Category: Writing in Spanish

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Writing in Spanish

I loved you versus I have loved you: verb tenses in Spanish

Today is February 14, Valentine’s Day. Everyone is talking about love, flowers, and chocolates, but what is the time for love? Did you know that in Spanish, you can say I loved you, and I have loved you? Depending on the country you are in, it can mean the same thing or something subtly different. Pay attention here because the times of love are different everywhere.

Pretérito perfecto simple v/s pretérito perfecto compuesto: When and which countries use a particular verb tense the most

What tense is used to express recent actions? Well, it depends: while in that case, the pretérito perfecto compuesto (te he querido [I have loved you], lo he visto [I have seen it], or he salido [I have gone out]) is more common in much of Spain, in America, and some areas of Spain such as the Canary Islands, what would be used in this case would be the pretérito compuesto simple, that is: te quise [I loved you], lo vi [I saw it], and salí [I left]. In these areas, what happens is that both the pretérito perfecto compuesto and the pretérito compuesto simple can be used to express the same idea. That is something that occurred in the recent past.

Let’s look at an example to make it clearer.

  1. No he desayunado
  2. No desayuné

Depending on whether you are in Latin America or Spain, these two sentences could be interpreted in different ways:

In Spanish from Spain, sentence (a) can only refer to today (a recent past), while the second (b) refers to yesterday. In Latin America, both sentences can be used interchangeably to refer to today’s action. Even the first could mean that he has not eaten yet, but he can still do so, and the second could mention that at the moment, he has not had breakfast because it is too late. I love those subtleties of language!

If you speak English, you will realise that these two tenses in Spanish from Spain are the same as the distinction between the past simple and the present perfect in English.

Going back to the original example of this day of love, the “te quise” in Spain means that “until yesterday I loved you, but no more”, and the “te he querido” means that until sometime today I also loved you, but for some reason not anymore. 🥺

I’m sorry; love and grammar are like that sometimes.

I hope you learned something more today or that you are at least enjoying a beautiful date on this day of love. Lots of love and Spanish to you! 😍😎

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Writing in Spanish

Question and exclamation marks in Spanish. Let’s see how to use it!

In Spanish, the exclamation marks (!) and question marks (?) are double, like parentheses. That is, they delimit both interrogative and exclamatory sequences. Unlike languages like English or French, which have auxiliaries or a specific grammatical formula or order for constructing a question, Spanish is more unrestrained, so the only way to indicate that you are facing the beginning of an exclamation or question mark is through the first sign. This is the clue that allows correct intonation when reading a text, so the opening signs (?) should not be suppressed to imitate other languages that only use the closing sign.

But how do we use these signs?

  • When a sentence ends with a question or exclamation, the closing signs are the sign at the end of the statement (!?) Therefore, it is not appropriate to put a period at the end (the point is already included by the sign: !?); thus, the word that follows it will always be written with an initial capital letter.

Example: ¿Qué hora es? Olvidé mi reloj en casa.

                 [What time is it? I left my watch at home]

  • If the statement does not end in a question or exclamation, other punctuation marks can be added, for example, comma (,), semicolon (;) or colon (:):

Examples:

¡Tranquilo!, ¿vale?

[Calm down, okay?]

   «Aúllan como demonios cuando llega la noche; ¿sabes por qué?: para quebrar el silencio que los aterroriza»

[«They howl like demons when night comes; Do you know why? to break the silence that terrifies them»]

(Vargas Llosa La ciudad y los perros, 1962).

  • Finally, do not forget that if the word immediately before the beginning of a question or exclamation is also the end of a sentence, it must have a period.

Example: No sé por qué voy. ¿Por qué soy así, qué busco?

  [I don’t know why I’m going. Why am I like this? What am I looking for?]

(Leila Guerriero Domingo, 2020).

Remember that punctuation marks are intended to transcribe -in part- the pauses, tones, duration, and intensity of the melodic curve of the spoken language. Although it is impossible to transcribe oral discourse with all its nuances, punctuation marks help us a lot. Despite their limitations, they can interpret and harmonise a written text with the melody of orality. Think that punctuation marks are symbols that help us write the scores of our voices.

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Writing in Spanish

The Importance Of Spelling In Communication

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La Importancia de la Ortografía en la Comunicación | iScribo

The importance of using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation is a fact when it comes to writing. Good use of written Spanish should be a priority in all writing and as Spanish speakers, whether it is our mother tongue or not, we must make proper use of spelling.

Writing with spelling mistakes or inappropriate words makes communication difficult and can lead to irreparable errors. The importance of spelling in communication is reflected in a well-written redaction. Today iScribo brings you some recommendations for good writing, read on to find out more.

Why is Spelling Important in Communication?

To be understood by others, it is necessary to write well with good spelling. We need to write correctly in order to write formal texts, such as a CV for a job, reports, complaints, applications and so on.

Your writing is your reflection. Think about how others see you through your writing.

Did you know that if you have good spelling, your ideas are more easily communicated? As well as making a good impression, the ideal of good spelling is to communicate without barriers.

It is no longer just for us, writing properly helps to preserve the language and that is vital for us. If we don’t take care of our Spanish, who will?

Writing correctly gives us more confidence and therefore helps us to improve our self-esteem, incredible, isn’t it?

If you think you have problems with certain words, for example, if you can’t make a difference between b and v when writing, make a list of different words and learn them. A good idea for this example would be to write them down in two columns, one for the b and one for the v. The mental image of this mini table will make it easier for you to write it every time it comes up.

You may also get confused with homophones, such as haya, aya, allá or halla, so writing them several times and seeing the result will help you to distinguish them better next time.

And of course, pay attention to the accents! They are also obligatory when writing in capital letters and leaving them out is a very serious mistake.

Recommendations

While it is true that the language of the networks when abbreviating when writing is an obstacle to learning, knowing good spelling depends on the user, as there are many ways to learn it well. From the RAE and the Fundéu to language blogs, such as this one by iScribo, and different learning channels.

Reading also helps to improve the way we write. Looking at words we don’t know or paying attention to others we didn’t know how to write helps to improve both our spelling and our learning of the language.

Knowing how to structure a text is also of vital importance in order to get the message across correctly.

It is also true that it is not only our fault. Sometimes, whether we write by hand or type, we do so under pressure. Lack of time or the demands of work mean that we don’t pay attention to what we are writing or that we don’t even check our work. Perhaps this is the main reason to value a Spanish grammar and spelling checker, the revisions are quick, and the improvements are more than noticeable.

Learning the etymology of words helps us to relate their origin to our writing. Moreover, if we know where they come from, we can relate them to their family and thus create a mental concept map. In this way you will not only know how to write a single word, but you will have mastered many more without even realising it. The brain works automatically once it has learned a concept.

iScribo & Proper Written Spanish

It is worth stopping to think for a minute about what you are writing and how. This helps you to organise your ideas and make better decisions when writing. Writing must be flawless for others to understand us and is a reflection of our thinking. That’s why we ask you, are you doing your best to write well? iScribo’s Spanish grammar checker is here to help. Its real-time corrections and suggestions implemented by artificial intelligence are another method of learning and improving your written communication. Good written communication is synonymous with quality. Have you tried it yet? Let us know what you think.

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Writing in Spanish

Guide To The 39 Most Common Spanish Verbs

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Guía De Los 39 Verbos Más Comunes del Español | iScribo

Verbs are words that express the action of the subject or the state the subject is in. This is why verbs in Spanish always match in gender and number with the subject.

El niño corrió durante tres horas. (The boy ran for three hours.)

As we can see in this example, the verb is in the past simple tense. Learning the verb tenses can take a while, but don’t be discouraged, as with everything in life, Spanish grammar takes practice.

It is important to know which are the most common Spanish verbs so that we can express ourselves as a true native speaker. During these months, we have been introducing you to the most common words of different grammatical elements.

Today iScribo brings you a list of common Spanish verbs for you to practise. Read on to discover it.

Most Common Spanish Ar Verbs

The verbs ending in ar are the verbs of the first conjugation. Here you can find the most used Spanish verbs in this category:

1. Estar (to be): Estoy en la puerta de tu casa, ¿me abres? (I’m at your door, will you open it for me?)

2. Comprar (to buy): Hace falta comprar yogures de limón. (We need to buy lemon yogurt.)

3. Buscar (to look): Búscalo en Internet y sal de dudas. (Look it up on the Internet and find out for sure.)

4. Andar (to walk): Le gusta andar por las tardes. (He likes walking in the evenings.)

5. Cerrar (to close): Se me olvidó cerrar la puerta al salir. (I forgot to close the door when I left.)

6. Encontrar (to find): Te habríamos encontrado antes si me hubieras mandado tu ubicación. (We would have found you sooner if you had sent me your location.)

7. Dar (to give): Me han dado un regalo de bienvenida. (They gave me a welcome present.)

8. Empezar (to start): El curso empieza la semana que viene. (The course starts next week.)

9. Cocinar (to cook): Los abuelos cocinarán una paella. (The grandparents will cook a paella.)

10. Hablar (to talk): El bebé comenzó a hablar a los siete meses. (The baby started talking at seven months.)

11. Quedar (to meet): Quedaron a las ocho en punto. (They met at eight o’clock.)

12. Saltar (to jump): Saltaría la valla un par de veces. (I’d jump the fence a couple of times.)

13. Estudiar (to study): Estudió para el examen de español durante toda la noche. (They studied for the Spanish test all night long.)

Common Spanish Verbs Ending in Er

The second conjugation comprises verbs ending in er:

14. Aprender (to learn): Ya habíamos aprendido toda la lección cuando nos preguntó. (We had already learned our lesson when he asked us.)

15. Ser (to be): Soy tan independiente como práctica. (I am as independent as I am practical.)

16. Beber (to drink): Es importante beber agua cuando se hace ejercicio. (It is important to drink water when exercising.)

17. Comer (to eat): Iremos a comer al restaurante de la esquina. (We will go to eat at the restaurant on the corner.)

18. Conocer (to meet): Conocimos a tu primo en tu cumpleaños. (We meet your cousin at your birthday party.)

19. Entender (to understand): No entendí la moraleja del libro. (I did not understand the message of the book.)

20. Creer (to believe): No me creo ni una palabra de lo que me has contado. (I don’t believe a word you say.)

21. Haber (there is/there are): No hay nadie en la sala, tenemos que esperar. (There is nobody in the room, we have to wait.)

22. Hacer (to make): No me ha hecho gracia que te rías de mí. (I made an omelette for lunch.)

23. Leer (to read): Me tengo que leer dos libros para el grupo de lectura. (I have to read two books for the reading group.)

24. Saber (to know): No sé si sabes que el lunes es fiesta. (I wonder if you know that Monday is a holiday.)

25. Querer (to love): Te quiso tanto como a tu hermano. (He loved you as much as he loved your brother.)

26. Tener (to have): Tengo cuatro relojes y no sé cuál ponerme. (I have four watches and I don’t know which one to wear.)

Most Common Verbs Ending in Ir

The third conjugation comprises verbs ending in ir:

27. Abrir (to open): Tendríamos que haber abierto la ventana antes de salir. (We should have opened the window before leaving.)

28. Salir (to leave):  Saldré del trabajo sobre las cinco. (I will leave work around five o’clock.)

29. Subir (come up): Subiríamos si nos invitaras. (We’d come up if you invited us.)

30. Decir (to tell): Te dije la verdad pero no me creíste. (I told you the truth but you didn’t believe me.)

31. Escribir (to write): La chica escribe en su diario todas las noches. (The girl writes in her diary every night.)

32. Ir (to go): Iremos al río cuando suba la temperatura. (We will go to the river when the temperature rises.)

33. Partir (to chop, to leave):Partiremos las manzanas. (We will chop the apples.)

            El avión partió al amanecer. (The plane will leave at sunrise.)

34. Pedir (to order): Se ha pedido pescado para cenar. (He ordered fish for dinner.)

35. Decidir (to decide): Decidió que se pasaría por la fiesta de Ana. (He decided that he would stop by Ana’s party.)

36. Preferir (to prefer): Prefiero que te marches tú primero. (I prefer that you leave first.)

37. Imprimir (to print): Deberías imprimir todos los documentos. (You should print all the documents.)

38. Sentir (to feel): Siento muchísimo lo que te ha pasado. (I am very sorry for what happened to you.)

39. Venir (to come): Vino del gimnasio y se acostó. (He came from the gym and went to bed.)

iScribo in Defense of Grammar

There are many verbs and their use will depend on the different Spanish-speaking countries. There are verbs that are used in Spain in everyday conversations that are offensive in other Latin American countries. This is why we encourage you to learn about different Spanish-speaking cultures so that you can draw your own conclusions. iScribo advocates the correct use of Spanish grammar. Our tool corrects your written Spanish in real time according to the rules of the RAE. The Academia can also help you learn the difference between regular and irregular verbs, you can check their list here.

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Writing in Spanish

Guide About How To Use Prefixes in Spanish

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Descubre Cómo se Forman los Prefijos en Español | iScribo

Few people know how prefixes in the Spanish language work and how to use a prefix correctly. This is normal, since the norm sometimes changes and the influence of other languages leads us to misspell them.

What is a prefix in Spanish? How are prefixes written? What are the most common prefixes in Spanish? iScribo answers your questions according to the rules of the RAE.

What are Spanish Prefixes?

Prefixes are elements of Spanish grammar that depend on other elements, and therefore lack autonomy.

Prefixes are affixes, meaning that they are placed before the root or lexical base of the word they accompany. Their function is to alter the meaning of the original word, to give it some nuances or an additional meaning.

Some examples are pre, ex, multi and súper, to name a few:

multiespacio, exministro, supercerca, preaprobado

(multispace, ex-minister, superclose, preapproved)

How Should Prefixes Be Written?

Prefixes are attached to the word they accompany, so it is incorrect to write them separately or with a hyphen, except for the exceptions mentioned a few line below this examples:

✓ antisistema, prenupcial, contraoferta (anti-system, prenuptial, counteroffer)

X anti-mafia, pre pagado, súper bonito (anti-mafia, pre-paid, super nice)

If the next word begins with a capital letter, whether it is an acronym or a number, the prefix IS hyphenated:

✓ pro-Obama, super-8, mini-USB

X posGorvachov, sub21

Note that the prefix súper does not have an accent even if it is hyphenated with the following word or there is simply a space.

Another exception is to write the prefix separately when it affects several words that act as a unit or if it affects proper nouns consisting of more than one word:

✓ pro Barack Obama, ex chica de los recados (former delivery girl)

X proderechos humanos, antiNaciones Unidas

In case of a combination of prefixes, they are written together or separately following the same rule as if there were only one prefix:

✓ ex vice primera presidenta, supersuperlento (former first vice-president, super-super-slow)

When it comes to monosyllables, when the prefix is added to them, they are no longer monosyllables and are considered acute, so they must be stressed as such:

✓ biogás

If you find yourself in a situation where you have to use two or more prefixes for a single word, add a hyphen after the first suffix:

✓ pre- y poselectoral

iScribo Works In Real Time

Prefixes follow some basic rules and you will see, as you practise with our tool, that they are easy to apply. iScribo corrects incorrect prefixes and suggests writing improvements as you write, in real time. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Writing in Spanish

15 Spanish Sayings & Phrases About Studying

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15 Frases o Refranes de Estudio en Español | iScribo

Popular sayings are rich as well as diverse, you only need to visit or meet people from Spanish-speaking countries to realise this. On this occasion, it is the turn to talk about phrases about studying or Spanish sayings about education so you can express yourself as a native speaker in the educational environment.

Spanish phrases about study amongst students are often used in a colloquial context but there will also be some that apply in formal settings. Today, iScribo presents you with a series of easy and useful Spanish phrases about school to expand your Spanish vocabulary.

Spanish Sayings About Learning

There are several sayings, expressions and proverbs that are mostly used in education. Here are some of them:

1. Hacer novillos: or in other variants such as hacer pellas, hacer campana, hacer monta or pegarse la huyona. It means to stop going somewhere you are obliged to go to do a more fun activity.

Hizo novillos pero sus padres se enteraron. (He skipped school but his parents found out about it.)

2. Tener manía: means to dislike or dislike someone or something.

El profesor le tiene manía y le ha suspendido la asignatura. (The teacher dislikes him and has failed his subject.)

3. Estar enchufado: means to have influence with someone in order to get a favour.

Le concedieron la beca porque está enchufada, no porque se lo mereciera. (She was awarded the scholarship because she is spoiled, not because she deserved it.)

4. Comerse los libros: studying hard and with high intensity.

Apenas sale, se come los libros para conseguir las mejores notas. (As soon as she gets out, she studies hard to get the best marks.)

5. Estudiar a marchas forzadas: used when you have little time to prepare for an assignment or an exam and all the studying is concentrated in a few days or hours.

Aunque estudiaron a marchas forzadas, les dio tiempo a prepararse todo el temario. (Although they studied hard, they had time to prepare the whole syllabus.)

6. Estudiar a destajo: study only for a short period of days.

Estudiaré a destajo durante el fin de semana. (I will study very hard over the weekend.)

7. Estudiar codo con codo: meet with classmates to study.

Los cuatro chicos estudiaron codo con codo hasta que llegó la noche. (The four boys studied side by side until the evening came.)

8. Echar la matrícula: or matricularse is preparing the necessary paperwork to register for a course and pay the corresponding fees.

La matrícula hay que echarla durante las dos primeras semanas de septiembre. (Enrolment must be done during the first two weeks of September.)

Study Sayings in Other Areas

There are many other sayings and phrases that can be used both in school and in everyday life. Some of them are:

9. Ser pan comido: when something is easy and costs little effort.

El examen fue pan comido. (The exam was a piece of cake.)

10. Hablar por los codos: to talk a lot.

Separaron a los estudiantes porque hablaban por los codos en clase. (The students were separated because they were talking through their elbows in class.)

11. Cada maestrillo tiene su librillo: This refers to the different way of acting and thinking that each person has.

El aprendizaje es un mundo, cada maestrillo tiene su librillo. (Learning is a world of its own, each teacher has his or her own way of teaching.)

12. A buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan: An intelligent person quickly understands what is said without having to go into detail, a simple hint is enough. Sometimes it is enough to say the first part of the saying.

No pienso explicaros esta parte, a buen entendedor, pocas palabras bastan. (I’m not going to explain this part to you, a few words are enough.)

13. No haber vuelta de hoja: when a matter is not subject to discussion.

No hay más vuelta de hoja, has suspendido y punto. (There is no way back, you have failed and that’s it.)

14. Ser coser y cantar: used to indicate that something is easy.

Esta asignatura es coser y cantar. (This subject is a piece of cake.)

15. Ponerse las pilas: to tackle a task with dedication.

Venga, me tengo que poner las pilas o no aprobaré. (Come on, I have to get my act together or I won’t pass.)

iScribo & Language Evolution

Student phrases can change year after year and generation after generation. Trendy words are what set the tone for colloquial language. However, some of them are here to stay and are still trending today, do you know of any other saying or phrase that you would like to highlight? iScribo’s tool corrects what you write in Spanish in real time. It is a very useful resource, as our team continuously updates the changes in the informal Spanish language and the demands of the evolution of the language. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Writing in Spanish

Semantic Fields and Lexical Structure in Spanish

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Campos Semánticos y Familias Léxicas en Español | iScribo

Semantic fields and lexical structure (lexical family) in Spanish may seem confusing at first glance, but if you identify each concept, you will answer the question ‘how to identify a semantic field?’

Continue reading this iScribo article to learn some semantic fields examples and the difference between semantic and lexical fields in Spanish and how they are formed.

Lexical Families

Lexical families in Spanish are a set of words that share the same root or lexeme, in other words, it is the main part of the word and what gives it meaning and significance. They are also known as ‘word families’.

For example, in the word mesa (table), mes- would be the root and it is what will help us to form word families or lexemes.

How Are Word Families Formed?

To form a word family, you just have to play with its root by adding prefixes or suffixes:

Deporte (sport), root dep-:

deportista, deportivo, polideportivo, deportividad, antideportiva.

(sportsman, sportswoman, sportsman, sportsman, sportsmanship, unsportsmanlike.)

It should be noted that there are some lexical families that are irregular, depending on the origin of each word (its etymology):

Hueso (bone):

huesera, huesoso, óseo, osario.

(bonekeeper, bony, osseous, ossuary.)

By the way, changing the gender and number ending is not considered a lexical family, e.g. niño, niña, niños, niñas (boy, girl, boys, girls.)

Semantic Fields Definition

Semantic fields are words that share a specific theme. In other words, these words share a meaning that is related to each other. We are talking about a conceptual relationship, for example:

Animales (animals:)

Perro, gato, caballo, águila.

(Dog, cat, horse, eagle.)

Since we are talking about semantic fields and their comparison with lexical families, bear in mind that a lexical family can be part of different semantic fields.

To name an example, the lexical family that shares the root or lexeme of the word luz (light) – noun, generates other words such as iluminar (illuminate) – verb, luminosa (luminous) – adjective, and deslumbrante (dazzling) – adjective.

iScribo and Grammar Preservation

To sum up, semantic fields can be grouped by their subject, through a set of related words, while lexical families are the morphology of the language itself and the linking of words through their root. Pure grammar! At iScribo we like to protect and spread the good use of grammar and the Spanish language, so we try to bring you closer to the most technical and grammatical aspects of the Spanish language. Our tool helps you to form word families, have you tried it? Tell us in the comments and also tell us about any lexical family that drags your attention.

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Writing in Spanish

20 Internet Acronyms in Spanish for Every User

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20 Acrónimos de Internet en Español que Aprender | iScribo

The popularity of Internet acronyms in Spanish is growing due to the increased use of social networks and platforms in the IT world. Adapting to them properly can be crucial at work or simply to feel accepted around technology.

At iScribo, we want to show you the most popular Internet related abbreviations so you can jump on the digital trend bandwagon. Read on to discover them.

Why are Internet Word Abbreviations Used?

Years ago, sending a text message had a maximum number of characters free of charge, and above a certain number, you had to pay more for the extra characters, which may be where the creativity of users to say a lot in just 160 characters began.

Nowadays, it is a matter of social acceptance, especially among young people, or rather to save time when writing.

Spanish Internet Vocabulary

Internet abbreviations and acronyms, and their meaning is a much talked-about topic at family meals or get-togethers with friends. It takes practice to learn them well:

1. B. D.: base de datos (data base).

2. admón.: administración (administration).

3.  a.: arroba (at).

4. (a): alias.

5. A/A: a la atención de (to the attention of).

6. atte.: atentamente (kind regards).

7. C. A.: compañía anónima (public limited company, although it can also be an autonomous community).

8. c. e.: correo electrónico (email).

9. p. o.; P. O.; p/o: por orden (by order, as you can see, there are different ways of saying it).

10. S. A.: sociedad anónima (limited company, although it is also used for your highness).

11. V. O. S.: versión original subtitulada (original version subtitled).

English Acronyms in Internet

English, of course, has influenced the acronyms as the main language of the computer and programming world. These acronyms are widely used.

12. AKA: as known as.

13. ASAP: as soon as possible.

14. BTW: by the way.

15. FTF: face to face.

16. FYI: for your information.

17. HTH: hope that helps.

18. JIC: just in case.

19. LOL: laughing out loud.

20. OMG: oh my God.

If you want to know more about English acronyms in the world of work, take a look at this link.

Practise, Learn and Improve

Remember to respect the rules as much as you can when writing Internet acronyms. Internet vocabulary tends not to follow the recommendations of academics but remember – we have to protect Spanish language as much as possible. In iScribo you can write and see improvements, suggestions and corrections in real time. Work with a Spanish assistant and make a good impression wherever you go with our Spanish spelling and grammar checker. And you, do you know more Internet acronyms in Spanish?

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Writing in Spanish

What are the Rules of Dialogue Writing in Spanish

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Cómo Escribir Diálogos en Español sin Equivocarte | iScribo

Do you know how to write dialogues in Spanish? Learning how an interaction dialogue works in Spanish is crucial for it to be read fluently and accurately.

The rules for writing dialogues generate doubts and, if we look closely, they are one of the most important parts of stories. Interviews, articles, novels, film scripts, etc., we can find this type of communication exchange very frequently day after day.

What is a Dialogue?

A dialogue is a type of communication between two or more people. It is an essential part of human interaction and, therefore, writing dialogues correctly will allow us to share thoughts, ideas or conversations, among others.

Keep reading to learn the basics about simple dialogues in Spanish, because, yeah, they can be complicated sometimes.

Different Parts of a Dialogue

When we talk about writing dialogues in Spanish, most of the time we are referring to literary dialogue. In this type of dialogue, we can distinguish two parts:

Parlamento: It indicates the speech of each character:

—Oye, Marisa —dijo Enrique enfadado antes de irse.

(“Hey, Marisa – said Enrique angrily before leaving.)

Acotación: This is also called an inciso (parenthetical remark) and it clarifies who is speaking, where and how, among other things.

—Oye, Marisa —dijo Enrique enfadado antes de irse.

Remember that the parlamentos may or may not have an acotación.

The Dash in Spanish Dialogues

When it comes to the punctuation marks in dialogues, the dash or long dash takes centre stage, as it introduces the dialogue:

—Ven, Marcos —dijo Sergio—. Quiero darte el regalo.

(“Come, Marcos, said Sergio. I want to give you the gift.)

It is written next to the word that follows it. Also, as you can see in the example, it is used whenever there is a pause for clarification with verbs of speech, understanding or thought.

Use a dash for each speech of different characters.

In the example above, you can also appreciate that the punctuation mark that accompanies the sentence goes right at the end of the clause, again, attached to the dash.

One last little trick, if the acotación is a non-verbal thought, use the Latin quotation marks in another sentence to express it:

—Margarita va a llegar tarde.

«Deberíamos comenzar la fiesta sin ella…», pensó Jacinto.

(“Margarita is going to be late.

“We should start the party without her…”, Jacinto thought.)

Be Patient!

Nobody said typing was easy and writing Spanish dialogues correctly takes time. I say this because the dash does not appear on the Spanish keyboard, you will have to insert it as a symbol or search for “raya” in a browser to copy and paste it.

We recommend that you practice, repeatedly, until you internalise these rules. The more you write, the sooner you will apply the rule automatically. iScribo corrects your Spanish in real time so you don’t have to waste time going over what you write more than once. Have you tried it yet? Tell us about it in the comments.

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