CSEC Spanish flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

tú versus usted

Tú is informal singular for peers, friends, and family; usted is formal singular for strangers, officials, and elders. Use usted if the examiner uses it first. Ustedes is plural in both Spain and Latin America.

asking for repetition politely

Standard repair phrases: '¿Puede repetir, por favor?', 'No he entendido bien', '¿Cómo dice?'. These keep the interaction going in Spanish instead of switching to English or falling silent.

paraphrasing a missing word

When a vocabulary item is unavailable, describe it: 'es una persona que...', 'es un tipo de...', 'sirve para...'. This demonstrates circumlocution, a scored speaking skill, rather than abandoning the message.

distractor correction in listening

Listening texts often state a detail then correct it: 'a las ocho... no, perdón, a las ocho y media'. The corrected second mention is the answer; the first mention is a deliberate distractor.

structured oral answer formula

Answer directly, give one reason, add one concrete example, then link back to the question. This four-part pattern fills time coherently and hits content, range, and coherence criteria simultaneously.

Spanish vowel pronunciation

Spanish vowels are pure and short: no glide on e or o as in English 'say' or 'go'. Keep all five vowels even and short for intelligibility in oral exams.

false friend: actual

Spanish 'actual' means current or present-day, not 'actual'. 'La situación actual' is the current situation. The English sense is rendered by 'real' or 'verdadero'.

false friend: largo

Spanish 'largo' means long in extent or duration, not 'large'. 'Un vestido largo' is a long dress. 'Large' is 'grande'. This pair frequently appears in reading distractors.

false friend: embarazada

Spanish 'embarazada' means pregnant, not embarrassed. The English sense is 'avergonzada'. A reading passage about an embarrassed person will use avergonzada, so mistranslation changes the answer.

reading question cue: según el texto

'Según el texto' signals a literal detail question: the answer is stated explicitly. Do not infer; locate the keyword and check the option against the exact wording in the passage.

reading question cue: se deduce

'¿Qué se deduce?' signals an inference question: the answer is implied but not stated. Reject options that merely repeat the text without following logically from it.

pronoun antecedent tracking

Direct and indirect object pronouns (lo, la, le, los, las, les) and se refer to a previously named noun. Identify that antecedent before answering detail questions, since options often swap referents.

Spanish double negation

Spanish keeps the negative with multiple negative words: 'No vino nadie', 'No dijo nada', 'No lo vio nunca'. Unlike English, the extra negative is required, not redundant.

narrative sequencing markers

Markers such as primero, luego, después, antes de, mientras, al final order events in narrative texts. They answer sequencing questions and reveal which action happened first.

formal letter opening

Begin with Estimado/a Sr./Sra. plus surname, then a purpose sentence such as 'Le escribo para...'. Avoid Hola in formal letters; reserve it for informal emails to friends.

formal letter closing formula

Close with Atentamente or Un saludo cordial followed by your name. These formulas are expected conventions and are credited under register and format criteria in structured writing tasks.

informal email closing

Use Un abrazo, Besos, or Hasta pronto plus your first name for friends and family. Exclamation marks and contractions are acceptable; the register must stay consistently informal throughout.

preterite versus imperfect

Preterite marks completed, bounded events (fui, comí); imperfect marks background, habits, and descriptions (era, comía, solía). Deliberate contrast shows tense control and raises the writing band.

subjunctive triggers

Espero que, es importante que, para que, and cuando referring to the future take the subjunctive. Affirmative creo que takes the indicative; negative no creo que takes the subjunctive.

written accent distinguishes meaning

Accents separate pairs: el (article) versus él (he), si (if) versus sí (yes), mas (but) versus más (more), esta (this) versus está (is located). Interrogatives always carry accents.

writing agreement checklist

Before submitting, verify adjective-noun gender and number agreement, article-noun agreement, subject-verb agreement, and ser versus estar choice. These errors are frequent and easily corrected in a final read-through.

ser versus estar

Ser covers identity, origin, profession, and inherent traits; estar covers location, temporary states, and progressive forms. Some adjectives shift meaning: ser listo is clever, estar listo is ready.

por versus para

Por marks cause, exchange, duration, and movement through. Para marks purpose, destination, deadline, and recipient. Compare 'gracias por todo' with 'este regalo es para ti'.

indirect before direct pronoun

Indirect object pronouns precede direct object pronouns: 'Me lo dio', 'Te la envío'. In the third person, le/les become se before lo/la/los/las: 'Se lo dije'.

affirmative tú commands

Affirmative tú commands use the third-person present indicative: habla, come, escribe, ven, haz, pon. Irregular short forms include di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, ven.

negative tú commands

Negative tú commands use the subjunctive form: no hables, no comas, no escribas. Pronoun placement differs too: pronouns attach to affirmative commands but precede negative ones.

reflexive meaning shifts

Adding a reflexive pronoun often changes meaning: ir (go) versus irse (leave), dormir (sleep) versus dormirse (fall asleep), poner (put) versus ponerse (become or put on).

masculine noun exceptions

Nouns ending in -ma from Greek are masculine: el problema, el mapa, el idioma, el sistema, el programa. Also el día. Nouns in -ción, -sión, -dad, -tad are feminine.

accented question words

Interrogatives and exclamatives carry accents: qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo, quién, cuánto. The same words without accents function as conjunctions or relatives: que, como, donde.

present perfect with haber

Form with haber plus past participle: he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han plus hablado or comido. Irregular participles include hecho, dicho, visto, puesto, escrito, vuelto, roto.

gustar-type verbs

Verbs like gustar, encantar, interesar, and doler take an indirect object: me gusta, le encantan, nos duele. The subject is the thing liked, so the verb agrees with it, not with the person.

reading for author purpose

'¿Cuál es la intención del autor?' asks why the text was written: to persuade, inform, warn, or advertise. Identify the text type and the dominant verb mood before choosing among the options.