Among the more than 93,000 words in the Spanish language, there are several that are unique and have no English translation. Therefore, it is not surprising that, if you are learning Spanish, you hear or read words that you don't know what they mean and that, in addition, have no English translation.

In this don Quijote article we are going to show you more than 20 Spanish words with no English translation. Get into the language and learn Spanish in Spain now, you can discover words that only exist in this language.

Spanish words with no English translation

Puente: you probably think that this Spanish word does have an English translation, bridge. However, puente also refers to a long weekend, with an additional non-working day joining the weekend. Therefore, a longer break of more than two days is formed.

• For example: “Este viernes es festivo, así que tendremos un puente de tres días” (This Friday is a holiday, so we will have a three-day long weekend).
• The meaning of puente would be “long weekend”.

Sobremesa: a very common practice in Spain is to make sobremesa. This term refers to the time spent chatting after a meal at the table where the meal was eaten.

• Example: “Nos quedamos en el restaurante de sobremesa hablando durante horas” (We stayed at the restaurant talking for hours)
• It could be translated as 'table talk' or 'after-dinner conversation'.

Consuegro/a: the relationship between the parents of a married couple, i.e., they are the in-laws of a person's child.

• “Mis consuegros vienen a cenar esta noche” (My in-laws are coming to dinner tonight).
• There is no exact term in English, but it can be described as “co-in-laws”.

Estrenar: means to use something for the first time, it could be clothes, shoes, kitchen utensils, a car...

• “Hoy voy a estrenar mis zapatos nuevos” (Today I am going to use my new shoes for the first time).
• It could be translated as “to use or wear for the first time”.

Anteayer: refers to the day before yesterday.

• “Anteayer fui al cine con mis primos” (The day before yesterday I went to the movies with my cousins).
• The English translation would be “the day before yesterday”. In this case, there is a translation, but not as a single concrete word.

Chapuza: means a job that is poorly done or improvised.

• “El arreglo que hizo en la puerta fue una chapuza” (The repair he did on the door was a botch job)
• It could be translated as “botched job” or “shoddy work”.

Entrecejo: the space between the eyebrows is so called.

• For example: “Frida Kahlo era conocida por su famoso entrecejo” (Frida Kahlo was known for her famous frown)
• It translates as “the space between the eyebrows”.

Tocayo: this term is used to refer to a person who has the same name as someone else.

• Él es mi tocayo, también se llama Luis (He is my namesake, his name is also Luis)
• The translation is “namesake”

Madrugar: it means getting up very early.

• Mañana tengo que madrugar para ir al trabajo (I must get up early tomorrow to go to work).
• A translation for this word in English would be “to wake up early”.

Merendar: means to eat something light in the afternoon.

• Example: Voy a merendar un bocadillo de jamón y queso (I'm going to have a lunch break and eat a ham and cheese sandwich).
• It could be translated as “to have an afternoon snack”.

Trasnochar: is the action of going to sleep very late or not sleeping all night.

• For example: Anoche trasnoché viendo películas (Last night I stayed up watching films).
• It would be translated as “to stay up late”.

Tutear: when you address someone informally instead of using the formal “usted”. It is an informal way of speaking to others, instead of using the usted in Spanish to address someone cordially.

• Puedes tutearme, no hace falta que me hables de usted (You can call me by my name, you don't have to use the formal form to talk with me).
• Translation: “to address someone informally”.

Friolero: a person who easily feels cold or is always very cold, regardless of the time of year or the place where they are.

• Example: No olvides tu bufanda y tus guantes para la nieve, que eres muy friolera (Don't forget your scarf and gloves for the snow, you are very sensitive to cold).
• It could be translated as “sensible to cold”.

Quincena: period of time of 15 days.

• Example: Mi empresa paga cada quincena (My company pays every fortnight)
• The most accurate translation would be “fortnight”.

Aturdir: means to be or to leave confused or bewildered.

• For example: El ruido me aturde y no puedo concentrarme (The noise makes me dizzy and I can't concentrate).
• Translation: 'to stun' or 'to bewilder'.

Enmadrarse: said of a child who becomes excessively attached to his mother or is very fond of her. It usually has a negative connotation.

• Este niño está muy enmadrado, no quiere separarse de su madre (This child is very attached to her mother, he doesn't want to be separated from her).
• It doesn't have an exact equivalent, but it could be “to be overly attached to one's mother”.

Mimoso/a: said of a person who likes to receive affection.

• Example: Es un niño muy mimoso, siempre quiere abrazos (He is a very cuddly child, he always wants hugs).
• It could say that a translation is “affectionate”.

Pavonearse: to show off something with excessive pride.

• Se pavonea de su coche nuevo (He is prancing around in his new car).
• A rough translation would be “to strut”.

Soler: means to do something habitually.

• Example: Suele ir al gimnasio por las mañanas (He usually goes to the gym in the mornings).
• Its closest translation would be “to usually do something”.

Picotear: is a very common word in Spain and means to eat small portions of different foods.

• No tengo hambre, pero picotearé algo (I'm not hungry, but I'll have a bite to eat).
• A very close translation is “to have a snack” or “to nibble”.

Manco: said of a person without a hand or with limited mobility in it.

• Es manco, pero juega muy bien al fútbol (He is one-armed, but he plays football very well).
• It could be translated as “one-armed”.

Tuerto: said of a person with vision in only one eye.

• Mi primo es tuerto del ojo derecho (My cousin is blind in his right eye).
• It translates as “one-eyed”.

Duende: a fantastic spirit, with the figure of an old man or a child in traditional stories, who lives in some houses and causes disorder and uproar in them.

• En mi cuento popular favorito de la infancia aparecía un duende mágico (In my favorite Spanish folk tale from my childhood there was a magical elf).
• It could be translated as “goblin” or “elf”.

Desvelado: said of a person who has not slept or has found it difficult to sleep.

• Me desvelé anoche y no conseguí dormir hasta las 4 de la mañana (I was up last night and couldn't sleep until 4 in the morning).
• The most accurate translation would be “sleep-deprived” or “wide awake”.

Morriña: means nostalgia or sadness caused by being far from home or one's homeland. It is a word with Galician origin.

• Desde que se mudó al extranjero, tiene morriña de su pueblo (Since he went to live abroad, he has missed his village).
• It could be translated as “homesickness”.

These are just a few Spanish words that have no translation in English, but there are probably many more. Do you know any? Tell us! It can also happen that you want to say a word in your language that has no translation in Spanish.

Languages are complex and each one has its peculiarities, but if you want to master Spanish like a native, don't hesitate to sign up for our intensive Spanish courses to continue practicing, improving and mastering the language and all its words, with or without English translation.

You have probably heard the saying that “ask and you shall learn” or that “if you don’t ask, you don’t get”. These popular Spanish sayings refer to the fact that, if you have any questions, the best thing to do is to ask and learn from them.

So, if you've ever wanted to ask a question in Spanish but didn't know how to structure it or how to start a conversation, don Quijote has the perfect article for you. Discover how to ask questions in Spanish, how to ask and answer Spanish questions, the most basic and easy questions you should master in the language, and much more!

You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian or Dutch.

Interrogative pronouns in Spanish

Asking questions in Spanish is essential for communicating on the street, in class or in a supermarket. So, you need to master how to ask questions in Spanish in order to talk to native speakers, answer questions from your teacher in class or simply give directions in Spanish.

Before you start asking questions, you need to know the interrogative pronouns in Spanish used for asking questions:

• Qué (what): used to ask about things or general information.
• Quién (who): used to ask about people.
• Cuándo (when): used to ask about time.
• Por qué (why): used to ask about reasons or causes.
• Dónde (where): used to ask about places.
• Cómo (how): used to ask about states, forms or manners.
• Cuánto (how much/many): used to ask about quantity.

Most Spanish questions begin with these Spanish interrogative pronouns, which allow you to formulate questions depending on the context. These 7 particles are essential for formulating questions in Spanish, and they always have a tilde to differentiate them from Spanish relative pronouns.

However, Spanish is such a flexible language that it also allows you to ask questions without having to use them. Here are the types of questions that can be asked in Spanish.

Basic Spanish questions

Not all questions in Spanish require an interrogative pronoun. Therefore, we can distinguish two main types of questions in Spanish:

Open questions in Spanish

Open Spanish questions require more detailed answers and cannot be answered with yes or no. In addition, this type of Spanish questions usually uses interrogative pronouns, and the answers vary depending on the information needed:

• ¿Qué haces el fin de semana? (What do you do on the weekend?)
• ¿Cómo se llama tu madre? (What is your mother's name?)
• ¿Dónde vives?) (Where do you live?)

Closed questions in Spanish

On the other hand, closed Spanish questions do not use interrogative pronouns and short answers are expected. These questions can be answered with yes or no and are formed by simply adding the question marks to the sentence:

• ¿Te gusta el chocolate? (Do you like chocolate?)
• ¿Está ocupado este asiento? (Is this seat taken?)
• ¿Vives en Madrid? (Do you live in Madrid?)

Ask a question in Spanish

Knowing how to formulate questions in Spanish correctly will help you obtain information, clarify doubts and maintain fluent conversations, which is why it is an essential skill in any language.

If you want to learn Spanish in Spain it is useful to start with simple questions that will help you in everyday life. Here are some phrases with an answer as an example:

• ¿Cómo te llamas? or ¿Cuál es tu nombre? – Mi nombre es María (What is your name? - My name is María)
• ¿Cuántos años tienes? – Tengo 28 años (How old are you? - I am 28 years old)
• ¿De dónde eres? – Soy de Asturias (Where are you from? - I'm from Asturias)
• ¿Dónde está el baño? – Al fondo a la izquierda (Where is the bathroom? - At the back left)
• ¿Qué es eso? – Un regalo de cumpleaños (What is that? - A birthday present)
• ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? – Mi cumpleaños es el 3 de octubre (When is your birthday? - My birthday is October 3rd)
• ¿Dónde vives? – Vivo en Guadalajara (Where do you live? - I live in Guadalajara)
• ¿En qué trabajas? – Trabajo de camarero (What do you do for a living? - I work as a waiter)
• ¿Dónde aprendiste español? – Aprendí español con don Quijote (Where did you learn Spanish? - I learned Spanish with don Quijote)
• ¿Te gusta la comida española? – Me encanta, sobre todo las croquetas (Do you like Spanish food? - I love it, especially croquettes)

• ¿Qué hora es? – Son las 23:45pm (What time is it? - It's 11:45pm)
• ¿Puedo ayudarte? – Si, ¿puedes decirme cuánto cuesta esta camiseta? (Can I help you? - Yes, can you tell me how much this T-shirt costs?)
• ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? – Son 20 euros (How much is this? - It's 20 euros)
• ¿A qué te dedicas? – Soy traductor (What do you do? - I'm a translator)
• ¿Qué día es hoy? – Hoy es martes (What day is it today? - Today is Tuesday)
• ¿Puedes hablar más despacio, por favor? – Si, claro (Can you speak more slowly, please? - Yes, of course)
• ¿Qué has dicho? – Decía que si te gusta la pizza (What did you say? - I said: Do you like pizza?)
• Puedes repetir eso último, ¿por favor? – Por supuesto. ¿Me pasa la sal? (Can you repeat that last one, please? - Of course. Can you pass on the salt?)

Learning to formulate questions in Spanish is fundamental to improve your communication. Using interrogative pronouns correctly and practicing open and closed questions will help you speak fluently.

With don Quijote you will find it easy to ask basic questions and increase in complexity over time. Remember that the key is to practice and not be afraid to ask questions.

Learning a language is hard work, but it's more enjoyable if you decide to start by mastering the vocabulary of your hobbies or interests. So, if you're passionate about sports, it's essential that you know how to have a conversation about your favorite team.

At don Quijote we want to help you with that and bring you the definitive list of sports vocabulary in Spanish you need. Soccer? Basketball? Tennis? Learn all the terms used to talk about sports in Spanish with us.

You can also read this article in Spanish here.

List of sports in Spanish

Before we get fully into the vocabulary, you need to know the name of your favorite sport in Spanish. Here is a very complete list of sports in Spanish so you can find yours:

• Fútbol – Soccer or Football
• Baloncesto - Basketball
• Tenis - Tennis
• Pádel - Paddle tennis
• Natación - Swimming
• Waterpolo - Water polo
• Voleibol - Volleyball
• Hockey
• Balonmano - Handball
• Fórmula 1 - Formula 1
• MotoGP
• Atletismo - Athletics
• Ciclismo - Cycling
• Golf
• Béisbol - Baseball
• Bádminton - Badminton
• Rugby
• Patinaje - Skating
• Esquí - Skiing
• Surf - Surfing
• Equitación - Horse riding
• Karate
• Judo
• Boxeo - Boxing
• Artes marciales - Martial arts
• Escalada - Climbing
• Esgrima - Fencing
• Piragüismo – Canoeing

These are just some of the best-known sports, but there are many more. Are you missing anything? Let us know!

Spanish sports words

In addition to learning sports vocabulary in Spanish, you also need to know some general terms. In most sports, the people who attend the estadios or campos (stadiums or fields) are aficionados (fans) and they are also called afición (fandom). The songs to cheer on your favorite team are called cánticos, but you will also be able to hear the team's anthem before the game.

In a soccer or basketball game you need a árbitro (referee) to control and direct the fouls or collisions between the jugadores (players). And many sports have prórroga (extra time) after the end of regulation time.

Now that you know the main terms, let's look at the specific vocabulary of each sport. Come and learn Spanish in Spain will allow you to get to know, attend and experience first-hand matches of great teams or international players, as well as use all the relevant terms of your favorite sport in Spanish in context.

Football vocabulary in Spanish  

The sport par excellence in Spain and in most of the world is football. Football vocabulary in Spanish contains many words derived from English or directly in this language, so it can be easy.

Among the equipment used by players in a football match, you can find:

• Balón - Ball
• Portería - Goal
• Red - Net
• Espinilleras - Shin guards
• Camiseta – T-shirt
• Botas de fútbol Football boots

You should also know that the place where the game is played is a campo (field) or estadio (stadium), made up of líneas de banda (touchlines), área de penalti (penalty area) and banderines de córner (corner flags), among other elements.

The most common moves are regatear (dribbling), chutar (shooting), cabecear (heading), despejar (clearing), centrar (crossing), interceptar (intercepting), hacer un pase filtrado (playing a through ball), amagar (feinting) and recuperar el balón (winning the ball back). On the other hand, the positions of the players on a football pitch are delantero centro (center forward), extremo (winger), mediocampista defensivo/ofensivo (defensive/offensive midfielder), defensa central (center back), lateral (full back), portero (goalkeeper).

As for the key rules and terms of football:

• Fuera de juego - Offside
• Penalti - Penalty
• Córner - Corner
• Saque de banda - Throw-in
• Falta - Foul
• Tarjeta amarilla - Yellow card
• Tarjeta roja - Red card
• Tiempo añadido / Tiempo extra - Added time or extra time
• Tiempo de descuento - Time remaining
• VAR
• Gol - Goal
• Hat-trick
• Chilena

Basketball vocabulary in Spanish

Another world-famous sport is basketball. Here you will find all the Spanish vocabulary for this sport that you might need during your intensive Spanish course or in conversations with your classmates.

The equipment and elements of the basketball court consist of a balón (ball), aro (hoop), canasta (basket), tablero (backboard), cancha (court), línea de tiro libre (free throw line), línea de tres puntos (three-point line), línea de fondo (baseline), línea de medio campo (half-court line), línea de banda (sideline), banquillo (bench), cronómetro (stopwatch), uniforme (uniform) and zapatillas (sneakers).

Not forgetting the movements characteristic of this sport: driblar or regatear (dribbling), encestar (score a basket), bloquear (blocking), asistir (assisting), pivotar (pivoting), fintar (feinting), hacer un mate (dunking), tiro en suspension (jump shots), tiro libre (free throws), alley-oop, robo de balón (steals) and tapón (blocks).

The positions of the players on a basketball court are base (point guard), escolta (shooting guard), alero (forward), ala-pívot (power forward) and pivot (center).

In addition, these words will be useful to you and are used in basketball:

• Cancha or pista de baloncesto - Basketball court
• Asistencia - Attendance
• Punto - Point
• Tiro - Shot
• Rebote - Rebound
• Mate - Dunk
• Finta - Fint
• Falta personal – Personal foul
• Doble drible – Double dribble
• Zona – Zone
• Tiempo muerto – Time out
• Posesión - Possession
• Rebote ofensivo - Offensive rebound
• Rebote defensivo - Defensive rebound

Tennis vocabulary in Spanish

Tennis is a very popular sport in Spain thanks to players such as Rafa Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz. It is not surprising that these names come up in conversation, so below you will find the most relevant tennis vocabulary in Spanish.

Tennis players use a raqueta (racket) and a ball to play matches. The tennis court is called pista de tenis and is made up of a red (net) that separates the two players or teams.

In terms of moves, you can identify el saque plano, cortado or liftado (flat serve, cut or topspin), la volea (volley), el golpe de derecha (drive), el revés (backhand), dejada (drop shot), smash, passing shot, slice and top spin

The scoring system in tennis is not like in other sports, the points are added up in a different way. That's why in a tennis match you'll see the scoreboard go through these numbers: 15-30-40; and it doesn't add up one by one like in soccer, nor are there triple points like in basketball.

Key rules and terms of tennis in Spanish:

• Saque or servicio - Serve
• Doble falta - Double fault
• Punto de ruptura - Break point
• Punto de partido - Match point
• Ace
• Let
• Saque directo - Direct serve
• Línea de fondo - Baseline
• Empuñadura - Grip
• Overgrip
• Cordaje - String
• Deuce
• Tie-break
• Set

As in soccer or basketball, tennis has many technical terms that have remained untranslated in English, so it is easy to remember them if it is your native language.

Vocabulary of other sports in Spanish

Boxing is not as famous as soccer, but if you are interested in this sport, you should learn these terms:

• Guantes - Gloves
• Protector bucal - Mouth guard
• Vendajes - Bandages
• Ring
• Esquina - Corner
• Saco de boxeo - P unching bag
• Nocaut (KO) - Knockout
• Nocaut técnico (TKO) - Technical knockout
• Conteo de protección - Protective count
• Asalto - Assault
• Guardia alta or guardia baja - High guard or low guard
• Juez - Judge
• Decisión dividida/unánime - Split/Unanimous Decision

The movements of boxers in the ring are jab, gancho (hook), uppercut, crochet, cross, esquivar (dodge), clinch, fintar (feint), contragolpe (counter punch) and golpe al hígado (liver punch), among others.

Let’s continue with another sport: swimming. This sport has several styles, it can be team, individual or synchronized. However, the vocabulary of swimming in Spanish is simple.

Among the swimming strokes are crol (crawl), brazada (breaststroke), espalda (backstroke), mariposa (butterfly), estilo libre (freestyle), nado de supervivencia (survival swim). Other Spanish sport terms related to this sport are:

• Piscina - Swimming pool
• Gorro – Swimming cap
• Gafas – Swimming goggles
• Bañador - Swimsuit
• Respiración - Breathing
• Bucear or Sumergirse - Diving
• Flotar - Floating
• Trampolín - Trampoline
• Carriles - Rails
• Aletas - Fins
• Viraje - Turning
• Patada de delfín - Dolphin kick
• Deslizamiento - Slide
• Salida en flecha - Arrow exit
• Volteo - Flipping
• Respiración bilateral - Bilateral Breathing

Sports with cars and motorcycles are also popular in Spain, especially Formula 1 and MotoGP. The equipment of the pilotos (drivers) is similar, as they both wear cascos (helmets), are vehículos monoplazas (single-seater vehicles) and have neumáticos (tires).

The movements are adelantar (overtaking), acelerar (accelerating), derrapar (skidding), hacer una parada en boxes (making a pit stop), tomar una curva (cornering), apurar la frenada (braking) and hacer un undercut or overcut (undercutting or overcutting).

Formula 1 vocabulary in Spanish:

• Neumáticos pueden ser blandos, duros or intermedios - Tires can be soft, hard or intermediate
• Alerón delantero y trasero - Front and rear wing
• Volante – Steering wheel
• DRS
• Halo de seguridad - Safety halo
• Pole position
• Vuelta rápida - Fastest lap
• Bandera roja o amarilla – Red or Yellow flag
• Coche de seguridad - Safety car
• Grip
• Carga aerodinámica - Downforce
• Estrategia de neumáticos - Tire strategy
• Motor híbrido - Hybrid engine
• Penalización en parrilla - Grid penalty

MotoGP vocabulary in Spanish:

• Guantes - Gloves
• Mono de cuero protector - Protective leather suit
• Rodilleras - Knee pads
• Botas - Boots
• Deslizaderas - Sliders
• Protector de espalda - Back protector
• Pole position
• Vuelta rápida - Fastest lap
• Bandera roja - Red flag
• Caídas en alta velocidad - High speed crashes
• Box – Pit box
• Setup de suspensión - Suspension setup

This sports vocabulary in Spanish will help you to improve and expand your knowledge about your favorite sport. So don't hesitate to come to Spain and discover all the matches you can watch live, with international and national players in world famous teams. Live the sport with don Quijote in one of our Spanish language schools!

If there is one thing Spain is known for, it is its warm weather all year round, but did you know that not all cities and places in the country always have good weather? And the fact is that Spain has a pleasant climate most of the year, but its cities also know the cold and rain, especially in the north.

So, if you have ever wondered how to talk about the weather in Spanish, but you do not know what words or expressions to use or need to expand your vocabulary about the Spanish weather, this is your article! Get to know the most common expressions or the most colloquial ones, express if you are cold or hot and even how you see the sky today.

In this Don Quijote article, which you can also read in Spanish, you will find all the Spanish weather vocabulary you need.

Don't hesitate any longer and venture to learn Spanish in Spain with us!

Spanish weather terms

Start by learning the essential: basic weather words in Spanish. Below you will find a list of Spanish weather terms that will come in handy:

• Sol (Sun)
• Lluvia (Rain)
• Gotas de Lluvia (Raindrops)
• Nieve (Snow)
• Viento (Wind)
• Nubes (Clouds)
• Brisa (Breeze)
• Niebla (Fog)
• Granizo (Hail)
• Hielo (Ice)
• Humedad (Moisture)
• Arcoiris (Rainbow)
• Aguanieve (Sleet)
• Tormenta (Thunderstorm)
• Chaparrón (Downpour)
• Trueno (Thunder)
• Rayo or Relámpago (Lightning)
• Huracán (Hurricane)
• Tornado (Tornado)
• Inundación (Flood)
• Ola de calor (Heat wave)
• Sequía (Drought)

But, once you know these words, you need to know which Spanish verbs the right ones are to use. The main verbs used are tener, hacer, haber and estar, all conjugated in third or first person to talk about the weather in Spanish or one's own weather sensations.

These are some very common forms and weather expression in Spanish to talk about the climate:

• Hace calor (It’s hot)
• Hace frío (It's cold)
• Hace fresco (It's cool)
• Hace buen tiempo (It's good weather)
• Hace mal tiempo (It's bad weather)
• Está nublado (Cloudy)
• Stá soelado (Sunny)
• Está despejado (It is clear)
• Está lloviendo (It is raining)
• Hay humedad (It's humid)
• Hay Niebla (It is foggy)

In addition to the verbs mentioned above to express Spanish weather words, there are other intrinsic verbs on the same topic. For example: llover (to rain), nevar (to snow), granizar (to hail), inunda(se) (to flood) or helar(se) (to freeze). But if there are some phrases you should know to ask about or talk about Spanish weather terms, they are undoubtedly these:

• ¿Qué tiempo hace hoy? (What's the weather like today?)
• ¿Qué temperatura hará hoy? (What temperature will it be today?)
• ¿Cómo está el tiempo hoy? (How's the weather today?)
• ¿Hace calor/frío afuera? (Is it hot/cold outside?)
• ¿Crees que hoy va a hacer frío? (Do you think it's going to be cold today?)
• ¿Cuál es el pronóstico para mañana? (What's the forecast for tomorrow?)
• ¿Tienes frío/calor? (Are you hot/cold?)
• ¿Va a llover? (Is it going to rain?)
• ¿Está granizando? (Is it hailing?)

Weather expressions in Spanish

As you can see, describing or talking about the Spanish weather is not complicated, you simply must know the right vocabulary and know how to conjugate the verbs. Therefore, in the following sentences you have examples of how to form sentences with the Spanish weather words you learnt previously:

1. Ayer llovió tanto que hubo inundaciones en toda la ciudad (It rained so much yesterday that there were floods all over the city)
2. El pronóstico dice que va a llover y granizar toda la semana (The forecast says it's going to rain and hail all week)
3. Durante la tormenta del otro día vi relámpagos y truenos en el cielo (During the storm the other day I saw lightning and thunder in the sky)
4. Tengo tanto frío que no siento las manos (I'm so cold I can't feel my hands)
5. Hay riesgo de granizo si la lluvia es tan fuerte como anoche (There is a risk of hail if the rain is as heavy as last night)
6. Cuando nieva, hace mucho frío en la calle, es mejor quedarse en casa (When it snows, it's very cold outside, it's better to stay at home)
7. Está granizando muy fuerte, mejor no salgamos ahora (It's hailing very hard; we'd better not go out now)
8. Después de la tormenta, las calles estaban llenas de agua (After the storm, the streets were full of water)
9. En primavera llueve mucho, pero también hay días soleados (In spring it rains a lot, but there are also sunny days)
10. En el trabajo tengo calor porque la calefacción está muy alta (At work I'm hot because the heating is on full blast)
11. Hacía tal viento que parecía que los árboles se iban a caer (It was so windy that it looked like the trees were going to fall)
12. La niebla de ayer no nos dejaba ver nada al volante (Yesterday's fog didn't let us see anything from behind the wheel)
13. El día está soleado y hace mucho calor, es mejor no salir en hora punta (It's sunny and very hot today, it's better not to go out at rush hour)
14. Diluvió dos días seguidos en el pueblo de mis abuelos (It poured for two days in a row in my grandparents' village)
15. Tienes las manos heladas, debes de estar helado de frío, ¿quieres que encienda la calefacción? (Your hands are freezing, you must be freezing cold, do you want me to turn up the heating?)

If there is one thing that characterizes the Spanish language, it is that it has thousands of colloquial expressions on any topic or subject, and the vocabulary related to the weather is no exception. Therefore, below we leave you with some of the most used colloquial phrases related to the aSpanish weather. Did you know any of them?

• Llover a mares (It's raining cats and dogs or It’s pouring rain). E.g. No pude salir de casa ayer porque llovía a mares (I couldn't leave the house yesterday because it was raining cats and dogs).
• Hacer un frío que pela (It's freezing cold). E.g. Tengo la nariz roja, ¡hace un frío que pela! (My nose is red, it's freezing cold!)
• Hacer un calor sofocante (It’s scorching hot or It’s scorching hot). g. Madrid en agosto es terrible. Hace un calor sofocante que no te deja moverte (Madrid in August is terrible. It's so stifling hot you can't move).
• Hacer un viento que corta (It’s a biting wind). E.g. No te olvides la bufanda que hace un viento que corta (Don't forget your scarf, there's a cutting wind).
• Hacer un tiempo de perros (The weather is awful). E.g. ¡Menudo día! Hace un tiempo de perros (What a day! It's terrible weather).
• Caer un chaparrón (A heavy downpour). E.g. He llegado empapada al trabajo porque estaba cayendo un chaparrón horrible (I arrived at work soaking wet because it was pouring down with rain).
• Hacer bochorno (It’s sweltering hot and humid). E.g. Tengo la piel pegajosa del calor, menudo bochorno hace hoy (My skin is clammy from the heat, what a sultry day today).

Easy and simple, the Spanish weather words for talking about the climate that you have learned in this article can now be put into practice. Don't forget to form meaningful sentences, use the verbs you've learned and practice as much as you can. And if you need a final push in your vocabulary, an intensive Spanish course is designed for you. Launch yourself into your Spanish adventure now and live it at DonQuijote!

Christmas is just around the corner and what better time of the year to watch movies at home, in good company and with a warm drink. Because Christmas is a time for cold weather, gifts and Spanish Christmas meal, but also to spend time with the family watching Spanish Christmas movies by the fire (if you are lucky and have a fireplace at home).

So, donQuijote brings you the best Christmas movies in Spanish, original from Spain or dubbed in Spanish, so you can improve your knowledge, vocabulary and, even if you are on vacation, you can continue learning Spanish in Spain.

You can read this article also in Spanish.

La leyenda de Klaus (The Legend of Klaus) (2019)

Let start with an innovative animated film directed by Sergio Pablos which, although it is also in English, you can practice and watch La Leyenda de Klaus in its Spanish version.

This Spanish Christmas movie reinvents the origin of Santa Claus and follows the story of a half-hearted letter carrier who is sent to a remote island. There, the letter carrier befriends a toymaker and, if you want to know how it ends… you'll have to watch it for yourself!

The Spanish version is intended for an intermediate level, but the quality of the animation and the emotional touch of the story will make you want to learn more Spanish. It is ideal for improving vocabulary related to values such as generosity, kindness and, of course, Christmas.

El Grinch (2018)

Another Christmas classic is El Grinch. Of this curious character, not at all fond of Christmas parties, there are many versions and different movies. Today we bring you two versions, so you can choose the one you like the most, both adaptations of the classic tale “How the Grinch stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss.

The first version is an animated Christmas movie in Spanish, from 2018 and produced by the same studio of movies such as Despicable Me or The Minions. This film is characterized by a vibrant and colorful animation, which follows the story of The Grinch and his mission to steal Christmas from a village, Whoville. A more emotional and humorous approach than previous versions of the story.

Its simple and clear language, its familiar and emotional dialogues, as well as the Christmas vocabulary and positive Spanish expressions you will learn with this movie, are perfect for this holiday season.

The 2000 version stars Jim Carrey as The Grinch, a green creature who hates Christmas and wants to steal all the presents to annoy the whole town. As in the animated version, Carrey's Grinch manages to steal Christmas but ends up discovering the true meaning of the holiday thanks to a kind-hearted little girl.

The light and funny tone of Jim Carrey's version will make you want to learn more about Christmas and Spanish vocabulary.

Operación regalo (Arthur Christmas) (2011)

The next Christmas movie in Spanish is Operación regalo (Arthur Christmas), an animated film that you can watch dubbed into Spanish, perfect for the little ones. The story tells the life of Arthur Claus, Santa's youngest son, whose mission is to deliver a forgotten gift before Christmas is over.

An exciting adventure, full of humor and fast-paced dialogues that will help you develop your listening comprehension in Spanish. The vocabulary in this movie is related to Christmas, presents and family values.

El expreso Polar (Polar Express) (2004)

A Christmas movie that has conquered everyone is El expreso Polar or Polar Express. This story is dubbed into Spanish and designed for an intermediate level. It tells the story of a skeptical boy who boards a magical train to the North Pole. There, he discovers the importance of believing in Christmas.

The vocabulary of this story is perfect for learning about travel, emotions and Christmas landscapes in Spanish.

Love Actually (2003)

Without a doubt, the quintessential Christmas film: Love Actually. This Christmas romantic comedy follows several love stories, which intertwine in London during the Christmas season. It shows different ways of experiencing love and connection during Christmas.

Although an advanced level of Spanish is required to watch this dubbed movie, you can always help yourself with subtitles in your language and enjoy it this Christmas. It is also ideal for learning colloquial phrases and emotional expressions in Spanish.

Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Wise Men) (2003)

A Spanish animated movie that tells the story of the Three Wise Men on their adventure to bring gifts to the baby Jesus. During their journey, the Three Wise Men will have to face challenges and adventures until they reach their destination.

This is an excellent original movie from Spain to learn about Christmas traditions. Its clear Spanish and historical-religious context enrich the cultural experience, so you will learn in all aspects during its viewing.

Pesadilla antes de Navidad (Nightmare Before Christmas) (1993)

A Christmas and Halloween classic directed by Tim Burton. You will need to pay close attention and an intermediate level of Spanish to follow the adventure of Jack Skellington, king of Halloween, and his discovery of Christmas. This skeleton's vision of Christmas jeopardizes the festivities in the real world.

A dark, funny adventure with songs and lots of humor that is dubbed into Spanish and is excellent for practicing pronunciation and learning vocabulary not only for Christmas, but also for Halloween in Spanish.

Solo en casa (Home Alone) (1990)

We couldn't miss the Christmas classic Home Alone in its Spanish dubbed version. Surely, you know this story: eight-year-old Kevin is accidentally left home alone during Christmas and must defend himself from two burglars who want to break into his house.

In Spanish, this movie includes everyday phrases and funny situations, ideal for internalizing the domestic and colloquial vocabulary of the language.

Gremlins (1984)

An adorable little mogwai causes tremendous chaos in a town when the rules for taking care of him are not respected. I'm sure you're also familiar with the funny and terrifying Christmas movie in Spanish: The Gremlins, a Spielberg classic.

The mix of humor and light horror in this Spanish Christmas movie makes it entertaining with a varied vocabulary and situations that help to practice listening comprehension. You can help yourself with subtitles in your language if you need them, as this movie has an upper-intermediate level of Spanish.

Historias de Navidad (A Christmas Story) (1983)

Finally, another of the Christmas classics that could not be missing in this list: A Christmas Story. This family comedy has become a must-see. It tells the story of a 9-year-old boy who wants an air rifle as a Christmas present and tries to convince everyone that it is the perfect gift for him.

A clear and easy to understand style, a retro setting to learn the customs of Christmas past and a fun development throughout the film. Remember that it is dubbed into Spanish, so you can use subtitles to understand the whole story if necessary.

Did you know any of these Christmas movies in Spanish? If this Christmas you want to continue learning Spanish, enjoying funny, exciting or romantic stories, with these 10 Spanish Christmas movies you have a guaranteed success.

There are thousands of people in the world who are bilingual or multilingual. Nowadays, most students prepare themselves to be bilingual, either in their schools or in specialized programs, because speaking more than one language opens doors in many fields.

Therefore, in this donQuijote article you will learn the advantages of being bilingual, why study another language, the difference between the terms bilingual and multilingual, and why you should learn Spanish in Spain.

What is bilingualism?

Bilingualism is the ability of a person to speak two different languages fluently, both written and spoken, in any context. Bilingual people can speak two different languages and express themselves fluently in any of them.

What is multilingualism?

On the other hand, multilingualism defines people who can speak fluently in more than two languages. These people can speak smoothly, and switch from one language to another, when talking to their environment.

There are several places in the world where several languages coexist, so most of the population learns them to express themselves within their environment. Therefore, many people speak two languages fluently from birth and learn others throughout their lives.

If being multilingual has left you amazed, polyglots are able to speak fluently in five or more languages.

Advantages of bilingualism

Here are the advantages of being bilingual and why study Spanish as a second or third language.

Greater cognitive capacity. Bilingualism improves people's cognitive functions, including memory, problem solving and decision-making.

Mental flexibility. Bilingual people tend to be more adaptable and creative as they are used to switching between languages. Perspectives and customs change depending on the place or country where you are, so a bilingual person has more capacity and mental speed to change.

Delaying cognitive decline. Speaking two languages can delay diseases such as Alzheimer's or dementia. Studies confirm that studying a language is a challenge for the mind, therefore, exercising it promotes cognitive decline.

Improves concentration. Bilingual people tend to have a more developed ability to filter out distractions, so they concentrate on specific tasks more easily.

Multitasking skills. Switching between languages trains the brain to handle multiple activities efficiently. Therefore, people who speak more than one language have a greater ability to perform more than one task or activity at the same time.

Better cultural understanding. Being bilingual fosters greater empathy and understanding of different cultures and people. Each language has its origin in a country and each place has its customs, so having lived in another country, understanding the culture will be easier. Although there are bilingual by birth who speak two languages naturally because that is what they have learned at home.

Job opportunities. Speaking more than one language increases access to jobs in international markets and with multilingual requirements. Many companies are now looking for prospective employees who speak more than one language (among the most popular are Spanish, English, Chinese, French or German).

Access to more information. By mastering more than one language, you will be able to consume content in any of them. Searching for information, reading books or news, as well as watching movies and series that have not yet been translated will give you a wide range of sources to consult.

Advantages of being bilingual in Spanish

Many native speakers of English don't want to study another language because with their own language they can understand it anywhere. But did you know that learning Spanish has many advantages? Here are some of the advantages of being bilingual in Spanish:

Large global community. With more than 500 million native speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world. Learning it will open doors and opportunities at a social or professional level in Spain, Latin America and other Spanish-speaking regions.

Advantages in the job market. Spanish is one of the most valued languages in sectors such as health care, tourism, education and business, especially in the United States, but also internationally.

Greater cultural connection. Learning Spanish allows for a deeper understanding of Hispanic cultures, from literature to cinema, music and gastronomy. You will be able to read in original version great works of authors such as Cervantes, Carmen Laforet, Gabriel García Márquez or Isabel Allende.

Communication skills. With more than 40 million Spanish speakers in the United States, mastering Spanish helps you connect with one of the largest and most diverse communities in the country.

Educational opportunities. Fluency in Spanish gives you access to study programs in Spanish-speaking countries and facilitates your participation in cultural and academic exchanges in countries such as Spain.

More enriching trips. Speaking Spanish makes travel to Spanish-speaking countries more authentic, because you will be less dependent on a translator and will be able to understand the locals and read the signs on your own.

Access to information sources in Spanish. You can enjoy books, series, movies, podcasts and news in their original language. All this will enrich your cultural and linguistic perspective, improve your expressions and understanding of the language.

Ease of learning other languages. Is Spanish easy to learn? Spanish can serve as a basis for learning French, Italian or Portuguese. Since all these languages have similar roots, mastering one will help you learn the others.

Personal growth. It's not all about professional advantages, learning Spanish broadens your thinking, increases your empathy and helps you appreciate the differences and similarities between cultures.

Are you looking forward to it? Take advantage of your time and sign up for an intensive Spanish course to master two languages and become bilingual. You have already seen that there are many advantages and that languages will open doors for you in any field. In this case, Spanish is one of the most demanded languages globally and more and more students are taking on this adventure. Don't wait any longer and learn Spanish with Don Quijote!

Do you need to write a letter in Spanish and don't know where to start? Many times, you want to get information about your hotel reservation, your Spanish language school in Spain, about the services of a company or a reservation in a restaurant, the fastest way is through an email or a letter.

So you are in luck, at donQuijote we help you write a letter in Spanish for any situation. Find out how to start a letter in Spanish, what vocabulary you need and what structure you need to follow.

You can also read this same post in Spanish, Italian or French.

How to start a letter in Spanish?

Even if you think that writing letters is not fashionable in the 21st century, there are still romantics who carry out these practices. Besides, knowing how to write a letter in Spanish can also be useful for sending emails.

So, how do I start my letter or email in Spanish? Very simple: greeting the recipient. Moreover, depending on whether you are addressing a friend or a stranger, the greeting may vary. Here are some examples of how to do it:

• A quien pueda interesar or A quien corresponda (To whom it may concern)
• Estimado señor or Estimada señora (Dear Sir or Dear Madam)
• Hola (Hello)
• Querido/a (Dear)
• Buenos días (Good morning)

Remember that in Spanish, unlike in English, a colon is used to separate the salutation from the body of the letter or email, especially in formal letters. A formal greeting in a Spanish letter would be “Estimada señorita Gómez” (Dear Miss Gomez) or “A quien pueda interesar” (To whom it may concern). While an informal greeting might be “Hola Juan” (Hello Juan) or “Querida Maria” (Dear Maria).

After the initial greeting, comes the actual content of the Spanish letter. You can start by explaining the reason for the letter, asking the other person how they are or thanking them in advance for their attention.

Below, you will find useful vocabulary to start the body of your letter in Spanish, both for a formal and informal context:

• Te escribo porque… (I am writing to you because...) - informal
• ¿Cómo te va todo? or ¿Qué tal estás? (How are you doing?) - informal
• Espero que estés bien (Hope you are well) - informal
• Encantado de saludarte (Nice to say hello) - informal
• Me gustaría contarte sobre… (I would like to tell you about…) - informal
• Te escribo en relación con… (I am writing to you regarding…) - informal
• Le estoy contactando porque… (I am contacting you because...) - formal
• Adjunto encontrará… (Attached you will find...) formal
• Gracias por su tiempo, me gustaría comentarle en esta carta… (Thank you for your time, I would like to tell you in this letter...) - formal
• La presente carta tiene por motivo… (The purpose of this letter is…) - formal
• Les informo mediante la siguiente carta que… (I am informing you by means of the following letter that...) - formal
• Por favor, hazme saber si necesitas más información (Please, let me know if you need any further information) - formal
• Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en formularla (If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask) - formal
• Por favor, póngase en contacto conmigo lo antes posible (Please contact me as soon as possible) - formal

Once you have finished the body of the letter, where you explain the reason for it and you have formulated all your requests, you have to say goodbye. For this, there are several ways to say goodbye and close a letter or email in Spanish:

• Saludos (Best) - formal
• Un cordial saludo (Best regards) - formal
• Quedo a la espera de una respuesta (I look forward to hearing from you) - formal
• Atentamente or Cordialmente (Sincerely) - formal
• Muchas gracias por su tiempo (Thank you for your time) - formal
• Le agradezco su atención (Thank you for your attention) - formal
• Con cariño (Love) - informal
• Cuídate (Take care) - informal
• Espero saber pronto de ti (Hope to hear from you soon) - informal
• Seguimos en contacto (Keep in touch) - informal
• Hablamos pronto (Talk to you soon) - informal

Once you understand the basic structure of a Spanish letter, you're ready to send it! Practice and put into action everything you have learned to write your first letter in Spanish, or an informal email to your friends.

Here are some examples of letters in Spanish so that you have a reference when starting your own (you can also apply them to emails).

Informal letter in Spanish

Spanish:

Querida María:

¡Hola! Espero que estés muy bien. Te escribo porque hace mucho que no tengo noticias tuyas y quería saber cómo te va con tu nuevo trabajo y cómo está tu familia. Me encantaría que nos pusiéramos al día y recordar viejos tiempos.

Aquí en Madrid todo sigue igual. Estoy trabajando bastante, pero aprovecho los fines de semana para descansar y salir un poco. Últimamente he estado pensando en hacer un viaje. ¿Sabes qué sería genial? Que pudieras acompañarme, qué me dices, ¿te animas? Podemos organizar algo sencillo, visitar algún lugar cercano o simplemente vernos en el centro de la ciudad.

Cuéntame de ti cuando tengas tiempo. ¡Me encantaría saber más sobre tus planes y tus proyectos!

Te mando un abrazo fuerte y espero tu respuesta.

Con mucho cariño,

Laura
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

English

Dear Maria:

Hello, I hope you are very well. I'm writing because I haven't heard from you in a long time and wanted to know how your new job is going and how your family is doing. I would love to catch up and reminisce about old times.

Here in Madrid everything is the same. I'm working a lot, but I take advantage of the weekends to rest and go out a bit. Lately I've been thinking about taking a trip. You know what would be great? If you could join me, what do you say, are you up for it? We can organize something simple, visit some place nearby or just meet in the city center.

Tell me about you when you have time, I'd love to know more about your plans and projects!

I send you a big hug and look forward to your reply.

With much love,

Laura

Formal letter in Spanish

Spanish:

Asunto: Solicitud de entrevista de trabajo

Estimado Lic. Pérez:

Espero que se encuentre bien. Mi nombre es Anna Gómez y me dirijo a usted con el fin de expresar mi interés en el puesto de Analista Financiero publicado en su sitio web. Me gustaría tener la oportunidad de conversar sobre mi experiencia y habilidades, que pueden contribuir al desarrollo de su equipo.

Cuento con más de cinco años de experiencia en el análisis de datos financieros, la creación de presupuestos y la elaboración de reportes de rendimiento. En mi empleo actual, he desarrollado competencias clave en la toma de decisiones financieras estratégicas, las cuales creo que podrían ser de gran valor para su empresa. Además, poseo un sólido manejo de herramientas de software financiero, lo que me permite optimizar procesos y obtener resultados precisos.

Quedo a su disposición para una entrevista en la fecha y horario que usted considere convenientes. Agradezco de antemano la oportunidad y el tiempo que pueda dedicar a mi solicitud.

Quedo a la espera de su respuesta.

Un saludo cordial,

Anna Gómez
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

English

Subject: Job interview request

Dear Mr. Perez:

I hope you are well. My name is Anna Gomez, and I am writing to express my interest in the Financial Analyst position posted on your website. I would like to have the opportunity to discuss my experience and skills, which can contribute to the development of your team.

I have over five years of experience in financial data analysis, budgeting and performance reporting. In my current job, I have developed key competencies in strategic financial decision making, which I believe could be of great value to your company. In addition, I have a solid command of financial software tools, which allows me to optimize processes and obtain accurate results.

I remain at your disposal for an interview at the date and time you consider convenient. I thank you in advance for the opportunity and the time you can dedicate to my application.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Anna Gomez

You have probably heard the phrase: “Spanish is one of the most difficult languages in the world”. But do you really believe this? If you are a student of Spanish, you will know that this is incorrect. Although it is true that learning a new language is always a challenge, but Spanish is not the most difficult language in the world.

Like any other language, Spanish is either easy to learn or difficult, depending on several factors such as your native language, where and how you are learning it and what approach you are taking to it.

Spanish is a Romance language with a grammatical structure and vocabulary that, in many respects, is accessible to speakers of other Indo-European languages. It is true that it can present some difficulties, but it also has aspects that make it quite accessible, especially when compared to other languages of the world.

Continue reading this article in Spanish, if you think it is not difficult, or switch to Spanish or Dutch.

Is Spanish easy to learn?

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world by number of native speakers, second only to Mandarin Chinese. With more than 580 million people speaking it worldwide, learning Spanish opens the door to communicate with a vast number of people in Europe, Latin America, the United States and even Africa.

Despite what some people think, there are several reasons why learning Spanish is easy, especially compared to other languages. Because if so many people in the world speak it and choose to study it, how can it be difficult to learn Spanish?

How difficult is learning Spanish?

Here are some reasons why learning Spanish is easy:

• Simple pronunciation. Unlike languages like English or French, Spanish has very consistent pronunciation rules. Each letter is generally pronounced the same way, which makes it easy to read and pronounce words even if you don't know them. This is because Spanish is a phonetic language, which means that, in most cases, words are spelled as they sound.
• Clear grammatical rules. Although Spanish grammar may seem intimidating at first (especially verb tenses in Spanish), the rules are clear and consistent. Once you become familiar with them, there are not many exceptions, for example, gender and number agreement of nouns and adjectives.
• Shared vocabulary. If you speak French or Italian, you will be surprised how many words you already know or are very similar. Many Spanish words have their roots in Latin, as do other European languages, which makes it easier to learn vocabulary.
• Access to different resources. Nowadays, there are countless ways to learn Spanish with mobile apps, videos, online Spanish courses, podcasts, etc. Although intensive Spanish courses will always have the incentive that teachers will be able to help you firsthand to improve your understanding of the language.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for English speakers?

If your native language is English, learning Spanish can be a moderate challenge, but not impossible. Spanish and English are Indo-European languages, which means they have some commonalities.

However, there are differences that can be challenging between the two languages. For example, Spanish grammar, especially verb tenses or the use of the subjunctive, can be somewhat complex at first for English speakers, as they have no direct equivalent in their language.

Although, English speakers often find Spanish vocabulary relatively accessible. Many English words have Latin roots that closely resemble Spanish words. For example, the word “hospital” is spelled the same in both languages but pronounced differently. While the word “famoso” in Spanish is very similar to “famous” in English.

Even so, pronunciation can be a hurdle for English speakers, especially when it comes to the vibrant “r” or the difference between the “b” and “v” sounds. However, with practice and exposure to the language, these aspects can be mastered.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for French or Italian speakers?

On the other hand, if you are a native French or Italian speaker, you will find it much easier to learn Spanish. All three languages are Romance languages and have a significant advantage over English speakers.

All three languages share many similarities in vocabulary, grammar and structure. French speakers may encounter some difficulties with pronunciation as Spanish has a more direct and less nasal intonation. However, lexical and grammatical similarities often make learning easy.

On the other hand, Italian speakers will find even more similarities with Spanish. The conjugation of verbs, the gender of nouns and the structure of sentences are very similar, allowing them to learn Spanish quickly. Difficulties may arise in grammatical nuances or differences in vocabulary, but Spanish is an accessible language.

Is it difficult to learn Spanish for Dutch speakers?

For Dutch speakers, Spanish can be a bit more complicated than for speakers of other Romance languages, as Dutch belongs to the Germanic language family.

One of the advantages for native Dutch speakers is that Dutch has some Latin influence in its vocabulary, so many Spanish words may be familiar. Although the main difficulties can be found in the grammar, especially in the conjugation of verbs and the use of the subjunctive, which does not exist in their language, as it does in English.

Spanish pronunciation, however, is usually easier for Dutch speakers than for English speakers, as they share some sounds.

Language immersion is one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish in Spain. Try to create an immersive environment around you during your stay in the country and practice the language 24 hours a day. It may be a challenge for you, but with the right tools it will be an achievable goal. It is up to you whether learning Spanish is easy or difficult.

If you have traveled to Spain or are taking Spanish classes, you will have noticed that the same word can be used in several contexts and its meaning changes. These are polysemous words and in Spanish there are many of them, some even have more than two meanings.

Find out all about polysemic words in Spanish in this article and improve your level with don Quijote Spanish school. You can read this same text in other languages: Spanish, French or Italian.

What are polysemic words?

Polysemic words in Spanish are words that have more than one meaning. That is, the same word can be used in different contexts to refer to different things but keeping the same form.

Polysemy is a common feature in many languages, including Spanish. However, it should not be confused with homonymy.

Homonyms are words that have the same form in Spanish, but different etymological origins. While polysemic words come from a common root and have developed different meanings over time.

Examples of Spanish polysemous words

Below is a list of the most common polysemous words in Spanish. Although there are thousands of polysemous words in Spanish as it is a phenomenon that depends on the social context and culture and is constantly developing.

Banco:

• Financial institution. Example: “Voy al banco a hacer una transferencia” (I'm going to the bank to make a transfer).
• Seat of urban furniture. E.g. “Quedamos en el banco del parque” (Let's meet at the park bench).
• Set of fish. E.g. “Vimos un banco de peces en el mar” (We saw a schoal of fish in the sea).

Batería:

• A musical instrument. E.g. “Toca la batería en una banda” (He plays drums in a band).
• Energy accumulator. E.g. “La batería de mi teléfono está descargada” (The battery in my phone is flat).
• Set of things lined up. g. “Se enfrenta a una batería de preguntas” (He faces a set of questions).

Bolsa:

• Sack for carrying things. E.g. “Usa una bolsa de tela para hacer la compra” (He uses a tote bag to do the shopping).
• Stock market. E.g. “Invertí en la bolsa de valores” (I invested in the stock market).

Bomba:

• Explosive device. E.g. “Desactivaron la bomba a tiempo” (They defused the bomb in time).
• Device for extracting liquids. E.g. “Necesitamos una bomba para extraer agua del pozo” (We need a pump to extract water from the well).
• Expression of surprise or amusement. E.g. “Me ha caído genial tu primo ¡es la bomba!” (I really like your cousin, he is amazing!).

Cabeza:

• Upper body part in Spanish. E.g. “Me duele la cabeza” (My head hurts).
• Person in charge. E.g. “Es la cabeza de la empresa ya que tiene todo bajo control” (She is the head of the company because she has everything under control).
• First place in a competition. “Está a la cabeza de la carrera” (He is at the head of the race).

Carta:

• A letter sent to someone. E.g. “Te mandé una carta por correo” (I sent you a letter in the post).
• Menu in a restaurant. E.g. “Voy a pedir algo de la carta” (I'm going to order something from the menu).
• Playing cards. E.g. “Me tocaron buenas cartas en la partida” (I got good cards in the game).

Caña:

• A long-stemmed plant. E.g. “La caña de azúcar es muy común en algunos países” (Sugar cane is very common in some countries).
• Fishing utensil. E.g. “Llevé la caña de pescar al lago” (I took the fishing rod to the lake).
• Small glass of beer in Spain. g. “Pidamos una caña de cerveza” (Let's order a caña de cerveza).

Capital:

• Money or resources. E.g. “Invertí todo mi capital en el negocio” (I invested all my capital in the business).
• Main city of a country. g. “Madrid es la capital de España” (Madrid is the capital of Spain).

Chuleta:

• A piece of meat. g. “Me comí una chuleta de cerdo” (I ate a pork chop).

• Hidden note to copy on an exam. E.g. “Llevé una chuleta para copiar en el examen” (I took a cheat sheet to copy on the exam).

Cola:

• The back part of an animal. E.g. “El perro mueve la cola” (The dog wags its tail).
• Line of people. E.g. “Hicimos cola para entrar al cine” (We queued up to get into the cinema).
• Glue. E.g. “Usé cola para pegar el papel” (I used glue to glue the paper).

Cometa:

• A flying toy. E.g. “Los niños volaban una cometa en el parque” (The children were flying a kite in the park).
• Celestial body. E.g. “El cometa Halley pasa cada 75 años” (Halley's comet passes by every 75 years).

Copa:

• A glass made of crystal. E.g. “Tomamos una copa de vino” (We had a glass of wine)
• Trophy in some sporting competitions. E.g. “Ganó la Copa del Mundo” (He won the World Cup).
• Top of a tree. Eg. “La copa del árbol da sombra” (The top of the tree gives shade).

Corona:

• Royal headdress placed on the head. g. “El rey llevaba una corona de oro” (The king wore a golden crown).
• Dental structure. E.g. “El dentista me puso una corona en el diente” (The dentist put a crown on my tooth).

Cura:

• Priest. E.g. “El cura ofició la misa” (The priest officiated at mass).
• Medical treatment. g. “Encontraron una cura para la enfermedad” (They found a cure for the disease).

Destino:

• Place to which you are going. g. “Nuestro destino es París” (Our destination is Paris).
• Future or fate. E.g. “El destino quiso que nos encontráramos” (Fate wanted us to meet).

Diente:

• Part of the mouth. E.g. “Me duele el diente de abajo” (My bottom tooth hurts).
• Each of the protrusions of an object. E.g. “La sierra tiene dientes afilados” (The saw has sharp teeth).

Flamenco:

• A pink bird. g. “El flamenco es un ave de patas largas” (Flamingo is a long-legged bird).
• Popular dance and music in Spain. g. “El flamenco es originario de Andalucía” (Flamenco originated in Andalusia).

Gato:

• Domestic animal. E.g. “Tengo un gato negro como mascota” (I have a black cat as a pet).
• Tool for lifting cars. E.g. “Usé el gato para cambiar la rueda” (I used the jack to change the wheel).

Gemelos:

• Siblings born at the same birth. E.g. “Mis primos son gemelos” (My cousins are twins).
• Accessory for shirt cuffs. E.g. “Llevaba los gemelos que me regaló mi abuelo” (I wore the cufflinks my grandfather gave me).

Hoja:

• Part of a plant. E.g. “El viento arrastraba las hojas del árbol” (The wind was blowing the leaves off the tree).
• Sheet of paper. E.g. “Escribí en una hoja en blanco” (I wrote on a blank sheet of paper).
• Blade. E.g. “La hoja del cuchillo está afilada” (The blade of the knife is sharp).

Lengua:

• Part of the mouth. E.g. “La lengua nos permite saborear los alimentos” (The tongue allows us to taste food).
• Language. E.g. “Estoy aprendiendo español como segunda lengua” (I am learning Spanish as a second language).

Listo:

• An intelligent person. E.g “Es muy listo para los negocios” (He is very smart in business).
• To be ready. E.g. “Ya estoy listo para salir” (I'm ready to go).

Mariposa:

• Insect. E.g. “Vimos una mariposa de colores en el jardín” (We saw a colorful butterfly in the garden).
• Swimming style. E.g. “Nadó estilo mariposa en la competición” (He swam butterfly style in the competition).

Mono:

• Animal. E.g. “En el zoológico vimos un mono” (At the zoo we saw a monkey).
• Garment. E.g. “Se puso un mono de trabajo” (She wore overalls).

Muñeca:

• A joint in the arm. E.g. “Me lastimé la muñeca jugando al tenis” (I hurt my wrist playing tennis).
• Human-shaped toy. E.g. “Compré una muñeca para su cumpleaños” (I bought a doll for her birthday).

Nuez:

• Dried fruit. E.g. “Me gusta comer nueces” (I like to eat nuts).
• Part of the body, specifically in the throat, also called Adam's apple. E.g. “Se le nota la nuez cuando traga” (You can feel the Adam's apple when he swallows).

Pendiente:

• An object of jewelry for the ears. g. “Lleva unos pendientes de oro” (He wears gold earrings).
• Slope of the terrain. E.g. “La pendiente de la montaña es pronunciada” (The slope of the mountain is steep).
• Task to be done. E.g “Tengo un trabajo pendiente” (I have a job to do).

Pilar:

• Supporting column. E.g. “El pilar sostiene el techo” (The pillar supports the roof).
• Foundation or base of something. g. “La educación es un pilar de la sociedad” (Education is a pillar of society).
• Feminine proper noun. E.g. “Mi prima Pilar tiene tres hijos” (My cousin Pilar has three children).

Piso:

• Floor surface. E.g. “El piso de la casa está limpio” (The floor of the house is clean).
• Floor of a building. E.g. “Vivo en el tercer piso” (I live on the third floor).
• Conjugation of the verb ‘pisar’. E.g. “Piso con fuerza cuando salgo a correr” (I step hard when I go for a run).

Planta:

• A living plant. E.g. “Regué la planta del salón” (I watered the plant in the living room).
• Floor of a building. E.g. “Mi oficina está en la planta baja” (My office is on the first floor).
• Industrial facility. g. “La planta de producción es enorme” (The production plant is huge).

Polo:

• Geographic extreme. E.g. “El polo norte es muy frío” (The North Pole is very cold).
• Type of shirt. E.g. “Llevaba un polo blanco” (He was wearing a white polo shirt).
• Sport. E.g. “Jugaban al polo en caballos” (They played polo on horses).

Regla:

• An instrument for measuring. E.g. “Dibuja la línea recta con la regla” (Draw the straight line with the ruler).
• Standard or guideline. g. “La regla de la empresa es puntualidad” (The company rule is punctuality).
• E.g. “Me vino la regla por primera vez con 15 años” (I got my period for the first time when I was 15 years old).

Sal:

• A substance for seasoning. E.g. “Añadí un poco de sal a la comida” (I added a little salt to the food).
• Movement when leaving a place. E.g. “Sal por la puerta de la derecha” (Go out the door on the right).

Temporal:

• Meteorological phenomenon or strong storm. E.g. “Hubo un temporal muy fuerte en la costa” (There was a very strong storm on the coast).
• Something that is not permanent. E.g. “Este trabajo es temporal” (This job is temporary).

Tierra:

• Planet where we live. E.g. “La Tierra es nuestro hogar” (Earth is our home).
• Land dedicated to cultivation. E.g. “Las plantas crecen en la tierra” (Plants grow in the earth).

Yema:

• Part of the egg. E.g. “La yema de huevo es amarilla” (The yolk of the egg is yellow).
• The soft part at the tip of the finger. g. “Me quemé la yema del dedo” (I burned my fingertip).

These are just some of the polysemous words in Spanish that can be useful for you to advance in the language. Although if you want to become a fluent speaker and sound like a native speaker, don Quijote's intensive Spanish courses will help you do just that. Start your adventure now!

Knowing how to ask for forgiveness is essential for your day-to-day life, since everyone makes mistakes or go wrong, but do you know how to say sorry in Spanish? It is one of the first lessons, along with the Spanish colors or numbers, that you should learn in Spanish. Therefore, in this article you will learn 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish.

You can also read this article in Spanish, French or Italian.

How to say sorry in Spanish?

If you want to have an effective communication with those around you, knowing how to apologize is essential. How to express yourself, say sorry or apologize in Spanish can lead you to a more positive communication with those around you.

Therefore, knowing in which situation how to apologize in Spanish is essential for you to continue developing your Spanish language skills. Whether you've bumped into someone on the street or made a mistake in class, knowing how to spot the mistake is a sign of empathy and respect for the other person.

In Spanish there are several ways to say sorry or apologize, depending on the situation, the person you are addressing or the degree of the error. For this reason, here are the 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish:

Lo siento (I’m sorry): is the most common expression for apologizing. For example, if you have bumped into someone or forgotten the name of your interlocutor. It is a phrase that is used in everyday life, in many situations and very easy to hear anywhere.

Examples:

• Lo siento mucho (I am sorry for what I said yesterday)
• Siento lo que te dije ayer (I'm sorry for what I said yesterday)
• Siento no haber llegado a tiempo (I'm sorry I didn't arrive on time)

Perdón (Excuse me or Sorry): is used in situations very similar to lo siento, but mostly when you don't understand something or want clarification. For example, when you haven't heard something and want it repeated.

Examples:

• Perdona, no te he visto (Excuse me, I didn't see you)
• Perdone, ¿me puede repetir lo que ha dicho? (Excuse me, could you repeat what you said?)
• Perdón, ¿me deja pasar? (Excuse me, may I come in?)
• Te pido perdón (I beg your pardon)

Disculpa (Excuse me): it is related to the expression “pedir disculpas” (to apologize), it is used in many contexts or when small accidents happen. It is a word closely related to perdón, so you can interchange them, and the meaning will be the same.

You can use this word in formal contexts, disculpe, or more informal, disculpa.

Examples:

• Disculpe, ¿sabe cómo llegar al metro? (Excuse me, do you know how to get to the subway?)
• Discúlpame (Excuse me)
• Te pido disculpas, no era mi intención ofenderte (I apologize, I didn't mean to offend you)

Lo lamento (I'm sorry or I regret): this expression is used in the same situations as lo siento. You can use it in multiple contexts and, if you substitute lo siento for lo lamento, the sentence will have the same meaning. Although it is true that lo lamento is a deeper expression than lo siento, it is mostly used to express condolences.

Examples:

• Lamento oír eso (I'm sorry to hear that)
• Lametno tu pérdida (I'm sorry for your loss)
• Lo lamento (I'm sorry)
• Lamento lo que pasó ayer (I'm sorry for what happened to you yesterday)

Con permiso (With permission/Excuse me): this phrase does not mean to apologize or say sorry in a literal way, but you can use it to ask for permission when you want to make your way through a crowd. With this expression you are not apologizing for something you have done wrong, but you are asking permission for something that is going to happen. In English it could be translated as “excuse me”.

Examples:

• Con permiso, ¿me deja pasar? (Excuse me, may I get through?)
• Permiso por favor, tengo que llegar a esa mesa (Excuse me please, I have to get to that table)

Other expressions to apologize in Spanish

Although these are the most common 5 ways to say sorry in Spanish, there are other expressions or phrases you can use that are very useful in Spanish. For example: me arrepiento or es mi culpa.

In addition, these verbs in Spanish are used to ask for forgiveness or apologies: disculparse, pedir perdón, perdonar, arrepentirse, reconciliarse or lamentarse.

Here are some examples:

1. Me arrepiento de lo que pasó ayer (I regret what happened yesterday)
2. No debí haber hecho eso, espero que puedas perdonarme (I shouldn't have done that, I hope you can forgive me)
3. Es mi culpa que se cayeran los libros (It's my fault the books fell down)
4. No sabes cuanto lo siento. ¿Me perdonas? (You don't know how sorry I am. Can you forgive me?)
5. Te perdono, no pasa nada (I forgive you, it's okay)
6. No hay problema, fue un error, queda olvidado (No problem, it was a mistake, it's forgotten)
7. Nos reconciliamos después de nuestra pelea (We made up after our fight)
8. Me pidió perdón por haberse quedado mi chaqueta (He asked me to forgive him for keeping my jacket)
9. Se disculpó por no haber recogido el paquete de la tienda (He apologized for not picking up the package from the store)
10. Disculpa, ¿puedes traerme un vaso de agua? (Excuse me, can you get me a glass of water?)
11. Con permiso, tengo que coger este tren (Excuse me, I have to catch this train)
12. Perdona, no te he visto (Excuse me, I didn't see you)

Do you have any more questions? You can ask one of our teachers in our Spanish courses in Spain. Get into the language now, improve your level and live a unique experience in a native Spanish country to master it completely. At donQuijote we help you improve your level, learn in a short time and get a certificate that certifies your level.