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Unit 1 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Ask how people are

Hola, ¿cómo estás?

Hi, how are you doing?

Bien, gracias.
Good, thanks.

Buenas tardes, señora.

Good afternoon, ma'am.

Buenas tardes, ¿cómo está usted?

Good evening, how are you?

¡Hasta mañana, señor Pérez!

See you tomorrow, Mr. Pérez!

¡Adiós, hasta mañana!

Bye, see you tomorrow!

TIP

Tú vs. usted
Tú and usted both mean you. So what's the difference?

Tú is used in friendly conversations.​

 Juan, ¿cómo estás tú?
Juan, how are you?

Meanwhile, usted is used in more formal interactions. ​

Hola, señor. ¿Cómo está usted?​

Hello, sir. How are you?
TIP

Ser vs. estar

Remember to use estar to describe things that are only temporarily true, like the location of
people and things.​

Manuel está aquí.​

Manuel is here.​

You would also use estoy, estás, or está to talk about how people are feeling or doing.
 ¡Yo estoy cansada!
I am tired!

Use ser for more permanent descriptions, like explaining what someone is like.

Mi hermano es inteligente.
My brother is intelligent.

You would also use soy, eres, or es to say where people are from.​
 Yo soy de los Estados Unidos.
I am from the United States.​
 Back

Unit 2 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Express travel needs

¿Tienes el boleto?
Do you have the ticket?

Sí, yo tengo el boleto.

Yes, I have the ticket.

Yo necesito mi pasaporte.
I need my passport.

¿Tienes la maleta?
Do you have the suitcase?

¿Necesita un taxi, señor?

Do you need a taxi, sir?

TIP

¿Quieres más agua?​

Remember that in Spanish, verbs change depending on the person.

subject verb
 yo necesito
I need

tú necesitas
you need

él / ella / usted necesita

he / she / you needs / need

Notice that él, ella, and usted always have the same verb form.

subject verb

yo quiero
I want

tú quieres
you want

él / ella / usted quiere

he / she / you wants / want
 Back

Unit 3 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Talk about schedules

Marco, ¿qué día es hoy?

Marco, what day is today?

Hoy es jueves.
Today is Thursday.

¿Cuándo es la fiesta?
When is the party?

Mi fiesta de cumpleaños es el sábado.

My birthday party is on Saturday.

¿Cuándo es el partido?
When is the game?

El concierto es el sábado.
The concert is on Saturday.

TIP

Days of the week

In Spanish, the days of the week are not capitalized.
 Hoy es lunes.​
Today is Monday.​

To say on Monday or on Saturday, use el before the day of the week.

La fiesta es el viernes.​
The party is on Friday.​
 Back

Unit 4 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Talk about your life

¿Usted estudia francés?

Do you study French?

No, yo no estudio francés.

No, I do not study French.

¿Dónde trabaja usted?

Where do you work?

Yo trabajo en una fábrica.

I work in a factory.

¿Dónde vives?
Where do you live?

Yo vivo en Inglaterra.
I live in England.

TIP

Spanish sounds
There's a difference between n and ñ! A Spanish n is pronounced the same as the letter n in
English.
 necesito necesito, banana

As in nest.

But ñ is a little tricky! It almost sounds like ny in “canyon”.

mañana mañana, cumpleaños

As in canyon.
 Back

Unit 5 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Discuss others' lives

Bruno, ¿eres camarero?

Bruno, are you a waiter?

No, Carmen es camarera.

No, Carmen is a waitress.

El maestro es mexicano.
The teacher is Mexican.

La maestra es cubana.
The teacher is Cuban.

José, ¿tu hermano es médico?

José, is your brother a doctor?

No, mi hermana es médica.

No, my sister is a doctor.

TIP

¡Yo soy estudiante!

In English, we say I am a teacher, but in Spanish, you don't need to use a when talking about
occupations.
 Mi hermana es médica.
My sister is a doctor.

Mi amigo es profesor.
My friend is a professor.
 Back

Unit 6 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Talk about college

Ella estudia español en la universidad.

She studies Spanish at the university.

¿La universidad tiene tres bibliotecas?

Does the university have three libraries?

Ana, ¿la biblioteca tiene computadoras?

Ana, does the library have computers?

Sí, la biblioteca tiene dos computadoras.

Yes, the library has two computers.

Eduardo, ¿necesitas este libro?

Eduardo, do you need this book?

Mi clase tiene siete estudiantes.

My class has seven students.

TIP

Este vs. esta

In Spanish, the word for this changes depending on the gender of the noun it goes with.
 Este libro es divertido.
This book is fun.

Yo trabajo en esta biblioteca.

I work in this library.
TIP

Let’s talk about Agreement!​

Words describing a noun should agree, or match, in their gender.​

un niño mexicano​

el niño americano​

una niña mexicana

la niña americana​
 Back

Unit 7 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe your family

Yo tengo una familia pequeña.

I have a small family.

Mi esposa se llama Amanda.

My wife's name is Amanda.

¿Tienes hijos?
Do you have children?

Sí, mi hijo se llama Alberto.

Yes, my son's name is Alberto.

Mi hija Camila tiene cinco años.

My daughter Camila is five years old.

TIP

Age
In English, we say I am sixteen years old. But in Spanish, you'd say I have sixteen years.
 El bebé tiene un año.
The baby is one year old.

Yo tengo ocho años.

I am eight years old.
 Back

Unit 8 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Talk about office work

Ana trabaja con los secretarios.

Ana works with the secretaries.

Él trabaja mucho los lunes.

He works a lot on Mondays.

Ella escribe un mensaje para el jefe.

She is writing a message for the boss.

El jefe lee los mensajes ahora.

The boss is reading the messages now.

Este mensaje es para la jefa.

This message is for the boss.

TIP

Los and las

When referring to more than one person or thing, el becomes los.
 el bolígrafo
the pen

los bolígrafos
the pens

And la becomes las.

la carta
the letter

las cartas
the letters

TIP

What's the deal with su?

Su can mean a few different things! Context will help you understand which meaning is intended!
 su dinero
her money

su negocio
their business
 ¡Su café, señor!
Your coffee, sir!
 Back

Unit 9 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe emotions

Hola papá, ¿cómo estás?

Hi dad, how are you?

Estoy cansado y quiero dormir.

I'm tired and I want to sleep.

Estoy muy preocupado hoy.

I am very worried today.

¡Yo también!
Me too!

¿Cómo te sientes hoy?

How do you feel today?

Yo no me siento muy bien hoy.

I don't feel very well today.

TIP

¡Me siento enfermo!

Some Spanish verbs like me llamo and te sientes always need an extra little word before them.
 Me llamo Julia.
My name is Julia.

¿Cómo te sientes?
How do you feel?
¿Señor, cómo se llama usted?
Sir, what is your name?
 Back

Unit 10 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Say where people are from

Nosotros no somos de México.

We are not from Mexico.

Nosotras no hablamos portugués.

We don't speak Portuguese.

¿Los hombres son de Francia?

Are the men from France?

Las mujeres son de los Estados Unidos.

The women are from the United States.

Nosotros somos de la ciudad.

We are from the city.

¿Ellos son los hombres de Nueva York?

Are they the men from New York?

TIP

Nosotras hablamos español

Remember that verbs change depending on the person. They also change when there is more
than one person!

subject verb (hablar)

yo hablo
I talk / speak

tú hablas
you talk / speak

él / ella / usted habla

he / she / you talks / speaks, talk / speak

nosotros / nosotras hablamos

we talk / speak

ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan

they / you all talk / speak

TIP

To be or not to be?
The verb ser is very special! It has its own forms and it doesn't follow the regular patterns.

subject verb (ser)

yo soy
I am

tú eres
you are

él / ella / usted es
he / she / you is / are

nosotros / nosotras somos

we are

ellos / ellas / ustedes son

they / you all are
 Back

Unit 11 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe clothing

Yo estoy contento con mis zapatos nuevos.

I am happy with my new shoes.

¿Tú tienes un vestido rojo?

Do you have a red dress?

¿Quién usa pantalones verdes?

Who wears green pants?

Sonia, tú tienes unas carteras bonitas.

Sonia, you have some pretty purses.

Dúo necesita muchas camisetas verdes.

Duo needs a lot of green t-shirts.

TIP

Zapatos verdes
Add ‑s to both the adjective and the noun if a word is plural!
 el zapato verde
the green shoe

los zapatos verdes

the green shoes

TIP

Mi vs. mis
In English, we say my shirt and my shirts. But in Spanish, if there is more than one shirt, you
would add ‑s also to words like my, your, and her.

mi / tu / su + camisa
my / your / his / her + shirt
mis / tus / sus + camisas
my / your + shirts
 Back

Unit 12 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Ask for directions

Perdón, ¿dónde está la estación de tren?

Excuse me, where is the train station?

La estación está cerca del hotel.

The station is close to the hotel.

El hotel está lejos de la parada del autobús.

The hotel is far from the bus stop.

Nosotros estamos al lado del café.

We are next to the café.

¿El hotel está a la derecha o a la izquierda?

Is the hotel to the right or to the left?

A la derecha.
To the right.

TIP

¿Dónde estás?​
You already saw how estar can be used to describe temporary conditions. You can also use estar
to talk about the location of places, objects, or people. ​
 Nosotras estamos en el parque.
We are in the park.

El hospital está en la ciudad.

The hospital is in the city.​

TIP
Al and del
In Spanish, you never say de el. Instead, these words are combined together into del.​

Estamos cerca del café ahora.

We are close to the cafe now.

Similarly, a and el are always combined together into al.​

Quiero ir al aeropuerto en la mañana.

 I want to go to the airport in the morning.

But de and a don't combine with la, los, or las.

Estamos cerca de la calle.

We are close to the street.

¿Por qué no quieres ir a los parques?

Why don't you want to go to the parks?
 Back

Unit 13 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Talk about free time

Nosotras queremos unas vacaciones.

We want a vacation.

Renato y yo queremos caminar en la playa.

Renato and I want to walk on the beach.

Yo quiero caminar con mi perro.

I want to walk with my dog.

Nosotros siempre leemos en las vacaciones.

We always read on vacation.

Ellos comen con amigos los fines de semana.

They eat with friends on the weekends.

¡Qué bueno!
How good!

TIP

Stem‑changing verbs
In some Spanish verbs, the middle vowel changes. For example, we say querer, but yo quiero and
él quiere. ​
These are the so‑called e‑to‑ie verbs. But watch out! The e doesn't change in the nosotros /
nosotras form.​

subject verb (querer)

yo quiero
I want

tú quieres
you want

él / ella / usted quiere

he / she / you wants / want

nosotros / nosotras queremos

we want

ellos / ellas / ustedes quieren

they / you all want

TIP

Let’s talk about Present Tense!​

Notice the three different patterns for verbs like hablar, comer, or vivir.​

subject verb (hablar)

yo hablo

tú hablas

él / ella / usted habla

nosotros / nosotras hablamos

ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan

subject verb (comer)

yo como

tú comes

él / ella / usted come

nosotros / nosotras comemos

ellos / ellas / ustedes comen

subject verb (vivir)

yo vivo

tú vives

él / ella / usted vive

nosotros / nosotras vivimos

ellos / ellas / ustedes viven

 Back

Unit 14 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe activities

Nosotros trabajamos en casa.

We work at home.

Nosotras trabajamos en una oficina.

We work in an office.

Tú escribes bien en español.

You write well in Spanish.

¿Ustedes aprenden italiano?

Are you learning Italian?

Él quiere aprender italiano.

He wants to learn Italian.

TIP

Happy endings
The basic form of a verb is called an infinitive. For example, hablar (to speak), comer (to eat), and
escribir (to write) are all infinitives.

Spanish has three verb groups: verbs ending in ‑ar, ‑er, or ‑ir. These are the ending patterns for
each group.
subject verb (hablar)

yo hablo
I talk / speak

tú hablas
you talk / speak

él / ella / usted habla

he / she / you talks / speaks, talk / speak

nosotros / nosotras hablamos

we talk / speak

ellos / ellas / ustedes hablan

they / you all talk / speak

subject verb (comer)

yo como
I eat

tú comes
you eat

él / ella / usted come

he / she / you eats / eat

nosotros / nosotras comemos

we eat

ellos / ellas / ustedes comen

they / you all eat

subject verb (escribir)

yo escribo
I write

tú escribes
you write

él / ella / usted escribe

he / she / you writes / write
nosotros / nosotras escribimos
we write

ellos / ellas / ustedes escriben

they / you all write
 Back

Unit 15 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Express preferences

Me encanta la música de Enrique.

I love Enrique's music.

Carmen, ¿te gusta nadar?

Carmen, do you like to swim?

No, no me gusta nadar.

No, I do not like to swim.

¿Te gusta jugar al fútbol?

Do you like to play soccer?

Me gusta la bicicleta de Mateo.

I like Mateo's bicycle.

TIP

¡Me gusta Duolingo!

In English, we say I like chocolate, but in Spanish you'd say something more like To me chocolate
is pleasing.
 Me gusta el chocolate.
I like chocolate.

¿Te gusta nadar en la piscina?

Do you like swimming in the pool?

TIP
La bicicleta de Matthew
In English, we say Matthew's bicycle to show that the bicycle belongs to Matthew. But in Spanish,
you'd say la bicicleta de Matthew, which literally means the bicycle of Matthew.

La bicicleta de Matthew es roja.

Matthew's bicycle is red.
El vestido de Sandra es muy elegante.
Sandra's dress is very elegant.
 Back

Unit 16 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe your routine

¿A qué hora te levantas?

What time do you get up?

Los domingos me levanto a las doce.

On Sundays I get up at noon.

¿Tienes que trabajar los sábados?

Do you have to work on Saturdays?

Sí, a menudo tengo que trabajar los sábados.

Yes, I often have to work on Saturdays.

Yo nunca estudio los domingos.

I never study on Sundays.

Yo estudio español todos los días.

I study Spanish every day.

TIP

Special verbs
Some common verbs, like ir, don't follow the regular patterns we've seen.
subject verb (ir)

yo voy
I go

tú vas
you go

él / ella / usted va
he / she / you goes / go

nosotros / nosotras vamos

we go

ellos / ellas / ustedes van

they / you all go
 Back

Unit 17 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Describe your home

Estas salas son muy modernas y bonitas.

These living rooms are very modern and pretty.

Las habitaciones son grandes.

The bedrooms are big.

Hay dos estanterías en mi dormitorio.

There are two bookcases in my bedroom.

Esos baños no son modernos.

Those bathrooms are not modern.

No hay sillas en la cocina.

There are no chairs in the kitchen.

TIP

Ese vs. esa

In Spanish, the word for that changes depending on the gender of the noun it goes with.
 ese dormitorio​
that bedroom​

esa nevera​
that fridge​

The word for those changes depending on gender as well.

 esos baños​
those bathrooms​

esas camisas​
those shirts​

TIP
Gender
Nouns ending in ‑o are usually masculine, and nouns ending in ‑a are usually feminine.

But what about words that end in consonants? Luckily, most of them are still predictable!

masculine feminine

el hospital la pared

el tenedor la habitación

la televisión

la costumbre

la luz

However, languages and days of the week are always masculine, no matter what letter they end
with.

el español
Spanish

el inglés
English

el lunes
Monday

el sábado
Saturday
 Back

Unit 18 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Order at a restaurant

¿Puede traer el menú, por favor?

Can you bring the menu, please?

¿Qué bebidas quieren ustedes?

What drinks do you want?

Dos cervezas, por favor.

Two beers, please.

Quisiera pollo con ensalada.

I would like chicken with salad.

¿Quieren comer postre?

Do you want to eat dessert?

Quisiera el pastel de chocolate.

I would like the chocolate cake.

TIP

Quisiera
A polite way to ask for something in Spanish is quisiera.
 Quisiera un café sin azúcar.
I would like a coffee without sugar.

Quisiera otra bebida, por favor.

I would like another drink, please.
 Back

Unit 19 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Refer to family members

Mi hermana mayor se llama Laura.

My older sister's name is Laura.

A Laura le encanta tocar la guitarra.

Laura loves playing the guitar.

Mi hermano va a muchos conciertos en el verano.

My brother goes to a lot of concerts in the summer.

A mi abuelo le gusta escuchar música italiana.

My grandfather likes listening to Italian music.

Y ustedes, ¿qué música escuchan?

And you, what music do you listen to?

Nosotros escuchamos música mexicana.

We are listening to Mexican music.

TIP

¡Nos gusta Duolingo!

We've seen that Me gusta escuchar música means I like to listen to music.
To talk about what we like, use nos gusta.

Nos gusta ir al cine.​

We like to go to the movies.​

And to talk about what someone else likes, use le gusta.

Le gusta escuchar música.​

She likes to listen to music.​
If you want to give the name of the person who likes something, you need to use a, followed by
their name, followed by le gusta.

A Miguel le gusta viajar.

Miguel likes traveling.
 Back

Unit 20 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Shop for clothes

¿Quieres comprar algo para mí?

Do you want to buy something for me?

Sí, quiero comprar un sombrero para ti.

Yes, I want to buy a hat for you.

¿Cuánto cuesta este sombrero rojo?

How much is this red hat?

Todos los sombreros cuestan diez dólares.

All the hats cost ten dollars.

Queremos ir de compras hoy.

We want to go shopping today.

TIP

¿Para mí?
After words like para, use mí or ti to say for me or for you.

¿Esta camisa es para mí?

Is this shirt for me?

Papá, quisiera comprar algo para ti.

Dad, I would like to buy something for you.
 Back

Unit 21 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Describe people

Carmen y María son muy estudiosas.

Carmen and María are very studious.

Las chicas están nerviosas en la clase.

The girls are nervous in the class.

Esos estudiantes son inteligentes.

Those students are intelligent.

Rafael, tú eres perezoso.

Rafael, you are lazy.

Muchos estudiantes están enfermos hoy.

Many students are sick today.

¿Ustedes están cansados hoy?

Are you tired today?

TIP

La oficina es grande y está abierta

Don't let ser and estar scare you! You can remember it this way: pretend that the t in estar is for
temporary!

Yo estoy muy ocupado hoy.​

I am very busy today.​

Esta oficina es grande.​

This office is big.​
TIP

Let’s talk about Ser vs. Estar!

Use forms of ser for descriptions of people and things.​​

El gato es negro.​

Use forms of estar for temporary states of being and locations.​​

El gato está contento.​

El gato está en la mesa.​

 Back

Unit 22 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Talk about likes

Normalmente nos gusta viajar mucho.

Normally we like traveling a lot.

¡A mí también!
Me too!

¿A ti te gusta correr en el parque?

Do you like running in the park?

¿Qué les gusta a ellos?

What do they like?

Les encanta caminar en la playa.

They love walking on the beach.

A ella le gusta nadar en el río.

She likes swimming in the river.

TIP

¿A ustedes les gusta el español?

We've seen that a Eduardo le gusta means Eduardo likes and nos gusta means we like.
To talk about what multiple people like, use les gusta.

Les gusta ir al parque.

They like going to the park.

TIP

A mí me gusta la música​
It’s also common to hear a mí me gusta or a ellos les gusta.
 A mí me gusta ir de compras.
I like shopping.

¿A ti te gusta correr en el parque?

Do you like running in the park?

Sometimes this is used to emphasize who it is who likes something. But sometimes it’s used just
because!
 Back

Unit 23 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Talk about interactions

¿Qué países conoces?

What countries are you familiar with?

Yo conozco todos los países de Europa.

I am familiar with all of the countries in Europe.

¿Conocen a mucha gente aquí?

Do you know a lot of people here?

Quiero visitar a mi hermano en México.

I want to visit my brother in Mexico.

Yo llamo a mamá todos los días.

I call Mom every day.

TIP

Special verbs ​
Some verbs are special only in the yo form, while all the other forms follow the regular pattern.​

subject verb (conocer)

 yo conozco
I know / meet

tú conoces
you know / meet

él / ella / usted conoce

he / she / you knows / meets, know / meet

nosotros / nosotras conocemos

we know / meet

ellos / ellas / ustedes conocen

we / you all know / meet

TIP

Yo visito a Juan​
When you're talking about people in Spanish, you should always add a between the verb and the
person you are mentioning.​

Yo siempre visito el museo.

I always visit the museum.

Yo visito a Juan.
I visit Juan.
 Back

Unit 24 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Describe how you feel

¿Tienes hambre, Rafael?

Are you hungry, Rafael?

Sí, tengo ganas de comer pizza.

Yes, I feel like eating pizza.

Necesito agua porque tengo sed.

I need water because I'm thirsty.

¿Ustedes tienen calor?

Are you hot?

Yo tengo frío ahora.

I'm cold now.

TIP

Tener
Remember that the verb querer can look different in certain forms, with its e changing to ie (like
yo quiero and tú quieres). Tener does the same thing!
 ¿Cuántos años tienes tú?​
How old are you?​

But tener also has a special yo form: tengo!

subject verb (tener)

yo tengo
I have

tú tienes
you have

él / ella / usted tiene

he / she / you has / have

nosotros / nosotras tenemos

we have

ellos / ellas / ustedes tienen

they / you all have

Remember, in the nosotros / nosotras form, the e doesn’t change.

 Back

Unit 25 Guidebook
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KEY PHRASES

Use pronouns

Gabriel, te amo.
Gabriel, I love you.

Tú no me quieres.
You don't love me.

Juan te compra muchos regalos.

Juan buys you a lot of gifts.

Ana siempre me escucha.

Ana always listens to me.

Miguel te ayuda mucho.

Miguel helps you a lot.

Felipe, ¿me quieres?

Felipe, do you love me?

TIP

¿Me quieres o me amas?

Te quiero and te amo both mean I love you. So what's the difference?
In general, you’ll use te quiero in casual moments, with close friends, or extended family. ​

Adiós, ¡te quiero!​

Goodbye, I love you!

Te amo is generally reserved for romantic partners or immediate family. It's used in more serious
situations.

¡Te amo!
 I love you!

TIP

¡Duolingo nos ayuda!

In English, we say You know me or They know us. In Spanish, words like me or nos come before
the verb, not after!​

Tú me ayudas.
You help me.

Mis padres siempre nos ayudan.

My parents always help us.
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Unit 26 Guidebook
Explore grammar tips and key phrases for this unit

KEY PHRASES

Use irregular verbs

Cada mañana hago mi cama.

Every morning I make my bed.

Papá siempre hace el desayuno.

Dad always makes breakfast.

¿Te pones el vestido nuevo hoy?

Are you putting on the new dress today?

Yo salgo de casa a las ocho y media.

I leave the house at eight thirty.

Siempre estoy en casa después de las cinco.

I am always at home after five.

TIP

Hacer and salir​

Hacer and salir are special verbs. They follow a similar pattern for the yo form.
verb hacer verb salir

hago salgo

haces sales

hace sale

hacemos salimos

hacen salen