Eleven years ago I learned a secret way of thinking about the Spanish subjunctive that changed my Spanish-learning life! It’s right here in this video:

We recently made this video to help introduce some new friends to Notes in Spanish, but really wanted to share it here too so everyone can benefit from it now. We hope you enjoy it, feel free to leave a comment!

Context: This is the story of how Marina and Ben met, over 10 years ago, here in Madrid. Look below for lots of useful vocabulary from the video! We hope you enjoy it!

Useful Vocab from the video:

Un intercambio – a language exchange

Quedar – to meet (Quedábamos – we used to meet)

Daba clases de inglés – I used to teach English

Una cita a ciegas… con excusa… – A blind date… with an excuse

Hola, ¿qué me cuentas? – What’s up, how are you?

Cuidado, porque ¡mira hasta donde puedes llegar! – Watch out, because look how far you can end up going!

Remember: Make the most of the 36 plus hours of free audio here at Notes in Spanish, and pick up the worksheets if you need a hand!

Ben and Marina are doing an ‘80/20′ clean up at home, and have found a great place to get give away some old books…

Watch the video, use the vocab below for a helping hand if you need it, and see if you can answer the two questions at the bottom!

Useful vocab from the video:

No tenemos hueco en las estanterías – we haven’t got room on the shelves

Ben ha metido la pata – Ben has put his foot in it/made a big mistake!

Biblioteca pública – Public library

Me parecía un poco rollo – I found it a bit boring

Asomarse – to glance at, take a quick look at

And now, a couple of questions about the video!

¿Porqué dice Marina que Ben ha metido la pata?

¿Quién, segun las sospechas de Ben y Marina, suele llevarse los libros, y porqué?

Answers in the first comment below! And do leave a comment about the video if you like!

Yes, we have a big problem in our life, maybe you can help us make a decision! Here’s the video, and if you find it tricky to understand everything, I’ve outlined a bit of context and a couple of bits of helpful vocab. below:

Context: Our house has got too small now we have baby Leo with us, plus we just aren’t sure we want to live in a big city anymore… we need to move fast!

Useful vocab:

Estoy un poco agobiado – I’m a bit stressed

Nuestra casa se nos ha quedado pequeña – Our house has got too small for us

Un sofa-cama – A sofabed

El salón es la habitación mas fresquita – The living room is the coolest room

Corre un poco de brisa – There is a bit of a breeze

Una ciudad un poco mas verde – A city which is a bit greener

A lo mejor alguien quiere alquilar este piso! – Maybe someone wants to rent our flat!

…And don’t forget that old classic (particularly loved by las chicas) to help you remember that ‘problemA’ is masculine:

“Los problemas son masculinos, ¡y las soluciones son femeninas!”

If you enjoyed the video and vocab, and like our real Spanish approach, check out more of our best Spanish learning materials in our store now!

- Ben y Marina

Dejadnos un comentario: ¿Qué tal tus vacaciones? ¿Qué has hecho este verano?

Some useful vocab from the video:

¡Cuanto tiempo! – It’s been a while! / Long time no see!

Acabamos de volver de vacaciones – We’ve just got back from holiday (acabar de + verb – to have just done something)

Descanso total – Total relaxation

Ballenas (f) – Whales

Ya nos toca trabajar – It’s time to get back to work!

UPDATE: WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Thanks to all who voted! The winners are, First place: Scott 34% (322 votes); Second Place: Ana 31% (293 votes); Third Place: Pippa 16% (149 votes). Congratulations! I’ll be contacting you today! (And well done to the runners up, who also had great videos!)

Original post…

Marina and I have picked the finalists in our Notes in Spanish Video Competition! It was a very very tough job to pick 5 from all the wonderful videos we recieved. We haven’t been able to reply personally to everyone that entered (or we’d be here all week!) but we want to thank you all again for taking the time to participate – we really enjoyed your videos!

Please take a minute to watch all 5 of the short finalist videos below, and then vote for the one you like most using the special poll under the last video. The voting ends this Thursday July 9th at midnight, and we’ll award prizes (top prize 150 dollar Amazon voucher and more goodies!) to those three lucky winners with the highest number of votes on Friday 10th.

Here are the videos!

Finalist Number 1! Ana: WINNER 2ND PLACE!

Finalist Number 2! Pippa: WINNER 3RD PLACE!

Finalist Number 3! Patrick:

Finalist Number 4! Kjersti:

Finalist Number 5! Scott: WINNER 1ST PLACE!

Here’s the poll. Wathced all the videos? VOTE NOW!!

Muchas gracias! Ben y Marina

Keep boosting your Spanish with our audio!!

In today’s video, in honour of World Environment Day, Marina brings us up-to-date (nos pone al día) on the ‘Bosque Notes in Spanish’, the Notes in Spanish Forest, which has now been planted, with your help, by the charity FAPAS in Asturias, Northern Spain.

You may remember that the 120 cherry trees, donated by Notes in Spanish using a percentage of the profits from the sale of our ‘Crisis Collection’ pack earlier this year, are there to help feed the endangered brown bear population, and to compensate CO2 emissions. In fact, the trees will absorb 4.5 tonnes of CO2 and produce 2.4 tonnes of fruit per year! Thanks so much again to everyone that bought the ‘Crisis Collection‘ and made this possible.

Context: In the video Marina starts out by telling us about a corner of the Retiro park that looks just like the countryside beyond Madrid, and goes on to talk about how the Notes in Spanish trees have now been planted, the care that has been taken by FAPAS in the way they have been planted, and ends by thanking you all for your help again (also, see the helpful vocab list below):

More vocab from the video:

Las afueras de Madrid – The outskirts of Madrid
La encina – Holm oak
El cerezo – Cherry tree
La supervivencia de los árboles – The survival of the trees
El abono – Fertilizer
El ciervo – Deer
La corzo – Roe deer

Finally… Helping more charities AND your Spanish at the same time:

We will continue to support environmental and children’s charities by donating up to 5% of all Notes in Spanish profits every year to good causes.

Buy a Spanisih-boosting pack from our store now and help more than just your Spanish at the same time!

In today’s video Marina talks about how she keeps her English learning fresh and motivating by filling her life with English, through watching films in English, talking to me of course but, importantly, reading lots of books in English.

Plus, she suggests that it’s good to push your limits, to tackle more difficult material than you’re used to if you really want to learn fast.

Do you agree? And as she asks in the video, ¿Cómo llenáis vuestras vidas del español? Comments below please!

P.S. Marina also talks about ‘La Crisis’ Collection coming out this week, recorded with her friend Isabel, an amazing person, as Marina points out.

Update: ‘La Crisis’ Collection is now Live here:

http://www.notesinspanish.com/store/la-crisis-collection.html

Check it out while the early discount still applies!

In today’s video I talk about 2 methods for learning more vocabulary in Spanish (and why I don’t want to cut my hair!)

First of all there is the old-as-the-hills but super-useful ‘folded bit of paper’ method. Secondly there is the best method of all: just by using new Spanish vocabulary you will learn it really fast.

I’d love you to practice right now by telling me about the ‘crisis economica’ in your country at the moment.

If you like you can just comment on your methods for learning more vocab too.

Actually, I’d love your comments on both!

Update: ‘La Crisis’ Collection is now Live here:

http://www.notesinspanish.com/store/la-crisis-collection.html

Check it out while the early discount still applies!

Warning: This video contains some bad language in Spanish.

I recently signed off a letter to a friend:

"¡Que te vaya todo muy bien!" Test: why does that use a subjunctive?

The answer (as explained in the video above, watch it first!):

"¡Que te vaya todo muy bien!" (’Hope everything goes well’) uses the subjunctive because of what is missing before the ‘que’… "Espero que te vaya todo muy bien" would be the full version, and "espero que" takes the subjunctive as it is expressing a desire.

Sorry, bit of a trick question, but that’s a very common usage, where Spanish speakers leave out the ‘espero’ bit when wishing someone something, for example good luck ("¡Que tengas suerte!").

Note, in these cases, the ‘Qué’ has an accent as it is a short exclamation phrase. (Oops! Sorry! After further research, we stand corrected, this is not so in this case.)

Do you know any other short Spanish subjunctive phrases like this, with Que + subjunctive?

(Note: Apologies for the unsavory language in this recording. Luckily it’s not half as bad as the examples used in the bonus ‘private lesson’ audio that comes with Real Spanish Control!)