It is useful to…: es + adjective + infinitive
To say that doing something is useful, necessary or difficult, Spanish uses es + adjective + infinitive. There is no word for it, and no preposition before the infinitive.
| It is useful to go over the lesson at home. | Es útil repasar la lección en casa. |
| It is necessary to practise every day. | Es necesario practicar todos los días. |
| For me, it is difficult to pronounce this letter. | Para mí, es difícil pronunciar esta letra. |
With prohibido the verb is estar: está prohibido + infinitive. On signs you often see just Prohibido + infinitive.
| It is forbidden to copy in the exam. | Está prohibido copiar en el examen. |
| pattern | example | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| es útil + infinitive | es útil repasar | it is useful to go over |
| es necesario + infinitive | es necesario practicar | it is necessary to practise |
| es difícil + infinitive | es difícil pronunciar | it is difficult to pronounce |
| está prohibido + infinitive | está prohibido copiar | it is forbidden to copy |
The infinitive as the subject
Where English uses an -ing form as the subject (Speaking Castilian is useful), Spanish uses the infinitive, and the verb after it is singular.
| Speaking Castilian is useful. | Hablar castellano es útil. |
| Repeating the words is useful. | Repetir las palabras es útil. |
Mistakes to avoid: Hablando castellano es útil ✗, Es útil a repasar ✗, Es útil de repasar ✗.
corregir: two changes
Corregir (to correct) changes e → i in the stressed forms, and its g becomes j before o to keep the same sound: corrijo.
| yo | tú | él, ella | nosotros | vosotros | ellos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| corrijo | corriges | corrige | corregimos | corregís | corrigen |
| I correct the mistakes with a red pen. | Corrijo los errores con un bolígrafo rojo. |
| If you make a mistake, the teacher corrects you. | Si te equivocas, el profesor te corrige. |
Words for class
In Spain the language is called both español and castellano. A pupil is el alumno, and the school year is el curso. Your mark is la nota, and a word is made of letras — a letter you post is la carta. Equivocarse (to make a mistake) is reflexive: me equivoco, me he equivocado.
| In Spain, Spanish is also called Castilian. | En España, el español también se llama castellano. |
| Sorry, I have made a mistake. | Perdón, me he equivocado. |
| My sister always gets good marks. | Mi hermana siempre saca buenas notas. |
