have you ever o do you ever, es lo mismo?

se lo que significan pero quiero saber si se usa para lo mismo, alguien me podria explicar
en que contexto se usan y si tienen difencias... por favor con ejemplos
Mejor respuesta: Is it past tense, present tense, what tense is it?
That's your answer!
Have you ever been to Australia?
Alguna vez HAS IDO a Australia?
Have you ever cried?
Alguna vez HAS LLORADO?

Do you ever plan to go to Australia?

Alguna vez planeas IR a Australia?
Do you ever cry?
Alguna vez LLORAS?
Have you ever se refiere a si Alguna vez has ________?
Do you ever se refiere si lo haces en la actualidad
Have you ever played tennis? Has jugado al tennis?
Do you ever play tennis? Juegas al tennis?
La diferencia es el tiempo (presente perfecto has/have played, met, drunk, etc y presente do, play,
meet,etc)
Recuerda que "to have" y "to do" se utilizan como auxiliares para diferentes tiempos verbales. "to
have" para tiempos perfectos:
"Have you ever seen the rain?" (Has visto caer la lluvia?)
y "to do" para tiempos simples:
"Do you ever really loved a woman?" (Realmente amaste a una mujer alguna vez?)

Do you ever Vs Have you ever

Hello
What's the difference between saying
1-Do you ever buy second-hand books?
2-Have you ever bought second-hand books?

In every day English these two sentences are used the same way. However, technically, they mean something
slightly different.
Do you ever buy second-hand books? asks if you regularly buy second-hand books or if buying second hand
books is your habit or custom.
Have you ever bought second-had books? asks if you bought second-hand books in some general time in the
past.

I'd say that it's not all that common with your specific sentence, Kitten. That's because
of verb choice and the specific meaning. When we use 'do/does' in this fashion it holds
a meaning of routinely/habitually.
"Seeing one film" does not seem to hold a routine/habitual meaning so it does sound a wee bit
strange.
For events that are more habitual in nature, then we often use "Do you ever ...?".
Do you ever go to the movies?
Do you ever ski at Aspen?
Do you ever snowboard/waterski/etc?
The meaning for "have you ever ..." is "have you had such and such a life experience" and for
"do you ever ...", the meaning is, "is this part of the routine in your life?".

Why the confusion?

Do you ever . . . ?
this means nowadays because it's the present tense

Have you ever . . . ?

this means in your whole life because it's the present perfect tense

Did you ever . . . ? can also be used if you want to focus on

a finished action in the past because it's using the past simple

How do I say, "Have you ever?"

Oxford Starter Spanish Dictionary
Alguna vez Ever
has montado alguna vez en globo?
have you ever been up in a balloon?
The University of Chicago Spanish-English Dictionary 5th ed.
Ever Alguna vez
Have you studied French?
Alguna vez has estudiado francs?
Merriam-Webster's Spanish-English Dictionary
Ever 2. (in questions): alguna vez, algn da
Have you ever been to Mexico?
Has estado en Mxico alguna vez?
Pocket Oxford Spanish Dictionary
Ever (at any time):
have you ~ visited London?
has estado en Londres (alguna vez)?;

All of these sources seem to confirm that your original usage alguna vez is likely a
correctly constructed sentence; however, if what you are asking is whether the
alguna vez is necessary then it might help to consider what effect the adverb
ever/alguna vez actually has on the sentence. As an adverb, it makes the sentence
more specific, i.e. it provides a description of when the action might have taken

place. To make this a bit clearer, try comparing the following sentences in terms of
specificity (in regards to the question of "when"), and see if you can note the
difference.
Have you wanted the night to last forever?
Have you ever wanted the night to last forever?
Have you, in the last three days, wanted the night to last forever?
Have you ever, in the last three days, wanted the night to last forever?
Have you, in your adult life, wanted the night to last forever.?
Have you ever, in your adult life, wanted the night to last forever?

Cmo interpretar y usar JUST en INGLES

Posted on 01/07/2012 by Gareth H Jones 34 Comments
Hace poco un seguidor mo de Twitter me pregunt si le poda explicar el significado y cmo usar just
en ingles y cules eran las diferencias entre just y only. Mi respuesta en ese momento se limit a los
140 caracteres, pero en este post encontrars una explicacin ms detallada.
La palabra just confunde a mucha gente porque se parece mucho a justo en espaol pero muchas veces
se no es el significado o la traduccin de just en el contexto en el que se ve. Las posibles
interpretaciones, aunque quiz no siempre traducciones directas, son principalmente las siguientes:

1. justo
2. exactamente, precisamente
3. slo, solamente
4. simplemente, sencillamente
5. para dar nfasis
6. igual de
7. tiempo: hace poco
8. tiempo: en este / aquel momento preciso
9. expresiones idiomaticas
Fjate en los siguientes ejemplos:
1. Justo:

I arrived just in time.

Llegu justo a tiempo.
I passed the exam, but just.
Aprob el exmen, pero justo.
They just manage to make ends meet.
Justo consiguen llegar al final del mes.
It was a just punishment.
Fue un castigo justo.
I live just next door.
Vivo justo al lado.
He called me just now.
Justo ahora me ha llamado.
They have just enough to live on.
(Justo) tienen lo suficiente para vivir.
2. Exactamente, precisamente
En espaol se puede utilizar justo en el sentido de exactamente o precisamente y tambin es as
en ingls, por ejemplo:
Its just what I need.
Es justo / exactamente lo que necesito.
Do just as I say.
Haz exactamente lo que digo.
Just what were you thinking?
Qu estabas pensando exactamente?
Hes just like his father.
Es exactamente como su padre.
Es igual que su padre.
Se podra referir al aspecto fsico o las caractersticas, la personalidad, etc.
3. Slo, solamente
Aqu es donde coinciden los significados de just y only. Para slo o solamente se puede utlizar
tanto just como only aunque en algunos casos uno puede sonar mejor que el otro.

Just bring what you need and nothing else.

(Only bring what you need and nothing else)
Trae slo lo que necesitas y nada ms.
She just started her new job last week.
(She only started her new job last week)
Slo empez su nuevo trabajo la semana pasada.
He just works in the mornings.
(He only works in the mornings)
Slo trabaja por las maanas.
Just a little.
(Only a little)
Slo un poco.
Hell just make you unhappy.
(Hell only make you unhappy)
Slo te har triste / infeliz.
Y seguramente has odo a alguien decir alguna vez:
Just a moment.
(Slo) un momento.
4. Simplemente, sencillamente
Its just that I want to try something different.
Simplemente quiero probar otra cosa.
If I lose my job, Ill just have to look for another one.
Si pierdo mi trabajo, simplemente tendr que buscar otro.
Just let the clutch out gently and press down on the accelerator.
Simplemente suelta suavemente el embrague y pisa poco a poco el acelerador.
I just dont understand him.
Simplemente no lo entiendo.
Y el lema de Nike:
Just Do It
Simplemente Hazlo
5. Para dar nfasis
Tambin se utiliza just para dar ms nfasis a una situacin y a veces se puede notar una
implicacin de simplemente, como en uno de los ejemplos de arriba:

I just dont understand him.

Simplemente no lo entiendo.
O ms enftico con el nfasis en la palabra dont:
I just dont understand him.
No lo entiendo, de verdad!
Just leave them there, will you?
(Simplemente) Djalos all.
I just love the summer!
Me encanta la playa!
We broke up last year but he just wont leave me in peace.
Rompimos el ao pasado pero no me deja en paz.
A: Do you like living in Barcelona?
B: Dont I just!
A: Te gusta vivir en Barcelona?
B: Por supuesto! / Claro que s!
En los puntos 6, 7 y 8, el just se incorpora dentro de una estructura gramatical para cambiar,
modificar o enfatizar el significado o impacto de la frase.
6. Igual de que
Se utiliza just para modificar o enfatizar la estructura as .. as (tan .. como), por ejemplo:
as important as = tan importante como
just as important as = igual de importante que
Hes just as intelligent as his brother.
Es igual de listo que su hermano.
Shes just as stubborn as her mother was at that age.
Es igual de terca que era su madre a esa edad.
[Cmo interpretar y usar as en ingls]
7. tiempo: hace poco
Se utiliza just para modificar el tiempo verbal have + past particle (p.ej. I have started He
empezado) y expresar que justo ahora lo has hecho, que acabas de hacerlo. Por ejemplo:
I have started it

Lo he empezado

I have just started it

Acabo de empezarlo

Es decir, to have just done something = acabar de hacer algo. Y se coloca el just antes del verbo
principal, el participio.
Ejemplos:
Weve just seen them.
Acabamos de verlos.
Ive just heard from him.
Acabo de or de l / Acabo de recibir noticias suyas.
He has just explained it to me.
Acaba de explicrmelo.
Theyd just got here (They had just got here) when the match started.
Acababan de llegar cuando empez el partido.
[Present Perfect formacin y estructura (verbos regulares)]
8. Tiempo: en este / aquel momento preciso
Se utiliza just para enfatizar el tiempo verbal to be + verb-ing (p.ej. Im finishing, Hes doing,
Theyre coming, We were leaving, etc) para que quede claro que lo que pasa est o estaba
ocurriendo en el momento preciso, por ejemplo:
Were leaving

Estamos saliendo

Were just leaving

Justo estamos saliendo /

Estamos saliendo en este preciso momento

Hes just coming
Ahora viene (Viene en este momento preciso)
They were just finishing it.
Justo en aquel momento lo estaban acabando.
Y tambin se ve esta interpretacin con las expresiones de tiempo, por ejemplo:
Just at that moment.
En aquel momento preciso. (Justo en aquel momento)

Just as I was about to abandon hope, the lifeboat arrived.

Justo cuando estaba a punto de abandonar esperanza, lleg el bote salvavidas.
9. Expresiones idiomticas
Adems, hay usos de just que no entran en estas categoras y que se consideran expresiones
idiomticas o frases hechas. Aqu te pongo algunos ejemplos:
Just as well menos mal
Just as well you didnt mention the football.
Menos mal que no mencionaste lo del ftbol.
[3 maneras de expresar menos mal en ingls]
Just in case por si acaso
Ill take the umbrella just in case
Llevo el paraguas por si acaso
Just my luck! Tpico!, me tena que pasar a m!
Just after I bought the sofa, it went on sale in the shop. Just my luck!
Justo despus de comprarme el sof, lo rebajaron en la tienda. Tpico! / Me tena que pasar a
m!
Just (the) right perfecto (Con sustantivo, usa the; Sin sustantivo, omtelo)
He arrived at just the right time.
Lleg en el momento perfecto.
The length of the holiday was just right.
La duracin de las vacaciones fue perfecta.
Just so you know para que lo sepas
Just so you know, Alisons father died yesterday.
Para que lo sepas, el padre de Alison muri ayer.
Just en estas dos oraciones significa hace poco (acabo de) seccin 7.
Just met my father = Ive just met my father (Acabo de conocer a mi padre / Acabo de quedar con mi
padre)
En el lenguaje informal, a menudo se omite el sujeto y el verbo auxiliar.
Maria just arrived in London (US past simple)
Marias just arrived in London (UK present perfect)

Justo (ahora): Im just finishing my book

Acabar (de hacer algo): Ive just heard the news
Solamente: Its just that I had to tell somebody

Simplemente: It was just an ordinary day

Exactamente: She looks just like her mother
Realmente, I can just imagine his reaction
Completamente: The food was just wonderful!

Relative clauses: defining and non-defining

Defining relative clauses
We use defining relative clauses to give essential information about someone or
something information that we need in order to understand what or who is being referred
to. A defining relative clause usually comes immediately after the noun it describes.
We usually use a relative pronoun (e.g. who, that, which, whose and whom) to introduce a
defining relative clause (In the examples, the relative clause is in bold, and the person or
thing being referred to is underlined.):

Theyre the people who want to buy our house.

Here are some cells which have been affected.
They should give the money to somebody who they think needs the
treatment most.
[talking about an actress]

Shes now playing a woman whose son was killed in the First World
War.
Spoken English:
In defining relative clauses we often use that instead of who, whom or which. This is very
common in informal speaking:

Theyre the people that want to buy our house.

Here are some cells that have been affected.

ORACIONES DE RELATIVO NO
ESPECIFICATIVAS
Como su propio nombre indica, las "non-defining relative clauses" nos dan informacin adicional acerca de
algo o alguien pero esa informacin no nos ayuda a especificar. Por ejemplo, en la siguiente oracin:
"Gorillas, which are large and originate in Africa, can sometimes be found in zoos". En esta oracin
hablamos de todos los gorilas, no de un grupo especfico de ellos. La informacin de la proposicin relativa
explicativa nos aporta ms datos sobre los gorilas en general. No define un subconjunto de esa poblacin ni a
un gorila especfico. Si eliminamos esta proposicin relativa explicativa, la oracin sigue siendo
gramaticalmente correcta y el significado no vara, aunque contamos con menos datos.
Las "non-defining relative clauses" estn compuestas por un pronombre relativo, un verbo y otros elementos
opcionales, como el sujeto o el objeto del verbo. Siempre se emplean comas o parntesis para delimitar las
oraciones de relativo no especificativas y separarlas del resto de la oracin principal.

EJEMPLOS

John's mother, who lives in Scotland, has 6 grandchildren.

My friend John, who went to the same school as me, has just written a best-selling novel.
My grandmother, who is dead now, came from the North of England.
We stopped at the museum, which we had never visited before.
I've just come back from London, where John lives..
Yesterday I met a woman named Susan, whose husband works in London.

PRONOMBRES RELATIVOS
Los siguientes pronombres relativos se utilizan en las proposiciones relativas explicativas. Estos pronombres
relativos aparecen al principio de la oracin de relativo y hacen referencia a un nombre que los precede en la
oracin principal.

Persona

Cosa

Sujeto

who

which

Objeto

who/whom

which

Posesin

whose

Lugar

where

DIFERENCIAS RESPECTO A LAS ORACIONES DE RELATIVO

ESPECIFICATIVAS
En las proposiciones relativas especificativas, los pronombres "who", "whom" y "which" suelen sustituirse por
"that" en el ingls hablado. Sin embargo, en las subordinadas relativas no especificativas, no es posible
reemplazar otros pronombres con "that". Tampoco puede omitirse el pronombre relativo en las "non-defining
relative clauses" como hacemos en las oraciones de relativo especificativas. El pronombre es necesario,
incluso cuando funciona como objeto del verbo de la proposicin relativa explicativa. Finalmente, las
oraciones de relativo no especificativas siempre se separan del resto de la oracin principal mediante comas,
mientras que las oraciones de relativo especificativas no estn delimitadas por signos de puntuacin.

EJEMPLOS

He gave me the letter, which was in a blue envelope. (proposicin explicativa: haba solo una carta
y era azul. Es necesario emplear "which")
He gave me the letter which/that was in a blue envelope. (proposicin especificativa: haba varias
cartas de distintos colores y l me dio la azul. "Which" puede sustituirse por "that". Las comas
desaparecen.)
He gave me the letter, which I read immediately. (proposicin explicativa: haba solo una carta.
Aunque "which" es el objeto de "read", debe incluirse en la oracin.)
Stratford-on-Avon, which many people have written about, is Shakespeare's birthplace. (Las
preposiciones suelen colocarse al final de la oracin de relativo.)
Stratford-on-Avon, about which many people have written, is Shakespeare's birthplace. (En ingls
escrito formal, tambin es posible colocar la preposicin antes del pronombre.)

EXPRESIONES INTRODUCTORIAS EN ORACIONES DE RELATIVO NO

ESPECIFICATIVAS
Las proposiciones relativas explicativas pueden ir introducidas por expresiones cuantificadoras como "all of"
o "many of", seguidas del pronombre relativo.

all of, any of, some of, a few of, both of, each of, either of, half of, many of, most of,
much of, none of, one of, two of, etc.

EJEMPLOS

There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I had known for years.
There are 14 girls in my class, a few of whom are my friends.
He was carrying his belongings, many of which were broken.
He had thousands of books, most of which he had read.
He picked up a handful of stones, one of which was sharp.

USO DE "WHICH" PARA REFERIRSE A UNA ORACIN

Persona

Cosa

whom

which

El pronombre relativo "which" al principio de una proposicin relativa no especificativa puede referirse a toda
la informacin recogida en la oracin precedente, en lugar de a un solo trmino.

EJEMPLOS

Chris did really well in his exams, which is quite a surprise.

My friends were all hiding in my apartment, which isn't what I'd expected.
She's studying to become a doctor, which is difficult.

Relative clauses - non-defining relative clauses

Relative clauses - non-defining relative clauses

Relative clauses add extra information to a sentence by defining a noun. They are usually
divided into two types defining relative clauses and non-defining relative clauses.
Non-defining relative clauses
Look at this sentence.

My grandfather, who is 87, goes swimming every day.

who is 87 is a non-defining relative clause. It adds extra information to the sentence. If
we take the clause out of the sentence, the sentence still has the same meaning.
Look at some more examples.

The film, which stars Tom Carter, is released on Friday.

My eldest son, whose work takes him all over the world, is in Hong Kong at the
moment.
The car, which can reach speeds of over 300km/ph, costs over $500,000.
Non-defining relative clauses add extra information to sentences.
Defining or non-defining?

Remember that defining relative clauses are used to add important information. The
sentence would have a different meaning without the defining relative clause.

Im going to wear the skirt that I bought in London. The defining relative clause
tells us which skirt.
The skirt, which is a lovely dark blue colour, only cost 10. The non-defining
relative clause doesnt tell us which skirt it gives us more information about the skirt.
Non-defining relative clauses can use most relative pronouns (which, whose etc,) but they
CANT use that and the relative pronoun can never be omitted.

The film, that stars Tom Carter, is released on Friday.

Non-defining relative clauses are more often used in written English than in spoken
English. You can tell that a clause is non-defining because it is separated by commas at
each end of the clause.

The difference between defining and

non-defining relative clauses
A defining relative clause identifies or classifies a noun:
Do you know the guy who is talking to Will over there?
I wrote my essay on a photo which was taken by Robert Capa.

If we omit this type of clause, the sentence does not make sense or has a different meaning:
Do you know the guy? (which guy?)
I wrote my essay on a photo. (what kind of photo?)

A non-defining relative clause adds extra information about a noun which already has a clear
reference:
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, who was also a prolific engineer and inventor.

If we leave out this type of clause, the sentence still makes sense:
The Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. (we know who Leonardo da Vinci was)

Sometimes, the use of commas marks a difference in meaning:

The athletes who failed the drug test were disqualified. (defining)
The athletes, who failed the drug test, were disqualified. (non-defining)

The defining relative clause tells us that only those athletes who failed the drug test were
disqualified. The sentence implies that there were other athletes who did not fail the drug test
and that they were not disqualified.
The non-defining relative clause tells us that all the athletes (mentioned earlier in the context)
failed the drug test and that all of them were disqualified.

DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSE

(Oracin de relativo especificativa)
Las oraciones de relativo especificativas son las que te dan la informacin
necesaria para entender lo que se dice.
No lleva comas.
who, whom, which pueden ser SUSTITUIDOS por THAT u OMITIRSE ()
cuando son OBJETO.

The team which/that wins will travel to New York.

(El equipo que gane viajar a Nueva York.)
I've seen a house which/that/ I'd like to buy.
(He visto una casa que me gustara comprar.)

He drives a car whose right headlight is broken.

(Conduce un coche cuyo faro derecho est roto.)
Let's go to a country where it's never cold.
(Vayamos a un pas donde no haga nunca fro.)
There will be a time when I don't have to work there.
(Habr un tiempo en el que no tenga que trabajar all.)
Nothing that anyone does can comfort her.
(Nada de lo que nadie haga puede consolarla.)

Relativ
e
clauses
What is a
relative
clause?
We can use relative clauses to join two English sentences, or to give more
information about something.
I bought a new car. It is very fast.
I bought a new car that is very fast.
She lives in New York. She likes living in New York.
She lives in New York, which she likes.

Defining and Non-defining

A defining relative clause tells which noun we are talking about:

I like the woman who lives next door.

(If I don't say 'who lives next door', then we
don't know which woman I mean).

A non-defining relative clause gives us extra information about something. We

don't need this information to understand the sentence.

I live in London, which has some fantastic

parks.
(Everybody knows where London is, so
'which has some fantastic parks' is extra
information).

Defining relative clauses:

1: The relative pronoun is the subject:
First, let's consider when the relative pronoun is the subject of a defining relative
clause.
We can use 'who', 'which' or 'that'. We use 'who' for people and 'which' for things.
We can use 'that' for people or things.
The relative clause can come after the subject or the object of the sentence. We
can't drop the relative pronoun.
For example (clause after the object of the sentence):

I'm looking for a secretary who / that can use

a computer well.
She has a son who / that is a doctor.
We bought a house which / that is 200 years
old.
I sent a letter which / that arrived three
weeks later.

More examples (clause after the subject of the sentence):

The people who / that live on the island are

very friendly.
The man who / that phoned is my brother.
The camera which / that costs 100 is over
there.
The house which / that belongs to Julie is in
London.

Try an exercise where the relative pronoun is the subject here.

2: The relative pronoun is the object:
Next, let's talk about when the relative pronoun is the object of the clause. In this
case we can drop the relative pronoun if we want to. Again, the clause can come
after the subject or the object of the sentence. Here are some examples:
(Clause after the object)

She loves the chocolate (which / that) I

bought.
We went to the village (which / that) Lucy
recommended.
John met a woman (who / that) I had been to
school with.
The police arrested a man (who / that) Jill
worked with.

(Clause after the subject)

The bike (which / that) I loved was stolen.

The university (which / that) she likes is

famous.
The woman (who / that) my brother loves is
from Mexico.

The doctor (who / that) my grandmother

liked lives in New York.

Try an exercise where the relative

pronoun is the object here
Try an exercise about defining relative
clauses, both subject and object here
Try another exercise about defining
relative clauses, both subject and
object here

Non-defining relative clauses:

We don't use 'that' in non-defining relative clauses, so we need to use 'which' if the
pronoun refers to a thing, and 'who' if it refers to a person. We can't drop the
relative pronoun in this kind of clause, even if the relative pronoun is the subject of
the clause.
(Clause comes after the subject)

My boss, who is very nice, lives in

Manchester.
My sister, who I live with, knows a lot about
cars.
My bicycle, which I've had for more than ten
years, is falling apart.
My mother's house, which I grew up in, is
very small.

(Clause comes after the object)

Yesterday I called our friend Julie, who lives

in New York.
The photographer called to the Queen, who
looked annoyed.
Last week I bought a new computer, which I
don't like now.
I really love the new Chinese restaurant,
which we went to last night.

Prepositions and relative clauses

If the verb in the relative clause needs a preposition, we put it at the end of the
clause:
For example:

listen to

The music is good. Julie listens to the music.

The music (which / that) Julie listens to is good.

work with

My brother met a woman. I used to work with the woman.

My brother met a woman (who / that) I used to work with.

go to

The country is very hot. He went to the country.

The country (which / that) he went to is very hot.

come from

I visited the city. John comes from the city.

I visited the city (that / which) John comes from.

apply for

The job is well paid. She applied for the job.

The job (which / that) she applied for is well paid.

Whose
'Whose' is always the subject of the relative clause and can't be left out. It replaces a
possessive. It can be used for people and things.
The dog is over there. The dog's / its owner lives next door.
The dog whose owner lives next door is over there.

The little girl is sad. The little girl's / her doll was lost.
The little girl whose doll was lost is sad.
The woman is coming tonight. Her car is a BMW.
The woman whose car is a BMW is coming tonight.
The house belongs to me. Its roof is very old.
The house whose roof is old belongs to me.

Where / when / why

We can sometimes use these question words instead of relative pronouns and
prepositions.
I live in a city. I study in the city.
I live in the city where I study.
I live in the city that / which I study in.
I live in the city in which I study.
The bar in Barcelona is still there. I met my wife in that bar.
The bar in Barcelona where I met my wife is still there.
The bar in Barcelona that / which I met my wife in is still there.
The bar in Barcelona in which I met my wife is still there.
The summer was long and hot. I graduated from university in the summer.
The summer when I graduated from university was long and hot.
The summer that / which I graduated from university in was long and hot.
The summer in which I graduated was long and hot.

Types of relative clauses

To understand the distinctions between that and which it is necessary to
understand defining (restrictive) and non-defining (non-restrictive) clauses.
Learning these distinctions is one technical aspect of grammar that every user of
English should understand, because it is at the root of an assortment of
grammatical errors.

1. Non-defining clauses
A non-defining, or non-restrictive, clause is one that can be regarded as
parenthetical:
My house, which has a blue door, needs painting.
The italicized words are effectively an aside and could be deleted. The real point of
the sentence is that the house needs painting; the blue door is incidental.
Use commas to set off non-defining elements, which contribute to, but do not
determine, the meaning of the sentence. These elements may be clauses (groups
of words that contain a subject and a verb) or phrases (groups of words that do not
contain both a subject and a verb).

2. Defining clauses
A defining, restrictive, clause is one that is essential to the sense of the sentence.
My house that has a blue door needs painting.
Here the blue door is a defining characteristic, it helps to distinguish that house
from my other houses.
Defining clauses or phrases are not separated off with commas. A restrictive
clause or phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence; it defines the word it
modifies by restricting its meaning. Eliminating a restrictive element from a
sentence changes its meaning dramatically.

Tip:
Note that nonrestrictive and restrictive clauses must be introduced by the
appropriate relative pronoun.
In correct usage that is always used to indicate restrictive clauses and which to
indicate nonrestrictive ones.
Restrictive clauses should NEVER be set off with commas and nonrestrictive
clauses ALWAYS should.

Additional information
On that much the authorities are agreed. Where divergence creeps in is on the
question of how strictly the distinctions should be observed.

Today, that is more usual in short sentences or early on in longer ones.

The house that John built.

Which often appears where that would more strictly be correct, particularly
in Britain.

Americans, in contrast, are much more inclined to use that where which
might be preferable.

English grammar notes - relative

clauses - non-defining
subject , + relative pronoun + relative clause , + main clause

(1) The River Nile, which is over 6,500 kilometres long, is Egypt's main
source of water.

(2) The modern Olympic Games, which take place every four years, were
first held in 1896.

General use of non-defining relative clauses

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Non-defining relative clauses contain information about a noun.

Example (1) contains information about the River Nile.
Example (2) contains information about the modern Olympic Games.

The are called non-defining or non-identifying relative clauses to

avoid confusion with defining relative clauses.

Non-defining relative clauses contain extra information about the noun

to which they relate.
They do not tell us which person or thing that we are talking about.
It is already clear which person or thing we are talking about without
the relative clause.

Example (1)
The river Nile - It is quite clear what we are talking about - there is only
one river Nile.
The relative clause which is over 6,500 kilometres long is extra
information.

Example (2)
The modern Olympic Games - It is quite clear what we are talking about
- there is only one modern competition called the Olympic Games.
The relative clause which take place every four years is extra
information.

Sentences containing non-defining relative clauses remain grammatical

and have meaning if you remove the non-defining relative clause :

Example (1) - relative cluase removed

The River Nile is Egypt's main source of water.
This is a complete grammatical sentence.

Example (2) - relative cluase removed

The modern Olympic Games were first held in 1896.
This is a complete grammatical sentence.

By contrast, defining relative clauses often do not make sense when the
defining reltative clause is removed or it is unclear exactly what you are talking
about.

Examples:
(3)
Have you read the message that I sent you yesterday?

The defining relative clause, that I sent you yesterday contains very important
information. It tells us which message. Without this clause we only have:

Have you seen the message?

This sentence grammatically complete, but it is unclear which message the
speaker means.

(4)
That's the hotel we stayed in last year.
The defining relative clause we stayed in last year contains essential
information about the hotel. Without it we only have:

That's the hotel

This makes little sense on its own.

For more, see: defining relative clauses.

Position of the relative pronoun

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The relative pronoun usually comes immediately after the noun that it
relates to.

Consider this example :

The Eiffel Tower, which was built in 1887, is not far from the Louvre
museum.

The relative clause, which was built in 1887, relates to the Eiffel Tower.

If you want to add a non-defining relative clause to the Louvre museum,

it must go immediately after the word museum:

The Eiffel Tower is not far from the Louvre museum, which contains the
famous portrait, the Mona Lisa.

Punctuation : commas
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Non-defining relative clauses are separated from the rest of the

sentence by commas.

Non-defining relative clauses which relate to the whole of the main clause
Page top

Relative clauses usually relate to one noun or noun phrase. However

some non-defining relative clauses can relate to the whole of the main
clause of the sentence.

Consider these examples :

(1) We had some ice-cream for dessert, which was very unusual.
(2) We had some ice-cream for dessert which was very unusual.

In (1), the non-defining relative clause which was very unusual, relates
to the whole of the main clause. i.e. It was unusual for them to have
ice-cream for desert - they do not usually eat ice-cream for dessert.

In (2), the defining relative clause which was very unusual, relates only
to the ice-cream - it was an unusual type of ice-cream, e.g. it was
chicken flavoured, or black in colour etc.

Choice of relative pronoun

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Use which for objects (things).

Do not use that in non-defining relative clauses
The station, which was built in 1906, is due to be demolished.

Use who for people.

Do not use that in non-defining relative clauses
John Woo, who was born in China, has made a successful career in Hollywood.

Use whose for possessives.

The author, whose works have been translated into over 50 languages, is
working on a new novel.

Use where or preposition + which (formal) for places.

The family home in New Orleans, where Munroe spent much of his childhood,
has recently been opened to the public.

The family home in New Orleans, in which Munroe spent much of his childhood,
has recently been opened to the public.

Use when or preposition + which for times.

Christmas Day, when many people stay at home, is a quiet day in many
western countries.

Christmas Day, on which many people stay at home, is a quiet day in many
western countries.

Omitting the relative pronoun

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The relative pronoun is never omitted with non-defining relative

clauses.

NON-DEFINING RELATIVE CLAUSES

(Oracin de relativo explicativa)
ORACIONES SUBORDINADAS ADJETIVAS O DE RELATIVO
. Oraciones de relativo: formacin
. Pronombres relativos
. Pronombres sujeto o complemento
. Adverbios relativos
. Pronombres relativos con sufijo -EVER
. Oracin de relativo especificativa (Defining relative clause)
. Oracin de relativo explicativa (Non-defining relative clause)

 Las oraciones de relativo explicativas dan una informacin que no es

esencial para la comprensin de lo que se dice.
Va entre comas, o detrs de una coma.
who, whom, which NO pueden SUSTITUIRSE por that cuando son OBJETO.
NO puedern ser OMITIDOS () cuando son OBJETO.

My grandmother, who lives in Monaco, was born in the South of England.

(Mi abuela, que vive en Mnaco, naci en el sur de Inglaterra.)
I spoke to Bob, who/whom you can't bear.
(Habl con Bob, que entendi el problema.)
There were a lot of people at the party, many of whom I didn't know.
(Haba mucha gente en la fiesta, mucha de la cual no conoca.)
We stopped at the caf, which was closed that day.
(Paramos en la cafetera, que estaba cerrada ese da.)
The dog looked at the tree, under which he had often slept.
(El perro mir el rbol, bajo el cual haba dormido a menudo.)
He had hundreds of books, most of which he hadn't read.
(Tena centenares de libros, la mayora de lo cuales no haba ledo.)
Ive talked to Ann, whose son goes to school with my daughter.
(Acabo de hablar con Ann, cuyo hijo va al colegio con mi hija.)

RELATIVE PRONOUNS WITH "-EVER" SUFFIX

(Pronombres relativos con el sufijo "-ever")
El sufijo -EVER se adjunta a ciertos pronombres relativos con el fin de expresar
el sentido de indeterminacin o generalidad:

whoever

quienquiera que

whomever

(a) quienquiera que [formal]

whichever

cualquiera que

whatever

cualquier cosa que, lo que quiera que

Tambin se puede aadir el sufijo a los adverbios relativos:

whenever

siempre que

wherever

dondequiera que

He'll choose whoever can help him.

(Elegir a quienquiera que pueda ayudarle.)
Tell it to whomever you see there.
(Dselo a quienquiera que veas all.)
He can date whomever/whoever he pleases.
(Puede salir con quienquiera que le plazca.)
Whichever decision you make, I'm sure it will be the right one.
(Cualquiera que sea la decisin que tomes, estoy seguro que ser la mejor.)
Whatever he asks for, don't give it to him.
(Lo que quiera que pida / Pida lo que pida, no se lo des.)
You can call me whenever you want.
(Puedes llamarme siempre que quieras.)
Let me go wherever I feel like .
(Djame que vaya dondequiera que me apetezca.)

whatever / whatsoever
Son adverbios y se utilizan para negaciones
enfticas ("en absoluto").

 En lenguaje coloquial se prefiere "at all".

He had no money whatever/whatsoever at that
moment.
(No tena dinero en absoluto en ese momento.)
He had no money at all at that moment.

RELATIVE ADVERBS
(Adverbios relativos)
Se puede utilizar un adverbio relativo en vez de un pronombre relativo
precedido por una preposicin (ms formal).
in / on which

when

para referirse a un momento

in / at which

where

para referirse a un lugar

for which

why

para referirse a un motivo

This is the bookshop in which I bought the book.

(sta es la librera en la que compr el libro.)
This is the bookshop where I bought the book.
(sta es la librera donde compr el libro.)

I caught a cold the day on which we went to the park.

(Cog un catarro el da en que fuimos al parque.)
I caught a cold when we went to the park.
(Cog un catarro cuando fuimos al parque.

It was the year in which he got married.

(Fue el ao en que se cas.)

It was the year when he got married.

(Fue el ao cuando se cas.)

She was at the party in which you met your wife.

(Ella estaba en la fiesta en la que conociste a tu esposa.)
She was at the party whereyou met your wife.
(Ella estaba en la fiesta donde conociste a tu esposa.)

This is the caf at which we saw him.

(sta es la cafetera en la que lo vimos.)
This is the caf where we saw him.
(sta es la cafetera donde lo vimos.)

Do you know the reason for which she can't stand them?
(Sabes el motivo por el cual ella no los aguanta?)
Do you know (the reason) why she can't stand them?
(Sabes por qu ella no los aguanta?)

Defining relative clauses

These relative clauses specify a noun or pronoun in the main clause and are necessary if we
want to understand the meaning of a sentence.
I saw the girl who was outside our house. They wanted the picture that cost two pounds.
If we omit them, it is not clear what girl or picture we are talking about. They follow after
the pronouns who, which, that, whose and whom. We do not write them with commas.

Who for persons

The man who called you has just arrived.
Which for things
This is the book which I wanted.
That for persons and things
Are you the boy that lives next door?
Can you see the tree that has no leaves?
That is less formal than who or which.
Who vs whom
Whom is the object of a verb. We use it for persons. The meaning is similar to who.
The man whom I met yesterday...
This is the girl whom I saw at the party.
Whom is very formal. In spoken English who or that are much more common.
The man who I met... The man that I met...
This is the girl who I saw... This is the girl that I saw...
We can also leave out the pronoun. It is the most usual form.
The man I met... This is the girl I met...
If the subject in the main clause is different from the subject in the defining relative clause,
we normally leave out the pronoun.
The student you saw in Oxford is my neighbour. (The subjects are the student and you.)
The bike she borrowed belongs to me. (The subjects are the bike and she.)
Be careful
If the subjects in both parts of a sentence are the same, we cannot omit the pronoun,
because it becomes the subject of the clause.
The driver who took you to school is from York. The pen that is on the desk is new.
There is only one subject in each sentence - the driver and the pen. If we leave out the
subject, it will not be clear what we mean.
Wrong: The driver took you to school is from York. (This sentence does not make any
sense.)
Whose is a possessive pronoun for persons and things.
It is a story about a boy whose parents got divorced.
The river whose bridge is in front of us is called the Cam.
Relative pronouns with prepositions
We use the pronouns with prepositions as follows.
The man I got it from...

The man who/that I got it from...

The man from whom I got it...
The last sentence is not very common in spoken English as it is quite formal.

Non-defining and connective

Non-defining relative clauses only describe a preceding noun or pronoun (add some
information about them), but do not specify them. They must be written with commas.
My father, who is 65 now, still works.
His car, which cost nearly 20,000 pounds, is broken.
If we leave them out (My father still works. His car is broken.), the sentences remain
grammatically correct and we know what father or car we are talking about. The only effect
is that there is less information in the sentences.
More examples
I gave it to Peter, who is my close friend.
Ann, whom I admire, is not right in this case.
Their garden, which is near here, looks beautiful.
Pam, whose children go to school, is not so busy.
The non-defining relative clauses are quite formal and are typical of written English. In
spoken English we prefer less formal structures.
Written English: My father, who is 65 now, still works.
Spoken English: My father is 65 now and still works.
Written English: Their garden, which is near here, looks beautiful.
Spoken English: Their garden is near here. It looks beautiful.
In informal English we use who instead of whom.
Formal: Sam, whom I know quite well, would be a good husband.
Informal: Sam, who I know quite well, would be a good husband.
The connective relative clauses do not specify or describe the preceding nouns or
pronouns, but only develop the story.
I gave the letter to James, who sent it to London.
She passed me the salt, which fell on the floor.
Their function is different, but the rules are the same as with the non-defining clauses. We
make them with the pronouns who, whom, whose, which and write them with commas.
Remember
We cannot write the defining clauses with commas, because they change the meaning of a
sentence. Compare the following sentences.
The passengers who fastened their seatbelts survived. (Which passengers survived? Only
the pasengers wearing the seatbelts.)
The passengers, who fastened their seatbelts, survived. (Because all the passengers were
wearing their seatbelts, they survived.)
The students who did all the exercises succeeded. (Which students succeeded? Only the

students doing all the exercises.)

The students, who did all the exercises, succeeded. (All students succeeded. Why? Because
they did all the exercises.)
In spoken English we make pauses in sentences instead of commas.

Preterit vs. Imperfect - differences and

signifier phrases
Overview
Many students have trouble knowing when to use the preterit past or the imperfect
past since they both refer to actions in the past. There are several general rules to
follow as well as phrases to look out for. Many phrases use only one tense or the
other, so memorizing them is very helpful in figuring out whether the following verb
will be in the preterit or imperfect.

General Preterit Uses

Generally, the preterit is used for actions considered completed, actions that have
definite beginning and end points. These can be actions that can be viewed as
single events, actions that were part of a chain of events, actions that were
repeated a very specific number of times, or actions that specifically state the
beginning and end of an action.

Fui al baile anoche. (I went to the dance last night.)

Camin al mercado, compr unos pltanos, y regres a casa. (I walked to
the market, bought some bananas, and returned home.)
Te llam tres veces. (He called you three times.)
Habl con mi madre de las dos hasta las tres. (I spoke with my mother from
two oclock until three oclock.)

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Preterit

Some words and phrases are very helpful in indicating specific time frames and
therefore signal the use of the preterit.
a esa hora
anoche
ante anoche

ayer por la
tarde
ayer por la
last night
noche
the night before el ao
at that time

yesterday
afternoon
last night
last year

en ese
momento
hace (dos)
aos/das
hoy por la

at that moment
(two)
years/days ago
this morning

pasado
el (lunes)
pasado
el mes
pasado

maana
la semana
last (Monday)
pasada

ayer al
medioda
ayer por la
maana

last
the day before
yesterday
yesterday at
noon
yesterday
morning

el otro da

the other day

ayer

yesterday

entonces

then

esta
maana

this morning esta tarde

ante ayer

desde el primer from the first

moment
momento

last month

una vez

last week
one time

durante (tres) for (three)

centuries
siglos
la semana
last week
pasada
this afternoon

Verbs that are Preterit by Nature

Some verbs are preterit by nature since they have a very definite beginning and
ending.
to get married
casarse
graduarseto graduate
to arrive
cumplir aos to turn a certain agellegar
to die
darse cuenta deto realize
morir
to decide
to be born
decidir
nacer
to discover
to leave
descubrir
salir

General Imperfect Uses

Generally used for actions in the past that do not have a definite end. These can
be actions that are not yet completed or refer to a time in general in the past. They
can be actions that were repeated habitually, actions that set the stage for another
past tense event, for time and dates in the past, for telling a persons age in the
past, to describe people (characteristics) in the past, and to communicate mental
or physical states in the past. For descriptions, think of describing what people
used to be like in a photograph.

Cuando era nia, jugaba con muecas. (When I was a child, I played with
dolls.)
Los chicos hablaban en espaol. (The boys used to speak in Spanish.)
Estaba durmiendo cuando el telfono son. (I was sleeping when the
telephone rang.)
Cuando tena tres aos, era muy pequeo. (When he was three years old,
he was very small.)

Useful Phrases that Trigger the Imperfect

a menudo
a veces
algunas veces

often
sometimes
at times

frecuentementefrequently rara vez rarely

generalmente usually siempre always
while
so many
mientras
tantas

veces
todas las
semanas
todos los
aos
todos los
por lo general generally
das
for a
todo el
por un rato
while
tiempo
several
varias veces
times

every
cada
muchas veces
da/semana/mes/ao day/week/month/year
mucho
frequently
con frecuencia
nunca
casi nunca

almost never

de vez en cuando

once in a while

en aquella poca

at that time

many
times
a lot
never

times
every
week
every
year
everyday
all the
time

Take a practice quiz!

Preterite vs. Imperfect: the Past Tenses

In Spanish, there are two simple past tenses: the preterite and the imperfect.
In very general terms, the preterite tense is used to refer to a single event that happened at a specific
point of time or had a specific duration in the past, while the imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing
events or events without a specific time period in the past.

Preterite
-ar verbs
Example: SALTAR (to jump)

-er & -ir verbs

Example: VIVIR (to live)

yo
(I)

salt
I jumped

viv
I lived

t
(you)

-aste

saltaste
you jumped

-iste

viviste
you lived

l, ella
(he, she, it)

salt
he/she jumped

-i

vivi
he/she lived

nosotros/as

-amos

saltamos

-imos

vivimos

(we)

we jumped

we lived

vosotros/as
(you all)

-asteis

saltasteis
you all jumped

-isteis

vivisteis
you all lived

ellos, ellas
(they)

-aron

saltaron
they jumped

ieron

vivieron
they lived

The preterite tense is used...

To describe something that happened once.

Cant una cancin. (He sang a song.)
Escrib la carta. (I wrote the letter.)
I woke up early this morning. (Me despert temprano esta maana)
To describe something that happened more than once, but had a specific end.

Fui a cuatro restaurantes la semana pasada. (I went to four restaurants last week.)

De nio, fui de camping cada verano. (As a child, I went camping every summer.)

Imperfect
-ar verbs
Example: SALTAR (to jump)

-er & -ir verbs

Example: VIVIR (to live)

yo
(I)

-aba

saltaba
I jumped/was jumping

-a

viva
I lived/was living

t
(you)

-abas

saltabas
you jumped/were jumping

-as

vivas
you lived/were living

l, ella
(he, she, it)

-aba

saltaba
he jumped/was jumping

-a

viva
he lived/was living

nosotros/as
(we)

-bamos

saltbamos
we jumped/were jumping

-amos

vivamos
we lived/were living

vosotros/as
(you all)

-aba

saltabais
you all jumped/were jumping

-ais

vivais
you all lived/were living

ellos, ellas
(they)

-aban

saltaban
they jumped/were jumping

-an

vivan
they lived/were living

The imperfect tense is used...

To describe habitual or repeated actions in the past.

Siempre compraba en la misma tienda. (I always went shopping at the same store.)
Mi abuela me escriba muchas cartas. (My grandmother would write me a lot of letters.)

To describe a condition or state of being in the past.

Estaba contenta. (She was happy.)
Haba dos edificios aqu. (There used to be two buildings here.)
To describe an action that occurred over an unspecified time.
Hablmos por telfono. (We were talking on the phone.)
Pasaba al perro. (He was walking the dog.)
To indicate time or age in the past.
Tena 18 aos. (She was 18 years old)
Eran las ocho y media de la maana. (It was 8:30 in the morning)
To describe a person or place
Tena el pelo largo y los ojos azules. (She had long hair y blue eyes.)

How to Use the Imperfect Tense and the

Preterite Tense
Full Lesson

At a Glance

Presentation

See also:
The Imperfect Tense
The Preterite Tense
The Imperfect Tense and The Preterite Tense are both ways to talk about actions that
happened in the past. Learning when to use which is one of the more frustrating things a
Spanish student has to do because we just don't think the same way in English. We have only
one past tense conjugation

I went fishing.
What's the time frame of this action? Clearly the fishing took place in the past. However, we
don't know anything more about the situation than that, do we? For example: did the fishing
occur once or many times?
To get across to the reader or listener important information such as when or how often this
event occurred we have to add some extra information:

I went fishing yesterday.

I went fishing every morning.
In the first sentence we know not only when this action happened but that it only happened
once. In the second we know this event happened repeatedly.
Most of the decision to use either the preterite or the imperfect boils down to the difference in
the two example sentences above. In Spanish, information as to whether the event happened
once or went on for awhile is "built-in" to the conjugation you choose.
Let's start with the imperfect...

When to Use the Imperfect Tense

Note: For this lesson imperfect conjugations will be indicated like this: imperfect conjugation

Repeated, Usual, Habitual Actions

We mainly use the imperfect tense when talking about repeated, usual, or habitual actions in
the past:

Los sbados yo jugaba con mi vecino.

On Saturdays I played with my neighbor.
Usualmente l llegaba temprano.
He usually arrived early.
Mi madre siempre me preparaba desayuno.
My mother would always prepare breakfast for me.
In the first example we use the imperfect jugaba (rather than the preterite jugu) because we
see this happened repeatedly, over the course of many Saturdays. In the second we use the
imperfect llegaba (rather than the preterite lleg) because we know from the context that this
was a usual activity. And in the third we use preparaba (rather than prepar) because this was
a habitual action that happened often.

Words such as "always," "frequently," "generally," "never," "often," "usually," "used to," and
"would" clue us into the fact that we should use the imperfect.

Background Information
We use the imperfect to describe the setting or provide background information such as what
people, places, or conditions were like at some unspecified time in the past:

La ciudad era vieja y sucia.

The city was old and dirty.
La sirenita se llamaba Ariel y tena seis hermanas.
The little mermaid was named Ariel and she had six sisters.

Times and Ages

We also use the imperfect to state the time and people's ages in the past:

Isabel tena ocho aos.

Isabel was eight years old.
Era la una de la maana.
It was one in the morning.

Ongoing Actions
See also:
The Imperfect Progressive
Additionally, use the imperfect to describe actions that were ongoing or in progress at some
point in the past. This is roughly equivalent to using the imperfect progressive. In these
sentences, when the action began or ended is unimportant, it just happened to be occurring at
that moment:

Rosa haca su tarea a las 9:00.

Rosa was doing her homework at 9:00.
Yo dibujaba durante la clase de arte.
I was drawing during art class.

Translating the Imperfect

Because in English we only have one past tense conjugation, we often have to resort to adding
additional words to get our exact meaning across. Consider these sentences. All three could
be translated the same way in Spanish (and vice versa):

I walked on Sundays.
I would walk on Sundays.

Yo caminaba los domingos.

I used to walk on Sundays.

When to Use the Preterite Tense

Note: For this lesson preterite conjugations will be indicated like this: preterite conjugation

Single, Completed Actions

If the imperfect is primarily used to describe actions that happened over and over again, what
is the preterite used for? You're right! To talk about single, completed actions that took place at
specific points in time:

El sbado yo jugu con mi vecino.

On Saturday I played with my neighbor.
Ayer l lleg temprano.
Yesterday he arrived early.

Mi madre me prepar desayuno esta maana.

My mother prepared breakfast for me this morning.
Since the actions referred to in these examples are one-time events, we choose the preterite.
In the first case we use the preterite jugu (instead of jugaba) because the playing we're
referring to only occurred once, on Saturday. Likewise, in the second case we choose the
preterite lleg (instead of llegaba) because we're referring to one arrival, yesterday. And lastly,
mother prepared breakfast once, this morning.
Time cues such as length of time, or a specific year, season, month, day, or time of day
indicate that we should be using the preterite.

What if?
What if you have both a repeated action and a definite timeframe? Use the preterite when a
completed action is repeated a specific number of times. For example:

Fui al aeropuerto tres veces ayer.

I went to the airport three times yesterday.
What if there isn't a definite timeframe in the sentence, but it's implied by context? A preterite
sentence doesn't necessarily have to include a time reference (as in the second sentence
below):

Ayer hice mi tarea. Tambin mir dos pelculas.

Yesterday I did my homework. I also watched two movies.

The Imperfect vs. The Preterite

Differences in Meaning
This might be a good time talk about why it's called the "imperfect" tense. It doesn't have
anything to do with quality, but rather the idea that the action is "incomplete;" it doesn't have a
specific beginning or end. Because we're using the imperfect and not attaching a definite

timeframe to these actions, we're indicating that when they began and when (or if) they ended
is unknown or unimportant. For example:

Marcos se senta enfermo.

La plaza estaba decorada para la fiesta.
Esmeralda tena que regresar a casa.
El tiempo haca fro.
"Marcos was feeling sick." (We don't know exactly when he started feeling bad or if he's now
feeling better.) "The plaza was decorated for the party." (Who knows for how long?)
"Esmeralda was supposed to return home." (We're not sure when or if she did.) "The weather
was cold." (When or if the weather changed isn't important.)
On the other hand
Let's look at the same examples, this time with preterite conjugations and definite timeframes.
Now we are explicitly stating when the action started, lasted, or ended, and therefore indicating
that the timeframe is important. Because of this we are subtly indicating that a change has
occurred:

La semana pasada Marcos se sinti enfermo.

La plaza estuvo decorada por un mes.
Esmeralda tuvo que regresar a casa el martes.
El tiempo hizo fro hace dos das.
"Last week Marcos got sick." (Marcos started feeling sick last week.) "The plaza was decorated
for one month." (But it isn't anymore.) "Esmeralda had to return home on Tuesday." (And she
did.) The weather was cold two days ago." (But it's much warmer now.)
Note: Due to their meanings, some verbs tend to be conjugated in the imperfect tense and
some verbs are more naturally preterite. Because the verb soler means "to usually" or "to be in
the habit of" it cannot be used in the preterite.
Due to the differences in emphasis between a preterite and imperfect conjugation, some verbs
will have significant differences in meaning when translated. Hopefully by now these variations
will make some sense to you. Notice how the preterite tends to signal a change:

imperfect:

preterite:

Conoca a Ana.

Conoc a Ana.

I knew Ana.

I met Ana.

Poda salir.

Pude salir.

I was able to leave.

I managed to leave.

No poda terminar.

No pude terminar.

I was not able to finish.

I failed to finish.

Quera hablar.

Quise hablar.

I wanted to speak.

I tried to speak.

No quera leer.

No quise leer.

I didn't want to read.

I refused to read.

Saba la razn.

Supe la razn.

I knew the reason.

I found out the reason.

Tena guantes.

Tuve guantes.

I had gloves.

I got gloves.

conocer:

poder:

no poder:

querer:

no querer:

saber:

tener:

The Imperfect & the Preterite Together

See also:
The Imperfect Progressive
It's not at all uncommon to have both preterite and imperfect conjugations in the same
sentence. In fact, it happens a lot. The imperfect (or the imperfect progressive) is used to
explain what has happening when a preterite action occurred:

Los perros dorman cuando Carlos entr.

The dogs were sleeping when Carlos entered.

Cuando llegaron a la carretera el tiempo haca calor.

When they reached the highway the weather was hot.
Yo me ca mientras que estbamos corriendo.
I fell while we were running.
See also:
How to Use Ser and Estar

Era, Fue, Estaba, Estuvo? How Do I Say "Was" in Spanish?

Translating "was" into Spanish is doubly difficult because not only do we need to think about
which tense to use, imperfect or preterite, we also need to choose which verb to use, ser or
estar. All the the basic rules for both ser/estar and imperfect/preterite still hold true, we just
need to consider them together:
imperfect:
estar:

ser:

preterite:

background information of condition or

condition or location with a definite

location, timeframe is unknown or

timeframe, condition is no longer true

unimportant

or relevant

background information of an inherent

inherent characteristic with a definite

characteristic, timeframe is unknown or

timeframe, characteristic is no longer

unimportant

true or relevant

Some examples:

Martn estaba deprimido.

Martn was depressed.
(We're not sure or it doesn't matter how Martn is feeling now.)
Martn estuvo deprimido.
Martn was depressed.
(We know Martn in no longer depressed; he's feeling better now.)

Sr. Gallegos era un buen maestro.

Mr. Gallegos was a good teacher.
(We're not sure or it's not important if Mr. Gallegos is still teaching.)
Sr. Gallegos fue un buen maestro.
Mr. Gallegos was a good teacher.
(We know Mr. Gallegos is no longer teaching; he has retired or died.)
Under normal circumstances you're more likely to need imperfect forms of ser and estar so
when in doubt, use the imperfect. If you're talking about something with a specific beginning,
duration, or end, switch to the preterite.
Note: The difference between era and fue (and other ser conjugations) is a very subtle one
and often has more to do with the speaker's attitude toward the circumstances than it does to
grammar. Era and fue are largely interchangeable.

For Visual Learners

If you're still having trouble with the imperfect and the preterite, sometimes it can be
advantageous to imagine a timeline. On the right side is the present (we'll ignore the future for
now). Toward the left is the past.

If you know with any certainty when the action happened, you should be able to pinpoint on the
timeline (with an arrow) exactly when it happened. For example:

On Saturday his friend went to the baseball game.

On the other hand, if you find it difficult to pin down, you may have to indicate only an indefinite
range (with a squiggly line) of the action. For example:

His friend was a good baseball player.

So, what good does this do us? Whenever you would draw an arrow you should use the
preterite; whenever you would draw a squiggly line you should use the imperfect. Like this:

El sbado su amigo fue al partido de bisbol.

Su amigo era un buen jugador de bisbol.
One more example:

Esperanza broke her arm when she was a girl.

This sentence has two verbs which will both go on the timeline: "Esperanza broke her arm" and
"Esperanza was a girl." One of the verbs was a one-time event, the other was a situation with
an indefinite time frame so we'll use both an arrow and a squiggly line.

Therefore:

Esperanza rompi su brazo cuando era nia.

Imperfect vs. Preterite: A Final Note

One of the reasons learning when to use the preterite or the imperfect is so difficult is that it's
not an exact science. Sometimes you can switch from one tense to the other without
substantially changing the meaning of the sentence. Other times you'll completely change the
meaning. There may be times when reading Spanish that you won't be able to tell why the
author used the conjugation he or she did because it won't seem to follow any of the rules. Just
roll with it. As you get more and more used to reading Spanish you'll be able to pick up on the
subtle nuances that let you know why a verb is conjugated the way it is.

Pretrito - Imperfecto
English has but one simple past tense. Spanish posseses two, the preterit
(pretrito) and the imperfect (imperfecto). Of these, the preterit is the one
that more closely corresponds to the English simple past. It is essentially
a narrative tense, presenting facts viewed as completed and undivided
whole, regardless of duration. The imperfect tense corresponds to the
English past progressive. Consequently, the imperfect indicates that an
act or state is viewed as being in progress.
Iniciative, Imperfective and Terminative Aspect. The standard rules
concerning the use of the preterite and imperfect in Spanish regularly fail
to take into consideration that all events, at least theoretically, have a
beginning, a middle, and an end. They also fail to distinguish between
actions which are reported as anterior to the moment of speaking and
actions which are represented as simultaneous with some recalled axis of
orientation, that is, a recalled frame of refference. There are three things
the person reporting at the moment of speaking can say: an event began
at this point, that an event was going on and that an event terminated at
this point. This may be diagrammed as follows:

Pretrito

Describe acciones que comenzaron y terminaron en el pasado.

El sbado pasado sal a pasear y visit a unos amigos.

Cuando un cambio repentino en la condicin, estado, o accin en

el pasado.
Al recibir una carta de mi familia, me puse muy contento.
De repente su cara se puso blanca de terror.

Indica la interrupcin de otra accin que ya estaba en desarrollo en

el pasado.
Todos dormamos cuando son el telfono.

Imperfecto

Describe una accin en desarrollo en el pasado. Genenralmente

corresponde a la construccin gramatical was/were + an -ing form
of the verb, en ingls.
Ayer a las tres de la tarde preparaba un informe para mi
clase.

Expresa estados emocionales, fsicos o mentales en el pasado.

(state verbs)
Despus del partido de tenis de ayer, estaba cansado, no tena
energas, pero estaba feliz de haber ganado.

En narraciones, el imperfecto se usa para describir el fondo

(background) de la historia. La hora del da, da de la semana, mes
y ao tambin se expresan en el imperfecto.
Era la una de la tarde. Brillaba el sol. No haba ninguna
nube en el cielo. La playa estaba llana de gente...

Expresa situaciones habituales (habitual actions in the past) en el

pasado.
El semestre pasado iba a clases por la maana y trabajaba los
martes y jueves por la tarde.

Verbos como: conocer, poder, querer y saber se usan en el

imperfecto generalmente, si los usamos en el pretrito, cambian su
significado. (ver lista adjunta)
Meaning changes with tense used
In a few cases, two distinct English verbs are needed to express what
Spanish can express by the use of the preterite or the imperfect of a given
verb. Note that, in all of the following examples, the preterite expresses an
action at either its beginning or ending point, while the imperfect expresses
an ongoing condition.

Verbs
conocer

pensar

poder

Preterite:
Action
Conoc a mi mejor amigo en
1980.

Conoca a mi mejor amigo en

1985.

I met (beginning of our friendship) my best

friend in 1980.

I knew (ongoing state) my best friend in 1985.

De repente yo pens que l

era inocente.

Yo pensaba que l era

inocente.

It suddenly dawned on me (beginning of

knowing) that he was innocent.

I thought (ongoing opinion) that he was

innocent.

Pude dormir a pesar del ruido

de la fiesta.

Poda hacerlo pero no tuve

ganas.

I managed to sleep (action takes place) in spite

of the noise from the party.

I was able to (had the ability to) do it, but I

didn't feel like it.

no querer Me invit al teatro pero no

quise ir.

querer

saber

tener
tener que

Imperfect:
Ongoing Condition

Me invit al teatro pero no

quera ir.

She invited me to the theater, but I refused to go

(action-saying no-takes place).

She invited me to the theater, but I didn't want

to go (ongoing mental state, no action implied).

El vendedor quiso venderme

seguros.

El vendedor quera venderme

seguros.

The salesman tried to sell me insurance (action

takes place).

The salesman wanted to sell me insurance

(mental state, no action implied).

Elvira supo que Jaime estaba

enfermo.

Elvira saba, que Jaime estaba

enfermo.

Elvira found out (beginning of knowing) that

Jaime was sick.

Elvira knew (ongoing awareness) that Jaime

was sick.

Tuve un accidente.

Tena varios amigos.

I had (action takes place) an accident.

I had (ongoing situation) several friends.

Tuve que ir a la oficina.

Tena que ir a la oficina.

I had to go (and did go) to the office.

I was supposed to go (mental state, no action

implied) to the office.

Teaching the Difference: The Spanish Preterite vs. Imperfect

Tenses
written by: Curt Smothers edited by: Rebecca Scudder updated: 7/14/2014
Spanish has two simple past tenses: the preterite and imperfect. Both express past actions or states but have
different uses. They are not interchangeable. Also, when used together, they follow special rules. There are
four verbs in Spanish that also have a different meaning in the preterite.
This article is for those who already know how to conjugate in the preterite and imperfect, but might still be
confused on when to use which. Also, using the preterite and the imperfect together in the same narrative
requires some finesse and judgement.

Using the Preterite

The preterite tense expresses an action that was completed at some time in the
past. Specific uses are:
To talk about a series of past actions:
Me levant, limpi el garaje y me fui al cine. (I got up, cleaned the garage, and went to the movies.)
To talk about the beginning or the end of a past occurrence:
La pelicula empez a las ocho. (The movie began at 8:00.)
To talk about things viewed as completed:
Compraste el coche hace dos meses. (You bought the car two months ago.)

Using the Imperfect

The imperfect tense expresses an action or state of being that was continuous during the past and its
completion is not specified. (The word imperfect suggests the idea of incomplete.) Specific uses are:
To describe an action that a person did habitually in the past:
Cuando estbamos en Washington, bamos al cine todos los Domingos. (When we were in Washsington, we
used to go to the movies every Sunday.)
To describe an action without reference to any beginning or end:
Juan tena resfriados constantemente. (Juan constantly had colds.)
To talk about an action that was going on in the past simultaneously with another:
Mi hermano lea y mi padra coma. (My brother was reading and my father was eating.)
To describe physical, emotional and mental states or conditions:
Estaba tan enojado que quera gritar. (I was so angry that I wanted to shout.)
To tell time
Eran las siete y media de la tarde. (It was 7:30 p.m.)
Era la una de la maana. (It was 1:00 a.m.)
To describe an action or state of being that took place in the past and lasted for a certain length of time
prior to another past action. (This is similar to the English use of the past perfect, but in Spanish it is used
with the imperfect tense with haca.)
Haca cuatro horas que miraba la television cuando mi hermano sali. (I had been watching television for four
hours when my brother left.)

Using Both Tenses

Notice in the previous example that the we used the preterite form of salir (sali). This is
an example of how we can narrate the past in Spanish. We use the imperfect to say what
was going on or what was happening in the background. When the action is interrupted by
another action, we use the preterite. Note the switching of tenses in the following narrative:
Mientras estudiaba mi hermano entr. Mir mi reloj. Eran las 8:30. Bajamos las
escaleras, y me di cuenta que haca un poco de fro. (While I was studying, my brother
entered. I looked at my watch. It was 8:30. We went down the stairs, and I noticed that it
was a little cold.)

Special Preterite Meanings

Four Spanish verbs (conocer, poder, querer and saber) have somewhat different meanings when used in the
preterite. Also, notice the slightly different meanings when the preterite forms of poder and querer are used in
the negative. These verbs are displayed in the chart on the left.

Preterite& Imperfect Indicative:

The preterite is used to report completed actions or states of being in the past, no matter
how long they lasted or took to complete; if the action or state is viewed as finished or over,
the preterite is used. The imperfect is used, however, if the ongoing or habitual nature of
the action is stressed, with no reference to its termination:

Escrib las cartas

I wrote (did write) the letters.
Escriba las cartas cuando...
I was writing the letters when...
Carlos fue estudiante.
Carlos was a student (and no longer is).
Carlos era estudiante.
Carlos was (used to be) a student. (i.e., Carlos
may or may not still be a student).
Anita estuvo nerviosa.
Ana was nervous (and no longer is).
Anita estaba nerviosa.
Ana was (used to be) nervous. (i.e., she may or
may not still be nervous).

A series of actions that takes place in sequence will be expressed in the preterite (unless it
refers to habitual actions):

Me levant, me vest y desayun.

Vine, viy venc. ( Julio Csar)

I got up, got dressed, and ate breakfast.

"I came, I saw, I conquered." (Julius Caesar)

Simultaneous actions or states in progress are expressed with the imperfect, usually with
the word mientras. The imperfect is also used to express most descriptions; physical,
mental, and emotional states; and the hour:

Escriba las cartas mientras Ana lea. I was writing the letters while Ann was
reading.
Estaban cansados.
They were tired.
Estaban tristes.
They were sad.
Eran las ocho.
It was eight o'clock.

Certain words and expressions are associated with the preterite, others with the imperfect:
PRETERITE:
Ayer, anteayer, anoche,
una vez, dos veces, etc.
El ao pasado, el mes
pasado,
el lunes pasado, etc.
De repente, de sbito,
inmediatamente.

IMPERFECT:
Todos los das, todos los lunes,
siempre, frecuentemente,
mientras, a veces, antes,
de nio, de joven, etc.
(English: was ___ing, were ___ing; used to; would {when
would implies used to}).

The words do not automatically cue either tense, however. The most important
consideration is the meaning that the speaker wishes to convey:

Ayer cenamos temprano.

Ayer cenbamos cuando Juan lleg.
John arrived.
De nio jugaba al ftbol.
De nio empez a jugar al ftbol.

Yesterday we had dinner early.

Yesterday we were having dinner when
He played soccer as a child.
He began to play soccer as a child.

The preterite and the imperfect occur frequently in the same sentence:

Miguel estudiaba cuando son el telfono. Michael was studying when the phone
rang.
Juanita comi tanto porque tena hambre. Joan ate so much because she was
hungry.

In the first sentence the imperfect tells what was happening when another action--conveyed
by the preterite--broke the continuity of the ongoing activity. In the second sentence the
preterite reports the action that took place because of a condition, described by the
imperfect.
The preterite and the imperfect are also used together in the narration of an event. The
preterite advances the action while the imperfect sets the stage, describes the conditions
that caused the action, or emphasizes the continuing nature of a particular action:

Haca mucho fro. Ester cerr con cuidado todas las ventanas y puertas, pero
todava tena fro. Se prepar una taza de t y se puso otro suter, pero todava
temblaba de fro. Eran las once de la noche cuando son el telfono. Era su
esposo. Entre otras cosas, dijo que haca mucho fro afuera. Ester ya lo saba.

Certain verbs have different meanings in the preterite and the imperfect:

Juan quera (wanted) ir al cine pero Mara no quera (didn't want to) ir.
Juan quiso (insisted) ir al cine con Mara pero Mara no quiso (refused).

Conoc (metfor the first time) a Juan ayer. Conoca (knew already) a todo el mundo
ah.
Juan saba (knew) el nmero de telfono de Ana. Juan supo (found out) el nmero
de Ana.
Juan poda (could, had the ability) levantar las pesas en el gimnasio pero no las
levant porque estaba cansado. Javier pudo (tried and succeeded) levantarlas
despus de un gran esfuerzo. Toms no pudo (tried and failed) levantarlas.
Juan tena (had) documentos muy importantes en su posesin. Juan tuvo
(received) muy malas noticias ayer.
Clinton era (was) presidente en 1999. Rmulo fue (became) el primer rey de
Roma.

Finally, the "imperfect of courtesy" is used instead of the present in polite requests:

Qu deseaba el seor?
Quera pedirle un favor.
Deseaba hablar con Ud.

What would you like, Sir?

I wanted to ask you a favor.
I wanted to speak with you.

The use of the present in these cases would be tantamount to a peremptory order.
Additional explanations based on Carlos & Yolanda Sol's Modern Spanish Syntax, ch. 5:

The Preterite contrasted with the Imperfect:

OVERVIEW:
Preterite: Absolute past tense. It reports past actions independently of a previous action or
a temporal expression. It may refer to a definite or an indefinite past time:

Entr, salud a todos, y al rato se retir a su cuarto. He came in, greeted

everyone, and a few minutes later retired to his room.
Naci, vivi, y muri en Salamanca.
He was born, lived, and
died in Salamanca.
Fuimos a su casa varias veces.
We went to his house
several times.

Imperfect: Relative past tense. It generally occurs subordinated to another event or a

definite point in the past. Occasionally it may occur without reference to a specific past
moment. When used in this way it occurs with indicators of habitual or repeated action,
expressed or implied:

Cuando lo fui a ver,estaba enfermo. When I wentto see him, he was ill.
El ao pasado viva en Nueva York.
Last year he was living in New York.
Relea los clsicos frecuentemente.
He used to reread the classics frequently.
bamos a su casa todos los domingos. We used to go to his house every Sunday.

ASPECT:
Preterite: Perfective and punctual. The action is described as completed. It is also viewed
as a point in time (punctual). If a series of events of the same kind is reported, it is always
definitely confined, once, twice, twenty times.
Imperfect: Imperfective. The event is described as non-completed and durative. It is
viewed as a continuum in time, as existing or ongoing. The event may have definite or
indefinite extension in time, depending upon the nature of the event itself and its context.
TIME:
Preterite: Retrospective past. The action is always a past event in relation to the moment of
utterance. The preterite reports, narrates, what took place, and what was (had been).
Imperfect: Retrospective present, future, and past. When subordinated to another tense the
action may be a retrospective present or a future event in relation to the moment of
utterance. When the imperfect occurs alone, it generally refers to a past event, habitual or
ongoing at that time. The imperfect describes what was coexistent with another event;
what was going on at a given time; what used to be: mental and emotional processes or
states, physical and material conditions; what used to happen: continuous or habitually
repeated actions; what still is: events, states, and conditions in indirect discourse; what will
be: mostly in indirect discourse with a limited class of verbs.
ANTERIORITY vs. CO EXISTENCE:
Preterite:

Tuvieron un hijo ayer.

A child was born to them yesterday.
Le cost mucho esfuerzo aprender ingls. It was (had been) very hard for him to
learn English.

Imperfect:

Tenan un hijo.
They had a
child.
Le costaba esfuerzo hablar ingls aunque lo comprenda perfectamente. It was
hard for him to speak English, even though he could understandit perfectly.

SEQUENTIAL EVENTS VS. CO-EXISTENT EVENTS:

Preterite:

Cuando yo entr l sali.

When I came in, he
leftthe room.
Me cont que tuvo (haba tenido) dificultades con el jefe. He told me he had
had difficulties with his boss.

Imperfect:

Cuando yo llegaba, l sala.

As I was arriving, he was leaving.
Me cont que tena dificultades con el jefe. He told me he was having difficulties
with his boss.

ANTERIORITY VS. SUBSEQUENCE:

Preterite:

La boda fue el sbado.

No quiso ir.

The wedding took place on Saturday.

He did not want (had not wanted) to go.

Imperfect:

La boda era el sbado.

The wedding was going to take place on
Saturday.
Quera ir a Mjico el verano siguiente. He wanted to go to Mexico the following
summer.

FORMATION OF REGULAR VERBS IN THE PRETERITE:

yo
habl +
com +

escrib +

habl + aste

com + iste

escrib + iste

l, ella, Ud.

habl +

com + i

escrib + i

nosotros, nosotras

habl + amos

com + imos

escribi + imos

vosotros, vosotras

habl + asteis

com + isteis

escribi + isteis

ellos, ellas, Uds.

habl + aron

com + ieron

escrib + ieron

IRREGULAR VERBS IN THE PRETERITE:

andar

anduve

anduviste

anduvo

anduvimos

anduvisteis

anduvieron

caber

cupe

cupiste

cupo

cupimos

cupisteis

cupieron

conducir

conduje

condujiste

condujo

condujimos

condujisteis

condujeron

creer

cre

creste

crey

cremos

cresteis

creyeron

dar

di

diste

dio

dimos

disteis

dieron

decir

dije

dijiste

dijo

dijimos

dijisteis

dijeron

detener

detuve

detuviste

detuvo

dsetuvimos

detuvisteis

detuvieron

estar

estuve

estuviste

estuvo

estuvimos

estuvisteis

estuvieron

haber

hube

hubiste

hubo

hubimos

hubisteis

hubieron

hacer

hice

hiciste

hizo

hicimos

hicisteis

hicieron

ir

fui

fuiste

fue

fuimos

fuisteis

fueron

leer

le

leste

ley

demos

lesteis

leyeron

poder

pude

pudiste

pudo

pudimos

pudisteis

pudieron

poner

puse

pusiste

puso

pusimos

pusisteis

pusieron

querer

quise

quisiste

quiso

quisimos

quisisteis

quisieron

(son)rer

(son)re

(son)reste

(son)ri

(son)remos

(son)resteis

(son)rieron

saber

supe

supiste

supo

supimos

supisteis

supieron

ser

fui

fuiste

fue

fuimos

fuisteis

fueron

tener

tuve

tuviste

tuvo

tuvimos

tuvisteis

tuvieron

traer

traje

trajiste

trajo

trajimos

trajisteis

trajeron

traducir

traduje

tradujiste

tradujo

tradujimos

tradujisteis

tradujeron

venir

vine

viniste

vino

vinimos

vinisteis

vinieron

ver

vi

viste

vio

vimos

visteis

vieron

ANOMALOUS VERBS IN THE PRETERITE:

Third conjugation (-ir) verbs change the last e of the verb stem to i in the third person
singular and plural (e.g., sentir, pedir, repetir, preferir):

sentir

sent

sentiste

sinti

sentimos

sentisteis

sintieron

pedir

ped

pediste

pidi

pedimos

pedisteis

pidieron

repetir

repet

repetiste

repiti

repetimos

repetisteis

repitieron

preferir

prefer

preferiste

prefiri

preferimos

preferisteis

prefirieron

In addition, third conjugation (-ir) verbs change the last o of the verb stem to u in the third
person singular and plural (e.g., dormir, morir):

dormir

dorm

dormiste

durmi

dormimos

dormisteis

durmieron

morir

mor

moriste

muri

morimos

moristeis

murieron

Second (-ar) and third (-ir) conjugation verbs whose stem ends in a vowel change the i of
the third person singular and plural to y (e.g., contribuir, leer, or, creer) and accent the of
all other persons:

contribuir contribu contribuste contribuy contribumos contribusteis contribuyeron

leer

le

leste

ley

lemos

lesteis

leyeron

or

oste

oy

omos

osteis

oyeron

creer

cre

creste

crey

cremos

cresteis

creyeron

Finally, some verbs undergo an orthographic change in the first person to retain the correct
pronunciation of the original infinitives or current spelling practices. Some of these verbs
are:

buscar

busqu

buscaste

busc

buscamos

buscasteis

buscaron

jugar

jugu

jugaste

jug

jugamos

jugasteis

jugaron

comenzar comenc comenzaste comenz comenzamos

comenzais

comenzaron

empezar

empezasteis empezaron

empec

empezaste

empez

empezamos

FORMATION OF REGULAR VERBS IN THE IMPERFECT:

yo

habl + aba

com + a

escrib + a

habl + abas

com + as

escrib + as

l, ella, Ud.

habl + aba

com + a

escrib + a

nosotros, nosotras

habl + bamos

com + amos

escribi + amos

vosotros, vosotras

habl + abais

com + ais

escrib + ais

ellos, ellas, Uds.

habl + aban

com + an

escrib + an

THE THREE IRREGULAR VERBS IN THE IMPERFECT:

IR
yo

SER
iba

VER
era

vea

ibas

eras

veas

l, ella, Ud.

iba

era

vea

nosotros, nosotras

bamos

ramos

veamos

vosotros, vosotras

ibais

erais

veais

ellos, ellas, Uds.

iban

eran

vean

EXERCISES:

I. Identify the progressive, descriptive or ongoing actions (imperfect) and those that
advance the narrative by occurring once only (preterite):

We were walking down Fifth Avenue when we saw him. He looked very tired and
his clothes were very dirty. He asked us for money. We gave him all the money we
had because he was an old friend.

II. Fill in the blank with the correct verbal form:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

De nios, Jorge y yo (vivir)____________________ en Ro de Janeiro.

Yo (tomar)_______________ un antibitico anoche.
Nosotros siempre (quedarse)___ ________________ en el Hotel Ritz.
El ao pasado ellos (enfermarse)___ ____________ durante sus vacaciones.
(Ser)_________ las once de la noche y todava no saba donde estaba mi gato.
a. La ta Anita (morirse)___ ____________ ayer. Hoy est mejor.
b. La ta Anita (morirse)___ ____________ ayer. Que en paz descanse (QEPD)

[RIP].
7. No lo (ver)___________ t una vez en Santiago de Chile?
8. El nio (toser) [cough]____________ mientras la doctora le (hablar)____________.
9. De repente (apagarse) [to go out]___ ____________ las luces!
10. El mdico me (tomar)___________ la temperatura, me (examinar)_____________
la garganta (throat) y me (dar)__________ un jarabe.
III. Paragraph drill A:
Rubn (estar)____________ estudiando cuando Soledad (entrar)____________ en el
cuarto. (Ella) le (preguntar)_____________ a Rubn si (l) (querer)________________ ir
al cine con ella. Rubn (decir)______________ que s porque (sentirse)___
_____________ un poco aburrido con sus estudios. Los dos (salir)______________para el
cine en seguida. (Ver)____________ una pelcula cmica y (rerse)___ ______________
mucho. Luego, ya que {since} (hacer)_________ mucho fro, (entrar)______________ en
El Gato Negro y (tomar)_____________ un chocolate. (Ser)___________ las dos de la
maana cuando por fin (regresar)_______________ a casa. Soledad (acostarse)___
_________________ inmediatamente porque (estar)_____________ cansada, pero Rubn
(empezar)______________ a estudiar otra vez.
III. Paragraph drill B:
Durante mi segundo ao en la universidad yo (conocer)_____________ a Roberto en
una clase. Pronto [nosotros] (hacerse)___ _____________ muy buenos amigos. Roberto
(ser)__________ una persona muy generosa que (dar)_________ una fiesta en su
apartamento todos los viernes. Todos nuestros amigos (venir)_____________.
(Haber)___________ muchas bebidas y comida, y todo el mundo (cantar)_____________ y
(bailar)_____________ hasta muy tarde. Una noche, algunos de los vecinos de Roberto
(llamar)______________ a la polica y (decir)_________________ que nosotros
(hacer)______________ mucho ruido. (Venir)____________ un polica al apartamento y
le (decir)___________ a Roberto que la fiesta (estar)_____________ demasiado ruidosa.

Nosotros no (querer)________________ aguar [spoil] la fiesta, pero qu

(poder)__________________ hacer? Todos nos (despedir)_________________ de
Roberto aunque (ser)_____________ solamente las once de la noche. Aquella noche
Roberto (aprender)_______________ algo importantsimo. Ahora cuando tiene una fiesta,
siempre invita a sus vecinos.
III. Paragraph drill C:
( Ser)______________ las 9:30 AM cuando Felipe (salir)_______________ de
casa para tomar el desayuno. No (tener)____________ prisa y por eso mientras
(caminar)_____________ por las calles (fumar)_____________ un cigarrillo. Cuando
(llegar)____________ al restaurante, (entrar)______________ y despus (sentarse)___
_______________. El camarero le (traer)____________ la carta pero Felipe no
(tener)______________ mucha hambre y solamente (querer)_______________ caf con
leche. Cuando el camarero (volver)________________ para tomar su orden, el
(pedir)______________ un caf y unas tostadas.
III. Paragraph drill D:
El ao pasado yo siempre (venir)___________ temprano a la universidad.
(Salir)_____________ a las 7:30 AM de mi casa, (tomar)______________ el autobs, y
(pasar)________________ una hora en la biblioteca antes de mi primera clase. Pero un da
yo (dormir)_____________ demasiado. Cuando (abrir)______________ los ojos
(saber)____________ la terrible verdad: (Ser)__________ las 10:30! --Jess!
(gritar)______________ [yo], y esa terrible maana (ser)___________ la nica vez que
(llegar)_____________ tarde.
III. Paragraph drill E:
El semestre pasado fue muy difcil. Mientras yo (seguir)_____________ cuatro clases,
tambin (trabajar)______________ en la biblioteca. A veces no (poder)____________
encontrar bastante tiempo para hacer todo el trabajo. Un da, uno de mis profesores nos
(dar)__________ un trabajo [paper] para escribir. Cuando yo (mirar)____________ el
calendario, (ver)__________ que solamente (quedar)_____________ tres semanas.
Entonces (ir)_________ a ver al profesor y le (decir)_____________ que
(tener)____________ demasiado trabajo, especialmente porque el trabajo
(tener)____________ que ser de 20 pginas. El me (decir)____________ que no
(importar)___________________ y que l (entender)________________ los problemas de
los estudiantes. Entonces me (dar)___________ una extensin y yo (poder)____________
terminar el trabajo durante las vacaciones.
III. Paragraph drill F:
Esta maana cuando yo (encender = to turn on)_____________ la luz de la sala, yo
(ver)__________ que (haber)_______________ una carta en el suelo. Era de mi amigo
Jaime, y l (querer)_____________ que yo lo llamara. En seguida yo
(marcar)________________________ el nmero pero l no

(estar)____________________. Su compaero de cuarto me

(decir)________________________ que haba ido a la universidad. Yo
(pensar)_______________ un momento y entonces (tener)_________________ una idea.
(Ir)____________ a la biblioteca y all lo (encontrar)_________________________.
III. Paragraph drill G:
(Ser)______________ las seis de la maana cuando de repente alguien
(llamar)________________ a la puerta. Yo no saba quien sera.
(Ponerse)______________________ la bata (robe) y (ir)_____________________ a la
puerta. (Abrir)_____________ la puerta y qued sorprendida porque all
(estar)_______________ un polica. El me (decir)____________ que yo tena que aparecer
en el tribunal (court) al da siguiente. De repente yo (ponerse)____ __________ nerviosa.
Le (preguntar)______________ por qu. El me (contestar)________________ que no lo
(saber)_____________________. Entonces l me (dar)_________ el comparendo
(summons) y luego (salir)_______________. Yo (acostarse)___ ______________ porque
todava (tener)_____________ mucho sueo.
III. Paragraph drill H:
Ayer me pas una cosa terrible. Mientras yo (estudiar)_______________ en la
biblioteca, (encontrar)______________ a Juan. El me (decir)_____________ que
(tener)___________ sueo, y me (invitar)________________ a tomar caf. Juan
(estar)________________ nervioso por sus exmenes finales y (querer)___________
hablar con alguien. Yo (decidir)________________ ir y (dejar)____________ todos los
libros en la mesa pensando que nadie me los robara. Nosotros (estar)_____________ en la
pizzera de Csar Pequeo por dos horas. Cuando nosotros (volver)____________, los
libros no (estar)_______________ donde los haba dejado. En seguida yo (enojarse)__
_____________ porque (necesitar)_______________ los libros para prepararme para el
examen final. Yo (sentarse)___ _________________ a pensar en lo que (ir)________ a
hacer. De pronto, (tener)__________ una idea estupenda. (Subir)__________ hasta el
tercer piso y (sacar)__________ los libros de la biblioteca.
III. Paragraph drill I:
Cada vez que sus compaeras de cuarto (salir)____________ de noche y la
(dejar)______________ sola en casa, Mara (cerrar)_____________ todas las puertas y las
ventanas. (Ser)___________ las doce de la noche y Mara (estar)___________ sola en
casa. Mientras ella (mirar)____________ por la ventana, de repente (haber)___________
un ruido. Mara no (saber)____________ qu hacer. (Preguntar)_____________ -quin
es? Nadie (contestar)______________. Por fin ella (sentarse)_____________ en el sof a
leer una revista. Otra vez (or)__________ ruidos. Alguien (querer)__________ abrir la
puerta. Mara (levantarse)____________________ del sof y (prender = to turn
on)_______________ la radio. El locutor (announcer) cont que un criminal acababa de
escaparse de la prisin. Mara (estar)____________ desesperada. En el momento en que le
venan muchas ideas a la mente, alguien (llamar)_________ a la puerta. -Quin es?,
(gritar)____________ Mara. -Abre, chica! (Reconocer)________________ la voz de su

compaera y (dar)___________ gracias a Dios que (ser)__________ sus tres compaeras

de cuarto.
[Bull, Briscoe, et al. revised. Spanish for Communication]
IV. Prueba.
De nios, Juan y Mara siempre (ir)_____________ a la iglesia los domingos. All,
generalmente (ver)_____________ a sus amigos, a sus abuelos, y a sus profesores de
espaol (que eran muy religiosos). Los dos nios (ser)___________ muy buenos y tenan
un perrito chihuahua llamado Fif. Un da, Pedro, el chico malo de la escuela,
(ver)____________ a los dos nios en el parque y les (decir)___________: -Vosotros dos
sois demasiado aburridos! Si queris ser interesantes como yo, tenis que hacer las cosas
que yo hago. -Y qu cosas haces t? (preguntar)__________________ los inocentes con
una mirada ingenua. Cuando Pedro (or)___________ la pregunta curiosa de los nios
buenos, (sonrer)____________ maliciosamente y les (ensear)________________ una
botella de aguardiente (coac), un pitillo de marihuana (la yerba maldita), y una revista de
Plaboy (edicin especial). Juan y Mara inmediatamente (beber)_______________ la
botella de aguardiente, (fumar)_______________ el pitillo de marihuana, y (leer/ver)
________________ la revista ertica de cubierta a cubierta a cubierta (y de nuevo a
cubierta). Desde entonces, Juan y Mara no van a la iglesia los domingos, ni ven a sus
abuelos los fines de semana, ni hablan espaol (ni siquiera ingls). Ahora tocan msica en
un conjunto de punqueros en la ciudad de Nueva York, son amigos de Alice Cooper y
Hermana Torcida y tienen una boa constrictora de mascota (la cual se comi a Fif).
Qu triste!

How to Use Ser and Estar

"To be, or not to be?" was Hamlet's perplexing question. The Spanish student must grapple
with a similar one: "Which 'to be' to use?"
There are several instances in Spanish where one English word (or tense) can be translated
two different ways in Spanish (Por and Para, The Imperfect Tense and the Preterite Tense, Ser
and Estar) and the decision you make can have an impact on the meaning of the sentence.
Translating from Spanish to English is not a problem because both ser and estar become a
form of "to be." Translating from English to Spanish on the other hand is much more difficult
because a decision needs to be made on which of the two words to use.

See also:
Using Ser and Estar
Using Por and Para
Using the Imperfect Tense and the Preterite Tense
Before we get too much further, let's take a quick look at the (present tense) conjugations of
both verbs:
ser:

estar:

soy

somos

estoy

estamos

eres

sois

ests

estis

es

son

est

estn

Ser is completely irregular, and estar has an irregular yo form along with accented endings in
all but the nosotros and vosotros forms.

Ser and Estar: The Basics

So how do we decide which verb to use? Here's when we use estar:

When to Use Estar

Helpful Rhyme:
"To say how you feel and where you are, you should use the verb estar."
An easy way to think about the verb estar is that it is used to describe temporary conditions
and locations. Conditions can be mental, emotional, or physical states of people, animals, and
objects. Locations are quite simply where something or someone is.

Pepe y Pablo estn en mi dormitorio.

Emilia est enferma.
Note: Because estar is associated with location, words like "here" or "there" are optional:
Jaime no est. (Jaime isn't here.)
"Pepe and Pablo are in my room." This sentence describes someone's location so estn (not
son) is used. "Emilia is sick." This sentence is talking about Emilia's physical condition so est
(not es) is used.
In both of these situations the condition mentioned is temporary. Presumably Pepe and Pablo
won't always be in my room; hopefully Emilia won't always be sick.
On the other hand...

When to Use Ser

"Yo soy Groot."

Since estar deals with temporary conditions, that leaves ser as the verb to use for more
permanent situations. Generally speaking, ser is used when dealing with "inherent
characteristics." That's a fancy way of saying things which are not likely to change.

Mi coche es amarillo.
Sus hermanos son muy delgados.
"My car is yellow." This is not likely to change. The car probably has been yellow for some time
and will continue to be yellow into the future. We wouldn't expect it to suddenly be another
color tomorrow. "Her brothers are very thin." Again, this is a state that we wouldn't expect to
change quickly. When we think of these brothers, we think of them as being thin and don't
expect them to rapidly put on weight.

Notice that in these examples it's not impossible that the characteristics would change (cars
are repainted all the time, and thin people sometimes get bigger). It's just unlikely to expect
that they would soon.

The Exception: Events

It wouldn't be a rule if it didn't have an exception, right? In spite of the fact that it deals with a
location, we use ser rather than estar to talk about where and when events will take place.

La fiesta es en la casa de Alejandro.

Los partidos de futbol son en el estadio.
"The party is at Alejandro's house." "The soccer games are at the stadium." Both of these
situations might feel like we should be using a form of estar since we're dealing with where
these things are happening, but we use ser with events. Think of ser as meaning "to take
place."

Ser and Estar: Differences in Meaning

Your choice of using either estar or ser can also have an impact on the rest of the sentence.
Certain adjectives will convey different meanings based on which verb they're paired with:

La manzana es verde.
La manzana est verde.
The first sentence uses ser so we're talking about an inherent characteristic of the apple. It
should be translated, "The apple is green," meaning simply that the color of the apple is green.
The second sentence uses estar so we're dealing with its current condition. This sentence
should be translated something along the lines of, "The apple is not ripe," meaning that it still
needs to ripen up and turn red. Another example:

Cmo eres t?
Cmo ests t?

Both of these sentences could be translated exactly the same way in English, "How are you?"
However, since the first sentence uses a form or ser, the implied question is not "How are you
right now?" but "How are you usually?" or better yet, "What are you like?" The second question
is the more familiar "How are you?" or "How are you doing?"
Some other examples:
estar:

ser:

Estoy cansado.

I am tired. (now)

Soy cansado.

I am a tired person.

Estoy enfermo.

I am sick. (now)

Soy enfermo.

I am a sickly person.

Estoy feliz.

I am happy.

Soy feliz.

I am a happy person.

Est callada.

(now)

Es callada.

She's introverted.

Est lista.

She's being

Es lista.

She's smart.

Est buena.

quiet.

Es buena.

She's a good person.

Est malo.

She's ready.

Es malo.

He's evil. (a bad

Est loco.

She's healthy.

Es loco.

person)

Est vivo.

He's sick.

Es vivo.

He's insane.

Estn aburridos.

He's crazy,

Son aburridos.

He's lively.

Estn

frantic.

Son

They're boring.

orgullosos.

He's alive.

orgullosos.

They're conceited.

They're bored.
They're proud.
You can use the differences between ser and estar to comment on changes from what you
consider normal.

Los coches son muy caros.

Cars are very expensive. (They are usually expensive.)
Los coches estn muy caros.
Cars are very expensive. (They are especially expensive right now.)
Marisl es delgada.
Marisl is thin. (She is normally a thin person.)

Marisl est delgada.

Marisl is thin. (She has lost weight recently.)

Ser and Estar: Other Uses

See also:
The Present & Imperfect Progressive
The Passive Voice

Progressive Conjugations
Use estar in present progressive and imperfect progressive conjugations:

Yo te estoy hablando!
Ella estaba llamndome.

Time, Days, and Dates

Use ser when talking about the time, days, and dates:

Qu hora es? Son las diez.

Hoy es sbado. Hoy es el 29 de septiembre.

Possession
Use ser when talking about possession:

El coche es de Pancho.
El sombrero es del Sr. Fajardo.

Occupation

Use ser when talking about occupation:

Qu eres t, Manuel? Soy abogado.

Origin
Use ser when talking about origin:

Marta es de Honduras.
Estas camisas son de Guatemala?

Material
Use ser when talking about material used:

Mis anillos son de oro.

Estas cajas son de cartn.

Passive Voice
Use ser in passive voice constructions:

Tres casas son construidas cada semana.

La puerta fue cerrada por el viento.

Impersonal Expressions
Use ser in impersonal expressions:

Es importante estudiar.
Es difcil estudiar con tanto ruido.

Other Tenses
All of the present tense ser and estar rules apply to other tenses as well:

Yo estaba muy enfermo.

La boda ser en la catedral.
Qu hora era?

Ser and Estar: The Definitive Guide

Few verbs have attracted as much attention and hours
of study as the two copular verbs in Spanish: Ser and
Estar. To an English native speaker, it seems bizarre to
have two verbs which both mean to be, and
distinguishing between them and their uses can be a
major challenge in studying Spanish. Yet, even for
linguists, these two verbs have been a source of much
controversy. Here, we look at different ways of
approaching these two verbs, as well as some of the
problems in the classic teaching methods for these
verbs.
First, we should note that Spanish does not have just two verbs which translate as to be. We
can also use sentar, verse, salir, and a whole host of others in certain contexts to mean
be. However, ser and estar tend to be of prime focus as these verbs are so frequently used.
There are various ways to approach using these verbs some of which are universally
accepted, and some of which have caused controversy. Well start with the universally
accepted approaches:

When you only use ser

With time phrases:

Ya son las cinco

Its already 5 o clock
Hoy es viernes
Today is Friday
Cul es la fecha? Es el diez
Whats the date? Its the tenth
To identify or equate:

El es de Argentina
Hes from Argentina
Es de madera
Its made of wood
With impersonal expressions:

Es importante
Its important
Es muy dificil
Its very difficult

When you only use estar

As an auxiliary verb, used to indicate progression:

Est andando
He/she is walking
To indicate location:

Estamos en Londres
We are in London

Ways to remember
Most textbooks recommend remembering the uses of ser and estar, and there are various
devices to help students with this. I came across a good acronym (on this Russian site) for
using both ser and estar. The uses of ser can be memorised using the acronym DOCTOR:

Date/description
Occupation
Characteristic
Time
Origin
Relationship
Estar can be remembered using the acronym PLACE:

Position

Location
Action
Condition
Emotion

When you can use either ser or estar

However, there are cases when you can use both ser and estar, and this changes the meaning
of the sentence:

La casa fue destruida

The house was destroyed = Focus on the action of being destroyed
La casa estuvo destruida
The house was destroyed = Focus on the resulting state of the house following its
destruction
Madrid es all
Madrid is there (equating the noun with the place, for example Madrid is in Spain:
Madrid es en Espaa
Madrid est all
Madrid is there (focus on location of the place imagine someone pointing at Madrid
and saying this)

But Why?
Good question. There is clearly something that links all of the occasions that you use ser which
is for some reason separate for all of the occasions that estar is used. Spanish speakers dont
have to learn these rules for when to use either ser or estar, so there must be some underlying
attributes for when these verbs are used.
One of the main approaches taken by course books to these two verbs was actually first
proposed in 1847 by Andrs Bello in Gramtica de la lengua castellana and, as well see, is
in serious need of updating. Bello proposed that ser denotes permanent qualities, whereas
estar indicates more transient, impermanent states. Thats why you get sentences such as es
ingls (hes English Englishness is a permanent quality), and Estamos en Londres
(were in London temporarily, as we can move any time). This works (more or less) for a
large number of instances, and is also a good introduction for how to use these verbs. Look at
the following list, and think about why estar or ser is used in each case:

Es de Barcelona
He/she is from Barcelona. This is a quality of a person, rather than a state someones
origin is not subject to change.

Ella est en Barcelona

She is in Barcelona. This is temporary tomorrow she may move to somewhere else,
so we use estar.

La silla es verde

The chair is green. The green-ness is the inherent characteristic of the chair, hence
verb ser.
This is also useful for explaining when both verbs can be used but the choice changes the
meaning of the phrase:

Est borracho
He/she is drunk. However, this is temporary, and tomorrow hell be sober.
Es un borracho
He/she is a drunk. Using the verb ser indicates an essential characteristic of a person,
indicating in this case that someone is a drunk.
So far, so good. Its useful, and can help to explain many differences in meaning. However,
how are we to decide whether something is a temporary characteristic or a permanent
essence? Why should someone being a drunk be an essence, rather than a characteristic?
These are philosophical and metaphysical judgements, and will vary for each person. Its not
good enough as an explanation and it doesnt even work in some cases. Look at some of the
following sentences:

Est muerto
He/she is dead. Using the verb estar would indicate a temporary state according to this
viewpoint. Are we to assume people will come back to life? Does this pre-suppose the
afterlife? Why cant someone be dead in essence?
Qu fro est el helado!
How cold is this ice cream!? But, by definition, ice cream will be cold thats surely a
permanent state, yet the verb supposedly indicates temporary state. (Ok, so ice cream
can melt and become warm, but then it wont be ice cream anymore

The choice is NOT automatic

Perhaps my biggest problem with the traditional approach is that we assume that the choice of
verb is determined by what it is referring to. The skys blueness, for example, we would
normally consider a characteristic. Accorrding to the traditional rules, then, we should
automatically use ser. However, if we say el cielo es azul, we mean something different to el
cielo est azul. In English, we could translate the first phrase as the sky is blue, and the
second as the sky is blue [as opposed to grey]. The choice of verb we make depends on the
nuance we want to convey, and is not automatically cued by whatever were talking about.

Its all about your point of view

One of the most effective treatments of these two verbs was given by Navas Ruiz in 1963, who
first theorised that the choice of verb is not down to metaphysics or philosophy, but the point of
view that the speaker wants to express. Ser sets up an atemporal relationship, whereas estar
sets up a temporal relationship. That means that when we use ser, we are abstracting the
meaning from anything to do with time and duration. We could imagine it as a simple = sign.
Estar establishes the possession of an attribute for a period of time. If it is affected by time, that
means it can stop, be interrupted, and mutate. An example he gives is for the sentence la
nieve es blanca vs la nieve est blanca (both translated as the snow is white). In the first
example, the speaker is attributing whiteness to the snow, and in that moment it coudnt be
anything else, or at least the speaker is not concerned about whether it will become anything
else it is atemporal. In the second instance, the speaker is emphasising that the snow is
white but is susceptible to change it could become dirty or less white. Its the difference in
meaning in English when we say a)Snow is white b)Look how white the snow is today (as
opposed to yellow, for example

).

Location, location, location

Choosing ser or estar with location often presents difficulties. Typically, when locating
something physical we will use estar, as its accepted that location is temporary:

Estamos a 50 kilometros de Bogot

Were 50 kilometres from Bogot
Nuestra casa est en la calle quinta
Our house is on 5th Street
Events usually take the verb ser, however:

La fiesta es en el parque
The party is in the park
I was long confused by why this might be the case, and asked the good people at Word
Reference on this thread. It seems that even among native speakers there is disagreement
over whats correct. Ser is generally accepted for events, with the principle reason being that
an event is not seen as having physical or spacial properties, and is not defined as such. It
exists more conceptually: If we ask show me the play, we cant point to an object and say
there it is. We can point to the theatre or the actors in it, but not the concept of a play as it
doesnt have any physical existence. Therefore, it is atemporal in a sense, so ser is usually
used.

Summary
You can learn how to use these two verbs by learning lists of where they are and arent used,
or you can try to go deeper to really understand the essence of how they work. Approaching it
more holistically as in the second case, you will have a better understanding of what these
verbs really mean and will hopefully be better equipped to use them. Its also very useful to
learn a few examples of how each verb is used, and as you see each instance, ask yourself
whether the speaker is referring to something temporal or atemporal. Good luck, and let us
know any questions in the comments below!
We hope this was a useful guide. If youve learnt anything from it, please feel free to share
using the buttons on the left-hand side wed love a tweet or some facebook love! What are
some other ways that youve approached these two verbs?

Ser and Estar - To be or not to be?

Whole books have been written about the two important Spanish verbs: ser and
estar. But don't worry, you won't have to read them. You will soon have a better
understanding of how these two verbs are used, just by applying the following easy
roles.
Ser and estar can both be translated into English as "to be."

Mara es profesora.
Juan es puertorriqueo.
Yo estoy enfermo.

Mara is a teacher.
Juan is Puertorican.
I am sick.

So, when do you use ser and when estar? Here are some of the basic roles:
First, look for the word that stands after "to be". It can be a noun (table, teacher), a
pronoun (this, he, her), an adjective (green, sick, ripe), a past participle (closed,
opened), a present participle, also called gerund (doing, dancing)or a preposition
(in, from).
Noun
Ser is used to link two nouns or a noun and a pronoun. Both nouns or pronouns
may appear in the sentence o merely be understood. Therefore, if "to be" is
followed by a noun (what? , who?), use always ser:

Mara is a
teacher.
Mara is a
good teacher.
It is one o'
clock.

Mara es
profesora.
Mara es una
buena profesora.
Es la una.

Notice that there is no equivalent for the

English article ("a")
The noun can be modified by an adjective.
In this case there is an article in Spanish
as well.
The article "la" before indicates that "una"
is used as a noun.

Pronoun
Ser is used to link two pronouns or a noun and a pronoun. Both nouns or
pronouns may appear in the sentence o merely be understood. Therefore, if "to be"
is followed by a pronoun, use always ser:

Who is it? It's

me.
What time is
it?

Quin es? Soy

yo
Qu hora es?

There is no equivalent for "it" in Spanish, in

this case.
Notice that there is no equivalent for the
English "it"

Adjective
If it is an adjective, you can use either ser or estar, depending on what the
meaning of the adjective in the sentence is or which meaning you would like the
adjective to have in this specific sentence. Most adjectives can be used with both
verbs, but resulting in different meanings.
Use ser before adjectives to refer to the objective and inherent quality or the
normal, generic and permanent condition of something or someone, such as
nationality, age, physical, intelectual and moral atributes, personality,
religion, color, etc.:

My friends are
Spanish.

Mis amigos son

espaoles?

(Nationality). Notice the lower case

in Spanish.

Many Hispanics
are catholic.

Muchos hispanos
son catlicos?

(Religion). Notice the agreement

beween "hispanos" and "catlicos".

Our house is
white.

Nuestra casa es
blanca?

(Color). Notice the agreement

beween "casa" and "blanca".

Use estar before adjectives to indicate that the condition expressed by the
adjective results from a change (a kind of adjectives are past participles like built,
bought, made, seen, opened, etc.), and to refer to the subjective impression of the
speaker. Estar is therefore used to describe subjective feelings about the quality of

something or someone, and for changing conditions like someone's health,

feelings, temporary states of the mind, etc. Often sensual perception is
emphasized in the usage, ie the subject may be shown to taste, look, feel or seem
to be a certain way on a certain occasion:

Ricardo is sick today.

I have the impression
that the water is very cold
today.
You are (look) very
handsome today.

Ricardo est
enfermo hoy

Temporary and changing

condition.

Me parece que
est muy fra el
agua hoy?

Subjective feeling. Notice the

agreement beween "agua"
and "fra".

Ests muy guapo

hoy?

Subjective impression,
judgement.

Now that you know the two basic roles determining wether to use ser or estar to
translate the English "to be" + adjective, you will be able to understand the
differences between

1. El agua es fra. (The water is cold.)

2. La manzana es verde. (The apple
is green.)
3. El profesor es aburrido. (The
teacher is boring.)

and
and
and

1a. El agua est fra.

2a. La manzana est verde.
3a. Hoy el profesor est muy
aburrido.

1. = Inherent quality of water when not heated.

1a. = Ye, the water feels very cold today. I am not going to go in today.
2. = We are talking about the naturalcolor of this variety of apple, for example
"Granny".
2a. = Changing characteristic. The apple is not ripe yet.
3. = Normal, inherentcharacteristic of this teacher. He is a boring teacher.
3a. = Temporary characteristic. What he does with us today is boring.

The choice of ser or estar in this kind of sentences is crucial to the meaning. A
change of the verb will change the meaning of the sentence. Sometimes the
differences are very subtle and fine, and sometimes very big. Here are some more
examples:

Lola es delgada
Lola est delgada.

Lola is thin (She is a thin person.)

Lola is thin. (She has gotten thin.)

Mario es nervioso.
Mario est nervioso.

Mario is nervous. (He is a nervous person.)

Mario is feeling nervous. (Mario has gotten nervous/
seems nervous to me.)

Fernando es listo.
Fernando est listo.

Fernando is clever.
Fernando is ready.

Los hombres son

vivos.
Los hombres estn
vivos.

The men are sharp/ quick.

The men are alive.

La carne es rica
(mala).
La carne est rica
(mala).

Meat is delicious (awful). (in general)

This meat is/ tastes delicious (awful). (specific dish)

Juan es pesado.
Juan est pesado.

Juan is an annoying, tiresome and boring person. (his

character)
Juan is heavy. (he is over weight)

Past Participle
Before past participles (closed, opened, done, sold) you may use either ser or
estar depending on what you want to say.
Use ser to say that "something is/ was/ has been/ will be/ should be etc. done by
someone. This is called passive voice. A passive sentence describes a process,
the same way an active sentence does. The only difference is in that the speaker
thinks that who does it, the subject, is not important, secundary or not known. A
passive sentence can usually transformed into an active (regular) sentence:

The house was built by his father. (= passive voice)

His father built the house. (= active voice)
This means to translate "to be" + past participle + by (even though "by" is not
implicit in the English sentence), use ser. Here "to be" is normally used in the
present or future tense:

The house was built

by his father

La casa fue
construida por su
padre

The financial crisis

will never be solved.

La crisis financiera
nunca ser resuelta.

Notice that the actor, who

acually "resolves the crisis" is
omited.

Use estar to translate "to be" + past participle to express the result of a process:

Now the house is

built.

Ahora La casa est

construida.

The result of "the father building

the house" or "the house beeing
built by the father"

The financial crisis

is eventually
solved.

La crisis financiera
finalmente est
resuelta.

The result of whoever "solving the

crisis" or "the crisis beeing solved
by whoever".

Notice the similarities of past participles with the adjectives described in the
paragraphe about estar + adjective. Present Participle/ Gerund.
Present participles or gerunds are the "-ing" form of verbs in English (playing,
dancing, singing, etc.). To translate them, use always estar:

The children are

playing soccer

Los nios estn jugando al

ftbol.

The students are

studying.

Los estudiantes estn

estudiando para un examen.

"To play a game" in Spanish

is always "jugar a".

Preposition
Preposition that may follow "to be" are from, for, in/ on, and about to.
from:
Use always ser:

Carlos is from Bogota

Carlos es de
Bogot.

Country of origin.

Rigoberta Mench is
from a poor family.

Rigoberta
Mench es de
una familia pobre.

Socio economic origin.

My sueter is from
wool

Mi suter es de
lana.

Material, what it is made from.

De quin es
este dinero?

Origin or possession. In English you

often use expressions like "Who's
money is this?" "It's my brother's
money."

Who is this money

from? (meaning:
Who's money is
this?)

for:
"To be for" is used to express destination, purpose and deadline, use always ser
:

These flowers are for my mother

Estas flores son para mi mam.

This pencil is to take notes.

Este lpiz es para tomar apuntes.

The homework is for tomorrow.

La tarea es para maana.

in/ on:

To translate "to be in" you can either use ser or estar.

If you would like to say that a thing or a person is located or present in a certain
place (room, city, contry, region, etc.) use always estar:

Cancn is in Mexico

Cancn est en Mxico

The books are on the table.

Los libros estn en la mesa.

The town hall is on the left side.

El ayuntamiento est a la izquierda.

Other expression in Spanish to describe the location of people or things are:

estar cerca de (to be close to), estar al lado de (to be next to), estar lejos de (to
be far from), estar frente aor estar en frente de (to be in front of)
If you would like to say that something takes place or happens at a certain location,
use ser:

The party is in his house.

La fiesta es en su casa.

The big earthquake was in Central

America.

El gran terremoto fue en Amrica

Central.

Impersonal expressions
Impersonal expression in English are: it is (im)possible, it is true, it is important, it
is necessary, etc. To translate them use ser:
es bueno/malo (it is good/ bad), es (im)posible (it is (im)possible), es verdad (it
is true), es importante (it is important), es necesario (it is necessary)
Idiomatic expressions
There are also many idiomatic expressions using estar, for which it would be very
difficult to establish easy roles. You will have to memorize them or check them in a
dictionary.

estar de buen/ mal humor (to be in a good/ bad mood), estar de acuerdo con (to
be in agreement with), estar de regreso/ vuelta (to be back), estar de
vacaciones (to be on vacation), estar de viaje (to be on a trip), estar de cabeza
(), estar de rodillas (to be kneeling), estar de pie (to be standing), estar de
espaldas (), estar en camino (to be on the way), estar de vendedor/ agente de
viajes/ mesero/ ... (=estar trabajando de sales clerk/ travel agent/ waiter/ ...), estar
para + infinitivo (to be about to + infinitive

RELAXED PRONUNCIATION
Relaxed pronunciation (also called condensed pronunciation or word
slurs) is a phenomenon that happens when the syllables of common
words are slurred together. It is almost always present in normal speech,
in all natural languages (not in some constructed languages such as
Loglan or Lojban, which are designed so that all words are parsable).
Some shortened forms of words and phrases, such as contractions or
weak forms can be considered to derive from relaxed pronunciations, but
a phrase with a relaxed pronunciation is not the same as a contraction. In
English, where contractions are common, they are considered part of the
standard language and accordingly used in many contexts (except on
very formal speech or in formal/legal writing); however, relaxed
pronunciation is markedly informal in register. This is also sometimes
reflected in writing: contractions have a standard written form, but
relaxed pronunciations may not, outside of dialect spelling.
The following list contains common words said with relaxed
pronunciation in North American English:
a lot of: "a lotta"
could have: "coulda"

did you: "didja"

don't you: "doncha"
don't know: "dunno"
get you / get your: "getcha"
give me: "gimme"
going to: "gonna"
got you: "gotcha"
got to: "gotta"
have to: "hafta"
is he: "izee"
is it: "zit"
it would / it would have: "itta"
kind of: "kinda"
let me: "lemme"
must have: "musta"
out of: "outta"
probably: "prolly"
should have: "shoulda"
sort of: "sorta"
want to: "wanna"
what is that: "wussat"
what is up: "wassup"
what is up: "sup"
what do you / what are you: "whatcha"
what do you / what are you: "whaddaya"
would have: "woulda"
would you: "wouldja"
you all: "y'all"

RELAXED PRONUNCIATION (also called CONDENSED

PRONUNCIATION or WORD SLURS) is a phenomenon that happens when the
syllables of common words are slurred together. It is almost always present in
normal speech, in all natural languages but not in some constructed languages ,

such as Loglan or Lojban

Lojban , which are designed so that all words are parsable.
Some shortened forms of words and phrases, such as contractions or weak forms
can be considered to derive from relaxed pronunciations, but a phrase with a
relaxed pronunciation is not the same as a contraction. In English , where
contractions are common, they are considered part of the standard language and
accordingly used in many contexts (except on very formal speech or in
formal/legal writing); however, relaxed pronunciation is markedly informal in
register . This is also sometimes reflected in writing: contractions have a standard
written form, but relaxed pronunciations may not, outside of eye dialect .
Certain relaxed pronunciations occur only in specific grammatical contexts, the
exact understanding of which can be complicated. See trace (linguistics) for some
further info.
CONTENTS
* 1 English
* 1.1 Of , have , and to * 1.2 You * 1.3 Other
* 2 Dutch * 3 German * 4 Russian * 5 French * 6 Spanish * 7 Portuguese * 8

Japanese * 9 Turkish * 10 Urdu

Urdu * 11 See also * 12 References * 13 External links
ENGLISH

The following sections contain common words said with relaxed pronunciation in

American English
American English , along with pronunciations given in IPA , and a common
written indication of this pronunciation where applicable:
OF , HAVE , AND TO
The words of , to , and have all tend to elide to nothing more than a schwa in
many common situations. This sometimes leads to spelling confusion, such as
writing "I could of..." instead of "I could have..." or "I could've" .
* could have: , coulda or , could uhv . * must have: , musta or , must uhv . *
should have: , shoulda or , should uhv . * would have: , woulda or , would uhv . *
it would: when contracted, it's pronounced , iduhd , but this often collapses to ,
ihd . * it would / it would have: , itta . * a lot of: , a lotta . * kind of: , kinda . *
out of: , outta . * sort of: , sorta . * going to: , gonna . * got to: , gotta . * have to:
, hafta . * want to: , wanna . * ought to : , oughta .
"Would" can also get contracted ("I'd have done things differently."), which
usually yields ("I would have..." can be pronounced ). Note: The in "have" and
"of" is usually retained before a vowel sound (e.g. in "I could have asked ...").

YOU
"You" tends to elide to (often written "ya" ). Softening of the preceding
consonant also may occur: (/t/ + /j/ = , /d/ + /j/ = , /s/ + /j/ = , and /z/ +
/j/ = ). This can also happen with other words that begin with (e.g.
"your", "yet", "year"). In some dialects, such as Australian English, this
is not a relaxed pronunciation but compulsory: got you (never *).

* did you: , didja * did you / do you: , d'ya * don't you: , doncha * got
you: , gotcha * get you / get your: , getcha * would you: , wouldja
OTHER
* -ing forms of verbs and sometimes gerunds tend to be pronounced with an at
the end instead of the expected or . E.g. talking: , tahkin . If followed by a , this
can in turn blend with it to form . E.g. talking to Bob: , tahkinna Bob * " I will "
gets contracted to " I'll " , which in turn gets reduced to " all " in relaxed
pronunciation. E.g. I'll do it: , all do it * " he " tends to elide to just after
consonants, sometimes after vowel sounds as well. E.g. is he: , izee ; all he: ,
ahlee * " his ", " him ", and " her " tend to elide in most environments to , , and ,
respectively. E.g. meet his: , meetiz ; tell him: , tellim ; show her , show-er * "
them " tends to elide to after consonants. E.g. ask them: , ask'em . (Historically,
this is a remnant of the Middle English pronoun hem .) * about: , bout * already: ,
ahready * all right: , ahright * all right: , aight * come here: , cuhmeer * don't
know: , if not preceded by a vowel sound, dunno * fixing to: "finna" * give me: ,
gimme * I'm going to: , "I'mma" or , "Ah-muhnuh" * is it: , zit * isn't it: , innit *
let me: , lemme * let's: , E.g. let's go: * probably: , , prolly , probly * suppose:
s'pose . E.g. I suppose so: * trying to: "trynna" * want a: , wanna * what is that: ,
wussat * what is up: , wassup * what is up: , sup * what are you: , whatcha *
what have you: , whatcha . E.g. What have you been up to? : * what do you/what
are you: , whaddaya * you all: , yall
DUTCH
* weenie = Ik weet het niet ("I don't know") * lama = Laat maar (zitten)
("Nevermind")
Examples of the Dutch as spoken in the Netherlands include:
* der = de hare ("hers") * ie = hij ("he"), often used in phrases such as dattie for
dat hij ("that he") * amme = aan mijn ("on / to my"), for example in ammezolen
for aan mijn zolen ("not on your life")

Often, especially in Belgian Dutch

Belgian Dutch , the -t at the end of the word is omitted.
* nie = niet * da = dat For example, kweet da nie = Ik weet dat niet ("I don't
know that") * wasda = wat is dat ("What is that")
GERMAN
* Ich ("I") ch/(sch) Ich wei ("I know") Schwei (would translate, literally,
to "sweat". A common source of some well known jokes) * Du ("you", singular)
de/d - Weit du ("do you know") Weite * Wir ("we") mer - Knnen
wir ... ("can we") => K(n)mmer ... , Kennen wir! ("we know") Ke(n)mmer! *
Das ("this/the") (d)s - Das Pferd dort ("The horse over there") ' s Pferd dort
* es ("it") s - Es regnet ("It's raining") ' s regnet * Ist ("is") is/s - ist es
mglich ("is it possible") isses mglich * denn ("then, actually, anyway")
(d)n - Was ist denn los? ("What's up") Was'n los? * so ein(e) ("such a")
so'n(e) , von so einem ("of such a") von so'm * vielleicht ("maybe")
v'leisch (same pronunciation as Fleisch , "meat", also a source of jokes)
A wide range of possible pronunciations can be found in the negatory 'nicht
("not") depending on the dialect region.

* Nicht ("not") nich (mostly in Northern Germany

Northern Germany )/nit ( Cologne
Cologne region)/net (southern hessian )/et (swabian )/ni (saxonian ) - Knnen
wir nicht einfach... ("Can't we simply ...") Kmmer nich einfach...

--- Advertisement --See also Synalepha

RUSSIAN
The most notable example in Russian language is the greeting ( ),
which is colloquially pronounced . Other examples include:
* or ('now') * ('today') * ('what';
originally a contraction of Genitive , but can be used instead of Nominative
too) * ('when') * ('thousand') *
('sixty')
Contracted forms are usually found only in colloquial contexts, but they can
occur in poetry.
For example, look at the verse from the Russian translation of Avesta

Avesta (Mihr Yasht, verse 129): ,

,
" On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a
THOUSAND ... arrows, with a golden mouth."
This contrasts with contracted forms found in colloquial speech in that it is used
to keep the original rhythm. The previous verse (verse 128) has a literary form:
, ,

" On a side of the chariot of Mithra, the lord of wide pastures, stand a
THOUSAND bows well-made, with a string of cowgut ".
FRENCH

Among other relaxed pronunciations, tu as (you have) is frequently elided to t'as

in colloquial French or tu es (you are) to t'es . The same with je suis (I am) to
j'suis or ch'uis (very informal, or regional), and je (ne) sais pas (I don't know) to
j'sais pas or ch'ais pas (very informal, or regional). Moreover, most of the
negative forms ne or n' are lost in non-formal discussion. The expression,
"Qu'est-ce que..." is little used in colloquial speech for forming the interrogative,
but when it is, in very informal use, it is shortened:
"Qu'est-ce que tu veux ?" becomes... "Qu'est-c'tu veux ?"
"Qu'est-ce que tu as dit?" becomes... "Qu'est-c't'as dit?"
A more complex sentence, such as "il ne savait peut-tre plus ce qu'il faisait"
("Perhaps he knew no more what he was doing"), can become "i n'savait p'tt
plus c'qui v'zait" , or even worse, "i sa'ait tt' pu c'qui v'zait" .
SPANISH
Forms of the verb estar ("to be") are often shortened by dropping the first syllable
(as if the verb were *tar ).
* Estoy aqu Toy aqu. * Ac est. Ac ta. ("Here it is", joking tone or
baby-talk)
Often, d will turn into its approximant , the Voiced dental fricative , which is
"softer"; and when placed between two vowels it might disappear in relaxed
pronunciation.
As such, the d in the final -ado of past participles can disappear: Estoy cansado
("I am tired") is heard as Toy cansao ; this is also applied to the final -ido , as in *
Me perdo ("I got lost"). This phenomenon is often perceived as uncultured, and
can lead to hypercorrections like * bacalado instead of bacalao ("cod ").
Hiatus between two words will often lead to these merging, with del being the
grammatically correct form of de el . If the merged word is small enough, it
might be omitted entirely:
* Me he perdido Me perdido

Some dialects like Andalusian Spanish

Andalusian Spanish lose the syllable-final s . Since it is important as a mark of

plurals, it is substituted with vowel opening.
PORTUGUESE
Examples: t = est ( is) tamm = tambm (also) ma = uma (a/one) ' vambora =
vamos embora (let's go) ' bora = vamos embora (let's go) pra , pa = para (to) c =
voc (you) home = homem (man) v = vou (I will) (In Portugal '' is the standard
pronunciation of 'ou') portuga, tuga = portugus (both for the Portuguese people

Portuguese people and language ) para + o = pro -further contraction-> po para

+ a = pra -> pa para + os = pros -> pos para + as = pras -> pas num = no
(no/don't. It is just used in the beginning or middle of a sentence.)
In some dialects, que (that) is reduced to the "q" sound: que + a = q'a que + o =
q'o que + ela = q'ela (that she) que + ele = q'ele (that he) que + = q' (that is)
que + foi = q'foi (that was), etc...
In Portugal, the mute 'e' and the final unstressed vowels are often elided: perigo =
prigo (danger) mete gua = met gua (put water) muito mais = muit mais (much
more) fala ingls = fal ingls (speaks english) (if the following word starts with a
consonant, the final 'a' cannot be elided)
JAPANESE

Japanese can undergo some vowel deletion or consonant mutation in relaxed

speech. While these are common occurrences in the formation of some regular
words, typically after the syllables ku or tsu , as in gakk ( gaku + k )
"school" or shuppatsu ( shutsu + hatsu ) "departure", in rapid speech,
these changes can appear in words that did not have them before, such as
suizokkan for suizokukan "aquarium." Additionally, the syllables ra , ri ,
ru , re and ro sometimes become simply n or when they occur before another
syllable beginning with n or d , and disappear entirely before syllabic n . This can
happen within a word or between words, such as wakannai "I
dunno" for wakaranai "I don't know" or m kite n
da yo "they're already here" for m kite iru n da yo .
Relaxed pronunciation also makes use of several contractions .
TURKISH
Examples:
* Ne haber? (What's up?) N'aber? * Ne oluyor? (What's going on?)
N'oluyor?
* Ne yapyorsun? (What are you doing?) N'apyorsun?
* This can further be reduced N'apyon
In all of these cases, the pronounced length of the initial vowel is slightly
extended, though in the case of "napyon" the terminal vowel maintains its initial
length or, if anything, is shortened.
URDU
In Urdu , it is common to elide the sound /h/ in normal speech. For example,
p kah j rahay hai will be pronounced
p kn ja rai ai .
SEE ALSO
reduction
REFERENCES

* ^ Die Symptyx im spontanen franzsischen Redefluss , Les Editions du

Troubadour, accessed December 14, 2013.
EXTERNAL LINKS
* Complete list of words said with Relaxed Pronunciation - also includes
contractions

Secret to Speaking American English More

Naturally: Linking
Beyond Major Pronunciation Components
One of the challenges that our clients often encounter is how to make their American
English accent sound natural. Once they master the major pronunciation components,
their next step is to master the flow-the smoothness, which makes the speech sound more
natural.

Linking
How do our clients at Master Your Accent do this? They learn to master the rule of
linking. Marjorie Feinstein-Whittaker & Lynda Katz-Wilner, authors of Rules for Using
Linguistic Elements of Speech: A Resource and Interactive Workbook, provide
straightforward information and exercises for mastering linking.

Steps to Linking
1. First identify whether the word ends with a consonant.
2. If it ends with a consonant identify whether the next word begins with a vowel.
3. If both number one and number two above occur, pronounce the ending consonant
sound at the beginning of the next word to help link.

Linking Examples
There are many different sound combination Rules of linking. Lets look at one rule.

Final T+ consonant

If you are knowledgeable about T variations, you are aware that when T comes at the
end of a word, it is considered unreleased and is barely heard. However, when an
unreleased T is followed by a word with a vowel, the T is linked and pronounced as a flap.
By flap, we mean that it sounds almost like a D. In the following examples the _symbol
means to connect the sounds on either side. Remember in this case to pronounce the T
almost like a D. Dont release the D Sound. Rather, connect it to the following vowel
sound. Think about placing the flap T at the beginning of the next word.

Final T+Vowel Examples

*Note that the s is pronounced as a z
*Note that the f is pronounced as a v
*Note that a is pronounced as a long a
It_is
Put_it_in
That_is
Fit_in
Ate_out
Caught_it
Eight_of them
Bat_an eye
Let_it
Meet_at_eight_oclock

I diz
Pu di din
Tha diz*
Fi din
Ae* dout
Caugh dit
Eigh duv them
Ba dan eye
Le dit
Mee da deigh doclock

Linking Rule Summary

When one word ends with a consonant in the next begins with a vowel, put the ending
consonant sounds at the beginning of the next word to to help link. This will make
your American English speech sound more

Connected speech forms taught at an EFL program in China (Adapted from Brown & Hilferty, 1982, 1995)
Greetings

Other Combined Words

Question Forms

Howarya (How are you?)

c'mon (come on)

Howza (How is the)

Howdy (How do you do?)

g'won (go on)

How d'ya (How do you)

gedouda (get out of)

How'd ja (How did you)

wadda (what a)

How'ja (How would you)

Farewells
G'bye (Goodbye)

Jawanna (Do you want to)

'bye (Goodbye)

Shortened Words

Yawanna (Do you want to)

Seeya (See you)

'bout (about)

Whaddya (What do you)

S'long (So long)

'nother (another)

Whatduzzee (What does he)

'round (around)

Whaja (What did you)

Modals + TO

'cause (because)

Whaja (What would you)

goin'ta (going to)

in' (-ing)

Whad'll (What will)

gonna (going to)

jus' (just)

Whatser (What is her)

gotta (got to)

ol' (old)

Whatsiz (What is his)

hafta (have to)

yu (you)

Wheraya (Where are you)

otta (ought to)

yer (your)

When d'ya (When do you)

wanna (want to)

Where j'eat (Where did you eat?)

Words + OF

J'eat jet (Did you eat yet?)

Modals + HAVE

kinda (kind of)

J'ev (Did you have)

coulda (could have)

sorta (sort of)

J'ever (Did you ever)

mighta (might have)

type-a (type of)

Wouldja (Would you)

shoulda (should have)

a lotta (a lot of)

in fruna (in front of)

Negative Modals

ouda (out of)

/w/ [nasalized o] (won't)

/d/ [nasalized o] (don't)

Contractions

duzn (doesn't)

N(or PN) + be(present)

havn (haven't)

N(or PN) + be(future)

N(or PN) + would
N(or PN) + will
N(or PN) + have(present)
N(or PN) + have(past)
Let + PN
there + be
there + have
here + be

Table 2. Connected speech forms dictation example from GELC (Adapted from Brown & Hilferty, 1982,
1998)

As it was read:
Brian: Whenerya goin' ta Peking?
Jim: I'm gonna go on Sunday.
Brian: Boy! I wish I were gettin' ouda here fer awhile. Ya gotcher plane ticket?
Jim: No. I've gotta gedit tomorrow.
Brian: Whaddya hafta do in Peking?
Jim: I've gotta giv'em some lectures, but I also wanna do some sightseeing.
Brian: Where'll ya go?
Jim: I wanna gedouda Peking 'n see the Great Wall.
Brian: Okay, hav' a good time.
Jim: Okay, g'bye.

As it was scored:
Brian: When are you going to Peking?
Jim: I am going to go on Sunday.
Brian: Boy! I wish I were getting out of here for awhile. You got your plane ticket?
Jim: No. I have got to get it tomorrow.
Brian: What do you have to do in Peking?
Jim: I have got to give them some lectures, but I also want to do some sightseeing.
Brian: Where will you go?
Jim: I want to get out of Peking and see the Great Wall.
Brian: Okay, have a good time.
Jim: Okay, goodbye.
Reduced forms: 46 (counting underlined words only).

Pronunciation Lessons

Intonation - Intonation is the rising and falling sounds of the voice when
speaking.

Intonation (Part 2) - Phrasing - In addition to the intonation of a

statement, there is another aspect of speech that indicates meaning -phrasing.

Intonation (Part 3) - Contrast - Once the intonation of new information

is established, you'll soon notice that there is a pattern that breaks that
flow. When you want to emphasize one thing over another, you reflect
this contrast with pitch change.

Intonation (Part 4) - In any language, there are areas of overlap, where

one category has a great deal in common with a different category. In
this case, intonation and pronunciation have two areas of overlap.

Intonation (Part 5) - Mood and personality is an extremely important

aspect of intonation, as it goes beyond what you are trying to say--it
dictates how your listener will relate to you as an individual

Liaisons (Part 1) - In American English, words are not pronounced one

by one. Usually, the end of one word attaches to the beginning of the
next word. This is also true for initials, numbers, and spelling.

Linking Words Together - When you learn English by reading (as most
people do) you tend to speak it word by word. But real English is
connected together and pronounced sound by sound.

Linking Words Together (Part 2) - When you learn English by reading

(as most people do) you tend to speak it word by word. But real English
is connected together and pronounced sound by sound.

Liaisons (Part 4) - When the letter or sound of T, D, S or Z is followed

by a word that starts with Y, or its sound, both sounds are connected.

Using , and uh - Learn how to pronounce the common sounds ,

and uh

Silent or Neutral? - The schwa is a neutral sound, (no distinctive

characteristics), but it is the most common sound in the English
language.

Pronunciation of - The American T is influenced very strongly by

intonation and its position in a word or phrase. It can be a little tricky if
you try to base your pronunciation on spelling alone.

Pronouncing Contractions - Many people who speak English as a

second language feel uncomfortable making contractions. But to really
sound natural in English, it's important to say these words correctly.

Pronouncing -ed at the ends of words - There are 3 ways to pronounce

the final -ed in a word. /id/, /d/, and /t/

Homonyms and similar sounding words - Homonyms are two words

that sound like each other but have different meanings. Many people
make mistakes with them. Here are some common homonyms...

Learn ESL Pronunciation - English pronunciation can be tricky

indeedbut there are numerous ways to practice and numerous
resources to help guide you

American English Videos/Pronunciation Practice/3.

Informal Contractions
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Hello. I'm Sammy

and this is part two of the connected speech series.
Connected speech is used when you're speaking quickly and casually
and it can help your American English sound more natural.
Today, we'll be discussing informal contractions.
Can you hear the differences between the formal and casual sentences below?
Formal
I'm going to eat cake.
Casual
I'm gonna eat cake.
Do you want to go?
Do you wanna go?
I have to do homework.
I hafta do homework.
In the following story, pay attention to the underlined words
and see if you can hear the informal contractions.
I wanna surprise my sister for her birthday.
So I've gotta buy her a present.
I'm gonna hafta go to the mall.
I coulda gotten her a dog, but she already has a cat.
I woulda bought her a car, but it's too expensive.
Instead, I am gonna make her a big birthday cake.

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1:43
1:47
1:49
1:52
1:57
2:03
2:06
2:09
2:12
2:14
2:17
2:22
2:28
2:30
2:32
2:36
2:37
2:42
2:45
3:15
3:22
3:25
3:30
3:35
3:43
3:45
3:50

Phrases like "gonna," "wanna," "hafta" are called informal contractions.

They are often used in casual spoken American English
but not in written English.
They are formed by combining words to shorten them
from their original form.
Practicing these can help you sound more natural
and become better at understanding fast casual speech.
Here are some examples of informal contractions with "to."
"Going to" becomes "gonna."
"want to" "wanna"
"have to" "hafta"
"got to" "gotta"
"ought to" "oughtta"
There are also examples with modal verbs plus "have."
such as "should have" becoming "shoulda"
"would have" "woulda"
"could have" "coulda"
"might have" "mighta"
Let's practice.
In the following story, try to pronounce the underlined phrases
using informal contractions.
Press pause at each page to practice at your own pace.
I wanna surprise my sister for her birthday, so I've gotta buy her a present.
I'm gonna hafta go to the mall.
I coulda gotten her a dog, but she already has a cat.
I woulda bought her a car, but it's too expensive.
Instead, I'm gonna make her a big birthday cake.
Next time, we'll discuss linking
in part three of the connected speech series.
This is American English. Thanks for watching.

Informal English contractions are similar to contractions. Contractions in English

are words or phrases that are shortened by dropping one or more letters and replacing
the letters with an apostrophe. This short form is often used in speaking and in
informal writing.
Examples:

wouldn't (would + not)

can't (can + not)

haven't (have + not)

should've (should + have)

she's (she + is)

he'd (he + would)

Contractions can be a little confusing at first, so make sure you know how they are
used. You can review contractions here: Contractions in English.
Informal contractions are shortened forms of other words and phrases in English.
They are like slang. Slang is a very informal way of talking. For example, you might
say yeah instead of yes, or you might say cool to say you like something or agree
with someone.
Here are a few examples of informal contractions:

gonna (going + to)

lemme (let + me)

kinda (kind + of)

dunno (don't + know)

If you say kind of really fast, you can shorten it to kinda by dropping the final sound.
If you say don't know really fast, it shortens to dunno. These are informal
contractions.
Informal contractions are very common in American English. We don't usually write
them except in texts, casual emails, and informal comments on social media
(Facebook, Twitter, etc).
We should not use informal contractions in "correct" or formal speech or
writing.
Since informal contractions are not often written, most of the spellings are phonetic.
That means that we spell them the way they sound. Some people might spell them
differently than what you will see here. Also, sometimes people write them with
apostrophes, and sometimes they do not use apostrophes.

Remember: These types of contractions are not correct speech.

Here are some common American English informal contractions with example
sentences.

Contractions with "you"

original
words

informal
contraction

sentence

don't you

dontcha

Dontcha like the movie?

didn't you

didntcha

Didntcha like the movie?

won't you

wontcha

Wontcha drive the car?

what are you

whatcha or watcha

Whatcha doing?

got you

gotcha

I gotcha!

bet you

betcha

Betcha can't guess the answer!

Contractions with "have"

original
words

informal
contraction

sentence

should have

shoulda

I shoulda called yesterday.

could have

coulda

She coulda been here by 1:00.

would have

woulda

He woulda arrived earlier, but the train was late.

might have

mighta

You mighta left the bag at the airport.

must have

musta

You musta been in a hurry.

couldn't have

couldna

I couldna called because my phone was broken.

shouldn't have

shouldna

She shouldna told you that.

wouldn't have

wouldna

Nick wouldna known about the meeting.

she would have

she'da

She'da liked to be at the meeting today.

he would have

he'da

He'da liked to be there too.

I would have

I'da

I'da written to you, but I didn't have your address.

They would have

they'da

I wish they'da given me more time!

You would have

you'da

You'da enjoyed the concert last night.

Contractions with "of"

original
words

informal
contraction

sentence

kind of

kinda

I kinda like her.

out of

outta

The printer is outta paper.

cup of

cuppa

I need a cuppa coffee.

sort of

sorta

I sorta need that book.

a lot of

a lotta

I have a lotta homework tonight.

Contractions with "to"

original words

informal contraction

sentence

got to

gotta

I gotta buy a new car.

going to

gonna

She is gonna be there today.

need to

needa

I needa go shopping soon.

want to

wanna

I wanna blue car.

have to

hafta

I hafta save some money.

has to

hasta

Tim hasta work today.

ought to

oughta

She oughta work two jobs.

supposed to

supposeta

I'm supposeta start the job Monday.

used to

useta

She useta work there too.

Other informal contractions

original
words

informal
contraction

sentence

give me

gimme

Gimme five minutes.

let me

lemme

Lemme see it!

tell them

tellem

Tellem I'll be there soon.

don't know

dunno

I dunno what time it is.

am not
are not
is not
got a

ain't
(This is very informal and considered bad
English)
gotta

I ain't going to be there.

I gotta new job.

come on

c'mon

C'mon! We don't want to be

late!

some more

s'more

Can I have s'more water?

Use this graphic to link this lesson to social media!

How to pronounce contractions: be, have, will, did

1. to be
I am = Im
[am]
you are = youre
[jr] you tends to elide to [j][2]
he/she is/has = he/shes [hiz][iz]
it is/has = its
[ts]
we are = were
[wr]
they are = theyre
[r] sounds like their or there
how/why is = how/whys [haz][waz] [waz] sounds like wise
what/when is/does = whats [wts][wnz]

2. have = ve

2.1 end in a vowel

I have = Ive
you have = youve
we have = weve
they have = theyve

[av]
[juv]
[wiv] sounds like weave
[ev]

2.2 end in a consonant, /v/

The next set of words with the have all contraction all end in a consonant. So rather than just
adding a /v/ sound, it actually adds another, unaccented syllable, the schwa sound followed by the
/v/ sound, i.e., /v/.
could/should/would/might have = could/should/would/mightve
[kdv][dv][wdv][madv]
The /t/ in mightve is pronounced as a flap T, so it will actually sound like a D.

3. will = ll
All of the will contractions have a dark L (a vowel-like sound) that is added at the end.
I will = Ill
you will = youll
it will = itll
they will = theyll
how will = howll

[al]
[jul]
[dl]
[el]
[hal] sounds like howl

where will = wherell

when will = whenll
what will = whatll

[werl]
[wnl]
[wdl]

With the he will and she will contractions, the e vowel might relax a little into the ih as in sit
vowel.
he/she/we will = he/she/well

[hl][l][wl]

4. had/would = d
I had/would = Id
[ad]
you had/would = youd
[jud]
he/she had/would = he/shed [hid][id]
it had/would = itd
[dd]
we had/would = wed
[wid] sounds like weed
they had/would = theyd
[ed]
how had/would = howd
[had]

5. did = d
where did = whered
why did = whyd

[wrd]
[wad] sounds like wide

6. Relaxed pronunciation[2]
The following text is excerpted from Wikipedia Relaxed pronunciation:
The following sections contain common words said with relaxed pronunciation in American
English, along with pronunciations given in IPA, and a common written indication of this
pronunciation where applicable:

6.1 of, have, to

The words of, to, and have all tend to elide to nothing more than a schwa [] in many common
situations. This sometimes leads to spelling confusion, such as writing I could of instead of I
could have or I couldve.
could have: [k], coulda or [kv], could uhv.
must have: [mst], musta or [mstv], must uhv.
should have: [], shoulda or [v], should uhv.
would have: [w], woulda or [wv], would uhv.
it would: when contracted, its pronounced [d], iduhd, but this often collapses to [d],

ihd.

it would / it would have: [], itta.

a lot of: [l], a lotta.

kind of: [ka ], kinda.
out of: [a], outta.
sort of: [s], sorta.
going to: [n], gonna.
got to: [], gotta.
have to: [hft], hafta.
want to: [w ], wanna.
ought to : [], oughta.
Would can also get contracted (Id have done things differently.), which usually yields [] (I
would have can be pronounced [a]).
Note: The [v] in have and of is usually retained before a vowel sound (e.g. in I could have
asked).

6.2 You
You tends to elide to [j] (often written ya). Softening of the preceding consonant also may
occur: (/t/ + /j/ = [t], /d/ + /j/ = [d], /s/ + /j/ = [], and /z/ + /j/ = []). This can also happen
with other words that begin with [j] (e.g. your, yet, year). In some dialects, such as Australian
English, this is not a relaxed pronunciation but compulsory: got you[tj] (never *[tj])[citation
needed]
.

did you: [dd], didja

did you / do you: [d], dya
dont you: [dont], doncha
got you: [t], gotcha
get you / get your: [t], getcha
would you: [wd], wouldja

6.3 Other

-ing forms of verbs and sometimes gerunds tend to be pronounced with an [ n] at the end
instead of the expected [i] or []. E.g. talking: [tk n], tahkin. If followed by a [t], this can in
turn blend with it to form [] . E.g. talking to Bob: [tk bb], tahkinna Bob
I will gets contracted to Ill [ajl], which in turn gets reduced to all [l] in relaxed
pronunciation. E.g. Ill do it: [l du(t)], all do it
he tends to elide to just [i] after consonants, sometimes after vowel sounds as well. E.g. is
he: [zi], izee; all he: [li], ahlee
his, him, and her tend to elide in most environments to [ z], [ m], and [],
respectively. E.g. meet his: [mi z], meetiz; tell him: [tl m], tellim; show her [o], show-er
them tends to elide to [m] after consonants. E.g. ask them: [skm], askem.
(Historically, this is a remnant of the Middle English pronoun hem.)
about: [bat], bout
already: [i], ahready
all right: [it], ahright
all right: [it], aight
come here: [kmi()], cuhmeer

dont know: [no], [dno] if not preceded by a vowel sound, dunno

fixing to: finna
give me: [mi], gimme
Im going to: [am], Imma or [mn], Ah-muhnuh
is it: [zt], zit
isnt it: [nt], innit
let me: [lmi], lemme
lets: [ts], E.g. lets go: [tso]
probably: [pli], [pbli], prolly, probly
suppose: [spoz] spose. E.g. I suppose so: [ai spoz so]
trying to: [ta ] trynna
want a: [w ], wanna
what is that: [wst], wussat
what is up: [wsp], wassup
what is up: [sp], sup
what are you: [wt], whatcha
what have you: [wt], whatcha. E.g. What have you been up to? : [wt bn p tu]
what do you/what are you: [wj], whaddaya
you all: [jl], yall

palabras en jerga argentina con sus

significados?
solo se las siguientes palabras:
boludo: bobo
potro-yeguo: lindo
garchar: hacer el amor
capo: genio, el mejor
Mejor respuesta: fhasion: fino
cara dura: q va al frente
Gato: mina facil
groso: alguien importante
yantas: zapatillas
comedor: dentadura
garpar: pagar
lo mas: todas las cualidades
empastillado: cuando estas loco o desubicado
trucha: falso
caradura: q da para todo
cana: policia

arco iris: sexo con los dos generos

telo: Hotel
lento: q no hagrra rapido los chistes o culquier cosa
pata dura: q no sabe bailar
traga: cuando studia mucho
te falta calle: q no tenes mundo o poca salida
fanfarron: medio manda parte,agrandado
chiflado: re-loco
poca vida: sin entusiasmo
pescadito de colores: mucha fantasia cuando habla
te vas d mambo: va al
frente sin pensarlo
mal educado ,mal aprendido: en su casa no lo educacon bien
fiolo: vive de las mujeres
c,u.l.o. de botella : anteojos con vidro muy gruesos
Choborra: es un borracho
tiene uas largos: te afana: chorro tambien (todo robar)
mariposon: homosexual (sin discriminacion)
Babieca : cuando haces algo mal
colo: al q tiene el pelo colorado o pelirrojo
timba o timbero: q le gusta jugar
mamarracho: mal vestido
loro barranqueo: feo
una porteada: una avivada
pediguea: q siempre esta pidiendo
comedinte: mentir
safar: salir adelante
titanic: te estas undiendo
Abatatarse: Asustarse.-Abombado: Tonto.-Abrir cancha: Despejar el sitio de una
contienda -Abrirse: Apartarse, desviarse, hacerse a un lado-Achurar: Asesinar.Afano: Robo.-Amarrete: Tacao. Apoliyar: Dormir, holgar.Atenti: palabra que sirve para llamar la atencin o advertir
de algn peligro.
Bagre: Estmago ("me est picando el bagre")Balero: Cabeza-Berreta: Ordinario.
Cualquier objeto falsificado.Bicicleatear: Eludir, trampa comercial.Bochinche:
Algaraba-Bolacero: Mentiroso.
Bolazo: Mentira -Blido: Tonto, lento.-Bondi: mnibus -Buzarda: barriga, panza,
Estmago.
Cachetada / cachetazo: Bofetada.-Cacho: Trozo.-Cachuso: Achacoso, deteriorado.Camorra: pelea, ria.Capo: Jefe- Caraclico: Enojado, pesimista.-Cargosear:
Fastidiar.-Caripela: Cara.-Changa: Trabajo breve.-Chicato: Miope, cegatn-Chiche:
Juguete-Chirusa: Muchacha (despectivo).-Chorear / Chorrear: Robar.-Chupamedias:
Obsecuente.-Chupar: Beber.-Cogotudo: Adinerado, oligarca.
Coima: Soborno.-Dandy: Correctos y buenos mozos -Deschavar: Delatar, confesar.Desconche: Despelote.-Despelotado: Desordenado.-Dopado: Drogado.-Embalado:
Predispuesto.-Empilchado: Vestido.-Encanutar: Guardar algo, encerrar.-Enculado:

Enojado.-Engrupido: Vanidoso, fatuo.

Ensartar: Engatusar-Escabiado: Borracho.-Facha: Rostro, cara.-Fajada: Paliza.Falopa: Droga
Faroles: Ojos.-Farra: Juerga-Faso: Cigarrillos -Fayuta: Falsa -Feca: Caf Festichola: Fiesta.
Fetn: Excelente. -Fiaca: Pereza, holganza.-Fifar: Fornicar.-Franela: Manoseo
sexual.-Franelear: Roce amoroso.-Fresquete: Fro.-Fulera: Fea -Fusilado:CansadoGag: viejo, arruinado, debilitado mentalmente.Gambas: Piernas.Gambetear:
Esquivar - Gansada: Tontera.-Garca: Tramposo, estafador, mala persona. -Garchar:
Fornicar. - Gara: Llovizna.-Gratarola: Gratuitamente.-Groncho: Ordinario,
rstico.-Guarango: Grosero, ordinario. -Guarda: Atencin! -Guasada: Grosera.Guaso: Grosero.-Guita: Dinero -Hinchabolas: Cargoso. -Hinchar: Fastidiar. -Jabn:
Miedo, susto -Jetn: Cara grande.-Joda: Broma, mofa / Fiesta. -Joder: Divertirse.
Bromear, mofarse. Perjudicarse
Joderse: Perjudicarse.-Jodido: Achacoso, deteriorado / Maligno.-Jodn: Burln.Jonca: Atad
Jovato. Viejo -Julepe: Susto -Junar: Conocer en profundidad un tema o a alguien. Kaput: Acto final, terminacin -Kilombo: Prostbulo. Desorden, lo. -Kinotos:
Testculos.-Laburador / laburante: Trabajador -.Laburar: Trabajar - laburo: Trabajo.
-Lastrar: Comer.-Lechusear: Agorar, dar mala suerte.
Lechuza: Agorero, tipo de mal agero. -Macanear: Mentir.-Macanudo: Excelente.Malandra / malandraca: Delincuente. Mal viviente en general. -Mamado: Ebrio.Mamerto: Torpe.-Mate: Cabeza
Mina: Mujer -Miti y miti: Por mitades. Mojar: Atrapar, agarrar. Fornicar-Montoto:
Personaje inexistente utilizado en el lenguaje popular.-Morfar: Comer -Morfi:
Comida.-Morlaco: Dinero -Mufa: Mal humor, fastidio, nimo decado, mala suerte.Mula: Estafa, fraude.-Mulero: Fullero, tramposo.
Muzarela: Silencio.-Napia: Nariz.-Naso: Nariz.-aupa: Antiguo,del tiempo del
aupa.-*****: Suerte.
Olfa: Obsecuente / Chupamedias.-Opa: ******.-Ortibarse: Enojarse. Hablar o
comportarse de modo contrario.-Orto: Suerte -Palmar: Morir, dormir.-Patota: pea,
pandilla-Piba: Chiquilla -Pibe: Nio
Pifiar: Errar. Dar un golpe en falso con el taco en la bola del billar.-Pilchas: Ropa Pituco: nio bien
Plomo: persona molesta. -Pucho: Colilla -Punga: Ladrn -Quemo: Desprestigio,
descrdito Quilombear /quilombificar: Alborotar.-Quilombera: Alborotador.Quilombo: Prostbulo, alborotar, perturbar -Quinielero: Levanta juego.-Rati:
Polica.-Rayado: Enloquecido.-Rayadura: Locura.
Raye: Locura.-Retacn: De baja estatura y grueso.-Retobarse: Revelarse.-Sabandija:
Travieso, pcaro.-Sabiola: Cabeza -Solari: En soledad -Tachero: Conductor de taxi,
taxista. -Tarugo: De baja estatura.-Telo: Albergue transitorio.-Timbear: Jugar. Torta: Lesbiana. -Tortiyera: Lesbiana.-Trajeado: Vestido con traje.-Trolo: Invertido,
gay. -Trucha: Cara. -Viola: Guitarra -Yeca: Experiencia.-Yeta: Influjo negativo.
Mala suerte.-Zafar: Escapar, librarse. B o l u d o:En Argentina boludo significa tonto o ncio
chabon: Se les llama asi a los chicos, amigos, ********
A mamarla! a c h u p a r l a!!!

bobo:corazn
culiar: penetracion anal
C a r a j o:m i e r d a
Chanta: Mentiroso embaucador

groso: genio
gar.char: hacer el amor
tro.la: pu.ta o lesbiana, depende la frase.
hacer un pete: tener sexo oral

10 ejemplos de jergas con su significado

porfavor?
ABRASE DEL PARCHE: Vayase, Quitese.
A LO BIEN: Entienda, Comprenda.
ALETOSO: Que est perfecto.
AY PERO QUE! : Que pasa?. Si todo est bien.
******: Bobo.
BOLA DE HUMO: perderse, irse rpido.
CHANDA: alguien daado, malo.
CHIMBA: vacano, muy bueno.
CHIVO: Perro.
CHORIPAPI: ya se la rob, hacer trampa.
CHUMBIMBA: matarlo, darle pualada.
COSCORRIA: casposo, mala gente, sapo.
CUCHO: Viejo.

DARLE PIERNA: golpear a alguien.

DARLE PISO: golpear a alguien.
DAR PAPAYA: Dar oportunidad de que suceda algo malo.
ESCAMOSO: Credo, picado.
Babilla: chica bien fea.
Bejuco: persona contrariada
Cansn: cosa/persona que fastidia, molesta.
Cantaleta: reprender, dar un sermn.
Carreta: mentira exagerada
De ataque: grandioso, estupendo.
Del codo: tacao.
Goma: aficin, entusiasmo.
Gomelo: hijo de gente adinerada, que todo lo tiene gracias a ellos.
Maletear: descomponerse, no funcionar.
******: de poco valor, despreciable.
Tombo: polica.
Topocho: persona gorda o pasada de kilos.
suerte.....
Chevere: Algo muy bueno
Parce: Amigo
Avin:Alguien muy despierto
Embarrala: equivocarse, cometer errores
Tombo: policia
A lo bien: En serio
Boleta: Penoso, ridculo
alebrestarse: agitarse alborotarse
Llave: amigo ntimo
Pailas: estar mal econmicamente o sentimentalmente
Sapo: chismoso
Trabado: drogado
Papito: hombre apuesto, guapo
Perica: cocana
Maricada: una estupidez, prdida de tiempo
Hablar ****: hablar lo ms posible sin decir nada, decir trivialidades
Darle al clavo: acertar

Le han dado cantaleta? Se ha sentido amaado en algn lugar? Conoce a un intenso? Lo

invitamos a repasar la jerga colombiana y a conocer algunos de los trminos que slo un colombiano
podra reconocer.
Chvere, despelote o camellar son palabras que hacen parte de la jerga colombiana que usamos diariamente
o que, al menos, hemos escuchado alguna vez. Esta semana, en Twitter, se movi el hashtag
#929PalabrasColombianas, para indicar los trminos que solo un colombiano entendera y que son parte
cotidiana del lenguaje. Estas son algunas de esas palabras. Le suenan? Cules agregara?
Amaado: adj. coloq. Que se adapta o que se siente a gusto en un ambiente nuevo. Est muy amaada en su
nuevo trabajo.
Bacano: adj. coloq. Dicho de una situacin o cosa excelente, muy buena. Es una pelcula bacana. Qu
almuerzo tan bacano! 2. Dicho de una persona amable, simptica, buena.
Cantaleta: f. coloq. Repeticin frecuente de un tema o asunto que resulta molesto para el oyente.
Desentejado: adj. coloq. Dicho de una persona medio calva.
Enguayabado: ad. coloq. Dicho de una persona que est padeciendo los efectos de haber consumido bebidas
alcohlicas. 2. Triste o nostlgico por alguna situacin.
Fritanga: f. coloq. Conjunto de alimentos fritos como la asadura, la morcilla, el chicharrn, las papas y el
pltano.
Gallinacear: intr. coloq. Buscar conquistas amorosas.
Hostigante: adj. Dicho de una comida o bebida dulce, empalagosa.
Intenso: adj. coloq. Cansn. No sea tan intenso!
Jartera: f. coloq. Fastidio, molestia. Qu jartera con tanto trmite! 2. Aburrimiento, hasto.
Lchigo: adj. coloq. Tacao, mezquino.
Mecato: m. Golosinas que se consumen entre las comidas.
Necio: adj. coloq. Chinchoso, fastidioso.
Onces: f. pl. Corto refrigerio que se toma entre el almuerzo y la comida o, en algunos lugares, entre el
desayuno y el almuerzo.
Parcero (Parce): m y f. coloq. Compaero, amigo.
Querido: adj. coloq. Dicho de una persona simptica, amable. Ella es querida con todo el mundo.
Recocha: f. coloq. Diversin desordenada y ruidosa.
Salar: tr. coloq. Tener o dar mala suerte.
Traga: f. coloq. Enamoramiento.

Vaca (hacer una): fr. coloq. Hacer una colecta para un fin determinado

JERGAS PERUANAS
Algunas Jergas Peruanas
Aguja (estoy aguja) - no tengo dinero
Asarse (me aso, se asa) - molestarse
Bacn (Qu bacn!) - Bueno, muy bueno
Bamba - artculo falsificado o de mala calidad
Bomba (me met una bomba, qu tal bomba!) - gran borrachera
Cocos (10 cocos, 50 cocos) - Dlar (US$) (moneda estadounidense)
Cuero, Cuerito, Cuerazo - alguien con buen cuerpo
Chambear - trabajar
Chancn - estudioso
Chapar - besar
Chelas - cervezas
Chibolo(a) - nio(a)
Chochera, Chocherita - amigo, compaero
Chusco - sin raza, sin educacin
Embalar (voy embalado, iba embalado) - ir rpido
Estar en algodn (estoy en algodn, est en algodn) - Ser algo atractivo
Franela, Franelero - adulador
Florear - hablar mucho sin convencer
Guachimn - vigilante
Hacer la taba (me hizo la taba, te hago la taba) - acompaar
Hembrita (mi hembrita, tu hembra) - enamorada
Huevo (es huevo!) - fcil
Huevo de plata (tiene un huevo de plata) - mucho dinero
Jatear (me qued jato, se qued jato) - dormir
Ladilla - alguien que molesta insistentemente
Lo mximo - algo muy bueno

Luca (una luca, dos lucas) - Sol (S/.) (moneda peruana)

Manya! - mira!
Misio (estoy misio) - sin dinero
Misin Imposible - no tener dinero
Papaya (es papaya!) - fcil
Papear - comer
Pata - amigo
Pedir una jaladita - pedir un aventn
Perucho - peruanito
Picar (me pic, voy a picarle) - pedir prestado sin pensar en devolver
Picarse (me pico, se pica) - resentirse, no aceptar el resultado de un juego
Templarse - estar muy enamorado
Quitarse (me quito, se quita) - Irse
Reventar a alguien (lo reviento, me revienta) - golpear fuertemente
Sacarse el ancho (me saqu el ancho) - golpearse muy fuerte
Ser pilas - ser activo
Ser sapo - ser curioso
Ser corcho - ser tontito
Ser menso - ser tontuelo
Ser mosca - ser muy listo
Ser una rata - no tener escrpulos
Tener un plancito - tener una cita romntica
Tonear (voy a tonear, ir a tonos) - ir a una fiesta
Tranca (es tranca!) - difcil
Vacilarse (me vacilo, se vacila) - divertirse

Significado de las Jergas Peruanas

Estas son algunas de las jergas ms usadas por los peruanos, algunas de ellas
provienes de otros paises y la gran mayora con propias.
1.- A grito pelado: a grandes voces
2.-Tela: aburrido, sin dinero.

3.-Achorado: persona de carcter desafiante

4.- Afanar : enamorar
5.-Arrecho: excitado sexualmente
6.-Asado: enojado, molesto
7.-Bacn: maravilloso, bien vestido
8.-Bamba: falsificado
9.-Blanquita: cocana
10.-Cabro/Cabrilla: hombre afeminado
11.-Calato: desnudo
12.-Cana: crcel
13.-Causa: amigo
14.-Coima: comisin que se da para obtener algo en forma ilegal
15.-Cojudo: palabra usada como insulto fuerte.
16.-Combo: golpear a otra persona , comida
17.-Conchudo: desentendido, sinvergenza
18.-Cuero: persona simptica
19.-Chamba: trabajo
20.-Chancay: acto sexual
21.-Chancar: estudiar
22.-Chancn: persona que estudia mucho

23.-Chancha: colecta
24.-Chapar: atrapar; besar.
25.-Chape: beso en la boca
26.-Chato: persona de baja estatura
27.-Chela: cerveza
28.-Chibolo: nio
29.-Cholo: indio
30.-Chongo: diversin, prostbulo
31.-Choro: ladrn
32.-Chupar: beber
33.-Churro: hombre guapo
34.-de la patada: fuerte
35.-de todas mangas: a fuerzas
36.-estar en algo/algodn: estar bueno
37.-estirar la pata: morir
38.-Fallo: cigarrillo
39.-Fintero: que aparenta algo que no es.
40.-Florear: adular, alabar
41.-Fregar: molestar
42.-Fumn: que fuma marihuana

43.-Gil: tonto; novio

44.-Gringo: rubio
45.-Hacerse bolas: confundirse
46.-Hijo de papi/pap: hijo de gente adinerada
47.-Hincha: seguidor de un equipo de ftbol
48.-Huachafo: persona de malos gustos
49.-Huachimn: agente uniformado de seguridad
50.-Huevo: fcil
51.-Importar un comino/pepino: no importar nada
52.-Jalar: (v.) reprobar, aspirar cocaina.
53.-Jatear: (tambin tirar jato) dormir
54.-Jato: (m.) casa
55.-Jerma, costilla: (f.) enamorada
56.-Jugadora: (f.) mujer promiscua
57.-Lana: (f.) dinero
58.-Lechero: (sust./adj.) suertudo
59.-Lenteja: (adj.) tonto, lento
60.-Lisura: (f.) grosera
61.-Lorear: hablar
62.-Lorna: (adj.) tonto

63.-Luca: (f.) moneda, equivalente a un Sol peruano

64.-Llegar: (v.) no importar
65.-Maldito: (adj.) muy bueno
66.-Mancha: (f.) multitud
67.-Manyar: 1) captar, entender
68.-Mariachi: (m.) marido
69.-Meter la pata: cometer una indiscrecin
70.-Misio: (adj.) sin dinero
71.-Monse: (sust./adj.) tonto
72.-Mosca: (adj.) alerta
73.-oba: (m.) bao
74.-orsa: mujer
75.-Paja: (adj.) bueno, bonito, masturbacin
76.-Palta: (f.) vergenza
77.-Palteo: (m.) equivocacin
78.-Pata: amigo.
79.-Pendejo: 1) persona astuta, taimada; 2) sobre todo con las mujeres, implica
libertinaje sexual
80.-Pichanga: (f.) 1) partido de futbol amistoso
81.-Pituco: (sust.) persona adinerada

82.-Por las puras alverjas/por las puras/por las puras huevas: sin motivo, sin
lgica
83.-Quina: (f.) cincuenta cntimos
84.-Rayarse: volverse loco
85.-Resaca: malestar fsico despus de una borrachera.
86.-Roche: (m.) vergenza
87.-Rubia: (f.) cerveza
88.-Rapear: avistar
89.-Sapo: individuo listo
90.-Taba: (f.) 1) zapato
91.-Tirar: acto sexual
92.-Tombo: agente de polica
93.-Tono: (m.) fiesta
94.-Trampa: mujer promiscua.
95.-Tranca: (f.) 1) borrachera
96.-Vacilar: gustar
97.-Yunta: amigo ntimo
98.- Ruca, tramposa: mujer fcil.
99.- Aguja.- sin dinero.

yapla= playa
lompa= pantalon
chupar= beber, ingerir licor
Tono= fiesta (vamos a un TONO = vamos a una fiesta)
causa, broder, man, chochera, barrunto, primo, = amigo
yungay = vigilante privado
tombo= policia
mancha= grupo de gente ( ahi viene mi mancha = ahi vienen mis amigos, cuidado con la mancha =
cudado con la gente)
manya = entender, mayas? = entiendes?
choro = ladron, ratero
fercho= chofer
germa = mujer (esta palabra aveces es vulgar)
flaca= chica, novia, (estas con flaca? = estas con enamorada/novia)
pata= amigo, muchacho ( tu eres mi pata = tue eres mi amigo / la vi con un pata, la vi con un
muchacho.
tio, tia = mujer/hombre adulto,
Vieja/ viejo = mama, papa (mi viejo no me deja salir = mi papa no me deja salir)
chibolo= nio, o persona menor que tu ( estas chibolo = estas joven) (ese chibolo esta llorando =
ese nio esta llorando)
bollo, marica, pato, brito, rarito, marisco, marinero, chimbombo, loca, etc = gay/homosexual
cachudo= aquien su pareja le fue infiel.
cojudo = tonto, torpe, idiota
Huevon= tonto, torpe, idiota
choborra= borracho
taba= zapato, zapatilla
chevere = bueno, exelente (que chevere!!!, = que bueno, que exelente
paja = bueno, bien (vulgarmente tambien se emplea para describir a la masturbacion)
caa = carro
aguitas= bebidas alcoholicas (vamos por unas aguitas? = vamos a tomar algo?)
chamba = trabajo
pastrulo= fumon
jato = casa
lenteja = lento
zanahoria= persona que no tiene ningun vicio o es tranquilo
guita = dinero
luca= un sol (meneda peruana)
luca gringa = dolar norteamericano
china= 50 centimos
chela = cerveza
tirar lata = caminar
jugadora, jugador = persona infiel

misio = que no tiene dinero, (estoy misio = no tengo dinero)

pituco = persona con buena posicion socio-ecomica
cholo= persona con ascendencia indigena
pesuento = que le apestan los pies
pucha = no tiene significado es una expresion.
achorar = envalentonarse,
asar = enojarse, (ya se as = ya se enoj, ya me estoy asando = ya me estoy enojando)

y asi mucha y muchas creo que estas se utilizan en todo el Peru, o por lo menos en la mayoria de
partes

jerga de Venezuela

A la Verga Expresin maracucha (ver maracucho) de asombro o susto,

exclamacin... A la verga hermano, que coazo te dieron.
Abollado Aporreado, golpeado, en mal estado.
Acabar -- Culminacin del acto sexual, eyaculacin.
Achantado Persona dejada, sin animo, quedado, se dice de alguien sin
iniciativa ni ganas de trabajar.
Adeco Simpatizante del partido poltico venezolano de Accin Democrtica
(AD).
Agarrao Tacao, persona poco esplndida, dicese del que tiene un escorpin
en el bolsillo.
Agite Persona ansiosa, angustiado, apurado, estado nervioso.
Aguarapado Verdoso.
Ageboneado(a) Atontado, aletargado, persona con falta de animo, en baja
forma... estoy ageboneado.
Aginaldo Regalo, Obsequio, Propina, por lo general en metlico que se
hace por las Navidades a los empleados de una empresa o a personas que

nos ofrecen un servicio, carteros, mensajeros, repartidores.

Alebrestarse Alborotarse, no hacer caso, amotinarse.
Al -- Forma usada para contestar el telfono, se utiliza en algunos pases
suramericanos, Colombia, Venezuela, etc.
Alpargata(s) Calzado hecho de forma artesanal con suela de soga, se usa
principalmente el campo.
Amapuche Cario, Afecto, amoroso, demostracin de afecto o cario,
abrazo.
Anti-parabolico -- Persona que no le importa nada, todo le da igual ante una
situacin determinada, inerte.
Ao de la pera Se refiere al pasado, antiguo, caduco.
Apachurrar (Aplastar). Aplanar una cosa comprimiendola o golpeandola.
Apartaco Apartamento, morada o lugar de reunion.
Arepa Comida tpica, especie de torta hecha de harina de maz blanco la cual
se come sola o rellena de jamn, queso, carne etc.
Argolla Eslabn, define al hombre que gusta de otros hombres (Gay).
Arrechera Accin de arrecharse. (ver Arrecho)
Arrechisimo Lo mismo que arrecho pero en grado superlativo.
Arrecho(a) Malhumorado, bravo, con poca paciencia. . . . Juan esta arrecho.
Arrecochinar Arrimarse cmodamente y con descaro, recostarse.
Arrequintao "Arrecho" (ver arrecho) individuo de mucho temperamento.
Arriero Quien conduce reses.
Arrocero Dicese de aquel que se colea (ver colear) en una fiesta, persona
que asiste a un acto o reunin sin ser invitado, Fui de arrocero a una fiesta.
Arrumacos Caricias excesivas.
Azote de barrio Dicese de aquel individuo que acta delictivamente en una
misma zona o barrio de forma reiterada, expresin muy utilizada por la

polica para sealar a un malandro (ver malandro).

Baba Caimn, cocodrilo de pequea envergadura (1 a 2 Mts.) muy
abundante en el ro Orinoco.
Bachaco Persona de color con el pelo de color rojizo muy llamativo, esto
suele suceder por la mezcla de razas, por lo general es motivo de burla entre
los suyos.
Bagre Pez de roque se caracteriza por su aspecto desagradable, se dice de
una mujer fea.
Bajarse Pagar algo, dar algo a cambio de un favor, tambien se dice "bajarse
de la mula"
Bala Fria-Comida rpida, sndwich en el almuerzo o cena.
Balurdo Ridculo, falto de gusto en su forma de ser, fuera de onda.
Bandera Persona poco discreta, poco cauteloso.
Barranco Expresin que sirve describir un exceso, individuo que se pasa de
la raya o abusa de algo, ej. en una fiesta beber demasiado
Batea Utensilio domestico en donde se lava la ropa y prendas de vestir.
Bemba Se le llama a los labios protuverantes, sobre todo en las personas de
color. . . . Bembn.
Bicha(o) Persona por lo general del sexo femenino que no aguanta dos
pedidas, de dudosa reputacin.
Bochinche Ruidoso, sin orden, relajo.
Bojote Fardo, bulto, bulto viril. ej. bojote de gente: grupo degente.
Bola Objeto cilndrico, o esfrico por lo general hace referencia al testculo
Bolas Criollas Juego popular que consiste en el lanzamiento de unas bolas a
cierta distancia, tratando de acercarlas lo mas posible al mingo (ver mingo).
Bolearse Dicese de aquel individuo se enriquece rpidamente y sin esfuerzo.
Bolo Expresin popular con la que se define a el Bolvar (moneda de curso
legal). . prstame 300 bolos.

Boloa Embutido de forma cilndrica este se caracteriza por ser muy barato,
se dice cuando algo es fcil, sencillo, sin dificultad
Bolsa Insulto, tonto, persona vaca, sin valor, individuo falto de inteligencia.
Bombona Botella de ans.
Bonche Fiesta, reunin, agasajo, boda, bautizo, etc. . . . Tremendo bonche
Brother Hermano en ingles, denota amistad y confianza.
Buitre(a) Persona obsesionada por conquistar al sexo opuesto.
Bulul Aglomeracin, tumulto, muchedumbre, multitud, haba un bulul de
gente.
Burda Mucho, en gran cantidad.
Burgues Rico, persona adinerada, ostentoso, pudiente.
Burrero Expresin referente a los habitantes del oriente del pas que
mantienen relaciones zoofilicas, siendo elementos imprescindibles una
cabuya un pote de leche y una pepsi-cola.
Burusa Parte mnima de una cosa o de la participacin econmica de un
negocio ej. "de las ganancias lo que me quedo fue una burusa".
Buzo Persona que mira fijamente pero con disimulo a otra con intenciones
morbosas o sexuales a alguien, mirn, fisgn, voyeaur.
Caballito frenao Botella de ron marca Pampero, esta hace referencia al logo
de la marca.
Cabeza de rodilla Expresin con la que cariosamente se alude a los calvos
o personas con una alopecia severa.
Cabeza de gevo Expresin que define a una persona por su falta de
razonamiento, idiota, tonto, tambin se utiliza para referirse a la terquedad de
un individuo, tambin se utiliza como sinnimo de estupidez.
Cabulla Cuerda, soga, linea.
Cachapa Comida tpica elaborada con maz, relacin lesbica.
Cachapera Lesbiana, dicese de mujer que mantiene relaciones intimas con

otras de su mismo sexo.

Cachicamo Armadillo.
Cachifa(o) Servidumbre, servicio, persona que trabaja en una casa al servicio
de otro, objeto sexual de los hijos del los dueos de la casa.
Cacho Infedelidad, cuerno, adulterio... te montaron cacho Tambin se le
llama a un cigarrillo de mariguana.
Caga leche define a una persona inmadura, infantil.
Cagante Define algo espectacular, muy bueno, excelente.
Cagao'e Zamuro Persona con mala suerte, al que nada le sale bien, (ver
Pava o Pavoso)
Caiman De procedencia dudosa, de mala calidad, feo. Contrario
aprofesional, hacer algosin seguir las reglas al pie de la letra, o sin
conocimiento. (ver caimanera).
Caimanera Evento o competicin deportiva de tipo informal, encuentro
deportivo donde todas las decisiones se toman de mutuo acuerdo entre los
participantes, imprescindible la "gaberita" de cerveza.
Caleta Agarrado, egosta, poco esplndido, persona que no invita a nada,
esconde sus pertenencias para no dar a los dems.
Cali gueva-Fastidio, Fastidiado, Aburrido, falto de sentido, desganado.
Caliche Denominacin despectiva con la que se designa a los nacidos en la
hermana repblica (Colombia)
Calienta guevo Dicese de las mujeres que provocan sexualmente, sin llegar
a nada.
Callapa Abusar de alguien, todos en contra de uno, caribear (ver caribear).
Camarn Marisco muy apreciado, llmase tambin a un descanso corto,
domir una siesta, reposar despus de comer.
Campanear Vigilar, seguir a algo a alguien.
Candela Peligroso, hay que tener cuidado... estuvo candela.
Cangrejera Cualidad de las mujeres (muy apreciada por los hombres) por

poseer una capacidad para contraer y dilatar los msculos vaginales.

Cangrejo Crustceo comestible muy rico, problema, rollo, caso difcil de
resolver. Se le llaman tambin a los crmenes sin resolver.
Carajo(ito) Persona o individuo, en diminutivo carajito.
Cariaquito Morao Flor de pequeo tamao, de color morado de olor muy
dulce a la cual se le atribuyen poderes mgicos, se utiliza principalmente
para protegerse contra el mal de ojo, la mala suerte y otras brujeras.
Caribear Apabullar, abusar de algo o alguien por su dbil condicin.
Caribes Peces carnvoros de gran agresividadtambien conocidos como
piraa o prinha, tribu indigena del sur de venezuela.
Carterita (de caa blanca) Botella pequea y plana, de aguardiente (ron
blanco)tambien llamada petaca.
Carupanero Persona nacida en Carpano, zona del oriente del pas, tambin
se le da el nombre a un chorizo que se fabrica con ese nombre, chorizo
carupanero.
Carure Nido de avispas.
Casco Blanco Policia Metropolitano caracterizado por su don de dialogo y
raciocinio. Se recomienda no llevarle la contraria sobre todo si tiene una
plana (ver Plana o Planazo).
Casquillero Zizaero, ponzooso, dicese de aquel que mete el chisme para
enfrentar a dos o mas personas. El que prende un peo (ver peo) y se va.
Catanare Vehculo automotor en estado lamentable, se reconoce por su
antena en forma de gancho de ropa y la calcomana de WINNGS.
Catire Persona con el pelo claro, rubio, extranjero.
Cepillado (En Maracucho Cepillao): Helado rudimentario elaborado con
raspaduras de hielo y decorado con colorante artifical fuertemente
azucarado. Puede ser completado con leche condensada.
Cipote Sujeto desagradable. Lugar lejano y desconocido a donde se enva la
gente desagradable. "!Vete pal' cipote!"
Coba Mentira, embuste, algo que no es cierto.

Cobero Mentiroso, persona que miente, accion de cobear CocosEs la

definicion para unos senos que se salen de lo normal y se puede combinar
con palabras, sendos cocos.
Cobre Define a una moneda (5 Cntimos) de color cobrizo, se define como
dinero.
Cobres (Dinero). Instrumento legal de pago. "Teniis cobres?".
Cobrito Moneda de cinco cntimos de Bolvar, ya en deshuso. "Veinte
cobritos es un Bolvar".
Cocada Dulce de coco rallado o cortado en migajas con panela o azcar.
Coje culo-Desorden, despelote, situacin sin control.
Cojer Coito, Copular, hacer el amor, (ver tirar).
Cojonera dolor en los testculos por abundancia de semen
Cola Llevar a una persona a un lugar de destino comn sin pagar, tambin
se define como la colilla del cigarrillo antes de apagarse.
Colear(se) Saltarse un orden, colarse, entrar sin permiso... se colearon en mi
fiesta.
Coleto Utensilio domestico para limpiar el piso, mopa, fregona.
Como un peo Velozmente, rpido.
Conchale Expresin de sorpresa, exclamacin ante una situacin.
Conchuo(a) Caradura, sinvergenza, se dice de aquella persona que hace
las cosas sin imprtale sus consecuencias.
Conejo Persona inocente y crdula, sin malicia.
Convive Dicese de a quel que cohabita con otros, vecino.
Coazo(a) Golpe, impacto, coazote golpe grande, pelea mltiple.
Coo'e Madre Dicese de aquel individuo que acta de mala fe perjudicando
al prjimo conscientemente, tambin designa a una mala situacin.
Copeyano Simpatizante de parido poltico venezolano, Social Cristiano

COPEY.
Coroto Utensilio, pertenencia, artefacto.
Cotizas (Cholas) Calzado para usar en la casa o al baqarse generalmenteno
cubre todo el pie.
Cuaima Serpiente, culebra, por extensin mujer tramposa, despiadada y
cruel.
Cuajo Mujer fea.
Cuatro pepas-Palabra compuesta que define a los que utilizan lentes.
Cuatro Guitarrilla tpica con cuatro cuerdas.
Cuca Organo reproductor femenino, herida profunda, tambien se le llama
hucha, alcancia o papo.
Cuchara Lo mismo que cuca, pero cuando se come en ella.
Cuero Papel muy fino, utilizado para envolver droga, marihuana, hachs, etc.
Culebra Problema, malentendido o discusin con posible contacto fsico, por
lo general degenera en coaza (ver coaza)
Culillo Miedo, susto a algo o alguien.
Culilluo Miedoso, persona asustadiza.
Curda(o) Bebidas alcohlicas o persona que bebe en exceso, estado etlico.
Chalequear Burlarse, rerse o mofarse de alguien.
Chamba Trabajo, ocupacin remunerada.
Chamo(a) Muchacho o muchacha joven, adolescente
Chchere Cosa o artefacto genrico.
Chevere Bien, estar en buen estado, o cuando algo es agradable.
Chicha Bebida refrescante hecha con arroz, leche condensada y vainilla, es
blanca y espesa.
Chicharron Piel del cerdo crujiente, ultima parte de un cigarrillo de

marihuana.
Chichn de piso Persona bajita, enano, pequeo.
Chimbo todo Todo malo (ver Chimbo)
Chimbo Malo, en mal estado, situacin desagradable.
Chinchorro Hamaca, franja de tela tejida y anclada en dos puntos que
produce un movimiento oscilante, muy utilizada en los llanos.
Chinita Nombre carioso con que el pueblo Zuliano designa a supatrona, la
Virgen de Chiquinquira.
Chipi chipi-Molusco pequeo y comestible al que se atribuyen efectos
afrodisacos.
Chiripa Cucaracha pequea. Partido poltico minsculo.
Chirrinchera Camioneta pickup acondicionada en su parte trasera contecho y
asientos de fabricacin casera, utilizada para transportar goajirosen gran
cantidad.
Chivera Venta de partes de vehculos siniestrados, chatarra, desguace.
Chivo Persona con influencias sociales y econmicas, generalmente con un
puesto en la poltica o cargo relevante... mi to es un chivo.
Chola Calzado informal y cmodo para andar por casa, por lo general hecho
de plstico, tambin se le llama al acelerador de los automviles, en algunos
casos significa rpido, hacer algo con rapidez, con mucha prisa.
Choro Ladron, amigo de lo ajeno, el que no respeta la propiedad. Chopo
Arma de fuego de fabricacin casera.
Chupa medias-Igual que Jala-Bola (ver Jala-Bola) adulador, cobista.
Chuzo Arma blanca, se hace con cualquier objeto metlico y es de uso
habitual en las crceles o retenes. Inexplicablemente proliferan de forma
escandalosa.
Date Expresin para incitar a alguien a hacer algo. "!Date con furia!"
De bola Afirmacin, consentimiento, algo seguro.
De chiripa, de vaina Hecho casual o fortuito. "Llegu de chiripa". Dejar el

Pelero: Dejar abandonada una persona o no corresponder a un compromiso.

De pinga Expresin que denota satisfaccin, cuando estamos de acuerdo en
algo o esta bien, todo bien, bajo control... la fiesta estuvo de pinga.
Del Carajo Muy bien, esta super, expresin que denota satisfaccin.
Despalomao Despistado.
Despelote Desorden, zaperoco (ver zaperoco).
Domin Tipo de arepa rellena con frijoles negros (caraotas) y queso blanco
rallado.
Echa perros Ver "Buitre"
Echarle Bolas Expresin que denota emprender algo, empezar con
entusiasmo.
Empatarse Unin entre dos personas, ser novio de...
Empate Novia, pareja, compaero, vinculo entre dos personas.
Emulsin de Scott Marca comercial del aceite de hgado de bacalao, cuya
etiqueta representaba a un marinero con un bacalao al hombro, esto se
presta para hacer burla de aquellos que tiene una novia fea o poco agraciada
fsicamente, haciendo el comentario de llevar tu bacalao al hombro
Encaletarse Guardarse algo, reservar, esconder algo para que no nos lo
pidan los dems, ver caleta.
Encanado Preso, persona privada de libertad... encanaron Carlos.
Encarpado volumen en el pantaln producido por la ereccin del miembro
masculino.
Enchavado(ar) Desprestigiado, sin reputacin, tambin se define como aquel
individuo bajo los efectos de las drogas.
Encucao Expresin que viene de la palabra cuca (ver cuca), hombre con una
fuerte dependencia sexual para con una determinada mujer que le impide ser
dueo de sus actos, ejerciendo sobre este una influencia que le impide tomar
decisiones por si mismo.
Engorilarse Ponerse bruto, no razonar ante una situacin, mezcla entre

terquedad y violencia.
Engayabao Enamorado, perturbado por una situacin, por lo general de
ndole sentimental.
Enhierrao Persona que porta un arma de fuego. (ver hierro)
Enpiernao Enamorado, persona unida otra por el sexo, relacin de
entrepierna, tambin se le llama encucao (ver encucao).
Enratonao Resaca, persona que sufre las consecuencias de una borrachera.
Envenar(nao) Accion de modificar una maquina o aparato para obtener un
mayor rendimiento, envenear un motor, etc.
Esguaingao Roto, inservible, desarreglado.
Farandulero Individuo el cual se mezcla y relaciona con artistas.
Filo Hambre, apetito, ganas de comer.
Firi firi-Persona extremadamente delgada.
Flux Traje formal, imprescindible en las rumbas (ver rumba) o discotecas de
moda, de uso obligatorio para acceder a una fiesta.
Fosforito Explosivo pirotcnico usado en Navidad, sonido medianamente
fuerte, tambin se dice de aquel que se enfurece con facilidad.
Fria Forma coloquial con la que se define a la cerveza, dicese de la cerveza
Polar.
Friqueado Dicese de aquel que esta molesto, falto de animo, acongojado.
F Expresin utilizada para denominar algo desagradable. . . . tu si eres f.
Ful Palabra que proviene del ingls Full (lleno), completo, atiborrado,
saturado. Arma de fuego. (ver hierro)
Fumao Se le dice a quin est bajo la influencia de drogas o sustancias
psicotropicas.
Furro (Furruco). Instrumento de percusin compuesto por un barril encuyo
parche, hecho de una vejiga de toro o de un cuero templado, se
apoyaverticalmente una varilla encerada, que al ser frotada de arriba
haciaabajo alternativamente con los dedos de ambas manos, produce un

sonidosordo.
Furruco Instrumento musical muy utilizado para la interpretacin de msica
navidea, esta compuesto de una varilla sobre un cuero prensado y que por
medio de friccin sobre esta varilla produce un sonido grave y ronco.
Furruqueado Dicese de algo muy usado, gastado, en mal estado o
estropeado por el uso continuado.
Furula Funcionar, marchar, activarse.
Gafo Tonto, inepto, ignorante poco capacitado.
Gaita Canto popular navideo, tpico del Zulia, en el que alternan elsolista y
el coro. De ritmo vivaz, mezcla de 6 x 8 y 3 x 4, marcado porlos instrumentos
acompaantes, y armona oscilante de mayor a menor oviceversa. Se canta
en homenaje a Santa Luca, San Benito, la virgen dela Chiquinquira, y
tambiin se dedica a personas o a sucesos varios. Se usa tambin para
protestar.
Gaitear Interpretar la gaita Zuliana.
Gaitero Intrprete de la gaita.
Gajo Escondite, refugio, guarida.
Gamelote Despojo vegetal sin ningn valor, hablar gamelote, habla-paja.
Gargajo Saliva, flema, porcin de saliva expulsada por la boca.
Gran Carajo Palabra despectiva con la que se define a un individuo.
Gachafita Ambiente festivo y de bromas.
Gachiman Palabra compuesta proveniente del ingles que se compone de
watch (mirar) y man (hombre) hombre que mira, es decir vigilante o persona
que cuida.
Gacuco Molusco ms grande que el "chipi chipi".
Guramo Valenta arrojo, "Hay que tener mucho guramo".
Garandinga Expresin proveniente de la zona de Barquisimeto que define
una situacin o estado.

Garapita Bebida de frutas con caa blanca (aguardiente)

Garapo Jugo de caa de azcar con limn.
Gaya Cadena de oro, plata etc. muy gruesa y de mucho valor muy
apreciada por los malandros. (ver malandros)
Gayoyo Cafe muy clarito. (aguado)
Gebon Tonto, torpe en grado mximo.
Gebonada Situacin, u objeto al que se le da poco valor.
Gevo Organo reproductor masculino, esta expresin se mezcla con otras
palabras para proferir insultos de todo tipo.
Gevo Pelao-Entendido, experto, hbil, persona con talento.
Giso Negocio turbio y sospechoso.
Gocho Persona nacida el la zona andina del pas, se caracteriza por su
forma de hablar. Son personas trabajadoras y amables, salvo ciertas y
"conocidas" excepciones.
Gochilandia Regin de los andes venezolanos.
Hacer una vaca Recoger fondos entre varias personas con un fin comn,
recolecta de dinero.
Hediondo Persona que huele mal, se utiliza para insultar refirindose al
cuidado personal de un individuo.
Hierro Arma de fuego. Revolver o Pistola.
Honguitos Nombre que se les da a los policas de circulacin de chacao
(municipio de Caracas), debido a su curioso sombrero en forma de hongo.
Hucha Alcancia, lugar donde se guardan pequeas porciones de dinero,
tambien hace referencia al organo reproductor fememnino (ver cuca).
Huele Pega Nios de la calle abandonados, los cuales se drogan con pega
de zapatero para mitigar el hambre.
Indio Persona inculta, con poco conocimiento sobre uno o varios temas, se
dice "estar indio" cuando desconocemos o no sabemos algo.

Intrepito Persona curiosa, se mete donde no lo llaman, expresin muy

utilizada por las cachifas (ver cachifa). Viene de la palabra intrpido.
Irenelandia Se le llama en tono de burla al municipio Chacao en Caracas, el
nombre es derivado de su alcaldesa, la ex-miss universo Irene Saez.
Jala bola-Indibiduo sin personalidad, adulador, complaciente individuo sin
opinin.
Jamn Beso con lengua.
Jamonear Accin continuada y sin pausa del beso con lengua.
Jeva Mujer, novia, resuelve, mi pior es n (ver mi pior es n).
Jbaro Se dice de aquel individuo que comercia con drogas, narcotraficante
de poca monta.
Joda Broma, vacile, meterse con alguien, burlarse de algo.
Jodienda Accion de burlarse, meterse con alguien de forma continuada, joda
(ver joda) de forma seguida.
Joropo Baile tpico venezolano, muy popular en los llanos venezolanos.
Jurungar Revisar, Tocar buscando algo, Palpar.
Kiluo Gordo, grueso, lleno, persona gorda o my rellena.
Ladilla Pequeo parsito que se suele alojar en lugares ntimos, dicese de
aquel individuo fastidioso, molesto, a quien todos evitan sin suerte.
Ladillado Fatidiado, aburrido, falto de ganas.
Landro Abreviacin de Malandro (ver Malandro)
Lata(s) Beso continuado, parecido al jamn pero mas "ensalivao". La pinga
Espresin que refiere una negacin, o negarse hacer algo decuidado o
peligroso.
Lavativa Broma pesada, burla. , preocupacisn. ej. !Qu lavativa!
Leche Suerte favorable, buena fortuna. (ver lechuo).
Leche e'burra Bebida compuesta de chicha con ans, recomendada para los

amantes de los canguros . (ratn gigante)

Lechuo Persona con suerte, dicese de aquel que sale airoso de cualquier
dificultad o percance.
Lechosa -- Fruta del lechoso, muy blanda y suave (ver papaya).
Lepe Golpe propinado en la cabeza, por lo general palmada con la mano
abierta que se da en la frente.
Limpio Persona sin dinero, pobre o sin bienes, estoy limpio de bola.
Llave Amigo, compaero, esto hace referencia a las carreras de caballos
donde 2 caballos corren en llave, como si fuese uno solo.
Locha Antigua moneda cuyo valor era 0.125 Bs; la mitad de un medio (0.25)
y los que recuerden el "pan de alocha"
Luca Expresin de se utiliza para definir 1000 Bolvares, me costo una luca.
Luquearse Ganar mucho dinero, negocio o actividad que da mucho dinero, te
estas luqueando.
Machete Hoja alargada y muy afilada utilizada en tareas agrcolas, tambin
se hace referencia al rgano masculino por su forma flica.
Machuque Relacin sexual furtiva y casual.
Malandro Individuo sin oficio ni beneficio, se dedica a molestar,
frecuentemente consumidor de drogas y alcohol.
Maleta Torpe, patoso, inepto.
Mama gevo-Insulto que se deriva de persona habituada a las felaciones.
Mamando Estar sin dinero, ver limpio.
Mamao Cansado, agotado, sin fuerzas.
Mamarro(a) Cosa enorme y vulgar.
Mandinga Diablo, persona muy malvola "Ese tipo es mandinga".
Mango bajito Se dice de persona facil, que la lo agarra todo el mundo.

Manguangua Algo facil, sin dificultad, sencillo, elemental,

Manguarear Perder el tiempo ociosamente.
Mapanare -- Culebra de los llanos venezolanos cuya mordedura es mortal,
tambien se le llama a la mujer o novia que tiene mal caracter.
Maracucho -- Persona oriunda del Estado Zulia, tambin se les llama
marabinos. Dicen las malas lenguas que los buenos se mueren de chiquitos.
Marico triste Gay reprimido que no ha encontrado su verdadera vocacin y
vive malhumorado.
Mariguanero Dicese de aquel individuo consumidor habitual de cannabis.
Martillo Pedigeo, persona que pide por placer de forma constante, su
principal objetivo es el dinero y cigarrillos.
Matraquear -- Accin de pedir un soborno. . . me matraquearon en la calle.
Metiche -- Persona entrometida.
Metra -- Ametralladora en lenguaje de malandros de barrio. Canica.
Mi pior es n Expresin que define a la novia o novio, dicese de los no
agraciados fisicamente, pero que resuelven una situacin de ndole sexual.
Mingo -- Esfera pequea que sirve como referencia en el juego de las Bolas
Criollas (ver Bolas Criollas) siendo el ganador el que quede mas cerca del
mingo.
Mocho -- Dicese de aquel que le falta un miembro, manco, amputado, falto
de un apndice, incompleto.
Moco -- Secrecion nasal, mujer fea.
Modess -- Marca comercial de toallas sanitarias, se utiliza de forma genrica
para definirlas.
Mojon -- Porcin de excremento slido, insulto.
Mojonero -- Mentiroso, que no dice la verdad, miente con facilidad.
Molleja -- Exclamacion, sorpresa, muy utilizada en en Maracaibo.

Mollejuo -- Lleno, repleto, resuelto, denota algo lleno o muy completo.

Mondongo -- Plato hecho a base del estmago de vaca o cerdo con
garbanzos, papa, chorizo, etc. muy parecido a los callos, de pesada
digestin.
Mono -- Persona marginal cuyo principal medio de transporte es una moto de
baja cilindrada y gran maniobrabilidad.
Monte -- Expresin utilizada para denominar a una porcin de marihuana.
Morocota -- Antigua moneda de plata de gran valor.
Mosca -- Estar atento, pendiente, sigiloso, prestar atencin a algo.
Murgano -- Mala persona, persona malvada, sin sentimientos.
Musiu Expresin con la que se define al extranjero, a veces de forma
cariosa o despectiva, segn la situacin.
Na'Gara Expresin de Barquisimeto, denota asombro o exclamacin.
Niche Persona de color o que vive en un lugar marginal, por lo general de
bajo nivel cultural y econmico.
Niple Explosivo de uso terrorista, por lo general casero que destruye
paredes, o vuela vehculos. (Peligroso).
No Jile Expresin llanera, equivalente a "no joda", pero ms suave. No va pal
baile-Persona poco deseada, la cual se evita, excluir, rechazar, echar a una
persona.
No hay Giro No hay problema.
Nota Bueno, Agradable, simptico, Buena nota, persona amable, en algunos
casos se refiere a un individuo bajo los efectos de la droga.
ngara Comunista, izquierdista.
apa Obsequio, regalo, cuando se compra o adquiere algo y se nos da un
poco mas sin coste adicional, ej. pedimos 1 Kg. de uvas y nos dan 1, 100Kg
los 100 gr. son de apa.
ero Poco hbil, torpe o que hace mal las cosas.
Oracio Expresin utilizada por los malandros (ver malandros) para definir una

pieza de oro, se refiere al oro.

Olo Persona bajo los efectos de la cocana.
Oranche Cualquier refresco sabor a naranja, hace referencia al refresco
Orange Crush.
Orasss... Expresin de los andes que denota llamada de antencin,
popularmente se usa como burla cuando alguien se equivoca o comete una
estupidez.
Pacheco -- Frio, destemplarse, baja temperatura.
Paco Diminutivo carioso de Francisco, tambin llamado al polica
(distinguido) de baja graduacin.
Pajuo -- Persona que abusa de la masturbacin, atontado, inepto, denota
poca confianza, no guarda secretos.
Palalanca Ayuda, favor, recomendacin, persona recomendada, tambin se
llama palanqueado.
Palo e'musico -- Trago o copa resuelta, bebida muy cargada o doble. Perico - Ave parlanchina, tambin refirese a una porcin de cocana.
Palo Forma referida a una bebida con alcohol, copa, vaso. . . . srveme un
palo de ron.
Palo(ito) -- Trago, Copa, bebida alcohlica.
Paloma Ave domestica, refirese al conjunto del rgano reproductor
masculino, persona hbil.
Palto Chaqueta de vestir, parte de arriba de un traje, saco de vestir.
Pana-burda tambin me informan que tiene su origen en la palabra inglesa
"partner" = compaero, amigo.
Pana -- Tiene su origen en la palabra pan -- panadera, significa amigo
compaero, colega.
Pangola Algo facil, sin problema.
Pantaleta -- Ropa interior femenina, parte de abajo, bikini.

Pantallero -- Presumido, presuntuoso, persona que alardea de algo.

Panza(zita) Fcil, sin dificultad, accin simple.
Papa Comida, alimento, vianda, comestible, tubrculo muy apreciado,
utilizado para acompaar a las comidas.
Papagallos -- (ver Papa-gallos), hacer alpargatas (ver alpargata) etc.
Papagayo -- Planta tropical que produce una flor en forma de ua, tambin
se le llama a una cometa.
Papaya -- Fruta tropical del papayo muy blanda (lechosa), se insina algo
que es fcil, sin dificultad.
Papeln Azucar negra pura resultante de la merma del jugo de caa, con la
cual se elabora una bebida tpica como es el papeln con limn.
Papo Vagina (ver cuca)se usa esta expresin cuando este toma unas
proporciones interesantes. . . . tremendo papo. !!!
Para para-Semilla de color negro, usada como amuleto de buena suerte.
Parar-bola -- Prestar atencin, hacer caso a algo o a una persona.
Parcha(ita) -- Fruta tropical muy dulce, con esta se define a los amanerados
y homosexuales.
Pargo -- Pez de muy buen sabor, tambin se refiere a persona con
ademanes o gestos amanerados (ingles = "red snapper").
Pasapalo -- Aperitivo, pequea porcin de comida que acompaa a un trago
o copa.
Pasita -- Licor de cambur, de muy buen sabor y de peores consecuencias
(ver ratn) se consume principalmente en la costa.
Pason -- Flojera, flojo, adormecido.
Pasoneado(a) -- Persona atontada y sin malicia ni reflejos.
Pata'e mingo Algo cercano, muy cerca, estar al pie del mingo en el juego de
bolas criollas, ej. estas a pata'e mingo.
Pata'e rolo -- Tranquilo, persona despreocupada, impasivo.

Patilla Sanda, meln de agua.

Pato -- Ave bpeda, plumfera, tambin se refiere a persona con ademanes o
gestos amanerados, ver parchita.
Patotero -- Pandillero, individuo que suele acompaarse de otros de su
calaa.
Pava Muchacha lisa y guapa.
Pavilo Hilo de mediana resistencia enrollado en una madeja, se utiliza para
volar los
Pavo (oso) Mala suerte, sin fortuna, tambin se le llama empavado
Pea -- Borrachera, embriaguez... ese tiene tremenda pea.
Peaje -- Forma de robo organizado, consiste en el pago de una cantidad de
dinero por pasar por un lugar, esto es cobrado por los malandros (ver
malandros) esto es comn en las zonas ms pobres y deprimidas.
Pecho cuadrado -- Botella de ron de dos litros, marca Cacique.
Pecueca -- Peloticas de sucio malolientes que se forman entre los dedos de
los pies.
Pela -- bola-Persona pobre, sin dinero, indigente.
Pelando -- Carecer de algo, no tener, estar sin dinero.
Pelo -- Unidad de medida indefinida, pero de poca duracin o cuanta.
"Esprate un pelo", "Muvete un pelo", etc.
Pelo e'cuca -- Persona con el pelo muy rizado, generalmente de color el cual
es casi imposible de despeinar.
Peln -- Persona con poco pelo, error, equivocacin.
Peluo -- Algo difcil de hacer, que tiene mucha dificultad, complicado.
Penca -- Porcion de mariguana lista para su consumo.
Pendejo -- Tonto, corto de mente, que se burlan de el.
Peero -- Enbarcacin tpica de madera, utilizada en el oriente del pas y en

la Isla de Margarita, destinada a la pesca.

Peo -- Flatulencia, tambin se le llama a una situacin comprometida,
problema o discusin. por lo general todos terminan siendo compadres.
Pepa -- Expresin que designa a una esfera u objeto en forma de circulo.
Pepazo -- Bala, proyectil, plomo a gran velocidad.
Perinola -- Juego popular venezolano que consiste en insertar un cilindro de
madera con un orificio en el centro dentro de un palo(se suele jugar a
"dospelaas")
Perol -- Artefacto, mquina, objeto en estado lamentable de poco valor o muy
deteriorado.
Perolita -- Expresin utiliza popularmente para definir a una lata de cerveza.
Peroln -- Camin muy deteriorado usado por la polica metropolitana para la
realizacin de "redadas selectivas" es decir, todo lo que se mueva, tambin
se conoce como jaula, furgn policial.
Piche -- Se dice de algo que esta en mal estado, podrido, pasado, no pato.
Pichirre -- Poco esplndido, tacao, avispao a la hora de pagar.
Picn -- Parte intima de nuestro cuerpo que mostramos o dejamos al
descubierto de forma involuntaria, siendo objeto de las miradas... le vi un
picn a la profesora.
Pifear -- Fracaso, intento fallido.
Pilas -- Persona avispada, estar pendiente, astuto, sagaz.
Pinga -- Organo reproductor masculino en total estado de reposo y con una
flacidez total.
Pintarse de colores Hacerse tarde.
Pisos -- Zapatos.
Plana -- Sable muy pulido y sin filo (por lo general) utilizado por la polica con
lo que se azota en los glteos, piernas y espalda a los manifestantes o los
que participan en un concierto de salsa, tambin se conoce como Peinilla.

Planazo -- Accin de golpear con una plan, (ver plana).

Pollo -- Secrecin o flema del catarro, (ver gargajo).
Portu -- Diminutivo de Portugus, tambin se pronuncia "Poltu".
Pulir -- hebilla(to)-Se le llama al acto de bailar muy "pegao" y con un roce
ritmico y constante.
Pure(to) -- Persona mayor, viejo, caduco, forma cariosa que hace referencia
a nuestros padres... mi pure esta bravo.
Quedao Persona sin ambicin, sin motivacion, con poco nimo.
Quedarse en el aparato Persona sin ambicin en la vida, que no avanza o
evoluciona.
Quemado(a) Persona que perdi sus habilidades o facultades.
Quesuo Dicese de aquel individuo con largos periodos de abstinencia sexual
y que ataca a cualquier ser viviente sin miramientos.
Quinchoncho Tipo de grano barato, parecido al garbanzo.
Rajar-Caa -- Beber alcohol en exceso, accin de beber.
Rancho(ito) Vivienda construida a base de zinc, cartones, latas, etc. ubicadas
en la periferia de las ciudades y que sirven como residencia a personas de
pocos recursos, lugar preferido por la polica para hacer los allanamientos.
Raqueta(tear) Revisar, Cachear, buscar algo a la fuerza o sin
consentimiento.
Rasca(do) Borracho, Borrachera, sinnimo de curda.
Raspao Granizado elaborado de forma artesanal de sabores variados,
tambin se dice de aquel que no aprueba una asignatura o materia en el
colegio, universidad, etc.
Rata(on) Persona con mal comportamiento, de malos sentimientos.
Raya Porcin de cocana alargada, desprestigio, desprestigiado.
Rayao Persona que tiene mala reputacin por actos del pasado.
Recogelatas Persona marginal que sobrevive recogiendo y vendiendo latas

de aluminio.
Redoblona Accin en la que participan 2 o mas personas en contra de una
sola.
Reina pepeada Tipo de arepa rellena con una especie de guiso de aguacate
y pollo.
Resuelve Amante ocasional.
Rolo Cilindro por lo general de madera, goma o metal, con aspecto flico
utilizado por la polica como traductor, o para responder a cualquier duda o
mal entendido que pueda surgir, en otros pases se conoce como porra o
macana. Rolo 'e vivoPersona sagaz, aprovechador, oportunista.
Rompe colchn Preparado de varias especies de moluscos. Es tpico del
oriente de Venezuela, al cual se le atribuyen propiedades afrodisacas.
Roncha Costra sanguinolenta seca, mujer fea o poco agraciada fsicamente.
Rueda-Libre -- Persona sin ropa interior, mujer sin sostn, hombre sin
calzoncillo.
Ruedas Hours... Pregunta: "Que tilingo se vacila tu bobo?" Respuesta: "Seis
Ruedas."
Rumba Fiesta, agasajo, reunin.
Scamelo! Expresion que indica estar harto de algo o de alguien.
Sacar la piedra Colmar la paciencia, no aguantar una situacin, molestar.
Sala Golpes propinados en la espalda, que recibe una persona el da de su
cumpleaos o de cualquier otra celebracin, santo, aniversario, etc. como
acto previo se entona una cancin que dice "yo te dare...
Salado Mala suerte, persona con una mala racha, poco afortunado.
Sapo Delator, Sopln, persona que no guarda un secreto.
Segunda Favor, ayuda, hacer una segunda.
Segundo frente Amante o querida.
Semforo de media noche Se dice de una persona fcil, en este caso, que

no la respeta nadie.
Sifrino Persona pudiente, por lo general denota una actitud despectiva hacia
los dems, que no sean de su mismo nivel social o econmico.
Singar Hacer el amor, sinnimo de tirar. (ver tirar).
Sbate!! Expresin dirigida referida a una persona que se golpea o cae
bruscamente .
Tabla Define a una billete de 100 Bolvares, pues este billete era de color
marrn, all lo de tabla.
Tachn Mala reputacin, accin en la cual se desprestigia a alguien, tambien
es el nombre utilizado por la Raza Gouajira (indigena del Zulia) para referirce
a sus hijos (algo como chamo).
Tapara Fruto de rbol tropical que al secarse queda hueco por dentro
permitiendo el almacenamiento de lquidos.
Taguara Lugar de mala muerte, puede ser un burdel, licoreria, venta de
comida.
Teipe Forma coloquial con la que se denomina a la cinta aislante, tira de
plstico fina con pegamento utilizada para unir o aislar algo.
Tercio Dicese de la cerveza Polar, contenida en una botella de un tercio de
litro.
Tombo Policia, agente de la ley, uniformado.
Tinoquito Expresin popular que se le dio los billetes de 1 y 2 Bolvares.
Tiquismiqui Persona muy delicada, amanerada y chismosa.
Tierruo Forma despectiva de referirse a las personas que viven en barriadas
con piso de tierra, en contacto directo con ella.
Tirar Hacer el amor, coito, copular.
Tracala Estafa, negocio dudoso o con posibilidad de fraude, engao, timo.
Tracalero Estafador, persona que engaa en un negocio, individuo de
dudosa confianza.
Torque Tambien conocido como "Tolque", moto de pequea cilindrada

(125cc. ) utilizada por los mensajeros Triki

Traki Explosivo pirotcnico usado en Navidad, sonido dbil.
Tranfor(mista) Persona que cambia de sexo, travestido, hombre que se viste
de mujer, travest.
Tumba Rancho-Explosivo pirotcnico usado en Navidad, sonido fuerte. (por
su nombre se denota que destruye ranchos=chabolas).
Turco Se le llama a lo nacidos en Turquia que se dedican a la venta
ambulante de ropa.
Tuyuyo Protuverancia, bulto, dicese de algo hinchado o sobresaliente.
Tumbao Robado, persona vctima de un robo o despojado de sus bienes.
Ultraman Serie de televisin japonesa cuyo protagonista se la pasaba
luchando contra monstruos, de ello se le llaman asi a las personas que solo
"levantan" mujeres feas. (solo levanta monstruos).
Upa Cachete! Expresin que denota asombro o sorpresa casi siempre
relacionado con el fsico de una persona.
Vacilar(e) Engaar, tomar el pelo, no hablar en serio, burlarse.
Vaciln Dicese de un rumor o calumnia de otra persona, con lo cual todo el
mundo se burla de esta de una forma reiterada.
Vaina Palabra universal que define cualquier objeto, situacin, utensilio,
herramienta, cosa, percance, etc. Centroamerica=chunches, ingles="stuff."
Vyalo Afirmacin, acuerdo, dale, adelante, procede.
Ven Expresin muy utilizada para hacer referencia a industria bajo el control
nacional, (nacionalizada) el resto ya lo saben.
Verano(neo) Abstinencia sexual prolongada, persona que no mantiene
relaciones sexuales.
Verdura Expresin de afirmacin o verdad, Tienes razn eso es verdura.
Verga Expresin de asombro (ver Vergacin)
Vergacin Denota asombro, sorpresa, susto, algo inesperado, muy utilizado

por los Maracuchos (ver Maracucho) en ingls "vergueishon".

Vergajo Persona desagradable, termino despectivo.
Versia Versin no grosera de "Verga"
Violn Sudor maloliente debajo de los brazos.
Virolo Bizco.
Vuelto mierda Ir demasiado rpido, tambin se refiere a una persona u objeto
en mal estado.
Yanqui Hace referencia de una forma despectiva a los provenientes o
nacidos en los estados unidos.
Yeso Se le llama al recubrimiento formado por una venda con yeso para la
inmovilizacin de un miembro por una fractura o rotura de un hueso.
Yeyo Espasmo, perdida del conocimiento, indispocicin repentina.
Zagaletn Dicese de aquel individuo que no hace nada o no se le conoce
profesin, persona que delinque y esta la mayor parte del tiempo en la calle,
callejero.
Zamuro Se le llama a un ave carroera venezolana y a las personas que
trabajan en funerarias (ambos relacionados a muertos). Brazil portugues =
Urub; Colombia = Gallinazo; Mex/Centroamerica = Zopilote (de Nahuatl =
Zopilotl).
Zanahoria Persona de hbitos sanos, vegetariano, no toma alcohol, no fuma,
hace vida saludable.
Zape Expresin que designa atencin o cuidado ante una situacin.
Zaperoco Revuelo, falta de orden, desorden.

10 expresiones coloquiales en portugus brasileo

1. Filho / Cara: hijo / amigo
2. A galera: los chicos
3. Gato / gata, gatinho / gatinha: chico guapo, chica guapa

4. Chapado / Chapada: borracho

6. Combinar (um encontro): organizarse
7. Isso demais ! / Muito legal: Increble
8. Um maluco: un loco
9. Mentira ! Ta brincando: No es verdad! Me ests tomando el pelo?
10. Isso chato: che aburrimiento

Jergas mexicanas?
Wey. Para referirse a alguien. Tambien puede ser ofensivo como decir que wey estas o sea que
tonto.
Morro/a. Para referirse a alguien pero de una forma mas bulgar.
Bato. Para referirse a alguien (hombre)
Fresa. Alguien que se cree mucho (el prototipo de un fresa seria, bonito, con dinero, popular, etc.)
Naco. Corriente (o lo contrario de fresa)
Que oso. Que verguenza.
No manches. Cuando algo te impresiona.
No mames. Cuando algo te impresiona.
Asco. Cuando no estas de acuerdo con algo.
Que onda. Normalmente se usa como saludo como un hola, podria ser tambien como
interrogando algo (ejemplo: Que onda con tu vida?, que onda con eso?)
Buena onda. Que es buena persona, que te cae bien.
Mala onda. Que es mala persona, que te cae mal.
Es la onda. Que te agrada mucho, que esta de moda.
Que cura. Que gracioso, tambien se usa por ejemplo cuando te la pasaste muy bien! y dices
agarramos mucha cura (nos divertimos mucho)
Mala Copa. Cuando quedas mal con amigos, conocidos etc. por ejemplo dices que saldras con ellos
pero nunca lo haces.
Deja abajo. Es lo mismo que mala copa pero se usa mas en el norte de Mxico, es cuando dices
que iras a la reunion a la fiesta etc. pero nunca vas.
Culero. Podria definirse como mala persona.
Sangron. Que te crees mucho.
Te la baaste. Cuando algo te salio muy muuuuy bien o dijiste algo muy gracioso.
Te la mamaste. Cuando algo te salio muy muuuuy bien o dijiste algo muy gracioso.
Mamn. Mala persona
Ojete. Mala persona.

Machin. Mucho (por ejemplo te gusta karla? si machin) jaja se usa mucho en el norte.
Simon. Si
Nel. No
Compa, Cuate, camara.- Amigo
Cosa, cosita. Se usa mucho en el norte del lado del pacifico (oeste) Lo utilizan para referirse a algo
muy tierno o a algo que les causa ternura. (muy usado en nias fresas)
Wakis.- Asko (Muy usado en fresas, y esto pasa con muchas palabras que le ponen terminacion IS)
Wila.- En el centro del pas y nose si en el sur tambien significa (prostituta) en el norte significa que
eres alguien muy delgada.
Aguas.- Se utiliza para decir cuidado!
Cojer. Tener sexo, ejemplo (quiero cojer)
Cochar. Sinonimo de cojer
P_ a_ n_ o_ c_ h_ a, P e p a.- Vagina
V_ e_ r_ g _a.- Pene
Equiz.- O sea que te da igual. Te importa en lo mas minimo.
Que pedo.- Es un saludo como un hola como el "Que onda"
Chale.- Cuando algo sale mal, o cuando te sientes tirste y dices chale.
Awitado.- Cuando te sientes triste
Poca madre.- Cuando algo es muy buen asi como ese grupo esta de poca o de poca madre.
Chido.- Que te gusta que es muy bueno (esa pelicula esta bien chida!)
Padre.- Que te gusta que es muy bueno (Esa pelicula esta bien padre!)
Meche.- Mitotero, chismoso.
Chela.- Cervesa
Chesco.- Refresco
chingado!.- Cuando estas enojadocomo un reclamo
Chintegua!.- Lo mismo que chingado
Chilango.- Gente del Edo de Mexico o del DF
Madrear.- Golpear
Madriza, putiza.- Golpiza
Zope.- Tonto
Ruco/a.- Adultos, ancianos, personas mayores.
Me cae gordo.- Que te cae mal
Neta.- Que es verdad, es en serio.
Chingon.- Que es muy bueno mmm es dificil de explicar es como para decir el mejor de los
mejores. Este es el mas chingon de todos!
Ardido.- que se quedo con recentimiento coraje de algo. Por ejemplo (Esteban esta ardido porque
monica lo dej)
Me cae.- Para decir Se me hace, por ejemplo (me cae que est mal)
neta- verdad
chido(a) - padre, cool...
Wey: uff, esta si esta difcil, se convina con todo tipo de oraciones y segn con la oracin que este

es el significado que toma, esta expresin se utiliza para referirse a una persona puede ser
ofensiva , neutra o chistosa.
Alburean: bromean
chale: cuando algo sale mal
ekis= una manera de decir " me es irrelevante" "me da igual" " ni muy muy ni tan tan"
que pedo?: q onda?! jaja
atm= se le dice a un amigo siglas A Toda Madre q es buena onda
No manches: es como decir, no te pases! o como crees!.

52 Palabras que hay que saber para hablar como un

mexicano
La jerga mexicana es conocida en todos los pases donde se habla el idioma espaol.Las
telenovelas y doblajes de las series en otros idiomas nos han hecho a la mayora de los
hispanos hasta de adoptar muchas de las expresiones coloquiales mexicanas. Sin embargo,
como en todas partes, la jerga rural y la de los jvenes est a menudo alejada del
vocabulario de las personas que manejan los medios de comunicacin y lleva tiempo en ser
incorporada a los parlamentos a los que usualmente estamos expuestos.
Adems, hoy en da, como todos estos productos audiovisuales son considerados de
exportacin se hace el esfuerzo de neutralizar el habla. Por eso, hay expresiones que son
absolutamente desconocidas para el que no ha aprendido a hablar en espaol en Mxico o
ha pasado una cantidad importante de tiempo con mexicanos o viviendo en ese pas.
Para comenzar a explorar la jerga mexicana, aqu estn algunas de las expresiones ms
comunes
El mexicano no hace las cosas a la fuerza, las hace a huevo

El mexicano no tiene amigos, tiene cuates

El mexicano no tiene hermanos del alma, tiene carnales
En Mxico no hay tipos, hay weys
El mexicano no es guapo o guapa, es cuero
El mexicano no se emborracha, se pone al gorro o de jarras
El mexicano no es simptico, es buena onda

El mexicano no nada en la piscina, nada en la alberca

El mexicano no sirve la comida en bandejas, lo hace en charolas
El mexicano no se enloquece momentneamente, se le bota la canica
Para el mexicano las cosas no es algo genial, est chido
El mexicano no tiene dinero, tiene lana
Para el mexicano las cosas no estn muy bien, estn padre
El mexicano no tiene nios, tiene chamacos
El mexicano no es adolescente, es un chavo o una chava
El mexicano no da golpes, da madrazos
El mexicano no hace carios, apapacha
El mexicano no se pone triste, se agita
Los mexicanos no terminan una relacin, truenan
El mexicano no va a la discoteca o a un nightclub, va al antro
El mexicano no toma cervezas, toma chirrias o chelas
El mexicano no es tonto, es baboso
El mexicano no hace tonteras, hace babosadas o tarugadas
El mexicano no come aperitivos, come botanas
El mexicano no come man, come cacahuates
El mexicano no come tomate, come jitomates
El mexicano no come arvejas, come chcharos
El mexicano no come helados, toma nieves
Los mexicanos no comen bocadillos o sndwiches, comen tortas
El mexicano no tiene trabajo, tiene chamba

El mexicano no trabaja, chambea

En Mxico no hay monos, hay changos
En Mxico no hay rubios, hay geros
Los mexicanos no son bajos, son chaparritos
Los mexicanos no revisan las cosas, las checan
El mexicano no dice que no, dice naranjas
El mexicano no dice la verdad, dice la neta
El mexicano no dice no molestes o no puede ser, dice no manches o ms groseramente
no mames
El mexicano no dice claro o vamos, dice rale
Los mexicanos no tienen mal gusto, son nacos
Los mexicanos no son snobs, son fresas
Los mexicanos no dicen Dgame, dicen mande
Los mexicanos no tienen mam y pap, tienen jefe y jefa
En Mxico los sitios no estn lejos, estn por la fregada
Los mexicanos no llevan a la gente gratis en el auto, les dan aventones
Los mexicanos no van a prisin, van al bote
En Mxico algo no est complicado, est canijo
El mexicano no da atencin, el mexicano te pela
Los mexicanos no andan con gente, andan con la plebe
El mexicano no habla con doble sentido, lo hace al albur
En Mxico no hay autobuses, hay camiones
Los mexicanos no usan coches para los bebs, usan carriolas

Madre y sus derivados pueden significar cantidad, importancia, calidad moral, estado
fsico, sabor y hasta cobra caracterstica de verbo:
El mexicano no gana un salario bajo, gana una madre.
Al mexicano no le queda poco de algo, le queda una madre (y si es muy poquito una mini
madre o una madrecita)
El mexicano no se queda sin nada, no le queda ni madres.
El mexicano no tiene mucho de algo, tiene un putamadral.
El mexicano no es un patn, tiene poca madre.
El mexicano no es un desgraciado, no tiene madre, o poca abuela.
El mexicano no es un gran hijo de puta, es un hijo de su puta madre.
El mexicano no es simptico, es a toda madre.
El mexicano no va muy rpido, va a madres.
En Mxico algo no dur poco, no dur ni una madre.
En Mxico algo no tiene mal sabor, sabe a madres.
En Mxico las cosas no huelen mal: huelen a madres. Tampoco apestan, apestan a
madres.
El mexicano no dice malas palabras, echa madres.
El mexicano no queda impvido ante las cosas o no le importan, le valen madres.
El mexicano no dice que algo se estrope, dice que vali madre, o qued pala madre.
El mexicano no dice que ni loco va hacer algo, dice que ni madres.
El mexicano no hace las cosas gratis, las hace por pura madre.
Al mexicano no lo despiden del trabajo, ni se golpea fuerte, se da en la madre.
El mexicano no dice lo insult, dice le di en la madre.
El mexicano no es desinteresado, practica el valemadrismo.
Al mexicano no lo golpean fuerte, lo madrean, lo ponen madriza o le rompieron todo lo
que se llama madre.
El mexicano no se lamenta de algo, dice Qu madre!
El mexicano no est harto de todo, est hasta la madre.
En Mxico los lugares o las cosas no se llenan, estn hasta la madre.
El mexicano no est muy borracho, est hasta la madre.
Al mexicano no se le rompen las cosas, se le desmadran.
En Mxico no hay desastres, hay desmadres.
El mexicano no anda por mal camino, anda en el desmadre.
El mexicano no es rebelde, hace un desmadre.
El mexicano no anda mal, anda desmadrado.
El mexicano no es escptico, el mexicano no cree en madres.
Irnicamente, en una cultura machista como la hispana, en Mxico la palabra padre slo se
usa de una forma en jerga, como algo bueno. Est padre o padrsimo!

Jergas espaolas ??
Hay muchisimas yo te dejo unas cuantas, va?
> Flipar: alucinar
> Rallarse: aburrirse
> Cagarla: meter la pata, cometer un error
> Pirarse: irse
> Molar: gustar
> Petado: lleno
> Piti: cigarro
> Chorizo: ladrn
> Mangar: robar
> Litrar: hacer botelln, beber
> Se te va la pinza: desvarias
> Tronado: loco
> "Me la suda/pica": me da igual
> Chutarse: drogarse
> Ahuecar el ala: hacer sitio
> Pasma/ los maderos: la polica
> Cagado: miedica
> Echar ostias: correr
> Pimplar: tragar
> Mongolo: tonto
> Jarto: loco
> Parida: tontera
> Chorvo/a: chico/a
> Chaval: chico/a joven
> Echar patas: irse/correr
> Zafarse: librarse
> Mofas: risas
> Pringao: perdedor
> Empanado: atontado
> Cagarla: meter la pata
> Pillar: coger /entender
> Flipao: creido
> Marica: nenaza
> Corto: poco listo
> Bazofia: ******, malo, psimo...
> Cojonudo: genial
> Empalmar: continuar la fiesta de la noche al dia siguiente sin dormir

> Pinzar: encontrar pareja para la noche...

> Ligar: triunfar con el sexo opuesto...pinzar...
> Marcha: fiesta
> Estar de guasa: decir algo en bromas
> Chutarse: meterse droga (enloquecer)
> Carroza: pasado de moda (sinonimo de pringao)
> Geto: cara
> Timar: engaar
> Vacilar: tomar el pelo, bromear con alguien

El espaol no vomita, pota.

Al espaol no lo apalean, le cae la del pulpo.
El espaol no se emociona, se le hace el culo pepsicola.
El espaol no usa un pendrive, usa un pincho.
El espaol no dice 'dame esa cosa de ah, dice 'dame ese chisme'.
El espaol no es chismoso, es cotilla.
El espaol no es ordinario, es hortera
A El espaol no les gusta algo muchsimo, les gusta mogolln.
El espaol no tiene una gripe 'enorme', tienen una gripe 'del copn'.
El espaol no toma pastillas 'por montones', toma pastillas 'a saco', a cascoporro o por
un tubo.
El espaol no dice 'esto es genial', dicen 'esto mola' o me mola.
El espaol no es idiota, es gilipollas.
Al espaol no le parece que algo es genial, le parece guay.
El espaol no se molesta, se encabrona.
El espaol no se pone celoso, le da pelusilla.

Un espaol no un pesado hablador, es un grasas.

Para el espaol algo no es malo, es un tuo o una ful.
El espaol no tiene computadora, tiene ordenador.
El espaol no se pone sensible ni melanclico, se pone moas.
El espaol no es malandro, es choni o cani.
El espaol no se esfuerza al mximo, sino a tope.
El espaol no es un tipo genial, es el puto amo.
El espaol no se queda sin dinero, sino a dos velas o sin blanca.
El espaol no te ignora, pasa de ti.
El espaol no dice eso no me importa, dice a m, plin.
El espaol no va rpido, va a toda pastilla.
El espaol no exagera ni se excede, se pasa siete pueblos.
El espaol no est atento, est al loro.
El espaol no se traga el problema, se comen el marrn.
El espaol no va a trabajar ni trabaja, va al curro a currar.
El espaol no molesta, da la brasa.
El espaol no es musculoso, est cachas.
El espaol no se vuelve loco, se le va la olla o se le vuela la pinza.
El espaol no conquista, liga.
El espaol no es simptico, es majo.
El espaol no es mentiroso, es un trolero.
El espaol no se va de fiesta, sale de marcha.
El espaol no tiene gustos anticuados, es un carroza.

El espaol no tiene esposa, tiene parienta.

El espaol no dice que la discoteca est llena a reventar, dice que est petada.
El espaol no come papas, come patatas.
El espaol no dicen OK o bien, dice vale.
El espaol no hace ventas engaosas, te vende la moto.
El espaol no No te creo!, dice Venga ya!.
El espaol no estaciona en el estacionamiento, aparca en el parking.
El espaol no hace pip, hace pis.
El espaol no tiene una ereccin, est empalmado.
El espaol no ve un tmpano de hielo sino un iceberg (i-ce-ber).
El espaol no escribe en la pizarra sino en el encerado.
El espaol no hablar por su celular sino por su mvil.

Jerga espaola
Alfizar (reborde una ventana, especialmente inferior)
Babushas (sandalias marroques)
Botelln (beber en una plaza o espacio pblico)
Bollera / tortillera / camionera (lesbiana)
Cachas (mamado o musculoso)
Cantoso (que llama la atencin)
Caa/caita/tubo (vaso con cerveza)
Caada (camino trashumante)
Cardenales (moretones)
Chorizo (ladrn)
Con caa! (con energa)
Coazo/pesado (to inoportuno/agobio)
Coo! / Joder! / Ostia! / J! (mierda! rale!)
Coo/Chumino/Chocho/Conejo (culo u rgano sexual femenino)
Correrse (eyacular)

Cotilla (chisme)
Cotillear (chismear)
Chapado (cerrado)
Chapar (estudiar)
Chepa (joroba)
Chirra (sonido estridente o comentario fuera de lugar)
Chollo/Chollazo (ganga)
Chumbera (tuna)
Chumbo (penca)
Cuco (pillo)
Cupn (billete de lotera)
Curro/laboro (trabajar)
De marcha (beber en distintos lugares)
Descompuesto (enfermo)
En Madr la pea se pilla unos pedos de jarlopa del ocho (la banda se pone de
coca que no mames)
Es de la acera de enfrente / amarga como los pepinos / pierde aceite (forma
despectiva de llamar gay)
Ese to entiende (forma cordial de llamar gay)
Est a tomar por culo! / Esta en la quinta pueta! / Est en el quinto pino! /
Est en el quinto coo! / Est donde el Cristo perdi la alpargata! / Est donde
Cristo dio el ltimo grito (Est muy lejos)
Est como un tren! / Est como un camin! / Est reventn! (Est buensimo)
Est de regalada (est de ofrecida)
Est como una regadera! /Est como una chota! (Estar loco)
Ests de coa (ests bromeando)
Follar (coger)
Flipado (alucinado)
Rucula (frijolazo)
Gamberrete/gamberro (malo y simptico)
Garrulo/Castrojo/Paleto/Cateto (redneck u hombre rural)
Gilipollas (imbcil)
Gilipuerta/Estar rayado (obsesionarse por algo)

Hacer un calvo (ensear el trasero)

Hinchado (haber comido o bebido demasiado)
Judas (frijoles)
Leja (cloro)
Machorra (mujer masculina)
Mala foll (mal actitud)
Mamarracho (tonto)
Majo (buena onda)
Marrn/folln (problema gordo)
Me cago en la leche que te dieron / Me cago en la leche que te dieron a mamar /
Me cago en tus muertos (insultos)
Me gusta un folln! / Me gusta un mogolln! (me gusta mucho)
Meterse en el sobre/ irse a la cama / abrirse
Mojn (mierda o sealizacin limtrofe)
Mola/mola mazo (me gusta/me gusta mucho)
Morro (de poca vergenza)
No des por culo / Deja de dar por culo (djame en paz)
Of! (Vaya!)
Ostia / Me cago en la leche (exclamacin como: maldicin! mierda!)
Paja/gayola (manuela)
Pegan mucho (congenian mucho)
Pijo (fresa)
Pijo/Picha/Polla (pene)
Pillate el buga que nos damos un rulo por la M-30 (agarra el carro para manejar
un rato por la M-30)
Pitanza (banquete)
Pringar (trabajar de manera explotada)
Pringue (grasa)
Qu chungo! (qu jodido!)
Rajar (soplar)
Rollo bollo (lesbianismo)
Soplapolla
Soplagaita

Te voy a dar una leche / te voy a dar una ostia (te voy a pegar)
Tronco/to/macho/guapo (cuate o amigo)
Un polvo (cogida)
Vete a tomar por culo (vete a la mierda)
Zafa (palangana)

https://www.google.com.pe/?gws_rd=ssl#q=los+significados+de+just+en+ingles
http://menuaingles.blogspot.com/2009/05/groserias -rude-words_10.html

Retard / Idiot / Stupid

Spanish insults for times when a person's intelligence is in
question.
Pinche idiota - Fuckin' idiot

Ugly
Spanish insults for times when a person's appearance is in
question.
Tu madre es una puta fea - Your mother is an ugly bitch

Bastard / Son of a bitch / Faggot / Gay / Asshole

Spanish name calling, generally directed at males.
Bastardo - Bastard
Besa mi culo, puto - Kiss my ass, Bitch
Hijo de puta - Son of a Bitch
Hijo de tu puta madre - Son of a Bitch
Joto - Faggot / Gay
Maricn - Faggot
Pendejo - Jackass / Asshole
Puto - Male prostitute / Man whore
Usted es un joto - You're gay

Bitch / Whore / Slut / Cunt

Spanish name calling, generally directed at females.

Perra - Bitch
Pinche puta - Fuckin' bitch
Puta - Bitch / Whore
Tu madre es una puta - Your mom is a whore
Tu madre es una puta fea - Your mother is an ugly bitch
Yo cago en la leche de tu puta madre - I shit in your whore mother's milk

Ass / Dick / Cunt / Groin

Spanish for cursing the body parts.
Besa mi culo, puto - Kiss my ass, Bitch
Beso mi culo - Kiss my ass
Besame el culo - Kiss my ass
Culo - Ass
La concha de tu madre - Your mother's cunt
La concha tuya - Your cunt
La ingle - Groin
Me encanta tu culo - I love your ass
Mtetelo por el culo - Stick it up your arse
Pendejo - Jackass / Asshole
Tu hermano no tiene la ingle - Your brother has no groin
Verga - Dick
Vete a la verga culero - Fuck you asshole (Lit. Go to a dick)
Vete a la mierda! - Kiss my ass!

Shit
One of the "dirtier" Spanish swear words. Bad pun, I know.
Cagaste y saltaste en la caca - You shit and jumped in it
Cago en tu leche - I shit in your milk
Caquita de la vaquita - Cow shit
Hueles a mierda - You smell like shit
Me cago en la leche! - Shit I've had bad luck! (literally "I shit in the milk")
Mierda - Shit
Yo cago en la leche de tu puta madre - I shit in your whore mother's milk

Fuck
The all-round, multi-purpose Spanish swear word.

Cabron - Mother fucker

Chinga tu hermana - Fuck your sister
Chinga tu madre - Fuck your mom/mother
Chinga usted - Fuck you
Chingate - Fuck you / Go fuck yourself
Cojeme - Fuck me
Jode tu madre ayer noche - I fucked your mother last night
Joder - To fuck (As in having sex)
No me jodas - Don't fuck with me
Pinche idiota - Fuckin' idiot
Pinche puta - Fuckin' bitch
Qu chingados!!! - What the fuck?!
Vete a la verga culero - Fuck you asshole (Lit. Go to a dick)
Vete a la verga ruco/ruca - Fuck you senor/senorita
Yo ching a tu madre - I fucked your mother

Yo Momma
Because nothing gets a person fired up like insulting their mother in
Spanish.
Chinga tu madre - Fuck your mom/mother
Jode tu madre ayer noche - I fucked your mother last night
La concha de tu madre - Your mother's cunt
Tu madre es una puta - Your mom is a whore
Tu madre es una puta fea - Your mother is an ugly bitch
Yo cago en la leche de tu puta madre - I shit in your whore mother's milk
Yo ching a tu madre - I fucked your mother

Horny
Or maybe all these Spanish insults and swears have had another
affect?
Cachondo - Horny
Estoy Cachondo - I am horny
Tengo ganas - I am horny
Tienes ganas? - Are you horny? (literally 'Are you in the mood?')

Non-Insulting Swear Words

The more colorful Spanish words, without the added insults.

Me cago en la leche! - Shit I've had bad luck! (literally "I shit in the milk")
Me encanta tu culo - I love your ass
Qu chingados!!! - What the fuck?!
Qu chingados es eso?! - What the fuck is that?
Tonta - Bollocks

Groseras - Rude words

El propsito de este artculo es conocer palabras que no se ensean en una academia
(lo que me parece una lstima), lasmalas palabras, estas que son tan propias de
cada idioma como de cada pas. No es mi intencin que luego de leer esto vayas y se las
digas a todo el mundo, si no de que se tenga conocimiento de ellas y de que si en algn
momento te las dicen no te quedes con una sonrisa de idiota en la cara, y si llega el
momento por qu no utilizarlas.
Tambin quiero aclarar que con las siguientes lneas no intento herir la sensibilidad de
nadie ni discriminar a nadie por razones de sexo, color, raza, discapacidad,
nacionalidad etc y que desapruebo todo tipo de conductas xenofbicas, homfobicas
etc y me atrevo a decir que es la misma posicin de todos los colaboradores. Dicho
esto:

Fuck: talvez una de las ms conocidas y ms usadas malas palabras en

ingls, tiene muchsimos significados y por lo tanto sirve para expresar muchsimas
cosas (todas ellas vulgares, claro est). Entre sus usos principales est:
Como verbo:

Fuck (pronunciado fock) es un verbo que indica hacer el amor (obviamente en

sentido morboso) y hacer el amor con varias personas. Ejemplos:
She fucks every night with her lover = Ella tiene sexo (en algunos pases rapar o pisar)
con su amante todas noches.
They were fucking when the guy's wife came in = Ellos estaban pisando cuando la
esposa del tipo entro (en otras palabras fueron descubiertos siendo infieles)
Fuck seguido de un pronombre de complemento (me, you, he, her, us, their) funciona
para decirle a una persona que se vaya al carajo o que se pudra. Ejemplo:
-You don't want me to help you ouy, so fuck you = No quieres que te ayude entonces
vete al carajo / pdrete.
Un sinnimo de la construccin anterior es "fuck off", la diferencia es que este no lleva
complemento. Ejemplo:
Imagnate que una persona te dice que un trabajo que tardaste horas hacer est
incorrecto:
X : This is all wrong, go do it again. Est est todo incorrecto, ve y hazlo otra vez

Una posible respuesta sera:

X: Are you kidding me? I won't do this again, fuck off. Ests bromeando? No lo voy a
hacer otra vez, pdrete.

Dumbass (dambass): un idiota. Ejemplo:

Why did you break the vase? You're such a dumbass.Porqu rompiste el
florero? Eres un idiota.

Douchebag (diusbag). Literalmente b"olsa de excrementos."

Llegado este punto es necesario explicar algo, las groserias no pueden tomarse en su
sentido literal, ya que de esa forma perderan su valor para insultar a alguien, por
ejemplo, Cuntas veces que llamas a alguien hijo de puta, tienes la certeza de que
su madre es o fue una meretriz? o Cundo le dices a alguien cara de culo, de verdad
la cara de esa persona es un culo?
La respuesta es no, por eso aunque douchebag signifique literalmente "bolsa de
excrementos" no implica que cuando quieras decir que hay literalmente una bolsa
llena de excremento se utiliza douchebag, ahi podra decirse "excrement bag"

Motherfucker (moderfuker): que tiene relaciones con su madre. Equivale a hijo

de puta, pendejo etc. Ejemplos:
Come here and say it again, motherfucker = Ven y dilo de nuevo pendejo.
How did you call me motherfucker? = Cmo me llamasta, hijo de puta?

Dyke (daik) = lesbiana

Clsica cotilla de bar:
That girl didn't like me, she must be a dyke .No le gusto a esa chica, debe ser porque
es lesbiana.

Dickhead (dikjed). Cabeza/cara de pene.

Hablada de novia despechada:
That guy is a dickehad, he cheated on me with my best friend = Ese chico es un cara
de pene, me engao con mi mejor amiga.

Bullshit (bulsshIt). Falacea, habladuria, mierda, mentira Sinnimo: bollocks.

Ejemplo:
Bill Clinton said he didn't have had sex with that woman, I think it's a bullshit . Bill
Clinton dijo que no tuvo sexo con esa mujer, creo que es una mentira.

Son-of-a-bitch (sanafabitch) = tambin muy conocida, quiere decir hijo de

puta. Ejemplos:
You're a son-of-a-bitch, you said you'd help me and you didn't.Eres un hijo de puta
dijiste que me ayudaras y no lo hiciste.

Nota: Esta palabra suele decirsele directamente a un hombre, para mujeres puede
utilizarse bitch a secas.

Jerk (jerc) = Imbcil, ms fuerte que idiot y dumbass. Ejemplos:

He's a jerk, he can't do anything well .l es un idiota, no puede hacer nada bien.
Regla de los opuestos:
Piensa esto: Cmo te sentiras ms insultado? si alguien te llamara idiota o estpido,
a mi parecer estpido es ms fuerte que idiota, pero en ingls para lo contrario, as
que cuando quieras tratar a alguien de idiota tratalo de STUPID y si quieres tratarlo de
estpido trtalo de IDIOT

Jackass (iakas) = Todos lo conocen por el programa de Johny Knoxville en

MTV, bueno pues que mejor ejemplo signfica por lo tanto idiota o estpido.

Asshole (asjol) = Literalmente hueco de trasero o ano, en sentido de insulto

puede traducirse por: cara de culo. La variacin britnica es arsehole (arsjol)
pronunciado con una "a" muy abierta al inicio. Ejemplo:
Why did he do that stupidness? He must be an asshole.

Whore (jor) = puta. Sinnimos seran, bitch, slut y hooker (de estas tres bitch
es la menos fuerte, muchas amigas se tratan as en confianza.
That girl is a whore, she come home with a different man every night. Esa chica es
una puta, ella viene a casa con un hombre diferente todas las noches.
Sinnimos de whore pueden ser: Bitch, Slung y Hooker.

Cocksucker = significa maricn. Sinnimos: faggot (o slo fag) y queer. (Te

acuerdas de "Queer Eye for the straight guy. El gusto del gay para el hombre
heterosexual)
That guy likes men, he's obviously a fag.

Pussy = vagina, cuando se utiliza como sustantivo es sinnimo de maricn. Se

suele utilizar la construccin "That guy is such a pussy" (Una versin menos fuerte
sera: "That guy is such a baby")

Prick = es una persona que se cree ms de lo que es. Ejemplo, es un poco

extenso porque pertenece a una pelcula "El Diario de Bridget Jones" que por cierto es
sper recomendable para practicar ingls.
Mark is prematurely middle-aged prick with a cruel ex-wife = Mark es un credo,
prematuramente viejo con una ex-esposa cruel.
Existen malas palabras que son TOTALMENTE INNECESARIAS DE USAR que se
utilizan slo para promover el racismo y aumentar la tensin tnica, estas son:

REDNECK, WHITE TRASH = literalmente basura blanca.

NIGGER = insulto racista contra los afroamericanos.

BEANER = literalmente frijolero, utilizado en los Estados Unidos para

referirse a los descendientes o inmigrantes mexicanos, es un trmino muy fuerte, y es
una lstima que an exista el racismo, otra situacin terrible es cuando en Estados
Unidos se utiliza el trmino BUNCH OF MEXICANS para insultar a alguien aunque
no sea mexicano.

CHINK = utilizado para insultar a personas que sean o parezcan de origen

asitico

Fuentes consultadas: las gracias se las deberan dara la persona que escribi
esto, porque el me dio la idea y el formato y yo solo trate de ampliarlo y hacerlo ms
fcil de entender.

Consideraciones finales: espero que todas las anteriores palabras hayan servido para
darse una idea del amplio rango de malas palabras que existen en ingls, y repito no
pretendo que ahora las utilicen para todo sino que tengan conocimiento de ellas y las
entiendan si se las dicen y las utilicen solo como ultimo recurso.