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Clear explanations of grammar, words and common mistakes. With examples and a mini-practice after each article.
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Spanish future tense: two ways to talk about the future
Spanish gives you two everyday ways to talk about the future. The first is ir a + infinitive — the same “going to” idea as in English: Voy a estudiar (I’m going to study). The second is the simple ...
Spanish c vs z pronunciation: the k, s and th sounds
The letter c has two sounds in Spanish, decided by the vowel after it. Before a, o or u it is a hard k ( casa, cosa, cuna ). Before e or i it becomes a soft sound ( cena, cine ). The letter z always ...
Hacia vs hasta in Spanish: 'toward' vs 'until'
These two prepositions look alike but point at different ideas. Use hacia for direction — moving toward something, with no promise of arriving — and, by extension, for an approximate time. Use hasta ...
Adiós vs hasta luego in Spanish: how to say goodbye
Both adiós and hasta luego mean “goodbye”, and both are correct in almost any situation. The difference is tone. Adiós is the neutral, all-purpose goodbye. Hasta luego is more casual and, in Spain ...
Spanish travel phrases: the essentials for your trip
You do not need much Spanish to travel well — you need a small set of phrases you can say without thinking. The five that carry most of a trip are por favor (please), gracias (thank you), ¿Dónde ...
Spanish si clauses: how to build conditional sentences
A Spanish conditional sentence has two halves: a si (if) clause that states a condition, and a result clause that says what happens. The tenses you pick tell the listener how real you think the ...
Spanish imperfect progressive: estaba + gerund (was doing)
The Spanish imperfect progressive is the “was/were doing” tense. You build it with the imperfect of estar ( estaba, estabas, estaba, estábamos, estabais, estaban ) plus a gerund — the -ando / -iendo ...
The silent H in Spanish: when H is not pronounced
In Spanish the letter h is silent — you write it but you do not say it. Hola sounds like “ola”, hora sounds like “ora”, and hombre sounds like “ombre”. The rule is refreshingly simple: on its own, an ...
Ni... ni in Spanish: how to say neither... nor
Ni... ni is the Spanish way to say neither… nor. It works like a stronger, paired version of the negative word ni (“nor”, “not even”). The one thing to get right is where no goes: When ni... ni comes ...
Tú vs usted in Spanish: informal and formal you
Tú is the informal singular “you.” Use it with friends, family, children, classmates, and people who invite a casual tone. Usted is the formal or polite singular “you.” Use it with strangers, older ...
Lo, la, los, las in Spanish: direct object pronouns
Lo, la, los, las are Spanish direct object pronouns. They replace the thing or person that directly receives the action: the book you read, the photo you saw, the people you invited. Choose the ...
Spanish adjective agreement: gender and plural endings
Spanish adjectives agree with the noun they describe in gender and number. If the noun is masculine singular, use the masculine singular adjective: coche rojo. If the noun is feminine singular, use ...
Mejor vs más bueno in Spanish: how to say better
For almost every normal “better” sentence, use mejor. It is the comparative of both bueno (good) and bien (well): un plan mejor, habla mejor, es mejor que antes. Más bueno exists, but it is narrow: it ...
Más vs más que in Spanish: more or more than?
Más means “more.” Use it by itself when you ask for more of something or make an adjective/adverb stronger: más café, más caro, más rápido. Use más … que when you compare two things: más caro que el ...
Neuter lo in Spanish: lo bueno, lo que and lo de
The neuter lo does not mean “the” before a normal noun. It turns an adjective, a clause, or a topic into an abstract idea: lo bueno (the good thing), lo importante (the important part), lo que quiero ...
Hola vs buenos días: which Spanish greeting to use
Use hola for a general “hello” at any time of day. Use buenos días for “good morning,” especially when you want to sound a little more polite, complete, or time-specific. In the morning you can also ...
Grande vs gran in Spanish: big or great?
Grande is the normal adjective meaning “big” or “large.” It usually comes after the noun: una casa grande. Gran is the shortened form used before a singular noun: un gran amigo, una gran idea. Before ...
De nada vs no hay de qué in Spanish: how to say you're welcome
Use de nada as the standard, all-purpose answer to gracias. It means “you’re welcome” and works in almost every everyday situation. Use no hay de qué when you want to sound warmer or more reassuring ...
Buen vs bueno in Spanish: when to shorten bueno
Buen is the shortened form of bueno. Use buen only before a masculine singular noun: un buen amigo, un buen día. Use bueno after a masculine singular noun or when the adjective stands alone: un amigo ...
Telling time in French: quelle heure est-il?
To ask the time in French, say Quelle heure est-il? To answer, use Il est… plus the hour: il est une heure (“it is one o’clock”), il est deux heures (“it is two o’clock”). Use singular heure for one ...
Son, sa, ses: his, her and its in French
Son, sa and ses can all mean “his”, “her” or “its”. The form does not tell you the owner’s gender. It agrees with the thing owned: son before a masculine singular noun, sa before a feminine singular ...
French y and en pronouns: how to replace à and de phrases
The French pronoun y usually replaces a phrase with à plus a place or thing: je vais à Paris → j’y vais (“I’m going there”). En usually replaces de plus a noun, a quantity, or a source: je parle de ce ...
French subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous
French subject pronouns are je (I), tu (you informal), il (he/it), elle (she/it), on (we/one/people), nous (we), vous (you formal or plural), ils (they masculine or mixed), and elles (they feminine) ...
French stressed pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle and more
French stressed pronouns, also called tonic pronouns, are moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles. Use them after prepositions, for emphasis, in short answers, and after c’est. They are different ...