The Spanish Dude Podcast (Audio)

Reflexive verbs can be kind of tricky for we Gringos. We have them in English. But they’re not used nearly as much as they are in Spanish. Furthermore, using reflexive verbs means learning more pronouns. And pronouns were ALREADY confusing! This takes some getting used to. In this video, the goal is just to get familiar with reflexive verbs, their pronouns, and how they’re used. Free P...

In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use words like “gustar” and “encantar”. Words that sure seem to work in the opposite way that most verbs do. Free Practice Resources: Practice Worksheet: Verbs Like Gustar Answer Key: Verbs Like Gustar Related Videos: Direct Object Pronouns The Personal A Indirect Object Pronouns

Once you know your direct object pronouns in English, you’re done. Direct and indirect object pronouns in English are exactly the same. But not in Spanish. Oh no. So… You can’t just say “him” or “her” or “them” when you’re talking. In today’s video, not only will I explain what the heck direct and indirect objects are (I had no idea...

The personal a has no English counterpart. It’s just something you have to get use to. In this quick video, you’ll not only see how to use the personal a. But when to use it. And when NOT to use it. Free Practice Resources: Practice Worksheet: The Personal A Answer Key: The Personal A Related Videos: Direct Object Pronouns 2 Magic Travel Spanish Word: A & De The Only Two Contracti...

Direct object pronouns is one of my least favorite subjects in Spanish. After 15 years, it still gives me troubles sometimes. In this video, you’ll see how to use direct object pronouns in Spanish. Then a comparison with the other pronouns you’ve learned. Free Practice Resources: Practice Worksheet: Direct Object Pronouns Answer Key: Direct Object Pronouns Pronoun Comparison Chart Rela...

There are two different ways to say “to know” in Spanish, “saber” and “conocer”. And there are a bunch of rules regulating when to use each one. But in this simple video, I share a little trick that’ll help you AVOID those rules, and still choose the right word every time. Free Practice Resources: Blank Conjugation Sheet Answer Key: Saber & Conocer Co...

Pronouns haven’t been very hard for us so far. We’ve only covered subject pronouns. It gets more confusing every time you add another set of pronouns. Not only is it more little words to remember, but you also have to choose which to use and when. In this video, I go over the second set, possessive adjectives, and compare them to subject pronouns. Free Practice Resources: Practice Work...

In today’s video, I’ll tell you about something that happened while I was away that really pissed me off! I probably haven’t stressed this enough. I said it, but I didn’t stress it. Pronunciation doesn’t matter. Related Videos: Spanish Pronunciation Pronunciation in Spain

As you now know, there are three types of verbs in Spanish: AR, ER and IR. And each type has it’s own conjugation rules–how you change the endings of the words. “Hablar” is to “talk”, but I talk is “hablo”. However, there are also irregular verbs–where not only do you change the ending based on the subject, but there’s a change to the ste...

I went back to Spain recently for the first time in over 10 years. I was chatting with my buddy Manuel, and he said something quickly that sounded like gobbly gook. I had acclimated myself to the Latin American way of talking. There are differences. That’s one of the reasons I didn’t understand Manuel in Spain. And of course, what he was talking about–it didn’t even exist 1...

When you’re learning Spanish, lots of rules are important to see once, then forget. How adverbs work, is a good example. When I did a little Googling, I saw there are five ways adverbs are used. Ugh. More rules. Then, after a few seconds, I noticed something… adverbs in Spanish, work exactly like they do in English! There’s NO REASON to memorize five rules when you can just use t...

There are only two contractions in all of Spanish. And they are both very common when you’re traveling. These two words saved my butt the first time I ever went to Spain. In today’s video, I tell you that story and all about the only two contractions in Spanish. Related Videos: The Three Enemigos Two Magic Travel Words Present Tense, Regular AR Conjugation

This is, minute-for-minute, one of the very best lessons I’ll ever give you. In this short lesson, you’ll learn how to speak perfectly in the future, without learning any more conjugations. When I first discovered this, I was pissed they hadn’t taught it to me earlier. Instead, they buried me deeper and deeper in conjugations! Related Videos: The Infinitive & Conjugation The...

These two little teeny words saved my butt big time the first time I went to Spain and found myself at a little train station in the south–where nobody spoke English. In this video, not only do I tell you the straight up definitions, but I show you a few different ways to use “de”–one of the most common and useful words in all of Spanish. Related Videos: The Three Enemigos...

CRAZY! Since I started studying Spanish over 10 years ago, I’ve always told people: “Whenever you don’t know a word in Spanish, just take the English word and Spanishify it!” But over the last couple weeks, as I made the three “Fun with…” videos… I was still shocked by just how many words there are that are essentially the same. Today, I just picked...

Today I go over the present tense, regular IR conjugation. IR verbs are the last type of regular, present tense verbs we need to learn.

Trying something new today. I’m a little out of my element here. You’ve heard of a tortilla right? Well, in Spain, they have tortilla too–it’s just totally, 100% DIFFERENT. Not only will you learn a few important words in this video, you’ll also see exactly how I prepare one of my favorite foods from Spain. And I might sing and dance a little at the end too.

In today’s video, we continue with the verbs. This time, ten of the most common, regular ER verbs. Related Videos: Fun with Words Present Tense, Regular ER Conjugation The Flashcard Strategy

We are really getting somewhere now! In today’s video, not only will you learn how to conjugate regular ER verbs in the present tense… I’ll also teach you the word for “idiot” — and maybe give you an example too! Free Practice Resources: Blank Conjugation Practice Sheet Conjugations – Answer Key Related Videos: The Infinitive & Conjugation Personal Pro...

Today, we’re going to continue with regular AR verbs. In this lesson, I show you 10 of the most common regular verbs–especially for travel. I personally use these words all the time. So either watch the video or don’t. The important thing is you learn these words. The video explains them a bit. But I can’t memorize them for you. Related Videos: False Friends

Argh! If somebody had taught me how to use the Spanish-English dictionary correctly–I wouldn’t have wasted so much time being confused… and I probably also wouldn’t have failed high school Spanish the first time I took it. Woulda, coulda, shoulda… This video is my attempt to help you avoid wasting time and getting frustrated, like I did. Not only will you discover how...

This lesson is very important. I’ve been avoiding conjugation almost completely until now. But it’s starting to hold us back. I wanted to talk about adverbs today, but that’s kind of hard when we don’t know any verbs. So today, you’ll learn how to conjugate regular AR verbs in the present tense. Remember, there are ER verbs, AR verbs and IR verbs. Today we’ll le...

One of the most beautiful parts of learning Spanish when you already know English is, so many words are essentially exactly the same. In this lesson, I use pause, liquor and bank as three examples of this. “Pausa”, “licor” and “banco” respectively. But there are treacherous enemies about. False friends. These are words that look like an English word but either m...

If you watched the lesson called Personal Pronouns , you know there are two ways to say “you” in Spanish–formally and informally. At first this really sucks–especially since most teachers and programs don’t explain it all that well. But for this lesson, I made the video I wish I had when I started speaking Spanish. Related Videos: The Infinitive & Conjugation Pers...

I talk fast. I like to get as many words out as possible in as short of a time frame as possible. It’s my nature. So… I took it as really good news when I found out: In Spanish, you usually don’t have to use subject pronouns (I’ve been referring to them as Personal Pronouns in past lessons). That means, you can say the same thing with fewer words. Kind of like the equivalen...