Sentence Structure

Basic Word Order

Subject-Verb-Object (SVO)

Spanish typically follows Subject-Verb-Object order, like English:

María    come    una manzana.
Subject  Verb    Object
(María eats an apple.)

However, Spanish is more flexible than English because verb endings indicate the subject:

Come una manzana María.  (Valid, emphasis on María)
Una manzana come María.  (Valid, emphasis on the apple)

Dropping the Subject

Because verb endings show who is doing the action, subject pronouns are often dropped:

Hablo español.          (I speak Spanish. (Yo is implied))
¿Hablas inglés?         (Do you speak English? (Tú is implied))
Vivimos en Madrid.      (We live in Madrid. (Nosotros is implied))

Use subject pronouns for:

• Emphasis: YO lo hice. (I did it.)
• Contrast: Él trabaja, pero ella no. (He works, but she doesn't.)
• Clarity: When the verb form is ambiguous (él/ella/usted all use same form)

Asking Questions

Yes/No Questions

Option 1: Raise intonation at the end (most common in speech):

¿Hablas español?        (Do you speak Spanish?)
Statement: Hablas español.

Option 2: Invert subject and verb:

¿Habla usted español?   (Do you speak Spanish?)

Option 3: Add a tag question:

Hablas español, ¿no?    (You speak Spanish, right?)
Hablas español, ¿verdad? (You speak Spanish, don't you?)

Question Words (Interrogatives)

All question words have accent marks:

Question Word Order

Question word + Verb + Subject (if stated):

¿Dónde    vive     Juan?
Q-word    Verb     Subject
(Where does Juan live?)

¿Qué      estudias?
Q-word    Verb
(What do you study?)

¿Qué? vs. ¿Cuál?

¿Qué es tu dirección?     ✗ (Wrong)
¿Cuál es tu dirección?    ✓ (What's your address?)

¿Qué libro lees?          ✓ (What book are you reading?)

Negation

Basic Negation with No

Place "no" directly before the verb:

Hablo español.           (I speak Spanish.)
No hablo español.        (I don't speak Spanish.)

Tengo tiempo.            (I have time.)
No tengo tiempo.         (I don't have time.)

Double (and Triple) Negatives

Unlike English, Spanish requires double negatives. They don't cancel out:

Pattern 1: No + verb + negative word

No quiero nada.          (I don't want anything.)
No conozco a nadie.      (I don't know anyone.)
No voy nunca.            (I never go.)

Pattern 2: Negative word + verb (no "no" needed)

Nada quiero.             (I want nothing.)
Nadie sabe.              (Nobody knows.)
Nunca voy.               (I never go.)

Examples

No tengo ningún problema.
(I don't have any problem.)

No veo a nadie aquí.
(I don't see anyone here.)

No como ni carne ni pescado.
(I eat neither meat nor fish.)

Yo tampoco.
(Me neither.)

Ella nunca llega a tiempo.
(She never arrives on time.)

Adjective Placement

After the Noun (Most Common)

Most adjectives follow the noun:

un carro rojo            (a red car)
una casa grande          (a big house)
la comida mexicana       (Mexican food)

Before the Noun (Special Cases)

Some adjectives go before:

1. Quantity/Number:

muchos libros            (many books)
pocos amigos             (few friends)
tres casas               (three houses)

2. Shortened adjectives (before masculine singular nouns):

*Gran before any singular noun = great (not big)

3. Meaning changes based on position:

Object Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Position: Before the conjugated verb:

¿El libro? Lo tengo.     (The book? I have it.)
¿María? La conozco.      (María? I know her.)
Te quiero.               (I love you.)

Indirect Object Pronouns

Me da el libro.          (He gives me the book.)
Te escribo una carta.    (I write you a letter.)
Le digo la verdad.       (I tell him/her the truth.)

Both Pronouns Together

When using both, indirect comes before direct:

• le/les → se (before lo/la/los/las)

Te lo doy.               (I give it to you.)
Se lo explico.           (I explain it to him/her.)

Reflexive Verbs

Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se

Me llamo Juan.           (My name is Juan. (I call myself))
¿Cómo te llamas?         (What's your name?)
Se levanta temprano.     (He/She gets up early.)
Nos divertimos.          (We have fun.)

Common reflexive verbs:

• levantarse (to get up)
• acostarse (to go to bed)
• ducharse (to shower)
• vestirse (to get dressed)
• sentarse (to sit down)
• llamarse (to be called)
• irse (to leave)

Practice

¿Dónde está el banco?
(Where is the bank?)

No tengo ninguna idea.
(I have no idea.)

Es una persona muy inteligente.
(He/She is a very intelligent person.)

¿Cuál es tu número de teléfono?
(What's your phone number?)

Me gusta la comida española.
(I like Spanish food.)

¿Por qué no vienes con nosotros?
(Why don't you come with us?)