# If you want to learn spanish...



## guacamole (Apr 25, 2010)

Hi!!
If someone wants to learn spanish (maybe because you are thinking of moving to mexico, or because you want to travel there or whatever) or if you want to translate something I can help, my first language is spanish and I will gladly help you, for free, of course!


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## MangoMike (Apr 7, 2010)

Hola Guacamole! I will keep your offer in my arsenal of language learning tools. I took Spanish in high school (a long time ago) and really only remember "Hola Isabel, como esta?" and "Donde esta la biblioteca?" After starting to travel to Mexico for vacations my interest was renewed and I checked out everything my local library had on the subject. The one that helped me most was the audio CD set from Michel Thomas. I listened to him every day to and from work and learned quite a lot. But the absolute best learning tool I have discovered is talking to the Mexican people themselves. I've become friends with many of the staff where we stay and a multitude of beach vendors from whom I've bought a lot of stuff I don't need. It works both ways too. They always want to learn how to say something correctly in English. For now, I'm a little confused about when to use the pronouns Tu, Te, and Ti. Is there a simple rule to follow? 
Muchas Gracias,
Mango Mike


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## guacamole (Apr 25, 2010)

I've become friends with many of the staff where we stay and a multitude of beach vendors from whom I've bought a lot of stuff I don't need. It works both ways too. They always want to learn how to say something correctly in English. For now, I'm a little confused about when to use the pronouns Tu, Te, and Ti. Is there a simple rule to follow? 

Hi MM!
Well, at least you will find where the books are  
I dont know how to explain when to use Tu and Te, let me try... Those indicates that the things are property of, or may indicate the subject

Example:

(TU)Tu casa (your house) tu amigo (your friend) tus ojos (your eyes) 

(SU)Maria tiene una casa,SU casa es grande y SU perro es pequeño (Mary owns a house, her house is big and her dog is small)

(TE) Te quiero (I love you) Te espero (I wait for you) Te compre un regalo (I bought a present for you)

I am the worst teacher ever but I hope it helps, lol


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Te, tu and ti are the informal forms. Usted and su are the formal forms. As such, the form that you use depends upon the personal relationship with the other person and, in many cases, the social class difference, or rank, if any.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

Tú is a subject pronoun ... in English (you)
Tu is an adjective pronoun... in English (your)
Te is a direct or indirect object pronoun or a reflexive pronoun... there isn't a simple, direct translation in English but it usually is just (you) (ex. as reflexive ¿Te lavaste las manos? - Did you wash your hands... ex. as indirect object - Te doy el papel. I give you the paper.
Ti is also an object pronoun but it is used when it is the object of a preposition. (ex - Ellos tienen interés en ti ... They are interested in you.)

Guacamole's examples are right on and easy to understand. I'm just giving the "technical" names for the grammatical function in English.

I never really learned English grammar until I learned Spanish!!! :S


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## floridagal (Jan 4, 2009)

There is a wonderful (and free) website that you can use for translating bidirectionally as well as a tutor for Spanish. You sign up free, take lessons, use the flash cards, all at your own pace. It's at SpanishDict | Spanish to English Translation, Dictionary & Translator / Diccionario y traductor ingles español 

Enjoy!
Donna


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## Farmer Jo (Dec 17, 2008)

*Spanish Grammar*

That's so funny... me, too. I hated "English" in high school and just now, while learning Spanish, I am starting to learn what certain words are called, beyond your basic noun, verb, and adjective. I also agree the best way is to be around Spanish speaking people. I have been meeting up with Spanish speaking folks once a week for a language exchange and they are so shocked to learn most of us Canadians and Americans don't know the technical terms of our own grammar. My problem with the exchanges is it's mostly me helping them with their English and when they speak Spanish, it's too fast and I don't understand any of it (or in the case of one woman from Chile, the accent is not clear.) I am here in Vancouver, BC... there is a 'meet up' group for people learning Spanish but they test you and you have to be at a certain level to join. So, I created my own group, Spanish Conversation for Beginners. It's awesome. We all speak and listen slowly and I figure if we can learn from each other on a slower level, one day we'll be good enough for the 'meet up' group and then hopefully next time I go scout Mexico for a retirement location, I'll be able to understand what people are saying back to me.




circle110 said:


> Tú is a subject pronoun ... in English (you)
> Tu is an adjective pronoun... in English (your)
> Te is a direct or indirect object pronoun or a reflexive pronoun... there isn't a simple, direct translation in English but it usually is just (you) (ex. as reflexive ¿Te lavaste las manos? - Did you wash your hands... ex. as indirect object - Te doy el papel. I give you the paper.
> Ti is also an object pronoun but it is used when it is the object of a preposition. (ex - Ellos tienen interés en ti ... They are interested in you.)
> ...


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## Farmer Jo (Dec 17, 2008)

*Learn as a child...*

Awesome... I will check that out. Here is one we use - it's for children, but it's great for adults learning Spanish, too:
http://www.codyscuentos.com/



floridagal said:


> There is a wonderful (and free) website that you can use for translating bidirectionally as well as a tutor for Spanish. You sign up free, take lessons, use the flash cards, all at your own pace. It's at SpanishDict | Spanish to English Translation, Dictionary & Translator / Diccionario y traductor ingles español
> 
> Enjoy!
> Donna


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