Lesson note
Fun Fact: The coquí frog's call — "co-quí" — is Puerto Rico's most iconic sound.
Fun Fact: El Yunque is the only tropical rainforest in the U.S. National Forest System.
Fun Fact: Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens.
Fun Fact: Old San Juan is over 500 years old.
Fun Fact: Mosquito Bay in Vieques glows at night — bioluminescence!
Tip: turn pronunciation off to test yourself.
Common Mistakes
- I like coffee (NOT "Yo gusto café")
- Me gusta el cafémeh GOOS-tah ehl kah-FEH
- I'm 10 years old (NOT "Soy 10 años")
- Tengo 10 añosTEHN-goh 10 AH-nyohs
- I'm 6 feet tall (NOT "Estoy 6 pies")
- Mido 6 piesMEE-doh 6 pyehs
- I'm hot (temperature — NOT "Estoy caliente")
- Tengo calorTEHN-goh kah-LOHR
- I'm hungry (NOT "Yo soy hambre")
- Tengo hambreTEHN-goh AHM-breh
- It's very hot out (NOT "Es muy calor")
- Hace mucho calorAH-seh MOO-choh kah-LOHR
- My house is in Aguadilla (location = estar)
- Mi casa está en Aguadillamee KAH-sah ehs-TAH ehn ah-gwah-DEE-yah
More to ask
- Are you hot?
- ¿Tienes calor?¿TYEH-nehs kah-LOHR?
- Yes, very hot.
- Sí, mucho calor.see, MOO-choh kah-LOHR.
How Spanish Works
- ¿ and ¡ open questions and exclamations
- ¿Qué? ¡Vamos!¿keh? ¡BAH-mohs!
- I speak Spanish (no yo needed)
- Hablo español.AH-bloh ehs-pah-NYOHL.
- Nouns are masculine or feminine
- el libro / la mesaehl LEE-broh / lah MEH-sah
- the big house (adjective after)
- la casa grandelah KAH-sah GRAHN-deh
- you: friendly / polite
- tú / ustedtoo / oos-TEHD