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To start off our 5th year, we return to the beginning and start a new course of Spanish For Beginners - Continue to scroll down for tips on pronunciation

SOME THINGS YOU MIGHT SEE . . . . .
Abierto - open
Aqua potable - drinking water
ascensor - lift
aseos - toilets
caballeros - gentlemen
caja - till, cashier, cash desk
calle - street
carretera - road
cerrado (por vacaciones) - closed (for holidays)
dia festivo- public holiday
empujar - push
entrada gratis /libre - admission free
horas de oficina - office hours
horas de visitas - visiting times
informacion turistica - tourist information
laborales - working days
lavabos - toilets
ocupado - engaged
peligro- danger
planta baja - ground floor
precaucion - caution
primer piso - first floor
prohibido - prohibited, forbidden
recien pintado - wet paint
salida de emergencia- emergency exit
se alquila - for rent
segundo piso -second flor
senoras -ladies
se prohibe la entrada - no admittance
servicios - toilets
se vende - for sale
silencio - silence, quiet
sotano - basement
tirar- pull

SEASONS
Spring - primavera
Summer - verano
Autumn - otoño
Winter - invierno
HOLIDAYS
Easter - Semana Santa
Good Friday - Viernes Santo
Christmas - Navidad
Christmas Eve - Nochebuena
New Year - Año Nuevo
New Year´s Eve - Nochevieja

ABOUT ME, LIKES, DISLIKES, Etc.
Cheers - ¿Salud!
I would like to ... Quería...
Let´s go to the cinema - Vamos al cine.
Let´s go swimming - Vamos a nadar
Let´s go for a walk - Vamos a dar un paseo
What´s the weather like? - ¿Qué tiempo hace?
It´s pouring down - Está lloviendo a jarros
It´s really hot - Hace muchísimo calor
The weather´s awful - Hace un tiempo malísimo

HELP, PROBLEMS, Etc.
I don´t understand. Do you speak English / French / German ?
No comprendo ¿Habla usted inglés / francés / alemán ?
Can you help me? Does anyone here speak English?
¿Puede ayudarme? ¿Alguien de aqui habla inglés?
I can´t speak Spanish. I don´t know What´s wrong?
No hablo español. No sé ¿Qué pasa?
Please speak more slowly. Please write it down for me
Por favor, hable más despacio. Por favor, escríbamelo

TALKING TO RECEPTIONISTS, Etc.
I have an appointment with ... May I use your phone?
Tengo una cita con ... ¿Puedo usar su teléfono?
I´d like to see... Here´s my card. My company is ...
Quisiera ver a ... Aqui tiene mi tarjeta. Soy de la compañía

QUESTIONS, Etc.
Excuse me please (to get past) Can you tell me ..?
¿Me hace el favor? ¿Puede decirme ..?

Is there ... here. Where can I get ..?
¿Hay ... aqui? ¿Dónde puedo conseguir ..?

Can I have ..? Would you like a ..? Would you like to ..?
¿Me da ..? ¿Quiere un / una ..? ¿Le gustaria ..?

What´s that? How much is it? Where are the toilets?
¿Qué es eso? ¿Cuánto es? ¿Dónde están los servicios?

ABOUT ME, LIKES, DISLIKES, Etc.
I´m from .. I´m .. years old I´m married / divorced
Soy de .. Tengo .. años Estoy casado / divorciado

I´m a I´m single I have .. sisters / brothers / children
Soy Soy soltero Tengo .. hermanas / hermanos / hijos

I like / love .. I like / love swimming / travelling
Me gusta / encanta el / la .. Me gusta / encanta nadar / viajar

I don´t like .. I hate .. It´s delicious / awful!
No me gusta el / la .. Detesto .. ¡Es delicioso / horrible!

Do you like ..? I don´t drink / smoke Do you mind if I smoke?
¿Le gusta ..? No bebo / fumo ¿Le importa que fume?

I would like a .. I don´t eat meat / fish I´ll get this one
Quería No como carne / pescado Ahora invito yo

What would you like to drink? Nothing for me thanks
¿Qué quiere beber / tomar? No quiero nada, gracias

MONTHS OF THE YEAR
January February
enero febrero
March April
marzo abril
May June
mayo junio
July August
julio agosto
September October
septiembre octubre
November December
noviembre diciembre

YES, NO, OK, Etc
Yes / No - Si / No
OK - Vale
Excellent!
¡Estupendo!
That´s fine -
Está bien
Don´t! -
¡No!
That´s right
- Eso es

GREETINGS, INTRODUCTIONS
How do you do? Pleased to meet you
- ¿Qué tal? , mucho gusto
Good morning / good evening / good night - Buenos días / buenas tardes / buenas noches
Hello / Hi ! - ¡Hola!
Goodbye / Bye - Adiós
How are you ? -
¿Cómo está usted?
( familiar ) -
¿Cómo estás?
My name is ...
- Me llamo ...
This is ...( introducing man / woman ) - Este / ésta es ....
It’s been nice meeting you ( man / woman )
- Mucho gusto en conocerle / conocerla
See you later ! / Cheerio ! ¡Hast luego !
What’s your name? - ¿Cómo se llama usted?
( familiar )
- ¿Cómo te llamas?
May I introduce ... ? - Le presento a ...
What´s his / her name ?
- Este / ésta es ...

PLEASE, THANK YOU, APOLOGIES
Thank you / No thank you - Gracias / No, gracias
Please - Por favor
Excuse me / Sorry - ¡Perdón! / Lo siento
I’m really sorry - Lo siento muchisimo
It was / wasn’t my fault - Ha sido / no ha sido culpa mia

DAYS OF THE WEEK
SUNDAY - DOMINGO
MONDAY - LUNES
TUESDAY - MARTES

WEDNESDAY - MIÉRCOLES
THURSDAY - JUEVES
FRIDAY- VIERNES
SATURDAY
- SÁBADO

THINGS YOU MIGHT HEAR
¡adelante! - come in
aqui tiene - here you are
¡bien! - good!
¡buen viaje! - have a good trip
¡cómo? - pardon?
¿cómo está usted? - how are you?
¿cómo le va? - how are things?
¡cuidado! - look out!
de nada - you're welcome, don't mention it
¿de verdad? - is that so?
¡encantado! - pleased to meet you
eso es - that's right
exactamente/exacto - exactly
gracias, igualmente - thank you, same to you
¡hasta luego! - Cheerio, see you later
¡hola! - hello! hi!
muchas gracias - thank you very much
muy bien, gracias - very well thank you
-¿y usted? - and you?
no comprendo - I don't understand
no sé - I don't know
por favor - please
mucho gusto - nice to meet you
vale
- OK

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LETTER (s)
Rough English equivalent sound
Spanish EXAMPLE
VOWELS
a 'a' as in Cat gamba
e 'e' as in hen tres
i 'ee' as in seek vivo
o 'o' as in rob dos
u 'oo' as in boot uno
CONSONANTS
b 'b' as in boot bueno
c+e/i ** 'th' as in thick cerveza
ch * 'ch' as in church mucho
c+other letters 'c' as in come ¿cómo?
d at beg. of word 'd' as in deed día
d between vowelsd at end of word 'th' as in other, lightly pronounced cerrado
 
f 'f' as in farm farmacia
g+e/i 'ch' as in Scottish loch ginebra
g+other letters 'g' as in get grande
h never pronounced helado
j 'ch' as in Scottish loch jamón
k 'k' as in kill kilo
l 'l' as in look leche
ll * 'lli' as in bullion sevilla
m 'm' as in mother madre
n 'n' as in never noche
ñ* 'ni' as in onion mañana
p 'p' as in pen por favor
qu 'k' as in key ¿qué?
r at beginning of word and rr strongly rolled 'r' as in Scottish 'bairn' rojo / correos
r between vowels only slightly rolled caro
s 's' as in six
t 't' as in tin patata
v similar to 'b' as in bar vino
x 's' as in best expreso
y 'y' as in yes (but with a touch of 'j' as in jam) ya
z 'th' as in thin cerveza

Pronouncing words In words of more than one syllable, one syllable is emphasised more strongly that the other(s). There are a few simple rules for working out which is the stressed syllable:
a) if the word has a written accent on it, the accented vowel will be stressed. For example: ca, ración, dico.
b) if the word ends in a vowel, an N or an S, the stress falls on the next to last syllable. For example: servicios, naranja, llaman.
c) If the word ends in any consonant except N or S, the stress falls on the last syllable. For example: final, Madrid, trabajar.

PUNCTUATION The only thing here to remember is the upside down question mark (¿) and exclamation mark (¡) They just tell you early on, that you're going to be reading a question or exclamation.

* In the dictionary CH comes at the end of entries under c, LL at the end of the l's and Ñ after the n's
** In Southern Spain and Spanish-speaking America, the following is normal: the C+E/I and Z are usually pronounced 's' instead of 'th'.
- the LL and Y sounds are usually pronounced more like an English 'j'

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