Spanish Alphabet & Spanish Pronunciation

Spanish Alphabet & Spanish Pronunciation

Pronunciación (Pronunciation)

Basic Spanish pronunciation rules

Sonidos Vocales en Español (Spanish Vowel Sounds)

Los sonidos de las vocales en Español son cortos (Spanish vowel sounds are short).

The Spanish "a" is pronounced like the "u" in "cut".
The Spanish "e" is pronounced like the "e" in "elephant".
The Spanish "i" is pronounced like the "ee" in "bee".
The Spanish "o" is pronounced like the "o" in "roll".
The Spanish "u" is pronounced like the "o" in "do".

Sonidos Consonantes en Español (Spanish Consonant Sounds )

The Spanish "c" has two sounds: hard and soft:

RULE -->The hard "c" is pronounced like the "c" in "candy" and It is pronounced before "a", "o" and "u".

• 
  
  cantar - to sing
• 
  
  corona - crown
• 
  
  casa- house

RULE --> The soft "c" is pronounced like the "c" in "city" and It is pronounced before "e" and "i".

• 
  
  cinturon - belt
• 
  
  cerdo - pig
• 
  
  cinco - five

The Spanish "g" has two sounds: hard and soft.

RULE -->The hard "g" is pronounced like the "g" in "goat" and It is pronounced before "a", "o" and "u".

• gato - cat
• guerra - war
• guitara - guitar

RULE --> The soft "g" is pronounced like the "h" in "house" and It is pronounced before "e" and "i".

• gira - tour
• gemelos - twins
• gigante - giant

The Spanish "j" is pronounced like the "h" in "habit".

• jarro - pitcher
• joven - young
• jugo - juice

The Spanish "ñ" is pronounced like "ny" in "canyon".

• niña - girl
• mañana - tomorrow
• niño - boy

The Spanish "rr" is a vibrating or trilling sound.
SEE--> We also pronounce this "rr" when words start with "r" as is rata (rat) or rápido (fast)

• perro - dog
• zorro - fox

The Spanish "v" is pronounced like the "b" in "bed".

• velo - veil
• vieja - old

The Spanish "d"  is pronounced like the "d" in "dog".

• diario - diary
• mundo - world
• falda - skirt
• lado - side
• pasado - past
• nada - nothing

The Spanish "h" is completely silent.

• hijo - child
• hormiga - ant
• hola- hello

The Spanish "ll" is pronounced like the "y" in "yarn".

• llaves - keys
• llorar - to cry
• llamada - call

RULE --> The rolling "r" is pronounced like the "r" in car

• tornillo - screw
• pero- but
• cero- zero
• caro- expensive

The Spanish "t" is pronounced like the "t" in "stop".
RULE --> The Spanish "t" is softer than the English "t".

• cartera - purse
• tambor - drum
• te - tea

The Spanish "z" is pronounced like the "s" in "sofa".

• zanahoria - carrots
• manzana - apple
• manzanilla - chamomile

Practice these words every day to better your Spanish pronunciation:

cerveza - beer
gordo - fat
genial - great
aburrido - bored
cordon - cord

almohada - pillow
manteca - butter
jefe - boss
verano - summer
dañino - harmful
rata- rat

El Alfabeto Español (The Spanish Alphabet )
Unlike English, Spanish letters can be written out. Here is the Spanish alphabet (30 letters) along with their written form:

A - "a"
B - "be"
C - "ce"
CH - "che"
D - "de"
E - "e"
F - "efe"
G - "ge"
H - "hache"
I - "i"

J - "jota"
K - "ca"
L - "ele"
LL - "elle"
M - "eme"
N - "ene"
Ñ - "eñe"
O - "o"
P - "pe"
Q - "cu"

R - "ere"
RR - "erre"
S - "ese"
T - "te"
U - "u"
V - "ve"
W - "doble ve"
X - "equis"
Y - "i griega"
Z - "zeta"

Acentos en Español (Spanish Accents )When there is an acute accent over a vowel (á, é, í, ó, ú), it means to place emphasis on that syllable. As a result, the syllable with the accented vowel is more pronounced. Placing accents or ommiting accents can change the meanings of words.

soló - only
solo - alone

el está - he is
esta cosa - this thing

caminó - walked
camino - path

habló - He spoke
hablo - I speak

papá - father
papa - potato

compró - He bought
compro - I buy

(http://www.spanishsofa.com/spanish-lessons)

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SPANISH Poetry

Poem nº 1

¡Te Amo! y no es:
un te amo aniversario,
un te amo compromiso,
un te amo acostumbrado,
un te amo apurado,
un te amo también...

¡Te Amo! y es así:
un te amo enamorado,
un te amo extasiado,
un te amo demasiado,
un te amo generoso,
un te amo porque sí.

¡Te Amo!
con un “te amo”
pronunciado por los labios
mas gritado con el corazón.

¡Te Amo!
con un “te amo”
tan divino, tan humano
como jamás alguien imaginó.
.....................

I love you and it is not:

an Anniversary I love you

a compromise I love you

an accostumed I love you
a hurry I love you,
an I love you too


I love you and that´s it:

an in love I love you

an extasy I love you

an I love you too much
a gentry I love you
a just because I love you


I love you,
pronouncing it with the lips
but shouting it at you with my heart


I love you
with an "I love you"
so divine, so human
just like anybody has ever imagined
..

CHASCOMUS, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

Poem Nº 2

Si tan solo podría tener un deseo,

Solo desearía despertar cada día

con el sonido de tu respirar sobre mi cuello,

la calidez de tus labios sobre mi mejilla,

el toque de tus dedos en mi piel,

y el latir de tu corazón junto al mio...

Sabiendo que nunca podría hallar ese sentimiento

con ningún otro que no seas tú.

................................................

If I could have just one wish,
I would wish to wake up everyday
to the sound of your breath on my neck,
the warmth of your lips on my cheek,
the touch of your fingers on my skin,
and the feel of your heart beating with mine...
Knowing that I could never find that feeling
with anyone other than you.

- Courtney Kuchta -

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SPANISH- Jokes + English Translation!

 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Darling, What is worse? Ignorance or indiference?

I don´t know. I don´t care..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

How was your job Compadrito?

Bad.. I earned good money and worked almost nothing,

And Do you find that a bad thing? I think it is fabulous!

Me too Cumpa!

The problem is that my boss discovered that and he fired me!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

You might be wondering why I put you together! I want you to know...

that the company hasn´t been so well lately, and I have been ordered to fire all the lazy and weak ones...

We are so sorry you have to leave us boss!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaimito le pregunta a un amigo:
¿Cómo sigue tu amigo?
¿Cuál?
El que se tragó la moneda de un peso.
¡Ah! Sigue sin cambio

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Jaimito asks a friend:

How is your friend doing?

Which one?

The one who swallowed the 1 pound coin

Ah! He is still with no change

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

Condorito!!!
Wow It sounds like my friend´s voice..
What´s up buddy?
Hurry up! Come with me..
Can you explain me what is going on?
My mother in law has just fallen down and I want you to help me to pick her up..
but buddy if your mother in law is tiny..
yes, and what?
Aren´t you able to pick her up by your own?
Yes Condorito but...
when we laugh we lose strengh...

SPANISH 3º: COMMON and USEFUL PHRASES

(WHEN YOU MEET A FRIEND)

• Hola --> Hello
• ¿Cómo estas? --> How are you?
• ¿Qué estas haciendo? --> What are you doing?
• ¿Estas ocupado/a? --> Are you busy? (If your friend is a Girl you will say ocupadA and if it is a boy you will use ocupadO)
• ¿Te gustaría ir a tomar un cafe? --> Would you like to drink a coffee?
• ¿Cómo está tu familia? --> How is your family doing?
• ¿Estas estudiando/trabajando? --> Are you studying/working?
• Espero verte pronto --> Hope to see you soon
• Chau! -->  Bye!



 

(ORDERING AT THE RESTAURANT)

• Hola, Quiero un Sandwich --> Hello, I want a sandwich
• ¿Me podría traer una porcion de torta, por favor? --> Could you bring me a piece of cake, please?
• ¿Hay algo mas que me recomienda que pruebe? --> Is there anything else you recommend me to try?
• ¿Cuánto cuesta? --> How much is it?
• ¿Tiene cambio? --> Do you have change?
• Aqui tiene, Muchas Gracias --> Here you have, Thank you very much.

RESTAURANT in San Telmo, Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA

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SPANISH PROVERBS

Dime con quien andas y te diré quien eres

Dime = tell me (decir = to say/tell)
Quien = who
Andar = to walk (to go out with)
Literally translated: Say with whom you walk and I will tell you who you are

This is similar to the English saying:
A man is known by the company he keeps

Perro que ladra no muerde

perro (= dog)
ladrar (= to bark)
morder (= to bite)
Literally translated means “Dog that barks doesn’t bite.”


This is similar to the English saying:
A barking dog doesn’t bite.His bark is worse than his bite.


This is used when someone makes a lot of ‘noise’ about being a certain way (like a barking dog pretending to be a lot tougher than it really is).
When someone is ‘full of hot air’ and doesn’t carry out the threats that they make.



This is my handsome dog Thomas, a cute 3 year old Yorkshire :)





No todo lo que brilla es oro

todo = all
oro = gold
brillar = to shine/glitter/sparkle

The English version of this is: “No all that glitters is gold.”

Means: Some things are not what they appear to be. Something may appear perfect and beautiful but that perfection is only appearance and the reality may be different and not so beautiful.

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SPANISH 2: Spanish Interrogative Word Practice

QUESTION WORDS:Translation to the Spanish Language (Remember to use accents for all question words)

1. WHAT     --> Qué
2. WHO       --> Quién
3. WHICH  --> Cuál
4. WHEN   --> Cuándo
5. WHERE --> Donde
6. HOW     --> Cómo
7. WHY     --> Por qué

*Extra INFO: When asking in Spanish, we use question marks "¿?" when starting and ending the question. Eg. ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños - When is your birthday?

CONCEPT	INTERROGATIVES	EXAMPLES
Cosa (Thing)	¿Qué? (What)	¿Qué me dijiste? - Te dije que vamos a llegar tarde.
Lugar (PLace)	¿Dónde? (Where)	¿Dónde está mi cuaderno? - No sé, búscalo bajo la mesa.
Tiempo (Time)	¿Cuándo? (When)	¿Cuándo es la inauguración? - Mañana en la noche.
Modo (Way)	¿Cómo? (How)	¿Cómo está tu mamá?* ¿Cómo es tu mamá?*
Persona o cosa (Person or Thing)	¿Cuál(es)? (Which)	¿Cuál de los colores prefieres? - Prefiero el azul.
Cantidad (Quantity)	¿Cuánto? (How much/many)	¿Cuánto tiempo va a tomarte en llegar? - Me va a tomar una hora en bus.
Persona (Person)	¿Quién(es)? (Who)	¿Quién te llamó tan tarde anoche? - Era número equivocado.

USEFUL Examples: 

• ¿Dónde está el baño? (Where is the bathroom?)
• ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
• ¿Qué estas haciendo? (What are you doing?)
• ¿Quién es Pablo? (Who is Paul?)
• ¿Cuál es tu nombre? (What is your name?)

Preguntas con preposiciones (QUESTIONS WITH PREPOSITIONS)

These Questions start the sentence with a preposition.

¿Con quién...?	Para saber específicamente quién está contigo
¿Para quién...? ¿A quién...?	Para saber el destino de algo que está dirigido a una persona
¿De qué...?	Para saber información de algo o de un tema. También puede ser ¿Sobre qué...?
¿De quién(es)...?	Indica posesión
¿Para qué...?	Pregunta para saber el motivo de una acción o cosa
¿Por qué...?	Esta pregunta busca la razón o el propósito de algo
¿Hasta cuándo...?	Busca el término de una acción

-------------------------------------------------------------------

¿Con quién vas a la fiesta? WHO DO YOU GO  TO THE PARTY WITH?
- Voy con Pablo.


¿Para quién es ese regalo? WHO IS THIS PRESENT FOR?
- Para mi mamá.


¿A quién pertenecen estos libros? WHO DO THESE BOOKS BELONG TO?
- No sé, tal vez a Patricio.


¿De qué es la película? WHAT IS THE MOVIE ABOUT?
- Es de ciencia ficción.

¿De quién es este lápiz? WHOSE PENCIL IS IT?
- Quizás es de algún estudiante.


¿Para qué son esos folletos? WHAT ARE THESE LEAFLETS FOR?
- Son para ver las ofertas de viajes.


¿Por qué llegas tan tarde? WHY ARE YOU SO LATE?
- Porque había mucho tráfico.

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Visiting Argentina: LA PATAGONIA ARGENTINA

I decided to write about it since, in my opinion, it is the most beautiful region in Argentina, which should be visited by everyone who comes to this amazing country.

Patagonia is a geographic region containing the southernmost portion of South America. Patagonia is located in Argentina and Chile; it comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes mountains to the west and south, and plateaux and low plains to the east. It excludes those portions of Antarctica claimed by both countries. East of the Andes, it lies south of the Colorado River. Westwards, it includes the territories south of Relocancaví Sound except for the Chiloé Archipelago.

The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by Magellan to describe the native people whom his expedition thought to be giants. It is now believed the Patagons were actually Tehuelches with an average height of 1.80 m (~5′11″) compared to the 1.55 m (~5′1″) average for Spaniards of the time.

San Martin de los Andes, Neuquen, Argentina



 The Argentine portion of Patagonia includes the provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, Chubut and Santa Cruz, as well as the Tierra del elago from the homonymou
It would help me if after reading this you could click on ONE of the google advertisements you can find in my blog!!  Thanks :)  Paulas province, and the southern tipthe Bunos Aires province. The Argentine litico-economic Patagonic Region includes the Provinc La Pampa^.

SPANISH 1- Subjects+The Verb TO BE

I would like to start with something really basic ..

THE SUBJECT of the Sentence + The Verb TO BE:

In Spanish, when we refer to the verb TO BE we have two options "SER: when saying our name, characteristics or ESTAR: when talking about actions, feelings"

Eg: I am Peter (Yo SOY Peter)

I am very tall (Yo SOY muy alto)

---------------------------------------

I am playing football (Yo ESTOY jugando football)

She is cooking (Ella ESTA cocinando)

I am------------ Yo soy/ estoy
You are-------- Tu eres/ estas (We use "vos sos" in Argentina and in a few parts of Spain)
He is ----------- Él es/ está
She is----------- Ella es/ está
It is------------- Esto/Esta es/ está (In spanish we have female and male nouns, most of the times we add "a" in the end of a female one and an "o" in the end of a male one)
We are -------- Nosotros/Nosotras somos/ estamos (depending if we talk about female or male nouns)
You are ------- Ustedes son/ están
They are ------ Ellos/Ellas son están (depending if we talk about female or male )

EXERCISES: 

1). Ella ________________ Ruth.

2). Mi auto _________________ muy caro (very expensive).

3). Peter y Paula ___________________ amigos.

4). Mi mama ________________________ lavando la ropa. (washing clothes)

5). Su casa _____________________ linda. 

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Visiting Argentina: BUENOS AIRES