Chapter Four

Para followed by an infinitive can be used to express "in order to”

Colors

Without -o or -a

  • Only have two forms: singular and plural.

  • Exception: Café does not change for gender or number. DE does not have to be used

Numbers

Cien

  • used in counting

Ciento

  • used in combination with numbers

Numbers 200-900

  • when modifying a noun, they agree in gender

Mil

  • does not have a plural form

Millón

  • has a plural form (Millones)

Years

  • Said just as they are written

Period and Comma

  • Switched in Spanish when used with numbers

Spanish65,5% | $1.000

English: 65.5% | $1,000

Syllable Stress

Words ending in -n, -s, or vowels

  • Stress is on the second-to-last syllable (la penúltima sílaba)

  • Exception: Words with accents on the last syllable (e.g., tabú, alemán, inglés, café, nación, estás)

Words ending in other consonants

  • Stress is usually on the last syllable (la última sílaba).

  • Exception: Words with an accented letter in the second-to-last syllable (e.g., lápiz, dólar, álbum, ágil, dócil)

Palabras esdrújulas

  • Stress is on the third-to-last syllable (la antepenúltima sílaba)

  • Rule: All words stressed on the third-to-last syllable must have an accent mark (e.g., bolígrafo, matrícula, matemáticas)

  • Note: Words ending in -ía commonly do not form a diphthong

Plural Accents

  • Some words add accents in the plural to preserve the original stress

  • Words with an accent on the last syllable sometimes lose the accent in the plural

Pantalón > Pantalones

Francés > Franceses

Nación > Naciones

One-syllable Words with Different Meanings

  • él (he) vs. el (the)

  • sí (yes) vs. si (if)

  • tú (you) vs. tu (your)

  • mí (me) vs. mi (my)

Question or Exclamation Words

  • Accent on the stressed vowel

Demonstrative Adjectives

  • Indicate specific nouns and precede the nouns they modify

  • Agree in gender and number

Este and Ese

  • Close to speaker: Este (this/these)

  • Away from speaker: Ese (that/those)

Ese and Aquel

  • - Both mean that/those

  • - Aquel indicates even **farther** away

Demonstrative Pronouns (this, that, there, here)

  • - Agree in gender and number

  • - Used without the noun

  • - No exact English equivalent

  • Aquella: that one

  • Esta: this one

  • Esto, eso, aquello: used for unidentified objects, ideas, concepts, or situations

Verb Conjugation

  • - Some verbs have irregular forms (tener, hacer, venir, etc.)

  • - The -o in poder becomes -ue

Idioms with Tener

  • - Conditions/states often use tener in Spanish

  • - Tener ganas de + adj: to feel like (doing something)

  • - Tener que + adj: to have to (do something)

Ir (to go)

  • - Irregular verb

Contraction al

  • - (a + el): to the 

  • - (does not contract with él, only el)

Future with Ir

  • ir + a + infinitive = expressing the future

  • Aprender + a + infinitive = to learn to do something