NCEA L1 Spanish flashcards

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

¿Cómo te llamas?

Informal question asking someone's name, answered with 'Me llamo…' or 'Soy…'. The formal version is '¿Cómo se llama usted?'. Use it at the start of a spoken interaction.

Me gusta / Me gustan

Expresses liking. Use 'me gusta' with a singular noun or infinitive ('me gusta leer') and 'me gustan' with a plural noun ('me gustan los libros'). The thing is the grammatical subject.

Ser vs estar

'Ser' gives identity, origin, nationality and defining traits (soy neozelandés, es alto). 'Estar' gives location, temporary states and moods (está en casa, estoy cansado). Choosing wrongly changes meaning.

Preterite regular endings

Completed past actions. -ar verbs: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron. -er/-ir verbs: -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron. Example: 'ayer hablé con Ana'.

Ir a + infinitive

The near future construction: conjugate 'ir' (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van) plus 'a' plus an infinitive. 'Voy a estudiar' means I am going to study.

Question words in Spanish

qué (what), quién (who), cuándo (when), dónde (where), cómo (how), cuánto (how much), por qué (why), cuál (which). All carry a written accent in questions and take an inverted opening mark.

Silent h and j sound

Spanish 'h' is always silent, so 'hola' sounds like 'ola'. The letter 'j' is a harsh breathy sound like Scottish 'loch', as in 'trabajo' and 'jugo'.

Formal vs informal address

Use 'tú' with friends, family and peers (¿tienes?, ¿quieres?). Use 'usted' with strangers, officials and older people (¿tiene?, ¿quiere?), with third-person verb forms.

Repair phrases for speaking

Phrases that keep a conversation alive when comprehension fails: '¿Cómo?', '¿Puedes repetir, por favor?', 'Más despacio, por favor', '¿Qué significa…?', 'No entiendo'.

False friends: actual, librería

'Actual' means current or present, not actual. 'Librería' is a bookshop, not a library (biblioteca). Other traps: 'éxito' (success), 'sensible' (sensitive), 'embarazada' (pregnant).

Skimming and scanning

Skimming reads quickly for the main idea using titles and first sentences. Scanning hunts for one specific detail such as a time, price or name. Reading tasks usually need both.

Personal a with people

An untranslated 'a' goes before a human direct object: 'Veo a María', '¿Conoces a Juan?' It is not used for things: 'Veo la casa'. It also appears after 'tener' in 'tengo a'.

Gustar-type verbs

Verbs like gustar, encantar, interesar and doler take indirect object pronouns (me, te, le, nos, les) and agree with the thing: 'Me duelen los pies', 'Le encantan los animales'.

Adjective agreement rules

Adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine and add -s/-es for plural: alto, alta, altos, altas. Adjectives ending in -e or a consonant usually only add -s or -es.

Telling the time

'¿Qué hora es?' answers with 'Es la una' for one o'clock and 'Son las + number' for others. Add 'y cuarto' (quarter past), 'y media' (half past), 'menos cuarto' (quarter to).

Numbers: cien and mil

'Cien' is 100 before a noun; 'ciento' before a larger number (ciento veinte). 'Mil' is 1,000. Hundreds agree in gender: doscientos/doscientas. Prices and dates depend on these.

Text types and layouts

Recognise purpose from layout: menus list entrantes and postres; timetables show days and times; adverts use imperatives and exclamations; postcards open with a greeting and close with 'Saludos'.

Connectives for reasoning

porque (because), por eso (that is why), aunque (although), además (furthermore), sin embargo (however), entonces (so). They show cause, contrast and result in reading and writing.

Accent marks change meaning

Written accents distinguish words: sí (yes) vs si (if), él (he) vs el (the), más (more) vs mas (but), está (is) vs esta (this). They also mark stress and question forms.

Opening punctuation ¿ ¡

Spanish questions and exclamations open with inverted marks: '¿Dónde vives?' and '¡Qué bien!' Omitting the opening mark is a common writing error penalised in written production.

Greetings and farewells

Greetings: Hola, Buenos días, Buenas tardes, Buenas noches, ¿Qué tal? Farewells: Adiós, Hasta luego, Hasta mañana, Nos vemos. Register shifts between informal and formal situations.

Introducing yourself

A model introduction: 'Me llamo…, tengo… años, soy de…, vivo en…, hablo… y estudio…'. Add one opinion ('Me gusta…') to extend the exchange beyond basic facts.

Opinion stems

Useful stems: 'Creo que…', 'Me parece que…', 'En mi opinión…', 'Estoy de acuerdo', 'No estoy de acuerdo', 'Prefiero… porque…'. They turn short answers into extended, reasoned responses.

Sequencing words

primero (first), después/luego (then), más tarde (later), finalmente (finally). They organise both a listening text and a written narrative, and often locate the answer in listening tasks.

Listening for corrections

Speakers often revise information using 'pero', 'en realidad', 'mejor' or 'no, espera'. The last stated detail usually replaces the first, so answer with the corrected information.

Regular present tense endings

-ar: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. -er: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. -ir: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. Stem-changing verbs (e→ie, o→ue) keep the change except in nosotros.

Formal letter conventions

Open with 'Estimado señor / Estimada señora:' and close with 'Atentamente,' or 'Un saludo cordial,'. Use 'usted' forms throughout. Informal emails instead use '¡Hola!' and 'Un abrazo'.

Definite and indefinite articles

Definite: el, la, los, las (the). Indefinite: un, una, unos, unas (a, some). They must match the noun's gender and number: 'el libro', 'las casas', 'unos amigos'.

Negation in Spanish

Place 'no' directly before the verb: 'No hablo francés'. Double negatives are normal and correct: 'No veo nada', 'No tengo ningún dinero'. Never use 'no' plus a positive indefinite in English style.

Reading for the five Ws

Ask quién, qué, cuándo, dónde and por qué about a text, then find the sentence answering each. This gives evidence for comprehension answers instead of guessing from single words.

Menu and price vocabulary

entrantes (starters), platos principales (main courses), postres (desserts), bebidas (drinks), la cuenta (the bill). Prices read as 'cuesta cinco euros con cincuenta'. Useful in reading and listening tasks.

Spoken interaction structure

A Level 1 interaction has three moves: greet and open, exchange information with at least two questions each way, then close. Both asking and answering are required for the standard.