LCA Spanish flashcards

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

Sinalefa

The merging of a final vowel with an initial vowel across a word boundary into one syllable. It alters perceived word boundaries in rapid speech, so listeners must parse meaning from context rather than sound alone.

Sesenta vs setenta

Sixty versus seventy. The stressed syllable differs: se-SEN-ta versus se-TEN-ta. Confusing them changes quantities, prices, and times in listening tasks, so attend to the stressed vowel.

Preterite versus imperfect listening cue

The imperfect sets background, habit, or ongoing state, while the preterite advances the plot with completed events. Time markers such as de repente favor the preterite; antes and siempre favor the imperfect.

Double negation in Spanish

Spanish requires or permits no plus another negative word, as in No vino nadie or No dijo nada. The negatives reinforce rather than cancel each other, so the sentence remains negative in meaning.

Formal register listening cues

Usted verb forms, titles such as señor or doctora, and phrases like por favor signal formal interaction. Tú forms, diminutives ending in -ito, and vocatives like oye signal informal speech.

Homophones b and v

Spanish pronounces b and v identically as a bilabial sound, so vaca and baca sound the same. Spelling must be recovered from context, word family, or dictionary knowledge, never from the audio.

Paraphrase in listening options

Correct answer options usually restate the audio with different words rather than repeating its exact phrasing. Options that copy a phrase verbatim are often distractors that misrepresent the surrounding meaning.

Numbers with quince and cincuenta

Quince means fifteen and cincuenta means fifty; the endings -ce and -cuenta carry the distinction. Mishearing them shifts dates, ages, and prices, so listen for the final syllable.

Actual as false friend

Actual means current or present-day, not actual. Similarly realizar means to carry out, and largo means long. Reading comprehension items often test these mismatches between similar-looking English and Spanish words.

Sin embargo

A contrast connector meaning however or nevertheless. It signals that the next clause reverses or qualifies the previous claim, which is essential for identifying the author's main argument in a text.

Por lo tanto

A consequence connector meaning therefore. It marks a conclusion drawn from preceding evidence, so the sentence after it usually states the author's inference rather than a new fact.

Ya que

A causal connector meaning since or because. It introduces a reason supporting the main clause, and identifying it helps separate the claim from its justification in expository text.

A pesar de

A concessive connector meaning in spite of. It introduces an obstacle that does not prevent the main clause, signaling that the expected result failed to occur.

Clitic referent tracking

Pronouns such as lo, la, le, and se usually point to a noun in a prior clause. Resolving the referent requires rereading the preceding sentence, which is the usual skill tested by pronoun items.

Inference item rule

The correct answer is logically supported by the passage but not stated word for word. An option that copies a phrase from the text often distorts its context and functions as a trap.

Echar de menos

An idiom meaning to miss someone or something. It is a fixed lexical unit, so it cannot be understood by translating echar and menos separately; similar idioms include dar con, meaning to find.

Restrictive versus non-restrictive que

Que without commas restricts the noun it modifies, while a comma plus el cual or la cual adds non-essential information. The comma changes which claim the sentence makes about the noun.

Ser versus estar

Ser expresses identity, origin, profession, and inherent traits; estar expresses location, temporary state, and result of change. Es cansado describes a boring person, while está cansado describes fatigue.

Por versus para

Por marks cause, exchange, duration, and movement through; para marks purpose, destination, deadline, and recipient. Compare gracias por (cause) with para ti (recipient) to select the correct preposition.

Spanish stress and accent rule

Words ending in a vowel, n, or s stress the penultimate syllable; all others stress the last. Any word deviating from this pattern carries a written accent to mark the actual stress.

Reflexive meaning shift

Adding a reflexive pronoun can change the verb's meaning: ir means to go while irse means to leave; dormir means to sleep while dormirse means to fall asleep; ponerse means to become or put on.

Subjunctive trigger WEIRDO

Wishes, Emotion, Impersonal expressions, Recommendations, Doubt or denial, and Ojalá trigger the subjunctive in the dependent clause. The trigger in the main clause governs the mood of the que clause.

Affirmative tú commands

Affirmative tú commands use the third-person singular present indicative: habla, come, vive. Irregulars include di, haz, ve, pon, sal, sé, ten, and ven, which must be memorized separately.

Negative tú commands

Negative tú commands use the second-person subjunctive: no hables, no comas, no vengas. Pronoun placement differs too, since object pronouns attach before the verb rather than after it.

El agua fría agreement

Stress-initial feminine nouns take the masculine singular article el for phonetic reasons but remain feminine, so adjectives stay feminine: el agua fría, el hambre extrema. Plural forms revert to las aguas.

Cuando with future reference

Cuando referring to a future or hypothetical event takes the subjunctive: cuando llegues, hablamos. When it refers to habitual or past events, it takes the indicative: cuando llega, hablamos.

Circumlocution for fluency

Describing an unknown word instead of stopping, as in el aparato que sirve para cortar, maintains fluency in oral tasks. It demonstrates lexical resource and avoids switching to another language.

Tutéame

A direct invitation to use tú rather than usted with the speaker. Until such an offer or a reciprocal switch occurs, usted remains the safe default with strangers, elders, and officials.

Polite disagreement formula

Phrases such as Entiendo tu punto, pero... or No estoy del todo de acuerdo porque... acknowledge the interlocutor before countering. Direct contradiction raises the register conflict and risks the interaction score.

Turn-opening markers

Pues, bueno, and entonces open a turn or signal a shift, while verdad, no, and sabes invite confirmation. These discourse markers manage turn-taking and keep the floor during oral interaction tasks.

Repair phrases

Expressions such as o sea, es decir, and lo que quiero decir es allow the speaker to rephrase or buy time. They preserve coherence when a precise word is momentarily unavailable during spontaneous speech.