BBC SPANISH PHRASE BOOK & DICTIONARY

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Verb conjugations are introduced slowly and Madrigal chose to introduce the past tense first rather than the present tense as is typical with most Spanish textbooks. Spanish pronunciation varies by region, though speakers from different countries can generally understand each other without trouble. Dialects are usually grouped into the varieties spoken in Spain (which is called Iberian, Peninsular, or European Spanish) and the varieties spoken in Latin America, but there is substantial variation between each of these groups. The one most striking difference between all Latin American dialects and most Spanish dialects lies in the pronunciation of "z", and "c" before "e" or "i". While all Latin American dialects produce an "s" sound (thus making "caza" and "casa" homophones) most Spanish dialects in Spain produce a "th" sound (with the tongue between the teeth, represented as "θ") for those consonants. It also offers audio in both Castilian and Latin American Spanish, so it’s a well-rounded option. Additionally, transliterations make pronunciation easy even if you don’t play the audio.

he) el (the) té (tea) te (you) (ex: I can't see you) tú (you) (ex: you want to go there) tu (your) mí (me) mi(my) dé (I give or he/she/it give; but in present of subjunctive) de (of) sí (yes) si (if) se (a pronoun; difficult to explain here) sé (I know or be imperative of the verb "to be", spoken to the second person of singular) más (more/plus) mas (but) Phrase list [ edit ] ai, ay like 'eye': baile ( BAI-lay) au like 'ow' in "cow": causa ( KOW-sah) ea like 'ay-ah': fea ( FAY-ah) ei, ey like 'ay' in "say": reina, rey. ( RAY-nah) eu like 'eh-oo': euro ("eh-OO-roh") ia like 'ee-ah': piano ( pee-AH-noh) ie like 'ee-eh': pie ( PEE-eh) io like 'ee-aw': dio ( DEE-aw) iu like 'ew' in "few": ciudad ( syoo-DAHD) oi, oy like 'oy' in "boy": soy ( soy) ua like 'wa' in "wash": cuatro ( KWAH-traw) ue like 'we' in "well": puedo ( PWAY-daw) ui, uy like 'ooey' in "phooey": ruido ( ROOEE-doh) uo like "wo" in "won't": averiguo ( ah-beh-REE-gwaw) Accents and stress [ edit ] As a new Spanish learner, you might know your hola from your gracias and a handful of common Spanish phrases, but things get real when you’re asked to talk about your hobbies, emotions or language skills. Books are one the best ways to learn a language and there are many different types of books to provide all round language learning. You are encouraged to try and read smoothly through each chapter, aiming to understand the overall meaning rather than translating every single word.Additionally, Spanish phrasebooks are easy to use. Since phrasebooks are usually organized thematically, it’s easy to browse a phrasebook based on whatever scenario you’re in. For instance, if you’re shopping, skip to the section on shopping for some handy phrases. Learn Spanish Phrasebook is a convenient app that gives you offline access to a useful phrasebook. It’s designed primarily for people traveling in Spain, so some of the information is specific to this region. The content is excellently prepared and presented so that the student enjoys a comprehensive account of all the key areas of beginner-level Spanish without feeling overwhelmed. A Western Romance language, Spanish is closely related to and somewhat mutually intelligible with the other Romance languages, such as Catalan, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian. English and Spanish share variants of approximately one third of their words (via Latin), although the pronunciation and spelling tend to be very different.

The book shows how many Spanish words are very similar in English and gives the learner confidence by showing them how much they already know before they even start! A Western Romance language, Spanish is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the other romance languages to an extent, such as Portuguese, Catalan, Italian and Romanian. English and Spanish share variants of approximately one third of their words (via Latin), although the pronunciation tends to be very different. In addition to pronunciation differences, there are significant lexical differences between the Spanish spoken in Spain and the Spanish spoken in Latin America. There are also often lexical differences between different Latin American Spanish dialects (e.g. pineapple is piña in Mexico and ananá in Argentina). In particular, the Spanish spoken in Argentina and Uruguay has strong Italian influences, and some items may be better known by their Italian names instead of their standard Spanish names (e.g. birra instead of cerveza for beer). Note: For the most part, these examples give Latin American pronunciation, not actually from Spain. Basics [ edit ]

Spanish spelling has the pleasant characteristic of being very phonetic, with only a few clearly-defined exceptions. This means that if you know how to pronounce the letters of a word, it's relatively easy to sound out the word itself.

In addition to listing common phrases, the book also offers dialogues that show these phrases in context. Plus, there are cultural lessons staggered throughout to prepare you to make and keep friends. “Spanish Among Amigos Phrasebook” also offers activities, making this a terrific study tool. However, the lists of common phrases also make it useful as a reference book. If you’re not impressed with region-specific options, you should be! Don’t underestimate this valuable insight. For instance, you might not need to know a lot of terms to refer to monkeys in Spain, but you will in Costa Rica! Choosing the right phrasebook for the job can make the difference between clear communication and awkward pointing. This is recommended as one of the best books to learn Spanish available and the textbook you need if you want to learn Spanish verbs. Every section has written exercises to test your knowledge, along with interesting reading comprehension exercises to help you build vocabulary and further cement your grammar knowledge. Sound like a native by utilizing the pronunciation tips, which varies between regions. Lonely Planet’s phrasebooks also offer both a phrasebook component and a dictionary, so they’re a handy all-around tool for travelers.s like 's' in "son": sopa; in Spain, it is often pronounced like a soft, palatised "sh" at the end of a word or syllable. t like 't' in "top": tapa v like 'b' in "bed" (but no aspiration) at the beginning of a word and after 'm': vaca, pronounced BAH-kah. A soft vibration sound almost like English 'v' elsewhere. To distinguish v from b when spelling, one says "vay chica" or "bay grande" to indicate which; native Spanish speakers may not hear the difference between "vee" and "bee". But some Spanish speaking countries do say the 'v' as in "vine" with the teeth on the lower lip. w like 'w' in "weight" in English words, whisky, pronounced "WEESS-kee"). Like 'b' in "bed" in Germanic words. x like 'x' in "flexible" ( flexible). Like 'ss' in "hiss" at beginning of a word ( xilófono). Like a throaty 'h' in the words México, mexicano, Oaxaca, and oaxaqueño. y like 'y' in "yes": payaso. Like 'y' in "boy": hoy. Pronounced like a Zh ONLY in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay as in 'Zhivago',: yo no sé, pronounced "zhaw naw seh". z like 's' in "supper" (Latin America), like 'th' in "thin" (Spain): zorro. See c above. Diphthongs [ edit ]

Each phrase is also accompanied by audio by a native speaker. Not only can this help you perfect your pronunciation, you can also play it for native speakers if you’re not comfortable speaking. An accent can also be used to differentiate between words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings:Which expressions surprised you or challenged you as a Spanish learner? What’s your single favorite phrase in Spanish and why? And can you recommend more phrases we didn’t include?