About the Spanish Language
The Spanish language is the most widely spoken of all the Romance languages, in terms of number of speakers and number of countries which claim Spanish as the official language. Approximately 275 million people in 19 countries from Spain to Costa Rica speak Spanish. The Spanish language is also spoken in the Balearic and Canary Islands, communities in the United States of America, and parts of the west coast of Africa. A variety of Spanish, called Ladino, is spoken in Turkey and Israel by descendents of Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492.
Spanish vocabulary stems from Latin, which was introduced to the Iberian peninsula in the 3rd century during the Roman conquest as a dialect, Castilian. In the Christian conquest of the 15th century, all of the kingdoms of Spain were united and the language of Castile became the dominant dialect. Castilian Spanish - considered the purest form of the language, is spoken in Spain today. Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish do differ from region to region. Latin American Spanish, in particular, has evolved since colonization. A difference worth mentioning is the inclusion of words from the indigenous languages of Latin America into modern Spanish vocabulary.
Many of the words that begin with "f" in other Romance languages begin with an "h" in Spanish (hilo, thread; hijo, son). Another distinction in the Spanish language is the Moorish influence. When you learn Spanish, some vocabulary words beginning with "al-" are of Moorish descent (alfombra, rug; alfiler, pin; almohada, pillow).
English words that come from Spanish vocabulary include cargo, siesta, hacienda, patio, armada, canyon, plaza, rodeo, adobe, vanilla, tornado and embargo.
Formal and Informal Address
As you learn Spanish, you will learn two ways to address someone, familiar and formal. This is similar when learning Dutch. The familiar form of you is tú and verbs used with tú are conjugated in the 2nd person. Familiar form is used with friends or with people who are younger than you. The formal form of you is usted and verbs used with usted are conjugated in the 3rd person. The formal form is used when you speak Spanish with elders or people you don't know.
One noticeable difference between Castilian Spanish and Latin American Spanish is the use of vosotros and ustedes. Vosotros, used only in Spain, is the informal plural form of you and the corresponding verb is conjugated in the 2nd person plural. Ustedes is the formal, plural form of you. However, in Latin America, ustedes is used for both the formal and informal address for 2nd person plural but the corresponding verb is conjugated in the 3rd person plural form. For example, "Vosotros estáis felices " and "Ustedes están felices" (You are happy) mean the exact same thing, but the former would only be used in Spain.
Spanish Looks like English, But Watch Out!
When it comes to learning Spanish vocabulary, be warned that "false cognates" exist. These are words that are tricky because they resemble English words but have a very different meaning. If you tell someone you are embarazada, you are really telling them you are pregnant! If you want to go study at the librería, you are headed for the bookstore! If you'd like some nice fábrica for a new dress, you'll be wearing a factory!
Spanish Grammar and Pronunciation
While an English speaker learning Spanish may recognize some Spanish vocabulary, there are several things that can trick an English speaker trying to learn Spanish grammar. For example, unlike English words, Spanish nouns, adjectives, pronouns, and articles have a gender assigned to them. For instance, casa (house) is feminine and libro (book) is masculine; bonita (pretty) is feminine and bonito (pretty) is masculine. This concept can be difficult to get used to because it simply does not exist in English.
Spanish is pronounced phonetically, however, Spanish pronunciation varies from country to country. This difference is especially prominent in the pronunciation of "z", "s", "c", "ll" and "y." The Spanish pronunciation of certain letters can also be difficult for those learning to speak Spanish. The most well known sound that is difficult for English speakers learning Spanish is rr, which is trilled. The letters b and v are indistinguishable. The letter h is silent.
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