The Language Chronicles: El Choro Lingüístico 💬

[Bajar para español] ----------------------------------------  

[Also see other topics that can be challenging for English-speaking learners, here ] In Spanish, we use two important and common verbs, ser and estar , to talk about different aspects of things and people. These verbs usually have one translation into English (to be) and other languages. Let's break it down:  ESTAR  is used for  incidental, so usually temporary,  conditions - it is like a snapshot of a situation. It comes from Latin stare , which means to stand and is linked to English status , stance , standing , and state . If you know French, you may be surprised to know English stay likely comes from Old French ester (ester>estre>e(s)tre> être) . It describes the condition or state in which something or someone happens to be in.   SER , on the other hand, is used for essential   qualities (not always permanent) and class membership . It expresses   fundamental cha racteristics  and  entity/identity   of what something or someone really is . Very important: such ident

You're reading this article in English, so I've made a few assumptions about you in order to write it. I'll make yet another one. I'll assume you've probably heard all or most of the following and understand what they mean: willy-nilly , fifty-fifty , kitty-cat , wishy-washy , that baby seems to be getting uglier and uglier. All of these are examples of reduplication in the English language, and they are so common that we seldom stop to think that we're really duplicating a whole element or part of it. Reduplication happens in all languages, including Spanish. It can be classified into two main categories: complete (a whole word is replicated) and partial reduplication (a part of a word is replicated). The category that is the juiciest in Spanish is the one that uses whole words, but for the sake of completeness, examples of words that duplicate an element and not a whole word in Spanish are: "un notici on ón", "chiqu it ito", "grand o

Here are some mistakes in Spanish that are common among English speakers. Right-click on the image and open in a separate tab for best resolution. Below the image, you will find some resources for the points covered in the infographic.  What other mistakes do you think are common for English speakers learning Spanish? Let me know in the comments! Here are some resources for the points briefly explained above, in case you need a review or wish to learn something new, whatever the case might be:  Expressions with tener.  Dropping personal pronouns in Spanish .  Adjectives with a short and long form . Decoding Ser and Estar: Not your "Permanent vs. Temporary" Guide Does "gente" take a plural or singular verb? Using the verb "gustar" and similar verbs .  Adjectives placement and different meanings .  Contractions in Spanish .  How to say the date in Spanish .  Saying your profession or occupation .  Feminine words that take "el" and exceptions .