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Spanish Phrases for Dummies » (Bi-Lingual Edition)

Book cover image of Spanish Phrases for Dummies by Susana Wald

Authors: Susana Wald
ISBN-13: 9780764572043, ISBN-10: 0764572040
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated
Date Published: July 2004
Edition: Bi-Lingual Edition

Author Biography: Susana Wald

Susana Wald is a writer and simultaneous and literary translator in Hungarian, Spanish, English, and French. As a publisher, she has been working with books and authors for many years. She has been a teacher in Chile and in Canada and has known the joy of learning from her students and their untiring enthusiasm and tolerance. She also is an artist and has had her work shown in many countries in Europe and in North, Central, and South America.

Book Synopsis

Hundreds of useful phrases at your fingertips

Speak Spanish – instantly!

Traveling to Latin America or Spain but don’t know Spanish? Taking Spanish at school but need to kick up your conversation skills? Don’t worry! This handy little phrasebook will have you speaking Spanish in no time.

Discover how to:

Get directions, shop, and eat out
Talk numbers, dates, time, and money
Chat about family and work
Discuss sports and the weather
Deal with problems and emergencies

	Introduction	1
	About This Book	1
	Conventions Used in This Book	2
	Foolish Assumptions	2
	Icons Used in This Book	3
	Where to Go from Here	4
Chapter 1	I Say It How? Speaking Spanish	5
	You Already Know Some Spanish	6
	Beware of false friends	6
	Some crossover influence	7
	Reciting Your ABC's	8
	Consonants	9
	Vowels	16
	The diphthongs	18
	Pronunciation and Stress	19
	Looking for stress, normally	20
	Looking for accented vowels	20
	Understanding accents on diphthongs	21
	Punctuation Plus!	21
	Some Basic Phrases to Know	21
Chapter 2	Grammar on a Diet: Just the Basics	23
	Sentence Construction	23
	Verbs	24
	Regular verbs	24
	Irregular verbs	26
	Extra verbs charts	27
	Forming Questions	31
	Pronouns in Hiding	32
	That Whole Gender Thing	33
	Make It Two (or More): Plurals	35
	Telling Tales with Adjectives	36
	It's You, You Know: The Tu/Usted Issue	36
Chapter 3	Numerical Gumbo: Counting of All Kinds	39
	1, 2, 3: Cardinal Numbers	39
	Discovering Ordinal Numbers	41
	Telling Time	42
	You can tell time	42
	But are you on time?	44
	Days, Months, Seasons	45
	What day is it?	45
	Living month to month	47
	Counting Your Money	48
	Carrying cash	48
	ATMs	49
	Credit cards	51
	Exchanging your dollars	52
Chapter 4	Making New Friends and Enjoying Small Talk	55
	Hello! Greetings and Introductions	55
	Formal introductions	55
	Informal introductions	57
	Small-Talk Verbs	58
	Llamarse: Calling	58
	Ser: Being	59
	Estar: The second being	62
	Hablar: Speaking	64
	Trabajar: Working	67
	Entender: Understanding	67
	Vivir: Living	68
	Small-talk apologies	69
	Grand Inquisitor: Questions	70
	A Rainy Day: Talking Weather	72
	How Is Your Family?	73
Chapter 5	Enjoying a Drink and a Snack (or Meal!)	75
	Getting the Table and Meal Basics	75
	Three Verbs Used at the Table	76
	To take and to drink: The verb tomar	77
	For drinking only: The verb beber	77
	For eating: The verb comer	78
	At the Restaurant	79
	What's on the Menu?	81
	The Bill, Please	85
Chapter 6	Shop Til You Drop	87
	Heading Out on the Town	87
	Browsing around	87
	Getting around the store	88
	Requesting color and size	89
	Getting the right fit	91
	Using the shopping verb: Comprar	92
	Wearing and taking: The verb Ilevar	93
	Shopping the Traditional Market	94
	Shopping for food	94
	Scoping out special items	98
	Visiting the Supermarket	100
	Bartering for Your Goods	100
	Getting the Right Quantity	102
	Comparing Better or Best	102
Chapter 7	Making Leisure a Top Priority	105
	Having a Good Time	105
	Using the inviting verb invitar	106
	Using the dancing verb bailar	107
	Having a Good Time at Shows and Events	108
	Screening the cinema	109
	Enjoying a concert	109
	Enjoying the Outdoors	111
	Taking a walk	111
	Watching the animals	112
	Sports, Sports, Sports	114
	The most popular ball game: Futbol	114
	Beisbol: #2	116
	The playing verb: Jugar	117
Chapter 8	When You Gotta Work	119
	Picking Up the Phone	119
	Opening lines	119
	Leaving messages	121
	Making a collect call	123
	Outside the Office	123
	Inside the Office	125
	Getting a job	126
	Scheduling and conducting a meeting	128
	Using emplear: The hiring verb	131
	Hacer: The doing, making verb	131
	Packing a PC	133
Chapter 9	I Get Around: Transportation	135
	On the Go: Transportation	135
	Boarding the train	135
	Hailing a taxi	137
	Hopping a bus	137
	Renting a car	138
	Passing Passport Control	141
	Transportation Verbs	146
	The outgoing verb: Salir	146
	Using the waiting verb: Esperar	147
	Asking for Directions	148
	Adonde vamos? Where do we go?	148
	Mapping the place	149
	Getting directions from locals	150
	Understanding spatial directions	152
	Here, there, and everywhere	153
Chapter 10	Laying Down Your Weary Head: House or Hotel?	155
	Speaking of Houses	155
	Some rental wisdom	156
	Furnishing your house	159
	Scoping Out the Hotel	160
	Registering for a Room	164
	Dormir: The Sleeping Verb	167
	Despertar: The Waking Up Verb	169
Chapter 11	Dealing with Emergencies	171
	Shouting for Help	171
	Handling Health Problems	172
	Helping out	173
	Painful phrases for when it hurts	174
	Telling where it hurts	176
	Describing symptoms	177
	Talking to the doctor	179
	Visiting the dentist	180
	Ensuring that you get your money back	182
	Getting Help with Legal Problems	182
	Being under arrest	183
	Stick 'em up: Words to know when you're robbed	183
	Reporting to the police	184
	Dealing with Car Emergencies	185
Chapter 12	Favorite Spanish Expressions	189
	Que tal?	189
	Quiubo?	189
	Que paso?	190
	Como van las cosas?	190
	Del uno!	190
	Cuanto cuesta?	191
	A cuanto?	191
	Un asalto!	191
	Una ganga!	191
	Buen provecho!	192
	Salud!	192
	Buen viaje!	192
Chapter 13	Phrases That Make You Sound Like a Local	193
	Esta es la mia!	193
	Y eso con que se come?	194
	Voy a ir de farra	194
	Caer fatal	194
	Nos divertimos en grande	195
	Ver negro para	195
	Paso sin pena ni gloria	195
	Asi a secas!	196
	La cosa va viento en popa!	196
	Index	197

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Spanish Phrases for Dummies » (Bi-Lingual Edition)

Author Biography: Susana Wald

Book Synopsis

Table of Contents

Subjects