How-To Guides about Spanish Language & Culture

In this tutorial, we learn how to speak Spanish: Antes de / despues de + verb. If you want to say "I eat breakfast before I go to school" you will say "yo desayuno antes de ir a la escuela". You will change a verb in the phrase depending on where it is placed in the sentence. If you change this same example sentence around, it will sound different in the Spanish version of the same exact sentence than the original. To express the opposite idea, you will change the end of the verb to state the...

In this video, we learn how to use "gustar" to express likes and dislikes in Spanish. By practicing examples, you will be able to learn this concept easily. In English, you would say that you like something. But, the equal to this in Spanish is "gustar". You will need to use the appropriate indirect object pronouns while you are saying this in your sentences. To say Me, you will say "a mi" and "to you" is "a ti". When you are speaking to someone about yourself or a group of people, etc your...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish: Present tense of -AR verbs (tu form). When you are speaking with "ar" verbs, you will have to change them depending on who you are talking about. You will also have to change if you are talking about yourself and depending on what the tenses are. If you are talking about yourself drawing, you would say "yo dibujo", which means "I draw". You will say "tu dibujas" if you are saying "you draw" to a group of people. Learn some common "ar" verbs, then...

In this tutorial, we learn how to understand vowels and vowel sounds in Spanish. To best understand how to say the vowel sounds in Spanish, you will want to listen to a native speaker saying different words. Take some of the words that you might think sound the same, but are completely different. These words can use the same vowels but have a different sound because of the pronunciation that is associated with them. Start to practice the vowels out one by one, then start to use them in words to...

In this video, we learn how to use direct objects & direct object pronouns in Spanish. A direct object is the object of the subject inside of a sentence. An example of this is "yo contesto el telefono". The direct object in this sentence is "el telefono" and the subject is "yo". The direct object is the "what" of the sentence, not the who. Another example of this is "nosotros miramos las peliculas". In this sentence, the subject is "nosotros" and the direct object is "las peliculas". Pay close...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish: Subjunctive with verbs of volition. Volition is requests when someone asks, needs, or wants something. To form these, you must first take the "yo" form and remove the final "o". Then, you will add in the opposite vowel endings. For example, with "yo hablo" you would say, "yo hable" or "hables". This will change if you are talking about a group of people, one person, or a formal group of people. A verb with the "er" ending will change to "a" or "es"...

In this video, we learn how to make Informal and formal commands in Spanish. When you speak in first person singular, you will say "yo" when you speak in plural, you will say "nosotros". These are both informal or familiar forms of the word. When you are speaking to someone that is a elder, you will want to speak in formal instead of informal. Use informal mode when you are talking with friends, family, children, and anyone else you talk to in a daily basis. Pay attention if you are talking...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish using present tense AR verbs. "Nosotros" means "we", "nosotras" means we as well, it's just talking about a female while the other is talking about a male. Common "ar" verbs include: necesitar, patinar, practicar, terminar, tocar, trabajar, nadar, hablar. These mean (in order): to need, to skate, to practice, to fish, to play, to work, to swim, and to talk. When you are talking about a male, female, or group of people you need to change the last part...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish by describing personality. There are many words to express personality and how you are. Some of these words include "generoso" (generous), "simpatico" (nice), and "ordenado" (organized). The most common ending to words is "o", which can be used to describe yourself. Only a few words will end in "r", "e", or "a". The end of the word is important because it tells us the gender of the word. This means the adjectives will change depending on who they are...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish: "me gusta" (I like). First, you will need to learn how to form sentences. After saying "me gusta", you will need to say a verb that you like to do. These include: "nadar" (to swim), "practicar deportes" (to practice sports), and "estudiar" (to study). These are just a few of the many words you can use for verbs. An example of a sentence would be "me gusta tocar la guitarra" (I like to play guitar). If you would like to say you don't like to do...

In this video, we learn how to pronounce Spanish consonant letters and sounds. "B" and "v" sound the same in a number of different dialects. Practice saying these words with the letters in both the beginning and end of the word so you know exactly how to say them, and how they differ when used in different words. Practice saying the other letters and learning what their pronunciation is like in different words. There will be different sounds depending on the words, so pay close attention....

In this video, we learn how to use the imperfect or past subjunctive in Spanish. When you are speaking in first person, you are going to use the singular "yo". If you are speaking in plurals, you will us "os", such as "nosotros". For second person familiar, you will use "tu", then for second person formal you would say "usted". For third person, you will say "el". When you talk in second person familiar and formal you will stress the second syllable in the word. Dissect the sentence to find out...

In this video, we learn how to use reflexive verbs in Spanish. All of the reflexive verbs are related. Once you have your verb changed, you will have to change how you are saying the different words in the sentence. If you are talking about yourself, you will have to make sure you take out "es", so you aren't saying the sentence incorrectly. If you are calling yourself something, you are reflecting the verb back to yourself. I you want to say "I talk", you will say "yo habo", because you are...

In this video, we learn how to order food and drinks in Spanish. First, you will need to learn how to say "to want", "I need", "please", "to be able to". Once you familiarize yourself with these phrases, you will have the first part of being ready to order in Spanish. You will also need to learn the names for foods and the verbs for eat, drink, and bring. Depending on the types of food you eat, many are easy to learn. Some foods don't change name in Spanish and sound the same in English. There...

In this video, we learn how to speak Spanish by asking what time. The phrase, "a que hora" translates to "at what time" in English. The word "termina" means "it ends" ad "empieza" means it begins. You can ask questions using these words, such as what time a concert starts, what time school starts, what time a party begins, etc. Practice learning how to say the hours of the day in Spanish so you can respond to someone when they ask you what time it is. When answering this question, you will...

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask how to say the Spanish words for the numbers zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten. Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask how to say the Spanish words for thank you: "Muchas gracias." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to say and pronounce the Spanish words for please: "Por favor." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to say and pronounce the Spanish word for goodbye: "adios." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask how to tell someone that it's nice to meet him or her. Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to beg someone's pardon in Spanish: "Perdon." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask "where?" or "¿dónde?" Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask how much something costs in perfect Spanish. Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to complement someone's cooking in perfect Spanish: "El comida esta delisiosa." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

In this free video spanish lesson, you'll learn how to say and properly pronounce the Spanish words for "I don't understand": "No entiendo." Interested in learning Spanish but haven't got the time to take a weekly language class? No problemo! The Internet is awash in free, high-quality video lessons like this one. For more information, and to get started using this phrase yourself, watch this helpful video guide for Spanish students.

If you're going to know any one phrase in a foreign language, "Where's the bathroom?" might be among the most useful. In this free video language lesson, you'll learn how to ask where you can find a toilet: "¿Dónde está el baño?" For more information, including a full overview of the proper rhythm and pronunciation, and to get started using this handy phrase yourself, watch this Spanish tutorial.

Learning to differentiate between common nearly synonymous words in a foreign language is one of the biggest challenges inherent in learning another language. Here, Spanish instructor Professor Jason breaks down the difference between the Spanish words "muy" and "mucho". While these both seem like they mean "more" to many English speakers, one is actually an adverb and the other an adjective, so using them interchangeably can be a major mistake. Many examples and a quiz are included in the...

If you are confused in Spanish class, give this tutorial a try. In it, you will learn how to conjugate stem changing verbs in Spanish, using the verb "querer" as an example. Stem changes can be confusing for a first time Spanish learner, but this video can help.You will learn the "shoe method" in which you draw a shoe around your words to better remember how to conjugate them. This video is hosted by a professional teacher and is made for beginners. So, vamenos! Let's get to work.

This lively video explains how to discuss future plans in Spanish. Professor Jason explains that it's not that difficult for English people learning Spanish as the same construction is used for 'going to'. There is also a separate future tense, using one set of endings that you simply add to the infinitive, but adding a stress on the final syllable, except for the first person plural. Of course, it's not quite so simple with irregular verbs, which have a special stem which has to be learned ...

This video tells us how to pronounce days of a week in Spanish. Before that, we need to know two things: The days are not capitalized, and the week starts from Monday.

In this video, learn about los verbos relexivos. Some examples of daily use actions: Yo me cepillo los dientes. This means I brush my teeth. For most beginning students of Spanish, one of the hardest things to understand is verbs. That's because verbs in Spanish act differently than verbs in English. There are many Spanish verbs (like ser and estar) that convey distinctions in meanings that don't exist in English. You'll discover tenses (like the subjunctive) that you never knew existed....

How to conjugate in the subjunctive in Spanish for the present tense.

This video demonstrates how to pronounce and recite the Spanish language alphabet. From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to pronounce the Spanish alphabet, For Dummies.

This video demonstrates how to introduce yourself in Spanish. From the people who brought you the Dummies instructional book series, brings you the same non-intimidating guides in video form. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to introduce yourself in Spanish, For Dummies.

Learn a little bit of Spanish with Speakado. In this quick phrase lesson, you'll learn how to say "Miss Martinez" in Spanish. If you only speak English, maybe it's about time you learned Spanish, one of the most widely used languages in the world.

Check out this Spanish language lesson that shows you how to use the phrase "¿Cómo eres?" in Spanish. This language lesson covers the yo and tú forms of the verb SER (to be). As well as telling you how to say Yo soy (I am) and Tú eres (you are), this instructional Spanish language video also teaches some adjectives to describe your personality. Hope it helps!