The first use of ‘sentir’ that one learns is usually the expression of sorrow and regret:

Lo siento.

I’m sorry.

The verb ‘sentir’ however can be used to express all types of emotions and sensations, it generally translates at ‘to feel’ though it can often also mean ‘to sense’.

The verb is also often used reflexively: ‘sentirse’. The reflexive form is usually used before adjectives and adverbs whereas the non-reflexive form is usually used before nouns.

Siento alegría por haber venido.	I feel happiness for having come.
Ella siente menos satisfacción con su comida.	She fells less satisfied with her food.
Mi madre se siente orgullosa de mí.	My mother is (feels) proud of me.
No me siento valorado aquí.	I don’t feel valued here.
Me siento a gusto contigo.	I feel confortable with you.

The above demonstrates the use of ‘sentir’ with emotions, below are examples of where the verb can be used with physical sensations:

Siento su presencia de alguna manera.	In some way I feel his presence.
Siento calor en la garganta.	I feel heat in my throat.
El paciente no siente dolor.	The patient doesn’t feel pain.

‘Sentir’ can also be uses to express regret:

Siento deciros que no puedo ir.	I’m sorry to tell you all that I can’t go.
Siento tener que dejaros.	I’m sorry to have to leave you all.

And finally, ‘sentir’ can be used as a noun as in the following example:

Recogían el sentir de desconfianza hacia a ella.

The sensed the feeling of distrust towards her.

I remember listening to an audio Spanish course in which Michel Thomas describe ‘Así’ as a “very useful little word”. The more I came to use and learn about Spanish the more I found myself agreeing with Thomas’ evaluation. ‘Así’ has so many different uses and functions.

On its own, ‘así’ is used to mean ‘like that’ or ‘that way’. Consider the following examples:

Me gusta mi té así.	I like my tea like that.
No se puede hacer así.	You can’t do it that way.

There are also a large number of common expressions where ‘así’ pops-up:

Así así.	So-so.
Algo así.	Something like that.
Algo así como…	Something like…
Así como así.	Any old how / As if it were nothing.
Así de…	So…
Así sea.	So be it.
Así es.	That’s it / That’s correct / Yes.
¡Así me gusta!	That’s the way I like it!
Aún así…	Even so…
¡No seas así!	Don’t be like that!

When it comes to translating the word ‘whatever’ into Spanish, we often come across a little known phenomena known as the ‘Forma Reduplicativa’ or the Redoubled Form. The ‘Forma Reduplicativa’ is recognised by the repeated use of a verb in the subjunctive:

Digan lo que digan…	Whatever they say…
Hagas lo que hagas…	Whatever you do…
Sea lo que sea…	Whatever it is…
Pase lo que pase…	Whatever happens…

As language learners we just love it when we encounter Spanish words that are similar to their English counterparts. As I am sure you’re all aware however, it isn’t always this simple. Often we encounter words which are very similar to a word in English, only to find it has a completely different meaning! This is what is known as a false friend. At their best false friends are a nuisance, at their worst they can be very embarrassing indeed. Everybody seems to have a story about somebody saying, “Estoy embarazada” (I’m pregnant) when trying to say “I’m embarrassed”… yes, that would be embarrassing.

Below I have compiled a small list of what I would consider some of the most noteworthy false friends. Be advised however, this list is by no means extensive. So the next time you see a Spanish word that is very similar to an English one, don’t just make an assumption as to its meaning, it could also be a false friend; when in doubt, consult a dictionary.

Embarazada

Stated above, this is one to pay particular attention to. ‘Embarazada’ means ‘pregnant’ and not embarrassed as it may appear at first glance.

Sensible

This is one of the most common mistakes among Spanish language learners. The Spanish word ’sensible’ means ’sensitive’ and not the English ’sensible’ which in Spanish is ‘ sensato’.

Actualmente

Aften people mistake this one for the English word ‘actually’, its true translation is ‘currently’ or ‘nowadays’.

Atender

This verb does not mean to attend in the sense of making an appearance, instead it means ‘to take care of’ or ‘to attend to’.

Una Carpeta

This means ‘folder’ or ‘file’, as in a place to store papers and documents. The word for carpet in Spanish is ‘moqueta’.

Constipado/a

This one may raise a few eyebrows but actually it’s less intriguing than it looks. ‘Estar constipado/a’ simply means ‘to have a cold’. Try not to mistake it with ‘to be constipated’ which in Spanish would be ‘estar estreñido’.

Un Pariente

This looks and sounds a little like the English word ‘parent’, but it isn’t. ‘Pariente’ means ‘relative’ or ‘family relation’. As you may be aware, the word for parents is ‘padres’.

Estar/Ser Simpatico/a

This means ‘to be friendly’ and not to be sympathetic. The latter translates as ‘estar comprensivo/a’.

There are two common ways to say ‘I love you’ in Spanish, these are:

Te quiero
Te amo

These both mean ‘I love you’ and can be used interchangeably. Each country however has its preference and this must be remembered. In Spain for example, ‘te quiero’ is far more common and ‘te amo’ is frowned upon as being cheesy and tacky. In South American countries on the other hand, ‘te amo’ is more widespread and doesn’t convey these same connotations that it does in Spain.

When it comes to saying ‘cool’, in spanish we have a lot of options. Below you can find a small selection of some of the most common that you will hear in Spain:

Guay

Vamos a ir a un bar muy guay.

We’re going to a really cool bar.

Mola

Me molan mucho tus zapatos.

Your shoes are so cool.

When you want to say that you like somebody, you can use mola:

Me mola mucho esa chica.

I really like that girl.

Chulo

Vimos un espectáculo muy chulo.

We saw a really cool show.

If you’re a regular reader of Spanish language newspapers/internet news sites, it’s important to be familiar with spanish law vocabulary. Below is a list of some of the most useful words and phrases:

To arrest

To be under arrest

To try

To be on trial

Trial

To sentence

Defendant / Accused

Probably the first phrase we learn for ‘how are you’ is ‘cómo estás’. This is good enough at first, and it is universally understood. When you’re among native Spanish speakers however, you will probably find that it’s just one among a load of phrases that they use to convey the say meaning. Below is a list of the most common slang or colloquial phrases that Spanish speakers tend to use:

1. ¿ Cómo estás ?

Considered the standard, ‘cómo estás’ is universally understood and is the the phrase that most text books teach:

2. ¿ Qué tal (estás)?

Perhaps one of the most common of all phrases, ‘qué tal’ or ‘qué tal estás’ is used among friends and colleagues to mean ‘how are you’:

3. ¿ Qué hay (de nuevo) ?

This is a common phrase among close friends and relatives, it means ‘what’s new’ but the ‘de nuevo’ part is often omitted:

4. ¿ Cómo vas ? / ¿ Cómo te va ?

This one is perhaps a little more colloquial than those already mentioned and is used to ask, ‘how’s it going’:

¡ No me tomes el pelo !
Stop pulling my leg !

¡ Qué rollo !
What a pain / bore !

Está en el quinto pino.
It’s in the back of beyond

‘Ser’ and ‘Estar’ present one of the biggest problems for foreign people learning Spanish. While ‘Ser’ tends to suggest permanence where ‘Estar’ is used more with temporary states of being, often the lines separating the two become blurred and this is where one can make mistakes. Below are five common examples where Spanish learners slip-up.

‘Ser bueno’ and ‘Estar bueno’

¡Qué bueno eres!	You’re a good person!
Hay una chica en mi clase que está muy buena.	There´s a girl in my class who is really hot/attractive.

Remember: although there are some exceptions, we generally use ’ser’ when talking about the person’s personality and ‘estar’ when referring to them physically.

‘Ser simpatico’ and ‘Estar simpatico’

 

La profesora de español es muy simpática.	The Spanish teacher is a very friendly person.
El dueño del bar está muy simpático esta mañana.	The bar owner is very friendly this morning.

 

Don’t forget that ’ser’ is used to describe how people are in general and ‘estar’ how they are at any specific moment.

‘Ser rico’ and ‘Estar rico’

 

Tiene una gran casa porque es rico.	He has a big house because he’s rich.
El pollo está muy rico.	The chicken is very nice.

 

‘Ser alto’ and ‘Estar alto’

 

Mi hijo es muy alto.	My son is very tall.
¡Cuánto tiempo sin verte!¡Qué alto estás!	I haven´t seen you in ages! Look how tall you’ve got!

 

Bear in mind: when talking about the physical location of objects, we always use ‘estar’:

 

Cógeme ese libro por favor, está muy alto.

Get me that book please, it’s too high.

 

‘Ser guapo’ and ‘Estar guapo’

 

Estás muy guapa con ese vestido.	You look beautiful in that dress.
Esa actriz es muy guapa.	That actress is gorgeous.