4. Negative sentences in Spanish are easy and simple

In Spanish, to turn an affirmative sentence into a negative one, you simply need to add the word no to it. You can add this particle before the verb or, if it is a question, add it at the beginning of the question.

Some examples:

• Juan estudia español -> Juan no estudia español -> (Juan studies Spanish/Juan doesn’t study Spanish)
• ¿Sabes cómo llegar al metro? -> No sé cómo llegar al metro (Do you know how to get to the subway? / No, I don't know how to get to the subway)
• Mi tía sabe hablar tres idiomas -> Mi tía no sabe hablar tres idiomas (My aunt can speak three languages / My aunt can't speak three languages)
• ¿Quieres pescado para cenar? -> No quiero pescado para cenar (Do you want fish for dinner? / I don't want fish for dinner)

5. Verbs are conjugated according to person, tense and mood

A peculiarity of Spanish and one of the most complex aspects is the conjugation of verbs. Because in Spanish verbs change form according to the person performing the action, the time in which it occurs (present, past, future) and the mood (indicative, subjunctive, imperative).

 Examples of various verb tenses in Spanish:

• “Presente” indicative: Yo hablo. Tú hablas. Él/Ella habla. Nosotros/as hablamos. Vosotros/as habláis. Ellos/as hablan.
• “Pretérito pluscuamperfecto” indicative: Yo había cantado. Tú habías cantado. Él/Ella había cantado. Nosotros habíamos cantado. Vosotros habíais cantado. Ellos habían cantado.
• “Presente” subjunctive: Yo coma. Tú comas. Él/Ella coma. Nosotros comamos. Vosotros comáis. Ellos coman.
• “Futuro simple” subjunctive: Yo saliere. Tú salieres. Él/Ella saliere. Nosotros saliéremos. Vosotros saliereis. Ellos salieren.

6. Personal pronouns are optional

Personal pronouns (yo, tú, él/ella, nosotros/as, vosotros/as and ellos/as) are often optional in Spanish. This is because the conjugation of the verb already indicates the person.

For example:

• Yo estudio español -> Estudio español (I study Spanish)
• Nosotros comemos paella los domingos -> Comemos paella los domingos (We eat paella on Sundays)
• Ellos salen de fiesta el viernes -> Salen de fiesta el viernes (They go out to party on Friday)

In the examples above, both forms are correct, with or without personal pronouns and the meaning is the same, it does not vary. Depending on the context and the conversation, personal pronouns can be omitted.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_4f8d867b-dc1c-4a26-8766-e1f404508880

Are you just starting to learn Spanish and don't know which are the basic Spanish grammar rules you need to master? At donQuijote Spanish school we can help you with that.

Spanish is a rich and structured language and has clear grammar rules that can help you build correct and understandable sentences. That's why, below, we explain 10 essential Spanish grammar rules that every beginner should know before signing up for an intensive Spanish course.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

1. Spanish nouns have gender and number

In Spanish, nouns are classified into several categories, but if there is something to keep in mind about them, it is their gender and number. Each noun has its gender, masculine or feminine, and its number, that is, they can be singular or plural.

For example:

• El árbol / Los árboles (The tree / The trees)
• La casa / Las casas (The house / The houses)
• El perro / Los perros (The dog / The dogs)
• La silla / Las sillas (The chair / The chairs)

However, there are some nouns that are genderless, that is, they are used for both masculine and feminine. For example: el/la artista (the artist), el/la estudiante (the student), la/el paciente (the patient), la/el testigo (the witness) or la/el modelo (the model).

Also, you must keep in mind that, if the noun is accompanied by an adjective or article, these must agree with the gender and number of the noun they accompany. For example:

• El perro marrón / Los perros marrones (The brown dog / The brown dogs)
• La casa bonita / Las casas bonitas (The beautiful house / The beautiful houses)
• El libro antiguo / Los libros antiguos (The old book / The old books)
• La silla azul / Las sillas azules (The blue chair / The blue chairs)

2. Basic sentence structure in Spanish

The basic sentence structure in Spanish is subject + verb + object/complement. With this simple structure you can build clear and understandable sentences. For example:

• “María come una manzana” (Maria eats an apple). The subject is “Maria”, the verb is “come” (eat) and the object is “una manzana”.
• “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista” (They have an appointment at the dentist). The subject is “ellos”; the verb is “tienen” and the complement is “cita en el dentista”.

Although, sometimes, the subject can be omitted and need not be included in the sentence. In the example above, “Ellos tienen cita en el dentista”, the subject can be omitted, and the sentence would have the same sense and meaning: “Tienen cita en el dentista”.

If you want to learn more about it, you can visit our post Spanish sentence structure.

3. Questions in Spanish always have the same structure

As with sentences, questions in Spanish also have a clear order. Most questions usually start with interrogative words such as: qué (what), quién (who), cómo (how) or dónde (where). Also, note that interrogative particles always have accent.

However, in Spanish you can ask questions without the interrogative particle, simply add the question marks “¿?” and pronounce the phrase with the intonation of a question.

For example:

• ¿Quién es el vecino que toca la guitarra? (Who is the neighbor who plays the guitar?)
• ¿Me puedes decir qué hora es? (Can you tell me what time it is?)
• ¿Cómo puedo llegar al metro desde el teatro? (How can I get to the subway from the theater?)
• ¿Hablas español? (Do you speak Spanish?)
• ¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo? (Can I borrow your pen?)

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_62d06b63-bc39-45b2-8548-55d3deb240f2

• Read more about Grammatical rules in Spanish. Spanish grammar rules

Spanish grammar rules

Spanish grammar rules are essential to master the language. Therefore, here you can understand the most basic Spanish grammar for beginners.

Grammar Spanish grammar rules are essential to master the language. Therefore, here you can understand the most basic Spanish grammar for beginners. grammatical rules in spanish, spanish grammar rules, spanish rules for grammar, basic spanish grammar, spanish grammar for beginners, simple spanish grammar, spanish beginner grammar Off Marta Díaz

• Read more about enforex_pages_des_teachers_block_74746ddb-9349-4bfd-9fb3-9eca85c33e6a

4. Finales (endings): indicate the purpose or aim of what is expressed in the main sentence. The main ones are: para que, a fin de que, con el objetivo de que.

Examples:

• Trabajo para que tú puedas estudiar (I work so that you can study)
• Lo explicó con el objetivo de que todos lo entendieran (He explained it so that everyone would understand)

5. Temporales (temporal): they point out a temporal relationship between sentences. Main: cuando, mientras, antes de que, después de que.

Examples:

• Llegaré cuando termine de trabajar (I will arrive when I finish work)
• Antes de que se vaya, hablaremos con ella (Before she leaves, we will talk to her)

6. Concesivas (concessives): express an objection or difficulty that does not prevent the realization of what is said in the main sentence. Principals: aunque, a pesar de que, por más que.

Examples:

• Aunque estaba cansado, siguió trabajando (Although he was tired, he continued working)
• Por más que insistas, no cambiaré de opinión (No matter how much you insist, I will not change my mind)

7. Comparativas (comparatives): establish a comparison between two ideas. They are: como, igual que, más que, menos que.

Examples:

• Es tan fuerte como un roble (She is as strong as an oak tree)
• Ella corre más rápido que su hermano (She runs faster than her brother)

These are some of the most common conjunctions in Spanish used in everyday life. Do you still have doubts? It's very simple! Sign up for an intensive Spanish course and our teachers will explain and solve all your doubts about Spanish conjunctions or grammar.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_220a5690-84ca-49ed-8676-1d8c98832a51

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions (conjunciones subordinadas) join two parts of a sentence, establishing a dependency relationship. We differentiate the following types:

1. Casuales (causal): they indicate the cause or reason for what is expressed in the main sentence. They are: porque, pues, pues que, puesto que.

Examples:

• No salí porque estaba lloviendo (I did not go out because it was raining)
• Debes descansar, ya que mañana será un día largo (You should rest, because tomorrow will be a long day)
• Pon la mesa porque ya vienen tus tíos (Set the table because your aunt and uncle are coming)
• No pude asistir a la cena puesto que tenía otro compromiso (I could not attend the dinner since I had another commitment)

2. Consecutivas (consecutives): they express the consequence of what was mentioned in the main sentence. The main ones: por lo tanto, por consiguiente, así que.

Examples:

• Estudió mucho, por lo tanto, aprobó el examen (She studied hard; therefore, she passed the exam)
• Hace frío, así que ponte un abrigo (It is cold, so put on a coat)
• El proyecto fue un éxito, por consiguiente, recibimos muchas felicitaciones (The project was a success; consequently, we received many congratulations)

3. Condicionales (conditionals): they introduce a condition necessary for what is said in the main sentence to be fulfilled. They are: si, a menos que, con tal que, siempre que.

Examples:

• Iremos al parque si deja de llover (We will go to the park if it stops raining)
• No te ayudaré a menos que me hagas caso (I won't help you unless you listen to me)
• Te prestaré mi coche con tal que lo devuelvas como estaba (I will lend you my car as long as you return it as it was)

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_0b4b53d9-40f2-46fe-88ae-99425fa8ff8b