Advanced Spanish
The second half of the journey — from a solid present tense to real fluency. Every past tense, the future and conditional, commands, the full subjunctive, si-clauses and the fine points that make you sound native. Real phrases, audio and clear English explanations.
Telling the story of the past: pretérito vs. imperfecto
Welcome to the advanced course. This lesson is the single most important step at this level. English has one simple past — "I spoke". Spanish has two, and choosing between them is what separates a beginner from a real speaker. Master the difference here and the rest of the past comes easily.
La idea One event vs. the background
Both tenses translate as an English past, but they see time differently:
- The pretérito is the camera shutter — a single, finished action at a definite point: Ayer hablé con Ana ("Yesterday I spoke with Ana"). It moves the plot forward.
- The imperfecto is the video running in the background — description, habits, "used to", the way things were: Cuando era niño, hablaba mucho ("When I was a child, I used to talk a lot"). It sets the scene.
In a real story they work together: Llovía (background — it was raining) cuando llegó (event — when he arrived).
El pretérito The regular preterite endings
Drop the infinitive ending and add the endings in red. Note the accents on the "I" and "he/she" forms — they carry the stress and mark the tense.
| Person | hablar (to speak) | comer / vivir (to eat / live) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablé | comí · viví |
| tú | hablaste | comiste · viviste |
| él / ella / usted | habló | comió · vivió |
| nosotros | hablamos | comimos · vivimos |
| vosotros | hablasteis | comisteis · vivisteis |
| ellos / ustedes | hablaron | comieron · vivieron |
-er and -ir share every preterite ending. Learn one and you know both. A few very common verbs are irregular and worth memorising: ser/ir → fui, fuiste, fue…, tener → tuve, hacer → hice / hizo, estar → estuve, decir → dije, dijeron. Notice they carry no accent on the endings.
El imperfecto The imperfect — almost no exceptions
The imperfecto is the most regular tense in Spanish. -ar verbs take -aba; -er and -ir verbs take -ía.
| Person | hablar | comer / vivir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaba | comía · vivía |
| tú | hablabas | comías |
| él / ella / usted | hablaba | comía |
| nosotros | hablábamos | comíamos |
| vosotros | hablabais | comíais |
| ellos / ustedes | hablaban | comían |
Only three irregular verbs in the whole imperfect: ser → era, eras, era, éramos, erais, eran; ir → iba, ibas, iba, íbamos, ibais, iban; ver → veía…. That is the entire list.
Las señales Words that tip you off
Certain time-words almost always pull one tense or the other:
| Pretérito (a finished moment) | Imperfecto (habit / ongoing) |
|---|---|
| ayer, anoche, el año pasado, de repente, una vez | siempre, todos los días, mientras, cuando era niño, generalmente |
Vocabulario en contexto The two pasts in action
| Ayer fui al mercado. | Yesterday I went to the market. (pretérito — one event) |
| Anoche cenamos en un restaurante italiano. | Last night we had dinner at an Italian restaurant. |
| El año pasado viajamos a Perú. | Last year we travelled to Peru. |
| ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana pasado? | What did you do last weekend? |
| Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. | When I was a child, I used to play in the park. (imperfecto — habit) |
| Mientras estudiaba, escuchaba música. | While I was studying, I was listening to music. (two ongoing backgrounds) |
| Ellos vivían en México antes de mudarse aquí. | They lived in Mexico before moving here. |
| Siempre me gustaba leer antes de dormir. | I always liked to read before sleeping. |
| Ella me llamó cuando estaba en la oficina. | She called me when I was at the office. (event inside a background) |
| De repente, empezó a llover. | Suddenly, it started to rain. |
| Estábamos caminando cuando vimos el accidente. | We were walking when we saw the accident. |
| ¿Por qué no me dijiste que venías? | Why didn't you tell me you were coming? |
Diálogo Finishing a story
A¿Qué pasó después? What happened next?
BLuego, todos se fueron a casa.Then, everyone went home.
A¿Cómo terminó la historia? How did the story end?
BAl final, todo salió bien.In the end, everything turned out well.
💡 The one-line rule: if you can replace the English with "used to" or "was ___-ing", use the imperfecto. If it is a single, completed event with a clear end, use the pretérito.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Pretérito or imperfecto?
- Yesterday I went to the market. → Ayer fui al mercado. (pretérito — a finished event)
- When I was a child, I used to play in the park. → Cuando era niño, jugaba en el parque. (imperfecto — habit)
- She called me when I was at the office. → Ella me llamó (event) cuando estaba (background) en la oficina.
2. Conjugate
- hablar — "she" preterite → habló
- comer — "they" preterite → comieron
- vivir — "I" imperfect → vivía
- ser — "we" imperfect → éramos
The perfect tenses: he hablado & había hablado
Good news: these two tenses work almost exactly like their English cousins, "I have spoken" and "I had spoken". Both are built the same way — a form of haber plus the past participle — so once you have the participle, you get both tenses at once.
El participio Building the past participle
Take the verb, drop the ending, and add -ado to -ar verbs and -ido to -er / -ir verbs:
- hablar → hablado (spoken) · comer → comido (eaten) · vivir → vivido (lived)
A handful are irregular and extremely common — learn them by heart:
| Verb | Participle | Verb | Participle |
|---|---|---|---|
| hacer | hecho | ver | visto |
| decir | dicho | escribir | escrito |
| poner | puesto | volver | vuelto |
| abrir | abierto | romper | roto |
Pretérito perfecto "I have done" — he hablado
Use the present of haber + participle. It describes something that happened recently or that still feels relevant to now — often with ya (already), todavía no (not yet), alguna vez (ever), hoy, esta semana.
| haber | + participle | English |
|---|---|---|
| he | he hablado | I have spoken |
| has | has comido | you have eaten |
| ha | ha vivido | he / she has lived |
| hemos | hemos hecho | we have done |
| habéis | habéis dicho | you all have said |
| han | han visto | they have seen |
Never split the pair. Unlike English ("I have never spoken"), nothing comes between haber and the participle: Nunca he hablado con él — the nunca goes in front. And the participle here never changes for gender or number: always -o.
Pluscuamperfecto "I had done" — había hablado
Use the imperfect of haber (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) + participle. It marks the "past before the past" — something already finished when another past event happened:
| Cuando llegué, ya habían salido. | When I arrived, they had already left. |
| Estuve en la reunión toda la mañana. | I was in the meeting all morning. (compare: a single, bounded stretch → pretérito) |
| ¿Cómo te sentiste después de la película? | How did you feel after the movie? |
More examples of the sequence — the second action finds the first one already complete:
- No fui al cine porque ya había visto la película. — I didn't go to the cinema because I had already seen the film.
- Nunca había probado la comida peruana hasta ese día. — I had never tried Peruvian food until that day.
💡 Regional note: in Spain the pretérito perfecto (hoy he comido) is used constantly for "today". In much of Latin America speakers prefer the plain preterite (hoy comí). Both are correct; this course shows you the widely-understood forms.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Give the participle
- hacer → hecho
- escribir → escrito
- ver → visto
- comer → comido
2. Translate into Spanish
- I have already eaten. → Ya he comido.
- When I arrived, they had already left. → Cuando llegué, ya habían salido.
- I have never spoken with him. → Nunca he hablado con él.
The future: ir a and the simple future
Spanish has two ways to talk about the future — an easy everyday one and a slightly more formal one. You will use the first all the time, and the second is one of the most regular tenses in the language.
Futuro próximo The easy future: ir a + infinitive
Exactly like English "going to". Conjugate ir (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), add a, then the plain infinitive:
- Voy a comer. — I am going to eat.
- Vamos a viajar en verano. — We are going to travel in the summer.
- ¿Qué vas a hacer mañana? — What are you going to do tomorrow?
Futuro simple The simple future — one set of endings
Here is the beauty of it: you do not drop the infinitive. You add the endings straight onto the whole infinitive, and the endings are identical for -ar, -er and -ir:
| Person | hablar | comer / vivir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaré | comeré · viviré |
| tú | hablarás | comerás |
| él / ella / usted | hablará | comerá |
| nosotros | hablaremos | comeremos |
| vosotros | hablaréis | comeréis |
| ellos / ustedes | hablarán | comerán |
A dozen verbs use a shortened stem (but the same endings). Learn these and you know them all: tener → tendré, poder → podré, hacer → haré, decir → diré, poner → pondré, salir → saldré, venir → vendré, querer → querré, saber → sabré, haber → habré.
💡 A hidden use: the simple future also expresses probability now. ¿Qué hora es? — Serán las tres. = "What time is it? — It must be about three." Estará en casa = "He's probably at home."
Vocabulario en contexto Future in action
| Mañana iré al cine. | Tomorrow I will go to the cinema. |
| Si tengo tiempo, te llamaré. | If I have time, I will call you. (real condition — more in Lesson 9) |
| Si vienes a la fiesta, te divertirás. | If you come to the party, you will have fun. |
| Si me ayudas, terminaremos más rápido. | If you help me, we will finish faster. |
| Si él viene, hablaremos con él. | If he comes, we will talk to him. |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Put into the simple future
- hablar — "I" → hablaré
- comer — "they" → comerán
- tener — "you (tú)" → tendrás (irregular stem)
- hacer — "we" → haremos
2. Two ways to say it
- Give both futures for "I am going to eat / I will eat." → Voy a comer. · Comeré.
- Tomorrow I will go to the cinema. → Mañana iré al cine.
The conditional: "would"
The conditional is the "would" tense — what would happen, polite requests, advice and hypotheticals. If you can build the simple future, you already know the conditional: same stems, different endings.
La forma Infinitive + the imperfect-style endings
Add these endings to the whole infinitive (and to the same irregular stems as the future). Notice they are exactly the -ía endings of the imperfect:
| Person | hablar | comer / vivir |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablaría | comería · viviría |
| tú | hablarías | comerías |
| él / ella / usted | hablaría | comería |
| nosotros | hablaríamos | comeríamos |
| vosotros | hablaríais | comeríais |
| ellos / ustedes | hablarían | comerían |
Irregular stems (identical to the future): tendría, podría, haría, diría, pondría, saldría, vendría, querría, sabría, habría.
Sus usos The three main uses
- Politeness — softening a request: ¿Podría ayudarme? ("Could you help me?"), Me gustaría un café ("I would like a coffee").
- Advice — Yo que tú, hablaría con él ("If I were you, I'd talk to him"), Deberías descansar ("You should rest").
- Hypotheticals — the result half of an unreal "if": Si tuviera dinero, viajaría ("If I had money, I would travel"). We build the full sentence in Lesson 9.
Vocabulario en contexto "Would" in real speech
| Me gustaría viajar a España. | I would like to travel to Spain. |
| ¿Te gustaría salir esta noche? | Would you like to go out tonight? |
| Podríamos considerar otra opción. | We could consider another option. |
| Si tuviera dinero, compraría un coche nuevo. | If I had money, I would buy a new car. |
| Si estudiaras más, sacarías mejores notas. | If you studied more, you would get better grades. |
| ¿Qué harías si ganaras la lotería? | What would you do if you won the lottery? |
| Si pudieras elegir, ¿dónde vivirías? | If you could choose, where would you live? |
💡 The "future-in-the-past": the conditional also reports what was going to happen: Dijo que vendría = "He said he would come." Just as English shifts "will" → "would" in reported speech, Spanish shifts the future to the conditional.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Conjugate in the conditional
- hablar — "I" → hablaría
- poder — "we" → podríamos (irregular stem)
- hacer — "you (tú)" → harías
2. Translate into Spanish
- I would like to travel to Spain. → Me gustaría viajar a España.
- Could you help me? → ¿Podría ayudarme? / ¿Podrías ayudarme?
- What would you do if you won the lottery? → ¿Qué harías si ganaras la lotería?
The imperative: commands & requests
Now you learn to tell people what to do — to give directions, instructions and polite requests. The imperative has a friendly form (tú) and a formal form (usted), plus a special twist for negative commands.
Tú afirmativo Positive commands to a friend
The easiest form of all: the affirmative tú command is just the he/she present tense:
- hablar → ¡habla! (speak!) · comer → ¡come! (eat!) · vivir → ¡vive! (live!)
Eight verbs have short irregular tú commands worth memorising:
| Verb | ¡tú! | Verb | ¡tú! |
|---|---|---|---|
| decir | di | salir | sal |
| hacer | haz | ser | sé |
| ir | ve | tener | ten |
| poner | pon | venir | ven |
Usted y lo negativo Formal & negative — borrow the subjunctive
For the formal usted, and for all negative commands, Spanish uses the present subjunctive form (which you meet properly in the next lesson). The pattern is simple — flip the vowel:
| hablar | comer | |
|---|---|---|
| tú (+) | ¡habla! | ¡come! |
| tú (–) | ¡no hables! | ¡no comas! |
| usted (+/–) | (no) hable | (no) coma |
| ustedes (+/–) | (no) hablen | (no) coman |
Los pronombres Where the pronouns go
With affirmative commands, object pronouns attach to the end (and often add an accent): ¡Dímelo! ("Tell me it!"), ¡Siéntate! ("Sit down!"). With negative commands they go in front: ¡No me lo digas!, ¡No te sientes!
Vocabulario en contexto Everyday commands
| Por favor, pásame la sal. | Please, pass me the salt. |
| Cierra la puerta. | Close the door. |
| Escucha atentamente. | Listen carefully. |
| No hables tan rápido. | Don't speak so fast. (negative tú → subjunctive) |
| No olvides tus llaves. | Don't forget your keys. |
| Llámame mañana. | Call me tomorrow. (pronoun attached) |
| No te preocupes. | Don't worry. |
| Escriba su nombre aquí. | Write your name here. (formal usted) |
| Por favor, siéntese. | Please, sit down. (formal, pronoun attached) |
| Por favor, hable más despacio. | Please, speak more slowly. |
| Por favor, no toque eso. | Please, don't touch that. |
Diálogo A quick request
A¿Puedes venir aquí un momento? Can you come here for a moment?
BClaro, voy enseguida.Sure, I'm coming right away.
💡 Softer than a command: a bare imperative can sound blunt. Spanish speakers often prefer a question: ¿Puedes pasarme la sal? or ¿Podrías cerrar la puerta? ("Could you…?") is far more polite than the plain order.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Give the command
- "Speak!" (tú) → ¡Habla!
- "Don't speak so fast." (tú) → No hables tan rápido.
- "Sit down, please." (usted) → Por favor, siéntese.
- "Tell me it!" (tú, with pronouns) → ¡Dímelo!
The present subjunctive — the form
This is the peak of Spanish grammar — and it is far more logical than its reputation. The subjunctive is not a tense but a mood: it expresses wishes, doubt, emotion and things that are not simple facts. Modern English barely has it (a faint trace survives in "I suggest he go" or "if I were you"), so it feels new — but the rule for building it is short. This lesson is only about the form; the next lessons are about when to use it.
La regla de oro The golden rule: start from "yo"
Three steps: (1) take the yo form of the present tense; (2) drop the -o; (3) add the endings with the opposite vowel — -ar verbs take e, and -er / -ir verbs take a.
| Person | hablar → habl- | comer → com- / vivir → viv- |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hable | coma · viva |
| tú | hables | comas |
| él / ella / usted | hable | coma |
| nosotros | hablemos | comamos |
| vosotros | habléis | comáis |
| ellos / ustedes | hablen | coman |
Why start from "yo"? Because every first-person irregularity carries over automatically. tener (yo tengo) → tenga; hacer (yo hago) → haga; decir (yo digo) → diga; conocer (yo conozco) → conozca; salir → salga.
Los seis irregulares The six true irregulars
Only six verbs are not built from yo. Learn them by heart — you will use them constantly:
| Verb | Subjunctive | Verb | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|
| ser | sea | ir | vaya |
| saber | sepa | haber | haya |
| dar | dé | estar | esté |
Primeros ejemplos A first taste of the trigger
The subjunctive almost always lives in a second clause after que. Here it is after a wish or an emotion — the full rules come next lesson:
| Espero que tengas un buen día. | I hope you have a good day. (tener → tengas) |
| Ojalá que llueva mañana. | I hope it rains tomorrow. (llover → llueva) |
| Me alegro de que estés aquí. | I'm glad that you are here. (estar → estés) |
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Build the present subjunctive
- hablar — "I" → hable
- comer — "he" → coma
- tener — "you (tú)" → tengas (from yo tengo)
- ir — "we" → vayamos (true irregular)
2. What are the three steps to form it?
- → (1) take the yo present; (2) drop the -o; (3) add the opposite vowel (-ar → e, -er/-ir → a).
The subjunctive of wish, emotion & doubt
Now the important half: when do you use the subjunctive? The core idea is one clause reaching toward another. When the main verb expresses a wish, an emotion, or doubt / denial — and there is a change of subject after que — the second verb goes subjunctive.
El disparador The trigger: a wish reaching for another subject
Compare these two sentences:
- Quiero comer. — "I want to eat." Same subject → plain infinitive.
- Quiero que comas. — "I want you to eat." Different subject → que + subjunctive.
Whenever your yo wishes, hopes, asks or needs someone else to do something, the second verb is subjunctive. Common triggers: querer que, esperar que, necesitar que, pedir que, ojalá que.
Emoción y duda Emotion and doubt
The same happens after feelings (alegrarse de que, sentir que, preocupar que) and after doubt or denial. Here is the neat contrast every learner needs:
| Certainty → indicative | Doubt / denial → subjunctive |
|---|---|
| Creo que es cierto. I think it's true. | No creo que sea cierto. I don't think it's true. |
| Es verdad que viene. It's true that he's coming. | Dudo que venga. I doubt that he's coming. |
Quick rule: creo que + indicative (you believe it), but no creo que + subjunctive (you don't). Negating the belief injects the doubt that triggers the mood.
Vocabulario en contexto Opinions, hopes and doubts
| Creo que es una buena idea. | I think it's a good idea. (certainty → indicative) |
| No creo que sea cierto. | I don't think it's true. (ser → sea) |
| Dudo que él venga. | I doubt that he will come. (venir → venga) |
| Es posible que lleguemos tarde. | It's possible that we'll be late. (llegar → lleguemos) |
| No estoy seguro de que funcione. | I'm not sure that it will work. |
| No pienso que sea necesario. | I don't think it's necessary. |
| Espero que tengas razón. | I hope you are right. |
| Me preocupa que no entiendan. | I'm worried that they don't understand. |
| Pienso que ella está feliz. | I think she is happy. (certainty → indicative) |
Diálogo Agreeing on importance
A¿Piensas que es importante? Do you think it's important?
BSí, creo que es muy importante. Yes, I think it's very important.
A¿Dudas que lo logremos? Do you doubt that we'll succeed?
BNo, estoy seguro de que lo lograremos. No, I'm sure we will succeed.
💡 Don't overthink it: ask "is the main verb wishing, feeling, or doubting?" If yes and the subject changes after que — subjunctive. If the main verb simply states a fact (sé que, es verdad que, creo que), stay in the indicative.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Indicative or subjunctive?
- I think it's a good idea. → Creo que es una buena idea. (indicative)
- I don't think it's true. → No creo que sea cierto. (subjunctive)
- I doubt that he will come. → Dudo que él venga.
- I want you to eat. → Quiero que comas.
2. What does it mean?
- Es posible que lleguemos tarde. → It's possible that we'll be late.
- Me preocupa que no entiendan. → I'm worried that they don't understand.
The subjunctive after connectors & set phrases
The second big home of the subjunctive is after certain connectors — words of purpose, condition and time — and after impersonal expressions. Here you also learn to build genuinely complex sentences, the hallmark of an advanced speaker.
Conectores fijos Connectors that always take the subjunctive
Some connectors describe something not yet real — a purpose or a condition — so they always trigger the subjunctive:
- para que — so that: Te llamo para que sepas la verdad. ("I'm calling so that you know the truth.")
- antes de que — before: Antes de que empieces, lee las notas.
- a menos que — unless · sin que — without · con tal de que — provided that.
El tiempo futuro Time words: cuando & the "not-yet" rule
Connectors like cuando, hasta que, en cuanto (as soon as) take the subjunctive when they point to the future (an unrealised event), and the indicative for habits or facts:
| Habit / fact → indicative | Future event → subjunctive |
|---|---|
| Cuando llego a casa, ceno. When I get home, I have dinner. (every day) | Cuando llegues, llámame. When you arrive, call me. (not yet) |
Expresiones impersonales Impersonal expressions
Es + adjective + que takes the subjunctive whenever it expresses value, need or emotion (not plain fact): es importante que, es necesario que, es mejor que, es una lástima que.
- Es importante que estudies. — It's important that you study.
- Es una lástima que no puedas venir. — It's a shame you can't come.
- But: Es verdad que estudias. — plain fact → indicative.
Vocabulario en contexto Building complex sentences
| Necesito estudiar para que pase el examen. | I need to study so that I pass the exam. (para que → subjunctive) |
| Compré flores para que la casa se vea bonita. | I bought flowers so that the house looks nice. |
| Quiero que vengas para que hablemos. | I want you to come so that we can talk. |
| Para que entiendas mejor, te lo explicaré de nuevo. | So that you understand better, I'll explain it again. |
| Cuando llegues, llámame. | When you arrive, call me. (future → subjunctive) |
| Aunque no lo creas, es cierto. | Although you may not believe it, it's true. |
And the everyday connectors that keep to the indicative — cause and contrast about real facts:
| Lo haré porque es importante. | I'll do it because it's important. (porque → fact) |
| El libro que leí es fascinante. | The book that I read is fascinating. (relative que) |
| Ella habla tan rápido que no entiendo. | She speaks so fast that I don't understand. |
| Aunque hace frío, salimos a caminar. | Although it's cold, we went for a walk. |
💡 The mental test for cuando and aunque: is the event a real, known fact, or something still hanging in the future/hypothetical? Real → indicative. Not-yet or "even if" → subjunctive: Aunque llueva, iremos ("Even if it rains, we'll go").
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Indicative or subjunctive after the connector?
- I'm calling so that you know the truth. → Te llamo para que sepas la verdad. (subjunctive)
- When I get home, I have dinner (habit). → Cuando llego a casa, ceno. (indicative)
- When you arrive, call me. → Cuando llegues, llámame. (future → subjunctive)
- It's important that you study. → Es importante que estudies.
The imperfect subjunctive & si-clauses
The final piece: the past subjunctive, which lets you talk about the unreal and the hypothetical — "if I had money…", "I wish you were here". Together with the conditional you learned earlier, it builds Spanish's elegant "if" sentences.
La forma Building it from the preterite
Take the they-form of the preterite (ellos hablaron), drop -ron, and add -ra, -ras, -ra, -ramos, -rais, -ran. Because it starts from the preterite, every preterite irregularity comes along for free.
| Person | hablar (hablaron) | tener (tuvieron) |
|---|---|---|
| yo | hablara | tuviera |
| tú | hablaras | tuvieras |
| él / ella / usted | hablara | tuviera |
| nosotros | habláramos | tuviéramos |
| ellos / ustedes | hablaran | tuvieran |
Two forms, one meaning: you'll also hear hablase, hablases… The -ra and -se endings are interchangeable; the -ra form is more common in speech. Also note: ser and ir share the form fuera (from fueron).
Las oraciones con si The three kinds of "if" sentence
| Type | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Real / likely | si + present, future | Si tengo tiempo, te llamaré. |
| 2. Unreal (now) | si + imperfect subj., conditional | Si tuviera dinero, viajaría. |
| 3. Unreal (past) | si + había/hubiera + part., habría + part. | Si hubiera sabido, te lo habría dicho. |
Type 2 is for things contrary to fact right now ("if I had money" — but I don't). Type 3 looks back at what never happened ("if I had known" — but I didn't). Notice the pattern: the si-half never uses the plain conditional; it uses the subjunctive.
Vocabulario en contexto Wishes and hypotheticals
| Si tuviera dinero, compraría un coche nuevo. | If I had money, I would buy a new car. (type 2) |
| Si estudiaras más, sacarías mejores notas. | If you studied more, you would get better grades. |
| ¿Qué harías si ganaras la lotería? | What would you do if you won the lottery? |
| Si pudieras elegir, ¿dónde vivirías? | If you could choose, where would you live? |
| Quisiera que estuvieras aquí. | I wish you were here. (quisiera + imperfect subj.) |
| Si hubiera sabido, te lo habría dicho. | If I had known, I would have told you. (type 3) |
| Si hubieras llegado antes, habríamos cenado juntos. | If you had arrived earlier, we would have had dinner together. |
| Ojalá que podamos vernos pronto. | I hope we can see each other soon. |
| Antes de que empezara la clase, revisé mis notas. | Before the class started, I reviewed my notes. (antes de que + imperfect subj.) |
💡 Golden reminder: never put the conditional (-ía) directly after si. Say Si tuviera…, not "si tendría". The subjunctive holds the "if"; the conditional holds the "would".
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Complete the "if" sentence
- If I had money, I would travel. → Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.
- If I had known, I would have told you. → Si hubiera sabido, te lo habría dicho.
- If you studied more, you would get better grades. → Si estudiaras más, sacarías mejores notas.
2. Build the imperfect subjunctive
- tener — "I" → tuviera
- ser — "you (tú)" → fueras
- poder — "you (tú)" → pudieras
por vs. para
Two little words, both often translated "for", and endless confusion. The good news: there is a clean way to tell them apart. Think of para as an arrow pointing forward — to a goal, a destination, a deadline — and por as the reason, cause or path behind an action.
Para The forward arrow → goal, destination, deadline
- Purpose / goal — "in order to": Estudio para aprender. (I study in order to learn.)
- Recipient — who it's for: Este regalo es para ti.
- Destination: Salgo para Madrid. (I'm leaving for Madrid.)
- Deadline: Necesito el informe para el lunes. (…by Monday.)
- Opinion: Para mí, es un error. (For me / in my view…)
Por The reason behind → cause, exchange, movement, duration
- Cause / reason — "because of, thanks to": Gracias por tu ayuda. · Lo hice por ti. (I did it for your sake.)
- Exchange / price: Pagué veinte euros por el libro.
- Movement through: Caminamos por el parque. (…through the park.)
- Duration & parts of the day: por dos horas, por la mañana.
- Means: por teléfono, por correo.
El contraste Same sentence, opposite meaning
| por (reason / cause) | para (goal / recipient) |
|---|---|
| Lo hago por ti. I do it because of you / for your sake. | Lo hago para ti. I do it (to give it) to you. |
| Estudio por mi futuro. I study because of my future. | Estudio para mi futuro. I study for the sake of (building) my future. |
Vocabulario en contexto
| Gracias por tu ayuda. | Thank you for your help. (por — cause) |
| Este regalo es para ti. | This gift is for you. (para — recipient) |
| Llamo para confirmar nuestra cita. | I'm calling (in order) to confirm our appointment. (para — purpose) |
| Necesito estudiar para que pase el examen. | I need to study so that I pass the exam. (para que — purpose) |
💡 The two-second test: could you say "in order to / destined for / by (a deadline)"? Use para. Could you say "because of / in exchange for / through / during"? Use por.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. por or para?
- Thank you ___ your help. → por (cause)
- This gift is ___ you. → para (recipient)
- I study ___ learn. → para (purpose: para aprender)
- I paid ten euros ___ the book. → por (exchange)
- We walked ___ the park. → por (movement through)
ser vs. estar — the advanced view
You met the two "to be" verbs as a beginner: ser for identity, estar for states and location. At this level we sharpen the edges — the tricky cases where the choice flips the meaning of the whole sentence.
Repaso rápido The core split, refreshed
- ser → identity, origin, profession, material, and — a classic trap — the time and location of events.
- estar → location of things and people, physical/emotional states, results of change, and the progressive (estar + gerund).
The events trap: a thing uses estar for location — ¿Dónde está el baño? — but an event uses ser: La reunión es a las tres, La fiesta es en mi casa. Ask "is it a happening?" If yes → ser.
Cambios de significado Same adjective, two meanings
This is where advanced speakers show their control. With many adjectives, ser describes an inherent trait and estar a current state — and the English translation changes completely:
| Adjective | with ser (essence) | with estar (state) |
|---|---|---|
| aburrido | ser aburrido — to be boring | estar aburrido — to be bored |
| listo | ser listo — to be clever | estar listo — to be ready |
| rico | ser rico — to be rich | estar rico — to be delicious |
| verde | ser verde — to be green (colour) | estar verde — to be unripe |
| bueno | ser bueno — to be good (kind) | estar bueno — to be tasty |
Estados y cambios Results of change use estar
When something has become a certain way, use estar — even for things English treats as permanent: Mi abuelo está muerto (is dead), El café está frío (has gone cold), Estoy casado (am married). The idea is a resulting condition, not an essence.
Vocabulario en contexto
| Yo soy estudiante. | I am a student. (ser — identity) |
| Ella es profesora. | She is a teacher. (ser — profession) |
| Soy de México. | I'm from Mexico. (ser — origin) |
| Mi hermano es alto. | My brother is tall. (ser — inherent trait) |
| La reunión es a las tres. | The meeting is at three. (ser — an event!) |
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? (estar — location of a thing) |
💡 One clean question: "Am I describing what it is or how / where it is right now?" Essence → ser. State, location or result → estar. For events, remember they run on ser.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. ser or estar — and what does it mean?
- La sopa ___ rica. (it tastes great right now) → está rica (delicious)
- Ella ___ muy lista. (she's clever) → es muy lista
- ¿Dónde ___ el baño? → está
- La fiesta ___ en mi casa. → es (an event)
2. Explain the difference
- ser aburrido vs. estar aburrido → to be boring (a boring person) vs. to be bored (right now).
Formal register & phone calls
Fluency is not just grammar — it's knowing how to shift register. In offices, with strangers and on the phone, Spanish becomes markedly more formal: usted replaces tú, and the conditional (podría, quisiera) softens every request.
La cortesía The tools of politeness
- Switch to usted and its third-person verb: ¿Cómo está usted?
- Wrap requests in the conditional: ¿Podría…? ("Could you…?"), Quisiera… ("I would like…"), Le agradecería que… ("I would be grateful if…").
- On the phone: ¿De parte de quién? ("Who's calling?"), Le paso. ("I'll put you through."), Un momento, por favor.
Vocabulario en contexto On the phone & at the office
| ¿Podría hablar con el señor Martínez, por favor? | Could I speak with Mr Martínez, please? |
| Me gustaría agendar una cita. | I would like to schedule an appointment. |
| ¿Está disponible el lunes por la tarde? | Is he available on Monday afternoon? |
| ¿Puedo dejarle un mensaje? | Can I leave him a message? |
| Le agradecería que me confirmara la cita. | I would appreciate it if you could confirm the appointment. (conditional + imperfect subj.) |
| ¿Podría repetir eso, por favor? | Could you repeat that, please? |
| Permítame transferirle la llamada. | Allow me to transfer your call. |
| Gracias por su paciencia. | Thank you for your patience. |
| Por favor, manténgase en la línea. | Please, stay on the line. |
| ¿Podría darme su número de contacto? | Could you give me your contact number? |
Diálogo Making an appointment
ABuenos días, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle? Good morning, how can I help you?
BBuenos días, llamo para agendar una cita con el señor Martínez.Good morning, I'm calling to schedule an appointment with Mr Martínez.
A¿Podría esperar un momento, por favor? Could you wait a moment, please?
BClaro, no hay problema.Sure, no problem.
💡 Register mismatch is jarring. Using tú with an official, or barking a bare imperative at a stranger, sounds rude even if the grammar is perfect. When in doubt, go formal: usted + ¿Podría…? is always safe.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Make it formal & polite
- "Repeat that." → polite version → ¿Podría repetir eso, por favor?
- "I want an appointment." → polite version → Me gustaría agendar una cita. / Quisiera una cita.
- "Wait a moment." (formal) → ¿Podría esperar un momento, por favor?
Debating & persuading
To hold your own in a real discussion you need the language of opinion — how to agree, disagree gracefully, concede a point and push back. These are the phrases that let you sound thoughtful rather than blunt.
Las herramientas The building blocks of an argument
- State a view: Desde mi punto de vista…, En mi opinión…, Para mí…
- Agree / disagree: Estoy de acuerdo · No estoy de acuerdo.
- Concede, then counter: Entiendo tu punto, pero…, Eso es interesante, sin embargo…
- Soften a claim: puede ser, pero…, quizás, a lo mejor.
Vocabulario en contexto Opinion in action
| Estoy de acuerdo. | I agree. |
| No estoy de acuerdo. | I disagree. |
| ¿Qué opinas? | What do you think? |
| Desde mi punto de vista... | From my point of view… |
| Entiendo tu punto, pero... | I understand your point, but… |
| Eso es interesante, sin embargo... | That's interesting, however… |
| Podríamos considerar... | We could consider… |
| Estoy seguro de que podemos encontrar una solución. | I'm sure we can find a solution. |
| ¿Por qué no lo vemos desde otra perspectiva? | Why don't we look at it from another perspective? |
Diálogo A civil disagreement
ANo estoy de acuerdo con esa propuesta. I disagree with that proposal.
BEntiendo tu preocupación, pero si lo miramos desde otro ángulo, podríamos ver los beneficios. I understand your concern, but if we look at it from another angle, we might see the benefits.
AEso es interesante, hablemos más sobre eso. That's interesting, let's talk more about that.
💡 Disagree without a fight: Spanish debate leans on concession first. Open with Entiendo lo que dices, pero… before your objection, and use sin embargo / en cambio for an elegant contrast rather than a flat no.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. Translate into Spanish
- I agree. → Estoy de acuerdo.
- From my point of view… → Desde mi punto de vista…
- That's interesting, however… → Eso es interesante, sin embargo…
- Why don't we look at it from another perspective? → ¿Por qué no lo vemos desde otra perspectiva?
Idioms, discourse markers & false friends
The final polish. Real speech is full of idioms, little filler words and traps for English speakers. Sprinkle in a few of these and you stop sounding like a textbook — and you sidestep the mistakes that even advanced learners make.
Muletillas The fillers of real conversation
Drop one or two of these in and you instantly sound more natural: pues… (well…), bueno… (right / OK…), o sea… (I mean…), a ver… (let's see…), ¿sabes? (you know?), and in Spain ¡vale! (OK!).
Expresiones Idioms worth knowing
| Estar en las nubes | to have one's head in the clouds (lit. "to be in the clouds") |
| Echar una mano | to lend a hand |
| Hacer la vista gorda | to turn a blind eye |
| Vale la pena | it's worth it |
| A lo mejor | maybe / perhaps |
| Estoy hasta las narices | I'm fed up |
| Al mal tiempo, buena cara | keep your chin up (a proverb) |
| ¿Qué onda? | What's up? (very informal, Mexico) |
Falsos amigos False friends — the classic traps
These words look like English but mean something else. Getting them right is a mark of a genuinely advanced speaker:
| Actualmente, estoy estudiando para mis exámenes finales. | Currently, I'm studying for my final exams. (actualmente = currently, not "actually") |
| Voy a asistir a la conferencia mañana. | I'm going to attend the conference tomorrow. (asistir = to attend, not "to assist") |
| Estoy constipado, así que no puedo salir hoy. | I have a cold, so I can't go out today. (constipado = having a cold) |
| El éxito de la empresa depende de su innovación. | The company's success depends on its innovation. (éxito = success, not "exit") |
| Voy a realizar un proyecto nuevo en el trabajo. | I'm going to carry out a new project at work. (realizar = to carry out, not "to realize") |
| Estoy molesto porque no me llamaste. | I'm upset because you didn't call me. (molesto = upset / annoyed) |
| La lectura de ayer fue muy interesante. | Yesterday's reading was very interesting. (lectura = reading, not "lecture") |
| El compromiso con el proyecto es esencial. | Commitment to the project is essential. (compromiso = commitment, not "compromise") |
💡 Final tip: when a Spanish word looks suspiciously like an English one, pause. Nine times out of ten a true cognate is safe — but the false friends above are common enough that guessing will eventually catch you out. Learn them as a set.
Ejercicios Exercises
1. What does it really mean?
- actualmente → currently (not "actually")
- asistir → to attend (not "to assist")
- éxito → success (not "exit")
- realizar → to carry out (not "to realize")
2. Match the idiom
- to lend a hand → echar una mano
- to turn a blind eye → hacer la vista gorda
- it's worth it → vale la pena
¡Enhorabuena! You've completed the advanced course. You now command every major tense, the full subjunctive, si-clauses, por/para, ser/estar and the register and idioms of natural speech. Keep returning to the exercises until they feel automatic — and start reading, watching and speaking real Spanish. ‹ Back to the course overview