Coffee Break Spanish

Coffee Break Spanish

3 suffixes to expand your Spanish vocabulary

Learning new vocabulary can seem like a daunting task for any language learner. This is why we’re going to look at some tips and tricks to help you expand your vocabulary in an easy and straightforward way, so that you can gain more confidence in your Spanish. To do this, we are going to be

Coffee Break Spanish

A guide to making negative statements in Spanish

Making negative statements in Spanish can be challenging for learners. The negative in Spanish works differently from English which can mean it’s easy to make mistakes. However, there are some simple rules that can help us correctly use negative structures when we are speaking in Spanish. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series

Coffee Break Spanish

6 Spanish words that change meaning with ‘ser’ and ‘estar’

¿Está bueno o es bueno? Are both of these phrases correct? Do they mean the same thing? As a Spanish learner, at times, it can be difficult to know when to use ser and when to use estar to translate “to be”. And did you know that there are some adjectives that have a different meaning depending on

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When to use ‘ser’ and ‘estar’ in Spanish

¿Ser o estar? That is the question. As you may already know, in Spanish there are two verbs that translate as “to be”, and knowing which to choose in each situation can be one of the biggest challenges for Spanish learners. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series of short, informal conversations to

Coffee Break Spanish

How to know which syllable to stress in Spanish

When it comes to Spanish pronunciation, some aspects of it are relatively easy to get your head around. However, at times, things can get a little tricky when it comes to knowing which syllable to stress when pronouncing a word in Spanish. Like in English, the stress of words is not always on the same

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How flexible are Spanish adverbs?

Spanish is a very flexible language, in the sense that we can often move things around in the sentence and change the word order. However, sometimes a different word order can result in a difference in emphasis or in meaning. This is especially important to remember with some adverbs. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is

Coffee Break Spanish

Converse in Spanish like a native: choosing ‘tú’ or ‘usted’

Knowing when to use tú and when to use usted can be challenging for any learner of Spanish, especially because it depends on the location where you are speaking Spanish. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series of bite-sized, friendly conversations, in which we demystify tricky Spanish language topics. In the latest episode,

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How to use ‘me gusta’ in Spanish

Me gusta el español may be one of the first sentences we learn when we start studying Spanish. However, gustar can be a tricky verb to use! In fact, “how do you say that you like something?” is one of the questions we get asked the most by our Coffee Break Spanish community. That’s why

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When to use ‘el’ with feminine nouns

Have you ever wondered why there are some feminine nouns that use the masculine definite article el? You may be thinking of examples like el agua, el hambre or el aula. You probably already know that when it comes to grammatical gender in Spanish, nouns can either be masculine or feminine. Masculine nouns use the word el to mean “the”

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How to pronounce the R in Spanish

The Spanish R is one of the most distinctive sounds when you listen to a native speaker. For a learner, getting your mouth around the R might not only be challenging, but it can also be tough to know how and when to use it. The Coffee Break Spanish Show is a podcast series of

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Capítulo 20 – Un nuevo inicio

We reach the final chapter of our story and we find out how the breakthrough in the relationship between Carlos and Marta goes beyond their emotional bond. New words to listen out for include: descabellado, enfrascados and apurar.        

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Capítulo 19 – La verdadera herencia

Carlos and Marta continue their conversation and admit the mistakes that they have both made in the past. However, Carlos worries about Marta’s reaction to his news. Listen out for new language which include: volver a la infancia, algunos cabos sueltos and nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena.

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Capítulo 18 – Padre e hija

Carlos and Marta meet up in the square where they spent time during her childhood. They have a very honest conversation about the path that has led them both to this point. New phrases like nimiedades, encajar el golpe and ni en pintura are included in this latest episode.

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Capítulo 17 – Más de una vida esperando

Carlos returns to the same bench in the same square he used to wait for Marta after school when she was a child. Will his game and these memories convince Marta of his plan? Find out more about Carlos in this latest chapter while listening for new phrases like llenar de elogios, tirar la toalla

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Capítulo 16 – Lo verdaderamente importante

Marta opens the briefcase using the key from the last puzzle and finds something very special that her father has been working on. Will this finally change everything? Join Marta in this emotional chapter and listen out for the new phrases: dar en la nariz and de Pascuas a Ramos.

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Capítulo 15 – El principio de todo

In this episode we start to see things more from Carlos’ point of view which helps us understand his character and motives a bit better. Listen out for new phrases like la edad del pavo and dar el brazo a torcer.

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Capítulo 14 – El mejor escondite

In Chapter 14 we have another dialogue between Marta and her mother Pilar. While Marta continues playing her father’s game, we hear many interesting expressions like olerse la tostada and ser tal para cuál along with new verbs such as entrometerse.

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Capítulo 13 – ¿Qué es lo más importante?

In this episode, Marta concentrates on solving the puzzle she abandoned many years ago while Pilar observes her and seems to know more than she is letting on… what could she and Carlos be hiding? As usual, the episode is packed with new and interesting words like callejón and phrases like darse por vencido and

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Capítulo 12 – El último rompecabezas

In this episode we go with Marta back to her childhood; to her room, to her memories and to the last puzzle she ever received from her father. Can she find what she is looking for? Listen out for the new verbs corroer and rebuscar, and can you work out what ver algo con otros

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Capítulo 11 – ¿Y ahora qué?

In Chapter 10, Pilar called Marta following a visit from an estate agent arranged by Carlos some time ago. Before Marta had the chance to uncover any information about her father, Pilar hung up the phone on her. Listen to this week’s episode as Marta heads to back to her childhood home to find out