Teaching Yourself Spanish

Are you afraid of the subjunctive? This podcast episode is for YOU. In it we are going to begin our exploration into the subjunctive and conquer the fear of it by getting to know it better.

In this new podcast series about the Spanish subjunctive, we will be examining the different types of triggers and how they are used in the various subjunctive tenses. There will be plenty of practice drills and examples.

In this introduction to the series, I talk a little bit about the importance of mastering the subjunctive mood, why it's hard for English speakers to learn, the best way to get fluent speaking the subjunctive, and an overview of the different subjunctive trigger types. I also put the W.E.I.R.D.O. categorization system under some scrutiny and suggest some improvements to it. ¡Qué escándalo!

This podcast series does not go into how to conjugate the subjunctive. If you feel like you want to review the topic of the Spanish subjunctive first, these articles may be useful for you:

What Is the Spanish Subjunctive and How To Use It

How To Conjugate the Spanish Subjunctive

Featured music: Ya No Tengo Cuidado by Camila Moreno

Click here to get the incredible new album by Camila Moreno on Amazon

This episode should be pretty easy for intermediate students, and even advanced beginners may want to try it. The last section is the trickiest due to the syntax. For the most part you should know all the vocabulary. Here are just a few words you may not know.

la caricatura = caricature
la manifestación = demonstration (student)
la peluquería = hair salon
cambiar un cheque = to cash a check
desear = to wish, to want

Music: Lo Cierto by Camila Moreno

In this beginner lesson, you will practice tener que and possesives. And you will learn some cool things to make you sound more like a native Spanish speaker!

Here are some words that come up which may be unfamiliar to the beginner level student.

inmigrante = immigrant
la peluqería = hair salon
las proviciones = provisions
la taza = cup
el torero = bullfighter
el vecino = neighbor
igual = the same
cobrar = to charge
salir a + inf. = to go out to do something
volver = to return
ir de compras = to go shopping

Music by Fidel Nadal "Necesito Tu Amor"

In this episode for intermediate level, we review the conditional and imperfect with gustar, the personal a, the verb ver, present perfect tense, past perfect tense, as well as present tense.

There are quite a few cognates, so if you aren't sure of a word, guess and you'll probably get it right!

Here are a few less common words:

la esquadrilla de caza = fighter squadron
la pista = runway (at an airport)
la torre de control = control tower

Remember, don't worry if you don't come up with the right answer the first time. Work with this podcast episode several times for best results!

Music by Aterciopelados "Don Dinero"

In this episode for beginners, you will practice the present progressive tense. This is when you add -ando or -iendo to the verb stem to express an action happening in the present. For example, I am speaking would be estoy hablando.

Toward the end of the podcast you will practice some numbers. You will also work with a use for the verb tener. In English we would say something is 500 meters long. But in Spanish, tener is used to express this. Something has 500 meters. (Length is implied).

And here are some words that appear that may be unfamiliar to you:

probar - to test
arreglar - to fix
revisar - to check something
pertenecer - to belong to (irregular)
la cuenta - bill
el cuerpo = corps
meter - metro
aéria - of the air

Music by Gustavo Cerati "Rio Babel"

Episode 003 is for Intermediate students. It could also be for advanced beginners. Some intermediate students may not be all that challenged by this episode, but every bit of practice helps reinforce what you already know.

Here are some of the lesser known words and phrases you will encounter:

la animación = activity
communicarse = to get in touch
fijarse en = to pay attention to
tibio = lukewarm
retratarse = to have one's picture taken
tener mala lengua = to be a gossip, or gossipy
tener malas pulgas = to be ill-humored, in a bad mood

Music by Sui Generis "Canción Para Mi Muerte"

This episode is for you beginners out there. In it we will practice the art of asking questions in Spanish. We'll also work with a phrase “desde hace” which is what you would use in the case of “for three weeks”, as in since 3 weeks ago, and continuing now in the present. Very useful to know.

You'll also practice using the subject AFTER the verb, something that takes some getting used to.

Some vocab you may not be familiar with:
el traje = suit
la arena = sand
bastante = pretty, as in rather
bien = another way to say rather
precioso = beautiful (also used to describe girls)
la gordita = the little plump girl (Hee! So in English, this may come off as in insult. But in Spanish, descriptive nicknames, like “Fatso”, “el gordo”, are not taken offensively.)

Music: Los Sabrosos del Merengue – “Ya Viene El Lunes”