Category: Spanish as a language

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Spanish as a language

11 Resources for the Correct Use of Spanish

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11 Recursos Para Utilizar Correctamente el Español | iScribo

When it comes to writing, it is normal to have doubts. Even native speakers ask themselves how to spell a certain word or phrase. Luckily, if you wonder what the best way is to learn Spanish as an adult, there are resources for the correct use of Spanish, both official and unofficial, that you’ll find quite helpful.

From resources to learn Spanish and write it like academics to expert channels that occupy a privileged place in the development of the language, read this article and learn these websites that will help you every time you need it.

Online Resources to Help Learn Spanish

This article must begin, as it could not be otherwise, with the official online resources of our academics and other tools to help learn Spanish from organisations that try to preserve the good use of the language.

1. RAE: you’ve probably guessed it. The Real Academia Española not only has numerous publications, but its channels and web pages are here to help us and show us the way to perfect Spanish. In addition to consulting their dictionaries in Spanish, the RAE has a quick consultation channel or a dictionary of doubts, among others. Take the time you need to familiarise yourself with its websites and make the most out of them.

2. Fundéu: Our second favorite resource, as you probably know too. You can search for queries that have already been solved and ask what you can’t find. There is always an expert ready to help. Not only on their website, you can also contact them in real time through social networks.

3. Academia Mexicana de la Lengua: you already know that Spanish has many variants and all of them are valid. This resource is the key to Latin Spanish, the most widely spoken in the world. Do you know Guido Gómez de Silva’s dictionary of Mexicanisms?

Resources for Learning Spanish as a Foreign Language

The community of experts is immense and you can always turn to more than one tool to help you with your Spanish. If the language of Cervantes is not your native language, don’t worry, in addition to the resources already mentioned, you can check the following:

4. Instituto Cervantes: this institute oversees bringing Spanish to any part of the world. As a foreigner learning Spanish, you will be more than familiar with the work of this organisation. Today we recommend El libro del español perfecto whose title speaks for itself.

5. RTVE: learning and improving Spanish through podcasts is a very original idea to develop multitasking and the language itself. When you are in the car, relaxing on the beach or on a fishing day, listening to testimonials and stories will make you improve in no time – and you won’t even realise it!

6. Wikilengua: This comprehensive resource expands your Spanish horizons. Here you will see how the rules of Spanish are applied as dictated by the RAE. A wealth of wisdom in an intuitive searching format.

Other Resources for the Correct Use of Spanish

We could talk about institutions or people who improve our language all day long! In the end, there are so many Spanish lovers spread around the world. Here we leave you some personalities or entities that have collaborated so that the good use of Spanish reaches all users.

7. The Diccionario de uso del español by María Moliner: is not so much focused on the norm but on usage. It is worth using it frequently to learn how far the frontiers of Spanish extend.

8. Diccionario de sinónimos y antónimos by El País: newspapers have their own style guides and sometimes they use their own resources to apply the rules and bring them to us. Look up a meaning and be surprised by its family of words.

9. Minucias del lenguaje: this work by Jose G. Moreno presents reflections, doubts, explanations, research, etc. on Spanish in Mexico. It is a very comprehensive publication on the syntactic, orthographic and phonetic resources of Spanish, among others.

10. El dardo en la palabra by the illustrious Fernando Lázaro Carreter: it is a work that compiles journalistic articles and explains their impact on the evolution of Spanish as a language.

iScribo, your Tool to Write in Spanish

It is normal to have doubts when writing any language, so it is increasingly common to look for resources to write in Spanish in the best possible way.

11. iScribo: it aims to help everyone write Spanish as correctly as possible. This is one more tool to add to the list in terms of proper Spanish writing. What other tools do you know of, and what other resources are used in Latin America? Tell us in the comments and remember that it’s all about learning!

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Spanish as a language

8 Examples of Acronyms in Spanish & Their Meaning

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8 Ejemplos de Acrónimos en Español y su Concepto | iScribo

Nowadays it is trendy to abbreviate when writing, well, this has been around all our lives! What does ‘acronyms’ mean in Spanish? Believe it or not, Spanish acronyms are group of words that can be read naturally syllable by syllable. For example:

1. ONU: /ó-nu/, acronym for ‘Organización de las Naciones Unidas’ (United Nations).

The rule says also that when two or more words are put together to form a single word, it is an acronym.

If you want to know what the difference between acronyms and abbreviations is, read on. iScribo helps you to clarify the aspects of grammar that, at first glance, may seem more complicated for all of us.

Difference Between Acronyms and Abbreviations

The difference between acronyms and initialisms (siglas) is simple. What are siglas? Siglas in Spanish are linguistic signs formed, as a general rule, by the initial letters of the terms they express. For example, BCE for ‘Banco Central Europeo’ (European Central Bank).

Sometimes, acronyms and siglas can share functions and designate a word equally, as in the case above explained of the ONU.

But what is the difference between abbreviations and acronyms? Now that we are clear on the concepts of acronyms and siglas, we will explain the concept of abbreviations. Abbreviations are one or more letters used to represent a word briefly, for example, ‘tel.’ for ‘teléfono’ (telephone).

Examples of Acronyms in Spanish

There are different Spanish acronyms, for example, those that function as siglas or those that join several words without having to be siglas. Here are some examples:

2. Docudrama: from ‘documental’ and ‘drama.’

3. Fundéu: Of course, we couldn’t leave the ‘Fundación del Español Urgente’ out of this article.

4. Euríbor: ‘Tipo europeo de oferta interbancaria.’ This acronym is formed from the English interbank offered rate. As you can see, there are acronyms that follow a very peculiar formation.

5. Ovni: ‘Objeto volador/volante no identificado’ (Unidentified flying object, UFO.)

6. Láser: ‘Amplificación de luz mediante emisión inducida de radiación’. As with number four on this list, it is “borrowed” from English. It stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.

7. RAE: of course, our favourite institution, the ‘Real Academia de la Lengua Española’, is both an acronym and a sigla.

8. Unesco: ‘Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura’ (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation).

iScribo and Spanish Acronyms

Our tool helps you to write acronyms properly, as well as other grammatical and spelling aspects in Spanish. Also, we always recommend to know the rules, as there are many things you need to learn about acronyms: are they capitalised, lowercase, italicised, etc.? It’s a whole world! Tell us in the comments how you deal with acronyms, siglas and abbreviations. Write us some examples too, what are you waiting for?

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Spanish as a language

15 Spring Sayings & Quotes About Spring in Spanish

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15 Frases y Expresiones de Primavera en Español | iScribo

Spring is finally here! What better way to celebrate it than with these spring expressions in Spanish about this beautiful season. The flowers, the trees, the colours, the beginning of the good weather… We have endless reasons to teach you the best weather Spanish phrases.

Learn today with iScribo some common expressions in Spanish and practice them to improve your cultural knowledge of the language. Some of them are traditional, others are beautiful spring quotes and there are also those of writers and artists. We’ve already told you about some Spanish expressions in the past, but today it’s all about expanding your spring vocabulary. Read on to find out what they are.

Spring Sayings in Spanish

1. La primavera, la sangre altera (spring is in the air): just as the weather changes, psychology studies the reasons for mood swings in this season. These “issues” in people’s mental health gave rise to this saying.

2. En abril, aguas mil (April showers bring May flowers): although it is used by all Spanish-speaking countries, its origin dates back to the driest and most arid areas of Spain, when it always used to rain a lot in April. Nowadays it doesn’t usually happen.

3. Hasta el cuarenta de mayo, no te quites el sayo: (one robin doesn’t make a spring): don’t trust it! Spring is treacherous and you might be warm and then cold the next day. That’s why you should always carry a jacket just in case… That’s what this proverb says.

4. Camina ligeramente en la primavera; la madre tierra está embarazada (literal – walk lightly in the spring; mother earth is pregnant): this is a Native American Indian proverb from the Kiowa tribe about blooming in spring. You can find many more here in this very interesting article in Spanish.

5. Al cruzar el sol por Aries, crecen los días y cambian los aires (literal – as the sun crosses Aries, the days grow longer and the air changes): it means that as spring arrives, the days grow longer and it affects people’s moods. It has a similar meaning to the first weather Spanish phrases.

6. El romero verde o malva, en la primavera estalla (literal – the green or mauve rosemary, in the spring bursts): in the spring flowers bloom. This season implies the rebirth of plant life in almost all its majority, as is the case with rosemary.

7. Cuando al sapo veas andar, agua primaveral: (literal – When you see the toad walk, (sing of) spring waters): This proverb tells us that with the good weather, many animals begin to live outdoors, even if it coincides with the spring rains.

Spring Sayings and Quotes By Authors

8. “Podrán cortar todas las flores, pero no podrán detener la primavera” (They can cut all the flowers, but they can’t stop spring), by Pablo Neruda. Spring is so eagerly awaited that nothing can take away our illusion.

9. “Mientras haya en el mundo primavera, ¡habrá poesía!“(As long as there is spring in the world, there will be poetry), by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer. What a beautiful simile between art and this season.

10. “En una rosa caben todas las primaveras” (In a rose, there is room for all the springs), by Antonio Gala. Each flower is unique, just like people, and spring!

11. “La primavera es el momento de los planes y los proyectos” (Spring is the time of plans and projects), by Leon Tolstoy. Spring is the best time to try new things.

12. “El invierno está en mi cabeza, pero la eterna primavera está en mi corazón” (Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart), by Victor Hugo. This metaphor compares difficult times with the hope we feel inside that power to make us strong when we face adversity.

13. “La primavera le brinda un espíritu de juventud a todo” (April hath put a spirit of youth in everything), by William Shakespeare. This is another phrase to encourage us to take up new projects. The joy of spring has touched even the most tragic writers!

14. “Era uno de esos días de marzo cuando el sol brilla cálido y el aire sopla frío, cuando es verano en la luz pero invierno en la sombra” (It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade), by Charles Dickens. This describes the bleak transition from winter to spring in one day.

15. “En la primavera he contado 136 tipos diferentes de clima en 24 horas” (In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours), by Mark Twain. The truth is that nobody understands what is going on with the weather during spring!

The Desire to Learn Also Blossoms

Not only at the beginning of each year, spring is a time for personal renewal. We can think about our resolutions as we approach the halfway point of the year and start new challenges. iScribo wants you to write in Spanish without grammatical, spelling or stylistic errors. Our proofreader is here to help you. How about trying some weather expressions in Spanish for spring with some inspiring ideas? Tell us in the comments what you’ve come up with.

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Spanish as a language

What Are Spanish Toponyms & What is Their Origin?

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Qué Son los Topónimos y Cuál es su Origen | iScribo

As we have learnt on other occasions, there are several ways of telling different types of nouns in Spanish. One of the most important one is to differentiate between proper and common nouns and, within proper nouns, we find the Spanish toponymy.

What are Spanish toponyms? According to the RAE, it is a proper name of a place, that is, a geographical feature and toponymy is the science that studies the names of places, the toponyms!

Toponyms sometimes have personal names or surnames, for example, Baena, which is a town in Cordoba, Spain. In many other cases, proper names have been transformed over time and have acquired another form due to their use or the natural spelling of the Spanish language or social context.

Different Toponyms

Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of toponyms according to their origin, that is the formation of the words.

– Arabic Toponymy: the long stay of the Arabs in the Iberian Peninsula provided not only infrastructure, heritage and genetics, but also gave Spanish numerous phonemes and Arabic places names that have endured throughout history:

* Alcalá: comes from calá, which means castle, so, it is “the castle”.

* Gibraltar: comes from gebel, meaning mountain, so it is “Tarik’s mountain”.

* Guadalquivir: comes from wad, which means river, so it is “big river”.

– Canarian toponymy: the African islands also have a lot to contribute with Guanche – Canarian language – toponyms:

* Icod de los Vinos: on Tenerife, Icod comes from the indigenous Guanche kingdom Icode.

* Garachico: on Tenerife and means “small rock”.

* Isora: also in Tenerife, it means “high place”.

– Quechua toponymy: the Quechua territory covers the area comprising the Andes. This vast territory also enriches the language with so many Quechua words and phrases:

* Cochabamba: in Bolivia, it comes from q’ucha and panpa, and means “lake and plain”.

* Lonquimay: in Chile, it comes from lonco and mayu, meaning “head and river”.

* Carhué: in Argentina, it comes from carre and hue, and means “green place”.

Anthroponymy and Toponymy

The meaning of anthroponym is the proper names that designate humans, i.e. people. Although some people share a name, they are used to differentiating us from each other.

Some examples are Claudia, Timothy, William, Eulàlia or Mar, like the members of the iScribo team, although not all of them are in Spanish.

As Many Place Names as Places in the World!

There are as toponyms, as many places, rivers, mountains, etc. exist in the Spanish-speaking countries. Different types of nouns in Spanish can be a lot of fun because there are many ways to do it. Have you tried correcting Spanish toponyms with iScribo’s spelling and grammar checker? Anyway, while you are practising, can you tell us in the comments some toponyms and anthroponyms that catch your attention?

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Spanish as a language

Language and Communication Issues in Spanish

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Problemas Lingüísticos en la Comunicación en Español | iScribo

The role of language is fundamental in our lives and in basic communication in Spanish. Appreciating communication difficulties helps us to improve the relationships we have with others.

Understanding is vital for relationships, not only with people who speak the same language, but also in multicultural relationships of any kind. Spanish is no exception – verbal language, body language and the tone in which Spanish speakers talk can be well or badly interpreted depending on the level of the language and the culture of the interlocutor.

Today iScribo shows you communication difficulties and cultural differences, specifically in Spanish, and helps you understand how important it is to practise advanced communication so that your problems in understanding others disappear.

Spanish at Work

In this section we are going to focus on written communication in Spanish in the workplace.

When it comes to Spanish, we can tell you that it has a great variety of different ways of speaking, not only because of the diversity of countries that speak it, but also because of the number of varieties of the language within the same country. Not only this, but spelling can also be a problem when communicating in Spanish.

Imagine for a moment that you write an email to a client and it has a few spelling mistakes, what image can that person take away from you or your company? Good written communication will always improve customer relations, and to do this, you need to master the language and practice advanced communication in Spanish.

If you find it difficult to write in Spanish and have problems improving your vocabulary, we suggest you use the iScribo tool so that you can learn Spanish and start writing the advanced Spanish that you long for when it comes to work.

Spanish in Romantic Relationships

The ideal in this case is to find a way to create a symbiosis between the two cultures.

Spanish speakers are well known for speaking with a high pitch, i.e. basically speaking very loudly. In some cultures this can be perceived as disrespectful. This is compounded by difficulties in communication and language. If someone speaks to us and we do not understand them, the speaker unconsciously raises their voice in order to be better understood.

If by chance you are a Spanish speaker, and sometimes you find it difficult to communicate with your partner, think before shouting, maybe you can express your speech with other words to facilitate communication in Spanish.

If Spanish is not your mother tongue and you are learning it, be patient, knowing the cultural aspects of your partner can help you understand much better.

Simplifying the language when speaking to facilitate understanding can lead to a lack of expressions and emotions in the speech. And this is where the next section comes in.

Spanish and Non-Verbal Language

It is well known that culture plays an essential role in the impact of the structure of language and how we use it in practice.

The way we look, the way we move and how we express ourselves with our hands – sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words and this is what happens when we talk to others.

When it comes to linguistic communication difficulties when speaking, the body always comes to the rescue, ask an Italian speaker about this! It is a form of survival in order to understand each other.

Did you know that when a person does not understand us, they look at our movements to get some clues as to what we are talking about?

Non-verbal communication is a powerful weapon to promote understanding, use it wisely!

Break Boundaries while Learning Spanish

A language is the tool we use to create relationships with others. Use it with respect to have fruitful and positive relationships with other people. You won’t regret it!

If you pay attention, you’ll find out the richness of Spanish in the diversity of its grammar and vocabulary as well as in the amount of non-verbal language that Spanish speakers use every day. It is amazing, isn’t it?

Have you ever had a communication problem of this kind in Spanish, and have you ever felt you were expressing yourself badly and ended up saying something you didn’t mean? Tell us in the comments, iScribo helps you to improve your written Spanish so that you can break the barrier of language and communication issues.

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Spanish as a language

Collective, Concrete and Abstract Nouns in Spanish

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Sustantivos Colectivos, Concretos y Abstractos | iScribo

The richness of Spanish grammar fascinates theorists and academics all over the world. Spanish vocabulary crosses borders and it is important to understand what we are talking about at any given moment in order to fully master the language.

Do you know collective, concrete and abstract nouns? And what about the common nouns in Spanish?

iScribo helps you to classify the nouns that cause the most confusion when expressing yourself in Spanish.

Concrete Nouns

Concrete nouns are nouns that refer to objects or entities that actually exist. To understand it better, they are tangible, real, physical things that “can be touched”.

They are the most common and have gender and number. Some examples to help you visualise it better are sofá (sofa), candado (lock) or máquina (machine).

La ventana del salón está abierta.

(The living room window is open.)

El avión va a despegar en un momento.

(The plane is going to take off in a moment.)

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are intangible ones. To help you understand this better, imagine things that you cannot physically touch (although you can in a figurative sense, like felicidad – happiness). The beauty of the name of these nouns gives you a hint of how special they can be!

Abstract nouns name realities that cannot be perceived by the senses. Examples are: armonía (harmony), justicia (justice) or miedo (fear).

El olvido juega en contra de la edad.

(Forgetfulness plays against age.)

La sinceridad es lo que más valoro en una persona.

(Sincerity is what I value most in a person.)

Collective Nouns

This is a sub-type of concrete nouns.

Collective nouns are nouns that are used by the individual to designate a collective. The opposite of collective nouns is individual nouns, which in the singular designate a single being or object.

Examples of collective nouns are rebaño (herd – to designate a group of sheep), manada (herd – group of livestock animals) or constelación (constellation – group of stars).

Los toros pastan en manada para preservar su seguridad.

(Bulls graze in a herd to keep them safe.)

El cañaveral florecerá en primavera.

(The reedbed will bloom in spring.)

Mi familia vendrá a cenar por mi cumpleaños.

(My family is coming to dinner for my birthday.)

Examples of individual nouns are lápiz (pencil), frigorífico (fridge) or coche (car).

Expand Your Knowledge

Knowing the names of nouns and how to classify them can help you improve your Spanish vocabulary.

As well as helping you determine the difference between collective, concrete and abstract nouns, knowing the characteristics of a language helps you master it like a native speaker.

What aspect of Spanish grammar do you find most difficult to put into practice? Do you know more types of nouns or more common nouns in Spanish? Tell us in the comments and practice with iScribo.

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Spanish as a language

8 Top Jobs Where Knowing Spanish is Helpful

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8 Trabajos en los que se Usa el Español a Diario | iScribo

Jobs where knowing Spanish is helpful are the order of the day.

In addition to specific training in a particular area, fluency in more than one language is an additional benefit over other candidates.

Not only in Spanish-speaking countries, but you can also work with the Spanish language practically all over the world. As one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, Spanish language jobs are at the top of the list of the most in-demand positions in the job market.

Read this iScribo article to discover jobs using Spanish on daily basis.

1. Journalism

Whether you are a Spanish speaker or a foreigner with a good knowledge of Spanish, this language opens doors to work in the journalism sector in a large number of countries. Whether as an editor in a foreign subsidiary or as a reporter, Spanish is almost always a prerequisite for working in the news industry.

From America to Asia to Europe, journalism has a job for anyone who speaks Spanish!

2. Education Sector

Spanish is taught as a second language in many countries, such as France, Brazil and Côte d’Ivoire.

Speaking more than one language gives you an advantage over other professionals who only speak one language. Imagine if you teach science in a school in Germany but speak Spanish like a native speaker, you will have a better chance of getting and keeping that job than someone else.

Not only as a teacher but also in the secretarial work in schools, languages such as Spanish are valued.

3. Legal Assistant

The legal and defence sector is on the rise in languages such as Spanish.

We live in an increasingly cosmopolitan world, where migratory flows are increasing every year.

Helping Spanish speakers living or travelling abroad with their legal matters is always an option.

Conversely, if you are a Spanish speaker, you can also help foreigners living or travelling to your country.

The possibilities in this sector are endless: from lawyers to advisors to counsellors.

4. Health Professionals

Almost the same as the previous option. A cosmopolitan world increases the proliferation of migratory flows. Being able to assist anyone in a language you and other people understand increases your chances of being hired.

Nursing, medicine or interpreting are the most in-demand jobs for a Spanish speaker or a person who is fluent in Spanish.

5. Social Worker

Another profession you can benefit from in a world in constant movement.

Guiding foreigners arriving in your country as a Spanish speaker or leading with your experience as a foreigner who speaks and writes perfect Spanish are the best opportunities for this job.

In addition, helping others with their problems and finding a solution on a personal and intimate level is a bonus.

6. Service Sector

As a foreigner who is fluent in Spanish in a Spanish-speaking country, this is your best option.

Jobs in hotel reception, as a tour guide or in the hospitality industry are the most sought-after. If you are fluent in Spanish, you are in luck, as it is more than likely that you will find your place in the tertiary sector.

As a Spanish speaker, you know that you will always have a place in the service sector both at home and abroad.

7. Customer Service

Phone calls are today’s problem solvers. In an increasingly digitised era, face-to-face contact is being replaced by phone calls and video calls.

Working in an after-sales service or in customer service, in general, is one of the sectors in which Spaniards and people with great Spanish knowledge are most in demand.

8. The Business World

Whether in a bank or a multinational company, communication in Spanish with both clients and other companies is more than necessary.

Fluency in Spanish will open the doors of local companies in practically any position in which you have good training and experience. Imagine if the company is large, your opportunities multiply.

Improve your Spanish and Increase your Chances

No matter how you look at it, speaking Spanish is an asset. If you are looking for jobs where knowing Spanish is helpful, prepare your CV along with your cover letter and go for it!

iScribo will help you proofread your CV and suggest improvements to make you stand out from the crowd. Why not give it a try?

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Spanish as a language

9 Ideas to Increase your Spanish Vocabulary

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9 Ideas Para Mejorar tu Vocabulario en Español | iScribo

Spanish is a very rich language; the RAE dictionary has about one hundred thousand words, of which an ordinary person uses about three hundred a day. A person with a high level of culture can use up to five hundred.

Learning vocabulary in Spanish that is considered more advanced is complicated even for Spanish speakers.

If you wonder what is the best way to improve your Spanish vocabulary, iScribo shows you some tips. They are all compatible, in fact, you will see that you can use them all at the same time and that they complement each other. The more ideas you put into practice, the more you will learn.

1. Identify your Level and Needs

Before you know how to learn Spanish vocabulary, you need to be clear about your level of Spanish. If you are a Spanish speaker, you already know that you have a high level, but this does not always imply that your cultural level is also high. They are very different things and there is nothing wrong if your level is lower than other people’s – nobody is born knowing!

If Spanish is not your mother tongue, think about whether you already know how to express yourself in basic or complex sentences. This will be your starting point.

Once you know your level, think about what kind of conversations you find it hard to express yourself in or what area of knowledge you need to learn vocabulary for.

Do you need to know more medical vocabulary, or do you need to learn economic vocabulary?

2. Practise Every Day

If you are a Spanish speaker, open the dictionary and start learning words that are new to you. Then use them in sentences every day to get your brain used to them.

If Spanish is your second language, practise daily with friends or colleagues and, when you learn a new word, repeat it over and over again in different sentences and contexts.

3. Read and Write

Reading in Spanish helps a lot to learn new vocabulary in this language. Try to decipher the word you don’t know from its context and if not, look it up in the dictionary. Once you know what it means, write it down in a notebook you designate for this purpose or in your mobile phone notes.

Go back to step two and repeat these new words over and over again until you are familiar with them, and they come up naturally in Spanish conversations or texts.

4. Look up Synonyms and Antonyms

The notebook trick comes in handy for writing down synonyms of words and creating associations with them.

Use a word you know and write down synonyms around it so that you internalise the diagram and can use them. This way you will create your own concept map of synonyms.

For example:

                                                BOLSA (economy)

MERCADO DE VALORES               MERCADO BURSÁTIL         MERCADO DE ACCIONES

5. Play Games

Thanks to technology and artificial intelligence we can take advantage of our mobile devices to expand our frontiers. There are plenty of single and multiplayer vocabulary games. Download one of them and challenge a friend to a game of word formation.

If you are more traditional, you can use the newspaper every day to do crossword puzzles, you can learn a lot from these.

6. Study the Origin of Words

Knowing where words come from helps you make associations with them. If your native language is different from Spanish, you will find it fun to compare words in the two languages.

Etymology also helps you create word families to expand your vocabulary. Listen, read, look it up, learn and practise.

7. Use Key Ideas

When you see or deliberately look up a word you don’t know, make up three sentences with it and then, without looking at your sentences, rewrite them.

Compare what you have written down at the beginning with what you have written at the end. I assure you that as well as laughing, you will learn.

8. Curiosity DIDN’T Killed the Cat

Be willing to learn all the time. A positive attitude of the initiative will help your senses to be alert and absorb new words more easily.

9. Use iScribo

The daily use of a spelling and grammar checker gives you the advantage of learning in real time. There is nothing like writing in Spanish and having a tool trained by a team of linguists to help you improve.

Not only do the synonyms and antonyms function help, but it also improves phraseology and suggests words that fit better in each context. Try it and tell us about it!

To Practise is to Learn!

You can follow all these tips but I am sure about what is most important of all: never be afraid to make mistakes. Learning Spanish vocabulary means getting out of your comfort zone and that always gives you a bit of respect.

Use the words and make mistakes, this is what teaches you in life. Use iScribo to correct your document as you write so that you can learn and identify what you find most difficult to learn in Spanish. Tell us, do you know any other tips to improve your Spanish vocabulary?

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Spanish as a language

6 Christmas Phrases in Spanish for the Festivities

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6 Frases Navideñas en Español para estas Fiestas | iScribo

Nothing sounds better than speaking like a Spanish speaker. All languages contain a wide variety of expressions and sayings that enrich their culture.

Be creative this year when wishing a Happy Christmas and a Happy New Year in Spanish. It’s not just about using Christmas phrases in Spanish, but also about using your imagination to surprise the people you love the most.

From Christmas cards to personalised videos, use a proper Spanish Christmas vocabulary this year.

The Funniest Ones

  1. ¡Te ha tocado el gordo!

“El gordo” is the biggest prize in the Spanish Christmas lottery. Precisely because of this, this Christmas expression is used on a daily basis throughout the year to express that someone has had a stroke of luck.

¿Te vas a Santander esta Navidad? ¡Caray! ¡Te ha tocado el gordo!

(Are you going to Santander this Christmas? Blimey, you’ve hit the jackpot!)

2. ¡Es más viejo que los Reyes Magos!

The Three Kings arrive every January 6th to bring presents to children. In Spain, it is very common to find the eternal debate about whether families prefer to receive a visit from Father Christmas or the Three Kings. Well, it seems that the Three Kings continue to win because they have been in the Spanish culture for more years.

Precisely, we use this expression to say that a person is quite old and does not adapt to modern times.

¡No seas más viejo que los Reyes Magos y deja que el niño llegue tarde a casa!

(Don’t be a traditionalist and let the child come home late!)

The Classic Ones

3. Que todos tus deseos se hagan realidad

At Christmas, we all want to wish our loved ones the very best, so as the holidays approach we want them to know that we remember them and that we want them to do well.

This is one of the many ways you can wish your nearest and dearest a Merry Christmas.

Por esta Navidad espero que todos tus deseos se hagan realidad.

(For this Christmas I hope all your wishes come true.)

4. ¡Feliz Navidad y próspero Año Nuevo!

Legend has it that you should wish everyone around you New Year’s greetings for good luck. Whether it is true or not, it is always nice to wish the best to others; they are small actions that enrich the soul and make us happier. Take the opportunity to express to your loved ones what they mean to you.

¡Os deseo a todos feliz Navidad y un próspero Año Nuevo! ¡Brindemos!

(I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Let’s toast!)

The Gastronomic Ones

5. Salir rodando

I suppose this is the most normal thing in all cultures, but at Christmas, we eat a lot. There is always a multitude of Christmas meals, such as work, family and friends. Some even take the opportunity to go out for dinner with school friends from when they were at high school or with people from the gym.

Well, from eating so much, we put on weight and figuratively, we get fatter and rounder, hence we can “roll around”. This is very common in Spain and Argentina.

Como sigamos comiendo así, vamos a salir rodando.

(If we keep eating like this, we’ll be full as a tick.)

6. Te van a dar las uvas

In Spain and in many Latin American countries, such as Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Mexico, it is a tradition to eat twelve grapes at midnight on 31st December. It is the best way to say goodbye to the year that is leaving and welcome the new year.

These twelve chimes sound every few seconds, so you have to eat the grapes very quickly with each chime. This expression, therefore, means “to be late”.

¿Has comprado ya los regalos de Navidad? ¡Al final te van a dar las uvas!

(Have you bought your Christmas presents yet? You’re going to be late!)

Enjoy Christmas and write in Spanish

Christmas is a time to be with family and loved ones, but it is also a time to think about new challenges and get excited about new year’s resolutions.

iScribo is here to help you improve your written Spanish so that you can progress with the level you have in this language. Whether you are a native speaker or a beginner, everyone makes mistakes when writing. Try our tool this Christmas and discover its magic, ¡que no te den las uvas! Can you tell us what expressions you know and how you wish your loved ones a Merry Christmas? Leave us a comment and let’s share the most magical time of the year.

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