EASY SPANISH STEP BY STEP (2) (1) PDF

# Guide to Pronunciation ## Vowels The sounds of the vowels are clear and short. Pronounce the examples. | Letter | Pronounced like | Examples | |---|---|---| | a | the a in father | la casa, la tapa, Panamá, Canadá | | e | two sounds:<br> the e in café when final<br> the e in set elsewhere | ele...

# Guide to Pronunciation ## Vowels The sounds of the vowels are clear and short. Pronounce the examples. | Letter | Pronounced like | Examples | |---|---|---| | a | the a in father | la casa, la tapa, Panamá, Canadá | | e | two sounds:<br> the e in café when final<br> the e in set elsewhere | elefante, come, vive, verde, que<br> pero, es, hotel | | i | the i in machine | sí, cine, comida | | o | two sounds:<br> the o in hope<br> the o in for if followed by r | oso, otro, hospital<br> doctor, profesor | | u | the u in rule<br> written as ü when pronounced in güe and güi<br> silent in gue and gui elsewhere | uno, tú, puro<br> agüero, güira <br> guerra, guitarra | | y | Spanish i | y, soy, hay | ## Consonants | Letter | Pronounced like | Examples | |---|---|---| | b/v | the b in boat when they occur at the beginning of a breath group, or following 1, m, or n<br> softer elsewhere, produced through slightly opened lips | baño, burro, embargo, alba, el vino, el voto, invierno, vamos<br> Cuba, la boca, Havana, la vaca | | c | the c in cat before a, o, u, or before a consonant<br> the s in sail before e or i | camisa, color, concreto<br> centavo, cita, cinco | | ch | the ch in chum | chocolate, chorizo | | d | two sounds:<br> the d in dog when it occurs at the beginning of a breath group, or following 1 or n <br> the th in other elsewhere | donde, falda, conde<br> boda, poder, verdad, nada, cada, estudio | | f | English f | futuro, fila, oficina | | g | the g in game before a, o, u, or before a consonant <br> the h in hat before e or i <br> silent | gato, gusto, grande<br> genio, generoso, gitano<br> hombre, hasta, hablar | | h | English h (It can also be given a slightly guttural sound.) | Juan, ojo, mujer | | j | English h | kayak, kilómetro, kiwi | | k | English k | el, hotel, mil, palo | | l | English l, but with the tip of the tongue touching the roof of the mouth | caballo, bello, llave | | ll | the y in beyond, or in some countries, the s in pleasure | menos, cama, marrón | | m | English m | nota, nación, nariz | | n | English n | mañana, España, señor | | ñ | the ny in canyon or the ni in onion | papel, persona, pobre | | p | English p, but not explosive (without the puff of air in the English sound) | Quito, queso, equipo | | q | the k in key (found only in the combinations que and qui) | caro, barato, para, hablar | | r | the dd in ladder (a single tongue flap)<br> The r at the beginning of a word or after 1, n, or s is trilled like rr. | rosa, el río, Enrique, las rosas | | rr | a trill or tongue roll (There is no equivalent sound in English.) | perro, horrible, carro | | s | English s | sopa, sala, blusa | | t | English t, but not explosive (with the tip of the tongue against the back of the upper front teeth) | torta, talento, tesoro | | v | Spanish b (There is no v sound in Spanish.) | | | w | The letter w exists in Spanish only in words of foreign origin and is not considered part of the Spanish alphabet. | | | x | English x | experto, examen | | y | Spanish II (the y in beyond or, in some countries, the s in pleasure) | papaya, papagayo, ayer | | z | the s in sail | azul, brazo, luz | ## Stress, Written Accentuation, and Spelling ### Natural Stress Words that end in a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or the consonants n or s have their natural stress on the next to last syllable: - cucaracha - mañana - triste - hablo - volumen - examen - tomates Words that end in any consonant other than n or s have their natural stress on the final syllable: - salud - amistad - papel - vegetal - azul - mujer - cantar - doctor - nariz ### Written Accents When a word does not follow one of these two rules, it will have a written accent on the syllable that is stressed. - teléfono - lámpara - música - café - canción - lección - difícil - fácil If a one-syllable word has a written accent, it means that there is another word in the language that has the same spelling, but another meaning. - el - the - si - if - tu - your - se - oneself - él - he - sí - yes - tú - you - sé - I know If a two-syllable word has a written accent that does not affect the pronunciation, it means that there is another word that has the same spelling, but a different meaning. - este - this - ese - that - éste - this one - ése - that one Interrogative words have an accent mark that does not affect pronunciation: - ¿qué? - what? - ¿quién? - who? - ¿dónde? - where? - ¿cómo? - how? - ¿por qué? - why? - ¿cuál? - which? ### Spelling Changes - **z to c** Nouns and adjectives that end in z change to c to form the plural. - el lápiz - los lápices - la nariz - las narices - feliz - felices - **Z followed by a or o changes to c before an e or i** The sound of z and c are the same. - comienza - comience - empiezo - empiece - **Other Spelling Changes** All other spelling changes occur in order to maintain a required sound. - *Tocar*, for example, has a hard c sound that must be preserved in other forms of the verb. If you see *toque*, with qu replacing the c, it is to maintain the k sound. <br> - *Llegar*, for example, has a hard g sound, which must be preserved. If you see *llegué*, with gu replacing the g, it is to maintain the hard g sound. ## Castilian Spanish There are only a few differences in pronunciation between the Spanish spoken in Latin America and that spoken in Spain. - Both the c that precedes e or i and the z have the th sound heard in English *thought* and *thing*. <br> - When j or g precedes e or i, it has a slightly more guttural sound. ## Tips for Pronunciation - While practicing, remember to keep the vowel sounds short and clear. - Always use the Spanish *r* sound. Resist the use of the English *r*. - Implode the sounds of *p* and *t*. Make sure there is no puff of air. - Always pronounce *z* like the letter *s*. - Give the syllables an almost equal emphasis, a sort of staccato sound. Pronounce every syllable clearly and precisely in order to develop an even speech pattern. # The Alphabet ## El alfabeto o abecedario | Letter(s) | Name | Letter(s) | Name | |---|---|---|---| | A | a | N | ene | | B | be larga/be grande | Ñ | eñe | | C | ce | O | o | | CH | che | P | pe | | D | de | Q | cu | | E | e | R | ere | | F | efe | RR | erre | | G | ge | S | ese | | H (always silent) | hache | T | te | | I | i | U | u | | J | jota | V | ve corta<br>doble ve/doble u | | K | ka | X | equis | | L | ele | Y | i griega/ye | | LL | elle | Z | zeta | # Greetings and Salutations | Spanish | English | |---|---| | Hola. | Hello. | | Buenos días. | Good morning. | | Buenas tardes. | Good afternoon. | | Buenas noches. | Good evening. | | Me llamo Susana. | My name is Susan. | | ¿Cómo se llama usted? | What's your name? | | Me llamo David. | My name is David. | | Mucho gusto. | Pleased to meet you. | | ¿Cómo está usted? | How are you? | | Bien, gracias, ¿y usted? | Fine, thanks. And you? | | Regular. Más o menos. | So-so. More or less. | | Hasta luego. | So long. | | Hasta mañana. | Until tomorrow. | | Hasta pronto. | See you soon. | | Adiós. | Good-bye. | # Elements of a Sentence ## The Gender of Nouns and the Definite Article A noun is a person, place, or thing. In Spanish, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. In Spanish, the definite article (English *the*) agrees with the noun in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural): *el, la, los, las*. ### Singular Nouns #### Masculine The masculine singular noun takes the definite article *el*. Most nouns that end in -o are masculine. Pronounce the following words aloud: | Spanish | English | |---|---| | el amigo | the friend | | el banco | the bank | | el baño | the bathroom | | el carro | the car | | el gato | the cat | | el hermano | the brother | | el libro | the book | | el muchacho | the boy | | el niño | the little boy, the child | | el perro | the dog | | el teléfono | the telephone | | el vino | the wine | Many masculine nouns do not end in -o; therefore, it is necessary to learn each noun with its article. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | el animal | the animal | | el café | the coffee | | el doctor | the doctor | | el hombre | the man | | el hospital | the hospital | | el hotel | the hotel | | el tomate | the tomato | | el tren | the train | Some masculine nouns end in -a or -ma. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | el clima | the climate | | el día | the day | | el drama | the drama | | el idioma | the language | | el mapa | the map | | el planeta | the planet | | el poema | the poem | | el problema | the problem | | el programa | the program | | el sistema | the system | #### Feminine The feminine singular noun takes the definite article *la*. Most nouns that end in -a are feminine. Pronounce the following words aloud: | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la amiga | the friend | | la blusa | the blouse | | la bolsa | the bag | | la cama | the bed | | la casa | the house | | la cerveza | the beer | | la comida | the meal | | la hermana | the sister | | la iglesia | the church | | la lámpara | the lamp | | la mesa | the table | | la muchacha | the girl | | la niña | the little girl | | la persona | the person | | la planta | the plant | | la silla | the chair | | la tienda | the store | | la ventana | the window | Nouns that end in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad, or -tud are feminine. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la canción | the song | | la conversación | the conversation | | la invitación | the invitation | | la lección | the lesson | | la ilusión | the illusion | | la televisión | the television | | la ciudad | the city | | la verdad | the truth | | la amistad | the friendship | | la actitud | the attitude | A few nouns that end in -o are feminine. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la foto | the photograph | | la mano | the hand | | la radio | the radio | Many feminine nouns do not follow these patterns; therefore, it is important to learn each noun with its article. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la clase | the class | | la flor | the flower | | la luz | the light | | la mujer | the woman | | la piel | the skin | | la suerte | the luck | ## Plural Nouns ### Masculine A masculine noun that ends in a vowel adds -s to form the plural; it takes the definite article *los*. | Singular | Plural | |---|---| | el día | los días | | el hermano | los hermanos | | el libro | los libros | | el muchacho | los muchachos | | el perro | los perros | | el problema | los problemas | If the noun ends in a consonant, *el* changes to *los* and the noun adds -es. | Singular | Plural | |---|---| | el animal | los animales | | el doctor | los doctores | | el hospital | los hospitales | | el hotel | los hoteles | | el tren | los trenes | ### Feminine A feminine noun that ends in a vowel adds -s to form the plural; it takes the definite article *las*. | Singular | Plural | |---|---| | la bolsa | las bolsas | | la lámpara | las lámparas | | la niña | las niñas | | la persona | las personas | | la tienda | las tiendas | | la ventana | las ventanas | If the noun ends in a consonant, *la* changes to *las* and the noun adds -es. | Singular | Plural | |---|---| | la canción | las canciones | | la ciudad | las ciudades | | la flor | las flores | | la invitación | las invitaciones | | la lección | las lecciones | | la mujer | las mujeres | ## The Indefinite Article The Spanish singular indefinite article (English *a, an*) is *un* before a masculine noun and *una* before a feminine noun. Pronounce the words in the following lists aloud. By learning these nouns, you are building your vocabulary. ### Singular Indefinite Articles #### Masculine | Spanish | English | Spanish | English | |---|---|---|---| | un amigo | a (male) friend | un jardín | a garden | | un baño | a bathroom | un museo | a museum | | un carro | a car | un pianista | a (male) pianist | | un espejo | a mirror | un sillón | an armchair | | un gato | a cat | un tiquete | a ticket | #### Feminine | Spanish | English | Spanish | English | |---|---|---|---| | una amiga | a (female) friend | una mujer | a woman | | una biblioteca | a library | una página | a page | | una ciudad | a city | una persona | a person (male or female) | | una idea | an idea | una pluma | a pen | | una librería | a bookstore | | | | una maleta | a suitcase | | | ### Plural Indefinite Articles The Spanish plural indefinite article (English *some*) is *unos* before a masculine plural noun and *unas* before a feminine plural noun. #### Masculine - unos barcos - some boats - unos gatos - some cats - unos idiomas - some languages - unos libros - some books #### Feminine - unas artistas - some (female) artists - unas casas - some houses - unas conversaciones - some conversations - unas flores - some flowers ## Adjectives An adjective is a word that describes a noun. A Spanish adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies. In Spanish, an adjective almost always follows the noun it describes. ### Singular Form of Adjectives Adjectives that end in -o are masculine in form and agree with a masculine noun. As you pronounce the following examples aloud, note that the adjective follows the noun it describes. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | el libro blanco | the white book | | el gato negro | the black cat | | el carro rojo | the red car | | el muchacho simpático | the nice boy | | el hombre hermoso | the handsome man | Adjectives that end in -o change the -o to -a when describing a feminine noun. | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la casa blanca | the white house | | la chaqueta negra | the black jacket | | la lámpara roja | the red lamp | | la muchacha simpática | the nice girl | | la mujer hermosa | the beautiful woman | Adjectives that do not end in -o have the same form for describing both masculine and feminine nouns. It doesn't matter what letter ends the adjective, as long as it is not -o. #### Masculine | Spanish | English | |---|---| | el libro excelente | the excellent book | | el perro horrible | the horrible dog | | el poema difícil | the difficult poem | | el barco azul | the blue boat | | el baño verde | the green bathroom | | el tren gris | the gray train | | el tema interesante | the interesting topic | | el hombre fuerte | the strong man | #### Feminine | Spanish | English | |---|---| | la comida excelente | the excellent food | | la cucaracha horrible | the horrible cockroach | | la lección difícil | the difficult lesson | | la pluma azul | the blue pen | | la cama verde | the green bed | | la mesa gris | the gray table | | la idea interesante | the interesting idea | | la mujer fuerte | the strong woman | ## Key Vocabulary ### Los colores (The colors) - amarillo - yellow - anaranjado - orange - azul - blue - blanco - white - gris - gray - marrón, pardo - brown - morado - purple - moreno - brown-skinned - negro - black - rojo - red - rosado - pink - verde - green ### Other Adjectives - agradable - agreeable, pleasant - alegre - happy - barato - inexpensive - caro - expensive - débil - weak - delgado - slender - difícil - difficult - estupendo - great, terrific - excelente - excellent - fácil - easy - fantástico - fantastic - feliz - happy - feo - ugly - flaco - thin - frágil - fragile - fuerte - strong - gordo - fat - grande - big - guapo - handsome, beautiful - hermoso - beautiful - horrible - horrible - inteligente - intelligent - interesante - interesting - joven - young - maravilloso - marvelous, wonderful - pequeño - little, small - pobre - poor - rico - rich - simpático - nice - sincero - sincere - tacaño - stingy - típico - typical - triste - sad - viejo - old