Why olive oil

It is the best oil to use as it is monounsaturated. This is a very important point.  Do not dismiss this, if you use Spanish olive oil or any other it does not turn bad when heated or cooked with.

In contrast when you heat polyunsaturated or normal vegetable oil it will destroy your health.  Do not cook with polyunsaturated oil.  It is the worst thing for your weight and health.  Only use butter or olive oil.  Vegetable oil must be raw or for salads. But the main reason is olive oil tastes great.

Why olive oil from Spain?

It is simple economics, I do not understand it myself, but boy I love it.  Spanish olive oil is usually the cheapest. There are so many different brands and flavors that I can not even go into it here, however, for me the country of origin is important for the price.

If you are frugal like me first go right for the for Latina olive oil.  Now that Olea europaea is the center of every supermarket shopping aisle, as it should be first focus on the country of origin.   Then focus in on the specific type you want. I think the low cost producer of Hispanic olive oil is Goya.  This is only about 2 dollars a bottle. This I pour on everything.  It is so cheap it is basically free.

When it comes to Spanish food in general Goya is the cheapest.  However if you take a look at Goya olive oil and hold it up to the light you can see it is also low quality in terms of richness.  It is not bad to use as your main oil, however, if you are preparing something special maybe you want to chose another brand.

How to choose good Hispanic olive oil

I simply hold it up to the light.  Be careful because a lot of the bottles have a tint and can deceive you regarding the color and look.  However, generally if you are in a shop, you can see the quality and even how the oil moves in the bottle. I like the olive oil from the Madrid region as the arid warm climate gives it a good taste but any Español (language) speaking country produced good olive oil.

Do not get too involved with the label and what it says, first press or this or that, look with your eyes. You do not have to read everything you can on it, uses your own senses, taste, smell, look, I think personal experience not someone’s recycled information on the Internet is the best way to choose.  I like a little cloudy unfiltered thick look. However, I think first pressed is the best.

Pomace oil is extracted with a chemical process, is this good for you? Of course the pure olive oil is the best but it comes down to price.  I have to do more research is this Pomace is really all that good for you as they use hexane to extract it.  I think they use this grade in cheap restaurants.

What about Mediterranean oil from olives countries?

Production of olive oil:

1. Spain 32%
2. Italy 22%
3. Greek 16%
4. Rest comes from Tunisia, and other Mediterranean countries.

These are great quality countries but you pay a price. Italy they have this volcanic soil that really changes the taste in positive way, but there is a cost factor, which changes in a negative way.  This is why I stick to Spain.

I am American living in the EU.  For me here in Europe, Spain is the country of choice. If I was in the States I think I would look for Mexican in the future (once it develops this tree crop, and it will) or  now Spanish oil from olives.

Uses of this wonderful oil

1. Olive oil soap
2. I use it for a hand moisturizer
3. Massage for my back or feet or healing uses
4. Mixed with other things can be a good night anti-wrinkle application, make your own that is
5. Put herbs in it like rosemary or even garlic and have it as decoration
6. Use it for burning in a lamp
7. Aromatic uses

Let me know if you think my assessment of Spanish olive oil is correct or I am partial because I like the culture of this country.

At the end of this lesson I have a game! Try it, it is word search it will help lock in what you have learned.

I make professional Spanish verb flashcards which will teach you all the verbs you need to know in the past, present and future tense. They are amazing in terms of art and effectiveness.

However, here is a very simple explanation of verbs.

The categories of regular verbs are:

• Spanish -ar ending verbs (such as hablar – which means to speak)
• Spanish -er ending verbs (such as comer – which means to eat)
• Spanish -ir ending verbs (such as vivir – which means to live)

These endings refer to the infinitive. Here is how -ar verbs are conjurgated.

Ar verbs in Spanish

• I – hablo
• you – habla
• he – habla
• she – habla
• we- hablamos
• You-all – hablan
• They – hablan

Notice you do not use a personal pronoun in Spanish.  It is implied in the verb form.

Sample sentence which needs no translation: ¿Habla usted español?

Ir verbs in Spanish

• I – como
• You- come
• He -come
• She – come
• We – comemos
• You-all coméis (informal)
• They comen

Ir verbs in Spanish

• I – vivo
• You – vive
• He – vive
• She – vive
• We – vivimos
• You-all – viven
• They – viven

What the present tense means in Spanish?

Present tense (indicative) in Spanish means three things.

• I speak Spanish.
• I do speak Spanish.
• I am speaking Spanish.

This tense is the most important tense in Spanish, it is like the English simple and continuous tense in one. In fact, if you know this one and only tense you could in write novels in the  Hispanic language.

More Spanish regular verb grammar

• 1st Conjugation. Hablar (to speak)
• Present Part. Hablando (speaking)
• Past Part. Hablado (spoken)

The present simple tense

Again lets look at the verb to speak.

• Yo hablo (I speak)
• Nosotros (m.) hablamos (we speak)
• Nosotras (f.) hablamos (we speak)
• Tú hablas[informal] (You speak)
• Vosotros (m.) habláis (you speak)
• Vosotras (f.) habláis (you speak)

• Él or Ella habla (he or she speaks)
• Ellos (m.) hablan (they speak)
• Ellas (f.) hablan (they speak)
• Usted habla (you speak)[formal].
• Ustedes hablan (you speak).[formal]

Spanish verb  Temer (to fear)

• Present Part. Temiendo.
• Past Part. Temido.
• Presesnt Tense, Indicivtive Mood.

• Yo temo
• Nosotros (m.) temenos
• Nosotras (f.) temenos
• Tú temes
• Vosotros (m.) teméis
• Vosotras (f.) teméis
• Él teme
• Ellos (m.) temen
• Ella teme
• Ellas (f.) temen
• V. teme
• Vs. temen

Partir (to depart, to set out)

• Present Part. Partiendo.
• Past Part. Partido.
• Present Tense, Indic. Mood.

• Yo parto
• Nosotros (m.) partimos
• Nosotras (f.) partimos
• Tú partes
• Vosotros (m.) partís
• Vosotras (f.) partís
• Él parte
• Ellos (m.) parten
• Ella parte
• Ellas (f.) parten
• V. parte
• Vs. parten

Hispanic regular verb game – word search

When to use articles in Spanish

Think about the English grammar rules on articles and they are basically the same in the Hispanic language.

You do not use articles in Spanish when you are speaking about something very generally.  Like ‘I eat Mexican tacos’ translated in Spanish to (Puedo comer tacos mexicanos.)  Note thin this sentence there is no Spanish article because you are talking in general.

Also notice that plurals often to not take articles in Spanish, but it depends how use speak about the noun.

Here is an example of when you do use the definite article in Spanish.  The Mexican taco on the table. El taco de México sobre la mesa. Use the definite article ‘el’ in Spanish because it is a real concrete taco that we both can see and eat.

She is a Spanish girl. – Ella es una chica española. Uses the indefinite article ‘una’ because she is a Spanish girl in general, rather then a specific girl.

Compare the above with this  – ‘The Spanish girl in my room.’ – La niña española en mi cuarto. See how the more concrete or definite nouns take ‘the’ instead of ‘a’?  These Spanish rules of grammar are similar to English rules regarding articles.

These are the Spanish definite articles.

What are the definite in Spanish

The definite noun Articles in the Spanish language are
El and La. What is a definite article?  For people who do not study linguistics, a definite article is like in English ‘the’.  That is it used for a concrete nouns.  Something that is known to the speaker for being famous or was mentioned before.

El is used before a masculine singular noun.
La  is used before a feminine singular noun.

What about neuter nouns in Spanish? Unlike many European languages there are no
neuter nouns in the Spanish language. This makes it easier.

Below are some examples of masculine and feminine singular nouns in Spaiish which take the definite articles:

El hombre (the man) – La mujer (the woman)
El recibo (the receipt) – La cuenta (the account)
El libro (the book) – La pluma (the pen)
Note that in Spanish a feminine ending is the letter ‘a’ while a masculine ending is ‘e’ or ‘o’. Generally masculine nouns are more common but this is a huge generalization.

Los is used before a masculine plural noun.
Las is used before a feminine  plural noun.

Here are some examples below of  Spanish definite articles in the plural.

Los muchachos (the boys) – Las señoras (the ladies)
Los géneros (the goods) – Las facturas (the invoices)
Los lápices (the pencils) – Las cartas (the letters).

Notice the Spanish endings of the nouns in the plural for masculine nouns ‘os’.
The feminine endings for nouns have a ‘as’ ending.

What about the neuter definite article in Spanish I have herd about? You said there is no neuter form? Well here is what there is  – there is kind of a “neuter form” which is Lo. It
its not used before a noun but rather it us used before other parts of speech for an abstract idea, as Yo amo lo bello (I love the beautiful,
viz., all that which is beautiful), Lo sublime (the sublime, viz., all
that which is sublime).

Un and Una are the Spanish indefinite articles.

The Indefinite Article in Spanish

Un is used before a masculine singular noun.
Una is used before a feminine singular noun.

Here are some simple examples of this grammar of the indefinite  articles in the Hispanic language.

Un amigo (a friend) – Una amiga (a lady – friend)
Un padre (a father) – Una madre (a mother)

The indefinite article is just like it sounds like.  It is used when we refer to something that is not known or has not been mentioned.  This is similar to English.  Think about when you us the word ‘a’ – you use it when you are speaking about something which the listener has not herd before or is used in general.

The Indefinite Article has no plural, but the Spanish plural forms
“unos” (masc.) and “unas” (fem.) translate the English words “some” or
“any,” as Unos hermanos (some brothers), Unas hermanas (some sisters),
Unos tinteros (some inkstands), Unas mesas (some tables). (The Spanish
words “Algunos,” “Algunas,” are also used for the same purpose.)

Let me know what you think about my treatment of Spanish grammar and its organization.  If you have any ideas on how it could be presented clearer let me know.  Or if you have any other suggestions on Spanish articles and their presentation here.

Really all the vegetables that come from the Latin world like Tomatoes, peppers and tomatoes were not in Europe until Columbus.  Many European countries consider them their own. However, it is not true, this were Native American and then Hispanic vegetables.

Types of Hispanic vegetables

Other Hispanic vegetables include:

• yucca
• chayhotes
• squash
• chiles
• quelites
• nopales
• jicama
• tender cactus
• tomatillos
• peas
• hearts of palm
• artichokes
• Olives
• asparagus
• Jalapeno
• Poblano

The Spanish world is also home of green salad, because it is sunny and easy to grow.

Artichokes are considered Hispanic vegetables

La Preferida and Goya are two large Hispanic vegetable companies also Vigos and Kuners.  I would love to buy stock in Goya but it is a private company.

I have a cooking blog also and today I wrote about Mexican porgies believe it or not. I am into trying to take Spanish food and vegetables and mixing it with other cuisines.  I have not gotten any complaints.  I think like to try exotic things.  Anything from Latin America is considered spicy and exotic in my mind.

Corn and beans as the Hispanic vegetable

I do not know if these are really vegetables or simply proteins but  Corn is high in the Amino acid Arginine  beans have Lysine they balance each other out and make a complete protein.

From this you can make almost anything, including pastes or main dishes.

Food from Spain in Europe

Since I’m living in Europe, and the winters are quite cold here we get most of our winter vegetables from Spain.  Spain has a longer growing season than where I am and eastern Europe.  In the early spring we get Spanish vegetables that are only available in the summer.

The problem and is vegetables from Spain are relatively expensive if they are exotic.  However the ordinary ones such as tomatoes and potatoes are relatively cheap.  The big competitor to Spanish fashion bowls in Europe is a delay.

Italian fashion polls have a different taste because of the volcanic soil.  The vegetables grown in central Spain around Madrid on the other hand have the more exotic nature.

Why I do not eat Mexican vegetables

When you’re talking about Hispanic vegetables in America you’re really talking about vegetables from Mexico and Peurto Rico.  The problem is I have greater trust in Spanish agriculture than I do in Mexican farming.  Not that there’s anything wrong with Mexico, rather a large American food companies get their hands in the corporate farming in Mexico and I question the level of pesticides and chemicals they use in the food.  In contrast in Spain I think it’s more natural as the EU has tighter regulations on produce.

If anyone has any more information to convey about Hispanic vegetables please let me know, I want to build this post up a little more.

Comparing English and Spanish punctuation marks

Question marks and exclamation marks are the only real differences between the language punctuation in Spanish and English when it comes to the actual signs. Periods and commas are used the same.

Question and exclamation marks

The rule is this, in Spanish you use question and exclamation marks at both the the beginning and end of a word.

For Spanish puncuation question marks are used at the start and finish of the sentence.

For example:

• ¿Qué quiere V.? (what do you want?)
• ¡Cuántos sufrimientos! (how much suffering!)

Look at the beginning of the word. Note that at the beginning
the question and exclamation marks are up side down.

Spanish punctuate with an inverted exclamation mark

I have personally always found this curious, but if this is they way they punctuate in Spain and Mexico than when in Rome do as the Romans.

When to use capital letters in Spanish

Use capital letters the same was as in English, however, there are a couple of exceptions.

Capital letters in the Spanish language are used different compared to English.

• Adjectives of nationality are written with small letters. Look at the following example:

Un libro inglés (an English book).

• Days of the week generally (and sometimes the months of the year)
  are written with small letters. Look at the following examples:

I do not like Mondays. – No me gustan los Lunes.
Yesterday was Tuesday. – Ayer fue el martes.
Today is Wednesday. – Hoy es miércoles.
Tomorrow will be Thursday. – Mañana será el jueves.
On Friday I wear a Hawaiian shirt. -El viernes me pongo una camisa hawaiana.
On Saturday I sleep. – El sábado me duermo.
On Sunday I go to church. – El domingo voy a la iglesia.

For months in Spanish it is similar they do not take capital letters in contrast to English:

Hace frío en enero. – It is cold in January.
El mes de junio es hermoso. – The month of June is beautiful.
Otoño empieza en septiembre. – Autumn begins in September.
La Navidad es en diciembre. – Christmas is in December.

Compare the Spanish punctuation to the English punctuation above.  These are your main differences between the two languages’ punctuation.

Summary of punctuation differences between English and Spanish languages

1. Exclamation and question marks are the beginning and end of a sentence and at the start they are inverted.
2. Adjectives of nationalities are not capitalizes.
3. Days of the week are not capitalizes.
4. Months are not capitalized.

Actual signs or marks for punctuation in the Hispanic language

. punto — period
, coma — comma
¿ ? — principio y fin de interrogación — question marks
¡ ! — principio y fin de exclamación o admiración — exclamation points
; — punto y coma — semicolon
: dos puntos — colon
” — comillas — quotation marks – Note in Latin America, including Mexico they use « » while in Spain they use “” “”
‘ — comillas simples — single quotation marks
( ) — paréntesis — parenthesis
— raya — dash

You do not have to get too complicate with grammatical linguistics.  I believe simpler is better. That is it for how to punctuate in Spanish and the use of specific punctuation marks.

Here is a Spanish Firefox addon. Barra de Español is a Firefox toolbar people who are studying  the Spanish language. This is the best and only Spanish language Firefox add on or extension you will really ever need.

Not only does it have character support but it has references to news and native language online Spanish site. I think the programmer did a good job with it as it is non-commercial and user friendly.  I dislike using something only to find it is a tool for marketing rather than learning.  This is not the case with this Spanish Firefox tool.  It is mostly educational and a little fun.

Spanish language add-on for Firefox

These are the functions for this tool:

• Handles Spanish special characters and accents
• Has a dictionary
• Spanish TV sites
• Useful Spanish language sites

I think the best thing is it allows you to type in Spanish those funny Spanish letters.  I use Spanish accents haphazardly but if you can set this add-ons, which is free from the Mozilla site you can make it more of a habit, to use Spanish characters.

Why I use Firefox addons for language learning

I am a big fan of Firefox as it is fast and you can do everything online without having to install 20 software programs.  Rather you have some very light add-ons and this increases your productivity.

One lesson I learned from Using Firefox add-ons, do not use every Firefox extension and add-on you can find and download and install it, or at least do not have them activated as this will slow down  your browser. You can disable them until you need them.

Sure there are all these translator tools and dictionary tools and other Spanish language tools, but you do not need all that.  What you need is this.  One good tool to use for your Firefox browser that will enhance but not over whelm your browsing experience. That being said:

Here are a couple more if you want to experiment with some more.

Another Spanish language add on you might want to consider.  It is a Spanish dictionary.

Firefox Spanish dictionary -Straight forward add-on that give you an online Spanish language dictionary.

Hispanic language search with Firefox – This allows you to search the world (not just a country) in the Spanish language without changing your browser default settings.

Just install the ones you will use in the next week.  If there is one you might use simply deactivate it and when you need it activate it.  I try to keep everything on my computer light and lean.   I un-install most programs and just keep the basics.

Spanish language online

I sometimes browse the web with the Spanish language as my default.  Using seeing thinks like ‘file’ or ‘edit’ in Spanish helps.   You might be frustrated for a while but its not a bad way to get a few more Spanish words in you brain by surfing the web with Firefox set to Spanish.

Let me know if surfing the web in Spanish helps you learn Spanish, or if you have any other ideas regarding Spanish Firefox add-ons.

Why another page online about Spanish accents?  Because most pages you see online are written in formal linguistic language . These pages give you too much information and therefore do not teach you.  Your brains scans it, your eyes glaze over and you do not have anything to take away. There is a difference between dumping information on you and teaching you Spanish.

My intention is to give a short simple but useful page on Spanish accent marks where you will remember two things. Why we usually use the accents on your keyboard and when we use them.

The most important Spanish accent mark

The most important accent in Spanish is ´. The full list of Spanish special marks include áéíñóúü¿¡. To set these on your computer it is easy. You need to change the language setting in Windows under control panel and languages.

However, and when I am typing e-mails I ignore these Spanish special characters.  I know linguists will cringe, but it is understood when I type using English characters and Spanish words.

Spanish accents - How many special Spanish language signs can you see in the above text?

In the above text do you see a lot of letters with accent marks over them? Maybe a couple but Spanish can function without them if you are typing a fast e-mail.

The most important and perhaps only accent in Spanish you need to know is this ´. If you know how to use this accent mark in Spanish than you are 99% there.

When to use the Spanish language accent mark

1. Stress – more emphasis in pronunciation when it has this mark – mostly a small set of high frequency words I list below.
2. Questions.
3. Demonstrative pronouns.

Basically a Spanish accent mark changes the pronunciation. It is stressed more than a none marked letter. Lets look at some of the uses of ´ in specific examples. Memorizes the examples of  stress words and questions below and you will have mostly mastered what you need to know.

The following is a list of times when it is use these accents

This accent mark is used to distinguish between two meanings of the same word. This means an accent mark really makes a simple letter another letter. A simple accent mark in Spanish is a spelling thing. Learn Spanish words and you will not need to know the rules on accents.  With an accent the word changes- here are some examples – Here are the most common words with accents:

• El (the) compared to Él (he)
• De (of) compared to Que él dé (that he may give)
• Se (3rd person reflexive pronoun, “himself,” etc.) compared to Yo sé (I know)
• Más (more) compared to Mas (but)
• mi, my; mí, me;
• si, if; sí, yes
• solo, only (adjective), single, alone; sólo, only (adverb), solely
• te, you (as an object); té, tea
• tu, your; tú, you

In some words an accent is used when used interrogatively

Here are the most common question words with diacritical marks in Spanish commonly found in the following words:

• Quién? (who?)
• Qué? (what?)
• Cuál? (which?)
• Cúyo? (whose?)
• Dónde? (where?)

Demonstrative pronouns

These marks are used to make a distinction between demonstrative pronouns, which are usually accented, from demonstrative adjectives, which do not have accent marks. This can be covered in a lessons on demonstrative pronouns.

Other less important Spanish accent rules

Ignore the following if your brain is beyond the point of absorbing more, I will just mention them.

• On I and U when they occur together with A, E or O, the I
  or U not belonging to the same syllable.
• Or Spanish sometimes uses umlauts(ü) or diereses.  When this is used the u is pronounced.
• Where the pronunciation stress is in a word, for example the last or second to last  syllable, Again just learn the words and your will not need to worry about this too much.

However, my point in this post is not to give you all the rules of using a Spanish diacritical symbols.  It will only confuse you with grammar and linguistic excess.

Aprender español puede ser sencillo – To learn Spanish keep it simple.

Rather to simple give you the general rule. That is you use the Hispanic accents for stress and for questions. The most important in any Latino language is ´.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments or your experiences with typing and using the Spanish alphabet with these accents. You will get to know these with simply reading in Spanish and learning Spanish words, rather than learning the rules on accents.

Spanish pronunciation is easy, once you know a few simple rules.  There are many languages which have complex sounds which are not present in English.  However Spanish is not one of those languages.  An English speaker can  approximate Spanish sounds fairly easily.  This is because English and Spanish have a common that is the Latin language.

Spanish phonemes

Further, most of the Latino languages are pronounced just like it is written, that is phonetic (phonemic orthography), not tricky combinations like in English. This makes Spanish spelling easy, and you do not have to depend on a dictionary or spell checker as much once you learn pronunciations of Spanish letters.

I personally was lost when I tried to learn some Eastern European languages as many of the words are tongue twisters. However, to pronounce any Spanish word you will be understood if you are an English speaker.  Even if you make a mistake in Latin America or Spain as the linguistic roots of English and Spanish are similar.  Of course Spanish has dialect and accents but to not worry about this now.

Spanish or Hispanic pronunciation from Radio

The secret to master Spanish pronunciation is this,  learn the alphabet and the rules, however, you do not have to obsess over them.  Next, listened to Spanish radio.

For me the best way to speak Spanish with proper pronunciation is to listen to the radio. This is because radio announcers have very clear voices and unlike TV you are not distracted by images, rather it is only sound. From a radio you hear rapid, clear Spanish sounds.

You have to hear Spanish over and over until it resonates in your brain.  Do not worry if your pronunciation is not perfect at first. It will gravitate towards proper pronunciation as you listen to more Spanish radio, music or TV.  I prefer Spanish radio for pronunciation, there are many online stations.

It is interesting to note that the sound of the Spanish language as well as all languages are gravitating toward uniformity with mass media.  Regional Spanish accents are less pronounced and people now have what I call TV Spanish.

Do not worry about people say they have a musical ear or perfect pitch.  I know musics who have poor pronunciation.  It is more a matter of focusing on the language.

With training and practice your Spanish pronunciation can be improved.  The listened to audio files and try to imitate these files.  But born in easier method used as a listen to Spanish music a bench early the pronunciation will start to sink in your brain.

Spanish alphabet with English pronunciation in parentheses.

A (a)
B (be)
C (ce)
Ch (che)
D (de)
E (e)
F (efe)
G (ge)
H (hache)
I (i)
J (jota)
K (ka) (only foreign words)
L (ele)
Ll (elle)
M (eme)
N (ene)
Ñ (eñe)
O (o)
P (pe)
Q (cu)
R (ere)
Rr (erre)
S (ese)
T (te)
U (u)
V (ve)
W (doble ve) (only foreign words)
X (equis)
Y (y griega or ye)
Z (zeta)

Pronunciation of Spanish vowels

a in Spanish is like English a in father
e in Spanish is like English a in fate
i in Spanish is as the English i in magazine
o in Spanish is as the English o in note
u in Spanish is as the English u in rule

The pronunciation of these 5 Spanish vowel sounds do not ever change.

That is it.  Commit to memory these 5 sounds and you will have little problem with Spanish pronunciation. Why? Pronunciation and accent in a foreign language is mostly dependent on vowel sounds. I teach languages and if my students have an accent it is on the vowels.  However, not always.  But to start focus on the pronunciation of these five Spanish vowel sounds.

When Spanish vowels pronunciation changes

Spanish vowel pronunciation is a little longer when they are stressed and shorter when they are not.

Some example of these Spanish vowel stress are:

Yo amo (I love)
Amigo (friend)
El cielo (heaven)
Celeste (heavenly)
Un recibo (a receipt)
Interés (interest)
Yo como (I eat)
Contar (to count)
Un buque (a ship)
Una butaca (an armchair).

The Spanish letter Y is a vowel in the conjunction y (and), and at the end
of a word, as Rey (king) or in the Spanish word Hoy (to-day).

E and O sounded a little more open when they form
a diphthong with i and when they precede r followed by a consonant
or r or l final, as Fernando (Ferdinand), Un tercio (a third), El
tercer año (the third year), Porfiar (to insist), Amor (love), Español

Blending two vowel sounds in Spanish

In Spanish there are no diphthongs or triphthongs in the English sense of two or
three vowels meeting in one syllable and blending into a different
sound, as “pause,” “plough.”

Every vowel is pronounced separately.  For me this was very hard to get used to. However, think of it like a phonetic language, once you master the sounds spelling and pronunciation in Spanish is easy.
Here are some examples of Spanish words with with two or three vowels together. Every sounds is pronounced, although perhaps a little faster than if it was a single vowel:
Pausa (pause), Reino (kingdom), Cuenta (account), Buey (ox).

Again the vowels are the letters which you should focus on to articulate Spanish words. The following section on consonants are once you master the vowels and not a critical as you can almost use the English reading of these letters in most cases.

Spanish pronunciation of consonants

Spanish consonants are pronounced pretty much as in the English language. However there are some slight exceptions.  No need to get crazy about memorizing these, however, it will help a lot if you can.  I make Spanish flashcards for these and commit them to memory. However, with exposure to the Spanish language the pronunciation will become more easy even without memorizing these at first.

The Spanish consonant B is pronounced much more lightly than in English, with no pressure of
the lips, as Libro (book), Brevedad (brevity).

The Spanish consonant pronunciation C before E and I–th in “theatre,” as La Cena (the supper), La
Cerveza (the beer). Otherwise pronounced K as in English, as Caja
(case, box), Color (colour), Cúbico (cubic).

Spanish pronunciation in the village is not much different from Spanish pronunciation in Madrid

The Spanish language consonant Ch always as ch in “church” (never hard as in “monarch”), as
Chocolate (chocolate), Charla (prattle).

Spanish pronuciation is phonemes - that is phonetic

The Spanish consonant D at the end of a word or after a vowel is pronounced very softly and
lightly, with a tinge of th in “they,” as Madrid, Amado (loved),
Encarnado (red).

The Spanish consonant pronunciation G before E and I is pronounced guttural, as El general (the
general), El giro (the draft, bill). This sound is equal to ch in the
Scotch word “loch.” In all other cases G is pronounced hard, as in the
English word “gay”; as Gato (cat), Gobierno (government), Gusto
(pleasure, taste).

The Spanish language consonant H is a not pronounced like in many European languages (mute letter). (Although in Andalusia it is aspirated in certain
words.)

The Spanish consonant J is always guttural, as Juan (John), Jornalero (day labourer), Junio
(June), Reloj (watch, clock).

The Spanish consonant Ll–ly, stronger than li in “pavilion,” as Belleza (beauty), Folleto
(leaflet).

The Spanish language consonant Ñ–ny, stronger than ni in “pinion,” as Niño (child), Caña (cane), El
otoño (autumn).

I know Spanish auto pronunciations are very popular online when trying to learn Spanish.  However, I teach languages and adults think in abstractions, unlike children learning a language.  Therefore, adults need to understand Spanish pronunciation on an abstract level and it will make it much easier to approximate Spanish sounds when you speak the Hispanic language.

How are you learning Spanish pronunciation?  I would be very interested in your experiences and what ideas you might have to make it beneficial.

The Spanish consonant Q is only used before ue and ui (and the u is then mute), as
Querido (dear, beloved), Yo quiero (I want).

The Spanish consonant R as in English, but it is always rolled, as Caro (dear, expensive),
Pérdida (loss). At the beginning of a word or when preceded by a
consonant it is rolled more strongly, as La rosa (the rose), Deshonra
(dishonor).

The Spanish language consonant Rr always rolled strongly (if you have watched American films portraying Russians rolling their Rs this is how the Spanish should sound, as Carro (cart), El ferrocarril (the
railway).

The Spanish consonant S always pronounced as s in “salad or Spanish salad,” and never as in “as” or “sure.”

English Spanish pronunciation is very similar, except Spanish you read every letter.

The Spanish consonant T as in “time,” but never as t in “nation.” It must be pronounced
softly, not explosive, as Fortuna (fortune), Cuatro (four).

The following letters are always exceptions in most European languages.

The Spanish language pronunciation consonant V is pronounced much more lightly than in English, as Vino (wine), Vivir
(to live). By the common people V is often confounded with B, but
educated Spaniards will always make the proper distinction.

The Spanish consonant Y–Spanish I.

The Spanish consonant Z–th in “theatre,” as Zarazas (cotton prints), Zorra (fox).

Please note. -In modern Spanish Z is not used before E or I, its place
being supplied by C.

How to learn Spanish pronunciation

• Print out this lesson.
• Listen to Spanish radio.

That is it.  Please let me know if you think Spanish pronunciation is hard or your experiences with trying to learn Spanish. I am sincerely interested or if you can offer ways to improve this online guide.  I am not a native Spanish speaker but rather a person who loves the Spanish language, so please let me hear from you.

Mexican auto insurance

If your taking an adventure, let’s say to Mexico, do you need to buy auto insurance on your car? The answer is technically no, but it is according to your peace of mind, that is if you do not get into an car accident in Mexico involving and the Police get involved.

I have never ever bought additional insurance on my world wide travels. I have been traveling to South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and never had a problem, even though I rent and even have bought cars in various countries.

I chance it. I am lucky. I am not even 100% sure if I was driving legal. I just bought the car and put gas in it on and drove on my American drivers license.

That being said, if you are cruising down to Mexico often, or even for a family vacation, unlike my adventure trips, you might want to consider it to save you headaches.
It is recommended to buy Mexican car insurance, even for day visits, when driving in Mexico. Most USA insurance plans do not cover driving in Mexico.

Why do you need Mexican auto insurance?

You are require to have Insurance from a Mexican company by Mexican law if you have an accident, even if you are not at fault. This is the biggest reason to get Mexican auto insurance on your trip to Mexico
In  Mexican law drivers need “proof of financial responsibility” in the event of an accident. As an American with a car in Mexico, you either need a lot of cash or a Mexican car insurance company.
Will my U.S. or Canadian insurance cover me in Mexico?
US and Canadian car insurance companies are not “proof of financial responsibility” under Mexican law. However, there are some  U.S. insurance companies that cover damages to your car, for say 20 mile penetration into Mexico,  the other guys car is not covered by your US auto insurance company. And this is the reason why  U.S. car insurance has to have a liability-only auto insurance from a Mexican car insurance company.

What to do about auto insurance in Mexico?

I would call my current insurance company and determine if it has this policy in affect. I think many southern California companies might. However, if not there are many per diem companies with good reputations that will give you peace of mind.

I guess I have a higher risk preference or perhaps I am over confident as a driver. But if a friend were to ask, me I would say yes get Mexican auto insurance from some American company that offers it cheap.

Visas take a little bit of work to get.  They are not impossible at all.  I think they are easy, however, it takes work and most people are too lazy to go through the steps. I got an EU citizenship and if I can do that then you can get a visa to live as an American legally in Mexico if you want.

Public square Mexico city 1869 - Americans who love history love living in Mexico

Why are there Americans living in Mexico

Why?  I am an American and I do not live in the USA.  I love American but not to live there.  Life is an adventure.

Living in warm sunny Mexico is about the fraction of the price of living in the USA.  Further many guys marry Mexican women as they are in general more beautiful and loving with better values.  However, on the downside about one American a week dies in Mexico, from some unfortunate circumstance.

The nature in Mexico is unbelievable.  I am not just talking about the weather but the animal and plant life.  Mexico is like going to another planet. It has such rich biodiversity that living there will feel nothing like earth, that is the USA.  I think Mexico is a great place for Americans to live.  That is why so many Americans live in Mexico. Stop watching the discovery channel and take a trip to Mexico. I have never herd of anyone not enjoying there stay in Mexico.

One  of my friends from Europe lives in Mexico and is married.  He likes it there very much.  He is an outdoor enthusiast and spends hours a day hiking in the forest and jungles. He is learning Spanish and loving life.

I am an American that lives in Krakow, Poland.  I find it much cheaper and more reasonable lifestyle the living in Boston.  Life of an ex pat has some downside but very few if you are into adventure or cerebral activities like learning a language, rather than getting the big piece of cheese.

Therefore, if you ever considered becoming an ex pat in Mexico I would recommend it as long as you set your self up in a safe way.

Living in Mexico you can expect to at least double your standard of living. If you like to shop in open markets, and go native you will quadruple your income and lifestyle.  The key is to retain your US income while living abroad. If you need a big fat corporation to plug into then you will not do well living in a foreign country as an American.

American girl living abroad – what a joke

I knew this one American girl who was a professor and got a chance to learn a language and live down there, south of the boarder.  However, after three years the only way she would ever get around is with a cab. She never walked anywhere or ventured out. In my opinion what a waste of a three year adventure.

Learning Spanish in Mexico

Is it OK to learn Spanish in Mexico? I think so if you go to a school and stay on the school grounds.  However, if you are wandering around Mexico city at night partying, good luck to you. I think Mexico city is a lawless city because the good citizens can not keep the gang violence at bay.

Similar if you go on vacation to Mexico you can stay at the resort and be relatively safe.  Or if you go on a guided tour.  But if you are just wandering off on your own, I do not know if it safe.

Mexican visas for Americans who want to live in Mexico

Visa requirements are basically a FM3 Rentista so you do not have to drive over the boarder every six months.

FM2 this is also a good visa to have.  It is basically like a green card and can be converted to a Mexican citizenship with time.

You can drive across the boarder every six months but there is no guarantee the boarder officers will keep allowing you to do this.

Let me know if you have any other ideas or views on life in Mexico as an American expat. I am into Spanish culture as well as Latin American culture including Mexico and I am curious about other people’s experiences.