Categories
Writing in Spanish

The Importance Of Spelling In Communication

The importance of using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is a fact when it comes to writing. Good use of written Spanish should be a priority in all writing and as Spanish speakers, whether it is our mother tongue or not, we must make proper use of spelling.

Writing with spelling mistakes or inappropriate words makes communication difficult and can lead to irreparable errors. The importance of spelling in communication is reflected in a well-written redaction. Today iScribo brings you some recommendations for good writing, read on to find out more.

Why is Spelling Important in Communication?

To be understood by others, it is necessary to write well with good spelling. We need to write correctly in order to write formal texts, such as a CV for a job, reports, complaints, applications and so on.

Your writing is your reflection. Think about how others see you through your writing.

Did you know that if you have good spelling, your ideas are more easily communicated? As well as making a good impression, the ideal of good spelling is to communicate without barriers.

It is no longer just for us, writing properly helps to preserve the language and that is vital for us. If we don’t take care of our Spanish, who will?

Writing correctly gives us more confidence and therefore helps us to improve our self-esteem, incredible, isn’t it?

If you think you have problems with certain words, for example, if you can’t make a difference between b and v when writing, make a list of different words and learn them. A good idea for this example would be to write them down in two columns, one for the b and one for the v. The mental image of this mini table will make it easier for you to write it every time it comes up.

You may also get confused with homophones, such as haya, aya, allá or halla, so writing them several times and seeing the result will help you to distinguish them better next time.

And of course, pay attention to the accents! They are also obligatory when writing in capital letters and leaving them out is a very serious mistake.

Recommendations

While it is true that the language of the networks when abbreviating when writing is an obstacle to learning, knowing good spelling depends on the user, as there are many ways to learn it well. From the RAE and the Fundéu to language blogs, such as this one by iScribo, and different learning channels.

Reading also helps to improve the way we write. Looking at words we don’t know or paying attention to others we didn’t know how to write helps to improve both our spelling and our learning of the language.

Knowing how to structure a text is also of vital importance in order to get the message across correctly.

It is also true that it is not only our fault. Sometimes, whether we write by hand or type, we do so under pressure. Lack of time or the demands of work mean that we don’t pay attention to what we are writing or that we don’t even check our work. Perhaps this is the main reason to value a Spanish grammar and spelling checker, the revisions are quick, and the improvements are more than noticeable.

Learning the etymology of words helps us to relate their origin to our writing. Moreover, if we know where they come from, we can relate them to their family and thus create a mental concept map. In this way you will not only know how to write a single word, but you will have mastered many more without even realising it. The brain works automatically once it has learned a concept.

iScribo & Proper Written Spanish

It is worth stopping to think for a minute about what you are writing and how. This helps you to organise your ideas and make better decisions when writing. Writing must be flawless for others to understand us and is a reflection of our thinking. That’s why we ask you, are you doing your best to write well? iScribo’s Spanish grammar checker is here to help. Its real-time corrections and suggestions implemented by artificial intelligence are another method of learning and improving your written communication. Good written communication is synonymous with quality. Have you tried it yet? Let us know what you think.

Categories
Culture around Spanish language

15 Sports Players From Spanish-Speaking Countries

Learning Spanish through sports with the most famous Spanish-speaking athletes of these times. Sport also breaks down borders and is another valid way to learn Spanish and improving your level in this language.

Sport is important for physical development but it can also be a tool for practising Spanish and getting to know other cultures. Learn today with iScribo some sports players from Spanish-speaking countries to improve your Spanish in a different field.

Most Popular Spanish Athletes

1. Rafael Nadal: this Spanish athlete needs no introduction anywhere in the world. So far, he has won 22 Grand Slams and one Olympic gold at individual level. He is a tennis legend, not only in Spain, but worldwide.

2. Pau Gasol: the basketball player has won two NBA rings and two Olympic silver medals with the Spanish national team. He has also won a Copa del Rey and several Spanish leagues – a real reference!

3. Carolina Marín: the three-time badminton world champion has also won four European championships and one Olympic Games. Her record is impeccable and she is unparalleled!

4. María Pérez: the two-time world champion in racewalking continues to lead Spanish athletics to the top. She has also won a European Championship. She is one of the few athletes to win two gold medals in racewalking at the same competition.

5. Alexia Putellas: the football player has already won a World Cup at the highest level and several European Cups at youth level. She has also won a few Champions League titles and has been named best player on numerous occasions. She indeed is the best of the world.

6. Jon Rham: the Spanish golfer is among the best in the world for the number of trophies he has won during his career.

Other Famous Latin American Athletes

7. Yulimar Rojas: the Venezuelan athlete has broken world records in the triple long jump. With her Olympic gold in Tokyo and several world championships, it is a marvel to watch her compete.

8. Luciana Aimar: the Argentinean hockey player has been ranked as the best in the world eight times. She has led the Argentinian national team to where it deserves to be.

9. Lionel Messi: we could not leave the man considered the best footballer in the world out of this list. In addition to being a world champion and having led Barcelona to the top in Europe on several occasions, he has a multitude of individual trophies.

10. Mariana Pajón: there is no end to the Colombian cyclist’s track record. In addition to two Olympic titles and another as Olympic runner-up, Mariana has won several world championships and is a source of pride for Colombia.

11. Mijaín López: the Cuban Greco-Roman wrestler has won the gold medal in Olympic competitions on four occasions. He is a legend in Cuba and a pride of Latin America.

12.  Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez: after many years without Mexican athletes at world level in Formula One, this Mexican won three podiums in motorsport.

13. Neisi Dajomes: The Ecuadorian athlete is an Olympic champion in weightlifting and made history in Ecuador as the first woman to win a medal. No wonder she is a national and Latin community reference.

14. Sofía Mulanovich: the Peruvian surfer has been proclaimed world champion on three occasions.

15. Arturo Armendariz: the Guatemalan is a specialist in creative weapons and has won world competitions in kickboxing and karate – there’s no one to beat him!

iScribo & Culture

As we have done in the past, we love to introduce you to the culture of Spanish-speaking countries and improve your Spanish at the same time. iScribo takes care of every aspect of the Spanish language so that you learn it according to the norm. iScribo corrects your Spanish as you write and pays particular attention to proper nouns and their writing. In addition, it also suggests improvements so that you always deliver your Spanish documents in the best possible Spanish. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

Categories
Spanish as a language

The 20 Most Common Connectors in Spanish

Connectors allow us to link sentences in a logical order. They are links that give sense to a few sentences within a discourse.

Today iScribo shows you the most common connectors in Spanish, from addition connectives to consecutives. Common Spanish connecting words can contain adverbs, prepositions and conjunctions. Read on to find out more.

Adversative Connectors

They express opposition between two ideas:

1. Ahora bien: La casa que has comprado es bonita, ahora bien, no tiene piscina (The house you bought is nice, but it doesn’t have a swimming pool.)

2. En cambio: Víctor no vendrá al cine, en cambio, sí que irá a la cena (Victor will not be coming to the cinema, nevertheless he will come to the dinner.)

3. Sin embargo: Estuvo enfermo toda la semana, sin embargo, no tuvo fiebre (He was sick all week, however, he had no fever.)

4. No obstante: Carolina no tenía razón, no obstante, nadie le dijo nada (Carolina was not right, but no one said anything to her.)

5. Pero: No supe qué hacer pero improvisé (I didn’t know what to do but improvised.)

Connectors of Addition

As their name suggests, additive connectors add information as well as link elements together:

6. Además: Tendréis que ir a Sevilla además de a Granada (You will have to go to Seville as well as Granada.)

7. Asimismo: iScribo corrige mientras escribes, asimismo te aporta sugerencias (iScribo corrects as you write, moreover it provides suggestions.).

8. Aparte: No quiero salir con ellas, aparte, no me apetece (I don’t want to go out with them, besides, I don’t feel like it.)

9. También: He comprado peras y también manzanas (I have bought pears and also apples.)

10. Por si fuera poco: Llegó tarde y, por si fuera poco, le tuve que preparar la cena (He arrived home and, on top of that, I had to prepare dinner for him.)

Concessive Connectors

They express that the action has been able to be carried out despite obstacles along the way:

11. Aun así: Se hizo muy tarde, aun así, pudo preparar el examen (It was very late, but he was still able to prepare for the exam.)

12. En cualquier caso: Me he pasado dos semanas preparando el viaje. En cualquier caso, no me acordé de esa visita (I have spent two weeks preparing for the trip. In any case, I didn’t remember that visit.)

13. De todas formas: No creo que me dé tiempo, de todas formas, si termino pronto, me paso (I don’t think I’ll have time, in any case, if I finish soon, I’ll stop by.)

14. De todos modos: Hace poco ejercicio, de todos modos, ha conseguido bajar de peso (He does little exercise, however, he has managed to lose weight.)

15. Sin bien: Si bien es cierto que se hizo tarde, consiguió llegar a tiempo (Although he was late, he managed to arrive on time.)

Consecutive Connectors

These connectors allow a consequence of the second action to be formulated with respect to the first:

16. Por consiguiente: Estuvo lloviendo toda la noche, por consiguiente, no hay que regar las macetas hoy (It rained all night, so we don’t have to water the plants today.)

17. Así pues: Se me han olvidado las llaves, así pues, tendré que irme a tu casa (I’ve forgotten my keys, therefore I’ll have to go to your place.)

18. Por ende: Se ha ido la señal, por ende, no hemos terminado de ver el programa (The signal has gone out, hence we haven’t finished watching the programme.)

19. Entonces: No queda vino, entonces solo puedes beber cerveza (There is no wine left, thus you can only drink beer.)

20. Por tanto: Hoy no salgo, por tanto, te veo mañana (I’m not going out today, which means I’ll see you tomorrow.)

iScribo & Spanish Grammar

There are other common Spanish connectives, such as the explanatory, sorting or corrective ones, which we will see any other time. iScribo respects Spanish grammar, therefore our corrector helps you write more accurately. Have you tried it? You can do it here.

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Culture around Spanish language

National Holidays in Spanish-Speaking Countries

Everyone likes to have days off. Do you know how many public holidays there are in Spain? You might also be wondering about public holidays in Argentina. It is no longer just a matter of comparing how many holidays each country has, but of finding out why they exist.

National holidays in Spanish-speaking countries are related to religious celebrations and to historical or cultural events in each place. It should be noted that each country has national, regional and local public holidays, but today we will talk about the national ones. Discover them with iScribo.

Public Holidays in Spain

The Spanish working calendar is always published in the BOE (Spanish State Gazette) before the end of the previous year. These eight public holidays are paid for workers and can be moved to a Monday so that they do not fall on a Sunday and almost everyone can enjoy them.

– January 1st: of course, the new year must be celebrated in style.

– January 6th: the Epiphany of Jesus is celebrated with the arrival of the Wise Kings laden with gifts.

– Good Friday: this day is determined according to the lunar calendar in terms of the celebration of Easter.

– May 1st: Labour Day is celebrated, well deserved for all of us.

– August 15th: The Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

– October 12th: the day of Spain is celebrated.

– November 1st: All Saints’ Day is celebrated.

– December 6th: Day of the Spanish Constitution.

– December 8th: the Immaculate Conception forms, together with the previous public holiday, a week with a little more rest.

– December 25th: the great day of Christmas celebrating the birth of Jesus.

National Public Holidays in Colombia

Colombia has eighteen annual public holidays, here we tell you which ones:

– January 1st: New Year, like in most parts of the world.

– January 6th: The Wise Men’s Day, as in other Spanish-speaking countries.

– Mars 19th: San Joseph Day.

– Good Thursday and Good Friday: as in the rest of the Spanish-speaking countries, depend on the lunar calendar and the celebration of Easter.

– April or May: Ascension Day, depending on the celebration of Holy Week.

– May 1st: Labour Day.

– Corpus Christi: also depends on the moon.

– June 27th: Sacred Heart is celebrated.

– June 29th: the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul.

– July 20th: Independence Day, a great holiday of national pride.

– August 7th: Celebration of the Battle of Boyaca.

– August 15th: The Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

– October 12th: Día de la Raza (Day of the Race).

– November 2nd: All Saints’ Day is celebrated.

– November 11th: Celebration of the independence of Cartagena de Indias.

Public Holidays in Argentina

Argentina has fifteen national holidays, as follows:

– January 1st: New Year’s celebrations.

– February: this month celebrates two days of carnival, depending on the lunar calendar.

– Mars 24th: Día Nacional de la Verdad y la Justicia (The Day of Remembrance for Truth and Justice).

– Aprill 2nd: Malvinas Day, a day of Argentine pride par excellence.

– Good Friday and Easter Monday: again according to the lunar calendar.

– May 1st: International Labour Day, as in most countries of the world.

– May 25th: Día de la Revolución de Mayo (May Revolution Day).

– June 17th: Death of General Martín Miguel de Güemes.

– June 20th: Death of General Manuel Belgrano.

– July 9th: Independence Day, also widely acclaimed in the country.

– August 17th: the Passage to Immortality of General José de San Martín is celebrated.

– October 12th: Día del Respeto a la Diversidad Cultural (Day of Respect for Cultural Diversity).

– Novemeber 20th: National Sovereignty Day.

iScribo & Cultural Diversity

We love to bring you the celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries. There are many countries where Spanish is the main language, so it is impossible for us to tell you what is celebrated in each one of them. However, we invite you to find out more about them so that you can continue learning. Do you know what all Spanish-speaking countries have in common? The good use of Spanish as a language. You can practice your written Spanish with iScribo’s spelling and grammar checker which, in addition to correcting what they write in real time, will provide you with suggestions to improve your writing. Have you tried it yet? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Categories
Writing in Spanish

Guide To The 39 Most Common Spanish Verbs

Verbs are words that express the action of the subject or the state the subject is in. This is why verbs in Spanish always match in gender and number with the subject.

El niño corrió durante tres horas. (The boy ran for three hours.)

As we can see in this example, the verb is in the past simple tense. Learning the verb tenses can take a while, but don’t be discouraged, as with everything in life, Spanish grammar takes practice.

It is important to know which are the most common Spanish verbs so that we can express ourselves as a true native speaker. During these months, we have been introducing you to the most common words of different grammatical elements.

Today iScribo brings you a list of common Spanish verbs for you to practise. Read on to discover it.

Most Common Spanish Ar Verbs

The verbs ending in ar are the verbs of the first conjugation. Here you can find the most used Spanish verbs in this category:

1. Estar (to be): Estoy en la puerta de tu casa, ¿me abres? (I’m at your door, will you open it for me?)

2. Comprar (to buy): Hace falta comprar yogures de limón. (We need to buy lemon yogurt.)

3. Buscar (to look): Búscalo en Internet y sal de dudas. (Look it up on the Internet and find out for sure.)

4. Andar (to walk): Le gusta andar por las tardes. (He likes walking in the evenings.)

5. Cerrar (to close): Se me olvidó cerrar la puerta al salir. (I forgot to close the door when I left.)

6. Encontrar (to find): Te habríamos encontrado antes si me hubieras mandado tu ubicación. (We would have found you sooner if you had sent me your location.)

7. Dar (to give): Me han dado un regalo de bienvenida. (They gave me a welcome present.)

8. Empezar (to start): El curso empieza la semana que viene. (The course starts next week.)

9. Cocinar (to cook): Los abuelos cocinarán una paella. (The grandparents will cook a paella.)

10. Hablar (to talk): El bebé comenzó a hablar a los siete meses. (The baby started talking at seven months.)

11. Quedar (to meet): Quedaron a las ocho en punto. (They met at eight o’clock.)

12. Saltar (to jump): Saltaría la valla un par de veces. (I’d jump the fence a couple of times.)

13. Estudiar (to study): Estudió para el examen de español durante toda la noche. (They studied for the Spanish test all night long.)

Common Spanish Verbs Ending in Er

The second conjugation comprises verbs ending in er:

14. Aprender (to learn): Ya habíamos aprendido toda la lección cuando nos preguntó. (We had already learned our lesson when he asked us.)

15. Ser (to be): Soy tan independiente como práctica. (I am as independent as I am practical.)

16. Beber (to drink): Es importante beber agua cuando se hace ejercicio. (It is important to drink water when exercising.)

17. Comer (to eat): Iremos a comer al restaurante de la esquina. (We will go to eat at the restaurant on the corner.)

18. Conocer (to meet): Conocimos a tu primo en tu cumpleaños. (We meet your cousin at your birthday party.)

19. Entender (to understand): No entendí la moraleja del libro. (I did not understand the message of the book.)

20. Creer (to believe): No me creo ni una palabra de lo que me has contado. (I don’t believe a word you say.)

21. Haber (there is/there are): No hay nadie en la sala, tenemos que esperar. (There is nobody in the room, we have to wait.)

22. Hacer (to make): No me ha hecho gracia que te rías de mí. (I made an omelette for lunch.)

23. Leer (to read): Me tengo que leer dos libros para el grupo de lectura. (I have to read two books for the reading group.)

24. Saber (to know): No sé si sabes que el lunes es fiesta. (I wonder if you know that Monday is a holiday.)

25. Querer (to love): Te quiso tanto como a tu hermano. (He loved you as much as he loved your brother.)

26. Tener (to have): Tengo cuatro relojes y no sé cuál ponerme. (I have four watches and I don’t know which one to wear.)

Most Common Verbs Ending in Ir

The third conjugation comprises verbs ending in ir:

27. Abrir (to open): Tendríamos que haber abierto la ventana antes de salir. (We should have opened the window before leaving.)

28. Salir (to leave)Saldré del trabajo sobre las cinco. (I will leave work around five o’clock.)

29. Subir (come up): Subiríamos si nos invitaras. (We’d come up if you invited us.)

30. Decir (to tell): Te dije la verdad pero no me creíste. (I told you the truth but you didn’t believe me.)

31. Escribir (to write): La chica escribe en su diario todas las noches. (The girl writes in her diary every night.)

32. Ir (to go): Iremos al río cuando suba la temperatura. (We will go to the river when the temperature rises.)

33. Partir (to chop, to leave):Partiremos las manzanas. (We will chop the apples.)

            El avión partió al amanecer. (The plane will leave at sunrise.)

34. Pedir (to order): Se ha pedido pescado para cenar. (He ordered fish for dinner.)

35. Decidir (to decide): Decidió que se pasaría por la fiesta de Ana. (He decided that he would stop by Ana’s party.)

36. Preferir (to prefer): Prefiero que te marches tú primero. (I prefer that you leave first.)

37. Imprimir (to print): Deberías imprimir todos los documentos. (You should print all the documents.)

38. Sentir (to feel): Siento muchísimo lo que te ha pasado. (I am very sorry for what happened to you.)

39. Venir (to come): Vino del gimnasio y se acostó. (He came from the gym and went to bed.)

iScribo in Defense of Grammar

There are many verbs and their use will depend on the different Spanish-speaking countries. There are verbs that are used in Spain in everyday conversations that are offensive in other Latin American countries. This is why we encourage you to learn about different Spanish-speaking cultures so that you can draw your own conclusions. iScribo advocates the correct use of Spanish grammar. Our tool corrects your written Spanish in real time according to the rules of the RAE. The Academia can also help you learn the difference between regular and irregular verbs, you can check their list here.

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Writing in Spanish

Guide About How To Use Prefixes in Spanish

Few people know how prefixes in the Spanish language work and how to use a prefix correctly. This is normal, since the norm sometimes changes and the influence of other languages leads us to misspell them.

What is a prefix in Spanish? How are prefixes written? What are the most common prefixes in Spanish? iScribo answers your questions according to the rules of the RAE.

What are Spanish Prefixes?

Prefixes are elements of Spanish grammar that depend on other elements, and therefore lack autonomy.

Prefixes are affixes, meaning that they are placed before the root or lexical base of the word they accompany. Their function is to alter the meaning of the original word, to give it some nuances or an additional meaning.

Some examples are pre, ex, multi and súper, to name a few:

multiespacio, exministro, supercerca, preaprobado

(multispace, ex-minister, superclose, preapproved)

How Should Prefixes Be Written?

Prefixes are attached to the word they accompany, so it is incorrect to write them separately or with a hyphen, except for the exceptions mentioned a few line below this examples:

antisistema, prenupcial, contraoferta (anti-system, prenuptial, counteroffer)

X anti-mafia, pre pagado, súper bonito (anti-mafia, pre-paid, super nice)

If the next word begins with a capital letter, whether it is an acronym or a number, the prefix IS hyphenated:

pro-Obama, super-8, mini-USB

X posGorvachov, sub21

Note that the prefix súper does not have an accent even if it is hyphenated with the following word or there is simply a space.

Another exception is to write the prefix separately when it affects several words that act as a unit or if it affects proper nouns consisting of more than one word:

pro Barack Obama, ex chica de los recados (former delivery girl)

X proderechos humanos, antiNaciones Unidas

In case of a combination of prefixes, they are written together or separately following the same rule as if there were only one prefix:

ex vice primera presidenta, supersuperlento (former first vice-president, super-super-slow)

When it comes to monosyllables, when the prefix is added to them, they are no longer monosyllables and are considered acute, so they must be stressed as such:

✓ biogás

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to use two or more prefixes for a single word, add a hyphen after the first suffix:

✓ pre- y poselectoral

iScribo Works In Real Time

Prefixes follow some basic rules and you will see, as you practise with our tool, that they are easy to apply. iScribo corrects incorrect prefixes and suggests writing improvements as you write, in real time. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Writing in Spanish

15 Spanish Sayings & Phrases About Studying

Popular sayings are rich as well as diverse, you only need to visit or meet people from Spanish-speaking countries to realise this. On this occasion, it is the turn to talk about phrases about studying or Spanish sayings about education so you can express yourself as a native speaker in the educational environment.

Spanish phrases about study amongst students are often used in a colloquial context but there will also be some that apply in formal settings. Today, iScribo presents you with a series of easy and useful Spanish phrases about school to expand your Spanish vocabulary.

Spanish Sayings About Learning

There are several sayings, expressions and proverbs that are mostly used in education. Here are some of them:

1. Hacer novillos: or in other variants such as hacer pellas, hacer campana, hacer monta or pegarse la huyona. It means to stop going somewhere you are obliged to go to do a more fun activity.

Hizo novillos pero sus padres se enteraron. (He skipped school but his parents found out about it.)

2. Tener manía: means to dislike or dislike someone or something.

El profesor le tiene manía y le ha suspendido la asignatura. (The teacher dislikes him and has failed his subject.)

3. Estar enchufado: means to have influence with someone in order to get a favour.

Le concedieron la beca porque está enchufada, no porque se lo mereciera. (She was awarded the scholarship because she is spoiled, not because she deserved it.)

4. Comerse los libros: studying hard and with high intensity.

Apenas sale, se come los libros para conseguir las mejores notas. (As soon as she gets out, she studies hard to get the best marks.)

5. Estudiar a marchas forzadas: used when you have little time to prepare for an assignment or an exam and all the studying is concentrated in a few days or hours.

Aunque estudiaron a marchas forzadas, les dio tiempo a prepararse todo el temario. (Although they studied hard, they had time to prepare the whole syllabus.)

6. Estudiar a destajo: study only for a short period of days.

Estudiaré a destajo durante el fin de semana. (I will study very hard over the weekend.)

7. Estudiar codo con codo: meet with classmates to study.

Los cuatro chicos estudiaron codo con codo hasta que llegó la noche. (The four boys studied side by side until the evening came.)

8. Echar la matrícula: or matricularse is preparing the necessary paperwork to register for a course and pay the corresponding fees.

La matrícula hay que echarla durante las dos primeras semanas de septiembre. (Enrolment must be done during the first two weeks of September.)

Study Sayings in Other Areas

There are many other sayings and phrases that can be used both in school and in everyday life. Some of them are:

9. Ser pan comido: when something is easy and costs little effort.

El examen fue pan comido. (The exam was a piece of cake.)

10. Hablar por los codos: to talk a lot.

Separaron a los estudiantes porque hablaban por los codos en clase. (The students were separated because they were talking through their elbows in class.)

11. Cada maestrillo tiene su librillo: This refers to the different way of acting and thinking that each person has.

El aprendizaje es un mundo, cada maestrillo tiene su librillo. (Learning is a world of its own, each teacher has his or her own way of teaching.)

12. A buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan: An intelligent person quickly understands what is said without having to go into detail, a simple hint is enough. Sometimes it is enough to say the first part of the saying.

No pienso explicaros esta parte, a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan. (I’m not going to explain this part to you, a few words are enough.)

13. No haber vuelta de hoja: when a matter is not subject to discussion.

No hay más vuelta de hoja, has suspendido y punto. (There is no way back, you have failed and that’s it.)

14. Ser coser y cantar: used to indicate that something is easy.

Esta asignatura es coser y cantar. (This subject is a piece of cake.)

15. Ponerse las pilas: to tackle a task with dedication.

Venga, me tengo que poner las pilas o no aprobaré. (Come on, I have to get my act together or I won’t pass.)

iScribo & Language Evolution

Student phrases can change year after year and generation after generation. Trendy words are what set the tone for colloquial language. However, some of them are here to stay and are still trending today, do you know of any other saying or phrase that you would like to highlight? iScribo’s tool corrects what you write in Spanish in real time. It is a very useful resource, as our team continuously updates the changes in the informal Spanish language and the demands of the evolution of the language. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Culture around Spanish language

The Wine Industry in Spain: Tradition and Culture

The Spanish wine industry is undoubtedly important for Spanish culture. The wine market in Spain has a long-standing tradition based on respect for wine, tradition and vineyards.

It is worthwhile to make a vineyard tour and several visits to bodegas in Spain as there are numerous wineries and official Spanish wine appellations. Wine culture teaches us from the planting of the vines to the bottling of the wine, from the grape harvest to the ageing in barrels or containers.

There are different ways of classifying wines, the designations of origin (appellation) of the wines of Spain allows us to classify them according to the protection they have and the rules that regulate them in the Spanish country. On other occasions, we have talked about gastronomy but, what better than accompanying a Spanish dish with a good wine! Keep reading this iScribo post to discover the secrets of the best Spanish wine.

Spanish Red Wine

Among the Spanish red wines, it is more than an obligation to mention the most awarded designations of origin, which are D.O. Rioja and D.O. Ribera del Duero. Both produce very diverse wines with different grapes varieties. Be that as it may, the dedication to growing, harvesting and winemaking follow a tedious process by world-renowned oenologists.

Other famous red wines are D.O. Priorat, Bodegas Torres, Marqués de Cáceres, Somontano or Toro.

There are many more, both new and long-established, so the best thing to do is to make a good wine tour of Spain and discover your favourite.

Red wine is ideal to accompany a meat dish or to get you through a cold winter’s day. Many people mix it with a lemon or white fizzy drink to make a tinto de verano.

White Wine in Spain

Cava is a quality sparkling wine with its own protected designation of origin. Typical of the region of Catalonia, this type of wine is ideal for the most exquisite palates. From a Freixenet, famous at all Spanish Christmas dinner parties, to a Mastinell, the variety is endless. Cava can be mixed with white fizzy drinks to make cava sangria, another refreshing summer drink.

Of course, we also have the Albariño from the Galician Rías Baixas. This tasty wine is very smooth, so it can be enjoyed with good fish or seafood.

We should also mention the D.O. Rueda, which reminds us of a cheerful floral spring. Its freshness and floral character are more than recognised worldwide. You can combine this wine with almost anything and in any season of the year.

The D.O. Jumilla offers wines of any category but today we want to highlight its facility to produce white wine. Indulge yourself with this savoury and dedicated drink.

Rosé & Other Drinks in Spain

Although rosé wine is not a variety that is as popular as white and red wine in Spain, it has also grown a lot in recent years and has given us unforgettable experiences and it is now part of the Spanish culture.

We can highlight Las Campanas Rosé from the D.O. Navarra, which has won several national awards.

Many wineries that offer reds and whites as star products also produce prestigious rosés.

Among other varieties, we find the Tío Pepe wineries in the heart of Jerez de la Frontera, in the south of Spain, with the production of fino and amontillado wines and natural sweet wines, among others.

Vermouth is an aromatic wine in the category of fortified Spanish wine, famous along the Mediterranean coast. Drink it as an aperitif or use it in a cocktail.

iScribo & Spanish Culture

Table wines, wines with geographical indication or simply a wine that you really like, in Spain you can find any variety that will surely suit your needs. Although in this post we have focused on the designations of origin, there are plenty of wines and wineries all over Spain that are worth tasting and visiting. It only takes a quick look at a Spanish wine map and you will see that wine is produced in practically every corner of the country. Do you know wine vocabulary? Sometimes it can be complicated to write some of its words, as it is a precise technical sector. Use our tool to write correctly in Spanish and to receive suggestions for improvement in real time, have you tried it yet?

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Spanish as a language

What Are the Different Forms of Adjectives in Spanish?

Adjectives are words that accompany or qualify a noun. These words give us more information about the nouns or distinguish them from each other. Adjectives agree in gender and number with the nouns they accompany.

Do you want to know the different forms of adjectives in Spanish? Discover today with iScribo the correct form of adjectives in Spanish.

The grado (form) of the adjective expresses the intensity with which the qualities of the nouns are explained.

What are Adjectives in Their ‘Positive’ Form?

Adjectives in their ‘positive’ form are adjectives in their neutral state, in other words, in their basic form.

Raúl está triste porque su equipo ha perdió. (Raul is sad because his team lost.)

La casa roja de la esquina es la que ha comprado Marta. (The red house on the corner is the one that Marta has bought.)

How to Form the Comparative in Spanish?

The comparative form is used to make comparisons between two or more nouns. It is formed with the adverbs más, menos, tan, igual (and similar), followed by the adjective and que or como:

más/menos/tan + adjective + que/como

There are three types of comparative adjectives:

Comparative of equality: Jesús es tan listo como Pepa. (Jesús is as smart as Pepa.)

Comparative of superiority: Josefa es más hábil que Mario. (Josefa is more skillful than Mario.)

Comparative of inferiority: La piscina de Sonia es menos grande que la de Juan. (Sonia’s pool is less big than Juan’s pool.)

How to Write Superlatives in Spanish?

The superlative form describes the highest level of a quality. There are two types depending on the level of comparison.

On the one hand, there is the relative superlative, which indicates that the adjective describes the highest quality that exists, compared to another element. It is formed with an article, the adverbs más or menos and the adjective itself:

article + más/menos + adjective

Pedro es el más alto de su clase. (Pedro is the tallest in his class.)

El coche es el menos rápido que existe en el mercado. (The car is the least fast on the market.)

On the other hand, we have the absolute superlative, which determines the highest degree of a quality without comparing it to any other element.

El perro es listísimo, sabe lo que le están hablando. (The dog is very clever, he knows what they are talking about.)

Este país es paupérrimo, ojalá alguien hiciera algo por ayudar. (This country is very poor, I wish someone would do something to help.)

iScribo & Grammar

Note that some adjectives are irregular, both in their comparative and superlative forms:

bueno/mejor/el mejor or óptimo

malo/peor/el peor or pésimo

grande/mayor/el mayor or máximo

pequeño/menor/el menor or mínimo iScribo’s spelling and grammar checker helps you to write correct Spanish. Use our tool and find out if you can write the form of irregular adjectives correctly. Do you know any other examples? Tell us about them in the comments.

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