Are you looking forward to your summer vacation? If you're catching a plane to enjoy a few days of rest this year, you'll need to know all the airport vocabulary in Spanish to understand the staff. Come practice your Spanish and visit one of don Quijote's Spanish schools in Spain to experience a summer full of culture, art, and learning.

Take advantage of your time off to practice with locals, take an intensive Spanish course, and enjoy Spanish cuisine wherever you go. Don't think twice and start turning your vacation around.

You can also read this article about airport vocabulary in Spanish, French, Italian or German.

Airport vocabulary in Spanish

Find all the basic Spanish airport vocabulary you need to start your vacation and not miss a thing.

• Aeropuerto (Airport)
• Vuelo (Flight)
• Número de vuelo (Flight number)
• Aerolínea (Airline)
• Mostrador de la aerolínea (Airline counter)
• Equipaje (Luggage)
• Llegadas (Arrivals)
• Salidas (Departures)
• Puerta de embarque (Boarding gate)
• Escala (Stopover)
• Facturación (Check-in)
• Cinta de equipaje (Baggage carousel)
• Tarjeta de embarque (Boarding pass)
• Control de seguridad (Security check)
• Zona de embarque (Boarding area)
• Aduanas (Customs)
• Control de pasaporte (Passport control)

In addition, you should bear in mind that you will also need to know airport vocabulary in Spanish related to the areas of the airport, incidents that may occur or to ask for assistance if you need help:

• Tiempo de abordaje (Boarding time)
• Hora de llegada (Arrival time)
• Hora de salida (Departure time)
• Turbulencias (Turbulence)
• Sala de espera (Waiting room)
• Despegar (Takeoff)
• Aterrizar (Landing)
• Retraso en el vuelo (Flight delay)
• Cancelación del vuelo (Flight cancellation)
• Pérdida de equipaje (Lost luggage)
• Asistencia al pasajero (Passenger assistance)
• Transporte al aeropuerto (Transportation to the airport)
• Alquiler de coches (Car rental)
• Zona de fumadores (Smoking area)
• Salida de emergencia (Emergency exit)

Airport words in Spanish

Once you have internalized all this Spanish airport vocabulary, it is important that you also know the words related to airplanes in Spanish that you need to know. Here is a list of basic words you will need to know:

• Cabina (Cabin)
• Tripulación (Crew)
• Piloto (Pilot)
• Copiloto (Co-pilot)
• Azafata/o (Steward/stewardess)
• Asistente de vuelo (Flight attendant)
• Pasajero (Passenger)
• Cabina del piloto (Cockpit)
• Primera clase (First class)
• Clase económica (Economy class)
• Pasillo (Aisle)
• Fila (Row)
• Asiento de pasillo (Aisle seat)
• Asiento de ventanilla (Window seat)
• Compartimento de cabina (Cabin compartment)
• Cinturón de seguridad (Seat belt)
• Salida de emergencia (Emergency exit)
• Chaleco salvavidas (Life jacket)
• Máscara de oxígeno (Oxygen mask)

Spanish airport sentences

In addition to learning vocabulary, you also need to know some key phrases about airports in Spanish that will be useful during your trip:

1. ¿Dónde está el mostrador de facturación? (Where is the check-in counter?)
2. ¿Puedo facturar mi maleta para mi vuelo? (Can I check my suitcase for my flight?)
3. Tengo una reserva para el vuelo a Madrid (I have a reservation for the flight to Madrid)
4. ¿Cuál es la puerta de embarque para este vuelo? (What is the boarding gate for this flight?)
5. ¿Cuánto equipaje de mano puedo llevar? (How much carry-on luggage can I bring?)
6. ¿Dónde está el control de seguridad? (Where is the security checkpoint?)
7. ¿A qué hora comienza el embarque? (What time does boarding begin?)
8. ¿Dónde puedo encontrar un baño? (Where can I find a bathroom?)
9. He perdido mi tarjeta de embarque, ¿puede ayudarme? (I've lost my boarding pass; can you please help me?)
10. ¿Este asiento es el 18A? (Is this seat 18A?)
11. ¿Podría cambiarme de asiento, por favor? (Could I change seats, please?)
12. ¿Me puede dar agua, por favor? (Can you give me some water, please?)
13. ¿Cuánto dura el vuelo? (How long is the flight?)
14. Perdón, ¿me puede ayudar a encontrar mi asiento? (Excuse me, can you help me find my seat?)
15. ¿Es esta la fila correcta para embarcar? (Is this the right line to board?)
16. Lo siento, no le entiendo. ¿Puede repetir más despacio? (I'm sorry, I don't understand you. Can you repeat it more slowly?)
17. Estoy un poco perdido. ¿Dónde está la salida? (I’m a bit lost. Where is the exit?)
18. Gracias por su ayuda. ¡Buen día! (Thank you for your help. Have a good day!)
19. Hubo turbulencias al principio, pero luego fue un vuelo muy tranquilo (There was some turbulence at the beginning, but then it was a very smooth flight)
20. Tenga en mano su pasaporte para embarcar en el vuelo (Please have your passport ready to board the flight)

Are you ready for your vacation? All this airport vocabulary in Spanish will help you start your vacation safely and calmly, allowing you to speak and ask questions with confidence to anyone at the airport.

We hope that all the Spanish for travel phrases we have provided will be of help to you on your next trip. For our part, we can only wish you a peaceful and relaxing vacation and bon voyage!

Still having trouble understanding the rules of Spanish accentuation? In this don Quijote article you’ll learn everything you need to know to know when to accent words in Spanish. If you want to master this language, the accent of the words is essential to know how to pronounce them and how to differentiate them.

You can change the language and read this same article in Spanish, French or Italian to continue your way to learning Spanish in Spain with don Quijote. Don't miss anything!

What is accentuation in Spanish?

Accentuation is a basic part of Spanish as a language, as knowing how and when words are accented is essential to speaking and writing correctly. That said, Spanish words are accented according to the stressed syllable, that is, the syllable on which the stress falls when pronouncing a word.

Therefore, Spanish accents will help you to know how to pronounce a word simply by seeing it written. In Spanish, the accent mark is only written on the five vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú. Thus, the letters that are accented in Spanish are only these five, the rest of the letters or, rather, consonants, do not have an accent mark.

When to stress stressed syllables in Spanish?

Spanish words are stressed depending on where the stressed syllable is, but not all words are stressed. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to identify the stressed syllable to correctly stress words. In addition, depending on the position of the stressed syllable, Spanish words can be divided into four groups.

The rules of accentuation of Spanish words are as follows:

• Palabras agudas (oxytone words). They are accented when they end in a vowel, n or s, and the stressed syllable is the last one. For example: camion (truck), café (coffee), sofa (sofa), jamás (never), compás (compass).
• Palabras graves or llanas (paroxytone words). These words have stress when they end in a consonant other than s or no and do not end in a vowel. The stressed syllable is the penultimate syllable: lápiz (pencil), césped (lawn), fácil (easy), débil (weak), túnel (tunnel), ángel (angel).
• Palabras esdrújulas (proparoxytone words). These words always have a tilde and their stressed syllable is in the antepenultimate place. Examples: pájaro (bird), música (music), teléfono (telephone), lógico (logical), rápido (fast), histórico (historical).
• Palabras sobresdrújulas (proparoxytone words). Like the previous ones, they also always have a stress mark, but their stressed syllable is before the antepenultimate, i.e., fourth or fifth. For example: devuélveselo (give it back to him), repíteselo (repeat it), explícaselo (explain it to him), entrégamelo (give it to me).

Stressing monosyllabic words in Spanish

As a rule, monosyllabic words in Spanish are not accented, but there are exceptions. The rule that applies to these words is that they are accented when it is necessary to distinguish between words that are spelled the same, but have different meanings, i.e. homophones in Spanish.

For example, in the sentence “Tú tienes que traer tu propia camiseta el domingo” (You have to bring your own shirt on Sunday), there are two words that are the same but are differentiated by the accent: tú and tu. The first is a personal pronoun and the second a possessive. The same happens with other monosyllables such as: él and el, se and sé, mas and más, si and sí, te and té.

This type of accentuation is called diacritical tilde and, as we mentioned before, it is used to differentiate two words that are spelled the same but do not mean the same thing.

Accenting questions in Spanish

Questions in Spanish are always accented. Interrogative pronouns are accented to differentiate them from adverbial conjunctions. Thus, in addition to the question marks at the beginning and end of the sentence, you can tell that it is a question with the tilde that the pronouns carry.

For example:

1. ¿Qué tienes de comer hoy? (What do you have to eat today?)
2. Dime quién te lo contó (Tell me who told you)
3. ¿Cómo prefieres el café: solo o con leche? (How do you prefer your coffee: black or with milk?)
4. ¿Cuánto cuesta este libro? (How much does this book cost?)
5. No recuerdo cuándo fue eso (I don't remember when that was)
6. ¿Dónde vives ahora? (Where do you live now?)
7. ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? (When is your birthday?)
8. Explícame por qué no viniste (Explain to me why you didn't come)

Common Spanish words with accents

Here are some of the most common Spanish words that have a tilde and can be heard daily. Do you know all of them?

• Café (Coffee)
• Inglés (English)
• Papá (Dad)
• Compás (Compass)
• Mamá (Mom)
• Además (In addition)
• También (Also/too)
• Jamás (Never)
• Útil (Useful)
• Limón (Lemon)
• Quizás (Maybe)
• León (Lion)
• Corazón (Heart)
• Francés (French)
• Árbol (Tree)
• Lápiz (Pencil)
• Fácil (Easy)
• Débil (Weak)
• Azúcar (Sugar)
• Móvil (Mobile)
• Césped (Lawn)
• Cárcel (Jail)
• Frágil (Fragile)
• Música (Music)
• Teléfono (Telephone)

• Pájaro (Bird)
• Fantástico (Fantastic)
• Lógico (Logical)
• Rápido (Fast)
• Científico (Scientific)
• Decisión (Decision)
• Esdrújula (Proparoxytone)
• Lágrima (Tear)
• Eléctrico (Electric)
• Álbum (Album)
• Dígamelo (Tell me)
• Panadería (Bakery)
• Repíteselo (Say it again)
• Tráigaselo (Bring it back to me)
• Devuélvemelo (Give it back to me)
• Préstaselo (Lend it to him)
• Cuéntamelo (Tell me about it)
• País (country)
• Río (River)
• Frío (Cold)
• Raíz (Root)
• Día (Day)
• Vacío (Void)
• Reír (To laugh)
• Aéreo (Aerial)

Of course there are many more Spanish words that are accented, but you will have to discover them for yourself. You can improve your command of the Spanish accentuation rules by reading, watching Spanish series and movies in their original version or by joining one of our intensive Spanish courses. Constant practice will help you understand and use Spanish accent words.

If you have already mastered the Spanish verb tenses, it is time for you to start getting into irregular verbs. These verbs are widely used in everyday Spanish, and it is essential that you know them and how to conjugate them to become a Spanish speaker. At don Quijote you will learn everything you need to know about irregular verbs in Spanish with practical examples.

Continue practicing to learn Spanish in Spain or switch languages and read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What are irregular verbs in Spanish?

Irregular verbs in Spanish are those that do not follow the usual patterns of conjugation in one or more of their tenses and moods. Therefore, they must be learned separately since, when conjugating these verbs, their root changes its form.

How many irregular verbs are there in Spanish?

There are currently more than 100 irregular verbs in Spanish. Although among the most common ones, the list is reduced to about 50 and they constitute an essential part of the daily vocabulary. In fact, many of the most used verbs in Spanish (ser, estar, ir, tener, hacer) are irregular.

Spanish irregular verbs appear very frequently in everyday communication, so it is essential to know their conjugation. Their irregularity is a structural characteristic of the language and does not respond to a choice of the speaker, i.e. they must be memorized, since they do not follow a fixed rule.

Types of irregularities in verbs

Irregular verbs in Spanish can present different types of changes. These are the most common ones:

1.Change in the root by diphthongation or vowel change. They change the vowel in the root in some forms, generally in the present indicative and subjunctive:

• e → ie: pensar → pienso
• o → ue: poder → puedo
• e → i: pedir → pido

2. Change in the first-person singular. These verbs are irregular only in the first-person present indicative:

• poner → pongo
• salir → salgo

3. Irregular roots in the preterite indefinite:

• tener → tuve
• decir → dije

4. Completely irregular verbs. All these conjugated verbs are completely different from their root. For example:

• ser → soy → soy, fui, sea
• ir → voy, fui, vaya
• haber → he, hubo, haya

Most common irregular verbs in Spanish

Some of the most used verbs in Spanish are irregular. Here is a list of the most used irregular verbs in Spanish in two forms: present and preterite indicative.

1. Ser (to be): yo soy, tú eres, él/ella es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos son. Yo fui, tú fuiste, él/ella fue, nosotros fuimos, vosotros fuisteis, ellos fueron.
2. Estar (to be): yo estoy, tú estás, él/ella está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos están. Yo estuve, tú estuviste, él/ella estuvo, nosotros estuvimos, vosotros estuvisteis, ellos estuvieron.
3. Ir (to go): yo voy, tú vas, él/ella va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos van. Yo fui, tú fuiste, él/ella fue, nosotros fuimos, vosotros fuisteis, ellos fueron.
4. Tener (to have): yo tengo, tú tienes, él/ella tiene, nosotros tenemos, vosotros tenéis, ellos tienen. Yo tuve, tú tuviste, él/ella tuvo, nosotros tuvimos, vosotros tuvisteis, ellos tuvieron.
5. Hacer (to do): yo hago, tú haces, él/ella hace, nosotros hacemos, vosotros hacéis, ellos hacen. Yo hice, tú hiciste, él/ella hizo, nosotros hicimos, vosotros hicisteis, ellos hicieron.
6. Haber (to have): yo he, tú has, él/ella ha, nosotros hemos, vosotros habéis, ellos han. Yo hube, tú hubiste, él/ella hubo, nosotros hubimos, vosotros hubisteis, ellos hubieron.
7. Decir (to say): yo digo, tú dices, él dice, nosotros decimos, vosotros decís, ellos dicen. Yo dije, tú dijiste, él/ella dijo, nosotros dijimos, vosotros dijisteis, ellos dijeron.
8. Poder (to be able to or to can): yo puedo, tú puedes, él/ella puede, nosotros podemos, vosotros podéis, ellos pueden. Yo pude, tú pudiste, él/ella pudo, nosotros pudimos, vosotros pudisteis, ellos pudieron.
9. Dar (to give): yo doy, tú das, él/ella da, nosotros damos, vosotros dais, ellos dan. Yo di, tú diste, él/ella dio, nosotros dimos, vosotros disteis, ellos dieron.
10. Saber (to know): yo sé, tú sabes, él/ella sabe, nosotros sabemos, vosotros sabéis, ellos saben. Yo supe, tú supiste, él/ella supo, nosotros supimos, vosotros supisteis, ellos supieron.

List of irregular verbs in Spanish

Here is a list of the 50 most used irregular verbs in Spanish:

• Acertar – To get it right
• Adquirir – To acquire
• Agradecer – To thank
• Andar – To walk
• Caber – To fit
• Caer – To fall
• Comenzar – To start
• Conducir – To drive
• Conocer – To meet
• Conseguir – To achieve/ to get
• Construir – To build
• Convertir – To convert
• Corregir – To correct
• Dar – To give
• Decir – To say/to tell
• Destruir – To destroy
• Dormir – To sleep
• Elegir – To choose
• Estar – To be
• Hacer – To do
• Haber - To have
• Hervir – To boil
• Incluir – To include
• Influir – To influence
• Ir – To go
• Jugar – To play

• Medir – To measure
• Mentir – To lie
• Morir – To die
• Nacer – To be born
• Obedecer – To obey
• Oír – To hear
• Pedir – To request
• Poder – To be able to
• Poner – To put
• Preferir – To prefer
• Querer – To want
• Reír – To laugh
• Saber – To know
• Salir – To exit
• Seguir – To follow
• Sentir - To feel
• Ser – To be
• Sonreír - To smile
• Tener – To have
• Traducir – To translate
• Traer – To bring
• Ver – To see
• Venir – To come
• Volver – To return

Examples of sentences with Spanish irregular verbs

Once you have understood how irregular verbs work in Spanish, we propose you a challenge: figure out the infinitive. Can you guess which is the root verb of these sentences? We leave you the answers below.

1. Ella es muy amable y generosa (She is very kind and generous)
2. Nosotros vamos al cine cada sábado (We go to the movies every Saturday)
3. Estoy cansado después del viaje (I'm tired after the trip)
4. Tengo una reunión importante mañana (I have an important meeting tomorrow)
5. ¿Hiciste la tarea ayer? (Did you do your homework yesterday?)
6. Él siempre dice la verdad (He always tells the truth)
7. Mis amigos vienen de Francia (My friends are coming from France)
8. ¿Puedes ayudarme con este problema? (Can you help me with this problem?)
9. Puse el libro sobre la mesa (I put the book on the table)
10. Salgo a correr todas las mañanas (I go jogging every morning)
11. Duermo ocho horas cada noche (I sleep eight hours a night)
12. Pido una pizza grande, por favor (I order a large pizza, please)
13. Queremos viajar en verano (We want to travel in the summer)
14. No sé la respuesta correcta (I don't know the right answer)
15. Conduje durante cinco horas seguidas (I drove for five hours straight)

Here are the answers to the irregular verbs in Spanish in each sentence: ser, ir, estar, tener, hacer, decir, venir, poder, poner, salir, dormir, pedir, querer, saber, conducir.

Spanish irregular verbs are fundamental to achieve fluency in the language, even though they are a challenge for learners. Mastering the most common irregular verbs in Spanish will allow you to improve your comprehension and expression in the language. At don Quijote we recommend the best way to learn them: through constant practice in our intensive Spanish course, where you can learn the language, put it into practice and, in addition, get to know wonderful cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia. Start your adventure in the language and come study with don Quijote!

Have you ever wondered why there are words in Spanish that sound the same but have different meanings and are used in different contexts? This linguistic phenomenon is called homonymy, and there are different types: homophones and homographs. These three types of words are complicated, but once you understand them, it's piece of cake!

If you need help understanding how this linguistic phenomenon works because you are starting to learn Spanish in Spain and many words sound the same to you, but you don't know their meaning according to the context, this is the article for you! We will help you understand these three types of words with definitions and examples so that you can use them and sound like a true native speaker.

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

What are homonyms in Spanish?

Homonyms in Spanish are words that are pronounced the same but have different origins or meanings. For example: haya and aya; vaya and baya; or votar and botar. Other examples would be banco (bench/bank/fish) or llama (verb/animal/fire).

Within Spanish homonymy, several types of words can be distinguished depending on whether they are spelled the same, their pronunciation varies, or they have different meanings. However, you should not confuse them with Spanish polysemous words, which we explained in another article.

Types of homonyms in Spanish:

• Homophones in Spanish: words that sound the same as another word but have a different meaning and may be spelled differently. Ex. Tubo and tuvo.
• Homographs in Spanish: words that are spelled the same but have different meanings. Ex. Vino (wine) and vino (Spanish verb venir).
• Perfect homonyms: words that are spelled and sound the same. Ex. Sal (salt) and sal (Spanish verb salir).

Homophones and homographs are types of Spanish homonyms, meaning that they all share the same pronunciation or spelling but have different meanings. Keep in mind that all these words in Spanish are pronounced the same but may or may not be spelled differently and used in different contexts. Let's see what differentiates them so you don't confuse them.

Difference between Spanish homonyms, homophones, and homographs

The main characteristic of these types of words is that they always have different meanings, even though they aren’t pronounced or spelled the same. Depending on the context, you will be able to identify their meaning.

Differentiating between these types of words can be challenging, but we will try to explain it as best as possible with this table:

It should be noted that in modern Spanish, the pronunciation and spelling of most words are the same, meaning that there is no significant difference in their pronunciation. Therefore, pronunciation tends to match spelling, although there are some exceptions.

Although extremely rare, there may be cases where Spanish words of foreign origin, technical terms, or regionalisms sound different from how they are written. For example: práctico and practico. The word is homographic, it is written the same (although one has an accent and the other does not), but the stressed syllable changes and it is pronounced differently. This is a very specific case and one of the few where a homograph has different pronunciations due to its accent.

Examples of homonyms in Spanish

Remember that homonyms words in Spanish sound and/or are spelled the same but have different meanings:

Capital:

• La capital de España es Madrid (The capital of Spain is Madrid)
• Necesito capital para invertir en mi negocio (I need capital to invest in my business)

Cura:

• El cura dio misa el domingo (The priest said Mass on Sunday)
• Esa infección se cura con antibióticos (The infection will be cured with antibiotics)

Banco:

• El banco me otorgó un préstamo (The bank gave me a loan)
• Nos sentamos en el banco del parque (We sat on the bench in the park)
• Vimos un banco de peces en el estanque (We saw a shoal of fish in the pond)

Llama:

• La llama escupió al turista (The llama spat at the tourist)
• La llama del fuego se apagó con el viento (The flame of the fire was extinguished by the wind)
• Llama a tu hermana que va a llegar tarde (Call your sister, she's going to be late)

Frente:

• El frente de la casa tiene ventanas grandes (The front of the house has large windows)
• El frente de batalla estaba bien defendido (The front of the battle was well defended)
• El flequillo le tapa la frente (Her fringe covers her forehead)

Here are some other homonyms in Spanish that you may come across: gato (cat/vehicle tool); cola (tail/line of people) or clave (key/central idea).

Examples of homophones in Spanish

Homophones words in Spanish always sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings.

Rebelar/Revelar:

• El pueblo decidió rebelarse contra las injusticias (The people decided to rebel against injustice)
• Va a revelar su secreto mañana (He is going to reveal his secret tomorrow)

Grabar/Gravar:

• Voy a grabar una canción nueva el viernes (I'm going to record a new song on Friday)
• El Gobierno decidió gravar los productos importados (The government decided to tax imported products)

Basta/Vasta:

• Basta ya de hacer ruido, por favor (Please, stop making noise)
• Una vasta llanura se extiende hasta el horizonte (A vast plain stretch to the horizon)

Haya/Halla:

• Ojalá haya comida en la nevera cuando lleguemos (I hope there is food in the fridge when we get there)
• Si buscas bien, hallarás la respuesta (If you look carefully, you will find the answer)

Vaca/Baca:

• La vaca pasta en el campo (The cow grazes in the field)
• Subieron las maletas en la baca del coche (They put the suitcases in the roof rack of the car)

Other very common homophones in Spanish are: tuvo/tubo; cayó/calló; votar/botar; honda/onda; rayar/rallar; hola/ola, haber/ a ver, etc.

Examples of homographs in Spanish

Finally, homographs in Spanish are words that are spelled the same, have different meanings, and, in very rare cases, can sound different due to accent.

Practico:

• El médico me dijo que practico buenos hábitos (The doctor told me to practice good habits)
• El móvil es muy práctico para los viajes (Cell phones are very practical for traveling)

Toco:

• Toco la guitarra todas las noches (I play the guitar every night)
• Cerca del río crece un árbol llamado toco (Near the river grows a tree called toco)

Bajo:

• Bajó del bus en la última parada (He got off the bus at the last stop)
• El sótano está situado bajo el edificio (The basement is located under the building)

Nada:

• Nada lo detuvo en su camino (Nothing stopped him on his way)
• Mi primo nada en el río todas las tardes (My cousin swims in the river every afternoon)

Vino:

• Me gusta más el vino tinto que el vino blanco (I like red wine better than white wine)
• El técnico vino a mi casa a arreglar la fuga de agua (The technician came to my house to fix the water leak)

Here are some more common homographs in Spanish: tomo (Spanish verb tomar/volume of a book); como (Spanish verb comer/conjunction); lima (city/fruit/manicure tool); listo (ready/clever); canto (Spanish verb cantar/edge of something).

Although it may seem very confusing at first and you may find it difficult to understand this type of phenomenon, homonymous words in Spanish are very common, and you will end up using them without even realizing it. Your adventure in learning Spanish has just begun, so don't stop and keep practicing in places where the language is spoken, such as Spain.

Our intensive Spanish courses are ideal for giving your skills a boost, getting to know some of the 11 incredible cities where we have schools, and making friends from all over the world. Take the plunge and start mastering Spanish with don Quijote!

The Spanish infinitive is one of the most basic forms of verbs in Spanish and, therefore, you should learn to distinguish them during your intensive Spanish course. This verb form is necessary to know how to conjugate the rest of the verbs in Spanish.

In this article from don Quijote, we tell you all about infinitives in Spanish so you can learn how they are used, when they are used and examples of the most used verbs in the language.

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

What is a Spanish infinitive?

An infinitive in Spanish is the verbal form that designates an action or state in a general way, without indicating who performs it or when it occurs. It is a non-personal form of the verb, which means that it does not express time, person, number or mood. The infinitive in Spanish can be defined as the base form of the verb, as it appears in the dictionary next to its definition.

In Spanish, infinitives end in -ar, -er or -ir. The three infinitive endings in Spanish are divided into:

Verbs ending in -ar are first conjugation verbs and are the most numerous and regular. Examples of verbs in the Spanish infinitive form -ar: estudiar (to study), caminar (to walk), cantar (to sing), bailar (to dance), madrugar (to wake up early), jugar (to play), buscar (to look for), comprar (to buy), escuchar (to listen), hablar (to talk), llamar (to call), etc.

Verbs ending in -er are in the second conjugation and include many common verbs. Examples of verbs ending in -er: comer (to eat), beber (to drink), coser (to sew), correr (to run), deber (to have to), leer (to read), romper (to break), vender (to sell), comprender (to understand), etc.

Finally, verbs ending in -ir are those of the third conjugation and are the least frequent of the three types of infinitives, even so, they are also very important. Verbs ending in -ir: vivir (to live), escribir (to write), abrir (to open), cubrir (to cover), pedir (to ask), permitir (to allow), recibir (to receive), servir (to serve), decidir (to decide), etc.

When and how is the Spanish infinitive used?

The infinitive in Spanish can appear in different situations. Here, you are going to learn some of them to understand how and when to use the infinitive in Spanish.

The Spanish infinitive can appear after Spanish propositions. For example:

• Antes de salir, cierra la puerta (Before going out, close the door)
• Estoy cansado de trabajar tanto (I'm tired of working so much)

It also appears after conjugated verbs, especially as a complement:

• Quiero estudiar más (I want to study harder)
• Debes descansar (You should rest)

It can also be the subject of a sentence in noun form. For example:

• Viajar es una experiencia enriquecedora (Traveling is an enriching experience)
• Estudiar requiere disciplina (Studying requires discipline)

Or it can be used in verbal periphrases, that is, in the combination of two verbs:                     

• Voy a llamarte más tarde (I'm going to call you later)
• Tenemos que salir ya (We must leave now)

And it can appear in impersonal instructions:

• No fumar (Not smoking)
• Empujar la puerta (Pushing the door)

The infinitive can also take enclitic pronouns, that is, pronouns that are linked to the verb. For example:

• Quiero acostarme temprano (I want to go to bed early)
• Vas a verlo mañana (You're going to see it tomorrow)

In Spanish, unlike English, the particle “to” is not needed to indicate the infinitive. In English the infinitive would be to eat, to go or to look for. Whereas in Spanish you simply use the verb itself: comer, ir or buscar.

Find the Spanish infinitive

Below you will find example sentences with infinitives in Spanish and with other conjugated verbs. In this exercise you will have to identify the Spanish infinitive verb in each sentence and, if you dare, also the Spanish tenses conjugation. Go for it!

• Me encanta viajar por el mundo (I love traveling the world)
• Ayer comimos en un restaurante mexicano (Yesterday we ate at a Mexican restaurant)
• Mañana saldré temprano para evitar el tráfico (Tomorrow I'll leave early to avoid the traffic)
• Antes de salir, revisa que tengas todo (Before leaving, check that you have everything)
• Vamos a visitar a mis abuelos el domingo (We're going to visit my grandparents on Sunday)
• Ojalá llueva mañana (I hope it rains tomorrow)
• He trabajado mucho esta semana (I've worked hard this week)
• Es importante descansar bien por la noche (It's important to get a good night's sleep)
• Ella quiere aprender francés este año (She wants to learn French this year)
• ¿Viste la película que te recomendé? (Did you see the movie I recommended)

Were you able to guess them all? You will find the correct answers at the end of the article.

 If you still don't know how to use the infinitive or have any doubts, sign up for one of our courses to learn Spanish in Spain with qualified teachers. Start your Spanish adventure now and live a unique experience at don Quijote schools in Spain or Latin America.

Would you like to learn how to express hypotheses, wishes or suggestions in Spanish? The Spanish conditional is the perfect tense for this and as a Spanish student you must learn how to use it to communicate effectively.

Understanding its formation and use and communicating more naturally and precisely with native speakers is possible by using the Spanish conditional. This article by don Quijote helps you understand the Spanish conditional tense. Keep reading and don’t miss anything!

You can read this same text in Spanish, French or Italian.

Spanish conditional tense

The Spanish conditional is a verb tense used to talk about hypothetical or future situations from the past. It is also used to express courtesy, wishes and advice.

For example:

• In a hypothetical situation: “Si tuviera más tiempo, estudiaría otro idioma” (If I had more time, I would study another language)
• To express courtesy: “Me gustaría un café, por favor” (I would like a coffee, please)

Think of the Spanish conditional tense as a way of talking about things that could happen but are not guaranteed. This can help you understand this Spanish tense conjugation.

How to form the Spanish conditional?

The conditional in Spanish is formed by adding the endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive of the verb, according to the person and number. These examples with the three Spanish verb endings will help you see how it works:

However, in Spanish there are also irregular verbs that do not follow the same rules as regular verbs. Some irregular verbs with the Spanish conditional are:

• Tener (to have) – Tendría (I would have)
• Hacer (to do) – Haría (I would do)
• Poder (to be able to) – Podría (I would be able to)
• Decir (to say) – Diría (I would say)
• Querer (to want) – Querría (I would want)

The irregular verbs in the Spanish conditional tense are the same as in the simple future. Therefore, if you learn how one works, you will also have mastered the other.

Uses of the simple conditional in Spanish

The conditional has several uses in Spanish. The simple conditional in Spanish does not use auxiliary verbs as in English. If it helps, you can think of the Spanish conditional as the English “would” (I would like) because it would be the equivalent of the Spanish conditional tense.

Below, we explain the most important uses of the simple conditional in Spanish:

a) Hypothetical situations

The Spanish conditional is used to talk about things that could happen if certain conditions are met. For example:

• Si estudiaras más, sacarías mejores notas (If you studied harder, you would get better grades)
• Si fuera rico, viajaría por el mundo (If I were rich, I would travel the world)

b) Courtesy and formal requests

It is also common to use the simple conditional in Spanish to address others politely:

• ¿Podría ayudarme, por favor? (Could you help me, please?)
• Me gustaría reservar una mesa para do (I would like to reserve a table for two)

c) Future in the past

When speaking in the past and mentioning a future action from that moment, the Spanish conditional tense is also used. Examples:

• Dijo que llegaría tarde (He said he would be late)
• Pensábamos que haría frío, pero hacía mucho calor (We thought it would be cold, but it was very hot)

d) Probability in the past

Another use is to express assumptions about past events.

• Serían las diez cuando llegó (It would be ten o'clock when he arrived) (it was probably ten o'clock)
• Juan tendría unos 30 años cuando se casó (Juan would have been about 30 when he got married) (supposition)

e) Advice and suggestions

The Spanish conditional is useful for making recommendations in a polite way.

• Yo que tú, estudiaría más (If I were you, I would study more)
• Deberías descansar un poco (You should get some rest)

Conditional Compound in Spanish

The compound conditional in Spanish is used to talk about situations that would have happened in the past but did not. Thus, the compound conditional in Spanish is formed with the verb haber in the conditional + the participle of the main verb.

Another tip for the compound conditional: this tense in Spanish would be an English equivalent to “would have” + past participle (I would have studied).

Examples of the compound conditional in Spanish:

• Habría estudiado más si hubiera tenido tiempo (I would have studied more if I had had the time)
• Nos habríamos ido antes, pero llovía mucho (We would have left earlier, but it was raining a lot)

Common mistakes in the use of the Spanish conditional

Many students find it difficult to differentiate between the conditional and the subjunctive in Spanish. Remember that the conditional in Spanish expresses the consequence of a hypothesis, while the Spanish subjunctive is used when an action is unreal or improbable.

Furthermore, many people who learn Spanish as a second language make these mistakes when using the conditional:

• It is incorrect to say: “Si tendría tiempo, viajaría” → The correct thing to say would be: “Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría”
• You can't say: “Dijo que vendrá más tarde” → You must say: “Dijo que vendría más tarde”
• If you want to sound more formal in a conversation, don't say: “¿Me puedes ayudar?” → Instead you can say: “¿Podría ayudarme?”

Examples with the conditional in Spanish

A good way to master the conditional in Spanish is to write sentences that start with 'Si...' and use this tense to see how it works in different contexts. But, to help you learn it better, here are some example sentences with the conditional:

1. Me gustaría un café, por favor (I would like a coffee, please)
2. ¿Querría algo más aparte del café? (Would you like anything else apart from coffee?)
3. Si ganara la lotería, compraría una casa en la playa (If I won the lottery, I would buy a house by the beach)
4. Yo en tu lugar, estudiaría más para el examen (If I were you, I would study more for the exam)
5. Si hiciera buen tiempo, iríamos a la playa (If the weather was good, we would go to the beach)
6. Dijo que llegaría a las ocho, pero aún no ha llegado (He said he would be here at eight, but he hasn't arrived yet)
7. Ayer Luis no contestó el teléfono, estaría ocupado (Luis didn't answer the phone yesterday, he must be busy)
8. Yo que tú, hablaría con el profesor para aclarar la duda (If I were you, I would talk to the teacher to clear up the doubt)

We hope we have helped you with the use of the Spanish conditional tense. However, if you still have doubts, don't hesitate to sign up for an intensive Spanish course, our teachers will teach you the tricks you need to master the Spanish conditional tense.

Although the key is to practice and correct common mistakes, don't think twice and come to study Spanish in Spain with don Quijote!

If you have ever wondered how many pronouns there are in Spanish, when to use each one and how, this article is for you. In Spanish there are several types of pronouns that you need to know to fully master the language.

Venture out to learn Spanish in Spain with don Quijote and we will help you improve your command of the language, as well as your use of Spanish personal pronouns in a short time, while you discover the country's unique culture. Don't miss anything!

You can also change the language of this article to Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

What is a pronoun in Spanish?

A Spanish pronoun is a word that replaces a noun in a sentence to avoid repeating it and make the speech flow more smoothly. Pronouns in Spanish can perform different functions within a sentence, such as subject, direct or indirect object, among others.

Pronouns in Spanish are divided into different categories, including:

• Personal pronouns
• Spanish possessive pronouns
• Demonstrative pronouns in Spanish
• Spanish relative pronouns
• Indefinite pronouns

Below, you will find a clear explanation of Spanish personal pronouns, their uses and examples to facilitate your learning and understanding of pronouns.

What are Spanish personal pronouns?

Spanish personal pronouns are those that refer to the people involved in the communication. They can replace the subject or the object in a sentence and vary according to grammatical person, number and, in some cases, gender.

Personal pronouns in Spanish are divided into:

1. Subject personal pronouns in Spanish

These type of pronouns in Spanish indicate who performs the action of the verb and are as follows:

The Spanish personal subject pronouns are often omitted because the conjugation of the verb clearly indicates who is performing the action. However, they are used in the following cases:

• To give emphasis or contrast. For example: “Yo prefiero café, pero él quiere té” (I prefer coffee, but he wants tea)
• To clarify the reference when there is ambiguity. For example: “Ella llegó tarde, pero él llegó temprano” (She arrived late, but he arrived early)
• When answering a specific question. Example: “¿Quién rompió la copa de vino? Yo” (Who broke the wine glass? I did)

2. Personal pronouns of complement

Personal pronouns of complement replace the direct or indirect object in a sentence. They are divided into direct and indirect object pronouns.

Direct object pronouns replace the direct object of the sentence, that is, the person or thing that directly receives the action of the verb. They are me, te, lo and la for the singular; while for the plural they are nos, os, los and las.

Indirect object pronouns refer to the person or thing that indirectly receives the action of the verb. These are: for the first-person singular me and the plural nos; for the second person singular is te and the plural os; and for the third person singular is le and the plural, les.

3. Reflexive pronouns in Spanish

Reflexive pronouns in Spanish are used when the action of the verb falls on the same subject that performs it. In this case, they would be me, te, nos, os and se.

It should be noted that in some Spanish-speaking countries, especially in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the pronoun vos is used instead of tú for the second person singular. The verb conjugation with vos is different from that of tú. For example:

• Tú hablas → Vos hablás (You speak)
• Tú comes → Vos comés (You eat)

Examples of personal pronouns in Spanish

Below you will find some sentences where you can see how and when to use personal pronouns in Spanish:

• Yo siempre desayuno antes de salir de casa (I always have breakfast before leaving home)
• Tú estudias español todos los días (You study Spanish every day)
• Vos tenés que ir al gimnasio mañana (You must go to the gym tomorrow)
• Él juega al fútbol los fines de semana (He plays football at the weekends)
• Ella canta en el coro de la escuela (She sings in the school choir)
• Nosotros viajaremos a España el próximo verano (We will travel to Spain next summer)
• Vosotros sois muy buenos amigos. Ustedes son buenos amigos (You are very good friends)
• Ustedes deben entregar la tarea mañana (You must hand in your homework tomorrow)
• Ellos viven en una ciudad muy grande (They live in a very big city)
• Me gusta mucho la música clásica (I really like classical music)
• Se levantó temprano para ir al trabajo (He got up early to go to work)

Personal pronouns in Spanish are fundamental for communication, as they allow sentences to be more natural and fluent. That's why it's important to know their function and practice using them correctly in different contexts.

But if you still have questions about how to use personal pronouns, don't hesitate to sign up for one of our intensive Spanish courses. Our teachers will help you internalize them and master them in no time. Come discover Spain with don Quijote!

Spanish nouns are one of the fundamental bases of Spanish, so if you are willing to master it as a second language, it is crucial that you understand how they work. If there are words that are constantly used in a language, no doubt it is nouns, so it is vital that you understand how and when they are used.

In this article, the donQuijote school gives you the keys to exploring Spanish nouns in depth, the types that exist and the classification they have, as well as exercises for you to practice everything you have learned.

Venture with us into Spanish nouns and learn Spanish in Spain with donQuijote! You can also read this same text in Spanish, French or Italian here.

What is a Spanish noun?

Nouns in Spanish are words that refer to a person, animal, object, idea or feeling. These words are the core of the sentence and, as we have mentioned, they refer to many concepts.

Thus, a noun in Spanish can be anything:

• Person: María, doctor, niño
• Animal: gato, elefante, loro
• Things or objects: mesa, teléfono, coche
• Ideas or feelings: amor, libertad, tristeza

The gender and number of Spanish nouns

Generally, in Spanish nouns can be masculine or feminine, rarely they have no gender. For example, the word hambre is feminine, but in some contexts, it is used with the masculine gender “el hambre”.

Masculine nouns usually end in -o, although there are some exceptions. For example, some masculine nouns are gato (cat), libro (book), día (day) or mapa (map). Feminine nouns end in -a, but there are also exceptions. Some of them are casa (house), mesa (table), mano (hand), foto (photo).

Furthermore, some Spanish nouns can change their meaning according to their gender. Although this is not an absolute rule, it does happen with words such as:

• El cura (priest) and la cura (remedy)
• El capital (money) and la capital (main city)
• El cometa (star) and la cometa (toy)
• El orden (organization) and la orden (order)

On the other hand, the number of Spanish nouns can be singular or plural and must always coincide with the gender. If you need a little advice on how to form plural nouns in Spanish, just add -s or -es to the end of the words. As a rule, the Spanish plural is formed like this, for example: la mesa à las mesas; el papelà los papeles; el vaso à los vasos.

Of course, as with everything, there are exceptions in the formation of the plural, for example, luz would become luces. In addition, there are words that do not vary in singular and plural, such as tijeras (scissors) or vacaciones (vacation).

Types of Spanish nouns

There are several types of nouns in Spanish depending on what they designate.

Common and proper

Common nouns designate objects, beings or people in general. E.g. Gato (cat) or ciudad (city). Whereas proper nouns name specific people and entities, for example: Juan, Laura or Madrid.

Concrete and abstract

Concrete nouns refer to tangible things such as bolígrafo (pen), bolso (bag) or coche (car). On the other hand, abstract nouns express ideas or feelings such as amor (love) or felicidad (happiness).

Countable and uncountable

As the name suggests, countable nouns can be counted: una manzana (one apple), tres libros (three books), cuatro cafés (four coffees). And uncountable nouns have no plural form and are measured in units, such as agua (water) or azúcar (sugar).

Individual and collective

Individual nouns name a single being (pez (fish), mochila (backpack), soldado (soldier)) and collective nouns represent a group (rebaño (flock), bosque (forest), ejército (army)).

Common mistakes in the use of nouns in Spanish

Although they may seem simple, there are some common mistakes that all Spanish students tend to make. Therefore, here are the most common ones so that you can avoid them and learn from them:

1. Confusion with gender: many students confuse the gender of nouns in Spanish. It is not correct to say 'la problema', but the correct form would be 'el problema'.
2. Incorrect use of the plural: forming the plural of some nouns can be complicated. For example, the word 'crisis' is invariable in the plural, therefore, the correct thing to say is 'las crisis' or 'la crisis', while 'los crisis' is incorrect.

Exercises with Spanish nouns

To reinforce these concepts, here are some exercises with Spanish nouns for you to practice all the above:

• Identify the gender and number of the following nouns: camioneta, papeles, sol, flores.
• Complete with the correct article: ___ agua, ___ profesor, ___ idea, ___ mapas.
• Convert these Spanish words to the plural: luz, mes, avión, ordenador, bolsa, móvil.
• Classify the following Spanish nouns as common or proper: María, vaca, Luis, Valencia, profesora, cuaderno.
• Indicate if the following nouns in Spanish are countable or uncountable: harina, silla, aire, plátano, bolígrafo, amistad.

Mastering Spanish nouns is key to effective communication in the language, but if you still have questions after reading our article, don't hesitate to sign up for one of our intensive Spanish courses where our teachers will explain everything related to nouns.

Constant practice will make these concepts come naturally in the use of the language, so don't hesitate any longer and start learning Spanish with us!

Answers to the above exercises:

• Camioneta: feminine, singular. Papeles: masculine, plural. Sol: masculine, singular. Flores: feminine, plural.
• El agua. El profesor. La idea. Los mapas.
• Meses. Aviones. Ordenadores. Bolsas. Móviles.
• Proper nouns: María, Luis and Valencia. Common nouns: vaca, profesora, cuaderno.
• Countable nouns: silla, plátano, bolígrafo. Uncountable nouns: harina, aire, amistad.

If you are studying Spanish, one of the most difficult topics to master may be verb conjugations. The Spanish language has many possible conjugations, three different modes, depending on the ending of the verb, the person or the tense.

One of these modes is the Spanish subjunctive, which is one of the verb tenses used in the language to conjugate verbs. The other two modes are the indicative and the imperative. The subjunctive may be one of the most complex. Have you ever wondered how or when to use the subjunctive in Spanish?

You're in the right place! In this donQuijote article, you will learn everything you need to master the Spanish subjunctive mode and speak like a native. Do you want to learn Spanish in Spain? In our schools, you will find everything you need to do so, and our teachers will help you use the Spanish subjunctive in a natural way.

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

What is the Spanish subjunctive?

The Spanish subjunctive mode is used to express desires, doubts, emotions, hypotheses, possibilities or unconfirmed situations. It is divided into several tenses: present subjunctive in Spanish, past subjunctive in Spanish, imperfect subjunctive, future subjunctive in Spanish: simple and perfect.

In addition, the subjunctive includes some of the verb tenses that are not often used in everyday but are used in literature in Spanish. Therefore, it is necessary that you know them in case you come across this mode in one of your novels to learn Spanish. And, unlike the indicative mode, which is used to talk about real and concrete facts, the subjunctive mode expresses subjective or hypothetical situations.

Spanish subjunctive verb tenses

The subjunctive in Spanish is divided into several verb tenses, each with its own use.

The present subjunctive Spanish is used for present or future actions with uncertainty or subjectivity. Below you will find examples with the three verb endings (-ar, -er, -ir) conjugated in the present subjunctive Spanish:

• Hablar (Talk): Yo hable, Tú hables, Él/Ella hable, Nosotros hablemos, Vosotros habléis, Ellos hablen.
• Comer (Eat): Yo coma, Tú comas, Él/Ella coma, Nosotros comamos, Vosotros comáis, Ellos coman.
• Vivir (Live): Yo viva, Tú vivas, Él/Ella viva, Nosotros vivamos, Vosotros viváis, Ellos vivan.

The imperfect subjunctive is used for hypothetical situations in the past or in conditional sentences.

• Hablar: Yo hablara/hablase, Tú hablaras/hablases, Él/Ella hablara/hablase, Nosotros habláramos/hablásemos, Vosotros hablarais/hablaseis, Ellos hablaran/hablasen.
• Comer: Yo comiera/comiese, Tú comieras/comieses, Él/Ella comiera/comiese, Nosotros comiéramos/comiésemos, Vosotros comierais/comieseis, Ellos comieran/comiesen.
• Vivir: Yo viviera/viviese, Tú vivieras/vivieses, Él/Ella viviera/viviese, Nosotros viviéramos/viviésemos, Vosotros vivierais/vivieseis, Ellos vivieran/viviesen.

The past subjunctive in Spanish is used to express past actions that are relevant in the present.

• Hablar: Yo haya hablado, Tú hayas hablado, Él/Ella haya hablado, Nosotros hayamos hablado, Vosotros hayáis hablado, Ellos hayan hablado.
• Comer: Yo haya comido, Tú hayas comido, Él/Ella haya comido, Nosotros hayamos comido, Vosotros hayáis comido, Ellos hayan comido.
• Vivir: Yo haya vivido, Tú hayas vivido, Él/Ella haya vivido, Nosotros hayamos vivido, Vosotros hayáis vivido, Ellos hayan vivido.

The past perfect subjunctive is used to talk about past actions that happened before another past action, or in unreal conditional sentences.

• Hablar: Yo hubiera/hubiese hablado, Tú hubieras/hubieses hablado, Él/Ella hubiera/hubiese hablado, Nosotros hubiéramos/hubiésemos hablado, Vosotros hubierais/hubieseis hablado, Ellos hubieran/hubiesen hablado.
• Comer: Yo hubiera/hubiese comido, Tú hubieras/hubieses comido, Él/Ella hubiera/hubiese comido, Nosotros hubiéramos/hubiésemos comido, Vosotros hubierais/hubieseis comido, Ellos hubieran/hubiesen comido.
• Vivir: Yo hubiera/hubiese vivido, Tú hubieras/hubieses vivido, Él/Ella hubiera/hubiese vivido, Nosotros hubiéramos/hubiésemos vivido, Vosotros hubierais/hubieseis vivido, Ellos hubieran/hubiesen vivido.

When to use the subjunctive in Spanish?

The subjunctive is used in different contexts, for example, to express desires, recommendations or suggestions:

• Ojalá llueva mañana (I hope it rains tomorrow)
• Quiero que estudies más (I want you to study harder)

Also to express doubt or uncertainty, but also to express emotions:

• No creo que ella tenga razón (I don't think she's right)
• Dudo que él llegue a tiempo (I doubt he'll be on time)
• Me alegra que estés aquí (I'm glad you're here)
• Me molesta que hablen tan alto (It bothers me that they talk so loudly)

In addition, the subjunctive is used to form hypothetical conditional sentences, for example:

• Si tuviera más tiempo, viajaría por el mundo (If I had more time, I would travel the world)
• Si supieras la verdad, cambiarías de opinion (If you knew the truth, you would change your mind)

To express finality or purpose:

• Estudia para que apruebes el examen (Study so that you pass the exam)
• Te lo explico para que lo entiendas mejor (I'll explain it so that you understand it better)

Examples of the use of the Spanish subjunctive

Below you will find sentences with the subjunctive in Spanish so you can see how the tenses that make up this mood are used, as well as some sentences of desire, doubt or possibility.

• Espero que tú hables con él pronto (I hope you talk to him soon)
• Si tuviera tiempo, viajaría por el mundo (If I had time, I would travel the world)
• Me alegra que hayas terminado tu trabajo (I'm glad you finished your work)
• Si hubieras estudiado más, habrías aprobado el examen (If you had studied harder, you would have passed the exam)
• Ojalá mañana no llueva para poder ir al parque (I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow so I can go to the park)
• Espero que llegues a tiempo a la reunión (I hope you arrive on time for the meeting)
• No estoy segura de sí nos aceptarán en el proyecto de mañana (I'm not sure if they'll accept us on tomorrow's project)
• Si fuera más organizado, terminaría mis tareas a tiempo (If I were more organized, I would finish my homework on time)
• No creo que él diga la verdad sobre lo que pasó (I don't believe he is telling the truth about what happened)

Therefore, the subjunctive in Spanish is a fundamental part of the language, as it allows us to express uncertainty, desire and subjectivity in multiple contexts. Using it correctly enriches communication and adds important nuances to the meaning of sentences. That is why mastering it is essential if you want to become a fluent Spanish speaker.

Did you know that some of the most used words in Spanish are the articles? These particles are essential to communicate effectively in the language, so learning to master them is the next step to becoming a fluent Spanish speaker.

At donQuijote we know that sometimes Spanish articles can be quite a challenge, so here you can find a post with everything you need to know about them, what they are, how they are used and the different types that exist.  Read on so you don't miss anything and come learn Spanish in Spain with us to experience the language firsthand.

You can read this same blog post in Spanish, French or Italian.

What is an article in Spanish?

A Spanish article is a word that accompanies a noun and determines its gender, masculine or feminine, and its number, singular or plural. Articles in Spanish can be definite or indefinite depending on the degree of specificity they express.

These particles are used every day, and they are essential for communication in Spanish. For example, in the sentence, “El perro de mi vecino es un dálmata” (my neighbor's dog is a Dalmatian), there are two articles: “el” and “un”.

Types of Spanish articles

There are two basic types of articles that you must differentiate in Spanish.

Definite article in Spanish

Definite Spanish articles are those that indicate that the noun they accompany is known or specific. The following can be distinguished: el, la, los, las, lo.

• Masculine singular: el → El libro es azul (The book is blue)
• Feminine singular: la → La mesa está rota (The table is broken)
• Masculine plural: los → Los alumnos se van de excursión (The students are going on a field trip)
• Feminine plural: las → Las ventanas están abiertas (The windows are open)

“Lo” is a neuter article that is rarely used but knowing that it exists will help you recognize it if you see it in a text.

Indefinite article in Spanish

On the other hand, the indefinite Spanish articles, which indicate that the noun they accompany is not specific or is unknown. They are: un, una, unos, unas.

• Masculine singular: un → He visto un pájaro en la ventana (I have seen a bird in the window)
• Feminine singular: una → Hay una mariposa en el cristal (There is a butterfly on the glass)
• Masculine plural: unos → ¿Te has comprador unos zapatos nuevos? (Did you buy some new shoes?)
• Feminine plural: unas → Vimos unas puertas gigantescas en la mansion (We saw some gigantic doors in the mansion)

In addition to definite and indefinite articles in Spanish, there are contracted articles, which is a definite Spanish article combined with the preposition 'a' or 'de' and form a contraction. For example: “Vamos al cine” (we’re going to the cinema). This article “al” is formed with the preposition “a” and the article “el”.

When to use articles in Spanish?

In Spanish, articles are important because they help you identify whether you are talking about something specific or not, and to know the gender and number of nouns.

Definite Spanish articles are used when you want to talk about something specific or that you already know.

• El perro está en el jardín (The dog is in the garden) A specific dog that everyone knows. A garden that everyone knows where it is.
• La casa es grande (The house is big) We are talking about a specific house.
• Los niños están jugando (The children are playing) A specific group of children.
• Las flores son hermosas (The flowers are beautiful) Flowers that can be identified.

A rule of thumb that can help you with the use of these articles is that when both you and the other person know what thing or person you are talking about, definite Spanish articles are used.

Indefinite Spanish articles, on the other hand, are used when you are talking about something non-specific, that is, something you don't know well, or it doesn't matter exactly what it is.

• He visto un gato en la calle (I saw a cat in the street) We don't know which cat it was.
• Dame una taza de té, por favor (Give me a cup of tea, please) Any cup will do.
• Compré unos libros interesantes (I bought some interesting books) Some books, not specific.
• Encontré unas fotos viejas (I found some old photos) Photos, not specific.

A rule of thumb for knowing when to use indefinite Spanish articles: when you talk about something that is not known to everyone or that you don't need to specify.

Another tricky aspect of Spanish articles is knowing how to choose gender and number. The first thing you need to know is that the Spanish article must match the gender and number of the noun it accompanies.

For example: un libro, el libro, los libros or una flor, la flor, las flores.

Also, when the definite Spanish article “el” is combined with the prepositions “a” or “de”, a contraction is formed: “al”: a + el and “del”: de + el. For example: Es el libro del professor de matemáticas (It is the math teacher's book).

Common errors in the use of Spanish articles

In Spanish, articles are almost always used with nouns, but they may not be used in your language.

• It would be incorrect to say “Perro está en jardín”
• The correct form would be: “El perro está en el jardín”

You should also not confuse gender and number, as the Spanish article must always agree with the noun.

• It is incorrect to say “el mesa”
• It would be correct to say “la mesa”

Beware of the neuter article “lo”. Although it is not very common, this article exists, and you can see it in some sentences. “Lo” is not a regular article, but is used with adjectives, abstract concepts or ideas, qualities or generalized ideas. For example:

• Lo importante es estudiar todos los días (The important thing is to study every day)
• Me encanta lo bonito de este lugar (I love how beautiful this place is)
• Lo mejor de las vacaciopnes fue la comida (The best part of the vacation was the food)

Examples with Spanish articles

Here are some sentences with definite and indefinite articles in Spanish so that you can see the use and position of each one:

• La casa es muy bonita (The house is very nice)
• Vi un coche rojo en la calle (I saw a red car in the street)
• Compré una flor para mi madre (I bought a flower for my mother)
• Los niños están jugando en el parque (The children are playing in the park)
• Las estrellas brillan mucho esta noche (The stars are very bright tonight)
• Necesito unos zapatos nuevos (I need some new shoes)
• Compré unas manzanas en el mercado (I bought some apples at the market)
• Fuimos al cine ayer (We went to the movies yesterday)
• La portada del libro es muy interesante (The cover of the book is very interesting)
• No me gusta el ruido de la ciudad (I don't like the noise of the city)
• ¿Dónde está la llave del coche? (Where is the car key?)
• Me encontré con un amigo de la infancia (I met a childhood friend)
• Ella es una persona muy generosa (She is a very generous person)
• Los perros de la vecina siempre ladran por la noche (The neighbor's dogs always bark at night)
• El gato duerme en el sofá (The cat sleeps on the sofa)

As a review: the main difference between definite Spanish articles (el, la, los, las, lo) and indefinite Spanish articles (un, una, unos, unas) lies in the degree of specificity. Definite articles in Spanish are used when you talk about something specific that you already know or that you can clearly identify. In contrast, indefinite articles in Spanish are used to refer to something unspecific or unknown.

Using the right article helps differentiate whether the noun is something concrete or general. When reading or listening to Spanish, look closely at the articles and how they accompany nouns. This way you will become familiar with them, and you will be able to distinguish them and use them without any problem.

Now all you need to do is practice, sign up for an intensive Spanish course, talk to your classmates and practice watching Spanish series and movies in their original version. Don't miss your chance and start improving your Spanish now!