Understanding Spanish Sentence Structure

Spanish has a straightforward way of forming sentences. Most of the time, the order goes Subject-Verb-Object (SVO).

Once you grasp this, creating and understanding sentences will be much easier.

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Subject Pronouns

Subject pronouns tell us who is doing the action. Here are the subject pronouns in Spanish:

• yo (I)
• tú (you, informal)
• él (he)
• ella (she)
• usted (you, formal)
• nosotros/nosotras (we; masculine/feminine)
• vosotros/vosotras (you all; masculine/feminine, informal in Spain)
• ellos/ellas (they; masculine/feminine)

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Present Tense of Regular Verbs

To talk about things happening right now, you need to change verbs based on their endings. Here’s how it works:

• -ar verbs (like hablar):

  • hablo (I speak)
  • hablas (you speak)
  • habla (he/she speaks)

• -er verbs (like comer):

  • como (I eat)
  • comes (you eat)
  • come (he/she eats)

• -ir verbs (like vivir):

  • vivo (I live)
  • vives (you live)
  • vive (he/she lives)

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Ser vs. Estar

Both ser and estar mean "to be," but they are used differently:

• Ser is used for things that are permanent.

  • Example: "Soy estudiante" means "I am a student."

• Estar is used for temporary situations.

  • Example: "Estoy cansado" means "I am tired."

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Definite and Indefinite Articles

Articles help us know if we are talking about something specific or not:

• Definite articles (the specific item):

  • el (masculine singular)
  • la (feminine singular)

• Indefinite articles (any item):

  • un (masculine singular)
  • una (feminine singular)

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Adjective-Noun Agreement

In Spanish, adjectives must match the nouns they describe in gender and number:

• Example: "El coche rojo" (The red car - masculine)
• "La casa roja" (The red house - feminine)

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Question Words

To ask questions, you can use these words:

• qué (what)
• quién (who)
• dónde (where)
• cuándo (when)
• por qué (why)
• cómo (how)

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Negation

To say that something is not happening, add "no" before the verb:

• Example: "No como" means "I do not eat."

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Possessive Adjectives

To show ownership, use these possessive adjectives:

• mi (my)
• tu (your)
• su (his/her/their)
• nuestro/nuestra (our; masculine/feminine)
• vuestro/vuestra (your all; masculine/feminine)

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Simple Prepositions

Prepositions show how words relate to each other. Here are some common ones:

• en (in)
• a (to)
• con (with)
• de (of/from)
• por (for/by)
• para (for/to)

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By learning these key grammar points, you'll create a strong foundation in Spanish. This will help you share your thoughts clearly and confidently!