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Unlike English, Spanish sentences are not so dependent on word order. Instead, Spanish uses a system of suffixes and particles to help mark the subject and object. Spanish verbs’ tense suffixes, for example, carry information about the person and number of the subject. This system of verb tense suffixes is called “conjugation,” and though it sounds challenging, don’t give up!  After learning to conjugate, Spanish becomes a smooth sail!

It is important to remember the following points: gender and number.

“Gender” - Spanish nouns fall into two categories, “feminine” and “masculine” .
Generally, feminine nouns end in an”  -a “vowel, and masculine nouns end in an ” -o” vowel.

“Number” - Check if the noun is singular or plural.
Usually, plurals end with an ” -s”.

Furthermore, adjectives and articles in Spanish reflect the gender and number of the items that they modify. This is called “agreement.”  If you remember how to keep your agreements flowing smoothly, you will be speak just like a native! Surprise Spanish speakers by keeping to these rules of Spanish, which the speakers are aware of might be difficult for learners, and your efforts won’t go unappreciated!

Spanish and English are cognate languages; that is, many words in Spanish sound and look similar to their English equivalents. Because of these cognate words, and because of the similarity in alphabets, learners of Spanish can often guess the English equivalents of a Spanish word with a high degree of accuracy, and vice versa.

The Spanish writing system is based on the Roman alphabet,though some features are specific to Spanish, like the letter -ñ (as in Español!) , as well as the digraphs -ch, -ll, and -rr, which we traditionally analyze as single letters.

In addition to these peculiarities, a few Spanish words carry a written accent to distinguish homonyms, as in “él”  (definite article “el” vs. subject pronoun “él”).

Thankfully enough, the Spanish alphabet is very similar to English and you will probably have no trouble with is small differences. Do keep in mind though, that missing these marks can lead to some confusion and even change the meaning of your sentence.
For example, “uña” (fingernail)  and “una” ( the article “a̶ are distinguished only by the “ñ”, though context can make it apparent which one you are using.

Either way, it is important to keep your eyes open and identify them, and you will be well on your way to becoming an expert in Español!

Having been developed from Latin and part of the Romance languages, Spanish was born in Spain, from where Spanish colonials spread the language to the western hemisphere, and to this day, remains the official language of the majority of Central and South America, and the Caribbean. However, you may have noticed that nowadays, people all over the world are studying Spanish in Brazil, the United States, and much of Europe.

The Spanish spoken in most of the world is the “Castellano” type of Spanish (originating from the Castille region of Spain), and is usually the Español we are mostly familiar with.

Today, Español keeps becoming more popular as a language for business, tourism, and travel. That is because Spanish is the native language of about 350 million people worldwide!

However, business aside, Spanish is a great language to learn if you want to experience all the delicious cuisines and fascinating culture that Spanish speaking countries can offer.

And most of all, don’t be shy! Generally speaking, Spanish speakers are very glad to help those who want to learn, and will gladly open the doors to their  friendship if you just give it a try and say a simple “Hola!”

It is not in vain that native Spanish speakers have a well-earned reputation of warmth, friendliness, and great sense of humor.

Don’t miss out on the chance to learn Spanish; great times, great fun,and great friends await you in the Spanish-speaking world!

How to Really Learn Spanish in Just Minutes a Day and Stick with it

The Myth

What if I told you mastering Spanish wasn’t that hard. That actually learning the language itself is not nearly as difficult as you may have heard. And that the problem to progressing is an age old one…failure to execute.

The Real Issue

Said another way, “People don’t progress ’cause they don’t do! If you don’t do the work, you won’t reach your goals.” Read the rest of this entry »

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from everyone here at SpanishPod101.com! We’re grateful to have listeners just like you, and we’re eagerly waiting for the upcoming year to learn Spanish together!

And when the New Year comes around, be sure to make a resolution to study Spanish with SpanishPod101.com!

Have a healthy and happy holiday season.

From the SpanishPod101.com Team!