Author: Maria del Mar Pérez

National Holidays in Spanish-Speaking Countries

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date December 6, 2023
No Comments on National Holidays in Spanish-Speaking Countries

Los Días Festivos en Países Hispanohablantes | iScribo

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.

Tags how many public holidays there are in spain, national public holidays in Colombia, public holidays in Argentina, public holidays in spain

Writing in Spanish

Guide To The 39 Most Common Spanish Verbs

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date November 29, 2023
No Comments on Guide To The 39 Most Common Spanish Verbs

Guía De Los 39 Verbos Más Comunes del Español | iScribo

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.

Tags common spanish verbs, list of common spanish verbs, most common spanish ar verbs, most used spanish verbs, Spanish grammar

Writing in Spanish

Guide About How To Use Prefixes in Spanish

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date November 22, 2023
No Comments on Guide About How To Use Prefixes in Spanish

Descubre Cómo se Forman los Prefijos en Español | iScribo

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.

Tags how to use a prefix, prefixes in the spanish language, spanish prefixes, what is a prefix in Spanish

Writing in Spanish

15 Spanish Sayings & Phrases About Studying

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date November 15, 2023
No Comments on 15 Spanish Sayings & Phrases About Studying

15 Frases o Refranes de Estudio en Español | iScribo

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.

Tags spanish phrases about school, spanish phrases about study, spanish sayings about education, spanish sayings about learning

Culture around Spanish language

The Wine Industry in Spain: Tradition and Culture

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date November 8, 2023
No Comments on The Wine Industry in Spain: Tradition and Culture

El Sector del Vino en España: Tradición y Cultura | iScribo

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?

Tags best spanish wine, bodegas in spain, fortified spanish wine, spanish wine appellations, wine market in spain

Spanish as a language

What Are the Different Forms of Adjectives in Spanish?

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date November 1, 2023
No Comments on What Are the Different Forms of Adjectives in Spanish?

¿Cuál Es el Grado de los Adjetivos en Español? | iScribo

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.

Tags correct form of adjectives in Spanish, how to form the comparative in Spanish, how to write superlatives in Spanish

Spanish as a language

22 Different Ways to Say Sorry in Spanish

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date October 25, 2023
No Comments on 22 Different Ways to Say Sorry in Spanish

22 Formas de Disculparse en Español Correctamente | iScribo

Making mistakes is natural among humans and there are many ways to apologise in Spanish. Apologising or asking for forgiveness makes us better people and can make a big difference to others.

No matter what has happened, sometimes we think we are too smart. In any case, we need to be able to express ourselves in any situation if we want to master a language. Whether you wonder how to apologise in Spanish in a formal context or among friends, learn today with iScribo other ways to say sorry in Spanish.

Expressions to Apologise in Spanish

To apologise in Spanish, remember that you must always do it with respect and be truly sorry, only in this way will you be able to settle the matter of concern.

1. Perdón

With all its variants: perdona, perdone.

Perdón, me he equivocado y no volverá a pasar. (Sorry, I made a mistake and it won’t happen again.)

Perdona que te haya molestado, no me he dado cuenta. (I’m sorry I bothered you, I didn’t realise.)

Perdone, me he saltado la cola sin saber. (Excuse me, I jumped the queue without realizing.)

If you notice, what differentiates these phrases is the register, it is not the same to apologise to a friend as to a stranger.

2. Disculpa o disculpe

Disculpa, Mateo, pero es que de verdad que necesito pasar. (Excuse me, Mateo, but I really need to get through.)

Oiga, disculpe, creo que me he llevado su bolsa de la compra por error. (Excuse me, I think I took your shopping bag by mistake.)

3. Lo lamento

Lo lamento sinceramente, era una persona excelente. (I am sincerely sorry, he was an excellent person.)

We can add other words as in this example above to emphasise the seriousness of the apology or the feeling we are concerned about.

4. Te pido disculpas

Te pido disculpas si he herido tus sentimientos. (I apologise if I have hurt your feelings.)

5. Siento lo ocurrido

Siento lo ocurrido, no tenía que haberle hablado así. (I’m sorry for what happened, I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.)

6. Mil disculpas

Mil disculpas, la próxima vez actuaré de otra manera. (I’m so sorry, next time I will act differently.)

7. Lo lamento mucho

Lo lamento mucho pero no podemos darle ninguna cita. (I am very sorry but we cannot give you any appointments.)

8. No sé si podrás perdonarme

No sé si podrás perdonarme, espero que haya algo dentro de ti que diga que sí. (I don’t know if you can forgive me, I hope there is something inside you that says yes.)

9. Lo siento

He llegado muy tarde, lo siento. (I am very late, I am sorry.)

10. Te debo una disculpa

Te debo una disculpa por haberme ido sin despedirme de ti. (I owe you an apology for leaving without saying goodbye.)

Ways to Apologise Without Saying Sorry

Many Spanish-speaking artists have written about forgiveness. The following phrases are related to apologising and are more creative than the previous ones. You can use them to apologise in a more original way.

11. Poco bueno habrá hecho en su vida el que no sepa de ingratitudes (Who doesn’t know about ingratitude must haven’t done little good in their life) by Jacinto Benavente.

12. Destruimos al otro cuando somos incapaces de imaginarlo (We destroy the other when we are incapable of imagining it), by Carlos Fuentes.

13. Quizá haya enemigos de mis opiniones, pero yo mismo, si espero un rato, puedo ser también enemigo de mis opiniones (There may be enemies of my opinions, but I myself, if I wait a while, can also be an enemy of my opinions) by Jorge Luis Borges.

14. El llanto es a veces el modo de expresar las cosas que no pueden decirse con palabras (Crying is sometimes a way of expressing things that cannot be said in words) by Concepción Arenal.

15. Al bien hacer jamás le falta premio (Good work never lacks a prize) by Miguel de Cervantes.

16. A perdonar solo se aprende en la vida cuando a nuestra vez hemos necesitado que nos perdonen mucho (Forgiveness is only learned in life when we have needed a lot of forgiveness ourselves) by Jacinto Benavente.

17. El malvado descansa algunas veces; el necio jamás (The wicked sometimes rests; the foolish never rests) by José Ortega y Gasset.

18. Los humoristas y los filósofos dicen muchas tonterías, pero los filósofos son más ingenuos y las dicen sin querer (Humourists and philosophers say a lot of stupid things, but philosophers are naiver and say them unintentionally) by Noel Carrasó.

19. Cuando la culpa es de todos, la culpa no es de nadie (When it’s everybody’s fault, it’s nobody’s fault) by Concepción Arenal.

20. Hay dos maneras de conseguir la felicidad, una hacerse el idiota; otra serlo (There are two ways to achieve happiness, one is to be taken as an idiot; the other is to be an idiot) by Enrique Jardiel Poncela.

21. Sustituir el amor propio con el amor de los demás, es cambiar un insufrible tirano por un buen amigo (To replace self-love with the love of others is to exchange an insufferable tyrant for a good friend) by Concepción Arenal.

22. Donde haya un árbol que plantar, plántalo tú. Donde haya un error que enmendar, enmiéndalo tú. Donde haya un esfuerzo que todos esquivan, hazlo tú. Sé tú el que aparta la piedra del camino (Where there is a tree to plant, you plant it. Where there is a wrong to be righted, you make it right. Where there is an effort that everyone else shirks, you do it. Be the one who moves the stone out of the way) by Gabriela Mistral.

iScribo & Arts

The way in which we express ourselves is very important when learning a language. iScribo professes grammar and spelling following the norm, that’s why our spelling and grammar checker is here to help you with your written Spanish. It doesn’t matter if you have a good level, the suggestions of our tool will help you to improve the style of your document. Have you already tried it? If not, you can do it here.

Tags apologise in Spanish, how to apologise in Spanish, other ways to say sorry in Spanish, ways to apologise without saying sorry

Culture around Spanish language

11 Typical & Delicious Spanish Food Specialties

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date October 18, 2023
No Comments on 11 Typical & Delicious Spanish Food Specialties

11 Platos Típicos de la Gastronomía Española | iScribo

Authentic Spanish food goes beyond paella and churros. However, these dishes are the standard bearers in terms of the influence of Spanish food specialties in the world.

We could focus on Spanish traditional food by region, but instead, we are going to present you with a list of typical dishes that you cannot miss if you visit Spain or any Spanish restaurant in the world. Some of them are difficult to find outside Spain’s borders, but others are internationally renowned as the best Spanish food. Sit back, relax and have a refreshing drink while you work up an appetite.

Famous Spanish Tapas

1. Tortilla: In many foreign places it is known as tortilla española (Spanish omelette) to differentiate it from Mexican one. Be that as it may, you will love this delicacy made with potatoes and eggs. It is very common to make it with onion, which is a never-ending debate among Spaniards. There are many varieties, some people add peppers and others chorizo, you can even make tortillas with any vegetable you have at home, or with prawns. Your possibilities are endless.

2. Gazpacho: Indulge in summer with this starter made of tomato, pepper, garlic and cucumber. Let yourself be carried away by this cold soup, as they call it abroad, typical of Andalusia. There are other varieties with watermelon, avocado or beetroot.

3. Salmorejo: Another typical Andalusian starter, with almost the same ingredients as gazpacho (salmorejo does not have peppers or cucumber) but a little more consistent with the addition of bread. Add a hard-boiled egg at the end to decorate it – amazing!

4. Pulpo a feria: The difficulty of cooking octopus makes Galician people culinary masters. The paprika and coarse salt give it a special touch that makes it a star dish in many Spanish restaurants. Serve it with a bed of boiled potato, let us know what you think!

Spanish Typical Dishes

5. Paella: This Spanish dish needs no introduction. The rice base and the infinite number of ingredients with which you can combine it make it a delicacy for the enjoyment of the most exquisite palates. Our favourite is the original, Valencian paella, although we won’t turn down any variant.

6. Cocido: A typical Madrilenian dish that is very widespread throughout the country, in a multitude of delicious variations. This dish, highly recommended on a cold winter’s day, will fill your stomach for the whole day. It is made with chickpeas, chicken and beef, and sometimes noodles. Anyway, it would take up this entire blog post just to list the ingredients.

7. Migas: can be made with bread or with a special flour. Also typical of the south, this dish is prepared with fried garlic, peppers, bacon and melon. There are, of course, different variations of this dish, but whatever you put in it, it is still delicious and typical for a weekend in family.

8. Fabada: Asturian gastronomy is made up of very complete and dense dishes like this one. Based on white beans and pork, there is nothing better to combat the cold northern winter.

9. Bacalao al pilpil: we could not ignore fish, which is so important in our Mediterranean diet. This traditional Basque dish combines garlic, chilli and cod. Undoubtedly delicious and special in our culture.

Traditional Spanish Breakfast Foods

10. Torrijas: This dessert, or breakfast treat, is made with bread soaked in milk, or wine for the more daring, and then fried. Some people serve it with vanilla ice cream, an ideal tandem.

11. Churros: worldwide famous, this star product in Spanish breakfasts and afternoon snacks is made with flour and water. Typical in traditional Spanish cafés.

iScribo & the Meaningful Spanish Gastronomy

Typical Spanish dishes are cooked with our star product, olive oil. As the basis of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil not only gives flavour, but is also beneficial for our health. Have you tried any of these dishes? Do you know any Spanish recipe that you like and we have not mentioned? You can write it in our tool, iScribo’s Spanish spelling and grammar checker, have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

Tags authentic spanish food, best spanish food, spanish traditional food, traditional spanish breakfast foods

Spanish as a language

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

Post author By Maria del Mar Pérez
Post date October 11, 2023
No Comments on Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

Los Números Ordinales y Cardinales en Español | iScribo

Do you know the cardinal and ordinal numbers in Spanish? Learning Spanish numbers is one of the first steps in mastering the language well. To determine which number to use, you will need to ask yourself first ‘what is ordinal numbers and cardinal numbers?’

With this iScribo post you will learn ordinal and cardinal numbers in Spanish. Read on to learn more about this topic.

Cardinal Numbers in Spanish

Cardinal numbers are a type of natural numbers that we use to count the elements that exist in a group or set. Among the characteristics of cardinal numbers, we can mention that they represent the number of things in a total.

For example: uno (one), dos (two), tres (three), quinientos cincuenta y siete (five hundred and fifty-seven), cinco mil cuatrocientos noventa y dos (five thousand four hundred and ninety-two), and so on.

Nos compramos un coche la semana pasada. (We bought a -one- car last week.)

En el frutero hay quince peras, veintidós fresas y cuatro manzanas. (In the fruit bowl there are fifteen pears, twenty-two strawberries and four apples.)

Cardinal numbers are divided into odd and even numbers.

Even numbers: cero (zero), dos (two), cuatro (four), seis (six) and so on.

Odd: uno (one), tres (three), cinco (five), siete (seven) and so on.

List of Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

Ordinal numbers express order or succession within the natural numbers and indicate the place they occupy within a series. In other words, they are used to indicate position. Note that ordinal numbers vary in gender and number depending on the context and the word they accompany.

For example: primero (first), segunda (second), vigésimos (twentieth), quincuagésimo segundo (fifty-second), and so on.

Remember that the suffix -avo is considered incorrect as an ordinal number and is only used with fractional numbers, so we would say decimoquinto (fifteenth) and not quinceavo.

Quedó octavo en la carrera. (He came eighth in the race.)

Vivimos en el trigésimo segundo piso de la torre norte. (We live on the thirty-second floor of the north tower.)

iScribo Teaches and Helps You

The higher the number, the more difficult it is to write it, and we are aware that ordinal numbers are also more difficult to write than cardinals.

Don’t be discouraged, once you learn how to write the natural numbers and become familiar with the suffixes, you will see that they are all written in the same way.

A trick to make sure you never make a mistake is to use a spelling and grammar checker to help you clarify and learn them well from the very first moment. Have you tried iScribo yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

Tags cardinal numbers in spanish, list of ordinal numbers in Spanish, Spanish numbers, what is ordinal numbers and cardinal numbers

Want more Spanish tips?

Get them direct to your inbox