My practice thread

[Esperar]

Here I will be practicing my Spanish. I will probably use it almost every day, but we will see.

¿Puede tener un gráfico de Argentina, si?

I was speaking to someone in Spanish over soccer, I'm gonna use this as my first entry.

[hermit]

Hola Esperar, muy buena idea, ¡Vamos!

[Esperar]

I've one backwards slightly to learn more about my verb usage. I will be focusing on this for now. Thanks for the encouragement. :)

[wafflestomp]

Here I will be practicing my Spanish. I will probably use it almost every day, but we will see.

¿Puede tener un gráfico de Argentina, sí?

I was speaking to someone in Spanish over soccer, I'm gonna use this as my first entry.
Not sure what an "un gráfico" is. I thought it was a graph or a chart, but I could be wrong, are you using it as another meaning? Remember what I said about the verb "poder". It must be followed by a full verb infinitive, not a conjugated verb. It literally means "To be able to______" so you have to follow with a full infinitive.
"Podéis ir a mi casa?" :good: Correct because the bolded verb is a full infinitive.
"Podéis váis a mi casa":bad: Incorrect because the bolded verb is conjugated.

Also, without the accent, "si" means if. It's usually used with the conditional and the imperfect subjunctive. "Si yo fuera joven, yo iría a unas fiestas"

Nice idea to have a thread like this.. trust me, you'll learn much better by correction.

[Esperar]

Remember what I said about the verb "poder". It must be followed by a full verb infinitive, not a conjugated verb.

Also, without the accent, "si" means if. It's usually used with the conditional and the imperfect subjunctive. "Si yo fuera joven, yo iría a unas fiestas"

Nice idea to have a thread like this.. trust me, you'll learn much better by correction.


Sorry, I forgot. If I use it like that, it will mean, "you can you have?" Right? I am still struggling with this.

I also thought I did use "sí." Just a typo. :)

"Gráfico" was meant to mean like a picture/graphic of Argentina.

¿Puedo ir?

Is this right?

[wafflestomp]

Sorry, I forgot. If I use it like that, it will mean, "you can you have?" Right? I am still struggling with this.

I also thought I did use "sí." Just a typo. :)
Yes, but be careful, when you just say "puede" it's in the el/ella/usted form, just make sure you're conscious of that. A speaker will easily realize you're using the usted form, just be conscious it's not in the basic "you" form.

I changed my post a bit above, it doesn't mean "you can" remember. It means "You are able to".



¿Puedo voy?

Is this right?
No.

Puedo "ir" -- I am able to go.

Just get it into your head that using the verb poder, you have to follow it with the regular non-conjugated form of the verb. I had the same problem at first. It doesn't directly translate as "can". It means "to be able to_______"
It can naturally translate as can though, like if I were to say-
Yo puedo ir al cine

The literal translation is "I am able to go to the movie theater"
The natural translation to English would be "I can go to the movie"

So it is the closest verb in the Spanish language to our word, "can".

[Esperar]

I fixed it before you posted. I understand it now.

Is poder an exception, or the general rule?

[wafflestomp]

Good, you got it. Nice job :)

I don't know if you take formal classes, like in a College or something, but if you do, things like poder/acabar de/ir a can save you on an exam. When you forget how to conjugate a certain verb, you can say like "Yo puedo ir" if you forget how to conjugate ir in the simple present, etc.
^Just a little tip I use myself.

[Esperar]

No, I'm self taught, but I'm considering taking classes in a college.

[wafflestomp]

You're pretty good for being self taught... a college class would be great, especially since you know a lot of Spanish already. I don't think I'd be able to have gotten to the level you are just with review books.

[Esperar]

So am I right in presuming that a verb has its own rule on how to conjugate it? I'm not quite sure.

Voy cama por mi dormir. Hasta mañana.

[wafflestomp]

So am I right in presuming that a verb has its own rule on how to conjugate it? I'm not quite sure.
No, actually, most verbs are very simple. Poder and ir are irregular.

There are three types of Spanish verbs, AR verbs, IR verbs, and ER verbs. Each of them have their own normal conjugations, and each has their own irregular verbs.

Regular AR verb : Cantar - To sing (for timesake, I'm just going to write you the present and simple past, since that's what you are working on)

Present

Yo canto
Tú cantas
Él/ella/usted canta
Nosotros cantamos
Vosotros cantáis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes Cantan

Past
Yo canté
Tú cantaste
Él/ella/usted cantó
Nosotros cantamos
Vosotros cantasteis
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes cantaron

Irregular AR Verb (the unbolded are still regular conjugation) Pensar -- To think

Present

yo pienso
tú piensas
él/usted piensa
nosotros pensamos
vosotros pensáis
ellos/ustedes piensan

Past

yo pensé
tú pensaste
él/usted pensó
nosotros pensamos
vosotros pensasteis
ellos/ustedes pensaron

Regular IR Verb : vivir - To live

Present

yo vivo
tú vives
él/usted vive
nosotros vivimos
vosotros vivís
ellos/ustedes viven

Past

yo viví
tú viviste
él/usted vivió
nosotros vivimos
vosotros vivisteis
ellos/ustedes vivieron

Irregular IR verb: Conducir ( to drive, Spain, in Latin America they use Manejar )

Present

yo conduzco
tú conduces
él/usted conduce
nosotros conducimos
vosotros conducís
ellos/ustedes conducen

Past

yo conduje
tú condujiste
él/usted condujo
nosotros condujimos
vosotros condujisteis
ellos/ustedes condujeron

Regular ER verb : Comer ( to eat )

Present

yo como
tú comes
él/usted come
nosotros comemos
vosotros coméis
ellos/ustedes comen

Past

yo comí
tú comiste
él/usted comió
nosotros comimos
vosotros comisteis
ellos/ustedes comieron

Irregular ER verb : Poner (to put)

Present

yo pongo
tú pones
él/usted pone
nosotros ponemos
vosotros ponéis
ellos/ustedes ponen

Past

yo puse
tú pusiste
él/usted puso
nosotros pusimos
vosotros pusisteis
ellos/ustedes pusieron

That took a while :D I tried to use verbs that you would use and not just random ones.

[Esperar]

[Edit] I get it now. I have a verbs book and it says which are irregular. I will have to read it tomorrow.

[wafflestomp]

Voy cama por mi dormir. Hasta mañana.
Nice use of the vocab, but if you want to say you are going to bed, you use the verb "acostarse".

Me acuesto -- I go to bed

If you want to say you are going to your bed to sleep, you can say this:

Voy a mi cama para dormir -- I go to my bed IN ORDER TO sleep.

You have to use para in this case, meaning "in order to"

Make sure you check out the huge post I made you so it doesn't go to waste, haha. When you wake up tomorrow ( good work with Hasta mañana :) ), give a shot conjugating these three regular verbs in the past and present, one is an ir, er, and ar, and write an example sentence maybe. I don't mean to sound like a teacher or anything but this is the best way to learn, by practice. Use the model above to help you. They are just regular verbs.

IR verb: Escribir - to write
ER verb: Prender - to turn on (a computer, machine, etc)
AR verb: Apagar - to turn off (again, a computer or machine, etc)

Note that the yo form in the past is irregular for apagar, it's "apagué". That's it though, the rest of all three of the verbs are regular. Sorry for the one little irregular, but I'm trying to give you some useful verbs and not just throwing random ones at you that you will never use.

^Practicing those three verbs will help you around the computer in Spanish also. You can use escribir to talk about emails, or instant messages, and you can say prender and apagar for turning on/off the computer.

[Esperar]

This is a lot to take in, and I am a slow learner. I will try to absorb all of this though. :)

[wafflestomp]

Good :)

Keep looking at it everyday, and try those verbs I gave you. Keep typing in this thread whenever you are unsure of something, because someone here at this site will point you in the right direction.

[Brandon]

Esperar:

No puedo responderte todavía. Pero, escribí las correciones para ti.


** To express age, use the verb tener (to have.)

Tengo 26 años.
Literal: I have 26 years.
Natural: I am 26 years old.



** Use the present-progressive (gerund) with the verb estar.

Estoy aprendiendo.

(You used the past-participle, which is used with the perfect tenses. However, don't worry about those tenses until later. It's not very important yet.)



** The verb gustar literally translates as "to be pleasing to." So, the items listed after the verb are actually the subject and "me" is the object.

Your sentence reads:

Women, dogs, Internet, and others are pleasing to me.

Because your subject is more than one item, use gustan.

More examples:

Me gusta el perro. -- The dog is pleasing to me -- I like the dog.

Me gustan los perros. -- The dogs are pleasing to me -- I like the dogs.

Me gustan la camisa y la falda. -- I like the shirt and the skirt.

[chileno]

You can go here too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conjugation

The Spanish verb structure is the one you have to try to assimilate as soon as possible. And the way I see it, the best way to get acquainted with it is to transcribe from Spanish to English and translate.

[Esperar]

Nice use of the vocab, but if you want to say you are going to bed, you use the verb "acostarse".

Me acuesto -- I go to bed

If you want to say you are going to your bed to sleep, you can say this:

Voy a mi cama para dormir -- I go to my bed IN ORDER TO sleep.

You have to use para in this case, meaning "in order to"

Make sure you check out the huge post I made you so it doesn't go to waste, haha. When you wake up tomorrow ( good work with Hasta mañana :) ), give a shot conjugating these three regular verbs in the past and present, one is an ir, er, and ar, and write an example sentence maybe. I don't mean to sound like a teacher or anything but this is the best way to learn, by practice. Use the model above to help you. They are just regular verbs.

IR verb: Escribir - to write
ER verb: Prender - to turn on (a computer, machine, etc)
AR verb: Apagar - to turn off (again, a computer or machine, etc)

Note that the yo form in the past is irregular for apagar, it's "apagué". That's it though, the rest of all three of the verbs are regular. Sorry for the one little irregular, but I'm trying to give you some useful verbs and not just throwing random ones at you that you will never use.

^Practicing those three verbs will help you around the computer in Spanish also. You can use escribir to talk about emails, or instant messages, and you can say prender and apagar for turning on/off the computer.

Escribo a mi madre. (I write to my mother)
Escrito a mi madre. (I wrote to my mother)

Prendo mi ordenador (I turn on my computer)
???

Apago la luz (I turn on the lamp)
???

??? = I don't know the past for that verb.

Esperar:

No puedo responderte todavía. Pero, escribí las correciones para ti.


** To express age, use the verb tener (to have.)

Tengo 26 años.
Literal: I have 26 years.
Natural: I am 26 years old.



** Use the present-progressive (gerund) with the verb estar.

Estoy aprendiendo.

(You used the past-participle, which is used with the perfect tenses. However, don't worry about those tenses until later. It's not very important yet.)



** The verb gustar literally translates as "to be pleasing to." So, the items listed after the verb are actually the subject and "me" is the object.

Your sentence reads:

Women, dogs, Internet, and others are pleasing to me.

Because your subject is more than one item, use gustan.

More examples:

Me gusta el perro. -- The dog is pleasing to me -- I like the dog.

Me gustan los perros. -- The dogs are pleasing to me -- I like the dogs.

Me gustan la camisa y la falda. -- I like the shirt and the skirt.

Thanks, Brandon. I knew about gustan already, but I forgot.

[Brandon]

Escribo a mi madre. (I write to my mother)
Escrito a mi madre. (I wrote to my mother)

Prendo mi ordenador (I turn on my computer)
???

Apago la luz (I turn on the lamp)
???

??? = I don't know the past for that verb.



Thanks, Brandon. I knew about gustan already, but I forgot.


Escribo a mi madre - Correct! I write to my mother.
Escribí a mi madre. - Use the preterite tense for the past. I wrote to my mother.

Spanish Dict says encender is a more appropriate verb to use--
Enciendo mi computadora. - I turn on my computer.
Encendí mi computadora. - I turned on my computer.

Apago la luz. - I turn on the light.
Apagué la luz. - I turned on the light.

Use www.conjugation.org to double check your conjugations. :)