Spanish 1/Adjectives

Chapter 3 (Adjectives)

Adjectives

artístico(a) - artistic
atrevido(a) - daring
bueno(a) - good
deportista - sports-minded
desordenado(a) - messy/unorganized
estudioso(a) - studious
gracioso(a) - funny
impaciente - impatient
inteligente - intelligent
ordenado(a) - neat/orderly
paciente - patient
perezoso(a) - lazy
reservado(a) - reserved, shy
serio(a) - serious
simpático(a) - nice
sociable - sociable
talentoso(a) - talented
trabajador(ora) - hardworking
amigable - friendly

Personal questions & statements

¿Cómo eres? - What are you like?
¿Cómo es usted? - What are you like (you formal)?
¿Cómo es? - What is he/she like?
¿Cómo te llamas? - What's your name? (informal)
¿Cómo se llama usted? - What's your name? (formal)
¿Cómo se llama él? - What's his name?
¿Cómo se llama ella? - What's her name?
¿Cómo se llama? - What's his/her name?
¿Eres ...? - Are you ...?
le gusta ... - he/she likes ...
no le gusta ... - he/she doesn't like ...
soy ... - I am ...

Relationships

amigo - male friend
amiga - female friend
esposo - male spouse
esposa - female spouse
niño - little boy
niña - little girl
chico - boy
chica - girl
muchacho - boy
muchacha - girl
familia - family
yo - I
él - he
ella - she

Other words

a veces - sometimes
muy - very
pero - but
según - according to
según mi familia - according to my family

Grammar: Adjectives

In Spanish, most adjectives are classified by gender. Masculine adjectives usually end in -o and feminine adjectives usually end in -a. Masculine adjectives are used to describe males and masculine nouns, while feminine adjectives are used to describe females or feminine nouns.

Masculine

ordenado
trabajador
paciente
deportista

Feminine

ordenada
trabajadora
paciente
deportista

Definite and Indefinite Articles

Definite articles describe a specific thing, while indefinite articles are used to refer to other things.

el - the (masculine)
la - the (feminine)
un - a, an (masculine)
una - a, an (feminine)

Vocabulario adicional

coleccionar sellos-estampillas - to collect stamps
coleccionar monedas - to collect coins
jugar al ajedrez - to play chess
patinar sobre hielo - to ice-skate
practicar artes marciales - to practice martial arts
bombardino - baritone
trompa de llaves - French horn
misterioso(a) - mysterious

Cultural Insight (Friendships)

In Spanish-speaking countries, most families are close-knit and friends tend to be more of acquaintances than friends than those in English-speaking societies.

Country focus (Cuba)

Cuba (Spanish: Cuba, es) consists of the island of Cuba (the largest and second-most populous island of the Greater Antilles), Isla de la Juventud and several adjacent small islands. Cuba is located in the northern Caribbean at the confluence of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Cuba is south of the eastern United States and The Bahamas, west of the Turks and Caicos Islands and Haiti and east of Mexico. The Cayman Islands and Jamaica are to the south.

Cuba is the most populous insular nation in the Caribbean. Its people, culture and customs draw from several sources including the aboriginal Taíno and Ciboney peoples, the period of Spanish colonialism, the introduction of African slaves, and its proximity to the United States. The name "Cuba" comes from the Taíno language the exact meaning of which is unclear, but may be translated either "where fertile land is abundant" or "great place" . The island has a tropical climate that is moderated by the surrounding waters; however, the warm temperatures of the Caribbean Sea and the fact that the island of Cuba sits across the access to the Gulf of Mexico combine to make Cuba prone to frequent hurricanes. Cuba's main island, at 766 miles (1,233 km) long, is the world's 17th largest. Cuban culture is much influenced by the fact that it is a melting pot of cultures, primarily those of Spain and Africa. Cuba is most notably known for its music, which is very rich and is the most commonly known expression of culture, as well as sports, notably baseball.

Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro (Morro Castle (fortress), built in 1589 to guard the eastern entrance to Havana bay).

Factbox:

-Official Language: Spanish

-Other Languages: African languages, Portuguese, French, Cantonese

-Capital: Havana (La Habana)

Havana skyline.

-Government: Communism

-Area: 110,861 sq km (42,803 sq mi) (105th)

-Population: 11,236,444 (July 2010) (70th)

-Religion: Christianity 85%, Atheism 14.44%, Buddhism 0.25%, Hinduism 0.21%, other (Judaism, Animism, Islam, etc.) 0.1%

Cuba is home to many of the world's most beautiful beaches, such as Santa Lucía, shown here.

-Human Development: 0.863 (HIGH, 51st)

-Independence: January 1, 1959

-Currency: Cuban Peso, Cuban Convertible Peso