Only three verbs change in the imperfect—ser, ir, and ver—while nearly every other verb follows steady -aba or -ía endings. The imperfect tense is the past tense that helps you tell what was going on, what used to happen, and what a scene looked like. It’s the tense for “was doing,” “used to,” and “would […]

Say “No quiero hablar español; ¿podemos hablar en inglés, por favor?” to make the request clear and courteous. You might like Spanish music, food, and places, yet still not want to hold a whole chat in Spanish. Maybe you’re tired, your Spanish is rusty, or you’re dealing with something that needs precision. Whatever the reason,

El raspado y alisado radicular elimina sarro bajo la encía y alisa la raíz para que la encía se adhiera mejor y baje la inflamación. Si te dijeron que necesitas “scaling and root planing”, es normal quedarse en blanco. En español, suele decirse raspado y alisado radicular o limpieza profunda. Es un tratamiento cuando la

In Spanish, “beans” is usually frijoles, with alubias and judías often used in Spain and some regions. You’ll hear “beans” said a few different ways in Spanish, and it’s not because people are being fancy. It’s just real-life Spanish: the word changes by place, recipe, and sometimes the type of bean on the plate. If

Say “¿Está abierto?” for one place or “¿Están abiertos?” for a group; add “ahora” when you mean right now. You’re standing at a shop door. Lights are on. People are inside. You want the Spanish version of “Are y’all open?” and you want it to sound normal, not like a word-for-word translation. Spanish doesn’t have

In Spanish, “para siempre” is the usual way to say “forever,” while “por siempre” shows up in set phrases and lyrics. You’ve seen “for always” in English on jewelry, captions, vows, and notes. It’s sweet, but it’s also a little unusual in everyday English. When you want the same feeling in Spanish, you’re asking: “What

This HIPAA release lets you authorize a person or agency to get New York health records, using Spanish labels and the same legal effect as the English form. If someone asked you for “OCA Form 960” and you’re staring at a page full of medical and legal terms, you’re not alone. This is the standard

The most common Spanish name is “cucarachero de Carolina,” with “saltapared de Carolina” also used in Mexico. You hear it before you see it: a loud, rolling song from a bird that fits in your palm. If you’re writing a field note, labeling a photo, or chatting with a bilingual birder, the tricky part is

“Mijo” is an affectionate way to address someone, short for “mi hijo,” and it can also mean the grain “millet,” depending on context. You’ll see mijo in family chats, in novelas, in lyrics, and in everyday street talk. People use it to soften a request, show affection, or speak gently to someone younger. Then you

In Spanish, the month is “mayo,” and the verb sense often becomes “puede” or “podría,” depending on whether you mean permission or possibility. Typing “May” into Google Translate feels simple. Then the result comes back and you pause. Is it the month? Is it “may” like “you may enter”? Is it “may” like “it may