One afternoon at a bullfight
Someone goes to the plaza to judge art against cruelty. The order is lance, banderillas, then the red muleta. The Pamplona bull run is different.
La corrida de toros
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About this article
What you'll learn
Present tense for an afternoon at the plaza, and the words ruedo, capote, muleta, banderilla, and traje de luces.
An uncle calls the bullfight a tradition and a friend calls it cruelty. The narrator stays for one afternoon: the parade, the pink and yellow cape, the lance, the banderillas, and the red muleta at the end. The bull follows the cloth. The San Fermín run is not the corrida. They leave without a verdict.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
La corrida de toros es una tradición española antigua
newBullfighting is an ancient Spanish tradition
Pattern: ser + adjective + noun to describe what something is.
Useful for describing traditions and cultural phenomena.
Se llama también fiesta brava
newIt is also called fiesta brava
Se llama means is called. Reflexive verb for describing names.
Useful for learning alternative names.
El matador es el principal
newThe matador is the main one
Ser + adjective to describe role or profession.
Useful for describing people roles.
La corrida tiene tres partes
newThe bullfight has three parts
Tener + number to describe quantity of parts.
Useful for describing structure of events.
El toro es el animal central
newThe bull is the central animal
Ser + noun to describe someone as something.
Learn to describe roles and identity.
Hay reglas muy estrictas
newThere are very strict rules
Hay (there is/are) — impersonal form to state existence.
Core construction for expressing existence.
El público juzga con aplausos o abucheos
newThe public judges with applause or booing
Con + noun means with/using.
Learn to express manner of action.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
Bullring
la plaza de toros
Bullring — a special circular arena for bullfighting with spectator stands.
Compound word: plaza (square) + de (of/for) + toros (bulls).
Central element of bullfighting — know the name.
Torero (bullfighter)
el torero
Torero — general name for bullfighting participants.
Word formed from «toro» (bull).
Main participant of bullfighting.
Matador
el matador
Matador — the main bullfighter who kills the bull.
From «matar» (to kill) — a profession.
Most important figure in bullfighting.
Cape (capote)
el capote
Capote — a red cloth the matador uses during the fight.
«Capote» is a large cape. Used in bullfighting.
Matador clothing item.
Horns
los cuernos
Horns — sharp parts of the bull head.
Plural of «cuerno» (horn).
Part of the bull body.
Bull farm (ganadería)
la ganadería
Ganadería — farm where bulls for bullfighting are raised.
From «ganado» (livestock) + suffix «-ería».
Place of origin of bulls.
Tail
el rabo
Tail — body part. As a prize, the public may give the matador the tail of the killed bull.
Simple vocabulary but has special meaning in bullfighting context.
Symbol of the matador victory.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
More than 400 kilos
más de cuatrocientos kilos
more than four hundred kilos
«Más de» (more than) + number. We use «de» before quantity.
For expressing minimum quantities.
Sequence of actions
Primero... Después... Finalmente...
First... Then... Finally...
Sequence connectors: primero, después, finalmente.
Learn to describe order of actions.
Article with listing
El matador lleva una espada y un capote
The matador carries a sword and a cape
When listing nouns with «y» (and), we use the indefinite article «un/una» for each.
Learn article formation in lists.
Hay construction
Hay reglas muy estrictas
There are very strict rules
«Hay» — impersonal form of «haber». Used to state existence.
Basic Spanish construction.
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