SS: How to Use "a" Correctly, Mastering "se" and Venezuelan Slang
The Most Important Edition Yet for Levelling up your Spanish...
SPANISH SUNDAYS
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Novato (Beginner)
Understand how the preposition “a” works in Spanish
That tiny preposition “a” might seem simple, but it plays a huge role in making your Spanish sound natural. The rule is pretty straightforward: use a before direct objects when they're people or pets—but skip it when you're talking about things.
Here are some examples using common verbs:
Visitar:
“Voy a visitar a mi abuela.”→ I’m going to visit my grandma.
Without “a”
“Voy a visitar Londres”→ I’m going to visit London
Mostrar:
“Voy a mostrar a Carlos mi nueva guitarra.”→ I’m going to show Carlos my new guitar.
Conocer:
“Quiero conocer a tus amigos.”→ I want to meet your friends.
Without “a”
“Quiero conocer esta ciudad”→ I want to get to know this city
Saludar:
“Siempre saludo a mis vecinos con una sonrisa.”→ I always greet my neighbours with a smile.
Ayudar:
“Me gusta ayudar a mi hermano con sus deberes.”→ I like to help my brother with his homework.
Llamar:
“Voy a llamar a mi mamá.”→ I’m going to call my mom.
Dar
“Le di un balón a mi hijo.”→ I gave my son a ball.
Avanzado (Advanced)
Mastering "Se" – A Puzzle with No Direct Translation
The pronoun se pops up all over Spanish, and it can be a real head-scratcher for English speakers. It’s used for a variety of situations that don’t translate directly, such as expressing unintentional actions, forming passive constructions, or describing appearances.
1. Unintentional Actions:
Se me olvidó – Used when something slips your mind.
“Se me olvidó las llaves.” → I forgot the keys.
“Se me olvidó tu nombre.” → I forgot your name.
Se me escapó – Used in a similar way.
“Se me escapó lo que quería decir.” → I lost track of what I wanted to say.
“Se me escapó la idea durante la reunión.” → I lost the idea during the meeting.
2. Passive/Impersonal Constructions:
Se vende – A way to form a passive sentence.
“Aquí se vende fruta fresca.” → Fresh fruit is sold here.
“Se alquilan apartamentos en el centro.” → Apartments are rented in the downtown.
3. Expressing Appearance or Quality:
Se te ve – Used to indicate how someone appears.
“Se te ve muy feliz hoy.” → You look very happy today.
“Se le ve la preocupación en los ojos.” → You can see the worry in his eyes.
While se might seem confusing at first, it adds a native flavour to your Spanish. With practice and lots of listening, you’ll start to see how these constructions work, just keep going!
Around the Hispanic World
Venezuelan Slang
I don’t think I’ve mentioned anything to do with Venezuela so I thought why not give you a couple of fun words:
Chévere: go-to word for anything awesome or cool. Also used in Colombia and Perú.
Esa fiesta fue muy chévere → That party was so cool
Pana: In Venezuela, calling someone “pana” means they’re a friend or can mean friendly as an adjective.
Tengo unos panas de Venezuela → I have friends from Venezuela
Conocí a tu hermano ayer, es muy pana → I met your brother yesterday, he’s very friendly
Chamo: Basically “bro” or “dude”, you can use it with both friends and strangers.
¡Chamo! Tiempo sin verte, ¿qué tal todo? → Dude! Long time no see, how’s everything?