Category: Spanish as a language

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Spanish as a language

22 Different Ways to Say Sorry in Spanish

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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.

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Spanish as a language

Cardinal and Ordinal Numbers in Spanish

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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.

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Spanish as a language

40 Most Commonly Used Adverbs in Spanish

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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.

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Spanish as a language

10 Autumn Quotes for this Change of Season

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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.

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Spanish as a language

12 Spanish Summer Phrases And Expressions

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12 Expresiones de Verano Para tus Vacaciones | iScribo

The richness of the Spanish language gives us the gift of Spanish summer expressions to use when travelling or other types of expressions in Spain, which may at first glance seem to be about travelling, that we use in our day-to-day lives.

Spanish phrases for travelling and summer moments are related to the number of memories we create along the way. These positive experiences will always lead to happy travel quotes.

iScribo reminds you today some popular Spanish phrases for tourists and Spanish speakers, so that you can enjoy your summer trips with your family, friends or alone. Anything goes when it comes to having a good time in summer.

Spanish Travel Language & Expressions

1. Dar la vuelta al mundo (go around the world): to visit many places in a single trip or in a short period of time, even if it is in several trips.

Este verano he visitado cuatro países diferente, al final voy a dar la vuelta al mundo.

(This summer I have visited four different countries, so in the end I am going to go around the world.)

2. Andar con la mochila a cuestas (backpacking, literally): it means travelling a lot. The adventurous spirit of people also generates beautiful expressions!

Andas con la mochila a cuestas, ¿cuándo vas a dejar de viajar?

(You’re travelling all the time, when are you going to stop?)

3. Perderse por la ciudad (getting lost in the city): visiting a place with intensity, even sometimes without a specific plan, and enjoying it by discovering new places.

Nos perdimos por la ciudad y encontramos la cafetería más romántica que hemos visto nunca.

(We got lost in the city and found the most romantic coffee shop we’ve ever seen.)

4. Hacer la maleta (packing): with this one, we make it easy for you. You can also use the verb preparar. This expression means to pack your luggage for your trip.

Voy a hacer la maleta para las vacaciones.

(I’m going to pack for my holiday.)

Travel Expressions for Everyday Life

5. Poner tierra de por medio (to get out of the way) this is interpreted in its literal sense. It means to go far away to escape from a problem or a situation that causes us discomfort.

Para olvidar a Juan puso tierra de por medio.

(To forget Juan, he got out of the way.)

6. Salir volando (to rush off): also salir pitando, it means to leave quickly from a place, usually because there is a hurry or there is an urgent need to leave it.

Salgo volando a recoger a los niños del colegio.

(I’m flying off to pick up the kids from school.)

7. Estar en las nubes (be daydreaming): to be distracted, it can be to let your mind go blank or to withdraw from a conversation and think about something completely different.

Perdona, ¿qué decías? Estaba en las nubes.

(Sorry, you were saying? I was daydreaming.)

8. Dejar volar la imaginación (let your imagination run wild): unleash your creativity. Daydreaming, imagining situations and stories, anything goes!

Dejé volar mi imaginación y se me ocurrió la solución al problema.

(I let my imagination run wild and came up with a solution to the problem.)

Travel Expressions for Both Travel and Everyday Life

9. Estar de paso (to be passing through): to visit a place for a short period of time.

He venido a hacerte una visita rápida, estoy de paso.

(I’ve come to pay you a quick visit, I’m just passing through.)

Estoy de paso por la ciudad, mañana me voy en tren.

(I’m passing through the city, tomorrow I’m leaving by train.)

10. Echar raíces (to put down roots): to settle in a place for a long period of time, with the intention of staying forever. It can also mean to enter a lasting relationship with someone.

Echó raíces en Viena, el lugar en donde siempre quiso estar.

(They put down roots in Vienna, the place where they always wanted to be.)

Manuel y Ángel han echado raíces, era cuestión de tiempo.

(Manuel and Angel have put down roots, it was only a matter of time.)

11. Tener el mundo a tus pies (having the world at your feet): it can mean travelling with great intensity and, above all, having a range of possibilities and opportunities.

Elisa viaja mucho, tiene el mundo a sus pies.

(Elisa travels a lot, she has the world at her feet.)

No te agobies con la búsqueda de trabajo, tienes el mundo a tus pies.

(Don’t be overwhelmed by the job search, you have the world at your feet.)

12. Callejear (to wander): although it is just a word, it is used both for travelling (to express that a person goes aimlessly) and for everyday life (to express that you go from one place to another through different streets and you don’t take the straight and direct way).

Callejeé por Marruecos y encontré un buen Bazar.

(I wandered around Morocco and found a good Bazaar.)

Hoy he callejeado para ir al trabajo para no hacer siempre el mismo camino.

(Today I wandered to go to work so as not to always take the same route.

iScribo & Expressions

Spanish is a language that comes in handy when speaking and writing. Spanish phrases and expressions are as rich as the language is varied. You just must travel, immerse yourself in culture, speak and write a lot. Mastering the language is in your hands.

With iScribo’s spelling and grammar checker you have the world of Spanish at your feet. Have you tried it yet? By the way, can you tell us about any expression you know related to travelling? Tell us in the comments.

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Spanish as a language

The Ultimate Guide About How To Tell Time In Spanish

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Las Mejores Claves Para Decir la Hora en Español | iScribo

Every language course talks about how to tell time in Spanish, but it is not always an enjoyable way to learn. Some questions always arise, such as How to write time in Spanish?, What are the rules for telling time in Spanish? Telling the time in Spanish is easy if you learn the format and know the numbers.

Today iScribo teaches you the ways to tell the time in Spanish so that you have the basics when practising the language.

How to Write Time in Spanish

The time in Spanish follows a clear structure:

Son las [número] y [minutos] de la mañana/tarde/noche.

(It is the [number] and [minutes] of the morning/afternoon/evening/night.)

Some examples are:

Son las ocho y cuarto de la mañana.

(It is a quarter past eight in the morning.)

Son las nueve y veinticinco de la tarde.

(It is twenty-five past nine in the evening.)

However, when the main number of the hour is 1, the format is used:

Es la una y diez de la mañana/tarde.

(It is ten past one in the morning/afternoon.)

How do you Add Minutes When Telling Time in Spanish

If you are going to tell the time (we speak orally), in most Spanish-speaking countries the twelve-hour format is used, so it is necessary to specify morning, afternoon or evening:

Es la una de la tarde.

(It is one o’clock in the afternoon.)

Although it is true that it is used in a minority of Spanish-speaking countries, there are places where the parameters of y cuarto, y media and menos cuarto are not used:

Son las doce y treinta.

(It is thirty past twelve.)

When the minutes are 00 or almost 00, it is said en punto:

Son las cuatro en punto.

(It is four o’clock.)

When writing numbers, especially in the formal context, the 24-hour format is used and they are always written in letters and not in numbers:

Son las veinte horas y cuarenta y tres minutos.

(It is twenty hours and forty-three minutes.)

If it is an informal context, you can write the time in numerals without any problem:

Son las 18 horas y 49 minutos.

(It is 18 hours and 49 minutes.)

Tips for Learning the Time in Spanish

1) Listen and repeat: if a native speaker gives you the time, remember it and repeat it. Learning is based on repetition and this happens with all languages. The news always gives the time, so maybe it’s a good time to watch it on TV.

2) Learn the vocabulary: knowing the numbers and the type of format is essential.

3) Practice in real situations: tell your friends and family the time, there is no better way to practice.

4) Write down the time: another good way to practice and learn.

iScribo & Learning As we have just seen, practice is the best way to learn. Listen, repeat and, above all, write. When it comes to writing in Spanish, use the iScribo tool to correct yourself in real time. Not only will you learn correct Spanish, but you will also broaden your vocabulary horizons thanks to its suggestions. Have you tried it yet?

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Spanish as a language

Rules for Masculine and Feminine in Spanish

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Claves del Masculino y Femenino en Español | iScribo

Learn what determines masculine and feminine in Spanish today. Some words just need to change the ending to the root but others follow a completely different pattern.

The rules for masculine and feminine in Spanish are easy if you learn them in a logical order. In this article we are going to focus on nouns, adjectives and determiners. Read on so you don’t miss out on the most basic tricks that will always work for you.

Gender of Nouns in Spanish

As a general rule, masculine nouns end in -o (perro, libro – dog, book) and feminine nouns end in -a (playa, motocicleta – beach, motorbike).

As an exception, nouns ending in -e are sometimes masculine and sometimes feminine. To find out which gender they are, you will have to practice:

Masculine: padre, hombre, valle (father, man, valley.)

Feminine: madre, noche, torre (mother, night, tower.)

You will also find that almost all nouns ending in -ción and -sión are feminine: canción, ilusión (song, illusion.)

How to Make Adjectives Feminine in Spanish

In this case it is easier because the adjective will agree with the same gender as the noun.

For example, if we have “árbol” (tree), a masculine noun, the adjective that accompanies it will also be masculine: “viejo” (old).

The exceptions (of course, there are always exceptions to the rule in Spanish) are made up of adjectives that are invariable in gender and number, for example: “grande” (big), “excepcional” (outstanding):

Ayer vimos una película excepcional.

(Yesterday we saw an exceptional film.)

El coche de Pedro es excepcional.

(Pedro’s car is outstanding.)

The Masculine and Feminine in Articles

As with adjectives, determiners agree in gender and number with nouns in Spanish.

Whether they are determinate or indeterminate, we will agree the determiners with the noun:

La estrella que ves en frente brilla más a final de mes.

(The star you see in front of you shines brighter at the end of the month.)

Un barco velero siempre navegará más despacio.

(A sailing ship will always sail more slowly.)

When we have gender neutral nouns in Spanish, i.e. gender-invariant words, we agree the determiners according to the context:

El miembro del parlamento llegó tarde.

(The member of parliament was late.)

La miembro del club de madres ha organizado un acto benéfico.

(The member of the mothers’ club has organised a charity event.)

iScribo And Inclusive Language

Although we have to generalise with the use of masculine to proceed to the formation of the feminine in Spanish, there are always some tricks to use neutral words that include the whole. Although most languages follow masculine patterns, it is always in our hands to help with the social evolution of the language to the most inclusive way. Do you know how to use the masculine and feminine in Spanish? Our spelling and grammar checker corrects your documents in real time – it’s the best way to help you write perfect Spanish! Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Spanish as a language

6 Spanish Expressions for Summer and Their Meaning

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6 Expresiones y Dichos de Verano en Español | iScribo

Summer sayings and proverbs are an institution in Spanish language. Expressions for summer and heat are used throughout the year, but more frequently during these months.

Are you excited for the summer holidays? We must say that we do love summer and Spanish summer phrases! As we already introduced you a few months ago with seasonal expressions, this article aims to help you learn or refresh some expressions about summer that will make you smile.

Summer Idioms and Their Meaning  

We are going to be a bit traditional in this section but it is more than necessary:

1. Hacer el agosto: (make the August, literally) means to make a good deal, as businesses do during this month of summer. In the old days it was related to the storage of the harvest and its use in this very hot month.

2. Pasar una noche de perros: (spending a dog’s night, literally) means that falling asleep on a summer night can be a challenge. The sweltering heat in some areas is not conducive to a good night’s rest. This saying is related to the nightly barking of dogs that prevent neighbours from getting a good night’s rest.

3. Si quieres vivir sano, madruga en el verano: (if you want to live healthy, get up early in the summer, literally) this means that in order to have quality days, it is better to get up early and take advantage of the hours of less heat.

Popular Phrases

Society’s creativity has provided us with some phrases that, over time, have become part of our daily lives:

4. Morirse de calor: (die of heat, literally) we use the verb “morir” in a figurative sense when we experience some extreme sensation, for better or worse. In summer, the intense heat favours the use of this phrase.

5. ¡Cómo aprieta el Lorenzo!: (Lorenzo y squeezing us, literally) the sun is called Lorenzo because the feast of San Lorenzo is celebrated on 10 August in Spain, one of the hottest days of the year. By the way, you can also take advantage of this day to see the famous “tears of San Lorenzo“, an impressive shower of stars.

6. Irse de terraceo : (Going out looking for terraces, literally): with the good summer weather it is more than obligatory to enjoy a few beers on the terrace of a bar, especially at night, is there anything more Spanish than that?

iScribo and Language Preservation

We love to protect and spread the good use of the Spanish language. Our spelling and grammar checker corrects as you write so that your documents have the quality they deserve. Have you tried it yet? Do you know any more Spanish expressions for the summer? Tell us in the comments all the expressions about summer that you know.

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Spanish as a language

Discover the Best Spanish-Speaking Countries to Learn Spanish

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Los Mejores Países para Aprender Español | iScribo

You only have to travel around the best Spanish-Speaking countries to learn Spanish to realise what a privilege this is. The quality of life, the friendliness of the people and the joy that covers the streets will give you an idea of what it is like to live in a Spanish-speaking heaven.

It doesn’t matter if you are looking for the best way to improve your Spanish, if you want to learn while travelling or if you just feel like a change of scenery and want to find out which country is the best to learn Spanish. Read this iScribo article and start making plans to find out in which land you want to perfect the language of Cervantes.

Learning Spanish for Foreigners

If you wonder how to improve your Spanish speaking, it has always been said that the best way is by travelling. However, we always advise that having a good grounding in the language is essential to be able to start speaking and writing properly.

To improve your Spanish as a foreigner, consider your level to rule out or decide on certain countries, we tell you why:

Basic Level

If you are starting practically from scratch, the best countries to learn Spanish might be in Latin American, as the tone of the Spanish they use is slower and the vocalisation may seem easier at first.

– Mexico: you will see how the phoneme /θ/ as in cielo (sky) is pronounced as an /s/. This is a common feature in Latin America, but in Mexico it gives the vocabulary an extraordinary delirium of sweetness.

In Mexico, every letter of every word is pronounced, but watch out! You will also see how the influence of English sometimes plays a trick on the grammar:

Encontrándose cansado se tumbó (incorrecto).

Estaba cansado y se tumbó (correcto).

(Finding himself tired he lay down).

– Peru: If you are looking for a culturally rich and affordable country, this might be your best option. Little English is spoken in Peru, so you will learn much more quickly when communicating in Spanish. The Spanish of this area is unique due to Spanish, Andean, Chinese and African influences.

In Peru they make the distinction between ll and y, so you’ll notice the difference in accent between a llama (flame) and a yunque (anvil). They also tend to reverse the order of sentences and express the verb at the end.

Intermediate Level

Neither too much nor too little, these countries speak a type of Spanish that is accessible to all levels:

– Colombia: A welcoming and generous country per se. Colombia’s gastronomy and Spanish, indigenous and African influences make it one of the most interesting countries to visit. It might be the Latin American country that best respects the grammar of academics, with a rhythmic and slow accent so that you learn quickly and easily. Be careful! The danger of Colombia is that if you go for a couple of weeks, you’ll never want to leave, not just because of the affordable prices, but because of its charm.

– Spain: Perhaps what strikes foreigners most is the speed at which Spaniards speak, as if they are running out of time and can’t say everything they think! In reality, European society is one of the most revolutionary per excellence, which is why there is always so much to tell.

Joking aside, the great diversity of accents in the country will make you learn a cultured spoken Spanish, as in Salamanca, or a more plain and friendly Spanish typical of the south.

Proficiency Level

I hope you like the challenges because there are areas where learning Spanish can be a real one because of the accent, we tell you why:

– Chile: Chile’s location means that the Spanish language evolves at its own pace and with its people. It is difficult to classify this type of Spanish, but it can be easily recognised by its melody, its idioms and its disruption. Did you know that the proposal to end adjectives and nouns in -e for the inclusion of the Spanish language was born in Chile? They can greet you with a cachai or invite you to a carrete (party).

– Argentina and Uruguay: Speaking of accents, the accent of these two countries may be the most peculiar, and I say peculiar because it is very mellow. It is completely impossible not to distinguish a speaker from these areas. One of the characteristics is that they turn proparoxytone words into graves and graves into acutes, a fact fully accepted by the RAE:

¿Qué miras? (Normal Spanish variant everywhere).

¿Qué mirás? (Normal variant of Spanish in Argentina and Uruguay).

(What are you looking at?)

Believe it or not, Argentinean and Uruguayan Spanish has a lot of influence from Italian and French due to historical immigration.

It is also curious how they pronounce the ll and the y as if it were /sh/: plasha instead of playa (beach).

Live It Yourself!

Have you already identified the best Spanish-speaking country to live in? We can only advise you on our favourites ones, but the decision is ultimately yours. Weigh up the pros and cons and decide which one suits you best. iScribo is our spelling and grammar checker that corrects as you type. It also distinguishes different varieties of Spanish and is a great alternative to improve your language. Have you tried it yet? Tell us in the comments.

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