Author: Maria del Mar Pérez

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Spanish as a language

Por And Para: 4 Keys To Learn Prepositions In Spanish

Por y Para: 4 Claves Para Usar Las Preposiciones - iScribo
Las preposiciones en español son el aspecto más complicado de la gramática. Aprende con iScribo cómo dominar por y para y despeja tus dudas sobre su uso.

Prepositions in Spanish are difficult to use. Indeed, in Spanish and in any language! You can consider yourself a native speaker if you master prepositions to perfection. Por and para are no exception.

Prepositions are invariable words that indicate a dependent relationship between an action and a complement. There are twenty-three in total, but in this post, we will teach you not only one difference between por and para but four easy tricks in total to master them like a native.

1. Motive or Purpose?

Use por to express a motive or reason and para for a purpose or intention. Here are some examples to make it clearer:

  • Te felicito por tu cumpleaños. (I congratulate you on your birthday.)

The motive of the greeting is the birthday.

  • Estudio español para aprender una segunda lengua. (I study Spanish to learn a second language.)

The purpose of studying Spanish is to learn a second language.

2. Undetermined Location or Address?

Use por to express an undetermined location and para for a specific destination address. Look at it with these examples:

  • El parque tiene que estar por allí. (The park has to be that way.)

I don’t quite know which way the park is….

  • Voy para tu casa en un momentito. (I’m going to your house in a moment.)

Your house is the exact address I’m going to.

3. Medium or Deadline?

Use por to express how you are going to perform the action and para to say when.

  • Voy a echar la solicitud por Internet. (I am going to apply online.)

Internet is one option among many.

  • Las patatas que he comprado son para el viernes. (These crisps I bought are to be served on Friday.)

Friday is the exact time they must serve the crisps.

4. Agent Complement or Opinion?

Maybe this is the easiest one, that’s why we have left it for the end and finish with a good vibe. When the sentence is in passive voice, always use por, however, use para to give your opinion.

  • La obra fue escrita por Cervantes. (The novel was written by Cervantes.)

Cervantes wrote the novel.

  • Para mí que Marcos no va a venir. (I don’t think Marcos is coming.)

I think that Marcos won’t come.

Read, Listen and Practise

It’s also about learning as you go. Prepositions in Spanish can be learned by watching movies, reading, or talking to native speakers. You can also copy what you hear and repeat it until the message sinks in.

As you get more proficient in Spanish grammar, you will realise that many Spanish prepositions have synonyms and that actions can be expressed in many ways. If you look closely, this is what we have done in the examples.

If you want to practise and see how you are doing with por and para, or other prepositions, go to iScribo and write some sentences. Practice makes perfect!

Categories
Spanish as a language

Spanish in Spain: 7 Things you Need to Know

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Conoce los idiomas oficiales de España y un poco del denominador común del territorio: el español. Acompáñanos a descubrir algunas curiosidades del idioma.

At first glance, it is not a large country, however, history has favoured different languages in Spain that have enriched the common language: Spanish.

Here you will learn a little bit about the origin of Spanish and a few other curiosities about Iberian Spanish.

At iScribo, we celebrate diversity, which is why today we bring you this interesting article so that you can learn a little more about the roots of Spanish.

1. Official languages in Spain

The Spanish Constitution states that Spanish is the official language of the country. Spain is divided into seventeen autonomous communities, in some of which Spanish coexists with other official languages:

  • Basque: spoken in the Basque Country and Navarre.
  • Catalan: spoken in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands.
  • Aran: also spoken in Catalonia.
  • Galician: spoken in Galicia.
  • Valencian: spoken in the Valencian Community.

2. Speeches in Spain

Many people mistakenly call the different speeches of Spain “dialects”. A dialect is a variety of a language that does not attain the social status of a language.

So that we understand each other, the speeches can be considered as the accents that exist in Spain. Here are some examples:

  • Andalusian: it is spoken in Andalusia and in the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla. In Gibraltar, you could say that it is also spoken, but we will tell you about that another day. A characteristic of Andalusian is that the final S is not pronounced, therefore, mis amigos would be /mih amigo/.
  • Canary: it is spoken in the Canary Islands and can have many similarities with the Latin American accent. Not only the accent but also the vocabulary is different: guagua instead of autobús.
  • Madrilian: spoken in and around the Madrid region. One aspect to note is that the final D is pronounced like Z: /madriz/.

3. Where does the Spanish name come from?

We have already mentioned that many cultures have lived in Spain until we got to where we are today. As for its etymology, the Spanish RAE says that Spanish comes from the Provençal espaignol, and in turn, this term comes from the Medieval Latin Hispaniolus meaning Hispania, which was what the Romans called Spain.

4. What amount of names the country has had!

Depending on the period we were in, Spain was called by one name or another.

  • In Greek times it was known as the Ophioússa Peninsula, which meant “land of snakes” because of the number of reptiles there. It was also called Iberia.
  • Hispania, as we have already seen, was the term of the Romans and was due to the number of metals in the country and the gold mines. The Visigoths kept the name when they arrived.
  • When the Muslims arrived in the Middle Ages, they called the Iberian Peninsula Al-Andalus. What it means is still unclear today, as there are several hypotheses.

5. Arabic influence on Iberian Spanish

Since we have started with the Muslim legacy, it would be impossible to talk about Spanish and Spaniards without taking into account their heritage and legacy, not only in language but also in architecture, customs, and the very physique of the people.

There are many Arabisms in today’s Spanish, for example, words with the prefix AL- and many that begin with A-: aceite (oil), albahaca (basil), Almería (Almeria) or azafrán (saffron).

6. Latin and Spanish in Spain

Latin influenced Spanish and evidently, it could not be otherwise. Spanish descends from the so-called Vulgar Latin, a dialect of Classical Latin. Moreover, as we already know, the Romans spent a long period of time in Spain. Sixty percent of Spanish vocabulary comes from Latin, and even today we still have quite a few expressions that prove it: in extremis, curriculum vitae, memorándum, honoris causa, etc.

7. Other influences

Spanish has encountered many cultures throughout history, and this has enriched the language. Greek has also left its mark, as in the word antígeno (antigen), which is very fashionable these days. Quechua also brought us richness when the Spanish returned from Latin America, as with the word carpa (tent).

English, French, and Italian are other languages that have made Spanish in Spain a diverse language.

Spanish in the world

Yes, Spanish was born in Spain, but more and more people in the world speak it, not only because of its origin but also because of the number of countries where the language is spoken. And as you have learned today, there are more languages in Spain.

We cannot leave without pointing out that Spain is not the country where most Spanish is spoken, the honour goes to Mexico, besides. Besides, there are so many accents and each one is more beautiful, which one do you like?

If you are learning Spanish and need to practice, remember that iScribo corrects your texts as you write. Visit us today and try our grammar corrector.

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Writing in Spanish

5 Tips To Use Gender-Inclusive Language In Spanish

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iScribo advocates the use of inclusive language in all areas. Today we give you 5 tips for using gender-inclusive language in Spanish without making mistakes.

Spanish is a sexist language. Just like that. English is fortunate to be a language in which gender is not an issue.

It is not our fault that society evolved in that direction. We have been speaking Spanish for centuries and the formation of the language took place in masculine spheres and gender-neutral language was never used before.

While it is true that the RAE is very conservative when it comes to the evolution of Spanish, there are things we could do to adapt the language to the present and make it inclusive so that it represents the whole of society.

iScribo tells you how you can contribute to adapting the language by using gender-inclusive language without making mistakes.

1. Avoid made-up words

Almost everyone wants to use inclusive language, but this does not mean that we have to disrespect the Spanish language.

Todes (everyone), the use of @ or X is not an option, we have other alternatives.

The example is ‘We are all going to the party’:

⛔ Nos vamos a presentar todes en la fiesta.

⛔ Nos vamos a presentar tod@s en la fiesta.

⛔ Nos vamos a presentar todxs en la fiesta.

Instead, we can say:

✓ Nos vamos a presentar en la fiesta al completo.

✓ Nos vamos a presentar en la fiesta en conjunto.

2. Avoid gendered words

It is not the same to say los vecinos (the neighbours, masculine word in Spanish) as el vecindario (the neighbourhood, neutral word). We must use neutral words, even if we have to use other resources:

Let’s be creative in using inclusive language:

⛔ Seamos creativos para usar el lenguaje inclusivo.

 ✓ Recurramos a la creatividad para usar el lenguaje inclusivo.

We are very tired after the race:

⛔ Estamos muy cansados tras la carrera.

  ✓ El cansancio nos puede tras la carrera.

Sometimes it is enough to change an adjective or an adverb into a noun.

3. Try to lighten the discourse

In order not to use sexist language, many people resort to the heavy language of naming nouns, adjectives, and adverbs in both masculine and feminine, when in fact it would be enough to use a word that designates the collective:

            The students went out to the playground:

⛔ Los alumnos y las alumnas salieron al patio.

  ✓ El alumnado salió al patio.

4. Break down stereotypes

There are words that have become sexist throughout history, especially for professions such as a nurse, cleaner, and so on. Spanish nursing unions claim that the word nurse defines both the masculine and the feminine, but we can always use other resources:

✓ Profesionales de enfermería (nursing professionals).

✓ Colectivo de limpieza (cleaning collective).

5. Avoid using masculine pronouns

This is usually the case with masculine demonstrative pronouns: aquel, estos, etcetera. We can use quien or quienes instead:

Those who want to come, let them come:

⛔ Aquellos que quieran venir, que vengan.

  ✓ Quienes quieran venir, que vengan.

Miembras (members) and generalas (generals)

Sometimes, especially in politics, we tend to use inclusive language incorrectly. It happened to a Spanish minister back in 2008 in a notorious case: in the middle of Congress she said miembros y miembras (miembras doesn’t exist).

In the army, too, there are those who have said la generala (it doesn’t exist either) instead of la general. Let’s not forget that there are common nouns in terms of gender!

It may sound forced, but by using inclusive language, we will normalise it and it will become natural in our lives.

We also recommend that you read style guides from official or linguistic bodies. You are sure to learn a lot, as well as with our grammar checker, which helps you to use inclusive language correctly.

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Spanish as a language

Castilian vs Spanish: Are They The Same Language?

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Español y Castellano, ¿Hablamos la Misma Lengua?

Despite the fact that we are in the 21st century and that Spanish has existed for centuries, even today there is still a debate that revolves around the naming of the language.

Is Castilian a language, are the terms Spanish and Castilian synonymous, do we say Castilian Spanish?

There are many doubts that come to our minds when it comes to labeling this language. Today, at iScribo, we tell you some curiosities about this debate and clarify your doubts.

Spanish in Spain and around the world

We have already talked on other occasions about the countries in which Spanish is spoken and the infinite varieties that exist not only between countries but also within regions. After all, more than 580 million people speak it even if it is not their mother tongue.

As for what to call the language, the Spanish RAE is clear — Spanish and Castilian are the same language, it depends on the speaker to designate the way they call it. Therefore, we can tell you that yes, Castilian is a language, but it is the same as Spanish.

Why such controversy?

The truth is that it is more of a political or simply geographical matter. The Spanish Constitution itself, quite old we must say, calls the language Castilian, something that the Nobel Prize winner himself, the writer Camilo José Cela, criticises every time he has the chance.

The RAE tells us that calling the language Spanish avoids ambiguity since Castilian was the term used in the Kingdom of Castile back in the Middle Ages. Today, it would be preferable to use Castilian to refer to the speech of the Spanish regions of Castile.

In Latin America, generally, they prefer to call what is spoken in the New Continent Spanish and what is spoken in the Old Continent Castilian. For example, in Argentina, the Argentine Academy of Letters recommends the use of Spanish as the name of the language, even though among the population it is often referred to as Castilian. Countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia, and Venezuela are in a very similar situation.

Other people in Spain will say that they prefer to designate the language as Castilian as the common language in territories where there is more than one official language, i.e., Galician, Basque, or Catalan.

I’ll tell you more. When I was a kid and I studied at school we talked about Lengua Castellana y Literatura (Castilian Language and Literature). What’s more, I don’t remember studying Latin American literary works until I was a teenager, when the subject was called Lengua Española (Spanish Language).

I also remember that it was very common to talk about Castilian Spanish what we talked in Spain. Fortunately, the RAE decided to put an end to this controversy.

Not all discussions are boring

We are used to this debate being boring in political or even intellectual circles, but the controversy has gone beyond that on some occasions.

Let’s not go too far, in 2021, at the Oscars gala, several artists performed the song Into the Unknown from the mythical children’s movie Frozen 2. The organisers had the brilliant idea of bringing together all the singers who had voiced Elsa in this song and had each of them sing a verse. What a surprise when they identified Carmen Sarahí, from Mexico, as a singer in Spanish and Gisela, from Spain, as a singer in Castilian! Most likely, the person who organised the performance did not speak Spanish, otherwise, they would have known that the two women were singing in the same language.

Anyway, why bother? Many other languages call it Spanish: spagnolo, spanjisht, hiszpański, spanska, and so on. The list is endless.

Either way, whether you use Spanish and Castilian or just one of the two terms, everyone is going to know, ­or should know, which language you are referring to. Spanish is very diverse, so we should take the opportunity to expand the frontiers of the language and get to know the more variants the better.

iScribo helps you clarify your doubts, take a look at our product and learn how to use the language, whether you call it Spanish or Castilian!

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Writing in Spanish

Hyphen vs Dash: The Use Of Punctuation In Spanish

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Raya Y Guion: Signos de Puntuación En Español

At first glance they may look almost the same, but if you look a little closer, these two spelling marks are completely different, not only in terms of their appearance but also in terms of their use.

Which is used for dialogue, the hyphen symbol, or dash symbol? What is a long dash? Clear up your doubts about these punctuation marks with the help of your favourite grammar checker.

Dash or long dash? I’m always confused!

Don’t worry, the Spanish m dash symbol (—) is often called a long dash (but the Spanish RAE advises against it) and is just that, a horizontal dash longer than the traditional Spanish hyphen symbol (-). Do not confuse it with the minus sign (–), which has an intermediate length.

It is very common to type a hyphen instead of the dash, as this sign is not on the normal keyboard. To type the dash symbol, use the combination ALT 0151 on your numeric keypad or look for it in the symbols under the Insert tab of the Toolbar. If you’re using your laptop, I’m afraid only the latter option will work.

When do you use the dash symbol?

This spelling sign has several uses, here are the two most frequent ones on the Spanish grammar:

  • To make incises: in this case, the dash can be replaced by commas or parentheses. If there are already parentheses in the sentence, use the dash instead. Keep in mind that the dash is attached to the first and last character it encloses.

Me gusta aprender idiomas —incluso el chino— aunque me cueste trabajo (I like to learn languages, even Chinese, although if it’s hard work).

  • To introduce dialogue and dialogue breaks. As you will see in this example, the initial dash symbol needs a space with the word it introduces, but it is attached to the word of the clause:

— Hola, Pedro —dijo Sara. (‘Hello, Peter,’ said Sara).

Maybe what I need to use is a hyphen symbol…

The first thing you need to know is that in Spanish, the hyphen is called guion, a diphthong word, and the RAE recommends writing it without the accent (practise your Spanish and read this interesting article from Fundéu). Its main uses are:

  • To join words or other signs: tren Madrid-Granada (train Madrid-Granada), crítico-literario (literary critic).
  • To separate linguistic content:
  • Syllables: ca – sa (hou-se)
  • To mark suffixes or prefixes (where appropriate): -ísimo, pre-OTAN (before NATO).

It doesn’t stop there

We could spend days discussing the use of the dash symbol and hyphen symbol, and how to combine them with other spelling marks, but if you know these basic rules of punctuation in Spanish, you will be able to start using them without mistakes, and then expand your knowledge little by little. Follow our blog closely and our social networks to stay up to date with the latest in the use of Spanish grammar. Don’t miss a single detail with iScribo!

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Writing in Spanish

What You Need to Know About the Spanish Imperative

Qué Tienes Que Saber Del Imperativo En Español
Qué Tienes Que Saber Del Imperativo En Español

The imperative mood is used to command or request something. Its main characteristics are that it does not appear in subordinate clauses, that it admits enclitic personal pronouns, and that the imperative verbs exist in the first person since we cannot give orders to ourselves.

You must keep in mind that there are regular and irregular verbs, and this is what will depend on how the verb is formed in the imperative. In this post we will focus on regular verbs.

Form and types of imperative

The imperative mood is only formed in the present tense; other grammatical resources, such as modal verbs, are used to give commands in any other tense.

There are two types of imperative:

  • The affirmative: ¡Ven aquí! (Come here!)
  • The negative: (que +) no + verb in the imperative mood (which is formed with the present subjunctive). ¡No conduzcas! (Don’t drive!)

Imperative in positive sentences with regular verbs

-ar-er-ir
Tú (you, second person of singular)bailabebeparte
Usted (you, second person of singular, polite form)bailebebaparta
Vosotros (you, second person of plural)bailadbebedpartid
Ustedes (you, second person of plural, polite form)bailenbebanpartan

Here you have some examples of imperative:

Bailad hasta que salga el sol (Dance until the sun comes up).

Bebed agua, hace mucho calor (Drink water, it’s very hot).

Partan antes de que sea tarde (Leave before it’s too late).

Imperative in negative sentences with regular verbs

-ar-er-ir
Tú (you, second person of singular)bailesbebaspartas
Usted (you, second person of singular, polite form)bailebebaparta
Vosotros (you, second person of plural)bailéisbebáispartáis
Ustedes (you, second person of plural, polite form)bailenbebanpartan

Some imperative examples:

Que no bailes así (Don’t dance like that).

No bebáis eso (Don’t drink that).

No partan antes del anochecer (Don’t leave before nightfall).

Most common errors

The most common mistake when forming the imperative mood is to use the verb in the infinitive, especially in the spoken language: *Sentaros en estas sillas (Sit on those chairs) instead of Sentaos en estas sillas.

This error is very frequent when using the verb ir (to go): *Ves a comprar el pan (Go to buy some bread) instead of Ve a comprar el pan.

*Irse is widely used in the spoken language, but is incorrect, it should be used id, idos and iros (not recommended but valid).

Some imperative examples:

* Irse de aquí antes de que me enfade (Get out of here before I get angry).

Id a por los gatos (Go get the cats).

Idos a la playa (Go to the beach).

Iros de compras al centro (Go shopping downtown).

The use of the infinitive as if it were an imperative is allowed only when preceded by a: ¡A comer! (Let’s eat!), and when the command is to a group in general and not to a single individual in particular: Salir por la puerta de emergencia y luego girar a la derecha (Exit through the emergency door and then turn right).

Practise non-stop

Practice is what gives the user all the confidence and skill necessary to form the imperative without mistakes. You will notice that in many regions and even countries, the incorrect use of imperative verbs is widespread. In iScribo we want to help you, so we invite you to try our tool and learn Spanish in the most correct way possible.

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Improving language

What pleonasms does Spanish grammar allow?

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The repetition or exaggerated use of a word is known in Spanish grammar as redundancy or pleonasm. Keep reading to learn examples of permitted pleonasms.

If we look at the RAE, redundancy in Spanish is “the repetition or excessive use of a word or concept”. If we want to be more technical, we will use the term pleonasm, which is “the use in a sentence of one or more words that are unnecessary for it to make complete sense”.

The Spanish language uses redundancies regularly, especially in those regions or countries where they like to resort to exaggeration in speech, such as in Andalusia or Venezuela, where you will hear “que valga la redundancia” (excuse the repetition) often. The Spanish Academy allows the use of some redundancies that enrich the language and have been included in the daily life of Spanish speakers.

Spanish RAE, what is going on?

Sube para arriba (‘go up upwards’) or baja para abajo (‘go down downwards’). Can you imagine yourself subiendo para abajo (going up downwards) o bajando para arriba (going down upward)? We can always defy the laws of physics to try it! The RAE allows us to use pleonasms in the oral and colloquial speech of the Spanish language if we use these resources with expressive or emphatic value but advises us to avoid them in written texts.

Lo vi con mis propios ojos (I saw it with my own eyes) and lo escuché con mis propias orejas (I heard it with my own ears)

Here we have two examples of expressive pleonasm, so they are correct. How strange it is to use these expressions when in theory you cannot see through someone else’s eyes or hear with their ears. But… Is this true? Well… let’s ask people who are blind or deaf, they will tell you that they do see through their guide dogs or are able to hear when someone interprets sign language for them!

What’s more, have you ever travelled through the eyes of a friend? Many of our friends send us photos of their journeys and share them with us.

You cannot go in without cita previa (a prior appointment)

There is nothing wrong with this “presumed pleonasm” as it may provide new nuances. All appointments are prior appointments, but by prior appointment, we mean appointments made in advance and through a non-direct channel, such as the telephone or the Internet. If you meet your colleague, you have an appointment, but it obviously does not have the nuance of a prior appointment.

How do you know if you are using a pleonasm, or you are just emphasising?

The use of pleonasms depends on the ironic character of the speaker, but we should not take for granted what does not belong to us, as in the incorrect pleonasm casualidad imprevista (unforeseen chance), which has no emphatic or stylistic value. We all know that “chance” is a circumstance that cannot be foreseen. In iScribo we advise you to follow the logic of your brain and then, little by little, you will learn all the details that will allow you to master Spanish grammar. With the help of our grammar checker, you will learn how to use the pleonasms that are allowed. Try it today!

Categories
Spanish as a language

Why It’s Easy for Ukrainians to Learn Spanish

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We see Ukrainians in the news who speak perfect Spanish. Discover at iScribo why speakers of Slavic languages decide to learn Spanish and how they achieve it.

The international political landscape has put Ukraine in the eye of the storm. We see in the news interviews with Ukrainian people who speak as if they were Spanish natives. At iScribo we want to contribute in some way to pay tribute to these people, and that is why today we are going to talk to you about the Ukrainian language and why the inhabitants of Ukraine decide to learn Spanish as a foreign language.

At iScribo we defend the power of communication as a tool to avoid conflicts. Languages are a fundamental part of communication and understanding. Also, in today’s post, you can find out a little more about Slavic languages.

Ukranian language

First of all, let’s talk a bit about Ukrainian. It belongs to the East Slavic languages family and is the only official language of the country. It is spoken by two-thirds of the population, although it should be noted that a large proportion of Ukrainians speak Russian, especially in the eastern part of the country, sometimes as the only language or bilingually alongside Ukrainian.

After the Soviet era, the Ukrainian government began a Ukrainianisation campaign to encourage the use of the language as it had been losing speakers for some time. This campaign required the use of Ukrainian dubbing or subtitles for all foreign broadcasts.

Meet the Slavic languages

Slavic languages belong to the Indo-European linguistic family and use the Cyrillic and Latin alphabets for writing. What diversity!

They are spoken in Central Europe, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and Northern Asia. In addition, as if they didn’t already sound like extraordinary languages, there are several ways to classify Slavic languages, in this case, let’s mention them by their geographical classification:

– East Slavic – Russian, Belarusian, and Ukrainian.

– West Slavic – Polish, Slovak, Czech, Moravian, Sorbian, Kashubian, and Silesian languages; there are also two languages that have disappeared – Polabian and Slovincian.

– South Slavic – Slovene, Serbian, Croatian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, Macedonian, and Bulgarian, as well as Old Slavic, now extinct.

Let’s compare

More and more countries understand the importance of languages, which is why they include the learning of a second or third foreign language in their educational curricula and political programs.

In Ukraine, the most studied foreign languages are Russian, English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, and Arabic.

Slavic languages are more complex grammatically

We are always told that Slavic languages are very difficult to learn. The truth is that nouns are inflected and change form in terms of gender (not only masculine and feminine but also in the neuter gender) and number (in addition to singular and plural there is also dual).

Too much information? Well, that’s not all – the verb marks person, number, aspect, tense, mood, and sometimes gender. As if that weren’t enough, declension is applied in up to seven cases to nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and sometimes numerals.

Oh, dear! Looking at it this way, it should not seem strange that a Spanish speaker has more difficulty learning Ukrainian than the other way around.

Ukrainian is somewhat more complex

Spanish is a Romance language that also descends from the Indo-European languages, but in this case from spoken Latin.

Moreover, as we have already seen on other occasions, Spanish is heavily influenced by Arabic for historical reasons, for example, the words ojalá (hopefully), alacena (cupboard), or alfombra (carpet). The Spanish language has had little contact with the Slavic languages throughout its history, so there is little influence between the two, for example, the word zar (czar) comes from Russian, but we do not have as many as we have with Greek, English or French.

For a person who speaks Ukrainian, learning Spanish is not a big challenge. The Spanish grammar is much less complicated, and the phonemes are simpler. We could test whether for a Slavic speaker, understanding Cuban Spanish is a challenge or not in terms of lexical diversity and intonation when speaking, it would be fun, wouldn’t it?

As you can see, all languages have a degree of difficulty when they are not your mother tongue, but if we stop to analyse the history and linguistics of each of them, we will realise that the difficulties we face when learning our own language help us and facilitate the path to learning a new one. At iScribo we love languages, this same passion leads us to invite you to improve and learn Spanish without complications. Visit us and discover how our tool works.

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Writing in Spanish

How to Write Simple Sentences in Spanish

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iscribo-simplesentencesspanish-blogimage

Today, we will learn the basics of forming simple sentences in Spanish. I’m sure you hadn’t noticed, but the previous sentence is an example of a simple sentence translated from Spanish. To be more specific, simple sentences contain a single verb or verbal periphrasis and, consequently, a single predicate.

In iScribo, we teach you some basic Spanish grammar ideas to form sentences in Spanish.

Simplify your writing

You don’t want to put the cart before the horse. To become fluent in Spanish, the essential thing is not to over-complicate your writing. It doesn’t matter if there are many short sentences in a paragraph, the important thing is that they are well written and, from there, little by little you will improve.

Main structure of the simple sentence

Learn it by heart: SUBJECT + PREDICATE = SIMPLE SENTENCE. For example, Juan viene al cine (Juan is coming to the cinema). The subject is the main element as it is the one who performs the action. The predicate includes the action being performed and the context.

Identify each part of the subject

In a simple sentence the subject is usually a person or persons, or a noun accompanied by another element, for example:

  • Juan e Inés: two proper nouns.
  • La casa (The house): determiner and common noun.
  • El coche azul (The blue car): determiner, common noun, and adjective.

Identify each part of the predicate

It may seem like an easy task, but in a compound sentence, everything gets a bit more complicated. Ideally, you should familiarise yourself with each element of the predicate, this is also a very good exercise for learning Spanish grammar. The main element of the predicate is the verb, so this is the first thing you should look for, and it is accompanied by other grammatical categories:

  • Noun, which can be common or proper: Clara tiene una moto (Clara has a motorbike).
  • Definite or indefinite articles, which usually go with the noun: Clara tiene una moto (Clara has a motorbike).
  • Pronouns, which replace the noun: Tú vienes mañana (You come tomorrow). Instead of saying Paco, for example.
  • Adverbs, which modify the verb and give context to the predicate: Tú vienes mañana (You come tomorrow). There are different types of adverbs, but we will see them another time.
  • Prepositions: they express a relationship with other words and are undoubtedly the most difficult to put into practice. El gato estaba bajo la ropa (The cat was under the clothes).
  • Conjunctions: they link words, even sentences, in a logical order: Iré, pero más tarde (I will go, but later).
  • Adjectives: accompany nouns to give them some additional explanation: La silla bonita es la rosa (The pretty chair is the pink one).

The only key is to practise!

The theory is always the tricky part of Spanish grammar. We know that experience is everything in this life, so practice non-stop, and never give up, it’s the best way to learn how to create simple sentences in Spanish. Remember to start with simple structures and, if you want to know if you are doing it right, use iScribo text editor. May the words be with you!

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