Introduction of the Spanish Alphabet , Personal Pronoun, Use of "Ser y estar" conjugation in

spanish sentences

PART I - THE SPANISH ALPHABET

PART II - The Personal Pronoun
LESSON CONTENT :
Spanish Personal Subject Pronouns
 I: Yo.
 You: Tú (informal) / Usted (Formal):
 He: Él.
 She: Ella.
 We: Nosotros / Nosotras.
 You, plural and informal: Vosotros / Vosotras.
 You, plural and formal: Ustedes.
 They: Ellos / Ellas.
PART III - The verb to be " ser" conjugation
Ser
As mentioned above, the verb ser is used to express permanent conditions and describe what something is in
Spanish. The following are some of the most common uses for ser:
 To identify something or someone
 To describe fundamental qualities and characteristics
 To talk about nationality or place of origin
 To speak about professions or occupations
 To share a religious or political affiliation
 To tell the hour, day, or date
 To address possession
 To describe the material something is made of
 To know the relationship between one person and another
The conjugation of ser is irregular, meaning it doesn’t follow a comprehensive pattern to form all its tenses, as
you can see in its indicative form in the present tense. See the table below:
Ser conjugation
Singular Plural

Nosotros somos
Yo soy
Nosotras
I am
We are
Vosotros sois
Tú eres
Vosotras
You are
You all are
Él es Ellos son

Ella Ellas
Usted Ustedes
He/she is They are
One of the main distinctions you can see regarding the English language is that “you” can be translated
into tú or vosotros, to refer to one person or more than one person (second person singular or plural). This will
also happen with the verb estar. Let’s see examples of each tense for a better understanding of the verb ser.
Ser: first person singular, present tense
 English: I am an honest friend.
 Spanish: Yo soy un amigo honesto.
This is a description or identification of a fundamental quality in the first person singular. It’s a statement of a
person’s permanent condition — as far as something can be permanent, but let’s not get too philosophical here.
Note: The subject can be omitted in Spanish (another variation from English) since the Spanish grammar rules
allow it: soy un amigo honesto. This can also occur in the following examples and tenses where the gender
remains undefined. The reader or listener will understand the sentence by its context.
Ser: second person singular, present tense
 English: You are from Barcelona.
 Spanish: Tú eres de Barcelona.
The sentence refers to the person’s origin, and it’s another permanent condition — since your place of birth or
origin doesn’t change throughout time. We could use “you” to include more people in English (second person
plural), but eres in Spanish can only be used to describe one person in particular.
Ser: third person singular, present tense
 English: She is a doctor.
 Spanish: Ella es doctora.
She studied to become a doctor, and she may be working as a doctor. It’s a persistent condition of the person,
even if she switches careers. Notice that the Spanish language specifies the gender in these cases. Even if we
omit the subject, the gender is still determined in her title: es doctora.
Ser: first person plural, present tense
 English: We are their parents.
 Spanish: Nosotros somos sus padres.
The sentence denotes the relationship between people. In this case, we’re describing family members and their
relationship, also a permanent condition. Traditionally, the Spanish language prioritizes the masculine gender
when identifying elements represented both by masculine and feminine genders (padres, in this example), or a
group with undetermined genders. In an effort to be more inclusive, individuals have begun replacing masculine
and feminine nouns, ending in O and A, with the gender neutral E.
Note: There are some cases in which estar is used to describe family relationships, such as in the case of
marriage, separation, or divorce. An example appears further on in the article.
Ser: second person plural, present tense
 English: You are the best!
 Spanish: ¡Vosotros sois los mejores!
Vosotros (plural you) is used to identify the quality or characteristics of a group of people. It’s also a permanent
condition that will (hopefully) remain unchanged. Just as before, the masculine gender is used to identify an
undetermined group of people. If the elements represented by “you” are all feminine genders, vosotros will
change to vosotras.
Note: It is very uncommon to use vosotros or vosotras in Latin America. Instead, they use the third person
plural (ustedes) with the corresponding verb form (ustedes son los mejores). Therefore, this tense is almost
exclusive to Spain.
Ser: third person plural, present tense
 English: It’s 3 PM.
 Spanish: Son las tres de la tarde.
You can also use the verb ser to tell the hour, as seen in this example. If you were to say that it’s 1 PM or 1
AM, the plural would become singular because it is only one hour (es la 1 de la tarde / es la 1 de la
madrugada).
Ser uses and examples
We’ve seen the conjugations of ser and estar with some practical examples to help us get used to these verbs.
Internalizing the difference between a permanent and a temporary condition is key to understanding the Spanish
verbs “to be.”
You use ser when you talk about permanent states — about what something is.
There is another tool or trick that can also help you remember when to use each verb. It’s something most
Spanish beginners learn from the very start: the DOCTOR and PLACE acronyms. The former refers to ser, and
the latter relates to estar.
Let’s start with the DOCTOR acronym for ser. You’ll also see several new conjugations to familiarize yourself
with different verb forms.
DOCTOR stands for Description, Occupation, Characteristic, Time, Origin, and Relation. It’s a popular
and handy device for learning and remembering the uses of ser.
Description
Used when describing people, animals, and objects.
Example
 English: This bridge was the largest in Europe.
 Spanish: Este puente fue el más grande de Europa.
Occupation
To talk about a person’s profession. Remember that you don’t use un/una to talk about occupations in Spanish.
Example
 English: My son will be a firefighter.
 Spanish: Mi hijo será bombero.

Ser uses and examples

We’ve seen the conjugations of ser and estar with some practical examples to help us get used to these verbs.
Internalizing the difference between a permanent and a temporary condition is key to understanding the Spanish
verbs “to be.”
You use ser when you talk about permanent states — about what something is.
There is another tool or trick that can also help you remember when to use each verb. It’s something most
Spanish beginners learn from the very start: the DOCTOR and PLACE acronyms. The former refers to ser, and
the latter relates to estar.
Let’s start with the DOCTOR acronym for ser. You’ll also see several new conjugations to familiarize yourself
with different verb forms.
DOCTOR stands for Description, Occupation, Characteristic, Time, Origin, and Relation. It’s a popular
and handy device for learning and remembering the uses of ser.
Description
Used when describing people, animals, and objects.
Example
  English: This bridge was the largest in Europe.
 Spanish: Este puente fue el más grande de Europa.
Occupation
To talk about a person’s profession. Remember that you don’t use un/una to talk about occupations in Spanish.
Example
 English: My son will be a firefighter.
 Spanish: Mi hijo será bombero.
Characteristic
Descriptions also include characteristics of someone’s personality and attributes.
Example:
 English: My roommates are extroverts.
 Spanish: Mis compañeros de piso son extrovertidos.
Time
If you want to talk about what time it is, use ser. Ser is used in this instance because ser is talking
about what something is rather than how something is.
Example
 English: It’s three o’clock.
 Spanish: Son las tres.
Origin
We also use ser to talk about the origin or source of something or someone, including what something is made
of.
Example
 English: You are from Argentina, right?
 Spanish: Sois de Argentina, ¿verdad?
Relations
Ser is used when you want to describe how people are related to each other.
Example
 English: Andrea is Miguel’s aunt.
 Spanish: Andrea es la tía de Miguel
PART IV - THE Verb to be " Estar" conjugation
Leccion Dos : Lesson 2 - The Verb to be " Estar"
Estar conjugation
Estar also has the same meaning as the verb “to be” in English, and it’s essential to pinpoint the difference
between estar and ser. Remember that estar refers primarily to how the object is and how it relates to a place or
condition. Plus, its condition or location is temporary. Let’s take a look at the present tense of estar.
Estar conjugation
Singular Plural

Nosotros estamos
Yo estoy
Nosotras
I am
We are
Vosotros estáis
Tú estás
Vosotras
You are
You all are
Él está Ellos están

Ella Ellas
Usted Ustedes
He/she is They are
Estar: first person singular, present tense
 English: I’m available this afternoon.
 Spanish: Estoy disponible esta tarde.
Since this is a temporary condition you find yourself in, you need to use estar. You will be available this
afternoon (e.g., to work, travel, hang out), but you might not be available again at night or in the morning, nor is
it something that will continue over time.
Estar: second person singular, present tense
 English: Are you happy or sad?
 Spanish: ¿Estás feliz o triste?
Being happy, sad, or in a different mood is a temporary condition. You may not be a happy person all the time
(that would be quite difficult!), so this is not a permanent attribute, as nationality, origin, or profession can be.
Estar: third person singular, present tense
 English: He is traveling.
 Spanish: Él está viajando.
This sentence serves as an example of translating an English gerund (-ing) to Spanish: you always use estar in
these cases (está cocinando, está caminando, está escuchando). At the same time, it expresses that someone is
traveling, and it is a temporary condition.
Estar: first person plural, present tense
 English: We are far from my house.
 Spanish: Nosotros estamos lejos de mi casa.
We are referring to our current physical location. Even if it sounds permanent in some other cases, our location
is always subject to change. Thus, we need to use estar.
Estar: second person plural, present tense
 English: You are married.
 Spanish: Estáis casados.
This is one of the most common errors that beginners make, and it can be confusing at first. Even though you
need to use ser to express most family relationships, being married, separated, or divorced is always a
temporary condition when it comes to Spanish grammar rules.
Estar: third person plural, present tense
 English: They are very elegant today.
 Spanish: Ellos están muy elegantes hoy.
They can try to be elegant every day, but this example implies that they are especially elegant today, so it is a
temporary condition. If you wish to say that they are very elegant all the time, you could use ser as in the
following example: ellos son muy elegantes.
Estar uses and examples
Estar is used when you talk about temporary states — about how something is.
You can remember the uses of estar with the acronym PLACE, which stands for Position, Location,
Action, Condition, and Emotion.
Position
In Spanish, estar is used to express where something is or its position.
Example
 English: He is near the birthday party.
 Spanish: Él está cerca de la fiesta de cumpleaños.
Location
The PLACE acronym can be easier to remember if you know that the L stands for Location. We use estar to
talk about the place something or someone is in, even if it’s permanent.
Example
 English: Right now, we are on a plane.
 Spanish: Ahora mismo, estamos en un avión.
Action
When using the gerund in Spanish, you need to use estar. You can use it for the past, present, or future.
Example
 English: My cat is walking around the room.
 Spanish: Mi gato está caminando por el cuarto.
Condition
As opposed to permanent characteristics and personality traits, estar is used to refer to a physical or emotional
condition that is changeable.
Example
 English: Your parents were hungry that day.
 Spanish: Tus padres estaban hambrientos ese día.
Emotion
Estar is used to express emotional states.
Example
 English: Your teacher was worried about you.
 Spanish: Tu profesora estuvo preocupada por ti.
Omission and Contraction of Article and Counting Numbers/ Ordinals

Learning Objectives:
* To apply the techniques in constructing basic sentence using omitted and contracted
* To introduce different samples in omission and contraction of articles in spanish sentence.
Contractions of the Definite Article
The indefinite article el is contracted following the prepositions de and a. This contraction rule doesn’t work like English contractions where
it’s an option to be formal or informal, this is a rule to remember.
 Mis hijas van al cine todos los días. - My daughters go to the cinema every day.
 Yo vengo del cine. - I just came from the cinema.
There is, however, an exception to this rule. The indefinite article el can’t be contracted if it is part of a brand name, proper name, business
name, place name, or similar.
 Acabamos de llegar de ‘‘El Vigía.’’ - We just got from El Vigía.

Omission of Articles in Spanish

Spanish articles can be omitted in very particular cases. For instance:
Definite Article
The definite article can be omitted when it is used with ordinal numbers for names of kings and queens:
 Elizabeth segunda - Elizabeth the Second
 Richard tercero - Richard the third
It can also be omitted in front of the days of the week when they are followed by a conjugated form of the verb ser indicating the current day
of the week:
 Hoy es miércoles. - Today is Wednesday.
In all other cases, the Spanish definite article can’t be omitted when used with days of the week.
El shouldn’t be omitted when used with names of languages. However, when used in phrases that contain the preposition en or verbs such
as aprender, saber, and hablar, it must be omitted.
 Mi hermana sabe inglés. - My sister knows English.
In the same way, the definite article el can be omitted with seasons of the year and with transportation means.
 Siempre voy a la playa en verano. - I always go to the beach in summer.
 Voy al trabajo en carro. - I go to work by car.
Indefinite Article
One of the most common omissions of the Spanish indefinite article happens when it is used after the verb ser, if the noun used is related to a
profession, a nationality, or a religion, among others. However, it is important to remember that if the noun is used after an adjective, the
article can’t be omitted.*
For example:
 Soy enfermera. - I am a nurse.
 Soy músico. - I am a musician.
 Ella es estudiante de medicina. - She is a medical student.
 Ella es una excelente enfermera. - She is an excellent nurse.*
Lesson 2: COUNTING NUMBERS
Learning Objectives:
1.) Able to translate the number from english to spanish.
2.) Construct a basic sentence using number.
Now for the Spanish numbers 1 to 100. After you've read these, I'll explain some tricks for remembering them.
1 uno 2 dos 3 tres 4 cuatro 5 cinco

6 seis 7 siete 8 ocho 9 nueve 10 diez

11 once 12 doce 13 trece 14 catorce 15 quince

16 dieciséis 17 diecisiete 18 dieciocho 19 diecinueve 20 veinte

21 veintiuno 22 veintidós 23 veintitrés 24 veinticuatro 25 veinticinco

26 veintiséis 27 veintisiete 28 veintiocho 29 veintinueve 30 treinta

31 treinta y uno 32 treinta y dos 33 treinta y tres 34 treinta y cuatro 35 treinta y cinco

36 treinta y seis 37 treinta y siete 38 treinta y ocho 39 treinta y nueve 40 cuarenta

41 cuarenta y uno 42 cuarenta y dos 43 cuarenta y tres 44 cuarenta y cuatro 45 cuarenta y cinco

46 cuarenta y seis 47 cuarenta y siete 48 cuarenta y ocho 49 cuarenta y nueve 50 cincuenta

51 cincuenta y uno 52 cincuenta y dos 53 cincuenta y tres 54 cincuenta y cuatro 55 cincuenta y cinco

56 cincuenta y seis 57 cincuenta y siete 58 cincuenta y ocho 59 cincuenta y nueve 60 sesenta

61 sesenta y uno 62 sesenta y dos 63 sesenta y tres 64 sesenta y cuatro 65 sesenta y cinco

66 sesenta y seis 67 sesenta y siete 68 sesenta y ocho 69 sesenta y nueve 70 setenta

71 setenta y uno 72 setenta y dos 73 setenta y tres 74 setenta y cuatro 75 setenta y cinco

76 setenta y seis 77 setenta y siete 78 setenta y ocho 79 setenta y nueve 80 ochenta

81 ochenta y uno 82 ochenta y dos 83 ochenta y tres 84 ochenta y cuatro 85 ochenta y cinco

86 ochenta y seis 87 ochenta y siete 88 ochenta y ocho 89 ochenta y nueve 90 noventa

91 noventa y uno 92 noventa y dos 93 noventa y tres 94 noventa y cuatro 95 noventa y cinco

96 noventa y seis 97 noventa y siete 98 noventa y ocho 99 noventa y nueve 100 cien
For numbers from 200 to 999, you must first learn the multiples of 100.
 200 – doscientos
 300 – trescientos
 400 – cuatrocientos
 500 – quinientos
 600 – seiscientos
 700 – setecientos
 800 – ochocientos
 900 – novecientos
These numbers have masculine and feminine forms, and so they must agree with the noun:
 setecientas personas – “seven hundred people”
 ochocientos libros = “eight hundred books”
The only two new words you need to learn are mil (1,000) and un millón (1,000,000).
Note: 1,000 is mil, not un mil. For un millón, you can't leave out the un.
The only time you'll see un mil is in numbers like cuarenta y un mil (41,000). You need to put an un in this
number to distinguish it from cuarenta mil (40,000).
Forming new numbers with mil and un millón is pretty straightforward as well:
 1,000 – mil
 1,001 – mil uno (not “mil y uno”!)
 1,686 – mil seiscientos ochenta y seis
 2,001 – dos mil uno
 20,000 – veinte mil
 100,000 – cien mil
 483,382 – cuatrocientos ochenta y tres mil trescientos ochenta y dos
 1,000,000 – un millón
 6,492,000 – seis millones cuatrocientos noventa y dos mil
Finally, note that when you're using un millón or millones with a noun, you must use de. For example, “one
million books” is un millón de libros. Literally, “one million of books”.
LECTURES -MONTHS & DAYS