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spine .3840”Foreign Language/Spanishg Easier!Making EverythinPresenting the core conceptsyou need to write andspeak Spanish correctly Spanish 101 — get the lowdown on the basics,from expressing the date and time to countingto one million The here and now — learn how to communicatein the present tense with verbs and subjectpronouns, and how to form the presentprogressive How to determine a noun’sgender How to use “de” to showpossession How to select the correctpreposition Rules for making adjectives agree Tips for asking and answeringyes/no questions Ways to spice up yourdescriptions Ten important verb distinctions Way back when — get guidance on working withthe past tense, including hints about when to usethe preterit and when to use the imperfect What lies ahead — discover the different waysto express the future, whether you need to formthe future tense of a regular verb or just want topredict what may happenhsinapSslaitnesEs The parts of speechSpanish EssentialsIf you have some knowledge of Spanish and need arefresher or want a quick reference for grammar andverb conjugation, Spanish Essentials For Dummiescontains what you need to communicate effectively.With its focus on everything from constructingsentences to conjugating verbs, this easy-to-followguide will help you ace writing assignments and tests,and master conversations.Open the book and find:Learn: The basics of Spanish grammar andsentence constructionGo to Dummies.com How to conjugate regular,irregular, and stem-changingverbsfor videos, step-by-step photos,how-to articles, or to shop! To express ideas about the past,present, and future 9.99 US / 11.99 CN / 6.99 UKGail Stein, MA, was a foreign languageinstructor for more than 30 years andwrote Intermediate Spanish For Dummies.Cecie Kraynak, MA, is a Spanish teacherand authored Spanish Verbs For Dummies.Gail Stein, MAISBN 978-0-470-63751-7Retired foreign language instructorand author, Intermediate SpanishFor DummiesCecie Kraynak, MASteinKraynak Spanish instructor and author,Spanish Verbs For Dummies

spine .3840”g Easier!Making Everythin hsinapSslaitnesEsLearn: The basics of Spanish grammar andsentence construction How to conjugate regular,irregular, and stem-changingverbs To express ideas about the past,present, and futureGail Stein, MARetired foreign language instructorand author, Intermediate SpanishFor DummiesCecie Kraynak, MASteinSpanish instructor and author,Spanish Verbs For Dummies

SpanishEssentialsFORDUMmIES‰by Gail Stein, MA, andCecie Kraynak, MA01 637517-ffirs.indd i4/6/10 12:37 AM

Spanish Essentials For Dummies Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.comCopyright 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, IndianaPublished simultaneously in CanadaNo part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in anyform or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise,except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, withouteither the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923,(978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed tothe Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 7486011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference forthe Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, MakingEverything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley &Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used withoutwritten permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. WileyPublishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKENO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES,INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOTENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONALPERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLEFOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE ISREFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHERINFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THEINFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS ITMAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED INTHIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ.For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer CareDepartment within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in printmay not be available in electronic books.Library of Congress Control Number: 2010924598ISBN: 978-0-470-63751-7Manufactured in the United States of America10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 101 637517-ffirs.indd ii4/6/10 12:37 AM

About the AuthorsGail Stein, MA, is a retired language instructor who taughtin New York City public junior and senior high schools formore than 33 years. She has authored many French andSpanish books, including CliffsQuickReview French I and II,CliffsStudySolver Spanish I and II, 575 French Verbs, Webster’sSpanish Grammar Handbook, and Intermediate Spanish ForDummies. Gail is a multiple-time honoree in Who’s Who AmongAmerica’s Teachers.Cecie Kraynak, MA, earned her bachelor’s degree in Spanishand secondary education in literature from Purdue University,and also received her master’s degree in Spanish literaturefrom Purdue. After graduating in 1983, Cecie began what wasto become a 20-year career teaching Spanish to junior-high andhigh-school students. She continues to teach and travel andhas served as a consultant on several Spanish learning guides,including Teach Yourself Spanish in 24 Hours (MacMillan) andSpanish for Healthcare Professionals (Barron’s). She is theauthor of Spanish Verbs For Dummies (Wiley).01 637517-ffirs.indd iii4/6/10 12:37 AM

Publisher’s AcknowledgmentsWe’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Departmentwithin the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:Acquisitions, Editorial, and MediaDevelopmentProject Editor: Victoria M. AdangSenior Acquisitions Editor:Lindsay Sandman LefevereCopy Editor: Megan KnollAssistant Editor: Erin Calligan MooneySenior Editorial Assistant: David LuttonTechnical Editors: Greg Harris;Language Training Center, Inc.Editorial Manager: Michelle HackerEditorial Supervisor and Reprint Editor:Carmen KrikorianEditorial Assistants: Rachelle Amick,Jennette ElNaggarCover Photo: Corbis RF/AlamyCartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)Composition ServicesProject Coordinator: Katie CrockerLayout and Graphics: Claudia Bell,Carrie A. Cesavice, Christine WilliamsProofreaders: ConText EditorialServices, Inc., Rebecca DenoncourIndexer: Potomac Indexing, LLCPublishing and Editorial for Consumer DummiesDiane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer DummiesKristin Ferguson-Wagstaffe, Product Development Director, Consumer DummiesEnsley Eikenburg, Associate Publisher, TravelKelly Regan, Editorial Director, TravelPublishing for Technology DummiesAndy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General UserComposition ServicesDebbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services01 637517-ffirs.indd iv4/6/10 12:37 AM

Contents at a GlanceIntroduction . 1Chapter 1: Brushing Up on the Basics . 5Chapter 2: Closing the Gender Gap . 19Chapter 3: It’s Happening in the Present. 43Chapter 4: Spicing Up Your Descriptions with Adjectives,Adverbs, and Prepositions . 67Chapter 5: Making Inquiries . 89Chapter 6: Revealing the Past . 103Chapter 7: Looking to the Future . 121Chapter 8: Identifying Verb Moods . 127Chapter 9: Ten Important Verb Distinctions . 151Appendix: Verb Charts . 157Index. 16902 637517-ftoc.indd v4/6/10 12:38 AM

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ContentsIntroduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1About This Book . 1Conventions Used in This Book . 2Foolish Assumptions . 2Icons Used in This Book . 2Where to Go from Here . 3Chapter 1: Brushing Up on the Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Counting Down . 5Using cardinal numbers . 5Using ordinal numbers . 8Dealing with Dates . 9Expressing the days of the week . 9Naming the months of the year . 10Making a date . 11Telling Time . 12Focusing on Parts of Speech. 14Using nouns . 15Substituting pronouns . 16Acting with verbs . 16Describing with adjectives . 17Clarifying with adverbs . 17Joining with prepositions . 18Chapter 2: Closing the Gender Gap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Being Specific with Definite Articles. 19Identifying the definite articles . 20Using definite articles. 20Omitting the definite articles . 22Contracting with definite articles . 22Being General with Indefinite Articles . 22Identifying the indefinite articles . 23Omitting indefinite articles . 23Being Demonstrative with Adjectives . 24Clarifying Gender . 25Determining the gender of nouns . 26Reversing gender . 26Using the same noun for both genders . 2702 637517-ftoc.indd vii4/6/10 12:38 AM

viiiSpanish Essentials For DummiesChanging the meaning of nouns. 28Understanding special nouns. 28Forming Plural Nouns . 29Showing Possession. 31Using de . 31Employing possessive adjectives . 32Substituting with Object Pronouns . 33Dealing with direct object pronouns. 33Understanding the personal a . 34Coping with indirect object pronouns . 35Choosing the proper pronoun . 36Doing an about face with gustar . 38Positioning object pronouns . 39Doing double duty . 41Chapter 3: It’s Happening in the Present . . . . . . . . . . . . .43Identifying Types of Verbs . 43Selecting Subject Pronouns . 44Using subject pr

and author, Intermediate Spanish For Dummies Cecie Kraynak, MA Spanish instructor and author, Spanish Verbs For Dummies † The basics of Spanish grammar and