What holds A1 together
1. Every sentence has a verb, and Spanish has three ways to say English "is": ser (what someone or something is), estar (where and how) and hay (that something exists). 2. The verb ending shows the subject, so yo, tú and the rest are usually left out. 3. A noun comes with a word that agrees with it in gender and number: la casa blanca, mis libros, estos zapatos.
The verb core: ser, estar, hay
| You want to say | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| who or what, origin, job, time | ser | Soy Ana. Es profesora. Son las tres. |
| where a known thing is, how someone is | estar | La farmacia está aquí. Estoy cansado. |
| that something exists | hay | Hay una farmacia en esta calle. No hay leche. |
Hay introduces something new, so it comes with un, una, unos, unas, a number or a bare plural, and never with el or la. Estar talks about something both of you already know, so it comes with el, la, mi or este. Ask yourself: is this thing new, or known?
The present tense is regular in three patterns (hablo, comes, vive) with a few irregular verbs: quiero, vuelvo, pido, hago, tengo, voy. Use tú with friends and usted with strangers or clients; usted takes the same verb form as él and ella.
The noun group: articles, possessives, demonstratives
| Word | Forms | Example |
|---|---|---|
| article | el, la, los, las (known) / un, una, unos, unas (new) | El agua está en la mesa. |
| possessive | mi, tu, su, nuestro + the thing owned | Mis libros, nuestra casa. |
| demonstrative | este (here), ese (there), aquel (far) | Esta calle, ese banco, aquellas casas. |
A possessive agrees with the thing owned, not with the owner. Su casa can be his, her, your (usted) or their house; the context decides. Also remember a + el = al and de + el = del.
Place and direction
| Preposition | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| en | where something is | Estoy en casa. |
| a | where you are going | Voy a la playa. Voy al cine. |
| de | where something comes from | Soy de Lima. El libro del profesor. |
With estar, use en; with ir, use a. English often uses "at" for both (at home, go home), so let the verb decide: estoy en casa, voy a casa.
Questions, negation and replies
In a question, question words carry a written accent: qué, quién, dónde, cómo, cuándo, cuánto, por qué. A yes/no question is a statement with ¿...? and rising intonation. No goes straight before the verb: No hablo francés. After a negative, use tampoco (Yo tampoco); after an affirmative, también (Yo también). Nunca before the verb needs no extra no: Nunca como carne, but No como carne nunca.
Daily life: frequency, routines, likes and abilities
Siempre, normalmente, a veces, nunca, todos los días and los lunes say how often. Reflexive verbs take me, te, se, nos, os before the verb: Me levanto temprano. No me ducho por la mañana. With gustar, the thing liked is the subject, so the verb agrees with it: Me gusta el café, me gustan los gatos, me gusta cantar. Poder is followed by an infinitive: Puedo venir mañana. ¿Puedo entrar?
Joining sentences
Y adds (e before i- or hi-: padre e hijo), o offers a choice (u before o- or ho-: siete u ocho) and pero contrasts. Porque gives a reason; por qué asks for one: ¿Por qué estudias español? Porque me gusta.
Examples
- Mi hermana es profesora y trabaja en una escuela cerca de aquí. My sister is a teacher and works at a school near here.
- ¿Hay una farmacia por aquí? - Sí, la farmacia está al lado del banco. Is there a pharmacy around here? - Yes, the pharmacy is next to the bank.
- Los lunes me levanto temprano y voy al trabajo. On Mondays I get up early and go to work.
- A mi madre le gustan estos zapatos, pero no son baratos. My mother likes these shoes, but they are not cheap.
- ¿Por qué estás cansado? - Porque nunca duermo bien. Why are you tired? - Because I never sleep well.
- No puedo ir al cine hoy porque tengo mucho trabajo. I can't go to the cinema today because I have a lot of work.
- No me gusta el café. - A mí tampoco. I don't like coffee. - Neither do I.
- Ana y Pedro son de México, pero ahora viven en Madrid y su casa está cerca del parque. Ana and Pedro are from Mexico, but they now live in Madrid and their house is near the park.
- Aquel edificio grande es un museo, y hay una cafetería enfrente. That big building over there is a museum, and there is a café opposite.
A four-question check
Before you answer an exam item, run through four questions: Which verb (ser, estar, hay)? Who is the subject, and does the ending match? Does every noun have its article, possessive or demonstrative, and does it agree? Is there a no, a también or a tampoco in the right place?
Common mistakes
Es una farmacia en la calle.Hay una farmacia en la calle. To say that something exists, use hay, not ser.Hay la farmacia en la calle.La farmacia está en la calle. A known thing with el or la takes estar.Soy cansado.Estoy cansado. A state takes estar.La casa blanco.La casa blanca. The adjective agrees with the noun.Me gusta café.Me gusta el café. Spanish uses the article for things you like in general.Yo gusto el café.Me gusta el café. The thing liked is the subject, not the person.Voy en la playa.Voy a la playa. A destination takes a, a location takes en.Yo también no.Yo tampoco. After a negative, use tampoco.
Frequently asked questions
What does Spanish A1 grammar include?
The present tense (regular and common irregular verbs), ser, estar and hay, gender and articles, possessives and demonstratives, place words, questions and negation, frequency, reflexive routines, gustar, poder and the connectors y, o, pero and porque.
How do I choose between ser, estar and hay?
Use ser for what or who something is, estar for where a known thing is and how someone is now, and hay to say that something exists. Hay goes with un, una or a number; estar goes with el, la, mi or este.
Do I always need yo, tú and the other subject pronouns?
No. The verb ending already shows the subject, so you usually leave the pronoun out. Add it only to contrast or stress: Yo trabajo, tú descansas.
When do I say me gusta and when me gustan?
Look at what you like, not at who likes it: me gusta with a singular noun or an infinitive, me gustan with a plural noun. Me gusta el té, me gustan los libros, me gusta leer.
What is the difference between porque and por qué?
Por qué (two words, with an accent) asks "why", and porque (one word) answers "because". ¿Por qué estudias español? Porque viajo mucho.
Does su always mean "his"?
No. Su can mean his, her, its, your (usted) or their, because it agrees with the thing owned. The context shows whose it is.