h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

OK, I think it's about time I started teaching some Spanish, if anyone's interested

So, Spanish. Like most languages, it has two genders - masculine and feminine - and there is also a neuter, but it isn't used very much.

So a good place to start will be with learning the words for 'the'. They change according to whether the thing they refer to is masculine or feminine, and whether there's one of it or more. So, it goes as follows:

Masculine singular: el (as in 'el banco' = 'the bank')
Masc. plural: los (as in 'los bancos' = 'the banks')
Feminine sing.: la (as in 'la chaqueta' = 'the jacket')
Fem. plur.: las (as in 'las chaquetas' = 'the jackets')

How do you know if a word is masculine or feminine or do you just learn?

Most languages you just have to learn. Spanish is much more helpful - masculine words tend to end in 'o' and feminine words in 'a'. There's always exceptions though...

la foto = the photo
la radio = the radio
el día = the day

Right, that's the words for 'the' done. Ideally, you'll want to be able to talk about stuff generally, not referring to a specific item, and so you'll need the words for 'a/an'.

Again, the word changes according to gender (masc/fem) and number (sing/plur).

Masc sing: un (un colegio = a school)
Masc plur: unos (unos colegios = some schools)
Fem sing: una (una familia = a family)
Fem plur: unas (unas familias = some families)

what about gender for numbers of things? So say I wanted to say

Two schools...

....colegios

oh and the numbers so I can do it
*digs out spanish phrase book*

Most plurals are the singular word with 's' on the end, so:

un colegio = one school (masculine singular)
dos colegios = two schools (masc plural)
una familia = one family (feminine sing)
dos familias = two families (fem plur)

Remember that the word for 'one' is 'un' if it refers to something masculine, 'una' for something feminine, or 'uno' if it's just the number 1.

Also that it's pronounced [oon], [oon-ah] and [oon-oh], not [uh] like in French.

Keep up the good work profesor. I'm following you

Since Joe has some internet problems, I'm going to help out. Some basic Spanish phrases

Hola- hello
Buenos Dias- Good Day
Buenas Noches- Good night
Adios- goodbye
Me llamo...- My name is.. (litterally I am called)- don't forget the "ll" is pronounced as a y!
Como te llamas?- What is your name (litterally What are you called?) This is the informal. The formal (and likely more common
Como se llama?
Como se llaman?- What are all of your names?
Soy de...- I am from...
Donde es?- Where are you from?
Donde son Ustedes?- Where are you all from?


So:

Hola! Me llamo Scandrea. Soy de los Estados Unidos. Como se llaman? Donde son Ustedes?

Hi! My name is Scandrea. I'm from the US. What are your names? Where are you from?

Hola!

Me llamo Kathryn. Soy de...England? Soy...soy....how do I say I'm X years old?

****

Hello!

My name is Kathryn. I am from England. I...I...how do you say I'm X years old?

Tengo viente y dos años.

I am 22 years old (Litterally, I have 22 years)

Ooh! One more age thing!

Cuantos años tiene?- How old are you?

Numbers 1-15
uno
dos
tres
cuatro
cinco
seis
siete
ocho
nueve
diez
once
doce
trece
catorce
quince

Anything after that would be like "diez y seis"- 16

viente- 20
trienta-30
cuarenta-40

Tengo diez y seite años.

***

I am 17 years old.

Why is it not beginning with "soy.."?

I'm not really sure- one of the weird little things the language does.

"Tengo" is the first person form of the verb tener- to have.

Hello to you. I would like to try this too:

Me llamo Norbera. Tengo dieciséis años. Soy una chica danesa (?)

Is that right?

My name's Norbera. I'm 16 years old. I'm a danish girl (?)

Sí! O en un otro modo:

Soy una chica de Dinamarka.

Yes! Or another way:

I am a girl from Denmark.

Ok. So "O", means "or"?

Como un bocadillo o una tarta (?)

I eat a sandwich or a pie (?)

I really think "bocadillo" is a lovely word... like to use it a lot

Sí! Esto es correcto!



Yes! That's right!

Hhi I hope this thread is not completely finished,
i'd liked to learn some spanish but i'm a complete beginner,
so let me try :
Hola, me llamo Anne. Soy de France. diez y ocho y dos anos.

hi, my name's Anne. I'm from France. I'm 18 years old.

Hola, me llamo Ricardo. Soy de inglaterra. Tengo viente ocho anos. Y trabajo en un hotel?

AHHHH AHHH!!!

RICHARD! Post your translation!