LC Spanish flashcards

32 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 word boundaries in connected speech, as in mi amigo pronounced as a single syllable group; it affects listening segmentation.

Spanish syllable timing

Spanish gives roughly equal duration to each syllable, so unstressed vowels stay full rather than reducing to schwa; this helps learners hear endings like -ado and -ido.

Pero vs perro

Pero uses a single alveolar tap /r/, while perro uses a trill /rr/; the contrast is phonemic and changes meaning, so listening must distinguish tap from trill.

B and V merger

In Spanish, b and v spell the same phoneme /b/, realized as a stop after pause or nasal and as a fricative [β] between vowels; spelling must come from context.

Question intonation

Yes/no questions typically rise at the end, while wh-questions start high and fall; a final rise on a statement may signal a follow-up or politeness rather than a question.

Connected-speech reductions

Informal Spanish reduces para to pa', está to ta', and todo to to'; recognizing these forms helps listening, while their absence signals a more formal register.

Cognate false friend: actual

Actual means current or present, not actual; the English actual is usually real or verdadero. Misreading this changes the meaning of a sentence.

Discourse connector: sin embargo

Sin embargo marks contrast, equivalent to however; it signals that the next clause opposes or qualifies the previous one, guiding inference in reading.

Impersonal se

Se + third-person verb (se habla español, se venden casas) removes the agent and generalizes; do not supply a specific subject when summarizing such sentences.

Formal letter opening

A formal Spanish letter typically opens with Estimado/a Sr./Sra. + surname and closes with Atentamente; the register must stay consistent throughout.

Pronoun antecedent tracking

Lo, la, los, las, le, les and ello refer to preceding nouns or clauses; gender and number agreement usually identifies the antecedent in a passage.

Narrative tense shift

In narration, pretérito indefinido advances events while imperfecto sets background; noticing the shift helps order chronology in a reading passage.

Ser vs estar

Ser marks inherent traits, origin, time, and profession; estar marks location, temporary states, and progressive aspect. Some adjectives shift meaning, e.g. ser listo vs estar listo.

Preterite vs imperfect

Preterite presents completed, bounded events; imperfect presents background, habits, and ongoing states. Time markers like ayer or siempre guide the choice.

Subjunctive trigger: doubt

Negated or doubtful expressions such as no creo que, dudo que, and es posible que take the subjunctive in the subordinate clause, while affirmative creo que takes the indicative.

Por vs para

Por marks cause, exchange, duration, and movement through; para marks purpose, destination, recipient, deadline, and opinion, as in para mí.

Pronoun order

Indirect object pronouns precede direct object pronouns; le/les become se before lo, la, los, las, giving sequences like se lo di.

Verb + preposition collocations

Fixed combinations include pensar en, depender de, insistir en, contar con, acordarse de, and empezar a; the preposition is not predictable from English.

Reflexive meaning shift

Adding a reflexive pronoun can change meaning: irse means to leave versus ir to go; ponerse means to become versus poner to put; quedarse means to stay.

Accent rule

Words ending in a vowel, -n, or -s are stressed on the penultimate syllable unless a written accent marks otherwise; other final consonants default to final stress unless marked.

Co-official languages of Spain

Catalán is co-official in Cataluña, gallego in Galicia, and euskera in País Vasco; these are regional official languages alongside Spanish.

Día de los Muertos

A Mexican observance on November 1–2 blending indigenous and Catholic traditions, with ofrendas, cempasúchil flowers, pan de muerto, and calaveras.

Mate and bombilla

Mate is a shared infusion in Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay, drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla; offering and sharing it is a social ritual.

Flamenco elements

Flamenco from Andalucía combines cante (song), baile (dance), and guitarra, structured by compás rhythms and palos (forms) such as soleá and bulería.

Camino de Santiago

A pilgrimage network ending at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia; the cathedral's botafumeiro is a large censer swung on special occasions.

Bolívar and San Martín

Simón Bolívar led independence in northern South America and Gran Colombia; José de San Martín led campaigns in Argentina, Chile, and Peru.

Tú vs usted

Tú is informal singular and usted formal singular; in Spain vosotros is informal plural and ustedes formal, while Latin America generally uses ustedes for both.

Voseo

Use of vos with its own verb forms (vos tenés, vos sabés) instead of tú; it is standard in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and parts of Central America.

Softening a request

Conditional (¿Podrías…?), imperfect (Quería pedirte…), or negative questions (¿No tendrás…?) soften requests; bare imperatives can sound brusque in formal settings.

Diminutive politeness

The diminutive -ito/-ita can signal politeness or affection rather than small size, as in un momentito or cafecito; context determines whether it is literal.

Don and doña

Don/doña plus a first name is a respectful address form in many Spanish-speaking communities, often for older or esteemed people; it is not used with surnames alone.

Email closing register

Formal Spanish emails close with Atentamente or Cordialmente; informal ones use Un saludo or Besos; the closing should match the opening's level of formality.