Category: Spanish as a language

Categories
Improving language Spanish as a language Writing in Spanish

Spanish and its distinction between ser and estar

As mentioned in previous articles, Spanish is one of the world’s most extensive and diverse languages ​​. It also stands out for a particularity that distinguishes it from many other languages: the difference between the verbs “ser” and “estar” to express the concept of “being” in different senses. This distinction, which may seem complex to non-native speakers, reflects a philosophical and historical depth that has influenced the language’s grammar and how speakers perceive reality.

The distinction between “ser” and “estar”: origin and philosophy

The separation between the concepts of “ser” and “estar” has roots in Vulgar Latin, the colloquial form of Latin spoken by ordinary citizens in the Roman Empire. Although in popular Latin, there was still no differentiation between the verb that referred to the essence or nature of things and the verb that referred to temporary states or conditions, there were esse (to exist) and stare (to stand). As Latin evolved into the Romance languages, Spanish retained these two verbs and expanded their meaning. In contrast, other languages ​​, such as Italian or French, simplified their verbal systems and merged these concepts into a single verb.

Philosophically, the distinction between “ser” and “estar” implies a dual view of reality: a difference between the immutable essence of something and its transitory state or condition. When we use “ser,” we are talking about an intrinsic or defining quality, as in “es una persona gentil.” When we use “estar,” we point to a momentary condition, as in “está cansado.” This usage reflects a complex perception in which Spanish distinguishes between the permanent and the temporary, the essential and the accidental.

Examples in other languages

Spanish is not the only language that distinguishes between two concepts of “being”. In Galician and Catalan, other Romance languages ​​of the Iberian Peninsula, two verbs differentiate between an essential quality and a temporary condition. This distinction is crucial in Galician, for example, where “ser” and “estar” are used in a way essential to understanding the language.

Outside of the Romance languages, modern Greek also has an interesting differentiation between the verb “είμαι” (eímai) to describe more permanent states and additional verbs to describe transitory states, although there is no exact correspondence. In other Indo-European languages ​​, such as Hindi, some verbs specialise in expressing temporary conditions versus permanent states, although they do not function like in English. This trend indicates that the need to separate concepts of ser and estar reflects, in part, how different cultures interpret reality.

Consequences of Teaching Spanish

For students of Spanish as a foreign language, distinguishing between “ser” and “estar” is one of the most challenging aspects to master. This is particularly true for speakers of languages ​​that do not have this distinction—English, for example. In English, the verb “to be” covers both meanings, and the distinction is only inferred from context or additional modifiers. This reliance on context and modifiers to understand the distinction in English can make it challenging for learners to grasp when to use ‘ser’ or ‘estar’ in Spanish, as it requires a shift in understanding how a language can structure and categorise reality more precisely in terms of permanence and temporality.

The different use of “ser” and “estar” not only enriches the vocabulary of Spanish but also provides a powerful tool to express ideas and nuances that in other languages ​​require longer explanations. The language thus reflects a particular sensitivity towards the characteristics of people, objects and situations, showing a nuance that has both linguistic and cultural roots. For example, in Spanish, we can say “él se dejó ser” and “él se dejó estar”, and both expressions refer to totally different things. The first alludes to the fact that he decided to live the life he wanted. The second expression indicates that he abandoned himself, probably referring to his physical condition, causing the years to affect his physical state negatively.

The duality between “ser” and “estar” in Spanish is not merely a grammatical issue; it reflects how Spanish speakers perceive reality and distinguish between what is essential and what is transitory. This differentiation, shared to a certain extent with other languages, reveals a cultural depth that is part of the identity of the language. By learning to use “ser” and “estar,” one learns a grammatical rule, and at the same time, one better understands the richness of a language that seeks to capture the essence and change precisely. Isn’t that beautiful?

Keep learning curiosities about the language and the Spanish language, visiting and reading the articles we publish weekly on the iScribo blog. If you want to improve your Spanish writing and correct a specific variant of this language, subscribe to our superb grammar checker. We are waiting for you!

Categories
Spanish as a language

Perpetual motion. Palindromes and anagrams in Spanish

The word palindrome comes from the Greek meaning “that runs in reverse.” Poetic. Now, in simple words, a palindrome is a phrase or word that can be read equally from left to right and from right to left. Anagrams, meanwhile, are words (or phrases) that result from the transposition of letters within another word.

Palindromes and anagrams are language exercises that turn it into a game and challenge of ingenuity. These games are so old that Duncan Fishwick, British historian, and world authority in Roman history, said that palindrome composition was a pastime of the Roman nobility. One of the most famous multiple palindromes is the famous Sator Square, found in the ruins of Pompeii and present in other remains of Roman buildings.

This palindrome is made up of five letters written in Latin and arranged so that they can be read from left to right or vice versa and from top to bottom and vice versa:

SATOR

AREPO

TENET

OPERA

ROTAS

The meaning of this palindrome is still a subject of study and debate, as opinions are divided between those who give it a religious, cabalistic, or other interpretation linked to the daily events of the time.

Amor, Roma y mora

In contemporary Spanish, one of the excellent references to palindromes is the Guatemalan writer Augusto Monterroso, master of the short story and a prolific inventor of many palindromes.

Monterroso spoke about this game in his text Onís es asesino, an accusatory palindrome, where he reflects on the art of wordplay and how Spanish seems to be a particularly conducive language for wordplay. In this text, he takes a tour of different games that can be played with words, describing meetings with other writers in which they spent entire afternoons or nights playing and sharing his creations. Here are some examples:

¡Acá, caca! Augusto Monterroso

[Here, poop!]

Amo a la paloma. Carlos Illescas.

[I love the Dove]

Odio la luz azul al oído. Rubén Bonifaz Nuño

[I hate the blue light in my ear]

Madam, I’m Adam. James Joyce.

Somos laicos, Adán; nada social somos. Carlos Illescas.

[We are lay, Adam; We are not at all social]

Anagrams are a linguistic game like the palindrome, but less demanding: amor, Roma y mora are all anagrams, but there are also longer ones such as Camilo Ruge, anagram of murciélago (bat).

Anagrams are also a method of encrypting messages, like Lalo Barrubia, a Uruguayan writer (she) whose pseudonym is an anagram of la loba rubia (the blonde wolf). Avida Dollars is another great example of an anagram with an encrypted message. It corresponds to the anagram that André Breton devised to refer disparagingly to Salvador Dalí and his thirst for money at the expense of that of the creator.

Keep learning curiosities about the language and the Spanish language, visiting and reading the articles we publish weekly on the iScribo blog. If you are looking to improve your Spanish writing and correct a specific variant of this language, remember to subscribe to our wonderful grammar checker. We are waiting for you!

Categories
Spanish as a language

Genders in transition

If Spanish is not your first language, it is not unusual for you to get confused about the gender or the use of articles corresponding to a word. As a rule, a poorly chosen article or an adjectival disagreement does not represent a big problem since the meaning of what you want to say remains intact. But what happens when the article defines the meaning of a word? Well, in that case the matter is a little more complicated.

We talk about homonymous words. They are written and pronounced the same, but their meaning is different and is determined by the article that precedes it. Examples of this type of homonym are:

  1. El cólera (Cholera) and la cólera (anger): the word cólera preceded by the masculine article (el) refers to the disease. It defines it as an acute epidemic disease of bacterial origin, characterised by repeated vomiting and intense diarrhoea. At the same time, la cólera means anger, fury, or rage.
  2. El orden (order) and la orden (command): one meaning of order is placement of things in their rightful place, and the second meaning of the masculine term is “field of subjects or activities in which someone or something is framed.” In the case of la orden, the meaning changes to “command that must be obeyed, observed and executed”.
  3. El capital (capital) and la capital (money): El capital is “the set of assets and economic goods intended to produce greater wealth”; while la capital is a city or locality where the public powers of a State, country, demarcation, province, etc.

In addition to homonyms whose meaning varies depending on the article, two cases can represent a headache for those learning Spanish: 1) nouns that are masculine in the singular and change to feminine in the plural and 2) ambiguous nouns that change the grammatical gender depending on the country.

Nouns that transition from masculine to feminine

Within the wide range of nouns in Spanish, there is a long list of nouns whose gender is masculine and changes to feminine when we pluralise the word. There is no norm nor a name to call this phenomenon. For native Spanish speakers, it probably will not be easy to list the items on the list if they have not stopped to think about it before. Natives know when to apply the grammatical gender change, even if they do not explain it. Let’s review some of these cases:

SingularPlural
El arte (art)Las artes (arts)
El águila (eagle)Las águilas (eagles)
El agua (water)Las aguas (waters)
El alga (seaweed)Las algas (seaweeds)
El ansia (longing)Las ansias
El hada (fairy)Las hadas (fairies)
El ave (bird)Las aves (birds)
El área (area)Las áreas (areas)
El aula (classroom)Las aulas (classrooms)

Finally, another case of gender transition occurs from one country to another. Here, the alternation is due to geographical factors. For example, in much of Latin America, tanga is feminine, while in Spain, it is a masculine noun. In Chile, sartén (frying pan) is masculine, while in Spain it is feminine. Pijama is mainly masculine but feminine in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. In Argentina, it is expected to hear about la vodka, while for the rest of the Spanish speakers, it is a masculine noun, so the differences continue.

Keep learning curiosities about the language and the Spanish language, visiting and reading the articles we publish weekly on the iScribo blog. If you are looking to improve your Spanish writing and correct a specific variant, remember to subscribe to our wonderful grammar checker.

Categories
Spanish as a language

The 20 Most Common Connectors in Spanish

iscribo-connectorsinpanish-blogimage
Los 20 Conectores Más Comunes en Español | iScribo

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.

Categories
Spanish as a language

What Are the Different Forms of Adjectives in Spanish?

iscribo-adjectivesinspanish-blogimage
¿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.

Categories
Spanish as a language

22 Different Ways to Say Sorry in Spanish

iscribo-apologisinginspanish-blogimage
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.

Categories
Spanish as a language

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

iscribo-numbersinspanish-blogimage
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.

Categories
Spanish as a language

40 Most Commonly Used Adverbs in Spanish

iscribo-adverbsinspanish-blogimage
Los 40 Adverbios Más Comunes del Idioma Español | iScribo

Adverbs in Spanish are invariable words, that is, they don’t change their gender and number; they modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. While there are different types of adverbs in Spanish, today we are going to discover some common adverbial phrases in Spanish.

It should be noted that when an adverb is composed by several words, it is called adverbial locution, and they are included in our list.

In terms of their function, adverbs provide circumstantial information, whether it’s their mood, time, place, etcetera. If you’ve ever wondered what the most commonly used adverbs in Spanish are, don’t miss out this article by iScribo. We help you to master grammar while learning the culture of the Spanish-speaking countries.

Most Common Informal Adverbs

Learn today the most frequently adverbs used in Spanish. To do so, we are going to classify them depending on their register. Do you know these informal adverbs? They are used in common and daily context, which means that they are colloquial.

1. Superiormente (superiorly): Tiene tallos erectos, algo ramificados superiormente. (Stems erect, somewhat branched at the top.)

2. A tope (all out): Vamos a ir a tope desde el principio. (We are going all out since the beginning.)

3. A lo loco (without thinking): Estás haciendo los deberes a lo loco. (You are doing your homework without thinking.)

4. Chido (awesome): ¡Qué chido! El plan es muy divertido. (Awesome! This plan is so funny.)

5. Allí (there): Has llegado allí muy rápido, ¿no había tráfico? (You got there so fast, wasn’t there traffic?)

6. Rápido (fast): Pablo acabará rápido y se despedirá de todos. (Pablo will finish quickly and say goodbye to everyone.)

7. Guay (cool): Qué guay está tu camiseta nueva, me encanta el color. (How cool is your new shirt, I love its colour.)

8. Pronto (early): Los niños llegaron pronto de las actividades. (The kids arrived early from their activities.)

9. Bien (good): Ha estado muy bien que hayas defendido a tu amiga. (It was very good of you to stand up for your friend.)

10. Mal (bad): La tarde ha empezado mal, a ver cómo termina. (The evening has started badly, let’s see how it ends.)

11. Muy (very): La cena estaba muy buena, tenemos que volver. (Dinner was very good, we have to come back.)

12. También (also): También ha venido Paco, que es de agradecer. (Paco has also come, which is good.)

13. Poco (a little): He venido un poco antes por si te podía ayudar. (I came a little earlier in case I could help you.)

14. Mucho (a lot): Hemos comprado mucho, va a sobrar comida. (We have bought a lot of stuff, there will be food left over.)

15. Siempre (always): Siempre llegas tarde, no tienes remedio. (You are always late, what are we going to do with you?)

16. Nunca (never): Nunca te apetece salir y yo me aburro. (You never want to go out and I get bored.)

17. Ahora (now): Ahora me tienen que llamar, no puedo salir. (I’m waiting for a call now, I cannot go out.)

18. Después (after): Iremos al cine después de cenar. (We Will go to the cinema after dinner.)

19. Casi (almost): Casi me caigo de la moto, debo tener cuidado. (I almost fell off the bike, I have to be careful.)

20. Aquí (here): Aquí hace mucho frío, me voy a cambiar de sitio. (It is very cold here, I’m going to swap places.)

Most Common Formal Adverbs

Remember to spot the –mente termination in a word to identify adverbs faster.

You can find here a list f the most frequently used adverbs in formal context so you can improve your Spanish communication with a more elevated grammar:

21. Asimismo (additionally): Asimismo, el cambio climático producirá más problemas. (Additionally, global warming will bring more problems.)

22. Por ende (consequently): Por ende, no iremos a cenar esta noche a tu casa. (Consequently, we will not go to your place for dinner.)

23. Ergo: Ergo, el examen sorpresa no fue una casualidad. (Ergo, the surprise exam was not a coincidence.)

24. Indudablemente (undoubtedly): Indudablemente, suspenderá el examen. (Undoubtedly, they will fail the exam.)

25. Cierto (true): Es cierto que haya más paro. (It is true that there is more unemployment.)

26. Acaso (perhaps): La literatura es acaso lo mejor para curar el alma. (Literature is perhaps the best way to heal the soul.)

27. Ni siquiera (not even): Ni siquiera se ha despedido al irse. (He did not even say goodbye when he left.)

28. Acuciantemente (urgently): Necesito que vengas acuciantemente. (I need you to come urgently.)

29. Cuán (how much):  Se indica cuán de acuerdo se está con el resultado. (Indicate how much you agree with the result.)

30. Entretanto/Entre tanto (meanwhile): Entretanto, ve haciendo la lista. (Meanwhile, start making the list.)

31. Alrededor (around): Alrededor del estanque, crece el césped impecable. (Around the pond, impeccable lawns grow.)

32. Adonde (where): Estas personas no tienen otro lugar adonde ir. (These people do not have a place -where- to go.)

33. Amigable (friendly): Los semáforos amigables con todos son inclusivos. (Everyone-friendly traffic lights are inclusive.)

34.  Cuanto más (the more): Cuanto más llores, menos vas a conseguir. (The more you cry, the less you will get.)

35. Inclusive: Las páginas 20 a 25, ambas inclusive. (Pages 20 to 25 inclusive.)

36. Sin duda (certainly): Sin duda alguna, te esperaremos. (We will certainly be waiting for you.)

37. Incluso (even): Todos me han dado la enhorabuena, incluso tu padre. (Everyone is congratulating me, even your father.)

38. Adelante (forward): El enemigo nos cierra el paso; no podemos ir adelante. (The enemy is blocking our way; we cannot go forward.)

39. Profusamente (profusely): El sacro recinto fue profusamente engalanado con flores y luces.(The sacred enclosure was profusely decorated with flowers and lights.)

40. Antaño (in the past): Antaño, todo esto era campo. (In the past, all this was countryside.)

iScribo & Spanish Grammar

Spanish grammar can be complicated if you have it wrong from the beginning. Having a proper basic grammar will help you to develop the main grounds of the language. But not only grammar, writing correctly speaks about us and our level of Spanish. iScribo spelling and grammar checker helps you to write without mistakes and with impeccable writing, have you tried it yet? If not, you can do it here.

Categories
Spanish as a language

10 Autumn Quotes for this Change of Season

iscribo-autumnphrasesinspanish-blogimage
10 Citas de Otoño Para el Cambio de Estación | iScribo

Have you already prepared for the falling leaves season? For many people autumn is the most romantic season. Beyond Pablo Neruda‘s autumn phrases and words, there are autumn expressions and sayings to help you communicate like a true Spanish speaker and find inspiration for the time being.

Read this iScribo article to learn autumn phrases and quotes. If you want to learn phrases from other seasons, visit our blog.

Autumn Quotes By Famous Authors

Here are our favourite autumn quotes from Spanish-speaking authors:

1. El otoño es un segundo respiro de la naturaleza (Autumn is a second breath of nature) by Lope de Vega.

2. El otoño es esa época del año en la que las hojas se visten de poesía y la naturaleza nos muestra su arte más hermoso, (Autumn is that time of year when the leaves are dressed in poetry and nature shows us its most beautiful art) by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer.

3. Bienvenido otoño, estación de encuentros con uno mismo, de reflexión y de nuevos comienzos (Welcome autumn, the season of meeting oneself, of reflection and new beginnings) by Isabel Allende.

4. El otoño es la estación donde la naturaleza nos muestra que soltar es necesario para renacer (Autumn is the season where nature shows us that letting go is necessary to be reborn) by José Saramago.

5. El otoño es un tiempo de transformación, donde las hojas nos enseñan que es hermoso cambiar (Autumn is a time of transformation, where the leaves teach us that it is beautiful to change) by Gabriela Mistral.

Welcome Autumn Quotes and Sayings

6. Otoño lluvioso, invierno frondoso (Rainy autumn, lush winter): this saying implies the importance of weather conditions for harvest and nature. If it rains in autumn, winter will be prosperous with lush vegetation and abundant natural resources.

7. En otoño, la cosecha llena el granero (In autumn, the harvest fills the granary): in autumn, many crops are harvested to supply us during the winter. This expression of abundance can be extrapolated to our lives, in the sense that we should harvest our fruits and be prepared for what the future may bring.

8. Otoño adelantado, invierno anticipado (Early autumn, early winter): means that if autumn comes early, it is very likely that winter will come early too.

9. En otoño, cada hoja es una flor (In autumn, every leaf is a flower): autumn may be the season with the most colour changes, followed by spring, when the colour of flowers is compared and admired.

10. En otoño, el rocío matutino es la lágrima del verano (In autumn, the morning dew is the tear of summer): some sayings seem to be taken from poetry, like this one. It means that the morning dew with which we wake up in the morning represents the end of summer as a season.

iScribo & Popular Spanish Sayings

We love Spanish culture, that’s why we ask you, do you know any famous autumn quotes or popular sayings from other Spanish-speaking countries? iScribo is a tool powered by artificial intelligence with which you can write in Spanish without fear of making mistakes. Try writing your autumn phrases with our corrector here.

GET IT NOW
Sign up now

Want more Spanish tips?

Get them direct to your inbox

Sign up for tips and tricks to perfect your Spanish writing skills. You’ll be writing like a native in no time.

Free Trial until 30 September 2021: Our subscription programme does not start until 1 October 2021. So, as long as you provide us with a feedback you can use our site for free until noon 30 September 2021 (GMT)