Sub for Santa Spanish

At this time of year, with all we’ve been blessed with – like the Visual Link Spanish blog, Facebook Fiesta Friday, a warm home to sleep in and food to eat, I hope we can remember those less fortunate than us and get involved with a Sub for Santa helping those in need.

As a part of giving back to you this Christmas/Holiday season, we are giving everyone a free Level I audio course on MP3 (before we created our software, we used to sell the audio course for $100 – and now, we’re giving it to you FREE as part of our 12 days of Christmas + 1)! Be sure and tell all your friends about it. But BEWARE! the day after Christmas it will be gone, so if you don’t download all the audios by then, you will have lost your opportunity. Honestly, we hope that thousands of courses are downloaded so the holiday cheer can be spread all around the world. Facebook it and Tweet it out. Next, be sure to visit us tomorrow on Facebook to practice your Spanish and tell us about a Sub for Santa experience you’ve had.

Here is the vocabulary from the video:

This Saturday, be sure to come back to the blog for a post that answers a question about “Why Spanish speakers don’t use ‘yo, tú, él, ella, etc.’ when they speak”.

Also, you can still get Visual Link with a huge discount and on-time for Christmas! Come to our website Monday for a FREE 2-day Express shipping sale with 55% off everything in our catalog. This offer will expire on Tuesday – be sure to check Facebook on Monday for the coupon code and more info.

Visual Link Spanish Online Catalog

Future Facebook Fiesta Friday Topics:

December 23, 2011 – Christmas Spanish Lesson

December 30, 2011 – New Year’s Resolutions

January 6, 2012 – Reaching Your Goals (an exciting lesson by Jake on how to keep our New Year’s resolutions – I’m excited!)

Winter Spanish Video Lesson

We would love to know what you like to do in the winter. Come share on  or Visual Link Spanish Facebook page on Friday where we can all practice Spanish together. I love teaching Spanish and I love learning more and more Spanish. If you like our blog, Facebook page and/or Visual Link Spanish products, be sure and share with friends. You can use the social media tags at the top of each blog post. We would also love to hear from you! Comment at the bottom of each blog post. You can ask questions, post comments or share experiences you’ve had in learning Spanish.

As mentioned in the video, here is a link to our FREE ONE MONTH TRIAL

Here is the vocabulary from the video:

Jake and I hope to see you on Facebook this Friday. Come join us to practice Spanish. If you haven’t purchased the Visual Link Spanish course yet, we have some great Christmas deals going on. You can start right here at our learn Spanish free online page.

¡Hasta luego mis amigos!

Future Facebook Fiesta Friday Topics:

December 9, 2011 – Spanish for Volunteers

December 16, 2011 – Spanish for Sub For Santa

December 23, 2011 – Christmas Spanish Lesson

I couldn’t cover anything in the video, so here is a little bit more vocabulary that may be helpful to you on Thanksgiving Day. I dedicate this post to Thanksgiving food.

pavo | turkey
papas | potatoes
arándano agrios | cranberries
zanahorias | carrots
remolacha | beets
pastel de manzana | apple pie
pastel de cereza | cherry pie
pastel de calabaza | pumpkin pie
relleno | stuffing
habichuelas tiernas | green beans
maíz | corn
fútbol americano | American football
Comí demasiado. | I ate too much.
Me alegra poder estar con mi familia. | I am happy that I can be with my family.
Me alegra poder estar con mis amigos. | I am happy that I can be with my friends.
Gracias a todos ustedes. | Thanks to all of you.
Estoy agradecido por estar vivo. | I am thankful to be alive.

Whether you have a lot or you don’t have much, be thankful for what you have. As Kenny Chesney says in one of my favorite songs:

“As for me I’d like thank my lucky starts, cause I’m alive and well.”

Express your gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is a list of the Spanish numbers and how they are written out. Knowing the numbers in Spanish will undoubtedly help you in your travels and everyday speech and writing. Without further adieu…

0  cero
1  uno
2  dos
3  tres
4  cuatro
5  cinco

Halloween is over. Winter has not yet begun. I need you to help me transition from candy to turkey. It’s nearing the end of the fall or autumn season and I’ve realized that I haven’t given you some helpful Spanish vocabulary related to this specific time of year. In Utah we experience all 4 seasons. At this time it is cooling down and leaves are falling off the trees. T-shirts are being switched for hoodies and sweatshirts, and jackets are being switched for coats. It’s getting cold out there, but it’s not time to break out the wintertime and Christmas time music. It’s not even time to learn wintertime Spanish. It’s time for some early November Spanish. Maybe this could become a monthly segment, and I give you some Spanish vocabulary that I think you’ll need for the month. Some of it will be serious, and some of it might be slightly humorous. Well, without further adieu, here is November’s list:

Fall/Autumn | otoño
wood | la madera
to chop | cortar
leaves | hojas
to rake | rastrillar
to fill | llenar
to push | empujar
to wear | llevar
to prepare | preparar
I need to prepare for the winter. | Necesito preparar para el invierno.
I need some coffee. | Necesito café.
I don’t want to go outside. | No quiero ir afuera.
I like to watch the leaves. | Me gusta mirar las hojas.
Thanksgiving Day | Día de Acción de Gracias

There are many other things that you can and will say during the glorious month. The reason that November is a great month is because of my favorite holiday of the year, Thanksgiving. I get to spend that day every year with four of my favorite F-words: family, friends, football, and food. Let’s begin early and be thankful! What makes this month so great for you?

Occupations in Spanish

You have had a nice weekend, and some of you didn’t have to work yesterday. Welcome back to work my friends. The world is happy to have you back at work. Be proud of what you do. In fact, let’s talk about what you do for a living. Here is a list of occupations in Spanish and a little Spanish vocabulary.

What do you do for work? | ¿De qué trabajas?
Do you like your job? | ¿Te gusta tu trabajo?
I like to go to work every day. | Me gusta ir al trabajo cada día.
I am… | Soy…
baker | panadero
florist | el florista
mechanic | mecánico
travel agent | agente de viajes
tailor | costurera/sastre
butcher | carnicero
housekeeper | ama de llaves
painter | pintora
plumber | plomera
real estate agent | agente de bienes raíces
gardener | jardinero

Here is a little Spanish grammar lesson:

Soy panadero. | I am a baker. (correct)
Soy (un) panadero. (incorrect)
Do NOT use “un” or “una” after the verb ‘ser’ when describing what you do for work.

Please answer the questions in the blog comments or on the Visual Link Spanish Facebook page. Be proud of what you do!

Spanish Animals

Some of you might be thinking that animals have not received enough coverage on my blog posts. To all the animal lovers:  I am sorry. I am simply going to provide you with a list of some of my favorite animals with their Spanish translation. If you are offended because I left out your favorite animal, please leave me a note in the blog comments. So, without further adieu, I give you this list of my favorite Spanish animals:

eagle | águila
ostrich | avestruz
turkey | pavo
rooster | gallo
swan | cisne
flamingo | flamingo
shark | tiburón
alligator | cocodrilo
iguana | iguana
frog | rana
kangaroo | canguro
rhinoceros | rinoceronte
elephant | elefante
zebra | cebra
horse | caballo
sheep | cordero/oveja
moose | alce
giraffe | girafa
panda bear | oso panda
lion | león
gorilla | gorila
puppy | cachorro

As I began building this list, I knew I could probably go on forever. Just because I left an animal off of this list doesn’t mean I don’t like that animal, except in the case of cats and snakes. I’m not a big fan of those. What is your favorite animal? (Please share in Spanish with an English translation.)

Many of you have been asking for some “bathroom Spanish vocabulary”. I have had a difficult time reading between the lines on the suggestions. Were you hoping that I would post some inappropriate bathroom humor in Spanish or merely wanting to learn how to say “toilet” in Spanish? Since this is a family friendly website and blog, I will not be posting “bad stuff” on the blog. Okay, here is a small vocabulary list for the bathroom.

shower | ducha
to shower | ducharse
to bathe (oneself) | bañarse
soap | jabón
toothpaste | pasta dental
sink | lavabo
toothbrush | cepillo de dientes
washcloth | toallita
mirror | espejo
hair dryer | secador
toilet | inodoro/excusado
toilet paper | papel higiénico
You need to take a shower. | Necesitas ducharte.

Challenge: Don’t take a shower until you learn these words. If you stink bad enough, you will do it for your sake, and because you care about others.

It is getting closer and closer to winter for many of you out there. If you are in need of buying new winter clothes, then I suggest you start shopping now. Save some money on winter clothes before winter. For those of you out there learning Spanish (and I imagine that you visit this blog because you are learning), you need to take advantage of any opportunity you can to practice. Try going shopping and practicing your Spanish whenever and wherever possible. Here is a small vocabulary list of winter clothes in Spanish:

gloves | guantes
parka | abrigo de invierno
earmuffs | orejeras
ski cap | gorro de esquiar
jacket | chaqueta
scarf | bufanda
overcoat | sobreabrigo
boots | botas
sweater | suéter
coat | abrigo
windbreaker | rompeviento
rain boots | botas de lluvia
winter | invierno
snow | nieve

Challenge: Go shopping for winter clothes and practice this vocabulary. Please tell me about it afterward.

Anyway, enough babbling, here the Spanish Love Phrases from us at Visual Link:

I have a boyfriend – Tengo novio

I have a girlfriend – Tengo novia

You are beautiful (said to a woman) – Tú eres hermosa.

You are good looking (said to a man) – Tú eres guapo.

Dear Paco – Querido Paco

Dear María – Querida María

Why don’t you write to me? – ¿Por qué no me escribes?

I love you – Te quiero (or) Te amo

(Te quiero is more of the friendship or parent/child type of love.)

I love you passionately – Te amo apasionadamente.

I’m in love with you – Estoy enamorado/a de ti

(If you are a male, you say “enamorado”. If you are a female, you say “enamorada”.)

Do you love me? – ¿Me quieres?

I love you with all my soul – Te quiero con toda mi alma

I want to kiss you. – Quiero besarte.

I want to hug you. – Quiero abrazarte.

I can’t live without you. – No puedo vivir sin ti.

Please write soon. – Por favor escribe pronto.

Hugs – Abrazos

Kisses – Besos

With love, – Con amor,

With affection, – Con cariño,

Hopefully those Spanish love phrases are enough to get you going and at least help you have a little fun. Remember to keep practicing your Spanish. The more you practice, the better you’ll get!

¡Hasta luego amigos!