Intermediate Spanish - Learning Spanish Like Crazy

The Different Pronunciations of the Letter “Y” and “LL” in Spanish - In this blog post, I will talk about the Different Pronunciations of the Letter “Y” and “LL” in Spanish This blog post is actuallly from an email that a customer sent to me in Jaunary 2007. In her email, she made a very interesting comment about Level One of the original version of Learning Spanish […]
How To Stay Safe While Learning Spanish in Latin America - On numerous occasions, I’ve mentioned that one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish is to take a trip to Latin America where you will be totally immersed in the language. I have also said that since the Spanish of Colombia has not been diluted by English as much as the Spanish of many […]
Technique To Help You Think in Spanish - Today, I want to tell you about a technique that will help you to improve your Spanish by enabling you to think in Spanish. How To Think In Spanish I have a friend in Colombia who speaks English fluently and she has never traveled to an English speaking country. I am very impressed with her […]
How To Learn To Speak Spanish Fluently - How To Learn To Speak Spanish Fluently is a common question that my readers ask me. Another question I get is “what is the absolute quickest way to become ‘conversational’ in Spanish?” The answer to both questions is the same. I have known many people that have achieved fluency in Spanish. And one thing that […]
Which Is Easier To Learn Spanish or English? (Part 3) - Today, I will attempt to answer the question “Which Is Easier To Learn Between Spanish and English? I must say that Spanish is easier to learn because the spelling and the sounds of letters are usually consistent. There are also more sounds in English. In Spanish, you can figure out how a word is pronounced […]
Why People Say English Is Easier Than Spanish? (Part 2) - First of all, I want to remind you that I insist that English is NOT easier to learn than Spanish. Spanish is easier to learn than English. But in this blog post, I will cover some of the reasons that people say English is easier to learn. Some people argue that Spanish has so many […]
One Way To Take Your Spanish To The Next Level - One of the most frequently asked questions that I hear from Spanish-language learners is “how do I take my Spanish to the next level?” And one of the most frequent answers is “make friends with someone who is a native Spanish speaker.” That may be the right idea. But it doesn’t precisely hit the target. […]
Why People Say English Is Easier Than Spanish? (Part 1) - First of all, I want to start out by letting you know that I insist that English is NOT easier to learn than Spanish. Spanish is easier to learn than English. But today I want to talk about why some people disagree with me. Many native Spanish speakers have told me that it is easier […]
Which Language Has More Words English or Spanish? - This blog post is actually from an email that I sent to my newsletter subscribers where I tried to play devil’s advocate and argue that Spanish has more words – despite the fact that linguists say that the English language has more words. After I sent an email to my newsletter subscribers saying that in […]
Does Spanish Have More Words Than English? Part 3 - In my last email, I said that I would make my last and final argument why I insist that Spanish has more commonly used words than English. Well here it goes . . . Let’s compare the Spanish verb “hablar” with the English word with the same meaning (to speak). In English, I can only […]
Does Spanish Have More Words Than English? Part 2 - I got a ton of emails from readers who completely disagreed with my statement that “the Spanish language has more words than the English language.” One reader wrote: “Patrick, you have to be kidding. If I include scientific words the English language has more than a million words.” So does that mean there aren’t any […]
How To Say Shoe in Spanish - After reading this blog post, you will have learned the following: 1. How to say shoe in Spanish 2. How to say sneaker or tennis shoe in Spanish 3. How to say sandal in Spanish 4. How to …
Spanish Verbs Llevar vs. Traer - Recently, I was at an American friend’s home here in Medellin, Colombia and I heard him make a mistake on the phone when speaking to his “empleada” (maid). I want to share this mistake with you because it is a very common mistake that English speakers make with Spanish. And I want to be sure […]
Spanish Verbs With Irregular Past Participles - In today’s blog post, I will cover Spanish Verbs With Irregular Past Participles. In a recent email, I mentioned that it is a common mistake for English speakers to say phrases in Spanish such as “Mi abuelo está morido.” I then added that the correct way to say “My grandfather is dead” in Spanish is […]
5 Useful Spanish Verbs - Today I will discuss 5 useful Spanish verbs. How To Say To Stand On One’s Tippy Toes In Spanish 1. Empinarse – to stand on one’s tippy toes. Tuve que empinarme para alcanzar las manzanas en la cesta. I had to stand on my tippy toes in order to reach the apples in the […]
How To Use the Se Construction With Spanish Verbs - This blog post will show you how to use Spanish’s “se” construction with Spanish verbs. A couple of days ago, I had “alumuerzo” here in Medellin, Colombia with my American friend David (not his real name). We had lunch at a “restaurante” that serves “comida típica” or food that is typical of Medellín or the […]
Common Mistakes in Spanish that Gringos Make - After reading today’s blog post, not only will you know how to avoid several common mistakes in Spanish, but you will also know how to say the following in Spanish: How to say piggy-bank in Spanish How to say souvenir in Spanish How to say life-jacket in Spanish While this is still fresh on my […]
How To Say Athlete’s Foot in Spanish - After reading today’s blog post, you will know how to say the following in Spanish How to say ringworm” in Spanish How to say athlete’s foot in Spanish How to Say Ringworm in Spanish I picked up a new Spanish word today. The last time that I was in the States I practiced “jiu-jistu […]
How To Use the Spanish Verb Llevar - Let’s cover the topic of How to use the Spanish verb llevar. According to a Spanish dictionary that I have, “llevar” means “to carry” or to “take.” But I have heard native Spanish speakers use “llevar” to indicate a duration of time or to designate actions that began in the past and which continue into […]
Is The Spanish Language Politically correct? - There are certain things that I have heard native Spanish speakers says that I do not find politically correct. I also find it interesting that in the Spanish language you can take a “non-politically correct” adjective and use it as a noun or even the name for a person. This would be considered extremely offensive […]