Spanish Articles and Adjective Agreement
Spanish Articles and Adjective Agreement
Spanish
Grammar -
Quick
Spanish
Grammar
Reference
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Spanish articles
In Spanish language articles agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and in number
(singular or plural) with the noun that they accompany.
Talking in general a definite article is used in Spanish whenever "the" is used in English.
However there are some exceptions.
2. With most titles of people: el señor López abrió la conferencia (Mister López...), el presidente
Rodríguez Zapatero, la doctora García...
3. With infinitives used as nouns, especially if they are the subject of the sentence: El practicar
deporte es bueno para la salud (Practicing sports... )
4. With nouns listed in a series: Tengo el libro, el cuaderno y el diccionario (I have the book, the
notebook and the dictionary)
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5. With noun of weight and measure: Las naranjas cuestan 3 Euros el kilo. (The oranges cots 3
Euros per kilo)
6. With days of the week: El curso de español empieza el lunes. (The Spanish course starts on
Monday)
7. When telling the time. Son las doce. (It is twelve o'clock)
8. With parts of the body or clothes, especially if the possessor is clearly identify, as in case of
reflexive verbs. Voy a lavarme las manos (I am going to wash my hands)
Remark: In Spanish to express the profession with the verb to be, the indifinete article is not
used, except when the noun is modified by an adjective.
Correct: Soy profesor de español. Incorrect: Soy un profesor de español.
Correct: Soy una buena profesora de español.
Feminine nouns
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Generally nouns ending in "-a"
Nouns ending in "-ez", as long as they refer to abstract nouns formed with suffixes
la rigidez -- rigidity
la sensatez -- soberness
la validez -- validity
la vejez -- old age, oldness
la disco -- la discoteca*
la foto -- la fotografía
la moto -- la motocicleta
la tele -- la televisión
la madre -- mother
la mujer -- woman, wife
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Exceptions
ending in "-d"
Masculine
In broad generality, all nouns not fitting into the above categories and exceptions - plus the
following.
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Exceptions
masculine feminine
* doubly irregular: a noun ending in "-e" with the article "el" - and still feminine :-)
2) The definite articles (el, la) also change in the plural form. They become "los" and
"las."
4) If a noun ends in -ión, add -es and drop the written accent.
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6) When the plural refers to two or more nouns of different genders, the masculine
plural is used.
7) A few nouns are "compound nouns," that is, they are formed by combining two
words into one.
*These compound nouns are always masculine, and the plural is formed by changing the
"el" to "los."*
el abrelatas
los abrelatas
el sacapuntas
los sacapuntas
Spanish adjectives
Adjectives describe or give information about people and things.
In Spanish, most adjectives have both masculine and feminine forms, as well as singular and
plural forms. Adjectives must agree with the noun they describe in both gender (masculine or
feminine) and number (singular or plural).
1. They must agree in gender with the noun they modify or add information
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2. They must agree in number with the noun they modify or add information.
If the adjective ends in a vowel, add -s: italiano - italianos, italiana - italianas.
If the adjective ends in a consonant, add -es: encantador - encantadores.
If the adjective ends in a -z, changes to c: feliz - felices.
If the adjective end in -án, made the plural in -anes, dropping the accent: alemán,
alemanes.
If the adjective end in -és, made the plural in -eses, dropping the accent: inglés, ingleses.
When placed before masculine singular nouns, some adjectives change into a shortened form.
*Grande changes to a shorteed form before any singular noun.
Spanish comparatives and superlatives are fairly simple. Comparatives are the
comparison of one person or thing to another (more, less, or as... as), while
superlatives indicate that one person/thing is the most, best, least, or worst of all.
tanto...
as much/many as
como
Notes
1. With más and menos, the que + noun/pronoun construction is (optional). With tan
and tanto como, however, the noun/pronoun is required.
2. In comparatives of equality, tan is used with adjectives (tan guapo como) and adverbs
(tan rápidamente como), while tanto (tanta, tantos, tantas) is used with nouns (tanto
dinero como) and verbs (trabajamos tanto como).
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3. Bueno and malo have irregular comparative forms (see III, below).
Tú eres más interesante (que You are more interesting (than we are).
nosotros).
II. Superlatives are formed with the definite article + noun + más or menos + adjective.
Note that when the superlative uses "in" (e.g., the tallest in the world, the happiest in the
house), "in" is translated by de.
Carlos es la persona más inteligente que Carlos is the most intelligent person who
trabaja aquí. works here.
Es la ciudad menos interesante del mundo. It's the least interesting city in the world.
III. Exceptions: Bueno and malo have irregular forms for the comparative and superlative.
Comparativ
Superlative
e
Buen
mejor(es) lo(s)/la(s) mejor(es)
o
In the superlative, they are placed in front of the noun they modify.
Son los mejores profesores de la escuela. They are the best teachers in the school.
El libro es peor (que la película). The book is worse (than the movie).
Es la peor idea del mundo. It's the worst idea in the world.
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Spanish possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives are used to tell what belongs to someone.
Spanish adverbs
To form an adverb in Spanish, -mente is added to the feminine singular form of an adjective.
–mente = ly ending in English
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Spanish subject pronouns
“Person” View
2nd person singular (you - familiar) 2nd person plural (you - familiar)
3rd person singular (he, she, it, you - 3rd person plural (they, you – formal)
formal)
The subject of a sentence states who are what is doing the action.
Singular: One person / thing Plural: More than one person / thing
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Spanish verbs
Verb conjugation refers to the process of changing a verb form to provide information about the action
being performed. The form of the verb can give us some idea about who is performing the action,
when the action is being performed, and the relation of the verb to other parts of the sentence.
Infinitive: habl+ ar
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
stem yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present habl o as a amos áis an
Imperfect habl aba abas aba ábamos abais an
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Preterite habl é aste ó amos asteis aron
Future hablar é ás á emos éis án
Regular verbs - er ending
Infinitive: com+ er
Gerund: com + iendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
stem yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present com o es e emos éis en
Imperfect com ía ías ía íamos íais ían
Preterite com í iste ió imos isteis ieron
Future comer é ás á emos éis án
Infinitive: ser
Gerund:s iendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present soy eres es somos sois son
Imperfect era eras eran éramos eráis eran
Preterite fui fuiste fue fuimos fuisteis fueron
Future sere serás sera seremos seréis serán
estar = to be (is, am, are) – location, health, emotions
Infinitive: estar
Gerund: estando
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present estoy estás está estamos estáis están
Imperfect estaba estabas estaba estábamos estabais estaban
Preterite estuve estuviste estuvo estuvimos estuvisteis estuvieron
Future estaré estarás estará estaremos estaréis estarán
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(form of) estar +
am, is, are verbing
1. gerund
ar estoy hablando I am talking
er estás comiendo you are eating
ir está describiendo he is describing
dar = to give
Infinitive: dar
Gerund: dando
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present doy das da damos daís dan
Imperfect daba dabas daba dábamos dabais daban
Preterite di diste dio dimos disteis dieron
Future daré darás dará daremos daréis darán
ir = to go
Infinitive: ir
Gerund: iendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present voy vas va vamos vais van
Imperfect iba ibas iba ibamos ibais iban
Preterite fui fuiste fue fuimos fuisteis fueron
Future iré irás irá iremos iréis irán
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decir* = to say
Infinitive: decir
Gerund: diciendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo* tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present digo dices dice decimos decís dicen
Imperfect decía decías decía decíamos decíais decían
Preterite dije dijes dijo dijimos dijisteis dijeron
Future dire dirás dirá diremos diréis dirán
venir* = to come
Infinitive: venir
Gerund: viniendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo* tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present vengo vienes viene venimos venís vienen
Imperfect venía venías venía veníamos veníais venían
Preterite vine viniste vino vinimos vinisteis vinieron
Future vendré vendrás vendrá vendremos vendréis vendrán
tener* = to have
Infinitive: tener
Gerund: teniendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present tengo tienes tiene tenemos tenéis tienen
Imperfect tenía tenías tenía teníamos teníais teníamos
Preterite tuve tuviste tuvo tuvimos tuvisteis tuvieron
Future tendré tendrás tundra tendremos tendréis tendrán
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6. tener sueño to be sleepy
7. tener vergüenza to be ashamed
8. tener frío to be cold
9. tener calor to be hot
10. tener suerte to be lucky
11. tener miedo to be afraid
Gustar 12. tener que + infinitive to have to verb
gustar = to please
Infinitive: gustar
Indicative mood
I you he,she, you
Present me gusta(n) te gusta(n) le gusta(n)
Imperfect me gustaba(n) te gustaba(n) le gustaba(n)
Future me gustará(n) te gustará(n) le gusta(n) (will like)
Conditional me gustaría(n) te gustaría(n) le gustaria(n) (would like)
Infinitive: hacer
Gerund: haciendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo* tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present hago haces hace hacemos hacéis hacen
Imperfect hacía hacías hacía hacíamos hacíais hacían
Preterite hice hiciste hizo hicimos hicisteis hicieron
Hacer
Future expressions (Formharé
of hacer)
harás hará haremos haréis harán
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jugar = to play (a game or sport)
Infinitive: jugar
Gerund: jugando
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present juego juegas juega jugamos jugáis juegan
Imperfect jugaba jugabas jugaba jugábamos jugabais jugaban
Preterite jugué jugaste jugó jugamos jugasteis jugaron
Future jugaré jugarás jugará jugaremos jugaréis jugarán
acabar = to finish
Infinitive: acabar
Gerund: acabando
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present acabo acabas acaba acabamos acabáis acaban
Imperfect acababa acababas acababa acabábamos acababais acababan
Preterite acabé acabaste acabó acabamos acabasteis acabaron
Future acabaré acabarás acabará acabaremos acabaréis acabarán
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Wanting to do something using forms of querer– want to …..
querer = to want (e>ie)
Infinitive: querer
Gerund: iendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present quiero quieres quiere queremos queréis quieren
Imperfect quería querías quería queríamos queríais querían
Future querré querrás querrá querremos querréis querrán
reír = to laugh
Infinitive: reír
Gerund: riendo
Indicative mood
él, ella, nosotros vosotros ellos, ellas,
yo tú
usted nosotras vosotras ustedes
Present río ríes ríe reímos reís ríen
Imperfect reía sabías sabía sabíamos sabíais sabían
Preterite rí reíste rió reímos reístes riereon
Future reiré reirás reirá reiremos reiréis reirán
Spanish Verbs - Stem-Changing Verbs
Spanish has two kinds of verbs that undergo spelling changes during conjugation. Spelling
change verbs undergo consonant changes in certain conjugations, while stem-changing
verbs are characterized by changes in vowels. Stem-changing verbs are those that have a
vowel spelling change in the stem of all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
The endings for stem-changing verbs are the same as for regular -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs, so
you should make sure that you understand those conjugations before working on this lesson.
These are also called shoe verbs or boot verbs.
1. E changes to IE
QUERER - to want
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y quEremo
quIEro nosotros
o s
Similarly-conjugated verbs (note that there are -AR,-ER, and -IR verbs in this category):
cerrar to close
to detain -
detener
yo detengo
entender to understand
to maintain -
mantener
yo mantengo
to obtain -
obtener
yo obtengo
pensar to think
perder to lose
preferir to prefer
recomendar to recommend
referir to refer
sentir to feel
to have -
tener
yo tengo
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to come -
venir
yo vengo
y pOdemo
pUEdo nosotros
o s
Similar verbs (there are -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs in this category):
contar to count
costar to cost
doler to hurt
dormir to sleep
encontrar to find
to play -
jugar*
U changes to UE
morir to die
mostrar to show
mover to move
oler** to smell -
O changes to HUE
recordar to remember
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soler to be accustomed to
volver to return
3. E changes to I
REPETIR - to repeat
y repEtimo
repIto nosotros
o s
reír to laugh
servir to serve
sonreírse to smile
Spanish -go Verbs - Verbs that end in -go for yo form in the present tense
hacer - to do - yo hago
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mantener - to mainain - yo mantengo
Spanish -oy Verbs - Verbs that end in -oy for yo form in the present tense
estar - to be - yo estoy
ir - to go - yo voy
ser - to be - yo soy
Spanish -jo Verbs - Verbs that end in -jo for yo form in the present tense
When tellling a friend, a family member or a young person to do something, use an affirmative tú
command. To form these commands for most verbs, use the same present-tense forms that are used
for Ud., él, ella. Some verbs have an irregular affirmative tú command.
Reflexive Verbs
LEVANTARSE - TO STAND UP
y nos
me levanto nosotros
o levantamos
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