar con: to find
10. Dar por: to presume/consider
11. Darse prisa: to hurry/hurry up
12. Dejar de: to quit or stop (doing something)
13. Depender de: to depend on
14. Enamorarse de: to fall in love with
15. Encontrarse con: to meet up/get together with
16. Echar a: to suddenly start to (do something)
17. Echar de menos: to miss
18. Estar para: to be up for/in the mood for
19. Estar por: to be about to (do something)
20. Hablar de: to talk about
21. Llevar a cabo: to do/carry out/perform/accomplish
22. Olvidarse de: to forget
23. Pensar de: to think of/about (hold a belief)
24. Pensar en: to think about (the thought process)
25. Ponerse a: to start to (do something)
26. Preocuparse por: to worry/be concerned about
27. Quedarse con: to keep/end up with/be left with
28. Quedarse sin: to be left without/end up without/run out of
29. Reírse de: to laugh at
30. Salir de: to leave/leave from (a place)
31. Soñar con: to dream about
32. Tener que: to have to (do something)
33. Tratar de: to try to (do something)
34. Venir a: to come to (a place)
35. Volver a: to do (something) again
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to better navigate many of the most common phrasal verbs in Spanish, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments.
You are probably familiar with the Spanish word ahí (not to be confused with hay or ay), which is one of the ways to say "there" in Spanish. However, you may have noticed that it seems to be used frequently by many native speakers with different meanings, which aren't always easy to intuit. Let's explore many of the possible meanings of the common Spanish word ahí.
Like the English word "there," the Spanish word ahí can mean "in that place," "to that place" or merely "that place." When referring to physical location, the word ahí technically describes the closest distance relative to the other Spanish words for "there," allí and allá, but is often used interchangeably with the others. Let's take a look at some examples.
y lo dejaremos ahí hasta que hierva.
and we'll leave it there until it boils.
Caption 19, Ana Carolina Ponche navideño
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Entonces no sé si vamos ahí.
So I don't know if we [can] go there.
Caption 34, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 2
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In this usage, the word ahí is often preceded by a preposition, as we see here:
Y a veces, por ahí sale el calor del centro de la tierra.
And sometimes, the heat from the center of the earth comes out through there.
Caption 48, Guillermina y Candelario El Gran Descubrimiento
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When paired specifically with the Spanish preposition de, de ahí literally means "from that place" and works like the English word "hence" to refer to something that was said previously:
recordando a la cabeza de un ave; de ahí su nombre no científico.
reminding one of a bird's head; hence its non scientific name.
Captions 63-64, Isabel Lavesa Especies vegetales
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In this usage, the Spanish word ahí also references something that was previously mentioned and might be translated with "there" or other phrases like "that's when," "that's where," etc. Let's see two examples in context:
y veía a ese grupo y decía: "Che, ¿y nosotros por qué no?" Y de ahí nace la idea de empezar a juntarse.
and I saw that group and said, "Hey, and why not us?" And, from there, the idea of starting to get together is born.
Captions 41-42, Tu Música El Ensamble Latino - Part 1
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Y ahí me vino la inspiración de hacer un vídeo sobre los medios de transporte.
And that's where the inspiration came to me to make a video about the means of transportation.
Captions 9-10, Aprendiendo con Silvia Medios de transporte - Part 1
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The word ahí in Spanish can also work like the English word "then" to refer to a specific moment in time:
Ahí vamos a agregar nuestra, eh... panela en almíbar, se podría decir, ¿no?, o panela derretida.
Then, we're going to add our, um... panela syrup, you might say, right? Or melted panela.
Captions 49-50, Otavalo Proyecto familiar Kawsaymi - Part 5
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Let's look at this usage in the context of common fixed expressions in both Spanish and English:
De ahí en adelante las cosas empezaron a suceder con rapidez.
From then on, things began to happen quickly.
Caption 32, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 4
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The word ahí can also work like the word "maybe" or "perhaps," as we see below:
Y ahí voy a la fiesta mañana; no estoy segura.
And maybe I'll go to the party tomorrow; I'm not sure.
In addition to the many uses we just covered, the word ahí is also part of many fixed expressions in Spanish. Below you will find several with example sentences.
Just this one Spanish construction can have many different meanings in different contexts, aside from the literal one, "through there," which we saw previously. Let's take a look at several of them.
Maybe, Might:
Por ahí se preparan un asadito... no sé.
They might prepare a barbecue... I don't know.
Caption 56, Muñeca Brava 44 El encuentro - Part 8
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"They," "People"
Por ahi can also be used similarly to the impersonal se construction in Spanish to describe what "people" generally do, say, etc. Alternative translations for the caption below thus include "As they say" or "As people say."
Como dicen por ahí, todo tiene su ciencia.
As the saying goes, there's a science to everything.
Caption 20, Guillermina y Candelario El Manglar
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Around (Physically)
O... "Por favor, no lo dejéis todo por ahí tirado.
Or... "Please, don't leave everything scattered around.
Caption 19, Aprendiendo con Silvia Significados del verbo dejar - Part 1
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Around (About/More or Less)
Él se hizo famoso por ahí de los años setentas
He became famous around the seventies
Caption 15, Guillermo el chamán La tecnología maya
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Vamos a cenar por ahí esta noche.
We're going to go out to dinner tonight.
¿Cómo está el proyecto? -Ahí va.
How's the project? It's coming along.
¿Cómo está tu hermano? Me dijeron que estaba enfermo. -Ahí va. Todavía no se encuentra muy bien.
How's your brother? I heard he was sick. -He's hanging in there. He's still not feeling very well.
This might be used when someone is at the door or calling you, for example, from another room.
A partir de ahí, comienza lo que serán veinticuatro horas de fiesta ininterrumpida,
From there, what will be twenty-four hours of uninterrupted partying begins
Captions 56-57, Días festivos La Tamborrada de San Sebastián
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Tenemos la Unidad Operativa de Punta Pirámide, que está ahí nomás de Puerto Pirámide
We have the Operational Unit of Punta Pirámide, which is very close to Puerto Pirámide,
Captions 21-22, Perdidos en la Patagonia Península Valdés
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y ahí mismo vamos a echar nuestra carne salpimentada.
and right there, we're going to put in our seasoned meat.
Caption 38, La cocina de María Estofado de ternera
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Quieta ahí.
Don't move.
Caption 28, Yago 2 El puma - Part 9
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That's all for this lesson on the many meanings of the Spanish word ahí, alone and in fixed expressions. We hope that it will help you to use it and understand it in different contexts, and don't forget to write us with your questions and comments!
Surely you've heard the word hecho in Spanish. But did you know that this Spanish word can function as a noun, a verb, or an adjective, as well as being a part of countless fixed expressions? Let's look into the many uses of the word hecho in Spanish!
The masculine noun el hecho in Spanish can mean "the fact," "the incident," or "the event." Let's see some examples:
El hecho es que a mí Vargas me asignó ese caso
The fact is that Vargas assigned me that case
Caption 22, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 3
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el microrrelato tenía que estar basado en un hecho o personajes históricos.
the flash fiction story had to be based on a historical event or figures.
Caption 15, Aprendiendo con Carlos El microrrelato - Part 3
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Hecho is the participle form of the verb hacer, which means "to do" or "to make." Since participles are used with the auxiliary verb haber to form the perfect tenses (the equivalent of English sentences like "I have spoken," "I had eaten," etc.), the translations for hecho in this context would be "done" or "made." Let's listen to two examples where hecho accompanies haber as part of the present perfect tense:
Pero, ya he hecho un montón de cosas.
But, I've already done a ton of things.
Caption 22, Clase Aula Azul La segunda condicional - Part 1
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Han hecho un viaje bastante largo.
They've made quite a long journey.
Caption 6, Amaya Mis burras Lola y Canija
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The Spanish word hecho can also be an adjective that means "done" or "made." Let's take a look:
Pero todo hecho con el material o tejidos andinos.
But all made with Andean material or fabrics.
Caption 31, Otavalo Zapatos andinos
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Remember that adjectives in Spanish must agree with the nouns they modify in terms of number and gender. Therefore, alternative forms of the masculine singular adjective hecho include the singular feminine hecha and the masculine/feminine plural forms hechos and hechas. Let's listen to two of these:
Es una masa redonda, hecha con harina,
It's some round dough made of flour,
Captions 5-6, El Aula Azul Adivinanzas de comidas - Part 3
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Quesos especiales hechos aquí en la región.
Special cheeses made here in the region.
Caption 32, Desayuno Puerto Escondido Frijoles Refritos
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The Spanish word hecho should not be confused with echo, which is the first person singular form of the verb echar (to throw, throw away, put in, etc.), as we hear in the following caption:
Primero echo casi más de la mitad.
First, I put in almost more than half [of the package].
Caption 45, Recetas de cocina Papa a la Huancaína
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Because the "h" in hecho is silent, the identical pronunciation of these two words lead even native Spanish speakers to confuse them. However, bear in mind that as there is no such verb as hechar in Spanish, echo in this context should always be spelled without an "h."
In its various incarnations, the word hecho also appears in too many Spanish fixed expressions to name! Below you will find a smattering of these, with lots of examples from our Yabla Spanish video library. Can you figure out how the word hecho, or one of its variants, is functioning in each of them?
dar por hecho: to presume, to be a given, to take for granted
puesto que se da por hecho que cuando lo comunicamos es porque nos gusta
since it's presumed that when we communicate it it's because we like it
Captions 39-40, Raquel y Marisa Español Para Negocios - Introducción
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de hecho: in fact
De hecho, es un sitio bastante tranquilo y pintoresco que vale la pena visitar.
In fact, it's a quite calm and picturesque place that's worth visiting.
Caption 23, Aprendiendo con Carlos América precolombina - El Dorado
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quiero recalcar el hecho de que todo pasa,
I want to emphasize the fact that everything passes,
Captions 74-75, Soledad Refranes - Part 2
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estar hecho polvo: to be exhausted (literally "to be made into dust")
"yo ya estoy hecho polvo.
"I'm exhausted already.
Caption 24, Pigueldito y Federico El cielo
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hecho a mano: handmade
son todas hechas a mano; bordados hechos a mano,
they're all handmade, handmade embroidery,
Captions 40-41, Málaga Lourdes y la talabartería en Mijas Pueblo
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hechos reales: a true story
basada en hechos reales.
based on a true story.
Caption 12, Aprendiendo con Silvia Nacionalidades y adjetivos - Part 1
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trato hecho: it's a deal, done deal
Trato hecho, ¿sí o no? -¡Trato hecho!
It's a deal, yes or no? -It's a deal!
Caption 60, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 2 - Part 5
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped to give you a sense of the many ways that the word hecho can be used in Spanish, as well as the the one way in which it should not be. Don't forget to write us with your questions or comments.
Have you noticed that the Spanish expressions Es bueno and Está bien are often used in very similar contexts in which both are equivalents of "It's good"? The same can be said for Es malo and Está mal, which can both mean "It's bad." As this can be a bit confusing, today's lesson will point out some scenarios in which these phrases can function both similarly and differently.
One of the most challenging aspects of learning or mastering Spanish is understanding the difference between the verbs ser and estar, which both mean "to be." Put in the simplest of terms:
-Ser tends to be used for more permanent qualities and is accompanied by adjectives, which must agree grammatically with the nouns they modify in terms of number and gender.
-Estar describes more variable states like emotions and goes with adverbs, which do not change forms.
With this in mind, let's take a look at examples of es bueno/malo and está bien/mal, noting the difference in meaning.
Ella es muy buena.
She is very good.
Caption 30, Guillermina y Candelario La Señora Pulpo
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Ya, ya, tranquilos, tranquilos, ella está bien.
It's OK, it's OK, don't worry, don't worry, she's fine.
Caption 15, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 3 - Part 12
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While es buena refers to the girl's character being "good" in a more permanent sense, está bien is employed to express that, at that moment, the character is "fine," as in "safe" or "OK." We also commonly see this use of está bien to convey that a person is "doing" or feeling "fine" at a determined moment, or that a situation is "OK" or "alright":
Está bien, Luis.
It's OK, Luis.
Caption 27, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 8: La prima de la dueña - Part 5
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En español decimos: "Es que es muy malo".
In Spanish, we say: "Es que es muy malo" [It's just that he's very bad].
Caption 86, Amaya El burrito Luz - Part 2
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Y si ahora vuelvo a hablar del tema es porque su señora madre está mal.
And if now I talk about the issue again it's because your mother is ill.
Caption 37, Muñeca Brava 33 El partido - Part 3
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In these examples, we see es malo used, albeit ironically, to talk about the donkey's general "bad" character, while está mal expresses that the mother is currently "ill." Estar mal is also used frequently to say that people, animals, etc., are doing poorly at a specific point.
On the other hand, when es bueno/a and está bien are used to talk about certain things or concepts, they can function in a quite interchangeable manner. Let's explore two common scenarios in which this happens.
When describing quality, es bueno/a and está bien are often virtually synonymous. As an example, in response to the question ¿Qué tal esa película? (How's that movie?), to indicate that it is "very good," one could reply either Esa película es muy buena or Esa película está muy bien since both mean "That movie is very good." Let's look at some more examples where es bueno/a and está bien could potentially substitute one another.
Entonces, este mantra es muy bueno
So, this mantra is very good
Caption 69, Ana Teresa Introducción a los mantras
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In this case, Entonces, este mantra está muy bien could be used to express the same idea with no change in translation.
Pero está muy bien el metro.
But the subway is very good.
Caption 45, Isabel y Paula contigo Transporte público en Madrid - Part 3
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Here, one could also say Pero es muy bueno el metro and mean the same thing.
Note that, although you could use es malo/a to say that something is "bad," when using está, it would be more common to hear no está bien than está mal, for example, Ese libro no está muy bien (That book isn't very good).
Let's now examine examples where es bueno and está bien could substitute one another for the purpose of expressing judgment about what's good.
"Es bueno que vivas sola".
"It's good that you live alone."
Caption 57, Carlos comenta La sucursal del cielo - Part 2
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"Está bien que estudies para el examen de mañana"
"It's good for you to study for tomorrow's exam"
Caption 48, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 4
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Keep in mind that, due to the subjective nature of both sentences, the verbs that follow both es bueno and está bien are conjugated in the subjunctive. Now, let's see similar examples with es malo and está mal that are also quite interchangeable:
"Está mal que Roberto trabaje tanto".
"It's bad that Roberto works so much."
Caption 76, Carlos explica Cómo expresar opiniones en español - Part 4
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Mis padres me dicen que eso es malo
My parents tell me that that is bad
Caption 25, Club de las ideas Seguridad en internet
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Take into account, however, that when what is being described entails a moral judgment about something or a statement about the correctness of information, está bien/mal would be preferable, as we see below, noting the change in translation.
Lo que usted hace está mal.
What you're doing is wrong.
Caption 87, Muñeca Brava 48 - Soluciones - Part 6
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Sin embargo, el artículo "los" es masculino plural, así que no está bien.
However, the article, "los" [the], is masculine plural, so it's incorrect.
Captions 77-78, Carlos explica La concordancia gramatical - Part 1
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While we have talked about ser accompanying bueno/a and estar going with bien/mal, and it would be totally incorrect to say es bien or es mal, there are cases in which está bueno/a or está malo/a are commonly used. Let's take a look at some common ones:
Está bueno.
It's good.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 12 - Part 1
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Está buena la casa, ¿eh?
The house is nice, huh?
Caption 26, Disputas La Extraña Dama - Part 10
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Que cante mi gente -Y está buena, pero qué buena está
Sing along, my people -And she is hot, but how hot she is
Caption 35, Héctor Lavoe Mi gente
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Juan se queda en casa hoy ya que está malo.
Juan is staying home today since he's sick.
You probably recall from earlier in the lesson that estar mal is another option for talking about sickness in Spanish, so keep your ears open for both.
On that note, we will conclude this lesson, which we hope has helped you to understand when the extremely common Spanish expressions es bueno/malo and está bien/mal can be used interchangeably and when one option is preferable... and don't forget to write us with your comments and questions.
You are surely familiar with the Spanish pronoun nada with the meaning of "nothing." But are you aware that it can have several additional meanings and translations? Let's explore many of them!
Before we learn several of the lesser-known meanings of the Spanish word nada, let's look at its most common usage. Like "nothing" in English, the pronoun nada in Spanish can mean an absence or lack of anything, as we see here:
Es una palabra que define todo y nada al mismo tiempo
It's a word that defines everything and nothing at the same time
Caption 55, Carlos comenta Confidencial - Jerga típica colombiana
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Now, let's move on to our 7 additional meanings of the Spanish word nada that may not initially come to mind.
When used with a double negative, the English equivalent of the pronoun nada in Spanish changes to "anything":
No, hoy no tengo nada qué hacer.
No, today I don't have anything to do.
Caption 42, Conversaciones en el parque Cap. 5: Me gusta mucho este parque.
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For a more in depth explanation of this topic, check out Yabla's lesson entitled Nada: Nothing or Anything?
When the pronoun nada in Spanish is used to mean "none," it is typically accompanied by the preposition de, as we see below:
¿Por qué hace como si nada de esto estuviera pasando?
Why are you acting as if none of this were happening?
Caption 25, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 4 - Part 8
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Similarly to the manner in which nada can mean either "nothing," or "anything," its meaning also changes from "none" to "any" when used with the preposition de in a double negative sentence:
¡No, no... no! -No tiene que hacer nada de esto. -¡No, no, no, no, no!
No, no... no! -You don't have to do any of this. -No, no, no, no, no!
Caption 16, Tu Voz Estéreo Embalsamado - Part 17
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In this usage, nada functions as an adverb that can be translated with the English phrase "at all":
pero como no lo hago nada bien,
but since I don't do it well at all,
Caption 5, Beatriz Expresiones con colores
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Moving on to some uses of the Spanish word nada as a noun, let's see how la nada can mean "nowhere":
"¿La gente cómo puede vivir en medio de la nada, no?",
"How can people live in the middle of nowhere, right?"
Caption 3, Hispanoamericanos en Berlín Irwin y la acuarela - Part 3
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Like the pronoun nada, the noun la nada can describe a complete lack of anything:
Era el frío de la nada
It was the cold of nothingness
Caption 41, Acercándonos a la Literatura José Asunción Silva - "Nocturno III"
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The Spanish noun la nada can additionally be translated as "the void" when referring either to empty space in a physical sense or one's feeling of emptiness:
Y mi papá miraba hacia la nada con una rabia feroz de la que no era muy consciente.
And my dad stared into the void with a ferocious rage he wasn't very conscious.
Caption 54, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 2 - Part 1
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Now that you have learned 7 alternative English translations for the Spanish word nada, let's look at some common Spanish fixed expressions that include it, noting their English equivalents:
Antes de nada, vamos a repasar algunos conceptos e información necesaria
Before anything else, we're going to review some concepts and necessary information
Caption 1, Raquel y Marisa Aprender a conducir - Part 1
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Pero antes que nada, lo básico:
But first of all, the basics:
Caption 2, Conversaciones con Luis Astrología
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y que anda por ahí como si nada, entonces.
and that he's out there as if it were nothing then.
Caption 20, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 2 - Part 4
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De nada. Estoy para servirle. Permiso.
You're welcome. I'm at your service. Excuse me.
Caption 61, Programación de oficina El dictado del jefe
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Bueno, ahora estoy haciendo, más que nada, un trabajo con los niños
Well, now, I'm doing, above all else, a project with children
Caption 28, Cleer Entrevista con Jacky
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no le importa nada más.
nothing else matters to them.
Caption 34, Aprendiendo con Silvia Frases hechas - Part 1
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pero que no tiene nada que ver con temas religiosos.
but which has nothing to do with religious themes.
Caption 25, Viajando con Fermín La Feria de Santo Tomás
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¿Entonces no importa si la llamo? Para nada. -¡Para nada!
Then it doesn't matter if I call her? Not at all. -Not at all!
Captions 43-44, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 7
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Primero que nada, pedirte perdón por lo de ayer.
First of all, to apologize for yesterday.
Caption 12, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 5 - Part 4
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Pues nada, espero que... hayáis conocido un poquito este deporte, esta escuela, a mí,
Anyway, I hope that... you've learned a little bit about this sport, this school, myself,
Captions 80-81, Escuela de Pádel Albacete Hablamos con José Luis
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That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand many of the meanings of the Spanish word nada beyond simply "nothing," and don't forget to write us with your questions and suggestions.
Drinking in excess is just bad, especially if you have to deal with a horrible hangover the next day. But do you know how to say "hangover" in Spanish? Let's find out!
Generally speaking, the word resaca is probably the most standard term you can use to refer to a hangover. In other words, if you use this term throughout the Spanish-speaking world, people will understand what you are saying. Let's hear how this word is pronounced:
Me duele la cabeza. Creo que tengo resaca.
My head hurts. I think that I have a hangover.
Captions 13-14, Raquel Expresiones para un festival de música.
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If you go to Mexico, the word to use is cruda. Just like food that is cruda (raw) is not ready for eating, someone with a cruda is not ready to be at his or her best. Note that in some Spanish-speaking countries, crudo/a can also be used as an adjective with the verb estar (to be) to say that one has a hangover, or "is hungover."
In many Central American countries, the Spanish word for hangover is goma (literally "rubber band"). This is probably because someone with a hangover resembles a rubber band that can't stay straight!
Literally speaking, un guayabo is a guava tree. Although the origin of this slang term is unclear, some believe that it refers to this tree's fruit, la guayaba (guava), which can still look good on the outside when it is rotten on the inside. Let's hear how to say this term:
¡No, bueno, bueno! ¡Ni anginas ni nada! Para mí era un guayabo y punto.
No, well, well! No tonsils or anything! For me, it was a hangover, period.
Captions 16-17, Confidencial: Broma pesada Capítulo 1 - Part 3
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The word for "mouse," ratón, is used by Venezuelans to refer to a hangover.
One of the most unique ways of saying "hangover" in Spanish is chuchaqui. This word comes from the Quichua word chaqui, which refers to the nauseous feeling that one might experience after chewing coca leaves. Let's listen to this word in action:
Como a chuchaqui, quiero que tome agua,
Like for a hangover, I want you to drink water,
Caption 44, Los médicos explican Consulta con el médico: herpes
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That's all for today. Now that you know how to say "hangover" in Spanish, we hope you won't have to use that word for yourself! Do you know any other terms for" hangover" in Spanish? Please let us know, and don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
In a previous lesson, we learned various ways to say "never" in Spanish. But what about "ever"? Find out in today's lesson!
To start, note that two of the very same formulas that were used to say "never" in Spanish can also be used to say "ever." This is due to the fact that sometimes an idea in English can be expressed with either of these two words. Let's take a look at these formulas to understand better.
Let's look at this formula where nunca has been translated as "never":
Oh... ¡Nunca voy a tener un novio!
Oh... I'm never going to have a boyfriend!
Caption 28, Extr@: Extra en español - Ep. 3 - Sam aprende a ligar
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However, this very same formula can also mean "ever" because an alternative translation of the sentence above into English would be:
Oh... ¡Nunca voy a tener un novio!
Oh... I'm not ever going to have a boyfriend!
The same can be said for the formula no + sentence + nunca, as in the following example:
No te has equivocado nunca.
You've never made a mistake.
Once again, this very same construction can also be used to convey the idea of "ever" since an alternative English translation for this sentence would be: "You haven't ever made a mistake." Let's view this same sentence in question form:
¿No te has equivocado nunca?
Haven't you ever made a mistake?
Caption 73, 75 minutos - Del campo a la mesa
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In addition, negative commands with the word nunca can be used to say the equivalent of "ever" in Spanish:
Y por favor, no me lo dejes solo nunca.
And please, for me, don't ever leave him alone.
Caption 5, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1 - Part 14
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Let's examine some more ways to say the English word "ever" in Spanish in different contexts.
One of the most common and straightforward ways to say "ever" in Spanish in the sense of "at some point in time" is alguna vez, typically within a question with either the present perfect or preterite tense. Let's see some examples:
¿Se han preguntado alguna vez por qué es importante reír?
Have you ever wondered why it's important to laugh?
Caption 8, Mónica - La risa
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¿Alguna vez te pasó?
Has it ever happened to you?
Caption 32, Verano Eterno - Fiesta Grande
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De todos los tiempos is yet another way to say "ever" in Spanish when the meaning is "of all time," which is, in fact, the literal translation of this phrase and could replace "ever" in the following example:
Hoy tenemos la fortuna de tenerlo entre nosotros,
Today we have the fortune to have him amongst us,
al más grande exponente de todos los tiempos, ¡al Señor Gardel!
the greatest example ever, Mister Gardel!
Captions 44-45, Yago - 1 La llegada
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Finally, let's check out how many common English expressions with "ever" such as "more than ever," "never ever," etc. are said in Spanish.
Y yo te amé, como nunca jamás lo imaginé
And I loved you, as I never ever imagined it
Caption 8, Muñeca Brava - 9 Engaños
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Ahora más que nunca, vas a hacer lo que yo te diga.
Now more than ever, you are going to do whatever I tell you.
Caption 10, Muñeca Brava - 7 El poema
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El tiempo ha estado mejor/peor que nunca.
The weather has been better/worse than ever.
In fact, any adjective or adverb can be used between más (more) and que nunca (than ever) to convey the equivalent of English phrases with "than ever." Let's see a few examples:
Hoy he corrido más rápido que nunca.
Today, I've run faster than ever.
En cambio vos no cambiaste nada;
On the other hand you haven't changed a bit;
estás más hermosa que nunca.
you're more beautiful than ever.
Caption 56, Yago - 11 Prisión
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¿No me quieres volver a ver nunca más?
You don't ever want to see me again?
Caption 2, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante - Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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Another translation for this sentence could be "You never want to see me again?"
y desde entonces se nos quedó adentro.
and it has remained within us ever since.
Caption 8, Región mundo - Paso a paso
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And speaking of "ever since," did you know that, in addition to Vivieron felices para siempre, one of the manners of saying the popular storybook line "They lived happily ever after" in Spanish is Vivieron felices y comieron perdices ("They lived happily and ate partridges")? On that note, we'll conclude this lesson, hoping that you've learned a lot of useful phrases for translating the concept of "ever" into Spanish. And don't forget to write us with any questions or suggestions.
Let's start this lesson off with a quote that refers to a very important and oft-mentioned concept in Spanish:
Veamos el verbo en infinitivo
Let's look at the verb in infinitive
Caption 13, Carlos explica El modo imperativo 2: Irregulares, Usted + plurales
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Most simply put, the infinitive is the impersonal, unconjugated, or "to" form of a verb, such as "to swim," "to see," or "to dance" in English. Let's take a closer look at Spanish infinitives and learn many of their potential uses.
Do you know how many types of infinitive verbs there are in Spanish? Let's hear the answer from Yabla's popular teacher Carolina:
Con infinitivo tenemos tres tipos de verbos: verbos que terminan en "ar", como "cantar", verbos que terminan en "er", como "comer" y verbos que terminan en "ir", como "salir".
With infinitive we have three types of verbs: verbs that end in "ar," like "cantar" [to sing], verbs that end in "er," like "comer" [to eat] and verbs that end in "ir," like "salir" [to leave].
Captions 11-14, Lecciones con Carolina El gerundio - Part 1
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These three categories of infinitive verbs determine the patterns according to which regular verbs are conjugated in all of the various verb tenses in Spanish. Although there are far too many to name, we have provided below ten of the most common Spanish infinitives in each category. The bold print indicates some irregular or stem-changing verbs whose conjugations deviate from the norm.
| -AR Verbs | -ER Verbs | -IR Verbs |
|---|---|---|
| dar (to give) | aprender (to learn) | abrir (to open) |
| estar (to be) | comer (to eat) | decir (to tell) |
| hablar (to talk) | creer (to believe) | describir (to describe) |
| llamar (to call) | hacer (to make/do) | escribir (to write) |
| llegar (to arrive) | poder (to be able) | pedir (to ask) |
| llevar (to take/carry) | querer (to want) | recibir (to receive) |
| pasar (to spend) | saber (to know) | salir (to leave) |
| quedar (to remain) | ser (to be) | sentir (to feel) |
| tomar (to take) | tener (to have) | venir (to come) |
| trabajar (to work) | vender (to sell) | vivir (to live) |
Now that we understand what an infinitive verb is, let's learn some of the ways in which these non-conjugated verbs can be employed in Spanish.
Many specific conjugated verbs in Spanish can be followed immediately by an infinitive verb. In this case, the infinitive may be translated into English with either the "to" or present participle (-ing) form, depending upon the specific verb and context. Let's see a couple of examples with querer (to want) and evitar (to avoid), which are often followed by infinitive verbs:
Perfecto. Yo quiero viajar a Japón. ¿Sí?
Perfect. I want to travel to Japan. Right?
Caption 77, Clase Aula Azul Pedir deseos - Part 1
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"Evita beber desde media tarde bebidas estimulantes
"Avoid drinking, starting from mid-afternoon, stimulant drinks
Caption 24, Aprendiendo con Silvia Consejos para dormir mejor - Part 1
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Although the list of these tverbs that are frequently followed by the infinitive is quite long, some additional common ones include buscar (to seek), deber (to have to/must), esperar (to hope), intentar (to try), necesitar (to need), soler (to usually), tener que (to have to), and temer (to fear).
When a verb follows a preposition in Spanish, it should be in the infinitive form. In these cases, Spanish infinitive verbs will be translated with the -ing form of the verb. Let's look at some examples:
Antes de empezar, necesito mis anteojos.
Before starting, I need my glasses.
Caption 19, Natalia de Ecuador Los adverbios de orden
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¡Perdónalo! Lo dijo sin pensar.
Forgive him! He said it without thinking.
Caption 34, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 10 - Part 4
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Some other prepositions after which infinitive Spanish verbs are often found include, but aren't limited to: a (to, at), con (with), de (from, of), después de (after), and en (at/in/on).
There are many common fixed expressions in Spanish that include prepositions and thus require the infinitive, including the near future tense, ir a + infinitive ("to be going to" do something), pensar en + infinitive ("to think about" doing something), dejar de + infinitive ("to stop" or "quit" doing something), tener ganas de + infinitive ("to feel like" doing something), haber que + infinitive (for some action "to be necessary"), estar por + infinitive ("to be about to" do something), and countless more! Let's see a few of these in action:
que tengo ganas de saltar y bailar.
that I feel like jumping and dancing.
Caption 4, Aprendiendo con Silvia Las emociones - Part 6
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Había que pagar el precio.
One had to pay the price.
Caption 2, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 5
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¡Ya deje de hablar de esa niña!
Stop talking about that girl already!
Caption 7, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 2
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Sometimes, like in English, Spanish infinitive verbs can function like nouns, as in the following excerpt:
Me encanta comprar.
I love shopping.
Caption 40, Ariana Mi Semana
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Note that in such cases, while the article is not required, it may be added for emphasis as follows:
Ahora hasta de hablar,
Now even about talking,
los muchachos les da pena el hablar maya.
the young kids are embarrassed about speaking Maya.
Caption 54, Yabla en Yucatán - Don Salo - Part 1
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In certain situations, such as explaining how to do something step by step in a manual, cookbook, show, etc., or telling the public on a sign or some other medium what they can and cannot do, Spanish verbs in the infinitive can be construed as commands. Let's take a look:
"No fumar. Esto produce la muerte".
"Don't smoke. This causes death."
Caption 56, Los médicos explican - Las migrañas
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An alternative translation on a sign might be: "No smoking."
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand what infinitive verbs are and many of their possible uses. Can you think of any more? Don't forget to write us with your suggestions and comments.
Have you heard of the "no fault se" construction in Spanish? Do you know the "no fault se" formula and how to use it? Do you know which verbs are most commonly seen with the "no fault se"? Today's lesson will touch upon all of these topics!
If you lose a lot of things, like many of us, you'll be happy to hear that, unlike English, the Spanish language doesn't think it's our fault! It tends to describe certain things happening "to us" rather than us carrying them out. For example, instead of saying Yo perdí el libro (I lost the book), it would be more common for a native Spanish speaker to say, Se me perdió el libro (literally "The book got lost to me"). And, instead of saying directly "I dropped the eggs," you might say Se me cayeron los huevos, which literally translates to something like "The eggs fell from me."
Now that we have some idea about the "no fault se" construction, which might also be referred to as the "involuntary se," let's learn the necessary elements to create sentences that employ it:
1. The pronoun se.
2. An indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, or le) that indicates "to whom" the action "is happening" (or, depending on perception, who "did" it!).
3. A verb in the third person that is conjugated in either singular or plural in accordance with the subject (as in passive constructions).
4. Optional: a (to) plus a prepositional pronoun (mí (me), ti (you), él (him), ella (her), usted (formal "you"), nosotros/as (we), vosotros/as (plural "you"), or ustedes (formal plural "you")), or a direct object to emphasize "the victim" of the action (see verbs like gustar).
Let's take a look at a couple of examples:
y se le cayó el trozo de carne.
and he dropped the piece of meat.
Caption 13, Club de las ideas La zorra y el cuervo
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In terms of our formula, we have 1. the pronoun se 2. the indirect object pronoun le to indicate that it happened "to him" (since le corresponds to the subject pronoun él (him)), and 3. the verb caer (to fall) conjugated in third person singular because la carne (the meat) is singular. Optionally, a él could have been added to emphasize the action's "victim" (a él​ se le cayó...). Let's see another example:
El martes se me perdieron las llaves de casa,
On Tuesday, my house keys got lost,
Caption 14, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: El pronombre "se"
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Here, we see: 1. the pronoun se 2. the indirect object pronoun me to point towards the first person, yo (I), and 3. the verb perder (to lose) conjugated in third person plural to agree with the plural las llaves (the keys). A mí could be an optional addition before "se me perdieron..."
In terms of the translation of the examples above, while the "no fault se" construction with caer is most often translated as "to drop," our second example might also have been communicated with "I lost my house keys" since this is the more common way of talking about losing things in English— although "got lost" might arguably convey this idea of "no fault" more effectively. That said, because there is not always an equivalent of every "no fault" construction in English, their translations may vary, and we will thus attempt to give you various English options for the following examples.
Now, let's examine some additional verbs that commonly appear in the "no fault se" construction.
Although a Spanish speaker could potentially say "Me olvidé" (I forgot), the idea of "forgetting" is more commonly expressed with the "no fault se" construction.
Por si se te olvidó, ¡soy tu madre! No, no se me olvidó. -Y si salí...
In case you forgot, I'm your mother! No, I didn't forget. -And if I went out...
Captions 41-42, Muñeca Brava 8 Trampas - Part 12
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Or, to emphasize this "involuntary" aspect, you might choose the alternative translations: "In case it slipped your mind/It didn't slip my mind."
While the verb ocurrir means "to happen," when used in the "no fault se" construction, common translations include both "to occur to" and "to think of":
No sé, se me ocurre que igual nos podríamos encontrar en otros sitios.
I don't know, it occurs to me that we could also meet in other places.
Captions 21-22, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 3 - Part 9
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Se me ocurrió una gran idea.
I thought of a great idea.
Caption 28, Guillermina y Candelario El paseo sobre el mar
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Whereas in English, one might confess that he or she "ran out of money," the money literally runs out on the person in Spanish!
Porque se me acabó el dinero y...
Because I ran out of money, and...
Caption 59, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 2
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Of course, one might also translate this construction as "my money run out."
Similarly, "I burned the cake" is most often expressed with the "no fault se" construction, as translated quite literally in the following example:
¡Dejé el pastel mucho tiempo en el horno y se me quemó!
I left the cake in the oven for too long and it burned on me!
Caption 25, Guillermina y Candelario Experimentos en la cocina
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To talk about the idea of "leaving something behind" in the sense of "forgetting it" somewhere, native Spanish speakers frequently employ the "involuntary se" construction with the verb quedar:
Se te quedó esto. -Espera.
You left this behind. -Wait.
Caption 55, Salvando el planeta Palabra Llegada - Part 6
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These are just some of the verbs that are commonly utilized in the "no fault se" in Spanish. To see many more, check out El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: El pronombre se as well as Clase Aula Azul- Se involuntario, which explores this topic in depth... and don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
If you are wondering how to say "How are you?" in Spanish, the standard, casual way of doing so is: ¿Cómo estás? However, there are many more ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish, and this lesson will cover many of the most common.
As we just mentioned, ¿Cómo estás? is the best-known, informal way of saying "How are you?" in Spanish. But, how do you say "How are you?" in formal Spanish? In that case, you will need to address the other person using the formal form of "you," usted:
¿Cómo está usted?
How are you?
Caption 25, Cleer y Lida Saludar en español
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That said, as there are many ways to say "you" in Spanish, let's take a look at how to say "How are you?" in Spanish with the forms of estar (to be) that correspond to each of the additional subject pronouns that mean "you": vos (singular, informal "you" in certain regions), vosotros/as (informal plural "you" in Spain), and ustedes (the prevalent plural "you" in most countries).
Bien. ¿Cómo estás vos?
Fine. How are you?
Caption 30, Muñeca Brava 18 - La Apuesta - Part 6
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Note that while the verb conjugations for vos and tú typically differ, in the case of estar, they are exactly the same.
¿Cómo estáis?
How are you?
Caption 3, Isabel Lavesa Dibujo en acuarela
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Hola, amigos de Yabla. ¿Cómo están?
Hello, friends of Yabla. How are you?
Captions 1-2, María Fernanda Mascarilla de aguacate
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You may have noticed that the subject pronoun (vos) is only explicitly stated in the first of the three examples since doing so is optional in Spanish, where specific verb conjugations usually let us know who is being addressed or spoken about.
Just like in English you can use alternatives such as "How's it going?" "What's up?" "What's going on?" etc., there are a plethora of more slangy ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish. Let's look at several.
The English translations for ¿Qué tal? range from "How are you?" to "How's it going?" and "What's up?" Let's hear it in action:
Por ejemplo, si yo digo: ¿Qué tal?
For example, if I say: How's it going?
Caption 2, Curso de español ¿Qué tal? Ni bien ni mal...
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As a side note, although bien (well) and mal (poorly) are typical answers to this question, the video ¿Qué tal? Ni bien ni mal will give you several ways to say you're somewhere in between.
While ¿Qué hay? could be used to literally ask "What is there?" or "What's available?" it can also be used to ask someone "What's up?" or "What's going on?"
¿Qué hay, amigo?
What's up, friend
You might also hear the following variation:
¿Qué hay de nuevo, compadre?
What's new, buddy?
And, if you want to sound like a true Colombian, you can try this alternative version of ¿Qué hay? with the verb haber in the preterite tense instead of the present tense (literally meaning "What was there?"). Notice the slangy spelling/pronunciation variation in the second example.
"Ey, ¿qué hubo pues, paisa? ¿Todo bien o qué, hombre?"
"Hey, what's up, buddy? [Is] everything good or what, man?"
Caption 16, Español en las calles Varias expresiones
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¿Quiubo, quiubo, linda? ¿Cómo vas?
What's up, what's up, beautiful? How are you?
Caption 3, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 8
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As you might have noticed, the last example above contained yet another way to say "How are you?" in Spanish: ¿Cómo vas?
Another option for saying "How are you?" in Spanish, "¿Cómo te va?" might also be translated as "How's it going for you?" Of course, you should use the appropriate indirect object pronoun (te, le, les, or os) to correspond to the form of "you" you're intending, or just omit it entirely and just say ¿Cómo va? (How's it going?). Let's hear a couple of examples:
¿Y cómo te va?
And how are you?
Caption 38, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 8 - Part 1
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¿Cómo les va?
How is it going for you?
Caption 4, Misión Chef 1 La selección - Part 3
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Now, let's hear a straightforward Spanish translation of the English phrase "How's everything going?"
¿Cómo va todo?
How's everything going?
Caption 18, Festivaliando Mono Núñez - Part 13
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"¿Cómo van las cosas?" is a similar expression that literally means "How are things going?"
The verb andar, which literally means "to walk," appears in the common expression "¿Cómo andas?" which can be heard in many countries but is particularly common in Argentina (with vos, of course!).
En Argentina, saludamos así: "Hola, che. ¿Cómo andás? ¿Todo bien?"
In Argentina, we greet [people] like this: "Hello, hey. How's it going? [Is] everything good?"
Caption 10, Español en las calles Varias expresiones
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As you can see in the last example, "todo bien?" is an additional manner of asking someone how they are and is the equivalent of such English expressions as "All good?" "Is everything OK?" or even "How's it going?"
One of the best-known ways to say "What's going on?" in Spanish is, of course, "¿Qué pasa?" This phrase can be employed to ask "what's going on" with someone in a general sense, or to inquire about a particular situation.
¿Qué pasa?
What's going on?
Caption 1, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 3 - Sam aprende a ligar - Part 2
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Our final "How are you?" in Spanish equivalent for today is "¿Qué (me) cuentas?" which literally means, "What do you tell (me)?" but serves as another manner of asking someone "What's new?" You may hear it either with or without the me.
And these are just a handful of the many, less formal ways to say "How are you?" in Spanish, which vary widely between regions and individuals. Are you familiar with any others? How do you say "How are you?" in Spanish? Let us know with your suggestions and comments!
Do you know how to say that something "is necessary" in Spanish? Do you like telling people what "has to" be done? We'll teach you a simple formula!
To say something "is necessary" in Spanish, you might use the literal phrase es necesario (it's necessary) plus a verb's infinitive, or "to" form:
Es necesario usar papel, carbón o madera para encenderlo.
It's necessary to use paper, charcoal, or wood to light it.
Caption 22, El Aula Azul Adivina qué es - Part 1
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And, to tell someone what they "have to" do, you could use verbs like tener que (to have to) or deber (must) plus the infinitive:
Tienes que mejorar esto.
You have to improve this.
Caption 28, El Aula Azul La Doctora Consejos: Hay y estar
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Bueno, primero debemos hacer la lista de invitados
Well, first, we must make the guest list
Caption 15, Cleer y Carolina Organizando la fiesta del abuelo
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However, if you are looking for a non-literal, conjugation-free alternative (to conjugate just the present indicative tense of tener que, for example, you have to memorize tengo que, tienes que, tiene que, tenemos que, tenéis que, and tienen que), we invite you to use the following, very simple formula, which can express the same thing as the previous three options in various contexts:
Hay que + infinitive
Don't get us wrong— you are going to have to learn those verb conjugations sooner or later! But, perhaps while you do, or as a viable alternative that native speakers often employ, you could opt for hay que + infinitive.
Hay comes from the Spanish verb haber, which is an auxiliary, or helping, verb that means "to have" or "to be" and appears in its conjugated forms as part of different verb tenses (e.g. the present perfect, pluperfect, etc.). Hay is haber's impersonal form, which never changes (it is always just hay in the present tense) and can mean "there is" or "there are." However, when hay is combined with que + infinitive, it becomes a fixed expression that means "it's necessary" (to do something). Let's see a couple of examples:
hay que darle la oportunidad de defenderse.
it's necessary to give him the opportunity to defend himself.
Caption 22, Los casos de Yabla Problemas de convivencia - Part 2
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¡Hay que reclamar el premio antes de las diez de la noche!
You have to claim the prize before ten p.m.!
Caption 61, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 4
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Note that the second example has been translated with "you have to," a more colloquial equivalent of "it's necessary" that includes the "universal you," implying "people" or "everyone." "One has to" or "one must" would also be valid translations.
The construction hay que + infinitive can be used in basically any context in which you want to say that "it's necessary" to do a particular thing. That said, we have included below a few scenarios in which you are likely to come across it. When reading the translations, keep in mind that while this impersonal construction has no specific subject, in cases in which the context or sentence makes clear who the speaker feels "has to" or "must" act in a particular way, the construction is often translated as if the subject were explicitly stated.
Since the construction hay que + infinitive explains what "people have to do," it only makes sense that it is often heard when talking about perceived wisdom about life:
En la vida hay que saber relajarse,
In life, you need to know how to relax,
Caption 44, Ana Teresa 5 principios del yoga
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El pasado hay que olvidarlo, hay que enterrarlo,
The past, you have to forget it, you have to bury it,
Captions 38-39, Yago 2 El puma - Part 1
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As we mentioned earlier, you might use the expression hay que + infinitive to tell someone what to do without explicitly saying "you must," as in these two examples from the popular series Confidencial: Asesino al Volante:
Yo sé que les dijimos que no vinieran por acá pero hay que darles la buena noticia.
I know we told them not to come here, but we have to give them the good news.
Captions 65-66, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 2 - Part 11
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Hay que demostrar que tú no eres ningún criminal,
You have to show that you're no criminal,
Caption 61, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 10
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In other cases, one might give a suggestion as to what they generally feel that "people" should do:
pues, hay que ir a México.
well, you have to go to Mexico.
Caption 32, World Travel Market en Londres Raúl nos habla de México
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Since giving directions entails explaining what "has to be done," you will often hear the construction hay que + infinitive in this context:
Después hay que torcer la primera calle a la izquierda.
Then you have to turn to the left on the first street.
Caption 34, Curso de español Disculpe, ¿hay un cine por aquí?
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Primero hay que ir todo derecho, ¿sí?
First you have to go straight ahead, right?
Caption 23, Curso de español Direcciones en la ciudad
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Similarly, hay que + infinitive will often be heard in contexts where specific instructions are given, such as cooking a particular recipe or for some other process:
Hay que añadir el agua poco a poco y vamos amasando hasta obtener una mezcla homogénea.
It's necessary to add the water little by little and we start kneading until obtaining a homogeneous mixture.
Captions 11-12, Recetas de cocina Arepas colombianas
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Cuando se bañan, hay que estar seguros de que no se mojen,
When they are bathed, you have to make sure they don't get wet,
Caption 39, La veterinaria "Huesos" visita a la doctora - Part 1
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These are, of course, just a few of the many situations in which you might use or encounter the construction hay que + infinitive.
While haber que + infinitive is probably most commonly seen the present indicative tense, it can also be found in other tenses. Let's see some examples in the imperfect tense , the preterite tense, and the future tense:
Definitivamente había que dejar el trabajo para dedicarme al restaurante.
I definitely had to leave my job to dedicate myself to the restaurant.
Caption 13, La Sub30 Familias - Part 9
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hubo que salir corriendo porque la Señora Di Carlo se moría.
we had to leave running because Mrs. Di Carlo was dying.
Caption 84, Muñeca Brava 2 Venganza - Part 6
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En fin, supongo que habrá que esperar hasta el lunes.
Anyway, I guess that it will have to wait until Monday.
Caption 86, Negocios La solicitud de empleo - Part 2
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And remember that, just like for the present, you only have to remember one form of haber for each tense: había que for the imperfect, hubo que for the preterite, and habrá que in the future. Yabla's lesson entitled Había o habían muchos libros? elaborates further.
As you've probably surmised from our plethora of examples, the construction haber que + infinitive is extremely common and useful, and now that you're familiar with it: hay que practicarlo mucho (you have to practice it a lot)! And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments.
Have you ever heard the word venga in Spanish? If you have been studying Spanish for a while or have ever been to Spain, you have probably heard someone say this word. But, do you really know the meaning of the Spanish word venga? In this lesson, we will teach you seven different ways to employ this very useful colloquial term.
But first, let's establish three important things. First, the word venga is the conjugation of the verb venir in the formal imperative (for the second person singular pronoun usted, which means "you"). Let's take a look at this very simple example of the traditional use of this word:
¡Estoy hablando con usted, señor! ¡Venga aquí, por favor!
I'm talking to you, sir! Come here, please!
Second, in addition to its formal use, as venga is a word that is used colloquially in multiple ways throughout Spain, if you are planning a visit to that country, we recommend familiarizing yourself with as many of these uses as possible.
And third, much of the time, the Spanish word venga is roughly translated with the English expression "Come on." That said, let's take a look at the following uses of the colloquial term venga.
One of the most common uses of the Spanish word venga is to motivate or encourage someone to do something. We can see this use in the following clips from our popular series Extr@: Extra en español:
Venga, cuéntamelo, Sam. No pasa nada.
Come on, tell me, Sam. It's no big deal.
Caption 50, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 7: La gemela - Part 4
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¿Sí? ¡Venga! ¡Vámonos!
Yes? Come on! Let's go!
Caption 41, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 2
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In this context, you might also use venga to dare someone to do something:
No vas a atreverte. ¿Cómo que no? Venga.
You won't dare. What do you mean I won't? Go ahead.
Captions 1-3, Cortometraje Flechazos
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Sometimes, in the context of giving orders, the word venga can be used in a more decisive manner:
¿Hay alguien? Conteste, venga.
Is anyone there? Answer, come on.
Captions 28-29, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 4
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In this context, the word venga is usually used as a call to action to do something specific:
¿Sí? ¡Venga va! Vamos a corregir.
Yes? Come on! Let's correct [this].
Caption 91, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 6
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Venga, vámonos.
Come on, let's go.
Caption 60, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 3
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Similar to the previous use, the word venga can be used to express agreement between two people. In this case, venga would be equivalent to saying "OK" in English. Let's see an example:
La semana que viene sin falta, a cenar a mi casa. Vale, te llamo. -Venga,
Next week no matter what, dinner at my house. OK, I'll call you. -OK,
Captions 95-96, Blanca y Mariona Vida en general
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You may notice that this use of venga very often comes up at the end of spoken conversations, especially on the telephone when one person indicates the end of the conversation with this word and the other person repeats it:
Venga. -Venga. Hasta luego.
OK. -OK. Bye.
People tend to repeat the word venga when they want to encourage someone to do something quickly. Let's see this use in action:
Venga, venga que es noche y... y las castañas sin coger.
Come on, come on, as it's getting late and... and the chestnuts haven't been picked.
Caption 63, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 4
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Just like we use "come on" in English, we can use the word venga to ask someone to do something for us. Let's look:
Venga, Sam. Tienes que vestirte de basurero.
Come on, Sam. You have to dress as a garbage man.
Caption 37, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 6: El día de la Primitiva - Part 5
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Just like the English expression "Come on," the Spanish word venga can additionally be used as an interjection to express astonishment, disbelief, or disapproval about something, as in the following example:
Pero venga, tío. Eso no tiene sentido.
But come on, man. That doesn't make sense.
That's all for today. We hope that this lesson has helped you to understand the many meanings of the Spanish word venga, and if you ever go to Spain, we encourage you to use it. And, ¡â€‹venga! Don't forget to send us your suggestions and comments.
Although the most common English translation for the Spanish preposition hasta is "until," like most Spanish prepositions, its meaning can vary in different contexts. Today's lesson will explore the four main definitions of the Spanish word hasta provided by Royal Spanish Academy as well as its various English translations.
According to the first definition, the Spanish preposition hasta can denote "a final limit in a trajectory of space or time." Possible translations for this use of hasta include "until," "up until," "up to," and "to." Let's take a look at this use via several subcategories.
The preposition hasta in Spanish can mean "up to" a certain point in time. Let's see some examples:
Eh... Trabajo hasta las dos
Um... I work until two,
Caption 47, Cleer y Lida Juego de preguntas y respuestas - Part 2
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Hasta el momento, ella ha probado zanahoria, brócoli y papa.
Up until now, she has tried carrots, broccoli, and potatoes.
Captions 37-38, Ana Carolina Ejercicio de adverbios de tiempo
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No llegaron hasta el final de la fiesta.They didn't arrive until the end of the party.
When used to talk about location, hasta means "up to that point" and might be translated with "up to" or simply "to":
Hay dos formas de llegar hasta Pasai Donibane: por mar o por tierra.
There are two ways to get to Pasai Donibane: by sea or by land.
Captions 29-30, Viajando con Fermín Pasajes (Pasaia) - Part 2
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Aquí lo que tenemos que hacer es meter un hisopo, pues hasta su buche.
Here what we have to do is to place a Q-tip, well up to his throat.
Captions 53-54, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Microchip para Nacahué - Part 1
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The Spanish word hasta is often used along with que to form an adverbial phrase that means "until" (such moment as something else happens). Note that when the verb that follows hasta que refers to a habitual action or past event, it will be conjugated in an indicative tense. Let's see an example:
y lo tuvo con ella hasta que llegó la primavera.
and she had him with her until spring came.
Caption 41, Cleer El patito feo
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On the other hand, when the subordinate clause following hasta que refers to a potential future event or is a command, the verb that follows will be in the subjunctive:
y tenemos que dejar que poche hasta que se quede bien blandita.
and we have to let it saute until it gets very soft.
Caption 41, La cocina de María Tortilla de patatas
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For several more examples, check out Yabla's lesson on hasta que and hasta que no, which function similarly.
According to definition two, the Spanish preposition hasta can also describe a maximum quantity. Let's view a couple of examples:
En el mes me puedo gastar hasta doscientos euros...
During the month I can spend up to two hundred euros...
Caption 69, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 15
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Pesan hasta siete kilos, ocho kilos los machos adultos.
They weigh up to seven kilograms, eight kilos for adult males.
Caption 95, Animales en familia Un día en Bioparc: Coatís
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This third and less common use of the Spanish preposition hasta to mean "not before" is primarily heard in Mexico and Central America. Let's take a look:
Terminará hasta mediodía.
He won't finish before noon.
In the fourth definition, the Spanish word hasta instead functions as an adverb to add emphasis or a feeling of surprise or disbelief, much like the English word "even":
¿Hamburguesas de aguacate? -Sí... Hasta miel de aguacate.
Avocado burgers? -Yes... Even avocado honey.
Captions 44-45, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 1
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Hasta se cree la mega estrella.
She even thinks she's the megastar.
Caption 54, X6 1 - La banda - Part 1
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Now that we know four different ways to use the Spanish word hasta, let's take a look at some of the many idiomatic expressions in which it appears, including at least five different ways to say goodbye in Spanish:
hasta luego: see you later
hasta pronto: see you soon
hasta la próxima: see you next time
hasta mañana: see you tomorrow
hasta la vista: until we meet again
A host of additional expressions with estar hasta mean "to be fed up":
estar hasta las narices (literally "to be up to one's noses")
estar hasta la gorra (literally "to be up to one's hat")
estar hasta arriba ("to have had it up to here")
estar hasta la coronilla (literally "to be up to one's crown")
Let's see this last one in context:
Muy bien, estaba hasta la coronilla.
Just great, I was fed up.
Caption 16, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 6 - Part 4
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Meanwhile, estar hasta el cuello (literally "to be up to one's neck") is equivalent to the English "to be up to one's eyeballs," or overwhelmed, while estar hasta en la sopa ("to be even in the soup") describes something or someone that seems omnipresent. And finally, let's look at a Spanish expression with hasta that can mean "that's all" or "that's it":
hasta aquí el vídeo de hoy.
that's all for today's video.
Caption 68, Aprendiendo con Silvia Recuerdos de infancia - Part 1
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On that note, we hope that this lesson has helped you to understand the different uses of the Spanish word hasta and some idioms that include it. Can you think of any more? We invite you to let us know with your suggestions and comments. ¡Hasta pronto!
The Royal Spanish Academy's Dictionary of the Spanish Language lists 25 different meanings for the Spanish verb pegar, whose English translations range from "to stick" to "to hit"! Although we won't cover all of them, today's lesson will touch on many of the most common ones, backed by lots of examples from the Yabla Spanish video library. Are you ready?!
The Spanish verb pegar is often used to describe attaching one thing to another. While this could involve some substance like glue or paste, in other cases, it might simply entail "sticking" one thing onto another via another means, like sewing (as in the example pegar un bóton, or "sew on a button"). Let's take a look at a couple more examples:
Después pegamos los ojos que le hicimos a nuestro personaje.
Afterwards we glue the eyes that we made for him onto our character.
Caption 65, Manos a la obra Separadores de libros: Charmander
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Repartía volantes, pegaba carteles...
I used to give out pamphlets, put up posters...
Caption 42, Felipe Calderón Publicidad - Part 1
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Similarly, the reflexive form of pegar, pegarse, is used to talk about things that "stick to" other things and might even be translated as "to burn" or "stick to the pan" in the context of cooking.
Y queremos que la harina no esté muy seca y no muy mojada para que no se pegue a las manos
And, we want for the flour to not be very dry and not very moist so that it doesn't stick to one's hands
Captions 43-44, Dany Arepas - Part 1
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Bueno, entonces vemos que esto se está empezando a pegar al fondo.
Well, so we see that this is starting to stick to the bottom.
Caption 1, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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In contrast to the former meanings, the Spanish verb pegar can also mean to "hit" someone, as in physically striking them:
Ella era muy amorosa, ella nunca... nunca me pegó, ni una palmada ni nada.
She was very loving. She never... never hit me, not a spank or anything.
Caption 2, La Sub30 Familias - Part 11
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Hermanito, ¿te pegaste?
Little brother, did you get hurt?
Caption 10, Guillermina y Candelario Una película de terror - Part 3
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The verb pegar often appears with specific nouns like tiro (shot), bofetón (slap), patada (kick), etc., to talk about specific types of "striking." For example, you might hear that a soccer player le pegó una patada fuerte a la pelota ("gave the ball a good kick") or that someone le pegó un bofetón ("slapped him" or "gave him a slap"). Let's see an example with un tiro:
Calme ese perro o le pego un tiro.
Calm down that dog or I'll shoot him.
Caption 40, Tu Voz Estéreo Laura - Part 6
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The verb pegar in Spanish might be employed to talk about sun, light, or even wind that falls upon (or is particularly frequent in) a particular surface or area:
Porque aquí esta zona, aquí pega mucho viento.
Because this area here, it's very windy here.
Caption 21, Playa Adícora Francisco - Part 3
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The Spanish verb pegar can additionally be utilized to talk about either "giving," in the sense of "transmitting" an illness or habit to someone, or "picking" it "up." Let's look at an example where pegar means "to give":
Traté de evitarlo, pero al final mi novio me ha pegado el COVID.
I tried to avoid it, but in the end, my boyfriend gave me COVID.
Now, let's see an example of the Spanish verb pegar within a no fault se construction to talk about something one "got."
Parece que se te pegó todo lo malo de ese títere de peluche, ¿no?
It seems like everything bad about that stuffed puppet rubbed off on you, right?
Caption 20, La Familia Cheveroni Capítulo 1 - Part 2
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An alternative translation for this sentence might be: "It seems like you picked up everything bad about that stuffed puppet, right?"
The verb pegar in Spanish can entail "pulling" something "up" to something else or "moving (it) closer." For example, you might say: "Pegué la cama a la pared" (I pulled up the bed up to the wall). Let's see one more example:
Puedes pegar un poco el brazo hacia ti.
You can bring your arm a bit closer to you.
Caption 21, Bienestar con Elizabeth Activar las articulaciones
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Antiguamente el mar pegaba a la muralla.
Previously, the sea touched the wall.
Caption 8, Viajando en Colombia Cartagena en coche - Part 2
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Esa camisa no pega con ese pantalón.
That shirt doesn't match those pants.
In addition to its more traditional uses, the verb pegar can be found in lots of idiomatic expressions and may be used differently in different countries and regions. In the Dominican Republic, for example, it is common to use the Spanish verb pegar to talk about actions that began suddenly, as in the case of "Pegó a correr" (He took off running). In other regions, you might hear expressions like "Me pegó la depresión" (I got depressed) to give us a sense that the speaker was "stricken" by depression, while "Me pegué una siesta" is another way to say "I took a nap."
While the less textbook meanings of the verb pegar can seem endless, here are a smattering of examples whose meanings feel like logical extensions of some of the more traditional definitions we covered:
Era lo que yo había aprendido y entonces, eh, me pegué con ellos
It was what I had learned and so, um, I hooked up with them
Captions 28-29, Willy Entrevista - Part 2
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hoy le pego a ese duraznito de Amalia Durango, ¿oyó?
today I'll hit it with that peach Amalia Durango, you hear?
Caption 11, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 9
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Esto te pega a ti. ¿A ti te gusta?
This one gets your attention. You like it?
Caption 87, 75 minutos Gangas para ricos - Part 14
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Yo sólo quiero pegar en la radio
I just want to catch on on the radio
Caption 1, Bacilos Mi Primer Millón
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Although these examples of the many meanings of the Spanish verb pegar are by no means exhaustive, we hope that this lesson has given you insight into many of them and their uses in different contexts. Let us know with your suggestions and comments if you can think of any more!
According to Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye: "I'd never yell, 'Good luck!' at anybody. It sounds terrible, when you think about it." Well... whether or not you agree with this somewhat cynical viewpoint, most of us can concur that everyone could use a little extra luck, and every culture employs different expressions to wish others well. In fact, Spanish-speakers are very likely to use many of these daily! So... how do you say "good luck" in Spanish? Today's lesson will teach you a plethora of ways.
The most literal translation for "good luck" in Spanish is buena suerte. Let's hear it in action:
¡Buena suerte!
Good luck!
Caption 91, Extr@: Extra en español Ep. 2: Sam va de compras - Part 6
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There are many variations of (buena) suerte, including mucha suerte (lots of luck), which are often used with the subjunctive form of the verb tener (to have) in expressions like Que tengas mucha suerte (I hope you have a lot of luck) or the verb desear (to wish) as in Te deseo mucha/buena suerte (I wish you a lot of/good luck).
Another way to say "good luck" in Spanish is to say simply "Suerte," which literally means just "Luck."
Suerte, Fernando.
Good luck, Fernando.
Caption 23, Confidencial: Asesino al Volante Capítulo 3 - Part 8
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Another common expression to wish someone "the best of luck" in Spanish is La mejor de las suertes, which could be said alone or with the verb desear :
te deseamos la mejor de las suertes, ¿oís?
we wish you the best of luck, you hear?
Caption 47, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 1 - Part 5
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Saying ¡É​xito! (Success!) to someone in the singular or plural is another way of wishing someone "good luck" in Spanish, which could also be used with the verb desear:
Les deseamos muchos éxitos, ehm...
We wish you a lot of success, um...
Caption 68, Doctor Krápula Entrevista
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Así que les deseo lo mejor, éxito en todo
So I wish you the best, [I wish you] success with everything
Caption 66, Outward Bound Danny
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Note that this second example contains yet another way of wishing someone well in Spanish: desear(le a alguien) lo mejor, or "wishing (someone) the best." Another alternative to this manner of wishing someone good luck and best wishes in Spanish is to say simply Mis mejores deseos (My best wishes).
Que te vaya bien is yet another expression that friends and strangers alike often utter to wish you good luck and best wishes in Spanish. It's literal meaning is "(I hope) everything goes well for you," but it might sometimes be translated with the similarly well-wishing English phrase "Take care":
¡Qué te vaya bien! -¡Qué te vaya bien! ¡Qué tengas suerte! -¡Chao! -¡Chao! ¡Suerte! ¡Chao!
Take care! -Take care! Good luck! -Bye! -Bye! Good luck! Bye!
Captions 67-69, Salvando el planeta Palabra Llegada - Part 5
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Just like English-speakers, Spanish speakers sometimes use the phrase cruzar los dedos (to cross one's fingers) to describe a superstitious action thought to promote good luck.
Bueno pues, crucemos los dedos para que todo salga bien
Well then, let's cross our fingers for everything to go well
Caption 17, Confidencial: El rey de la estafa Capítulo 4 - Part 12
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Yep, you read that right! Although it literally means "crap" or "shit," telling someone ¡Mierda! or ¡Mucha mierda! (A lot of crap) is one to say "good luck" in Spanish slang and can be thought of as an equivalent expression to the English "Break a leg!" Interestingly, in the theater world, Spanish speakers often use the French version, merde.
Now that you know how to say "Good luck" in Spanish, we'd like to leave you with the following:
OK, buena suerte al aprender español.
Okay, good luck learning Spanish.
Caption 29, Cabarete Escuela de trapecio
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And don't forget to leave us your suggestions and comments!
The Spanish verb echar can be used in many different ways and appears in a host of different Spanish idiomatic expressions. Let's explore the many meanings and uses of the Spanish verb echar.
While the first definition of echar in dictionaries is typically "to throw," it can refer to any literal or figurative movement from one point to another and can thus be translated in many fashions depending upon the context. Let's take a look at several of its most common meanings with examples from our Yabla Spanish library.
Although the Spanish verb echar can literally mean "to throw," "toss," or "hurl" something, it is probably more common to hear verbs like tirar, lanzar, or arrojar used with this meaning. That said, let's take a look at an example where echar means to physically throw something:
y le echas harina y se lo pones en el pelo y... ¡Chwak!
and you throw flour on her and you put it in her hair and... Bam!
Caption 17, Club 10 Capítulo 1 - Part 1
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The Spanish verb echar can also be used in the way we use the verbs "to throw" something "out" or "away," whether literally or figuratively. Let's look at an example of each:
Por lo general, tenemos cuatro contenedores: el azul, donde echamos el papel, cartón, revistas,
Generally, we have four trash bins: the blue one, where we throw away paper, cardboard, magazines,
Captions 3-4, Rosa Reciclar
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Todo estaba tranquilo y lo echaste a la basura
Everything was calm and you threw it in the garbage
Caption 3, Sondulo Que te vaya mal
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The verb echar in Spanish often appears in recipes and other contexts when talking about "adding" or "putting in" some ingredient, etc. Let's take a look:
Le voy a echar un poco de nata...
I'm going to add a bit of cream to it...
Caption 47, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 9
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Bueno, también le podemos echar diferentes clases de condimentos.
Well, we can also put in different kinds of seasoning.
Caption 24, Cocinando con Miguelito Pollo sudado - Part 2
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Along these same lines, echar can also be used to mean to pour something into something else:
Solo falta echarla en el molde
We just need to pour it into the mold
Caption 38, Cleer y Lía El día de la madre
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The verb echar in Spanish may also refer to getting rid of someone in the sense of throwing or kicking them out, temporarily or permanently:
No sé qué hace este señor todavía acá, lo eché esta misma tarde.
I don't know what this gentleman is still doing here. I threw him out this very afternoon.
Caption 33, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 4
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Se mueren por saber por qué echó a la chirusa.
They're dying to know why she fired the vulgar girl.
Caption 42, Carlos y Cyndy Comentario sobre Muñeca Brava
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And speaking of "expelling" and "fire," the verb echar in Spanish can also mean to "expel," "emit," "give off," or "spew" fire or smoke, for example:
Pero eso no lo iba a entender un dragón al que solo le interesaba rugir y echar fuego por la boca.
But a dragon who was only interested in roaring and spewing fire from his mouth wasn't going to get it.
Caption 49, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 1 - Part 7
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And, to conclude with our more standard uses of the Spanish verb echar, the formula echar + infinitive means "to start" [doing something]:
y ven la batidora, echan a correr.
and they see the blender, they start to run.
Caption 31, Cómetelo Crema de brócoli - Part 8
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This meaning might also be seen with the reflexive version of the verb, echarse.
Pero ya las lágrimas se echaban a correr
But the tears were starting to fall
Caption 8, Jeremías Uno y uno igual a tres
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Let's take a look at some additional uses of the reflexive verb echarse.
The reflexive verb echarse can be used to talk about "lying down" as in Me voy a echar en la cama (I'm going to lie down in bed) or generally "throwing oneself" or "getting down":
Los hombres que cuando se les dicen de echarse al suelo es que no quieren ninguno.
When men are told to get down on the ground, the thing is that no one wants to.
Captions 52-53, 75 minutos Del campo a la mesa - Part 8
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The reflexive verb echarse can additionally have the connotation of moving from one place to another, as in the first example, and is therefore heard often in songs, as in the second, with various translations to tell people how they should move.
donde el pueblo se echa a la calle junto a miles de visitantes
where the town goes out onto the street along with thousands of visitors
Caption 57, Viajando con Fermín Frigiliana, Málaga
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Échate pa' un lado
Move aside
Caption 8, Javier García EPK - Part 2
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Now, let's look at several Spanish idioms that involve the Spanish verbs echar or echarse with examples in context:
¡Y me echó la culpa de todo!
And she blamed everything on me!
Caption 13, Guillermina y Candelario La Peluqueria del Mar - Part 1
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El marido se echó a reír al ver la cara de sorpresa de su esposa.
The husband burst out laughing when he saw his wife's surprised face.
Caption 32, Cleer El espejo de Matsuyama
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Después de haberse marchado todos, estaba sola en casa y se echó a llorar.
After everyone had left, she was alone in the house and burst out crying.
Captions 29-30, Cuentos de hadas Cenicienta - Part 1
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Después de comer, solemos echar la siesta
After eating, we usually take a nap
Caption 20, El Aula Azul Actividades Diarias
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Ahora cerramos la puerta, echamos la llave
Now we close the door, we lock it,
Caption 12, Escuela BCNLIP Clase con Javi: el futuro - Part 1
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De España echo mucho de menos el clima,
From Spain, I really miss the weather,
Caption 39, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres
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para que nos eche una mano y les vamos a dar
so that he can lend us a hand and we are going to give them
Caption 50, Club de las ideas Bioparc
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De acuerdo, deje que eche un vistazo.
OK, let me take a look.
Caption 63, Negocios Empezar en un nuevo trabajo - Part 2
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Así es y pues aquí mira, trabajando, echándole ganas y...
It's so, and well, [we] are here, [you] see, working, giving it my all and...
Caption 17, Edificio en Construcción Hablando con los trabajadores - Part 2
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No puedo, negrita, ya eché a perder como diez laburo'.
I can't, honey. I already messed up like ten jobs.
Caption 3, Muñeca Brava 3 Nueva Casa - Part 5
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¡Callate, Rufino! No eches más leña al fuego, ¿querés?
Shut up, Rufino! Don't put more wood into the fire [don't add fuel to the fire], will you?
Caption 23, Yago 8 Descubrimiento - Part 2
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Todavía no ha jugado el partido de fútbol y ya está "echando las campanas al vuelo",
He hasn't played the soccer match yet, and he's already "throwing the bells in the air,"
Captions 45-46, Aprendiendo con Silvia Campanas - Part 2
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Although the literal meaning is totally different, this Spanish expression is comparable to the English idiom about "counting one's chickens before they are hatched." For more such examples, check out this lesson on Spanish idioms and their (very different) English equivalents.
As there are so many standard and idiomatic ways to use the Spanish verb echar that it would be impossible to name them all, we've provided just a smattering! Don't hesitate to write to us with any more you come across, or with any ideas for future lessons. ¡Hasta la próxima!
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