Spanish 2/Chapter 7 (Childhood)

Toys

 * bloques - blocks
 * colección - collection
 * cuerda - rope
 * dinosaurio - dinosaur
 * juguete - toy
 * muñeca - doll
 * muñeco - action figure
 * oso de peluche - teddy bear
 * tren eléctrico - electric train
 * triciclo - tricycle

Animals

 * pez - fish
 * peces - multiple fish / fishes
 * tortuga - turtle

Things to do

 * coleccionar - to collect
 * molestar - to bother
 * pelearse - to fight
 * saltar - to jump

Places

 * guardería infantil - daycare center
 * patio de recreo - playground

To explain actions

 * de niño(a) - as a child
 * de pequeño(a) - as a child
 * de vez en cuando - once in a while
 * mentir - to lie
 * obedecer - to obey
 * ofrecer - to offer
 * permitir - to permit, to allow
 * por lo general - in general
 * portarse bien/mal - to behave well/badly
 * todo el mundo - everyone
 * vecino(a) - neighbor
 * la verdad - truth
 * ¿verdad? - Right?

Note: Mentir has a stem-change of e to ie. Obedecer and Ofrecer have a stem-change of c to zc.

To describe people

 * bien educado(a) - well-behaved
 * consentido(a) - spoiled
 * desobediente - disobedient
 * generoso(a) - generous
 * obediente - obedient
 * timido(a) - timid
 * travieso(a) - naughty, mischievous

Other words

 * moneda - coin
 * mundo - world

Imperfect of ir

 * iba - I used to go
 * ibas - you used to go (singular)
 * iba - he/she used to go
 * íbamos - we use to go
 * ibais - you used to go (plural)
 * iban - they used to go

Note: Notice the accent mark on the nosotros form.

Imperfect of ser

 * era - I used to be
 * eras - you used to be (singular)
 * era - he/she used to be
 * éramos - we used to be
 * erais - you used to be (plural)
 * eran - they used to be

Note: Notice the accent mark on the nosotros form.

Imperfect of ver

 * veía - I used to watch
 * veías - you used to watch (singular)
 * veía - he/she used to watch
 * veíamos - we used to watch
 * veíais - you used to watch (plural)
 * veían - they used to watch

Note: Notice the accent mark on each form.

Imperfect tense: regular verbs
Another way to talk about the past is with the imperfect tense. Use the imperfect tense to talk about actions that happened repeatedly in the past.

Jugar
 * jugaba - I used to play
 * jugabas - you used to play (singular)
 * jugaba - he/she used to play
 * jugábamos - we used to play
 * jugabais - you used to play (plural)
 * jugaban - they used to play

Note: Notice the accent mark on the nosotros form.

Hacer
 * hacía - I used to do
 * hacías - you used to do (singular)
 * hacía - he/she used to do
 * hacíamos - we used to do
 * hacíais - you used to do (plural)
 * hacían - they used to do

Vivir
 * vivía - I used to live
 * vivías - you used live (singular)
 * vivía - he/she used live
 * vivíamos - we used live
 * vivíais - you used live (plural)
 * vivían - they used live

Note: Notice the accent mark on each ending.

In Spanish, you can omit the subject of the verb because the verb ending makes it claers who you are refering to.

ex. Vives en San Francisco. (The subject, tú is included in the verb ending.)

However, since the yo and Ud./él/ella forms are the same in the imperfect tense, speakers often use the subject pronouns to avoid confusion.

ex.. Patty tenía un coche rojo pero yo tenía uno azul.

Expressions such as generalmente, por lo general, a menudo, muchas veces, de vez en cuando, todos los días, and nunca can cause you to use the imperfect because they imply that something happened repeatedly in the past.

Indirect object pronouns
Remember that an indirect object tells to whom or for whom an action is performed. Indirect object pronouns are used to replace or accompany an indirect object noun.


 * me - me
 * te - you (familiar)
 * le - him, her, you (formal)
 * nos - us
 * os - you (familiar)
 * les - them, you (formal)

ex. Nuestra escuela no nos permite beber refrescos en las clases. Sus abuelos siempre les daban regalos a los niños.

Because le and les have more than one meaning, you make the meaning clearer by adding a + name, noun, or pronoun.

ex. Lola siempre les decía la verdad a sus padres.

Like direct object pronouns and reflexive pronouns, indirect object pronouns are placed right before the verb or attached to the infinitive.

ex. Siempre le quería comprar dulces a su hija. (or) Siempre quería comprarle dulces a su hija.

Childhood descriptions

 * creativo(a) - creative
 * inquieto(a) - restless
 * juguetón, juguetona - playful
 * mentiroso(a) - liar
 * prudente - prudent, sensible

Playground

 * cajón de arena - sandbox
 * carrusel - merry-go-round
 * columpio - swing
 * subibaja - seesaw
 * tobogán - slide

Animals

 * águila - eagle
 * conejo - rabbit
 * cuervo - raven
 * gallina - hen
 * gallo - rooster
 * oveja - sheep
 * rana - frog
 * toro - bull
 * vaca - cow
 * zorro(a) - fox

Cultural Insight (Canciones infantiles)
Every child likes to sing. In Spanish-speaking nations, there are numerous popular songs that children sing while playing with friends.

Many children’s songs are part of the culture and traditions of Latin America. Also, they are used to teach vocabulary, verb tenses, and traditions. Some of the songs that are transmitted through generations are:


 * Los pollitos dicen
 * Yo tengo una casita- Pica Pica
 * La vaca lechera
 * Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas y Pies
 * Cumpleaños Feliz / Sapo Verde
 * Las Mañanitas
 * Los Elefantes
 * La Cucaracha
 * La Rana debajo del Agua
 * María Isabel
 * Cielito Lindo
 * El Rancho Grande