Spanish Grammar Rules

💡 Y is plus (+), but PERO is a plot twist (X).

Linking with y and pero

y adds information (Soy americana y vivo en Los Ángeles). pero contrasts (Soy alemán, pero vivo en Suiza).

💡 Hay is like 'There is' or 'There are' wrapped into one unchanging word.

Hay for existence

Hay means there is or there are and stays the same in the present. Introduce something with an indefinite phrase: Hay una mesa. Locate a known thing with estar: La mesa está aquí.

💡 No before the verb makes it go zero!

Negation with no

Put no before the conjugated verb and any object pronouns: No tengo hambre. No lo entiendo.

Nouns→

Noun gender: -o / -a

Most Spanish nouns ending in -o are masculine (el libro). Most ending in -a are feminine (la casa).

💡 Match the ending: O goes with el, A goes with la!

Nouns→

Noun plurals: -s / -es

Most nouns ending in an unstressed vowel add -s (libro → libros). Many ending in a consonant add -es (árbol → árboles); z changes to c (luz → luces). Some remain unchanged, such as lunes.

💡 Vowels are small, so they only need a little '-s'. Consonants are big, so they need the bigger '-es'!

💡 Remember the rhyme: 'How you feel and where you are, always use the verb estar!'

Estar for location

estar is irregular: estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están. Use it for place: Está aquí. Barcelona está cerca del mar.

💡 Remember the musical vowel chant: O, As, A, Amos, Áis, An!

Present: regular -ar

Drop -ar and add -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an: hablo, hablas, habla.

💡 Use ser to identify: soy Ana, soy médica, soy de Madrid. These facts do not have to be permanent.

Present of ser

ser is irregular: soy, eres, es, somos, sois, son. Use it to identify: Soy Elena. Soy estudiante.

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13 core concepts

💡 Check the noun’s gender, not just its last letter: el día is masculine, so un día bonito.

Adjective gender agreement

Adjectives ending in -o change to -a with a feminine noun: un chico alto, una chica alta.

💡 Copy the noun's ending: if the noun has an 's', the adjective needs one too!

Adjective number agreement

Adjectives agree with the noun in number. Usually add -s after an unstressed vowel (altos) and -es after a consonant (fáciles). Some forms stay unchanged, such as plural gratis.

💡 Esta is close, esa is at a distance, aquel is way over yonder.

Demonstratives: este, ese, aquel

este/esta point to something near the speaker. ese/esa and aquel/aquella point farther away. They agree in gender and number.

💡 Look at the word right after gusta. If it's plural, make it gustan!

Me gusta

With gustar, the thing liked is the subject. Me gusta el cine (it pleases me). Me gustan los coches (they please me).

💡 If it is asking, the little word gets a tilde.

Interrogatives take a tilde

Interrogative and exclamative words take a written accent: ¿Qué estudias? ¿Dónde vives? This also applies to indirect questions: No sé dónde vive. Relative que has no accent: el libro que leo.

💡 An accent and a space turn because into why.

porque vs por qué

porque (no accent, one word) answers why: Estudio español porque me gusta. Por qué (accent, two words) asks why.

💡 Mi, tu, and su change only for number. Nuestro and vuestro also agree in gender.

Unstressed possessives: mi, tu, su

mi, tu, and su come before the noun and only change for number: mi libro, mis libros. They do not mark gender.

💡 Remember the vowel twins: -er verbs use 'e' (comes, come) and -ir verbs use 'i' (vives, vive).

Present: regular -er / -ir

Drop -er/-ir and add -o, -es, -e, -emos/-imos, -éis/-ís, -en: como, comes, come; vivo, vives, vive.

💡 Drop the pronoun like a hot potato; let the verb do the heavy lifting!

Subject pronouns are usually dropped

Spanish often omits subject pronouns when the person is clear from the verb and context: Estudio español. Include a pronoun for contrast, emphasis, or clarity: Ella trabaja aquí, pero él no.

💡 Nouns need a matching suit (muchos/pocas), but verbs always wear the exact same t-shirt (mucho/poco).

Quantity: mucho and poco

mucho and poco agree with the noun: mucho calor, muchos amigos, poca agua. After a verb they stay invariable: Estudio mucho.

💡 Bookend your questions: if it goes up at the end (?), it must start upside down (¿)!

Spanish question marks

Spanish questions need both marks: an opening inverted mark and a closing one. The opening mark is required, not optional.

💡 Use ser to identify and estar for location or a state. Duration alone does not decide which verb to use.

Ser vs estar (basic)

ser identifies (Soy español. Es lunes). estar locates or gives a current condition (Está aquí. Está bien).

💡 People are special! Give él and tú an accent hat because they are real people.

Diacritics: él / el and tú / tu

él (accent) is he. el (no accent) is the. tú (accent) is you. tu (no accent) is your.

Level A2 Mastery

19 core concepts

💡 Remember the formula: More/Less uses QUE (like a question), while 'As...as' uses COMO (like 'how').

Comparatives: más … que

más … que is more than, menos … que is less than, tan … como is as … as. Common irregulars: mejor, peor, mayor, menor.

💡 Catch the noun, shrink it to lo/la, and glue it right before the verb.

Direct object: lo, la, los, las

Lo, la, los, and las replace known direct objects and agree in gender and number. In ordinary statements, they precede the conjugated verb: La vi. They attach to infinitives and affirmative commands: verla, mírala.

💡 LE points to the lucky receiver before the verb.

Indirect object: le / les

Le refers to one indirect recipient; les refers to several. A named recipient often appears too: Le doy el libro a Ana. Before lo, la, los, or las, both le and les become se.

💡 If you mean 'every time', match cuando with a present verb.

cuando + present

cuando + present can mean whenever / each time: Cuando él viene trae regalos. It sets a repeated time frame, not a one-off past.

💡 Estar + ING: Estoy is your helper, -ando/-iendo is your ending!

estar + gerund

estar + gerund shows an action in progress: Está escuchando. Regular gerunds: -ando (hablar), -iendo (comer, vivir).

💡 He, she, it tells you what to do: Habla, come, vive!

Tú imperative

Affirmative tú commands often look like the él/ella present: habla, come, vive. Common irregulars: di, haz, pon, sal. Object pronouns attach: Cómpralo.

💡 Remember that -ABA and -ÍA paint the background; if you can replace it with 'used to', use the imperfect.

Imperfect: description and habit

The imperfect describes background or habit in the past: Mi madre era alta. Iba todos los días. Regular -ar uses -aba; -er/-ir use -ía.

💡 Always pack your 'A' when you travel to the future: Ir + A + Infinitive!

ir a + infinitive

ir + a + infinitive marks a planned or near future: Voy a verlo. Mañana voy al cine can also use present for a scheduled future.

💡 Remember 'H' for Haber and 'H' for 'Holding the past in your Hands today.'

Present perfect: haber + participle

haber + participle links a past action to now: He estado en tu casa. Regular participles: -ado / -ido. Time words like hoy, ya, todavía no often appear.

💡 If you can touch them, love them, or name them, they get an 'a' when they receive the action!

Personal a

A specific human direct object normally takes personal a: Visito a Ana. There are exceptions, especially with tener: Tengo dos hermanos. Ordinary non-personified things do not usually take personal a.

💡 Remember the formula: PARA points to the destination or goal; POR pays the cost or explains the cause.

por vs para (basic)

para points to a goal or use: Estudio español para trabajar. El boli es para escribir. por often marks cause or exchange: Trabajo por dinero.

💡 Boots don't change at the top! The stem-change happens inside the 'boot' shape of the conjugation chart, leaving nosotros and vosotros untouched outside.

Stem-changing present

Some present verbs change the stem in all forms except nosotros/vosotros: pensar → pienso, poder → puedo, pedir → pide.

💡 Whenever you see 'fui', check the next word: if there is a destination preposition like 'a', it means went; if there's an adjective or noun, it means was.

Preterite of ser and ir

ser and ir share the same past: fui, fuiste, fue, fuimos, fuisteis, fueron. Context tells you went vs was/were.

💡 No accent means I speak (hablo), but a heavy hat (-ó) means he or she spoke!

Past actions: -ar (él/ella -ó)

For -ar verbs, an accent on the final -ó marks he/she did it in the past: habla (speaks) vs habló (spoke).

💡 He and she ate and lived with -ió, don't forget the accent bro!

Past actions: -er / -ir (él/ella)

Regular -er and -ir verbs mark he/she past with -ió: comió, vivió. The accent is required.

💡 Mirror, mirror on the wall: if the action hits you, 'se' (or me/te) is on the ball!

Reflexive se

me/te/se/nos/os/se mark that the subject acts on itself: Me levanto. Se peina. The pronoun sits before a conjugated verb.

💡 No accent for the condition ('if'), yes accent for the emotion ('yes').

si + present

si (no accent) introduces a real condition in the present: Si quieres ir al cine, puedes comprar la entrada. sí with an accent means yes.

💡 Never forget the "que"! Tener needs "que" to connect to its action.

tener que + infinitive

tener que + infinitive marks obligation: Tengo que hacerlo. hay que is more general: Hay que hacer estos ejercicios.

💡 Me and Yes get the stress (accents on mí and sí)! If and My stay dry.

Diacritics: sí / si and mí / mi

sí (accent) is yes. si (no accent) is if. mí (accent) is me after a preposition: a mí. mi (no accent) is my.

Level B1 Mastery

21 core concepts

💡 Real fact? Indicative act! If it's a true situation right now, use the normal verb tense after aunque.

aunque + indicative

aunque + indicative concedes a known fact: Aunque llueve, salgo. It does not cancel the main clause.

💡 Add -ía to the future stem to turn 'will' into 'would'.

Conditional: hablaría

The conditional uses the same stems as the future, then -ía: hablaría, haría, podría. It marks what would happen, or a polite request: ¿Podrías ayudarme?

💡 Future in the main clause means subjunctive in the 'cuando' clause.

cuando + subjunctive for future time

cuando + present is a habit. cuando + subjunctive looks ahead to a time that has not happened: Cuando llegue, te llamo.

💡 Hace is for how long (duration), Que is for what happened (action clause).

desde hace / desde que

desde hace + duration with a present verb: Vivo aquí desde hace dos años. desde que + a clause: Desde que llegó, está contenta. hace + duration + que is the same idea: Hace dos años que vivo aquí.

💡 L and L sounds awkward together (Le lo), so change the first L to S (Se lo) to make it smooth!

Double object pronouns: se lo

Put the indirect object pronoun before the direct one: me lo, te la, nos los. Le or les becomes se before lo, la, los, or las: Se lo di a Ana. Do not add a third pronoun to this two-object pattern.

💡 An infinitive with -é or -á on the end is a 'will-do', not a 'going-to'.

Simple future: hablaré

Add future endings to the infinitive: hablaré, comerás, vivirá. Common irregular stems: haré, diré, podré, saldré, tendré.

💡 Look at the thing after the verb: if it's plural, add an 'n' to duele, encanta, or falta.

gustar-type: doler, encantar, faltar

doler, encantar, faltar, quedar, importar work like gustar: the thing is the subject. Me duelen los pies. Le encanta el cine. Nos falta pan.

💡 For formal commands and all 'don'ts', swap the vowel (A to E, E to A) and put pronouns strictly in front.

Usted and negative commands

Usted commands use the present subjunctive: Hable, Coma. Negative tú commands also use it: No hables. Object pronouns go before a negative command: No lo hagas.

💡 Attach 'se' to a he/she verb to mean 'people in general' do this.

Impersonal se: se habla español

se + 3rd person can mean people in general: Se habla español. Se vive bien aquí. The verb stays singular if there is no plural noun subject.

💡 If it describes a completed state with 'está' or 'están', make the -ado/-ido match the noun like a normal adjective!

Participles as adjectives: está cerrado

A participle can describe a resulting state and then agrees: La tienda está cerrada. Las cartas están escritas. This is not he cerrado (I have closed).

💡 Acabar = Finish (just did it); Volvolver/Volver = Return (do it again).

acabar de / volver a + infinitive

acabar de + infinitive means just did: Acabo de llegar. volver a + infinitive means do again: Volvió a llamar.

💡 Pair 'había' with an '-ado/-ido' verb to create a 'past-of-the-past' time stamp.

Past perfect: había + participle

había / habías / había + participle is a past before another past: Cuando llegué, ella ya había salido.

💡 Remember 'PROD' for Para: Purpose, Recipient, Objective, Deadline. For Por, think of the path or price you paid.

por vs para (B1)

por often marks duration, route, or exchange: por tres días, por la calle, por diez euros. para marks a deadline, destination, or recipient: para el lunes, para Madrid, para ti.

💡 Cross your vowels: AR verbs take E, and ER/IR verbs take A.

Present subjunctive (regular)

For -ar verbs, subjunctive looks like -e: hable, hables. For -er/-ir, it looks like -a: coma, viva. It usually sits after que under a wish, emotion, or doubt.

💡 Use PREterite for a Point in time (one-time action); use IMperfect for IMages and habits (painting the scene).

Preterite vs imperfect

The preterite presents an event or period as a completed whole, including repeated events within a bounded period. The imperfect describes a habit, background, or an action viewed while it was underway.

💡 For “with whom,” con quien and con el que or con la que are possible. Keep the preposition the meaning needs.

Relative que and quien

que is the default linker: el libro que leí. quien/quienes after a preposition or as a person-only relative: la gente con quien hablé.

💡 Blame the object: Imagine the thing slipped away from you on its own.

Accidental se: se me cayó

se + me/te/le + verb marks an unplanned event, often softening blame: Se me cayó el vaso. Se nos olvidó la clave.

💡 Es listo means clever; está listo means ready. Learn each adjective with its meaning.

ser vs estar with adjectives

Ser and estar can give an adjective different meanings: es aburrido means he is boring, while está aburrido means he is bored. Other pairs include listo, bueno, malo, and verde.

💡 Belief brings reality (indicative); doubt pushes it out (subjunctive).

Subjunctive after doubt and no creer

Affirmative creer que and pensar que normally use the indicative to present a belief. Dudar que and negative belief commonly use the subjunctive: No creo que venga. Context and what the speaker asserts can affect mood.

💡 WEIRDO: Wishes, Emotions trigger the subjunctive when there are two different subjects connected by 'que'.

Subjunctive after wishes and emotion

Use the subjunctive after wishes and emotional reactions such as quiero que, espero que, and me alegra que. Ojalá also takes the subjunctive and does not require que. A same-subject wish often uses an infinitive: Quiero salir.

💡 The absolute 'most' needs 'DE' (of the group), never 'QUE' (than).

Superlative: el más … de

el/la/los/las + más/menos + adjective + de: Es la más alta de la clase. Irregulars stay: el mejor, el peor, el mayor.

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17 core concepts

💡 Al + infinitive often means when or upon: al salir. It can introduce its own subject: al llegar Juan.

al + infinitive

Al + infinitive introduces when something happens: Al llegar, llamó. The infinitive often shares the main subject, but can have an explicit one: Al llegar Juan, salimos.

💡 If you don't know for sure, use the subjunctive for sure.

aunque + subjunctive

Aunque + subjunctive can mean even if or whether or not: Aunque llueva, saldré. It can also background a known fact as irrelevant to the outcome; it does not always signal uncertainty.

💡 As if (-ra) = Imagine a parallel universe with a -ra verb.

como si + imperfect subjunctive

como si always takes imperfect (or pluperfect) subjunctive: Habla como si supiera todo. Nunca como si + present.

💡 Habría + ado/ido equals the English 'would have' for ghost actions.

Conditional perfect: habría ido

habría + participle is the would-have past: Habría ido, pero llovía. It pairs with si + pluperfect subjunctive.

💡 Remember: Sin embargo stands alone between sentences, while A pesar de grabs a noun or verb like a hook.

Contrast connectors: sin embargo, a pesar de

sin embargo and no obstante sit between sentences: Estudió. Sin embargo, suspendió. a pesar de + noun/infinitive: a pesar de la lluvia, a pesar de estudiar.

💡 Cuyo hugs the noun that follows it, matching its gender and number, never the owner!

cuyo and el cual

cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas agree with the thing owned: la autora cuyos libros leí. el/la/los/las cual(es) is a more formal which, often after a preposition: la casa en la cual vivo.

💡 Deber + infinitive is the usual choice for obligation. Deber de often signals a guess, but the uses overlap.

deber vs deber de

Deber + infinitive commonly expresses obligation; deber de + infinitive commonly expresses a supposition. Deber without de can also express a supposition, and actual usage overlaps.

💡 Combine 'habré' with 'will have' and your past participle (-ado/-ido) to lock in the completion.

Future perfect: habré terminado

habré / habrás / habrá + participle marks a completed action before a future point: Para las cinco, habré terminado.

💡 From hablaron, remove -ron and add -ra or -se: hablara, hablase. Match the ending to the subject.

Imperfect subjunctive: hablara

Drop the -ron of the preterite ellos form and add -ra (or -se): hablaron → hablara, tuvieron → tuviera. It sits in past wishes and in si-clauses for unreal now.

Articles→

Neuter lo + adjective

lo + masculine singular adjective names an abstract thing: lo importante, lo bueno, lo difícil. Not el importante (that man).

💡 Use 'lo' for the abstract 'thing'—remember: 'lo' + adjective = the [adjective] thing.

💡 Match the gender and number of the participle, just like an adjective.

Passive with ser + participle

ser + participle (agreeing) + optional por: El puente fue construido en 1900. More spoken Spanish prefers se or an active verb.

💡 Ponerse (start - snap), Dejar (stop - cut), Seguir (keep - roll).

poner a / dejar de / seguir + gerund

ponerse a + infinitive: started to. dejar de + infinitive: stopped. seguir / continuar + gerund: keep doing. No dejar de is not the same as dejar de.

💡 Match the 'had' in English ('had done') with 'hubiera' plus the '-ado/-ido' participle.

Pluperfect subjunctive: hubiera hablado

hubiera / hubiese + participle is the unreal past: Si hubiera sabido, no habría ido. Ojalá hubiera venido.

💡 Dijo que trabajaba reports a past perspective. Dijo que trabaja can present work that is still current.

Reported speech tense backshift

After a past reporting verb (dijo, contó), tenses often step back: Dice que viene → Dijo que venía. Dice que vendrá → Dijo que vendría. Dice que ha llegado → Dijo que había llegado.

💡 Count the things: if there are many items, match the verb to the plural (se venden); if there is no item at all, keep the verb lonely and singular (se vive).

Passive se vs impersonal se

Passive se: the noun is the subject and the verb agrees: Se venden casas. Impersonal se: no noun subject, verb stays singular: Se vive bien. Se dice que…

💡 Match the musical rhythm: si + -ra, then -ía (like a catchy song: tuviera, viajaría).

Unreal si: si tuviera, viajaría

A real condition is si + present. An unreal now is si + imperfect subjunctive, main clause conditional: Si tuviera dinero, viajaría.