Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)

Chapter I: Part 1

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PITMAN'S COMMERCIAL SPANISH GRAMMAR

C. A. TOLEDANO

1917

PREFACE

With the best intention of justifying Messrs. PITMAN'S confidence in entrusting me with the compilation of a Spanish Grammar to form part of the series of "Commercial Grammars," I set to work to produce a book which, while avoiding pedantry and the agglomeration of superfluous and intricate rules which puzzle the student, should equally avoid falling into the extreme of coarseness which debases the subject under study, or the scrappiness resulting in gaps that perplex and discourage him. I have tried to be brief and clear in the rules given.

The vocabulary has been chosen carefully, avoiding the artificiality of too much commercial technology, but keeping constantly in view the object of the Series, viz., to produce grammars specially suitable for students preparing for a commercial career.

Whether I have succeeded in my efforts it is for the public to judge. I can only say that, after more than twenty-five years' teaching of Spanish in all its stages, privately, at the Manchester University and in the large classes of our public Institutions, I have tried my best to give the fruits of my experience to any interested young people who may be eager to learn a language beautiful, noble, and most useful.

I do not claim to have reached perfection. I only trust the book, such as it presents itself, will be of real help to the student.

C.A. TOLEDANO.

MANCHESTER, 1911.

COMMERCIAL SPANISH GRAMMAR

ALPHABET.

A (_a_) G (_ge_) M (_eme_) Rr (_erre_) B (_be_) H (_hache_) N (_ene_) S (_ese_) C (_ce_) I (_i_) N (_ene_) T (_te_) Ch (_che_) J (_jota_) O (_o_) U (_u_) D (_de_) K (_ka_) P (_pe_) V (_ve_) E (_e_) L (_ele_) Q (_cu_) X (_equis_) F (_efe_) Ll (_elle_) R (_ere_) Y (_y griega_ or _ye_) Z (_zeta_)

K (_ka_) and W (_doble ve_) are only found in foreign words used in Spanish.

PRONUNCIATION OF VOWELS.

_a_ as English a in f_a_ther _e_[1] " a " f_a_te[2] _i_ " i " magaz_i_ne _o_[1] " o " n_o_te[2] _u_ " u " r_u_le

These five sounds _never_ vary, except that they are a little longer when they are stressed and shorter when they are not, as Yo amo (I love),[3] Amigo (friend), El cielo (heaven), Celeste (heavenly), Un recibo (a receipt), Interes (interest), Yo como (I eat), Contar (to count), Un buque (a ship), Una butaca (an armchair).

_Y_ is considered a vowel in the conjunction _y_ (and), and at the end of a word, as Rey (king), Hoy (to-day).

[Footnote 1: _E_ and _o_ are sounded a little more open when they form a diphthong with _i_ and when they precede _r_ followed by a consonant or _r_ or _l_ final, as Fernando (Ferdinand), Un tercio (a third), El tercer ano (the third year), Porfiar (to insist), Amor (love), Espanol (Spanish).]

[Footnote 2: The _a_ and _o_ of "fate" and "note" are not _pure vowel sounds_. In English the a is distinctly pronounced a-ee and o is pronounced o-oo.

In Spanish the first part _only_ of the two sounds is permissible.]

[Footnote 3: The examples given with their English equivalents should be learnt.

DIPHTHONGS AND TRIPHTHONGS.

There are no Diphthongs or Triphthongs in the English sense of two or three vowels meeting in one syllable and blending into a different sound, as "pause," "plough."

Every vowel is pronounced separately and each with its alphabetical sound, only the two or three vowels occurring in one syllable are pronounced rapidly, as Pausa (pause), Reino (kingdom), Cuenta (account), Buey (ox).

_A, E_ and _O_ never form diphthongs together. They may form diphthongs and triphthongs only in combination with _I_ and _U_.

CONSONANTS.

The Consonants are pronounced as in English with the following exceptions:

B is pronounced much more lightly than in English, with no pressure of the lips, as Libro (book), Brevedad (brevity).

C before _E_ and _I_--_th_ in "theatre," as La Cena (the supper), La Cerveza (the beer). Otherwise pronounced _K_ as in English, as Caja (case, box), Color (colour), Cubico (cubic).

Ch _always_ as _ch_ in "church" (never hard as in "monarch"), as Chocolate (chocolate), Charla (prattle).

D at the end of a word or after a vowel is pronounced very softly and lightly, with a tinge of _th_ in "they," as Madrid, Amado (loved), Encarnado (red).

G before _E_ and _I_ is pronounced guttural, as El general (the general), El giro (the draft, bill). This sound is equal to _ch_ in the Scotch word "loch." In all other cases G is pronounced hard, as in the English word "gay"; as Gato (cat), Gobierno (government), Gusto (pleasure, taste).

H is a mute letter. (Although in Andalusia it is aspirated in certain words.)

J is always guttural, as Juan (John), Jornalero (day labourer), Junio (June), Reloj (watch, clock).

Ll--_ly_, stronger than _li_ in "pavilion," as Belleza (beauty), Folleto (leaflet).

N--ny, stronger than _ni_ in "pinion," as Nino (child), Cana (cane), El otono (autumn).

Q is only used before _ue_ and _ui_ (and the _u_ is then _mute_), as Querido (dear, beloved), Yo quiero (I want).

R as in English, but it is always rolled, as Caro (dear, expensive), Perdida (loss). At the beginning of a word or when preceded by a consonant it is rolled more strongly, as La rosa (the rose), Deshonra (dishonour).

Rr always rolled strongly, as Carro (cart), El ferrocarril (the railway).

S always pronounced as _s_ in "soap," and never as in "as" or "sure."

T as in "tea," but never as _t_ in "nation." It must be pronounced softly, not explosive, as Fortuna (fortune), Cuatro (four).

V is pronounced much more lightly than in English, as Vino (wine), Vivir (to live). By the common people _V_ is often confounded with _B_, but educated Spaniards will always make the proper distinction.

Y--Spanish _I_.

Z--_th_ in "theatre," as Zarazas (cotton prints), Zorra (fox).

NOTE.--In modern Spanish Z is not used before _E_ or _I_, its place being supplied by _C_.

RULES ON PRONUNCIATION.

RULE I.--Every letter is pronounced. There are no mute letters as _b_ in "lamb" or _n_ in "autumn."

EXCEPTIONS--_H_ is not sounded as already explained in the alphabet. _U_ is not sounded in the following syllables: _que, qui, gue_ and _gui_, as Quedar (to remain), Quinta (villa), Guerra (war), Aguila (eagle), unless the _u_ in _gue_ and _gui_ has the diaeresis, as Argueir (to argue), Vergueenza (shame).

RULE II.--No consonant is doubled except C and N. _C_ is found doubled in words like Acceder (to accede) when one _C_ is hard--_k_ and the other soft--_th_.

_N_ is found doubled in words having the prefix _in_, as Innoble (ignoble), Innavegable (unnavigable). Also in Perenne (perennial) and a very few more words.

_Ll_ and _Rr_ are treated as single letters.

RULE III.--The _stress of the voice_ falls on the last syllable but one in all words ending in a vowel or _S_ or _N_; otherwise it falls on the last syllable, as Una factura (an invoice), Facturas (invoices), Hermano (brother), Cartas (letters), Ellos tienen (they have), Azul (blue), Abril (April), Labor (labour), Feliz (happy).

In diphthongs and triphthongs the stress is not on _i_ or _u_, but falls on _a_, _e_ or _o_, as Reina (queen), Gracia (grace), Igual (equal), Cielo (heaven).

When the diphthong is formed by _i_ and _u_ the last one bears the stress, as Un viudo (a widower), La ciudad (the city), Luisa (Louise).

The numerous exceptions to the above rule are all marked by the written accent ('), as Facturo (he invoiced), Escribira (he will write), Hablame (speak to me), Ingles (English), Aleman (German), Util (useful), Jovenes (young men).

The stress of the voice should fall _distinctly_ on the proper syllable according to the above rule, and the attention of the student must be earnestly called to this very important point.

A word in the plural maintains the stress on the same syllable as in its singular, as El oceano (the ocean), Oceanos (oceans), Calculo (calculation), Calculos (calculations), Ingles (Englishman), Ingleses (Englishmen); except Caracter (character), Caracteres (characters), Regimen (regime or rule), Regimenes (regimes or rules)--the latter hardly ever used in the plural.

SIGNS.

The Written Accent.

The only accent in Spanish is ('). It is used--

(1) To mark the exceptions to the _Rule of Stress_.

(2) To distinguish between two meanings of the same word, as El (the), El (he); De (of), Que el de (that he may give); Se (3rd person reflexive pronoun, "himself," etc.), Yo se (I know); Mas (more), Mas (but).

(3) In the following words established by use, as "o" or "u" (or), "e" (and), "a" (to).[4]

(4) In some words when used interrogatively, as Quien? (who?), Que? (what?), Cual? (which?), Cuyo? (whose?), Donde? (where?).

(5) On _I_ and _U_ when they occur together with _A, E_ or _O_, the _I_ or _U_ not belonging to the same syllable, viz., not forming diphthong with _A, E_ or _O_, as Filosofia (philosophy), El continua (he continues).

(6) On _I_ following _U_ when the _I_ does not form a diphthong, but stands as a separate syllable, as Concluido (concluded), Imbuido (imbued).

(7) On Este (this), Ese and Aquel (that) when these words are stressed.

[Footnote 4: According to the last edition of the Grammar of the Spanish Academy, these words may now be written without the accent.]

Crema (Diaeresis).

The diaeresis is placed over _u_ in "guee" and "guei" when the _u_ is to be sounded.[5]

[Footnote 5: In poetry also to divide an ordinary diphthong into two syllables for the sake of rhythm.]

Tilde.

The tilde (~) is used on the letter _N_ to turn it into _N_, as Manana (morning) (in old Spanish spelt Mannana).

Notes of Interrogation and Exclamation.

These are used in Spanish both at the beginning and at the end of the question or exclamation, as ?Que quiere V.? (what do you want?), iCuantos sufrimientos! (how much suffering!). Note that at the beginning they are reversed.

The other signs of punctuation are used as in English.

Capital letters are used as in English with the following exceptions--

(1) Adjectives of nationality are written with small letters, as Un libro ingles (an English book).

(2) Days of the week generally (and sometimes the months of the year) are written with small letters.

DIVISION OF WORDS INTO SYLLABLES.

After the first syllable each succeeding one _commences with a consonant_, as a-for-tu-na-da-men-te (fortunately), except when a prefix occurs before a primitive word,[6] as Organizar (to organise).

[Footnote 6: A few minor exceptions will be learnt by practice.]

Des-or-ga-ni-zar (to disorganise).

When two consonants occur together one letter belongs to one syllable and the other to the next, as--

Ac-ci-den-te (accident) Pe-ren-ne (perennial) Tem-po-ral-men-te (temporarily) In-me-dia-to (immediate)

EXCEPTION--_bl, br, pl, pr, cl, cr, dr, fl, fr, gl, gr_ and _tr_ are not divided, as--

A-blan-dar (to soften) Li-bro (book) A-pla-zar (to postpone) A-pre-ciar (to appreciate) De-cla-mar (to declaim) De-cre-tar (to decree) A-me-dren-tar (to frighten) Con-fla-gra-cion (conflagration) Re-fren-dar (to countersign) A-glo-me-rar (to agglomerate) A-gran-dar (to enlarge) En-con-trar (to meet)

If any of these combinations occur together with a third consonant, this of course will belong to the previous syllable, as

Em-bro-llar (to entangle).

If four consonants come together, two belong to the first syllable and two to the next, as Obs-tru-ir (to obstruct).

_Ll_ and _Rr_, being treated as single letters, must not be divided, as--

Ba-lle-na (whale) Una ca-lle (a street) A-lla-nar (to level) Tie-rra (earth)

LESSON I.

THE ARTICLE.

The =Definite Article= in Spanish is

=El= before a masculine[7] noun singular =La= " feminine[7] " "

[Footnote 7: Spanish nouns are all masculine or feminine. There are no _neuter nouns_.]

as--

El hombre (the man)--La mujer (the woman) El libro (the book)--La pluma (the pen)

El recibo (the receipt)--La cuenta (the account)

=Los= before a masculine noun plural =Las= " feminine " "

as--

Los muchachos (the boys)--Las senoras (the ladies) Los generos (the goods)--Las facturas (the invoices) Los lapices (the pencils)--Las cartas (the letters).

The =Indefinite Article= is--

=Un= before a masculine noun singular =Una= " feminine " "

as--

Un amigo (a friend)--Una amiga (a lady-friend) Un padre (a father)--Una madre (a mother)

The Indefinite Article has no plural, but the Spanish plural forms "unos" (masc.) and "unas" (fem.) translate the English words "some" or "any," as Unos hermanos (some brothers), Unas hermanas (some sisters), Unos tinteros (some inkstands), Unas mesas (some tables). (The Spanish words "Algunos," "Algunas," are also used for the same purpose.)

NOTE 1.--Before a feminine noun _singular_ commencing with _a_ or _ha_ use =El= and =Un= instead of _La_ and _Una_ if such nouns are _stressed on the first syllable_, as El aguila (the eagle), El agua (the water), El alma (the soul). (The plural is regular, as Las aguilas (the eagles).)

NOTE 2.--The Definite Article has a "neuter form" which is =Lo=. _It cannot be used before a noun_ but before other parts of speech used to represent an abstract idea, as Yo amo lo bello (I love the beautiful, viz., all that which is beautiful), Lo sublime (the sublime, viz., all that which is sublime).

REGULAR VERBS.

_1st Conjugation_. Hablar (to speak). _Pres. Part._ Hablando (speaking). _Past Part._ Hablado (spoken).

_Present Tense, Indicative Mood_.

Yo hablo (I speak) Nosotros (_m._) hablamos (we speak)
Nosotras (_f._) hablamos (we speak)

Tu hablas[8] (thou speakest) Vosotros (_m._) hablais (you speak)
Vosotras (_f._) hablais (you speak)

El _or_ Ella habla (he or she speaks) Ellos (_m._) hablan (they speak) Ellas (_f._) hablan (they speak) Usted habla (you speak)[9]. Ustedes hablan (you speak).[9]

[Footnote 8: The second person is only used in the familiar style, practically when in English the 2nd person would be addressed as "John" or "Frank" and not as "Mr. Smith" or "Mr. Brown."]

[Footnote 9: This is called the polite way of addressing and is the form in use. Note that the verb after it is in the _3rd person_, because "Usted," "Ustedes" (which can be abbreviated as V. Vs.) are contractions of Vuestra merced (your grace), Vuestras mercedes (your graces). V. ama = your grace _loves_.]

_2nd Conjugation_. Temer (to fear). _Pres. Part._ Temiendo. _Past Part_. Temido.

_Pres. Tense, Indic. Mood_.

Yo temo Nosotros (_m._) temenos
Nosotras (_f._) temenos

Tu temes Vosotros (_m._) temeis
Vosotras (_f._) temeis

El teme Ellos (_m._) temen Ella teme Ellas (_f._) temen

V. teme Vs. temen

_3rd Conjugation_. Partir (to depart, to set out). _Pres. Part._ Partiendo. _Past Part_. Partido.

_Pres. Tense, Indic. Mood_.

Yo parto Nosotros (_m._) partimos
Nosotras (_f._) partimos

Tu partes Vosotros (_m._) partis
Vosotras (_f._) partis

El parte Ellos (_m._) parten Ella parte Ellas (_f._) parten

V. parte Vs. parten

VOCABULARY.

=a=, to, at =amar=[10], to love =el arbol=, the tree =las botas=, the boots =el capitan=, the captain =la camisa=, the shirt =la casaca=[11], the coat =comprar=, to buy =la flor=, the flower =el hombre=, the man =el hermano=, the brother =la hermana=, the sister =el joven=, the young man =la joven=, the young woman =el lapiz=, the pencil =el libro=, the book =la madre=, the mother =mas=, but =mas=, more =la mujer=, the woman =nosotros tenemos=, we have =el oro=, gold =el padre=, the father =los pantalones=, the trousers =el papel=, the paper =para=, for =la plata=, silver =la pluma=, the pen =el sombrero=, the hat =el tiene=, he has =V. tiene=, you (_sing._) have =Vs. tienen=, you (_pl._) have =la tinta=, the ink =el tintero=, the inkstand =*tener=,[10] to have, to possess =yo tengo=, I have =el viejo=, the old man =la vieja=, the old woman =la virtud=, virtue

[Footnote 10: The verbs given in this vocabulary and the following are regular (i.e., they are conjugated respectively as the model verbs given) _unless they are marked with an asterisk_.]

[Footnote 11: _Or_ americana, _more used now_.]

EXERCISE 1 (1).

Translate into English--

1. El hombre tiene una pluma.

2. La mujer tiene un libro.

3. ?Tiene el padre un sombrero?

4. Nosotros tenemos el tintero del (of the) joven.

5. V. tiene el papel y (and) el lapiz de la madre.

6. Vs. tienen la tinta y el papel.

7. Las hermanas aman.

8. El oro y la plata son preciosos (are precious) mas la virtud es (is) mas preciosa.

9. La vieja y la joven compran flores (flowers).

10. V. vende sombreros.

11. Vs. tienen las cartas.

12. ?Compra[12] V. los pantalones?

13. El Senor (Mr.) Brown es hermano de Juan (John).

14. El sombrero, la americana, y las botas son mios (mine).

15. ?Habla V.?

16. ?Teme ella?

17. Ellos parten.

18. V. parte.

19. Nosotros compramos generos (goods) y vendemos flores.

[Footnote 12: The auxiliary "Do" and "Did," used in English in interrogative and negative sentences, are not translated in Spanish.]

EXERCISE 2 (2).

Translate into Spanish--

1. The father, the mother, and the brother.

2. A pencil, a pen, and an inkstand.

3. The old man and the old woman.

4. A hat and some boots.

5. The shirt and the trousers.

6. I buy the tree.

7. He sells some flowers (flores).

8. I fear.

9. He fears.

10. We sell.

11. We set out.

12. You (_sing._) set out.

13. I buy.

14. He sells.

15. The brother and the sister sell.

16. They speak to the (al) man.

17. We set out for London (Londres).

18. The old woman has the hat.

19. The old man has the flower.

20. Who (quien) has the ink and a pen?

21. The father has the coat.

22. Gold is precious (es precioso) but virtue is more precious (preciosa).

23. I sell paper to the woman.

24. You (_sing._) fear.

25. You (_plu._) buy some flowers.

26. She speaks to the sister.

27. The father and the mother of the captain.

LESSON II.
(Leccion segunda.)

THE ARTICLE (_contd._).

The definite article _El_ is contracted with the preposition _de_ (of or from) into =Del= and with the preposition _A_, into _al_ as--

Del extranjero: Of _or_ from the foreigner. Al caballero espanol: To the Spanish gentleman.

These are the only contractions that occur in Spanish; with the other prepositions the article simply follows, as--

By, for, with, in, on, without, behind, the father: Por, Para, Con, En, Sobre, Sin, Tras, el padre.

The following are the _principal cases_ in which the definite article is used in Spanish and not in English--

1. Before nouns taken in a general sense, as--

El oro y la plata: Gold and silver. Los hombres o las mujeres: Men or women.

2. Before titles denoting dignity and profession,[13] as--

El Senor Fulano: Mr. So-and-So. El Rey Jorge V.: King George V. El Profesor Rosales: Professor Rosales.

The only exception is "Don" (Mr.), only used before Christian names, as Don Francisco (Mr. Francis).

3. Generally before each of several nouns following each other when they are material possessions, as--

La casa y el jardin de mi hijo: My son's[14] house and garden. Las puertas y las ventanas de mi casa: The doors and windows of my house.

But--

La diligencia, devocion, y virtud de mi primo: the diligence, devotion and virtue of my cousin.

4. Before a proper noun qualified by an adjective, as--

El valiente Juan: Brave John.[15]

The following are the principal cases in which the indefinite article is used in English and not in Spanish--

1. Before a noun following the verb "to be," or other similar verbs, as--

Es capitan[16]: He is a captain. Soy frances: I am a Frenchman. Se hizo actor: He became an actor. Le elegimos miembro de esta sociedad: We elect him a member of this society. Fue elegido miembro: He was elected a member.

2. After "what" used in exclamations, as: Que hermosa vista: What a fine view!

3. Before "hundred" and "thousand": 100--ciento, 1,000--mil.

[Footnote 13: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an exclamation.]

[Footnote 14: The 's = possessive does not exist in Spanish. "My son's house" must always be translated as "the house of my son."]

[Footnote 15: Except when vocative, viz., calling a person or as an exclamation.]

[Footnote 16: Except, of course, when we particularize, as--Es un capitan que conoci en Paris: He is a captain I knew in Paris.]

_Imperfect Tense,[17] Indicative Mood_.

_Past Definite,[17] Indicative Mood_.

[Footnote 17: The Imperfect tense describes a past action or state _in progress_; the Past Definite narrates _an event_. Ex.: I met (_past def._)] Charles, who wore (_imp._) a black hat: Encontre a Carlos quien llevaba sombrero negro.]

[Footnote 18: The Subject-Pronoun may be left understood, and is generally omitted unless special stress is laid upon it.]

VOCABULARY.

=aleman=[19], German =beber=, to drink =bien=, well =cafe=, coffee =cerveza=, beer =clavel=, carnation =cliente=, client, customer =comer=, to eat =escribir=[20], to write =estudiar=, to study =exportar=, to export =extranjero=, foreigner =ferreteria=, ironware =grande= (_pl._ =grandes=), large =hijo=, son =hija=, daughter =italiano=, Italian =jardinero=, gardener =leer=, to read =manana=, morning, to-morrow =manzana=, apple =maquina=, machine =mesa=, table =mi=, my =mucho= (_m._), much =mucha= (_f._), much =muy=, very =pera=, pear =pero=, but =pobre=, poor =?que?= what? =que=, that, who, which =rosa=, rose =su=, his, her, their =su ... de V=., your =te=, tea =el ... de V=., your =vino=, wine =violeta=, violet

[Footnote 19: Adjectives of nationality are written with small letters.]

[Footnote 20: Past Participle is "Escrito," otherwise regular.]

EXERCISE 1 (3).

Translate into English--

1. Mi hermano habla espanol (_or_ castellano).

2. V. no habla frances.

3. ?Habla bien el aleman el primo de su amigo de V. (your friend)?

4. No, Senor, el primo de mi amigo no habla bien el aleman pero habla muy bien el ingles.

5. ?Como esta (how is) su hermana de V.?

6. Esta muy bien, gracias (thank you).

7. ?Compra V. papel y tinta?

8. Si, Senor, y compro lapices y plumas.

9. ?Quien (who) compra zarazas (prints) y generos blancos (whites)?

10. El comerciante (merchant) que vino (came) de la Habana.

11. ?Quien vende maquinas y ferreteria?

12. Nosotros exportamos maquinas muy buenas al extranjero (abroad).

13. Estos generos son para los clientes de V. que parten manana.

14. ?Ha hablado V. con Don Francisco?

15. Si, Senor, le hable en la ciudad (in town).

16. Las rosas, los claveles y las violetas del jardinero.

17. El amor y respeto de mi hijo y de mi hija.

18. Juan es frances y yo soy ingles.

19. Le han elegido miembro de esta (this) sociedad.

20. Las hermosas rosas sobre la mesa.

21. V. tiene mil libras (L1,000) y yo tengo ciento.

EXERCISE 2 (4).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Do you speak Spanish?

2. No, but I speak Italian well.

3. Do your customers buy (any) goods?

4. They buy machines and ironware, but my correspondent in Havana buys prints in very large quantities (cantidades).

5. Who sells paper and ink?

6. The old man sells them (los vende).

7. Who writes a letter?

8. I write letters.

9. Who drinks wine?

10. I do not drink wine.

11. Do you drink beer?

12. I do not drink beer but I like (me gustan) coffee and tea.

13. Poor John is my friend.

14. What a beautiful (hermosa) rose!

15. Do your brothers study French?

16. Yes, and they study German.

17. Who studies Italian?

18. My sister-in-law studies Italian and French.

19. The merchant (comerciante) was elected a member of your society.

20. Mr. Brown is a captain.

21. John set out for America.

22. I like (me gusta) to study foreign languages (lenguas extranjeras).

LESSON III.
(Leccion tercera.)

THE NOUN.

The noun in Spanish has only two genders.

=Nouns= denoting =male= beings are =Masculine=.
" " =female= " " =Feminine=.

When there is no real gender, nouns are called masculine or feminine according to their terminations.

GENERAL RULE.--All nouns that terminate in _a, ion, d_, also abstract nouns ending in _ez_, are feminine, as--

La villa: The town. La nacion[21]: The nation. La ciudad: The city or large town. La honradez: Honesty. The other terminations are masculine.

There are many exceptions to the above rule, principally in nouns ending in _E_.[22]

[Footnote 21: English words ending in "tion" end in _cion_ in Spanish. (Note the accent.)]

[Footnote 22: Appendix I--for reference only at this stage.]

=Formation of the Plural of Nouns=.

Nouns ending in a vowel which is not _stressed_ and also nouns ending in _E_ bearing the stress, add =S= to form the plural.

All others add =Es=.

EXCEPTIONS--

1. Nouns ending in _Z_ in the _sing._ change it into =Ces=. 2. Nouns ending in _S_ do not change _unless the last syllable_ is stressed.

EXAMPLES--

El amo: The master. Los amos: The masters. El cunado: The brother-in-law. Los cunados: The brothers-in-law. La cunada: The sister-in-law. Las cunadas: The sisters-in-law. El yerno: The son-in-law. Los yernos: The sons-in-law. La nuera: The daughter-in-law. Las nueras: The daughters-in-law. El arbol: The tree. Los arboles: The trees. El examen: The examination. Los examenes: The examinations. El lapiz: The pencil. Los lapices: The pencils. El omnibus: The omnibus. Los omnibus: The omnibuses. El jabali: The boar. Los jabalies: The boars.

3. Nouns ending in _Y_ add =Es=, as--

El rey: The king. Los reyes: The kings. La ley: The law. Las leyes: The laws.

4. The following add only =S= to form the plural--

Papa, Mama, Baja (a pasha), Sofa (sofa).[23]

[Footnote 23: Words ending in accented vowels are very few and the rule for those ending in _a, o, u_ is not very strict.]

=Compound Nouns= form their plural according to sense, as--

Hijodalgo (a gentleman by birth), literally, "son of something"; _Plu._, Hijosdalgo (literally, "sons of something "). Ferrocarril (railway), literally, "iron railroad"; _Plu._, Ferrocarriles (literally, "iron railroads").

Such nouns are rare.[24]

[Footnote 24: A verb as a component part does not change, as El portabandera (the standard-bearer), Los portabanderas (the standard-bearers).]

=Haber= (to have), auxiliary.[25] =Tener= (to have, to possess).

[Footnote 25: Viz. used only before the past participle of another verb, as (Yo) he hablado (I have spoken).]

_Pres. Part._, Habiendo. _Pres. Part._, Teniendo. _Past Part._, Habido. _Past Part._, Tenido.

_Pres. Tense, Indic. Mood._ _Pres. Tense, Indic. Mood._

He (I have), etc. Tengo (I have, I possess), etc. Has Tienes Ha Tiene Hemos Tenemos Habeis Teneis Han Tienen

_Imperf. Tense, Indic. Mood._ _Imperf. Tense, Indic. Mood._

Habia (I had), etc. Tenia (I had, I possessed, etc.) Habias Tenias Habia Tenia Habiamos Teniamos Habiais Teniais Habian Tenian

_Past Def. Tense, Indic. Mood._ _Past Def. Tense, Indic. Mood._

Hube (I had), etc. Tuve (I had, I possessed), etc. Hubiste Tuviste Hubo Tuvo Hubimos Tuvimos Hubisteis Tuvisteis Hubieron Tuvieron

VOCABULARY.

=alli=, there =aqui=, here =buscar=[26], to look for =caballo=, horse =caja=, box, case =el capital=, the capital, money =la capital=, the capital, town =comprender=, to understand =copiador=, copybook =creer=, to believe, to think =dependiente=, clerk =factura=, invoice =fardo=, bale =Frances=, Frenchman =girar=, to draw, (a bill of exchange) =el idioma=, the language =Ingles=, Englishman =inteligencia=, intelligence =mal=, badly =muselina=, muslin =nunca=, never =pais=, country =pequeno=, little (_adj._) =poco=, little (_adv._ and _subs._) =el porta-ramillete= _or_ =florero=, the flower-stand =?quien?= who? whom? =seda=, silk =socio=, partner =solamente=, only =solo=, (_adv._) only =el tema=, the exercise

[Footnote 26: Changes _c_ into _qu_ before _e_; otherwise regular.]

EXERCISE 1 (5).

Translate into English--

1. ?Comprende V. el espanol?

2. No, Senor, estudio el portugues y mi hermano comprende el espanol perfectamente (perfectly).

3. ?Quien escribe cartas?

4. Los comerciantes escriben cartas y sus dependientes escriben las facturas y algunas cosas mas.

5. Mi socio ha girado una letra (bill) desde (from) Viena (Vienna.)

6. Paris, Berlin, Roma, y Petrograd son las capitales de Francia, Alemania, Italia y Rusia.

7. ?Como se llaman (what are the names of) las capitales de Espana y Portugal? Madrid y Lisboa.

8. ?Ha estado (been) V. en Holanda?

9. No Senor, nunca he estado en aquel pais.

10. En este tema hay palabras que no se dan (are not given) en el vocabulario.

11. ?Cuales (which) son? Holanda, Portugal etcetera.

12. Estas se dejan (are left) a la inteligencia de Vs.

13. ?No creen Vs. que son muy faciles de comprender? (to understand).

14. Si, Senor, V. tiene razon[27] (you are right).

15. Entonces, debemos (we must) continuar la leccion.

16. Muy bien.

17. Debemos leer buenos libros y hablar en el idioma que estudiamos.

[27] Lit. "you have reason."

EXERCISE 2 (6).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Do you study German?

2. We study French and Italian, but my cousin studies English.

3. Does he understand English?

4. He understands English perfectly (perfectamente), but he speaks Spanish badly.

5. Does your sister speak Italian?

6. No, she speaks only English.

7. What does the Englishman buy?

8. He buys a horse from the (al)[28] Frenchman.

9. My cousin sold (past. def.) his horse to Peter (Pedro).

10. John looks for his book and his paper.

11. The copy book is (esta) on the table.

12. Henry (Enrique) must (debe) copy some letters.

13. Who copies the letters here?

14. Peter copies them (las copia).[29]

15. Has Henry much paper?

16. Yes, he has much paper but little ink.

17. The roses and violets are in the flower-stand.

18. The merchant has received (recibido) four bales of silk handkerchiefs (panuelo) and three cases of prints and muslins.

[Footnote 28: "To buy from" is translated by "Comprar a."]

[Footnote 29: The object pronoun precedes the verb in the indicative mood.]

LESSON IV.
(Leccion cuarta.)

THE ADJECTIVE.

The Adjective in Spanish agrees with the noun it qualifies, in gender and number, as--

El periodico italiano: The Italian newspaper. La prensa americana: The American press.

It generally _follows the nouns_ as in the above examples, although exceptions will be found, _e.g._, when the adjective recalls to our mind a quality which _is already known to belong to it_, it generally precedes the noun, as--

He visto sus hermosas flores: I have seen his beautiful flowers.[30] Adjectives form their plural in the same way as nouns.

[Footnote 30: His flowers are known (or supposed) to be beautiful, before we say it.]

=Formation of the Feminine of Adjectives=.

Adjectives ending in _O_ change _O_ into =A=, as--

El sombrero blanco: The white hat. La casaca blanca: The white coat.

Adjectives of NATIONALITY which end in a consonant add =A= to form the feminine, as--

El sastre frances: The French tailor. La modista francesa: The French milliner.

Adjectives ending in _N_ add =A= for the feminine, as--

Un hombre socarron: A sly or cunning man. Una sonrisa socarrona: A cunning smile.

EXCEPT Joven (young), Comun (common), and Ruin (base, sordid), which do not change for the feminine.

Adjectives ending in _or_ add =A= to form the feminine, as--

Un comerciante emprendedor: An enterprising merchant. Una casa emprendedora: An enterprising firm.

EXCEPT =Comparative= adjectives ending in _or_, as Mejor (better), Peor (worse), which do not change for the feminine.

There are a very few adjectives ending in _ete_ and _ote_. These change into =eta= and =ota= for the feminine.

Other adjectives do not change.

[Footnote 31: =Ser= is used--

(1) To form the Passive voice as, Le amo (I love him), Soy amado de el (I am loved by him).

(2) To denote an inherent quality, viz., forming part and parcel with the subject, as Este hombre es habil (this man is clever).]

[Footnote 32: Estar is used--

(1) To denote state in locality, viz., _to be in a place_, as Estoy aqui (I am here), Manchester esta en Inglaterra (Manchester is in England)

(2) To denote condition (as opposed to an inherent quality), as Este hombre esta cansado (this man is tired).]

VOCABULARY.

=activo=, active =ahora=, now =un ano=, a year =aquel, ese= (_m._), that =aquella, esa= (_f._), that =bayeta=, baize =celebre=, celebrated =cima=, top =criados=, men-servants =criadas=, maid-servants =el dia=, the day =ejercito=, army =encuadernado=, bound, (of books) =escritorio=, writing-desk =los fosforos=, the matches =Gales=, Wales =juventud=, youth, young age. =el lacre=, the sealing-wax =lectura=, reading =limpiar=, to clean =limpio=, clean =mayormente=, especially =medico=, doctor =el monte=, the mountain =la nieve=, the snow =por tanto=, therefore =puerta=, door =siempre=, always =sincero=, sincere =soldado=, soldier =terciopelo=, velvet =vela=, candle =ventana=, window

EXERCISE 1 (7).

Translate into English--

1. Pedro es medico.[33] El es buen medico.

2. Era un celebre medico de la ciudad de Paris.

3. Juan esta[34] cansado y yo estoy enfermo.

4. La lectura es util[33] siempre y mayormente en la juventud.

5. Aquel tintero es[33] de V.

6. Este es un libro famoso[33] y esta muy bien encuadernado.[34]

7. Mi hermano es soldado.[35]

8. Se ha alistado (he has enlisted) en el ejercito ingles por cinco (five) anos.

9. El Monte Snowdon esta[36] en Gales.

10. La ciudad del Cairo esta[36] en Egipto.

11. Las cimas de algunos montes estan[37] cubiertas (covered) siempre de nieve.

12. ?Siempre?

13. Si, siempre.

14. Estos tinteros son limpiados todos los dias (every day) por los dependientes o por las criadas.

15. Estos tinteros estan limpios ahora y siempre.

16. Aquella ventana esta rota (broken).

17. Mi hermano esta escribiendo.

18. Es necesario.

[Footnote 33: Quality.]

[Footnote 34: A condition.]

[Footnote 35: A quality (for the time being).]

[Footnote 36: State in locality.]

[Footnote 37: A condition.]

EXERCISE 2 (8).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Who is a good clerk?

2. My brother-in-law is a good clerk but he is tired of working (de trabajar).[38]

3. The windows and doors are clean.

4. Yes, they are cleaned every (cada) morning by the servants.

5. He is speaking to his French friend.

6. He is writing a letter to his mother.

7. They are looking for some handkerchiefs.

8. Have the merchants sold the velvet and the baize?

9. Yes, they sold them (los vendieron) yesterday (ayer); also the muslin and prints.

10. Who bought them? (las compro).

11. The Germans are a very active and hard-working (trabajador) nation, and they deserve (merecen) therefore our sincere admiration.

12. Where are the sealing-wax, the candle and the matches?

13. Here they are on the writing-desk.

14. Does the clerk understand German?

15. Yes, very well.

16. My partner and I will dine at (en) the Royal Hotel (Fonda Real).

[Footnote 38: After a preposition the verb is in the infinitive mood.]

LESSON V.
(Leccion quinta.)

THE ADJECTIVE (_Contd._).

=COMPARISON OF ADJECTIVES=.

The =positive degree= expresses the quality without any further idea of comparison, as Feliz (happy), Rico (rich).

EXAMPLES--

Mi tio es mas pobre que su hermano: My uncle is poorer than his brother. Su mujer es menos rica que el: His wife is less rich than he. Soy tan feliz como V.: I am as happy as you. No es tan amable como su primo: He is not so amiable as his cousin.

_Superlative Absolute_.

EXAMPLES--

Muy largo: Very long. Muy corto: Very short.

Another way to form the Superlative Absolute[39] is by adding =isimo= instead of using _muy_. If the adjective ends in a vowel, this is elided before adding _isimo_.

[Footnote 39: More rarely used and much more emphatic.]

EXAMPLES--

Estas frutas son muy maduras: These fruits are very ripe. Estas frutas son madurisimas: These fruits are very ripe indeed. Estos tenderos son muy ricos: These shopkeepers are very rich. Aquellos son riquisimos: Those (others) are very rich indeed.

Before adding _isimo_, adjectives ending in

_ble_ change it into =bil=, as Amable, amabilisimo. _co_ " " =qu=, as Rico, riquisimo. _go_ " " =gu=, as Largo, larguisimo.

Adjectives of more than three syllables ending in _ble_, adjectives ending in two vowels, or in one vowel accented, should always take =muy= and not add _isimo_ for the Superlative Absolute.

Besides the regular forms of the Comparative and Superlative degrees, there are the following irregular forms--

Mejor (better). Optimo (very good or best). Peor (worse). Pesimo (very bad or worst). Mayor (larger). Maximo (very large or largest). Menor (smaller). Minimo (very small or smallest). Superior (higher). Supremo (very high or highest). Inferior (lower). Infimo (very low or lowest).

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | _Future Tense,[40] Indic. Mood._ | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Hablar. | Temer. | Partir | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Hablare | Temere | Partire | | (I shall speak) | (I shall fear) | (I shall depart) | | Hablaras | Temeras | Partiras | | (thou wilt speak) | (thou wilt fear) | (thou wilt depart) | | Hablara | Temera | Partira | | (he/she will speak) | (he/she will fear) | (he/she will depart)| | Hablaremos | Temeremos | Partiremos | | (we shall speak) | (we shall fear) | (we shall depart) | | Hablareis | Temereis | Partireis | | (you will speak) | (you will fear) | (you will depart) | | Hablaran | Temeran | Partiran | | (they will speak) | (they will fear) | (they will depart) | +--------------------------------------------------------------------+

+--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | _Conditional Mood_.[40] | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Hablar. | Temer. | Partir | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | Hablaria | Temeria | Partiria | | (I should speak) | (I should fear) | (I should depart) | | Hablarias | Temerias | Partirias | | (thou wouldst speak) | (thou wouldst fear) | (thou wouldst...) | | Hablaria | Temeria | Partiria | | (he/she would speak) | (he/she would fear) | (he/she would...) | | Hablariamos | Temeriamos | Partiriamos | | (we should speak) | (we should fear) | (we should depart) | | Hablariais | Temeriais | Partiriais | | (you would speak) | (you would fear) | (you would depart) | | Hablarian | Temerian | Partirian | | (they would speak) | (they would fear) | (they would depart)| +--------------------------------------------------------------------+

[Footnote 40: The Future Tense Indicative Mood and the Conditional Mood are formed from the Infinitive Mood by adding to the Infinitive the terminations: _e, as, a, emos, eis, an_ for the future; and _ia, ias, ia, iamos, iais, ian_ for the conditional mood.]

VOCABULARY.

=alguno,-a=,[41] some or any (_s._) =algunos,-as=,[42] some or any (_pl._) =amarillo=, yellow =barba, barbas=, beard =barbilla, barba=, chin =blanco=, white =boca=, mouth =cabello=, hair =cabeza=, head =cafe, castano=, brown, (dyed) =cepillo=, brush =cualquiera= (_s._),[43] any (affirmative) =cualesquiera= (_pl._) any (affirmative) =dientes=, teeth =dinero=, money =encarnado=, red =escoba=, broom =estampar=, to print (calico) =la frente=, the forehead =lengua=, tongue =malo=,[44] bad, wicked =manteca=, butter =moreno=, brown, (natural colour) =(la) nariz=, nose =necesitar=, to want, to need, to be in want of. =ninguno,-a= (_s._) any (after a negative) =ningunos,-as= (_pl._) any (after a negative) =el ojo=, the eye. =padres=,[45] parents =percal=, calico =queremos=, we want *=querer=, to want, to wish to have =ellos quieren=, they want =yo quiero=, I want =V. quiere=, you want =regla=, ruler =si=, if =la tez=, complexion =un poco de=,[46] a little, some, or any =verde=, green

[Footnote 41: Before a masculine noun "Alguno" and "Ninguno" drop the _o_, as Algun dinero (some money). The feminine "Alguna" and "Ninguna" never changes.]

[Footnote 42: Also _unos, unas_.]

[Footnote 43: "Cualquiera" generally drops the _a_ before a noun, as Cualquier libro (any book).]

[Footnote 44: Before a masculine noun it drops the _o_, as Un mal muchacho (a bad boy). The feminine is always "mala."]

[Footnote 45: The masculine plural includes the plural of both genders, as Los padres (the parents, father and mother), Los hermanos (the brothers or the brother(s) and sister(s).)]

[Footnote 46: Used for both genders, as Un poco de vino (a little wine), Un poco de cerveza (a little beer).]

EXERCISE 1 (9).

Translate into English--

1. Los percales estampados y los blancos estan todos prontos para el vapor (steamer) que partira manana.

2. Necesitamos bayeta verde, amarilla y encarnada.

3. Aqui tenemos una buena partida (lot) de zarazas cafe.

4. Hemos hablado a una Senora de tez morena, cabeza hermosa y ojos inteligentes.

5. La frente, la boca, y la nariz forman parte de la cara (face).

6. La barba o barbilla es el remate (end) de la cara.

7. Tambien se llama barba o barbas el pelo (hair) que crece (grows) en ella (on it) a los hombres.

8. Tengo un poco de dinero y algunos libros.

9. Tenemos algunas cajas de panuelos.

10. El mal muchacho no tiene ninguna gana (inclination, desire) de estudiar.

11. Ningunos padres quieren comprar malos libros para sus hijos (children).

12. Si tiene V. algun azucar (sugar) yo lo comprare.

13. ?Quiere su hermano (de V.) vender algunos libros?

14. No, no quiere vender ningunos de sus libros.

15. Mi cunado no necesita comprar libros; tiene muchisimos, algunos viejos (old), otros nuevos (new), y tres o cuatro (three or four) novisimos,[47] uno de ellos (of them) es bonisimo.[47]

16. Cualquier libro es util.

[Footnote 47: Adjectives containing _ie_ or _ue_ change them into _e_ and _o_ before adding _isimo_, as Nuevo, novisimo; cierto, certisimo.]

EXERCISE 2 (10).

Translate into Spanish--

1. I have some money.

2. What goods do you want (wish to have)?

3. I want some brown prints and some red calico.

4. I have no (not any) red calico, but I must buy some (debo comprar).[48]

5. Do you want to sell me any? (venderme).

6. There are (hay) many inkstands in this shop (tienda); do you want any? (quiere V. alguno? or algunos?).

7. Yes, I want some (alguno or algunos).

8. Have you any[49] bread (pan)?

9. Yes, I have some bread and cheese (tengo pan y queso).

10. Any book will be useful.

11. The teeth and the tongue are inside (dentro de) the mouth.

12. The teeth want great attention.

13. Yes, they must always be clean.

14. We want to study Spanish because it is (es) very necessary in commerce (en el comercio).

15. If you study with attention you will soon (pronto) speak and write Spanish very well.

16. John speaks French very badly but he is studying it (lo esta estudiando) with much attention.

17. Do you understand this lesson?

18. Yes, I understand this lesson well; it is not very difficult.

19. No lesson is difficult if we study with care (con cuidado).

[Footnote 48: "Some" and "any," following a verb and referring to a singular noun previously mentioned, are not to be translated.]

[Footnote 49: "Some" and "any" are generally not translated when they are not used in a _partitive sense, i.e._, with an idea of a limited quantity.]

LESSON VI.
(Leccion sexta.)

CARDINAL NUMBERS.

Uno,[50] una 1 Cuarenta 40 Dos 2 Cuarenta y uno _or_ Cuarentiuno 41 Tres 3 etc. etc. Cuatro 4 Cincuenta 50 Cinco 5 Sesenta 60 Seis 6 Setenta 70 Siete 7 Ochenta 80 Ocho 8 Noventa 90 Nueve 9 Ciento[52] 100 Diez 10 Ciento y uno _or_ Cientiuno 101 Once 11 Ciento y dos _or_ Cientidos, 102 Doce 12 etc. etc. Trece 13 Ciento diez 110 Catorce 14 Doscientos,-as 200 Quince 15 Trescientos,-as 300 Diez y seis _or_ Dieciseis 16 Cuatrocientos,-as 400 Diez y siete _or_ Diecisiete 17 Quinientos,-as 500 Diez y ocho _or_ Dieciocho 18 Seiscientos,-as 600 Diez y nueve _or_ Diecinueve 19 Setecientos,-as 700 Veinte 20 Ochocientos,-as 800 Veinte y uno _or_ Veintiuno[51] 21 Novecientos,-as 900 Veinte y dos _or_ Veintidos, 22 Mil 1,000 etc. etc. Dos mil, etc. 2,000 Treinta 30 Cien[53] mil 100,000 Treinta y uno _or_ Treintiuno, 31 Cien mil y uno 100,001 etc. etc. Cien mil y diez 100,010 Un millon 1,000,000

[Footnote 50: When immediately preceding a noun, "uno" becomes "un"]

[Footnote 51: "Ciento" becomes "cien." ("Cien" is found instead of "ciento," even standing alone.)]

[Footnote 52: The duplicate forms are common to all the tens.]

[Footnote 53: "Ciento" drops the _to_ also before "mil"; and of course before "millon" (a noun).]

The conjunction "and" is always used between tens and units, as--

Veinte y una or veintiuna manzanas (21 apples).

But it is generally omitted between hundreds and tens, as--

Doscientas treinta peras (230 pears).

"Ciento" and "mil" are not preceded by "uno" except in 101,000, 201,000, etc., to avoid ambiguity, as--

Doscientos mil soldados (200,000 soldiers). Doscientas y un mil millas (201,000 miles).

"One million inhabitants" is translated by Un millon _de_ habitantes. (_Note_.--The _de_ cannot be omitted.)

In the case of more than one million the word "millon" must be plural--millones, as--

Cien millones de hombres (one hundred million men).

As will have been observed, besides "uno," "doscientos," "trescientos," etc., change the _os_ into =as= for the feminine.

[Footnote 54: The Future Indic. and the Cond. mood of "Haber" and "Tener" are formed irregularly from the Infinitive mood, the _e_ after the root _Hab_ being dropped, and after the root _Ten_ being changed to d.]

[Footnote 55: For reference only--
_Ser_ (and not _Estar_) must be used:

(1) Before nouns; (3) When denoting possession;
(2) When used impersonally; (4) Before Feliz, Infeliz, Rico,
Pobre.]

VOCABULARY.

=acabar de=,[56] to have just =almacen=, warehouse =aprender=, to learn =ayudar=, to help =banar=, to wet, to bathe, to water =bicicleta=, bicycle =certisimo=, most certain =discipulo=, pupil =disfrutar=, to enjoy =el es, ella es=,[57] it is =ello= (_neuter_),[57] it =este= (_m._), =esta= (_f._), this =esto= (_neuter_),[58] this =estos= (_m._), =estas= (_f._), these =la fecha=, the date =la gente=, the people =hermosamente=, beautifully =importancia=, importance =La India=, India =libre=, free =maestro=, master, teacher =la mayor parte=, most, the majority =el mes=, the month =mismo=, same =novisimo=, brand new =otro=, other, another =el Sena=,[59] River Seine =el Tajo=, River Tagus =el Tamesis=, River Thames =tambien=, also, too =tienda=, shop =ventaja=, advantage

[Footnote 56: Followed by the verb in the infinitive mood, as Acabar de escribir (to have just written).]

[Footnote 57: "It" (subject) is most generally left understood, as "It is useful" (El, ella, _or_ ello) es util.]

[Footnote 58: Referring to a whole statement, as Esto _or_ ello es justo. This or it (what you have just said) is right.]

[Footnote 59: Names of rivers are masculine because the word "rio" (river) is understood.]

EXERCISE 1 (11).

Translate into English--

1. La India es una posesion inglesa de grande importancia.

2. El Sena es un rio de Francia[60] y el Tamesis es un rio de Inglaterra.

3. Toledo, ciudad interesantisima de Espana banada por el Tajo.

4. La mayor parte de estos Espanoles comen en esta fonda.

5. Este ano las tiendas estan hermosamente decoradas.

6. Es certisimo que los almacenes y las tiendas de esta calle disfrutan de grandes ventajas.

7. ?De quien es esta regla? Es mia.

8. ?En que fecha escribio V. la carta?

9. La escribi (I wrote it) ayer.

10. Juan acaba de comprar una bicicleta novisima.

11. Yo acabo de comprar cepillos de dientes y de cabello.

12. La criada compro esta manana una escoba.

13. Necesitamos comprar manteca pero no la compramos porque no queremos gastar dinero.

14. La mayor parte de la gente no quiere gastarlo (to spend it).

15. ?Es bueno este vino?

16. Es muy bueno y tambien no es caro.

[Footnote 60: Names of countries should not take the article (the rule is not very strict, however). EXCEPTIONS: La India, El Peru, El Japon (Japan).]

EXERCISE 2 (12).

Translate into Spanish--

1. Foreigners in England enjoy many advantages.

2. Yes, because England is a free country.

3. Englishmen also enjoy the same advantages in other free countries.

4. Does the teacher help his pupils?

5. He does (Si, Senor), but the pupils must study and learn their lessons well and work diligently (diligentemente).[61]

6. This morning I was writing a letter when my sister spoke of the bicycle (which [62]) she wants to buy.

7. Did you sell the muslins and prints (which) you bought last year (el ano pasado)?

8. The merchant has drawn a bill at three months' date for (por) the velvets (which [62]) he sold to the Spanish customer.

9. Little and good is better than much and bad.

10. John is a partner in that firm (casa).

11. It is necessary to work.

12. This is George's beautiful garden.

13. It is a large garden with many flowers, roses, carnations, violets and other plants (plantas).

14. Who is here?

15. Charles and Henry are here.

[Footnote 61: To form an adverb from an adjective add _mente_ as you add "ly" in English. If the adjective changes for the feminine add _mente_ to the feminine form, as rico (_m._), rica (_f._)--ricamente (richly).]

[Footnote 62: Cannot be left understood in Spanish.]

LESSON VII.
(Leccion septima.)

ORDINAL NUMBERS AND FRACTIONS.

[Footnote 63: Ordinal adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they accompany or for which they stand. Final _o_ changes into _a_ for the feminine, and the plural is formed by adding _s_.]

"Primero," "tercero," and "Postrero" drop the =O= before a masculine noun singular,[64] as--

El primer pedido: The first order. El tercer lote: The third lot. El postrer envio: The last shipment.

But--

La primera entrega (_fem._): The first delivery.

[Footnote 64: Eight words in all present this peculiarity, viz., uno, alguno, ninguno, bueno, malo, primero, tercero, postrero (these last two not always).]

After "vigesimo" ordinal numbers are generally substituted by cardinal numbers, as--

La pagina veintidos: Page 22nd.

Dates are expressed by cardinal numbers instead of ordinal, as--

Madrid, 20 (de) Agosto (de) 1911: Madrid, 20th of August, 1911.

EXCEPTION: El primero, as--

El 1 deg. (primero) de Septiembre (1st September).

Numbers following names of kings, etc., are ordinal up to the tenth; then generally cardinal, as--

Felipe II. (segundo): Philip II. Alfonso XIII. (trece): Alphonso XIII.

Fractional numbers up to 1/10th are the same as ordinal numbers, except--

(Un) medio: one half. Un tercio (_not_ tercero): one-third.

From 1/11th upwards, fractions are formed from cardinal numbers adding to them the termination =avo=, as--

Un dieciseisavo[65]: 1/16.

_Un_ need not be used before the fractions 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4, preceded by an integer, as--

Comments

Pitman's Commercial Spanish Grammar (2nd ed.)Chapter I: Part 1

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