Spanish Grammar Guides

(El Subjuntivo en Cláusulas Adjetivales y Adverbiales) The subjunctive mood is used in Spanish to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, emotion, purpose, or nonexistence — situations that are not yet real or guaranteed. In this guide, we’ll look at two common contexts where the subjunctive appears:Adjective Clauses and Adverbial Clauses 1) Review: What Is a Clause?…

The preterite narrates completed actions in the past—events with a clear beginning and end, a finished sequence, or a specific number of times. 1) Core Uses (When to choose the preterite) Contrast with imperfect (ongoing/background/habitual).Era de noche y llovía (background) cuando apagué la luz (completed action). 2) Regular Conjugations & Accent Pattern Accent rule: Regular…

The subjunctive mood is used to express wishes, emotions, doubts, uncertainty, recommendations, or hypothetical situations — anything not yet real or confirmed. Unlike the indicative (used for facts), the subjunctive expresses what someone wants, hopes, or feels should happen. 1) The Subjunctive Mood vs. the Indicative Mood Mood Used For Example Indicative Facts, certainty, what…

(Los Tiempos Perfectos del Español) The perfect tenses are used to talk about completed actions — things that have happened, had happened, will have happened, or would have happened. They all use a form of the auxiliary verb haber + a past participle. Formula for all perfect tenses: haber + past participle 1) Review: The…

(Also called “El Pretérito Imperfecto del Subjuntivo”) The imperfect subjunctive is used to talk about hypothetical, uncertain, or emotional actions in the past — or to express “if” situations that are not real. It’s the past form of the subjunctive mood, used when the main clause is in the past or the situation is contrary…

(El Futuro Simple / El Futuro de Probabilidad) The future tense in Spanish is used to express what will happen or what someone will do, making it essential for talking about plans, predictions, and intentions. Beyond its basic meaning, the future tense also serves a second important purpose: expressing probability or conjecture about the present.…

The conditional tense is used to express what would happen or what someone would do under specific circumstances. It allows speakers to discuss possibilities, make polite requests, and imagine hypothetical situations. The conditional often answers questions like: “What would you do…?” or “What would happen if…?” Mastering this tense helps learners talk about intentions, plans,…

(La Hora) Knowing how to tell time in Spanish is essential for navigating daily life—whether you’re talking about class schedules, events, appointments, or routines. Being able to ask for the time, give the time, and describe both exact and approximate moments helps learners communicate clearly and naturally. In this section, students will explore how to…

Subject pronouns identify who is performing the action of a verb. Spanish has pronouns for first, second, and third person, both singular and plural. Some forms distinguish between masculine and feminine groups, and there are both formal and informal ways to address others. Person Singular Plural 1st yo nosotros / nosotras 2nd tú vosotros /…

(Las Palabras Interrogativas) In Spanish, question words (also called interrogative words) are used to ask who, what, when, where, why, how, and which. They all carry a written accent mark (´) to distinguish them from similar words used in statements. 1) Basic Question Words Spanish English Notes / Examples ¿Quién? / ¿Quiénes? Who? / Who…

Spanish Commands (Los Mandatos) Commands (or imperatives) are used to tell someone what to do or what not to do.They’re essential for giving directions, advice, or instructions — whether in the classroom, at home, or in real-world interactions. 1) Types of Commands There are several command forms, depending on who you’re speaking to: Command Type…

(To Be — Two Verbs, Two Meanings!) Spanish has two verbs that both mean “to be” — ser and estar — but they’re used in different situations.Choosing the right one depends on what kind of “being” you’re describing: 1) Conjugations of Ser and Estar(Present Tense) Subject Ser Estar yo soy estoy tú eres estás él…

Relative Pronouns in Spanish (Los Pronombres Relativos) Relative pronouns are words that connect two ideas or clauses in a sentence — they refer back to a noun (antecedent) mentioned earlier and replace it in the second clause. They work like English words such as who, which, that, whose, where, and what. 1) What Is a…

(Los Verbos Recíprocos) Reciprocal reflexives describe actions that two or more people do to each other — like “each other” or “one another” in English. They use the same reflexive pronouns (nos, os, se) but the meaning is shared or mutual, not individual. 1) What Are Reciprocal Reflexives? A reciprocal reflexive shows that the action…

Regular Present Tense Verbs Regular -AR verbs are one of the largest and most important verb groups in Spanish. Because they follow predictable conjugation patterns, they give learners a reliable foundation for expressing actions in the present tense. Mastering these endings allows students to talk about everyday activities, describe routines, and build clear, complete sentences.…

Reflexive Verbs in Spanish (Los Verbos Reflexivos) Reflexive verbs describe actions that a person performs on themselves. They use reflexive pronouns to show that the subject and the object are the same—meaning the person doing the action is also receiving it. 1) What Is a Reflexive Verb? A reflexive verb is one that uses a…

The Preterite vs. Imperfect (El Pretérito Indefinido vs. El Pretérito Imperfecto) Spanish has two main past tenses—the preterite and the imperfect—and both are used to talk about actions that happened in the past. However, they highlight different perspectives on those actions. The preterite focuses on completed events with clear beginnings or endings, while the imperfect…

The Present Progressive & the Gerund (El Presente Progresivo y el Gerundio) The present progressive is used to describe actions that are happening right now—what someone is doing at this very moment. This structure helps speakers emphasize that an action is currently in progress. At the center of this construction is the gerund (el gerundio),…

Por vs. Para (Two Words That Mean “For” — But Not the Same!) Spanish uses two different words—por and para—that can both translate to “for” in English, but they express very different ideas. Choosing the correct one depends on the reason, purpose, or context of the action. A helpful way to think about them is:…

Participles as Adjectives in Spanish (Los Participios como Adjetivos) In Spanish, the past participle (participio pasado) can be used not only to form compound tenses, but also to function as an adjective. When used this way, the participle describes a condition, result, or characteristic of a noun. Just like regular adjectives, participles must agree in…

The Spanish alphabet has 27 letters, including Ñ (eñe). Letter Example English A amigo friend B bueno good C casa house Ñ niño boy J jardín garden R rosa rose Z zapato shoe Pronunciation highlights: Building Proficiency for World Language Learners: 100+ High-Interest ActivitiesDiscover over 100 dynamic activities to make world language learning interactive and…

The “Super Seven” Verbs in Spanish The “Super Seven” verbs are a set of high-frequency verbs that appear constantly in everyday communication. These verbs give learners the power to express essential ideas: who they are, what they have, what they like, where they are, what they do, and what exists around them. Because they form…

Articles in Spanish Articles help identify and define nouns, telling us whether something is specific or general, and whether it is masculine, feminine, singular, or plural. In Spanish, choosing the correct article is essential for clear and accurate communication because articles must agree with the nouns they accompany. Understanding how articles work builds a strong…

Adjectives in Spanish Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, giving more detail about people, places, things, or ideas. In Spanish, adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe, which means their endings often change to match masculine or feminine, singular or plural forms. Understanding this agreement is key to…

Understanding Gender in Spanish In Spanish, every noun has a grammatical gender — masculine or feminine. This category is not always related to biological gender; rather, it is a structural feature of the language. A noun’s gender affects the form of many other words in the sentence, including articles, adjectives, and some pronouns. In Spanish,…

Numbers, Days, and Dates in Spanish (Los Números, los Días y las Fechas) Numbers, days, and dates are essential building blocks for everyday communication. We use them to tell time, share birthdays, talk about events, make plans, and give important information. Mastering these basics helps students communicate clearly and confidently in real-world situations. Let’s review…

The Verb Ir (To Go) The verb ir means “to go,” and it’s one of the most essential verbs in Spanish. Because it is irregular, it doesn’t follow standard conjugation patterns and must be memorized. Despite this, ir is short, common, and incredibly useful for everyday communication, helping speakers talk about movement, plans, destinations, and…

Infinitive vs. Gerund in Spanish (El Infinitivo vs. El Gerundio) In Spanish, both the infinitive (hablar, comer, vivir) and the gerund (hablando, comiendo, viviendo) are non-conjugated verb forms, but they serve different grammatical purposes. While English often uses an “-ing” form for many situations, Spanish clearly separates when to use the infinitive and when to…

The Imperfect Tense (El Pretérito Imperfecto) The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past. Rather than focusing on when an action started or ended, the imperfect paints the setting of a story, explains what used to happen, or tells what was going on when another action took place.…

Gustar and Verbs Like Gustar (Los Verbos como “Gustar”) The verb gustar does not literally mean “to like.” Instead, it means “to be pleasing to,” which is why sentences with gustar follow a different structure than English. Rather than saying “I like the book,” Spanish expresses the idea as “The book pleases me.” Me gusta…

Spanish Grammar — The Verb Gustar (To Like) In Spanish, the verb gustar works differently than the English verb “to like.” Instead of saying that a person likes something, gustar literally means “to be pleasing.” This means the thing that is liked becomes the subject, and the person who likes it becomes the indirect object.…

(Los Pronombres de Objeto Directo, Indirecto y Doble) Direct, Indirect, and Double Object Pronouns in Spanish (Los Pronombres de Objeto Directo, Indirecto y Doble) Spanish uses object pronouns to replace nouns that receive the action of a verb. By substituting these nouns with pronouns, speakers can avoid repetition and make sentences flow more naturally. Direct,…

Adverbs help explain how, when, where, or to what extent an action occurs. They give important details that make sentences more precise and expressive. In Spanish, adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives, or even other adverbs—but never nouns. Understanding how adverbs work will help students communicate actions more clearly and add rich, descriptive detail to their…

(Las Oraciones Condicionales – “Si” Clauses) In Spanish, conditional (“if… then”) sentences help us express cause and effect. They allow speakers to explain what happens, will happen, would happen, or would have happened depending on a particular circumstance. These structures are common in everyday communication, storytelling, problem-solving, and hypothetical situations. Most conditional sentences begin with…