Un curso diferente de español en Madrid para extranjeros
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Encuentra en Hablamos un curso de español para extranjeros especial que incluye actividades culturales para conocer y disfrutar la ciudad de Madrid como no lo hubieras imaginado.
Aprende el español de forma original, paseando por las calles de Madrid y visitando sus museos.
El objetivo del curso de español para extranjeros de Hablamos y su oferta cultural es que puedas aprender español con todos los recursos que ofrece la ciudad de Madrid y con sus profesionales multidisciplinares.
Las actividades culturales de Hablamos tienen lugar al aire libre, en museos y en exposiciones de la ciudad. Hoy queremos presentarte una nota histórica de algunos rincones de Madrid, son paseos especiales que te esperan en la oferta cultural del curso de español para extranjeros de Hablamos:
EL PASEO DEL PRADO
El Paseo de Prado fue una zona de prados y huertas que se fue transformando en un símbolo ilustrado y científico del siglo XVIII en España. Además, fue lugar de recreo y celebración de fiestas de madrileños durante siglos. Un paseo imprescindible para entender el desarrollo de la ciudad de Madrid a principios del siglo XX.
EL PASEO DE RECOLETOS
En el conocido Paseo de Recoletos están las mejores muestras de arquitectura palaciega del siglo XIX, además, es un buen rincón de Madrid para entender gran parte de los principales cambios que se produjeron en la ciudad con la llegada del siglo XX.
EL BARRIO DE HUERTAS
El siglo XVII es el siglo de Oro de las artes y las letras españolas. En el barrio de Huertas vivieron sus grandes figuras: Cervantes, Lope de Vega, Quevedo, Calderón de la Barca o Tirso de Molina entre muchos otros. El género más famoso de la literatura de este siglo es el teatro, despertando gran pasión en toda la sociedad del siglo XVII. En este barrio, en sus famosos Corrales de Comedias, se estrenaron la mayoría y más importantes obras de la literatura clásica.
EL BARRIO DE MALASAÑA
Malasaña es un barrio de marcado carácter castizo, cuenta con destacadas muestras arquitectónicas del siglo XVIII, fue escenario en la Guerra de la Independencia e icono de la movida madrileña en los 80. Este barrio es fundamental para entender la historia del desarrollo urbano de Madrid y de sus gentes.
EL BARRIO DE LAVAPIÉS
Las calles de este barrio castizo de Madrid nos hablan de hechos, fábulas, leyendas y, sobre todo, de mucha historia. Igual que en el pasado convivieron armónicamente cristianos viejos y conversos, hoy es un barrio que destaca principalmente por su multiculturalidad.
BARRIO DE CHAMBERÍ
Alonso Martínez y Chueca. Aunque los orígenes de esta zona de Madrid se remontan al siglo XVI y a las primeras industrias artesanales, no es hasta el siglo XIX que adquiere su forma actual. Este barrio resulta ser una buena síntesis de la evolución e historia de la ciudad de Madrid en su conjunto.
EL PARQUE DEL RETIRO
El antiguo Real Sitio del Buen Retiro, creado en el siglo XVII, fue un complejo palacial formado por palacio y jardines. Fue segunda residencia del rey y lugar de recreo y diversión. El conjunto del palacio ha desaparecido casi por completo, quedando tan solo parte de sus jardines. Aunque hoy pueda parecer mentira, en sus bosques se cazaban venados y se navegaba en góndolas por sus canales.
EL PARQUE DEL OESTE
Gran parte de la historia del siglo XX de España se condensa en esta sesión que os proponemos por el noroeste de Madrid: Moncloa- Ciudad Universitaria. Pasear por este distrito es acercarnos a los proyectos y a la mentalidad modernizadora de los años 20 y 30. En el Parque del Oeste aún se pueden observar diferentes vestigios de la Guerra Civil española y el mayor ejemplo de arquitectura oficial de posguerra que pueda encontrarse en la ciudad.
EL PARQUE DE EL CAPRICHO
Se encuentra en la Alameda de Osuna, al nordeste de la ciudad, y cuenta con una superficie de 14 hectáreas. Está considerado uno de los parques más bellos de la ciudad. Como su propio nombre indica, es un capricho que la Duquesa de Osuna (1752-1834) mandó construir a finales del siglo XVIII en las afueras de Madrid, en el camino de Aragón. La Duquesa fue una de las damas más populares de la época del romanticismo español. Fue mecenas de artistas de aquella época como Goya, con el que siempre mantuvo una excelente y estrecha relación. El Capricho es un bello lugar de recreo, descanso, de fiestas y banquetes de la alta alcurnia.
CASTILLO DE LA ALAMEDA
A finales del siglo XIV, en el valle del Jarama, se construyó una residencia fortificada feudal que se convertirá más tarde en un Palacio Renacentista. El conjunto histórico de este lugar lo completan restos de un poblado prehistórico, el panteón de la Familia Fernán Núñez y un nido de ametralladoras de la Guerra Civil. El Castillo de la Alameda, el castillo de Madrid, resulta ser un enclave arqueológico síntesis de la Historia de Madrid.
Disfruta de estos lugares, rincones y otras muchas actividades culturales más.Si lo que buscas es un curso de español en Madrid para extranjeros diferente no lo dudes y apúntate a Hablamos.
Aprende el español de una manera amena y sencilla.
Con Hablamos y las actividades culturales celebradas cada viernes conocerás a fondo Madrid: lugares históricos, otros que habitualmente pasan desapercibidos, museos mundialmente famosos y otros poco conocidos.
¡Te esperamos! Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
7 ways to practise your Spanish
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Learning Spanish doesn’t need to be some awful, tedious experience spending hours and hours hincando los codos (swotting up) with lengthy grammar books or lists and lists of tedious vocabulary. Here at 우리는 말한다 we believe your experience studying Spanish should be more fun and enjoyable – and it can be by finding easy ways to practise your Spanish doing little things each and every day. Here are some ideas to help you disfrutar (enjoy) engaging with Spanish in a way that makes your learning interesting.
1. Listen to podcasts
A fantastic way to escuchar español (listen to Spanish) is to descargar (download) one of the multiple podcast apps available for your phone or tablet. There are literally thousands of podcasts on every topic you could possibly think of! It’s simply a case of searching for a theme you would enjoy learning about in your idioma native (native language), but listening to a programme about it in Spanish. Coffee Break Spanish is a great one to get you started as it’s short but varied so you get a little bit of vocabulary and grammar on many different topics.
2. Change the language on your phone/tablet/etc to Spanish
Such a consejo sencillo (simple tip), but one that will have you learning tons of new words en un santiamén (in a short space of time). All you have to do is go to the Settings (Ajustes) and change the language there. You can then sacar fotos (take photos), mandar mensajes (send messages), usar las redes sociales (use social networks) and everything else you’d normally do while absorbing all that lovely language!
3. Read the news/blogs/books/etc in Spanish
We’d definitely recommend starting off with shorter texts, but to practise reading Spanish, there’s no better way than engaging with topics you’d already want to read in your own language. Online periódicos (newspapers) like El País have Spanish and English versions so you can always compare articles if you aren’t sure of something. In terms of books, it might be worth reading something you’ve already read in one language but now in Spanish as then you’ll know the trama (plot) and have a better idea of what’s happening.
4. Watch series and films in Spanish
Another logical idea would be to start listening to as much Spanish as possible to improve your oral understanding. Just like with our previous tip, it makes sense to find things you would want to watch in a language you already speak, but watch them in Spanish instead. It’s often a good idea to put the subtítulos (subtitles) on at first, preferably in Spanish, so that you can hear and read the language at the same time. This helps you to differentiate the sounds of individual words and phrases. Over time, you can switch them off and just sit back and enjoy your favourite shows!
5. Speak to as many people as possible
This doesn’t sound easy, I know, but if you’re learning Spanish here in Madrid, for instance, it’s pan comido (as easy as pie). For example, whenever you ir de compras (go shopping), you’ll need to pedir cosas (ask for things) in places like the supermercado (supermarket) or the mercado (market). Or, in a restaurant (restaurant) obviously you need to speak to the camarero/a (waiter/waitress). Every day there are loads of opportunities to chat with people – you just need to take them! If you’re studying Spanish online, you can easily arrange with your classmates to have an extra chat after class, or look for a Spanish person who wants to learn your language and do an intercambio de idiomas (language exchange). A quick Google will suffice to find many a willing partner!
6. Play games in Spanish
If you follow tip 2, whenever you now descargar (download) a new juego (game) for your device, it’ll automatically load in Spanish. What a great way to pick up lots of new words while having fun at the same time! Fancy a word-based game? Try La palabra del día (Word of the Day) which is the new name for the Spanish version of the massively popular Wordle. Each day you get to practise your spelling and word knowledge and it makes you complete against yourself to find the answer in as few tries as possible.
7. Talk to yourself!
Yes, I know this sounds a bit weird, but talking to yourself in Spanish is a great way to keep practising making the sounds of the language. You don’t need anyone there to correct you as the aim is to gain confidence speaking in a foreign language. You can try different dialogues out on yourself so you feel better about going out and talking with other people. It’s all about the confidence!
Follow these quick and easy tips to help yourself improve your Spanish and you’ll soon see what difference little changes make to your language learning experience. We’d love you to come to class here at 우리는 말한다 and tell us what you’ve been doing to help yourself improve your level and we’ll help you with the rest.
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Segovia
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So, you’re in Madrid learning Spanish and you’ve visited a lot of the main sitios de interés (tourist attractions). You’ve been speaking Spanish loads and now are more confident with the madrileño accent. Now then, it’s time to start exploring further afield and visiting all the beautiful ciudades (cities) near Madrid to get better acquainted with Spanish culture. A good first stop is Segovia – a historic city classed as patrimonio de la humanidad (a world heritage site) since 1985.
Segovia, or rather the area around where the current city stands, was settled hace cincuenta mil años (50,000 years ago). It was conquered by the Romans, who built the now world-famous acueducto (aqueduct) there in el siglo I A.C (the 1st century BC). Since then, Segovia has been conquered by the Moors, reconquered by Alfonso VI and attacked by the French in the Guerra de la independencia (the Peninsular War) – so it’s seen its fair share of action over the centuries! Nowadays, it’s more tranquilo (calm) so let’s look at what to see and do there.
Comer cochinillo asado
The first thing you should do is reservar una mesa (book a table) in one of the many good restaurants in the city and order cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) for lunch. This is the plato típico (typical dish) from the area and normally comes with patatas (potatoes). It’s a very contundente (hearty) dish so make sure you don’t have a big breakfast beforehand! In some restaurants you can ask for more meat when you’re done, so that’ll give you a chance to practise your Spanish too and then you can explain that “estoy lleno” (“I’m full”) to the camarero/a (waiter)!
Ver el acueducto
As we’ve already mentioned, the most iconic landmark in Segovia is its acueducto (aqueduct). Built sometime in the siglo II d.C (2nd century AD), it provided the city with water right up until 1973! It’s a marvel of engineering as there is absolutely no cement holding the structure together, which also makes you wonder how it’s survived for so long! In fact, there have been several reparaciones (repairs) done to the arches over the centuries so don’t worry, it won’t topple on you as you gaze up at it from below!
Visitar el alcázar
When you see a picture of this beauty, you’ll be forgiven for thinking of the castle in Disney’s Cenicienta (Cinderella) and on the introduction to all their films, and that’s because Walt Disney in fact took inspiration from the Alcázar de Segovia when designing it! The word alcázar translates as something like castle or fort and was originally constructed over some Roman remains to protect the town. It has served as a military base, royal residence and now a world-class museum. Definitely not to be missed on your trip!
Pasar un rato en la catedral de Segovia
Another extremely important monumento (monument) in this city is its catedral (cathedral). Pretty much every major city in Spain has an impressive cathedral, and Segovia is no exception. Having been built between the siglo XVI y XVII (16th to 18th centuries), it is notable for having had the highest tower in Spain for a time at 108 metres. Today you can still climb the torre campanario (bell tower) where you can enjoy impressive views over the historic city.
Ir por el campo al Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos
Remember how we said the alcázar de Segovia served as the inspiration for the Disney castle logo? Well if you want the best views you need to dar un paseo (take a walk) a little outside the main city to the Mirador de la Pradera de San Marcos. From here, you can see the alcázar in its full glory and also explore some of the beautiful countryside on the edge of the city. Just remember to take un plano (a map) with you so you can find your way back afterwards!
Tomar un ponche segoviano de merienda
After having seen some of the sights, you probably fancy a little descanso (rest) before heading back to Madrid. We’d recommend finding a little cafeteria (café) and having a merienda (afternoon tea/snack). You could order a typical sweet treat from Segovia called ponche segoviano (Segovia “cake”) which is a type of sponge cake filled with cream and covered with azúcar glas (icing sugar). It’s delicious with a nice cup of café (coffee) and then you’ll be ready for your trip home!
There are, of course, plenty of other things to see and do in Segovia, so why not plan a trip there when you come to take a Spanish course here in Madrid?
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
How to ace a job interview in Spanish
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So, you’ve been learning Spanish for a while and settled in your Spanish-speaking country of choice. It’s time to start thinking about buscar un trabajo (finding a job) as you’ll need something to pagar las facturas (pay the bills) so you can start your new life!
Basic job vocabulary
First of all, you’ll need to know some basic words to understand the oferta de empleo (job advert).
| Spanish | English |
| Descripción del empleo (f) | Job description |
| Puesto (m) / Cargo (m) | Description / Role |
| Horario (m) | Timetable |
| Curriculum (m) | CV |
| Entrevista (f) | Interview |
| Contrato de trabajo (m) | Job contract |
| Sueldo/salario (m) | Salary |
| Experiencia laboral (f) | Work experience |
| Prácticas (f) | Internship |
| Período de prueba (m) | Probation/Trial period |
| Solicitar trabajo | To apply for a job |
| Trabajo en equipo (m) | Teamwork |
| Carrera universitaria (f) | University degree |
The interview
Now you’ve applied for the job and recursos humanos (human resources) have asked you to an interview, you need to be prepared for whatever preguntas (questions) the entrevistador (interviewer) might ask you. Let’s have a look at some common ones. *We’ve written these questions in the polite usted form but nowadays you might find bosses who ask you in the more informal tú form.
- ¿Por qué le interesa trabajar en esta empresa? – Why do you want to work at this company?
This question gives you a chance to demostrar tus conocimientos (demonstrate your knowledge) about the company. Make sure you’ve done your deberes (homework) before the interview and found some things out about the business!
- ¿Me podría hablar de usted? – Can you tell me something about yourself?
Obviously, this isn’t meant to be about how amazing you are at playing videogames or that you love surfing on a Saturday afternoon! You should talk about your cualidades personales y profesionales (personal and professional qualities) which make you a good fit for the position.
- ¿Por qué deberíamos contratarle? – Why should we hire you?
This is very similar to the previous question. Again, make sure you talk about what you can aportar a la empresa (contribute to the company) in both personal and professional terms. Talk about your experience laboral (professional experience).
- ¿Por qué renunció su último empleo? – Why did you leave your previous job?
Potentially una pregunta trampa (a trick question) you need to be careful to balance honesty with tact here. Don’t say you had problems with your compañeros (colleagues) or your jefe/jefa (boss) but try to say something like, “Quiero un nuevo desafío” (“I want a new challenge”). That way you can then give a more positive answer!
- Cuénteme sobre un problema o una situación difícil que resolvió en su carrera laboral – Tell me about a problem or difficult situation you resolved in your professional life
Try to think of un ejemplo (an example) which shows how you did something to mejorar el rendimiento (improve productivity/output) in one of your previous jobs. That way you get to show off your habilidades (skills) again.
Questions for the interviewer
It’s customary nowadays for the interviewer to say ¿Tiene algunas dudas o preguntas? (Do you have any queries or questions?) at the end of the process. This is your chance to bring up anything which wasn’t mentioned during the main interview. Here are some ideas of things you might want to find out before you aceptar el puesto (accept the job).
| Spanish | English |
| ¿Cuál es el sueldo/el rango de sueldo? | What is the salary/salary range? |
| ¿Qué posibilidades de crecimiento hay en la empresa? | What opportunities are there for progression in the business? |
| ¿Las responsabilidades del puesto están sujetas a posibles cambios? | Are the job responsibilities subject to any possible changes? |
| ¿Hay algunos beneficios aparte del sueldo? | Are there any other benefits besides the salary? |
| ¿Qué planes de formación o de educación ofrece la empresa? | What training and education opportunities are available? |
There you go – a whole set of questions and consejos (advice) to help you land your first job in the Spanish-speaking world after you’ve been studying Spanish for a while! It’s a good idea to make sure you get all the papeleo (paperwork) you need to stay in Spain after your Spanish course ends sorted in good time. That way, you can focus on your job hunt and practising speaking to get yourself ready for your interviews! ¡Buena suerte! Good luck!
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Series and films in Versión Original
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There’s absolutely no shortage of great series and películas (films) in pretty much every language. When you’re studying Spanish, a fantastic way to mejorar el oído (train your ear) to the sounds of this fantastic language is to ver series y pelís (watch series and films) in their original version. Just like all the English students around the world do in that language, as a learner of Spanish you can benefit from the vast number of productions made in Spanish each year!
Nowadays, no hace falta (there’s no need) to go to the cinema to watch the latest estrenos (releases) as most of them are almost simultaneously released on the myriad of plataformas (platforms) we have such as HBO, Netflix and Disney+. The great thing about these is that there’s a Spanish language version which means you get everything doblado (dubbed) into Spanish if you fancy listening to international titles too! Also, all the shows and films have full subtítulos (subtitles) in multiple languages so you can listen in Spanish but read in another language to make sure you fully understand. It’s a great way to aprender (learn) new words and phrases in authentic contexts.
¿Qué quieres ver? – What do you want to watch?
Here’s some vocabulary to help you find your way through the menus on your favourite platform.
| Español | Inglés |
| Inicio | Home/Start |
| Buscar | To search |
| Acción | Action |
| Aventuras | Adventure |
| Ciencia ficción | Science fiction |
| Comedia | Comedy |
| Dibujos animados | Cartoons |
| Drama | Drama |
| Fantasía | Fantasy |
| Musicales | Musicals |
| Suspense | Suspense |
| Terror | Horror |
| Películas | Films |
| Series | Series |
| Telenovela | Soap Opera |
As you can see, if you’re an English speaker, then half of these words are practically the same – ¡esto es pan comido! (this is easy!). We’d recommend looking for something that’s in a genre you already enjoy in your idioma nativo (native language) and go from there. The idea is to start practising listening in Spanish so that when you hear people speaking Spanish to you in the street, you can better understand them!
Leer reseñas – Read reviews
Given the huge choice available, you might get a bit agobiado (overwhelmed) trying to figure out what you want to see. There are always lots of reseñas (reviews) written by people online of all the new films and series, so get looking at some to give you some ideas. Here are some words to help you understand reviews in Spanish.
| Español | Inglés |
| Guión (m) | Script |
| Trama (f) | Plot |
| Actores principals | Main actors |
| Personaje (m) | Character |
| Capítulo (m) | Episode |
| Temporada (f) | Season |
| Año de estreno (m) | Year of release |
| Fecha de estreno (f) | Release date |
| Guionista (m) | Scriptwriter |
| Director/a (m/f) | Director |
| Doblado | Dubbed |
| Subtítulos (m pl) | Subtitles |
| Nueva versión (f) | Remake |
| Versión original | Original version (i.e. in the original language) |
With all that information you get from the reviews, you’re sure to be able to encontrar (find) something that appeals to you! It’s just a case of thinking about your gustos (tastes) and spending some time looking through what’s available.
Tener una conversación sobre tus series favoritas
Once you’ve watched a few capítulos (episodes) or the latest pelí (film), you’ll probably want to go and have a chat about what you’ve seen with your Spanish-speaking friends. Here are some more useful phrases you’ll need to get the conversation started.
| Español | Inglés |
| ¿Has visto el último capítulo de….? | Have you seen the latest episode of…? |
| ¡A mi me encanta! | I love it! |
| Es un tostón | It’s terrible |
| Es increíble/impresionante | It’s incredible/amazing |
| ¿Qué piensas de la película…? | What do you think about the film…? |
| ¡No lo he visto todavía! | I’ve not seen it yet! |
| ¡No me lo digas! | Don’t tell me! (e.g. what happens) |
| Estoy enganchado/a | I’m hooked |
It’s always a good idea to practise speaking Spanish by getting out and talking to people about things you enjoy as you’ll be more motivated to make yourself understood. Watching series and films gives you hours of conversation material, and your listening skills will improve massively. You’ll learn about the culture of the Spanish-speaking world while having fun at the same time. Why not try finding something new to watch in Spanish and see where it takes you?
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Madrid y sus curiosidades – Curiosities about Madrid
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The first pueblo (village) in the area we now call Madrid se fundó (was founded) in the 9th century. Being so many centuries old, there are a huge number of curious facts and figures we could tell you about the place, so in this blog we’ve narrowed the list down to a few things we reckon you’ll enjoy learning about before you come to study Spanish here in the capital.
¿Por qué se llama Madrid? - Why the name “Madrid”?
As with all towns and cities the world over, Madrid isn’t exactly the original name of the city. To understand the origin of this nombre (name) you need to know that what is now Spain was mostly conquered in the siglos VIII y IX (8th and 9th centuries) by the Moors – a catch-all term for various Muslim groups who entered from North Africa. The emir (or leader) of the Moors at the time, Mohamed I, decided to build fortalezas (fortifications or forts) to maintain a strong presence in the conquered areas against Christian invasions from the remaining Spanish kingdoms. According to the leyenda (legend), Madrid was originally named “Mayrit” as this was the Arabic word for a process of extracting water from underground which was employed in the area dues to the large number of subterranean arroyos (streams) around what is now Madrid. Once the Christian kingdoms initiated la Reconquista (the Reconquest) and reclaimed the city, the name stuck but evolved into Madrid.
¿Por qué se llaman “gatos” a los madrileños? – Why are people from Madrid called “gatos”?
This strange title also dates to the time of the Moors and the reconquest of Madrid all the way back in 1085 AD. As the tropas (troops) of Alfonso VI, el Bravo (the brave) approached the city, the battle for Madrid began and at first, the king’s soldiers made very slow progress. One brave individual, armed only with una daga (a dagger) climbed the walls of what was then Mayrit with such speed that onlookers nicknamed him el gato (the cat). He then lowered a rope so others could join him and by doing so allowed the Christians to take control. The same soldier’s family then became important in the city, and over time the name gato was used for anyone in Madrid whose padres (parents) and abuelos (grandparents) had also been born there. So you see, when you come to learn Spanish in Madrid, you’ll now know why everyone keeps referring to people as gatos (cats)!
Madrid no siempre ha sido la capital – Madrid hasn’t always been the capital
In many countries, la capital (the capital) has pretty much always been the same city – for instance London in the UK or Paris in France. However, Spain’s capital has changed unas veces (a few times) over the centuries. For many years, the Corte Real (Royal Court) travelled around Spanish territory and had no permanent base. Then, Felipe II in the 16th century decided it was about time that there was a capital city and a fixed meeting place for government. The city of Toledo, not far from Madrid, had always been the most important royal residence, but because of various factors, the King decided to settle in Madrid. Even so, between 1519 and 1561, the emperador Carlos V (Emperor Charles V) decided to move the capital to Toledo, then from 1601 to 1606 it went north to Valladolid, and during the Napoleonic Wars the capital was moved to Sevilla and then Cádiz in the south. Despite being the de facto capital all those centuries, Madrid was only formally recognised as such in 1931!
Madrid no es una ciudad – Madrid isn’t a city
¡¿Qué dices?! (What are you talking about?!). Technically, this is correct even today. Madrid is still not, officially, a city but rather una villa (a type of town) despite having a population of over 3 million! But what does this mean? Well, una villa is a special designation for a town with certain privilegios (privileges) that other places don’t enjoy. In the case of Madrid, it’s pretty obvious that its status as the capital of the country makes it stand out from other “towns”! Given that tradition and political reality has meant that Madrid has grown to become the vast metropolis we all know and love today, nobody has bothered reclassifying it as a true city. Odd, right?
And there you have it, some fun facts about 우리는 말한다’s fabulous hometown! Come and join us and learn much more about Madrid and all its curious history!
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Me he quedado en blanco – Colours and idioms
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I know mine has, on multiple occasions and almost to the point that I worry I might have some memory problems! As you can see, this phrase in Spanish includes the word blanco (white) and there’re lots and lots of refranes (idioms) and frases hechas (expressions) about colours in Spanish. Before we get into those, let’s take a look at how we say all the colores (colours) in Spanish.
| English | Spanish |
| Red | Rojo |
| Orange | Naranja |
| Yellow | Amarillo |
| Green | Verde |
| Blue | Azul |
| Purple | Morado |
| Black | Negro |
| White | Blanco |
| Grey | Gris |
| Brown | Marrón |
| Pink | Rosa |
However, as you’ve probably already learned if you’re studying Spanish, we also need to make sure that the colours agree with the gender of the word they describe. Here’s a quick reminder of the different forms for the colours above.
| English | Spanish Masculine/Feminine | Spanish Plural Masculine/Feminine |
| Red | Rojo/Roja | Rojos/Rojas |
| Orange | Naranja | Naranjas |
| Yellow | Amarillo/Amarilla | Amarillos/Amarillas |
| Green | Verde | Verdes |
| Blue | Azul | Azules |
| Purple | Morado/Morada | Morados/Moradas |
| Black | Negro/Negra | Negros/Negras |
| White | Blanco/Blanca | Blancos/Blancas |
| Grey | Gris | Grises |
| Brown | Marrón | Marrones |
| Pink | Rosa | Rosas |
As you can see, some colours do not have a separate masculine and feminine form. The reason for this is due to the spelling rules in Spanish, which you can learn more about in our blog on adjectives on this site. Even if you say the wrong form when speaking Spanish, people will generally understand you so don’t worry and try to just learn from your mistakes. Everyone gets it wrong sometimes when learning Spanish – it’s part of the process of language learning!
Now that we have an idea of what the colours are in Spanish, let’s take a look at some refranes (idioms) and frases hechas (expressions). Obviously, most of the significados (meanings) have little to do with the colour itself, but that’s like in any language! Here at 우리는 말한다 we love idioms, so we want to give you some great examples to be able to use when you’re out and about practising Spanish.
Ponerse rojo como un tomate
You can probably work this first one out – it means “to go bright red” just like a tomato! If you’ve ever felt embarrassed or very nervous you’ve probably turned this colour!
Me puse rojo como un tomate en la cita ya que estaba muy nervioso – I was so nervous on the date that I turned bright red
La media naranja
Here’s a romantic one! Whereas in English we would say “my other/better half” to refer to your partner, in Spanish we use mi media naranja. Personally, I think it sounds much more poetic in Spanish, don’t you?
Julia es mi media naranja y nos conocimos en un sitio web – Julia is my other/better half and we met online
La prensa amarilla
A bit more literal this time, as now we are talking about the press and journalism. This little phrase means, in the US at least, “the yellow press”, but for a lot of you that doesn’t mean anything either! Another way of saying it in English is “tabloid journalism”, as in sensationalist media that is normally about celebrities or which exaggerate the truth just to sell copies. Do you ever read la prensa amarilla?
En la prensa amarilla siempre hay artículos sobre las relaciones amorosas de los famosos, que no me interesan nada – In the yellow press/the tabloids, they always talk about celebrities’ love lives, which don’t interest me at all
Poner verde a alguien
Now we’re getting a little bit mean with this one, as if you do this it’s that you’re talking badly about someone behind their back. Come on, you know you’ve done it at some point even though we all know we shouldn’t!
A Pablo le pusieron verde cuando salió de la reunión – They all talked about Pablo behind his back when he left the meeting
El príncipe azul
Another more romantic phrase – or possibly an unrealistic ideal depending on how you look at it. If you talk about someone as your príncipe azul then you’re calling them your “prince charming” – the person you want to be with as they’re your perfect partner.
Lucía considera que Alex es su príncipe azul porque es guapo, inteligente y muy romántico – Lucia thinks of Alex as her prince charming as he’s handsome, clever and very romantic
Ponerse morado
I always do this at Christmas – it’s so easy to ponerse morado when you’re surrounded by all sorts of tasty snacks and treats! Can you guess what it means yet? That’s right, it’s similar to “to stuff yourself” with food or drink (or both!).
Ponerse morado en casa de mis padres en navidad es muy fácil porque mi madre compra una cantidad ingente de comida y bebida – It’s so easy to stuff yourself at my parents’ house at Christmas as my mum buys a ridiculous amount of food and drink
Ponerse negro
As you’ve spotted by now, there are quite a few of these expressions with the verb poner (to put)! This one means “to get very angry” – sometimes I guess it’s inevitable!
Me pongo negro con mis hermanos cuando rompen mis cosas – I get extremely angry with my siblings when they break my things
Quedarse en blanco
You’ve seen this one already – do you remember what it means? That’s right – it’s the same as “my mind’s gone blank”. Hopefully this doesn’t happen too often!
Me quedé en blanco cuando tuve que contestar a la pregunta en la entrevista – My mind went blank when I had to answer the question in the interview
Comerse un marrón
Well, things get a bit ugly with this one. A marrón in this phrase means “a disagreeable situation”. So the whole phrase means “to get stuck with/be lumbered with an unpleasant situation”. You don’t want to have to deal with things at times, but unfortunately you don’t always have a choice!
No me voy a comer el marrón de decir al jefe que no vamos a terminar a tiempo. ¡Hazlo tú! – I’m not getting lumbered with telling the boss we won’t finish on time. You do it!
Verlo todo de color rosa
In a lot of languages there’s a saying pretty similar to this one. It means “to see things through rose-tinted glasses”, that’s to say to look at things very positively even when it’s not the case. Maybe it isn’t such a bad way to view life?
Miriam lo ve todo de color rosa y no quiere ver que su situación podría ser mejor – Miriam looks at everything through rose-tinted glasses and doesn’t see that she could be in a better situation
And there you have a whole arcoiris (rainbow) of expressions you can use when speaking Spanish with your friends! As you learn Spanish you’ll come across a huge number of similar phrases which you can start incorporating into your own speech. Why not try using one next time in your Spanish class and impress your teacher?
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
How to order typical dishes in Madrid
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Tomando el aperitivo un domingo
One of the most long-standing traditions in Madrid is to meet with friends on a Sunday morning for an aperitivo round about 12 o’clock. You’ll see groups of friends of all ages, with prams and kids too standing outside a bar and having a drink and snacks before their big late lunches at 3 o’clock. (The tradition has also been known to extend over lunchtime and just stay there to eat with the tapas too) The typical thing to have is either a caña (small beer) or a vermut (a red martini) – this latter drink is often served on tap (de grifo) and is not the usual bottle-bought variety. It is served with a lot of ice and slice of orange and in summer, to make it a long drink (as it is usually high in alcohol content!) with gaseosa (a Spanish, no-calorie, sugar-free type of lemonade). ¡Delicioso! And don’t forget that the best thing of having a drink in a bar in Spain is that they’ll always give you a free small snack (tapa) with it too! Depending on the generosity of the bar, this could be a small dish of paella, or stew (guiso) or olives (aceitunas) or crisps (patatas fritas).
NB: Do you know why they call these bar snacks tapas? The most accepted version of the origin of the tapa is because the bartender would cover (tapar) the customer´s drink with a small plate to keep the flies out of it and on the plate they’d put a bit of food.
“Un vermut, por favor (con gaseosa).”
“Una caña y dos dobles, por favor.” (A small beer and two large ones please)
Ir de tapas / tapear
If anyone suggests the above – they mean to do a bit of bar-hopping and go to different places to have a drink and the accompanying bar snack. If you want something a little more substantial, you can order raciones (a bigger plate of something that isn’t free) that you can all share. You order a media ración (half ration) as well. This could be cheese (queso manchego), ham (jamón serrano), or some fish dishes like chopitos (tiny fried cuttlefish), bienmesabe/cazón (dogfish), calamares (squid rings), pulpo (octopus), sepia (cuttlefish), gambas (prawns), ensaladilla rusa (vegetables in cubes in mayonnaise sauce), torreznos (pork scratchings/rind) or tortilla española (Spanish omelette, made with eggs, potatoes and onion), bravas (so called because the roasted potato cubes come with a sauce of spicy tomato), croquetas (croquettes made of béchamel sauce with ham, mushroom etc. and covered in breadcrumbs.
“Vamos a compartir todo.” (We’re going to share it all.)
“Un poco más de pan, por favor.” (A bit more bread please)
NB: IN the north of Spain, in the Basque country, the bars are famous for their tapas but there they call them pinxtos. They are usually of very good quality but you have to pay for them – often around 1 or 2€ each. With a few of these you will have eaten enough for a full meal!
Desayunar fuera
The Spanish are not generally fond of big breakfasts at home, many prefer to have a quick coffee at home before leaving and then around 11am, they’ll go out to a bar and have another coffee and a tostada, croisan o pincho de tortilla, probably with workmates. It is also a great way to check whether you’ve done your homework correctly with your Hablamos classmates 🙂
It’s a sociable time to have a break and bite to eat. This will see them through until lunchtime, normally around 2.30pm.
Comer un menú del día
The Spanish tend to eat their main meal of the day at lunchtime, a tradition which comes from when everything used to close down at lunchtime between 2 and 5pm and people used to sleep a siesta at home. Those times have now virtually disappeared but the tradition remains to eat a more substantial meal in the middle of the day. If you are working, many people will go for a menu of the day at a local bar or restaurant. They are very good value for money (around 12€) and will include un primer plato (first course), un plato principal (main course), postre (dessert) o café (coffee or tea) y una bebida (a drink) of water, wine, beer or fizzy drink. For one person, it really isn’t worth shopping for and cooking all that for that price, is it? ha ha! The menú del día is normally served from Monday to Friday between 1:30-3:30pm.
Typical first courses:
Ensalada, sopa, pasta, pescado frito (fried fish), verduras (vegetables).
Main courses:
Cocido madrileño, a local dish of a first course of soup (sopa) with pasta, followed by a main course of chickpeas (garbanzos), potatoes, meat, carrots and cabbage (repollo). Very tasty! ¡Riquísimo!
Guisos (stews), pescado (fish), filete (steak)
Salir a cenar
A typical pastime on Spain is to go out for dinner, usually at the weekend. This can take the form of anything from a light meal of raciones or a more elegant meal and is usually eaten between 8:30-10:30pm.
“Me gustaría reservar una mesa para dos a las 9.” (I’d like to book a table for two at 9)
“Tengo una reserva para dos personas a las 10.” (I have a reservation for two at 10pm.)
“¿Nos puede dar una mesa en la terraza?” (Can we have a table on the terrace?)
Salir de copas
If anyone asks you to do this, you know it will be a late night! The Spanish tend to go out after dinner around 11pm. Copas are normally considered to be spirits like un gin-tonic, un ron con coca-cola, etc. and often taken in a pub (they pronounce it paf!) or a bar or in a club. It is quite normal to either pay an entrance fee to a club but this will often include a drink (una consumición).
So, now you know how to eat and drink and order the typical things in Madrid – take advantage and go and try out your new knowledge! All this talk is making me feel hungry – I might just pop out now! ha ha!
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Madrid and Literature!
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I don’t know about you, but when I travel there is nothing I like better than losing myself in a book set in the place I am currently getting lost in! Right? ☺ There is something magical about actually being in the place you are reading about. It takes the experience and immersion to a whole other level. So, while you are studying English with 아블라모스, why don’t you pick up one of these great books set in or around Madrid to immerse yourself in the city and its history?
Here are some of suggestions for books to read. They are written in English (because a long book all in Spanish may be a little daunting in the early stages of your Spanish studies!), but they are full of Spanish expressions which help you both learn the language and also get to know the culture of Madrid.
Winter in Madrid by C. J. Sansom
If you are a fan of historical fiction like me, you could do a lot worse than pick up this gem. Sansom is perhaps more famous for his depictions of Tudor England but in this novel he crafts a truly gripping and emotional experience set in Madrid. Unlike most of his other books, Winter in Madrid is set in a post-civil war Spain suffering from the aftermath of years of brutal conflict. Sansom has an amazing ability to create characters and stories that are fictional but expertly woven into real-world events of the time. The story is about an English spy during the Spanish civil war and his exploits in Madrid after the war ends. Sansom masterfully describes worlds that are so vivid and real that you can almost smell what he is describing. It is a must-read for history lovers and for people who want to learn more about Spain’s tragic past.
Ghosts of Spain by Giles Tremlett
Though not strictly confined to Madrid, Ghosts of Spain is an excellent book for those hoping to gain an insight into what makes Spain tick and what makes Spaniards so…..Spanish, ha ha! Giles Tremlett is the Spanish correspondent for the British newspaper The Guardian and has spent more than 30 years living in Spain, including being married to a Spaniard and raising a family here. This means that he is perfectly placed to shine a light on Spain as someone who knows it intimately but also is able to remain neutral and objective about its history and indeed present. Ghosts of Spain is well worth a look for those of you who want to know why Spain is the way it is – warts and all! It is funny in moments and profound in others and is a great introduction into understanding the geopolitical drama for which Spain is famous.
Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner
Whether you are staying in Madrid temporarily or for the long haul, Leaving the Atocha station will speak to anyone who has lived abroad and away from the home comforts and things they are used to.
The novel follows a young poet who has recently been awarded a fellowship in Madrid and explores his experience of the city and its people. With some genuinely funny moments and equally dramatic and literally explosive passages this book is ideal for those who want to read about, and identify with, the very experience they are living themselves.
Errant in Iberia by Ben Curtis
Our next book continues along the familiar theme of the expat living abroad in Spain and the trials and tribulations that accompany it. It is a biographical tale of a young man who moves to Madrid (in particular Lavapies one of Madrid’s most vibrant neighbourhoods, where he must navigate love, family, vecinos and whatever else Spain throws at him. It is a great pick up for anyone wanting to read about expat life in this wonderful city.
House of the Deaf by Lamar Herrin
While we all like a smile and laugh when thumbing through our current best seller, sometimes we want to have something deeper and altogether more poignant. If that is your case House of the Deaf is for anyone who wants a darker look at Spanish culture. Set in the aftermath of an ETA (Spanish separatist movement) bombing in which a father must come to terms with the death of his child and his search for answers lead him to some very dark places and asks some big questions of the underlying tensions in Spanish society both then and now.
So, Happy Reading! ☺
I am sure that there are many other great options that have not been included here, so why not ask your classmates or teacher in 우리는 말한다 for their recommendations and find out what some of their favourite books are to learn a little more about this great city you’ve decide to call home for a while.
Useful Vocabulary:
La lectura (reading)
Comprensión de lectura (reading comprehension)
Un libro que no se puede dejar (a book you can’t put down)
El autor / autora / escritor (author / writer)
Publicado por (published by)
Un libro de tapa dura / blanda (a hardback / softback book)
Se lleva a cabo / Tiene lugar en .. (it takes place in…)
Tiene un estilo informal (an informal style)
El libro tiene muy buena crítica (the book has very good reviews)
¿Me puedes recomendar algún libro sobre..? (could you recommend me a book about ..)
Te lo recomiendo (I can recommend it)
Tengo que acabarlo, no puedo parar ahora (I have to finish it, I can’t stop now)
Se trata de / habla de .. (it’s about ..)
Un ratón de biblioteca (a bookworm)
Hablamos - full-on Spanish!
Nightlife in Madrid
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It’s certainly true that the madrileños (people from Madrid) love a good night out. According to official statistics, there are almost 18000 bars, restaurants and clubs in the city! When you’re learning Spanish, one of the best ways to improve is to get out and about and interact with the locals, so we thought we’d run through where to go and what to in la capital española (the Spanish capital).
When to go out in Madrid
This is muy importante (very important) as Spanish timetables can differ hugely from other countries. Most Spaniards don’t usually eat dinner before at least 9pm so make sure you reservar una mesa (book a table) at this time or after to get a more authentic experience. If you go any earlier, you’ll probably find most restaurants are full of tourists and you won’t get a lot of chance to practise speaking Spanish to anyone!
After you’ve finished your cena (dinner), it’ll probably be around 10 or 1030pm. Now you might be thinking it’s time to salir de fiesta (go partying) – but you’d be very wrong! This is when the gatos y gatas (cats – a nickname for madrileños) will find a table in a bar to have some cañas (small beers), dobles (large beers) or some vino (wine). Don’t bother going to any clubs yet as they’ll be almost entirely empty.
Once the clock strikes medianoche (midnight) then you’re ready to go to one of the huge number of clubs all over Madrid. These almost invariably remain open until 6am – so make sure you wear zapatos cómodos (comfy shoes)!
Where to party in Madrid
But ¿dónde están los mejores bares y clubs? (where are the best bars and clubs?). There are several areas of the city which are focos (hotspots) for Madrid nightlife. Let’s look at a few of them.
Malasaña
This central barrio (neighbourhood) has always been de moda (trendy). Just behind the famous Gran Vía in the city centre, it is filled with hip bars and clubs for you to enjoy a copa (spirit and mixer) or bailar toda la noche (dance all night). Some of the establishments in this area have been around for deacdes and were famous during la movida madrileña – a period in the 80s of huge cultural change. Any self-respecting Spanish student should go and pasar el rato (hang out) in any of the bars in this area to get in some practice listening to Spanish and you’ll probably make a friend or two while you’re at it!
Huertas
A little to the south of the central Puerta del Sol, this part of Madrid has a great mix of new and traditional bars, restaurants and clubs. Certain streets can be a little bit touristy, but given that you’ll be here to learn Spanish you’ll quickly be able to identify the sitios para turistas (tourist traps) – and anyway, you can speak to the locals when you’re studying Spanish at 우리는 말한다 and get some tips off them too. The streets around Plaza de Santa Ana are particularly full of great places to try.
La Latina
This is, by far, one of our zonas favoritas (favourite areas) because of the sheer quantity of places to eat, drink and party. The most famous street in this area just a short walk from Plaza Mayor is the Calle de la Cava Baja. In just 300 metres, there’s a total of 53 locales (bars/restaurants/clubs)! On weekends, La Latina is lleno de madrileños (full of Madrid residents) who want to party all night so check it out!
Atocha/Lavapiés
These areas are just south of Sol and Huertas and contain some of los clubs más grandes (the biggest clubs) in the city. Lavapiés is also home to a huge number of bars and restaurants in its own right in which you can taste both sabores auténticos (authentic flavours) from Spain, but also it’s famous for the huge range of international cuisine on offer. You can easily walk from one neighbourhood to the other, so you can start in the heart of Lavapiés and then visit one of the megaclubs on the border between one area and the other.
Clearly our short guide is just to get you started thinking about your aventura española (Spanish adventure) that you’ll embark upon if you come and join one of our range of Spanish courses here at 우리는 말한다. We’ll help you con cada paso (every step of the way) and make your you get to enjoy Madrid’s nighttime culture to its fullest.
