Directions can be a difficult thing. Whether you’re in a big city and need to find a meeting spot, or you lost your mom in a grocery store, there comes a time when you simply have to ask: “where are you.

In English, those three words are usually sufficient. However, just as with many other phrases, a plethora of ways to express the same thing is at your disposal.

Sometimes, though, asking is traditionally the best approach.

Conjugating the verb estar and pairing it with dónde helps us ask the question “where are you. ” Tú [ˈtu] means “you,” and the following chart shows other personal pronouns to fit the audience.

One of the biggest differences between the English and Spanish languages are the formalities. We don’t use conjugated forms of verbs to indicate the degree of formality in a conversation in English.

This option is the way to formally ask where someone is. If you are looking for your boss or someone of high esteem, está is the verb that you would use to address them.

Looking for a group can be tricky. Sometimes, you get separated from the people you are meant to be with.

It is also considered to be formal.

Maybe you’re meant to catch up with someone.

Asking where someone is going can help coordinate plans. Alternatively, it can be used to attempt to get a person to stay.

When you first meet someone, finding out where they’re from is often one of the first talking points. An appropriate response would be: “Yo soy de Argentina.” (I am from Argentina.).

It isn’t uncommon to meet fellow students from different educational backgrounds in these programs. Asking where they study is a great way to learn more about new people.

Asking where someone lives is a bit personal. It’s best to avoid asking strangers this unless you’re looking for a generalization, such as a country.

People often mix up the word adónde (pronounced [aˈdonde]) with dónde. The simplest way to remember the difference is that adónde means “to where,” while dónde means “where.” You pair this word with the verb ir.

­– Where are we going (to).

Much like in English, Spanish has some words that sound like others with slightly varied meanings. Also, remembering when to use accent marks is extremely important when communicating through written Spanish.

Earlier, we learned how to ask someone where they are going. Here, we are asking the opposite.

This uses the conjugation chart above to ask about the whereabouts of a group. Fue indicates past tense.

Often, new Spanish speakers are intimidated by the similarities in these phrases. They mean similar things, with only slight visible differences between them.

The former is the more traditional approach, whereas the latter was introduced more recently. Grammatically, many see the separation of the two words to be more correct.

In each different expression, there are versions with and without an accent mark over the letter o. This brings us to the question: where do we use it.

The accent mark is necessary when asking a question. If you’re responding to the question in a statement, you do not need to indicate an accent mark over the letter o.

Sometimes, learning the slight differences between similar phrases can make all the difference in the world. When practicing a new language, sometimes, these differences may seem confusing.

When you learn new vocabulary, the worst thing you can do is to memorize individual words without context. Our Spanish Frequency Dictionaries contain 10,000 most common words in Spanish listed by the frequency of their occurrence.

Knowing how to ask someone where they are or where they’re going can make a huge difference in your day. As you understand everyone’s schedules, planning vacations can become a much smoother and more enjoyable process.

far less. Also, don’t forget those accent marks.

Spanish commands are formed with the imperative mood. To put it another way, the Spanish imperative is a verb conjugation used to give direct orders, instructions or advice, or instructions, and make requests to someone.

Commands are key for many daily life interactions. So, in this guide, you’ll learn how to form and use the imperative mood in Spanish.

A word of encouragement: Learning new conjugations can seem overwhelming. Good news, though.

There may be some endings you probably don’t know yet, but you’ll be able to learn them quickly and use them as your Spanish improves. 🙂.

The imperative in Spanish ONLY has four forms (subjects): When giving commands in Spanish, we address people directly.

Additionally, depending on who you’re addressing, you’d use commands formally, informally, in plural or singular form. In the sections below, you’ll find the endings and conjugation rules to form the imperative in Spanish.

Take Note: The imperative is not a Spanish tense but rather a mood. A verb mood is the manner in which an action can be expressed.

Affirmative commands, also known as positive commands, are used to tell someone to do something. Here is a table with the endings for affirmative commands in Spanish.

Note: To conjugate vosotros, replace the ‘r’ of the infinitive form with a ‘d’. For example, ‘hablar’ would become ‘hablad’.

Use informal Spanish commands (tú) with friends, relatives, and people your age. Use formal affirmative commands to show deference and respect.

Informal command: ¡Abre la puerta, Clara.

Formal command: Señora, abra la puerta, por favor.Ma’am, open the door, please.

To put it simply, in the imperative, the present endings for -AR verbs will be used for -ER/-IR verbs, and vice versa. If, instead of addressing a single person, you need to tell a group of people what to do, you’ll use plural commands (‘ustedes’ and ‘vosotros’).

Prestad atención, chicos.Pay attention, guys. Apaguen las luces, por favor.Turn the lights off, please.

These commands express what we must or should do and are formed using the present subjunctive form of ‘nosotros’. The imperative of ‘nosotros’ means “let’s [do something]”, and it’s not nearly as common as the other imperative forms.

Hablemos con ella.

Corramos más tarde, por favor.

The Spanish negative imperative is used to order someone not to do something. To do this, you must place no before the conjugated verb.

Below are some examples of how to use the negative imperative. Although ‘no’ is the most common negative word we use in situations where we’re giving commands, we can also use other negative words such as nunca and jamás.

[Negative word] + [negative imperative]. No le digas nada a tu hermana.Don’t say anything to your sister.

Nunca hablen con extraños.Never speak with strangers. No se preocupe, su orden ya casi está lista.Don’t worry, your order is almost ready.

Irregular imperatives for informal affirmative commands (tú) include the following verbs:. A few years ago, I saw a mnemonic that can help you remember most of these irregular imperatives:.

In the present tense, certain verbs are only irregular in the first person (yo). Those verbs also affect the imperative forms of ustedes and usted.

In other words, the subject pronouns usted and ustedes reuse the irregular stems we use in the present tense form of ‘yo’. Check these examples.

Pongan eso en su lugar.Put that back in its place. Tenga sus papeles listos.Have your papers ready.

The irregular patterns for ‘usted’ and ‘ustedes’ you learned above do not apply to ‘ser’ and ‘ir’:. Tip: Remember that to form the negative imperative for ‘tú’, you simply need to add an ‘s’ to the endings for usted.

¡No seas grosero. Don’t be rude.

Oye, no vayas al centro, está llenísimo.Don’t go downtown. it’s crowded.

This means that stem-changing verbs in the present tense will have the same spelling changes in the imperative. Look at these examples with dormir and cerrar:

No cierren la puerta.Don’t close the door. When giving commands in Spanish, certain verbs require you to work with direct object or reflexive pronouns.

With Spanish affirmative commands, the pronoun must be attached to the verb:. Bañáte.Shower.

Díganos en qué podemos ayudarle.Tell us how we can help you. If you’re using both direct and indirect object pronouns, you’ll still attach the pronouns to the verb, but you’ll use this order:.

Comételas.Eat them. Dáselo.Give them to him.

[No] + [pronoun] + [imperative verb]. No te las comas.Don’t eat them.

As you probably noticed, most imperative verbs with a pronoun attached to them have an accent mark. If the stressed syllable is placed in the third or fourth syllable, we must add a written accent.

The graphic below can help you understand these accent rules:. Commands with less than two syllables do not have an accent:

Take Note: Dé is the only command with one syllable with an accent mark. This exception distinguishes between the command and the preposition ‘de’.

The imperative in Spanish is used to:. Lea las instrucciones con cuidado.Read the instructions carefully.

Perdóname, por favor.Forgive me, please. Abran las ventanas si tienen calor.Open the windows if you’re warm.

Llega cinco minutos antes.Arrive five minutes early. Based on these applications, you may use the imperative in Spanish to instruct others, such as in user manuals, recipes, emails, or when commanding someone to do something.

Tip: Spanish infinitives can also be used to give commands or instructions without addressing someone in particular. You can find these instructions on signs in libraries and buildings.

If you’re struggling with learning more endings, here are some conjugation tips that can make Spanish commands easier to conjugate.

¡Empezad. tenéis treinta minutos.Start, you have thirty minutes.

Pase, por favor.Come in, please. Escriba su nombre.Write your name.

Coman verdura.Eat vegetables. Canten más alto.Sing lauder.

Lleguen temprano, por favor.Arrive early, please. Tomen asiento.Have a seat.

Usted negative command: No abra la puerta.Don’t open the door.

No abras la ventana.Don’t open the window. No habléis en clase.Don’t talk in class.

The Spanish imperative is applied in many daily life situations. Here are some key points you should keep in mind:.

Remembering all of the rules, tips and conjugations for the Spanish Imperative mood can be tricky. Please feel free to download the PDF with notes, graphics, conjugations, and key points on understanding and using commands in Spanish.

The distinction between tú and Ud. is one of the most confounding aspects of Spanish, and one of the most basic.

is a matter of etiquette: it defines the relationship between two people and how they interact, and using the wrong pronoun can have negative consequences. Spanish is what linguists call a “pro-drop” language, which simply means that the pronoun can be dropped.

“You go” can be translated by tú vas / Ud. va or simply vas / va (from the verb ir – to go).

While there’s only one word for “you” in English, formality and familiarity are of course alive and well. Por ejemplo….

Spanish does all of this too. it just adds another layer of complexity with different personal pronouns.

The informal, singular subject pronoun tú (listen) indicates an intimate, amicable, and/or equal relationship between two people, and as such it is used with family, friends, lovers, colleagues, and classmates. Kids always use it with one another, as do most teens, even when meeting for the first time.

Tú is also used when talking to God, children, animals, and inanimate objects. Using tú with someone who doesn’t fit any of these categories is likely to cause offense.

The formal subject pronoun Ud. (listen) indicates a respectful and/or distant relationship.

It’s also used in professional and academic hierarchies, like boss-employee and professor-student. Using Ud.

can also be used when addressing an elderly relative (e.g., grandmother, grandfather) to emphasize respect over family ties.

is furthered with the verb conjugation. Ud., is short for usted.

Roughly equivalent to “your majesty,” Ud. is conjugated in the third person, grammatically showing distance between the speaker and the listener.

Vosotros (listen) is the familiar plural pronoun, used for the same reasons as tú (or vos) when talking to more than one man or a mix of men and women. When talking to a group of only women, the pronoun is vosotras.

All other Spanish-speaking countries use the same pronoun for familiar and formal “you”: Short for ustedes, Uds.

In Spain, it’s used to show respect, distance, etc. to a group.

* The choice between all the different words for “you” isn’t limited to subject pronouns and their verb conjugations. it also affects several other areas of grammar:

There are two main forms of addressing someone in Spanish, the “tú” form (the informal form) and the “usted” form (the formal form). As a beginner, it’s important to know when to use each one — especially if you’re doing your best to fit in and sound natural in a Spanish-speaking country.

This also includes friends and people you’ve known for a while, such as your siblings and your colleagues. In your travels, you’ll notice that some cultures tend to be more informal than others.

In Latin America, a good rule of thumb is to default to formal speech when in doubt. Use “Usted” with older people and those who you want to show more respect to.

Most people in Mexico also use “usted” with their grandparents, their friends’ parents, and sometimes even their own parents or other family members who are older than them.

If you’ve been friends with someone for a long time or your younger boss doesn’t feel comfortable with being addressed by “usted,” they might ask you to use the informal you and call them by “tú” instead. These are some phrases they may use:

Check out some phrases you can use to ask for directions in Spanish. Here we’re going to give you some examples of phrases you can use using “tú” and “usted” to talking to people if you were to need help finding a place while traveling.

For example. the verb “estar” is conjugated as:

Making a first impression is always important — especially if you’re in a foreign country. Knowing the difference between “tú” and “usted” will help you navigate the various cultural customs while also giving you the confidence to interact with new people.

If English is the only language you (currently) speak, the you (formal) concept in Spanish is new. Even if you don’t yet know about the formal and informal you in Spanish, you probably already know when to use each one.

Of course not.

Keep reading to learn how to use both the informal and formal “you” in Spanish in a natural way.

You’ll also get the opportunity to check what you’ve learned in a multiple-choice quiz at the end of the lesson.

Compared to English, Spanish takes an extra step to make a distinction in formality. It has two second-person pronouns, for formal and informal purposes.

Take the circumstances into consideration. Are you talking to one or more people.

You typically use the you (formal) with people older than you, higher in a social or professional rank, and people you don’t know. English actually had different second-person pronouns prior to the 17th century.

We’ll learn five forms of “you” in this lesson: Using you (formal) versus you (informal) in Spanish in a conversation depends on the situation.

Let’s start with you (formal) in Spanish, as this is a new concept. Once you decide to use the formal you in a conversation, ask yourself, are you talking to one person or more than one.

The plural form of you (formal) in Spanish is usted. Use it if you’re talking to your friend’s mom, your boss, or a stranger on the street.

Disculpe, ¿me podría decir usted cómo llegar a la plaza principal. Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the main square.

¿Usted vive aquí. Do you live here.

No matter what Spanish-speaking country you’re in, ustedes is the plural you (formal) in Spanish, meaning that you’ll always use it with two or more people in a formal conversation. Ustedes aquí presentes conocieron a mi madre.You who are present here met my mother.

If you’ve had a few Spanish lessons, you’re probably familiar with the informal you in Spanish and its basic conjugation.

Use tú with friends or people younger than you.

¿Tú vives aquí al lado, verdad. You live nearby, right.

Quite often, the Spanish language skips the pronouns, and you’ll only use the corresponding grammar form.

Mind the accent over the informal tú. If you take it off, the meaning changes to “your.”.

If you’re talking to a group of people in an informal context, you’ll use different pronouns depending on the country you’re in.

In Mexico, for example, you use the same pronoun to address a group of people formally and informally. In Spain, the informal plural you is vosotros or vosotras.

Vosotros no sabéis lo que os voy a decir.You don’t know what I’m going to tell you. ¡Para vosotras es fácil.

You are not married. In Latin America, both of these sentences would use the ustedes forms.

¡Para ustedes es fácil. No están casadas.

You’ll hear it in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and parts of Chile.

Vos tenés un amigo en mí.You have a friend in me. Vos sos valiente.You’re brave.

There are some things you need to know to remember if you’re adventuring into the realms of the formal you in Spanish. The second-person pronouns that you got to know today are just the first step.

Let’s take a look at “you have” in formal Spanish. Instead of tú tienes, you’ll switch to the third-person singular forms and say usted tiene.

Second, subject pronouns are not the only ones that change. You’ll learn that each subject pronoun has different object pronouns and possessive pronouns, and mastering this part of grammar is also important if you want to speak properly in all social contexts.

(Informal). Usted tiene sus lápices para usted solo.You have your pencils for yourself only.

Third, it’s essential to know what variety of Spanish you’re studying. Is it Spanish from Spain or Latin America.

Spanish people also tend to be more informal in their social and professional relations. In Spain, it’s normal to address your boss or your elderly neighbor as tú.

As soon as you get to the Spanish-speaking country of your choice and start listening to people in the streets, you’ll learn to adapt your language. Do you want to check how much you’ve learned about the topic.

Now that you know the theory behind the formal and informal you in Spanish, the key is to practice both forms in a conversation. If you want to learn something, you need to use it if your goal is to become fully bilingual.

It’s the second-largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, and according to CNN, there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the U.S. who speak Spanish in their homes.

However, if you want to try you (formal) in Spanish before you use it in the outside world, sign up for a free trial class with one of our certified, native-speaking teachers from Guatemala and practice in a safe and challenging environment.

Spanish greetings and farewells are part of the vocabulary that you will need in daily interactions. Using the right greeting (saludo) before getting into the main conversation is always a good sign of politeness, especially when introducing yourself or someone else in the language.

This lesson includes many examples, a video and quizzes to test the main key points in it. Let’s start….

This video explains the most important things that you need to know about this lesson, including how to use and pronounce words like HOLA and BUENOS DÍAS, as well as when to use different ways to say goodbye. The last part of the video has two examples of simple conversations using Spanish greetings and farewells.

The first thing you need to know about Spanish greetings, los saludos, is that we use two exclamation marks with different orientations when we write them, one at the beginning and another at the end of the sentence, e.g. ¡Hola.

” are only appropriate for morning time, whereas others like “¡Hola. ” can be used at any time of the day.

Click on PLAY to listen to the examples. There are different ways of saying “how are you” in Spanish.

is perhaps the easiest to remember. To ask formally, you can use ¿Cómo está usted.

The answer might vary from country to country, but a very simple “Bien ¿y tú. ” would be fine anywhere.

When you meet someone for the first time, you can use the equivalent expression for “Nice to meet you” in Spanish, that is ¡Mucho gusto. or ¡Mucho gusto en conocerte.

If you have already met that person, then just change CONOCERTE to VERTE, for example ¡Mucho gusto en verte.

Listen to some examples using ¡Mucho gusto. and similar Spanish greetings.

Alice: ¡Mucho gusto. / ¡Es un placer.

/ ¡También es un placer.

Using one expression or the other depends on the formality of the conversation and the time you have spent with the other person. Spanish farewells also need two exclamation marks when written.

and ¡Nos vemos. are very common forms to say goodbye.

is a form to say that we will see each other again. You might add a time clause like PRONTO (soon), MAÑANA (tomorrow), LUEGO (later), EN UN MOMENTO (in a moment) after NOS VEMOS as a way to clarify when you will meet the other person.

It comes from the verb VER (to see) and it is normally used in Spanish farewells meaning “See you. ”.

we can replace NOS for TE when we are referring to one person or to LOS when we are referring to several people, for example: ¡Te veo pronto. and ¡Los veo pronto.

Another important phrase for “See you soon” in Spanish is ¡Hasta luego. and this is easy because we do not need any pronoun or verb.

as in ¡Hasta pronto. , ¡Hasta luego.

and so on. There are some more complex expressions, but if you can remember ¡Adiós.

and ¡Hasta pronto. , you will do fine in most conversations.

Alex: Bien, creo que ya es hora de irnos. ¡Hasta pronto Doris.

Doris: ¡Qué bueno. … Gracias por venir.

Doris: ¡Que les vaya bien.

Use as many expressions as possible. We really hope you enjoyed learning about this topic.

There are many different ways to say you in Spanish.

Ever seen a star shape, with its five pointy bits. Every pointy bit resembles a way to say you in Spanish: tú, usted, ustedes, vos and vosotros.

So if you forget, just look up at the stars.

” in Spanish. In this article, we will be discussing these five ways to say you, and how to use them.

Table of Contents. As mentioned with the stars, there are five ways to address people and ”you” in Spanish: tú, usted, ustedes, vos and vosotros.

As such, there is a singular and plural form of “you” used in formal situations, and the same goes for informal. Mixing them up will cause you to sound rather… funny.

This is summarized in the table below: To figure out if you should use the informal or formal version of “you” in Spanish, you must look at the person you are speaking to.

If you are panicked and not quite sure which one to use, stick to the more formal one. The formal version of “you” in Spanish is usted (singular, one person) and ustedes (plural, two or more people).

This includes scenarios like going for an interview, reporting to your boss, meeting someone for the first time, or talking with elderly people. The informal version of “you” in Spanish is tú (singular, one person) and vosotros (plural, two or more people).

When you speak to friends or address family, simple and casual moments with the ones you are comfortable with. Now let’s discuss the uses for each type of Spanish ‘you’.

Testing if you know these concepts is a great way to keep track of where you are in Spanish, especially conversational Spanish fluency. When you are talking to just one person.

Usted is the version to stick to if you are unsure of which form to use unless stated otherwise by the person you are speaking to. Example sentences:

(Are you the ones who lost the dog. ).

(Keep a bottle of water with you during the day.). Mi esposa tiene un montón de preguntas para usted.

Similar to usted in that you use it with a singular person, but tú is more informal. So you can use this when speaking with people that you a comfortable with, such as friends, pets, family, or someone that is the same age/younger than you.

Example sentences: ¿Tú has estado allí.

(You’ve been there. ).

(So you live here and he lives in London. ).

(What do think. ).

(You’re the person who makes me the happiest. ).

In most places, mainly in Latin America and not in Spain, instead of differentiating between formal and informal, only vos is used when talking to someone. This basically replaces usted and tú.

Examples sentences: Vos sos una chica hermosa.

Did you know that besides Hermosa, there are many different ways to say beautiful in Spanish.

(What are you doing. ).

(Do you know where it is. ).

Such as when speaking in a meeting. Mostly used in Latin America.

Me lo perdí, ¿Ustedes estaban ahí.

Ustedes saben cuánto lo extraño. (You guys know, how much I’ve missed him.).

¡Todos ustedes tienen que darse prisa.

To address a group of people in an informal way, such as a group of friends or family. Very similar to the slang word ya’ll.

Examples sentences: ¿Vosotros vais a la fiesta.

(Are you guys going to the party. ).

(You guys are my best friends. ).

(You guys ready. ).

You are talking to someone else, after all. It might seem a bit hard in the beginning, but keep going.

Being comfortable while speaking a foreign language is key to sounding like a native. Getting an online language tutor at AmazingTalker will lead you to just that.

” to “Ah-hah. ” in no time.

Discover the answers to your language-related questions on AmazingTalker’s Q&A page.

There are several ways to say our name, greet people and say goodbye in Spanish. Most of these expressions have been covered in two separate lessons, one teaching how to introduce yourself and another about common greetings and farewells.

The lesson includes four simple sample conversations in Spanish, as well a listening activity to test yourself. Let’s start….

To introduce yourself, you can start with a phrase like “HOLA” or “BUENOS DIAS”. Then, you can say your name with: [ME LLAMO + NOMBRE] or [MI NOMBRE ES + NOMBRE] as in this example: “¡Hola.

You can also say your name using the verb SER with the structure [YO SOY + NOMBRE] as in “Yo soy Alex”. To ask someone his or her name, we use ¿Cómo te llamas.

It is polite to say something like MUCHO GUSTO after you hear someone’s name. It is time to see how the vocabulary for “saludos y presentaciones” in use through basic conversations.

The first min-conversation shows how to say and ask for names in Spanish and use the greetings ¡Mucho gusto. and ¡El gusto es mío.

In the second conversation example, Ana will use a more casual or informal way to talk with the subject pronoun TÚ, whereas Carlos will reply formally by asking ¿Cuál es SU nombre. (USTED) instead of the casual question ¿Cuál es TU nombre.

In the third basic conversation, we used “TANTO TIEMPO SIN VERTE” (Long time no see). Carlos introduces a friend in Spanish to Ana by using “PERMÍTEME PRESENTARTE A” + name.

The last conversation example features the expression “MI NOMBRE ES + name” and then a few other important phrases that you may not find in a regular conversation of this kind, but are still important such as: UN MOMENTO POR FAVOR (wait a moment please), PUEDES ENTRAR (you can come in) and GRACIAS (thanks).

“Me encontré a Logan”, whereas CONOCER is more appropriate when you meet someone for the first time, eg. “Conocí a Logan”.

Find a partner and practice the phrases we studied in this lesson by making up your own dialogue using the vocabulary for Spanish greetings and introductions. You can choose any of the situations for introductions presented below, or any other situation you prefer.

Sharing is caring.

Saying the same sentences multiple times can become boring. Asking someone where they are from is an important conversation starter.

Let’s start by talking about the most common way to say where are you from in Spanish. The translation of ‘¿De dónde eres.

It is the informal way of conjugating the verb ‘ser.’. In Spanish, you use this when you ‘tutear’ someone.

You can ‘tutear’ people you know or people you meet in informal settings. It is not appropriate to use this when talking to someone in a position of power or respect.

You can always tell an informal verb in Spanish because it will end with the letter s. ‘Tú’ is the only Spanish pronoun that makes a verb end in s.

The verb here is ‘ser’. You see ‘eres’ and it ends in s, so you know it’s informal for the pronoun ‘tú.’.

Example: Luisa: Hola, ¿De dónde eres.

Hi, where are you from.

I am from Venezuela. You can never use ‘estar’ to say where you are from.

All of the examples in this blog will use ‘ser’ because you are learning how to ask someone about something permanent.

You must say ‘soy de’ which means I am from then the country.

” in Spanish. It translates to “From where are you.

You should use ‘usted’ when talking to people you do not know or people who deserve respect.

You should still use formal language even if you already know these people.

’ and ‘¿De dónde es usted. ’ Is the same.

” in English.

In Colombia, it is common for people to say ‘usted’ for everyone they talk to.

The use of formal and informal language depends on the country you are in.

‘Ser’ and ‘Estar’ are irregular verbs. The conjugation rule of seeing an s for informal verbs is not relevant.

With most verbs, you can follow the rule of s at the end of the verb. It is easy to notice most of the time unless a verb is irregular.

Here’s an example and in this situation, a woman is talking to her doctor.

Josefina: ¿De dónde es usted.

Doctor: Soy de Mexico.

In both the formal and informal responses the speaker replies with ‘soy de’ and then the country. ‘Soy de’ means “I am from”.

Here is another way to say “where are you from. ” in Spanish.

The literal translation of this is “From ‘de’ where ‘dónde’ you come ‘vienes’. ‘Venir’ means to come and it is also an irregular verb with a stem change.

A stem change means the verb changes before its ending. All verbs in Spanish end with er, ir or ar so the change happens before these endings.

The most common stem change in Spanish is e>ie. When a verb has an e>ie stem change and there are two e’s in the second e becomes ie.

‘Venir’ has a stem change in the first e because it is stressed.

If a verb is conjugated with for ‘yo’ (I), ‘tú’ (informal you), el (he), ‘ella’ (she), ‘ellos’ (they), ‘ellas’ (feminine they), or ‘usted’ (formal you) it usually triggers a stem change but not always.

The only way to know if a verb is a stem-change is to memorize it.

This is the informal version and we can tell because the verb ‘venir’ ends with an s.

A common situation may be if someone cannot speak English but live in America. If they speak Spanish and live in America.

For context Juan is asking Jose where he is originally from. Currently, he lives in the USA but is learning how to speak English.

Example: Juan: ¿De dónde vienes.

Where are you from.

I am from Argentina. Here Juan is asking Jose “from where do you come.

Jose replies, “I come ‘vengo’ from ‘de’ Argentina.” ‘Venir’ is a highly irregular verb.

There is no way to understand this without memorizing it or exposure.

Again we have the same sentence as above. The only difference is formality.

As this is a less formal way of asking “where are you from. ” and it is more personal it is recommended to reserve this for someone you have met multiple times.

Make sure you do not use this when talking to someone for the first time.

A great context for when to use this informal saying with the formal you ‘usted’ is when talking to a professor and you are nearly finished with your course.

’ and ‘¿De dónde viene usted. ’ Is the formality and adding the pronoun ‘usted’ at the end of the question.

You must include this formal pronoun after the verb or it could be confused for ‘el’ (he). In Spanish, the conjugation for ‘el’ (he) and formal ‘usted’ (you) are the same.

Always include ‘usted’ after the verb or the person you are speaking to will not understand who the question is directed at.

Here is a follow up question to clarify where someone is from in Spanish. You can use this after asking ‘¿De dónde vienes.

This literally translates to “where ‘dónde’ were you born ‘naciste’. ” You should never ask this initially as it can be offensive.

But if you are talking to someone and want more clarification on where they’re from you can ask this.

We must conjugate this using the past tense. This is a finished action that is not in progress.

The past preterite tells you that an action is completed in the past. You know this is informal because the past preterite of ‘tu’ changes the ending of the verb to -ste.

If a verb ends with er or ie you will conjugate it in the past using -iste. Here’s an example of how to use this to get a better understanding of where someone is from.

Example: Juan: Hola, ¿De dónde eres.

Hi, where are you from.

I am from Houston, Texas. Juan: Pero, ¿Dónde naciste.

But where were you born.

Jose: Yo nací en Mexico. I was born in Mexico.

*I’m originally from Mexico.

In this example, you are asking someone where they were born. It is formal because we see ‘usted.’.

You must use the past preterite in Spanish. The past preterite tells us that the action is finished.

When you conjugate the past preterite in Spanish with ‘usted’ (formal you) the conjugation depends on the verb’s ending.

If a verb ends in ar you must replace it with ó. Here is an example of using this to get more information about where someone is from.

Example: Juan: Hola, ¿De dónde es usted.

Hi, where are you from.

I am from Houston, Texas. Juan: Pero, ¿Dónde nació usted.

But where were you born.

Jose: Yo nací en Mexico. When translate into English this can mean, “where are you from originally.

Another common way of asking someone where they are from is to ask which country they are from. You can ask someone this question when you want to know the exact location of their origin.

‘Qué’ (what) and ‘cuál’ (which) are common interrogatives (question words) in Spanish. Like in English, their appropriate use can be confusing.

You should use ‘qué’ when you ask for a definition of something and ‘cuál’ when there are multiple responses to a question.

In English, this will still translate as “what.”. You can use this question when you first meet someone or after you have met them a few times.

Most Spanish speakers will appreciate this question because there are 20 countries where Spanish is the national language.

Juan: Hola, ¿Cuál es tu nacionalidad.

Jose: Soy venezolano. I am Venezuelan.

Jose replies to Juan by saying I am ‘soy venezolano’ (venezuelan).

1 ESPAÑOL 1 – LECCIÓN PRELIMINAR Formal & informal Greetings. 2 TÚ VS.

You have to use the correct “you” depending on what you want to express. Let’s take a look at the friendly and formal “you”.

Usted – this is the “you” you must use to people you don’t know well, or to whom you want to show respect. Because we have 2 different versions here, we have to know the rules for when we ask “How are you.

3 ¿CÓMO ESTÁS. VS.

¿Cómo estás. and ¿cómo está usted.

They both mean How are you. However there are two forms of saying this phrase in Spanish.

friendly/familiar way and the 2. formal way.

4 ¿CÓMO ESTÁS. ¿Cómo estás.

” It is generally answered with something like “bien/mal/regular etc. And then the second speaker would respond by asking the first speaker how they are by using the friendly/familiar response ¿Y tú.

These phrases would be used with:. 5 ¿CÓMO ESTÁS.

and ¿Qué pasa.

¿Cómo está usted. – Is the formal way to say “How are you.

And then the second speaker would respond by asking the first speaker how they are by using the formal response ¿Y usted. (and you.

These formal phrases would be used with:. 7 ¿CÓMO ESTÁ USTED.

8 PRÁCTICA – WOULD YOU USE TÚ OR USTED WITH THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE. 1.

Un doctor 3. Tu mamá 4.

Señor James 6. Tu hermano 1.

usted 3. tú 4.

Usted 6. tú.

¿CÓMO SE LLAMA. Formal and Informal Greetings.

¿CÓMO SE LLAMA. ¿Cómo te llamas.

are both used to ask “What is your name. ” Once again we see a formal and informal version of asking the question.

Let’s take a look at each:. 11 ¿CÓMO TE LLAMAS.

AND LE PRESENTO A… ¿Cómo te llamas. and Te presento a… are friendly/familiar phrases used with:  A person your own age  A relative  A person you call by his or her first name.

and Le presento a… are formal phrases used with:  A person to whom you want to show respect  A person you don’t know  Someone older. 12 PRÁCTICA – IMAGINE YOU ARE SPEAKING SPANISH WITH THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE.

…a classmate. How would you ask for her name.

…your little brother and you are introducing María to him. What would you say.

…a new coach. How would you ask him his name.

…your teacher and you are introducing Luis to him. What would you say.

¿Cómo te llamas. 2.

¿Cómo se llama. 4.

Before you can become a fluent speaker of any language, you have to learn the basics. In Spanish, a simple “Hola” (“Hello”) or “Buenos días” (“Good morning”) is an acceptable way to greet anyone, but it helps to know a few common expressions to follow up with.

Learning how to say “How are you. ” in Spanish is crucial, so read ahead and take a look at the many ways to do so.

Spanish speakers switch between informal and formal language in everyday life, and it’s critical to understand the differences. It’s good to know a few formal and informal greetings (and when to use each), as well as how to conjugate them when conversing with individuals and groups.

Like many others, the Spanish language takes different forms depending on formality. When having a conversation with someone older or in a position of power (like a grandparent or boss), Spanish speakers use the “usted” form.

” in a more formal setting, “¿Cómo está usted. ” is a safe bet when talking to an elder, a superior at work, or someone you don’t know very well.

¿Cómo está usted. How are you.

¿Cómo están ustedes. How are you.

“¿Cómo se encuentra usted. ” is another way to greet people of authority, and it literally translates to “How do you find yourself.

¿Cómo se encuentra usted. How do you find yourself.

¿Cómo se encuentran ustedes. How do you find yourselves.

If you’re conversing with a friend, family member, or someone younger than you, then you’ll use the “tú” form instead of usted. Here are a few examples of how to ask “How are you.

Perhaps the most basic and direct way to say “How are you. ” in Spanish is “¿Cómo estás.

It’s not exactly formal when using the tú form, but it’s far from slang. ‍.

How are you.

How are you. (plural).

” serves the same purpose as “¿Cómo estás. ” but is considered slightly more formal.

” with anyone, regardless of age or familiarity. Even non-native Spanish speakers may be familiar with “Qué pasa,” as it has made its way into English slang.

” in Spain, but in some areas, people might think you’re literally asking, “What’s happening. ”.

” is meant to ask someone how it’s going. This informal expression is especially popular in Spain and Argentina.

” can be interpreted more broadly, thanks to todo, which means “everything.” Someone might say this to ask about how you’re doing as a whole, although they may not expect an elaborate response. Spanish is a historic language spoken by hundreds of millions of people around the globe, from Latin America to Europe and more than a dozen countries in between.

The above greetings are all acceptable ways to say “How are you. ” in Spanish, but it helps to know a few simple phrases from specific locales.

Using vosotros, you would say, “¿Cómo estáis. ” to ask a group of friends how they’re doing.

¿Cómo estáis. How are you.

¿Cómo andas. How are you.

¿Qué pasa. What’s happening.

It’s appropriate to use “¿Qué tal. ” like in other Spanish-speaking countries, but note that the phrase tends to come off as more informal in Mexico than it would elsewhere.

¿Qué onda.

What’s up.

Like the Spanish, Argentines (or Argentinians) tend to use vosotros when addressing multiple people. They use a mix of regional variations you might hear in Spain or Mexico.

¿Qué onda. What’s up.

¿Qué contás. What’s up.

¿Qué hacés. What do you do.

¿Cómo andas. How are you.

¿Cómo andamos. How are we.

When someone asks how you’re doing, you should respond using the right level of formality. It’s polite to reciprocate the question to the person who asked, but you wouldn’t necessarily repeat the same words back.

During interactions with elders or higher-ups, you will probably be addressed using the tú form. However, it’s important to remember that you’re expected to respond using usted — it may not be a formal situation for the other person, but it is for you.

Bien, muchas gracias. ¿Y usted.

And you.

Y usted. Very well, thanks for asking.

Bien, gracias, y a usted, ¿cómo le va. Good, thanks, and you, how are you.

When you’re among close friends, you’ll all use the tú form when addressing each other and can respond in the same manner. You can generally respond in the tú form when speaking to someone who addresses you in the usted form, like a student, employee, or younger relative.

Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú.

And you.

Todo bien All good. Asi asi That’s how it is.

*If you’re addressed in the vosotros form, you can respond with “¿Y vos. ” instead of “¿Y tú.

If you’ve learned how to say “How are you. ” in Spanish and want to dive a little deeper, there are plenty of different ways to ask how someone’s doing.

” are a common way to greet someone, but people don’t always answer the question literally. If you genuinely want to know how someone is doing and what happened during their day, you can say, “¿Cómo ha sido tu día.

If you want to check in with someone who has been under the weather, you can ask “¿Te sientes mejor. ” to ask if they’re feeling better.

Learning a new language takes practice and dedication, but with the right tools, it can be simple and fun. iTranslate is your guide to almost any language you’re interested in, and our free translation tool can help you manage everyday conversations while you work on mastering your dialect of choice.

Vosotros means “y’all” or “you guys” in English. It’s the informal form of saying you (plural) in Spain Spanish.

In Spanish, there are several options for saying you depending on the number of people you are talking to and the situation.

DR version for vosotros. If you are interested in digging a little deeper, keep reading for more about what is vosotros, when to use it, and how to conjugate verbs when using vosotros.

But if you plan to visit Spain and want to sound like a local, it’s essential to get the hang of it. Using vosotros instead of ustedes is one of the little things that sets European Spanish apart from Latin American Spanish.

Before we delve into the meaning of vosotros in English, let’s take a moment to review what are pronouns and how they function in English and Spanish. This will help us lay a strong foundation for understanding vosotros in Spanish.

They function as substitutes for nouns to avoid repetition, make sentences more concise, and to maintain clarity in communication. Pronouns can be divided into different categories such as personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and more.

This is because of some gradual changes in the history of English. However, we can still see some informal distinctions of in English dialects around the world like y’all in American English and you guys in British English.

So in Spanish, use tú (informal “you”) to talk to your close friends, but to talk to your boss, use usted (formal “you”). Now you probably understand what does vosotros mean in Spanish.

It is the equivalent of “you all” or “y’all” in English. If you’re referring to only female plural subjects, use vosotras instead.

Can you see the link between different European languages – vocês in Portuguese, vous in French, voi in Italian, вы in Russian. This way, it’s easier to remember the meaning of vosotros, right.

Now you may ask, vosotros sounds like such an important pronoun, but how come I didn’t learn it in my Spanish textbook.

In Latin American Spanish, people don’t use vosotros. Vosotros is only used in Castilian Spanish in Spain.

This is true whether you are talking to your best friends or your boss. So if you are learning Latin American Spanish, go ahead with ustedes and don’t confuse it with vosotros.

Simply speaking, in Spain, people use vosotros instead of ustedes in informal settings. Ustedes, on the other hand, is only reserved for formal situations like when addressing leaders, superiors, professors, etc.

You’re in Spain, 2. in informal situations, and 3.

Vosotros requires different verb conjugations based on the verb’s ending (–ar, -er, -ir). The basic verb endings for vosotros are -áis/éis/ís.

We have another article about Spanish verb conjugation in general if interested. Some example sentences using vosotros conjugation:

Here is how to conjugate irregular verbs in vosotros form. Ready to practice vosotros and more Spanish words.

“Hey, what’s up. ”.

“How have you been. ”.

In this post, you’ll learn eight other formal and informal ways to say “How are you. ” in Spanish that are a little more exciting.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy.

¿Cómo estás. InformalSingular ¿Cómo está (usted).

Informal / formal (Latin America) Formal (Spain)Plural ¿Cómo estáis (vosotros). Infomal (Spain)Plural.

In Spanish, the way you conjugate a verb changes depending on how many people you’re addressing, and on whether you’re in a formal or informal situation. In this case, the important verb is estar (to be).

For each of the examples below, I’ll provide the appropriate pronoun. When speaking, tú is not usually used in these phrases, but for the others, the pronouns are optional when in parentheses.

Singular, infomal: ¿Cómo estás.

Use this second greeting when talking to a stranger, someone much older than you or someone in a position of superiority: Singular, formal: ¿Cómo está (usted).

For example, you might use ¿Cómo está. when greeting your friend’s grandfather, your boss, your professor, the queen of Spain and so on.

usted, including example sentences and tips.

In Spain, it’s used exclusively in formal situations (like usted). Use these when greeting two or more people at the same time:

(Latin America). Plural, formal: ¿Cómo están (ustedes).

If you happen to be speaking Spanish in Spain, use vosotros when talking to a group of people in an informal situation, such as when you’re speaking to a group of friends. Notice the -áis ending in the conjugation this time:

(Spain). There are many ways to respond to the greeting “How are you.

In Spanish, a safe response is: Bien, gracias.

— Fine, thanks. And you.

— Good. Bastante bien.

Muy bien. — Very good.

Of course, if you’re in a formal situation or talking to more than one person, you’ll want to substitute tú for usted, ustedes or vosotros where appropriate. If you’re unclear on verb conjugation, check out this basic guide to conjugating the Spanish present tense.

You can, of course, also respond to any of these greetings by letting your conversation partner know how you’re actually doing. But when you’re talking with strangers or acquaintances, it’s good to know how to give a noncommittal response like “It’s all good” or “Oh, nothing much.”.

” It’s slightly more casual and slangy than the basic ¿Cómo estás.

¿Cómo anda (usted).

¿Cómo andáis (vosotros).

This greeting is quite slangy. It literally translates to “What do you tell me.

It would be a little awkward to use this greeting in the usted form since it’s so informal—but here are all of the conjugations just in case. Note here that contar is a stem-changing verb.

For usted: ¿Qué me cuenta.

For vosotros: ¿Qué me contáis.

” in English, you might respond with “Oh, not much.” It’s similar in Spanish. If someone asks you ¿Qué me cuentas.

— Nothing. Nada en especial.

Lo normal. — The usual.

— Not much. It would sound a little strange to respond with something like Bien, gracias.

This greeting translates to something like “How’s it going. ” It can be used in formal or informal situations.

For usted: ¿Cómo le va.

For vosotros: ¿Cómo os va.

Me va bien. — It’s going well.

— It’s going badly. You can replace bien or mal with any other appropriate adjective you can think of.

Espectacular. — Spectacular.

— Great. Normal.

Regular. — Just okay.

— Terrible. Very similar to the last one, this phrase translates to “How’s everything going.

Luckily, in this case there are no verbs to conjugate and no indirect objects to change around—you can use this same greeting regardless of what situation you’re in. To respond, you can say the following, filling in whatever adjective suits your mood (see above for examples):

— Everything is ___. This greeting means “How are things going.

If somebody asks you this, you can respond with a simple bien (good) or mal (bad), or you can make a full sentence such as: Las cosas van bien.

This is an informal greeting to be used among friends in a casual setting. It is similar to the English “What’s up.

However, unlike the English “What’s up. ” you should not respond to ¿Qué tal.

Instead, respond with an adjective—bien, mal, regular, genial, terrible, etc.—like you would respond to ¿Cómo estás.

” and should only be used in very casual, friendly situations. Again, no conjugations to worry about here.

¿Qué hay de nuevo. — What’s new.

A good, appropriately casual response to this greeting would be something like: Todo bien.

No me quejo. — Can’t complain.

It’s another super colloquial way to ask “What’s up. ” or “What’s going on.

A normal response would be some variant of nada (nothing) or lo normal (the usual). See the section on ¿Qué me cuentas.

Sure, the regular phrases will get you through basic Spanish conversations. But why stop there.

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app. P.S.

(Expires at the end of this month). Try FluentU for FREE.

The next time you have to greet someone in Spanish, move out of your comfort zone.

” over and over again in your native language, and there’s no reason to do so in Spanish. Native speakers will pick up on your varied vocabulary, and it’ll make you sound much more natural.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy.

If you’ve made it this far that means you probably enjoy learning Spanish with engaging material and will then love FluentU.

FluentU uses a natural approach that helps you ease into the Spanish language and culture over time. You’ll learn Spanish as it’s actually spoken by real people.

FluentU has a wide variety of videos, as you can see here:. FluentU brings native videos within reach with interactive transcripts.

Every definition has examples that have been written to help you understand how the word is used. If you see an interesting word you don’t know, you can add it to a vocab list.

Review a complete interactive transcript under the Dialogue tab, and find words and phrases listed under Vocab.

Swipe left or right to see more examples of the word you’re on.

It’ll even remind you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. Every learner has a truly personalized experience, even if they’re le.

Do you want to learn Spanish but you fear Spanish conjugation.

I promise that by the end of this article, you’ll know basic Spanish tenses, you’ll be able to conjugate regular and irregular Spanish verbs, and know where to look for help when you get lost. I’ll also tell you what to do next to continue working on your conjugating skills.

Verbs express action (to read, to do, to run) or a state of being (to be, to enjoy).

Canta and está are two verbs in this sentence. Verbs also give us information about the tenses.

Spanish verbs in particular also give us information about the mood. Moods don’t refer to a moment in time, but rather to a manner of expression.

Express assertion, facts, and objective statements. Express reactions, feelings, doubts, insecurities.

If it still sounds cryptic, read how to Master the 3 Spanish Moods. For now, the only thing you need to know is that there’s a different conjugation for each mood.

Don’t worry, I’m keeping it simple in this blog post and you’ll just learn the indicative mood conjugation for the present, past, and future tenses. The fact is, that’s more than enough to converse with ease at the beginner level.

Spanish subject pronouns are essential elements of conjugation, even if they’re emitted (which is often).

So, in the sentence “Ann read a book to Tom,” we replace the nouns “Ann,” “book,” and “Tom” with pronouns to become “She read it to him.”. “She,” “it,” and “him” are all pronouns.

Subject pronouns replace the noun that is the subject in a sentence, like “I,” “you,” and “we.”. While 10 subject pronouns exist, you’ll only need to learn five forms of verb conjugation.

Look again at the chart above—the subject pronouns of the same color share the same conjugation form (which you’ll see in detail as you keep reading).

Now you know that the conjugation form indicates a tense, mood, and subject pronoun. What you also need to know before you start conjugating in Spanish is that there are three types of verbs in Spanish:

If you cut off the ending, you are left with the stem of the verb, which is corr-.

The conjugated ending indicates the tense, mood, and subject pronoun, and it varies according to the verb type.

SUMMARY: Spanish conjugation basically requires the removal of the verb ending and addition of a new ending according to the subject pronoun, tense, and mood.

Let’s start conjugating.

Let me show you these three Spanish verbs: Yo amo leer.I love to read.

-o, -as, -a, -amos, -an.

No bebemos suficiente agua.We don’t drink enough water. The conjugation endings in bold for the present tense -er verbs are -o, -es, -e, -emos, -en.

¿Dónde vives. Where do you live.

The conjugation endings in bold for the present tense -ir verbs are -o, -es, -e, -imos, -en.

In sum, these are the present tense regular verb endings: Some verbs undergo additional changes within the stem yet keep the regular -ar, -er, and -ir endings.

This is why, for example, the verb pensar (to think) turns into yo pienso (I think)—not yo penso. Stem changes include:

Ellos no piensan mucho.They don’t think much. Other verbs that undergo this change include querer (to want) and cerrar (to close).

Can you try conjugating them.

soñar: sueño, sueñas, sueña, soñamos, sueñan, sueñan. medir: mido, mides, mide, medimos, miden, miden.

jugar: juego, juegas, juega, jugamos, juegan. Can you try conjugating the others.

Among the -er and -ir verbs, some have the irregular yo form in the simple present tense. All the other subject pronoun forms follow the patterns for regular verbs.

Yo hago lo que me gusta.I do what I like. Other verbs that undergo changes in the first person singular form in the simple present tense include.

Some important Spanish verbs are completely irregular in the present tense, such as. Tú eres mi mejor amigo.You are my best friend.

Vamos todos juntos.Let’s go all together. The verb haber rarely exists on its own—instead, it forms what are called “perfect tenses” in Spanish (similar to the English verb “have”):

Te he dicho que no. I have told you no.

Reflexive verbs talk about things you do to and for yourself. This means that the subject of the sentence (the person performing the action) is the same as the object of the sentence (the person receiving the action).

For example: Me ducho todas las mañanas.I take a shower every morning.

To master the reflexive verbs, apart from the conjugation present tense endings, you need to master the reflexive pronouns. There are many basic reflexive verbs that you’ll use from day one, so it’s absolutely necessary to learn.

¿Cómo te llamas. What’s your name.

And the answer.

In Spanish, reflexive verbs always appear with personal, self-referential pronouns that you already know.

Sometimes, you may translate the reflexive pronoun into “self.” For example, me peino means “I comb myself” but it usually doesn’t sound right in English. Let’s see a complete conjugation of one reflexive verb—ducharse (to take a shower)—in the present simple tense.

Notice how the reflexive pronoun changes with the conjugated verb ending. Siempre me ducho por las mañanas.I always take a shower in the morning.

The present progressive is another tense to talk about present actions in Spanish. You use it only for actions happening right now or around now.

To construct the present progressive tense in Spanish, you need to join a conjugated verb estar with a gerund. Let’s learn how to make a gerund with the -ar and -er and -ir verbs.

You just have to change the infinitive ending -ar into the gerund ending -ando, and the -ir and -er to -iendo.

I’ll show it to you with the verb caminar (to walk). Ya estoy caminando unas cuatro horas.I’ve been walking around for four hours.

They all conjugate in the same way. Let’s see one example of the present progressive tense conjugation of the -er and -ir verbs with the verb comer (to eat).

Some irregular –er gerunds end in -yendo instead of -iendo. The most common ones are.

Se me está cayendo la cadena de mi bici.My bike chain is falling off. Past simple tense conjugation is useful if you want to talk about things that happened at a specific moment in the past.

Later on, you can add to your skills by adding imperfect conjugation. The preterite endings are easy to remember for the -ar verbs.

Amé la película.I loved the movie. Mind the accent over the preterite ending in the first and the third person singular.

The preterite endings are the same for the -er and ir verbs.

Did you eat what I gave you.

The conjugation endings for the past tense -er and -ir verbs are -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -ieron.

If you want to conjugate reflexive verbs in the past, you’ll conjugate the verb according to the preterite rules and just add the reflexive pronoun. Se duchó antes de dormir.He took a shower before going to bed.

If you want to focus on this particular topic, check out 50 Irregular Preterite Spanish Verbs You Want to Use Often. You’ll see a.

Can you ask questions in Spanish yet.

You need to know how to ask questions, though some questions are more important than others. This is especially true for non-native speakers who are just starting out.

The first thing you need to learn, if you haven’t yet, are Spanish question words. Knowing these words, as well as the most common questions in Spanish, you can start asking your own questions.

Now, onto our list of Spanish questions and answers for beginners.

The literal translation of this question would be something like “How are you called. ” But while that might sound weird, you probably realize that this is just the classic question we ask to learn someone’s name.

There’s another way to ask the same question, though it’s not as popular as the one above: ¿Cuál es tu nombre.

This one doesn’t have a strange literal translation. Instead, it just means “Which is your name.

Because it’s a near-literal translation of the English question, you might be tempted to use this one instead of ¿Cómo te llamas. But remember that the first one we showed you is more common, so you’ll sound more natural if you use that one.

In this case, there’s no one answer that’s most common, except for maybe the last one, which is also the easiest. It’s your lucky day.

Example: Me llamo Francisco. Translation: “My name is Francisco.”.

Translation: “I’m Ana.”. Example: Juan.

Something else you might find useful is how to follow your answer after someone has asked you your name. You can add ¿Y tú.

”) at the end if you would also like to know their name.

Here’s another one of the most basic Spanish questions that we commonly use when meeting someone for the first time. There’s another common way of asking this question, which we use in English as well.

Translation: “Where do you come from. ”.

You can refer to your nationality or to your home country. Example: Soy húngaro.

Example: Soy de Hungría. Translation: “I am from Hungary.”.

Translation: “I come from Hungary.”. This is a question that you might be asked, or that you might ask, someday.

For example, if you’re in Spain and you’re talking to someone in Spanish, but you’re not feeling too comfortable yet, you could ask them: ¿Hablas inglés. (“Do you speak English.

There are a few different answers you could give someone who asks you this question. There are the simple answers, which you probably already know:

Translation: “Yes.”. Example: No.

There’s another simple alternative to “yes” or “no” in case you didn’t understand the question in the first place (which we could say is really another way of telling them you’re not too fluent yet): Example: ¿Qué.

And a few more elaborate answers: Example: Un poco.

Translation: “A bit.” / “A little bit.”. Example: Hablo [un poco] de español.

When you meet someone from Spain and tell them you study Spanish, they might ask how long you’ve been doing that for.

One is to just say the short answer: Example: Un año.

While this will work just fine, we do have a slightly longer (no panicking, it’s just one extra word. ) reply:

Translation: “[I have been] for three months.”. Notice that both the question and the “long” answer use the verb llevar.

Another example using this verb would be: Llevo dos años viviendo en Barcelona. (“I’ve been living in Barcelona for two years.”).

Example: ¿Has ido alguna vez a España. Translation: “Have you ever gone to Spain.

Example: ¿Has estado en España. Translation: “Have you been in Spain.

Example: ¿Alguna vez has visitado España. Translation: “Have you ever visited Spain.

Or, a slight variation: Example: ¿Es la primera vez que vienes a España.

This is another yes-or-no question, so we have a couple of obvious answers. However, there are a few more options, including longer answers, that you might like to use if you’re feeling confident enough.

Example: He estado en España dos veces. Translation: “I’ve been in Spain twice.”.

it’s used to ask someone to describe something. In English, the translation will sometimes be something more like: “What’s ___ like.

Example: ¿Cómo es Granada en invierno. Translation: “How is Granada in the winter.

Example: ¿Cómo es el interior de una pelota. Translation: “What is the inside of a ball like.

Because there are so many different questions one could ask, there are even more answers one could give. An example would be to use an adjective, but other times, the question might require a longer explanation.

Translation: “It’s wonderful. ”.

That means that if you’re visiting Spain (or have visited in the past), and you meet someone Spanish, it’s quite likely that they’ll ask you this. In case you’re wondering, they’re expecting you to tell them you love it.

Example: ¿Qué te parece la comida española. Translation: “What do you think about Spanish food.

Example: ¡Me encanta. Translation: “I love it.

Example: Me gusta mucho. Translation: “I like it very much.”.

Example: No me gusta [nada]. Translation: “I don’t like it [at all].”.

It can be asked in different contexts and with different intentions, but in any case, we understand it. We have another similar way of asking this question:

Translation: “What do you do. ”.

Obviously, there are many ways of answering this question, because there are many things you could be doing. Example: Estoy limpiando mi habitación.

We don’t want to say anything, but in case you ever need it, we thought we’d give you the following example: Example: No es lo que parece.

Sometimes you might feel like someone is down or struggling. You need to know the right question to ask in order to help them out.

Example: ¿Estás bien. Translation: “Are you okay.

You never know what reply you’re going to get, but there are a few answers you’re likely to hear. It’s also possible that the person you ask won’t want to give you a direct answer:

Translation: “Nothing.”. Or maybe they’ll reply with an adjective, by telling you an emotion they’re feeling.

Translation: “I’m angry.”. Example: Estoy triste.

Perhaps they’ll really explain the reason something’s wrong: Example: Mi hermana está muy enferma.

If you want to go shopping in a Spanish-speaking country, but you can’t find the price tag, it will be useful to know these simple Spanish questions and answers. Example: ¿Cuánto es.

Example: Cuesta 400 €. Translation: “It costs 400 €.”.

Translation: “It’s 3 €.”. We hope you found these common Spanish questions and answers useful, and that they inspire you to ask more questions and learn more in order to become fluent in Spanish.

Are there any questions we missed. Let us know in the comments, and we’ll do our best to help you out.

Check out our great variety of lessons, our free vocabulary lists, and much more.

Being able to introduce yourself in Spanish and making new friends is an incredible feat in and of itself. However, being able to keep and nurture these relationships should be one of your ultimate goals when learning Spanish.

Even if you’re not a social butterfly, you should still spend some time learning different ways to ask “how are you” in Spanish. Just like English, Spanish is spoken in many countries all around the world.

For example, if you’re from the US, you’re likely used to hearing “how are you. ” when greeting someone.

The same is true in Spanish. You might learn a simple “¿cómo estás.

What if someone asks you ¿cómo te va. , ¿qué tal.

You’ve got to be prepared for every possible scenario.

In English, asking someone how they’re doing tends to be just a formality–you’re not actually expected to reflect on your current state of wellbeing.

Depending on your level of closeness, you may share some superficial info (“a bit tired, but I’m okay. ”) or take it as an opportunity to share what’s actually going on in your life.

So, this guide will show you 59 ways to say “how are you” in Spanish in many different contexts, as well as 37 ways to answer like a true native. ¿Estás listo.

Beginning your Spanish language learning journey. Download your free Spanish language essentials eBook here.

As usual, we’ll start with the basics so you can hit the ground running. The table below includes some of the most standard ways to ask someone how they’re doing in Spanish.

You can consider them neutral, as in neither too formal nor too casual, so feel free to use them with friends, family, teachers, and colleagues alike.

If you’re dealing with an important client or have a meeting with the company CEO, you’ll want to stick to more formal ways of saying “Hello are how are you” in Spanish. You’ll also want to use formal phrases when meeting your partner’s family for the first time, especially with their parents.

Whether you’ve taken the plunge and decided to sign yourself up for an immersive Spanish learning program or are simply visiting for a quick vacation, you’ll likely meet many peers with whom you’ll want to have casual conversations. Below are some casual yet polite ways to ask someone how they’re doing in Spanish.

Once you’ve made some close friends, you’ll want to use some fun and ultra-casual Spanish slang when asking your friends how they’re doing. Using local slang will show your friends that you’re really invested in mastering Spanish, and it will also show that you consider them close enough to be super casual and laid-back around them.

We thought we’d give this timeless way of saying how are you a shout-out. If you enjoy watching cartoons in Spanish (which, by the way, can be a great way to increase your Spanish input.

One of the most iconic phrases from Bugs Bunny is “what’s up, doc. ”, which is translated as ¿Qué hay de nuevo, viejo.

Check out the following video to see the wabbit saying his famous line in Spanish.

Responding to a “Hi how are you. ” in Spanish can be as simple as responding with a quick “I’m okay” or as complex as delving into how you’re really doing.

Again, if you’re meeting with someone in a formal situation, you’ll want to know how to respond to “how are you” in Spanish in a formal setting. Below you’ll find a table with a few proper ways to answer the question and inquire about how they’re doing, as that would be the polite thing to do.

If you asked them how they’re doing first, then just omit the question part of the phrases below.

Most of the phrases below are pretty cheerful, so make sure you’re actually in a great mood when using them.

Making and keeping Spanish-speaking friends is one of the most surefire ways to guarantee fluency for life. Even if you could take a million Spanish online classes today, you likely won’t retain much of your fluency if you stop practicing the language.

Now that you know 59 different ways to ask someone how they’re doing, you have no excuses not to check in on your Spanish-speaking friends. So, even if you haven’t touched base in a few months, this is your sign to shoot them a text and see what they’re up to.

And if you’re looking for even more ways to stay on top of your Spanish skills, make sure to review our Spanish blog. We publish fun and helpful content every month that will help you brush up your vocabulary and even learn some fun cultural tidbits Best of all.

One of the first questions you’ll be asked or you may want to ask when learning Spanish is “How old are you. ” It is a basic thing you’ll want to know how to say when you’re just getting to know someone.

While you may really only use ¿Cuántos años tienes. you will need to know the other common expressions so you can recognize it if someone uses some of the other phrases with you.

Read on to learn all the ways to say “How old are you” in Spanish as well as the best way to respond so you can sound like a true native Spanish speaker.

The first important thing to note when speaking about age in Spanish, is that Spanish uses the verb “to have” when indicating age as opposed to English, which uses “to be”.

In English, you would say – “I am 29 years old”.In Spanish, you’d say Yo tengo 29 años, which means – “I have 29 years”. ¿Cuántos años tienes.

It is the most common way to ask someone’s age in Spanish. Note that this phrase uses the informal form of addressing the second person, tu.

If you are speaking to someone with whom you have more formal relationship, you can use the second-person singular form usted. In that case, the question would be altered to ¿Cuántos años tiene usted.

Read next: Tú vs Usted: What’s the Difference Between Tú and Usted.

is “What age do you have. ” To an English speaker, this direct translation might sound a bit awkward, but rest assured, it is a very normal expression in Spanish.

In contrast to English, where age is something you “are”, in Spanish age is something you possess. That’s why we use the verb “to have” to talk about age, instead of “to be”.

Asking ¿cuál es tu edad. is similar to asking ¿qué edad tienes.

as often as the first two options. Like before, if we want to be more formal, we can use the formal pronoun usted.

As with most questions, there is a long and short answer for “How old are you. ” in Spanish.

There are also other very common ways to respond, that can add a little flair to your response and sound more conversational. Here are a few options.

English. Spanish speakers often use only the number to answer about their age, so it’s normal hear conversation such as:

Q: ¿Ya tienes licencia de conducir. ¿Cuántos años tienes.

A: ¡18.

Q: You already have a driver’s license. How old are you.

To finish becoming an expert in asking and telling age, let’s take a look at some related terms: To recap, the most important thing to remember is that in Spanish we use a different verb to talk about age.

This is both to ask someone’s age and to answer the question. If we keep this in mind, and we know how to formulate questions properly (using the interrogative pronoun at the beginning and the verb at the end), we can ask questions like a native speaker.

¡Hasta la próxima.