Spanish Ear Training

Common embarrassing Spanish mistakes.

marcus — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:09:00 +0000

One of the most common Spanish expressions is me gusta. You’ll use it everyday. Ten cuidado (be careful) though because it does have a red-faced-booby-trap.

One time I was left blushing when I said, “no me gusta Alejandro Fernández pero me gusta Vicente Fernández.”

I thought it was an innocent enough comment about liking father Vicente’s music but not his son Alejandro’s music.

The amigo I was with, Jose Luis, es bromista, (is a joker) he immediately saw the other meaning and there was no way he’d let me get away with that.

He raised an eyebrow and said, “te GUSTA Vicente Fernández EH!”

Now you probably know, me gusta, as, I like.

You could say, me gusta la comida Española.

Perfecto, no hay problema, they will understand that you like Spanish food.

And if you were to say,

Me gusta vivir en México

Again no hay problema, they’ll hear that you like to live in Mexico.

Here’s where I came unstuck. Me gusta can literally mean, to me it is pleasing,

So when I said, me gusta Vicente Fernández, I was saying, to me Vicente Fernandez Is pleasing. In other words, I fancy him.

I like his music. I like his manner. I have fond memories of when I went to his concert in a bullring just a few feet away from the US border in Playas de Tijuana, but I don’t fancy him.

En cambio. (On the other hand.)

A muchas mujeres mexicanas si les gusta Vicente Fernández
Many Mexican women do fancy Vicente Fernandez,

Vicente is in his 70s now, yet at the show young girls were lining up to give him a rose and a hug. It was like an Elvis concert.

I remember one woman at the concert waved a rose madly for at least 15 minutes but just couldn’t get his attention.

She got my attention right away. I couldn’t help notice her, she was muy voluptuosa.

When she finally caught “ol” Chente’s eye, he came over to accept the rose. Then she grabbed him and gave him a huge kiss.

That mamacita put a gleam in Chente’s eye that I could see shine all the way up to where I was sitting.

Regresando al tema (getting back to the topic).

Here’s what to say when you like someone but don’t fancy them.

Me cae bien Vicente Fernández.
I like Vicente Fernandez.

Me cae bien is a very common way to say you like someone. It’s perfectly understood; it’s used all over the Spanish-speaking world and it will keep you safe from Jose Luis’s eyebrows.

En conclusión.

Sí, me cae bien Chente.
Yes, I like Chente.

Me gusta escuchar su música.
I like to listen to his music.

Me gusta como canta.
I like how he sings.

Y me gusta la chica que le dio un beso a Vicente en el concierto.
And I fancy the girl who gave a kiss to Vicente in the concert.

Solo estoy bromeando (I’m just joking)

It’s great to add common expressions like me cae bien to your Spanish repertoire and know the deeper meaning of everyday phrases like me gusta.

Many Spanish words have additional meanings just like English words do. These secondary meanings are so common that Spanish Ear Training Master Classes #2, #3, and #4 are dedicated to that very tema (topic).

www.spanisheartraining.com

Mexican men should be ugly she said

marcus — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:57:30 +0000

Serenades still sometimes happen in Mexico.

We got woken up one night by una serenata under la ventana de nuestra vecina (our neighbor’s window).

My wife thought it was so romantic. A real life vision from the time of sus abuelos (her grandparents).

The girl didn’t seem pleased though. She just stayed inside. She didn’t even show her face in the window. Elena said, “she must be angry with him”.

I guess it was a make-up-for-some-bad-behavior-serenade.

Eventually, our neighbor could resist no more. She came to the window and later opened the door….

The morning music I used to hear was very different to the romantic serenades.

Our apartment backed onto a car wash. The workers in the car wash played Mexican Banda and Norteña music all day long.

And they started early.

If you haven’t heard Mexican Norteña music it might sound offensive to your ears.

The culture of this music in the village dance halls is that anyone can have a go. However, just because someone has the gumption to try singing doesn’t mean they sing well.

In fact, most sing terribly,

Yet, after hearing the songs over and over I started to get used to the sound.

One song in particular “Profundamente” by “El Coyote y Su Banda” grew on me. I really started to like it. I still like it.

Back then I was teaching English to a group of nurses, a tough job but someone had to do it.

I remember one of the girls telling me she didn’t like handsome men like Brad Pitt. According to her, men should be fuerte, fornido y feo. (Strong, hefty and ugly.)

She would probably like El Coyote.

Music is a really good fun way to pick up words.

El Coyote’s nasal voice is a little difficult to understand at times. That’s why I have added a transcript and some hints to help you understand more of El Coyote’s Spanish.

Profundamente transcript

If you find Spanish speakers hard to understand in general, check out Spanish Ear Training. It’s a program especially designed to tune up your ear for understanding fast paced spoken Spanish.

Note: Spanish Ear Training is not a program for beginners. To get the most from the Ear Training, you need a strong foundation in Spanish. If you’d like to know about my path to get you speaking Spanish, click here.

Rant in Spanish like a millionaire

marcus — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:42:53 +0000

One of the best and highest paid soccer players in the world is Cristiano Ronaldo from Portugal.

Recently he was complaining that opposition players always hack him down with fouls. According to Ronaldo he gets no protection from the referees while other players are carefully watch after.

Then he added, “por ser rico por ser guapo por ser un gran jugador las personas tienen envidia de mi. No tiene otra explicación”

TRANSLATION.

“For being rich, for being handsome, for being a great player the people are jealous of me. It has no other explanation.”

Well, he’s definitely a great player. And he’s rich, last year Real Madrid paid him more than one million Euros per month. (USD$1.35 million)

Is he really as handsome as he thinks? Judge for yourself here:

Let me know what you think of el galán (the handsome young man).

Click here for a Transcript and Translation of What Ronaldo said.

If you found Ronaldo hard to understand, no te preocupes, don’t be worried. He does have a strong Portuguese accent. Plus he’s definitely in a grumbling mood and as a consequence mumbling his words.

If you find all Spanish speakers hard to understand, check out Spanish Ear Training. It’s a program especially designed to tune up your ear for understanding fast paced spoken Spanish.

Note: Spanish Ear Training is not a program for beginners. To get the most from the ear training, you need a strong foundation in Spanish. If you’d like to know about my path to get you speaking Spanish, click here.

Common Spanish Expressions

marcus — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:57:17 +0000

Here’s a dictionary of some of the most deceptive expressions in Spanish.
It’s an extension of the original Spanish Beyond the Dictionary,
dictionary.

It’s a dictionary of Spanish words and expressions I call Comprehension Killers.

Their meanings are deceptive. They can trick you. And that makes it hard when you’re trying to keep up with a Spanish conversation.

If you miss their meaning you have to play catch up in the conversation, which isn’t easy if Spanish is flying by fast.

I’ve been collecting these expressions for a while now. I started doing it to help me understand the Spanish I was hearing around me.

I always made a point of distinguishing between once in a blue moon expressions and the frequently used ones.

The ones in this dictionary are common. Yet, you can easily miss them. That is until I point them out to you. Then, you’ll start hearing them all over the place.

You’ll hear them on the streets, in the bars and cafes and all the time when Spanish speakers chat among themselves…

Yet, they are often left out of regular dictionaries and textbooks.

That’s why this tool is a handy addition to your repertoire. It’ll help you understand more of what people say to you.

It’s yours gratis on the link below.

Click here to Get Spanish Beyond the Dictionary Volume Two

If you missed the original Spanish Beyond The Dictionary, mini dictionary
It’s still available on this page:

Click here to Get Spanish Beyond the Dictionary Volume One

Remember these expressions are often invisible until someone points them out. Enjoy them, and have fun noticing how often they show up. They’ll help you understand more clearly what people say to you.

Saludos

Marcus Santamaria

64 more Spanish comprehension killers.

marcus — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 06:19:12 +0000

Here’s an extension of the Spanish Beyond the Dictionary, dictionary.

Even though you’ll hear these collocations on the streets, in the bars and cafes and all the time when Spanish speakers chat among themselves…

They can be invisible to non-native Spanish speakers.

That is until someone points them out. Then all of a sudden you start noticing them all over the place.

How about that? I just used one.

All over the place is an English collocation. In Spanish it is por todos lados.(that one and 63 more are included in Spanish beyond the Dictionary dos)

Understand more Spanish by adding 63 Comprehension Killers that Spanish speakers use all the time to your repertoire:

Click here for your copy of Spanish Beyond the Dictionary Volume Two

Life-Changing Spanish

marcus — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 05:32:57 +0000

Most of my students are over 40 and many in their 70s and 80s. So, it was a pleasant surprise to hear from this young man. He’s about to use his Spanish ability for a new adventure. Here’s Young Joseph’s story:

Hola Marcus

I have been a student of your Shortcut to Spanish courses, Synergy Spanish, the Informal Spanish discs and Spanish Ear Training for about four years now. and I just want to let you know how much it has changed my life.

I started my Spanish learning journey when I was just at the young age of 15. I came across your program on the internet (Shortcut to Spanish 1) and I knew it would work for me! So I ordered it and just fell in love with it. I learned and retained information so quickly. And after that, I later purchased the courses that I listed above.

I am almost 19 years old now and it honors me to tell you that I have become quite fluent in Spanish. I live in Southern Arizona so there are so many opportunities for me to utilize my Spanish each day. And oh how it has changed my life. Its one of the best things I have ever done w/ my life so far, and I owe it all to you.

I respect you and commend you highly for all that you do. And I consider it a blessing that I was able to be one of your students for these past four years.

In fact, in a few weeks I will be departing on a two year mission for my church. I am going to be a missionary in the country of Ecuador! It was my choice whether to serve a mission or not, but I had no say as to where I would be assigned. I was overcome with excitement when I found out that it would be Ecuador, and that I would be speaking nothing but Spanish for two years! I am grateful and feel so blessed that my extensive knowledge of the language will serve as a huge help and advantage for me while I am there.

I know that I have never met you in person, but I am honored to say that you are someone who has been a wonderful help and influence in my life.

Gracias por todo lo que hace. Usted tiene regalo maravilloso de Dios. Le deseo lo mejor con todo.

Hasta la proxima vez

Joseph Nelson

Hi Joey

Most of my students are a lot older than you, so it’s great to hear from someone so young with everything in front of them. I’m sure you’ll go on to make a great contribution to humanity with your Spanish skills. I am glad to given you some help along the way.

I do feel my teaching abilities are a gift and appreciate very much your comments.

Saludos

Marcus

Spanish Quiz

marcus — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:07:10 +0000

I’ll bet this tricks you.

Here’s a very quick quiz,

Warning: It’s not as easy as it looks.

In fact, if you get more than 5 out of ten correct, you’ll be doing well.

How many of these very common Spanish phrases do you know? Grab a pen and translate these ten phrases:

cuando mucho
quiere decir
más bien
cómo no
más alla
no tiene que ver
todo el mundo
cuanto antes
costar mucho trabajo
de nuevo

It’s a good bet that you know every individual word on the list, but the meanings of the phrases will surprise you

Let’s see how you did?

Remember your target is to get more than five out of ten correct.

So, if you get 6 or more correct, bien hecho (well done).

Ok, you didn’t peek right?

Here are the answers:

at the most
it means
rather
of course
beyond
it’s got nothing to do with
everyone
As soon as possible
to be hard to do
once again

Sure, in context, literal translations will work. But the translations I just gave you are the ones you’ll hear the most.

You’ll start hearing them all over the place once you know them.

You’ll hear them, when you chat with your Spanish speaking friends, go to shops or
talk to the locals when you travel.

But it’s not casual Spanish or a slang Spanish or regional Spanish.

This is just as real as any Spanish you’ll find in a dictionary. From the man in the local store to the president, from a farm worker to a PHD graduate, they’ll all use these phrases.

And they use them very often. Very often!

It’s everyday Spanish

Yet, there it’s rarely taught.

A while back I started tracking the use of these types of phrases. It was part of my research for the Spanish Ear Training Masterclass series. You see, even if I train your ears, it won’t do you much good if you don’t understand what people are saying anyway.

If you’d like to give your Spanish a boost, I’ve made a mini dictionary of the 99 most essential Spanish collocations. It’s full of common, useful everyday language that goes mas alla del dictionary beyond the dictionary.

So, that what I called it Más Allá Del Dicionario Español, (Beyond The Spanish Dictionary). To get the mini dictionary FREE, just enter your name and email below and I’ll email it to you right away.

saludos

Marcus

A Great Idea

marcus — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:44:43 +0000

I have always wanted something like this to offer you, and now someone else has created it… and made it free.

Best of all, it’s a great tool for understanding more of what people say to you.

You know, having a good vocabulary goes a long way to understanding more Spanish, especially when your friends speak fast. The trouble is most books have words listed by themes. If you are not careful, you can learn a bunch of words you’ll hardly ever use.

It’s very common that people learn word in lists. They know how to say in Spanish things like bobby pin, headband and hairclip. The trouble is that unless you’re a hairstylist those words won’t get you very far.

Instead, it’s much better to learn the most frequently used words first. You see, studies have shown that as few as 100 words are used in 50% of all Spanish communication

That’s why in Shortcut to Spanish, as well as over 3000 instant Spanish words, I also built in the 100 most common words.

Likewise, in Synergy Spanish you can learn to combine Synergy Verbs with Brick and Mortar Words to make as many as 88,000 phrases from just 138 words.

High frequency Spanish words are great for your listening and reading skills as well.

Learn the 1000 most common words and you’ll make a lot more sense out of the Spanish you read and hear… Even when people speak fast.

I have often thought about creating a product to teach the 1000 most common Spanish words as quickly as possible.

Well it looks like someone has beat me to it and done it very well.

Plus, they are giving it away.

Yes, I just found a piece of software that makes it easy to learn the 1000 most common Spanish words, y es gratis.

Click here to download Wordgalore software and start learning the 1000 most common Spanish words. (3.5MB)

or you can get the big daddy

Get the Wordsgalore badboy version with 9100 Spanish word audio file.

Here’s where it comes from Wordgalore if you want to thank the author.

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Faster Spanish Lesson Download

marcus — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:27:51 +0000

A faster way to download my Spanish lesson.

Some people mentioned that they had trouble downloading the Bonus Spanish Lesson. You may remember on the page we had MP3 players so you could play the Spanish lessons online.

Looks like those players slow down the download, so here’s some direct links that will let you download the lessons more quickly.

Saludos

Marcus Santamaria

Download Track 1 – Tengo Sueño, Estoy cansado
Download Track 2 – Sueño Hecho realidad
Download Track 3 – Sueña Con Los Angelitos
Download Track 4 – Me Despierto y Me Levanto
Download Track 5 – Camas Gemelas
Download Track 6 – Me Duermo

Free Spanish Lesson

marcus — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:01:05 +0000

Extra resources

Sueños Transcript Tracks 1 to 2
Sueños Transcript Tracks 3 to 6

Bonus Spanish Lesson

Sueños – all about being tired, going to bed, dreams etc.

I’ve actually been working on ideas for an audio newsletter for a long time. I’ve researched and written a lot material. In fact, I’ve even recorded several unreleased sessions.

The sessions were created before I developed the final format for my Spanish Ear Training program.

In Spanish Ear Training, I have two main focuses.

1. To build your ear to keep up with the speed of Spanish.

2. To expand your understanding of how your Spanish speaking friends use their language.

Even though I have a lot of similar lessons in Spanish Ear Training, these lessons didn’t fit into the final themes in that program.

Yet, they are still really helpful lessons. So I decided the best thing to do with them is to share them with you.

I hope you enjoy them, let me know by leaving a comment here on the blog.

Let’s get started, in this lesson you’ll learn many ways to talk about sleeping, being tired, and going to bed..

Download Track 1 – Tengo Sueño, Estoy cansado
Download Track 2 – Sueño Hecho realidad
Download Track 3 – Sueña Con Los Angelitos
Download Track 4 – Me Despierto y Me Levanto
Download Track 5 – Camas Gemelas
Download Track 6 – Me Duermo

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