Spanish Answers

Hello, hello, hello!!! It has been AGES since last we talked (completely my fault, I own it 100%). I have a quick - but important! - announcement regarding the podcast/blog, and then let's kick off - I mean, end (oops!) - the 2025 Christmas season with my traditional Christmas Song Sampler! (See Episode 96 , Episode 82 , Episode 64 , Episode 42 , and Episode 24 ). So grab a cup of hot chocolate an...

Let's really get into the Christmas spirit? It's time for the annual focus on 10 Spanish Christmas songs (see Episode 82 , Episode 64 , Episode 42 , and Episode 24 ). So get a cup of hot cocoa and grab a snack, it's time to enjoy some canciones navideñas! :D Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo! SHOW NOTES: ©2023 by Language Answers, LLC Blog f...

In Part 2 of our dive into Superlatives , we're going to focus on Absolute Superlatives. You know, saying that someone is "super cool" or "very smart" by using those fantastic -ísimos ! They are one of my favorite Spanish constructs. :D Not to mention our final Cultural Tip on Paraguay, where we go over three interesting and unique Paraguayan customs! ¡Empecemos! Remember, learning a language is a...

How do you tell someone that their food is "the best"? Or explain to your friend how very, very cool your teacher is? Today's episode is the first in a 2-part series on Spanish Superlatives! First, we will talk about Relative Superlatives , and in the next episode we'll talk about Absolute Superlatives . And of course we can't forget about our Cultural Tip on Paraguay, where we go over their natio...

After falling off the face of the Earth (not quite), I'm back! Today's episode will be a simpler one, as we're going to talk about various resources you can find for Spanish (among other languages) in my free Language Resource Library! And we will also finally begin our Cultural Tip on Paraguay. Let's begin! Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo...

It's been a while since we did a song sampler ( Episode 54: Song Sampler #3 - Unique Dance Styles of Spanish Music , to be exact)! For our special episode today, we'll look at a list of at 13 songs that are either in Spanish, Spanglish, or have a multitude of languages (including, of course, English and Spanish! ;D This is a podcast about Spanish, after all!).  Since this is a special episode, and...

Continuing with our brief focus on verbs and prepositions (see last week's Episode 90: Verbs with Built-In Prepositions ), today we'll talk about 8 Spanish verbs and their related prepositions. The first five deal with verbs that use different prepositions than you would expect as a native English speaker. The next three deal with verbs that require prepositions in Spanish, but which don't require...

Have you ever noticed that some Spanish verbs don't need to be followed by a preposition, like they do in English? That's because the "preposition", if you will, is built into the verb's meaning. It's implied. For example, you don't say buscar para or buscar por. You just say buscar . Today we will look at 5 such verbs! Not to mention our Cultural Tip on Honduras, focusing on the country's nationa...

Since this is August, the month where many are going back to school, let's review some back-to-school vocabulary! We'll first talk about the different levels of school, followed by some general school subjects you might have (so you can practice your Spanish as you get ready for the new school year). The story format seems to be working well, so we're going to stick to that again for this episode....

This past month has been particularly busy with work projects, so today's episode is something fun: 11 Spanish book recommendations for little kids! Whether you're gearing up for the start of school or just want to interact with your little one in Spanish, this episode is for you! I was going to begin our cultural tip on Honduras this week, but instead decided to include one more book on my list!...

Today's episode will be a little more light-hearted. Let's look at two phrases from each of the 6 Spanish-speaking countries we've recently focused on: Chile, Guatemala, Ecuador, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic! This episode is a continuation of Episode 81: 10 Fun Spanish Sayings (and if you'd like even more fun phrases, check out Episodes 27 and 62 ). :D Side note: because this i...

Let's talk about the differences between the popular verbs, saber and conocer. They both translate into English as "to know", but be careful! Just like estar and ser are not the same (you can check out Episodes 77 , 78 , and 79 for more information on that!), saber and conocer also have very different meanings and cannot be used interchangeably. Hopefully today's episode will help you navigate whe...

Welcome to part two of our homesteading vocabulary! Today we'll go over some vocabulary that you might never have heard of (unless you've been reading children's books or farming blogs in Spanish!). Mainly, words dealing with livestock, especially chickens! Not to mention our second part of our Cultural Tip on the Dominican Republic: important national holidays! Let's begin! Remember, learning a l...

Hello again!! It feels good to be back! :) In today's episode, I'll give you a quick update before diving into spring-related vocabulary! More specifically, words and actions revolving around homesteading. For you gardeners out there, today's episode is for you! Plus we have the beginning of our Cultural Tip on the Dominican Republic! **I am so sorry! The audio should now be fixed.  Remember, lear...

As we look to 2023, and the New Year, I wanted to end this year's run of podcast episodes with a mixture of things. First, a quick year in review, followed by - of course - some New Year's vocabulary, and then, finally, we will end with some preparations for the new year of 2023. Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo! SHOW NOTES: ©2022 by Langua...

Are you ready to get into the Christmas spirit? It's become an annual tradition to talk about 10 Spanish Christmas songs (see Episode 64 and Episode 42 ), and despite the chaos of my life, this year is no different! So whether you enjoy your canciones navideñas in moderation or at full blast all month, here are some ideas to add to your Christmas playlist. :D Remember, learning a language is a lif...

Hi everyone! First, let me apologize for the delay. About two weeks ago, we began a major house project: putting up all of the trim before our second baby arrives! And as all house projects go, we ran into a few issues. Which means that we haven't gone to bed before midnight in a long time, the house is a disaster, and the majority of my recording stuff is still buried in this disaster. I managed...

Have you ever wondered what the official name is of each letra in el abecedario? Perhaps you like to play Scrabble or Boggle, where this knowledge would come in handy. Or maybe you're just curious. Either way, today we'll cover the official names of the Spanish alphabet and how to spell them! Plus we'll talk about some of the supposed "lost letters" and some common letter pronunciation mistakes th...

This is it, the final episode of our mini three-part series on Spanish's ser vs. estar. Last time, in Episode 77, we looked specifically at how and when to use ser , remembering the mnemonic SER + ¿SE TIENE?   Then in Episode 78 we looked at how and when to use estar , using the mnemonic SÍ, Lo Está TIRAndo. So if you haven't listened to those, I recommend that you download those podcasts first be...

As an English speaker, one of the trickiest things to learn is when to use the Spanish verbs estar and ser . They both mean "to be," but are both used in very distinct ways. Last time, in Episode 77, we looked specifically at how and when to use ser , remembering the mnemonic SER + ¿SE TIENE? Today, we'll do a detailed look at when and how to use the verb estar . And we will continue our cultural...

As an English speaker, one of the trickiest things to learn is when to use the Spanish verbs estar and ser . They both mean "to be," but are both used in very distinct ways. So we'll do a three-part series to dive deep into how to use these verbs correctly! And we will begin our cultural tip mini-series on Bolivia! ¡Vámanos! Just a quick note - if you would like more resources to help you with Ser...

I know, I know, this episode didn't come out on Monday. But doesn't it seem more fitting that it come a day later, after the Labor Day Holiday, and on the particular day that we want to talk about? After all, today's episode focuses solely on Elcano Day, which is celebrated today, September 6, 2022, by Spanish-speaking Basque! So let's dig into what this holiday is and why it's so important! Remem...

Hello, hello, and hello! It is SO good to finally be back! In today's episode, I'll give you a quick life update as to why I've been gone for so long, then we'll discuss pet vocabulary in Spanish, and then finalize this long-overdue episode with our final Cultural Tip on Ecuador with three unique customs and traditions! Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo...

Have you ever wondered why Spanish has both the letters "B" and V", when they both make the same sound? Well, in today's episode, we'll answer that very question! And then, for our Cultural Tip, we'll talk about the national holidays of Ecuador! Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo! SHOW NOTES: ©2022 by Language Answers, LLC Blog for Episode 74...

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the words tan and tanto ? Look no further, because today's episode will finally give you answers! And then, for our Cultural Tip, we'll begin looking at Ecuador! Remember, learning a language is a lifelong journey. ¡Aprovéchalo, Disfrútalo y Compártelo! SHOW NOTES: ©2022 by Language Answers, LLC Blog for Episode 73 Intro and Closing Music by Ma...