First things first/Primero lo primero, Second part/Segunda parte

Did you have any trouble during your X-mas shopping understanding some numbers-números?  Problems with the totals-totales?  Still struggling to understand how much the bill-la cuenta is?  You can’t even get a telephone number?  You can say uno-dos-tres and that’s it?…Let’s fix that…Now-Ahora!

Familia “Sésamo Street”:

1 uno – 2 dos – 3 tres – 4 cuatro – 5 cinco –

6 seis – 7 siete – 8 ocho – 9 nueve

Familia “weirdos”:

0 cero – 10 diez – 20 veinte – 30 treinta –

100 cien – 500 quinientos –

1.000 mil (don’t say “un” mil, just mil)

Familia “ce”:

11 once – 12 doce – 13 trece – 14 catorce –

15 quince  /kings say/

Familia “dieci”:

16 dieciseis – 17 diecisiete – 18 dieciocho –

19 diecinueve

Familia “veinti”:

21 veintiuno – 22 veintidós – 23 veintitrés –

24 veinticuatro – 25 veinticinco – 26 veintiseis –

27 veintisiete – veintiocho – 29 veintinueve

Familia “enta”:

30 treinta (weirdo one) – 40 cuarenta –

50 cincuenta – 60 sesenta – 70 setenta –

80 ochenta – 90 noventa

Familia “to” (all #’s between 101 and 199):

100 cien (weirdo one) – 101 ciento uno – 111 ciento once – 199 ciento noventa y (and) nueve

Familia “cientos”:

200 doscientos – 300 trescientos –

400 cuatrocientos – 500 quinientos (weirdo one), do NOT say cincocientos, ok? –

600 seiscientos – 700 setecientos –

800 ochocientos – 900 novecientos 

Now go and learn the members of each family and mingle them.  Just one rule:  #’s between 31 and 99 need the word “y”  /ee/ which means “and”:

111 ciento once

222 doscientos veintidós

333 trescientos treinta y tres

444 cuatrocientos cuarenta y cuatro

555 quinientos cincuenta y cinco

666 seiscientos sesenta y seis

777 setecientos setenta y siete

888 ochocientos ochenta y ocho

999 novecientos noventa y nueve

Now you can count between 0 and 1.000.  Not bad at all, is it?  Besides that, I suppose you can introduce yourself, you know your A-B-Cs en español and probably you already know the meaning of some of these words:

amigo, amor, español, inglés, loco, mamá, padre, plaza, pueblo, rancho, señor, señorita, fiesta, burrito, chile, enchilada, salsa, taco, latino, gringo, bueno, grande, mucho, más, adiós, gracias, pronto, sí, dinero, uno, dos, tres, bonita, cucaracha y pura vida.

Right on!  Are you content with that? Or are you hungry for more?

What about…:  Happy New Year * Happy New Life * Happy New Language * Happy New ME, with the resolve to learn Spanish.

What are your Spanish goals for this new year?:  to get to a certain level in Spanish? to be fluent? to be able to do your errands? to improve your level (whatever it is)? to have survival or basic language skills? to understand and be understood? to find a Latin lover?  Whatever it is…Well… go for it!

I’ve been living here almost 5 years and I don’t know how to surf.  The only reason for that is because I don’t have the determination to give it a real shot and try it.  My fault.-Mi culpa.

So what’s the reason you don’t speak Spanish?

Twice a week some people and I gather in Manuel Antonio to learn, study and practice español.  You are welcome to visit us and take a look, ALL levels are welcome.  Whether you prefer individual lessons or a group, we can have a little interview and then plan something that will help you. 

OS is a certified and experienced Spanish teacher.  He gives One on One, Group, and Immersion classes.  See his ad under Lost in Translation?  ESPAÑOL,  here in Quepolandia.