Español: Estructuras Gramaticales Avanzadas

Idiomatic Expressions (Even - Odd)

• Avoid interfering: Use phrases like "No te metas en problemas" (Don't get yourself into trouble), "No te metas en mis asuntos" (Don't get involved in my business), and "No suelo meterme donde no me llaman" (I don't usually stick my nose where it's not needed) to indicate avoiding unnecessary involvement.

• Ownership of issues: Use "Es asunto mío" (It's my business) to claim ownership of a matter. Oppositely, "No es asunto tuyo" (It's not your business) distances oneself from an issue. "No es tema tuyo" (It's not your concern) further clarifies it is not relevant.

• Gendered nouns: Spanish nouns are categorized as masculine or feminine. The endings (-o/-a) usually indicate gender. For example: "una palabra" (a feminine word) or "un problema" (a masculine word)

• Phrases for dealing with others: "No sabes con quién te metas" (You don't know who you are dealing with) or "¡No sabía con quién me metaba!" (I didn't know who I was messing with!) express caution in interactions.

Idiomatic Expressions (Page 2)

• Carrying (people/objects): The word "Llevar" is used to convey the meaning of carrying both tangible and intangible things (e.g., carrying both physical elements and activities/experiences)

• Expressing duration of activities: One can express the duration of an activity through the use of "Llevar + a period of time + an activity". Examples include "Llevamos dos semanas sin jugar..." (We've been without playing...), or "Llevo tres días sin dormir" (I haven't slept in three days).

• Expressing the act of waiting: The verb "Llevar" is also used in the context of waiting, as seen in "Llevo treinta minutos esperándote" (I've been waiting for you for 30 minutes).

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• Using infinitives to replace gerunds: The infinitive form of a verb can be used to indicate an ongoing action, similar to an English -ing form.

• Emphasis using infinitive: The infinitive can add emphasis to a phrase like saying: "Eso es lo que es importante" (That is what is important) or indicating a specific action that was done like "Eso es lo que nosotros íbamos a comer" (That was what we were going to eat).

Idiomatic Expressions (Page 4)

• Ending up in a place: "Terminar" is used to express ending up in a location or situation. Examples include "Terminé en el hospital" (I ended up in the hospital), or "Terminaste en la cárcel?" (Did you end up in jail?). This is versatile and applicable in various contexts.

• Expressing frustration: "Cantar temprano por la mañana me cuesta," (Singing early in the morning is difficult for me).

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• Expressing surprise/wake up/trickery: Using "¡Me asombraste!" (You surprised me!) or "¡Me despertaste!" (You woke me up) show the different shades of surprise. Phrases like "¡Me engañó!" (He/She tricked me), illustrate deception or trickery.

• Expressing indifference: "Me da igual" (I don't care) is used when expressing indifference towards a matter.

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• Regret: Phrases like "No me arrepiento" (I don't regret it) express unwillingness to change or regret a decision/act.

• Expressing something desirable if known earlier: "Ojalá que supiera eso antes" (I wish I had known that earlier/ sooner).

Idiomatic Expressions (Page 7)

• Expressing surprise, uncertainty, and doubt: The phrase "Me hace dudar de mi propia cordura" (It makes me doubt my own sanity) conveys surprise and uncertainty. Other useful examples are "Lo dudo" (I doubt it)

• Expressing a wish: "Ojalá que supiera eso antes" (I wish I had known that before). Expresses hope for a different circumstance. Other useful phrase is "Ojalá que tuviera..." (I wish I had).

• Expressing past time periods: The phrases "hace un mes" (a month ago), "hace tres siglos" (three centuries ago) and "hace tres semanas" (three weeks ago) show how these phrases convey time intervals.

Idiomatic Expressions (Page 8)

• Expressing the impossibility of a certain action: "¡No podría haber sido yo!" (It couldn't have been me!).

• Expressing obligation or necessity: The phrase "No debería haber...," conveys the notion of an action that should not occur. Examples include "No debería haber ido a la playa contigo" (I shouldn't have gone to the beach with you) or "Eso no debería haber pasado" (That shouldn't have happened.)

Idiomatic Expressions (Pages 9-10)

• Disagreement/Lack of Desire: "No tengo ganas de..." (I don't feel like...). This shows lack of motivation or interest in certain activities (like "No tengo ganas de ir a la playa" or "No tengo ganas de estudiar"). The similar phrase "No tenía/tuve ganas de..." expresses lack of desire in the past or the present.

• Paying Attention (or lack of): "No le hagas caso" (Don't pay attention to him). Or the affirmative "Hágame caso!" (Pay attention to me!). These reflect social interactions and the importance of paying attention to others/yourself.

Idiomatic Expressions (Page 11)

• Expressions of affection or concern: "Te echo de menos" (I miss you)

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• Hypotheticals: "Qué harías si ganaras un millón de dólares" (What would you do if you won a million dollars?). These are hypothetical situations posing scenarios for discussion or thought.