5 doubts when starting to study Spanish online
Spanish is one of the most studied languages in the world, but learning it can be both an easy and difficult experience, depending on your mother tongue. For example, for English speakers, distinguishing between the masculine and feminine can be very difficult. While for learners of Latin-derived languages, learning Spanish can be easier, but you run the risk of getting confused and meeting false friends.
In this article we will talk about the 5 most frequent doubts faced by learners of Spanish. These are topics that no student can avoid, and there are even many native speakers who still make these mistakes. If you start taking Spanish classes online, you will see that many of these concepts come up regularly at all levels, from beginner to advanced.
1. The conjunctive mood vs. the indicative mood
In Spanish there are three verb modes: indicative, subjunctive and imperative. However, the difficulty lies in the fact that for each of these modes there are different verb tenses in the present, past and future. Many foreigners have difficulty understanding when to use each of the modes and their respective verb tenses.
For English speakers, taking Spanish lessons online can be especially complicated, as English does not have a subjunctive or has a different structure to Spanish. For Italian or French speakers, on the other hand, it will be easier as the verb tenses in these languages are also divided in the same way. However, we must admit that we often make mistakes even with the subjunctive in Italian, so the same is true when we speak Spanish.
To distinguish the different verbal modes in Spanish, here are some tips:
- The indicative mood is used to communicate real information, both for actions in the present, past and future tense. You can easily distinguish it by paying attention to the intention expressed in the sentence.
- The subjunctive mood is used to express ideas, desires, doubts, denials, recommendations, etc. It differs from the imperative in that it does not deal with statements about reality, but with more subjective possibilities or information.
- The imperative mood is the easiest to recognise. It is used to express orders and requests. Unlike the other two modes, it has no verb tenses, which makes it even easier to understand. Your online Spanish teacher will surely be able to give you concrete examples to help you understand it better.
2. Verb tenses
In addition to verb tenses, another aspect that can be confusing when you start taking Spanish lessons online is verb tenses. How do we differentiate verb tenses in Spanish? And, even more difficult, how do we conjugate verbs in Spanish?
For Italians, the process of conjugating verbs in Spanish may seem more intuitive because the similarities between Italian and Spanish help you understand how they work without too much explanation. However, it is important to study Spanish verbs correctly to avoid making mistakes in conjugation, even with the help of a good online Spanish teacher, perhaps bilingual, who can also give examples in your mother tongue.
For example, unlike English, where the verb does not change, in Spanish each verb has a series of endings that depend on the verb group to which it belongs (those ending in -ar, -er, -ir) and the verb tense.
Remember that in Spanish we also have the infinitive mood (e.g. hablar), the gerund (e.g. hablar) and the participle (e.g. hablado).
3. Irregular verbs
Latin languages, like Spanish, also have irregular verbs. These verbs deviate from the conjugation patterns of other verbs. For example, in Spanish, verbs ending in '-er' usually have the same endings, but there are exceptions, as in the case of the verb 'haber'.
When you start taking Spanish lessons online, one of the first things your online Spanish teacher will suggest is that you learn how to conjugate irregular verbs in Spanish. There are over a hundred of them, as they can have more than one verb stem or variations in their ending, but there are some of the most important irregular verbs in the Spanish language:
- Ser: yo soy, tú eres, el/ella es, nosotros somos, vosotros sois, ellos/ellas son.
- Estar: yo estoy, tú estás, el/ella está, nosotros estamos, vosotros estáis, ellos/ellas están.
- Hacer: yo hago, tú haces, el/ella hace, nosotros hacemos, vosotros hacéis, ellos/ellas hacen.
- Haber: yo he, tú has, el/ella ha, nosotros hemos, vosotros habéis, ellos/ellas han.
- Poder: yo puedo, tu puedes, el/ella puede, nosotros podemos, vosotros podeis, ellos/ellas pueden.
- Saber: yo sé, tu sabes, el/ella sabe, nosotros sabemos, vosotros sabéis, ellos/ellas saben.
- Tener: yo tengo, tu tienes, el/ella tiene, nosotros tenemos, vosotros tenéis, ellos/ellas tienen.
- Dar: yo doy, tú das, el/ella da, nosotros damos, vosotros dais, ellos/ellas dan.
- Ir: yo voy, tú vas, el/ella va, nosotros vamos, vosotros vais, ellos/ellas van.
If you want to study Spanish in more depth, remember that taking Spanish lessons online with an experienced tutor can be a great way to start.
Take a trial online Spanish class
4. Verbs 'ser' and 'estar
Among the irregular verbs, the verbs 'estar' and 'ser' in Spanish are among the most complicated for foreigners. The reason is that in many languages these two verbs are often translated with the same word. Take Italian for example: the verb 'to be' can be used both to say 'estoy en Barcelona' (I am in Barcelona) and to say 'soy de Barcelona' (I am from Barcelona).
How can we distinguish between them?
- Ser: used to communicate permanent states, identify people or objects, describe, tell the time and indicate the price or quantity of something.
- Estar: used to communicate temporary states or situations, such as moods, the physical or mental state of a person or thing.
5. The prepositions "por" and "para"
The prepositions 'por' and 'para' in Spanish are often confusing for learners. Their distinction is very subtle and not obvious to a non-native speaker, so you can ask your online Spanish teacher for help with concrete examples to help you distinguish between the two prepositions.
When are the prepositions "por" and "para" used in Spanish? Here are some tips and questions to ask yourself:
- Purpose or cause? A key aspect of distinguishing between the two is to ask yourself whether you are trying to express a cause or a purpose. If you want to express a cause, you use the preposition 'por' (e.g. Ha pasado por esto). If you want to express a purpose, you use 'for' (e.g. I am going to the gym to do sport).
- Where? If you want to express a specific place, you use the preposition 'por' (e.g. You get to school by the road on the right).
- When? If you want to express a specific date or time, always use "by" (e.g. Homework is due today).