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Functions for Csec Spanish Ressponses to Situations
Functions for Csec Spanish Ressponses to Situations
ADVISING
Vale la pena
1. Commands as Advice
This is the easiest way to give advice in Spanish if you already know the imperative
mood. Imperative sentences can express advice (rather than a demand), if you say
it with an appropriate tone of voice.
2. Expressing Obligation
Once again, with an appropriate tone of voice, you can express an obligation in the
form of advice in Spanish. Two easy constructions express obligation and are
perfect for giving advice:
There is a group of verbs to use to give advice in Spanish, but they require you to
know how to use the subjunctive because of a lack of certainty that the other
person will do what you’re advising them to do.
Remember, with verbs of advice in Spanish, add que and a verb in the subjunctive
mood. Some most common verbs to give advice in Spanish are:
aconsejar – to advise
proponer – to suggest
sugerir – to propose
recomendar – to recommend
Te propongo que vayas ahí en verano y lo veas con tus propios ojos.
I suggest you go there in the summer and see it with your own eyes.
Another way to indirectly give advice in Spanish if you’ve already mastered the
subjunctive mood is through impersonal statements.
It’s also important to learn how to ask for advice in Spanish. Here are a few
common, easy expressions.
¿Qué me aconseja?
What do you advise me to do?
Accepting
De acuerdo – Ok
Declining
Gracias pero tengo otros planes. Thanks but I have other plans.
Te doy las gracias pero tengo que estudiar. I thank you but I have to study
APOLOGIZING
disculparse- to apologize
Llegué tarde por que el tren se retrasó media hora. I arrived late because the
train was delayed for half an hour.
When It’s Kind Of Your Fault, Or You’re Interrupting Someone
ASKING PERMISSION
Permitir - to permit
Dejar - to allow , to let
Dar permiso a – to give permission to
NB. Use ‘Para qué when ‘Why’ means ‘ For what purpose’
BORROWING
pedir prestado- to borrow
tomar prestado- to borrow
prestar- to lend
¿Puedes prestarme tu regla por favor? Can you lend me your ruler please?
CONGRATULATING
Felicidades! Congratulations!
¡Felicitaciones! Congratulations!
¡Salud! Cheers!
¡Enhorabuena! Congratulations
DESCRIBING
Hay – There is/are
Primero a décimo First to tenth
Un buen muchacho – a good boy
Un hombre rico – a rich boy
Una mujer casada – A married woman
EXPLAINING
Es decir, o sea, en otras palabras. That is to say, or in other words
Querer decir -to mean
EXPRESSING DISAPPOINTMENT
la decepción- disappointment
Estoy muy decepcionado – I am very disappointed
Expressing Doubt
dudar- to doubt
EXPRESSING FEAR
temer- to fear
tener miedo – to be afraid
Todos buscamos éxito y tenemos miedo del fracaso. We are all looking for success and
we are all afraid of failure.
EXPRESSING WISHES
Desear - to want, to desire
Querer – to want
Tener ganas de- to feel like
EXPRESSING GOOD
¡Buena suerte!- Good luck
¡Que le vaya bien! May it go well with you.
¡Que te vaya bien
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE
De nada
No hay de que Don’t mention
EXPRESSING SURPRISE
¡Increible! – Unbelievable!
¿Qué? – What?
¡Guau! – Wow!
porque because
IDENTIFYING
Ser –to be
INSTRUCTING
negative.
The affirmative informal (tú) imperative is formed by the 3rd person singular
Examples:
You study for the final test! – ¡Estudia para tu prueba final!
Read carefully, that book is a little bit confusing – Lee minuciosamente, ese
libro es un poquito confuso
You live wherever you want, it is your life! – ¡Vive adonde quieras, es tu vida!
Important: There are 8 verbs that have irregular affirmative tú imperative forms,
To go Ir ¡Ve!
To be Ser ¡Sé!
Negative Informal
Negative informal commands in Spanish are formed when we use the informal (tú)
Imperative and precede it with the word no, next, the tú form of the Present
Examples:
Do not jump on the bed, it is dangerous! – ¡No saltes en la cama, es
peligroso!
Do not drink rum on an empty stomach! – No bebas ron con el estómago
vacío
Do not open the window yet! – No abras la ventana todavía
Now that we’ve covered the conjugations, we can review three common scenarios
Do not talk with your mouth full, it is rude – ¡No hables con la boca llena! es
de mala educación
Treat people with respect, kindness and friendliness! – ¡Trata a las personas
con respeto, amabilidad y cordialidad!
Listen to the person who speaks to you without interrupting them! – ¡Escucha
a la persona que habla contigo sin interrumpirla!
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. Repeat it again – Lo siento, no escuché tu
nombre. Repítelo de nuevo
Turn right when you get to the intersection – Dobla a la derecha cuando
llegues al cruce
Walk five blocks and cross the street – Camina cinco cuadras y cruza la calle
Ask for help if you really need it – Pide ayuda si la necesitas realmente
Take the train / bus to the next stop – Toma el tren / autobús hasta la
siguiente estación
3. ¡No ___ (ve, vas, vayas) a esa fiesta, creo que será aburrida.
4. ___ (sé, eres, seas) una buena persona con los mayores.
5. El día está muy lluvioso, es mejor que no ___ (sales, sal, salgas) hoy.
electrónico.
Answers
Here are a few examples of singular formal commands, which are also called usted
commands.
EXAMPLES
Sea amable.
Be nice.
Abra la ventana.
Here are a few examples of plural formal commands, which are also called ustedes
commands.
In countries other than Spain, you can also use these commands to
address any group of people, regardless of age or social standing. This is
because ustedes is used for both the formal and informal plural in Latin America.
EXAMPLES
Damas y caballeros, pasen por aquí.
All Ud. (usted) and Uds. (ustedes) commands are the same as
the Ud. and Uds. present subjunctive forms.
Irregular present subjunctive forms can be found in the article on the present
subjunctive.
Pronoun Placement in Affirmative Formal Commands
Pronouns are attached to the end of affirmative commands. If the command form
of the verb has more than one syllable, a written accent is added when attaching a
pronoun.
EXAMPLES
Tráigamelo.
Bring it to me.
Mírelo.
Look at it.
Negative formal commands couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is put a negative
word such as no
in front of the affirmative formal command, and you've got yourself a negative
formal command.
EXAMPLES
No vengan mañana.
Do not come tomorrow.
Pronouns come between the negative word (such as no) and the command form in
negative formal commands.
EXAMPLES
INTRODUCING
Querer
Quisiera
Invitar a
Gustar
Quisieras cenar conmigo mañana. Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow?
Te gustaría ir al café tomar algo? Would you like to go to the café for a drink?
PROMISING
Ir a + infinitive
Prometer – to promise
Ofrecer/ofrecerse – to offer
RECOMMENDING.
When a person recommends, suggests, wants, or asks another person to do (or not
do) something, the subjunctive is used.
EXAMPLES
Note that the word que is used to separate the recommender from the
recommendation in the sentences above.
REMINDING
olividar- to forget
acordarse de – to remember
REQUESTING
Querer- to want
THREATENING
Ir a + infinitive
Amenazar – to threaten
Voy a castigarte si no haces el trabajo. I am going to punish you if you do not do the
work
WARNING
Escondería mis cosas si no dejas de usarlas sin permiso. I would hide my stuff if
Avisar – to warn
prevenir – to warn
Exclamations:
¡Cuidado! Careful!
¡Peligro! Danger!
If you face some sort of disaster, use one of the following words:
¡Incendio! (Fire!)
¡Inundación! (Flood!)
¡Temblor! (Earth tremor!)
¡Terremoto! (Earthquake!)
¡Maremoto! (Tidal wave!)