Reacting to what you hear
Spanish conversation is full of short words that show how you feel about what someone just said. ¡Vaya! shows surprise or disappointment: wow! or oh dear!, depending on your tone. Before a noun it means what a…!
| Oh dear, what a pity! | ¡Vaya, qué pena! |
| What a mess! I can't find the keys. | ¡Vaya lío! No encuentro las llaves. |
¿De verdad? asks really?, and ¡qué va! answers a question with a strong no way! or not at all!. It has nothing to do with going anywhere.
| Really? What luck! | ¿De verdad? ¡Qué suerte! |
| Are you tired? Not at all! | ¿Estás cansado? ¡Qué va! |
Saying yes: por supuesto
Por supuesto is a firm of course, a little stronger than claro.
| Can I open the window? Of course. | ¿Puedo abrir la ventana? Por supuesto. |
Buying time: pues, bueno, a ver
Pues opens a reply while you think: well…. Bueno at the start of a sentence does not mean good: it means well, OK, when you accept something or move on. A ver means let's see.
| Are you coming to the party? Well, I don't know. | ¿Vienes a la fiesta? Pues no lo sé. |
| Well, what do we do now? | Bueno, ¿qué hacemos ahora? |
| Let's see, what is there in the box? | A ver, ¿qué hay en la caja? |
Commands that became fixed words
Some command forms are used so often that they work as little signals. Oye and oiga come from oír (to hear) and mean hey, listen. Mira and mire come from mirar and start an explanation, like English look,…. Use the first form with someone you call tú and the second with someone you call usted. Venga urges someone on (come on!), and in Spain it also means OK then; it is the same with everyone.
| verb | with tú | with usted | use |
|---|---|---|---|
| oír | oye | oiga | to get someone's attention |
| mirar | mira | mire | to start an explanation |
| venir | venga (fixed; the tú command is ven) | venga | come on! / OK then |
| Hey, do you have time? | Oye, ¿tienes tiempo? |
| Excuse me, sorry, where is the station? | Oiga, perdone, ¿dónde está la estación? |
| Look, I don't have time now. | Mira, no tengo tiempo ahora. |
| Shall we go to the cinema? OK then! | ¿Vamos al cine? ¡Venga! |
Common mistakes
Don't say oye to a stranger in the street: oiga is the polite form. And keep the two adjectives apart: agradable (pleasant) is calm approval of a place, a day or a person, while fantástico is pure enthusiasm.
| It is a very pleasant day. | Hace un día muy agradable. |
| We have a fantastic teacher. | Tenemos un profesor fantástico. |
