Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode, I talk about different ways to describe physical and emotional attributes in Spanish. We cover words like “alto” for tall, “bajo” for short, “flaco” for skinny, “gordo” for fat, “bonito” for pretty, “feo” for ugly, “buena onda” for cool, and “malo” for mean or bad. These words can be used to describe people or things, and it’s important to understand their meaning in various contexts. We also touch on cultural nuances, such as using “güero” for someone with blonde hair and “moreno” for a brunette. Remember to use these words appropriately and consider the cultural implications when describing physical or emotional attributes.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode, we begin by engaging with our audience on our website, SpanishWithCarla.com, and encouraging participation on our Facebook group and page, Spanish with Carla, spelled with a K. As Valentine’s Day approaches, we take the opportunity to incorporate romantic vocabulary and phrases in Spanish to prepare listeners for the occasion. We delve into translations for terms like “Valentine’s Day,” “love,” and expressions of affection such as “I love you” in different contexts, shedding light on the nuances of deep and casual affection.

Continuing the conversation, we explore ways to express interest and affection after a first date, including phrases like “Me gustas” and “Te gusto.” We also touch upon conveying emotions like missing someone with the heartfelt phrase “Te extraño.” Delving into gifts and romantic gestures, we discuss vocabulary related to Valentine’s cards, flowers, chocolates, and setting the tone for a romantic dinner in Spanish, emphasizing the importance of adjectival agreement and gender specificity in language.

Transitioning to more intricate relationship dynamics, we navigate terminology for various relationship statuses from friends to spouses, highlighting gender agreement nuances in Spanish. Exploring words for engagements, proposals, marriages, as well as single, married, divorced, and widowed individuals, we showcase the linguistic richness in expressing diverse relationship statuses accurately. Practical phrases for inviting someone out, navigating breakups, and expressing emotions like love and hate are also covered to equip listeners with tools for interpersonal communication in Spanish.

As we conclude, we reflect on the shared language learning journey with our audience, expressing gratitude for their support and encouraging continued learning and practice. We emphasize the significance of mastering gender agreement, verb conjugation, and vocabulary intricacies in Spanish to effectively convey relationships and emotions. Join us in future episodes for more language insights and cultural exploration, and remember to follow our podcast for engaging and educational content on Spanish language and beyond. Keep learning and embracing the beauty of language acquisition!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Join me in this episode where I dive into the world of Spanish professions and gender rules. I start off by introducing a range of professions in Spanish, breaking down the masculine and feminine forms. We explore vocabulary for occupations such as doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher, nurse, accountant, psychologist, entrepreneur, electrician, plumber, and construction worker, while also delving into the grammar nuances of gender and number agreement in professions. Throughout the discussion, I stress the importance of practice for mastering these concepts and encourage listeners to actively participate and provide feedback for improved learning. Additionally, I offer guidance on pronunciation and spelling in Spanish to enhance language skills. In the next segment, I delve deeper into the intricacies of gender in Spanish professions, shedding light on how to address different occupations and educational levels accurately. I highlight exceptions to gender rules in professions and present examples like albañil (construction worker), cocinero/cocinera (cook), chofer (driver), vendedor/vendedora (salesperson), bombero/bombera (fireman/firewoman), and estilista (hairstylist). Furthermore, I introduce key questions related to professions, such as ¿En qué trabajas? (What do you do?), ¿Dónde trabajas? (Where do you work?), and ¿Qué estudias? (What are you studying?), to facilitate conversations about careers. Exploring educational levels in Spanish, I cover terms like primaria (elementary school), secundaria (junior high school), preparatoria (high school), and universidad (university/college). As the episode progresses, I provide valuable insights on inquiring about someone’s profession using ¿Cuál es tu profesión? (What is your profession?), fostering a deeper understanding of the language and cultural contexts.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

On today’s episode, we cover a wide range of topics related to the Spanish language. We start by discussing the use of definite and indefinite articles in Spanish, explaining how they are used to specify or generalize nouns. We provide examples of how to use articles with various nouns, such as “casa” (house) and “manzana” (apple). We also touch on the plural form and how it can be understood as “some” in English.

Moving on, we delve into the difference between “yo soy” and “yo estoy” in Spanish. While in English both phrases are represented by “I am,” in Spanish there are distinctions. We explain that “yo soy” is used to describe more permanent aspects like names or professions, while “yo estoy” is used for temporary situations and emotions. We give examples of how to use each phrase in different contexts, such as expressing emotions or describing actions.

In addition, we explore vocabulary related to food, specifically focusing on desserts and different types of tortillas. We discuss the proper pronunciation of “tortillas” and explain the difference between corn and flour options. We also provide vocabulary for various fruits and vegetables, including their Spanish names and how they can be used in different dishes.

Throughout the episode, we encourage listeners to take notes and actively engage with the content. We emphasize the importance of practice and offer resources, such as our Facebook group, where listeners can ask questions and seek clarification. We conclude by wishing everyone a fantastic week filled with success and the achievement of their goals and dreams. Stay tuned for future episodes where we will continue to expand on these language topics.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode, we begin by expressing gratitude to the listeners who are part of our Facebook group “Spanish with Carla.” We encourage them to join and interact with others who are learning Spanish. We also mention our Facebook page and website where they can find all the podcasts and notes. Moving on to the main topic of the episode, we discuss food and drink in Spanish. We start by teaching the listeners how to say food and beverage. Food is “comida” and can be made plural by adding an “s.” Beverages can be referred to as “bebidas” in general or “bebida” when specifically referring to alcoholic drinks. We clarify that while “beverage” in English can be translated as “bebida,” it doesn’t cover the same range of drinks in Spanish. We mention that in Spanish-speaking countries, it is common to say “vamos por una cerveza” (let’s go and have a beer) rather than specifying the type of drink. We then explain how to say meat in Spanish, which is “carne.” We mention that it is a feminine word that can be used to refer to different types of meat. In Latin American countries, the deli department where you can buy cold meats is called “carnes frias.” We discuss the word “pollo” which means chicken and has a masculine gender. We also mention comfort food and ask listeners to share their comfort food in the Facebook group. Lastly, we introduce the word “pescado” which means fish. We explain that when the fish is out of the water, it’s called “pescado” and is always masculine. When the fish is still in the water, it’s called “pez.” We discuss the difference between “pez” and “pescado” and the plural forms for both words. Next, we explain the importance of using specific terms when purchasing certain types of meat, such as beef and pork. We emphasize that when buying beef, it is referred to as “carne de res” and when buying pork, it is referred to as “carne de puerco.” We caution against using the generic terms “res” and “puerco” to avoid confusion. Moving on to breakfast items, we introduce the word for eggs, which is “huevo.” We mention that the “h” is silent and explain the different forms of the word depending on context. We discuss the gender of meat terms in Spanish, emphasizing that “carne” is feminine and can be combined with “res” to become “la carne de res.” We also mention that “res” can be considered feminine in some contexts, such as referring to cows. For pork, we explain that if you use it without the word “carne,” it is masculine and referred to as “el puerco.” We introduce the word for cheese, which is “queso,” and discuss its masculine gender and different forms. Moving on to drinks, we teach the words for milk, juice, coffee, and soda, along with their gender and plural forms. We also discuss hot cocoa, tea, beer, and wine, and provide different phrases and expressions related to ordering drinks in a restaurant. We end the episode by expressing gratitude for the listeners’ participation and their commitment to learning Spanish.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode, we dive into the world of learning Spanish without a structured program. The main speaker, a Spanish native, shares their experience of learning English as an adult and emphasizes that you can learn and speak Spanish without having to know all the grammatical rules. They provide information about their website, SpanishWithCarla.com, and encourage listeners to check out their podcast episodes and notes. The main speaker then proceeds to teach the basics of Spanish sentence structure, starting with the definite articles “la,” “el,” “las,” and “los” and how they define the gender and number of the noun. They also discuss the differences between masculine and feminine articles and introduce the indefinite articles “un,” “unos,” “una,” and “unas.” The main speaker provides examples and encourages practice to improve language skills. Moving on, the conversation shifts to using verbs in Spanish, particularly the verbs “ser” and “estar” to describe characteristics and locations. The main speaker shares their excitement about the potential of getting a guide dog in the future and discusses the importance of accommodating individuals with disabilities. Further along, the focus turns towards forming questions and phrases in Spanish, including how to ask “How are you?” and “Who is she?” They also introduce vocabulary words for describing someone’s appearance, such as “bonita” and “guapo.” The conversation concludes with a review of numbers in Spanish, specifically from ten to twenty. The main speaker provides pronunciation tips and points out cultural references associated with certain numbers. They offer guidance on how to say and spell the numbers, emphasizing the importance of practice and providing resources for further learning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode, we begin by expressing gratitude to the listeners for joining us on our Spanish learning journey. We acknowledge the progress they’ve made in their Spanish skills and inform them that we will soon start focusing on building phrases. We mention that there are some grammar topics that may be a bit challenging but are essential for forming and using phrases. We invite listeners to find all our episodes on our website, SpanishWithCarla.com, and encourage them to be active in our Facebook group, where we have received wonderful feedback and contributions from listeners, such as John DeMarco who shared beautiful Christmas music and songs. We emphasize the importance of commenting and sending feedback through our group or page.

Moving on, we provide some cultural background about January 6th, which is significant in most Latin American countries, as well as Spain, Portugal, and France. We clarify that this podcast is not religious but it’s important to understand the influence of the Catholic religion on Latin American culture due to the history of colonization by Spain and Portugal. We explain the story of Jesus and Mary encountering King Herodias, which led to the tradition of making a round cake called “rosca” with colorful fruits and a sweet sugary topping. We describe how small figurines representing baby Jesus are hidden inside the cake, and if someone finds a figurine in their slice, it is considered a sign of good luck for the year. We mention that this celebration is an example of how the Hispanic culture loves to come together and celebrate.

Next, we discuss the celebration of Rosca de Reyes on January 6th in Latin American countries, explaining that in the south of Mexico, kids ask the Reyes Magos for gifts, while in the north, both Santa Claus and the Reyes Magos are celebrated. We highlight the significance of the Rosca de Reyes cake in this tradition, explaining its shape and how the fruits on the cake symbolize the gifts brought by the wise men. We mention that on February 2nd, people gather to eat tamales and other foods. We also provide the spellings for Reyes Magos and Rosca de Reyes.

Transitioning into the next part of the podcast, we discuss grammar concepts in Spanish. We emphasize the importance of learning the verb “to be” (ser and estar) and how it is used to form phrases in Spanish. We provide examples such as “yo soy mujer” (I am a woman) and “yo estoy feliz” (I am happy) to explain the differences between ser and estar. We provide spelling guides for “soy” and “estoy” and remind listeners to pay attention to the pronunciation of the letter “y” in different positions within a word. We assure listeners that with practice and repetition, they will be able to understand and use these concepts effectively.

We then recap the pronouns and their associated forms of the verbs “ser” and “estar” that we’ve covered so far. We provide the conjugations for “yo soy” and “yo estoy,” “tú eres” and “tú estás,” “él es,” “ella es,” “él está,” and “ella está.” We move on to the plural forms, discussing “ellos son,” “ellas son,” “ellos están,” and “ellas están.” We also cover the forms for “we,” which are “nosotros somos,” “nosotras somos,” “nosotros estamos,” and “nosotras estamos.” We emphasize the importance of learning these conjugations for constructing sentences in Spanish.

In the next part of the podcast, we introduce ourselves in Spanish and discuss conjugations of the verb “estamos.” We share our own struggles with verb conjugations in English and encourage listeners not to feel discouraged. We then move on to the plural form of “you” in Spanish, “ustedes,” and discuss its conjugations. We reassure listeners that the gender of the subject does not matter for “ustedes.” We mention that in the next podcast, we will start constructing sentences using vocabulary words and promise to provide more vocabulary. We also mention the possibility of doing a live exercise on our Facebook group to practice pronouncing the “r” sound in Spanish.

Continuing with the lesson, we ask listeners to send videos for us to assess their pronunciation. We introduce the word for “car” in Spanish (“carro”) and explain that it becomes plural by adding an “s” at the end (“carros”). We explain that “big” is translated as “grande” and can also be translated as “large.” We give examples of how to use “grande” in singular and plural forms. We then introduce the word for “pretty” in Spanish, explaining that it is “bonita” for feminine and “bonito” for masculine. We provide examples using the word with both singular and plural nouns. Moving on, we introduce the word for “tree” (“árbol”) and explain how to make it plural by adding an “es” at the end. We mention that there is controversy around using the word for a female dog (“gata”), but it is the correct usage. Similarly, the word for “cat” is “gato” for male and “gata” for female, and they become plural as “gatos” and “gatas” respectively. Finally, we introduce the word for “store” (“tienda”) and explain that it remains unchanged in gender but can have a plural form.

In the last part of the podcast, we continue learning Spanish by practicing different sentences. We introduce the word for “school” (“escuela”) and explain that its gender doesn’t change. We provide examples of how to use it in singular and plural forms. We then introduce the words for “near” (“cerca”) and “far” (“lejos”) and explain their pronunciations. We mention that “cerca” doesn’t change when talking about multiple things. We conclude by stressing the importance of repetition and practice in learning Spanish, and we invite listeners to check out our Facebook group and page, as well as our website at SpanishWithCarla.com.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this episode of the podcast, we cover a wide range of topics related to learning Spanish. We begin by expressing gratitude to the listeners and encouraging them to engage with the content and provide feedback. The main focus of the episode is learning the names of body parts in Spanish and how to express possession. Karla breaks down the possessive form for different body parts using examples and provides pronunciation tips. They emphasize that consistent practice is key to mastering the language.