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Spanish Essay Phrases: 40 Useful Phrases for an Impressive Writeup

7  Comments

May 30, 2019

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Do you need to write a lot of essays in Spanish? If you do, don’t worry. It's about to get a little bit easier for you because here in this article, we’ve listed many useful Spanish essay phrases that you can readily use in your essays.

Feel free to pepper your essays with the words and expressions from this list. It would certainly elevate your essays and impress your teachers. You're welcome!

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Spanish Essay Phrases

Additional Resources

You can also check out the following resources:

84 Spanish Expressions for Agreeing and Disagreeing

Common Spanish Verbs

Expresiones útiles para escribir en español

Looking for more Spanish phrases? Check out this e-book with audio!

Try to use the essay phrases in Spanish that you learned in this lesson and write a few example sentences in the comments section!

About the author 

Janey is a fan of different languages and studied Spanish, German, Mandarin, and Japanese in college. She has now added French into the mix, though English will always be her first love. She loves reading anything (including product labels).

VERY VERY useful !! Gracias

Amazing! This will definitely help me in tomorrow’s spanish test 🙂

Sounds good

Thanks for the assistance, in learning Spanish.

Amazing article! Very helpful! Also, this website is great for Spanish Beginners.

It’s easy when you put it that way

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51 Spanish Phrases for Essays to Impress with Words

• January 7, 2021

Joanna Lupa

Communicating in a foreign language is hard enough, even in everyday situations, when no sophisticated or academic vocabulary is needed. 

Being able to write an actual essay in Spanish requires you not only to have a solid grammar base but also be knowledgeable about specific phrases and words typically used in school and university writing. 

For those of you who study in one of the Spanish speaking countries or are toying with the idea of signing up for an exchange program, I have prepared a summary of useful Spanish phrases for essays. They are divided into the following categories:

• Connectors (sequence, contrast, cause and effect, additional information, and conclusion)
• Expressions to give your opinion, agree and disagree with a thesis
• fancy academic expressions

Spanish Connectors to Use in Essays

Written language tends to be more formal than the spoken one. Ideas get explained in complex sentences showing how they relate to each other. A fantastic tool to achieve that is connectors.

What are some useful Spanish connectors for essays? Let’s have a look at the ten examples below:

• 🇪🇸 primero – 🇬🇧 first
• 🇪🇸 segundo – 🇬🇧 second
• 🇪🇸 el siguiente argumento – 🇬🇧 the next argument
• 🇪🇸 finalmente – 🇬🇧 finally, last but not least 
• 🇪🇸 sin embargo – 🇬🇧 however, nevertheless, nonetheless
• 🇪🇸 por lo tanto – 🇬🇧 therefore, thus
• 🇪🇸 además – 🇬🇧 besides
• 🇪🇸 por un lado….por el otro lado – 🇬🇧 on the one hand….on the other hand
• 🇪🇸 a menos que – 🇬🇧 unless
• 🇪🇸 a pesar de (algo) – 🇬🇧 despite / in spite of (something)
• 🇪🇸 aunque / a pesar de que – 🇬🇧 although / even though
• 🇪🇸 debido a – 🇬🇧 due to
• 🇪🇸 puesto que / dado que – 🇬🇧 given that
• 🇪🇸 ya que –  🇬🇧 since
• 🇪🇸 mientras que – 🇬🇧 whereas
• 🇪🇸 en conclusión – 🇬🇧 in conclusion
• 🇪🇸 para concluir – 🇬🇧 to conclude

Do you think you would know how to use these connectors in an essay? Let’s suppose you are writing about ecology:

🇪🇸 Los paises han estado cambiando sus politicas. Sin embargo, aún queda mucho por hacer.  🇬🇧 Countries have been changing their policies. However, there is still a lot to do. 

🇪🇸 Una de las amenazas climáticas es el efecto invernadero. Además está la contaminación del agua que presenta un serio riesgo para la salud.  🇬🇧 One of the climate threats is the greenhouse effect. Besides, there is water pollution that presents a severe health hazard. 

🇪🇸 A pesar de los acuerdos internacionales, varios países no han mejorado sus normas ambientales.  🇬🇧 Despite international agreements, many countries haven’t yet improved their environmental standards. 

🇪🇸 Debido a la restricción en el uso de bolsas de plástico desechables, Chile ha podido reducir su huella de carbono.  🇬🇧 Due to the restrictions in the use of disposable plastic bags, Chile has been able to reduce its carbon print. 

Spanish Phrases to Express Your Opinion in Essays

Essay topics commonly require you to write what you think about something. Or whether you agree or disagree with an idea, a project, or someone’s views. 

The words below will allow you to express your opinion effortlessly and go beyond the typical “creo que ” – “ I think ”:

• 🇪🇸 (yo) opino que – 🇬🇧 in my opinion
• 🇪🇸 me parece que – 🇬🇧 it seems to me
• 🇪🇸 desde mi punto de vista – 🇬🇧 from my point of view
• 🇪🇸 (no) estoy convencido que  – 🇬🇧 I am (not) convinced that
• 🇪🇸 no me cabe la menor duda – 🇬🇧 I have no doubt 
• 🇪🇸 estoy seguro que – 🇬🇧 I’m sure
• 🇪🇸 dudo que – 🇬🇧 I doubt
• 🇪🇸 sospecho que – 🇬🇧 I suspect
• 🇪🇸 asumo que – 🇬🇧 I assume
• 🇪🇸 estoy (totalmente, parcialmente) de acuerdo – 🇬🇧 I (totally, partially) agree
• 🇪🇸 no estoy de acuerdo en absoluto – 🇬🇧 I absolutely disagree
• 🇪🇸 opino diferente – 🇬🇧 I have a different opinion
• 🇪🇸 me niego a aceptar – 🇬🇧 I refuse to accept
• 🇪🇸 estoy en contra / a favor de – 🇬🇧 I am against / in favor of
• 🇪🇸 no podría estar más de acuerdo – 🇬🇧 I couldn’t agree more
• 🇪🇸 encuentro absolutamente cierto / falso  – 🇬🇧 I find it absolutely correct / false

Phrases like these can really give shape to your essay and increase its formality level. This time, let’s verify it with views on education: 

🇪🇸 Opino que estudiando remotamente los jóvenes están perdiendo las habilidades sociales.  🇬🇧 In my opinion, remote schooling makes youngsters lose their social skills. 

🇪🇸 Dudo que esta decisión traiga verdaderos cambios para el sistema educacional en mi país.  🇬🇧 I doubt this change will bring any real changes to the educational system in my country. 

🇪🇸 Estoy totalmente de acuerdo con que todos deberían tener acceso a educación de calidad. 🇬🇧 I totally agree that everyone should have access to good quality education. 

🇪🇸 Estoy en contra de escuelas solo para niñas o solo para niños.  🇬🇧 I am against girls-only or boys-only schools. 

Pay attention to certain language differences between English and Spanish versions. The most common mistake that my students make is to say “ I am agree ” ❌ (direct translation from “ Estoy de acuerdo ”) instead of “ I agree ”✔️. 

Fancy Academic Verbs and Expressions for Essays in Spanish

Would you like to impress your professor with sophisticated academic vocabulary or get extra points on your DELE? Grab a pen and take notes:

• 🇪🇸 afirmar  – 🇬🇧 to state
• 🇪🇸 refutar – 🇬🇧 to refute, to reject
• 🇪🇸 argumentar – 🇬🇧 to argue that
• 🇪🇸 poner en duda  – 🇬🇧 to cast doubt
• 🇪🇸 poner en evidencia – 🇬🇧 to shed light 
• 🇪🇸 demostrar – 🇬🇧 to demonstrate
• 🇪🇸 concentrarse en – 🇬🇧 to focus on
• 🇪🇸 sostener – 🇬🇧 to sustain
• 🇪🇸 reflejar – 🇬🇧 to reflect
• 🇪🇸 considerando (que) – 🇬🇧 considering (that)
• 🇪🇸 siendo realista – 🇬🇧 realistically speaking
• 🇪🇸 de cierto modo – 🇬🇧 in a way
• 🇪🇸 en lo que se refiere a – 🇬🇧 with regards to
• 🇪🇸 en vista de – 🇬🇧 in view of
• 🇪🇸 de acuerdo a – 🇬🇧 according to
• 🇪🇸 no obstante – 🇬🇧 nevertheless

So many great words to work with! And some of them sound really similar to English, right? This is exactly why Spanish is such a good option when you want to learn a second language.

Let’s see how to make all these verbs and phrases work:

🇪🇸 Los resultados de los nuevos estudios ponen en duda la relación entre el consumo de huevos y altos niveles de colesterol.  🇬🇧 The recent study findings cast doubt on the relation between egg consumption and high cholesterol levels. 

🇪🇸 Los autores del estudio argumentan que los azucares y los carbohidratos juegan un rol importante en este asunto.  🇬🇧 The authors of the study argue that sugars and carbs play an important role in this topic. 

🇪🇸 En lo que se refiere al consumo de carne, este influye directamente los niveles de colesterol malo, sobre todo si es carne con mucha grasa. 🇬🇧 Regarding meat consumption, it directly influences the levels of “bad” cholesterol, especially in the case of greasy meat. 

Spanish Resources

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Ten Must-Know Spanish Sentence Starters and Filler Words

Ten of the most important spanish sentence starters and filler words.

Definition: look/ look here

Example: “ Mira, si quieres comer el almuerzo ahora, podemos”.

“ Look, if you want to eat lunch now, we can.”

The word, “ Mira”   is typically used to set the person you are talking to straight. It is often used during a confrontation or argument.

2. Este (only in Latin America)

Definition: um/ah

Example: “ Este …no estoy seguro de la respuesta correcta.”

“ Um … I’m not sure of the right answer.”

“Este” doesn’t have a direct translation, but you can use it whenever you get stuck on a sentence.

Definition: well

Example: “ Bueno , no estés triste por esto”

“ Well, don’t be sad about that.”

“Bueno” is probably the most common of Spanish sentence starters and so you’ll often hear a sentence begin with “ Bueno…”.  It is often used to also transition a conversation from one subject to another. For example, saying that you’ll be on your way.

Definition: well, but more informal

Example: “ Pues …no lo sé”

“ well …I dunno”

“Pues” is similar to “ bueno” , but more informal. It often is used in the places where an English speaker would say “err..”, “umm”, or “let’s see.” Be aware, that in some Spanish speaking areas, such as Mexico, “pues” will be condensed to “pos”. On the other hand, in Spain it is “pue”.

5. Es decir que

Definition: I mean

Example: “Estoy muy enfermo, es decir que  n o iré a trabajar mañana.”

“I’m very sick, I mean , I’m not even going to work tomorrow.”

6. Viste (only in Argentinean Spanish)

Definition: Wasn’t it/you see

Example: “Fue un día un poco lluvioso  ¿ viste? ”

“It was a bit rainy today wasn’t it? ”

7. La verdad es que

Definition: The truth is that…, actually

Example: “ La verdad es que no me gusta la carne .”

“ I actually don’t like meat.”

Although the actual translation of “ la verdad es que”  is “the truth is that”, this phrase’s contextual translation is closer to “actually”.

8. Tipo/Como

Definition: like

Example: “Es como una fusión de cocina italiana y francesa .”

“It’s like a fusion of Italian and French.”

Definition: let’s see

Example: “ A ver , voy a comprobar si tenemos algo de pasta antes de comprar más en el supermercado”. 

“ Let’s see , I’ll check if we have any pasta before getting some at the supermarket.”

10. A propósito/Por cierto

Definition: by the way

Example: “ Por cierto , ¿llegaste a sacar la basura?”

“ By the way , did you ever take out the trash?”

Both these words are similar to “by the way.” Typically, they indicate a transition into a new subject.

There you have it for a quick list of Spanish sentence starters and filler words to help you smoothly converse in Spanish. Although this list is not exhaustive, getting to know these ten phrases will go miles in allowing to easily transition your sentences and avoid stumbling over your words. Don’t forget to study up on your Mosalingua Spanish app , and use a Spanish Dic to ensure that your learning process in well-rounded. If you found this article helpful, then sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on useful information and language learning techniques!

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The most frequently used sentence starters and filler words in Spanish

by Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Published on May 10, 2023

Learning a new language is exciting. As you advance in your Spanish learning , you’ll want to start adding in some words and phrases that native speakers use all the time. Using sentence starters and filler words can help your conversation flow smoothly and sound more natural.

In this article, you will learn some important Spanish sentence starters and filler words that can help you sound more confident when communicating in Spanish. 

Sentence starters in Spanish

Common spanish filler words, is it good to use filler words, learn languages at your pace.

Below are some very common Spanish conversation starter sentences.. Many can also be used as filler words and in different places in the sentence (beginning, middle, end). 

Entonces – This is a useful filler word that means “so” or “then.” It connects two ideas.

• Entonces, ¿qué vamos a hacer? (So, what are we going to do?)

A ver – This means “let’s see”

• A ver, voy a ver si puedo cambiar mi horario. Quiero ir a la playa contigo.  

(Let’s see, I’m going to see if I can change my schedule. I want to go to the beach with you.)

Es que – This means “It’s just that” and is great when you are trying to explain yourself. 

• ¿Por qué no quieres ir a la playa? (Why don’t you want to go to the beach?)
• Es que tengo trabajo y no tengo bastante dinero. (It’s just that I have work and I don’t have enough money.)

Pues – This is a common filler word in Spanish and is equivalent to “well” in English. It’s used to express hesitation or uncertainty or to stall for time. 

• Pues, no estoy seguro . (Well, I’m not sure.)

Bueno – This word means “good” or “well” and is used to signal a change in the conversation or to start a new thought.

• Bueno, hablando de eso… (Well, speaking of that…)

Mira – This is a common way to start a sentence when you need to set a person straight or to be clear about something. It means “look”. 

• Mira, llegaste tarde y ahora no podemos ver la película. (Look, you arrived late and now we cannot watch the movie.) 

Spanish filler words are the things that Spanish speakers say to fill the silence while they think of what to say next. Um, let’s see, well, I mean… these are all examples of English filler words .

Here are a few common Spanish filler words.

Este – This is very common and can be used anywhere in a sentence. It is similar to English when we make the sounds “umm or ahh” to express uncertainty. 

•   Este…no sé qué pasó con tu coche. (Um..I’m not sure what happened to your car.)
• Estaré tarde, este, hay mucho tráfico. (I will be late, um, there is a lot of traffic.)

Es decir que – This filler word means “that is to say”. 

• Es muy tarde, es decir que no voy a salir a esta hora. (It is very late, that is to say, I’m not going to leave at this hour.)

O sea – This filler word means “in other words”. It rephrases or clarifies a point. You’ll hear it in both Mexico and Spain .

• No puedo ir al concierto, o sea, tengo que vender mi boleto. (I can’t go to the concert, in other words, I have to sell my ticket.)

¿Sabes? – This means “you know” and it is used in the same way in English. 

• Mi perrito es muy importante para mí, ¿sabes? (My dog is very important to me, you know?)

Como – This means “like” and is used similarly to English. 

• Es como una fusión de japonés y mexicana . (It is like a fusion of Japanese and Mexican.)

Ah vale – In English this means “Ah ok”. You can use this as you would use “ah ok” in English. 

• Ah vale, los amigos van a llegar tarde. Comemos (Ah ok, our friends are going to arrive late. Let’s eat.)

There is an ongoing debate about the linguistic value of filler words, both in Spanish and English. Some people think these phrases are too casual . Used too often, they can sound unprofessional. Think about the English filler word “like”. Like , if you say like too much, it, like , can affect how you are perceived. 

Used sparingly, it makes your phrasing sound like a natural conversation. Social media has good examples. Check out this TikTok to hear the correct pronunciation for mira (look) and es que (it’s just that).

As your listening skills improve, you will begin to notice Spanish filler words. Listen to popular Spanish vloggers and you will hear these words from time to time in videos. They help to keep the conversion moving .

If you decide not to use them, that’s fine. If they help you stall while thinking of what to say, that’s okay too. Knowing this special vocabulary can be useful as your response time in Spanish gets faster.

Sometimes, like , you just need that extra second to think of an answer, you know ? Look , now you know how to use some sentence starters and filler words in Spanish. Using these words and phrases will help you sound more natural and confident when communicating in Spanish . They will also buy you a little time. Keep those conversations going and see improvement over time, you know ? 

Alison Maciejewski Cortez

Alison Maciejewski Cortez is Chilean-American, born and raised in California. She studied abroad in Spain, has lived in multiple countries, and now calls Mexico home. She believes that learning how to order a beer in a new language reveals a lot about local culture. Alison speaks English, Spanish, and Thai fluently and studies Czech and Turkish. Her tech copywriting business takes her around the world and she is excited to share language tips as part of the Lingoda team. Follow her culinary and cultural experiences on X .

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How to Write in Spanish: Key Rules and Tips for Casual to Creative Writing

Writing is an often-overlooked skill by language learners. This guide will help you master everything from essential Spanish writing rules (and how they differ from their English counterparts) to typing an essay writing.

Learn how to write, type and text in Spanish, how to write letters, emails and essays, as well as other forms of writing like journaling and even recipes. Plus, check out some practical tips to help you improve your Spanish writing skills. 

Key Spanish Writing Rules

Spanish spelling, capitalization rules in spanish, spanish punctuation, spanish sentence structure, spanish abbreviations, how to write a letter in spanish, how to write an email in spanish, how to write an essay in spanish, how to type in spanish, accent marks, punctuation, texting in spanish, other types of spanish writing, creative writing, greeting cards, how to practice spanish writing skills, and one more thing….

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Written words in Spanish generally look the way they sound. Compared to English, there are far fewer cases of silent letters, double letters or different spellings for the same sounds. Also, vowels each have their own specific sounds that don’t change, no matter what other letters surround it.

However, Spanish has a couple of spelling oddities that are worth remembering:

• The letter h has no sound. Regardless of its position in a word, it will always be soundless (zanahoria — carrot, hoguera  — bonfire , hueso  — bone). When it’s combined with the letter  c , it makes the same ch sound as in English (chaleco— vest , coche  — car , noche  — night) and even though it has no sound of its own, it can change the meaning of a word (ola— wave, hola  — hello).
• Some letters have similar sounds. The letters that normally cause problems for learners are b/v, r/rr, g/j, ll/y and the “triplets” c/k/q and c/s/z . It would be impossible for you to learn every word containing these pairs, so the best you can do is check a dictionary in case of doubt. 
• Spanish uses accent marks . Accent marks may be small, but they’re very important. If a word has an accent mark in Spanish, don’t ignore it, because accent marks can easily change the pronunciation and meaning of words (tráfico — traffic , trafico — I smuggle , traficó — he smuggled).

Learning Spanish capitalization is actually pretty straightforward. Spanish capitalizes far fewer words than English, so you just have to remember the words that are not capitalized in Spanish.

For instance, unlike English, Spanish does not capitalize:

• Days of the week
• Nationalities
• Religions and their adjectives
• Social and political movements
• The pronoun yo (I) unless it is the first word in a sentence
• Book titles (except for the first word)
• Movie titles (except for the first word)
• Personal titles (except when they’re the first word in a sentence)

Punctuation is another area where English and Spanish share a lot of features. However, there are some Spanish punctuation rules that may be surprising for Spanish language learners. These are the main ones to watch out for:

• Spanish has an inverted opening question mark and exclamation mark (¿,¡).
• Spanish does not capitalize the first word after a colon.
• Spanish uses a colon in the opening of letters. While English uses a comma (Dear Mrs. Petunia,), Spanish uses a colon (Estimada señora Petunia:).
• Spanish doesn’t use the Oxford comma. The last two items of a list will always be joined with a conjunction like y (and) or o (or) .
• Spanish and English write numbers differently. In Spanish, you use a period to separate groups of thousands (e.g. 1450 or 1,450 would be 1.450 in Spanish). Spanish uses the comma as the decimal separator (so 1.5 would be 1,5 in Spanish).
• Spanish places punctuation marks outside quotation marks. For example, in English, you’d write “I love you.” while in Spanish this would be “Te quiero”.
• Dialogue formatting is different in Spanish. The biggest difference is possibly the fact that Spanish uses a dash to open a dialogue (instead of quotation marks) and to enclose the dialogue tag (instead of commas). For example: 

English: “I love him,” she said, “I always have. “

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Spanish: –Lo amo –dijo ella–. Siempre lo he amado.

Sentence structure refers to the internal organization of a language, i.e. the order we have to put elements in a sentence so that it is grammatically correct.

Many Spanish learners think that since both Spanish and English follow the general pattern S + V + O (Subject + Verb + Object), both languages build sentences in the exact same way.

This is true sometimes, as in the following two examples:

Marta está bebiendo café. (S + V + O) Marta is drinking coffee. (S + V + O)

Unfortunately, this is not always the case, so you should take into account a couple of Spanish sentence structure rules if you want to come up with correct sentences, even if you’re just trying to produce basic Spanish sentences :

• In Spanish, you can omit the subject. If you know who you are talking or writing about, you do not need to mention that person (Tengo hambre — I am hungry). This is possible because verbs in Spanish have a different ending for each grammatical person.
• Adjectives come after the noun in Spanish. There are a few exceptions that change the meaning, but overall, adjectives always come after the noun (la camisa blanca — the white shirt).
• Nouns and adjectives have to agree in Spanish. Every determiner, quantifier, adjective and adverb that refers to a noun must have the same gender and number (el perro negro  — the black dog, all words masculine and singular; las tazas rojas  — the red cups, all words feminine and plural).
• Negation is very simple in Spanish. The majority of sentences become negative in Spanish by adding no in front of the main verb. No other changes are normally needed. You can also make negations in Spanish by using negative adverbs like nunca (never) and nadie (no one).

Abbreviations can be used in both formal and informal contexts, and even though they tend to work similarly across languages, there are a couple of things you should know about Spanish abbreviations and how to use them :

• Even though personal titles are not capitalized, their abbreviations are capitalized. For example:

señor — Sr. / Mister

señora  — Sra. / Mrs .

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doctor  — Dr. / Doctor

• Some abbreviations appear very frequently in Spanish correspondence. For instance:

usted  — Vd. / formal you

se ruega contestación — S.R.C. / RSVP

• Ordinal numbers are gendered. They’re adjectives, so they take on the gender of the noun they’re referring to. Because of this, their abbreviations are also marked for gender (1º/1ª, 2º/2ª…).
• Spanish abbreviations can have a plural form. Normally, abbreviations add -s to form their plural (página — pág. / page, páginas  — págs. / pages). If the abbreviation has only one letter, it’s normally doubled (página  — p. / page , páginas  — pp. / pages).
• Some acronyms do not accept the plural ending -s . They will still take the plural determiner if necessary (los CD  — the CDs). Oddly enough, you have to pronounce the final -s when reading/pronouncing them (los ce-dés  — the cee dees).
• Some international abbreviations and acronyms have their own version in Spanish. Examples of this are:

la UE  — la Unión Europea / the EU (European Union)

la ONU — la Organización de Naciones Unidas / the UN (United Nations)

• Spanish speakers use a lot of abbreviations when texting. We’ll see some examples of this later in this post.
• English and Spanish write dates differently. In Spanish, the order of writing the date is always day/month/year. So, while an American might read the date 02/07/2018 as February the 7th 2018, for a Spanish-speaking person it would be July the 2nd 2018.
• Spanish uses different measurement systems from American English. This is something to bear in mind not only while writing, but when using Spanish in general. Not everybody knows what inches, feet, pounds or miles are (especially in Spain). Spanish-speaking countries use the metric system, so they use centimeters, meters, kilograms, kilometers, etc.

The first thing you need to do before starting to write a letter in Spanish is to decide whether it has to be formal or informal. This will have an impact not only on the body of the letter, but also (and especially) on the way you start and finish writing it.

There are a couple of well-established rules you should bear in mind:

• Querido/a (Dear) is only used in informal letters, while Estimado/a (Dear) is the preferred form in formal ones.
• You normally use just the first name of the person you are writing to if the letter is informal (Querido Julián), but Señor (Mr.), Señora (Mrs.) or Señorita (Miss) and a surname if the letter is formal (Estimado Sr. González).
• Use tú (informal you) in the body of informal letters, but usted/ustedes (formal you singular/plural) in formal ones.
• When closing a letter, you can send Besos y abrazos (Hugs and kisses) in casual letters, but never in formal ones. Use Saludos (Regards) in semi-formal letters, and Cordialmente/Atentamente (Yours sincerely) in formal ones.

The majority of the rules we had for writing letters also apply to writing an email in Spanish . Make sure that you use the right opening and closing in your email and that the overall tone and the vocabulary used are appropriate to the situation.

When writing an email, especially a formal one, you’ll normally have to include four sections: greeting, reason for writing, body of the email and closing.

• Learn words in the context of sentences
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Here’s a very brief example of an informal email John wrote to his friend Joanne:

¡Hola, Joanne! (Hi, Joanne!)

Reason for writing

Te escribo para preguntar si irás mañana al cumpleaños de Sonia. (I’m writing to ask if you’ll be going to Sonia’s birthday tomorrow.)

Me encantaría verte. ¡Hace tanto tiempo que no te veo! Madre mía, creo que la última vez que nos encontramos fue para Navidad. ¿Te acuerdas? (I would love to see you. I haven’t seen you in ages! Good Lord, I think the last time we ran into each other was on Christmas. Do you remember?)

Un abrazo, (Hugs,)

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Starting to write essays in Spanish is possibly one of the most challenging tasks for beginner learners. Going from simple sentences to several paragraphs requires a lot of practice, but there are tons of fixed expressions that can be used in order to make this process easier.

Depending on the type of essay you need to write, you’ll have to cover one or more of the following points:

• Giving your opinion: This is very common in essays, especially the ones included in official Spanish exams. Make sure you use expressions that help you introduce your personal opinions, such as en mi opinión (in my opinion), me parece que (it seems to me that) or creo que (I believe that).
• Agreeing and disagreeing: Another very common type of essay is the one where you’re given a sentence or quotation and you have to agree or disagree with it. Useful expressions here can be estoy de acuerdo (I agree), no estoy de acuerdo (I disagree) and es falso que (it is false that).
• Backing your claims: If you say that something is false or that you know for a fact something is true, you should back your claims with some evidence. Try to introduce words and expressions such as según (according to), demostrar (to demonstrate) and la fuente (the source).
• Conclusion: A conclusion normally summarizes the main topics of the essay and answers any questions and hypotheses that were posed in the introduction. When writing your conclusion, use expressions like en conclusión (in conclusion), por esta razón (for this reason) and en resumen (in summary).

Spanish and English keyboards are different. Because of that, typing in Spanish can be a challenge for the first few times. There are several ways to type in Spanish on your device:

• You can install a keyboard on your device. 
• You can use Alt codes (Windows) and Opt codes (Macs). 
• You can use online tools such as TypeIt . 

If you take a look at a Spanish keyboard, you will notice some letters, characters and symbols have changed, moved or disappeared. Below are three of the most important differences.

Spanish vowels can have an accent mark ( á, é,  í, ó, ú ). In order to type the accent, you first have to type the accent key on your keyboard (‘) and then the vowel you want to add the accent mark to.

Another letter with a mark is the Spanish letter ñ . Spanish keyboards have their own ñ key, which corresponds to the (:) key on an English-language keyboard.

The last mark you will need in Spanish is the diéresis (¨). To type this, press Shift + the (‘) key. Then type u or i.

The Spanish language has opening question marks and exclamation marks that are upside-down versions of the marks you already know.

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In order to type the opening (inverted) question mark, press Shift and (=). The closing question mark can be typed by pressing Shift and (-).

As for the exclamation marks, the opening one is very easy: just press the (=) key. The closing one can be typed by pressing Shift + 1, like on your normal keyboard.

Another change you’ll notice when typing in Spanish is the series of symbols you get by pressing Shift + numbers 2 to 0. Your keyboard probably has the sequence @#$%^&*() , while the Spanish keyboard will give you “·$%&/()= .

There are other differences between both keyboards, like the position of hyphens, dashes, apostrophes, colons, semi-colons, stops and commas, among others. In the beginning, all these differences can be a little bit overwhelming, and you’ll probably type the wrong symbol or letter because your brain will want to do it automatically in your normal keyboard layout.

As with everything, practicing Spanish typing will be the key (no pun intended) to get you used to the new layout. There are even Spanish typing games where you can practice all you want until you feel fully comfortable using the Spanish keyboard.

Texting in any language has its own separate set of rules. For instance, depending on the recipient of the message, two texts can look completely different even if they include the exact same information:

Xq tki. (Because I have to go.) This is very informal, sent to a friend.

Porque tengo que irme. (Because I have to go.) This is sent in a much more formal situation, normally to someone with whom we do not have a very close relationship.

As you can see from the first example, there are a lot of abbreviations and slang words you can use while texting in Spanish , much like you would do in English. It would be impossible to mention all of them here, but if you learn their most common traits, you will be able to text in Spanish like a pro:

• Many letters are omitted. The most common feature you’ll see is the omission of vowels and consonants. For example:

gnl — genial (great) tmbn — también (also)

• The letters q and c normally become k. Here’s one of the most common examples of this:

tkm — te quiero mucho (I love you so much)

• There are some established abbreviations. You’ll just have to learn these by heart. For instance:

b — bien (good) q — que/qué (that/what) xa — para (for)

• Numbers and symbols can also be used. Just as in English, if a number comes close to the pronunciation of a part of a word, some letters will be replaced by numbers .

salu2 — saludos (regards) 100pre — siempre (always)

• Watch out for acronyms. Spanish normally uses their own versions of well-known acronyms. These acronyms are often similar to the international ones or can be understood from the context, but sometimes they will be completely different. For example:

NATO —  OTAN   World Health Organization / WHO — Organización Mundial de la Salud / OMS

There are many more types of Spanish writing, and each of them has its own intrinsic characteristics and rules. Here are a few of the most common ones.

Creative writing is any kind of writing that’s not professional, academic or journalistic. Since this definition is so broad, there are also many types of writing that can fall into this category, the most common ones being poetry, novels, scripts, short stories, fairy tales and screenplays, among others.

Creative writing can be an amazing way to improve your Spanish language skills. It forces you to think, be creative, ask questions and find answers to them. If you’re not sure where to start, a Spanish writing prompt can get your creative juices flowing.

If you need some more guidance, many colleges and websites offer courses in Spanish creative writing, like this one from the Hemingway Institute . There’s a community of aspiring writers out there, so it’s also easy to find some people to share your writing with. Joining a local meetup of creative Spanish-language writers is a great way to meet like-minded people who can give you feedback and help you along in your writing journey!

Since there are no established rules, journaling can be a good way of practicing writing in Spanish without stress. No one except you will have access to your journal (unless you want to), so it doesn’t matter if you make spelling mistakes or write grammatically incorrect sentences as long as you’re doing it in Spanish.

If you feel that writing a journal in Spanish can be challenging, try to break your thoughts down into smaller chunks. There are many topics you can write about that will allow you to practice your Spanish writing skills in an undemanding way:

• Your bucket list and dreams for the future.
• Things you’re thankful for.
• Things that motivate you and make you happy.
• Reflections on the past day/week/year.
• Your goals for this week/month/year.
• Your favorite places or people and why.

The list goes on and on. Write about the topics you want, whenever you want and however you want. There are tons of journaling prompts out there so if you’re ever stumped, make use of them! 

Recipes have a very easy structure: a list of ingredients and steps to cook the dish. You can start practicing writing recipes in Spanish by using the infinitive when you give the instructions (Pelar las patatas — To peel the potatoes), and move on to the imperative mood when you study the Spanish imperativo (Pela las patatas — Peel the potatoes).

Even though we normally buy ready-made cards, adding a few words of our own could be a very nice finishing touch. If you’re giving a birthday card, remember to include some wishes like ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy birthday!) or ¡Te deseo mucha felicidad! (I wish you lots of happiness!).

If you want to give a Valentine’s Day card, try to make it even more personal by creating a romantic card in Spanish yourself. Do not forget to express your feelings with phrases like Mi amor (My love), Mi cariño (My sweetheart) and Te amo (I love you).

Notes can be written to say thank you, to ask for a favor or to remind someone to do something. They tend to be very short and to the point, including only information that is absolutely necessary. For this reason, many notes only include one or two words. Here are some examples of short and sweet notes:

• ¡Gracias! (Thanks!)
• Para ti. (For you.)
• ¿Me echas una mano? (Will you help me?)
• Te quiero. (I love you.)
• Que aproveche. (Enjoy your meal.)
• Compra leche. (Buy some milk.)

Your Spanish writing can only improve if you actually practice it. Luckily, there are many ways to exercise those writing muscles and get both physical and digital practice in. Here are some effective tips and resources to practice writing in Spanish: 

• WordPress   is a blogging favorite, thanks to its easy-to-use interface. You can produce incredibly polished, professional-looking blogs here without being a blog expert.
• Blogger   is clean, simple and connected to your existing Google account. It’s the easiest way to create and manage multiple blogs, interact with other people in the real world and keep track of interesting posts in an extremely neat and tidy newsfeed.
• Tumblr   is ideal for the non-committal blog writer. This is a great place to just fool around, have fun and post any multimedia content that catches your eye. You can write lengthier posts if the mood strikes you, but on the other hand can post hilarious cat pictures with one-word comments attached. If you’re reluctant to start a blog, start here.
• Use social media: Social media is a simple solution if you’ve got friends who speak Spanish or want to make new Spanish-speaking friends. Its character limit makes it an easy place to start writing in Spanish without the pressure of writing full paragraphs or even complete sentences. You can create separate social media accounts specifically for your Spanish learning. 
• Write everyday things: Are you an obsessive list-writer? Do you make pro and con lists when confronted with big decisions? Most people keep notes of some kind, even if it’s only a grocery shopping list. Start managing your life in Spanish! Every little bit of practice counts. Plus, it’s been proven that thinking, speaking and writing in a foreign language helps you be an all-around better decision-maker .
• HelloTalk   is a social media site built specifically for the needs and desires of language learners. You can search for a fellow language learner or native Spanish speaker, or plug in your information and let them find you (or both)! Spanish is one of over 100 language options offered here, so you can chat with someone in Spanish and offer them interaction in whatever other language you know well.
• italki   is often recommended to Spanish learners who are seeking tutors, but one often overlooked feature is their exercises page . Here, you can find a daily collection of prompts to get you writing. Other users can comment on your writing with feedback, and you can return the favor in your native language.
• WhatsApp   is a multimedia messaging service used in Europe and several Spanish-speaking countries. If you’ve got friends who speak Spanish, take advantage of this relationship.
• Reddit   isn’t just for browsing diverse internet content, it also boasts a huge, diverse community that you can interact with. Try subreddits for specific countries and regions (such as /r/latinoamerica and /r/ecuador ) or for the Spanish language itself ( /r/spanish  and /r/espanol ). 
• Use Google Translate:  If you’re not sure how to dive into writing and the very idea seems somewhat daunting, you’re allowed to cheat. No, really! Use Google Translate to give you a place to start. Translate what you want to say into Spanish through the program. Then, carefully edit the text, paying close attention to syntax, diction and grammar. You can also do this backwards—write your sentence in Spanish and try to get the English translation you’re going for. If you’re not sure you produced a good sentence, ask a native speaker for feedback on a website like HiNative .
• Time your writing activities:  If you’re finding it difficult to sit down to write, set a timer. It can be as quick as five or 10 minutes, or as long as an hour—whatever works with your schedule. Hold yourself to the allotted time and see what you can come up with! 
• Read a lot: Reading dramatically improves writing ability in foreign (and native) languages. Get into the habit of reading any Spanish language material you can get your hands on. Magazines , newspapers , books , children’s stories —it’s all good. Change all your devices to a Spanish interface so your brain gets subconsciously ingrained with Spanish syntax, grammar and vocabulary. Find your favorite sources of information in Spanish, like BBC , CNN , Vice , BuzzFeed , Vogue   and more popular information sources online in Spanish . There are great Spanish language books out there for beginners, intermediate learners and advanced learners approaching fluency . 

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• Start a personal project: A personal writing project might be a diary, dream journal, scrapbook or nature journal (documenting the wildlife and plants in your backyard and beyond). Writing is an extraordinarily valuable tool for self-reflection. 

I know this is a lot of information to digest, but the good news is that you now have everything you need to know about how to write in Spanish. So take a pencil and a piece of paper (or run that word processor you normally use) and start writing in Spanish right away!

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Spanish essay example and how to write it.

Today, I will share a  Spanish essay example   in the end of the article and talk about the steps and hacks to help you craft the perfect Spanish essay.

As an experienced writer, I understand how hard it can be to write in a language different from your mother tongue. But, know that learning  how to write a good Spanish essay  has more to do with following a structure than it has to do with understanding the language.

Of course, you need to have a basic understanding of spelling and grammatical practices; as well as a vast vocabulary to avoid sounding monotonous. 

However, learning  how to write a Spanish essay  is not impossible if you follow these simple steps:

• Draft an outline 
• Create a list of words and terms 
• Start writing the body of your essay
• Write the introduction 
• Formulate the conclusion 
• Proofread and edit 

As you can see, learning how to write a good Spanish essay requires a lot of planning and organization. And although it might be counter-intuitive at first, following the structure above will save you a lot of time. Plus, once you have the system down, you will be able to create exciting pieces without breaking a sweat!

Before we dive in, I always recommend you do a little research. So, look up  Spanish essay examples  online and analyze the way the writer structured the piece. Bonus points if you can find useful examples of essays within your topic of choice. The idea is not to copy what others are saying but to understand  how to write a Spanish essay  that is well crafted, appealing, and informative — all at the same time. 

Now that you have done your homework; it is time to start writing your essay by following the steps I mentioned earlier:

1. Draft an outline

An outline is vital when you are learning  how to write a Spanish essay , as it will allow you to organize your arguments and ideas. Plus, given that you are not writing in your first language, an outline will help you translate keywords or phrases from English to Spanish (if need be).

As you can see from the Spanish essay example, I have shared it after the text . You must keep it simple. Nonetheless, make sure you have enough information to elaborate on 6-7 paragraphs. Also, do not forget to include any quotes, statistics, or other information (from credible sources) that could support your arguments.

2. Create a list of words and terms 

I always recommend that before you start writing, you create a list of keywords or phrases that are vital to your essay. More often than not, these terms will appear as part of your outline, but, in other instances, these could be hard-to-translate terms. 

You do not need to write every word or term you will be using throughout the piece as you can always use a English-Spanish dictionary if you cannot recall a specific term.

The list is a way of double-checking. keywords to make sure you are using the correct term in Spanish and not using a literal translation. For instance, in the list of our Spanish essay example, the word “ must-have ” is not translated to “ debes tener ,” as that would be a literal translation. Instead, the phrases “ cualidades indispensables ” is used, which would be the appropriate term in Spanish.  

3. Start writing the body of your essay

The body of the essay is where you fully develop your argument. It might seem odd, but you should ignore your essay’s introduction and go straight to the body . 

If your goal is to master  how to write a good Spanish essay  make sure your body has a good flow in between paragraphs, so they do not end up being separate mini-essays. It is also essential that each body paragraph contains only one main argument or claim. However, this central idea can (and should) be supported by approximately 5 to 6 other sentences.

Spanish essays are usually wordier/more complicated than your average English essay as the language is richer. So, do not be afraid to write longer sentences to get the message across.  

Lastly, do not forget to add relevant examples, evidence to support your arguments, and quotes from experts or credible sources (i.e., academic books and journal articles).   You can see one example of a quote here.

Let’s be honest, most students do not do that, but shows the teacher you have put effort to research your topic.

 Go back to our Spanish essay example and dissect each paragraph. Pay attention to the transitions here and here , the way we incorporated quotes, and how each paragraph’s main idea is developed. In doing so, you will be gaining valuable insight as to how to structure your document. 

4. Write the introduction 

Once you have finished writing your entire essay’s body, write the introduction. Why? Simple. If the job of an introduction is to set the tone for what will follow. You will have a more precise and more detailed idea of what that is once you’ve written the entire piece. 

An introduction should state a problem or introduce a subject of discussion. It should also tell the reader  why  you are writing this essay and why he/she should feel compelled to read it. 

Let’s look at our Spanish essay example. Here, the introduction , although it is short, gives us enough information. It allows us to understand that we will know how to manage a remote team by choosing the right candidates and establishing an effective strategy after reading this essay. And that is precisely what you want an introduction to be doing!  

5. Formulate the conclusion 

When learning  how to write a Spanish essay , you have to be really careful with how you formulate the conclusion. In Spanish, your conclusion should always begin by restating your main argument. In other words, this is your chance to tie all of your main points together and give the reader a succinct takeaway. 

For instance, in our Spanish essay example, the conclusion is everything. Think about it, if you only read the title and this last paragraph, you almost do not need to read the body. All the main points are there, and as a reader, I got what I came looking for: strategies to manage a remote team effectively. 

6. Proofread and edit 

To finish our easy steps on  how to write a Spanish essay,  we must not leave our editing and proofreading! This step is critical to composing a great essay. Most readers will not even finish reading articles if they spot a spelling mistake, typo, or grammatical error. Thus, take the time to go over your essay.

Furthermore, when editing your essay, pay attention to:

• Readability 
• Consistency of the language
• Argument reasoning and rationale
• Transition between paragraphs
• Writing style
• Citations and referencing 

Lastly, given that Spanish is not your first language, I always recommend having someone else proofread your final draft before sending it out or printing it. A native Spanish speaker can easily spot mistakes that you might have missed, which could affect your article’s natural flow. 

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How to Make your Spanish Essay More Persuasive 

Now that you have finished writing a good Spanish essay, you might want to go the extra mile by making it more persuasive. 

A  Spanish persuasive essay  or any persuasive essays’ goal is to convince the reader to think like you or validate your perspective. But, some topics can be more subjective than others. Thus, to make sure your essay is effective, always rely on others. 

In other words, don’t let your argument stand-alone—research statistics, graphs, information, and data that can back up what you are saying. Citing or quoting experts in the field is also a great way to go about it as it allows your message to carry more weight. 

Nonetheless, make sure you are only using reliable sources. Below a list of ways to vet a reference to make sure your  Spanish persuasive essay  uses only the best sources:

Verify the information you already have against the data found in the source.

• Authority

Make sure a dependable author or institution writes the source.

Depending on your subject, your currency needs will vary. Thus, make sure to check when was the book or article written/published.

As a rule of thumb, I consider a reliable source:

• Materials published within the last five years

• Official websites (.gov., .edu,.org)

• Academic databases

• Articles published by well-known authors or experts in a specific topic

There you have it! Six easy steps that will help you write a good Spanish essay and a few tips and tricks to make it more persuasive.

Spanish essay example – See below

Cómo desarrollar una estrategia efectiva de teletrabajo.

[Start of the Introduction section]

El Covid-19 ha llevado a muchas empresas a migrar de un trabajo presencial al teletrabajo. Según Global Workplace Analytics [ and in the end you can add the reference to your Bibliografía ], unos 75 millones de trabajadores de los EEUU podrían teletrabajar al menos un parte de su jornada de trabajo. Sin embargo, para muchos sectores esto se ha convertido en un verdadero reto.

Aunque para muchos no sea obvio, los beneficios de trabajar con equipos remotos son incontables, siempre que construyas una política realmente efectiva y diseñes el proceso de reclutamiento acertado. Así es que si buscas desarrollar una estrategia efectiva de teletrabajo, debes asegurarte de que tus empleados o candidatos para trabajar a distancia, cuenten con las herramientas adecuadas.

[End of the Introdution]

[Start of the body section]

Cuando comiences a reclutar personas (nuevas o dentro de tu mismo equipo de trabajo), asegúrate de informarles de las cualidades indispensables que buscas en un candidato. No todo el mundo podrá unirse a la modalidad de teletrabajo por más que la situación lo requiera.

Por ejemplo , si una de las características más importantes para el desarrollo del proyecto es la conectividad, los candidatos adecuados deben poder estar a tu disponibles a través de sus computadoras o dispositivos móviles. Mónica Zent [ another reference in our Bibliografía section ], fundadora de Foxwordy la primera red social privada para abogados, recomienda que a todos los candidatos se les debería preguntar acerca de sus hábitos digitales. Pues, los candidatos ideales para el teletrabajo son aquellos que tienen disponibilidad y buena disposición para mantenerse conectados o conectarse en el momento en que sea necesario.

Del mismo modo , debes infórmales sobre de tus reglas para el teletrabajo y ayudarlos a mejorar sus métodos de gestión del tiempo. La idea es que te apoyes en un equipo eficiente, pero que además sea capaz de lograr un buen equilibrio entre la vida y el trabajo. Aunque la flexibilidad es una de las características inherentes del trabajo remoto, debes construir una política firme según las necesidades específicas de tu proyecto para poder dirigir un equipo eficiente y efectivo.

Las horas laborales oficiales, dependerán de los requerimientos de tu proyecto, por lo que es importante que los miembros de tu equipo sepan a qué horario atenerse. En caso de que los miembros de tu equipo tengan distintos husos horarios, define uno oficial con el que todos se sientan cómodos.

Determina los días que necesites una videoconferencia con todo el equipo dentro del huso horario oficial. Estas llamadas les permitirán recordar que trabajan con otras personas aunque por lo general hagan sus tareas aislados. Promueve el uso de la webcam para que todos estén concentrados en la conversación y estén realmente presentes. El verse las caras permite la comprensión del lenguaje corporal y una mejor comunicación.

[End of body section]

[Start of the conclusion section]

En conclusión, una estrategia efectiva de trabajo remoto dependerá de la forma en la que buscas y vetas los candidatos en tu empresa. No todo el mundo tiene la capacidad de trabajar desde casa de manera efectiva.

Además , recuerda hacer hincapié en la modalidad de trabajo y plantea una estructura clara donde se establezcan horarios, reuniones y seguimientos para lograr los mejores resultados.

Si logras incoporar todas estas prácticas dentro de tu modelo de negocio, tendrás un equipo remoto efectivo, compenetrado y eficiente. Tres factores de vital importancia para sobrepasar la crisis mundial que nos ha tocado vivir este 2020.

Bibliografía

• Global Workplace Analytics, 2020. How many people could work-from-home . Consultado a 04.10.2020 en [https://globalworkplaceanalytics.com/how-many-people-could-work-from-home].
• Zent, Mónica, 2015. Monica Zent’s 5 Ways to Effectively Lead Remote Teams . Consutlado a 04.10.2020 en [https://medium.com/@MonicaZent/monica-zent-s-5-ways-to-effectively-lead-remote-teams-the-most-cutting-edge-companies-of-the-ab409c3db16a]
• Introducción
• “En los EE. UU., 4.7 millones de empleados trabajan desde casa al menos la mitad de la semana.”
• Qué estas buscando
• Conectividad
• Disponibilidad
• El candidato ideal
• Tip de Mónica Zent
• Flexibilidad
• Modalidad de trabajo
• Estrategia/planificación
• Video conferencias/Uso de la webcam
• Fechas de entrega

List of words

• Work remotely = Trabajo remoto/teletrabajo
• Flexibilty = Felixbilidad
• Availability = Disponibilidad
• 24/7 Connectivity = Conectividad las 24 horas
• Must-haves = Cualidades indispensables
• Video conference = Video conferencias
• Deadlines = Fechas de entrega
• Time zone = huso horario
• Webcam = webcam

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Basic Guidelines For Writing Essays in Spanish

Students tend to focus on speaking practice while learning Spanish, so they often neglect writing. However, most educators emphasize its importance for mastering the language. They say it’s impossible to become fluent in a particular language if one doesn’t train writing skills. 

Therefore, teachers give a lot of essay assignments to students. This type of homework is a great way to inspire them to think and communicate in Spanish effectively. It may be quite difficult to complete such a task. However, it’s one of the most effective ways to learn Spanish or any other language.

You may be tempted to go online and find the best essay writing service to have your essay written for you. This may be helpful when you’re pressed for time, but in the long run, you’re missing an opportunity to improve your own essay writing skills. That’s why we are going to provide you with some recommendations on how to ease the writing process.

Some tips on writing in Spanish 

• Be careful with word spelling. Remember that teachers pay special attention to spelling so it can either make or break your student image. Having good spelling makes a positive impression of your writing skills and boosts your grades. 
• Make your essay coherent with the help of connectors. Use them to explain the relationship between the ideas so your essay doesn’t look like just a list of thoughts and facts. 
• Pay attention to syntax or the word order. As you need to stick to the academic style, try to keep the traditional order such as “subject + verb + objects”. This will also help you express your opinion in a simpler way, so it’s more clear to the reader.
• Avoid word repetitions by using synonyms. Frequent repetitions make your text boring and heavy. If you use the same words again and again, your essay will look dull. Hence, try to find synonyms in Spanish thesaurus and replace the most commonly used expressions with them. 
• Before you create a final version of your essay, let someone read it and give feedback. It’s hard to be objective about your writing, so ask another person to tell you which ideas are less clear if your text contains any confusing phrases, and what are the positive aspects that can be reinforced. 
• Do not write the essay in your native language first to translate it into Spanish then. This approach is not viable for mastering a foreign language. The only thing that you are doing by translating the text literally is practicing the grammatical structures that you have learned. This doesn’t help you learn new idioms and collocations that don’t follow the general grammatical rules. 

Now that you know how to make your writing better, let’s consider a step-by-step guide to essay writing in Spanish. 

Pick an interesting topic 

If possible, choose a topic you are truly excited about. Unless the specific title was given to you by instructors, find a theme you want to research and write about. True interest is what will drive you towards creating an excellent piece. If you enjoy reading about the subject you are going to analyze in your essay, then you will definitely succeed in writing. Remember that decent work can be done only if you are passionate about it. 

Brainstorm the ideas 

When it comes to any project, brainstorming is an integral stage of the creation process. This is one of the most efficient ways to gain insights and generate new ideas. You can use this technique to think of the main supporting arguments, an approach for a catchy introduction, and paragraph organization. You can also try freewriting and/or make a brief outline to ease the writing process itself. 

Create an introduction 

Probably the main rule about creating an introduction that you have to stick to is adding a clear thesis statement there. It must be included in the first paragraph to give your essay a certain direction and help the readers focus their attention on the topic. Also, your introduction must be catchy and intriguing to evoke the desire to read the essay further and learn more. 

Organize an essay body 

It’s essential to make the body paragraphs organized logically. You need to make sure that each of them is closely related to the main topic and discusses one major point. Each body paragraph must consist of a topic sentence and supporting arguments with evidence. It’s very important to write sentences in a logical sequence so they follow each other orderly. Also, since paragraphs shouldn’t overlap in content, add smooth transitions from one to the other. 

Sum up the content 

The vital requirement to the conclusion is that it must logically relate to the original thesis statement. Generally, it’s not acceptable to introduce new ideas in the conclusion. Instead, you need to sum up the main points mentioned in the essay’s body. It’s also forbidden to add any off-topic ideas to the last paragraph of your paper.

Check content relevance and cohesion 

Once you complete the conclusion, read through the essay for relevance and cohesion. Make sure that the whole piece is on the topic and in the mode required. In particular, check if body paragraphs support the thesis statement and whether the conclusion relates to it. After that, read your paper once again to see whether the parts connect together well. Think if there are logical links between ideas and if you need more transitions. 

Read for clarity and style

Scan your essay to find out whether some sections may be unclear to the reader. Analyze the text to find out if it sounds academic and polished. Check if there are any vague pronouns, excessive wording, or awkward phrases. Don’t forget to make sure that all points are listed in similar grammatical forms.

The last stage of your writing process is final proofreading. Read your paper the last time looking at grammar, spelling, punctuation, verb tense, word forms, and pronoun agreement. Correct all the mistakes to make your work excellent. 

Remember that the most important thing about learning a foreign language is a regular practice. Therefore, you should use any opportunity provided by instructors to polish your skills. Hopefully, the recommendations given above will help you write an excellent essay and master the Spanish language!

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Advanced Spanish Phrases for Studying and Working

Learning a language, whether in the classroom or on your own, is a rewarding and fun experience. It allows you to watch movies and understand lyrics in another language, and it can even help you make new friends. When you reach an advanced level, however, a world of opportunities opens.

If you’re dreaming of an academic or professional career in Spain or another Spanish-speaking country, you’re already aware that it can be the pathway to a brilliant future. More than 500 million people around the planet speak the language—just imagine the possibilities! 

Need a little help getting there? Here are some advanced Spanish phrases that can put you on track. Also, stick around for some bonus everyday Spanish idioms that will make you sound like a native. Enjoy!

Here’s to a brilliant career doing business in Spanish!

• Useful Phrases for Academic Writing
• Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter
• Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings
• Bonus: Advanced Idioms, Sayings, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage
• Final Thoughts

1. Useful Phrases for Academic Writing

Academic writing is one of the most formal ways to express yourself. Once you’ve reached an advanced level in Spanish, you’ll be able to produce fluid and coherent texts for the academic sphere. Here are some advanced Spanish phrases for essays that will make your work look great:

Ace your essay in Spanish!

2. Power Phrases for Your Cover Letter

In Spain, a cover letter goes a long way when applying for a job. Now that so many people have a good education and are well-experienced, showing who you really are in a few paragraphs can turn the tables in your favor. However, try to maintain a formal structure and use sophisticated vocabulary with these advanced Spanish phrases:

A good cover letter can get you your dream interview.

3. Smart Phrases for Business and Meetings

The business world has its own expressions and slang. Learning how to properly communicate in the workplace can make all the difference when trying to succeed in business. With these advanced Spanish phrases, you’ll learn how to express yourself in a meeting and also how to address others in a professional manner.

Thank your coworkers for coming to your meeting!

4. Bonus: Advanced Idioms, Sayings, and Proverbs for Everyday Usage

Spanish idioms are very present in everyday conversations. Do you want to know what your teacher means when (s)he tells you to “put on the batteries”? Or maybe what the young people mean when they say “molar”?

Fear not! We’re here to help you master advanced Spanish phrases, idioms, and slang expressions.

Otro gallo cantaría… (“Things would be very different…”)

5. Final Thoughts

In this guide to advanced Spanish phrases, you learned a variety of expressions that will help you improve your speaking and writing for the academic and business worlds. You even picked up several Spanish idioms! 

Studying and working in a Spanish-speaking country is possible for an advanced student such as yourself. However, it’s best to keep on learning and to memorize even more advanced phrases in Spanish. You can continue your studies with the variety of advanced Spanish lessons available on SpanishPod101.com , each one designed with both progress and fun in mind! In fact, we have advanced pathways for different varieties of Spanish: 

• Level 5 Mexican Spanish
• Level 5 European Spanish
• Level 5 Peruvian Spanish

And don’t forget to check out the free vocabulary lists and other useful tools on SpanishPod101.com. They will make your path to mastery both fun and convenient. Create your free lifetime account to get started! 

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Useful Essay Phrases for A LEVEL SPANISH

Subject: Spanish

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

16 June 2018

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Great essay phrases to use in your A LEVEL SPANISH essay exam (AQA Paper 2) to get those top marks!

Includes the English translation of the phrases. Includes phrases for introductions and conclusions!

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Super useful!

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Hi Mmurad, the price for the notes have been extremely subsidised and are really good value for money - they are cheaper than the A-level textbook! Look out for times when the resources are on sale!

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101 Basic Sentences in Spanish Every Beginner Wants to Know

Knowing basic sentences in Spanish is essential for any amateur learner. 

Being able to start a conversation, answer simple questions, or provide information is key to building up confidence. Ultimately, if your goal is to be fluent and speak intuitively, becoming familiarized with basic sentences in Spanish is essential.

Join me in this entertaining blog post and discover 101 basic sentences in Spanish every beginner wants to know.

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Greetings

Use these basic sentences in Spanish as both formal and informal greetings. You can use them as introductions, when you arrive at a new place, or meet new people. 

1. ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás? Hi! How are you?

2. ¿Qué tal todo? How is everything?

3. ¿Cómo has estado? How have you been?

4. ¿Cómo te va? How are you doing?

5. Mucho gusto, mi nombre es… Nice to meet you, my name is…

6. Es un placer conocerte, ¿Cómo te llamas? It’s a pleasure to meet you, what’s your name?

7. ¡Buenos días! Good morning!

8. ¡Buenas tardes! Good afternoon!

9. ¡Buenas noches! Good evening!

10. ¿Qué onda? What ‘s up?

11. Que gusto saludarte. It’s nice to see you. 

12. ¡Bienvenido! Welcome!

13. Estoy bien, ¿Y tú? I am fine, and you?

14. Muy bien, ¿Y usted? Very well, and you?

15. ¿Cómo te llamas? What’s your name?

16. ¿Cual es tu nombre? What is your name?

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Polite Phrases 

Use these basic sentences in Spanish to show manners. Spanish speakers are naturally friendly and these polite phrases are guaranteed to create opportunities for small talk with native speakers.

17. ¡Muchas gracias! Thank you very much!

18. Disculpe señor, señora, señorita… Excuse me sir, mam, miss…

19. Mil disculpas. I’m really sorry.

20. Con permiso ¿Puedo pasar? Excuse me, can I come in?

21. Le agradezco mucho.  I really appreciate it. 

22. Disculpe; ¿me puede ayudar por favor? Excuse me, could you help me please?

23. Lo siento mucho. I’m very sorry.

24. Buen provecho. Enjoy your meal. 

25. Gracias por su ayuda. Thank you for your help. 

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Saying Goodbye

Spanish speakers have different ways of saying their goodbyes during an event, visit, or phone call. Use these basic sentences in Spanish for saying farewell to friends, acquaintances, or family. 

25. ¡Hasta pronto! See you soon!

26. Hasta mañana. See you tomorrow.

27. Te veo luego. I’ll see you later.

28. Que pases un lindo día. Have a nice day.

29. ¡Hasta luego! See you later!

30. Que te vaya bien. Have a good day.

31. Cuídate mucho. Take care.

32. Que todo te salga bien. Hope everything goes well. 

33. Nos vemos pronto. See you soon. 

34. Lamento interrumpir. I’m sorry to interrupt. 

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Questions

Every beginner Spanish learner needs to know how to ask questions. Among the types of basic sentences in Spanish, questions are essential for you to learn new information. Que (what), como (how), donde (where), por que (why), and quien (who) are the starting point for most Spanish questions. 

35. ¿Cuántos años tienes? How old are you?

36. ¿Dónde vives? Where do you live?

37. ¿De dónde eres? Where are you from?

38. ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? When’s your birthday?

39. ¿Quién eres? Who are you?

40. ¿Qué fecha es hoy? What is the date today?

41. ¿Qué es esto? What is this?

42. ¿Dónde queda? Where is it?

43. ¿Por qué te gusta? Why do you like it?

44. ¿Me puedes explicar esto? Can you explain this to me?

45. ¿Dónde está el baño? Where is the bathroom?

46. ¿Me entiendes? Can you understand me?

47. ¿Cuánto cuesta esto? How much is this?

48. ¿Qué edad tienes? How old are you?

49. ¿Cómo llego hasta allá? How do I get there?

50. ¿Puede hablar más despacio por favor? Can you talk slower, please?

51. ¿Quieres algo de comer? Do you want something to eat?

52. ¿Todo bien? Is everything okay?

53. ¿A dónde vamos? Where are we going?

54. ¿A dónde vamos a ir a comer? Where are we going to eat?

55. ¿Estoy equivocado? Am I wrong?

56. ¿Dónde puedo comprar esto? Where can I buy this?

57. ¿Tienes hermanos o hermanas? Do you have any brothers or sisters?

58. ¿Cómo es tu familiar? What’s your family like?

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Special Occasions, Exclamations, and Best Wishes

Spanish is a very emotional and joyful language. Basic sentences in Spanish are a must for expressing kind wishes, what you’re feeling, and for special occasions. 

59. ¡Muchas felicidades! Congratulations!

60. Que sigas mejor. Get well soon. 

61. Espero que te mejores pronto. I hope you feel better soon.

62. ¡Feliz cumpleaños! Happy birthday!

63. ¡Feliz aniversario! Happy anniversary!

64. Esto es impresionante. This is impressive.

65. Bien hecho. Well done.

66. Salud por eso. Cheers to that. 

67. ¡Felices fiestas! Happy holidays!

68. Que la pases muy bien. Have a wonderful time. 

69. ¡Todo listo!  Everything is ready!

70. Que tengas un buen viaje. Have a good trip. 

71. Te deseo todo lo mejor.  I wish you all the best. 

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Hobbies and Interests

Talking about your likes and dislikes leads to finding common ground with new friends and acquaintances. Sharing about yourself and your hobbies using basic sentences in Spanish, transforms a conversation, and allows it to flow smoothly. 

72. ¿Qué te gusta hacer? What do you like to do?

73. ¿Cual es tu pasatiempo? What is your hobby?

74. ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? What do you do in your spare time?

75. ¿Qué te gusta leer? What do you like to read?

76. Mi pasatiempo favorito es… cocinar, hacer ejercicio o viajar. My favorite pastime is… cooking, working out, or traveling. 

77. ¿En qué trabajas? What is your job?

78. ¿A qué te dedicas? What do you do for a living?

79. ¿Qué música te gusta? What music do you like?

80. En mi tiempo libre, me gusta… In my free time, I like to…

81. Yo trabajo en… I work in…

82. No me gusta… I don’t like…

83. Me encanta… I love…

84. Me apasiona… I am passionate about…

85. Soy un excelente cocinero. I’m an excellent cook.

86. Vamos al cine. Let’s go to the movies.

87. Acompáñame a tomar algo. Join me for a drink. 

88. ¿Te gustan los perros? Do you like dogs?

89. ¿Estás estudiando? Are you in school?

Learn in detail How to Talk About Your Hobbies and Pastimes in Spanish with this insightful blog post. 

Basic Sentences in Spanish: Idioms and Sayings

Spanish is a colorful language. It’s full of curious and quirky expressions unique to different countries and nationalities. Some basic sentences in Spanish that are own to native speakers will add spice to any conversation. They’ll also support you in sounding natural. 

90. ¡Qué buena onda! That’s awesome!

91. Hablando del rey de Roma… Speak of the devil…

92. Metí la pata. I messed up.

93. ¡Ponte las pilas! Look alive!

94. Échale ganas. Put some elbow grease on it. 

95. Tiré la casa por la ventana. I went above and beyond.

96. Estoy hasta las narices. I’m fed up. 

97. Dilo sin pelos en la lengua. Don’t sugarcoat it. 

98. Me dieron gato por liebre. I was tricked.

99. Esto es pan comido. This is a piece of cake.

100. Dale la vuelta a la tortilla. Turn the table. 

101. Lo hice al pie de la letra. I did it following instructions. 

Expand this lesson of basic sentences in Spanish with this curious list of 50 Spanish Idioms To Use in Your Everyday Conversations. 

Move From Basic Sentences in Spanish to Advanced Conversation

After covering this list of basic sentences in Spanish, you’re right on track towards fast-tracking your fluency. 

Take your Spanish skills to the next level and sign up for a free class with our certified teachers from Guatemala. They’ll teach you more basic sentences in Spanish and will give you the confidence for engaging in conversations with confidence.

According to The Economist, people who are bilingual access better and more competitive job opportunities. Spanish speakers are valuable to the workplace and earn attractive salaries. 

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to advance in your language skills and expand your communications possibilities to new horizons. 

Want more free Spanish lessons, fun content, and easy learning strategies? Check these out!

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CHAPTER SEVEN

Spanish subjunctive phrases: 33 incredibly useful phrases to help you master the subjunctive.

The Spanish Obsessive

• What is the subjunctive? A brief introduction
• Spanish subjunctive conjugations: Verb forms and quiz
• Spanish subjunctive uses and meanings
• Deep dive 1: Noun clauses
• Deep dive 2: Adjective clauses
• Deep dive 3: Additional uses
• 33 Spanish subjunctive phrases to memorise now (this chapter)

A little bit about these phrases

Download these phrases.

Simply sign up below, and we’ll send you a beautiful infographic of these subjunctive phrases:

Phrases with sea

Sea  comes from the verb  ser , “to be”. It’s an extremely common verb, and is the most common Spanish verb that you’ll find in the subjunctive:

O sea…  That is…

We’ve started with the most common expression that you’ll hear.  O sea  means “that is”, “in other words”, “or rather”, “that is to say”. You’ll hear it all the time, almost as a verbal tic among native Spanish speakers across the Spanish speaking world.

Sea como sea –   No matter how, at any cost

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/1-1+como+sea.mp3

Cuando sea –  Whenever

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/1-2+cuando+sea.mp3

Ya sea por x o y – whether it be for x or y

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/1-3+ya+sea+por.mp3

You can use ya sea por to mean “whether”, and this usually comes with an “or”, for example:  ya sea por motivos de trabajo o diversión   (“whether it be for reasons of work or fun”)

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/1-4+ya+sea+por+motivos+de.mp3

Phrases with aunque  sea

Aunque  means “although”, and  aunque sea  is one of the most common constructions you’ll hear. Learn these phrases using  aunque sea  to build fluency in your conversation:

Aunque sea poco –  Although it’s a little/not much

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/2-2+aunque+sea+poco.mp3

Aunque sea difícil –  Although it’s difficult

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/2-3+aunque+sea+dificil.mp3

Aunque sea pequeño –  Although it’s small

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/2-4+aunque+sea+pequeno.mp3

Aunque sea duro –  Although it’s difficult/tough

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/2-5+aunque+sea+duro.mp3

Phrases with  ojalá

Ojalá  stands out as a Spanish word, and it is  always followed by the subjunctive . The history of this little word is fascinating – it’s originally from the Arabic  Insha’Allah! , meaning “If God wills”. Today it’s used to mean “I hope”, or “may it be so”. Here are some of the most common phrases using  ojalá :

Ojalá sea pronto – I hope it is soon

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/2-6+ojala+sea+pronto.mp3

Ojalá puedas ayudarme – I hope you can help me

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/3-2+ojala+puedas+ayudarme.mp3

Ojalá hubiera más – I wish there were more

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/3-3+ojala+hubiera.mp3

Ojalá llegue – I hope he/she/it arrives

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/3-4+ojala+llegue.mp3

Although purists sometimes argue that  ojalá que  is incorrect, in everday Spanish it is used all the time. Here are some phrases using  ojalá que :

Ojalá que salga bien –  I hope it turns out ok

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/3-6+ojala+que+salga+bien.mp3

Ojalá que haya sido… –  I hope it’s been…

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/3-5+ojala+que+haya+sido.mp3

And while we’re at it, there’s a song called “ Ojalá que llueva café”  (“I hope it rains coffee”):

Phrases with cuando

Cuando  is often used with the subjunctive. It’s usually used with a verb to refer to some future action or event which is not yet a reality (hence the use of the subjunctive):

Cuando sea necesario  – When it’s necessary

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-1+cuando+sea+necesario.mp3

Cuando esté hecho  – When it’s done

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-2+cuando+este+hecho.mp3

Cuando esté conmigo  – When it/he/she is with me

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-3+cuando+este+conmigo.mp3

Cuando tengas tiempo – When you have time

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-4+cuando+tengas+tiempo.mp3

Cuando venga – When he/she/it arrives

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-5+cuando+venga.mp3

Cuando salga  – When he/she it leaves

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/4-6+cuando+salga.mp3

Phrases with quiero que

Quiero que (I want) almost always takes the subjunctive, as it refers to the imposition of will or desire. These very common short phrases illustrate that perfectly:

Quiero que sepas – I want you to know

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/5-1+quiero+que+sepas.mp3

Quiero que vuelva  – I want him/her/it to return

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/5-2+quiero+que+vuelva.mp3

Phrases with para que

Para que means “so that”, and is often used with the subjunctive:

Para que veas  – So that you see

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/6-1+para+que+veas.mp3

Para que funcione – So that it works

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/6-2+para+que+funcione.mp3

Para que sepas  – So that you know

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/6-3+para+que+sepas.mp3

Impersonal expressions with the Spanish subjunctive

An impersonal expression simply means that no personal pronoun (ie,  yo, tú, usted, etc)  is used. These take the form “es ADJECTIVE que”, and are often followed by the subjunctive. Note that when you are sure about the result of something, or affirming the reality of something, the indicative is used (e.g.  Es cierto que sabe ):

Es posible que haya…  – It’s possible that there is…

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/7-1+es+posible+que+haya.mp3

Es probable que sea  – It’s probable that it’s…

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/7-2+es+probable+que+sea.mp3

Es importante que sepas – It’s important that you know

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/7-5+es+importante+que+sepas.mp3

Es posible que exista  – It’s possible that it exists

https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/spanishobsessedblogposts/subjunctive+phrases/7-3+es+posible+que+exista.mp3

These are some of the most common and popular expressions that you’ll hear using the Spanish subjunctive, and will help you build mastery of this “mood”. Are there any common expressions that you use? Let us know in the comments below!

9 Responses

muy útil! muchas gracias

Brilliant teaching! Just what I was looking for. A clear, logical, step-by-step introduction to a subject that seemed overwhelming to me. Thank you!!!

Thank you for helping me understand how and when to use the subjunctive. I have been studying Spanish for over 3 years and still struggle with the Subjunctive mood. Poco a Poco!! Thanks again!

Thank you. Fantastic and great way of mastering Subjunctive

Fantastic clarity for a change! Many thanks

This is a really great source for helping to master the subjuntive. Thank you!

Extremely helpful for my A level Spanish speaking exam! Muchas gracias:)

I echo these comments! Utterly helpful, and crystal clear! Muchas gracias…

This is a great tool, but doesn’t download in a form that is very useful on a Mac. A .pdf would be better! 🙂

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• Spanish Transition Words (Muletillas) and Sentence Starters: The Grease of the Language Gears

by Andrew | Feb 16, 2011 | Articles/Posts (go here to start learning Spanish!) , Popular , Spanish | 0 comments

Haz De Cuenta Que

This phrase means something like “Imagine that…”, “Pretend that…”, or “Make believe that…” and is used whenever you would want to say one of those phrases in English – don’t use “ pretender ” or “ imaginar “, neither are appropriate really: “pretender” means something more like “to aspire to” and “imaginar” is used like “imagine” in the sense of “I thought” or “I suppose” e.g. “I imagine you’re quite busy” or “I thought you’d have already heard about it.”

If you wanted to say anything along the lines of “Make believe that you are a car made of cheese”, or “Pretend that you’re the mayor of Cheeseville, what would you do?”, you would use this phrase as such:

“Haz de cuenta que eres un carro de queso.”

“Haz de cuenta que eres el alcalde de Quesovilla, ¿qué harías?”

Edit: A couple native speakers have told me that they’ve also heard this phrase used to mean something like “remember that” or “keep in mind that”, etc.  So that’s also a possible alternative meaning depending on the dialect.

This is the Spanish filler word.  It’s like “bueno”, but more informal.  It frequently finds itself in places where an English speaker would say “Well”, “ummm”, “let’s see”, “errr…”, “Hang on, let me see here…”, etc.  Examples:

“¿Quieres ver una película?” (“Do you want to see a movie?”) may be answered with something like: “Pueeesss…..no sé, ehh….sí.” (“Weeelllll….I dunno, ehh….sure.”)

In many places, Mexico in particular, “pues” will be shortened to “pos” or even just a hiss that kind of sounds like “pss”.  In Spain, it’s “pue” instead.  Which one you should use should be determined, as always, by how the people around you are speaking.

La Verdad Es Que

“The truth is that…” or “The truth of the matter is that…”, but a more contextual translation that would give you a really good English equivalent would be “actually”, because they use it the same way we do that word and about as frequently (in other words: very).  Many beginning learners will say “Actualmente…” when they want to say “Actually…” but that’s incorrect, as you’ll learn further down when I cover the phrase “actualmente”, you’ll see that it translates more to “currently” than “actually” and is used to express what’s currently going on right now.

“¿Estás bien?” (“Are you ok?”)

“Pues…la verdad es que no me siento bien.” (“Well…actually, I don’t feel well.”)

It literally and contextually means “then” and is used in a very similar way that we use that word.  Normally it’s used to indicate that one event followed another, just as we use it (“Then I went to the store” = “Entonces fui a la tienda”), and it’s also used in a sort of “So what, then?” kind of way, sometimes used the same way we use “so”, as in:

“So, what happened next?” = “Entonces, ¿qué pasó después?”

“So…you’re not coming then?” = “Entonces…¿no vienes?” or “Pues…¿no vienes, entonces?”

“In other words…”, “That is to say…”, or “I mean…”

There’s an interesting structure to this phrase, because you’ve got the Spanish subjunctive involved (click me if you need help with that) due to the fact that’s sort of a hypothetical (as in, it means something like “ if one were to say it this way” or “one could say it this way”).  “O” means “or” and “ sea ” is the 3rd person present subjunctive form of “ ser “, which means “to be”.  This is an extremely common verbal crutch that you’ll hear used quite frequently in the way we would use “like” or “you know”.  Examples:

“El jefe no me ha hablado todavía, o sea de verdad no sé.” = “The boss hasn’t talked to me yet, so in other words I don’t really know.”

“[blah blah blah long explanation about something], o sea la verdad es que solo me gusta mucho la ropa interior feminina.” = “[blah blah blah long explanation about something], in other words I just really like women’s underwear.”

More literally means “that is to say” and can be used pretty much anywhere you would use “o sea”, except it’s considered a bit more correct and less slangy than “o sea” is.

“Luego” also technically translates to “then” and is frequently interchangeable with “entonces”, though “luego” is more often used to indicated something happening next in sequence, e.g. “…then I went to the store, then the airport, then home.” would be something like “…luego fui a la tienda, luego al aeropuerte, y luego a la casa.”

Sometimes it’s used when we would use “later”, as in the most common example of “Hasta luego” which means “See you later”.  Other similar expressions include “Luego voy” (“I’ll go later”), “Luego te digo” (“I’ll tell you later”), “Luego lo hago” (“I’ll do it later”), etc.

Actualmente

Not “actually”, first of all.  This is a false friend , it doesn’t mean what it looks like it does. “ Actualmente ” actually (see what I did there?) means “currently”, “at the moment”, “these days”, or, as the dictionary defines it, “nowadays”.  The best basic translation is probably “currently”.  Examples:

“Qué pasa?” “Pues, actualmente no sé, creo que esperamos a que Juan llegue.” = “What’s happening?” “Well, currently I don’t know, I think we’re waiting for Juan to arrive.”

“Actualmente hace muy buen tiempo, pero podría llover más tarde.” = “Currently the weather is very nice, but it could rain later.”

A Propósito / Por Cierto

They both pretty much just mean “By the way”.  Just as with “by the way”, they usually indicate a change in subject or a transition into some new sort of business.  Just use them the same way you would “by the way”, e.g. “A propósito, ¿sabes dónde está María?” = “By the way, do you know where Maria is?” or “Por cierto, ¿no ibas a ir a la tienda?” = “By the way, weren’t you going to go to the store?”

Por Lo Menos

It means “At least”.  “Por” means “for”, “lo” means “that” or “it”, and “ menos ” means “less” or “least” in this case, so you put them together and you get “that which is least”, or…”at least”.  Examples:

“¡Por lo menos pregúntale el nombre antes de que le quites la ropa, hombre!” = “At least get her name before you try to take her clothes off, man!”

“Finally” or “At last”.

Frequently said with exasperation that the thing in question is finally happening. Examples:

“¡Por fin! ¡Estás aqui!” = “Finally! You’re here!”

“Por fin, tenemos la tarea de todos.” = “At last, we’ve got everyone’s homework.”

This is the Spanish equivalent of “It’s that…” or “It’s such that…” or “The thing is that…”, all of which are roughly the same thing.  This is one of the most common and most useful, all-purpose phrases in Spanish, and can be used for nearly anything–I guarantee you that if you ask a Spanish-speaking person “Why?” or “Why is ____ ?”, there’s a superb chance that their answer will begin with “Es que…”, meaning “Well, it’s that…” or even “Pues, es que…” (hey, don’t forget: you can mix-‘n-match all this stuff!)

“Es que” is always used to answer something, in response to something, it requires some sort of preceding question or statement to actually respond to.

This is pretty much exclusive to Argentina and just means something like “Hey!”, or “Hey buddy”, e.g.

“¡Che! Me gustan tus zapatos.” = “Hey, I like your shoes.”

“¡Che! ¿Qué tal, hombre?” = “Hey! What’s up, man?”

Lo Que Pasa Es Que

“What’s happening is that…” or “What’s going on is…”, that’s it.  It can be used anytime “Es que…” can, which means pretty much any time.  This is a very common Spanish transition phrase that you’ve likely already heard unless you’re just now starting to learn Spanish.

Quizás / Tal Vez

They both just mean “maybe” or “perhaps”, that’s it, very simple.  You’ll sometimes see it spelled “quizá” minus the “s” on the end. Examples:

“Quizás no debí haberme comido todas esas ardillas, creo que tengo una bola de pelos.” = “Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten all those squirrels, I think I have a hairball.”

“Tal vez El Presidente nos preste algunas de sus prostitutas si nos aburrimos.” = “Perhaps the President will let us borrow some of his prostitutes if we get bored.”

Resulta Que

Literally, “It results that…” or “It results in…”, more accurately it means something like “It turns out that…”.  If you wanted to say “Well, it turns out that the dog doesn’t like broccoli!” you would say that “¡Pues, resulta que al perro no le gusta el brócoli!”

You would also use this particular expression to mean “it works out that” in a mathematical context, such as saying “The price of the car works out to 20,000 pesos.” would be done as “Resulta que el precio del carro son veinte mil pesos.”

Just another way of saying “So” when used at the beginning of a sentence, such as “So, you think I’m fat?” would be “¿Así que crees que estoy gordo?”, or “So, you’re coming then?” would be “¿Así que vienes?”.  The reason it’s used in this very specific manner is due to what it really means, “así” means “this way” or “like this” or “in this manner”, and “que”, of course, means “that”, so “así que” literally means something like “It’s going to be like this, then is it?” in reference to whatever follows that “Así que” – got it?

“Although”, “Even though”, etc.  Examples:

“Aunque me dicen que estoy loco, aún voy a rezar al monstruo volador de espaguetti.” = “Even though they tell me I’m crazy, I’m still going to pray to the flying spaghetti monster.”

“Aunque hui del “Superbowl” como de la peste, aún tuve que oír personas quejándose sobre Christina Aguilera. Yo no estaba feliz.” = “Although I avoided the Superbowl like the plague, I still had to hear people complain about Christina Aguilera.  I wasn’t happy.”

“Moreover”, “Besides…”, “Also”, etc.

This is occasionally also used where we would use “too”, e.g.

“Él es guapo y además inteligente.” = “He’s handsome and smart, too.”

“El queso es demasiado suave, demasiado débil, y además huele muy mal.” = “Cheese is too soft, too weak, and besides, it smells terrible.”

Ni Modo Que

“No way that…”, or “No way in hell that…”.  “Modo” literally means “way” so this one is pretty intuitive.  It’s never just used on its own like “No way!” is in English, something always follows it and that something will always involve the subjunctive . Examples:

“¡Ni modo que vaya a hablar con ella!” = “Like hell I’m going to talk to her!”

“Ni modo que yo pueda ir contigo, lo siento” = “No way can I go with you, sorry.”

Sin Embargo

“Sin embargo” means “However”, “Nonetheless”, “Nevertheless”, “Notwithstanding”, etc.  It is one of the Spanish transition words that you will hear the most often.

This is frequently used while someone is shaking their finger at you.  They’ll acknowledge your point, quite aware that they’re about to invalidate it, and then say “sin embargo” right before they do so. As such:

“Entiendo que el queso no es tan furte como el acero, pero sin embargo voy a hacer un carro con él.” = “I understand that cheese isn’t as strong as steel, but nevertheless I’m going to make a car out of it.”

Menos Mal Que

“Good thing that…”, or “It’s just as well that…”.  Fantastic little sentence-starter that you can get a ton of mileage out of.  It literally means “Less bad that”, and is just they’re way of saying “It’s good that this thing happened.”  Examples:

“Menos mal que no estacioné mi carro de cheese al sol, ¡se derretiría!” = “Good thing I didn’t park my cheese car in the sun, it would have melted!!”

“Menos mal que no olvidaste los ratones, ¡las serpientes tienen mucha hambre!” = “Good thing you didn’t forget the mice, the snakes are really hungry!”

“Look”, “Look here, …”, or “Look at that…”, etc.  “ Fijar ” means “to fix” in the sense of to focus or fixate on something, not as in “to repair” (that’s “ arreglar “), so “Fíjate”, as you can imagine, means something like “fix yourself” (as in, “focus yourself”, i.e. “pay attention”) and “que” means “that”, so “fíjate que” means something like “fixate yourself on that”, or “focus yourself on that” and best translates to what we might say as “Look, …” or “Look at that”.  It’s just used to call someone’s attention to something.

An example would be if you wanted to say “Look, there’s a giant car made out of cheese!”, it would be “¡Fíjate, hay carro enorme hecho de queso!”

“Fíjate” without the “que” means “Watch out!”, “Look out!”, or “Pay attention, …”

Also, note that “Fijarse que + subjunctive” = “Make sure that…”, as in “Make sure that the oven is off.” (“Fíjate que  esté apegado el horno.”).  This is usually used the way that we would say “Check that…” instead of what most English-speakers will be inclined to use, “ checar “–most Spanish speakers use “Fijarse que + subjunctive”, not “checar”.

Lo Bueno / Lo Malo

“The good thing…” / “The bad thing…”

“Lo” = “It” and when placed before another word it means “that which is ____”, e.g. “lo bueno” means “That which is good”, “lo malo” means “That which is bad”, and of course the more accurate contextual translation in English would be “The good/bad thing…”.  This works with a ton of other words, such as:

“lo peor ” = “the worst thing…”

“lo único ” = “the only thing…”

“lo extraño ” = “the strange thing…”

“lo gracioso ” = “the funny thing…”

Such as in “¡Lo mas extraño es que El Ministerio de Transporte no me daba permiso que manejar mi carro de queso en las carreteras públicas!” = “The strange thing is that the Department of Transportation wouldn’t let me drive my cheese car on the public roads!”

“Let’s see…” or “Let’s see here…”

Fantastically useful little Spanish sentence-starter here.  It’s frequently used to call attention to something, such as:

“¿Tienes un dólar?” “A ver…” = “Do you have a dollar?” “Let’s see…”

“A ver si mi paquete ya ha llegado…” = “Let’s see if my package has arrived yet…”

“A ver si mi carro de queso flota…” = “Let’s see if my cheese car floats…”

It will be frequently used with “si” or “qué” to mean “Let’s check and see…” or “Let’s check…”, as in:

“A ver qué hay en televisión…” = “Let’s see what’s on TV…”

“No wonder…” or “Little wonder that…”

“Razón” means “reason”, so with “con razón” you get “with reason”, e.g. “Con razón tu carro de queso se derretió, ¡lo dejaste al sol!” = “No wonder your cheese car melted, you left it in the sun!” or, using the literal translation (see if this makes sense to you now , it should), “With reason your cheese car melted, you left it in the sun!”

“Because” or “That’s why”.

It’s frequently used to explain or to help make things understood when it might not be clear what’s going on, e.g.

“Señor Andrew, ¡manejas un carro de queso!”, “Sí, por eso mis pantaloncillos están amarillos.” = “Señor Andrew, you drive a cheese car!”, “Yes, that’s why my pants are yellow.”

“Fíjate, hay un video musical de Shakira en la televisión.”, “Sí, por eso no puedo levantarme” = “Look, there’s a Shakira music video on TV.”, “Yes, that’s why I can’t stand up.” 😀

“Well, anyway…” or “So, anyhow…”

It literally means something like “In conclusion…” but isn’t always necessarily used to conclude something (though it frequently is, that is it’s often used to lead into the conclusion), sometimes it’s used to change subjects or bring the conversation back to what was originally being discussed. Examples:

“En fin, la verdad es que sobreviví sólo comiéndome mi carro de queso cuando quedé varado en el desierto.” = “So anyway, I actually did survive only by eating my cheese car when I was stranded in the desert.”

This is one of the less-used Spanish transition words but it’s still common in some dialects.  It means something like, “So it turns out that…”

“ Total ” literally (and normally) means, simply, “total” as in “complete”, but when it’s put at the beginning of a sentence as a starter it basically means something like “So anyway, it turns out that…” and is frequently paired with “que” in the process of doing so e.g.:

“Pues, total que no me levanté a tiempo esta mañana.” = “Well, turns out that I didn’t wake up on time this morning.”

Not very common at all in this particular context in Latin America, but I’ve noticed that it’s used all the time in Spain (I spent three months there, in Zaragoza , in 2015), it’s their equivalent of our “ok” or “you know”, it’s a constantly used filler word there.  You can use it like you would “ok”, you can use it like you would “well” (“vale” and “pues” are frequently interchangeable), you can use it like you sometimes would “ummm”!  See below:

“¿Vale?” “Sí, vale.” = “Ok?” “Yeah, ok.”

“Pueesss, vale, vamos a ver lo que tenemos aquí…” = “Wellll, ok, let’s see what we’ve got here…”

“Creo que mi carro de queso no funciona muy bien, vale?” = “I think my cheese car didn’t work very well, you know?”

“Vale…ehhh…donde puse mi busto del culo de Shakira, es doscientos kilos de bronce, sé que está en algún lugar por aquí…” = “Ok…ehhh….where’d I put my bust of Shakira’s ass, it’s two hundred kilos of bronze, I know it’s around here somewhere…”

What a fantastic little word.  It’s a bit difficult because if you use the literal translation of “ya”, which is “already”, every time you hear it, it won’t make sense, but you have to understand this word because you will hear it used constantly, it’s an extremely common Spanish filler word.

It can mean “already”, of course, it can also mean “now”, or if made negative it can mean “anymore” as in “not anymore”, e.g. “Ya no viene” = “He’s not coming anymore.”  It’s often used simply as emphasis, usually to emphasize that something is being done, it’s being done now , or that something will be gotten to in just a second if the listener would just be patient and quit friggin’ bugging you about it.  Examples:

“Ya voy.” = “I’m already going” / “I’ll go in a minute” / “I’m going!!!!” [in response to someone repeatedly insisting that you go] – which translation is correct depends on the context.

“Ya están las hamburguesas.” = “The hamburgers are ready/here now.”

“¡Ya estoy allí!” = “I’m already there!”

“La verdad es que ya quiero salir.” = “Actually, I already want to leave.” / “Actually, I want to leave now .”

To confuse you even further, when “ya” is combined with “que” it means something completely different: “Since…”, “Seeing that…”, “Seeing as how…”, etc.  It’s used to mean something like “Well, since ___ has/is already occurred/occurring…”.  Here, look at these and see if you get it:

“Ya que comiste mi carro de queso, ¡¿cómo vamos a ir a la casa?!” = “Since you’ve eaten my cheese car, how are we going to get home?!”

“Ya que compraste todo lo que necesitábamos, supongo que podemos ir a casa ahora.” = “Seeing as how you already bought everything we needed, I suppose we can go home now.”

Additional Reading and Further Resources: Places to learn even  more conversational Spanish, slang, and expressions!

First and foremost I strongly recommend you check out a podcast called Español en 3000 , it’s run by an Australian guy living in Medellin, Colombia, and they do such an excellent job with their interviews and how they use them to teach Spanish.  Unlike most other podcasts focused on teaching Spanish, these are entirely unscripted and natural, with native speakers, so you learn the kind of Spanish people speak in conversation every day.  People talk normally, naturally, in their native language.  They interview Spanish-speakers living in and around Medellin, and though they talk to more Colombians than anyone they’ve made a point to represent all dialects of the Spanish-speaking world (they have interviews with people from Mexico, Argentina, Spain, Venezuela, Chile, and many more).  They include a verbatim transcript of each interview as well as a lesson at the end focusing on the Spanish used.  The mobile version of the site is excellent, everything worked perfectly when I tested it , so you can listen to it on the go.  Check out my review of them here (yes, there’s a free trial).

I have a whole category of posts on this website dedicated to teaching this sort of colloquial, “everyday” Spanish called  Learn Spanish for Real: Spanish Slang, Colloquialisms, & Cursewords .  Learn the 4 different ways to say somebody is naked in Spanish , or  how to say something is a “rip-off” in Spanish , or even how to say something is a pain in the neck/ass in Spanish (I cover both so you have the polite and the not-so-polite way of saying it).

Edit (12/9/2011): Thanks to a commenter below, I can highly recommend this very extensive article (be warned: it’s entirely in Spanish) on muletillas, definitely worth checking out.  Thanks, Mijail999.

Additionally, I have a few other similar posts you might be interested in:

• How to Not Sound Like a Gringo – The 17 Most Common Spanish Errors and How to Avoid Them
• Manners in Spanish – The Basics of Being Polite in Spanish-Speaking Cultures
• Spanish Conversation Connectors: “it seems to me”, “all joking aside”, “I presume”, etc. – 4 Pages Worth!

 There’s a list of muletillas (what this stuff is called in Spanish) over on Spanish Wikipedia organized by country, though it’s all in Spanish.

First and foremost the wonderful Spanish speakers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and talking to over the years, whether that was in person or via Skype.  Secondly, my own personal experience based on reading and listening to actual contemporary Spanish-language media (which I can’t recommend enough).  Also, the guys over at HTLAL (if you’re not a member you should be), Joseph Keenan’s fantastic Breaking Out of Beginner’s Spanish , and the Foro de Español forums .

I await your corrections and questions in the comments (and I do appreciate them, by the way).

Edit (7/15/2013): Many thanks to Jared Romey at Speaking Latino and his wife, Diana, for pointing out several grammatical errors in this article and then being kind enough to put together a whole word document outlining them and how to fix them for me!  Fantastic!  Additionally, Nélida Kreer at Traducciones-Montevideo was the one who originally caught the errors and mentioned it to Jared.

I learned to  speak conversational Spanish in six months using TV shows, movies, and even comics: I then wrote a book on how you can, too

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6 Engaging Spanish Sentence Starters to Support Bilingual Students

In the dynamic world of bilingual education, fostering effective communication is at the heart of every classroom. For teachers working with Spanish learners, the use of Spanish sentence starters can be a powerful tool to facilitate meaningful conversations and support language acquisition. In this blog post, we will explore how Spanish sentence starters can benefit both teachers and students, providing a valuable resource for language learning.

What Are Spanish sentence starters?

Sentence starters are pre-structured sentence beginnings or prompts that help learners initiate and engage in conversations. These prompts serve as a scaffold, giving students the necessary linguistic tools to express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas more easily. They provide a starting point for communication and can be especially valuable for beginners and intermediate learners.

Fostering Confidence and Fluency

One of the primary advantages of using Spanish sentence starters is that they boost your students’ confidence in speaking the language. Language learners often struggle with hesitation and fear of making mistakes when speaking in a foreign language. Sentence stems provide a safety net, allowing your students to begin sentences with confidence. This boost in confidence leads to more fluency as students feel encouraged to speak without the constant worry of constructing grammatically correct sentences from scratch.

Supporting Language Learners

Here’s how Spanish sentence starters support language learners:

1. Encouraging Participation

In a classroom setting, encouraging all students to participate actively can be challenging. Sentence stems make it easier for teachers to involve every student in a conversation. By providing a structured way to start a sentence, even shy or hesitant students can feel comfortable contributing to discussions.

2. Building Vocabulary

Sentence stems are a fantastic way to introduce and reinforce vocabulary. As students use these prompts, they naturally incorporate new words and phrases into their sentences. This exposure to relevant vocabulary in context enhances their understanding and retention of the language.

3. Reinforcing Grammar

Sentence stems also reinforce proper grammatical structures. As students use these prompts, they are guided toward correct sentence construction, helping them internalize the rules of Spanish grammar. Over time, this practice leads to improved sentence structure and grammatical accuracy.

4. Promoting Critical Thinking

Using Spanish sentence starters encourages critical thinking and the expression of opinions. Many stems are designed to elicit personal thoughts or ideas, stimulating students to think critically and formulate reasoned responses. This not only enhances language skills but also promotes higher-order thinking.

Practical Spanish sentence starters

Let’s take a closer look at some practical Spanish sentence starters that teachers can use in the classroom to support language learners in their pair-share conversations:

1. ¿Qué opinas sobre…? (What do you think about…?)

   This stem encourages students to express their opinions on various topics, opening the door to meaningful discussions.

2. Estoy de acuerdo contigo en que… (I agree with you that…)

   It teaches students how to agree with someone else’s point of view, fostering both agreement and disagreement expressions.

3. Me gustaría saber tu opinión acerca de… (I would like to know your opinion about…)

   This stem promotes curiosity and encourages students to ask for others’ opinions, improving their interpersonal communication skills.

4. En mi opinión, lo más importante es… (In my opinion, the most important thing is…)

   It helps students share their beliefs and priorities, emphasizing personal expression.

5. Podríamos considerar alternativas como… (We could consider alternatives like…)

   This stem promotes problem-solving and encourages students to explore various options in discussions.

6. No estoy seguro/a de si… (I’m not sure if…)

This starter helps students clarify information as they discuss with a partner.

Implementing Spanish Sentence Starters in Your Classroom

To make the most of Spanish sentence starters, teachers should consider the following strategies:

1. Gradual Introduction

Start with simple sentence stems and gradually introduce more complex ones as students become more comfortable with the concept. This ensures a smooth transition and prevents overwhelming learners.

2. Contextualize Learning

Pair sentence stems with relevant topics and themes in your curriculum. This contextualization helps students apply what they learn in real-life situations.

3. Encourage Creativity

While sentence stems provide a structure, encourage students to be creative with their responses. This fosters individual expression and diversity in their language use.

4. Peer Interaction

Promote peer interaction by having students use Spanish sentence starters to interview each other, share experiences, or engage in debates. This adds an element of fun and authenticity to the learning process.

Putting it all together: Spanish Sentence Starters

Spanish sentence starters are a versatile and effective tool for teachers seeking to support language learners in their classrooms. By boosting students’ confidence, enhancing fluency, and promoting active participation, these prompts provide a valuable resource for educators. Whether used in discussions, debates, or everyday conversations, sentence stems empower students to communicate effectively and engage more deeply with the Spanish language. So, go ahead and integrate them into your teaching toolkit to create a vibrant and interactive learning environment for your students. ¡Buena suerte! 

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Free spanish lessons and one on one spanish lessons too, 7 spanish phrases: 7 cool sentence starters.

¡Hola amigos!

Hey, Julio here! ¿Cómo van las cosas?

I’m quite sure… You have taken some Spanish lessons already, bought a CD course for the car or used online resources to begin learning the language. So for most of you that means you can probably already put sentences together, even if very simple ones.

Click to Listen to this lesson :

Today, then, I’d like to give you a handful of sentence starters – a simple way of making even the most basic of sentence sound a little more advanced, and your Spanish a little more fluent. The best part is that they are really easy to just bolt on to your normal Spanish, so let’s go, yea?

Let’s get to it…

Seven Cool Sentence Starters:

A lo mejor… – maybe, probably

Me da que… – I get the feeling

Se supone que… – it’s supposed to/ they reckon that

En cambio.. . – instead

Hazme caso… – take my word for it

Ya sabes que… – as you already know

Resulta que… – as it happens/as it turns out

There are, of course, literally hundreds of them. But these are just a step above the basic level and will brighten up your Spanish no end.

Let’s imagine that I am talking to someone and I

want to express something like:

Juan va ir a la tienda más tarde.

I could use some of the phrases mentioned above

and express slightly different shades of meaning,

while sounding super cool with any of them.

Let’s see how easily we can add  these phrases 

to any conversation: 

A lo mejor… Juan va a ir a la tienda más tarde. (Chances are he will go to the store, but I am not 100% sure)

Me da que… Juan va a ir a la tienda más tarde. (I have the feeling he will do this)

Se supone que… Juan va a ir a la tienda más tarde. (He is supposed to go to the store!)

En cambio… Juan va a ir a la tienda más tarde. (Instead of doing something else, he will go to the store)

Hazme caso… Juan va ir a la tienda más tarde. (Trust me, he will do it!)

Ya sabes que… Juan va ir a la tienda más tarde. (As you already know, he will go there later. That’s when we can criticize him without any fear of being caught!)

Resulta que… Juan va ir a la tienda más tarde. (He said he had no money, but it so happens that he will go there later and probably spend a fortune!)

Don’t forget…

I would love to hear ideas about upcoming topics

that you would like me to create for you in this 7 Spanish

Phrases Series. Please post your ideas below!

See ya – nos vemos

Conversation starting director of EsAudio

www.esaudio.net

www.jumpstartyourspanish.com

www.spanishaudioblaster.com

www.thespanishsubjunctive.com

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9 thoughts on “ 7 Spanish Phrases: 7 Cool Sentence Starters ”

Fabulous lesson thank you

That was fun and helpful

¡Muchas gracias Samela! Thanks for your comments!

Muchisimas gracias Sandra. 🙂

really useful phrases thank you

I really love this new series. But what about the uncomfortable stuff? Going to the hacienda and admitting to have forgotten one paper/modelo. Some weeks ago a son of my friends died. Well – no: bad – I had to say something about this and I was f*cked up. I believe my spanish is quite good but at that moment I was completely wrecked. Ok, this may be extreme examples – but it's examples from real life where you get to know the boundaries of your spanish abilities.

Good idea! I will do something on that soon! Thanks!

¡Muchísimas gracias, Pauline! 🙂

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Common connection phrases & sentence starters

I came across this great list of about 100 short little phrases to connect thoughts in a conversation. I tried to translate these into Spanish. Some I know are right, but I'm sure a bunch of these are idiomatic and aren't being properly handled by the translator. Is there a native speaker who wouldn't mind correcting these? If you just post the Spanish, I can go through and figure out where the mistakes were and re-post for others so they might be able to use this pretty easily.

Otherwise, maybe we can make this into a game of sorts…

10 Answer s

my better half said... would be "mi media naranja dijo"...not dije. Dije is 1st person and since you are talking about a third person you would need to use third person.

no tengo mucho interesante en eso...would be "no tengo mucho interés en eso".

Great list. I have bookmarked this. Thanks.

Hi YB...thank you for taking the time to do all this. I'm sorry, I didn't see it earlier. i totally agree with Esteban...we need to keep it alive.

I found this graphic here

I would like to see this question kept current in the Q/A list. So could some interested SD users use at least one of the "common connection phrases" in sentences and post them here as answers? I would really like to see them used in sentences so that I would know better how to use them correctly. Keeping this question current in the Q/A list will also help our efforts to find errors and make corrections, because, hopefully, this very useful set of phrases may one day be added to the SD Reference Section by wbyoung once it has been proofread and completely corrected. I am trying to develop some mnemonics to memorize all the list. That is quite a challenge! I think knowing these phrases would be a boost to one's Spanish conversation skills!

Thanks, everyone, for the responses. I'll continue to update the list if more responses come in. I'd like to get all 99 confirmed at some point. We'll see if that happens!

¡Eso es una lista maraveillosa! ¿Puedo añadir otras opciones por unas de las frases?

Nevertheless - No obstante

I presume (suppose) that - Supongo que

Thanks for posting these.

Hello, Wb...I will just offer corrections to some of these expressions. (It is not my intention to cover them all because there are too many and there are some I am not sure about):

a propósito / de paso You can say a propósito o por cierto to mean: by the way. I have not heard of de paso used in this way, I have looked up this word in a book of Spanish idioms and it gives 'de paso' to mean: on the way or at the same time.

¡ay, casi olvid é ! oh, I nearly forgot ¡Ay, casi olvido! The present indicative tense is used after the word casi instead of the past.

y una co d a más and one more thing Should be una co s a más

había una vez, Once upon a time (You can also say): = Érase una vez

hace mucho tiempo. A long time ago. This is correct

eso no es un a problema grande The word problema is masculine so should be: eso no es gran problema

Why is the first entry "now it occurs to me that" translated to "me ocurrí que"? Shouldn't it be "me ocurrió que" (third person instead of first person)?

This is a great list. I count 99 phrases! Besides correcting any mistakes, perhaps someone could point out the phrases in this list that trigger the subjunctive (if there are any).

Ok, I will attempt to use one of these phrases correctly in a sentence (using European Spanish). Here goes:

Y además de eso yo he lavado la vajilla cada noche por tres semanas!

And besides that, I have washed the dishes each night for three weeks!

Wow. hiciste tu tarea. Gracias!

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