PHRASES:
Me estoy quedando pelón. | I’m going bald. |
Soy bajito. Mido un metro y 20. | I’m short. I’m 1 meter and 20 cm. tall. |
Soy muy puntual. Siempre llego a tiempo a todas partes. | I’m very punctual. I always arrive on time everywhere. |
Me gusta bailar y leer mucho. | I like to dance and read a lot. |
Me interesan las artes y los viajes. | I’m interested in the arts and travels. |
Ella es muy ordenada. | She is very organized. |
Te puedes fiar de él, es muy cumplidor. | You can trust him, he’s very reliable. |
GRAMMAR:
Special meanings to “TENER”
The verb “TENER” is used in several phrases that do not translate directly into Engilsh. These are related to physical needs that a person may have. In English we say, “I am hungry, I am thirsty, I am cold, I am tired, I am afraid, I am right.” In Spanish, however, each of these sentences is made with the verb TENER. Notice that this means that each of the phrases is spoken with nouns in Spanish, “I have hunger, I have thirst, etc.).
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Yo tengo hambre. | I am hungry. |
Juan tiene sed. | Juan is thirsty. | |
Nosotros tenemos frío. | We are cold. | |
Marcos tiene sueño. | Marcos is sleepy. | |
Ellos tienen miedo. | They are afraid. | |
José tiene calor. | Jose is hot. | |
Ana tiene prisa. | Ana is in a hurry. | |
Susana tiene razón. | Susana is right. |