Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish (79 page)
Read Madrigals Magic Key to Spanish Online
Authors: Margarita Madrigal
Tags: #Reference, #Language Arts & Disciplines
MÁS means
“more”
| ADJECTIVE | comparative | SUPERLATIVE |
| bonito (a), pretty | más bonito, prettier ( more pretty ) | el más bonito, the prettiest |
| grande, big | más grande, bigger ( more big ) | el más grande, the biggest |
| alto (a), tall | más alto, taller ( more tall ) | el más alto, the tallest |
| gordo (a), fat | más gordo, fatter ( more fat ) | el más gordo, the fattest |
| delgado (a), thin | más delgado, thinner | el más delgado, the thinnest |
| raro (a), strange | más raro, stranger | el más raro, the strangest |
| * chiquito (a), small ( little ) | más chiquito, smaller | el más chiquito, the smallest |
| feo (a), ugly | más feo, uglier | el más feo, the ugliest |
*
“Chiquito” really means “little,” but it is used very much in Spanish, “pequeño” is actually the word for “small.”
Two adjectives that become entirely different words in the comparative (both in Spanish and English) are:
| bueno, good | mejor, better | el mejor, the best |
| malo, bad | peor, worse | el peor, the worst |
TAN means
“so”
| tan grande, so big | tan bonito, so pretty | tan malo, so bad |
| tan bueno, so good | tan alto, so tall | tan raro, so strange |
| tan chiquito, so little | tan feo, so ugly | tan interesante, so interesting |
EXAMPLES
:
Es tan simpático.
He’s so charming.
Es tan simpática.
She’s so charming.
Es tan interesante.
It’s so interesting.
Es tan raro.
It’s so strange.
TANTO, TANTA means
“so much”
TANTOS, TANTAS means
“so many”
| MASCULINE | FEMININE |
| tanto queso, so much cheese | tanta limonada, so much lemonade |
| tanto café, so much coffee | |
| tantos hombres, so many men | tanta sopa, so much soup |
| tantos autos, so many cars | tantas mujeres, so many women |
| | tantas blusas, so many blouses |
EXAMPLES
:
Hay tanto tráfico. (
There is so much traffic.
)
Hay tantas dificultades.
(
There are so many problems.
There is so much trouble.
There are so many difficulties.
)
| Tuve ( I had ) | catarro |
| ¿ Tuvo ( Did you have? ) | una fiesta |
| | visitas |
| | una cita |
| Estuve ( I was ) | en Cuba |
| ¿ Estuvo ( Were you? ) | en casa |
| | cansado (a) |
| | ocupado (a) |
Copy the above material on a card. Carry the card with you and glance at it whenever you get a chance.
IR, TO GO
here is only one devil verb in Spanish and that is the verb “ir” (
to go
). It has no rhyme or reason, no logic, and nothing to recommend it except, perhaps, its eccentricity. When you first begin to use the verb in its different forms you may be annoyed with it. But you will soon learn to like it because, although it is very irregular, it will save you work in many ways. This verb, combined with infinitives, is a godsend.
IR,
to go
