Advanced, Task 06

Simplified and native speakers:

• Simplified example
• Guadalupe Cruz Medina
• Deyanira Herrera
• Mónica Vallín
• Medardo de la Cruz
• Alejandro Camacho

Click red links to download .m4v files for use in iPod:

• Simplified example
• Guadalupe Cruz Medina
• Deyanira Herrera
• Mónica Vallín
• Medardo de la Cruz
• Alejandro Camacho

Subscribe to podcast: adv06

Key vocabulary for this task

Example phrases for this task

Grammar points for this task



		Simplified Example "Mi papá es médico en Monterrey, México..."



		Guadalupe Cruz Medina México, D.F. "Tengo dos hijos. Uno de 23 años y la niña de 19..."

		Deyanira Herrera Venezuela, Caracas "Mi papá es ingeniero químico..."

		Mónica Vallín Bolivia, La Paz "Bueno, mi familia es boliviana por el lado de mi madre..."

		Medardo de la Cruz República Dominicana, Santo Domingo "Mi familia es muy pequeña..."

		Alejandro Camacho Ecuador, Quito "En mi familia somos dos hermanos..."

abuelo (m)		grandfather/grandmother
bisabuelo (m)		great grandfather/mother
cuñado (m)		brother-in-law
cursar		to take classes at an institution
dedicarse		to dedicate oneself to (i.e. an occupation)
hermano (m)		brother/sister
hijo (m)		son/daughter
madre (f)		mother
maternal (adj)		on the mother's side of the family

mayor (adv)		older
menor (adv)		younger
padre (m)		father
pasatiempo (m)		hobby
paternal (adj)		on the father's side of the family
primo (m)		cousin
sobrino (m)		nephew/niece
suegro (m)		father-in-law
tío (m)		uncle/aunt

Somos cinco en mi familia.	There are five of us in my family.
Mis tíos tienen tres hijos y viven en Colombia.	My aunt and uncle have three kids and they live in Colombia.
A mi hermano le interesan las relaciones comerciales y espera trabajar en una empresa multinacional después de graduarse de la universidad.	My brother is interested in corporate relations and he hopes to work for a multinational corporation after graduating from his university.
Mi hermana mayor cursa estudios universitarios en la UNAM.	My older sister takes classes at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
Mis abuelos maternales son de Italia y no hablan nada de ingles.	My maternal grandparents are from Italy and they don't speak any English.
¿A qué se dedican tus cuñados?	What do your brother and sister-in-law do?
Mi cuñado es abogado, y mi cuñada es maestra.	My brother-in-law is a lawyer, and my sister-in-law is a teacher.
Me llevo muy bien con el lado de la familia de mi papá.	I get a long well with my dad's side of the family.
El hijo de doña María es piloto, trabaja con una línea aérea internacional.	Doña María's son is a pilot; he works for an international airline.
Cada verano mi familia se reúne en la casa de mi abuelo.	My family gets together every year at my grandpa's house.

Gustar and similar verbs

Spanish has several verbs that, like gustar, tend to give English speakers some problems. The formation of these verbs follows the same pattern as the verb gustar: an indirect object pronoun (me, te, le, nos, os, les) and the verb which is usually in singular (gusta) or plural form (gustan).

For example:

fascinar

Me fascina el ajedrez. Chess fascinates me.

encantar

Nos encanta tu carro. We love your car.

interesar

A Diego le interesan las novelas. Diego is interested in novels.

sorprender

¿Te sorprendieron las noticias? Chess fascinates me.

Although it is less frequent, the verb can also take different forms. For example:

Creo que les gustamos. I think they like us.

Me encantas, me fascinas. I love you, you fascinate me.