Spanish Grammar Quick Tip

In English, when we write the title to a book, movie, essay, and so forth, we capitalize each word in the title, except for words like "the," "of," and "to," that appear in the middle of the title.

eg. Talk to Her; And Your Mother Too

However, in Spanish, titles are only capitalized at the beginning of the title. The titles of the Think Spanish Magazine articles give some great examples of this, but others are:

eg. Habla con ella; Y tu mamá también

Stay tuned for more grammar quick tips, lessons, and quizzes. Place the Think Spanish Blog on your RSS Feed so that you don't miss out.

Diarios de motocicleta

Watching movies in Spanish is a great way to practice your listening comprehension, while getting in touch with the culture of Spanish speaking countries. Have you seen The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)? It's a dramatized account of the life of the Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara, from Argentina. Check out the trailer, and if you've seen the movie, let us know what you thought of it!

Mini Lesson on Direct and Indirect Objects

A direct object is the receiver of the action of the verb. It answers the question “What” (What do you want, read, speak, etc.? I want him, I read books, I speak Spanish)

An indirect object is the person to or from whom the action is done. It answers the question “To whom” or “For whom” (Whom does she give gifts to? She gives gifts to you, him, and her.)

The direct object pronouns:

me, te, nos, lo, la, los, and las

depending on the gender and number of the object under consideration.

Indirect objects require the use of the same pronouns as with direct objects but also include “le” and “les,” which are used for the third person. Unlike English, both direct and indirect object pronouns are placed before the verb. They can also be connected to the end of the infinitive, as in “puedo leerlo,” but this is a little less common. The pronouns are also placed at the end of commands, as in “¡Dámelo!”

In the phrase, “Lo miro,” lo is the direct object. What do you look at?: I look at it.

Mi hermana me dan regalos. “Me” is the indirect object. Whom does she give gifts to?: To me.

Test your direct and indirect object skills in our quiz!

Direct and Indirect Objects

Costa Rica - August's Free Article!

¡Pura Vida!

Have you been to Costa Rica? Costa Rica is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Western Hemisphere. The growth of tourism provoked the establishment of over twenty national parks in the 1990s. Currently, 12.2 percent of Costa Rica’s land is preserved. These reserves are home to 205 species of mammals, 845 species of birds, 160 species of amphibians, 218 species of reptiles, and 1013 species of fishes. Here’s what I saw at Manuel Antonio National Park!

If you’ve been to Costa Rica, tell us what you saw in the rainforest! Monkeys, sloths, birds? Leave a comment below!

And click here to download your FREE article of Think Spanish! Audio Magazine and to increase your Spanish fluency while learning more about Costa Rica!

-AR Verb Quiz

Braser Product Review -- Go for the "Spanish Whiz"

If you're looking for a good Spanish software program, Braser offers a great one at http://www.braser.com/. If you're just a beginner, the "Start Spanish" software is right for you. As an intermediate speaker, I found the Start Spanish program a bit too easy; although, it did remind me of some vocabulary words, such as the titles for nationalities (e.g. canadiense). But for you beginners out there, Start Spanish is your starting point. Both of these programs are more affordable than many of the other software programs out there.

I spent more time of the more accelerated "Spanish Whiz" program, and it really helped increase my vocabulary and challenged my verb use. You can choose among three levels with increasing difficulty. The first level is plenty challenging but still not intimidating, and the third level is great for advanced learners wanting to perfect their grammar.

Spanish Whiz tests your ability to conjugate while increasing your word recognition. The program uses the same words in different exercises so you continue to gain exposure to them. There is audio along with each phrase and word, so that you can hear the correct pronunciation and repeat it out loud.

This way, while you move through the exercises, you’re utilizing and strengthening various skills at the same time—building a verb vocabulary base while practicing conjugating…while perfect your grammar…while being introduced to new nouns…while listening to the pronunciation…while reading the phrases. The program even has games and jokes, making for an even more interactive experience. You can look words up in the dictionary and also make a personalized dictionary for words you’re trying to memorize.

Think Spanish! Magazine highly recommends Braser!

Have you tried Braser? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

A very creative Spanish Teacher...

"A take on a Justin Timberlake song in order to brainwash, I mean, motivate students to conjugate verbs in Spanish."