Learn basic Latin American grammar

YOU, ME AND EVERYONE ELSE

Singular: yo I, tú you, él he, ella she. Plural: nosotros we, ellos they (male or group of men and women), ellas they (female)

Note: The formal word for "you" is usted (singular); it is treated as third-person pronoun. Ustedes (plural) adopts the same form as the pronoun "they".


TO BE (ESTAR)

estoy I am, estás you are, está you are (usted), está he/she/it is, estamos we are, están they/you are (ustedes)


TO BE (SER)

soy I am, eres you are, es you are (usted), es he/she/it is, somos we are, son they/you are (ustedes)

Note: In Spanish there are two verbs for the English verb "to be". There are various rules but the general rule is to use ser when you are referring to a characteristic of an object or person that is permanent or fixed, eg "I am English" is soy inglés/esa. Estar is used when describing a situation or characteristic that can change eg "I am happy" is estoy contento/a as one's mood can change.


TO HAVE (TENER)

tengo I have, tienes you have, tiene you have (usted), tiene he/she/it has, tenemos we have, tienen they/you have (ustedes)


TO GO (IR)

voy I go, vas you go, va you go (usted), va he/she/it goes, vamos we go, van they/you go (ustedes)


TO WANT (QUERER)

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quiero I want, quieres you want, quiere you want (usted), quiere he/she/it wants, queremos we want, quieren they/you want (ustedes)


WORD GLUE

1. sí-yes
2. no-no
3. por favor -please
4. gracias-thank you

y and (Note: use e before words beginning with i/hi) eg jamón y queso (ham and cheese) but jamón e higos (ham and figs))

o or (Note: use u before words beginning with o/ho eg ojos o labios (eyes or lips) but ojos u orejas (eyes or ears))

1. con-with
2. sin-without
3. pero-but
4. ¿por qué?/porque why?/because
5. ¿qué? what?
6. ¿cuál/cuáles? (pl) which?
7. ¿cuándo? when?
8. ¿dónde? where?
9. ¿cómo? how
10. más more
11. menos less