Spanish Grammar Overview

Grammar:

• Reflexive Verbs: Can only be used with possessive pronouns.
• Active vs Passive Voice:
  • Active voice: Subject performs the action.
  • Passive voice: Subject is acted upon.
  • Passive voice in Spanish uses the "se" for the impersonal form when the agent is unknown or not relevant.
• Adverbs:
  • Adverbs modifying another adverb use the "de lo" structure.
  • Superlative adverbs use "-ísimo."
  • Adverbs ending in "-mente" are common.
• "De lo" Structure:
  • Used when an adverb modifies another adverb.
  • For example: "Más rapido de lo normal" (Faster than normal).
• Comparative Adjectives:
  • Use "que" when comparing two things.
  • Use "de lo" when comparing a quality to a standard
• Neuter Pronouns:
  • Used for things without gender.
  • Example: "Lo que te dije" (What I told you).
• Double Negatives:
  • Allowed in Spanish for emphasis.
  • Example: "No veo a nadie.” (I don't see anyone.)
• Quées:
  • Used to ask for a definition or an explanation.
  • Example: "Quées eso?" (What is that?).
• "Uno" and "Un día"
  • Commonly used in Spanish to express generality or a future possibility.
  • Example: "Uno nunca sabe lo que puede pasar" (One never knows what might happen).

Spanish-Specific Grammar:

• Personal "a":
  • Required when a direct object refers to a person.
  • Example: "Veo a mi amigo" (I see my friend).
• "Se" for Impersonal Passive Voice:
  • The "se" is used when the agent is unknown, or when it doesn't matter who performed the action.
  • Example: "Se vende esta propiedad" (This property is for sale).
• Imperfect vs. Preterite:
  • Imperfect: Used for actions that happened in the past but continued over a period of time or repeated.
  • Preterite: Used for completed actions in the past.
• Future Tense:
  • Use the "ir a" + infinitive construction to express future plans or intentions.
• "Acabar de" + Infinitive:
  • Use to express actions that have just been completed.
• Gerunds vs. Infinitives
  • Gerunds are rarely used as adjectives, use an infinitive or a past participle instead.
  • Infinitives are often used after verbs of perception, recommendation, or obligation.
• Prepositions:
  • "Con" is often used to express accompaniment, "de" expresses origin
• Command Forms:
  • "Tú": uses the informal command form (base verb ending in -ar, -er, -ir).
  • "Usted": uses the formal command form (base verb ending in -e).
  • "Nosotros" uses "nos"
  • "Ustedes" uses "Ustedes"
• Subjunctive Mood:
  • Used to express uncertainty, doubt, desire, or necessity.
  • Usually used in dependent clauses.
• Conditional Mood:
  • Used to express hypothetical situations or conditions.
• "Se" for Reflexive Verbs:
  • Used to show that the subject is performing an action on themselves.
  • Example: "Me lavo las manos" (I wash my hands).

Spanish Pronunciation:

• Stress Placement:
  • Typically falls on the second-to-last syllable in a word.
• Vowel Sounds:
  • Spanish has five basic vowel sounds: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/.
• Consonant Sounds:
  • Spanish has an easier pronunciation than English.
  • The "c" sound before "i" or "e" is pronounced as "th" (as in "thin").
• "R" Sound:
  • Double "rr" is pronounced as a trilled "r."

Sentence Structure:

• Word Order:
  • Subject-Verb-Object order is typical.
• Prepositional Phrases:
  • Used to show relationships between words in a sentence.
• Conjunctions:
  • Used to connect words, phrases, or clauses.
  • Common conjunctions: "y" (and), "pero" (but), "porque" (because).

Other Concepts

• "Más común" is used to describe something that is more frequent.
• "Algun dia" and "Un dia" are both used for "someday," but "un dia" is more common
• **"No veo a nadie" **means "I don't see anyone," and is an example of a double negative.
• **"Quées" is used in Spanish to ask for a definition.