Face-to-face and Online Spanish courses: The pros of both
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Nowadays there are a myriad of ways to learn a language, and recently many academies, including here at Hablamos, have begun offering not only face-to-face classes but also the same courses online. Here we’ll talk about the pros of both options so you can make your mind up as to which might better suit your needs.
The face-to-face option
Contact with native speakers
If you’re actually going to speak Spanish to any degree, of course you need to interact with other speakers of that language. Not only should this be your Spanish teacher (professor de español), but also you need to get out and about and speaking with people in real life. What better way to do this than by coming to live and study in Madrid? From the moment you arrive you’ll need to buy food from the supermarket, navigate your way around the city and much more. I remember the first time I lived in Spain (yes, I’ve had more than one spell in Spain before making it my permanent home!), I needed to find a flat and had to call different people to ask to view places. It was a bit daunting at first, but practice makes perfect! At Hablamos, we’ll help you find your feet (adaptarse) and make sure you get the most out of your experience.
Immersing yourself in the culture
Although we do love online courses at Hablamos, they aren’t quite the same experience as being surrounded by the culture of the country whose language you’re trying to speak. If you’ve read any of our other blogs, you’ll already know that Madrid is filled to the brim (está a tope) with amazing cultural activities, museums, nightlife and more. The only way to enjoy all of this is to come and do a face-to-face course at Hablamos so that you can experience it all first-hand. Also, as Madrid is basically in the middle of Spain, it’s an amazing base from which to take excursions and visit all of the other wonderful towns and cities the country has to offer. Why just make do with looking at photos of Spain when you can see it all with your own eyes?
Making new friends (and possibly having a whirlwind romance!)
Just to be clear, I’m not advocating here that the best reason to come to study in Madrid is to meet the love of your life as I know a lot of you have probably already found “the one”. However, it is obvious that by actually coming to learn Spanish in Spain you’ll meet loads of cool new people and hopefully make some friends for life. Your classes at Hablamos will be full of people living the same adventure and they’ll be wanting to get out and explore just as much as you. That gives you a great basis for meeting other people who live in Madrid as you’ve got a ready-made group to get started with. Speaking of the romantic option, suffice it to say that I met the man of my dreams only a week after arriving in Madrid so you never know what might happen!
Taking a course online
The chance to learn from your own living room
A massive bonus of the move to online education is that you can easily learn a language from the comfort of your own home. You’ll still get all the benefits of small groups, excellent teachers and contact with native speakers but if you’re reading this from halfway around the world, coming to live in Madrid might be a bit impractical. Online learning has come a long way since the days of simply doing endless repetitive exercises and no chance to speak. Now, we can provide you with the exact same interactive classes as you would expect from a face-to-face course.
Fewer expenses
It’s undeniable that taking a course in another country can be a big investment, although there are many advantages which we’ve talked about above. While both face-to-face and online courses cost the same as the teaching and learning experience is of the same quality, you don’t need to worry about accommodation and other expenses when taking an online course. Obviously, we at Hablamos help you with organising your stay here in Madrid if you decide to come over, but we want to offer everyone (todo el mundo) the benefits of learning Spanish. That way, even if you can’t afford the cost (or time!) to come and live in Madrid, you still get to improve your Spanish skills, whatever you need the language for.
Personal preferences
Some of you probably don’t fancy commuting to a school every day. Others possibly like sitting around in pyjamas all day. Maybe you just want to be in your own space so there are fewer distractions when you’re in class. If you identify with any of these, an online Spanish course might be better for you.
Whatever your needs, Hablamos has a Spanish course to suit your personal situation. Take a look at our website and contact us for more information and we’ll find the right solution for you – let’s do it! (¡a por ello!)
A guide to Spanish plurals
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After all, you can’t go around always talking about everything in the singular – that would be a bit weird! So what does the plural look like in Spanish and how do we form it?
Firstly, we need to look at the plural of el artículo definido (the definite article) which means “the” and el artículo indefinido (the indefinite article) which means “a/an”. In Spanish, there are both masculine and feminine nouns and so we have a few forms of these articles to have to learn.
| El artículo definido (the) | El artículo indefinido (a/an) | ||||
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | ||
| Masculine | el | los | Masculine | un/uno | unos |
| Feminine | la | las | Masculine | una | unas |
It’s really not that complicated, is it? So, once you’ve decided what type of sustantivo (noun) you’re dealing with, we can get on with making it into a plural form. There are a few spelling rules which you can follow that make this whole process much simpler. Let’s take a look.
1. If a noun ends in a vowel (a,e,i,o,u) we simply add “s”
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
el niño > los niños
the boy > the boys
la fecha > las fechas
the date > the dates
un coche > unos coches
a car > some cars
una mariposa > unas mariposas
a butterfly > some butterflies
2. If a noun ends in most consonants, add “es”
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
el professor > los profesores
the teacher > the teachers
la universidad > las universidades
the university > the universities
un árbol > unos árboles
a tree > some tres
una mujer > unas mujeres
a woman > some women
3. For nouns that end in “z” we add “es” and change the “z” to “c”
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
la actriz > las actrices
the actress > the actresses
un lápiz > unos lápices
a pencil > some pencils
4. If a noun ends in “ión”, we remove the accent (´) from the “o” and add “es”
Sometimes, as you’ve probably noticed, words have accent marks above certain letters. There are some rules to help you with this, but for now just remember that words ending in “ión” drop the accent when we make the plural.
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
la televisión > las televisiones
the televisión > the televisions
el avión > los aviones
the plane > the planes
5. Some words taken from other languages do not follow all the rules above and simply add “s”
Spanish, like any other language, has a lot of loanwords or words which have been borrowed from other languages. These often have different spellings than standard Spanish words would allow, and so the standard plural rules don’t always work.
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
el parking > los parkings
the car park > the car parks
un camping > unos campings
a campsite > some campsites
un bistec > unos bistecs
a beef steak > some beef steaks
6. Some words don’t change between singular and plural
We’re not going to go over all the reasons for this here, but just be aware that some words do not change between singular and plural. Here are some examples.
el martes > los martes
Tuesday > Tuesdays
(in fact, all days of the week end in “s” in singular and plural)
una crisis > unas crisis
a crisis > some crises
7. Mixed masculine and feminine groups become masculine in the plural form
This is nothing about gender or favouring males or females, rather it’s a linguistic feature of the language. If a group contains a male and a female, the plural form is always masculine.
Por ejemplo, (For example,)
un gato + una gata > unos gatos
a male cat + a female cat > some cats
11 niños + 13 niñas > 25 niños
11 boys + 13 girls > 25 children
So, when learning Spanish, always try to learn the article and plural of words when you see them. It’ll save you a lot of time later when trying to use your vocabulary quickly when speaking Spanish with other people. You’re bound to make mistakes, but that’s the beauty of learning a language and people will always try and help you to find the right form of the word you need.
Here at Hablamos, we can help you to get you head around these rules and be better able to use plurals accurately in your spoken and written Spanish. Sign up for one of our courses today!
An Art Lovers Guide to Madrid!
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But, if you intend to learn Spanish in Madrid with us in Hablamos, treat yourself and learn about its Art, too! This city has world-renowned museums and galleries that house some of the world’s greatest pieces by the most revered masters. First among them is the Prado! We know you usually have to pay to visit it, but some of the most important museums in Madrid could be visited for gratis.
First time visitors:
With the largest collection of Spanish art and a massive catalogue that consists of other Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces, the Prado is the most visited attraction in Madrid (except maybe for the famous football stadium of Real Madrid – Santiago Bernabeu! ☺). It is located in a beautiful 18th century Neoclassical building, designed by the architect Juan de Villanueva in 1785 and opened to the public as the Museo Nacional del Prado for the first time in November 1819.
It contains works of some of the best artists of their time like Francisco Goya, El Greco, Hieronymus Bosch, Fra Angelico, Diego Velázquez, Raphael, and Titian. Your Prado Museum tickets will expose you to a world of masterpieces, so before you go, here’s a quick guide to all you need to know about Prado Museum Madrid.
What to know Before You Go to the Prado Museum:
Best time to visit – Late afternoon
Suggested duration – 3 Hours
Starting Prado Museum ticket price – €15
Closest Subway Station – Banco de España
Opening Hours (Horario de apertura)
Monday to Saturday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
All Sundays, January 1, May 1, and
December 25: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
January 6, and December 24 and 31: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Must-See Exhibits at the Prado Museum:
Francisco Goya’s La Maja desnuda
Diego Velázquez’s Las Meninas
Hyeronimus Bosch’s triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights
Raphael’s The Cardinal
Titian’s Venus and Adonis
Here is a useful floor plan for you to study before going and allow you to plan your visit – some people say it takes 3 days to see everything in the museum!
https://content3.cdnprado.net/doclinks/pdf/visita/plano2021-07-12.pdf
Useful Vocabulary:
Now you know when to visit, we can look at a few helpful words to make sure you are equipped to ask questions to make the most of your visit.
| Spanish | English |
| Pintor | Painter |
| Escultor | Sculptor |
| El artista | The artist |
| Bellas Artes | Fine arts |
| Exposición | Exhibition |
| Galería | Gallery |
| Exhibir | To exhibit |
| Audio guía | Audio guide |
Expressing opinions and tastes:
¿Qué te parece …? what do you think about …?
¿Qué te ha parecido …? what did you think about …?
Me parece muy interesante I think it’s very interesting
Me ha parecido muy interesante I thought it was very interesting
Me gusta … I like …
Me ha gustado I liked it
Me gusta más … que … I prefer … to …
No me gusta … (en absoluto) I don’t like … (at all)
Prefiero … I prefer …
Here in Hablamos, your Spanish school in Madrid, we teach you all about how to communicate in Spanish in all areas: work, studies and social environments.
We believe that to learn a language well, you need to immerse yourself in its culture too and in that way, understand the language better. And let’s face it – it’s more fun that way too, right? ☺
So, we’re here waiting for you in Madrid to have the full Spanish Experience!
¡Hasta pronto!
Learning all the time with Hablamos! ☺
Ernest Hemingway's Madrid
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there are still ways to visit some of the same establishments, hotels and museums that inspired him to write books such as Death in the Afternoon or The Sun Also Rises. Here you will learn about a few of those places and why they were so important to “Don Ernesto.” ☺
Aguilar
Hemingway stayed in this boarding house (pensión) with his family between 1923 and 1926. This establishment can still be visited and his room was Number 7. (Lucky for some!)
Hotel Madrid Gran Vía
Still one of Madrid’s iconic locations on the Gran Vía, Hemingway mentions the establishment in Night Before Battle and in The Fifth Column. You can still pop in for a drink but don’t expect the same kind of atmosphere Don Ernesto was so fond of. ¡Los tiempos cambian!
Botín
Claiming to be “el restaurante más viejo del mundo”, Hemingway used to eat roast suckling pig (cochinillo) here. There are stories that he also tried to learn to cook Paella at Botín but let’s just say it was better he just stuck to his writing. The novel, The Sun Also Rises, ends with a scene in this same dining room. The restaurant is still worth a visit to try their famous huevos fritos con patatas.
Museo Chicote
Mentioned in his short story, The Denunciation, another of “Don Ernesto Hemingway’s” favourite bars! No visit to Madrid would be complete if Bar Museo Chicote weren’t on the list! The reviews are still positive so maybe you can see the world through Ernest’s eyes. This iconic bar situated on Madrid’s Gran Via was also a popular haunt for Ava Gardner when she lived here in the 60s.
Las Ventas Bull ring (Plaza de toros)
“If you really want to learn about bullfighting, or if you are ever very interested, sooner or later you will have to go to Madrid”. Quote from Death in the Afternoon, a classic of bullfighting literature. You should go and see it for the history even if you don’t want to watch the “sport”. It is a spectacular building in its own right and the local people who have yearly passes take it very seriously indeed and will not hesitate to tell the bullfighter (torero) exactly what he’s doing wrong! Ha ha!
Prado Museum (museo)
As mentioned before in these blogs, the Prado is a must-see. Did you know Hemingway was passionate about the museum’s works? You can wander through the halls for hours imagining the inspiration los cuadros (paintings) gave to Hemingway’s greatest works.
El Retiro Park
The Retiro is worth a visit at any time of the year for a hundred different reasons. One of those is that Hemingway was also a fan and El Retiro appears in For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Villa Rosa
Hemingway knew how to enjoy himself into the wee hours of the morning (la madrugada). This renowned flamenco house, a landmark of the most traditional Madrid nightlife, was regularly frequented by the writer (and others such as Ava Gardner.) It may be a bit more touristy than it used to be but it is still well worth a visit.
NH Collection Madrid Suecia
Last but no means least, this hotel is where Hemingway stayed in the 50’s. If you want the true Hemingway experience, ask for his signature cocktail (cóctel) named for the great man. That’ll be “Un Ernesto por favor!”
So, have I convinced you to come and check out Hemingway’s old haunts and get a feel of the Madrid he knew some 70 years ago? Just sitting on one of the outdoor terraces (terrazas) here over a caña (beer) or un vino, and watching the people go by is an experience in itself and as we know, learning Spanish is not only about the grammar and vocab, is it? The cultural aspect is also a really important part of it too! ☺. Ask your teacher in Hablamos for more info about how Madrid used to be in the past.
Learning all the time with Hablamos! ☺
"False Friends” in Spanish for English native speakers
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Anyone who has studied even the smallest amount of Spanish will have come across the issue of False Friends! We need to be careful if we don’t want to embarrass ourselves by telling people we are pregnant. (pregnant in Spanish is embarazada which is commonly misused or misunderstood by English speakers who think it means embarrassed! Ha ha!)
The worst offenders
Simpático vs Sympathetic
This is usually one of the first Spanish–English false friends taught to language learners. Although they seem similar, ‘simpático’ really means ‘likeable’ and ‘agreeable’, whereas ‘sympathetic’ translates to ‘compasivo’.
María es muy simpática.(Maria is very nice.)
Juan es muy compasivo.(Juan is very sympathetic.)
Actual vs Actual
These are subtler false friends: ‘actual’ in English is an adjective used for emphasis or to mean ‘real’, but the Spanish ‘actual’ means ‘current’ or ‘contemporary’.
Mi situación actual es complicada.(My current situation is very complicated.)
Este tema es muy actual.(This subject is very topical at the moment.)
Compromiso vs Compromise
When negotiating in Spanish and English, remember that ‘compromiso’ means ‘commitment’ or ‘obligation’, while ‘compromise’ is translated as ‘componenda’ or ‘mutuo acuerdo’.
Tenemos que llegar a un compromiso.(We have to come to an agreement.)
Tenemos que ceder en algo.(We have to compromise somewhere.)
Recordar vs Record
‘Recordar’ means ‘to remember’ or ‘to remind’, so if you’re asking a Spanish-speaking music producer to record your song, be sure to use the verb ‘grabar’.
¿Recuerdas cuando íbamos a la playa juntos? .(Do you remember when we used to go to the beach together?)
Voy a grabar una canción.(I’m going to record a song.)
Preocupado vs Preoccupied
Here we have another subtle false friend: when using ‘preoccupied’ to mean ‘distracted’ or ‘lost in thought’, the correct Spanish translation would be ‘distraído’ or ‘absorto’. ‘Preocupado’ means ‘worried’ or ‘concerned’.
Samuel está muy preocupado.(Samuel is very worried.)
Samuel está muy distraído por otras cosas ahora mismo.(Samuel is very preoccupied with other things right now.)
Suceso vs Success
This false friend packs double the punch. Firstly, ‘suceso’ means ‘event’, not ‘success’, but what really adds to the confusion is the fact that the word for ‘success’ in Spanish is ‘éxito’, another false friend! (Just to clarify: ‘salida’ is the Spanish word for ‘exit’.)
Voy a escuchar las noticias para los sucesos del día.(I’m going to listen to the news to find out what’s going on.)
Tuvimos mucho éxito con el último show.(We had great success with the last show.)
Librería vs Library
Meet librería and library. You could go to either one of these places to pick up books for your Spanish reading practice. However, don’t be fooled, as if you take a book away from the libreria without paying, you are breaking the law!
Voy a comprar un libro en la librería.(I’m going to buy a book in the book shop.)
Voy a coger un libro de la biblioteca.(I’m going to get a book from the library.)
Constipado vs Constipated
England is full of confused Spaniards who go to Boots to pick up a simple cold remedy only to be given uncomfortable suppositories for constipation! Ha ha!
Estoy muy constipado – no paro de toser y estornudar.(I’ve got a bad cold. I can’t stop coughing and sneezing.)
Estoy muy estreñido.(I’m very constipated.)
I hope this has helped clear up a few misunderstands and hopefully avoid some embarrassing moments for you! Ask you teacher in Hablamos for some more false friends to watch out for!
Learning all the time with Hablamos ☺
Las fiestas: The best festivals in Spain
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The land of the fiesta (festival), Spain has hundreds (probably!) of local and national festivals which will allow you to immerse yourself in Spanish culture while you’re studying here. From throwing tomatoes to burying the sardine, Spain has it all!
1. La Tomatina – Tomato throwing festival
Every year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region, locals and tourists alike gather to take part in the annual tomato festival. This quirky (poco convencional) event originated as a result of a fight between festival goers at a local parade in 1945. One of the participants was so angry that he started throwing anything he could find at the other attendees, including overripe (pasado) tomatoes! As a result, the town decided to make this an annual tradition and now thousands of tons of this red fruit (or is it a vegetable?) are launched throughout the town in August each year. If you go, prepare to get absolutely covered in tomato juice so make sure you wear clothes you don’t really care about!
2. Las fallas de Valencia
Another amazing event, not far from La Tomatina in the city of Valencia, this traditional festival lasts for 5 days every March. With a huge fireworks (fuegos artificiales) battle across the river, traditional dancing and the burning of the fallas, you’ll surely be entertained during your visit. The fallas are huge papier-mâché models which are built during the year prior to the festival. They often represent political figures, traditional customs and are often satirical comments on societal issues. These gigantic effigies can reach up to 30 metres in height and are displayed all around the city. You can take a wander around the streets, drinking a refreshing glass of horchata (tiger nut milk) during the first few days of the event. However, don’t wait until the final day as all the statues are burnt to the ground in celebration of the arrival of spring (primavera). However, don’t despair as the favourite falla each year is saved and preserved in a museum to enjoy for years to come.
3. El carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife – Carnival time!
While there are carnivals (carnavales) all over Spain, the biggest and most famous of these takes place in the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, in the Canary Islands (las Islas Canarias). This three week festival takes place in June and is an amalgam of vibrant costumes, over-the-top parades and, of course, the famous entierro de la sardina (the burial of the sardine). Like with any carnival, the main events are the huge street parties (fiestas en las calles) and the fantastic parade (cabalgata). Also, no carnival would be complete without the crowning of the carnival queen (la reina del carnaval) after the contenders strut their stuff (lucirse) on stage. On one of the final days you can see the entierro de la sardina where a giant sardine is paraded through the streets and ceremonially burned (quemada) to celebrate the end of the festival and the hope that it will happen again next year. Have you noticed yet that Spaniards seem to love festivals with something being burned?
4. La noche de San Juan
The noche de San Juan (Saint John’s Eve) is actually a religious festival celebrating the birth of Juan el bautista (John the Baptist) who was born six months before Jesus. Nowadays, it is also somewhat related with the solsticio de verano (summer solstice) and is celebrated on the 23 june. The festival is most widely celebrated in coastal regions of the country, most notably in Cataluña, Valencia and Galicia. One of the biggest San Juan events takes place near Albacete where it is also a local festival. Thousands of people gather on beaches (playas) and huge bonfires (hogueras) are built to mark the event. Legend has it that you must jump over a (small!) bonfire three times in order to be purified of your sins! Whilst celebrating, you should also try a coca de San Juan which is a flat pastry-like food covered in various toppings such as tomato, vegetables and meat – delicious!
5. La Mercè – Barcelona’s local festival
Every 24 September, Barcelona celebrates the festival of one its patrons (patrón) La Mercè. Multiple events take place through the city to mark the day including the parade of the gegants (giants in Catalan) which are huge wooden figures which are taken around the city and represent famous historical figures. Also, there are groups dancing the sardana – a traditional dance from the Cataluña region and who compete to show which one can do it best! Not only is there a dancing competition, but also one in which groups of people try to form the highest human tower (castell) which can reach up to 11 metres high! And how do you form one of these structures? Well, a group of people form the base of the tower, then more and more people climb on top of this base, stand up and then climb on the shoulders of the person below! Fancy a go?
6. San Isidro – Patron Saint of Madrid
You didn’t think we’d forgotten about Madrid, did you? Here at Hablamos we obviously all celebrate the festival of San Isidro here in the capital. Taking place over a week in May, the main day is 15 May. Over these 7 days there are all sorts of concerts (conciertos), parties (fiestas) and displays of the traditional dance el chotis all over the city. The local madrileños dress up in traditional costumes as chulapos if you’re a man and chulapas if you’re a woman and take to the streets to celebrate. I actually live very close to the Parque de San Isidro (San Isidro Park) just south of the Manzanares river where the main festivities take place. Let me tell you, it’s an extremely noisy affair but it’s also a perfect opportunity to get to know some locals and take part in the cultural life of this beautiful city in which you’ll be studying Spanish!
We hope that’s given you a taste for the fantastic fiestas on offer here in Spain. Come and do a course here at Hablamos and take advantage of Madrid’s central location to visit these festivals and more!
Por vs Para: Which one to use?
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Sometimes, learning Spanish is a piece of cake (está chupado), and on other occasions there are bits of grammar which can seem like a real headache. Por and para are two tiny words which can, at first, seem very confusing, but once you get the hang of how to use them they are extremely useful. I know when I first starting studying Spanish I used to get into a bit of a mess with which one to use, but to be fair, native speakers are always sympathetic with language learners and will attempt to understand through the context.
Por or para? The eternal question
Both por and para can be translated as for in lots of situations, but they can mean many other things as well. They are used in a lot of expressions, verb structures and as prepositions with particular times as well as in a myriad of other structures. When deciding which one to use, it’s important to think about the meaning of the whole phrase you want to say and not translate word for word. When learning any language, individual translations often don’t help you construct real phrases. The best way to help you see the difference is through examples. Take a look at the tables below to get a better feel for these important words.
Uses of ‘para’
| Spanish | English | Reason |
| Es para ti | It’s for you | Destination (e.g. of a gift) |
| Estoy ahorrando para comprar un coche | I’m saving to buy a car | Purpose (e.g. in order to) |
| Juan va para la casa de su amiga | Juan is going to his friend’s house | Intention/Destination (e.g. of movement) |
| Tengo que estar en la fiesta sorpresa para las 6 de la tarde | I have to be at the surprise party by 6pm | With time phrases |
| La silla es para sentarse, no para poner los pies | The chair is for sitting on, not for putting your feet on | An object’s use or purpose |
| Estamos para salir | We’re are about to go out | “Estar para” means “to be about to” |
Uses of ‘por’
| Spanish | English | Reason |
| Hablo con mi madre por teléfono todos los días | I speak with my mum by phone every day | How you communicate with someone |
| El metro no pasa por mi barrio | The metro doesn’t go through/via my neighbourhood | Moving “through” somewhere |
| Olvidé hacerlo por no apuntar la tarea en mi lista | I forgot to do it because I didn’t write the task on my list | The cause or reason for an action |
| Me gusta tomar un vermut por la tarde | I like to have a vermouth in/during the afternoon | General time meaning “during” |
| Te doy 10 euros por el libro | I’ll give you 10 euros for the book | An exchange |
| Comer por comer | Eat for the sake of it | Translates as “for the sake of” |
The tables above give you some clear examples of how to use these important prepositions. When learning Spanish, you really should try to speak as much as possible and practise using them through trial and error. Nobody ever got better at anything without making a few (or lots of!) mistakes along the way. It’s vitally important that you get into the habit of writing down new examples of language as you see and hear them so that you can incorporate phrases into your own speech and writing. Both por and para appear all the time in Spanish and so you’ll have plenty of chances to use them and hear them used.
Little by little (poco a poco) you’ll become more fluent in Spanish by just trying your best and giving it a go.
To learn more about por and para, as well as all other aspects of Spanish language and culture, come join us here at Hablamos – you won’t regret it!
Top 5 things to do in Madrid
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Studying Spanish in Madrid is an absolutely fantastic idea – we obviously all think it is at Hablamos or we wouldn’t all be here! Not only do you get the chance to speak Spanish with millions of people, but also you have an enormous range of activities to immerse yourself in Spanish culture.
1. Eat a bocadillo de calamares in Plaza Mayor
This ranks as one of the most madrileño things you can possibly do. But what is a bocadillo de calamares you might ask? Well, it’s a baguette with deep-fried squid rings! Honestly, they’re delicious, and you can water it down with a caña de cerveza (a small beer) or two while sitting in the famous Plaza Mayor. This square, in the heart of the city, dates back to the late 16th century and has always been at the centre of Madrid life. It was used as a place to hold inquisitions, bullfights, public hangings, official events, you name it! Nowadays it’s a tourist attraction and is full of bars and restaurants for you to enjoy the city’s culinary delights.
2. Take a stroll around the Parque del Buen Retiro
Another area of the city worth a trip to is the Parque del Buen Retiro, or El Retiro for short. This 5.38 km2 park located east of the city centre is perfect for an afternoon paseo (stroll/walk) once you’ve had some tapas (small plates of food) and enjoyed a little siesta (nap). The site of an old palace, the park features a beautiful boating lake, a couple of exhibition halls belonging to the nearby Museo Reina Sofia and abundant green spaces where you can chill out after a hard day learning Spanish. Locals flock to the area at weekends, but during the week it’s nowhere near as busy.
3. Visit Goya and Velázquez in the Museo del Prado
An unmissable stop on any visit to Madrid is the Museo del Prado. This enormous art gallery is filled with paintings by great artists such as Goya, Velázquez and the ahead-of-time El Greco. While you’re in Madrid studying Spanish, you’ll probably have time to visit more than once as there’s far too much to take in on one day. Given the immensity of the museum, we’d recommend getting an audio guide to help take you around and also practise your Spanish listening skills at the same time. As well as having an incredible selection of paintings, El Prado also hosts a collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures and the Tesoro del Delfín which is a collection of various beautiful objects collected by the son of the French king Louis XIV. Check it out on your visit!
4. Take a tour of Real Madrid’s stadium
Madrid is home to two of Spain’s greatest football teams – Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid. Both are in the top flight of Spanish football, but (even though Atleti fans don’t like it!) it’s Real Madrid who have won, by far, most championships and cups in their 120 year history. The Bernabéu stadium is home to these sporting legends, and has its own museum detailing all the past glories of the club. You can see their 14 European Championship cups, 34 La Liga (league) trophies and many more. The tour starts in the museum area, but visitors are also treated to a trip to los vestuarios (changing rooms) and el campo (the pitch). You can even sit on el banco (the bench) where the substitutes wait to go on the field! Any sports fan learning Spanish in Madrid has to go on the tour, and we’d also suggest going to un partido (a match) or two while you’re here as well!
5. Take a selfie with el oso y el madroño in Puerta del Sol
If you’ve ever looked for information about Madrid online, you’re sure to have seen the famous el oso y el madroño (the bear and the strawberry tree) which is one of the most emblematic symbols of the city. The legend goes that King Alfonso XI was out hunting on the outskirts of the city in the 14th century and captured a large bear. He was so impressed with the animal that he decided to include an image of it on Madrid´s heraldic shield! The origin of the madroño revolves around a political dispute between the Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid city council) and the Church in 1222 over which areas of land they both controlled. The madroño tree was included on the city’s shield as a sign of the agreement reached between the two parties. Curious, right? Nowadays, a statue of this symbol of Madrid proudly stands in Puerta del Sol, another square right in the middle of Madrid. Tourists and locals queue to snap a selfie with this famous landmark, and it makes a great recuerdo (souvenir) of your time studying Spanish here in the capital.
Looking forward to seeing all these sights? Then come and join us here at Hablamos and start one of our Spanish courses today! There’s plenty more to see in beautiful Madrid, so what are you waiting for?
Let's talk about sport in Spanish!
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Want to play a bit of fútbol? Fancy a quick round of golf? If you understand both of those words in bold, you already know a bit of Spanish vocabulary about sports. It’s actually incredibly easy to learn Spanish words for different sports as an English speaker, as a lot of them are very similar with pretty much no falsos amigos (false friends) to worry about. Here are just a few:
| Spanish | English |
| El fútbol | Football |
| El golf | Golf |
| El baloncesto | Basketball |
| El tenis | Tennis |
| El voleibol | Volleyball |
| El hockey | Hockey |
Let's construct a sentence with the verb jugar (to play)
That’s easy, isn’t it? Now we just need to construct a sentence to say which of these sports you actually play, and for that we need the verb jugar (to play). This verb has a stem change in that the “u” becomes “ue” when we use it to talk about certain people. Let’s have a look at what that means:
- I play = Juego
- You play (singular) = Juegas
- He/she plays = Juega
- You play (plural) = Jugáis
- We play = Jugamos
- They play = Juegan
Then, to make a full sentence with this verb, we always add a + noun and now we can start having a proper conversation! If I want to say I play football I should say Juego al fútbol. Or, if I’m talking about my friend Juan, then I would say Juan juega al fútbol. Simple! But, not all sports are “played” obviously, and so we need to learn some other verbs to expand our vocabulary.
| Spanish | English |
| Practicar | To practise/do |
| Hacer | To do (in this case anyway!) |
Both of these verbs can be used with different sports to give us the chance to speak about many more activities. For instance:
- Hago/Practico boxeo = I do boxing
- Hago/Practico natación = I do/go swimming
- Hago/Practico bicicleta = I do/go cycling
Once we’ve established which sports we do, maybe you’d like to tell people how often you do things. Again, this is fairly straightforward in Spanish as you simply say how many veces (times) per day/week/etc. So, I can say Juego al baloncesto dos veces al día/a la semana/al mes/al año which means I play basketball twice a day/week/month/year. You can simply swap out the word dos for any other number you like.
So, to sum up so far, we can now say which sports we play or do and how often we do them. It might be useful at this point to also mention how we can ask other people for this same information. Here are the questions you’ll need to start chatting about sport with your Spanish-speaking friends:
- ¿Qué deportes haces? = Which sports do you do?
- ¿Con qué frecuencia los haces? = How often do you do them?
Try and get speaking to some native Spanish speakers, or your classmates on your course at Hablamos about which sports they like to do and when!
Vocabulary for different sports
You might also like to know some specific vocabulary for different sports, so here are some lists of the most common words for a variety of activities. Why not try using them next time you’re out and about to strike up a conversation?
El fútbol – Football
| Spanish | English |
| Marcar un gol | To score a goal |
| El golaveraje | Goal average |
| El árbrito | Referee |
| El delantero | Striker |
| El centrocampista | Midfielder |
| El defensa | Defender |
| El penaltí | Penalty |
| El campo de fútbol | Football pitch |
El tenis – Tennis
| Spanish | English |
| La pista de tenis | Tennis court |
| La pista de hierba | Grass court |
| La raqueta | Racket |
| La pelota | Ball |
| La red | Net |
| El árbrito | Umpire |
| El saque | Serve |
| El jugador | Player |
El golf – Golf
| Spanish | English |
| El campo de golf | Golf course |
| El palo de golf | Golf club |
| El hoyo | Hole |
| Golpear la pelota | Hit the ball |
| Un hoyo en uno | A hole in one |
| La bandera | Flagstick |
| Una vuelta | A round |
| La puntuación | Score |
La natación – Swimming
| Spanish | English |
| La piscina | Pool |
| Estilo libre/crol | Freestyle/front crawl |
| El estilo espalda | Breastroke |
| El estilo mariposa | Butterfly |
| El salto | Dive |
| El fondo de la piscina | Bottom of the pool |
| Un largo | A length |
| El flotador | Armband |
And there you have it – a guide to how to start speaking in Spanish about sports and some useful vocabulary for when you’re learning how to read and listen in Spanish to information about different activities.
Why not try to get talking with some Spanish speakers about this interesting topic to practise your speaking skills? Also, come to Hablamos and we’ll teach you tons of useful vocabulary for this and many more topics!
What's so different about Spain Spanish and Latin American Spanish?
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Spanish, that global language spoken by over 500 million people, isn’t as homogenous as you might think. Just like with English, the language has evolved in different ways depending on the country you’re talking about. Fancy a zumo de naranja or a jugo de naranja? Well, actually they’re the same thing (an orange juice just in case you didn’t know) and that’s just one of a multitude of examples we’re about to show you!
Studying Spanish in Spain, you’ll learn words like bolígrafo or boli for pen, whereas in most of Latin America this would be called a pluma, which incidentally means fountain pen in Spain. To be honest, you’ll be understood in any Spanish speaking country using either term, as in today’s globalised world, everyone is exposed to a multitude of cultures and linguistic differences. The same can’t be said for the phrase coger el tren/bus, which means take the train/bus here in Madrid and the rest of the country. Be very careful about saying this in Latin America, where the normal term is tomar el tren/bus, as the version from Spain means you’d like to have some intimate relations with that vehicle! Bit of a weird difference, right? Here are a few more ones to watch out for when travelling around the Spanish-speaking world:
| Spain | Latin America | English |
| Móvil | Celular | Mobile phone |
| Ordenador | Computadora | Computer |
| Coche | Carro | Car |
| Conducir | Manejar | To drive |
| Palomitas | Pororó | Popcorn |
Differences in pronunciation
Not only are there differences in terms of vocabulary between Spain and its Latin American cousins, there are also several changes in pronunciation. The biggest difference when listening is the sound of the letters “c” and “z” when they come before “e” or “i” as in cielo (sky). Over here in Spain, this word starts with a clear “th” sound like in the word think, whereas someone from Chile, for example, would use a “s” sound as in the word song. Having said that, there are certain accents in Spain which also use this pronunciation at times, mainly in the Canary Islands but also in parts of Andalucía. This one tiny sound can change the whole rhythm of a Spanish sentence as it is extremely common, as well as having an effect on certain wordplays. Take, for example, the following sentence:
“Vamos a cazarle, cazar con una zeta.” – We’re going to hunt him, hunt with a zed.
This sentence is a line from a famous Mexican telenovela (soap opera) and it only works as a play on words if you use Latin American pronunciation. Let me explain. Cazar (to hunt) and the word casar (to marry) only sound the same in Latin America, and the character was trying to emphasise that she wasn’t going to marry the guy who’d just been trying to chat her up, but destroy him as he was also ruining the life of her family through some dodgy business dealings. If that sounds a bit far-fetched, I recommend you go and practise your listening skills by watching any of the myriad of telenovelas now available online. You’ll soon find that this sort of thing is a common plot!
Beyond this, the differences in pronunciation between the different variants of Spanish mean you should always try to listen to a range of accents when learning to understand native speakers. There’s no use in always focusing on just Spain Spanish or Latin American versions otherwise you’re missing out on a vast amount of cultural knowledge and meeting some really interesting people.
And what about the grammar?
Another aspect of Spanish which is worth mentioning is the grammar, as here too there are some elements which differ depending on where you are in the world. One of the main differences is in the use of the vosotros form of a verb in Spain to refer to you in plural (as in a group of people) in a more informal way. This is standard when you’re speaking to a group of people you know well, like friends, or a teacher to their students. The formal version of this, for Spaniards anyway, is ustedes which for anyone from a Latin American country is the normal form for both formal and informal situations. Something else you’ll hear used differently are the past tenses. To refer to something that has happened today/this week/this month/etc, in Spain you’d hear something like “hoy he trabajado siete horas” (today, I’ve worked seven hours) which is the equivalent of the present perfect. A Columbian person, for instance, would use the past simple and say “hoy trabajé siete horas” (today, I worked seven hours).
Making sure you use the right words in the right countries is important when learning Spanish, as with any other language, as it clearly shows you’re interested in and aware of cultural differences. It’s a sign of respect, and means you’ll be more easily able to communicate on your travels.
