First a quick English lesson:
There are only three articles in English: a, an and the.
There are two types of articles indefinite a and an or definite the.


Now Spanish:
In Spanish, like many languages, words have gender so the article changes depending on the gender of the word. Each word here will be given with the definite article in front of it.

Definite articles in Spanish are "el" and "la", male and female respectfully. The plural form is "los" and "las" In English all four of these words are translated "the."

Indefinite articles in Spanish are "un" "una" "unos" and "unas." Those words are all translated "a" or "an."

Word: el país
Pronunciation: pah-EES
Meaning: country
Example: Mi país tiene de todo: playa, montañas, desiertos y mucho petróleo.
Translation: My country has everything: beach, mountains, deserts and much oil.

Word: de
Pronunciation: deh
Meaning: De is a very common preposition that usually is translated as "of" or "from," although it can be translated with other meanings as well, especially when used after certain verbs.
Example: Telefónica es un operador de telecomunicaciones en el mundo de habla hispana y portuguesa.
Translation: Telefónica is an operator of telecommunications in the Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking world.
Comment: Often, when translating from Spanish to English, the word de doesn't have to be translated directly. For example, in the sample sentence, you could just as easily say "telecommunications operator" as you could "operator of telecommunications." Also, a phrase such as "el coche de Monique" could be translated not only as "the car of Monique" but also as "Monique's car."

This is wonderful, Shane! I think I'll get me a notebook and 'take notes' on these lessons.

La Palabra esta fantastico! :)

Here is one for those health-conscious environmentalists.

Word: la bicicleta
Pronunciation: bee-see-CLEH-tah in Latin America, bee-thee-CLEH-tah in Spain (with the "th" pronounced as in "thin")
Meaning: bicycle
Example: La bicicleta es un medio de transporte sano, ecológico, sostenible y muy económico.
Translation: The bicycle is a healthy, ecological, sustainable and very economical means of transportation.

How about a verb today? Conjugating verbs is always tricky.

Word: ver
Pronunciation: behr (Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: to see, to watch, to look at
Example: La persona ciega no puede ver, pero "siente" el mundo a través de los otros sentidos (tacto, oído, olfato).
Translation: The blind person cannot see, but he "feels" the world by means of the other senses (touch, hearing, smell).
Warning: The verb ver has an irregular conjugation: veo (I see), ves (you see), ve (he/she sees), vemos (we see), veis (you see), ven (they see).

Word: la leche
Pronunciation: LEH-cheh
Meaning: milk
Example: La leche es la base de numerosos productos lácteos, como la mantequilla, el queso o el yogur.
Translation: Milk is the basic ingredient of numerous dairy products such as butter, cheese or yogurt.
Warning: Leche can also refer to the sap in a tree.

Almost forgot about today's word

Word: la vaca
Pronunciation: BAH-cah
Meaning: cow
Example: El sistema digestivo de la vaca ha evolucionado formando tres cavidades que se encuentran antes el estómago verdadero.
Translation: The digestive system of the cow has evolved to form three cavities that are found before the true stomach.
Warning: In some contexts, vaca can also be used to refer to beef.

Word: el padre
Pronunciation: PAH-dreh
Meaning: father
Example: Mi padre era un hombre muy formal, muy ceremonioso.
Translation: My father was a very formal man, very ceremonious.

Word: la ventana
Pronunciation: ben-TAH-nah
Meaning: window
Example: Si el viento de un huracán abre una puerta o ventana, no avance hacia ella.
Translation: If the wind from a hurricane opens a door or window, don't go toward it.
Warning: This word can be applied both to the window in a building and a window on a computer screen.

Word: el jugo
Pronunciation: HOO-go (Note that in most areas, the Spanish j is pronounced with a gutteral sound.)
Meaning: juice
Example: Las ventas de jugos tropicales en los E.E.U.U. ha sido modesta, debido en parte, a que el costo es significativamente mayor que el jugo de manzana.
Translation: The sales of tropical juices in the U.S. has been modest, owing in part to that the cost is significantly more than for apple juice.

Word: estudiar
Pronunciation: ess-too-DYAR
Meaning: to study, to observe
Example: Los médicos estudian la relación entre el mercurio y la infertilidad femenina.
Translation: The doctors are studying the relationship between mercury and infertility in women.

Hay una relacion entre el murcurio y la infertilidad?

Sorry, but no tengo one of those front question marks!

Today is your lucky day. The front question mark is achieved by holding down the alt button while typing 173 on the ten-key. ¡ ¡ ¡

¡Bueno! ¡Gracias!

But it looks like the front exclamation point, not like "¿"

Quel es el numero por el "¿"

alt 130 = é
alt 160 = á
alt 161 = í
alt 162 = ó
alt 163 = ú
alt 164 = ñ
alt 165 = Ñ
alt 168 = ¿
alt 173 = ¡

Time to install a Spanish keyboard, I guess...

You don't insert all those characters when you need them, do you Shane?

I don't normally put the accents on my letters. I use the punctuation marks and the enye (ñ)

I took a spanish I class a few years ago, and made a B in it. I have gone to used book stores and bought books on spanish. I don't study them as well as I should. It helps a lot to know the basics and to know some verbs, and how they are used and their conjugations and so forth. But man, there is such a big difference between the spanish you learn in a class or in a book, and the spanish that is spoken on the street. Sometimes at work I'll hear someone hispanic say something, and even before they say it, I will already know the phrase and what it means, and they will say it and I still don't pick up on quite how they said it.
knowing the basics helps, but the only real way to learn it is to live in a totally spanish speaking environment, or to be married to someone that speaks spanish.

Spanish is spoken differently by different groups of people. Even within Mexico those in the north speak differently than those in the capital. It is similar to differences in English. In the United States the word bloke is not used. In England a man that is pi--ed is drunk and in the US he is angry. In Spanish such examples are even more plentiful.

Vulgar language especially varies in Spanish and makes it difficult for some preachers. Some words are are completely nonoffensive in some areas and are completely vulgar in other areas.

In the United States the Spanish that is spoken is sometimes called "spanglish" or in Texas "Tex-Mex" This involves the mixing of the two languages. A truck in Spanish is "camion" but in spanglish is "truca". And there are several other examples. Many Spanish speakers raised in the United States actually learn the spanglish as their first language and can neither speak English or Spanish correctly. I work with many in that category on a daily basis.

Speaking of spanglish, here is a correct Spanish word that one is likely to never hear in the Western hemisphere.



Word: el ordenador
Pronunciation: ohr-den-ah-DOHR (Note that the Spanish r here, in both instances, is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate - like the "d" in ladder is pronounced)
Meaning: computer
Example: Este documento muestra cómo conectar su ordenador Linux a un servidor.
Translation: This document shows how to connect your Linux computer to a server.
Warning: In much of Latin America, it is very common to use la computadora instead of el ordenador.

Es la palabra misma en frances- ordinateur

Shane you are probably happy that you don't have to deal with the "ais" tenses, as they do in Spain. That is for familiar plural

Actually, since the Bible is written with the "ais" tenses, those of us that read the Bible do use that tense when in group Bible study and quoting the Bible.

I find it quite comforting that Jesus used that form when He spoke to groups of people He used the second-person, plural, familiar tense, like a person does with friends rather than the third-person, plural, familiar tense like a teacher does with her students or a boss with his employees. However I don't know how that translates from the original Greek.

Word: el kilogramo
Pronunciation: kee-loh-GRAH-mo
Meaning: kilogram (a unit of weight equal to 2.2 pounds)
Example: El cerebro de una ballena pesa en promedio 7.8 kilogramos.
Translation: The brain of a whale weighs, on the average, 7.8 kilograms (17 pounds).

Word: nosotros, nosotras
Pronunciation: noh-SOH-trohss, noh-SOH-trahss
Meaning: we, us
Example: La protección de tu privacidad es muy importante para nosotros.
Translation: The protection of your privacy is very important to us.
Warning: Nosotros is the masculine form and is used when referring to males. Nosotras is the feminine form and is used when referring to females. For mixed groups or groups of unknown sex, nosotros is used.

Nosotros isn't the only word that can be used for "us." Depending on the sentence structure, nos is sometimes used.

SHANE

since the factory that I am working for has many mexicans
I have picked up many words but I wish I could learn
more this forum has added to my list which I have
written down

I WILL be checking in often and like you said
jut with the mexican people I have talked with when I
ask one they will say one word another will say another
word or will say they dont know ohow to transelate

dgrimm60

Word: grande
Pronunciation: GRAHN-deh (Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: big, large
Example: El edificio más grande del mundo va a tener 800 metros de altura.
Translation: The largest building in the world is going to be 800 meters high.

¿Y donde esta este edificio?

Sorry- I'm trying hard to practice. It would be cool if people could join in and Shane could coach us as he goes

Shane, is there a special intonation for questions? In French one can easily turn a sentence into a question by raising the last syllable.

Also- about the order of the words. It is not as important to get the words in the right order in Spanish as it is in English, is it?

Yes. A sentence becomes a question by changing the tone of the voice. That is why it is so important to use question marks when writing.



I was not taught that. I typically speak Spanish among Tex-Mex speakers whose Spanish is quite poor and influenced by English. So I am not really sure about the answer to that question.

&

Word: y
Pronunciation: ee
Meaning: and
Example: Los perros y los gatos son predadores por naturaleza.
Translation: Dogs and cats are predators by nature.
Warning: When it comes before a word that starts with the sound of the Spanish i, y usually is changed to e. Example: Italia, España e Inglaterra buscan mantener vivas sus opciones. Italy, Spain and England are looking to keep their options alive.

Word: el zapato
Pronunciation: saw-PAW-toe
Meaning: shoe
Example: Los zapatos de mujer son uno de los placeres de la vida.
Translation: Women's shoes are one of the pleasures of life.

This is one of my wife's favorite words.

I know what you mean. :)

Word: negro
Pronunciation: NEH-grow (Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: black (by far the most common meaning), dark brown or suntanned, gloomy, awful, furious
Example: Las tiendas locales tienen en existencias miles de zapatos negros.
Translation: The local stores have in stock thousands of black shoes.

Word: el domingo
Pronunciation: doh-MEEN-goh
Meaning: Sunday
Example: Este domingo, vamos a la playa.
Translation: This Sunday we are going to the beach.



The word comes from the Latin dies solis, meaning "sun's day": the name of a pagan Roman holiday. It is also called Dominica (Latin), the Day of God. The Romance languages, languages derived from the ancient Latin language (such as French, Spanish, and Italian), retain the root.

Word: frío
Pronunciation: FREE-oh (Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: cold, cool
Example: El clima de Arizona varía considerablemente, desde la severidad del cálido desierto de Sonora hasta las altas y frías montañas en la parte norte del estado.
Translation: The climate of Arizona varies considerably, from the extreme of the hot Sonora Desert to the high and cold mountains in the northern part of the state.

Word: rojo
Pronunciation: RRO-ho (Note that the Spanish r here is the rr sound, pronounced with a strong trill, depending on where the word appears in the sentence. Note that in most areas, the Spanish j is pronounced with a guttural sound.)
Meaning: red
Example: En el jardín del profesor había un pájaro rojo.
Translation: In the professor's garden there was a red bird.

Shane:Since when is el zapato pronounced saw-PAW-toe??? Is Chilean Spanish different than other Spanish? I learned it as sah-PAT-toe. ?No es cierto? Regards, Don

Shane, perhaps this would be a good time to explain the rr in more detail. It is an actual letter of the Spanish alphabet, isn't it?

Also, when a word begins with r it is pronounced rr, etc

What I like about Spanish is that words are pretty well pronouced as spelled, making spelling very easy

Wuhd'ehnt eht bee niess ihf ehngleesh whaahz thuh saym? Eevn purrsuhnnahl dihffrehnsihs ehn speech whuhd shho uhp! nobuddee tawks uhlaik. :)

(everyone could spell differently according to the way they speak!)

Sorry, I missed a couple of days

Word: la clase
Pronunciation: CLAH-seh
Meaning: class (as in a category or type), class (as in a school)
Example: Las clases privadas pueden también combinarse con otros cursos.
Translation: The private classes can also be done in combination with other courses.

Es no problema, profesor. :)

La Ciudad de México


Word: la ciudad
Pronunciation: syoo-THATH (Each d here is pronounced somewhat like the "th" in "though.")
Meaning: city, town, complex of buildings
Example: La Ciudad de México es el Distrito Federal, capital de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos.
Translation: Mexico City is the Federal District, capital of Mexico.

Shane: I am still waiting on your commentary in regards to the word Zapato....(as we disagree)...Years ago I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the Bernalillo County Headquarters doing some Conference Trust business when I heard a clerk speaking Spanish. She said something about "La problema".....I said, "Whoa, I may be just a dumb gringo but even I know that it is "el" problema." "No", she said, "It is problem-a, ends in A so it must be la problema"
When I insisted she called for the resident "expert" who assured me that I was wrong. I advised him that he should look it up in the dictionary and made my departure ( being out-gunned and out- classed). You might also mention that a common "Yankee" fault in speaking Spanish is the "too-hard " use of the letter "D"... I was preaching in Chile one time and asked the question "Que significa la palabra todo"? ( What is the significance of the word "all"?) Instead of Todo they heard Toro...(bull)... Someone at the back of the church went "Moo".... Regards, Don

Yeah, there are some masculine words that end in "a", like "dia". There are always some exceptions to the rule in languages that one must memorize

I found it interesting that it is "buenos dias" but "buenas noches"

But at least that is better than the example I heard in a restaurant once. The girl said, "Buenos nachos" for Goodnight

I addressed this in post #122810

Spanish is spoken differently by different groups of people. Even within Mexico those in the north speak differently than those in the capital. It is similar to differences in English. In the United States the word bloke is not used. In England a man that is pi--ed is drunk and in the US he is angry. In Spanish such examples are even more plentiful.

Vulgar language especially varies in Spanish and makes it difficult for some preachers. Some words are are completely nonoffensive in some areas and are completely vulgar in other areas.

In the United States the Spanish that is spoken is sometimes called "spanglish" or in Texas "Tex-Mex" This involves the mixing of the two languages. A truck in Spanish is "camion" but in spanglish is "truca". And there are several other examples. Many Spanish speakers raised in the United States actually learn the spanglish as their first language and can neither speak English or Spanish correctly. I work with many in that category on a daily basis.

Being without the Internet at home will prevent me from posting on the weekends. We should be connected again by next week at the latest.



Word: el animal
Pronunciation: ah-nee-MAHL (Note that the L of Spanish is pronounced like the first "l" in "little," not the second one.)
Meaning: animal
Example: Un zoológico es un lugar donde los animales salvajes son cuidados y exhibidos al público.
Translation: A zoo is a place where wild animals are cared for and exhibited to the public.
Warning: As in English, the word animal can be used to refer to a brutish person. In that case, use el animal to refer to a male person, la animal to refer to a female one. When referring to nonhuman animals, the masculine form is always used.

Word: matar
Pronunciation: mah-TAHR (Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: to kill
Example: La policía busca a las personas que mataron a una mujer en su casa.
Translation: The police are looking for the persons who killed a women in her home.

In the Spanish Bible, the shortest verse is the Commandment not to kill. "No mates" Exodo 20:13

Word: la paz
Pronunciation: pahss in most of Latin America, pahth in most of Spain (Note that in Spain the z in this word ir pronounced much like the "th" in "thin.")
Meaning: peace, peacefulness
Example: Paz en la Tierra a los hombres de buena voluntad.
Translation: Peace on Earth to men of good will.

SHANE

what are the words "left" "right" "turn"
like in giving directions

just wordering

dgrimm60

Right = la derecha
Left = la izquierda
To Turn = doblar

Right and left are used in political terminology in Spanish just like they are in English.

"La derecha" means the direction right or to stand up right. The word changes form to "el derecho" when its meaning is a civil or human right.



Word: el diccionario
Pronunciation: deek-cyohn-AH-ryoh in most of Latin America, deek-thyoh-AH-ryoh in most of Spain (Note that in Spain the second c in this word is pronounced much like the "th" in "thin." Note that the Spanish r here is pronounced with a tap of the tongue against the front of the palate.)
Meaning: dictionary
Example: El Oxford English Dictionary es considerado el diccionario más importante de la lengua inglesa.
Translation: The Oxford English Dictionary is considered the most important dictionary of the English language.

BTW: I am still without internet at home as I am switching back to dial-up and have discovered my modem no longer works. It will be a few more days before the modem is replaced and hopefully I am back online.