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Por or para? Ser or estar? Acabar de, acabar por, or acabar haciendo algo? You’ve heard both la frente and el frente — but which one do you use, and when?

If you are somewhere between intermediate and advanced levels in Spanish, you’ve probably realised that the more Spanish you learn, the more there is that you haven’t quite nailed down, or even noticed. You’ve got a solid vocabulary and a decent grasp of grammar — but in real conversations with native speakers, you sometimes find yourself half-listening while mentally rehearsing what you want to say. And when you finally get a chance to speak, the worry about getting it right means the moment passes before you’ve said a word. We’ve all been there.

That’s exactly why we created this section. Each post takes a grammar point that trips up even confident intermediate and advanced learners and breaks it down in a clear, practical way — with plenty of real examples so it actually sticks. Some of these posts are accompanied by one of our Trocitos de Real Spanish: short videos focused on those tricky little grammar points that continue to follow us around — like the subjunctive, everyone’s favourite (or not).

Which grammar points would you like us to tackle next? Tell us in the comments!

¡Manos a la obra!

Elizabeth from Real Spanish

Man on seahsore looking puzled. Speech bubble: "¿El mar o la mar? Pues... ¡Depende!"

Un trocito de Real Spanish | “El mar” or “la mar”? Well, that depends!

“El mar” or “la mar”? Well, that depends!   First of all: This video is one of our “Trocitos de Real Spanish” (Little Bits of Real Spanish). A trocito is a small amount of something — usually something to eat, like a trocito of chocolate! This particular one is a preview of a full lesson from our ebook Spanish for Perfectionists No. 1. Below you'll also find a link to a free sample lesson from Spanish for Perfectionists No. 2.   Hi there! I'm Elizabeth from Real Spanish, and like you, I'm passionate about learning Spanish. After all these years of studying, I thought I'd pretty much figured out which nouns are masculine and which are feminine. What a surprise it was to discover that el mar and la mar both exist! Same word, two genders, and a nuance of difference between them that's worth knowing. The video below explains when to use el mar and when to use la mar, plus several really cool expressions with the word mar that native speakers use all the time. Heads up: a couple of them are a little vulgar!   To view the video, click on the image. Transcript: Download the PDF       How to get the most out of the video and transcript The transcript is the exact text of the video script. Read it before watching the video if you like, but always read it afterwards while you listen to the audio, several times. As you listen, pay attention to intonation, phrasing, pace and the individual sounds of Spanish. Then choose a sentence or two to read aloud in time with the speaker, imitating them as closely as you can. Later you can record yourself and compare your speech with theirs. This procedure works well: Listen and repeat several times, imitating the speaker as closely as possible. When you’re ready, record yourself. Listen to the speaker again and immediately listen to yourself. Repeat until you’re satisfied that your pronunciation is closer to the speaker’s. Doing this several times over a few days, and several more times over the next few weeks, will help tune your ear to Spanish and make your own speech easier to understand. It’s unlikely that adults who start learning a language after puberty will end up with a native-speaker accent, but with persistence you can sound more natural and less hesitant, feel more confident, speak more fluently and, above all, be understood. You have to do the work! This method is probably more work than you expected... but repetition is essential for learning a language and developing fluency. There are no shortcuts, but we promise you’ll enjoy learning with our engaging video lessons. Bonus: a poem, and a few more expressions El mar. La mar. El mar. ¡Sólo la mar! ¿Por qué me trajiste, padre, a la ciudad?   Rafael Alberti, Marinero en Tierra (1924) (“The sea. The sea. The sea, only the sea! Father, why did you bring me to the city?”)  

2026-08-23

«Has bebido más de la cuenta»: how to use «más que» and «más de»

¿Do you still have problems with  «más de» and «más que»? José explains! (transcription below). Hello and welcome to Real Spanish! Are you still not sure when to use «más que» or «más de»? It's natural, they sound similar but their meanings are different. We use «más que» in comparisons of people, things, places animals, objects, and even actions. Look at these examples: Susana trabaja más que Pedro. Susanna works more than Pedro. Me gusta cantar más que bailar. I like singing more than dancing. Llevo más tiempo en este negocio que tú. I've been in this business longer than you. Me fío de Patricia menos que de su hermana. I trust Patricia less than her sister.   «Más que» is also used to express superiority or inferiority with an adjective or adverb, according to this structure: «más/meno + adjective/adverb + que». For example: Mi hermano es más alto que yo. My brother is taller than me. La tortuga se mueve más lento que la liebre. The tortoise goes more slowly than the hare. Ella habla menos que su hermana. She talks less than her sister.   Another use of «más que» is to express the existence of only one possibility, or of an exception. These examples will help to make this clearer: Nadie más que el guardia de seguridad puede quedarse en la oficina por la noche. Nobody except/other than the security guard can stay in the office at night. No haces más que criticar a tu jefe. You do nothing but criticize your boss. As for «más de» and «menos de», we use these phrases with numbers and quantities. For example: Tengo más de diez pares de zapatos negros. I have more than 10 pairs of black shoes. Has llegado más de cuantro horas tarde. You're more than four hours late Más de la mitad de los alumnos llegan al colegio sin haber desayunado. More than half of the students arrive at school without having had breakfast. Menos del 50% de los votantes han votado. Fewer than 50% of the eligible votes have voted. Esta película no es apta para niños de menos de 13 años. This movie is not suitable for children under 13 years of age.   We also use «más de» and «menos de» with relative clauses introduced by «lo que»:  For example:  Como más de lo que te imaginas. I eat more than you think. Tengo menos edad que lo que crees. I am younger than you think.   And before I go, do you know the expression «más de la cuenta»? It means too much, or more than you should. For example Has bebido más de la cuenta, ahora estás muy borracho. You've had too much to drink, you are really drunk. Peso más de la cuenta, tengo que adelgazar. I weigh too much, I have to lose weight. Bye for now! Please leave us a comment, a question, or a suggestion below: we’d love to hear from you! Follow us on YouTube

2023-09-04

«¡Se acabo!» and other uses of «acabar»

The video above explains some uses of the verb «acabar». The English transcription is below. If you just want to listen to the audio, you can find it on Soundcloud.  Hello and welcome to Real Spanish! Today we bring you some uses of the verb «acabar». I'm sure you already know that this verb means "to finish" or "to end" something. However, «acabar de» + infinitive is used to indicate that something has just happened. For example: - Acabo de lavarme el pelo. - I've just washed my hair. Be careful with the negative though, because «no acabar de» + infinitive means to be unable to do something, no matter how hard you try. Look at this example: - No acabo de entender la diferencia entre «ser» y «estar». -I can’t figure out the difference between «ser» and «estar». On the other hand, «acabar por» + infinitive means to do something after a series of previous actions. For example: - Después llamar a la puerta durante un rato, acabó por marcharse. (This is the same as «al final se marchó») - After knocking at the door for a while, he ended up leaving. With the same meaning we can also use «acabar» + gerund, although this expression may also express the state or form in which something ends, or an action in progress. For example: -  Después de discutir con su pareja, acabó llorando. - After an argument with her partner, she ended up in tears. Another use is «acabar con» + noun, which means "to destroy", "to break up", or "to put an end to".  For example: - Con ayuda de su psicólogo acabó con su miedo a volar. - With the help of her psychologist, she put an end to her fear of flying. And we can also use «acabar en» + noun to indicate the result of previous actions. For example: - La discusión entre mis hermanos acabó en pelea. - The argument between my brothers ended up in a fight. Okay, we have the expression «se acabó» (It's over!) to put an end to an argument or a difficult situation. I hope you 've enjoyed this Trocito. See you soon! Bye! Please leave us a comment, a question, or a suggestion below: we’d love to hear from you! Follow us on YouTube so you never miss our Trocitos de Real Spanish. You can also participate in our Community page on YouTube.  You'll find short quizzes, surveys, and quick explanations of vocabulary or grammar points.   Enjoy your Spanish with us! Click here to learn more about all our great materials.  Real Spanish: online Spanish courses and mini-lessons for people who are serious about improving their Spanish

2023-05-04

Un trocito de Real Spanish: «El deber me llama» and other uses of «deber»

 Have you heard the expression «El deber me llama»?   In the video above, José explains this expression and other uses of the verb «deber». The  English transcription is below. If you just want to listen to the audio, you can find it on Soundcloud.     Transcription Hello and welcome to Real Spanish! Today I'm going to explain some uses of the verb «deber», which is normally used to express a debt— usually money, but also more abstract concepts. Look at these examples: Te debo la vida. I owe you my life. Te debo 50 euros. I owe you 50 euros When «deber» is followed by an infinitive, it expresses obligation and is very similar in meaning to «tener que» + infinitive, but is a bit softer. Also, «deber + infinitive» is more often used in formal contexts. Debo hablar con mi abogado. I should/I ought to speak to my lawyer. Tengo que limpiar la casa. I have to clean the house. When «deber» is followed by the preposition «de», it expresses a hypothesis, conjecture, or probability. For example: El director del banco debe de ser un hombre muy serio, ¿no? The director of the bank must be a really serious guy, right? Debes de estar muy cansado después de un viaje tan largo. You must be very tired after such a long journey. With other verb tenses (in past or conditional forms), «deber» expresses an obligation or a necessity that has not been fulfilled. For example: Debiste aceptar la oferta de trabajo. You should have accepted the job offer. Deberías haber estudiado más. You should have studied more. It can also be interpreted as an unfulfilled wish. For example: El hombre que me atropelló debería haber ido a la cárcel. The man who ran over me should have gone to jail. Another use of this verb is «se debe a» + noun or «debido a» + noun to express cause, similar in meaning to "because of" + noun. Su dolor de espalda se debe a la falta de ejercicio físico. His back pain is due to a lack of exercise. Debido a las fuertes lluvias han cancelado el concierto. The concert has been cancelled due to heavy rain. In addition, «deber» is a noun that means "obligation" or "duty". El deber del ciudadano es comportarse de forma civilizada. It is a citizen’s duty to behave in a civilised manner. A common expression is «el deber me llama», when we have to do something even though we may not want to.  It's often used to excuse ourselves before leaving. For example: Me encantaría quedarme un rato más contigo, pero el deber me llama. I'd love to spend more time with you, but duty calls. OK, now you ought to see (deberías ver) the video again in order to understand and learn everything. I hope you liked it! Bye now! Did you enjoy this trocito?  Follow us on YouTube so you don't miss them! Please leave us a comment,

2022-10-15

Un trocito de Real Spanish: ¿«Fuera» o «afuera»? ¿«Dentro» o «adentro»?

Do you know when to say «fuera» or «afuera»? Unfortunately, even some native speakers choose the wrong form from time to time. In this video, Virginia helps you to decide which to use.  Hello and welcome to Real Spanish! Are you unsure about when to use «fuera» or «afuera»? I’m not surprised, even native speakers don’t agree about when we use these adverbs of space. Normally with verbs of movement (towards the exterior/outside) both forms can be used, especially in Spain. For example, we can say, «Si tienes calor, sal fuera/afuera». With verbs that describe state or situation, such as «estar», or with the meaning “outside, in the exterior”, «fuera» is usually used in Spain. However, in Latin America «afuera» is more commonly used. Estamos fuera, en el jardín. (España) Estamos afuera, en el jardín.  (Latinoamérica) Los niños juegan fuera, en la calle. (España) Los niños juegan afuera, en la calle. (Latinoamérica)   It’s the same with the adverbs «dentro» and «adentro». With verbs of movement «adentro» is used, with the meaning of  “towards the interior/inside”, although when it’s used with a preposition it’s preferable to use «dentro».  Look at these two examples: El camarero nos llevó adentro del restaurante. Caminamos hacia dentro de la cueva.   In Latin America «adentro» is usually used, even with prepositions, but is avoided in formal or educated speech. For example, «El hombre puso la maleta adentro del armario». (colloquial) With verbs that describe state or situation it’s more common to use «dentro» with the meaning of “inside; the interior part”, especially in Spain. For example, «Estamos dentro, en la casa». However, in Latin America it’s also common to use «adentro» with the same meaning:  Estamos adentro, en la casa. But when it’s followed by the preposition «de», it’s always better to use «dentro»: «El abrigo está dentro del armario». By the way, have you heard the expression «de puertas afuera»? For example, «Se comporta muy bien de puertas afuera», which means “he/she behaves well in public” but maybe not «de puertas adentro», which means “in private, at home” That’s all for today, but did you know you can get a transcription, in English or Spanish, in our blog? Click below to get it. There are also some links if you want more examples of the use of «fuera» or «afuera» and «dentro» or «adentro». Are you already signed up to Real Spanish?  With our engaging video-lessons you can improve your listening comprehension, learn loads of new vocabulary and great expressions, refine your grammar, and participate more naturally in conversations with native speakers.  Click below to view all our materials.   Helpful links: https://www.fundeu.es/recomendacion/afuerafuera/ https://www.rae.es/dpd/afuera https://www.espanolavanzado.com/gramatica-tips/1837-fuera-o-afuera https://www.fundeu.es/recomendacion/adentro-dentro/ https://www.rae.es/dpd/adentro   We plan to publish more videos about some of those tricky grammar points that even advanced students sometimes get wrong.  Follow us on YouTube so you don't miss them! Please leave us a comment, a question, or a suggestion: we'd love to hear from you! Enjoy your Spanish with us! Click below to learn more

2022-09-17
¿Dudas mucho?

¿Dudas mucho?: Expressing uncertainty or probability in Spanish (Spanish grammar)

  The video above is a preview of our mini-lesson on how to express doubts and possibility in Spanish. Below are the English transcription and a more detailed blogpost. Do you know the different ways to express doubt and probability in Spanish? With some expressions you can use only the subjunctive. Look at these examples: -Celia: He traído el paraguas porque es probable que llueva. -Antonio: ¡Buena idea!   Would you like to see the complete mini-lesson? It consists of  - the complete video - an annotated transcription - grammar notes - a couple of interactive exercises Sign up today to learn more:  https://realspanish.eu/enBlogpost: Maybe you have time to read this blog; perhaps it will help you with your Spanish. Maybe you need to review expressions of uncertainty and probability which require the use of the indicative or subjunctive. It’s possible that you can find solutions to your problems here. When we are unsure about something we can use various Spanish expressions such as quizás, tal vez, a lo mejor, puede ser, and others. But do you know what form of the verb should follow? Well, it depends on the expression, because some are used only with the subjunctive, some only with the indicative, while others can be used with either, although the subjunctive usually indicates a greater degree of uncertainty. Expressions that are always followed by the indicative   A lo mejor A lo mejor salgo a cenar con amigos esta noche. Igual Igual me tiño el pelo de rojo. Lo mismo (es que) Lo mismo está enfermo. Lo mismo es que está enfermo. Expressions that are always followed by the subjunctive   Puede (ser) que Puede que estés embarazada. Dudo que Dudo que tengas fiebre. Es probable que Es probable que llueva. Es posible que Es posible que no gane este partido de tenis. Expressions that may be followed by the indicative or the subjunctive   In general, the subjunctive is used more often than the indicative, and adds a nuance of less probability. Quizá/Quizás Quizás me compro un coche nuevo. Quizás me compre un coche nuevo. Tal vez Tal vez te mando un mensaje luego. Tal vez te mande un mensaje luego. Posiblemente Posiblemente está enfadado. Posiblemente esté enfadado. . Probablemente Probablemente consigo un trabajo de camarero. Probablemente consiga un trabajo de camarero. Seguramente Seguramente viene al trabajo en metro. Seguramente venga al trabajo en metro. To express uncertainty or probability in the present or future   The present tense is used to refer to the present or future: A lo mejor A lo mejor salgo a cenar con amigos esta noche. (Futuro) Puede (ser) que Puede que estés embarazada. (Presente) Quizá/Quizás Quizás me compro un coche nuevo. (Futuro) Quizás me compre un coche nuevo. (Futuro) Posiblemente Posiblemente está enfadado. (Presente) Posiblemente esté enfadado. (Presente) To express uncertainty or probability in the past The present perfect is used to refer to the recent past:   A lo mejor A lo mejor ha salido a cenar con amigos

2021-05-05
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