Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (110 page)
Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online
Authors: Margarita Madrigal
Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines
Hace ocho días,
a week ago
(
eight days ago
)
Hace quince días,
two weeks ago
(
fifteen days ago
)
“Hacer” is used in three other common
idiomatic expressions.
1. Hacer caso.
To pay attention
(
to make a case
)
No hace caso.
He doesn’t pay attention
.
No hacen caso.
They don’t pay attention
.
No hice caso.
I didn’t pay attention
.No hizo caso.
You, he, she, didn’t pay attention
.
2. Hacer daño.
To be bad for
(
to make harm
)
Me hace daño.
It’s bad for me
(
It does me harm
).
Me hace daño la leche.
Milk doesn’t agree with me
.
3. Hacer falta.
To miss
(
to make a lack
),
to need
Me hace falta Carlos.
I miss Charles
(
Charles makes me a lack
).
Me hacen falta los niños.
I miss the children
.
Me hizo falta Luis.
I missed Louis
.
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
ost masculine words end in “o” in Spanish. The letter “o” represents the male and is strong, short, vigorous—a commanding letter. Most feminine words end in “a” in Spanish. The “a” is the feminine letter symbol. It is soft, deep, sustained—an elemental letter. When you pronounce the letter “o” cut it off short as in a command. When you pronounce the letter “a” hang on to it as in “Ah, Sweet Mystery.”
THE DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
“Lo” means “him” and “you” (masculine).
“La” means “her” and “you” (feminine).
When you are addressing a man “I invited you” is “Lo invité.”
When you are addressing a woman “I invited you” is “La invité.”
“I invited him” is “Lo invité.”
“I invited her” is “La invité.”
Notice that the pronoun precedes the verb.
All you have to remember about these pronouns is that “lo” is for men and “la” is for women.
Lo visité.
I visited him, you
(masc.).
La visité.
I visited her, you
(fem.).
Lo recomendé.
I recommended him, you
(masc.).
La recomendé.
I recommended her, you
(fem.).
Lo ví.
I saw him, you
(masc.).
La ví.
I saw her, you
(fem.).
Lo visitó.
You, he, she visited him
.
La visitó.
You, he, she visited her
.
The plural of these pronouns is formed by adding the letter “s.”
Los visitó.
He visited them
(masc.).
Las visitó.
He visited them
(fem.).
When you are speaking of both men and women you use the plural masculine pronoun.
EXAMPLE
:
Los ví.
I saw you
(Mary and John).
Los invité.
I invited them
(a group of men and women).
| “Me” is “ me .” | “Nos” is “ us .” |
| Me invitó. He invited me . | Nos invitó. He invited us . |
| Me visitó. He visited me . | Nos visitó. He visited us . |
| Me vió. He saw me . | Nos vió. He saw us . |